Apple : There’s no official Switch exchange program, says Nintendo |
- There’s no official Switch exchange program, says Nintendo
- Best budget smartphones in India 2019: phones under Rs 10,000
- Top budget smartphones with big batteries in India
- Best laptops for engineering students in 2019
- Best phones under Rs 12,000 in India for August 2019
- Intel Ice Lake release date, news and features
- Surface Book 3: what we want to see
- Best HP laptops 2019: the top HP laptops we’ve seen and tested
- Huawei P40: what we want to see
- Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: which is best for you?
- Apple Watch 5 release date, price, news and rumors
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- Galaxy Note 10 is finally out; here’s all you need to know
| There’s no official Switch exchange program, says Nintendo Posted: 18 Aug 2019 12:34 PM PDT A Nintendo spokesperson rebuffs reports that there’s an existing exchange program for new Nintendo Switch owners to swap their newly-purchased units in for the improved model that dropped early July. A slew of reports emerged late last week indicating that the Kyoto-headquartered manufacturer has been letting users exchange Switch units purchased after July 17 for Version 2, as long as they cover shipping and shipping insurance costs. These reports came after the quiet release of the updated version of the Nintendo Switch, which now boasts a better battery life of up to 9 hours. However, in a statement to The Verve, a spokesperson for the company says that they actually “do not have a Nintendo Switch exchange program.”
But, they are welcoming exchange requestsStill, all is not lost. While there is no official Switch exchange program, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get yours exchanged. These reports of Nintendo allowing exchanges have been corroborated by many users who’ve had a similar experience, with one user saying they even made an exception for him though he ordered his on July 14th, as his delivery date was on the 19th. Additionally, Polygon got in touch with Nintendo’s customer service department and confirmed that they are indeed welcoming such exchange requests. Even the Nintendo spokesperson’s statement to The Verve seems to hint at this unofficial exchange policy: “We always want players to enjoy their Nintendo Switch systems, and if anything ever gets in the way of that, we encourage them to visit http://support.nintendo.com for support, or to contact our consumer support team.” Of course, notwithstanding the improved battery life, there’s no glaring difference between the previous version and the current one, according to one review. If up to three hours more of juice is something worth paying shipping costs for – not to mention, being on hold for a long time – it can’t hurt to call them up to see if you can get yours exchanged as well.
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| Best budget smartphones in India 2019: phones under Rs 10,000 Posted: 18 Aug 2019 11:47 AM PDT Budget smartphones are dime a dozen, but not all of them are made equal. Xiaomi has been ruling the roost when it comes to best budget smartphones in India, but its rivals like Samsung and the new kid on the block, Realme, are giving it a tough fight. As a result, there are several great options when it comes to phones under Rs 10,000. In such a scenario, finding the best phone that suits your needs while still offering great value for money can be a bit of a task. Worry not, though, if you want to know what are the best phones under Rs 10,000 in India, we are here with a few answers.
Combing a minimalist design with the traditional high-quality build that is expected from Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy M10 is the most affordable Galaxy smartphone to be launched recently in India. The waterdrop notch on the front further accentuates the Galaxy M10’s design while allowing Samsung to squeeze in more screen real estate. While the camera performance is average and the Galaxy M10 may not be the most powerful smartphone in this segment, it should attract users who want a decent smartphone from a reliable brand.
The Redmi Note 7S replaces the Redmi Note 7 and offers 48MP camera under Rs 10,000. It features the same gradient glass back design, waterdrop notch and a bright high-quality display at the same time. When you also consider the massive 4,000mAh battery and the updated MIUI skin, the Redmi Note 7S sounds like a very good proposition.
Xiaomi has a slew of options for users across several price ranges. The standard Redmi series slots in the sub-Rs 10,000 range, sometimes conflicting with the base Redmi Note phones and the entry-level Redmi A series. Nevertheless, this offers another option for buyers looking for a smartphone under Rs 10,000. The Redmi 7 sports a gradient design and a waterdrop notch, which can be an enticing set of features at a starting price of Rs 7,499. The smart design, coupled with a massive 4,000mAh battery and a price tag of Rs 7,499 make the Redmi 7 an unmissable option in this range.
The Realme 3 is a fabulous looking device, mostly thanks to the stunning blue and black gradient design on the back. While the bezels look a bit too thick on the front, the Realme 3 is a looker. The camera experience is average, and some users may not take too well to ColorOS, but the Realme 3 is a noteworthy option nonetheless. The large battery coupled with a HD+ resolution display and a mid-range processor should give you a two-day battery life with normal usage. Read our full review of the Realme 3
Just like its successor, the Honor 9 Lite features a great design, giving it a very premium look that belies the price. The 18:9 aspect ratio display is vibrant and is reason enough to buy this phone. It also has a quad-camera setup, making it a good option for those who want a decent camera experience in this price range. There's no fast charge support, which could be a deal breaker for some, but at this price, there is little to complain about. Read the full review: Honor 9 Lite review
Xiaomi offers great value for money with its hardware, but its MIUI skin has its share of critics. For such users, the company has a line-up of Android One smartphones that offer the stock Android experience coupled with the value for money factor that Xiaomi smartphones are known for. The Mi A2 might seem a little old at this point, but if you are looking for that smooth, stock Android experience under Rs 10,000, the Mi A2 is what you need.
Samsung has been trying to reinvent itself in the budget segment for a while now, and the Galaxy M series is a good testament of the company's efforts. The Galaxy M20 offers a good balance between power, performance and battery life. The Galaxy M20’s understated, minimalist design coupled with the waterdrop notch, a bright display and the massive battery help it get into this list. If you want a Samsung phone under Rs 10,000, the Galaxy M20 is a good option. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Top budget smartphones with big batteries in India Posted: 18 Aug 2019 11:24 AM PDT Smartphones have come a long way from needing to be charged halfway through the day to lasting more than a day. Improvements in the battery charging technology that lets you charge your smartphone really fast are an added boon, too. However, nothing beats a smartphone that can last through a hectic day at work. Quite a few phones that go all out with their features forget to back it up with a sizeable battery. Still, there are several options in the market that fall within the mid-range or budget segment and are powered by massive batteries.
Image credit: TechRadar Launched on the back of the popular Zenfone Max Pro M1, the Max Pro M2 continues with the best bits about the M1 while bringing some improvements. The energy-efficient Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with the 5,000mAh battery means that the phone should last more than a full day of normal usage without breaking a sweat. While the battery life is great, the lack of fast charging means that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 takes nearly 3 hours to charge fully. That aside, it is a good option if battery life is your primary criterion.
Image credit: TechRadar The Zenfone Max Pro M1 revived Asus’ fortunes in the budget segment. With this device, Asus has focused on basic things like the battery life, value for money and a decent display. The mid-range Snapdragon 636 chipset which is paired with a 5,000mAh battery means you can expect the device to last a long day of use without any issues. The only issue is the camera performance, but if it’s not a deal-breaker for you, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is still a good option.
Vivo has upped its game in the budget and mid-range segments over the last few months in India. While a few other smartphones are aimed specifically at a slightly younger audience, Vivo has tried to offer a slightly more rounded package with the Z1 Pro. The Z1 Pro is also one of the few smartphones in this price range to sport a punch hole notch. If you are looking for a smartphone that offers really long battery life, the Z1 Pro won't let you down with its massive 5,000mAh battery. The display, camera and the glossy design round off the remaining important aspects.
Samsung has been trying to reinvent itself in the budget segment for a while now, and the Galaxy M series is a good testament of the company's efforts. The Galaxy M20 offers a good balance between power, performance and battery life. The Galaxy M20’s understated, minimalist design coupled with the waterdrop notch, a bright display and the massive battery help it get into this list. As far as budget smartphones with big batteries are concerned, the Galaxy M20 is right up there with the best ones. You can read our full Samsung Galaxy M20 review here
Vivo is evolving. While it was known for its pricey smartphones that didn’t offer as much of a value for money as Xiaomi did, the company’s recent launches like the Z1 Pro and now the S1 mean that customers are in for a good time. The Vivo S1 features a stunning gradient design on the back, giving it a rich, premium look. Aimed at the imaging enthusiasts, the Vivo S1 also includes an in-display fingerprint sensor that adds to its advantages. Topping it off is a massive battery that should last more than a day’s usage. This, coupled with fast charging should mean you can bid goodbye to battery life woes.
