Friday, November 1, 2019

Apple : Diablo 4 is official - everything you need to know

Apple : Diablo 4 is official - everything you need to know

Diablo 4 is official - everything you need to know

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 01:33 PM PDT

It’s been over seven years since the initial release of Diablo 3, so obviously we're champing at the bit to start another monstrous loot hunt in Diablo 4.

After months of rumors, the title has been officially confirmed by Blizzard at Blizzcon 2019 - and we now know that Diablo 4 is an isometric action RPG which sees the return of Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto.

It will feature an open world map with five regions, day/night cycles and a non-linear campaign. You'll smash and loot your way through this world with one of five customizable classes, three of which are already announced. 

Finally, it's being designed in a brand-new engine for PS4, Xbox One and PC, with plans to simultaneously release it on all platforms.

Want to know more? Here’s everything to know so far about the long-awaited Diablo 4.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The next instalation in the veteran action-role playing dungeon crawling series, Diablo.
  • When can I play it? We're not entirely sure, but 'not soon' is what Blizzard says.
  • What can I play it on? Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Diablo 4 trailers

Diablo 4 was officially announced at Blizzcon 2019 where we got the chance to see both the announcement story cinematic, and the first gameplay trailer. 

Diablo 4 release date

Bad news here: Diablo 4 probably won't be released anytime soon. At a Blizzcon deep dive on the game, the game's director said that he doesn't expect the game to be finished anytime soon, "even by Blizzard's standards of soon."

That said, the fact that the team is developing the game for PS4 and Xbox One heavily implies that the game will be released within the next two to three years - as the lifespan of those consoles will be coming to an abrupt end after the launch of new consoles in late 2020. 

Diablo 4 news, previous leaks and features

Blizzcon 2019 Unveiling
Diablo 4 was officially confirmed at Blizzcon 2019 on November 1, where it was revealed the game would focus on Lilith - the daughter of Mephisto.

Like its predecessors, the game is an isometric, action RPG and will have PVP zones in the overworld - with the first three classes being barbarian, sorceress and druid. It's also being developed for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Story and setting

For those who haven't been following along in the in-game events, Diablo 4 will be set after Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls. At this point, the gates of heaven have been closed after Malthael, the Angel of Death, destroyed much of Sanctuary.

It's through Heaven's ignorance of the events transpiring in Sanctuary that Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto and canonical mother of humanity, is set lose from her prison. 

What we know about the overworld right now is that it's all open, with five unique regions and both a day/night cycle and ever-changing weather. Missions are non-linear and according to the game's director, you're free to take them on however you'd like.

Dungeons and loot

Like previous entries, you're going to spend a lot of time in dungeons - all of which will be randomly generated in a similar way to Diablo 3. According to the game's director, there will be 'hundreds of dungeons' in the game to explore 'in which you'll find hundreds of legendary items to equip'.

Which classes are available?

At launch, Diablo 4 will feature five classes - three of which we already know about. The Barbarian, a series staple will return in Diablo 4 and will be available to wield both double- and single-handed weapons in a single build, and will have four weapon slots. 

The Sorceress, another returning favorite, will have AOE attacks that control the battlefield and will be able to turn into a ball of energy to incinerate enemies, while the Druid has both animal companion NPCs and the ability to shapeshift.   

The Art of Diablo may have revealed Diablo 4 - confirmed
German magazine Game Star found a listing for a glossy new book called The Art of Diablo. Taking a behind-the-scenes look at the art of the franchise, it's set to contain “more than 500 artworks from Diablo 1, Diablo 2, Diablo 3 and Diablo 4.” Yep, Diablo 4, being mentioned in relation to a book officially associated with the developer Blizzard. Though the book is a little way off from release yet, the mention (likely unintentional) all but confirmed that Diablo 4 was on the way.

New hires - confirmed
Tongues started wagging after nine job listings for an "unannounced project" in the Diablo franchise were spotted on the Blizzard Entertainment careers page. The company was looking for key roles, including lead character and concept artists, software engineers, a lead narrative designer and an executive producer.

While it's not certain that the listings were for Diablo 4, the game has since been announced.

More development focus
Reports have stated that Blizzard is no longer working on a StarCraft shooter and has decided to shift development focus over to Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. This is good news for those waiting with bated breath for Diablo 4 updates as it shows Blizzard is entirely focused on the game. With a larger team behind it could we see more updates soon? Given Blizzard didn't attend Gamescom 2019, it could still be some time.

Blizzard wasn't at Gamescom 2019
We knew Blizzard wouldn't be attending Gamescom 2019 as, in a news post from Blizzard Entertainment, the developer confirmed that it wouldn't be attending. But why?

"As part of a renewed effort this year to maintain our focus on development, for our current games and our future projects, we won’t have a booth at Gamescom 2019," the post reads. "The show is an important one for the European and global gaming community, and we’re going to miss meeting players in Cologne this year. 

"We’re also looking forward to sharing more details about the projects we’re currently working on when the time is right."

Diablo Hades and / or Diablo Fenris

Game development is often iterative. Diablo 3 was in the works for many years and prototyped in many different ways before becoming the game we know today – and even then, it’s changed dramatically since its (somewhat shaky) initial launch.

Diablo 4 will likely be no different, and an incredibly interesting report from Kotaku back in 2018 pointed to multiple iterations of Diablo being in the works at Blizzard – one that has now ceased experimentation and has been shelved, the other what is reportedly now the foundation of Diablo 4. 

Note that these rumors come from sources we’ve not been able to independently verify, but, working alongside the Kotaku UK team and being able to vouch for their integrity, we’d say there’s legitimate information here that could point to the direction that Diablo 4 is headed towards.

Diablo 3, modified to play from an 'over-the-shoulder' perspective. (Image Credit: Mr Monstrosity / Diablo Fans)

– Hades (or ‘Diablo as Dark Souls’

The first of these projects was codenamed ‘Hades’. Sources speaking to Kotaku described a game not dissimilar in approach to Dark Souls – an over the shoulder, hardcore dungeon crawler. Work on Hades spanned 2014-2016 reportedly, and included top Blizzard talent including Diablo 3 director Josh Mosquiera. Given the popularity of Dark Souls, broadly similar RPG mechanics and the shared gothic aesthetic of the two, this would have been an interesting and fresh direction for the series to take. However, sources state that the game just wasn’t gelling, with the team eventually going on to make the excellent Rise of the Necromancer DLC for Diablo 3.

– Fenris (a return to Diablo 2’s darkness)

The second (and reportedly ongoing) effort to make Diablo 4 was codenamed ‘Fenris’, and was worked on by the same team that canned Hades. It would be a more traditional isometric Diablo title, and would see the caricature, colorful aesthetic of Diablo 3 ditched in favor of a darker, grimier, more horrifying look that bring the creepy dread of the first two Diablo games up to date.

"There’s a lot of people who felt like Diablo 3 got away from what made Diablo Diablo in terms of art style and spell effects," one unnamed Blizzard employee told Kotaku. "They want to make [Fenris] gross, make it dark, [get rid of] anything that was considered cartoony in Diablo 3… Make what people were afraid of in Diablo 2, but modern." 

Fenris is also discussed in highly social terms, taking cues from the likes of World of Warcraft and Destiny. While it wouldn’t be an MMO, it could well be a ‘live game’, with social areas that players can meet in before heading out into instanced dungeon raids.

Could it be that the Diablo franchise is about to experience a schism? One that sees the more approachable stylings of the Diablo 3 era be carried as the mobile Diablo Immortal experience, freely monetizable away from the ire of the hardcore Diablo fan, while Diablo 4 goes back to the horror-infused roots of the earlier games in the series, as being worked on with the Fenris project? It’s a reasonable idea.

Whatever happens, we’ll have all the most up to date information on Diablo 4 here. So keep checking back as we delve deeper into the growing darkness at the heart of Sanctuary.

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Microsoft cloud services may be hitting their limit in some regions

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 01:32 PM PDT

Some Azure customers recently began reporting that they had hit virtual machine (VM) limits in Microsoft's cloud in the US East regions which has sparked concerns that the company's cloud service could be at or close to capacity in some regions.

Affected users have said that the company does not have enough of the server types required to spin up certain types of VMs in the East US2 region.

However, all cloud vendors set limits on the types of services they can provide for customers which could be the case here.

Microsoft has suggested that users employ Virtual Machine Reserved Instances to be able to have access to VMs ahead of time in scenarios where they will need to scale up. Customers however have grown increasingly concerned over the current shortage of Azure VMs.

Senior consultant at iV4, Matt Burcke tweeted the response he received from Microsoft support, which read:

"Unfortunately, due to high demand for virtual machines in this region, we are not able to approve your quota request at this time. We are continuing to expedite additional capacity for the US East 2 (EUS2)."

Azure VM limits

Azure customers are currently discussing the shortage of VMs and they have even created a thread on Reddit to discuss the issue further. For example, one user's company was told by their account manager that it would take for our so months to get escalation on the issue.

Other users have been told to build in Azure's West US region to avoid the VM shortage. As of now, it is not yet known whether other Azure regions have reached their capacity limits as well.

Twitter user Waldo Jaquith raised concerns about how the capacity shortage would affect Microsoft's $10bn JEDI contract, saying:

“It’s a lucky thing for us all that DOD is nowhere near ready to actually use cloud for nearly anything, because otherwise this would be a disaster. At least this way Azure will have time to ramp up capacity and Northrop et al can learn to use Azure.”

Thankfully though, Microsoft has separate government clouds as well as a US DOD East region dedicated to meeting the Pentagon's needs.

We currently have no idea when the Azure VM shortage will be resolved but for those attempting to spin up VMs in Azure, it is probably a good idea to do so in a region besides East US2 for now.

Via ZDNet

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Best mesh Wi-Fi routers 2019: the best wireless mesh routers for large homes

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 01:27 PM PDT

If you haven’t considered getting one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers 2019 has to offer for your home or office, this list will certainly change your mind. Unlike traditional wireless routers, which are typically single receivers situated only in one room while broadcasting Wi-Fi throughout the rest of your house or apartment, the best mesh Wi-Fi routers are made up of several units.

These units can be strategically placed around your home or office to guarantee a strong and consistent Wi-Fi signal throughout your whole space. Simply by placing several nodes in key areas of your home, you will get you a solid, unified Wi-Fi network with the best mesh Wi-Fi routers, no matter where you are in that whole space.

That’s unlike how Wi-Fi extenders work, which only take the original Wi-Fi signal from the best wireless routers and repeat it to extend the original router’s range. This approach requires a separate SSID for the extender, as you’re essentially just creating a second network, and can be a pain since your device won't automatically switch to the different network. In addition, filling your home with several Wi-Fi networks can negatively impact the network’s performance.

