Apple : The 10 best PC games of the decade |
- The 10 best PC games of the decade
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite release date, news and leaks
- Packers vs Lions live stream: how to watch today's NFL football 2019 from anywhere
- From ray tracing to AI: best gaming technology advances in the last decade
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| The 10 best PC games of the decade Posted: 29 Dec 2019 12:00 PM PST As we prepare to enter the first decade of this millennium that doesn’t require awkward nomenclature like ‘noughties’ or ‘teenzies’, it’s time to reflect on the best of PC gaming from the last ten years. What’s strange about this era is how contracted it feels, with many games from years ago remaining relevant through mods, expansions and resiliently high player counts. It’s been a decade of long shelf lives, expansive RPGs, and marrying off cousins to horses (and other cousins) in medieval grand strategy. It’s been a great decade on PC, so as a thank you and ‘ta-ra’ to the teens, we’ve put together the best PC games to have come out since 2010.
10. MinecraftYou don’t need to have so much as dug a hole or mined a cube of ore in Minecraft to appreciate its impact on gaming. It’s the digital Lego that Lego itself could only dream of being, letting players of any age unleash their creativity on the now-iconic voxel-based world. It inadvertently pioneered the survival genre too, and it’s hard to imagine games like Rust or DayZ (and subsequently PUBG and Fortnite) existing without Minecraft’s deceptively challenging survival mode, where you need to eat, build and fend off those insufferable monsters.
9. Sid Meier’s Civilization VIt’s strange to think that the elder of the two currently played Civilization games came out nearly 10 years ago, what with it still being the 25th most actively played game on Steam at the time of writing. Its longevity can be attributed partly to the fact that it remains the most accessible game in the series, with elegant systems for religion, diplomacy and strategic one-unit-per-tile warfare. Yes, the AI is shonky in the vanilla game, but that’s where Vox Populi comes in - an expansive community mod that adds tons of great mechanics from Civs gone by, and fixes many of the base game issues. It’s arguably the deepest Civilization experience across the entire series.
8. Crusader Kings 2Treachery, greed, duplicity and Machiavellianism are just some of the conniving qualities you’ll be calling on when playing Crusader Kings 2. It’s a game where the pen is often mightier than the sword, but a poisoned chalice at a feast or a lie about the legitimacy of your bastard child can be more powerful still. This medieval strategic sandbox puts you in charge of a noble dynasty - be that a lowly duke in Dorset or the caliph of a middle-eastern kingdom. You preserve your bloodline across generations, through historical events like crusades and plagues as well as endless emergent challenges that arise over the years. Its breadth of possibilities makes it one of the best story generators in all gaming, and it’ll be fascinating to see if the recently announced sequel can rule the next decade as harmoniously as its predecessor did this one.
7. Rocket LeagueLow gravity rocket-fuelled cars and football may seem like strange bedfellows, and utterly banal if you’re interested in neither racing or football. But Rocket League is a gestalt of these two things, creating a new sport altogether that’s been a phenomenon since it came out in 2015. Rocket League is completely physics-based, and takes full advantage of that through polished mechanics that make for an infinitely high skill ceiling. Whether you’re scrapping around with friends in local 2-v-2 matches or expertly air-dribbling the ball across the pitch in the upper online leagues, Rocket League is a game that can is as shambolic or as balletic as the amount of effort you put into mastering it. It’s the most deserving surprise hit of the decade.
6. The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimThe game that never dies, having been resurrected on every major console since its initial launch in 2011. But few will dispute the idea that this majestic RPG, set in one of the most atmospheric open worlds in gaming, is at its best on PC. Because while the base game is a classic in its own right, letting you become a hero or simply embrace the life of an adventurer (until you take an arrow to the knee, that is), the game lives on through its modding community. It’s here that you can make Skyrim look, feel and play like it was released yesterday, and it’s what makes the game an ever ongoing improvement over what it was back in 2011.
5. Divinity: Original Sin 2Few developers have benefitted from Kickstarter - itself a distinctly ‘teens’ phenomenon - like Larian Studios. While previous games in the series were always hampered by publisher and budgetary problems, Kickstarter crowdfunding let Larian off the leash, setting them free to make two of the deepest, most rewarding RPGs of all time. Original Sin 2 builds on the already impressive original, expanding the tactical combat, increasing the impact of your decisions on the world, and offering unthinkable amounts of whimsically written quests. The multiplayer is quite possibly the best that’s ever been integrated into a full-blooded RPG too.
4. Dishonored 2Sneaking high into our list, then blinking over and sticking a blade into the bemused face of the many people who haven’t played this game (it didn’t sell well), Dishonored 2 takes its place among the decade’s aristocracy. Arkane Studios’ immersive sim builds on the spirit of the old Thief games, casting you as a preternaturally gifted assassin in a beautifully imagined steampunk world. The sequel takes us to the sunny climes of Karnaca, where you play as either Corvo or deposed empress Emily Kaldwin to try and restore the latter to the throne. From the varied and multi-layered levels to the spectacular combos of deadly skills you can string together to dismember your enemies, Dishonored 2 is a treat for the senses and a technical marvel.
3. Portal 2No one expected much of the original Portal when it was first bundled with the Orange Box, but it says a lot about the puzzler’s brilliance that we were all holding our breath for the sequel. And it didn’t disappoint. Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle game where you use one of the greatest guns in gaming - the portal gun - to progress through a series of increasingly difficult and mind-bending obstacles. This already compelling game is bolstered by a brilliantly written story, which casts the voice of Stephen Merchant as a megalomaniacal AI trying to destroy your plucky little robot protagonist. It’s one of the best ever on-rails narrative experiences, with nary a human character in sight.
2. Dark SoulsIf we judge influence by the number of imitators that came in a game’s wake and the rise of a whole genre in its name (Souls-like), then Dark Souls is the most influential game of the last decade. A hostile world where death is both frequent and consequential, a contiguous kingdom ingeniously interconnected by shortcuts, and an enigmatic story that’s scattered among the drifting characters and dark corners of the forlorn keeps, caves and villages. These are the traits of a Soulslike, but nine years on none of them - including its own sequels - execute them as precisely as the original Dark Souls. It’s a game that dared to be formidable and uncompromising, and rewarded those of us who persevered through its initial obscurity with an inimitable sense of suspense and satisfaction.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild HuntThere’s something comforting about the fact that the best RPG and game of the decade wasn’t a high-fantasy outing from a long-established publisher, but one inspired by the little known fables of eastern European folklore, and released by a Polish developer. The Witcher 3 is a multifarious triumph. It pulls you into endless memorable moments - from the struggles of villagers contending with war and monsters lurking in the surrounding woods, to the understated compassion of its maligned hero Geralt of Rivia as he searches for his protegee Ciri. It’s one of the biggest, most detailed and intimate open worlds created - a haunting yet beautiful zenith of gaming that’s a barometer of how much the medium has progressed over the last nine years.
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| Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite release date, news and leaks Posted: 29 Dec 2019 10:30 AM PST The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is a phone that for a long time we weren’t at all sure existed – at least under that name. It’s a name that - given the existence of the Samsung Galaxy S10e and the proximity of the Samsung Galaxy S11 - remains strange, but it’s seemingly accurate. And while so far all Samsung has confirmed is the name, plenty of leaks and rumors have filled in the gaps, telling us almost everything there is to know about the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. You’ll find all of that below, including specs, possible pricing, and release date details, though given that the information isn’t official you should of course take it all with a pinch of salt. Cut to the chase
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite release date and priceThe latest Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite release date rumor suggests it will land within a few days of December 20. That means it could be about to launch. It’s a rumor that lines up with earlier ones: one suggested an announcement sometime in December, while another pointed specifically to December 27. Though elsewhere we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite won’t launch until mid-January – at least in India. So we’re not really sure what’s accurate right now, but all the rumors suggest it’s landing fairly soon. As for its price, multiple sources have now suggested the Galaxy S10 Lite will retail for €669 (around $740/£565/AU$1,090). That’s a price that could put it roughly in line with what the standard Samsung Galaxy S10 currently sells for.
The S10 Lite might cost as much as the S10, above Design and displayWe’ve seen leaked renders supposedly showing the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite, and in them it looks a lot more like the rumored Samsung Galaxy S11 than the Samsung Galaxy S10. That’s largely because it has a punch-hole camera in the top center of the screen, rather than the top right, and there’s a large camera block in the top left corner of the rear. The frame is metal, the back is likely glass, and there’s no headphone port. Note that while the phone is referred to as the Samsung Galaxy A91 in the image below, this is believed to simply be another name for the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. That’s probably what the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite looks like, but it’s worth noting that Samsung has also patented a design that’s a closer match for the rest of the S10 range, including more centered rear cameras, and a dual-lens punch-hole camera in the top right corner of the screen. This patent doesn’t mention the S10 Lite by name though, so it’s probably for another phone. As for the screen, almost all rumors so far put that at 6.7 inches, though one source ever so slightly disagrees, suggesting that it will actually be 6.69 inches. It’s said to be a Full HD+ Super AMOLED display. Some of these rumors have been backed up by a leaked manual for the device that has found its way online – you can see the stylings of the front and the back of the handset, even if it's just as a couple of black and white sketches. CameraWe’ve heard several times now that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will have a triple-lens camera, consisting of a 48MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide one, and a 5MP one that might either be a depth sensor or a macro one, depending on who you believe. In any case, it sounds like the phone won’t have a telephoto lens. Though such a lens does remain a possibility, as the renders above show a square lens, and where square lenses are used on phones they’re typically for zoom cameras. In any case, sources all seem to agree that the Galaxy S10 Lite will have a 32MP front-facing camera.
The S10 Lite is rumored to have more lenses than the S10e, above Battery and specsThe Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will reportedly have a 4,500mAh battery. That’s a leak we’ve heard multiple times, so it’s likely accurate. It would also be one of the largest batteries Samsung has put in an S-series handset, matching the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. It’s a battery that also apparently supports 45W fast charging. As for the other specs, sources suggest that the Galaxy S10 Lite will have a Snapdragon 855 chipset (the same as you’ll find in US models of the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S10 range), along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s also thought to run Android 10.