Samsung has been trying to reinvent itself in the budget segment for a while now, and the Galaxy M series is a good testament of the company's efforts. The Galaxy M30 offers a good balance between power, performance and battery life. Add to it, Samsung's excellent Super AMOLED display, a massive battery that can last for a couple of days on a single charge and a wide-angle camera, you have a recipe for a great phone that has a competitive advantage over its competitors. Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy M30
Xiaomi has dominated the budget and entry-level smartphone segments for a long time now. This is no different this year either - the launch of the Redmi Note 7 Pro changed the market dynamics yet again. Apart from its imaging capabilities, the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers a great bang for your buck thanks to the great display, a well-balanced chipset and battery life that we've all grown to expect from Xiaomi's Redmi Note series. Read our full review of the Redmi Note 7 Pro
The Redmi Note 7S replaces the Redmi Note 7 and offers 48MP camera under Rs 10,000. It features the same gradient glass back design, waterdrop notch and a bright high-quality display at the same time. When you also consider the massive 4,000mAh battery and the updated MIUI skin, the Redmi Note 7S sounds like a very good proposition.
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| Best laptops for engineering students in 2019 Posted: 18 Aug 2019 10:41 AM PDT As an engineering student in 2019, you’re going to need one of the best laptops for engineering students that’s both powerful to handle all of your coursework and flexible enough to handle some entertainment in your downtime. Most importantly, the best laptops for engineering students must have the best graphics, so it can handle all the complex applications and computational tasks that engineering schoolwork requires. The exacting demands of an engineering student can, in some cases, make the hunt for the perfect laptop somewhat easier, as it narrows your options in an increasingly crowded market. Still, there’s definitely a few possible contenders out there for best laptops for engineering students. The choice gets even harder since you will need one with a lot of power without burning a hole in your pocket. Lucky for you, we’re about to make your life easier. We put together a list of the best laptops for engineering students. Now, you can spend less time finding the best laptop for school, and more time studying.
Image credit: TechRadar Despite that gold trimming on black finish, the HP Spectre x360 15-inch’s beauty isn’t only skin deep. Fitted with powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics and an equally powerful processor, one of HP’s latest 2-in-1s has the brains and brawn as well, which makes it a capable machine and one of the best laptops for engineering students as well. It also has a beautiful and responsive 4K touchscreen display, and the optional HP Tilt Pen so you can create those 3D models like a pro. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
If you’re seeking a workhorse and you have the funds for it, then Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation is the ultimate machine for you. It has several configurations on hand, to fit your needs and budget. At its most basic, however, it’s already pretty powerful, rocking a solid graphics card in a robust carbon-fiber and aluminum package that will survive any field work. There’s no doubt that this mobile workstation earned its spot in our best laptops for engineering students list. Read the full review: ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation
Make no mistake: the Razer Blade Pro is a gaming laptop first and foremost. However, it also makes for a great mobile workstation for engineering. Yes, it is a tad expensive for students, but it’s less than an inch thick so you can lug it around campus and also packs a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 – what’s not to love? That’s not all; the Razer Blade Pro also brings Razer’s Ultra-Low Profile Mechanical switches to a laptop for the first time ever. It kind of resembles an everyday chiclet keyboard, but press down on it, and you’ll fall in love… though you probably shouldn’t be hitting those keys hard when you’re in a classroom. Read the full review: Razer Blade Pro
The Samsung Notebook 9 has been the epitome of mobile computing since the conception of 2-in-1 devices. It enhances the S-Pen, Samsung’s own proprietary stylus with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity (the same as Microsoft’s new Surface Pen), a nifty little accessory that conveniently doesn’t require charging. While the touchscreen display is only 1080p, with that 350 to 450 nits of brightness, you won’t be paying any mind to the pixels, or lack thereof. Plus, the lengthy battery life more than makes up for this hybrid’s few shortcomings. Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
The Dell G3 15 might not be a lot of things, but for $799, you can get some pretty powerful components to back you up – whether you’re gaming or actually completing school projects. We’re talking 9th-generation Intel chips and GTX graphics. It’s a great combination of affordability and power, and that’s exactly why it’s one of the best laptops for engineering students. As long as you don’t mind lugging around a heavier gaming laptop around campus. Read the full review: Dell G3 15 How to choose the best laptop for engineering students?So, what exactly makes for the best laptops for engineering students? Since you're likely to be running complex programs, such as AutoCAD, you're certainly going to need a laptop with enough power to run them. We recommend a laptop with the latest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chips, and at least 8GB of RAM, though 16GB is even better. Many of the programs engineering students rely on are also graphically intensive – especially CAD, MATLAB and Solid Works, which are used for 3D modelling and video rendering. This means that it's vital to have a laptop with a dedicated graphics card - rather than an integrated one powered by the processor. This is why the best gaming laptops are also ideal choices for engineering students, since they offer that kind of graphic power, and the fact that they can handle games for unwinding after classes is icing on top. A large screen with a high resolution is also advisable, and if you're going to be working on site a lot, it would be a fine idea to take a look at some of the rugged or well-built laptops that are built to withstand accidents on work sites.
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| Best phones under Rs 12,000 in India for August 2019 Posted: 18 Aug 2019 10:40 AM PDT Thanks to the ever-increasing competition in the budget smartphone segment in India, Indian smartphone buyers have never had it this good, especially in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment. There are options from several companies if you’re looking for a good smartphone under Rs 15,000, but options under Rs 12,000 can be a little limited and confusing. If you are looking for best phones under Rs 12,000 in India, we have prepared a list that is tailored for your needs.
Want a budget smartphone that looks like a premium smartphone? The Honor 10 Lite should be on your list, then. Sporting a gradient glass back design and a waterdrop notch, the Honor 10 Lite punches much higher than its price tag would otherwise suggest. The Honor 10 Lite offers some important upgrades in terms of power and cameras over the Honor 9 Lite. This coupled with a fabulous design and the aggressive starting price of Rs 10,999 make it a very noteworthy addition in this list.
Xiaomi offers great value for money with its hardware, but its MIUI skin has its share of critics. For such users, the company has a line up of Android One smartphones that offer the stock Android experience coupled with the value for money factor that Xiaomi smartphones are known for. The Mi A2 might seem a little old at this point, but if you are looking for that smooth, stock Android experience under Rs 12,000, the Mi A2 is what you need.
Just like its successor, the Honor 9 Lite features a great design, giving it a very premium look that belies the price. The 18:9 aspect ratio display is vibrant and is reason enough to buy this phone. It also has a quad-camera setup, making it a good option for those who want a decent camera experience in this price range. There's no fast charge support, which could be a deal breaker for some, but at this price, there is little to complain about. Read the full review: Honor 9 Lite review
The Redmi Note 7S replaces the Redmi Note 7 and offers 48MP camera under Rs 10,000. It features the same gradient glass back design, waterdrop notch and a bright high-quality display at the same time. When you also consider the massive 4,000mAh battery and the updated MIUI skin, the Redmi Note 7S sounds like a very good proposition.
Xiaomi has a slew of options for users across several price ranges. The standard Redmi series slots in the sub-Rs 10,000 range, sometimes conflicting with the base Redmi Note phones and the entry-level Redmi A series. Nevertheless, this offers another option for buyers looking for a smartphone under Rs 12,000. The Redmi 7 sports a gradient design and a waterdrop notch, which can be an enticing set of features at a starting price of Rs 7,499. The smart design, coupled with a massive 4,000mAh battery and a price tag of Rs 7,499 make the Redmi 7 an unmissable option in this range.
Samsung has been trying to reinvent itself in the budget segment for a while now, and the Galaxy M series is a good testament of the company's efforts. The Galaxy M20 offers a good balance between power, performance and battery life. The Galaxy M20’s understated, minimalist design coupled with the waterdrop notch, a bright display and the massive battery help it get into this list. If you want a Samsung phone under Rs 12,000, the Galaxy M20 is a good option.
The Realme 3 is a fabulous looking device, mostly thanks to the stunning blue and black gradient design on the back. While the bezels look a bit too thick on the front, the Realme 3 is a looker. The camera experience is average, and some users may not take too well to ColorOS, but the Realme 3 is a noteworthy option nonetheless. The large battery coupled with a HD+ resolution display and a mid-range processor should give you a two-day battery life with normal usage. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Intel Ice Lake release date, news and features Posted: 18 Aug 2019 10:37 AM PDT Intel Ice Lake is the herald the computing world has been waiting for – finally something we haven't yet seen from Intel. These laptop processors are the first 10nm processors we've seen Intel put out in the mainstream – officially succeeding Intel Cannon Lake and beating it to the punch. Intel Ice Lake chips were initially revealed at Computex 2019, and are the first commercially available processors that will move from the aging 14nm process, which has been ‘enhanced’ repeatedly since the introduction of Broadwell almost five years ago. With AMD going full steam ahead with its 7nm Zen 2 processors, including AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation and Threadripper 3rd Generation, it’s about time Team Blue’s chips caught up, even if it is only on the mobile side of things. Luckily, Intel Ice Lake has finally arrived, and it should be rolling out to all kinds of laptops, Ultrabooks and Chromebooks over the next few months. However, because the naming is complicated (who thought "Intel Core i7-1065G7" was a good name?), we thought it would be a good time to collect all the Ice Lake information in one place. So, be sure to keep this page bookmarked, and we'll keep it updated with any and all 10nm developments. Cut to the Chase
Intel Ice Lake release dateIntel announced Ice Lake way back at CES 2019, and it came as a bit of a surprise, especially when Team Blue said it would be out before the holiday season hit. However, Intel did stick to the plan, having released the Intel Ice Lake processors on August 1, 2019. As for when these processors will finally hit the streets, we'll start seeing laptops and Ultrabooks packed with these new U- and Y-series processors over the next few months. In fact, we expect a good amount of them to appear at IFA 2019.
