Apple : Intel is coming for AMD if these leaked Comet Lake specs are any indication |
- Intel is coming for AMD if these leaked Comet Lake specs are any indication
- Tech trends that need to die in 2020
- Bitdefender has the best antivirus for 2020 and you can get a discount now
- Top 10 most influential gaming moments of the last decade
- Best domain registrars in 2020
- The best year-end sales of 2019: deals from Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy & more
- Best CDN providers of 2020 to speed up any website
- Amazon Ring cameras could be easily hacked
- Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2020
- US Military advises against DNA kits
- Best cloud hosting services in 2020
- Xero reflects on a successful 2019
- Predicting workplace stress using technology
- This ace £29 a month Samsung S10 deal also gets you a free Galaxy Watch Active
- Shooting stars: the 10 most exciting cameras of 2020
- Limited time iPhone 11 deals - you'll have to get in quick to grab these bargains
- Tencent targets video conferencing
- Super Bowl 2020 live stream: how to watch the game online for free and without commercials
- Chinese hackers bypass 2FA
- IoT giant exposes millions of customer details online
| Intel is coming for AMD if these leaked Comet Lake specs are any indication Posted: 30 Dec 2019 01:26 PM PST Just a little while ago we were able to catch a glimpse of the Intel Core i3-10300, a hyperthreaded entry-level chip from the upcoming Intel Comet Lake-S lineup. But, now, thanks to a new leak, we may have seen the entire range of 10th-generation desktop processors. Some leaked slides from Intel appeared on Informatica Cero showing a broad lineup of desktop processors, from the 4-core, 16-thread Intel Core i3-10100 to the 10-core, 20-thread Intel Core i9-10900K. If these leaks are to be believed, we should see some much improved multi-core performance out of Intel in 2020.
But the leaks go even further. In some now-removed slides on VideoCardz, we got to see some more detailed information about the new lineup. For instance, Comet Lake-S processors will apparently feature up to a 4.8GHz all-core turbo, which will result in some extremely fast performance when the processors are pushed to their limits. What we don't know yet is if it'll hold a candle to AMD. Here are the processors that were leaked, along with their single-core Turbo speeds:
According to these leaked slides, core counts see a modest bump up from 8 cores to 10 in the flagship Core i9-10900K. But unless the processor sees a healthy price cut a lá Cascade Lake-X, we're not sure how well it will hold up against AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors, the flagship of which has 16 cores. Another mystery here is how much further Intel can push performance without it moving to 10nm. Comet Lake will still be based on Intel's 14nm manufacturing process, and we just have to wonder just how much further speed and efficiency can be pushed there. Either way, with how fast these leaks are coming out, our guess is that we'll learn much more about these processors at CES 2020, which is rapidly approaching.
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| Tech trends that need to die in 2020 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 01:00 PM PST Over the last decade we’ve seen things people wouldn’t believe. Samsungs on fire over our shoulder. We watched Windows Phones glitter in the dark near Bill Gates. Many of those moments are already lost in time, like tears in the rain. But some other awful things endure, and it’s time they got in the sea. When it comes to naming the tech trends we’d like to see the back of, we’re spoilt for choice: hardware you can’t upgrade, surveillance tech you can’t evade, streaming service exclusives and Windows Flipping Updates. But despite their obvious irritations, they aren’t the worst. Far from it. These are the ones we love to hate, the tech trends we’d like to see the back of in the 2020s.
Style over substanceYou know who we’re going to pick on here. The 2010s were the decade when Apple’s designers ruled the school at the expense of practicality, when 'it just works' became 'it doesn’t work, but it looks brilliant'. Remember the MacBook Pro keyboard that couldn’t handle people typing on it? The Mac Pro that didn’t so much put form over function as throw function in the bin, set the bin on fire and push the bin off a cliff? The MacBook with a single USB port that meant you couldn’t charge it and use an external device at the same time? And don’t get us started on the iPhone headphone jack, the location of the charging point on the second-generation Magic Mouse or the clown car of remotes that ships with the Apple TV. The good news is that Apple appears to have belatedly realised this, so for example the new 16-inch MacBook Pro has a proper keyboard again. Here’s to more slightly duller but more user-friendly design decisions this decade.
Subscriptions for everythingYou’re in a cafe. You ask for a coffee, but the barista won’t take your money. They want your bank details, because you can’t just buy coffee any more. You need to sign up to the Vibrate My Eyeballs Mega Super Deal Member Plan. You get seven days free and you can cancel at any time but if you forget it’s $79.99 a month. That’s pretty much where tech is now. The slow march of subscriptions didn’t stop with TV and movies. Today you don’t just need six different streaming subs to cover the programmes you want to watch and the songs you want to stream. You need your photo storage sub and your online gaming sub and your Creative Cloud sub and the Patreons you support and the sub that unlocks the filters in your photo app and your wireless security camera sub and the eighty-six different subs you’ve had to take out because nobody lets you just buy an app any more and you look at the graph in your online banking app and you ask yourself, hey! How did I get here? And the short answer is: cheapskates, mainly. Cheapskates who wouldn’t pay for stuff even when it was reasonably priced, so the people who make stuff started to see too many ribs poking through their T-shirts and decided the only way they’d actually get to eat was to make the entrance fee zero and then hit everybody with a sub to actually make things work. And that’s fine, and it’s fair, and it’s OK until the day when that check doesn’t clear or the client doesn’t pay and your bank account is full of cobwebs and your email app has 17 messages telling you there appears to be a problem with your payment method and nothing works anymore.
Launches for tech that doesn’t workEver since everyone discovered that the original iPhone demo featured a phone held together with duct tape and sheer force of will we’ve had to sit through tech launches where execs will quite happily burble on about products that don’t work. Take Samsung, for example: in their rush to market a folding phone, they forgot to make sure that the folding bit of the Samsung Galaxy Fold could handle being folded and unfolded. This is rather like a parachute company forgetting to put the parachutes into its backpacks, or a shark repellent manufacturer not checking that its product actually repels sharks. And before the Apple fans get too smug here, one word: AirPower. A charger so advanced, so beyond what anybody else is capable of doing that, er, Apple wasn’t capable of doing it either. So here’s our request to the tech industry. If you’re going to make shit up, if you’re going to announce products you know you can’t make and that you might never be able to make properly, go crazy! Show us holographic heli-trousers! AR glasses that reveal our enemies’ most shameful thoughts! An affordable, rock-solid triple-A streaming games platform with minimal hardware, 4K resolution and zero lag! OK, maybe not that last one. Too far-fetched.
Dockless electric scootersIt’s not much of a stretch for dockless electric scooters to get in the sea when so many of them get in the rivers, in the canals, in the storm drains and anywhere else where drunk and/or lazy people can throw them. They’re still illegal in the UK but in many parts of the US they’ve become a curse: blocking sidewalks, being dumped all over the place and causing all kinds of problems for pedestrians and local authorities. The problem with dockless scooters isn’t the tech, or even the fact that some – critics would say many – riders are awful. It’s that the companies behind them are 'disruptive', which is tech-speak for 'irresponsible and of dubious legality'. The same story repeats: operator appears from nowhere, doesn’t apply for a licence, floods the streets and expects the council to pay for clearing up their mess. It’s Facebook’s 'move fast and break things' strategy taken far too literally. It’d be a shame if bad business practices spoiled the scooter party, though: if they’re not being thrown into bits of the environment, they can be better for the environment than cars.
Facebook PortalWhat could go wrong with a Facebook-connected camera in your home, apart from absolutely everything? All personal digital assistants are potentially sinister, of course. But Facebook’s rivals haven’t spent most of the last decade demonstrating their complete disregard for people’s privacy. How many times have we heard senior FB execs apologise, say they haven’t lived up to their usual high standards and promise to do better after yet another privacy scandal? You know how Portal will pan out: Facebook will promise not to listen to or look at anyone without permission, and then an accident or a leak will make it clear that Facebook has been listening to and looking at a whole bunch of people without permission – just like it’s continuing to record and monetise your location data even when you’ve said no to location sharing with the Facebook app. Facebook will then apologise, say that it hasn’t lived up to its usual high standards and promise to do better. Expecting Facebook not to try and analyse and monetise Portal video and audio is like expecting your dog to ignore a plate of sausages you’ve left on the worktop. Oh sure, they’ll give you those big sad eyes when you come home, but they’ve still eaten your dinner. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bitdefender has the best antivirus for 2020 and you can get a discount now Posted: 30 Dec 2019 11:32 AM PST With increasingly more hacks, malware and viruses occurring online - an antivirus software is more crucial than ever. And if you've got a shiny new piece of tech or you're just looking to secure your current device, our in-depth testing show that Bitdefender has the most impressive virus protection of them all. What's more, Bitdefender currently has a discount on its awesome Antivirus Plus plan, which will let you guard your gadgets and vulnerable information from cybercriminals with a very tasty 60% off discount. After plenty of testing, analysing and scrutinising all of the biggest and best antivirus software services out there - we have come to the conclusion that Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our all-round top choice. Not only does it have a wide range of features, it is extremely reliable and efficient and has accurate malware blocking. Plus with this discount you'd be paying less than the equivalent of $2/£2 per month to ensure all your data is protected.
See this antivirus deal from our number 1 provider:
Why is Bitdefender the best antivirus?The reason we have ranked and continue to rank Bitdefender so highly is due to a multitude of reasons, all of equal importance to the customer. Not only does it cover all your antivirus needs and deflects all possible threats coming your way - it also is extremely user-friendly and straightforward. Below are our top five reasons for why we consider this antivirus software to be simple the best.