Utilizing the best mesh Wi-Fi routers to provide solid coverage throughout your space, therefore, is better. And, these routers can be easy to set up. Simply connect the main unit to your internet connection, press a few buttons, and pair up the other units, resulting in one large – not to mention, fast – Wi-Fi network.

Google Wifi

With Google WiFi, Google has taken dominion over the mesh WiFi world. (Image credit: Google)

The Google Wifi tops, possibly, the best wireless mesh routers we’ve ever used, and we’re not saying that casually. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that it may be the best wireless mesh router, at least to date. Not only does it have the power to push fast Wi-Fi throughout your house – an even more impressive feat considering its diminutive size, but it’s also fairly cheap and not that hard to set up. Setting up is so simple that all you have to do to configure Google Wifi is to download an app to your smartphone, scan some QR codes and just place the nodes where you want around your house. With Google WiFi, the company has taken dominion over the mesh WiFi world.

Read the full review: Google Wifi 

Netgear Orbi

The Netgear Orbi boast more than enough Ethernet ports. (Image credit: Netgear)

If you have deep pockets, then check out the Netgear Orbi, which may be one of the best wireless mesh routers money can buy this year. Instead of something like the Google WiFi, which uses three identical nodes to create the network, you’ll get one main router and several satellite nodes to plug into power outlets around your home. In addition, the Orbi touts more than enough Ethernet ports, making it an exceptional option for anyone with a number of devices that need a hardwired connection. This mesh router is the best choice for consumers who use their network mostly for gaming, particularly across multiple devices.

Read the full review: Netgear Orbi 

TP-Link Deco M5

The TP-Link Deco M5 is an affordable way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home. (Image credit: TP-Link)

If you’re looking for a way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home without having to spend a lot of dough, then look into the TP-Link Deco M5. It’s not as speedy as some of the other best mesh Wi-Fi routers on this list, but if you’re not too concerned about getting the maximum theoretical throughput, which you probably won’t be able to take full advantage of anyway, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Setup, similar to the other devices here, is a breeze, even if you’re not tech-savvy. The TP-Link Deco M5 is among the best wireless mesh routers for those who don’t want to get too technical.

Read the full review: TP-Link Deco M5

Ubiquiti Amplifi HD

You'll find a lot to love in the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD. (Image credit: Ubiquiti)

If you love Apple’s design philosophy, enjoy having attractive gadgets set up around your home and have more than enough extra money sitting around, then the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD is the perfect mesh router for you. You’ll find a lot to love with this device, especially if you live in a large house and can take advantage of the full power that this mesh Wi-Fi setup provides, as it’s capable of a very large amount of throughput. You might find that the value diminishes quite a bit when you live in a smaller space however, since there are more affordable alternatives on hand for small to medium homes. The Ubiquiti Amplifi HD may be pricey, but you’re paying for a piece of tech that both exudes style and a ton of substance. That’s more than enough to justify the price tag, making this a great addition to the best wireless mesh routers list.

Read the full review: Ubiquiti Amplifi HD

Linksys Velop

There's something to be said about the simplicity that the Linksys Velop delivers. (Image credit: Linksys)

While it’s expensive and not quite as powerful as the other Wi-Fi mesh routers on this list, there’s something to be said about the simplicity that the Linksys Velop offers. It might come with a heftier price than the competition, but the Velop will appeal to people who need to create a Wi-Fi network and want to avoid setting it up. More tech-savvy users will most likely look elsewhere – why spend money when you can do the work yourself for free? However, for most users, the Linksys Velop is among the best wireless mesh routers because of the convenience it offers from the start. It’s also completely modular, so you only have to pick up as many nodes as you actually need – one node will cover up to 2,000 square feet.

Read the full review: Linksys Velop 

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Best 15-inch laptop 2019: top picks with 15-inch displays

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 01:15 PM PDT

The best 15-inch laptops are the most common portables on the market, and that’s perhaps because they’re basically the Goldilocks of notebooks. They’re not too big and not too small, but just the right size. In other words, when considering the entire spectrum of the laptops in terms of their form factor, 15-inch laptops sit between the larger 17-inch (or even bigger) notebooks, and the compact 11 to 13-inch models.

On top of that, 15-inch laptops can be nicely portable – they can be very slim and lightweight, but still have enough space in their chassis to fit in powerful components as well as a display that’s large enough so you won’t have to squint to see finer details.

When it comes to gaming, these devices also offer enough display real estate to properly appreciate stunning visuals on higher settings. They might even come packing a good discrete GPU, to boot.

If you’re in the market for the best 15-inch laptop 2019 has to offer, we picked out 10 of the ones across a number of categories – from hybrids to business machines, covering all platforms including Windows 10, macOS, Chromebooks and even Linux. There’s something on this list for every single person on a hunt for the most ideal mid-sized notebook for their needs.

The best 15-inch laptops 2019 at a glance:

  1. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
  2. Acer Swift 3
  3. HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
  4. Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
  5. Asus VivoBook S15 (S532F)
  6. Dell G5 15
  7. Razer Blade 2019
  8. Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
  9. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch)
  10. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

The best 15-inch laptops of 2019

Microsoft Surface Book 2

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 delivers incredibly long battery life and boasts a gorgeous display.

Microsoft produced something pretty special with the Surface Book 2. It’s an extremely versatile machine being a 2-in-1, and it has a ton of power packed into its relatively slim convertible form factor. Thanks to its discrete GTX 1060 graphics, its Core i7 configuration can even tackle newer games at Full HD resolution and showing off decent details so you want to kick back and relax.

But, there are a few more reasons why this Microsoft laptop gets the top spot on our best 15-inch laptops list. For instance, it delivers incredibly long battery life, as we discovered in our testing, and boasts a gorgeous display that’s impressively light when detached as a tablet.

The only thing that may dissuade potential buyers with is that high price tag. Yes, this is one pricey 15-inch laptop. On the upside, there’s decent discounts popping up regularly – and Microsoft has also manufactured a significantly cheaper Core i5 version, though this configuration has no discrete GPU.

As usual, if you want the best, it will cost you – but check out our next entry for a great alternative that won’t damage your wallet to anything like this extent.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)

Best 15-inch laptop: Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 is an excellent alternative if affordability is a priority.

If you don’t want to shell out a lot of cash for the Surface Pro 2, then consider the Acer Swift 3. It’s an excellent alternative if affordability is a priority. This laptop is not a hybrid, but it is feature-rich and can turn its hand to pretty much everything as a result.

Bear in mind that there are a number of different configurations and models of the Acer Swift 3 on hand, including 14-inch and 15-inch models that we reviewed, and loved. What we are referring to in this list, however, are its 15.6-inch variants that rock 8th-gen Intel processors, and pack impressively powerful components given their price tags. Some configurations even offer both hard drives and SSDs, giving you space and speed, as well as Intel Optane options.

These laptops will see you through any everyday computing task without breaking a sweat, with a spot of light gaming on the side. You also get an impressive selection of ports, along with great input peripherals (including a large trackpad and backlit keyboard), a fingerprint scanner, and sterling battery life.

At first glance, Acer’s Swift 3 might look like a bland budget portable, but don’t judge a laptop by its cover. This is a great all-rounder with some tempting deals to be had online.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 3

Best 15-inch laptop: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)

The HP Spectre x360 15T (2019) delivers versatility in spades.

If you want a 15-inch convertible with versatility in spades must consider HP’s popular Spectre x360. It’s a gorgeous-looking laptop with an elegant design, albeit with a few oddities, including an awkwardly positioned trackpad. However, this laptop isn’t just pretty – it backs these good looks with enough power to cut through any computing task you might wish to tackle. Of course, it helps that the very latest incarnation of this hybrid has updated its hexa-core CPU to a 9th-gen Intel Core i7-9750H.

Creative types will also appreciate the bundled Tilt Pen that can be used for drawing and designing on its exquisite 4K IPS touchscreen display. This 2-in-1 also packs a discrete GTX 1650 graphics card, which means it can even tackle 1080p gaming to boot.

As we said, this 15.6-inch laptop delivers versatility in spades, but it also doesn’t come cheap. At least, it’s more affordable than Microsoft’s Surface Book 2.

Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)

Best 15-inch laptop: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

This year, Apple has boosted the power of the MacBook Pro 15-inch.

If you’re after a powerful notebook in a 15-inch form factor which is ideal for creative usage – such as video editing or Photoshop – then you’ll be well served by taking the macOS route rather than Windows, with the larger MacBook Pro.

This year Apple has boosted the power of the MacBook Pro 15-inch with new 9th-generation Intel processors, with options that run up to a mighty 8-core Intel Core i9. So you most certainly won’t be left wanting on the performance front, with our review benchmarks showing that this 2019 incarnation is a considerably more powerful MacBook than its predecessor.

This 15-inch laptop is ideal for heavyweight editing with a choice of AMD Radeon Pro graphics solutions and the possibility to spec up the notebook to 32GB of RAM. And don’t forget the high-quality Retina display along with that improved Touch Bar which can certainly prove a very useful tool with creative applications.

Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

Asus VivoBook S15 (S532F)

The Asus VivoBook S15 (S532F) boasts a 15-6-inch display without compromising its slimline design.

While Asus VivoBook S15 has been designed to become among the best ultra-portables on the market this 2019, it also aims to provide a large enough display for those who need it. That’s a hard undertaking, but one that this top-performing laptop has achieved with high marks. It boasts a 15-6-inch display and a solid performance without compromising its slimline design. You might not be able to do some heavy gaming on this, but you should get some photo editing done.

Read the full review: Asus VivoBook S15 (S532F)

Best 15-inch laptop: Dell G5 15

The Dell G5 15 could easily deal with 1080p gaming.

If your budget won’t stretch to something like the MSI laptop above, then this more affordable gaming laptop from Dell makes a great choice for a 15-inch model that won’t make such a hole in your bank balance.

We reviewed the Dell G5 15 5590 and found it could easily deal with 1080p gaming, while giving you a pretty incredible level of battery longevity (around 10 hours for movie playback, which is remarkable for a gaming portable).

Overall, it’s a really well-balanced machine with a reasonable price tag, and the latest versions of the Dell G5 15 have been refreshed to include 9th-gen Intel Core processors (up to six-core models).

Read the full review: Dell G5 15 5590

Razer Blade 2019

The Razer Blade 2019 one of the best gaming laptops on the market.

Rocking 8th-generation and 9th-generation Intel Core processors – not to mention, powerful graphics and a gorgeous display to boot, the Razer Blade isn’t just one of the best gaming laptops on the market. It’s also one of the best 15-inch laptops to consider, if you’re seeking to update your aging gaming laptop. That’s more than impressive for a laptop this thin that is also upgradeable. Expect to pay a lot for all that, but you’re paying for style and power that will last you a while.