Image Credit: Intel Intel Ice Lake priceIntel Ice Lake is a mobile platform. While that does mean that laptop manufacturers have to pay Intel for the right to use its laptops, the price of the laptops using the chips will vary depending on the product. Still, you'll probably see entry level laptops using the Intel Core i3-1005G1, while only the most powerful flagships will get the Intel Core i7-1068G7.
Intel Ice Lake specsThe marquee feature of Intel Ice Lake is, of course, the new underlying 10nm Sunny Cove architecture. What’s more, these new processors will be the first to feature next-generation Gen11 graphics. Overall, Intel promises a 2x performance boost, thanks to the smaller fabrication processes and the die shrink from 14nm. However, Ice Lake mobile processors are limited to 4-cores. Besides the chips’ main microarchitecture, Ice Lake CPUs also comes with native support for Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and DL Boost. The new graphics are a significant improvement from the Gen9 GPU found in Intel’s current line of processors, which only featured 24 EUs, or Execution Units – whereas these new Ice Lake processors feature up to 64 EUs in the Intel Core i7-1068G7. One thing we did notice right away is that the boost speeds of these processors are slightly lower than their Whiskey Lake predecessors. For instance, the Intel Core i7-8565U features a boost clock of 4.6GHz, compared to the 3.9GHz boost of the Intel Core i7-1065G7. This is somewhat worrying, but because these chips feature higher IPC performance, we should see a boost in speed anyway – something we're sure to test once we get our hands on an Ice Lake laptop. Finally, Intel says that Ice Lake is supposed to help devices achieve a battery life of over 25 hours. This is mostly thanks to Team Blue performing a top-to-bottom analysis of power draw to reduce energy consumption, and also using AI to intelligently alter the processor's performance to maximize efficiency.
Ice Lake Y-Series processors:
That's about all we know about Intel Ice lake right now, but we'll be sure to update this guide once we get our hands on an Ice Lake-powered laptop so we can see how well it performs. But, if the early numbers and Ice Lake specs are anything to go by, it looks like there's going to be a significant bump in performance over Whiskey Lake.
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| Surface Book 3: what we want to see Posted: 18 Aug 2019 10:31 AM PDT The Surface Book 3 has a tough act to follow. When the original Surface Book hit the market, it was exceedingly successful. Yet, as incredible as it was, we actually didn’t expect the sequel, the Surface Book 2, to improve on everything the original did, resulting in a device that makes the MacBook Pro look like a cheap toy. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that we’re excited to see what the Surface Book 3 will look like, even if we probably won’t see it for a while. We can see it now: a Surface Book 2 with a sharper, more vibrant display, more powerful components and Thunderbolt 3. In other words, the Surface Book 3 could be the best 2-in-1 laptop ever made. With these features, it will be the perfect foil to Apple’s pro laptops. If Microsoft is able to bottle up what made the first two Surface Book devices great, and distill it into the third model, then the Surface Book 3 might even end up being the best laptop to date. Unfortunately, there is little to no concrete information about the Surface Book 3 at this time. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t at least speculate based on past releases and our tech expertise. With that in mind, let’s dive into what we think and hope the Surface Book 3 will look like. Cut to the chase
Image Credit: Microsoft Surface Book 3 release dateThe Surface Book 2 was released in late 2017 so it’s more than a year old. However, if we follow the release pattern of Surface devices that aren’t the Surface Pro, we wouldn’t expect the Surface Book 3 until late 2019 or early 2020 at the earliest. Two new Surface devices were launched in October 2018 – the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 – and we didn’t see any sign of a new Surface Book. Couple that with the fact that Microsoft has recently given the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 a quad-core processor, we probably won’t see a Surface Book 3 coming out any time soon. Until we get more concrete information, or even rumors, we’re going to stick with our late 2019 or 2020 Surface Book 3 release date prediction.
Image Credit: Microsoft Surface Book 3 priceSadly, since there’s no concrete information about the Surface Book 3 at the moment, we don’t really know how much it’s going to cost. However, if we look at the pricing of the Surface Book and the Surface Book 2, we can certainly speculate. Currently, thanks to a new lower-storage model, the 13.5 inch Surface Book 2 starts at $1,199 or £1,149, while the 15-inch version stays at its $2,499 or £2,349 (AU$3,649) price tag. If you ask us, that’s already sufficient scratch. Let’s hope that the would-be Surface Book 3 stays well within that price range, as anything more would already be too pricey for our bank account.
Image Credit: Microsoft What we want to see in a Surface Book 3As a Surface Book 3 release is so far off at this point, and we don’t have any solid information on what it’ll look like, all we can do right now is create a wishlist, if you must, of what we want to see improved in this follow-up. Here are the features we’d like to see in the Surface Book 3, based on speculation, leaks and rumors. More powerful internals Use the extra space accordingly Thunderbolt 3, please It does look like this may actually happen. Microsoft has patented a magnetic USB-C connector that would sort of function like the existing magnetic Surface charger. Whether or not this will actually support Thunderbolt 3 remains to be seen, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t. Better power management Also, whatever or whoever the next iteration is made for, it should have improved power management so as to not dip into its battery reserves for extra juice. A 4K display would be nice All accessories included Black color option Just imagine, a Surface Book 3 that could not only give the MacBook Pro 2018 a run for its money, but one that has a more beautiful color option than the Space Gray on the latest Apple flagship.
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| Best HP laptops 2019: the top HP laptops we’ve seen and tested Posted: 18 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT Considering getting one of the best HP laptops on the market? Well, you’re in luck. Over the last few years, HP has been rebuilding their reputation for high-end laptops. And, they’ve since succeeded, with HP laptops going through their own renaissance, thanks to their line of Ultrabooks running on Windows 10. In fact, HP’s rebranding has resulted in some of the most gorgeous laptops we’ve ever gotten our hands on, like the new HP Spectre x360 2019, for instance, with its gold trimming and high-resolution displays. The best HP laptops have evolved into gorgeous pieces of kit that focus on design flair, rather than cheapness, giving Mac users realistic options if they’re considering switching to Windows. This resurgence has also brought about the popular ‘privacy filter’ – named Sure View – to prominence. What’s even better is that it doesn’t seem like HP is slowing down any time soon, with cool new products like the HP Envy Wood slated to hit the streets later in the year, so expect more to be added to this best HP laptops list this 2019.