Still unconvinced? Check out our examination into Bitdefender's 2020 antivirus packages to see why we rank it as the best all round antivirus software. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Top 10 most influential gaming moments of the last decade Posted: 30 Dec 2019 10:00 AM PST It’s easy to forget that videogames aren’t really that old. If we take Pong as first contact, that would make the medium 61 years old (as of this year). Compared to other industries, it’s still a spring chicken, but the pace by which gaming has developed both in technology and artistic scope has been astronomical in recent years. Since 2010, we’ve had a number of immense developments, with new genres and portable technologies arriving, as well as some very important stories that have changed the way we think about our favorite hobby. So join us as we remember ten of the best gaming moments that we think have defined the last decade. No Man’s Sky’s renaissance
At launch, No Man’s Sky was a disaster. A victim of its own hype machine, when it dropped out of the procedurally-generated sky in 2016, it gave gamers the Molyneux blues. A lot of the promises weren’t delivered and it felt half-baked. Alas, ever since, players who made their initial purchase have went from aggravated to loyal as developer Hello Games delivered countless updates and restored faith in the game, turning it into a genuine comeback kid. With a VR version in tow and an excellent core loop reflective of the original vision, No Man’s Sky proved - more than any other game - that no title is ‘dead on arrival’, a trend we’ve seen in games like Destiny 1 and 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, PUBG and many more that have become some of the most important games of the last decade - despite a rocky start. Konami v Kojima
In one of the most long-winded controversial bust-ups in gaming, videogame auteur Hideo Kojima became ‘Punished Hideo’ when his relationship with Konami fell apart during the end of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s development. Butting heads over the game’s ambitious scope, the final entry in Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series was left woefully unfinished, an entire final chapter left on the cutting room floor. In the meantime, Kojima’s Silent Hill reboot with Junji Ito and Guillermo Del Toro was scrapped and wiped from the PS Store. Despite all of this, The Phantom Pain was a critical success and Kojima bounced back hard, creating his own production company with backing from big Sony, which led to one of the most unique AAA games of the decade in Death Stranding. Nintendo's comeback
At the start of the decade, Nintendo was riding high on the success of the Nintendo Wii and the DS. Soon after they would go onto launch the 3DS in 2011 and the Wii U in 2012, a generation of consoles that didn’t fare as well as their predecessors. In particular, the Wii U was considered a flop, despite some locked-off exclusives only available to those who bought into the ecosystem. At their lowest point, Nintendo then made the most vicious return to form with the Nintendo Switch, a more cohesive iteration on the technology of the Wii U and one of the most successful videogame consoles ever made, a portable powerhouse with a bubbling library of critically acclaimed and commercially successful juggernauts like Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild, which is now considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years! The Battle Royale boom
Brendan Greene cast the first sin by birthing the Battle Royale genre into the mainstream via PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a delightfully fun spin on the shooter that had teams of four attempting to survive a 100-player gauntlet on a giant landmass. Little did he know that he would by proxy create the behemoth that is Fortnite, a word that now transcends the bounds of the medium. As well as creating an exciting and deeply fun new genre, videogame culture has entered the real world via Fortnite dances, cultural crossovers with sports entities and plenty of global events from the nexus of one core idea: be the last one standing. Dark Souls
A cult action game turned global phenomenon, the souls series launched to little fanfare in 2011, before dominating the design in most games that came after it. The decade has been very kind to Miyazaki and his team, as FromSoftware has delivered a series of instant classics. Most importantly, they’ve never settled to deliver the same experience, from Bloodborne’s frenetic action to Sekiro’s inspired shinobi world. As of 2019, we’ve had a Star Wars soulslike and the Assassin’s Creed series has all but become one too. Its influence is undeniable and, unlike other genres, it’s yet to wane in popularity. Going into the next decade, we’re still begging for more and, with two massive console launches and Elden Ring around the corner, the legacy of Dark Souls is set to linger long past its original release. The indie revolution
How could we talk about the last decade without dwelling on the impact of its indie games? An industry has been born for lofty games of small stature with teams of passionate developers making games on their own terms and influencing the massive AAA studios they look up to. Shovel Knight and Undertale characters made it in to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Toby Fox composed for a Pokemon game… There is a shopping list of influential indie games too long to put here, but videogames in general wouldn’t be where they are now without the influx of creativity and bold stories told by indie developers this decade, which have pushed the medium hard to include women and POC, address its own issues and talk about mental health, race, gender and sexuality rather than just milling the depths of play with macho shooters led by dull protagonists. The advent of streaming
The concept of streaming has affected the industry in dual capacity this decade, both on a technological level and in the way that we consume videogames. Technologically, we’ve seen services like Onlive, PlayStation Now and Google Stadia come to the fore, with Remote Play and Project xCloud removing the necessity of consoles in our living rooms, enabling a style of play that is accessible as long as you have a steady internet connection. Yet we’ve also seen Twitch and Mixer turn players into celebrities thanks to the advent of game streaming, where juggernauts like Ninja, Shroud and Pokimane have been delighting audiences for the past few years and becoming responsible for millions of hours of consumption across the globe. A natural evolution of recorded videos and YouTube, streaming has become integrated into most modern games and has become the main way we discover new ones, be that via live-streamed events or watching someone else play. Minecraft
When the team at Mojang first added mobs and survival into Minecraft, we remember digging into the side of a mountain and surviving the first night. Never could we have imagined the influence that humble game would have on the industry nearly ten years later. Since then it’s been acquired by Microsoft and distributed across every platform known to man. Entire communities and individuals have had their careers made by Minecraft, and it’s open-source style has allowed for countless creatives to get their start in modding and development. It’s becoming increasingly hard to name a game without crafting now because of it, but given that Minecraft has become the best-selling game of all time, you can see why. VR approaches the mainstream
Virtual reality headset ownership is still hovering around the 1% mark on Steam, but that’s not to say that the industry hasn’t made bold strides towards making VR mainstream with the introduction of the Oculus Rift, Vive and Windows Mixed Reality setups, backed up by ever-popular games like VR Chat and Beat Saber, which has since become this generation’s Guitar Hero. With the Oculus Quest delivering wireless VR and Valve wading back into the software market, to deliver their first AAA VR experience in Half-Life: Alyx, virtual reality is in a very strong place as we shift into the next decade. The introduction of microtransactions
Be it FIFA Ultimate Team or Shark Cards, the introduction of microtransactions into mobile, and later AAA games, has been a difficult adaptation for the videogame industry in the past decade. It is such a controversial topic that it has become the talk of politicians, who are seeking to regulate predatory loot boxes and oust gambling from videogames. As we enter 2020, the conversation has become so virile that it is now a selling point if a game does not have microtransactions. With the discourse now flipped on its head, intense scrutiny will now be given to how service games approach monetization in the near future.
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| Best domain registrars in 2020 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 09:42 AM PST Every great website needs a snappy, memorable domain name. Coming up with something new is a serious challenge, but once inspiration strikes, you'll need to register that name with a domain name registrar before you can use it online. Registration isn't difficult, but first you must choose from the hundreds of companies competing for your business, and there are several things for you to consider before signing the virtual dotted line.
How to choose the perfect domain registrar
With a name like Domain.com, the EIG-owned brand, means business, focusing primarily on small and medium businesses. It offers most popular top level domains and over 25 country code top level domains and also sells premium domains as a broker. With nearly two decades of online presence, the company - which is one of the world’s biggest domain name registrars - expanded in web hosting and now ranges a number of products including a website builder, a full design service and web hosting. Domain.com prices tend to be average but we have managed to blag a 25% discount off almost everything in your cart*. Non-premium TLD (.Club, .Men, .Win etc) start from $2.99 for the first year ($2.24 with our code). In line with the rest of the industry, they rise significantly after the second year). You need to pay for privacy protection, a reasonable $6.99, plus you can add email, web hosting, SSL certificates and malware protection, none of which is compulsory. You can stick with its basic website builder which is free with every domain: you get a drag and drop website builder, tons of mobile-friendly templates, up to six pages, SEO tools, Paypal integration and even access to stock image library. Support is more than adequate with 24/7 chat, email and phone support. Domain.com may not have the cheapest prices but it provides with a very balanced offering. *All renewals after the initial discounted period will be charged at the then current standard list price for the selected period. Coupon is not valid with sunrise registrations, landrush registrations, EAP registrations, pre-registrations, premium registrations, renewals, transfers, custom website design, other coupons, or special pricing.
Web giant GoDaddy is the world's biggest domain registrar, currently managing more than 75 million domains for 17 million customers around the globe. The company is well-known for its low headline prices, and it's the same story here, for instance, .co. domain is available for $0.99 in year one. On the other hand .com and .org are less impressive (though still apparently cheap) starting at $11.99 and $10.99 respectively. Beware, though: these aren't the bargains they initially seem. The first catch is that GoDaddy's starting prices only apply if you pay for two years upfront, and the second year is significantly more expensive (.com rises to $17.99, .uk and .co.uk domains are $12, .co, .org and .mobi are ridiculously high, $34.99 for .co, $20.99 for .org and $25.99 for .mobi - at the moment, first year for .mobi is $6.99, due to an offer). The second problem is that there are no bundled extras, so adding something like Whois privacy – a valuable service often included for free with other providers – costs $8 a month for year one, and $10 on renewal. There's clearly much better value to be had elsewhere, but GoDaddy may still appeal to web beginners looking for a bundled hosting and domain registration deal. The company has an array of products covering every possible requirement, with telephone support if you need it, and buying your domain and hosting from the same provider will make life a little easier. Just keep in mind that other providers can also combine hosting and domain registration, and GoDaddy may not provide the best package for you. Check out our various hosting guides for possible alternatives.
Hover is a popular domain name registrar owned by Tucows, which also operates eNom and the domain reselling platform OpenSRS. Hover's website is clear and straightforward. A domain pricing page allows for checking registration costs before you start, or you can use the search box to immediately locate your preferred TLD (top-level domain). By default the results page displays every domain you can register and their prices, giving you a lot to scroll through and read. But a handy sidebar allows filtering domains by categories including Personal, Businesses, Audio and Video, Food and Drink, and more. It's a neat touch which could help you spot an appealing domain that you otherwise might have missed. Prices are very reasonable, with .com domains costing $12.99 for year one, .co.uk priced at $10.99, .org costing $11.99 and .mobi reaching $15.99. Shop around and you'll find slightly lower prices elsewhere, but Hover generally provides good value. There's a welcome bonus in Whois Privacy, which comes free for as long as the domain is managed by Hover. The company keeps upselling to a minimum, even in the final shopping cart stage. You're simply offered three email-related extras: email forwarding at $5 a year, a 10GB email account for $20, or you can opt for a 1TB inbox, file sharing, a calendar and more, for an annual $29. If you have any questions, support is available via email and chat, although it's not 24/7. Working hours are 8am to 8pm (Eastern Time) Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 5pm at the weekend.