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| Packers vs Lions live stream: how to watch today's NFL football 2019 from anywhere Posted: 29 Dec 2019 10:06 AM PST The 2019-20 regular NFL season is coming to a close this week but before then, you’ll get to see the Green Bay Packers take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. This is a game you won’t want to miss as it’s the Lions last game of the season and if the Packers win, they can clinch the number 2 seed in the NFC playoff bracket. We’re here to make sure you catch every minute of today’s game - see how to get a Packers vs Lions live stream regardless of where in the world you are and it’s even free to watch in the US thanks to a simple stream. Green Bay is going into today’s game 12-3 after an exceptional season where the team only lost to the Eagles in week 4, the Chargers in week 9 and the 49ers in week 12. The Packers have won their last four games in a row and during Monday Night Football this week, they defeated the Vikings 23-10 with placekicker Mason Crosby scoring three field goals and running back Aaron Jones scoring two touchdowns. Green Bay already clinched the NFC North Title during Monday’s game but a win today can earn the team a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs and one step closer to Super Bowl 2020. Detroit on the other hand is going into today’s game 3-11 after starting their season with a tie followed by two wins against the Chargers in week 2 and the Eagles in week 3. While the Lions did manage to defeat the Giants in week 8, unfortunately the team has lost every game since and because of this, they’ll be sitting out the playoffs this year. Detroit suffered a close 22-23 loss to the Packers in week 6, so expect the team to be out for revenge during today’s game. Can the Lions close out their season with a win against the Packers? Whether you’re a Packers fan in Green Bay, a Lions fan in Detroit or just want to see these two NFC North rivals battle it out on the field - we’ll show you how to get a Packers vs Lions live stream regardless of where in the world you are so you don’t miss a single play.
Watch the Packers vs Lions game online from outside your country (or in a blackout)Watching this game from the US, UK, Canada or Australia? We'll tell you how to catch the NFL game further down in the article. But if you're somewhere else in the world - or if a coverage blackout is stopping you from watching in the US - then there's still a way you can live stream the Packers vs Lions online (and you don't even have to slum it with a grainy, illegal feed you've found on Reddit). Instead you could use a VPN - or Virtual Private Network - to change the IP address to one in a different state or country which does have a stream. And it's not even hard to do.
How to watch the Packers vs Lions in the US for freeCan I watch with the NFL Game Pass?Well it's a no and a yes. The NFL Game Pass in the US will only let you watch a replay of the game, but not the live action. Interestingly, it's a different story with an International NFL Game Pass where all 256 regular season games are being shown absolutely live...shame you can't officially get access to that if you and your laptop's IP address is in the US. Other ways cord cutters can stream NFL live online Sling TV $40 per month - Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $25 a month Blue plan and $25 a month Orange plan. By combining the two, you get a $10 dollar discount and access to Fox, NBC, ESPN and the NFL Network. Hulu with Live TV $40 per month - Hulu with Live TV includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but does not come with NFL Network. 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. However, with this service you can only watch football on local TV stations live. YouTubeTV $40 per month - YouTubeTV gives you access to CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but just like with Hulu with Live TV, there is no NFL Network.
How to stream Lions vs Packers live in the UK
Get a NFL live stream in Canada for Free
Live stream Packers vs Lions in Australia
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| From ray tracing to AI: best gaming technology advances in the last decade Posted: 29 Dec 2019 10:00 AM PST Back in 2010, Halo: Reach launched to much fanfare. Almost ten years later, the revamped version has just hit PC, receiving critical acclaim once more and bringing the decade full circle. A lot has changed in those ten years, and you can now enjoy Halo: Reach in 8K at a smooth 60 frames per second (if budget is no object for your PC hardware, that is). And of course, a lot more has changed in the broader world of videogames throughout the 2010s. In this article, we’re going to highlight a selection of technological advances in gaming which we feel have had a big impact on the gaming industry. That includes the introduction of ray tracing, adaptive sync technology, and huge leaps in existing tech like motion capture, along with other advancements which have combined to make games far more realistic-looking and immersive – and more besides. Ray tracing
Ray tracing may be nothing new in the world of movies, but it is in games, and it hit the headlines in a big way when Nvidia launched its GeForce RTX graphics cards in 2018 (although note that ray tracing had popped up previously on PCs, but in very limited fashion with early tech demos). For the uninitiated – if there is indeed still anyone out there yet to hear about this technology – as the name suggests, it involves tracing the paths of individual light rays to create a lifelike depiction of how light works in the real world. The result is far more realistic shadows, reflections, and so forth, for much better looking graphics all-round (compared to rasterization, the traditional method of real-time rendering). Although when RTX GPUs were first launched, there were a number of folks arguing that ray tracing was really a dastardly plot cooked up by Nvidia to sell a load more expensive graphics cards. And while there’s an element of truth in that – it’s certainly part of a plan to further dominate GPU sales – this isn’t just a moneymaking marketing drive. Firstly, remember that ray tracing isn’t just an Nvidia thing, but a step forward on the graphics front across the whole games industry. On PC, AMD and Intel will also be getting on-board, and indeed Microsoft has built ray tracing support right into DirectX 12. But more importantly, both next-gen consoles from Microsoft and Sony are going to be ray tracing-capable, with Tatu Aalto, lead graphics programmer at Remedy (which produced Control), noting that ray tracing coming to Xbox Series X and PS5 represents a “fundamental shift in how to approach computer graphics”. It would seem to be clear enough, then, that all major game developers are eventually going to be on-board with pushing ray tracing – and many already are. Control looks fantastic and uses ray tracing with elements like diffuse lighting, reflections on glass, and ultra-realistic debris, meaning that compared to the game’s normal graphics, it’s an absolute night-and-day difference. Now, before we get too carried away, there are lots of caveats with ray tracing in its current state. There are serious issues around performance hits – particularly outside of RTX graphics cards – and games carry different levels of support, so for example Call of Duty: Modern Warfare only does ray-traced shadows. But as everyone adopts the tech, and GPUs evolve and are continually honed (complete with driver and software innovations) to better cope with ray tracing, we can expect more new games (and indeed old ones) fully showcasing the visual finery on offer; particularly when the next-gen consoles arrive. In short, it seems that the future of video game graphics, no less, kicked off in 2018. Motion captureMotion capture, known informally as mo-cap, is nothing new of course. The process of capturing the movements of human actors – traditionally by sticking a hundred golf balls to a black spandex bodysuit – to make for more realistic looking characters in games has been around since the 90s (and way before then in movies). But in the past decade, some big leaps have been made with the technology which are worth highlighting as revolutionary, taking the animation process to a new level of realism. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, a 2016 action-adventure from Ninja Theory, used Vicon’s real-time motion capture system (shown in the above video) to facilitate incredibly lifelike expressions, and coupled with Epic’s Unreal Engine, the game delivered some quite outstanding results in terms of realism. However, as Engadget points out, there was a bit of fudging with the real-time mo-cap aspect here, such as the actor having to stick to a roughly choreographed set of actions, so the software could keep up. But now, Vicon and Epic’s latest mo-cap demo ‘Siren’ offers true live motion capture, whereby a human actor can do whatever they like, with the results transferred directly to a 3D on-screen avatar. Since Hellblade, computing and GPU power has increased massively. Jeffrey Ovadya, sales director at Vicon, told Engadget: “Unreal Engine has added even more capability and even more realism, so all of a sudden, all of the background effort that went into Senua’s Sacrifice became just easier, shorter, quicker, and they were able to get to that point faster. “So if they were investing the same amount of time for a project, let’s just say 100 hours, and the mo-cap part took 80 for Senua’s Sacrifice, for Siren it took an hour.” With motion capture becoming a seriously swift and painless process, developers will be able to more easily utilize it, and have more time freed up to hone visual details and animations, with the end result being far more realistic and immersive games (tying in, of course, with the ray tracing developments discussed above). Adaptive sync
Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s rival FreeSync were introduced in the middle of the last decade, and are monitor technologies designed to combat screen tearing and stuttering. In other words, they aim to give you a smoother gameplay experience, particularly with the likes of fast-paced shooters where any such stuttering effects could put off your aim. There’s one sentiment commonly trotted out online when potential buyers are asking about whether to get a display with either G-Sync or FreeSync, and that is adopters saying that they could never go back to a normal monitor now they’ve experienced the joys of whichever flavor of ‘adaptive sync’ they’ve chosen. When it came to picking out the right adaptive sync-powered monitor for you, this used to be a straight choice between AMD or Nvidia. AMD-powered screens have traditionally been cheaper because the tech is royalty-free, not requiring proprietary hardware in the monitor, so it doesn’t cost manufacturers to build in support. Also, in the past, you needed to have an Nvidia or AMD graphics card for G-Sync or FreeSync respectively, and there was no cross-brand pollination. However, that changed recently, when Nvidia made a move to allow its 10-series and newer GPUs to support adaptive sync on third-party monitors, including FreeSync models. Even more excitingly for many gamers, these adaptive sync technologies are no longer confined to just monitors. As 4K TVs have matured – and become considerably cheaper, which is certainly another boon this decade has witnessed – we’ve seen the introduction of Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) with HDMI 2.1. This means you now get big-screen TVs which support adaptive sync, for example LG introduced G-Sync to its range of 2019 OLEDs. Furthermore, this opens things up to consoles, too, as the Xbox One X supports VRR tech (but there’s a caveat in that only some games will benefit). However, with next-gen consoles, we can expect a further push along these lines (we recently heard that the PS5 and Xbox Series X – as well as AMD graphics cards – might work with future Nvidia G-Sync monitors). Smooth gameplay and fluid frame rates are as big a deal as realistic and immersive graphics, particularly when it comes to playing online games competitively. So for us, adaptive sync’s introduction – and its broader push for more accessibility across PCs, big-screen TVs and consoles – represents a sizeable step forward for gaming in the 2010s. Live streaming: Twitch (and more)
Back in 2011, Twitch was born, and quickly gained millions upon millions of viewers, all watching professional streamers play games. The service really hit the big time in 2014, when Amazon bought it, and Twitch has gone from strength to strength since, with recent stats indicating the platform has some 15 million daily viewers (and 2.2 million broadcasters, to boot). Live streaming video games isn’t just about Twitch, of course. There’s also YouTube, Mixer (Microsoft’s effort, which is doing some serious poaching), and other options besides, plus streaming has become such a big phenomenon these days that functionality is built directly into consoles. Although really, the rise of live streaming represents a cluster of technologies advancing together, alongside the creation of the actual platforms to stream on. Certainly one major part of the puzzle was the rollout of faster internet connections (in the UK, BT’s fiber products launched in 2010), which are vital to enable playing online and streaming that footage simultaneously. And AMD’s hardware has also played its part in enabling live streaming, by introducing affordable multi-core CPUs with its Ryzen range – processors which are accessible to a mainstream audience, and capable of coping with the considerable multitasking demands of playing a game and streaming it fluidly at the same time. All of which has led to the explosion in popularity of games as a spectator sport. Being a pro streamer is now a potential career path for those able to blend their expert game-playing with suitably entertaining and charismatic commentary. Such is the popularity of watching games, we’ve even witnessed esports being covered on TV by the likes of Sky as early as 2016… Not only is it fun to spectate professional streamers, what shouldn’t be underestimated is that it is also a powerful learning tool. For those serious about doing well at the latest competitive shooter, or RTS, or whatever – watching how it’s really done can be an incredibly informative experience. Streaming has certainly revolutionized the concept of tips and tricks for popular games, and taken it to another level. Game streaming
