Apple : Canonical now lets you host Android apps in the cloud |
- Canonical now lets you host Android apps in the cloud
- Super Bowl 2020: when is it, where is it, who's playing, channel, kickoff start time and more
- 4G isn't dead yet: this chip will power non-5G phones in 2020
- Intel Tiger Lake release date, specs and news: all the details on Intel’s next 10nm chips
- The best Super Bowl TV deals in 2020: sales from Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy
- Best free blogging site of 2020
- Malicious files evading email security products
- Best compact camera 2020: 10 top premium compacts for all abilities
- Your old Sonos speaker may stop getting updates
- We may have just got a peek at AMD Zen 3 in this Linux kernel update
- Best cloud storage of 2020 online: free, paid and business options
- Nvidia could be striking back at AMD with rumored RTX 2080 Super-equipped laptops
- Microsoft and Alphabet chiefs disagree over facial recognition ban
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus release date, price, news and leaks
- Android-based Philips TVs will support Disney Plus at launch in Europe
- The massive 90% discount on this ace web hosting deal has just been extended
- Philips new 4K LED TVs get premium Bowers and Wilkins sound systems
- Super Bowl 2020 halftime show: who are the performers and how to watch it
- Philips' new OLED805 and OLED855 TVs will use AI power to pimp your picture
| Canonical now lets you host Android apps in the cloud Posted: 21 Jan 2020 01:47 PM PST Canonical has announced a new platform called Anbox Cloud which containerizes workloads using Android as a guest operating system to enable enterprises to distribute applications from the cloud. With Anbox Cloud, enterprises and service providers can deliver mobile applications more securely, at scale and independently of a device's capabilities. Possible use cases for the Ubuntu maker's new platform include cloud gaming, enterprise workplace applications, software testing and mobile device virtualization. By providing developers with the ability to offload compute, storage and energy-intensive applications from x86 and Arm devices to the cloud, end users can can consume advanced workloads by streaming them directly to their device. Additionally Anbox Cloud provides developers with more control over performance and infrastructure costs while also giving them the flexibility to scale based on user demand.
Anbox CloudDirector of product at Canonical, Stephan Fabel explained why the company decided to provide users with on-demand Android applications via the cloud in a press release announcing the new platform, saying: “Driven by emerging 5G networks and edge computing, millions of users will benefit from access to ultra-rich, on-demand Android applications on a platform of their choice. Enterprises are now empowered to deliver high performance, high density computing to any device remotely, with reduced power consumption and in an economical manner.” Enterprises can utilize Anbox Cloud to help accelerate their digital transformation initiatives by delivering workplace applications directly to employee's devices in a way that maintains the assurance of data privacy and compliance. Organizations will also be able to reduce their internal application development costs by providing a single application that can be used across different form factors and operating systems. Anbox Cloud can be hosted in the public cloud for infinite capacity, high reliability and elasticity or on a private cloud edge infrastructure where low latency and data privacy are a priority. While Canonical has not yet announced an official release data for its new platform, interested users can sign up to request access to Anbox Cloud.
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| Super Bowl 2020: when is it, where is it, who's playing, channel, kickoff start time and more Posted: 21 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST With the final drive of the Conference Championships over, it's time for the Super Bowl to take centre stage once again. That's right, the 49-ers have obliterated the Packers and Titans have succumbed to the Chiefs. The only thing left to do now is take the NFC and AFC champions and pit them against each other in football's biggest game of all. The Super Bowl is more than a game of football, it's transcended the world of sport and become a cultural pinnacle in itself. Just like the premiere of The Mandalorian or the final season of Game of Thrones - the Super Bowl is now a major cultural, entertainment extravaganza. So, if you're already counting down the Sundays until the big game kicks off, you'll want to know everything there is to know about Super Bowl 2020. We're rounding up all the best places to catch the big game, when you need to tune in to watch that first punt downfield, and what to expect from the halftime show. Plus, if you're tuning in from further afield, we've got all the information you need to stream the Super Bowl live online as well.