Most domain name registrars offer a simple identikit service with little to separate them from the competition, but Dynadot is an interesting exception which has some unusual advantages. This starts right at the beginning, with your initial search. You can use the website much like any other – type your preferred domain, press Enter, read the results – but you also get Bulk and IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) search tools, and advanced options allow defining which domain extensions to include in your searches, as well as setting those as defaults for all future searches. These searches can optionally return results from domain auctions, Dynadot's Marketplace (where other customers sell domains they no longer need) and other sources. There's also a Backorder option to try and grab a domain that isn't currently available, if it's not renewed. Prices are on the low side, with Dynadot offering both special deals on some extensions and good value at renewal. .com sites are $8.99 initially, the same price on renewal. If you’re after a .co.uk domain, that’ll set you back $6.95, .org is $8.99 initially, $10.99 on renewal, and .mobi domains are $3.99 initially, $13.99 on renewal. That's just the start: Dynadot also piles on the free extras. A Website Builder allows you to build and host a simple one-page responsive website. There's free domain forwarding if you'd like to redirect visitors somewhere else. DNS support allows creating 50 subdomain records, 10 email addresses, and 5 each of MX and TXT records. There's even a Grace Deletion list which allows returning a domain if you change your mind. This requires a small fee and won't always be allowed (the details on how it works are here), but it's still a welcome extra you'll rarely find with other registrars. Dynadot's support wasn't always as impressive, with live chat being offline when we checked. But the website does have a publicly available forum, allowing anyone to browse common questions and see how happy (or otherwise) Dynadot's customers might be.
Founded in 2000, Namecheap is a popular domain name registrar and web host which now manages more than five million domains. Namecheap's excellent website allows searching for individual domains, or in batches of up to 50. If the domain is taken, you can view the Whois record or offer to buy the domain (via DomainAgents) from the current user. If the domain is available, results are displayed across four tabs: Popular, New, Discounted and International. This is a neat approach which makes it easier to browse the list and find what you need. Prices are generally very good at $8.88 (£6.8) for .com domains - $12.98 on renewal, $7.58(£5.8) for .co.uk - $9.58 on renewal, $11.98 (£9.3) for .org - $14.98 on renewal, and $16.88 (£13) for .mobi (at the moment, you can get .mobi for $2.88 for the first year). There are some special deals available, and Namecheap has an Agent 88 set of domains which are almost always available at $0.48 (£0.35) for the first year (these usually include the following: .site .website .space .pw .press .host .tech .online and .fun – but there may be others as well). That would be good value all on its own, but Namecheap doesn’t stop there: you get WhoisGuard domain privacy thrown in for free. Namecheap's billing is straightforward and honest, with current and renewal prices clearly described in your Namecheap shopping cart, and Auto-Renew turned off. But if there's something you don't understand, helpful FAQ pages and live chat are just a click or two away.
Shopping around for a domain registrar can involve a lot of hassle as you research companies you've never heard of, try to separate genuine bargains from marketing tricks, and browse the small print looking for hidden catches. With potential savings only amounting to a few pounds or dollars a year, at best, you might prefer to simply sign up with a big-name provider that you know will give you a reasonable service, even if it does cost a fraction more. Enter Google Domains, Google's lightweight domain registration arm, a straightforward provider that puts speed and simplicity at the top of its priority list. Google Domains doesn't confuse you with endless sales, or 'special' deals that turn out to be not so special after all. Upselling is kept to a minimum. Instead, it's all about making the purchase process as easy as any other online shopping site: search, click, and check out. The difference is obvious from the moment you reach the site. There are no animated ads at the top of the page, no 'Sale!' banners, no low headline prices: just a search box where you enter a single domain. The results page is equally straightforward, with prices listed for nine common top-level domains, and an All Endings tab listing every option in alphabetical order (domain.academy, domain.bargains, domain.camera). One potential problem is that Google Domains doesn't support all the domain extensions you'll get elsewhere, and this includes some quite common examples (.mobi, .tv). If you think you might ever want to buy something beyond the most popular extensions, it’s a good idea to check that your likely choices are available before you buy. Prices are standardized to whole numbers, so for example .com, .co.uk and .org domains are all priced at $12. That's a little above average overall, but better than some, especially as Google Domains throws in free Whois privacy for as long as you're registered. That's a valuable extra which could cost $2.80 to $11.20 a year elsewhere. If you do have any questions, a Help link displays articles on common problems. If that's not enough, the Contact Us page enables talking to a support agent by email, live chat or telephone (Google calls you), the highest level of domain registrar support we've seen anywhere.
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| The best year-end sales of 2019: deals from Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy & more Posted: 30 Dec 2019 08:59 AM PST As we round out 2019, retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy are having massive year-end sales on leftover holiday stock. You can find record-low prices on a number of best-selling items which include TVs, laptops, appliances, smartwatches, and more. To help you sort through all the offers, we've rounded up the very best year-end sales below. Our top bargains include the Fitbit Alta HR on sale for $98, the Apple Watch 5 on sale for $384, the Vizio 50-inch 4K Smart TV on sale for $288, and the Echo Show 5 on sale for $59.99. You can also find today-only discounts on Amazon's digital services like select best sellers for $4.99 or less on Kindle. Last-minute deals Quick Links
The best year-end sales around the web
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| Best CDN providers of 2020 to speed up any website Posted: 30 Dec 2019 08:58 AM PST A content delivery network (CDN) works to accelerate almost any website by caching its files in servers around the world. Whether your visitors come from Europe, North America, Asia or anywhere else, content is automatically served from the nearest location for the fastest possible speeds. If you're new to the technology then it might seem intimidating, and there's no doubt that prices can be high, but don't let that put you off. A CDN is not just for massive corporations. You can set up the simplest services in less than five minutes, and if you choose your plan wisely, it might not cost you anything at all. Whatever your website, from a simple blog to a sprawling site for a big business, we've picked out some of the best services around to help point you in the right direction. If you find anything that looks interesting, give it a try – you can explore many of these CDNs for free, without handing over payment details or signing up for any contract.
Cloudflare is a hugely popular American content delivery service that combines novice-friendly ease of use with expert-level features and functionality. Setup is simple, with no need to edit your code. Just update your DNS nameservers to use Cloudflare and the service kicks in automatically, caching content and serving it to visitors from their nearest location. But there's much, much more. Web filtering can block bots, limit content spam, keep you safe from hackers or detect and mitigate DDoS attacks. Smart image optimizations can reduce image file sizes by up to 35%, further improving speeds. There's wide support for standards like IPv6, HTTP/2 and SPDY, clever page rules to help you manipulate traffic, and a REST API allows developers to take full control of what the service is doing. Also, Flan Scan, a lightweight network vulnerability scanner is thrown in the mix too. Cloudflare's free plan allows you to see what the service can do, without making any commitments. It's very usable, with unlimited bandwidth and no annoying restrictions to try and force you to upgrade. Upgrading to the Pro plan costs a reasonable $20 (£16) a month, and adds the image optimization rules, extra configurability and improved support. Whatever you choose, Cloudflare delivers great performance. As we write, the benchmarking site CDNPerf ranks Cloudflare at ninth place for worldwide HTTP request response times out of a field of 20 top CDNs.
Fastly provides CDN tricks for some really big organizations, including the likes of Spotify and Reddit, and the firm lives up to its name, delivering impressively fast performance levels. Going by the rough guideline of CDNPerf’s rankings, it’s the second fastest CDN for the UK, and worldwide speeds are mostly good, too. Perhaps Fastly’s strongest point, however, is just how configurable the service is. For example, there’s diverse support for different types of video caching, and tons of low-level controls for those who want to get stuck into the likes of manipulating HTTP headers to customize how content is served. Of course, some know-how is required to set up everything, and novices to the CDN world will doubtless be confused by all the options on offer. But for those who need this level of flexibility and configurability, it’s priceless to have. Speaking of the price, Fastly operates a pay-as-you-go model with a minimum charge of $50 (£37) per month. In addition, you can test up to $50 of traffic for free.
KeyCDN is an easy-to-use budget CDN that might be a good pick for first-time users. Getting started couldn't be much simpler. Sign up with your email address and you get an immediate 25GB to play with, no payment details required. A well-designed web dashboard enables creating your first zone with the minimum of clicks, and there are guides to help you integrate the service with WordPress and other apps. Worth mentioning is that as of late November 2018, KeyCDN fully supports IPv6. More experienced users will appreciate options like Origin Shield – this allows you to specify a KeyCDN server to be the source for updates rather than the origin, reducing your server load. You're able to manipulate headers, cache or strip cookies, or set up a custom robots.txt. Once the service is running, a capable set of reporting tools enable watching CDN performance in near real-time. Also, all customers have access to Image Processing feature, which is great for image optimization. KeyCDN's standout feature has to be its low prices. Bandwidth charges start at $0.04 (£0.032) per GB, less than half the price you'll pay with some of the high-end competition. The minimum usage is a tiny $4 (£3.2) per month and the minimum payment is $29 (£23.3). The company doesn't even try to cash in on the extras, for example offering shared SSL and custom Let's encrypt SSL certificates for free. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these low prices don't get you leading-edge performance, but there's still plenty of power here and you do get a lot for your money.