Image Credit: HP The HP Spectre x360’s 2019 refresh hasn’t stopped it from topping our list of the best HP laptops to buy right now, touting a smart redesign that takes its look and performance to a new level. This gorgeous gem-cut 13-inch will draw admiring looks at whatever coffee shop you work in, while the powerful hardware will handle anything you throw at it, including strategy games. It even has the 4K display option, if you’re willing to splurge. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 2019
Image credit: TechRadar The HP Spectre x360 15-inch is clearly dressed for success, from elegant gold trimming on a matte black finish to powerful innards that include an 8th-generation Intel chip, Nvidia GTX graphics and more than enough storage space most typical users will need. It’s undeniably one of the best HP laptops on the market, and you will be impressed by it the moment you behold that stunning 4K screen. If you’re looking to move to the Windows 10 environment, this is a fantastic alternative to MacBook Pros, but with a better gaming experience. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
Image Credit: HP While it doesn’t exactly redefine the PC like HP’s marketing claims, the HP Spectre Folio does enough right things to merit a place among the best HP laptops you can buy in 2019. Clad front to back in leather, this 2-in-1 laptop is intended for the luxury buyers, as evidenced by its lofty price tag. Unfortunately, it’s not the fastest laptop out there. However, the fanless chip on board has enough juice to get you through your day-to-day workload, as long as you’re not expecting to get any serious video editing done. This is more for the professional taking a device between meetings. Read the full review: HP Spectre Folio
Image credit: TechRadar While the HP Chromebook 14 isn’t as powerful as other Chromebooks, this tiny laptop has a few aces up its sleeves, helping it secure a well-deserved spot among the best HP laptops. Those aces include striking a good balance between ample screen space and portability, as well as a surprisingly excellent keyboard and a decent trackpad. That’s without mentioning how vivid the display and how low its price tag is. Read the full review: HP Chromebook 14
Image credit: TechRadar We named the EliteBook x360 1040 G5 as the “apex predator of the business world” in our review because, well, it is. It boasts many excellent features in its handsome-looking chassis, as well as plenty of ports to go around, including a port that works wonders and impressively audio. Simply, this HP laptop is an ideal match for the professional who demands seamlessness and power at work. It’s not the perfect machine, but it’s got plenty of features that make up for its flaws, making it among the best HP laptops on the market. Read the full review: HP EliteBook x360 1040
Don’t judge this budget gaming laptop by its cover. It’s conservative design and poor quality chassis aside, the HP Omen 17 is one incredible gaming machine packed with excellent features. With its G-Sync display, solid speakers, and 4K gaming (if you’re ok with lower frame rates), this is one of the best HP laptops for gaming. Best of all, it offers great value at an affordable price. So if you don’t have the funds to splurge on a premium gaming laptop, you know you’ve got an option in this one. Read the full review: HP Omen 17
Thanks to its sleek, 13-inch design, this 2-in-1 is slimmer that you would have expected, which works in your favor when using it in tablet mode. There are other compelling reasons why the HP Envy x360 (2019) is worth considering when you’re in the market for o. If you are interested in the latest AMD innards, this is a great choice. This HP beauty also offers a premium build, boasts 9 hours of video playback and delivers a performance that will get you through most of your schoolwork and project, at a very affordable price. Read the full review: HP Envy x360 (2019)
Image Credit: HP If you’ve been watching the laptop market as long as we have, you’ll have noticed that the best gaming laptops kind of get a bad rap, thanks to their lack of mobility. However, HP has addressed this issue by packing plenty of new features that gaming laptops tend to lack. First, you can overclock the Omen X, which just means free performance – which will keep it at the top of the stack longer than competitors. For gamers, the HP Omen X is a no-brainer.
Image Credit: HP HP’s flagship Spectre line of Ultrabooks and 2-in-1s might get all the hype, but the manufacturer has a long-running tradition of crafting some of the best business laptops. The HP Elitebook is an excellent example, packing in powerful Ryzen processors, plenty of memory and speedy SSDs beneath a svelte all-metal chassis. It is a tad pricey, but if you’re looking for an office laptop, with all the requirements that business-grade products require, this is the best HP laptop for you. Read the full review: HP Elitebook 745 G5
Image Credit: HP The HP Spectre 13 is arguably one of the most gorgeous laptops we’ve ever seen or used. The ceramic white finish is beautifully complemented by a two-prong hinge design that’s extremely appealing as well as utilitarian. The Spectre 13 goes even further by packing some serious horsepower. It leverages the power of 8th-generation Intel Kaby Lake Refresh processors to outmatch the competition. It’s been discontinued on the HP site, but the HP Spectre 13 is still one of the best HP laptops this year. Search for it, as third-party retailers still sell it. Read the full review: HP Spectre 13
Bill Thomas and Michelle Rae Uy has also contributed to this article This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Huawei P40: what we want to see Posted: 18 Aug 2019 08:30 AM PDT While we're still waiting for a firm Huawei P40 release date leak, we're excited for the upcoming smartphone – the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro came out in March 2019 after all, and we already know how the Chinese firm can improve with their successors. That’s not to say the P30 and P30 Pro are bad phones, far from it – the latter currently tops our best camera phones list, and we gave them both near-perfect scores. We’ve taken them for intensive camera tests and described how they got us excited to take pictures with our phones, so we’re definitely fans.
Smartphones are a competitive industry, and with near-constant flow of new phone launches bringing with newer upgrades, the Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro will need to arrive with significant upgrades to be relevant. The Google Pixel 4, iPhone 11, and Huawei Mate 30 are set to launch before the end of 2019, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has already been announced, so there's plenty for the P40 and P40 Pro to build from in 2020. We’ve listed what we want to see in the Huawei P40 below, as well as what we already know or have heard rumored. We'll be constantly updating this article with all the latest Huawei P40 leaks and rumors as they happen, to bring you the best idea of what to expect ahead of the handset's official launch. Cut to the chase
Huawei P40 release date and priceA launch is still likely months away, and we don’t have a firm Huawei P40 release date from any rumors or leaks just yet, but we can offer up a prediction based on the company's previous event activity. The P30 and P30 Pro were unveiled in Paris in March 2019, and the P20 and P20 Pro launch event look place in March 2018. So, our early Huawei P40 launch date prediction is March 2020. Shocker, right? It makes sense too, as Huawei likes to separate its phone launches from other big tech events. It had previously launched new P series handsets at MWC in Barcelona at the end of February, but that's a show which features a huge number of launches and it gets more exposure by delaying by a couple of weeks and holding its own event in March. The Huawei P40 price is a more interesting conversation. At launch the Huawei P30 cost £699 / AU$1,099 (roughly $910), and the P30 Pro started at £899 (AU$1,599, around $1,140), which were both pricier than the previous year’s entries. We’re expecting that trend to be followed in 2020 if the phones are as much of a tech upgrade as we’re hoping, so you could see the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro inch closer towards premium phones. One thing we’re not expecting though? For the Huawei P40 to be available in the US, as previous Huawei phones haven’t been. What we want to see1. A new camera lensWhen the Huawei P30 Pro came out with four lenses, it was one of the first smartphones to do so, and even the P30’s three were impressive. But now more affordable smartphones have four cameras, like the Honor 20, so one way for Huawei to continue its photography dominance, and distinguish itself from the competition, would be to add yet another lens.
Our top choice for this extra lens would be a Motorola One Action-style 'Action Cam' for recording video, as video-specific cameras are things we haven’t seen too much in cameras. An anamorphic lens would also be great for recording video, as that type of lens is used by professional film-makers as it letterboxes the footage and captures lens flare, with other perks too. 2. Wireless chargingThis is something we ask for in every new phone, as it’s a feature that’s becoming bigger over time, but wireless charging on the Huawei P40 would be a really useful feature that would fit its premium status. We’re hopeful this feature will be added – the Huawei P30 Pro had wireless charging, as did the Mate 20 Pro, so it’s probably on a matter of time before Huawei brings the feature to its non-pro phones.
The P30 Pro 3. Improved display technologyIf we were to sum up the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro displays, it’d be ‘good not great’ – the OLED are HDR10, which is fine for viewing content, but nothing on competitors with QuadHD or even 4K displays. Huawei is always trying to be competitive in the camera department, and to view increasingly amazing pictures you’re going to need better and better displays, so it would make sense for Huawei to update its range. Perhaps by fitting the Huawei P40 with AMOLED tech in the screen, with QuadHD or even 4K, Huawei could stay ahead of the competition. 4. Keep the notchWe’d like the Huawei P40 to keep the notch of the P30. This is something of a controversial stance, so stay with us here – but we don’t want Huawei to follow the trend of increasingly bizarre and gimmicky notch alternatives. The reason for this is that, currently, there are no better solutions to the front-facing camera problem. Punch-hole cut-outs take up as much, if not more space, and pop-up cameras are a gimmick that can be an inconvenience when done well, and very annoying when not. It’d be good if Huawei could shrink the P30 Pro’s notch, which is rather thick, but the P30’s is slim and inoffensive compared to that of many other phones. Better to imitate this than try something different, that ends up backfiring. 5. A redesigned user interfaceThis is going to be less of a controversial opinion – we’d like Huawei to redesign EMUI, its own-brand user interface, in time for the Huawei P40.
EMUI Currently, EMUI is arguably rather bright (some would call it garish), and it comes with quite a bit of bloatware that you’ll find yourself uninstalling straight away. Chinese phone manufacturers frequently have UIs that are popular in China, but not as much elsewhere, and EMUI is a prime example. If Huawei could dust up this UI for the Huawei P40 (which may be a simple task if the phone runs on Harmony OS), it’d certainly be much more pleasant to use. 6. Even further camera zoom distanceOne of the most impressive Huawei P30 features was the digital and optical zoom available on the camera, but we’d like to be wowed again if the Huawei P40 zoom saw an upgrade. The Huawei P30 allowed for 3x optical zoom and 30x digital, and the P30 Pro saw up to 5x optical and 50x digital – that’s pretty impressive sight. But now that smartphones like the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom support a crazy 60x zoom (despite the name), Huawei is going to have to pull out the big guns to keep competitive. Perhaps we could see an improved telephoto lens in the P40 and P40 Pro, as well as a better megapixel count so that digital zoom creates less grainy results. 7. Dual-lens front cameraHuawei’s smartphones are noted for their rear camera arrays, but we’d like to see the Huawei P40 cameras on the front to also allow for competition-crushing pictures, and the best way for Huawei to achieve this would be by having multiple front-facing cameras.