Super Bowl 2020 start time and dateThe Super Bowl will kick off shortly after broadcast begins at 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT / 5.30pm CT on Sunday February 2. If you're viewing from the UK you'll be staying up a little later and tuning it at 11.30pm GMT, meanwhile Australia will have to take the whole day off with the game starting at 10.30am AEDT on Monday, February 3. If you're looking to watch the Super Bowl live from central Europe, you can expect the game to start at 12.30pm CET. Super Bowl channels and networks across the worldThe US is sorted for Super Bowl channels, with Fox taking on the bulk of the coverage direct from Miami. However, if you're outside of the US, terrestrial services usually run live coverage for free on a major channel. We've gathered some of the most popular below:
Where is the Super Bowl this year?This year, the Super Bowl is in the hands of Miami as Florida takes on the football championships in the NFL's 100th season. The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host of five previous Super Bowl championships. Two of those five games saw the 49ers take the Lombardi trophy home, making Hard Rock well-trodden ground for San Francisco. Who's playing in Super Bowl LIV?Super Bowl LIV will be played between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. While the 49ers are hoping to join the Patriots and the Steelers with a sixth Super Bowl win putting them in a three way tie with the New England and Pittsburgh teams for the most won ever. The Chiefs, on the other hand, haven't seen the grass of a Super Bowl for fifty years since winning Super Bowl IV. Both teams are coming off of explosive wins against divisional rivals in their respective conferences, flooring the competition in both instances. Whatever goes down on game day it's set to be an intense matchup, with Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo both hungry for the win, albeit for very different reasons. How to watch Super Bowl 2020Catching the big game in the US and UK has never been easier thanks to a range of streaming services offering live Super Bowl and Divisional Playoffs coverage. While Fox is broadcasting the game free, US fans can also stream the Super Bowl and take advantage of a load of extra content through Hulu, YouTubeTV, DirecTV Now, and FuboTV. Meanwhile, fans in the UK can pick up coverage of the full Super Bowl game live as it happens on BBC One, which also opens up the opportunity to stream the game later (if you don't fancy staying up into the wee hours) on BBC iPlayer. If you want to get to the action sooner, you can pick up a Sky Sports subscription and gain access to the Divisional Playoff games as well as the Championship. For more ways to watch the Championships, check out our full guide to live stream Super Bowl 2020. Super Bowl 2020 halftime showThe Super Bowl halftime show will be ruled by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020 and we're expecting great things from the biggest show of the year, with each artist bringing their own setlist of chart-topping hits and celebrating Latina women everywhere with a historic performance in the heart of Miami. They'll be following a tradition of halftime super stars, with previous guests including Beyonce, Prince, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and The Who.
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| 4G isn't dead yet: this chip will power non-5G phones in 2020 Posted: 21 Jan 2020 12:35 PM PST While 2020 is the year we finally get more 5G phones, we’re far from seeing the end of 4G handsets. Qualcomm introduced a trio of new chipsets that will likely ship in this year’s higher-end and mid range phones, proving there’s still plenty of market space for smartphones that don’t hook up to next-gen networks. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G, 662, and 460 are aimed at phones in India, though the chipmaker notes they’ll likely come in phones that arrive in the US, too, according to PocketNow. The 720G (the G stands for gaming) is an octa-core chipset aimed at higher-end smartphones. Features include on-device AI (a privacy-focused priority for handsets from Samsung and others) and display resolution up to 2,520 x 1,080, along with 800Mbps top down speeds - still a respectable number, especially compared to the lower-band 5G networks. The chipset also enables up to 192 MP photos, per the press release, which will account for the high-megapixel main lenses going into phones. While the Samsung Galaxy S20 won't pack the Snapdragon 720G, it's setting an example with its rumored 108MP main shooter.
The octa-core 662, on the other hand, has download speeds up to 390Mbps and supports triple-camera suites that shoot and save in the HEIF file format. The Snapdragon 460 is an improvement on the 450, which Qualcomm claims is 50% faster than its predecessor. A 5G future - but still a 4G presentWhile cheaper chipsets are coming out with 5G capability, it’s still early days for 5G networks, which are still building out coverage in area, reliability, and speed. Given that 5G phones have cost even more than their 4G counterparts, it makes sense that we’ll get another year of handsets that don’t need to hook up to 5G networks. For consumers who aren’t going to pay top-dollar anyway, there’s still a demand for phones that just work - on a well-tested and built-out network.
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| Intel Tiger Lake release date, specs and news: all the details on Intel’s next 10nm chips Posted: 21 Jan 2020 12:05 PM PST Intel has done a great job of keeping us waiting on big advancements to its processor architecture, but Tiger Lake could start to change that. The first generation of 10nm Core processors was effectively a no-show, and the second generation of 10nm with Intel Ice Lake processors only recently hit Ultrabooks, but stands out as more of an efficient alternative to the high performance Comet Lake processors that still come on Intel’s undying 14nm architecture. But at CES 2020, Intel gave plenty of attention to its upcoming Tiger Lake processors, so it's time to start getting ready for the next generation of mobile processors. Especially because Intel will have its competition cut out for it with AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile processors, which verge on desktop performance.