MetaCDN is an Australian company which combines the CDNs of Amazon Cloudfront, Fastly and Verizon's EdgeCast into a single speedy service. Why? It's all about performance. When a visitor accesses your site, MetaCDN has three networks and more than 120 locations to choose from – way more than anyone else. In other words, there’s a much greater chance any visitor will have a server near them. This matters because every CDN delivers its best performance in different areas. EdgeCast scores highly in North America, for instance, but Fastly is quicker in the UK. MetaCDN automatically chooses the best network for every visitor's location, giving you the best of all worlds. This approach does have a catch. When you sign up with a single CDN, you can get access to all its individual settings and options, but combining three means you only get settings which apply to all of them (for obvious reasons). Which essentially means MetaCDN has barely any configuration options at all. (Check the Support site to get a rough feel for how the system works.) Still, MetaCDN is nicely user-friendly and it could be a good pick if speed is your top priority. Pricing is complicated (although not bad for access to enterprise-level CDNs) and there are three plans, Basic, Lite and Pro. The most popular one, Lite, is $50 on a monthly basis (you can also choose a yearly rate, for a $39 a month).
This CDN provider focuses mainly on the West, with 14 points of presence (PoPs) in North America, and nine in Europe. There are only five PoPs in Asia, and two in Australia and South America (Brazil). StackPath is user-friendly, complete with a straightforward web console to manage your settings, and if you do get stuck, there’s extremely efficient technical support available via either live chat or phone. Performance seems good in the US and UK, and indeed Europe, but further afield you may see things tail off a bit, which is hardly a surprise given StackPath’s aforementioned focus on Western nations. Another strength here comes on the security front, with this CDN giving users free shared SSL (or the option to use your own SSL certificate, if you prefer). There’s also anti-DDoS technology and a capable Web Application Firewall. All in all, this is a tempting offering with a baseline plan that charges $20 (£15.5) for up to 1TB of bandwidth per month. The first month is also free.
Update: The service has been integrated with StackPath - "Everything you love about MaxCDN is being integrated into the new StackPath CDN service." MaxCDN is actually owned by StackPath now (the previously mentioned CDN), but provides a standalone service of its own which is well-suited for novices. You get 24/7 tech support with speedy responses promised (and indeed these claims stood up to our testing), and it’s easy enough to set up, and indeed use going forward. You don’t get as many settings to play with as some of the more advanced services, but that’s hardly surprising when trying to keep things more user-friendly. Another definite benefit is a range of useful reports, and a solid core network. MaxCDN offers eight edge locations in the US, five in Europe – and you can add additional locations in Asia (and Australia), but you have to pay extra for those. Overall, though, pricing is a strong point, starting from $9 (£6.75) a month for a 100GB account, with a clean pricing structure which isn’t confusing in the slightest (often not the case with CDN offerings). Performance is, generally speaking, solid enough, and this CDN does pretty well for speeds in the UK and US.
Amazon CloudFront is the CDN facet of AWS (Amazon Web Services), so it’s certainly part of a heavyweight operation. And indeed CloudFront offers a raft of advanced features as you might expect, and you can customize all manner of things such as enabling automatic GZip compression for better speeds. Another strength here is the in-depth analytics on tap, showing you details of your visitors’ device type, OS and so forth. There’s also the handy ability to set up alerts, meaning you can be warned when data transfer usage goes above a certain level. The downside to all the options on offer is that relative novices to the CDN world may find CloudFront’s control panel a little intimidating, at least initially. The other slight sticking points are that calculating pricing can be a rather tricky matter, and if you aren’t an experienced user familiar with CDN basics, tech support isn’t free – if you need help, you’ll have to fork out for it. Prices vary depending on region, but the good news is there’s a free tier (which gives you 50GB of data per month for one year). Performance levels are fairly average, too, but there’s no denying the power and configurability that Amazon offers to the slightly more tech-savvy user.
As you’re doubtless aware, Microsoft Azure is a big old stack of integrated cloud tools for building and managing applications and services, with a wide range of coverage including a CDN offering, which is what we’re focusing on here, naturally. Note that this doesn’t use Microsoft’s own edge servers, but rather three plans that use other CDN networks: Standard Akamai, Standard Verizon, and Premium Verizon. We fully discuss these various plans in our review of Microsoft’s CDN service, linked below, but suffice it to say that in terms of pricing – which can be somewhat confusing to work out – this isn’t the cheapest offering around. Still, those who want integration with other Microsoft technologies and services may well find the price worth paying. You get a web dashboard which is absolutely crammed with features, although as ever, this means it’s not particularly easy to use for beginners (and the setup process is pretty involved, too). Performance levels are impressive, and at the time of writing, according to CDNPerf, Azure CDN is the third fastest content delivery network in the US and fourth worldwide. This has to be a tempting prospect if you’re using other Azure services, or if you’re a developer who will appreciate the likes of .NET or PowerShell management features. You can create a free account and get started with 12 months of free services.
CDN77 is a big-name player in the content delivery game, with some heavyweight clients signed up including the European Space Agency. It has an expansive CDN network with over 30 data centers across the globe, with many of those in Europe and the US, but there are also locations in South America, Asia and one in Australia. The web console interface is very streamlined and keeps any jargon to a minimum, making it suitably user-friendly for novices to the CDN world. The flipside of this is that there aren’t a huge amount of options, although you can do some tweaking of various settings. In terms of performance, CDN77 is solid enough, and it ranks as a lower-to-mid pack player that’s unlikely to disappoint, but certainly isn’t the fastest CDN network we found when reviewing these various services. You get a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate, and CDN77 is pretty good value for money overall in terms of its per-GB pricing, although it’s not the cheapest outfit we’ve highlighted here. Pricing starts at $0.049 per GB of data for US and European locations, with Asia and Latin America being more expensive. If you want to test the waters, there’s a 14-day risk-free trial, and you don’t need to supply any payment details for this.
If you need a powerful CDN, look no further than Leaseweb, an enterprise-level operation which is still suitable for regular business users – just about, although we should say upfront that it isn’t cheap, as you might imagine. Pricing starts at $113 (£88, €99) per month for an entry-level plan with a 2TB data allowance, the good news being that even with this ‘basic’ subscription, you get all the same security and CDN features as the heavyweight enterprise plans. That being said, you might need to contact them for exact price due to recent website changes they made. That includes a smartly designed console for overseeing your CDN needs, complete with an extensive raft of potential settings and tweaks, featuring many options you don’t get with your average service (like the ability to set the cache-control header, or determine how long to cache 404 responses). There’s also an in-depth statistics section which displays graphs and charts showing many interesting stats, such as visitor and traffic breakdowns, cache performance and the top file types which are seeing action. The one somewhat bleak spot is Leaseweb’s performance, which seems somewhat off the pace going by CDNPerf’s findings, although it’s difficult to gauge exactly what results you’ll get in practice. Users who want a powerful range of features in their CDN could give the 30-day trial a go to find out.
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| Amazon Ring cameras could be easily hacked Posted: 30 Dec 2019 08:47 AM PST A proposed class action filed last week claims that Amazon's Ring video cameras have inadequate cybersecurity, leaving consumers vulnerable to cyberattacks. According to the filing, Amazon should compensate existing Ring owners who have had their Ring systems compromised, as well as ensure security is improved for the product.
Class actionJohn Baker Orange, who filed the suit in Los Angeles, complained that his own Ring security system had been exploited by an attacked to watch his children. Complaints from other Ring owners have made the press recently, “A company that sells a device that is supposed to protect occupants of a home shouldn’t become a platform for potentially endangering those occupants,” John Yanchunis, a lawyer for Orange, said in an interview. Ring was bought in 2018 by Amazon, in a deal said to be worth $839 in cash. Providers of other smart devices will no doubt be watching the case closely, not least Google with its Nest system, in case the court rules that they have any form of liability or duty of care to customers when it comes to security. In the meantime, Orange has reportedly upgraded the security on his own system, such as adding two-factor authentication and improving his password. The case has been filed at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, as Orange v Ring LLC, case no. 19-10899.
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| Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2020 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 07:45 AM PST Opting for a dedicated server means that you get an entire server to yourself. There's no sharing of CPU time, RAM or bandwidth, which means your website stays responsive at all times. Shared web hosting can appear to be amazing value, with feature-packed products available for just a few pounds every month. But the reality is often very different, and they're not always the bargains they seem. Very low prices probably mean the host is cramming more customers onto each server, for instance. Performance will be poor as there aren't enough resources to go around, and the extra load could mean more server problems and downtime. Dedicated hosting implies that you also get far more control over how the server is configured. You can add and remove software, install updates or tweak all settings, allowing you to optimize the server for your specific needs. Best of all, dedicated hosting contracts often come with fast and knowledgeable support. The best providers will even monitor your server for issues, like failed services, and can often fix them before you've realized there was a problem. This kind of power doesn't come cheap, and although there are some good signup deals around, you can easily spend $50-$140 a month and more on just a basic package. With that kind of investment, it's important to make the right choice. In this article, we're going to highlight five top dedicated hosting providers who you might want to check out first.
Bluehost is a popular web hosting service with powerful and flexible plans, and their dedicated hosting plans follow the same principle. The pricing starts with the Standard plan which is priced at $73.99 (£61.85 for UK) per month for the first term, $119.99 (£98.64 for UK) per month afterward. The plans might be a bit more expensive compared to rivals but they sure don’t lack the features. For the Standard plan you get 4 cores at 2.3 GHz, 500GB of storage, 4GB RAM, 5TB bandwidth and 3 IP addresses. Free domain and SSL certificate are also included. In addition, there are plenty of advanced features too, like multi-server management, secure shell (SSH) access, custom-designed database manager and more. For users that want more, they have the option to upgrade to a faster CPU, more storage, more bandwidth and pretty much more of everything. Some optional features are also available, so if you want domain privacy and protection, SiteLock or spam protection you can get those as well. Bluehost is a capable hosting provider with 24/7 support so you can call for help any time you need it. If by any chance you’re not satisfied with the service, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostwinds is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range. Its dedicated server range may start at just $79.50 (£60.6) a month, for instance – $106 (£76) on renewal – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere. All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you're not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters. Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That's considerably more flexible than providers like 1&1, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they're often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance). There's more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 (£18.8) – we've seen charges of up to $50 (£35.70) elsewhere. Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren't crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price.