We’ve already seen this done in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, which has two cameras on the front which ‘see’ depth in order to add appropriate ‘bokeh’ background blur. If there was something similar in Huawei’s upcoming phones, even just the Huawei P40 Pro, it’d give the device a competitive edge. 8. Increased IP protection ratingWhile the Huawei P30 Pro had IP68 protection, making it pretty much accident-proof (it means it’s dust resistant, and can be submerged up to 2 metres for half an hour), the P30 was had only an IP53 rating, so it was dust and splash protected, but if you dunk it in the bath along with your P30 Pro, it’s not turning on afterwards. We’d like the Huawei P40 to have resistance to match its P40 Pro counterpart – we don’t like having to worry about the safety of our smartphone at all times, and if the P40 could match the P30 Pro’s protection, it’d help us sleep safe and sound at night (and by bodies of water). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: which is best for you? Posted: 18 Aug 2019 07:00 AM PDT What if your bedside lamp could send you to sleep with a lullaby? Or if your bookshelf played relaxing tunes as you leafed through a dog-eared copy of your favorite book? Enter the Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp speaker and bookshelf speaker, which do just that, combining practical home furnishings with Sonos’ audio expertise. Many were skeptical when Swedish furniture retailer IKEA announced that it would be teaming up with the acclaimed audio brand Sonos – but both speakers scored an impressive four out of five stars in our recent reviews. So, which of these unconventional wireless speakers would suit your home best? We take a look at the pros and cons of the lamp speaker and the bookshelf speaker to help make your decision easier.
The Symfonisk lamp speaker Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: price and availabilityIn true IKEA fashion, neither of these speakers are particularly expensive; the cheapest of the two is the bookshelf speaker, which costs $99 / £99 / AU$149, while the lamp speaker will set you back $179 / £150 / AU$269. That means the lamp speaker is closer price-wise to the Sonos One, which you can currently pick up for around $200 / £200 / AU$280 – and sometimes less, if you bag yourself a good deal. So, if sticking to a budget is your biggest concern, you may want to opt for the bookshelf speaker, but neither is going to rinse your bank account.
The Symfonisk bookshelf speaker Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: designLet’s start with the Symfonisk lamp speaker, which, unsurprisingly, looks like a lamp – although instead of a traditional base, the base is essentially a speaker, encased in a white wraparound grille. If you’ve had traumatic experiences with IKEA flat-pack furniture in the past, have no fear: you simply have to screw in a bulb, put the lampshade in place, and plug in the figure-of-eight power lead, and you’re ready to go. While the Symfonisk lamp speaker doesn’t sport the slimmest build, it blends nicely into the home. In terms of connections, you’ll only find an ethernet port – both speakers can connect to your home network via Wi-Fi, but you may find a wired connection to be stronger and more reliable. Otherwise, the unit sports an on/off switch, and play/pause and volume controls. The Symfonisk bookshelf speaker blends equally well into your home decor. It can be wall-mounted as a bookshelf that can hold up to 3kg of books or ornaments, or you can place it horizontally or vertically on any suitable surface. Coming in white or black, the brick-shaped bookshelf speaker has a fabric grille on its front, with play/pause and volume controls. As with the Symfonisk lamp speaker, the only connectivity options you’ll find are a power lead and wired ethernet port.
The Symfonisk lamp speaker Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: featuresThe Symfonisk lamp speaker and bookshelf speaker share many of the same features – and these wireless speakers are more than just basic IKEA products with a few drivers supplied by its audio partner. Instead, they're fully-fledged members of the Sonos ecosystem, and as such can link to any other Sonos component you have on your home network; you could also pair two of the Symfonisk speakers for stereo sound, or even pair one with Sonos’ existing home cinema devices, like the Sonos Beam, Sonos Playbar, Sonos Playbase, or Sonos Amp. This means you can even use the speakers as rear channels in a 5.0 or 5.1 surround sound system – pretty cool for a lamp and a bookshelf. As Sonos products, both Symfonisk speakers eschew Bluetooth connectivity in favor of a home internet connection, via Apple AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect. The obvious difference between the two speakers is that the lamp speaker also functions as lighting for your home; what’s cool about this is that you could choose to fit it with a smart bulb, like the Philips Hue. So, if you want to embrace the smart home, the Symfonisk lamp speaker allows you to do this more thoroughly than the bookshelf speaker.
The Symfonisk bookshelf speaker Symfonisk lamp speaker vs bookshelf speaker: sound performanceWhether you’re using the lamp speaker or the bookshelf speaker, it’ll only take a few moments to connect them through the Sonos app, where you’ll also find various means of tuning the Symfonisk for optimal sonic performance. One example is TruePlay, which uses the microphone built into your smartphone or tablet to scan the shape of the room you're in and amend the EQ settings accordingly. The app also features a simple two-band equalizer that lets you fine-tune the bass and treble response. We found that both speakers benefitted from a little reduction in the bass, with Sonos’ Loudness feature left on to add some focus and punch. Both the Symfonisk lamp and bookshelf speakers offer a full-bodied soundstage and a lively, enjoyable presentation; however, the lamp speaker fares slightly better in terms of accuracy and width. That’s partly due to the circular wraparound grille utilized by the lamp speaker – this design allows its soundstage to open up more than that of the rectangular bookshelf speaker, for a more immersive listening experience. That’s not to say the bookshelf speaker sounds bad; in fact, its audio performance is better than you might expect. Bold, focused and full-bodied, the Symfonisk bookshelf speaker certainly isn't shy about throwing music into the room. Neither speaker offers the detail and precision of the Sonos One, but it's important to remember that they both offer dual functions, and also that they're cheaper than Sonos’ flagship wireless speaker.
The Symfonisk lamp speaker TakeawayWhich Symfonisk speaker you should buy isn’t a particularly taxing decision: if you want a lamp, go for the lamp speaker, and if you could use a bookshelf, or just want a speaker that you can place on a bookshelf or similar, go for the bookshelf speaker. If both appeal equally, it’s worth noting that the bookshelf speaker is significantly cheaper, and offers many of the same features as the lamp speaker; both are fully-fledged members of the Sonos ecosystem, and could therefore be paired with each other, or with other speakers to great effect. The lamp speaker is the better-sounding of the two, by a small margin, with its wraparound grille providing a wider soundstage than the bookshelf speaker. Whichever speaker you go for, you won’t be buying into a mere interior design gimmick: as well as making attractive focal points in your living room, the Symfonisk speakers are very capable audio devices in their own right.
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| Apple Watch 5 release date, price, news and rumors Posted: 18 Aug 2019 06:52 AM PDT The Apple Watch holds the title of the best selling smartwatch, and a version of it adorns wrists all over the world - but it's still not perfect. The Apple Watch 4 is the company's most elegant device yet - it sits near the top of our best smartwatch list - and it's packed with lots of brand new top-end features too. The Series 4 saw Apple introduce an ECG monitor as well as fall detection and a refreshed design that ensures existing straps can still be used while offering more screen space. So why are we already excited about the Apple Watch 5? If the last few years are anything to judge by, it won't be long until we hear from Apple about a new device. It's likely to launch alongside the new iPhone, which is expected to be announced in September. At the moment we're expecting it to be called the Apple Watch Series 5, and below we've put together all of the rumors we've seen so far. There aren't many rumors yet though, so more importantly you’ll find a selection of improvements we'd like to see on the next smartwatch from Apple. Apple Watch 5 release date and price
Apple Watch 4. Image Credit: TechRadar We don't currently know when the Apple Watch 5 will launch, but we can take an educated guess. It's worthwhile buying the Apple Watch 4 right now as the device is only a couple of months old and we don't expect to see a refresh from the company until September 2019. The Apple Watch 3 and Apple Watch 4 were both introduced in September of their respective years, so we'd expect the company to follow a similar suit for its next device. Often Apple introduces devices and then releases them 10 days later too, so once you've heard about the Apple Watch 5 it probably won't be long until you can buy one. Reading the latest analyst reports, a September launch is indeed looking likely. When it comes to price, we have no real reason to believe the price is set to increase from the RRP of the Apple Watch 4. That watch started at $399 / £399 / AU$599 for the smallest GPS version, and $429 / £429 / AU$649 for the larger one 44mm one. If you want mobile internet, you'll be able to buy the smaller watch for $499 / £499 / AU$749 and $529 / £529 / AU$799 for the larger watch. There may be some fluctuation when it comes to the Apple Watch 5 price, but this is the clearest indicator of how much it'll cost you when it launches. Apple Watch 5 news and rumorsSo far we've yet to hear much about the Apple Watch 5, but one report may give us a hint at what we'll see. The first important report comes from trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said the company may be set to introduce a "new ceramic casing design" on at least one model. Kuo also believes Apple will bring support for the ECG monitor to more countries with the Apple Watch 5 - although that may also be a software upgrade for the Apple Watch 4 - as well as a new way to charge your watch. He believes Apple will adopt two-way wireless charging on its next generation of smartphones, which would mean you'd be able to place your Apple Watch on the rear of an iPhone 11 and charge it up using the phone's battery. Elsewhere, it has been reported that Apple is working on a sleep tracking feature, so the Apple Watch 5 might finally be able to track your sleep without you needing to download a third-party app. Thanks to some images uncovered in watchOS 6, we know that ceramic and titanium casings are likely to be on the way – either for the Series 5, the Series 4, or both.
