Sunday, July 21, 2019

Apple : Walmart's 'The Big Save' sale ends today: final deals on TVs, laptops, and more

Apple : Walmart's 'The Big Save' sale ends today: final deals on TVs, laptops, and more

Walmart's 'The Big Save' sale ends today: final deals on TVs, laptops, and more

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 11:21 AM PDT

While Amazon Prime Day ended on Tuesday, Walmart's 'The Big Save' sale has been extended to today with price cuts that rival the tech giant. You can find massive savings throughout the site on best-selling items.

The best part about Walmart's summer sale is that unlike Prime Day, Walmart's deals are available to everyone - you don't need to be a member or have a subscription. You also get free shipping on all orders over $35. The deals aren't bad either, with massive savings on everything from 4K TVs and laptops to kitchen appliances and vacuums. You'll also find discounts on Google smart home devices, which aren't available on Amazon.

See our roundup below of the best Walmart deals that are still available. Keep in mind these offers end today, and might be the last time snag stellar deal before Black Friday.

Walmart has a lot of stuff on offer right now, with a wide range of devices and categories that are at an all-time low price.

We've scoured the site, and listed the best deals that are worth your time. Here are out top choices:

Shop more Walmart TV deals with our roundup of the best 4K TV deals that are happening now.

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Get a free pair of Galaxy Buds with Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus deals from Vodafone

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 08:31 AM PDT

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is arguably the world's best phone (or at least in our opinion) but with a phone that great, comes...well a pretty massive price tag. So when you're paying that much, it would be nice to have some added incentives.

This seems like an idea that Vodafone is happy to get involved with, currently offering not just a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus deal with an unlimited data cap, but also throwing in a completely free pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds. 

And for those looking to become a member of the cutting-edge fraternity, Vodafone also has the exact same offer on the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, throwing you into the world of super fast speeds. The only catch, Vodafone's 5G plans operate across three different speed caps so you might have to invest a bit more to make full use of those 5G speeds.

We've listed these two Galaxy S10 series offers down below, complete with the free Galaxy Buds. Or if these prices are just a bit too much, check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals for everything else the market has to offer.

Vodafone's Galaxy S10 + Galaxy Buds offer:

While this offer is impressive - the world's best phones and a free pair of headphones - you can get it cheaper if you look around. A look at our Samsung Galaxy S10 deals and Samsung Galaxy S10 5G deals guides will show you the top prices.

Still want those headphones? We also have a guide to the best Samsung Galaxy Bud deals.

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Australia vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch the Netball World Cup final 2019 from anywhere

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 08:26 AM PDT

Having caused the hosts heartache by beating England 47-45 in the semi-finals, New Zealand must now face holders Australia in the 2019 Netball World Cup final for a sixth consecutive tournament. It should be a fiercely fought final and you can watch every minute with an Australia vs New Zealand live stream.

The quick-fire format of this year's tournament means there's little time for either finalist to bask in the glory of their semi-final wins yesterday. Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua will have been thrilled by her side's comeback from 24-21 at half-time and the resilience they showed at the end to see out the match against the much fancied hosts.

Australia put in perhaps the least convincing performance of the two teams in their semi, squandering an eight-goal half-time lead as South Africa worked their way back to within one goal with four minutes remaining. The Diamonds nevertheless just about held on to reach today's gold-medal match to stay on course for a 12th crown from 15 editions of the tournament since 1963.

Despite yesterday's fright, Australia may have the psychological edge today after narrowly beating New Zealand 50-49 in their Preliminary Stage 2 clash to top Group F earlier in the tournament.

If you want to know where you'll be able to watch today's match, we'll tell you exactly where you can catch the game online with our 2019 Netball World Cup Final Australia vs New Zealand live stream guide.

How to watch the 2019 Netball World Cup final from outside your country

Below we have a full rundown of your watching options in the UK (where the game will be shown live on the BBC), Australia (where the final will be shown free-to-air) and New Zealand (where Sky has live broadcast rights).

The problems start when you try to watch your domestic coverage online while out of the country. Give it a go...you'll quickly find your stream is geo-blocked. That's super annoying, but not unavoidable. We've found that using a Virtual Private Network - or VPN - is a handy solution. You select a server in your home country and then watch as if you were sat back at home on your couch.

How to live stream the Aussia Diamonds in Australia for FREE

How to live stream the Silver Ferns in New Zealand

Live stream Australia vs New Zealand Netball World Cup final in the UK

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The Open 2019 live stream: how to watch the last few holes of golf online from anywhere

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 08:23 AM PDT

Shane Lowry may have one hand on the Claret Jug, but it's still going to take some nerve and skill to get around the gusty last few holes at Royal Portrush to win the 148th Open Championship. You can discover whether he can close it out with a 2019 Open live stream.