Read the full review: Razer Blade 2019

Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED

The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED delivers incredible RTX gaming experience and touting a reasonable price to boot.

We didn’t think that gaming ultrabooks were ready for RTX graphics until the Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED proved us otherwise. This isn’t just a solid gaming laptop; this is a solid gaming laptop that delivers incredible RTX gaming experience and touting a reasonable price to boot. It’s not that it’s cheap, especially at higher configurations. However, for what you’re paying, you’re getting a lot of power for your gaming needs.

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch)

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch) will last you the whole work day on a single charge.

We hoped for great things in the next Surface Laptop model. However, when the 2019 installment of this 15-inch laptop came out, it fell a bit short on both power and versatility. However, if it’s spec above are satisfactory to you and you require a device that will last you the whole work day on a single charge, then the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch) might just be the best 15-inch laptop for you. During our review, this device lasted 10 hours and 18 minutes in our TechRadar battery test. As long as you can forgive the lack of ports.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch)

Best 15-inch laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme


The good news for those after a business laptop in the 15-inch form factor is that there’s an incredible machine available in the form of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme. The bad news, though, is that the price tag is as extreme as the superb performance levels you’ll get with this portable.

It’s difficult to know where to start in describing just how good this machine is. Maybe the 15.6-inch multi-touch display, which in the 4K HDR option is simply stunning and benefits from top-notch color accuracy? Or the speedy performance driven by a six-core CPU, GTX 1050 Ti graphics and superfast NVMe SSD? Or just the little things, like the well-featured connectivity, the refined keyboard, or the potential for upgrades with this laptop?

As we already mentioned, the price may cause the odd eyebrow to rise or jaw to slacken – possibly both – but some corporate users will doubtless want to own the ultimate business laptop for their mission-critical tasks. And the ThinkPad X1 Extreme definitely fulfils that ‘ultimate’ billing, and arguably not just in the 15-inch world.

Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

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Heroes assemble: Overwatch 2 makes its official debut at Blizzcon

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 01:13 PM PDT

After ESPN broke the news of its imminent arrival, Overwatch 2 has made its official debut at Blizzcon 2019. 

The game was unveiled by the series’ creative director Jeff Kaplan who brought an emotion-filled trailer starring the game’s heroes in our first look of the sequel.

As you’d expect, the game will feature new PVP modes with Push being the staple of competitive play, as well as new maps, cosmetic items and characters, including Sojourn, who was unveiled at the keynote.

While the new PVP modes are expected, new for the series is the addition of story and hero missions that allow for cooperative play - a first for the series. 

In these ‘highly-replayable’ missions, you and five friends will attempt to complete objectives together against the AI, which should serve as a welcome reprieve from the intense online PVP modes the series is known for.

For the love of 50 million PVP players

Despite a heavy emphasis on the new co-operative modes, Kaplan took time to dispel the myth that Overwatch 2 would lose out on the multiplayer modes that made 50 million people play the game in the first place. 

In fact, according to Kaplan, a huge focus for the Overwatch 2 team is making PVP as good as it possibly can be - which includes new maps, new modes and new characters further down the line. 

But what about all the gear you earned in the original? According to Kaplan, all the cosmetic items earned in the original Overwatch will be ported over to Overwatch 2 - a move that will help expedite the transition to the new game.

Unfortunately, neither Kaplan nor Blizzard announced a release date for the game but said that both the new Push mode and the first cooperative mission set in Rio de Janeiro will be playable this weekend at Blizzcon 2019.

  • Overwatch 2 wasn't the only game announced today - here's what we know about Diablo 4

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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands looks like the darkest expansion to date

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 12:25 PM PDT

There's a brand new World of Warcraft expansion coming next year - and it's darker than its predecessors. 

Officially announced at Blizzcon 2019, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands releases in 2020. The announcement was accompanied by a cinematic trailer which sees Sylvanas, the banshee queen, visiting Icecrown - the home of the Lich King. The fearless queen then has a showdown with the Lich King, which she ultimately wins, claiming his crown - before breaking it.

Check out the video below:

Shadowy secrets

The trailer didn't give a whole lot away but we expect Sylvanas is going to be Shadowlands' main villain. It also looks like this expansion will be darker than any we've seen before, both in aesthetic and content.

The Shadowlands is WoW's equivilent of the afterlife and it seems we'll be spending a fair amount of time there - which seems encountering some familiar faces from the series. Lovely.

In addition, there will be new dungeons and raids such as the Tower of the Damned. Apparently this expansion will be all about player choice and will focus on the Death Knight class.

We can't wait to get our hands on it next year.

  • Diablo 4 is official - everything you need to know

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Government and military hit by WhatsApp hack

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 11:45 AM PDT

More details are emerging about this year's WhatsApp hack, revealing that senior government officials in multiple US-allied countries were targeted.

According to those familiar with the company's on-going investigation, a “significant “ portion of the known victims of the hack are either high-profile government or military officials in at least 20 countries on five continents. 

This means that the WhatsApp hack could have much broader political and diplomatic consequences than previously thought.

WhatsApp recently filed a lawsuit against the Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group which it believes built and sold a hacking platform that exploited a flaw in its servers to enable others to hack into the smartphones of at least 1,400 users of the company's messaging app.

Cyber espionage

At this time, it is still unclear as to who used the NSO Group's software to hack the smartphones of government and military officials but the firm has said that it sells its spyware exclusively to government customers.

According to people familiar with the investigation, some victims are in the US, UAE, Bahrain, Mexico, Pakistan and India. A dozen journalists and human rights activists in India have also come forward to say they were targeted.

The NSO Group has denied any wrongdoing in the past and the company says that its tools are intended to be used to help governments catch terrorists and other high-profile criminals. However, during the last several years cybersecurity researchers have discovered that NSO products have been used against a wide range of targets including protesters in countries with authoritarian governments.

Now that WhatsApp has brought a lawsuit against the company, we may finally learn more about its operations. Although, the news that the hack was also used to target government and military officials could also lead to a more formal investigation.

  • Keep your devices protected from the latest cyber threats with the best antivirus software

Via Reuters

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Brand new Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3 will get prices slashed for Black Friday

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 11:34 AM PDT

Microsoft has announced its Black Friday plans, and they feature huge discounts on brand-new products. Like, the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 kind of new.

We know, it's kind of insane. We honestly didn't expect to see such huge price drops for brand-new 2019 devices. You would think that would be much more likely for last year's devices (though, those are included, too).

Here are all the deals, with buttons, so you can pop back here once they're live starting as early as the Friday before Thanksgiving, November 22. And, just to be upfront, they're all on the Microsoft Store.

The above deal starts on November 22. You can also get $300 off the Surface Pro 7 with Type Cover with 256GB of storage for a total of $999 starting November 24.

The above deal does not go live until November 28 on the Microsoft Store.

The above deal does not go live until November 22 on the Microsoft Store.

The above deal does not go live until November 28 on the Microsoft Store.

These deals are excellent, and you'd be well served by the latest Surface products available. However, if you're looking to save enough more money, it's still entirely possible that we'll see previous-generation models on sale for even cheaper. They won't be the most powerful, but for mega bargain hunters, they should do just fine.

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Google patches another major Chrome zero-day

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 11:07 AM PDT

Engineers at Google have released an urgent update for the company's Chrome browser which patches an actively exploited zero-day vulnerability.

In a blog post announcing the stable channel update of Chrome's 78.0.3904.87 release, the engineers revealed that they knew the zero-day was being exploited in the wild and thanked the security researchers who brought this matter to their attention, saying:

“Google is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2019-13720 exists in the wild. We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel.”

Chrome zero-day

The zero-day vulnerability was discovered being exploited in the wild by Anton Ivanov and Alexey Kulaev, two security researchers from Kaspersky.

The zero-day itself was described as a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's audio component. Use-after-free vulnerabilities are memory corruption bugs that result when an application tries to reference memory that had previously been assigned to it but was freed or deleted.

Generally these types of vulnerabilities cause a program to crash but they can also lead to other unintended consequences as was the case with another Chrome zero-day Google patched back in March. That vulnerability, CVE-2019-5786 was used alongside a Windows 7 zero-day which was also patched back in April. According to Kaspersky, both exploits were used together by an unnamed nation-state hacking group.

At this time, it is still unclear as to whether this latest Chrome zero-day was used to launch attacks against Chrome users or whether it is part of a more complex exploit chain that exploits several vulnerabilities as was the case back in March.

  • Also check out our complete list of the best antivirus software of 2019

Via ZDNet

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Three Mobile and its cheap SIM only deals lead the market ahead of Black Friday

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:55 AM PDT

Whether it be big data or the most affordable plans around, Three Mobile seems to keep popping up as the place to be for SIM only deals. And while it recently altered its unlimited plan, taking some of the value away, its cheap SIMs are still a beacon of affordability.

Two plans especially stick out to us - Three's 8GB of data for £9 a month and 12GB for £12 a month plans. A quick scan through our best SIM only deals guide will show both of these offers reign at each of their data points.

Even with a host of retailers throwing in their early Black Friday offers, competing for some lime light, Three is holding out on top right now. You can see both of these offers in their entirety below.  

  • Need a phone to combine with your SIMO? Check out our best SIM-free phones guide

And don't forget...if it is more data that you need, Three's got that nailed, too! At the moment you can get the network's unlimited data, calls and texts SIM for a mere £21 per month. Nobody else gets close.

Why go with Three?

If you haven't already been won over by these amazing offers from Three then you'll be excited to hear that the network doesn't shy away from offering up some extra incentives as well.

Whether that be free exclusive prizes or extra roaming. You can see all of best parts of a Three SIM only deal or Three mobile deals down below.

  • Wuntu - Exclusive offers and freebies with Three's rewards app
  • Go Roam - Roaming abilities in 71 worldwide countries at no extra cost
  • Travel Swagger - Get travel upgrades with Easyjet with bag drop and early boarding

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Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: could Apple eclipse its biggest rival?

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:47 AM PDT

Apple TV Plus was first announced at the tech giant's star-studded keynote event at the Steve Jobs theatre in San Cupertino, California. And while Apple is certainly new to the TV game – on the production side at least – it's opening with a strong (if small) lineup of star-studded shows.

With a parade of Hollywood actors and directors, including Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston (and even Sesame Street's Big Bird) taking to the stage to promote their exclusive Apple TV Plus shows, Apple seems to be taking aim at Netflix's popular Originals programming.

So, how does the new streaming service differ from Netflix? And could it truly pose a threat to the most popular streaming platform in the world? Read on for our take on Apple’s first foray into the world of TV and movie streaming.

UPDATE: Apple TV Plus has finally landed. You can head to our Apple TV Plus guide for all the information you need, or check out what the critics are saying about the tech giant's original programming so far.

Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: overview 

Aside from being the most popular streaming service in the world, Netflix has become something of a cultural icon, even inspiring its own lexicon – we all know what it means to ‘Netflix and chill’ (if you don’t, ask an appropriate adult), and most people have been on an uncontrollable ‘Netflix binge’.

With a wide-reaching mix of original and licensed shows and movies, Netflix’s huge variety of content, as well as its ease of use, has given birth to the cult of binge-watching.

Apple, on the other hand, will have some way to go if it’s to unseat Netflix from its throne with Apple TV Plus, its new ad-free subscription service.

However, with a host of exclusive programs with some very famous faces attached, Apple could potentially rival Netflix's Originals – if it can match Netflix's prodigious output that is. 

From the sounds of things, Apple will be releasing "new additions every month", but it hasn't confirmed how much new content will be coming. Given the small launch lineup, we expect we may only see handful arrive each month.

apple tv plus

Image credit: TechRadar

Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: pricing

It was initially rumored that Apple’s new streaming service would slightly undercut Netflix's monthly subscription cost.

Tim Cook has finally revealed the release date and price of Apple TV Plus at the iPhone 11 launch. It will be available from November 1 2019, and will cost $4.99 per month / £4.99 ( AU$7), vastly undercutting Netflix – and a subscription can be shared by up to six family members.

Cook also confirmed that a one-year subscription to the service will come free with new iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs.

Having recently upped its prices, the cheapest Netflix plan is currently $9 / £5.99 / AU$9.99, while its HD Standard plan (the most popular) costs $13 / £7.99 / AU$13.99. For fans of Ultra HD streaming, the 4K Premium plan is available for $16 / £9.99 / AU$17.99.

netflix

Image credit: Pexels

Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: availability

Apple TV Plus is merged somewhat with the new and improved Apple TV app, which in turn is coming to a wide range of smart TVs in May, as well as to set-top boxes and streaming sticks from rival companies like Roku and Amazon.

We learned back in January that the Apple TV app was coming to a number of smart TVs – in ranges by Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio – in addition to Apple's own set-top box and streaming player, the Apple TV.

This means Apple TV Plus won't be restricted to Apple TV devices – and moving the app onto rival devices is a risky move by Apple, as it could reduce the number of consumers buying into Apple TV hardware. We're wondering if Apple is looking to phase out this hardware in order to focus on the improved Apple TV app.

You'll unsurprisingly be able to access it on iOS and Mac products, too – though not their Android or Windows equivalents (for now).

Given those restrictions so far, it's difficult to see how it could prove a true rival to Netflix, which is available on a wider range of devices and operating systems.

Netflix is available to use on a huge range of devices, which will also synchronize with each other – this means you can start watching a show on your desktop browser, pause it, and pick up in the exact same place when logging back in on your big-screen TV. 

Depending on which subscription package you opt for, you can watch Netflix on up to four screens at one time. 

As well as your computer, gaming console, and built-in TV applications there are Android and iOS apps, as well as a whole suite of set-top streaming boxes that will give you access to Netflix's video library.

apple tv plus

The new Apple TV interface (Image credit: Apple)

Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: features and user interface

One of the best things about Netflix is how it tailors its content to you, with its recommendation algorithm learning your preferences as you watch. As a result, it’s then able to adjust how content is positioned on your home screen, recommending shows and movies you may like based on your watching habits.

While we don't know how the Apple TV Plus section of the Apple TV app will work exactly, we do know that the updated version of the app uses "machine learning" to display shows you may want to watch near the top of your home screen... much like Netflix does. 

Another reason for Netflix’s popularity is its intuitive user interface, which makes it easy to navigate shows and films you’ve saved to your ‘list’, as well as making it easy to search by genre, director, actor and more. 


Again, while we don't know what the Apple TV Plus part of the app will look like exactly, the rest of the redesigned Apple TV app looks rather attractive. At the top of the screen there are categories like 'Movies' and 'Sports', where you can choose where you get your content, from a variety of 'Apple Channels'.

You may want to watch drama shows via Hulu and get sports from your cable provider – these are part of Apple's 'Channels', which exist separately from Apple TV Plus (i.e. you'll need to buy a subscription to each provider or platform should you want to watch its content).

netflix

Image credit: Netflix

On the technological side of things, Netflix's dynamically-scaling streams mean you don't need to choose the quality level you want to watch at. If your bandwidth is low it will deliver just the standard definition versions, but if you've got the hardware and the capacity it will go all the way up to 4K Ultra HD resolutions if available.

Apple hasn't made any mention of 4K support for Apple TV Plus so far, but we'd be very surprised if its original content wasn't available in Ultra HD – after all, Apple has made a big deal about working with the "world’s most celebrated creative artists", and it would be a huge anticlimax if these artists' work could only be watched in 'normal' HD.

Beyond higher resolutions, Netflix also allows you to download selected shows and movies for offline viewing. Downloads stay in your library for 30 days at a time, and will automatically expire at that time – even if it's on a device that isn't connected to the internet. 

Apple says content on the Apple TV app will be "available on and offline", and we assume that includes Apple TV Plus content as well.

apple tv plus

Steve Carrell, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Anniston present their new show at the Apple event (Image credit: TechRadar)

Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: content

Netflix has a huge range of exclusives, originals and classics to get stuck into, and is fast becoming a respected distributor of original movies and TV series, with Netflix Original Roma taking the award for Best Cinematography, Best Director, and Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars earlier this year. 

Its best-known original series include Orange Is The New Black, Bojack Horseman, Stranger Things, Daredevil, Maniac, and House of Cards. 

It's these shows that Apple wants to rival with its own original programming through Apple TV Plus, with a parade of Hollywood stars out in force at the launch event to introduce their new Apple TV Plus exclusive shows. 

Steven Spielberg announced that he's resurrecting his 'Amazing Stories' anthology series that first hit our screens in the mid-eighties, while Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell debuted The Morning Show, a series that examines the ”complex relationships between men and women in the workplace” in the framework of a morning news show.

Apple has finally released a full trailer for The Morning Show – and the drama looks to be a lot darker than we imagined.

Other series announcements include Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodward's dystopian thriller 'See', where the world is blind after a virus wipes out sight and most of the human race, as well as Kumail Nanjiani's 'Little America', which will depict short stories from immigrants.  

There's something for kids as well, with a new Sesame Street spin-off show called Helpsters that's all about coding.

While these shows may sound great, it doesn't look like Apple will be able to match the sheer volume of content on offer from Netflix at launch – and there's a big, gaping film-shaped hole in the new streaming service. However, if Apple does release new content every month as it says it will, and gets some original or syndicated movies onto the platform, it could soon catch up.

Big Bird and Cody at the Apple Keynote (Image credit: TechRadar)

Of course, it’s not only about original content; a huge part of Netflix’s success rides on the enormous variety of syndicated content it puts out, ranging from gritty thrillers like Breaking Bad to adult cartoons like Rick and Morty – not to mention its extensive range of kids shows and movies. 

Apple TV Plus, on the other hand, won't offer any licensed content at all. For now, you'll still have to buy those shows a la carte through iTunes or via your terrestrial cable app in Apple TV Channels. 

Takeaway

At this early stage there's no way of knowing whether Apple TV Plus will pose a real threat to Netflix – but judging from the lack of syndicated content and (for now) the sparse programming roster, it probably won't be catching up any time soon. 

However, Apple TV Plus could prove a problem for Netflix in terms of quality; Apple has a strong lineup of famous creatives behind its original programming, and a real focus on high-quality content.

Of course Netflix also puts an emphasis on quality, as its Oscar success with Roma shows, but we all know there are also some truly terrible films and shows on the platform, and we doubt Apple will want to follow suit in that respect. 

While we do know that the Apple TV app is coming to a wide range of smart TVs, as well as set-top boxes and streaming sticks from rival companies like Roku and Amazon, we still don't know whether it will available to watch on Android TV, PC desktops and laptops, gaming consoles, and non-Apple tablets.

The cost is a huge point of differentiation between Apple TV Plus and Netflix, with Apple undercutting Netflix by nearly $4. 

Either way, we'll have to wait until later this year to find out whether Apple TV Plus threatens Netflix's place as the world's favorite streaming platform.

And with Disney launching its own Disney Plus streaming service this year too, the question of streaming supremacy will likely only get harder to answer.

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Apple TV Plus shows: a complete guide to Apple TV Plus series and specials

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:28 AM PDT

Looking for some Apple TV Plus exclusive shows and the Apple TV Plus launch lineup? So is Apple. The Apple TV streaming service is finally here, and it has a small, but high-impact catalogue of shows it hopes will be able to grab viewers' interest around its launch – and draw people away from established services like Netflix or Hulu.

With a surprisingly low price of $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 per month – compared to Apple's other services, that is – Apple TV Plus is certainly worth your curiosity, even if it will be hard to compete effectively against services with broader programming.

We've rounded up some reviews of the star-studded shows already on Apple TV Plus, though if you just want a run down of what's available, and a taste of what's to come, we have everything you need in the guide below.

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

Apple TV Plus launch lineup

For All Mankind

For All Mankind is a new alternative history series from Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore, reimagining the space race of the 1960s and 1970s, from a position that sees the Soviet Union putting man on the moon first. 

The Morning Show

The Morning Show a ‘behind the curtain’ show looking at TV production as a workplace, with Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line), Jennifer Aniston (Friends) and Steve Carell (The Office). Seen through the eyes of two ambitious female leads, with Steve Carell in a supporting role, it'll reveal the tensions of a high-stakes morning TV show. It’s the first time Jennifer Aniston has been part of a TV show for quite some time and we couldn't be more excited to have her back.

The Elephant Queen

Apple hasn't said much about this nature doc, but did provide a short synopsis after its September 10 iPhone 11 event: The Elephant Queen, an acclaimed documentary film and cinematic love letter to a species on the verge of extinction, follows a majestic matriarch elephant and her herd on an epic journey of life, loss and homecoming. Planet Earth, eat your heart out.

See

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

Dickinson

Announced several months after the launch event, Dickinson will be a comedy biopic offering a slanted look at the life of American poet Emily Dickinson, asking what kind of story could be told if we saw her as a hell-raiser rather than an isolated bedroom writer. Starring Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, Into the Spider-Verse) as Dickinson herself.

Oprah Winfrey

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

Ghostwriter

This one's for the kids. According to Apple, Ghostwriter is "a reinvention of the beloved original series, follows four kids who are brought together by a mysterious ghost in a neighborhood bookstore, and must team up to release fictional characters from works of literature." 

Snoopy in Space

If you want your kids to grow up with the same gang of characters you did, you're in luck: Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts crew are coming to Apple TV Plus this year. According to Apple this edutainment series will takes viewers on a journey with Snoopy as he follows his dreams to become an astronaut. Together, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew take command of the International Space Station and explore the moon and beyond.