While live streaming is about playing a game and broadcasting that experience online, actual game streaming means you’re remotely playing a game which is hosted on a server somewhere else. Also known as cloud gaming, these kind of services actually kicked off a surprisingly long time ago, with OnLive launching right at the start of the decade. Ultimately it flopped, because 2010 was simply too early given the contemporary internet infrastructure, but with the same faster broadband connections which have helped drive the rise of live streaming, game streaming has become a realistic proposition. Since the early days of OnLive, we’ve seen the likes of PlayStation Now, and multiple big-name players sprang up towards the end of the decade, including Nvidia’s GeForce Now and Microsoft’s Project xCloud, although those products are still in beta. All of these streaming services have their different angles and approaches as to exactly how they work, but probably the most high-profile offering is Google Stadia. This was officially launched in November 2019, and as we noted in our review, it’s a “true console alternative and, in time, a potential platform killer”. In our testing, we found Stadia to be very stable, and it allows for gaming across a range of devices – including Chromecast Ultra – plus the service streams 4K HDR. All that said, there are definite issues here, including that hardcore or competitive gamers won’t find the Stadia experience palatable compared to playing on a local machine, plus those with slower broadband connections will struggle. You need a seriously fast (100Mbps+) net connection to get good performance, so in a way, you’re swapping worries about hardware spec for worries about the ‘spec’ of your internet connection. Stadia has also been blighted by other launch bugbears like being rather limited in its game library, and having missing features. But overall, we can’t ignore the promise that game streaming is now (finally) showing, particularly as we look towards a future of faster broadband connections still. AI
Artificial Intelligence (or AI) is another technology which has been driven forward massively over the past ten years. And while a lot of that progress might involve endless mentions of phrases like ‘machine learning’, ‘training models’ and ‘inferencing’, which may well threaten to send you into a deep (learning) sleep, AI applies to games as well as all this deadly dull sounding stuff. AI is a pretty broad umbrella, of course, and accomplishes all manner of things in video games. Your first thought might be about AI governing the behavior of NPCs (non-player characters) – we’ll discuss the nuances involved there later – or maybe even AI-driven ‘bots’ who can stand in as competition if human opposition isn’t available (or for training purposes). You may have seen DeepMind hitting the headlines regularly in recent times. The British firm made big waves when its AlphaGo neural network beat South Korean champion Lee Se-dol at the game of Go back in 2016. Most recently, another of its AI programs, AlphaStar, proved itself capable of besting 99.8% of all human StarCraft II players – reaching the top tier of ‘grandmaster’ level. And then we’ve had the likes of the OpenAI engine beating Dota 2 world champs… We can remember being impressed by the AI in Warcraft III, way back in 2002. Having beaten the single-player campaign, engaging an AI opponent in multiplayer resulted in a quick shock defeat, and a brutal lesson that we were far from optimal when it came to our base building and ‘creeping’ strategies (and that the computer was surprisingly good; far better than we were expecting). Looking at where we are now with AI engines overturning the very best human players points to the possibility of an entirely new standard of AI to train against – so will these artificial intelligence chops spill over to make for much more cunning or evolved NPCs in the likes of single-player campaigns? No is the short answer to that. This is because what we typically think of as AI in single-player gaming isn’t really true artificial intelligence which the likes of DeepMind or machine learning researchers truck in. It’s more of a fudge, an illusion of intelligence, with NPCs admittedly still making complex decisions – but based on cleverly crafted behavior trees, as opposed to ‘true’ AI or self-learning processes. As an illuminating article by The Verge points out, NPC actions actually require a certain degree of predictability, to ensure that the narrative and overall game experience flows along the lines of what the developers have in mind for the player. A true AI which could make all sorts of weird and wonderful decisions of its own volition would make for a far more unpredictable game, but this wouldn’t deliver a satisfying experience. To pick a basic example, an NPC might decide not to perform a critical action which is needed for the player to complete a quest. In short, the game world would be a far more chaotic place, and that might be a lot more like the real world – but it wouldn’t be much fun (and could maybe even break the game). The Verge suggests that rather than trying to create freethinking NPCs in games, AI will be involved in automated game design, facilitating the creation of art assets or levels. And eventually, from a broader perspective, an AI could serve as a ‘games master’ that changes things on-the-fly to better suit the player, and what it predicts they might enjoy based on what they’ve done and how things have gone so far. We’ve already seen artificial intelligence spread its tendrils to get involved in all manner of different facets of the gaming world. For example, DeepMind is now helping you choose which games – and apps – you might want to download from the Google Play store. AI is also helping to revamp the graphics of old games, with modders using the technology to upscale the visuals of classic titles at speed, such as giving Morrowind a fresh coat of paint. In the nearer-term, though, competitive gamers might be set to benefit from AI the most in terms of the training possibilities we’ve already mentioned. Imagine an AI ‘game assistant’ hoovering up data as you play a shooter, analyzing every element of your play-style, comparing that to data crunched from top pro players, and suggesting ways that you could be better, or pointing out bad habits that are getting you killed. And from a wider perspective, away from multiplayer or esports, these sort of analytics running across an entire player base, maybe coupled with the aforementioned AI games master at the helm, could usher in a kind of evolving game which constantly adjusts and hones itself over time. Looking at the progress of AI over the last decade, this sort of experience could easily be in the pipeline, and if that isn’t an intriguing prospect, we don’t know what is (just don’t start thinking about how this is, of course, wandering further down the privacy-stripping path of data mining).
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| Best SIM only deals for the January sales: from a fiver per month to unlimited data Posted: 29 Dec 2019 08:19 AM PST Are you one of the lucky ones? Did a ridiculously generous partner or loved one go big this Christmas and buy you a brand new smartphone? To make the best of your great new gadget, you'll inevitably need to consider what SIM only deal to grab for your new device. The good news is that quite a few retailers and networks have got into the spirit of the January sales and have been handing out cheap SIM only deals like they were candy. They range from the ridiculously cheap (how does a fiver a month sound?) to the absurdly good value (unlimited data for £18 per month anyone?) - basically, there's something for everyone. So don't waste any more time...simply cast your eyes below, take your pick and then wait for your SIM to be delivered to your door in a few days.
Our top 5 best January sales SIM only deals:
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| These 5 brill broadband deals are a great way to start 2020 with cheaper bills Posted: 29 Dec 2019 07:49 AM PST Went a bit mad with the Christmas presents and festive feasting this year and want to kick of 2020 with cheaper bills? By the time you've got to the bottom of this article, you'll know exactly how to begin saving...starting with cheaper broadband deals. And so that you can start exploring other penny-pinching ways (or, you know, enjoy some family time), we've spent the time hunting around and digging out the cheapest broadband deals around. But it isn't only about saving cash. If you're a keen streamer, gamer or downloader - or simply have lots of folk in your home all using up the bandwidth at once - then going with the very cheapest internet is a bit of a false economy. That's why we've given you options for fibre broadband deals, too. As you'll see, increasing the speed doesn't even have to cost that much more. Below are five of the very best deals on broadband you can get right now. They include a very tempting Vodafone plan that upgrades your speed for free, a price reduction from BT and - if price is indeed more of a concern than speed - the very best cheap broadband only deal of them all!
The 5 best broadband deals for the January sales:
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| 9 and a half phones we're excited to see in 2020 Posted: 29 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST The end of one year of phones means looking forward to the next, and we’ve got a list of which handsets we’re most excited to see in 2020. Yes, the iPhone 12 is on it, as are Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S11 and Galaxy Note 11, but a refreshing number are innovative foldable phones, which are coming in at a faster and faster rate. That’s including our ‘half’ phone, the Motorola Razr - when folded up, its footprint is half that of a typical smartphone. This is the kind of experimentation we’re excited for as the phones industry breaks from its black rectangle norm into new form factors - and not just for premium devices, either. Most of the phones are still the 6-inch-plus glass screens you know and love, but with particular upgrades we’re looking forward to exploring - better cameras, 5G, and more. The devices included are all mostly rumored gadgets for now and could be unveiled at CES 2020, MWC 2020 or even right at the end of next year. They may not even be unveiled at all, as they're all just speculation for now. Without further ado, here’s the list of phones we’re looking forward to in 2020.
Samsung Galaxy S11 seriesSamsung bookends the year with its flagship phone releases. The first big phone of 2020 will be the Samsung Galaxy S11, which should see upgrades on its cameras, specs, and so on - but the most exciting thing is how Samsung frames what’s coming in the year’s phones. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series came out in March 2019 and introduced a triple-rear-camera suite, reverse wireless charging, and better night photography to the masses. Sure, the LG V40 beat it to the camera punch, and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro debuted this concept in a premium kit first, but the S10 brought both to a wider market especially in the US where it was available through every carrier. This year, we’re expecting a new set of features that will set the stage of 2020 phones, like wider-spread 5G capability (standard on every Snapdragon 865 chipset) and enormous megapixel cameras - up to 108MP, if one rumor is to be believed. And maybe, if we’re lucky, the series will keep the 3.5mm headphone jack.
iPhone SE 2We keep seeing reports that the iPhone SE 2, a sequel to the unquestioned king of small-size smartphones, may arrive in the first quarter of 2020 - and we couldn’t be more excited. There’s been great demand for an updated affordable option from Apple, as they’ve been pushing the iPhone 8 as their ‘budget’ model since 2017. A new cheap iOS option would obviously be a great competitor to the Google Pixel 3a (and its assumed successor), especially if it packs the iPhone 11’s advanced photo chops. Best of all, if it keeps its form factor, the iPhone SE 2 could be a perfect handset for small-handed folks - or those who just prefer a tiny phone.
iPhone 12 seriesGiven that the iPhone 11 line barely changed from its predecessor, we’re hoping this year’s iPhone 12 handsets more aggressively change the beloved iPhone design. Especially if it moves away from the awkward Norelco-style triple-blob camera block on the phone’s rear. There are other advancements Apple could implement, like reverse wireless charging, 5G, or for Pete’s sake, expandable storage. We could finally see the end of the notch if Apple figures out how to do under-display front-facing cameras. But most importantly, we’ll see whether Apple continues to design conservatively, making small refinements to the previous year’s design while waiting for other phonemakers to warm up the public with new concepts.