The players are continuing their hunt for the famous Claret Jug at the British Open Championship - the first time that the world's oldest golf major has been held in Northern Ireland in almost 70 years.

Shane Lowry's astonishing 63 on Saturday means that he headed in to Sunday at the top of the leaderboard by four shots, with Englishman Tommy Fleewtood joining him in the final pair. A little way behind him were a clutch of Americans (J.B. Holmes, Rickie Fowler, world number one and Brooks Koepka) and more Englishmen (Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett).

If you don't yet know what your 2019 Open live stream options are, then keep on reading. It's FREE in some areas, which is great news for those wanting to watch the closing stages of the action at Royal Portrush.

Live stream golf coverage for free at TheOpen.com

The Open Championship is following the likes of the Masters and US Open, which means you can get a free live stream at TheOpen.com.

It is showing action from featured groups and featured holes 5, 6 and 7. There's even audio commentary to go with them.

That's great if you're only interested in following the players it selects for you, but not so good if you want full and proper coverage. Aside from the TheOpen.com live stream, we have more watching options below.

How to get a 2019 Open live stream from outside your country

We're going to guess that if you've landed on this page, you're going to want something more extensive than that free Open live stream described above. For you, we have full details on which networks are showing the golf in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

But try to watch your domestic Open Championship coverage while out of the country and you'll soon be faced with a block. That's because broadcasters implement a geo-restriction to stop non-nationals from watching their coverage. Fair enough, but annoying if you've paid for a pricey subscription and still want to watch without having to resort to some dodgy illegal stream you've discovered on Reddit.

How to watch the Open Championship: live stream in UK

How to watch the British Open golf in the US

  • Hulu with Live TV $40 per month - Hulu with Live TV includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.
  • FuboTV $35 for the first month - FuboTV gives you the first month at a discounted rate but after that the price increases to $45 a month. The service includes CBS, Fox, NBC and the NFL Network but does not come with ESPN.
  • PlayStation Vue From $50 per month and the ideal choice for PS4 owners thanks to its access to the likes of ESPN, NBC, Fox, Disney and other essential networks. Crank up the price and you can add the likes of Showtime and HBO, too.
  • DirecTV Now $50 per month - DirecTV Now includes CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and for $5 extra you can add the NFL Network.
  • YouTubeTV $40 per month - YouTubeTV gives you access to CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.

If you're outside the US this weekend but want to access one of the above options, then you can use a US VPN to effectively transport your computer, phone or tablet's IP back to a US location.

How to live stream Open golf in Canada

How to get an Open live stream in Australia

Where is the 2019 Open Championship?

The Open returns to Northern Ireland after 68 years with the world’s greatest players competing for the Claret Jug over the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush.

Who are the favourites for the 2019 Open?

Playing in his home country, Rory McIlroy is looking for his second Open Championship and fifth career major victory and leads the betting with Betfair.

Brooks Koepka, who is yet to lift the Claret Jug and fellow American Dustin Johnson follow McIlroy, with Jon Rahm and three-time Open Championship winner Tiger Woods also well backed.

How much does the winner of the Open Championship get?

While The Open ranks last among golf’s four biggest tournaments in terms of prize money, the winner still picks up a sizeable payday. There’s been a slight increase over last year’s winnings, with the prize pool has increased this year to $10.75 million (£8.56m), whilst the winner will pocket $1.935 million (£1.54m).

Who qualifies for the Open?

It’s the golf tournament every pro golfer wants to Its play in, but there are only 156 places available. Players can qualify in one of four ways.

The most common for top-tier stars is through exemption. The top 50 players on the current Golf World Rankings all go through in this way, as do the top 10 players from the previous British Open Championship. All players who have won one of the other three majors in the previous five years also get an exemption, as do the top 30 players from previous year’s PGA Tour money list and those on the European Order of Merit. Finally, all previous Open Champions under the age of 60 also get an exemption.

Players that don’t make the exemption criteria can get an invite via the Open Qualifying Series (OQS), and also via local qualifying. Finally, if the field size has not reached 156, players that have the highest rating in the official golf rankings that haven’t already qualified will get the nod.

Who won the 2018 Open Championship?

Francesco Molinari won the 2018 Open, which was held at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. The Italian finished 8-under to earn his first major title.

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Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80: which affordable phone is best for you?

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 07:00 AM PDT

Samsung's Galaxy A phone series reached the double digits in style, with a massive range of handsets – there's the A10, A20, A30, A40, A50, A60, A70 and A80 (with a possible A90 on the way, too).

The definitive smartphone in the series is the Galaxy A50 – it's got solid mid-range specs, a fairly low price, and stands as evidence of what Samsung is trying to do with the newest Galaxy A phones.

But, there's also a dark horse of the range, in the form of the A80, with its unique design feature in the form of a pop-up rear panel that houses the front, and back, cameras. It's certainly a more 'premium' device, with a price that reflects it.