Apple Watch 4. Image Credit: TechRadar Given that much of the hardware should already be in place, it's possible that sleep tracking will also come to older models as a software update. However, the report says that the feature should arrive by 2020, so we might not see it until the Apple Watch 6. A report from Reuters has also claimed Apple will be looking to Japan Display to make OLED panels for the Watch 5. That's unlikely to have any effect on the end product, but it's interesting to see the company is already preparing its manufacturing deals ready for this year's device. A patent filed by Apple shows a system that monitors chemicals in the air to 'smell', which could track your body odor or sense air quality where you're exercising. A glucose monitor manufacturer has also confirmed it's making a device specific for the Apple Watch, which may mean we're closer to seeing an unobtrusive version of tech included on a future Apple smartwatch. Another rumor suggests the Apple Watch 5 may be the first Apple wearable to come with Wi-Fi Assist technology on board too. That's unlikely to be on the Apple Watch 5, but the new accessory may specifically work on the next-gen Apple Watch. Another report suggests Apple may be readying itself to switch over to microLED technology from the traditionally used OLED tech on its Apple Watch range. That is unlikely to happen for the Apple Watch 5 though as the company is said to only be in the early stages of the switch now, so it's likely whatever Apple Watch we see in 2020 will be the first to include it. It's thought the company is switching to microLED to help improve the watch's battery life. Little else is known about the Apple Watch 5. Consistent rumors surface every year with Apple patenting round screens and a variety of other technologies, but at the time of writing we have no reason to believe these are true for this smartwatch. Apple Watch 5: what we want to seeA new smartwatch from Apple hopefully means some meaningful innovation. The Apple Watch 4 was a big change for the wearable line, but we're hoping for even more on the next-generation smartwatch. Here’s what we're hoping for: 1. Improved battery lifeThe Apple Watch doesn't have the worst battery life for a smartwatch, but neither does it have the best. The Apple Watch Series 4 does have the best battery we've seen on a smartwatch from the company so far... but we always want more. Apple may be able to improve its processing tech to eek more out of the battery that's already inside or perhaps the company will include a larger cell to result in improved battery life. Apple may even take a radical step and include a low battery mode like we've seen on other watches, such as the TicWatch Pro. 2. A wider selection of apps
Image Credit: TechRadar This is something that would improve the entire Apple series of wearables. We've seen some major players drop support for Apple Watch including Instagram and Slack, and we'd like to see Apple invest in getting those users back onto watchOS. If it can't get the big name services, we'd like to see Apple get developers more involved in the platform to create innovative apps for the service that compete with Tizen and Wear OS. 3. And something special for Spotify2018 saw the debut of a Spotify app on your Apple Watch, but it's not what everyone wanted. You can currently only use it to control music on other devices, meaning you can't download albums or playlists directly to your watch. Apple Music does allow that on the Apple Watch, so why can't the company include similar support for Spotify? In fact, we'd like to see the company embrace support on its wearable for Tidal, YouTube Music and a variety of other streaming services too. It’d be a major step for Apple to open up like this and in return it'd mean a lot for certain users. 4. Better sleep techApple's sleep tracking technology isn't the best on the Apple Watch, and we have found it doesn't always track each night's sleep with great accuracy. We'd like to see the company focus on improving this feature that some find essential on their smartwatch. You can buy a variety of different sleep monitors that can be installed under your sheets, and we'd like to see Apple embrace its top-end heart rate tracking tech to rival some of these. 5. A slightly thinner design
Image Credit: TechRadar It's another one we're always asking for, but the Apple Watch does still feel thick on your wrist. The Series 4 in 44mm does feel thinner because it's larger, but it's still a thicker device than some other smartwatches money can buy. Apple may be able to trim it down a touch further too by including smaller processing tech and perhaps a new battery tech. We don't know how Apple can do it, but we'd like it to. 6. Support for AndroidHere's the one on the list we're almost certain won't happen, but we're including it anyway. We'd like to see the Apple Watch 5 include support for Android devices. In the five years since the announcement of the original Apple Watch we've always wanted this, but the company has kept compatibility limited to its own iPhone line. Android Wear started out as a platform for those with Android phones, but a few years in the company opened it up for support with iPhone. That has been a major boon for the company and at last count over a third of its users were on iPhone. Wouldn't that mean a surge in sales for the Apple Watch if it suddenly worked with Android devices? Apple has made one of the best smartwatches money can buy, why not share it with everyone? It probably won't happen, but we can dream. 7. Another gamechanger
Image Credit: TechRadar You might not be able to use the feature right now, but allowing for a electrocardiogram (ECG) easily on a smartwatch is a gamechanger for anyone who's worried about their heart health. We'd like to see Apple follow that up with another feature that makes our jaws drop on the Apple Watch 5. That's an easy task, right? It's thought the new ECG feature on the Apple Watch 4 is set to be embraced on a variety of competing smartwatches from other manufacturers coming in 2019 proving Apple is a trendsetter with this tech. We don't currently know what that next thing will be, but we're sure the brains at Apple are already trying to come up with that new tech. Perhaps a device that's suitable for those who suffer from diabetes? Only time will tell.
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| The Apple Watch 5 tipped to come in ceramic and titanium versions Posted: 18 Aug 2019 06:30 AM PDT You wait all year for some decent Apple Watch Series 5 rumors and then two come along at once: we only just heard that the fifth-generation wearable might launch in September and now there's news of some different casing materials getting added this year. Brazilian site iHelp BR spotted graphics hidden in the beta code of watchOS 6 that point to ceramic and titanium casings – quite possibly for the Apple Watch 5 but maybe as new options, alongside stainless steel, for the Apple Watch 4. Apple has offered ceramic smartwatches in the past, but the option was removed on the Series 4. There's never been a titanium Apple Watch though, so that's completely new.