Google Pixel 4aWhile we keep putting the Google Pixel phones in our best phones list, it wasn't the line's 2019 flagship that blew us away - it was the Google Pixel 3a. Pack in all the amazing photography of the Pixel 3 with few drawbacks at half the price? Sign us up. We're hoping the Google Pixel 4a will take the value train even further by including more features from the Pixel 4 flagship, like facial recognition and a second lens, while retaining all the extras people don't mind in mid-range phones, like physical fingerprint sensors and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Or it could even leap ahead of the Google Pixel 5 by launching with a third (ultrawide) lens before its fully-featured flagship sibling arrives. The Pixel 4 was also a radically simple - dare we say fun - phone design, and we hope Google lets the Pixel 4a's freak flag fly a little bit with its external styling.
Huawei P40 ProThe Huawei P30 Pro is an incredible and underrated photography-focused phone that introduced the idea of a periscope lens - stacking lenses along the phone’s length and using an angled mirror to peer out the back - to get an unprecedented 5x optical zoom. We can’t wait to see what the company does with the Huawei P40 Pro. That means more optical zoom, hopefully, but also even better night photography - which we found rivaled if not exceeded what the Google Pixel 3 (the latest at the time) was capable of. It'll also be interesting to see how the company continues to tackle the issue of the Huawei ban with its first flagship phone since the company has been restricted in its use of Google Play Services like Gmail, YouTube and more.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2After its aborted original launch, the first Galaxy Fold finally came out in late 2019 with a refined and reinforced design that, thus far, has stood up to typical wear and tear in the hands of the few reviewers and consumers who can stomach its high pricetag. We have high hopes for the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 and all the quirks it will hopefully iron out. Chief among these is a more robust inner display - and one that doesn’t have a visible ridge along the hinge-line. We’d like to see the expected advances coming to other smartphones in 2020 like 5G in all models, as well as a lower weight and more powerful cameras. But most importantly: we want it to be a lot cheaper to lower the entry cost for foldables.
Motorola Razr 2020The Motorola Razr 2019 is certainly a more affordable foldable than the Galaxy Fold, but it’s not that comparable: the former folds horizontally ‘hamburger’ style instead of into a wider tablet-size screen. It trades real estate for a device footprint half the size of a typical smartphone...and a tiny front screen good for previewing texts and taking basic photos while the phone is folded up. We haven’t even gotten our hands on the device for longer than an afternoon, so we remain very curious how we’ll use it and whether it’s a feasible alternative to modern smartphones. But word on the street is that there’s another version coming out next year, and we’re excited to see how the Motorola Razr 2020 refines on its very cool but not industry-changing predecessor.
TCL foldable phoneTCL has just started releasing phones above its budget level Alcatel handsets, yet it has a foldable on the way. It’s unclear when the unnamed TCL foldable phone will come out nor what it will look like - the concept looks a bit like a stumpy tablet that’s more wide than the tall, thin Galaxy Fold - but it’s promising for one simple reason: a low price. Yes, the TCL foldable phone could be the cheap bendy phone for the masses. Judging by the concept device seen in October 2019, TCL’s foldable isn’t terribly pretty with thick bezels on its ‘innie’ interior display, but it is technically a foldable that seems to work, which is more than enough for us to look forward to the final device.
OnePlus Mystery DeviceOnePlus is unveiling a mystery device in January 2020 - an “alternate vision for the future of smartphones” as the company said in a tweet - that it’s named the OnePlus Concept One. Is it a foldable? A cheap 5G device? Something completely overhyped? It doesn’t matter - unlike a lot of other phones on this list, it allows us to live in a brief moment where a phonemaker is trying something different and we don’t have a clue what it is. This is the excitement that buzzed in the years before the first few iPhones calcified what we’ve come to accept as the singular design everyone’s settled on (rectangle, seamless glass front, cameras front and rear, buttons on sides). Phones used to be dramatically different from each other, they used to be weird, and in this moment, OnePlus has our rapt attention for what wild new directions phones could take in 2020. Plus it'll likely have the new OnePlus 8 series to show us next year, which unlike this concept device will actually be available for purchase in the next 12 months. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Leaked Galaxy S10 Lite manual shows off some Samsung design changes Posted: 29 Dec 2019 06:30 AM PST It now seems clear that a Galaxy S10 Lite phone is on the way from Samsung, and the latest in a long line of leaks confirms some of the design tweaks that are coming to this and possibly future handsets. A sneak peek at the user manual for the S10 Lite obtained by SamMobile shows a centered punch-hole camera on the front display, with the volume and power buttons all on the right of the device as you look at it. We're expecting the same changes in design to get rolled over to the Samsung Galaxy S11 as well, due to break cover sometime in February.
As for the Galaxy S10 Lite, the user manual images also show us a triple-lens camera around the back of the phone – one which is apparently going to feature a macro lens if the rumors around the handset are to be believed. Unveiling in January?Based on what we've heard so far, expect the Galaxy S10 Lite to come packing a Snapdragon 855 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB of on-board storage, and a 4,500mAh battery. The screen size is tipped to be 6.7 inches. It's going to be a busy 2020 for Samsung apparently – the S10 Lite is likely to make an official appearance at CES 2020, which gets underway early in January. And what of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite? We're also expecting a lower priced version of Samsung's stylus phone, and that too should show up at CES 2020, clearing the way for the Galaxy S11 to launch in February before MWC 2020. Pricing is expected to be around €669 (about $748 / £572 / AU$1,071) for the S10 Lite and €609 (about $681 / £520 / AU$975) for the Note 10 Lite. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PS5 release date, specs, news and rumors for Sony’s PlayStation 5 Posted: 29 Dec 2019 06:10 AM PST Sony's next-generation PlayStation console is the PS5 (PlayStation 5) and it's landing at the end of 2020. In early 2019, we heard from Mark Cerny, the chief architect on Sony's next console, that the company is working on the successor to the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro. While he didn't share the official name or release date at the time, Cerny did shed some light on a few choice details about what we could expect from its hardware. We found out that the PS5 will still play discs, for one – but as to the exact hardware specifications, and how it will link up with Sony and Microsoft's plans for game streaming, we've remained largely in the dark. However, in recent months, Sony has been drip-feeding us juicy titbits such as an official PS5 release window, name and a few key details about features. In addition, we've had some surprising leaks, in the form of a Sony-registered patent that seems to show off the PS5's general shape, button inputs, and cooling vents – confirmed to be the PS5 dev kit in a leaked photo – though we expect the end product design will be different for the PlayStation 5's late 2020 launch. With 2020 creeping closer, Sony can only keep the finer details of the next-generation PlayStation a secret for a little longer - especially with Microsoft officially unveiling the Xbox Series X. But between the rumored specs, likely next-gen titles, and official features we are aware of, there's plenty to keep us busy for now. Here's everything we know about the PS5 so far, and what we hope will be revealed the closer we get to launch. PS5: key facts
PS5 release dateSony has officially confirmed the PS5 will release "Holiday 2020", aka between October and December 2020. A leak has suggested that the release date will be November 20, 2020 but that's yet to be confirmed. It's in the right window, though, and it does leave time before Christmas to get those orders in. This will put the PlayStation 5 in direct competition with Microsoft's Xbox Series X (formerly Xbox Project Scarlett), which is releasing during the same period. Game on. PS5 price: how much will it cost?
Sony hasn't officially confirmed a PS5 price just yet, so we can't say for sure what it'll be. There have, however, been rumors. A leak has suggested that the console will cost $499 in North America when it launches. Naturally this should be taken with a pinch of salt, but it would be welcome news if the console did launch at this price as it's only $100 more than the launch price of the PS4 and PS4 Pro. There's also been a less believable rumor claiming the PS5 will cost up to £900 - but Sony has already debunked that. We can expect that the console's price will be in line with the technology it uses but Sony will also have to be aware of its competition. It's unlikely that Microsoft will want to make the same mistake it made in the last generation, with the prohibitively high price point of the Xbox One, so Sony will have to ensure it doesn't make a similar mistake in the next generation by making the PS5 too expensive. PS5 specs
Ghost of Tsushima (Image Credit: SuckerPunch)
So what is the PS5 packing under the hood? We don't know a huge amount about the PlayStation 5's specs, but here's what we do know. That AMD one-two-punch of CPU and GPU unlocks the powers of ray tracing, an advanced lighting technique that can bring next-level immersion to gaming visuals. It's a Hollywood technique that's used in big-budget CGI spectacles, putting the level of visual fidelity you can expect into context. Ray tracing is done by GPU hardware rather than software level, Mark Cerny told Wired. “There is ray-tracing acceleration in the GPU hardware,” Cerny explained. With 8K TV support comes far more detailed textures, and much larger ones at that. The news of a bespoke SSD drive will be heartening then – just because the games will be becoming more complex, that doesn't mean they'll be slower to load too. It's estimated that the new SSD is 19 times faster than traditional SSD storage methods (but given the speed difference between the SSD and the optical drive, installation of games will be mandatory). Not only that, by harnessing the power of the SSD, developers could potentially reduce the install sizes of games as “there is no need to duplicate data to compensate for slow seek times that optical drives and HDDs have.” The PS5 will benefit from simplified data management due to its SSD, and this will allow players to have more control over installing and removing games. This will allow players to install (or remove) only certain parts of a game. So instead of installing the full game, you could choose to just install the single-player mode and then do multiplayer later - or vice versa.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Image Credit: Naughty Dog) Physical games for the PS5 will use 100GB optical disks, inserted into an optical drive that doubles as a 4K Blu-Ray player and the next-generation hardware will boast a completely revamped UI. Speaking about the new UI to Wired, Cerny said: "Even though it will be fairly fast to boot games, we don't want the player to have to boot the game, see what's up, boot the game, see what's up. "Multiplayer game servers will provide the console with the set of joinable activities in real time. Single-player games will provide information like what missions you could do and what rewards you might receive for completing them - and all of those choices will be visible in the UI. As a player you just jump right into whatever you like." Audio will reach a new "gold standard" on PS5 too, according to Cerny, thanks to a new audio engine that will deliver immersive sound – particularly if you're using headphones. While the details remain unclear, expect something resembling the experience seen with a Dolby Atmos set-up. Sony's PS5 next-generation console will also offer improved cloud gaming performance and "dramatically improved graphics rendering" power. That's the word straight from the company itself, as it showed off a sneak peak during a corporate strategy presentation. In a statement sent out following the presentation, Sony said the "two keywords for the future direction of PlayStation are 'immersive' and 'seamless'", with the 'immersive' experience "created by dramatically increased graphics rendering speeds, achieved through the employment of further improved computational power and a customized ultra-fast, broadband SSD". The company also reinforced the importance of its cloud-gaming plans with Playstation Now, and somewhat surprisingly doubled down on its underused Remote Play feature, saying the "evolution" of this would in the future "provide a seamless game experience anytime, anywhere". Remote Play is already available as part of the PS4 package, enabling you to stream a game direct from the console to a computer, smartphone, tablet or PS Vita handheld console. But Sony says that going forward it will be "leveraging the latest computing, streaming, cloud, and 5G technologies" to allow it, and the performance of PlayStation Now, to improve. If that's not enough, Sony has confirmed the PS5's 'incredibly powerful' backwards compatibility will let you play online with PS4 players. There have also been rumors that the PS5 could be backwards compatible with the PS3, PS2, and original PlayStation, meaning its games library could stretch right back to the glory days of the mid 90s. PS5 design
We haven't actually gotten an official look at the PlayStation 5 yet but, if several leaks are to be believed, Sony's next-generation console will sport a very different look to its predecessors. The above render, courtesy of Let's Go Digital, is based on a spy shot received by Zone of Tech, which shows what's alleged to be a real, working PS5 development kit in its natural habitat – the offices of an anonymous PlayStation 5 developer. The image, if legitimate, all-but confirms the many leaked rumors and renders concerning the PlayStation 5's hardware design, one that sports an unusual V-shaped cavity and excessive amounts of ventilation. What does the image show us? There's a number of buttons: On/Standby, Reset, Eject (for the double layer 100GB-reading Blu-ray drive), System Initialisation and Network initialisation, all on the front left. There are also a number of status lights, numbering '0' to '7', which likely relate to CPU cores engaged, but could also be a status light for controllers connected. To the right there are 5 USB ports (one USB 2.0 and five likely USB 3.0 ports – the final port being obscured by a cable), as well as a USB type B port. A small circle above could well be a camera built into the console, according to earlier patent filings. Interestingly, rubber feet appear to be on the top side of the console, suggesting that devs are being encourage to either flip the console for stress testing and convenience, or to stack them when working on demanding games. Even if we are to assume this is a PS5 dev kit for real out in the wild, it should only really be used to speculate on what the final design of the consumer console will be, rather than considering it wholly indicative on the machine to come. Dev kits are specially designed to be robust, and to support a console working under extreme load so as to allow the developers to push their creations to the maximum without frying the hardware they are working on. It's also designed, at this stage, to help find any flaws in the final PS5 consumer hardware industrial design. With Sony likely a full year away from the launch of the PlayStation 5, there's plenty of time for its team to create something a little less alien-looking.