So, if you're on the market for a new affordable Samsung device, or just want to know what the difference is between the A50 and A80, read on as we compare their specs.

Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80 price

The Samsung Galaxy A80

The most affordable handset of the two is the Samsung Galaxy A50, which costs $350 / £309 / AU$500. It's a price that straddles the line between budget and mid-range, but it definitely feels mid-range given the specs.

It's a fair step up in price to the Galaxy A80, at £579 (roughly $725, AU$1,040). We haven't seen it on sale in the US or Australia yet, so we've roughly converted the UK price, but its final cost might be higher or lower than our estimates. Either way, it's almost twice as expensive to buy an A80 than an A50.

Design and display

The Samsung Galaxy A80 is a slightly bigger phone, with a 6.7-inch display instead of the 6.4-inches of the Galaxy A50. The A80's screen resolution is only a tiny bit better though, at 1080 x 2400 instead of 1080 x 2340 in the A50, which leads to it actually having a lower pixel per inch count.

Both handsets have Super AMOLED screens though, with promises bold colors and a high contrast ratio, so in general you'll have a great viewing experience whether you're using the A50 or A80.

The Galaxy A50

One other difference between the displays is that the A50 has a small 'tear-drop' notch housing the front facing camera, whereas the A80 has an unbroken display – we'll get into that later.

Since the Galaxy A50 has a smaller screen, it's got a smaller body too, at 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7mm, compared to the 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm of the Galaxy A80, and this difference is reflected in the 166g weight of the A50 being dwarfed by the 220g of the A80 – the latter is one of the heaviest handsets we've ever held.

While you're getting a USB-C port on both smartphones, the Galaxy A50 has a 3.5mm headphone jack which is missing on the A80, a difference that'll be a deal-breaker if you still love your wired headphones.

Both handsets have Gorilla Glass screens, but while the Galaxy A80 also has this protective material on the rear too, the Galaxy A50 has a plastic body – this is a sign of its more budget design, and it's less protected as a result.

The back of the phone does show the biggest differences between the devices, in fact. While the A50 has its three-camera array vertically down the left, the A80's cameras are horizontal, high up on the body. 

The Samsung Galaxy A80's flip-up panel.

The reason for this is because the top of the back of the phone pops up. When you need to take a selfie, the panel surrounding the rear cameras pops up, and then the cameras spin around – it's a fun novelty, and it solves the problem of front-facing camera placement in a unique way.

However we found this mechanical aspect rather dubious, as it seemed frail, and after not much use it started rattling when not in use, so if you want something that'll last a long time perhaps the Galaxy A50 is a safer option.

Camera

While both the Samsung Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A80 have three cameras, they're very different in what these actually are.

The Galaxy A50 has a 25MP main snapper, joined by an 8MP camera with ultra-wide lens, and a third 5MP depth sensor.

Samsung Galaxy A50.

The Galaxy A80, on the other hand, as a 48MP main sensor joined by the same ultra-wide configuration, and then a Time-of-Flight (ToF) 3D camera, which in effect does the same as the depth sensor but doesn't take its own pictures.

In terms of raw photography then, the Galaxy A80 with its 48MP snapper takes better pictures, but the A50 stands its ground in ultra-wide and close-up situations. Neither phone has a special lens for zoomed shots, though.

On the front of the Galaxy A50 is a 25MP front camera – it's rare for a smartphone to have the same front and rear snapper, and Samsung has likely reasoned that this phone is for people who like to take a lot of selfies.

Of course, the Galaxy A80 has the same front cameras as the rear, since it's the same array – in practice we found that, when you put the camera into front-facing mode, it doesn't have all the abilities of when it's facing back, like Night Mode or zoom, so it's basically just a normal selfie camera.

Samsung Galaxy A80.

In terms of video, you can only record 1080p 30fps on the Galaxy A50, but the A80 has a range of options like 2160p and 60fps, so it's the better device if you want to record a lot of video.

Battery life and specs

In the Samsung Galaxy A50 you're getting a 4,000mAh battery, but it's a slight downgrade in the A80 as you're only getting 3,700mAh. Due to the moving rear panel and the larger screen the latter phone also drains power quicker too, so the battery life is much longer in the A50.

The Galaxy A80 does support 25W fast charging though, compared to 15W in the A50, so at least it'll power up quicker.

Samsung Galaxy A50.

In terms of chipsets, the Galaxy A50 has Samsung's Exynos 9610 processor, while the A80 has a Snapdragon 730. Both are fairly comparable chipsets, so there isn't a clear champion, but the A80 has 8GM RAM to the A50's 6GB, so you might feel a slight difference there.