German-based 1&1 (as October 2018 called 1&1 IONOS) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn't just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $45 a month for the first six months, then $65. As you might imagine, 1&1 has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (1&1 updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there's also a setup fee of at least $50 (entry level plan doesn't have setup fee). But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited 1&1 dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge. Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 a month for management doesn't just mean 1&1 will look after server admin: you also get a website builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us.
Opting for dedicated rather than shared hosting will speed up your website in itself, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. A2 Hosting's managed server plans blend multiple tricks and technologies to try and ensure you see the best possible performance. This starts with a powerful set of server components: OPcache and APC may speed up PHP processing by 50%. Memcached holds key MySQL data in RAM for faster retrieval, while mod_pagespeed uses multiple tricks to optimize site content. SPDY and HTTP/2 accelerate page loads even further, and support for technologies like edge side includes and websockets allow more fine-tuned optimizations of your site. A2 Hosting plans also include Cloudflare's free CDN and its Railgun Optimizer, which "compresses previously uncacheable web objects up to 99.6%" and may result in an average 200% performance increase. In reality you might not see anything like that – the boost will vary greatly, depending on your site – but it's still a technology worth having. Elsewhere, performance-boosting add-ons include RAID 1 SSD storage of up to 2 x 1TB. An optional Turbo Boost feature costing from $35 a month replaces Apache with the LiteSpeed server, apparently bringing up to 20x faster page loads, and another add-on can cache the HTML contents of a page, then speedily reload it later without needing to run PHP. We were happy to see cPanel is thrown in, too (it's often a chargeable extra with other hosts). These kind of professional features come at a cost, with even the most basic Sprint plan priced from around $99 a month. But if speed is your top priority then this company could be worth a try, especially as A2's ‘Anytime Money Back Guarantee’ will refund your fees if you cancel within 30 days of your order.
Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end business hosting products ranging from managed WordPress and WooComerce plans, to cloud VPS, dedicated servers and private clouds. The company's dedicated offerings may look expensive, with a starting price of $199 a month (can be reduced to $149 a month if annual billing is chosen), but they're also far better specified than most of the budget competition. Even the cheapest dedicated server includes two speedy 240GB SSD drives, for instance. There's also a 1TB SATA backup drive provided, making it easy and convenient to run regular backups. The plan includes a dedicated IP. Support for Cloudflare CDN should boost your website speeds, and your server can be hosted in one of three data centers (Arizona, Michigan, or the Netherlands). Although, the special entry plans are only hosted in Michigan. Most importantly, all dedicated servers are managed by Liquid Web's professional support team. They monitor system health, proactively respond to notifications (for example, they’ll restart a failed service), alongside taking care of installing and updating the operating system. If you have any difficulties, support is available 24/7/365, and the company guarantees a 59 second response time via phone or chat, 30 minutes via ticket and email. Factor in the wide range of optional add-ons – load balancers, firewalls, VPN – and the range has more than enough power for almost any purpose. If you're managing a heavy-duty website, Liquid Web needs to be on your shortlist. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| US Military advises against DNA kits Posted: 30 Dec 2019 07:25 AM PST The Pentagon has released an internal memo advising all military personnel against using consumer DNA testing kits. According to the memo, the data collected by these companies could provide a security risk. The memo states this is especially a concern as military personnel are being directly targeted with discounts to encourage them to sign up.
Security riskCompanies such as 23andMe, Living DNA, and AncestryDNA, sell home DNA testing kits that allow people to look more closely at their own genetic profile. In most instances the information provided is little more than you could discover by looking in the mirror, such as your expected eye or hair color. Additional information they might provide is broadly generic ancestry information, which can often be found in popular science books on genetics and archaeology. A follow up investigation by the New York Times had a Pentagon spokesperson suggest the issue was more about how such results might affect personnel, because the US military does not have to ignore medical results of DNA testing. Therefore any potential genetic health markers may affect career progression. However, another concern could be how much of this information might be sold on to third parties, such as state actors, who could use the DNA data to engineer profiles of the US military. The memo is reportedly dated for Dec 20, and signed by Jospeh D. Kernan, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and James N. Stewart, assistant secretary of defense for manpower.
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| Best cloud hosting services in 2020 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 06:45 AM PST Signing up for a simple web hosting package will usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores. While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while. Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments. This flexibility is great for delivering extra power when you need it most, and starting prices can be similar to regular VPS hosting (from £10 or $14 a month). Costs will rise as you add resources, but typically you'll only pay for the time in which you use these resources. DigitalOcean's monster 192GB RAM, 32 vCPU and 3,840GB SSD product costs $960 (£685) a month, for instance, but this pay-as-you-go approach allows you to try it out for $1.429 or £1.02 an hour. Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself. Best cloud hosting - at a glance
If you're looking to move your business hosting into the cloud, one of the first places to consider is one of the big cloud computing platforms, such as Microsoft Azure. This isn't a solution for small businesses looking to simply host a website, but it's a great place to go if you have additional computing needs as well and you want to bundle everything together into a single place. The advantage then is that you can move all your business data and apps into the cloud and run them from a single unified platform. Additionally, by keeping to a single provider you can avoid all the complications of having to deal with cloud management for hybrid clouds and on-premises data. On top of this, Azure boasts more compliance and security certifications than any other cloud provider. However, moving to a major cloud platform isn't for the faint-hearted, but if you have the IT skills in house, or if you can utilize third-party cloud support services, the move could make a lot of sense even for smaller businesses with a lot of data. And for the larger small business up through medium to enterprise businesses, the move the a cloud platform like Azure may be a case of 'when' rather than 'if'.
If you only need to host a website rather than additional business data, then HostGator's cloud platform could be a more ideal choice. Unlike normal web hosting, Hostgator's cloud hosting platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more. For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $3.13 (£2.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal. If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $6.28 (£5.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month. Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure. But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away. Also, while prices go up after the initial discount promotion, they still remain extremely competitive.
At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, or simpler and more user-friendly products from hosts like Hostgator. Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition. It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations). Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits.
Clook is one of the UK's leading independent webhosting providers, who offer Managed Cloud Servers among their various hosting services. Again, it's targeted at more basic web hosting needs, but if you're looking for this in the UK market then Clook is up there with the best. Unlike many other web hosting providers who chase the lowest prices while cutting corners on service, Clook instead invest in some of the best support in the business. This does mean you pay more, but it also means you can enjoy piece of mind because if something goes wrong then you can be assured that Clook are already working hard to address it. Additionally if you have additional support queries Clook are fast to respond, and rather than script-reading frontline support you're actually talking directly with people who have direct system administration experience of their server network. This avoids the frustration of running round in circles and instead means the job simply gets done. Because this is a company run by sys admins, it also means that the hardware and network is very solid, and their managed cloud servers are no different. This is a managed service as well, which means you don't have to worry about a thing. While other providers might aim for high uptime, Clook ensures their customer actually enjoy it, resulting in a headache-free service. Overall, there are cheap hosting providers and complicated cloud platforms out there, but if you simply want rock-solid webhosting and are looking at the UK market then Clook is one of the best options you can go for.
DigitalOcean puts the cloud hosting focus on data as much as websites, providing a background of cloud computing services that make it the ideal place to host and run your own applications in the cloud. While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system. DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer. For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space. Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups. There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure. DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy. If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 2,300+ at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Xero reflects on a successful 2019 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 04:24 AM PST Anna Curzon, Chief Product Officer at Xero, reflects on the growth of the accounting software company in the UK market over the past year. What have been the stand-out events or notices from Xero this year?In 2019, Xero is focusing our product innovation on providing fast and accurate data, streamlined tax and compliance workflows and deeper insights to help our customers not only understand their current data but move into a new era where we can predict what will happen in the future. We want to build products that will stand the test of time but also support our future growth. So we’re constantly balancing solving problems for today with building products and features that will allow our broad customer base to benefit well into the future. In the UK, these have been some of our key product innovations:
How has Xero been able to become the market leader in the UK in 2019?We’ve been fortunate to have seen strong continuous growth in the UK for a decade now. We’ve been investing heavily over that time to grow what is now a substantial business. Being developed specifically using cloud services has helped us hugely, and by offering a different way of doing things, subscribers love Xero’s smarter, smoother, more efficient way of managing their finances. Our accounting and bookkeeping partners have built whole businesses around Xero and our ecosystem as Software as a Service (SaaS), which is incredible. This means we have built strong relationships and advocates across the accounting industry, helping us to get more small businesses onto the cloud. But we don’t want to become complacent. We are constantly looking ahead to the future and innovating our products to support SMEs and their advisors. As part of this, we listen carefully to the needs of our customers who have invested their time and resources so heavily into Xero. How has the government's roll-out of Making Tax Digital helped benefit Xero?The roll out of Making Tax Digital (MTD) has meant that a lot of businesses who weren’t already using MTD-compatible cloud based accounting software have now made the switch. You don’t necessarily need to be on the cloud to submit digitally to HMRC, but doing so is definitely the most time-effective and pain-free solution. Cloud based platforms like Xero means less paperwork and fewer mistakes, but more importantly it gives businesses a real-time view of cash flow. Since the roll out of MTD we’ve certainly seen an increase in sign up numbers and interest in the products. Do you see your UK customer demands changing as more financial activity goes online?Traditionally the relationship between accountant and small business was a long-term locally based one, focused on tax accounting. Whereas for big businesses, with bigger teams and more resources, they have had the luxury of looking beyond tax returns. As more financial activity has moved to the cloud, we are going to see more small businesses moving away from purely wanting help with their tax returns. They want more access to information that will help them to make decisions about growth and the direction of the business. This demand for data driven decision making is what will drive the next generation of online finance software and financial technologies and level the playing field between big and small businesses. SMEs and accountants are also looking for tech-focussed partners to help build their businesses. With this in mind, we’re also working on further expanding the Xero platform. We already have over 800 business apps integrated with our customers increasingly leaning on the scale and power of our ecosystem to support growth. How does the UK compare to other markets when it comes to embracing new services and solutions?Globally, in markets like the UK, we estimate cloud accounting penetration to be relatively low at around 20%, and in many cases we think it is far lower than this. Digitisation of tax and compliance (via Making Tax Digital in the UK), the disruption and innovation going on in financial services and the wider adoption of cloud storage technology are all contributing towards demand for cloud accounting across the world and these are also driving take-up in the UK. In AU and NZ markets, the penetration of cloud accounting is far higher, estimated at above 50 percent. What do the next 12 months hold for Xero?As a growth business Xero is continuously testing and reviewing its strategy. Over the next 12 months, we're focussed on three strategic priorities; drive cloud accounting, grow the small business platform and building for global scale and innovation. In the next year Xero is bringing integrated, holistic compliance to our customers through Xero Tax as a 100% cloud-based tax preparation tool. This will give UK accountants smarter, seamless tax preparation workflows. We have completed our integration of Hubdoc into the Xero platform which as an integral part of our data automation vision. All customers will now have access to this world-class technology that captures information from bills and receipts, eliminates manual data entry, and makes bank reconciliation easy. This functionality saves them significant time which they can focus on working on the business instead of in it. We believe data capture tools like Hubdoc do a critical function that all small businesses and advisors need for success with increasingly new government requirements to report and hold digital records. We wanted to make this technology readily available to all our customers due to the impact the time saved can have on their success. We’re also working on further expanding the Xero platform in areas such as fintech, where we see huge potential for growth in services such as payments and lending.