Helpsters

Last but certainly not least is Helpsters, a new children’s series from the makers of “Sesame Street” that stars Cody and a team of vibrant monsters who love to help solve problems. 

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Apple TV Plus shows coming later...

A Christmas Carol

Need some festive entertainment? This Christmas we should be getting a musical take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, featuring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. There's little information so far, but cue silly songs, ghosts, and more in this retelling from two talented comedic actors.

Little America

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

Servant

Servant is as mysterious as its director, M. Night Shyamalan. According to Apple this one's a new psychological thriller that "follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home." Yikes.

Recently, we found out that M.Night Shyamalan's Servant TV series will come to Apple TV Plus on November 28. According to Engadget,that mysterious force manifests as an "unnervingly life-like doll [that they bring] into their home after losing their baby". 

Little Voice

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

Amazing Stories

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

Truth Be Told

Apple wants to get in on the crime podcast wave, but plans on doing it in a decidedly different way. According to the company, Truth Be Told is "a gripping new series starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul, explores America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race."

The Banker

The Banker is Apple TV Plus' first feature film that stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as two African American entrepreneurs who "try to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and quietly provide housing loans to the African American community in Jim Crow Texas." Apparently Nia Long (Big Mama's House) and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) also star.

Hala

Another feature film from Apple, Hala follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing. Hopefully we'll hear more about this in the coming months.

Will these be enough to dethrone Netflix?

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

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

  • Apple TV Plus: everything you need to know about the Apple streaming service
  • Disney Plus: the other rival streaming service launching this year

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Is Cyber Monday the best time to buy a PS4?

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:23 AM PDT

Despite being six years old, Sony continues to sell millions of PS4s every year, with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period ensuring that sales remain healthy, even if they are beginning to slow down. 

It’s little wonder that the flagship console has remained so popular; with a fantastic gaming lineup and a mid-gen 4K update in the form of the PS4 Pro, there are lots of reasons to invest in the Playstation 4.  

Now, you may be wondering whether it’s even worth buying a PS4 with the hotly anticipated PS5 release date looming on the horizon – indeed, if you’ve held out this long without buying one, it could make sense to wait until the PlayStation 5 hits shelves. 

Even so, many of us will be spending Black Friday scouring the web for the best PS4 deals, hoping to make a saving – after all, it’s still a fantastic console, even all these years later.

So, if you’re absolutely sure that you want to buy a PS4, or upgrade your existing model to a PS4 Pro, Black Friday and Cyber Monday is probably the best time to do so, with past years seeing in some of the best PS4 deals of all time – but which day is best to hit that ‘buy’ button?

Argos Black Friday PS4 deals

What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Traditionally, Black Friday is the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the US, when retailers commence their holiday shopping season; the date shifts every year, but in 2019 it will fall on November 29. 

It’s based around these retailers making huge discounts, so much so that bargain-crazed shoppers try to barge down the doors (and each other) to save money on everything from TVs to kitchen appliances. 

Despite being called Black Friday, retailers have started releasing their discounts earlier and earlier in November, so you can expect to see some of the first Black Friday deals appearing from now onwards. 

Cyber Monday, on the other hand, always falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, which means it falls on December 2 this year. While Black Friday takes place in physical and online shops, Cyber Monday is a purely online affair, often focussing on site-wide discounts as opposed to individual deals. 

As online shopping has become more prevalent, the line between Black Friday and Cyber Monday has become blurred, which means many Cyber Monday deals are simply a continuation of older Black Friday deals that failed to sell out.

Should I wait until Cyber Monday to buy a PS4?

If you have your heart set on a PS4 or a PS4 Pro, and you see a fantastic deal over Black Friday, our advice is not to wait until Cyber Monday – game bundles are particularly popular, and these deals typically sell out quickly.

That’s not to say that Cyber Monday is a total write off; in 2016, we saw the best PS4 deal of the year on Cyber Monday, which saw the PS4 Slim 500GB with copies of Uncharted 4, FIFA 17, Fallout 4, and Doom slashed to just £229.99 (that’s roughly $300 for our US audience). 

PS4 Pro bundles were also discounted last year, with Best Buy throwing in a copy of Red Dead Redemption for free when you bought the 4K-ready console.

Accessories and PlayStation Now codes were similarly reduced over the entire Black Friday and Cyber Monday period – and some of last year’s biggest titles like Red Dead Redemption are sure to be discounted heavily this year. 

Is it better to buy a PS4 in 2020?

With the PS5 snapping at its heels, the PS4 is likely to see its best discounts over Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 – after all, retailers will be looking to offload old stock to make way for the next-gen console. 

If you wait that long though, you may as well buy yourself a PS5; we know it’s going to be backwards-compatible, so you’ll be able to play PlayStation 4 titles, powered by a bespoke 8-core AMD chipset that’s based on third-generation Ryzen architecture. 

Whether you can wait until the tail-end of 2020 to play God of War in glorious 8K, and with 3D audio courtesy of the PS5 – well, that’s up to you. 

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The Morning Show trailer, cast, release date and where to stream

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:20 AM PDT

UPDATE: Apple TV Plus is finally going live, as of Friday 1 November. You can see what the critics are saying about The Morning Show – and the rest of Apple TV Plus' programming – in our reviews roundup here.

When Apple announced its plans for a new streaming service called Apple TV Plus, The Morning Show was one of the first titles we got to hear about. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon it promises to be one of the biggest draws of the new service and, now that we have the first teaser trailers to gawk at, the hype has never been higher.

So what, exactly, can we expect from the new drama? We know Apple has already ordered two seasons of the show and will draw – at least partially – from Brian Stelter's book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV. It’s Steve Carell’s first lead in a TV show since The Office, and Aniston’s first major TV role since Friends back in the early Aughts. 

We also know who’s in charge of the show – showrunner Kerry Ehrin. Ehrin is a longtime TV veteran, working on a number of series including Bates Motel, Friday Night Lights and The Wonder Years, the latter of which won her nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award in Outstanding Drama and Comedy Series, respectively.

Apple TV Plus doesn't have quite the launch library as, say, Disney Plus will, but  could the quality of its first flagship series keep the service afloat? We'll have to wait and see what viewers like you make of it.

Here’s what we know so far – though if you want to hear about other upcoming show, check out our guides to Stranger Things season four, The Game of Thrones prequel and Netflix’s The Witcher. 

Cut to the chase 

  • What is it? Apple’s first big drama series
  • Where can I watch it? Apple TV Plus  
  • When will it be released? November 1

The Morning Show trailers 

Apple has finally released a full trailer for the The Morning Show – and the drama looks to be a lot darker than we imagined.

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show examines the complicated power dynamics between men and women in a bustling morning news show, with Carell and Aniston playing co-anchors. 

The trailer opens to Aniston breaking the news that her co-anchor has been fired amid a scandal; the details of the scandal aren't revealed in the trailer, but Carell is seen screaming at his TV that Aniston has "thrown me under the bus".

You can watch the full trailer below:

Before the release of the full trailer, Apple gave us a glimpse of The Morning Show through a short teaser in mid-August.

The teaser (embedded below) focuses on the conversations and tone we can expect from the series. We can overhear the characters talking about the fame and prestige that comes along with the show and how that stands in respect with their duty as journalists, and plays at ideas of truth in the news. 

It didn't really showcase the show’s talent all that much, but it did set expectations that have been heightened even further since the full trailer was released. 

The Morning Show release date 

The Morning Show originally had a Fall 2019 release window, though we now know it will be hitting the service on launch day: November 1. Get out there and watch it already.

What is The Morning Show about? 

Although it sounds like The Morning Show is Apple’s rival to Good Morning America, The Morning Show is a lot closer to The Newsroom than any of the morning news shows. That is to say it will be dramatic and dark with tons of character conflict. Expecting fluff segments with animal trainers? You won’t find that here. 

So far we know that Aniston and Witherspoon both play leads in the show, with Carell playing a co-anchor named Mitch Kessler. Also listed on the IMDB page for the show is Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Watchmen, Almost Famous) and Nestor Carbonell (Bates Motel, LOST) among a number of other actors and actresses.

The best description we have of the series comes from series star Reese Witherspoon, who told the audience at Apple TV Plus’ April debut that the show “pulls back the curtain on the power dynamic between men and women in the high-stakes world of a morning news show.” 

Apple's description of the show says: "What happens when the people you trust to tell the truth prove themselves to be dishonest? The Morning Show follows the free fall of an early morning newscast in the wake of a scandal, and its struggle to survive in an era when news arrives in the palm of your hand."

The new trailer opens to Aniston breaking the news that her co-anchor has been fired amid a scandal; the details of the scandal aren't revealed in the trailer, but Carell is seen screaming at his TV that Aniston has "thrown me under the bus".

The trailer also introduces Reese Witherspoon's character, an ambitious field reporter who appears to threaten the position of Aniston's veteran news anchor.

Where can you watch it?

For now, the only place you'll be able to stream the show is Apple TV Plus. Apple says it's a launch exclusive for the streaming service, but didn't say whether the show would remain there indefinitely or if it would eventually come to other networks. 

That's something we'll learn more about post-launch, though we imagine Apple will try to maximize the pull of the show's cast by keeping it exclusive for as long as possible – especially given the quite broad global release of the platform.

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Rugby World Cup 2019 live stream: how to watch the final free online and from anywhere

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:07 AM PDT

As England and South Africa prepare their bodies and minds for their huge 2019 Rugby World Cup final match-up in Yokohama this Saturday, we're preparing the drinks and snacks for our watching parties. To see how you can watch all the England vs South Africa action - no matter where you are - follow our Rugby World Cup live stream guide below.

Let's face it, we've already witnessed more than our fair share of memorable moments at this year's Rug by World Cup. The brilliant hosts Japan shocking Ireland and Scotland, Wales overpowering Australia and that intense match up between New Zealand and South Africa right at the start being just some of the awesome highlights.

So we now know it's England vs South Africa to fight out the ultimate battle for the Web Ellis Cup. But trying to predict who will win is no easy task.

If you want to know where you'll be able to watch the final match, we'll tell you exactly where you can catch it online with a Rugby World Cup live stream and the broadcasters that are showing it absolutely FREE. No matter where on Earth you are, we'll make sure you know where to catch the coverage.

How to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup from outside your country

You don't have to miss a single minute of the 2019 Rugby World Cup - even if you're abroad and discover that your home broadcaster's online coverage is geo-blocked (we hate it when that happens).

If that happens to you and you're desperate to watch your domestic coverage - whether that be in the UK or Australia (where it's free), New Zealand or the US (where it isn't) or anywhere else in the world - there's still a way to get it that doesn't involve putting your security at risk with some dodgy, illegal stream from Reddit. You can simply use a VPN to login back to your country that is broadcasting the actions, and it's really easy to do:

How to stream Rugby World Cup 2019 live in the UK for FREE

Live stream the Rugby World Cup in Australia for FREE

How to watch the Rugby World Cup 2019 in New Zealand FREE

Live stream the Rugby World Cup 2019 in South Africa

How to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup: US live stream 

  • 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.
  • 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.