In terms of general use, the phones will feel rather similar – they have in-screen fingerprint sensors, run Android 9 Pie with Samsung's OneUI laid over the top, and have 128GB internal memory.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A80 costs a lot more than the A50, but some might say the difference isn't worth it. 

While you're getting more RAM and an unbroken screen in the A80, that's a small upgrade for a phone that's roughly double the price.

The real selling point of the A80 is its pop-up rear camera panel, and if this is an appealing novelty to you, you might find the handset fun enough to purchase.

The Galaxy A50 doesn't have that many ground-breaking features, but it's a reliable phone, and at its price point you could do a lot worse in terms of quiet power.

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Android is going to get better at managing your wireless headphones

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 06:30 AM PDT

Since the AirPods first pitched up in 2016, truly wireless headphones (with each earbud separate) have become more and more popular, and now Android is getting new features to improve how these devices connect up.

New changes arriving for the Bluetooth Fast Pair feature in Android include individual battery life readings, so you can see how much battery juice you've got left in your left earbud, your right earbud, and the charging case.

What's more, devices connected via Fast Pair will soon shown up in the Find My Device app on Android and the app, making it easier to track down where your missing wireless headphones have got to.

All of this is being brought together in a device details page inside Android, which will display the battery life of your buds, a link to the Find My Device feature, links to the headphones' own companion app, and Google Assistant settings (if the headphones are compatible).

Bluetooth Fast Pair

The Bluetooth device details page is going to be rolling out with Android Q later this year, Google says, although it's not clear exactly when features like battery life indicators and Find My Device support will go live.

What we do know is that you'll need a compatible device for all this to work: Google mentions that headphones from the likes of Anker, JBL, Jaybird, 1More, LG and Cleer are being added to the list, though no doubt more will be on the way.

As The Verge reports, existing Fast Pair headphones will all get the new features as well, so that includes the likes of the Google Pixel Buds and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. The battle with Apple and the iPhone is well and truly on.

It's likely that both Apple and Google will launch truly wireless headphones of their own in the near future. We're expecting an AirPods refresh sometime in 2020, while the original Pixel Buds will be two years old in October – just in time for the Pixel 4 launch.

Via Engadget

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Sky TV deal knocks 26% off mega bundle with Netflix and Sky Box Sets

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 04:47 AM PDT

Sky TV deals have been a bit dry in recent months but we've certainly got one for you today that was well worth the wait. You can save 26% (£162) on the price of a Sky TV bundle with both the Entertainment base package and the Ultimate on Demand add-on.

Ultimate on Demand is Sky's new box set beast. Not only does it include the excellent collection of Sky Box Sets, but also a Netflix subscription. And yes, if you already have Netflix, you can swap over your existing account, so you don't have to rebuild your watchlist or anything like that.

This double whammy of services was already great value at the previous price of £12 a month as it was cheaper than the old prices of paying for Sky Box Sets as a bolt on and your own Netflix sub bought separately, but with this deal that £12 cost is now £3 a month. 

As for the Entertainment base package (£22 a month), this also includes your Sky Q box which allows you to record multiple live channels at once. You also get a huge number of live channels to enjoy like Sky Atlantic, Fox, Comedy Central, Sky One, SyFy, National Geographic, Sky Sports News and more.

If this bundle isn't quite what your waiting for, or you want to know more about other bolt-ons, be sure to circle back to our full Sky TV deals guide. If sports is more your sort of thing, we think there could be a decent bundle coming up before the new Premiere League season kicks off next month. We'll keep you posted.

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UAE telco du to launch IP-based video calling service this year

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 04:16 AM PDT

UAE telecom operator du is set to launch high-definition video calling services on its 4G LTE and 5G networks, not app dependent, by end of the year.

The video calling service over 4G LTE network is known as ViLTE and over 5G is known as video over new radio.

“We have successfully tested the feature on our networks and working towards obtaining all necessary approvals, internally and from TRA, to start offering the service to the customers,” Saleem Al Blooshi, Chief Technology Officer at EITC, the parent company of du, said in an exclusive to TechRadar Middle East.

He said that many applications already offer ViLTE now but the difference with operators’ ViLTE is the interoperability.

“You will use the application in the phone rather than a third-party downloadable app to make video calls. It is as simple as making a voice call on a phone. We hope to launch the service this year and the devices that support voice over LTE (VoLTE) now is expected to support ViLTE also.

What are VoLTE and ViLTE

With VoLTE, the advantages are the high-definition voice, better clarity, faster connection time and able to browse the internet when calling and it is more of a back-end cellular technology for mobile network operators.

ViLTE is an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) based cellular data technology and it is considered as an extension of VoLTE technology, which means that the feature is network-dependent.

VoLTE service is only offered for VoLTE certified devices by the TRA and the same applies to ViLTE.

According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, 257 smartphones from 36 vendors globally support ViLTE capabilities, expect Apple’s iPhones, as of February 2019.