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| Predicting workplace stress using technology Posted: 30 Dec 2019 04:06 AM PST Stress is a common problem in the workplace, but better business strategies and employee-friendly workflows can ensure productivity is maintained while employees are less stressed. 1. How real an issue is workplace stress today?Dr. Eco de Geus: Stress is not just a buzzword in the workplace. According to the World Health Organisation, stress is “the health epidemic of the 21st Century,” with stress-related health conditions forming a major public health burden and topping the dialogue of global health and public sector leaders. Modern life brings many stresses – from macro-economic, environmental and safety concerns, to everyday financial, career, caregiving, relationship, and health worries. Add to this the impact of our fast-paced 24-hour global cycle, the pressure to be ‘always-on’ for work in an increasingly connected society, long time periods in front of business PCs, and the need to balance work with other life demands, and you have the key ingredients for a workplace stress epidemic. This can manifest itself along a spectrum – from long-term chronic stress that can manifest as “burn-out” to short-term daily stressors which can have a more immediate impact on one’s ability to work. Navin Natoewal: Although the term stress for most people has a negative connotation, physiologically and psychologically, people need a certain level of “stress” to function properly. Practically everything can act as a stressor, from physical events (such as physical activity, drugs, alcohol, food intake, etc.) to psychological triggers (such as emotions, mental activity, social interactions). Each of these events or triggers result - regardless of the source of the stressor - in physiological and hormonal effects that can lead to a reduced cognitive performance. 2. What role can EmoGraphy play in helping both detect and track stressed workers?NN: People generally are seeking a better work-life balance and looking to lead healthier lives. In doing so, they are becoming increasingly aware of how stress is affecting their lives. Philips’ EmoGraphy can help workers better understand stress triggers and their impact on daily stress levels and cognitive functioning of the brain. Thereby empowering them to better manage their daily stress and maintain a balanced lifestyle. It also considers both emotional and physical stress and can predict changes in cognitive performance (increases and decreases). The technology makes users aware of their ‘optimal emotional state’ and predicts their cognitive performance up to an hour ahead by calculating the accumulated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is widely regarded as the stress hormone. Philips’ EmoGraphy uses skin conductance to model stress. Being able to predict cognitive performance, EmoGraphy allows users to maintain their optimal performance by taking steps to stay out of the ‘bad zones’ that can negatively impact productivity. This awareness empowers users to recognise their stress level and so better understand and cope with stress. EdG: Our research team at the Vrije Universiteit tested whether EmoGraphy correctly measures activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This system activates what is also known as the “fight-or-flight” response that accompanies the feeling of stress during daily life. With its skin conductance-based measurement, we concluded that EmoGraphy from a wrist-worn wearable is a valid index of sympathetic nervous system activity caused by both mental and social stressors. Interestingly, it also captured perceived stress better than our heart rate-based measures. A further attractive aspect of Emography for work stress research from a practical point of view is that it can be worn continuously and comfortably, allowing stress-monitoring across periods of weeks to months. 3. How does EmoGraphy look to help address issues with workplace stress?EdG: Our ultimate validation of daily-life stress responses is in their prediction of the detrimental health outcomes that a stressful workplace or work life can have. Here, EmoGraphy can play an important role in employee monitoring, particularly when we can link the data to contextual factors of the workplace and to indicators of physical and mental health over time. This information could help both employees and employers to better combat the sources of workplace stress. NN: For example, by being made aware of workers’ stress levels – at an aggregate level to help mitigate privacy concerns – employers can adjust working patterns or the workplace environment which can in turn increase worker engagement, ensure more effective outcomes. 4. How did you develop the algorithms used in EmoGraphy?NN: Philips recognised the health risks associated with stress early on. Being active already with technologies to track vital signs and health metrics, we worked directly with users to understand what insights could help them better track and manage their daily stress. From those co-creation sessions, we learned that consumers wanted to be more aware of when their cognitive performance is optimal and when it is advisable to either take a break, if possible, or change the type of work they’re doing. Creative scientists at Philips had already found a way to model cortisol levels from skin conductance signals, and with our mission to improve the lives of people in mind, we set to bring this technology to market. In doing so, we have been able to gather and translate physiological measurements into meaningful information regarding stress level, and also CognitiveZone – that indicates a person’s current cognitive ability and in addition to this, predicts where it will be in the next hour. 5. How do you ensure being monitored for stress does not become a stressful experience in itself?EdG: There are two issues at play when it comes to monitoring stress. First, we need to reduce the burden on participants by making health monitoring as unobtrusive as possible. We know that wrist-watch based sensors are highly accepted by users, but future developments will likely expand the sensor toolkit with electrodes engrained in clothing, extensions of wrist-worn biosensors, steroids in hair samples, and skin patches detecting changes in the composition of bio-fluids, such as sweat. What technology companies need to do as they innovate going forward is find a balance between capturing data accurately and doing it in a way that is increasingly non-invasive - whilst also respecting privacy when permission is not given. The second issue lies in the format in which the information about stress responses is reported back to the user of the wearable technology. The ‘stress of stress-monitoring’ will critically depend on how personalised information on a person’s stress profile is shared with them. Stress profiles should provide accessible and meaningful feedback to participants or useful guidelines for coaches and healthcare professionals to prioritise when, where, and how to intervene when stress levels are outside a zone of optimal emotional arousal. Interfaces and visualisation tools that are feasible, validated by intended users, and user-friendly are critical here. Furthermore, connecting wearables like EmoGraphy to tailored health interventions with real-time feedback, and systems that select, tailor, and then send relevant health messages to users based on their personal data, will enhance a positive user experience. By providing real-time feedback, this provides support precisely when it is needed and only when it is needed. NN: At the same time, working with psychologists experienced in coaching, we learned that the amount of feedback given throughout the day should be limited, for the exact reason that feedback itself becomes a stressor. For our coaching approach, we primarily focus on daily, insightful summaries and only provide real-time feedback a couple of times a day. Ideally, when the output of EmoGraphy is integrated in smart, personal environments such as a car, living room or workspace, light, scent, and temperature can provide many opportunities to serve unobtrusively as stress relief moments. This is one example of what Eco referred to before as contextual factors. 6. Where do we go from here? Can we ever truly eliminate stress?EdG: Medical professionals now label stress as a major intervention target. However, very little practical guidance is provided on how to track the fitness and monitor the stress levels of a given user in daily life, or when such stress levels should be considered detrimental. If we seek to reduce daily-life stress, a paradigm shift in stress research is needed. Although prior stress physiology research has been informative, these lab-based studies suffer from poor validity as they use artificial stressors in subjects volunteering to be exposed for relatively brief periods of time. NN: Philips recognizes and anticipates the growing demands of the health and wellness-conscious consumer, and those of the companies developing health tech products for them. We make technologies such as EmoGraphy and VitalSigns Optical (Philips’ leading wrist-based heart rate measurement technology) available for licensing in order to fulfil these needs, addressing a gap in the stress technology and wearables marketplace to more effectively guide consumers towards their optimal daily performance. In taking these steps now, Philips is setting the foundation for not only better stress tracking and management, but also for greater consumer empowerment and participation in their own health. EdG: Artificial laboratory stress on participants will often lack a sufficient intensity that is needed in order to trigger a full set of physiological and emotional stress responses that come into play when stress is experienced “for real,” as well as the full range of daily-life adaptive and maladaptive cognitive or behavioural responses like social withdrawal, lack of physical activity, and change in sleep, smoking or alcohol habits. We need to focus on the measurement of contextual factors and the multicomponent nature of stress (emotional, cognitive, physiological and behavioural). Being able to measure continuously through a comfortable wearable with the EmoGraphy technology on board is a good first step. Also, initiatives like the Stress-in-Action consortium are already dedicated to understanding daily life stress. Stress-in-Action aims to provide the scientific framework for understanding daily-life stress, which in turn can enable the development of personalised monitoring and intervention strategies to make people more stress-resilient and reduce stress-related health loss. 7. What immediate steps should businesses take in order to safeguard their employees from stress?NN: The impact of stress should be a wake-up call to businesses. Over 12 million days are lost a year because of stress at work. With people spending such a high percentage of their lives in the workplace, the opportunity for employers to help maintain overall health and wellbeing is high. EdG: A key component to all behavioural change in employees is the motivation to change, and that motivation, in turn, critically depends on awareness. The immediate step to be taken therefore is to enhance the awareness of stress responses, and the context in which they seem to occur for a specific individual. By introducing mindful initiatives for example, sessions that put the employee at the centre, businesses can help improve workplace stress through recognition and management. In raising awareness, businesses are empowering their employees to take meaningful action – meaning a higher-level wellbeing can be maintained. NN: Data too has a key role to play in understanding workplace stress levels, but only if employee privacy concerns are fully considered and addressed. By gaining better insights into employees using technologies such as Philips’ EmoGraphy and collating these profiles to gain a wider reflection of the workforce, businesses can make informed decisions at an organizational level to help safeguard employees from stress in the future.