PS5 controller
The PS5 will come with its own controller, according to Sony. The PS5 controller (we don't know the official name yet) will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. This aims to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player's immersion. The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. A recently published patent suggests new back buttons are coming to the PS5 DualShock controller – perhaps along similar lines to the Back Button Attachment that Sony just launched for existing DualShock 4 gamepads. But what will it look like? According to a Sony patent for a new controller, published by the Japanese patent office (via VGC), the PS5 controller could look very similar to the DualShock 4 - with some key differences. For a start, the potential PS5 controller seems to have a slightly chunkier design, built-in microphone, larger triggers, no light bar and smaller sticks. It also seems the DualShock 4's micro USB port has been replaced by a smaller USB-C port, which is placed on the top rather than the bottom of the controller. The lack of light bar does make us question how the PS5 would track the controller via when it comes to PSVR and PS Camera games. Usually this is done via the PS Camera, so we're hoping the console will have a different means of tracking the controller otherwise compatibility will suffer. Unless, of course, Sony is gearing up to move solely onto PSVR 2. However, this doesn't seem likely as Sony has promised the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PSVR. It also looks like the stereo headset jack and extension port at the bottom of the headset has been replaced by two larger circular ports. We think these will still be for plugging in headsets, but the two jacks could be headphone and microphone slots respectively, to increase compatibility with headsets. There's also a rectangular design that seems to wrap around the headset, which is potentially for compatibility with a charging dock. Again, this is all speculation on our part.
PS5 games
The entire PS4 library, including PSVR games, will be supported by the PS5. That much is known. But we're now hearing more about confirmed - and rumored - PS5 games. At this point, any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2, would be prime candidates for PS5 cross-gen upgrades. We've also heard enough chatter around a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel and new God of War game to assume we'll be seeing both land on the PS5 console. But what about third-party titles? We've had confirmation that Gearbox's new IP Godfall is coming exclusively to PS5, as is a new title from Bluepoint Studios. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters are all coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Meanwhile Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles - which probably means PS5. There's still no confirmation on what the PS5's launch titles will be but we're expecting first-party games to take the lead. In addition, Sony has confirmed the PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games in an effort to focus on "serious gamers".
What about a PS5 Pro?
A rumor has cropped up suggesting that Sony will cut to the chase and launch the PlayStation 5 Pro at the same time as its base-model PS5. As spotted by Wccftech, noted Japanese games journalist Zenji Nishikawa made the claim in a new video on his YouTube channel, and while that kind of thing normally wouldn't be considered a rock-solid lead, Nishikawa has proven accurate in the past with his predictions of the PS4 Pro and Switch Lite. According to Nishikawa, the PS5 Pro will cost around $100-$150 more than the basic PS5 console. The report states that Sony is taking this approach because it has "acknowledged the interest in a high-end model and wants to give players what they want right from the beginning of the generation".
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| Sony PS5 controller release date, news and confirmed features Posted: 29 Dec 2019 06:06 AM PST Looking for the latest news on the PS5 controller? Then look no further. Sony has officially announced the next-generation PlayStation 5 will land at the end of 2020 - along with a brand new PS5 controller to complement it. Although we don't know what its official name will be (or what it will look like), we do know that the PS5 controller will have a big focus on player immersion and feedback. This means shaking up the typical PlayStation controller formula with new features, and even doing away with the DualShock 4's classic rumble technology. Despite adding some great new features, it looks like - when it comes to design - the PS5 controller may stay true to the DualShock 4, with some minor aesthetic adjustments. We've gathered everything we know so far about the PS5 controller right here for your perusal, including confirmed features, the latest news and the juiciest rumors. [UPDATE: We may have got our first look at the PS5 controller – and it's pretty familiar. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the chase
PS5 controller release dateThe Sony PS5 controller will release alongside the PlayStation 5 at the end of 2020 – sometime between October and December. PS5 controller priceA price for the PS5 controller has not been confirmed yet, but with the PS4 controller retailing for around £40/$50, we expect the new controller to be just a bit more expensive – maybe around £60/$70. This is pure speculation at this point, based solely on the confirmed features and Sony's previous price strategy for controllers.
PS5 controller confirmed features
The PS5 controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. While rumble technology seen the PS4 controller vibrating intensely during particular in-game events, it wasn't particularly fine-tuned to the player's experience. Haptic feedback simulates touch, meaning the controller will output vibrations or movements to replicate a real-life touch experience. This aims to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player's immersion. The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. PS5 controller news and rumors
We may have got our first look at the upcoming PS5 controller, thanks to yet another leaked Sony patent. Published by the Japanese patent office (via VGC), the Sony Interactive Entertainment patent lays out designs for a new controller that looks very similar to the DualShock 4. Compared the the DualShock 4, the new controller design has some key differences. For a start, the potential PS5 controller seems to have a slightly chunkier design, built-in microphone, larger triggers, no light bar and smaller sticks. It also seems the DualShock 4's micro USB port has been replaced by a smaller USB-C port, which is placed on the top rather than the bottom of the controller. The lack of light bar does make us question how the PS5 would track the controller via when it comes to PSVR and PS Camera games. Usually this is done via the PS Camera, so we're hoping the console will have a different means of tracking the controller otherwise compatibility will suffer. Unless, of course, Sony is gearing up to move solely onto PSVR 2. However, this doesn't seem likely as Sony has promised the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PSVR. It also looks like the stereo headset jack and extension port at the bottom of the headset has been replaced by two larger circular ports. We think these will still be for plugging in headsets, but the two jacks could be headphone and microphone slots respectively, to increase compatibility with headsets. There's also a rectangular design that seems to wrap around the headset, which is potentially for compatibility with a charging dock. Again, this is all speculation on our part. Check it out below:
The design we've seen lines up with nearly everything we know about the PS5 controller so far. We already know the controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. Another recently published patent suggests back buttons of some sort are coming to the controller for the PS5 as well. These may well match the official Back Button Attachment that Sony sells for current DualShock 4 devices. Cloud gaming controller? In other words, a cloud gaming controller that works like a normal gamepad but has the benefit of connecting directly to WiFi - improving input efficiency and potentially unlocking next-level functions. "The controller device communicates directly to an access device for connection to a network that connects the controller device to the server without connecting to a client device", the patent states. "Wherein the server receives and processes the inputs to render gameplay video that is transmitted over the network for rendering to a display device that is local to the controller device." While it's possible this technology may be being developed for the PS5, and could be key in the PS5 controller, it's more likely we'll see it used for Sony's game streaming subscription service PlayStation Now. Sony recently slashed the subscription price for PS Now to take on Xbox Games Pass, but it could be this is actually part of a longer term plan to improve and invest in PS Now so it's in the position next-generation to take on upcoming game streaming services such as Google Stadia. Sony confirm PS5 controller PS5 release date
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| Sonos One equals its lowest ever price in this January sales bargain Posted: 29 Dec 2019 05:30 AM PST Spending some extended time at home at Christmas can get you dreaming of bolstering your wireless speaker system – and now is a great time to do just that, with the Sonos One speaker dropping to its lowest price on Amazon. This Alexa-enabled smart speaker fell to £148 for a short time during this year's Black Friday sales – and now it's equalled that price during the Boxing Day sales. (Not in the UK? Scroll down for the best Sonos One deals where you are). That's a generous saving of 25% on its usual price and it'll be wise to act quickly, as the offer only lasted for a few days during Black Friday. The Sonos One is currently our favourite smart speaker, thanks to its combination of Sonos' great sound quality and voice control smarts from the likes of Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. Rather than digging into the app to change tunes, this means you can just talk to Spotify and ask for it to skip tracks or play a particular song. Today's best Sonos One dealThe Sonos One's voice control isn't just restricted to music either – it also makes it a great smart home controller too, with the ability to control your smart lights and heating with voice commands. If you don't need these voice smarts, though, there is an alternative version called the Sonos One SL. This speaker is effectively a Sonos One without the voice control smarts and is even cheaper at £138 (or £139 for the White version), saving of 27%. The One SL is also a very solid update on the older Play:1, thanks to its more streamlined design and built-in support for Apple's Airplay 2. Not in the UK? Here are the best Sonos One deals where you are:
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| Want a robot vacuum? These Boxing Day deals are great, but they're going fast Posted: 29 Dec 2019 05:24 AM PST Want to automate your home cleaning so you don't have to worry about vacuuming? A robot vacuum is the best way to do that, and while they may not be for everyone some of today's discounts make it a no-brainer to pick one up if you're already looking for one. A variety of brands have been discounted on Amazon including Roomba and Eufy. We've reviewed products from both brands in the past, and can recommend them as they're more than useful if you want to automate your home cleaning. The Roomba listed below is far more high-tech than the other Eufy product, but it's also much more expensive. Act quickly to get these though as the discounts listed below are all set to run until 23:59 on December 29. Not in the UK? You may like some of the deals on robot vacuums you can see below: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Intel in 2019: the year of the missing processors Posted: 29 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST For anyone that's been following the computing industry over the last year, it's probably not too surprising or controversial to say that Intel hasn't had its best year ever. The Santa Clara chip manufacturer faced a number of challenges in 2019, from its own silicon shortages to recent developments in the ever-turning Intel vs AMD processor wars. But it wasn't all bad. Intel did release some very promising technology this year, mostly when it comes to its 10nm Ice Lake laptop chips that kick off a new age for Intel-based laptops that it's calling Project Athena.