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Live stream Rugby World Cup 2019 matches in Canada

What is the format of the 2019 Rugby World Cup?

The Rugby World Cup is a twenty-team tournament. Each country begins in one of four pools that each contain five teams. Each team plays one match against each of the other teams in the same pool.

The teams finishing in the top two of each pool advance to the quarter-finals from where the tournament goes into a familiar knockout format.

Who are the favourites for the Rugby World Cup?

While Ireland go into the tournament as the world’s no.1 ranked team, three-time World Cup winners New Zealand are the clear favourites with Betfair.com to once again lift the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan.

What team won the 2015 Rugby World Cup?

The All Blacks won their second World Cup on the spin back in 2015 in emphatic style with a 34-17 victory over Australia at Twickenham.

What teams are competing in this year's Rugby World Cup?

Argentina
Mario Ledesma's side have a decent record to uphold, having advanced to the Rugby World Cup knockout stage four times and finished fourth in 2015. They come into the tournament however on a a losing streak of four defeats on the trot, but those did come at the hands of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

Australia
The second-most successful nation in World Cup history alongside South Africa. All the morale of their emphatic 47-26 win against New Zealand in Perth last month has dissipated somewhat after they were crushed 36-0 by the All Blacks in the return fixture in Auckland the following week. 

Canada
An ever-present nation at the World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987, they've only ever progressed beyond the opening round on one occasion. Currently ranked 22 in the world, the Canucks will be targeting a win as minimum against minnows Namibia in Pool B and build from there. 

England
While they may be one of the favourites, England coach Eddie Jones will be anxious to see his side start their campaign on the front foot and quickly eradicate the ghosts of the last World Cup which saw them make an embarrassing pool stage exit while tournament hosts. They come into this year's World Cup on a high following a 57-15 victory over Ireland at Twickenham in the run-up, but question marks persist over the squad's apparent lack of experience. 

Fiji
Traditionally one of the more entertaining teams at the World Cup, despite their much heralded flair, the Flying Fijians have failed to make it out of the pool stage in the preceding last two tournaments. Drawn alongside Australia and Wales this time out, the odds of it being third time lucky for coach John McKee's side this time out aren't high.

France
Three-time runners-up France head to Japan ranked 8th in the world. The emergence of young stars like Antoine Dupont and Demba Bambawill will provide plenty of optimism, but Pool C is arguably the toughest group of the tournament and  Les Bleus will do well to make it through to the next phase.

Georgia
Having reached the last four successive World Cups, the Lelos have steadily improved over the years and will fancy their chances of making their chances of making their way out of the pool phase for the first time. The return of all-time leading try-scorer Mamuka Gorgodze to the fold will come as a welcome boost to morale. 

Ireland
The Irish started the year as strong favourites to win their first World Cup following their Grand Slam winning 2018 Six Nations campaign and an impressive win over the All Blacks. Hopes for Japan, however, have since been tempered, with their humbling against England at Twickenham last month setting alarm bells ringing. Two warm-up wins since against fancied Wales will have regalvanised Joe Schmidt's side, and the starting line-up should be further boosted by the return from injury of Johnny Sexton.

Italy
The Azzurri are putting their faith in youth, with 23 members of their squad having never appeared before at rugby's main event. One of the few old-head's is skipper Sergio Parisse, who will be appearing in a record-equaling fifth World Cup.

Japan
The hosts came agonisingly close to making it past the group stage for the first time back in 2015, missing out despite winning five times. Progressing to the last-eight will be a prerequisite this time out for the team playing on home turf. 

Namibia
The rank outsiders have consistently qualified for the World Cup since 1999, but have never have never won a single match once at the tournament, racking up an unwanted 0-19 win-loss record in the process. Their recent 20-0 loss to Russia indicates that getting off the mark in Japan looks unlikely.

New Zealand
Despite having lost their seemingly perpetual place as the world's no.1 team recently (a spot they had held for a decade), New Zealand haven't lost their standing as the most fancied team to win the 2019 World Cup. A mixed showing during the recent Rugby Championship won't have a put off pundits from backing Steve Hansen's men to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time in a row.

Russia
While they may have made it to the Japan thanks to the disqualification of Spain and Belgium for fielding ineligible players, Russia won't be going in to the tournament to make up the numbers. They face the hosts in the 2019 World Cup's opening match and came close to beating Japan back in November last year.

Samoa
Consistent qualifiers for the World Cup, Somoa will be looking to go beyond the quarter-finals for the first time. To pull off that feat they'll need to improve on their recent form which has seen them lose to both the USA and Tonga during last month's Pacific Nations Cup.

Scotland
With the likes of flyhalf Finn Russell and fullback Stuart HoggIn in their roster, the Scots aren't lacking top drawer talent. What they do a have a deficit in is consistency - as exemplified by their two contradictory performances against France last month.

South Africa
Versatility could be the key attribute for two-time champions South Africa this time out. Packed with explosive pace from the likes of Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi, the Springboks also have a kicking game that is the envy of most rivals. In Rassie Erasmus they also have the best named coach in the tournament. 

Tonga
With a squad littered with talented players plying their trade in New Zealand, Australia, England and France, coach Toutai Kefu will be out to finally get his side into the knockout stages for the first time. Having notched up creditable eight wins in their last 21 Test matches, its a goal that looks eminently achievable.

Uruguay
A kind draw with winnable opening matches against Fiji and Georgia gives the South American side a fighting chance of making through to the last eight for the first time. 

USA 
Ranked 13th in the world, there were mixed fortunes for the USA in the recent Pacific Nations Cup which saw them stutter to a win against Samoa, thrash Canada, but get thumped against Japan. They've never won more than one game at a World Cup, but will likely rectify that during this year's competition.

Wales
The loss to injury of Gareth Anscombe and Taulupe Faletau would be huge blow for most teams, but luckily for coach Warren Gatland, Wales has plenty of strength in depth among the ranks. More concerning will be a dip in form in the run up to Japan which has seen them lose to England and Ireland, a contrast to the 14-game winning streak Wales enjoyed at the start of the year.

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MacBook Pro 16-inch release date, news and rumors

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 10:02 AM PDT

The MacBook Pro 16-inch, Apple’s rumored upcoming addition to its MacBook Pro line in 2019, looks like it could be well on its way. There have already been two minor MacBook Pro 2019 updates with the MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) and MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019), which both offered slightly updated hardware and features. However, these two refreshed models lacked innovation – particularly when it came to their designs, which were the same as the previous year's models.

The good news is, there's been rumors going around that yet another MacBook Pro 2019 refresh is on its way, this time with much more radical changes to the design, with suggestions that we might see a MacBook Pro 16-inch.

The thought that Apple would release a MacBook Pro with its biggest ever screen is certainly thrilling, and other rumors have hinted at Apple finally replacing the keyboard in the MacBook Pro 16-inch, which is good news for anyone who's been put off by reports of how some existing MacBook Pros have suffered from faulty keyboards.

Initially, we were assuming the MacBook Pro 16-inch would be at the iPhone 11 event that was held on September 10. However, that event came and went with no mention of Macs or even macOS. And, the latest rumor seem to suggest that the MacBook Pro 16-inch might be delayed until 2020 due to keyboard issues. So, we have to keep waiting to see if the MacBook Pro 16-inch actually does exist.

In all fairness, the other MacBook Pro 2019 upgrades did benefit from a substantial internal revamp, now rocking 9th-generation Intel processors (CPUs) and some of the fastest SSDs we’ve ever seen. In addition, Apple has fixed the issues with the Butterfly keyboard – or some of them at least. Even better, now there are 15-inch MacBook Pro configurations that boast the latest 8-core Intel Core i9.

What do these newest improvements mean for the oft-rumored MacBook Pro 16-inch? Recent reports have reinforced the prospect of a true redesign gracing us with its presence this year, possibly alongside the new Mac Pro 2019. However, Apple might opt to unveil a completely new model in 2020 or 2021.

Nonetheless, the MacBook Pro 16-inch could still happen, particularly since famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has produced a few leaks that suggest Apple is going to release a MacBook Pro 16-inch with an “all-new” design. With it, we’re hopeful that Apple will give that still-flawed keyboard a redesign, and recent reports are looking good in that regard.

If a MacBook Pro 16-inch is indeed in the works, here are the things we’re hoping to see.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The first-ever MacBook Pro 16-inch
  • When is it out? Hopefully late 2019, but possibly 2020
  • How much will it cost? Reports say around $3,000 (about £2,450, AU$4,350)

16-inch MacBook Pro 2019

The 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 only has an indistinct "2019" rumored release date at this time. (Image Credit: Apple)

MacBook Pro 2019 release date

While a 16-inch follow-up and redesign to the MacBook Pro 2019 is still something many Apple fans are anticipating, there’s only an indistinct "2019" rumored release date at this time. That’s hardly surprising since the last major update came out in July 2018, and Apple just dropped its 9th-gen Intel Core CPU configurations and a 13-inch MacBook Pro July 2019 refresh.

Yet, it would be curious to see macOS Catalina in an overhauled or MacBook Pro 16-inch. We may have to wait a few more months for a clearer date, or even verification that it will happen, but rumors and reports are piling up.

If we’re using Apple’s previous release dates as a guide – with the MacBook Pro 2017 launching in June 2017 and the MacBook Pro 2018 model debuting under the radar in July 2018 – a summer release for the MacBook Pro 16-inch makes sense. However, summer came and went without any signs of the laptop.

We must keep in mind that the 10nm Ice Lake chips are now available and Apple's macOS Catalina is just had a fall release. With these two factors in mind, we could see Apple releasing the MacBook Pro somewhere around the same time to take advantage of the new tech and operating system update immediately. 

The possibility of a redesigned MacBook Pro 16-inch is high, as we've kept a close eye on Apple's forgone iPhone event in September – and now, we could be looking at an October or even November launch of this MacBook Pro 16-inch. Though with recent rumors suggesting keyboard issues, we might not be able to see the MacBook Pro 16-inch until 2020.

MacBook Pro 2019 16-inch

Reported refinements to the MacBook Pro 2019 16-inch include a keyboard with a new scissor switch design. (Image Credit: TechRadar)

MacBook Pro 2019 price

Just the fact that Apple has refreshed its non-Touch Bar MacBook Pros this July 2019 with a superior processor, a better keyboard, and the Touch Bar and Touch ID features says a lot about the direction in which they’re heading.