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| This ace £29 a month Samsung S10 deal also gets you a free Galaxy Watch Active Posted: 30 Dec 2019 04:00 AM PST Didn't get that new Android smartphone you were hoping for over Christmas? Then the January sales might just be the time to treat yourself. And thanks to a new Samsung S10 deal, now's a very good time to strike. This offer comes in part from phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk and part from Samsung itself. The former has - until midday on Tuesday - reduced the price of its best 9GB data tariff on EE, bringing the upfront cost down to £25 while the bills sit satisfyingly below the £30-mark. But running concurrently is a promotion from Samsung whereby you can claim a free Samsung Galaxy Watch Active smartwatch when you pick up an S10 deal from selected retailers. That's a freebie with an RRP of around £200, so not some old tat left at the bottom of Samsung's Christmas stocking! Keep reading for more information on one of the best Samsung S10 deals around and on how to claim that free smartwatch. And it doesn't stop there, as Mobiles.co.uk also has some other attractive tariffs that we've listed below, too.
How to claim your free Samsung Galaxy Watch Active:All you have to do is purchase a Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10 Plus deal before January 29. After that, go to this link and claim your new free watch. It can take up to 45 days for your Samsung Galaxy Watch Active to arrive so don't worry too much if you don't see it straight away. What makes the Samsung Galaxy S10 so good?Fitting perfectly between Samsung's affordable S10e and its mammoth S10 Plus and Note 10 devices, this phone is the ideal middle ground. You're getting a high-quality screen, in-screen fingerprint scanner and a powerful battery/processor combo. A quick glance at our best smartphone guide shows we currently rank it as the joint best phone in the world. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S10 review
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| Shooting stars: the 10 most exciting cameras of 2020 Posted: 30 Dec 2019 04:00 AM PST We love a crystal ball, and few areas of the tech world are promising to deliver more new gear in 2020 than cameras. Rapidly compressing thanks to ever-more capable smartphones but offering increasingly good images, better-than-ever video modes and positively jaw-dropping performance, the crop of full DSLR, mirrorless and even compact cameras in 2020 will be the best yet. And that's not even considering the re-emergence of drones and the rise of 360-degree cameras. Here are the models – both confirmed and rumored – that we’re most excited by this year. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
Coming to an Olympics near you, the now-announced Canon EOS-1D X Mark III will replace the awesome 1D X Mark II. We know this… and not a lot else yet. Sensor resolution? In-camera image stabilization? We don’t even have a release date yet. There are some things we do know. There will be a brand new AF sensor with deep learning technology that will allow more precise autofocus tracking – that being quite a claim given the outstanding performance of the Mark II. It will have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS built in, allowing pros to transmit images faster than ever. Speaking of faster than ever, you’ll get up to 16fps continuous shooting if you use the optical viewfinder or, blimey, 20fps in live view mode. The other thing we know? The EOS-1D X Mark II is the de facto standard for sports and news photographers, with 70% of the stills DSLRs at this year’s Rugby World Cup bearing Canon’s logo, so it’s safe to say Canon will be looking to get the next generation absolutely bang on, particularly given the mirrorless competition. Read our in-depth feature: Canon EOS 1DX Mark III: what we know so far about the flagship sports DSLR Nikon D6
The big brutes of the DSLR world are still slogging away, so it’s good to see that the EOS-1D X Mark III will have some competition. We don’t know much more about the D6 than we do Canon’s gigantic new baby – resolution, whether there’s in-body image stabilization or even niceties like if it has Wi-Fi or GPS are all mysteries that would stump Mystery Incorporated. Although it seems safe to guess that a modest bump in resolution plus, perhaps Wi-Fi, are incoming. There are no performance claims as yet but, with the Nikon D5 able to shoot 12fps you’re not going to be looking at a camera that misses the moment. Likewise it’s safe to assume – though we don’t know – that the D6’s dimensions will be roughly the same as the D5’s; so a full-height, chunky DSLR that even the most ham-fisted adventurer will struggle to drop. Want to know more? Read our rumor roundup: Nikon D6: Everything we know so far Canon EOS Rs
Canon’s opening salvo into the world of the pro mirrorless camera was a good ‘un: the Canon EOS R is a £2,000 full-frame body with top-notch performance and terrific image quality. There’s no pleasing some people, though, with reviewers noting relatively laggardly performance and – shock – single memory card slot. Unlike the EOS-1DX Mark III, the Rs isn’t confirmed by Canon, so anything we know about it is strictly the product of rumors and whispers. But we’ve seen a few usually reliable sources who reckon it will be very high resolution – perhaps as much as 75 megapixels, with an emphasis on image quality and dynamic range, so portrait, wedding and landscape photographers should all put their interested faces on. There are also rumors of a few changes to the EOS R’s control system, with the EOS Rs rumored to be ditching the much-vaunted touchbar and gaining a more old-school joystick on the back. Excitingly we might also be looking at IBIS – In-Body Image Stabilisation – which all adds up to a mirrorless camera that could really take it to Sony at the pro end. Want to know more? Read our Canon EOS Rs: what we know so far about the high-resolution mirrorless camera feature. Canon EOS M50 Mark II
We love the Canon EOS M50 – it's smaller than most superzoom bridge compacts but with interchangeable lenses, a great APS-C sensor and lots of useful controls on the body to keep both old hands and beginners happy. Bear in mind, the M50 is new – less than two years old – so the M50 Mark II won’t be darkening your doorstep soon, but with the EOS M6 Mark II providing 14fps, crop-less 4K and very high-res stills (32.5-megapixel), the mid-range M50 looks just a little ordinary by comparison. So we’re expecting to see Canon bring the EOS M50 Mark II a little closer to the EOS M6 Mark II. Its fastest continuous stills speed of 10fps might see a little bump, and the original’s 24.1 megapixel sensor is likely to see an increase in resolution. With both the EOS M6 Mark II and the EOS 90D boasting a 32.5-megapixel APS-C sensor, it wouldn’t be a galloping shock to see the M50 Mark II come out with the same resolution. Video – a criticism of the original M50 – could get a welcome shot in the arm, and it would be a point of contention if the M50 Mark II didn’t shoot cropless 4K. The EOS M6 Mark II is a dream camera for vloggers so it would be good to see a similarly capable model for a bit less cash. For more details read our in-depth feature: Canon EOS M50 Mark II: everything we know so far Fujifilm X100V
How much do we love Fujifilm’s X-series cameras right now? Just imagine a paragraph of heart-eye emojis and you’ll be close. At the high end there’s the stonking, ridiculous medium format GFX 100, but at the more, ahem, accessible end of the market, Fuji is a real trendsetter. That’s even true when it comes to fixed lens compact cameras such as the now three year-old Fujifilm X100F. What we know about its replacement, the X100V, is a matter of some conjecture. We expect it to arrive in February 2020, and also that it might push the price a little higher than that of its predecessor, which started at £1,249. It would be very surprising to see it emerge with anything other than an APS-C size sensor – possibly one with more resolution than the original’s 24-megapixel unit. A new lens would help. The X100 series has had the same 23mm, f/2 glass from the outset in 2011. That focal length works out to a street-photography-friendly 37mm so we’re not expecting the focal length to change, but a bit more aperture would be nice – at the risk of changing the ergonomics of one of the best handling cameras on the market. Fujifilm X-H2
Another one from the company with a strong claim to being the most innovative mirrorless camera maker on the market. The Fujifilm X-H1 is an APS-C mirrorless camera with X-mount interchangeable lenses whose features and build bely its current, sub-£900 price. It’s not a camera in urgent need of an upgrade – announced less than a year ago, the X-H1 sports a who’s-who of next-gen features including five (claimed) stops of in-body image stabilization, flicker reduction, and dust- and water-resistant body, as well as Fuji’s trademark competence when it comes to video – F-Log, DCI 4K, 12 stops of dynamic range, and so on. Yet technology marches on, so it was no surprise to see Fuji Rumors report that the Fujifilm X-H2 is definitely coming – but possibly not before the end of 2020. When all we have is “probably not this year” it’s no surprise that rumored specs and features are thin on the ground but, if Fuji’s reading this, can we have more battery life from the next one, please? Nikon Z9
Nikon’s Z-series of mirrorless cameras sent a strong message to current king-of-the-castle Sony. But with Sony still on top, and Canon (probably) bringing new high-end mirrorless cameras out this year, standing still is the worst thing Nikon can do. Of most interest is the Z9 – we know Nikon can make a capable mid-range mirrorless camera, what we want to see is what happens when the company that makes the fantastic D6 really pushes the boat out. At the same time, though, Nikon can’t produce a camera that cannibalizes the sales of its go-to DSLR. What should you expect from the (unannounced) Z9? Right now, all signs point to a camera that prioritizes resolution and image quality above straight-line speed. 61 megapixels is a distinct possibility, so expect to see this camera in the hands of high-end wedding, portrait and landscape photographers rather than dotted around the sidelines of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Sony A7S III
Sony’s claim to be top of the heap when it comes to mirrorless cameras has some justification. The A9 offers absolutely belting performance and, lower down, the A7 series, including the A7S II, has won plenty of professionals over. This is no time for laurel-resting, though – with Canon and Nikon both rumored to be bringing out top-end, pro-focussed mirrorless cameras in 2020, Sony has every reason to be looking over its shoulder. One of those reasons has to be the aging Sony Alpha A7S II – announced in Autumn 2015, it’s sorely due an upgrade. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the rumors around the A7S III is what it won’t have – in a landscape littered with high-resolution cameras, it’s distinctly possible the A7S III will stick with the 12MP sensor. This is no bad thing – those widely-spaced pixel-sites mean superb low-light performance, and, if the A7S III sticks with 4K as its maximum video resolution, videographers won’t need more. With stills left more or less by the wayside, the A7S III will be Sony’s chance to capitalize on the momentum it has with videographers. How about high frame-rate 4K – or even high frame-rate DCI 4K? Internal 4:2:2 recording? We think the Sony A7S III will arrive in the first half – possibly even the first quarter – of 2020. Want to read more about it? Read our in-depth rumors roundup: Sony A7S III: everything we know so far DJI Mavic 3 Pro
We think drones qualify as cameras – certainly few self-respecting travel vloggers are without them, and with the technology reaching maturity the next generation will be the best yet. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is a very tempting little number for mid-range vloggers – more advanced than the DJI Mavic Mini but affordable in comparison to the Phantom range. Still, good as the Mavic 2 Pro was, we came up with plenty of things we’d like improved for the Mavic 3, which is rumored to be coming along about halfway through 2020. Rumors are thicker on the ground than facts, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see 4K 60fps recording, and a new one-inch sensor that will hopefully mean better image quality, particularly in low light. We’re also expecting better obstacle avoidance and – perhaps to head off the interference of pesky government legislation – improved mid-air obstacle avoidance too. Apple iPhone 12
A new notch-less design, 5G and the return of Touch ID – all good reasons to be excited about the next tranche of iPhones, but we’re only here for the camera. Or cameras, more likely. With the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max offering three lenses on the back, we’d expect at least that many lenses on the top versions of the iPhone 12. In fact, according to a memo obtained by MacRumors it’s possible that the iPhone 12 will gain another pseudo-camera on the rear, a Time of Flight sensor which will be very accurate at measuring distance. That will be a relief to anyone who’s suffered weird results in their iPhone’s portrait mode but should also mean a better Augmented Reality (AR) experience. Otherwise, we’re expecting the three-lens design on the pro models to stay , which means all the changes will be internal. Sony’s IMX686 is the hot favorite when it comes to hardware; a 64-megapixel sensor that shoots 16-megapixel images in the name of better low-light image quality. As for more exotic hardware, such as this bonkers-looking periscope style 80-200mm optical zoom lens, the safe money is on us waiting until at least 2021. Want to know more? Read our rumors round-up: New iPhone 12 release date, leaks and what we're expecting This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Limited time iPhone 11 deals - you'll have to get in quick to grab these bargains Posted: 30 Dec 2019 03:43 AM PST iPhone 11 deals are keeping us on our toes at the moment. Since the very best came and went about a month ago around Black Friday, contract prices have been going up and down like the cheap yo-yo you got in your Christmas cracker. So if you've snoozed and, erm, losed and missed out on some great iPhone 11 deals in the last few weeks, then we have some very good news for you. Mobiles.co.uk has once again slashed the upfront price of some of the retailer's best EE tariffs on Apple's 2019 handset with bills starting at a really eye-catching £29 a month. But our contacts at Mobiles.co.uk have told us that this price reduction is strictly for a limited time only and that they'll shoot right back up at midday on New Year's Eve. So stop listening to us banging on and cast your eyes downwards to see three of the UK's best iPhone 11 deals you can get...for now.