We did hear rumors about a ceramic model for the Series 5 wearable back in February, from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It's possible that both the Series 5 and the Series 4 (which presumably will stay on sale) are going to get the new editions. Watch and waitOnly yesterday we reported that Ming-Chi Kuo is expecting a new Apple Watch 5 in the second half of 2019. That would fit in with the launch schedule of previous models, but we haven't heard much in the way of rumors or speculation about a new edition for 2019. It's possible that Apple is going to unveil the Apple Watch 5 alongside the new iPhones for 2019, at an event which is being tipped to happen in the second week of September, though that's not official yet. Further digging by iHelp BR found references to both 40mm and 44mm size smartwatches, so whether these titanium and ceramic labels apply to Series 4 or Series 5 devices, they'll have the same chassis size as the existing Apple smartwatches. If we are getting a new Apple Watch 5 next month then it's not clear exactly what features and improvements it's going to bring along with it, though watchOS 6 offers some clues – it gives the Apple Watch its own App Store portal, for example. Via 9to5Mac This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best single player PC games 2019: the top PC games for playing solo Posted: 18 Aug 2019 05:00 AM PDT Welcome to our pick of the best single player PC games in 2019. Single player PC games exhibit gaming at its finest. Throw around all the numbers you want about the popularity of Fortnite, or how League of Legends fills out arenas all over the world, but a well-crafted solo experience has the unparalleled ability to sweep you away to meticulously crafted worlds and immerse you in unique forms of storytelling. Even in the last few years, the best single player PC games have conquered new narrative and technical frontiers, which is why we’ve decided to round up 10 of the best single player PC games that you can play right now in 2019. Make sure you check out our picks of the best PC games as well, for the very best single and multiplayer PC games from a wide range of genres. 1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Four years on from release, millions of gamers continue their solemn journeys across the war-ravaged low-fantasy world of The Witcher 3. It remains a high watermark of videogame storytelling; everything from side-quests with lowly peasants to the political tinkerings of lords and barons seems to get the same degree of love and attention from the writers. It’s the game that made surly, concrete-voiced hero Geralt of Rivia a gaming icon (and soon to be star of a Witcher Netflix show). The world is not just sensational in terms of topographical scale and variety, but also in its sense of history and life, as it seems that every village, castle ruin and cave has a story to tell. The fact that The Witcher 3 remains as impressive an experience today as it was when it first came out is testament to its pioneering role in the medium. 2. Doom
There’s something audaciously old-school about a game that does away with meaningful plot in favor of vicious, driving violence. In 2016’s Doom you’re somewhere between a human battering ram and artillery cannon, tearing apart and decimating a familiar but vibrantly redesigned army of demons in the most satisfying ways imaginable. A key conceit is that in order to gain health and ammo, you need to charge headlong into the enemy and pull off brutal Glory Kills, forcing you to always be right up in the faces of shrieking Revenants and obese Cacodemon heads. Everything in the game – from that forward momentum to the clanging tech-metal soundtrack – propels you, leaving you breathless after each fracas like no other game... … except maybe for the upcoming sequel. 3. Resident Evil 2: REMake
A remake of one of the great survival horror games can be a poison chalice, but Capcom managed to create a magnum opus both within the series and among all videogame remakes. Like the original, RE2 REMake has two overlapping campaigns as Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. While it follows the narrative beats of the original game, it’s also an exemplar of modern level design, as you solve puzzles and open up shortcuts around the mazey Raccoon City Police Department. Each zombie is a bullet sponge and mortal threat, resources are limited, and an infallible blue man dressed like a hard-boiled detective marches after you through much of the game. Remake or not, this is one of the best horror game ever made. 4. Celeste
The makers of Towerfall, one of the greatest couch multiplayer games around, took some of that game’s best mechanics and converted them into a triumphant 2D platformer about climbing a mountain. The core mechanic is the ability to dash in eight directions, but as you progress you’ll find yourself encountering an ever-growing trickle of new obstacles and challenges. Eventually, Celeste amounts to a tough old time. Many levels can be played through in different iterations, and all that finger-cramping platforming is enveloped by a touching story about friendship and tribulation. Celeste feels as important and seismic for the modern 2D platformer as Super Meat Boy was when it came out nearly a decade ago. 5. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Taking a year out in 2016 to rethink the Assassin’s Creed series was a wise move by Ubisoft, and with Odyssey that decision really paid off. Looking to RPGs for inspiration, it’s an unthinkably large open-world adventure set in the arid azure idyll of the Hellenic peninsula. It’s not just the scenery and gloriously recreated Greek architecture that makes Odyssey such a joy, it’s in the way Alexios and Kassandra’s story weaves through history and myth, and in how it refines certain systems - like ship-sailing and level-based enemies - from previous games. Some will balk that it’s no longer the cloak-and-dagger assassin game the series is known for, but the reality is that it’s now become so much more. 6. Total War: Warhammer 2
When the Total War series stagnated with Rome 2, for its next project Creative Assembly took on one of the most inspired possible fusions of videogame genre and IP: epic-scale strategy and Warhammer. Total War: Warhammer 2 embraces the asymmetry of its source material, with each faction offering a unique tactical and narrative experience. If you also own Total War: Warhammer 1, all the major factions of the vibrant grimdark world are represented in the sequel. Skaven lurk in city ruins and skurry through an underworld, Vampire Coast pirates embark on treasure hunts, and Dwarves hunker down behind heavy armour, ready to repel any infantry charge. Each campaign lasts dozens of hours, offering endless clashes between the most well-crafted, inventive armies seen in a strategy game. 7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro is a tense, tough, and visually striking samurai game set in a mythologised feudal Japan, and it's one of the best single player PC games you can buy. If you’ve played Dark Souls or Bloodborne, you’ll know what to expect, and know already whether its unforgiving style is for you. Some see the punishing combat as sadistic, others see it as a high-challenge, high-reward experience with no equal. Whichever way you lean, you can’t question the precision of Sekiro’s mechanics. Where Sekiro differs from its spiritual predecessors is that it’s less obtuse, with a linear, coherent narrative and an inclusion of more mainstream action-game elements. You leap around vertically-oriented levels in search of shortcuts and secrets, while combat is about finding the right angle and timing for that precious killing katana blow. It’s never easy to land, but once you start doing so regularly, you begin to understand what all that suffering is for. 8. What Remains of Edith Finch
A complete change of pace from the big-money behemoths that populate this best single player PC games list, Edith Finch is so poignant and beautifully crafted that it will touch the souls of even the most stubborn walking-simulator naysayers. As the titular character, you wander around her vast, recently abandoned family home set on a haunting, crepuscular island in Washington State. You explore the richly detailed house, entering the still-furnished rooms of each family member where you get swept up in dreamy, surreal vignettes showing how they died. It’s a meditative game about piecing together the story of a family that seems to be afflicted by an implacable curse. Edith Finch is the kind of thematically heavy, highly curated experience that doesn’t seem to be quite done justice by the word ‘videogame’. 9. Hollow Knight
Of all the genres to have re-emerged since the indie revolution nine-odd years ago, the Metroidvania has been the biggest benefactor. The kinds of games that have come out haven’t just been throwbacks to the good old days of the 90s, but profound evolutions in their own right. Hollow Knight feels like the zenith of the last several years of Metroidvania design, and it's earned its place in this list of the best single player PC games. You explore an enchantingly forlorn subterranean kingdom as the titular knight, incrementally gaining abilities that let you descend deeper into the world. It’s both brooding and cute, magical and challenging, shaped by thoughtful touches like the fact that Hollow Knight physically pulls out a map whenever you look at the map screen. 10. Dishonored 2
One of the tragedies of single-player gaming is that the immersive sim – descended from cerebral first-person games like System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex – has rarely been a big seller. So the future of masterpieces like Arkane’s Dishonored always seems tenuous. Dishonored 2 casts you as a preternaturally gifted assassin on a revenge mission in the sun-kissed steampunk city of Karnaca. Each sizeable area lets you explore apartments, shops and cluttered rooms from all angles before swooping in on your objectives. It’s both visceral in its black-magic-and-blades combat, and ingenious in its level design, with the ever-shifting Clockwork Mansion and the time-travelling Crack in the Slab offering some of the most memorable gameplay sequences you’re likely to play.
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| Will your next phone use dark mode by default? Posted: 18 Aug 2019 04:00 AM PDT We’re entering a new dark age. Developers are falling over themselves to develop dark versions of their apps in preparation for the imminent release of Android Q and iOS 13, with their system-wide dark modes. This will apply not only to your phone’s interface – apps will also be switched to dark mode when you activate the option. In Android Q, any apps without a specially reated dark version will be ‘forced’ when dark mode is activated, which will adjust the interface colors automatically and potentially spoil the designer’s carefully crafted user experience. Currently, Android features an interface-only dark mode, which can be activated manually or triggered automatically based on the color of the user’s chosen wallpaper. It might seem like a purely aesthetic choice, but there are also practical reasons for turning down the brightness. One of the biggest of these is power-saving. Google’s own research revealed that darker interfaces are far less of a drain on system resources, and allow users to go longer between charges. It’s also been suggested that bright lights from screens (particularly phones, which we often use in bed) can stop us getting a good night’s sleep. Although blue light is often cited as a particular concern, some professionals, including John O’Hagan of Public Health England’s centre for radiation, chemical and environmental hazards, say light on all wavelengths can disturb circadian rhythms, so limiting light exposure in general can help regulate your natural sleep cycle. Finally, dark mode just looks cool. White interfaces have been the standard for so long, it’s refreshing to have a different option. With all that in mind, why is light mode still the default – and could it change when Android R and iOS 13 roll around? Turn out the lightsFor both companies, going dark by default would be a huge change. The bright, white look has been an essential part of Google’s design language from the very beginning, with its origins as a blank page with a logo and central search bar. It’s since added colored elements (as explained in its Material Design principles) but the clean, white design has always been central to its identity. Apple has also long associated itself with clean, white lines – starting with the Snow White design language in 1982. However, it’s become much more adventurous with colors in recent years – and its fans seem to approve. The announcement of dark mode for macOS Mojave last year was met with much whooping and cheering (even more than usual for an Apple launch event), so it’s easier to imagine Apple taking the plunge and making dark the default. Things might change on the Android front, too. Even if Google sticks with white for stock Android on its own Pixel phones, the likes of Samsung and Huawei might prefer the benefits of the dark side. After all, why wouldn’t they want to prolong battery life wherever possible – and provide the experience users are whooping for? The future is dark. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Major Bluetooth security flaw leaves millions of devices at risk Posted: 18 Aug 2019 03:05 AM PDT A significant security vulnerability in Bluetooth has left millions of smartphones and other devices at risk of attack, researchers have said. The flaw would allow an attacker to more easily brute force the encryption key used by devices during pairing to monitor or even manipulate the data transferred between two paired devices. The vulnerability has been given the name “Key Negotiation of Bluetooth attack” or “KNOB” for short and it affects Bluetooth BR/EDR devices using specification versions 1.0 to 5.1.