TRA has banned Microsoft’s Skype, Apple’s FaceTime, Google Duo, WhatsApp voice and video calling features in the UAE as VoIP is a regulated service and interested players need to get a UAE licence or authorisation and follow the framework.

However, telecom operators have tied up with over-the-top (OTT) apps such as Botim, C’Me and YzerChat to provide voice and video calls to subscribers for a monthly fee of AED 50 for mobile users and AED 100 per month for WiFi users at home.

 “The OTT apps such as BoTim, YzerChat and C’me have different marketing techniques but our contract will be with the customers with a monthly plan,” Al Blooshi said.

Two different signalling technologies

Even though telecom operators offer third-party apps such as Botim and C'me to make voice and video calls in the UAE, Krishna Chinta, research analyst at International Data Corporation (IDC), said that ViLTE and VoIP apps work on two different signalling technologies and they follow different business models.

Chinta said that ViLTE offers a superior HD voice and video quality and is billed based on the usage, which may vary from one service plan to the other while paid VoIP service, on the other hand, comes with certain usage limit per month. 

However, it is evolving to be a cost-effective technology for mobile network operators, and it eliminates the costs and efforts involved in maintaining a separate circuit-switched network, as it used to be the case in the 2G era.

No impact on telco’s voice revenue

Sukhdev Singh, executive director at research and consulting services provider Kantar, said the quality and interface of the OTT apps are not that good, so ViLTE will be successful in a market like UAE and people will be ready to pay for it.

To make OTT voice and video calls, he said the other end of the line also needs to have the same OTT app.

“I am not sure whether a customer will be able to make international video calls and most probably, the service is expected to be made available only in the UAE. We need to wait and watch,” he said.

Since it is not app dependent, he said that video calling services have more potential and uptake.

“If a customer can make international video calls, then the uptake will be even higher but it is not going to impact telecom operators’ voice revenue. Video is going to be more popular among friends and families and not for business purposes and, at the same time, it is not going to cannibalise voice but it will all depend on the video quality,” he said.

Chinta said that ViLTE is capable of transporting voice and video traffic as data packets over the LTE cellular network. It makes the traditional circuit-switched voice network almost redundant.

Monetisable revenue opportunity

From a telecom operator’s point of view, Chinta said that ViLTE, similar to that of VoLTE and regular mobile voice service, is capable of emerging as a core mobile communication service offering directly monetisable revenue opportunity.

“In comparison, paid VoIP app service is considered as an OTT service, which generates an incremental stream of revenues similar to that of international VoIP calling cards for the telecom operators. Therefore, ViLTE is not expected to pose a direct competition to the paid VoIP service in the short- to mid-term,” he said.

Sanmeet Kochhar, general manager for the Middle East at HMD Global, said that mobile video consumption rates in the Middle East and Africa region are growing quite rapidly, with some reports indicating a 90% year-on-year growth.

Video traffic growth in mobile networks

According to Ericsson's Mobility Report, video traffic in mobile networks globally is forecast to grow by around 34% annually up to 2024 to account for nearly three-quarters of mobile data traffic, from approximately 60% in 2018 due to the increase of embedded video in many online applications, growth of video-on-demand (VoD) streaming services in terms of both subscribers and viewing time per subscriber, and the perpetual evolution towards higher screen resolutions on smart devices. 

All Nokia smartphones come with ViLTE over 4G networks, Kochhar said.

 “It is thrilling to see how the region is paving the way for a more connected future,” he added.

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Major Google Pixel 4 leaks show off front-facing bezel and sensors

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 02:30 AM PDT

Leaks and speculation around the Google Pixel 4 continue to ramp up ahead of an expected October launch, and the latest unofficial update comes in the form of a leaked screen protector photo showing the phone's front bezel and array of sensors.

The leaked image comes courtesy of prolific tipster Ice Universe and so is more likely than not to be the real deal – though nothing is certain until Google's official unveiling.

Google Pixel 4 leak

You can see on the photo that there are spaces for the dual front-facing camera, the speaker, and presumably some kind of extra facial recognition sensor. There's also a larger cut-out on the right hand side to consider as well.

This might well house the small radar sensor that Google is supposedly working on, and which would let you control your phone with hand gestures without touching the screen. It's one of the more intriguing Pixel 4 rumors we've heard so far.

New Pixel 4 renders

We also have new renders to show you courtesy of @OnLeaks and iGeeksBlog, showing off the smaller Pixel 4 phone. These renders are based on what's leaked out so far and what Google has already told us.

The large rectangular housing for the rear camera is in evidence again, and you can see the thicker forehead bezel on the front of the phone as well. We're expecting the phone to arrive with a 5.6-inch screen.

Google Pixel 4 leak

There's no doubt lots more to come when it comes to Pixel 4 leaks, with the launch date still (supposedly) three months away. We're hearing talk of advanced camera tech, better internal specs, and of course Android Q.