The worst part of the 2019 models is the fact that you have to spend thousands of dollars to get the highest amount of RAM (the 32GB RAM option is only available in the 15-inch models) and the largest SSD combo. Or else, you’re stuck with smallest amount of RAM and a Touch Bar that isn’t even universally compatible.

You can also forget about upgrading your 13-inch. Most of its parts are soldered, so you’ll be required to bring in a professional and break your warranty. You also may have to purchase a third-party docking station since the only ports equipped on the device are the USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack.

Of course, it’s hard to predict these things, but you’ll most likely see basically the same price tags. Currently, the base model of a 13-inch MacBook Pro gets you an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, 128GB SSD storage and the integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645. The good news is that this entry level 13-inch model keeps the same price tag at $1,299 (£1,299, AU$1,999), even with its recent upgrades.

As far as the 15-inch’s 9th gen Intel Core i9 configurations go, which presently start at $2,399 (£2,399, A$3,499), we’d hope to keep its price while still getting a design refresh.

A Chinese technology site recently reported the MacBook Pro 16-inch to start around $3,000 (about £2,450, AU$4,350). Later, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo reported refinements to the keyboard with a new scissor switch design. It might seem outlandish to you, but "$2,999" sounds like a decent price for Apple to use.

MacBook Pro 2019

We'd love to see more variety in ports. (Image Credit: Apple)

What we want to see from MacBook Pro 2019

Apple hasn’t been receiving a lot of love lately, what with the great keyboard debacle of 2016 through 2019, the problematic Touch Bar and the soldered RAM, to name a few. Still, we’re holding out hope that Apple takes a new lease on life in 2019, and actually offer its loyal fans some of the things they need and not upsell them on things they don’t need. So far, it does look promising.

More port variety, please
If Apple’s going to insist on only providing Thunderbolt 3, we hope they’d at least include a docking station or an adapter for USB, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI without an additional charge. You know, instead of making us shell out more money for a third-party one.

If we're being honest, limiting us to Thunderbolt 3 is inconvenient. MacBook Pro is for professionals who are wanting a seamless workflow. While Thunderbolt 3 is efficient, powerful and versatile, offering a port for charging as well as super-fast output and data transfers, many of us are still using devices and accessories that don’t support it. If we’re expected to connect this cable to that adapter to plug into that other port, we’re not going to be happy about it.

Plus, is it possible to reinstate MagSafe charging? Some of us tend to trip over those cables, and it was nice to know that we wouldn’t damage those older models by doing so.

Seeing as how Apple launched the latest MacBook Air with just two Thunderbolt 3 ports and no MagSafe charger, chances are low that Apple is going to diversify the ports on the MacBook Pro 16-inch. So, what we’re really gunning for now is a docking station or an adapter out of the box.

Improved Touch Bar
When it comes to the new Touch Bar, it seems that Apple is standing its ground. In fact, every single current MacBook Pro model and configuration now comes with it. Despite grievances from many users and the fact that many others would be happier without it, Apple has completely phased out the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pros.

That’s all fine and dandy, and, we admit, the technology does look promising. However, if Apple is going to ask to pay a few hundred bucks more for a new feature, we’d like to maximize its use. So far, Touch Bar compatibility is limited to just a few programs and apps, and we demand to see more added to this list if it’s here to stay. Plus, it would be nice to get it properly working sans the freezes and fat finger issues.

MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019

We're hoping that Apple has plans to include these Intel's next-gen CPUs in the 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019. (Image Credit: TechRadar)

Offer an alternative
Again, the Touch Bar shows promise, but it isn’t exactly something that most users need. Not all of us are photographers or filmmakers or artists. Some just use their MacBook Pros for productivity because of its streamlined interface and user-friendliness, and those folks – the mainstream consumers that Apple is now starting to include in their target market – don’t have a need for a Touch Bar at all. In fact, it may only get in the way and cost them extra for something they’ll hardly use.

We’d like to see an option for such users. It would be great to see Apple to resuscitate the Touch Bar-free models, and price them more affordably than their Touch Bar counterparts.

Better keyboard, display and sound
Sure, Apple has refined the keyboard so that it’s quieter. But, it is still stiffer than what we’re used to, has less travel than most keyboards and is still annoyingly loud. As far as ergonomics, the new keyboard isn’t the best. It’s not that we hate it, but it’s certainly harder to love. Of course, we could always get used to its quirks, but we’d rather see a better one, particularly since we’re already paying a lot. Better yet, Apple could bring back the old design most of us are partial to, which now seems likely.

Rounding the design out, MacBook Pro designers should take cues from the iPhone X and phase out the bezeled design. That’s a lot of valuable real estate wasted, and rolling out a bezel-free screen will give users a bigger display without having to sacrifice size — not to mention, giving the MacBook Pro 16-inch a fresher, more modern look. Also, a laptop designed to edit 4K media should have a 4K screen option, though we're hearing that 3K is going to be this laptop's game.

Lastly, we’d like to see Apple reconsider those speakers. We get that Apple is going for a thinner design, but the speakers in the older MacBook Pros are considerably better. With all that technology they come up with, it wouldn’t be that hard to get a premium set of speakers that are louder and have better bass.

New Intel processor
The MacBook Pro 2018 just got updated with Kaby Lake Refresh and Coffee Lake on the 13-inch, and with the 9th-generation chips on the 15-inch. Unfortunately, Intel has already pushed out Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake processors – putting some of the MacBook Pro configurations behind the curve, if only just slightly. Whiskey Lake, after all, only provides a minimal boost to performance that most users won’t notice.

At CES 2019, however, Intel announced Ice Lake, its first round of 10nm Sunny Cove processors for laptops. These chips are now available, and we’re hoping that Apple already has plans to include these next-gen CPUs in the MacBook Pro 16-inch. 

If that happens, we’d like to see Apple offering both 9th-gen and 10th-gen configurations, as well as awarding one of its 13-inch model a 9th-gen Coffee Lake Refresh configuration.

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Apple TV Plus reviews round-up: star-studded shows rated by critics

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 09:58 AM PDT

Apple TV Plus, the new online streaming service from Apple, is officially here. 

Rather than building a big catalogue of movies and TV shows, like Netflix or Amazon Prime, Apple is banking on a number of star-studded original Apple TV Plus shows to draw in subscribers. 

Apple has pulled out all of the stops for its slate of original shows. There are top writers, directors, producers and A-list celebrities signed on for series spanning all genres, from documentaries to comedies and everything in-between. 

We've seen plenty of teaser trailers for the new shows over the past few months. But now that they're finally available to watch on Apple TV Plus, are the originals worth a watch? And will they be enough to draw viewers away from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and soon, Disney Plus?

We'll be releasing our Apple TV Plus review in due time – but for now we've rounded up the verdicts of critics from a range of online reviews to share their opinions for your viewing pleasure below, along with a link to each publication's full review for you to find out more.

Image Credit: Apple

Dickinson

IGN – 6/10

Alicia Lutes

"Dickinson comes into the world a higher-budget, New England-ized version of The CW’s Reign. A stylized and subversive take on the life of one of America’s greatest poets, digging deeper into the queerer, more electric life she likely lived, creator Alena Smith and her merry band of filmmakers do their best to create something new, remix a life in true Millennial style, only to end up falling short with the final product. With fantastic aesthetics and engaging actors to boot, it would be easy to see how viewers could get swept up by the fantasy of it all. However, Dickinson never realizes its full potential and ultimately feels like more of a slog than any show featuring Wiz Khalifa as Death with a Billie Elish/Lizzo soundtrack ever should."

Vox – 4 stars

Emily Todd VanDerWerff, Constance Grady, Alissa Wilkinson, and Allegra Frank

"Dickinson, about the life of goth teen lesbian poet Emily Dickinson, comes charging out of the gate all style and polish and flair. It’s an acid pop of a TV show dedicated to rescuing Emily Dickinson from her popular legacy as a lonely spinster hermit, and it’s willing to use as many anachronistic needle drops as it takes to do so."

The Verge – no rating

Julia Alexander

"Dickinson is so unafraid of being itself that I found myself enamored by it, flaws and all, by the middle of the first episode. It’s one of the only Apple TV Plus shows that I wanted to revisit after watching the first three episodes provided to critics. More importantly, it’s the show I can’t wait to see start popping up on Tumblr. I can see the fan art already, and the fluff-filled fan fiction stories populating on Archive of Our Own. That’s whom Dickinson is for; it’s not The Morning Show or See. It’s for people trying to find something they can have a silly time with, and Dickinson does that in an undeniably enchanting way."

Image Credit: Apple

The Elephant Queen

The Daily Dot – 3 stars

Brenden Gallagher

"There is much to admire about The Elephant Queen. The film follows the matriarch of an elephant family, Athena, as she searches for water and tries to keep her family together. Beautiful photography captures the elephants’ beauty and grandeur. The dedication of the crew is evident, as the documentary presents a slew of moving moments that must have required months to capture. The filmmaking also asserts a point of view, helping us to identify with the struggle of a small herd facing big problems."

Vox – 2.5 stars

Emily Todd VanDerWerff, Constance Grady, Alissa Wilkinson, and Allegra Frank

"If you like the Disney style of nature documentary — where the animals have names and someone describes their activities as if narrating a dramedy — The Elephant Queen will hit the same sweet spot. It’s the tale of a herd of elephants, led by one dubbed Athena, the titular queen. They live peacefully near a watering hole, coexisting with a bunch of other animals: dung beetles, terrapins, bullfrogs, and more."

Image Credit: Apple

For All Mankind

IGN – 9/10

Laura Prudom

"For All Mankind may not have the marquee names of The Morning Show or the big-budget genre auspices of See, but it's by far the most confident, fully-realized, and best-executed effort in the Apple TV+ launch slate, meticulously creating an alternate history that constantly keeps us guessing. Between its stellar cast and limitless possibilities, this is a brave new world that's worth revisiting."

Indiewire – Grade C

Steve Greene

"Across its opening season, this new Apple TV+ drama certainly does its best to rewrite the NASA history books. But that reimagining comes with a series of self-imposed narrative restraints. Presented with a bevy of options, “For All Mankind” spends most of its episodes presenting this new world in the least imaginative and most inert ways possible."

Vox – 3.5 stars

Emily Todd VanDerWerff, Constance Grady, Alissa Wilkinson, and Allegra Frank

"Leave it to Battlestar Galactica mastermind Ron Moore to create a utopia based on the premise that the Soviet Union was the first country to land on the moon, beating the US by a handful of weeks in the fateful summer of 1969. In Moore’s For All Mankind, the US doesn’t retreat from the Soviets’ victory, tail between its legs. Instead, it redoubles its efforts and pushes to make the American space program even more robust in the name of colonizing the solar system for the good ol’ stars and stripes."