All of this leaves Intel in a pretty interesting spot this year, and makes us intensely curious what it will be doing at CES 2020 and beyond - those desktop chips have to be somewhere, right? Either way, because 2019 is finally over and 2020 is peeking from around the corner, we're going to dive into all the major breakthroughs and defeats that Intel experienced in 2019, along with what we predict for 2020.
Kicking off Project AthenaBecause we knew that AMD would be releasing a slew of 7nm processors in 2019, we were expecting big 10nm moves from Intel in response. And, that's exactly what we got at CES 2019. Well, kind of. At the giant tech conference, Team Blue announced its new Sunny Cove architecture, built on a 10nm process, that would be behind the upcoming Ice Lake microarchitecture. What we didn't know at the time though, is that Sunny Cove would be almost entirely built for laptops, rather than desktops. Essentially, Intel was hinting at a mobile platform that wouldn't come out for months, along with Lakefield, a new hybrid CPU architecture meant to take on Qualcomm's increased competition with the likes of the new Qualcomm 8cx chipset found in the Surface Pro X. But, even though this was announced way back at CES 2019, we still haven't seen it materialize into an actual product.
In fact, we didn't hear more about Ice Lake until Computex 2019, which was a whole five months later. At the giant computing event in Taipei, Intel spilled more details on Ice Lake, and how it would in fact be shipping in 2019. Some clarification was also given on what Project Athena actually was - rather, is. Rather than a single product or CPU microarchitecture, it is a multi-year-long initiative that would see Team Blue pushing mobile computing further, improving AI and power efficiency to produce more accessible computing for everyone. When Ice Lake laptops started to hit the streets in September 2019, we noticed that a lot of them were more power efficient and mobile, but we've yet to see how Intel's AI focus will truly impact your average consumer. We've heard about how your computer would be able to learn what users need the most power for, and intelligently boosting performance around these personalized tasks, but there just isn't an excellent way to test that for ourselves quite yet.
Another mobile architectureIce Lake wasn't the only mobile architecture on offer by Intel this year. Comet Lake also managed to power a lot of the best laptops this year, but there was a catch: it was still based on the same 14nm process as Intel's been stuck on for years. This meant that these chips weren't much of an improvement over 2018's Whiskey Lake. And for the most part it seems like there were far more laptops with Comet Lake than Ice Lake, perhaps because the new 10nm Sunny Cove architecture is in shorter supply. We just hope that in 2020, Intel can go all-in on 10nm.
A single mainstream desktop chip?Also at Computex 2019, Intel announced the Core i9-9900KS, a "special edition" of the Intel Core i9-9900K with an all-core boost clock of 5.0GHz. The only problem was that the Core i9-9900K really had no problem hitting that via overclocking, providing you had a halfway-decent cooling solution. When we finally got our hands on the Intel Core i9-9900KS for review, we found that it was only marginally faster than the original chip at stock settings, which was pretty disappointing. That alone wouldn't have been a huge deal, but 2019 marked the first year that Intel did not release a new desktop lineup of processors, leaving AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation to take over the desktop market completely unopposed. Intel fell behind AMD both in performance and market share, which was only exacerbated by some bizarre claims made by its marketing. This is definitely something that Intel needs to improve on in 2020 if it wants to remain competitive in the desktop space. Intel still has a leg-up when it comes to single-core performance (which is especially important in PC games), but that gap narrows with every single generation, and if Intel doesn't do something, AMD will absolutely come out on top in 2020 in that area, as well.
Those HEDT price cutsIn 2018 Intel only just managed to pull ahead of Threadripper 2nd Generation, but with a higher price tag. We expected the same thing to happen this year as well, with Intel tackling Threadripper 3rd Generation directly. But reality, as always, is stranger than fiction. We heard that Cascade Lake-X processors would be coming out in November 2019, and that they'd be significantly cheaper than prior generations, to the tune of as much as 50%. And while we haven't had a chance to get a full review of the Intel Core i9-10980XE, our own internal testing points to a chip that's slower than AMD's Ryzen 9 3950X. Not only is that chip cheaper, but it's on the mainstream X570 platform which is also more affordable than the Intel X399 motherboard you'll need to actually use the 10980XE. Intel has essentially reached the limit of what it can do on the 14nm process, and it will absolutely need to move to 7nm across its desktop platforms to remain relevant in 2020.
Intel in 2020In a lot of ways, 2020 is going to be a make-or-break year for Intel: if it doesn't innovate in the desktop space, Team Blue is going to be all but irrelevant. Hopefully, CES 2020, which is right around the corner, will give us some hint as to what we can expect from the 10th-generation desktop lineup of processors, especially because Coffee Lake Refresh came out so long ago. We're also expecting the veil to be lifted from Intel Xe graphics cards, but we would expect those to be shown off at Computex 2019, as that show is all about breakthrough computing technology. Beyond that, we fully expect Project Athena to develop even more, delivering laptops that can truly last all day in chassis that we can easily toss in our bag without even noticing the weight difference. Tiger Lake is promising to be at least an interesting mobile platform, and the replacement for Ice Lake may even be the first glance we get of Xe graphics - sometimes things come in the weirdest packages. At the end of the day, we want nothing more than for Intel to remain competitive across the entire computing landscape. AMD is on top of the world right now, providing Intel with competition it hasn't faced in years. But, if Intel doesn't adapt and provide some meaningful improvements in the desktop space, we could see the processor market becoming stagnant again in a few years. 2020 will likely give us a pretty good idea of whether or not that will happen.
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| Why IPv6 is not gaining traction despite depletion of IPv4 addresses globally? Posted: 29 Dec 2019 04:08 AM PST Why hasn’t the adoption rate of the sixth generation of Internet Protocol (IPv6) gained traction despite the many warnings issued by many international organisations including RIPE NCC, the regional internet registry overseeing IT infrastructure in Europe, Middle East and portions of Asia? Chafic Chaya, Regional Communications Manager for Middle East at RIPE NCC, told TechRadar Middle East that its partly because of using technical workaround solutions and the misconception that there is no demand from the end-users, that little content is reachable over IPv6 or that Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) such as modems are not geared to connect over IPv6. However, he said that major content providers such as YouTube, Facebook and Netflix are increasingly reachable over IPv6, and as outdated CPE is replaced by modern IPv6-compatible gear. Furthermore, he said that the (IPv4) pool has been exhausted in November this year, which means that networks in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia are no longer able to receive “new” IPv4 addresses. Vincentas Grinius, CEO of IPv4 lease marketplace Heficed, said that the global IPv4 address depletion remains an issue for growing organisations that are not ready for the switch to IPv6. He said that IPV4 is a hot topic right now and will be for the next 10 years as the internet penetration rate is growing fast and the IPv6 does not cover the whole of the internet. The IPV6 was introduced in 1999 but only 25% of the internet is accessible over IPv6 in the last 20 years while the rest 75% is on IPv4. With IPv4, the internet can have 32-bit addresses and provides approximately 4.3 billion addresses but with IPv6, it can have trillions and trillions of addresses at 128 bit.