What makes the iPhone 11 so good?The iPhone 11 is the cheapest of Apple's latest trio and yet, really isn't much of a downgrade. You still get Apple's new incredibly fast CPU, a 6.1-inch screen, IP68 rating and even a 3046mAh battery, enough to keep you going all the way through the day on one charge. Read our full iPhone 11 review
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| Tencent targets video conferencing Posted: 30 Dec 2019 03:36 AM PST The Chinese internet giant Tencent has launched an app for video conferencing in China, after the popular US Zoom service was blocked by the Chinese government. Tencent is already huge in social media, gaming, and venture capital, and the launch of its video conferencing service is seen as part of a move away from reliance on B2C markets and a push into B2B enterprise markets. Market vacuumThe changes comes as the trade war between the US and China continues to simmer, with Zoom apparently blocked during September, in retaliation for US sanctions. The result left a vacuum in the local market that Chinese companies are now rushing to fill. While Tencent already offered WeChat Work for video messaging, the new Tencent Meeting app apps to cater specifically for enterprise customers. A free version allows up to 25 participants to meet for up to 45 minutes, with the professional version allowing for up to 100 participants. The app also integrates with existing Tencent apps such as WeChat Work and the massive QQ social media platform. The move comes while the Chinese video-conferencing market remains underdeveloped but growing, with other companies such as Alibaba also competing for market position. However, Tencent’s move isn’t just a one-off, but part of a multi-billion dollar re-orientation to serve China with business-specific services, such as cloud computing.
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| Super Bowl 2020 live stream: how to watch the game online for free and without commercials Posted: 30 Dec 2019 03:14 AM PST The NFL Playoffs are finally here with the Wild Card Round about to begin, everyone's questioning who will make it to the Super Bowl LIV in February. And it's not looking great for the Patriots who made history last year but will be opening the postseason play for the first time in ten years, following their recent loss to the Dolphins. Either way, you’ll be able to catch all of the exciting action as it's really easy to get a Super Bowl 2020 live stream - no matter where in the world you are. And with our help, you can even watch without having to sit through the commercials. Many are hedging their bets on the Baltimore Ravens, making it to the Super Bowl - as they are after all the current favorite with a 12-game winning streak. Other teams that people also have a really good chance at making it are the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 24 years ago at Miami Gardens - the same venue as this time around. Although its held in the Miami Dolphins home city, unfortunately they will not be participating in the spectacular sporting event this year. And if you're equally looking forward to the entertainment part of this event (we don't blame you) with incredible performances by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez set, you definitely should be! All we can say is this is an event you won't want to miss. Either way, no one knows yet for sure who will be in the ultimate game - with a month to go all we can say is that all bets are off. Keep reading to find out all the information you need to know for the Super Bowl 2020 and where to live stream the event from anywhere in the world.
How to watch a Super Bowl 2020 live stream for free in the US:Fox will be broadcasting the event live this time around with Joe Buck commentating alongside the legendary Troy Aikman - former Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Note that you will need a US IP address in order to access the Fox coverage otherwise you won't be able to access the content from abroad - if you want to do so, you'll have to follow our VPN guidelines above and log in with a VPN, choosing a US server location. Fox isn't you're only option though, with all of the top US-based streaming services all providing an alternative. Each one offers a free trial to get you started and has masses of other content and channels for you to enjoy if you subscribe:
How to watch Super Bowl online in the UK for FREE:
How to watch the Super Bowl 2020: live stream in Canada
How to live stream Super Bowl action in AustraliaSuper Bowl live stream: worldwide coverage where you areSuper Bowl 53 was available live in seven languages and 170 countries and territories around the world. We don't yet know exactly who will be showing the 2020 event, but we can tell you a few options from last year in some of the most popular territories for watching NFL: Mexico - ESPN, Fox, TV Azteca; Brazil - ESPN; South Korea - MBC Sports; Germany - ProSieben, DAZN; France - TF1, BeIN Sport; Argentina - ESPN, Fox; China - Fox Sports, BesTV.
How to watch Super Bowl online - our favorite live stream choice:If, like us, you'd like to watch a live stream online without any commercial breaks, then following these three simple steps will help: 2. Connect to a UK server location Want to record the Super Bowl and watch it later? TVPlayer will also allow you to do that too. You'll need to sign up for a paid account, but the good news there is that the site offers a 14-day free trial so no payments required!
Want to watch the Super Bowl in Miami instead?If you’d rather catch the action live in the arena instead, you can always buy tickets. Just be aware that they are quite expensive, the cheapest tickets you can get are priced at $4,799 each, and that’s for the very back of the stadium. Premium seats which are pretty close to the action are going at $12,999 each. The good news is that both tickets and others include access to the three hour all-inclusive 3-hour pre-game party at Gulfstream Park, meet and greet opportunities with NFL stars and Hall of Famers including Joe DeLamiellure, Floyd Little & Jan Stenerud and more!
Super Bowl 2020 FAQ: your questions answeredIf you want to know more about how to watch your favorite TV and live stream sport then click the link to see our dedicated guide
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| Posted: 30 Dec 2019 03:05 AM PST A Chinese hacking group has been able to successfully target Western government entities by bypassing Two-Factor Authentication protections. According to Dutch cybersecurity company, Fox-IT, the hackers were able to remain undetected in compromised systems precisely because they were able to exploit existing security tools already present.
Exploited softwareThe claims were made by Fox-IT after a two year investigation into compromised systems, which they released in a whitepaper in which they identified the hackers’ activities and methods. The key actor was identified as the APT20 hacking group, which is claimed to have worked under the authority of the Chinese government for nearly ten years. The group targets government agencies and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) by exploiting vulnerabilities in web servers to access networks. From there, they can install web shells to facilitate moving through the IT networks, focusing on enterprise application platforms. The hackers also targeted user workstations with administrator privileges, as well as password vaults. The most surprising finding was that Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) protocols could be bypassed in vulnerable systems, with the hackers able to generate their own software tokens for access within exploited software. Fox-IT reports that the easiest way to defend against such attacks is by robust use of segmentation, as well as leveraging Microsoft’s Enhanced Security Administrative Environment (ESAE) for greater security.
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| IoT giant exposes millions of customer details online Posted: 30 Dec 2019 02:49 AM PST Smart device company Wyze has confirmed it accidentally exposed a database containing details from up to 2.4 million customers online. The incident happened early in December, eventually being noticed by cybersecurity company Twelve Security at the end of the month, when it was reported by video surveillance news website IPVM. According to Wyze, a budget vendor in smart devices such as cameras, locks, bulbs, and plugs, the database was a test environment for making information processing more efficient.
Data exposedHowever, while Wyze said it was exposed in error, Twelve Security reported that details included email addresses, usernames, and security tokens - enough information for malicious third parties to take control over any smart devices affected. Wyze has since reset its systems to help prevent that. The problem arose when Wyze, using Amazon Web Services to process Internet of Things (IoT) data, left security protocols off that allowed their Elasticsearch data to be accessed online. It remains a reminder to businesses that they are ultimately responsible for security when it comes to cloud computing services. However, this isn't the first time Wyze have run into problems with user access. Earlier this year a flaw in their system allowed users to still access smart cameras that had been reassigned to another account.
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