The Morning Show

Image Credit: Apple

The Morning Show

The New York Times – no rating

James Poniewozik

"The Morning Show, the flagship offering of the new Apple TV Plus streaming service that arrives Friday, looks like good TV. Directed by Mimi Leder, it gleams on the screen.

"It sounds like good TV. It’s well-timed and brimming with serious purpose.

"It’s certainly cast like good TV. It collects Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon and a passel of fine character actors, and then just lobs Mindy Kaling and Martin Short at you like it’s not even a thing.

"But after three episodes, this tech company’s first venture into TV is good only at appearing to be good. It’s like something assembled in a cleanroom out of good-show parts from incompatible suppliers. Under the gleaming surface, as sleek and anodyne as an Apple Store, it is a kludge."

Salon – no rating

Melanie McFarland

"Aniston’s and Witherspoon’s talents receive ample showcasing in the form of exhilarating monologues and retorts tailored to reflect the audience’s #MeToo frustrations back at them. All of it make content for the inevitable Golden Globe and Emmy campaign For Your Consideration reels. A show or a film can get away with that kind of thing as long as the rest of the writing smoothly integrates these turns into the script. That does not happen here.

"That said, there’s a segment of the audience that enjoys Aniston and Witherspoon chewing scenery, or Carell walking the line between misunderstood nice guy and creep, which is basically what’s being asked of him here. Crudup, though, nails his portrayal of a shark-like network executive who plays so many angles at once as to make it impossible to fail anywhere but upward. Again, that’s not immediately apparent, but by the time Cory hits his stride one gets a sense of this show’s potential. You have to be willing to make it that far, though, and there are only so many hours we get in a life, let alone a day."

Variety – no rating

Daniel D'Addario

"It’s perhaps unsurprising that Apple, a bleeding-edge tech company whose streaming service represents TV’s vanguard, had so little sensibility for what morning TV means to its viewers or its practitioners. But it’s very odd that this company devoted to excellence, given a situation with so many potential points of entry, seems to have settled for so much less than it might otherwise have acheived. (Perhaps it’s proof positive that content really is different from other feats of engineering.) “The Morning Show,” in trying to sell all sides of its story without committing to telling a single one well, falls startlingly short. And, worst of all, there’s not a human worth caring about in sight."

Image Credit: Apple

See

Variety – no rating

Daniel D'Addario

"It’s perhaps to be applauded that, at its launch, Apple TV Plus doesn’t have a genre tentpole show based on an established intellectual property — its equivalent, say, of “The Mandalorian,” the “Star Wars”-universe series that will serve as further inducement for Disney Plus subscribers. Instead, Apple is trusting a mix of unfamiliar properties to win the day, a victory for those who say that repetitious franchise work is sapping Hollywood of innovation.

"And yet. See, a pure genre exercise originating from the mind of writer Steven Knight, sorely craves the sort of pure structural integrity that source material can provide. Spiraling away from narrative control as its first three episodes unreel, this series, about a post-apocalyptic future in which nearly everyone is blind, wastes the time of Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, among others, on a story that starts from a position of fun, giddy strangeness and drags itself forward at a lugubrious pace. Source material would have provided structure (which many original properties have, but this one certainly does not). It also might have provided a control of tone. Knight, director/EP Francis Lawrence, and showrunner Dan Shotz have made a show whose elaborate look and grave tone aim for “Game of Thrones” but whose content is lower of brow and, sadly, of quality."

Vox – 1.5 stars

Emily Todd VanDerWerff, Constance Grady, Alissa Wilkinson, and Allegra Frank

"Now that Game of Thrones is over, what will fill the void? Definitely not See, a vapid, glacially paced attempt to woo fantasy fans in search of a new world to invest in. Despite containing several of the same elements that Game of Thrones fans found so enthralling — warring tribes; young people with special seeing powers; a scary, sexy, evil queen type; and even the presence of an angry, grunt-y Jason Momoa — See is missing the human drama and stakes that helped make Game of Thrones a juggernaut among a variety of viewers, even if they hadn’t read the source novels or cared about dragons before."

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Best ultrawide monitors 2019: the top ultrawide monitors we've tested

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 09:54 AM PDT

The best ultrawide monitors are becoming ever more popular. That's because these days, just having a nice monitor won’t cut it – you go big, or you go home. 

Not only are these wide screen displays perfect for diving into the best PC games, but you can squeeze so many spreadsheets on a single screen that they make great monitors for work, as well.

Still, just like with any monitor on the market, it can be difficult to find the best ultrawide monitors to fit your needs. Do you require a gaming monitor with a quick refresh rate and low latency? Or, are you trying to get through your work, and could benefit from a gigantic display that can showcase every single one of your projects at a single glance?

Since the answers to these problems are not easy to find, we forged ahead and applied our technical expertise so we could find the best ultrawide monitors on the market right now. And, because we've tested and reviewed all of these monitors ourselves, you can be assured that you'll be getting your money's worth. Additionally, we went ahead and included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you know you're getting the best deal.

BenQ EX3501R

The BenQ EX3501R is equipped with a USB-C input and an astonishing 2,500:1 contrast ratio.

Ultrawide resolutions are already pushing our computing experiences to the edge, so when we came across the BenQ EX3501R, a 3,440 x 1,440 monitor with HDR, we sat up and took notice. This is an absolutely incredible gaming monitor – though BenQ advertises it as a 'video enjoyment monitor' – and considering it’s equipped with a USB-C input and an astonishing 2,500:1 contrast ratio, you'll be hard pressed to find anything not to love about one of the best ultrawide monitors out there. Well, at least until you look at the price tag.

Read the full review: BenQ EX3501R

AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition

The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is an excellent ultrawide monitor

Ultrawide resolution? Check. Fast 120Hz refresh rate? Also check. The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is certainly more than its clumsy name lets on. This 3,440 x 1,440 ultrawide monitor isn't just stunning with its perfect VA panel, but coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate and a low 4ms response time, it should make the top of any gamer's list of the best ultrawide monitors. Just bear in mind, that if you want to take full advantage of the AOC Agon, you're going to need a little help from something like the RTX 2080 Ti.

Read the full review:  AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition

Alienware AW3418DW

The Alienware AW3418DW has been around a while, but it's still great.

The best ultrawide monitors aren't just great for experiencing the best PC games, they're also amazing for creatives and professionals. And, the Asus Designo Curve MX38VC is an exceptional example, providing excellent color accuracy, and a high resolution that'll be a boost to photo and video editors. Considering its price tag, it would have been nice to have HDR included, but this gets the creative job done so well that we can easily overlook that little exclusion.

Read the full review: Alienware AW3418DW

Asus Designo Curve MX38VC

The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC is a great ultrawide for creatives.

The best ultrawide monitors aren't just great for experiencing the best PC games, they're also amazing for creatives and professionals. And, the Asus Designo Curve MX38VC is an exceptional example, providing excellent color accuracy, and a high resolution that'll be a boost to photo and video editors. Considering its price tag, it would have been nice to have HDR included, but this gets the creative job done so well that we can easily overlook that little exclusion.

Read the full review: Asus Designo Curve MX38VC

LG 34UC79G-B

The LG 34UC79G-B is an affordable ultrawide monitor.

One of the main drawbacks of the best ultrawide monitors is that they happen to be on the expensive side. Sure, having an extremely wide screen is fantastic, but if you can't spend a grand on a new monitor, you're out of luck. Luckily, the LG 34UC79G-B is here to save the day on a budget. Now, this display doesn't have as high a resolution as some of the other selections on this list, coming in at 2,560 x 1,080, but with the amount of money you're saving, it almost doesn't even matter. Plus, you're getting FreeSync, too.

Read the full review: LG 34UC79G-B

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A new Samsung foldable phone could launch before the Motorola Razr

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 09:45 AM PDT

The foldable phone future is barely here, with only the Samsung Galaxy Fold readily available for people to buy, but it looks like Samsung could be about to launch its second foldable already – and it could be shown before the Motorola Razr.

This phone is the Samsung W20 5G, and it has been teased by China Telecom in a Weibo post. All we know so far is the name, a November release date, and the fact it's a foldable 5G phone, but that's still a lot to go on.

The Samsung W20 is a successor to the W2019, a flip phone that never made its way out of China, and fittingly the W20 has a clamshell-style fold like the anticipated Motorola Razr. 

We don't know the specs or features for now, but if the tease is accurate we will do in the coming days, so stay tuned to find out more.

(Motorola) Razr's edge

We're expecting the Motorola Razr to launch on November 13, almost exactly in the middle of the expected launch window of the Samsung W20.

This means there's a 50% chance the Samsung W20 will get shown off before the Motorola Razr, in which case Samsung would be the first company to put out a foldable clamshell device.

Saying that, the Motorola launch event is for a global product launch, while Samsung's phone could be China-exclusive, based on the fact the tease was from China and the W2019 was exclusive to the country.

So while the Samsung W20 could launch first, the Motorola Razr could be in our hands sooner, as devices that launch in China often take months to become available in the west, if they ever do.

We'll know for sure by the Razr's launch on November 13 though, so stay tuned to TechRadar then to see the new foldable phone.

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This new broadband deal from John Lewis comes with a free £40 JL gift card

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 09:43 AM PDT

Black Friday may not be here yet but John Lewis is already releasing its offers and rewards, and its newest broadband deal rivals prices from even the top broadband providers. 

This John Lewis Black Friday deal is excellent for anyone looking to get top quality broadband for a very affordable price, the company currently has some of the best cheap broadband deals in the UK.

- Click here to sign up for John Lewis Broadband

Its new broadband deal offers you unlimited broadband for £20 a month, with a free e-gift card up to £40. Don't worry an e-gift card is the same as a gift card but its an electronic one so you don't need to leave the comfort of your home for your John Lewis purchases.

This deal is on the provider's Unlimited Broadband deal and comes with free 24/7 customer support, free line rental and free evening and weekend call plan. Now if you're looking for a more comprehensive broadband deal, JL also has discounts on its Unlimited Fibre (£26/pm) and Unlimited Fibre Extra (£31/pm) plans. The Fibre plan has download speeds of 36Mb and the Fibre Extra has 66Mb. You can compare all of the ISP's plans at our dedicated John Lewis Broadband deals page for more information.

This great value John Lewis Broadband deal in full:

How do I claim my John Lewis e-gift card?

John Lewis says that your e-gift card will be sent to you by email within 60 days of you activating your broadband service. This means that if you cancel your broadband within those 60 days then sadly the offer of that free e-gift card will be withdrawn.

Existing John Lewis Broadband customers

Unfortunately, John Lewis confirms on its website that this deal is exclusive for new customers only, so if you went and signed up for one of its broadband deals last week then you're out of luck.

And if you aren't sold on this offer and want to compare the prices to other broadband deals in the UK, you can follow the link or check out our broadband price comparison below.

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