Investment is biggest hurdleThe IPv6 is highly important due to the dearth of internet protocols and the inability of IPv4 to meet the growing demand in light of the rapid growth of the internet. The demand for IPv6 will grow as more internet of things devices are going to be connected to the network. Salam Yamout, Regional Director for Middle East at the Internet Society, said that all the networks in the Arab region are relatively new and they don’t have any issues to go on IPv6 but unless everyone moves to the IPV6, the network operators have to maintain both IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time. Grinius said that the investment for IPv6 is the biggest hurdle and so, IPv4 is gone stay for a while. Chaya said that networks are increasingly employing complex workarounds to compensate for a shortage of IPv4 addresses. However, he said that workarounds such as Carrier-Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) – sharing multiple users by IP - add to the running costs for an operator and this also makes Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) work difficult and challenging to pinpoint the culprits behind cybercrime. “While network engineers might be up to the task at a technical level, other immediate business concerns often end up taking priority due to a modest awareness at the C-level and decision-makers,” he said. Grinius added that some organisations are in control of thousands of IPV4 addresses, and about 20% are often unused. “They hold on to the IP addresses, either for future growth or to sell it when they get a better price,” he said. IPv4 addresses, originally a free resource, have become a commodity and a strategic asset for businesses. IPv4 prices are going upAccording to Ripe NCC, UAE was the second country in the Middle East to transform to IPv6 after Saudi Arabia. “We need another two decades or more to get IPv6 up and running. However, IPv4 prices are going up quickly. Right now, the price momentum is around 25-30% per year. A year ago, IPv4 price used to be around $18 but now, it has gone up to $25 per IP address,” Grinius. People can buy an IPv6 address from a register by becoming a member for $1,500 per year and an IPv4 address can be leased for a minimum of 25 cents a month. The right solution for small- and medium-sized businesses or enterprises, instead of purchasing an IP address, he said is to lease an IP address. However, Grinius said the market is hardly regulated and scattered throughout countless IP address brokers, leading to murky practices and pricing. He said the demand and supply are growing fast and the biggest demand is from the US, Europe and Asian region. We work with many Arab countries, including the UAE. Chaya said that a shortage of IPv4 addresses create a lot of problems for a network that is looking to grow or add new users, many networks today are attempting to mitigate this scarcity by acquiring surplus addresses from other networks via the IPv4 transfer market or brokers, or by deploying address sharing technologies such as CGNAT. “While these approaches may make sense in the immediate term, neither one solves the underlying problem – which is that there are not enough addresses in IPv4 to support an internet that is as large as the one we have today,” he said. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Huawei P40 release date, news and leaks Posted: 29 Dec 2019 04:08 AM PST The upcoming Huawei P40 is one of the tech industry's biggest enigmas – will it actually ever be released or not? Despite Huawei's claims the phone will land in March, we're unsure. Because of the ongoing Huawei ban, new smartphones from the company can't use any Google apps (including the Play Store), greatly restricting their capabilities and value versus other smartphones. When the Huawei Mate 30 Pro launched it had no such apps, and we couldn't even give it a full review as a result. Despite the dubious future laid out for Huawei's handsets, we're eagerly anticipating the upcoming P40 smartphone. The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro from 2019 are some of our favorite phones, and the latter topped our best camera phones list for a long time. Still, smartphones are a competitive industry, and with near-constant flow of new phone launches bringing with newer upgrades, the Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro will need to arrive with significant upgrades to be relevant. Latest news: Huawei has confirmed that the Huawei P40 will land in March, as well as teasing other details. Also, an analyst predicts the P40 Pro will come with 10x optical zoom. With the Samsung Galaxy S11 likely landing just before the Huawei P40, and the iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy Note 11 and more coming later in 2020, the phone is going to need to impress us a lot to be considered one of the best of the year. We’ve listed what we want to see in the Huawei P40 below, as well as what we already know or have heard rumored. We'll be constantly updating this article with all the latest Huawei P40 leaks and rumors as they happen, to bring you the best idea of what to expect ahead of the handset's official launch. Cut to the chase
Huawei P40 release date and priceHuawei has confirmed that the Huawei P40 will be announced in Paris at the end of March. This comes as no surprise, since the P30 and P30 Pro were unveiled in Paris in March 2019, and the P20 and P20 Pro launch event look place in March 2018. That means it won't be appearing at MWC 2020, but we don't yet know the exact launch date. This post-MWC timing makes sense, as Huawei likes to separate its phone launches from other big tech events. It had previously launched new P series handsets at MWC in Barcelona at the end of February, but that's a show which features a huge number of launches and it gets more exposure by delaying by a couple of weeks and holding its own event in March. The Huawei P40 price is a more interesting conversation. At launch the Huawei P30 cost £699 / AU$1,099 (roughly $910), and the P30 Pro started at £899 (AU$1,599, around $1,140), which were both pricier than the previous year’s entries. We’re expecting that trend to be followed in 2020 if the phones are as much of a tech upgrade as we’re hoping, so you could see the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro inch closer towards premium phones. One thing we’re not expecting though? For the Huawei P40 to be available in the US, as previous Huawei phones haven’t been. Huawei P40 news and rumorsWe haven't heard too many Huawei P40 rumors, but there is a little we've got to go on right now. The first piece of news is the biggest: despite the Huawei ban throwing the future of the company into disarray, it seems like Huawei still plans to launch the Huawei P40 globally. Even if the ban is still in place when the phone is set to release, the launch will go ahead – the handset will just come without Google apps. This might make it a little useless, since most people only use a smartphone for its apps. A Huawei exec has also said that the P40 will have a "never seen" design, suggesting big changes to the look, and that it will run Android 10 (without Google services), and have performance and photo quality improvements. Speaking of the camera, we've also seen a leaked image of the Huawei P40 camera bump – well, a side-on glimpse, at least. The rear lump seems to be in the top-left of the phone's back, same as in the Huawei P30, and it doesn't seem too intrusive either, at least compared to devices from other companies. There's no word on the Huawei P40 camera specs just yet, but that camera bump looks pretty large, leading us to believe it will house at least four snappers. The Huawei P30 Pro had a camera bump housing three cameras but a fourth to the side, so the fact the leaked image seems to show four cameras doesn't mean the device won't have more. The Huawei P40 Pro could come with an improved 10x optical zoom with a redesigned periscope lens array, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as part of a greater prediction of increased zoom capability in all 2020 smartphones. No indication of whether zoom will improve with the standard P40; its predecessor maxed out at 3x optical and didn't have the periscope design. What we want to see1. A new camera lensWhen the Huawei P30 Pro came out with four lenses, it was one of the first smartphones to do so, and even the P30’s three were impressive. But now more affordable smartphones have four cameras, like the Honor 20, so one way for Huawei to continue its photography dominance, and distinguish itself from the competition, would be to add yet another lens.
Our top choice for this extra lens would be a Motorola One Action-style 'Action Cam' for recording video, as video-specific cameras are things we haven’t seen too much in cameras. An anamorphic lens would also be great for recording video, as that type of lens is used by professional film-makers as it letterboxes the footage and captures lens flare, with other perks too. 2. Wireless chargingThis is something we ask for in every new phone, as it’s a feature that’s becoming bigger over time, but wireless charging on the Huawei P40 would be a really useful feature that would fit its premium status. We’re hopeful this feature will be added – the Huawei P30 Pro had wireless charging, as did the Mate 20 Pro, so it’s probably on a matter of time before Huawei brings the feature to its non-pro phones.
The P30 Pro 3. Improved display technologyIf we were to sum up the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro displays, it’d be ‘good not great’ – the OLED are HDR10, which is fine for viewing content, but nothing on competitors with QuadHD or even 4K displays. Huawei is always trying to be competitive in the camera department, and to view increasingly amazing pictures you’re going to need better and better displays, so it would make sense for Huawei to update its range. Perhaps by fitting the Huawei P40 with AMOLED tech in the screen, with QuadHD or even 4K, Huawei could stay ahead of the competition. 4. Keep the notchWe’d like the Huawei P40 to keep the notch of the P30. This is something of a controversial stance, so stay with us here – but we don’t want Huawei to follow the trend of increasingly bizarre and gimmicky notch alternatives. The reason for this is that, currently, there are no better solutions to the front-facing camera problem. Punch-hole cut-outs take up as much, if not more space, and pop-up cameras are a gimmick that can be an inconvenience when done well, and very annoying when not. It’d be good if Huawei could shrink the P30 Pro’s notch, which is rather thick, but the P30’s is slim and inoffensive compared to that of many other phones. Better to imitate this than try something different, that ends up backfiring. 5. A redesigned user interfaceThis is going to be less of a controversial opinion – we’d like Huawei to redesign EMUI, its own-brand user interface, in time for the Huawei P40.
EMUI Currently, EMUI is arguably rather bright (some would call it garish), and it comes with quite a bit of bloatware that you’ll find yourself uninstalling straight away. Chinese phone manufacturers frequently have UIs that are popular in China, but not as much elsewhere, and EMUI is a prime example. If Huawei could dust up this UI for the Huawei P40 (which may be a simple task if the phone runs on Harmony OS), it’d certainly be much more pleasant to use. 6. Even further camera zoom distanceOne of the most impressive Huawei P30 features was the digital and optical zoom available on the camera, but we’d like to be wowed again if the Huawei P40 zoom saw an upgrade. The Huawei P30 allowed for 3x optical zoom and 30x digital, and the P30 Pro saw up to 5x optical and 50x digital – that’s pretty impressive sight. But now that smartphones like the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom support a crazy 60x zoom (despite the name), Huawei is going to have to pull out the big guns to keep competitive. Perhaps we could see an improved telephoto lens in the P40 and P40 Pro, as well as a better megapixel count so that digital zoom creates less grainy results. 7. Dual-lens front cameraHuawei’s smartphones are noted for their rear camera arrays, but we’d like to see the Huawei P40 cameras on the front to also allow for competition-crushing pictures, and the best way for Huawei to achieve this would be by having multiple front-facing cameras.
We’ve already seen this done in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, which has two cameras on the front which ‘see’ depth in order to add appropriate ‘bokeh’ background blur. If there was something similar in Huawei’s upcoming phones, even just the Huawei P40 Pro, it’d give the device a competitive edge. 8. Increased IP protection ratingWhile the Huawei P30 Pro had IP68 protection, making it pretty much accident-proof (it means it’s dust resistant, and can be submerged up to 2 metres for half an hour), the P30 was had only an IP53 rating, so it was dust and splash protected, but if you dunk it in the bath along with your P30 Pro, it’s not turning on afterwards. We’d like the Huawei P40 to have resistance to match its P40 Pro counterpart – we don’t like having to worry about the safety of our smartphone at all times, and if the P40 could match the P30 Pro’s protection, it’d help us sleep safe and sound at night (and by bodies of water). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pokémon Go’s wayspot contributions disabled due to ‘overwhelming response’ Posted: 29 Dec 2019 04:06 AM PST Earlier this year, Niantic announced its Wayfarer Tool for Pokémon Go which would finally allow players to have some influence on key points on the game’s map. The tool's various features have been steadily rolling out to players in limited numbers, however, shortly after launching a Gym and PokéStops contributions system, Niantic has been forced to suspend it due to “overwhelming response” from players. It almost takes you back to those early days of Pokémon Go in 2016, when the game’s servers couldn’t quite keep up with the amount of player demand. This time, however, Niantic is getting ahead of the issue and acting first by turning off the tool to “avoid stability issues”. Proving popularIf you’ve been away from Pokémon Go for a while, or you missed the announcement with all the festive distractions, Niantic’s Wayfarer Tool is part of Niantic’s efforts to improve the Pokémon Go experience. The wider idea of the Wayfarer Tool is that it allows players (currently only those over level 40 in Pokémon Go) to nominate and review new locations for PokéStops and Gyms as well as make edits to existing ones. The hope is that allowing community contributions will encourage players to get out and explore while the review and improvements system will keep locations and information accurate and informative. The contributions system which has been disabled allows players over level 40 to make suggestions for changes to current locations. The changes that can be made include titles, descriptions and photos. Niantic has made it clear that PokéStop and Gym contributions won’t be offline forever but it hasn’t given any indication as to when they'll be back. The only thing it’s said is that there will be an update on its social media channels when things are up and running again. In the meantime, Pokémon Go's Holiday event is running from now until the new year, with special festive Pokémon to catch and bonuses to enjoy. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| iPhone 12 release date, leaks and what we're expecting Posted: 29 Dec 2019 04:03 AM PST We'll say it now: the iPhone 12 needs to be a huge change to Apple's smartphone. The iPhone 11 range brought very little in terms of an upgrade. With new camera tweaks and some more power inside, they were modest updates to the popular iPhone range. So what will the next iPhone - the first of a new decade - bring? Is Apple going to give us a truly new iPhone? The good news is that in the build up to the iPhone 11 launch we heard lots of rumors and leaks of a much-altered iPhone. These include the possibility of a 5G iPhone model, new cameras, a new design, a supercharged screen... if all of those rumor prove right for the next-gen device, then the iPhone 12 could be the big upgrade we’re hoping for. We've mixed together all the latest leaks and updates on the new iPhone in the article below, and added in some thoughts on what we're expecting, based on well over a decade of monitoring the growing rumor mill around the latest iPhone... Update: It's looking ever more likely that Apple will launch four different iPhone 12 models next year, and we now have a better idea of how they might differ. Cut to the chase
iPhone 12 release date and priceThere aren't any official iPhone 12 release date rumors as yet, but come on - we're almost certain that we know when it'll appear. Apple launches its new phones almost metronomically, and while every year there's a rumor of it changing, it's always held to a similar time. Firstly, the new iPhone release date will definitely be September 2020 - and it's always around the second week. So we're going to guess that we'll see Apple unveil the iPhone 12 on 8 September (or possibly 15 September if it wants to hit a later on-sale date). You'll be able to pick it up 10 days after that, so you'll need a Friday off work if you're desperate to get your hands on one..