What remains to be seen is whether the phone will feature the Snapdragon 855 Plus, like the Asus ROG Phone 2 is going to. It might be one way that Google can steal some attention back from Apple ahead of the iPhone launch in September.

Via 9to5Google

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Can you get fit in virtual reality?

Posted: 21 Jul 2019 01:00 AM PDT

Music is pounding. Neon lights are flashing all around me. I duck, dodge, and side-step, my hands lash out in every direction. But this isn’t some new martial arts fitness craze or a high-energy spin class. It’s a VR game called Beat Saber that I’m playing on the Oculus Quest headset. I’m working out in VR – and it’s fun.

Launched in May 2018, Beat Saber has quickly become one of the most popular VR games. 

In March 2019, UploadVR reported that Beat Saber had officially sold one million copies, it’s garnered a huge online following and has even been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon – if you’ve ever wondered how good Brie Larson is at wielding a saber, click the link to find out.

What’s more, according to TechCrunch, Beat Saber isn’t just driving lots of downloads and VR headset sales. Its popularity has also played a big part in developing the new Oculus Quest’s tracking system, ensuring new tech can handle the game’s most advanced modes.

Beat Saber: a dance machine from the future

The premise of Beat Saber is simple. You have two ‘sabers’, which it feels like you’re really holding thanks to the motion controllers that come with VR headsets. You use these sabers to rhythmically slice boxes that fly toward you, in sequences of varying heights, widths and sequential complexities – think of it as like one of those dance machines you see at seafront arcades, but from the future.

Beat Saber: the boxes fly toward you so you need to make sure you hit them in the direction of the arrows.

It’s not hard to see why Beat Saber’s fast-paced style of fun, colorful and futuristic gaming is not only hugely popular, but a good way to get moving. 

“For many, Beat Saber has become a daily fitness routine" Michaela Dvorak, Head of Marketing at VR studio Beat Games, the company behind Beat Saber, tells TechRadar. 

“People are sharing with us their pictures before and after they started playing Beat Saber and results are insane – many people have lost more than 20-30 pounds since the game released.”

Although Beat Saber has become a fun way to work out, that wasn’t the original aim. “To be honest, the game wasn't created with a fitness intention. Jan, the Lead Developer of Beat Saber, simply wanted to create a new rhythm game which was fun to play,” Dvorak explains.

However, soon after the game was launched people wrote to the team to tell them it was already helping them to feel fitter and lose weight. The transformation stories are impressive, but what Beat Saber seems to do the best is make fitness fun.

You can play different levels of difficulty with different music tracks and different colours.

“We began to fully realise the fitness potential of Beat Saber soon after the release when players started to post pictures with their sweaty faces and comments like these: ‘Hey Beat Saber team, your game tricked me into working out! How dare you!” Dvorak tells us.

“People who were never too much into working out found out they can create a healthy daily routine with Beat Saber,” Dvorak says. It’s easy to see why VR fitness games appeal to those who may be put off by gyms or fitness classes – you can participate from the comfort of your own home, go at your own pace and there’s no judgement. 

For these same reasons, Dvorak explains that Beat Saber has also become popular among people who are slowly trying to overcome injuries or health problems.

BoxVR: step into the virtual boxing ring

Box VR is another physically-focused VR game, but unlike Beat Saber, it was created with fitness very much in mind and offers workouts designed by fitness instructors. When you begin the game, you see cues travelling towards you that you ‘hit’ in a number of different ways, whether that’s with hooks, crosses, jabs and uppercuts – there’s also options to add squats and dodges too. 

The team at BoxVR shared similar stories. “We’ve heard of some pretty remarkable results from people using BoxVR to get fit and lose weight, ” Sameer Baroova, Co-Founder of FitXR, the creator of BoxVR tells us. “People say how much fun they are having and this is what’s great about VR, immersion helps you get into a state of flow and before you realize it you’ve just done a 30 minute workout.”

BoxVR. Gloves up! Different visual cues fly toward you and you need to make sure you punch, squat and duck.

Baroova tells us about a player called Sims Odom who had stopped exercising after heart surgery and contacted the team with some great news.

“In the first six weeks I lost 15 pounds and went from a tight-fitting 38 waist to a loose 36!” Sims told the BoxVR team in an interview. “Better yet, I haven’t had a heart palpitation since I started playing BoxVR – they’re literally gone. My muscles are more toned, I feel less irritable, and the mental fog has lifted.”

BoxVR also appeals to those who may be put off by traditional fitness venues, but who want a fun way to work out from home. “What’s equally rewarding for us is when we hear of people who have previously not exercised before or who have previously found exercising a chore who have discovered BoxVR and are now using it regularly to help keep in shape,” Baroova tells us. 