News of the KNOB vulnerability was revealed in a coordinated disclosure between the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA), ICASI and ICASI members including Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Cisco and Amazon. The flaw itself allows an attacker to reduce the length of the encryption key used for establishing a connection and in some cases, the length of the encryption key could be reduced to just a single octet making Bluetooth devices much easier to access. KNOB vulnerabilityA security advisory on Bluetooth.com, provided further insight on how the KNOB vulnerability functions, saying: "The researchers identified that it is possible for an attacking device to interfere with the procedure used to set up encryption on a BR/EDR connection between two devices in such a way as to reduce the length of the encryption key used. In addition, since not all Bluetooth specifications mandate a minimum encryption key length, it is possible that some vendors may have developed Bluetooth products where the length of the encryption key used on a BR/EDR connection could be set by an attacking device down to a single octet." After figuring out the Bluetooth keys of two devices, attackers could then monitor and manipulate the data being sent between them. This would even allow them to inject commands, monitor key strokes and carry out other types of malicious behavior. Fortunately, ICASI has not yet seen this attack method used maliciously nor have any devices been created to initiate this type of attack. Exploiting the KNOB vulnerability would also be difficult because both devices need to be Bluetooth BR/EDR, the attacker would need to be within range of the devices while they establish a connection and the attack would also need to be repeated every time the devices paired. The Bluetooth specification has also been updated to recommend a minimum encryption key length of seven octets for BR/EDR connections to resolve this vulnerability.
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| China VPN use may finally be getting easier Posted: 18 Aug 2019 02:52 AM PDT China may finally be softening its stance on VPN services, reports have claimed. The city of Beijing has unveiled its plans to allow overseas firms to invest in VPN services within a trial zone by the end of the year as part of China's ongoing efforts to attract foreign investment. Foreign investors will soon be allowed to invest in VPN services though foreign ownership in VPN providers will be capped at 50 percent according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce.
The State Council approved the relaxation of its restrictions back in January in an effort “to attract foreign telecom operators to come and provided VPN services for foreign-invested companies in Beijing” according to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce. VPN ChinaThe new policy is part of a three-year plan by the Beijing Municipal Government to open up the service sector after the city's economy slowed to 6.3 percent during the first half of 2019. China's Great Firewall currently blocks access to 135 of the world's top 1,000 websites and foreign firms must rely on VPN services to get around the country's restrictions in order to do business. According to the municipal government, online games as well as video and audio programs will also welcome foreign investment but they will be required to meet Chinese data security standards. However, foreign investment in online news, publishing, audio and video is still technically banned in China. By opening up investment in VPN services to foreign firms, China may finally be softening its historically hard stance on VPN usage within its borders.
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| Early access program gives us a sneak peek at Apple Arcade Posted: 18 Aug 2019 02:30 AM PDT We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Apple Arcade since it was announced back in March, and now we have a few more clues as to what it will look like, courtesy of an internal early access program at Apple. Details obtained by 9to5Mac show a few of the screens and the games as they look at the moment, via the Mac App Store. Apple employees can get in on the action for $0.49 per month, but testing apparently only lasts until iOS 13 launches – we're expecting that to be in September (with the new iPhones), so this early access preview might be a short one.
There's also the option of a one-month free trial which is likely to be offered out to the general public, encouraging them to give Apple Arcade a whirl (Apple Music also offers a free trial to newcomers). Some of the games highlighted in Apple Arcade at the moment include Way Of The Turtle ("two curious turtles lost on a cursed island"), Down In Bermuda ("voyage across the Atlantic on the journey of a lifetime"), and Hot Lava ("run, jump, climb and surf in first person across nostalgia-packed environments"). Apple has previously promised a choice of more than 100 titles when Apple Arcade finally opens up its doors, and developers are no doubt hard at work trying to get their games ready for the big day – a lot of games are currently marked as "in development". Of course the design of Apple Arcade and the choice of games could change between now and whenever the service launches, but it's an interesting peek into what to expect. Apple has yet to confirm how much Apple Arcade is going to cost, and there are other unanswered questions about the service too – like whether multiplayer features will be included. As soon as Apple makes anything official, we'll let you know. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Save £140 on Now TV Sky Sports pass for ten months of access Posted: 18 Aug 2019 01:01 AM PDT We're into week two of the new Premier League season, but that doesn't mean it's too late to take advantage of this incredible Now TV Sky Sports pass deal. There's no reason you couldn't get live streaming Premier League football straight away. This special ten-month pass would usually set you back a total of £339.99 at £33.99 a month, but today you can save over 40% and get it for a stunningly cheap £199. instead, but this offer will expire on August 26th and we don't see a better offer coming for the rest of the season to be honest. This Now TV Sky Sports pass will cover you for the 2019/2020 Premier League season, The Championship and the Carabao Cup. It's not just about the footy though, there's a serious amount of other sport to enjoy with this Now TV pass too. You can start streaming The Ashes cricket series and a bunch of F1 Grand Prix are coming over the next few months too. Actually, while the promotional page over at Now TV is mainly shouting about the footy aspect of this 10-month pass, you actually get all 11 Sky Sports channels. This includes Premier League, Football, F1, Racing, Cricket, Golf, Sky Sports News, Mix, Action, Arena and Main Event. Now TV deals are a great way to access Sky's excellent content without signing up to a long contract. You can pick and choose access to packages like Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Kids and of course Sky Sports channels on a rolling 30-day deal. We've gone into greater detail on all of these options in our regular Now TV passes and offers page. We know plenty of people that use the Now TV service as a beta test to see what's available on Sky's channels before signing up to a regular Sky TV deal with options for even more channels, recording live TV, HD and 4K viewing and potentially bigger savings with a longer contract. If you'd like to check out these options, be sure to take a look at our guide below: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Galaxy Note 10 is finally out; here’s all you need to know Posted: 17 Aug 2019 09:15 PM PDT Now that the wait is over, and Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Note10 on the 8th of August during the Unpacked event, it’s time to highlight what makes it the most powerful phone in the market and what offers you could get. For the very first time in the history of Note series, the device is offered in two sizes. Yet, that did not affect the display screen size; on the contrary, Samsung has made the Galaxy Note10+ screen even bigger while keeping a compact shape for a comfortable grip. Whether you choose to go for the 6.3” Galaxy Note10 or the 6.8” Galaxy Note10+; they both are lighter and slimmer than Galaxy Note9. Not to mention, its Infinity-O display and best-in class Dynamic AMOLED technology provide the most uninterrupted viewing experience. As for the intelligent S PEN, a lot of new features have been added as it caninstantly turn your handwriting into text, and it enables you to control the phone without even touching it. You can also charge the Galaxy Note10+ fast enough by which 30 minutes can actually last you all day.** If you usually struggle with storage, then you’d be happy to know that the standard storage size coming with the Galaxy Note10 is 256 GB and with the Galaxy Note10+ is 256 GB as well as 512GB. The latter can even be expanded with a Micro SD card up to 1.5TB in storage size which is legit the same size of a laptop. Not only that allows the Galaxy Note10+ to function like a laptop, but so does the 12GB RAM which allows the smoothest multitasking experience on the go. Now is the best time to purchase the Galaxy Note10, starting from 3,499 AED, as the pre-order offer is there for a limited period of time with an exclusive package loaded with value-added benefits worth 1,053 AED when you pre-order through Samsung.com. In addition to the complimentary Galaxy Buds, the pre-order offer on samsung.com includes Samsung Care+, which provides protection against accidental damage up to 2 years for the very first time, as well as 0% instalment plans up to 12 months. On top of all that, you get 50% discount on the all-new Galaxy Note10 accessories. The offer expires on the 23rd of August; don’t miss out and be first to own the next-level power! **Based on condition. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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