When it comes to the iPhone 12 price, it’s likely to stay broadly in line with the current models. For reference, the iPhone 11 starts at $699 / £729 / AU$1,199, the iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,749, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899. Having said that, one report suggests that the cost of materials for the iPhone 12 range might go up, which could mean even higher prices at retail. iPhone 12 nameFirst things first: we're pretty confident the 2020 Apple phones will be called the iPhone 12 series, not the 11S or similar thanks to an industry analyst (with a great track record) saying as such. That's why we're calling it the iPhone 12, even though Apple hasn't confirmed this name. Others might be calling it the iPhone 2020 or the 'new iPhone' - but we're not thinking that will be the moniker Apple plumps for. iPhone 12 designApple could be making some big changes to the design and screen for the iPhone 12 range, including getting rid of the notch. Or at least, one of the upcoming phones might lack a notch according to analysts, with the front-facing camera potentially set to be embedded under the screen instead. If this happens we’d expect it to be the most expensive iPhone 12 model that has this feature – likely the iPhone 12 Pro Max, or whatever it launches as. Another leak suggests Apple is developing new Face ID tech which will lead to a redesigned and potentially slimmer notch. Allegedly, the company is trying out several combinations, including ones that minimize the front-facing optics so much that they fit in the top bezel. We might get more than just a notch removal, with Kuo also saying that he expects the metal frame to be more like the iPhone 4’s frame, suggesting it won’t be curved like on current models. He also says that overall the design is likely to be “significantly” different to current iPhone models. That leak affirmed several much-rumored trends, like the iPhone 12 Pro versions adding a time-of-flight sensor, the budget flagship adding a telephoto lens, and series-wide support for 5G as well as finally switching to USB-C. It might not just be the camera that’s built into the screen either, as Apple is also rumored to be equipping its next phones with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.
This would be a big change for the brand, since current models don’t have a fingerprint scanner at all. That said, if the camera really is in-screen then it might not be possible to have all the Face ID sensors, so it could be that this fingerprint scanner will replace Face ID, though we're not convinced Apple would go that far. A new display for the iPhone 12?One or more 2020 iPhone models might also have a 120Hz refresh rate, up from 60Hz on current models. This – which has been rumored by a reputable leaker - could make interactions feel smoother. This is a claim we've now heard more than once, and some phones already have higher refresh rates than 60Hz, as do some iPads, so this isn’t unbelievable. The screen sizes could be changing too, with respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo saying that the iPhone 12 Pro Max could have a 6.7-inch screen (up from 6.5 inches on the iPhone 11 Pro Max), and the iPhone 12 Pro could have a 5.45-inch screen (down from 5.8 inches on the iPhone 11 Pro). He adds that the standard iPhone 12 will apparently stay at 6.1 inches, but will get upgraded from LCD to OLED. That’s a claim we’ve heard more than once, and would mean all three 2020 iPhones would have an OLED screen. Another source has broadly agreed, but said to expect a 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone 12 Pro. They also said that the two Pro models will use a form of OLED that's both thinner and cheaper to produce than the screens used in the iPhone 11 Pro range. That could mean lower prices, but we wouldn't count on it.
Elsewhere we've heard a similar selection of sizes, but that Apple could launch four new models in September. According to an analyst, Apple will launch a 6.7-inch phone, a 5.4-inch one, and two 6.1-inch ones. They don't go into any more detail but that suggests there will be both a top-end and slightly lower end model in a 6.1-inch size, if this claim is accurate. And it might well be, because it's claim that we've now heard again, this time from reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who adds that all four models will have OLED screens and 5G, but that one of the 6.1-inch models and the 5.4-inch one will have two rear cameras, while the other two models will have three. iPhone 12 specs and cameraAnother big change could take the form of 5G, which has been widely rumored for the iPhone 12. Kuo even says that he thinks all three models will support 5G. We fully expect at least one of them will, given that multiple sources have suggested as much and that a number of other phones already support 5G. That could well be supported by a 5nm A14 Bionic processor inside the iPhone 12 - what that means for the average consumer is an iPhone with an even longer battery life and more power than ever. That would be rather impressive, given the iPhone battery life is currently the best we've ever seen from Apple. The RAM could also get a boost, with analysts claiming that the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have 6GB of the stuff, up from 4GB on their predecessors - though the standard iPhone 12 will apparently stick with 4GB. The iPhone 12 might also get a camera upgrade, with a laser-powered 3D camera rumored for inclusion. This would be on the back, and while only one rumor mentions lasers, another also talks about a depth-sensing snapper, so this might well be something we see in some form. Finally, there’s an outside chance that Apple could add a fourth handset to its line-up in 2020, likely the iPhone SE 2 (but with a different name). By the sounds of things this could be a lower-end option, but we’d take its existence with a serious side of salt. What we want to see from the new iPhoneThe iPhone 11 range is a strong - but safe, and thus a bit dull - upgrade for Apple. So for the iPhone 12 we want to see bigger, riskier changes, such as the following. 1. Exciting new featuresFirst things first - the new iPhone needs to be good. Brilliant. Better than expected. We’re talking things that we haven’t even thought of. Things that we’re hoping Apple’s brightest minds are currently dreaming up in the company’s labs. This might sound like a very vague request, but Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world and if any brand could make a decent folding handset, or one with detachable VR glasses, it's Cook's Crew. Because a tweaked design and improved specs are expected, ordinary, and no longer enough as consumers are holding onto their handsets for longer than ever. Come on Apple, give us something mind-blowing. 2. A new design
Perhaps the thing we want most from the iPhone 12 is a new design. Apple has been rolling out basically the same design for several years now, ever since it refreshed the look with the iPhone X. Sure, some things get tweaked, but the core is the same. And it’s starting to look a bit dated. That’s thanks mostly to the large notch, which might be necessary for all the camera components needed for Face ID, but which we’d like to see shrunk or removed if possible. Beyond that, we’d really like a whole new look. There’s not too much wrong with the rest of the iPhone 11 Pro’s design, but it certainly feels overly familiar at this point. 3. An in-screen everythingWe’d like the iPhone 12 to have an all-screen front, and one way to achieve that is to move the front-facing camera under the display. If Apple can effectively achieve that, it’s sure to impress. While it’s on, we’d like Apple to re-add a fingerprint scanner, for those times when Face ID isn’t working quite as slickly as it should. But we want this in the screen too, or better yet, make the whole screen one big fingerprint scanner, as it has been rumored Apple might be planning for a future phone. 4. A higher refresh rate
One way some companies are further improving their displays is by upping the refresh rate from the standard 60Hz. The OnePlus 7 Pro for example has an optional 90Hz refresh rate, while the Razer Phone 2 goes up to 120Hz. This can help make interactions with the handset and animations feel silky smooth, so we’d like to see Apple offer a higher refresh rate of its own. It’s not out of the question, especially as some iPad Pro models have a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Indeed, exactly that refresh rate has been rumored for the upcoming iPhones. 5. Further battery boostsFor the first time in years, with the iPhone 11 range it feels like Apple has really prioritized battery life in its phones, but we want the company to go even further with the iPhone 12. Or at the very least not go backwards. We’re still waiting on an iPhone that can comfortably last two days, and we’d like the iPhone 12 (or at least the iPhone 12 Pro Max) to be it. 6. 5G support
Apple is behind when it comes to 5G, as none of the iPhone 11 range offer it, while rival handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G do. Apple’s lack of support isn’t a big deal right now, as 5G coverage is still very sparse in most countries, but by the time the iPhone 12 launches it will be more widely available and a large number of other handsets will support it, so it will be time for Apple to jump on board. The good news is that it’s heavily rumored that 2020’s iPhones will support 5G, so this is one thing we’re likely to get. 7. A lower priceWe ask for this every year with new iPhones and this year we actually kind of got it, with the base iPhone 11 starting at less than the iPhone XR did. So it’s actually not impossible that we could see an even lower price – or a reduced price for the rest of the range – with the iPhone 12. We wouldn’t count on it, but Apple’s more affordable phones are typically its best-selling in recent years, so there should be some incentive to cut costs where possible.
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| The cheapest iPad deal of the year is live now in the January sales Posted: 29 Dec 2019 03:38 AM PST You can still buy the 10.2-inch 2019 iPad for just £289 at Currys in the early January sales. This is the cheapest we've seen the latest iPad all year, and we didn't expect stock to last this long - so if you're interested, we'd advise you move fast. The new 10.2-inch iPad has the same excellent A10 processor as the previous 9.7-inch version, but comes with more RAM tucked away under the hood. Even with 32GB capacity, you’ve still got plenty of headroom for all those great apps and streaming on iCloud. The 2019 iPad is already great value with a vibrant 10.2-inch screen, and excellent peripheral support in the form of the new Smart Keyboard Folio and Apple Pencil. It’s quite simply brilliant at the basics, and a great entry into the world of Apple tablets. This, coupled with a solid, premium build quality, means you can't really go wrong - whether it's a gift for yourself or someone else. TechRadar's own Matt Swider gave the tablet a glowing appraisal in his iPad 10.2 review, highlighting the performance upgrade and great introductory price. One thing to note is that although the new iPad has great accessories, the Smart Keyboard cover and are sold separately. All this can add up quite quickly, but you can still have a great experience with the standalone package. If you’re more interested in the iPad Pro or Air then why not head over to our roundup of the best cheap iPad deals here. If Android is more your thing then check out the cheapest Samsung tablet prices. Not in the UK? Check out the best iPad January sales in your region below. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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