How to stay safe during VR workouts

One of the most obvious considerations when it comes to VR fitness is staying safe. VR is a new medium for many people and, because of that, there are different dangers to bear in mind – the main one being your senses are immersed in the virtual environment and not the real one.

“We want to make sure people will have enough space around them when playing,” Dvorak tells us. “But also, they need to approach playing as a form of high physical activity and act like they are working out – stretch muscles, drink enough water, rest regularly. It is very important to keep this in mind.”

Beat Saber and BoxVR both show users health and safety warnings before playing, which we’d always recommend you read. But there’s only so much developers can do – you need to consider how you use VR in your home. 

For example, you need to make sure you have enough space, remove obstacles, be careful when you take a headset off and ensure you’ve stretched beforehand so you don’t pull a muscle or hurt yourself when you have lots of Beat Saber boxes whizzing at your face. 

Different levels within BoxVR have different environments – check out the calorie counter in case losing weight is your main goal.

The future of VR-powered fitness

Using VR technology to power workouts isn’t new. A number of high-end fitness companies have already integrated VR headsets into their offerings. One of the most recent comes from BlackBox VR, a VR gym concept that would require you to go to a boutique gym venue and use VR headsets when you get there to shake-up your exercise routine. 

However, the appeal of games like Beat Saber and BoxVR is that anyone with a VR headset can play them from their own home. This is appealing for lots of reasons, whether you’re recovering from an injury, feel anxious at a gym or just don’t have enough time to get to a fitness class. 

It’s also even more accessible now that VR headsets are becoming a little cheaper, require less equipment and offer more mobile experiences. Both Beat Saber and BoxVR told us that designing for the Oculus Quest, which was launched in May 2019, has given them even more creative freedom.  

“The Oculus Quest is ideal in that it’s the first untethered device and I think we’ll see more of these over time,” Baroova tells us. “VR headsets will also become even smaller, lighter and more portable, like the Quest, which of course will benefit fitness games.”

What does the future of VR fitness hold? Beat Games hopes to add more fitness features to future versions of the game now the team knows how important that element has become, including a burned calories counter, a special fitness music pack or even a collaboration with a fitness tracker company. 

The BoxVR home screen already features a wide selection of classes – in the future, there'll be more, and not just boxing classes.

Similarly, Baroova tells us that the option to sync with fitness trackers may soon come to BoxVR, as well as more integration with instructors, different exercises and the option to add weights to your workouts to make them more challenging.

“The only problem on our end is time, we have too many ideas but the team is very busy,” Dvorak says. 

“We get messages from people sending us tips for new fitness features or requesting their favorite fitness tracks for the game. This is a developer's dream. Create a game which has such a huge impact on people's lives all around the world."

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Pacquiao vs Thurman live stream: how to watch tonight's boxing online from anywhere

Posted: 20 Jul 2019 07:07 PM PDT

Welcome to fight night! It's time for Saturday night boxing from Sin City and the legendary Manny Pacquiao is set to return to the ring for a showdown with undefeated Super WBA Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman. It's one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year so far, and you can watch it all with our guide to getting a Pacquiao vs Thurman live stream.

Future Hall-of Fame inductee Pacquiao may now be the wrong side of 40, but recent wins confirm him as a relevant and explosive boxer at this weight. Meanwhile the speed and power of Thurman makes him arguably the most naturally talented boxer in a hugely competitive division.

Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) comes into tonight's fight off the back of an impressive points decision victory over Adrien Broner back in January which saw Pac Man defend his WBA (regular) welterweight title. 

Thurman's (29-0, 22 KOs) last appearance in the ring also came in January with a majority decision over Josesito Lopez. It was an understandably rusty display for Thurman, as it marked the end of a near-two-year layoff for the American thanks to injuries. 

Pacquiao is no stranger to giving up height and reach, and his opponent tonight will again hold the advantage in both attributes, but it's Thurman's speed and power that will be worrying the veteran who is ten years his senior.

To catch everything online, you've come to the right place. Read on to find out how to stream Pacquiao vs Thurman live anywhere in the world.

  • Motor racing fan? Find out how to get an F1 live stream no matter where you are

Watch a Pacquiao vs Thurman live stream from outside your country

Keep scrolling to see how to watch the boxing in the US, Canada, UK and Australia . But if you're a resident of one of those countries - or any other, for that matter - who is worried about being away from your country and missing your domestic coverage of the Pacquiao vs Thurman fight, then fear not, there's a way to watch that doesn't involve trying to find a grainy, illegal feed on Reddit or such like.

How to watch Pacquiao vs Thurman in the US

Watch Pacquiao vs Thurman in Canada with a live stream

How to live stream Pacquiao vs Thurman in the UK

Live stream Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman in Australia

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The best Sky TV deals, packages and Sky Q offers in July 2019

Posted: 20 Jul 2019 06:25 PM PDT

Every week we take a look at the latest Sky TV deals, packages and special offers to make sure that you're getting the very best prices when you decide to sign up! So if you're trying to decide which Sky TV offer is for you, what a Sky Q box is and if you can afford it or even if you should be getting one in the first place - you're in the right place!

As you scroll down the page, we'll discuss the latest Sky TV packages, offers and any special deals and walk you through the larger bundles with the optional extras like Sky Cinema and Sky Sports. We've kicked things off with a cracking Sky TV bundle below. We'll update this page with the latest offers whenever they arrive.

Sky TV deal of the week

What new Sky TV customers need to know

As things stand today, it's never been simpler to explore your options as Sky has standardised the default package with a flat £20 a month cost, which you can then add additional paid extra add-ons like sky Box Sets, Sky Sports and Sky Cinema. We've gone into detail about each of the available add-ons below and they'll all be offered to you as you go through the checkout process over on Sky's website too.

Are there any Sky Q deals for new customers?

Yes! Actually, all of these Sky TV packages include a Sky Q box by default if you're signing up as a new customer. When choosing your Sky TV package from the list of offers below, you'll be presented with two Sky Q deals to choose from.

The default Sky Q box is the 1TB option with a one-off £20 setup cost. Opt for the 2TB Sky Q box though and that setup cost rises to a rather steep £199. That's pretty harsh to be honest, although the monthly prices don't change, so it is just the one-off cost to consider. 

Alternatively, you can get the Ultra HD 2TB Sky Q box for £75 instead if you add Sky Q Multiscreen to your bundle for £12 a month. We'd get your channels sorted first, then maybe scroll back up to the Sky Q offers' section once you have a better idea of the overall cost, which is handily updated throughout at the top of the screen.

Do I need a 2TB Sky Q box?

In addition to double the storage (that's up to 1000 hours in standard definition) of the standard Sky Q box, the 2TB Sky Q deal comes with a few extra benefits. Such as being able to record six shows at once instead of three, while watching a seventh. You also get the fancier Sky Q Touch remote control, an extra tablet allowance, and the all-important party piece - you can enjoy select channels in Ultra HD. Which is great if you've recently taken advantage of a cheap 4K TV deal.

The starter Sky TV package

Sky TV Add-ons

Sky TV deal add-ons are much easier to understand since the reshuffle. Better yet, prices seem to be lower across the board and simple to see for both new customers building a bundle, or existing customers wanting to beef up their current deal. 

Can I order Sky TV deals on the phone?

You sure can. If you'd prefer to talk to a person to walk you through each step then you can phone 0800 014 2334 to sign up for a Sky TV package. We recommend having a good read through the sections above about each add-on first, just so you can go in with a good idea of what's available and don't feel pressured when you make the call.

What Sky TV package is Game of Thrones on?

Game of Thrones season 8 will start on Sky Atlantic in April 2019. It's on every Sky TV package now as they all come with the Entertainment pack as a base package to build on.

What HD Channels do I get on Sky TV?

With all packages you get at least the standard free to air HD channels. To be honest you also get a fair few of these with standard Freeview HD. If you sign up for Sky Sports, there's no longer an extra fee to be paid to get them in HD as the channels now show in High Definition by default.

  • BBC One HD
  • BBC Two HD
  • BBC Four HD
  • BBC News HD
  • CBBC HD
  • CBeebies HD
  • ITV HD
  • 4 HD
  • 5 HD
  • NHK World HD
  • RT HD

For just an extra £5 a month you can get the far superior quality of High Definition. Once you do though, you'll get access to the following channels in HD:

  • Sky Atlantic HD
  • Sky 1 HD
  • Sky Witness HD (formerly Sky Living HD)
  • Sky Arts HD
  • Sky News HD
  • Sky Sports News HD
  • Fox HD
  • Comedy Central HD
  • Syfy HD
  • Dave HD
  • Food HD
  • MTV HD
  • ITV Encore
  • E HD
  • W HD
  • E4 HD
  • Film 4 HD
  • More 4 HD
  • ITV 2 HD
  • ITV 3 HD
  • ITV 4 HD
  • TCM HD
  • Animal Planet HD
  • History Channel HD
  • National Geographic HD
  • Nat Geo Wild HD
  • Discovery HD
  • Disney Channel HD
  • Disney Junior HD
  • Disney XD HD
  • Cartoon Network HD
  • Nickelodeon HD
  • Nick Jr. HD
  • Boomerang HD
  • Alibi HD
  • Crime and Investigation HD
  • Eden HD
  • Lifetime HD
  • Star Plus HD
  • TLC HD
  • Universal HD
  • Viceland HD
  • Sky Sports Mix HD
  • Eurosport 1 HD
  • Eurosport 2 HD

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