Cut to the chase
Intel Tiger Lake release dateIntel hasn’t confirmed a release date for Tiger Lake but if you listened closely at the Intel press conference from CES 2020, you may have heard mention of Tiger Lake units shipping to OEMs “this summer,” which means late Q2 or Q3. If it’s shipping to OEMs then, that means it will come later on. So, it won’t be until the latter half of 2020, and could easily take until Q4 before laptops start shipping with Tiger Lake processors inside.
Intel Tiger Lake priceWe can’t expect to get individual pricing for Intel’s Tiger Lake processors because, for now anyway, they appear to be going straight to OEMs for laptop builds. That means the actual price of the chips will never really be paid by consumers. We can guess they may end up in a similar ballpark to Intel Ice Lake chips, though. And, even if consumers aren’t buying those directly, Intel does supply some suggested pricing. Here are the prices Intel suggested for a range of Ice Lake processors when purchased in bulk:
Intel Tiger Lake specsIntel’s Tiger Lake chips are described as 10nm+, though they’re Intel’s third iteration of a 10nm chip. It appears Intel doesn’t make much of its first 10nm Cannon Lake, which was as good as a phantom. In any case, we expect Intel Tiger Lake to come with further refinements to the 10nm process used, which will likely allow for decent performance from a low base clock (somewhere in the ballpark of 1.0-1.2GHz), and extra headroom for boost clocks (over 4.0GHz for Core i7 models). We’ll likely see dual-core and quad-core variants of the Intel Tiger Lake chips, but it’s not clear whether we’ll see any higher core counts. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Some early leaked benchmarks shared by leaker @TUM_APISAK suggest a quad-core Tiger Lake chip can outperform a six-core Comet Lake chip, Wccftech reports. Intel claimed double-digit performance gains over previous generation chips. But, Tiger Lake will be going against AMD’s eight-core Ryzen mobile processors, and that match-up may be a different story. There’s been some speculation that Tiger Lake processors would support a new generation of RAM, specifically LPDDR5. If that were the case, it would double transfers, reduce power consumption, and enable a “deep sleep” power-saving mode. But, given that DDR5 is just getting into the sampling phase, according to our friends at PCGamer, it’s likely Tiger Lake will be sticking to DDR4 unless it gets a Cannon Lake-style series of delays. There are a few confirmed specs for Tiger Lake, though. For one, the chips will come with integrated Wi-Fi 6, giving them more advanced wireless connectivity. They also get integrated Thunderbolt 4, which offers the same 40Gbps bandwidth as Thunderbolt 3 and the new USB 4.0 standard, according to clarification from Intel to our mates at Tom’s Hardware. Intel could also get some faster connections if Tiger Lake supports PCIe 4.0, as suggested by TechPowerUp. PCIe 4.0-support was expected to come alongside Comet Lake desktop processors, according to Tom’s Hardware, but Intel had issues getting it to work. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Tiger Lake architecture will run into similar difficulties. If Intel Introduces PCIe 4.0, it match what AMD is offering with its Zen 2 architecture, but ultimately wouldn’t change a whole lot for consumers if Tiger Lake never escapes the mobile processor space (though could be more beneficial in something like the Ghost Canyon NUC). The Tiger Lake processors will also get support from AI and Intel Xe Graphics. That AI will optimize performance, and may have a special trick that can shift the balance of power to the CPU and GPU to give either a boost when needed. We’ll keep this page updated as we learn more about Tiger Lake.
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| The best Super Bowl TV deals in 2020: sales from Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:25 AM PST The 2020 Super Bowl is less than two weeks away (Sunday, February 2 to be exact), and that means you can find incredible TV deals from retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and more. You can score record-low prices on a variety of best-selling 4K TVs from brands such as Vizio, LG, and Samsung. Our top Super Bowl TV deals include everything from a mid-size 50-inch TV to a massive 75-inch set, with features such as HDR and voice control, and at a range of prices – so whatever your football viewing needs you’ll find your perfect TV here. To make things easier for you, we've split our selection of TVs into three categories: the outright best TVs for watching the Super Bowl, the best mid-range TVs, and the best budget TVs. We've included a range of different sizes in each category, and we’ve also picked a standout model for our Super Bowl TV deal of the week. Shop our best Super Bowl 2020 TV deals below, and make sure to check back, as we'll be updating this article with more deals as we get closer to watching the Super Bowl 2020 live stream. The best Super Bowl TV deals 2020:
Shop more of our top picks for the best budget TV deals. Find out everything you need to know about Super Bowl 2020: when is it, where is it, who's playing, channel, kickoff start time and more. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best free blogging site of 2020 Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:45 AM PST Free blogging sites have come a long way in recent years, and it’s now easier than ever to create a professional-looking blog to share a hobby with likeminded people, express your opinions, and establish an online presence. These free blogging sites are aimed at hobbyist bloggers – blogs are created and managed online, and hosted on the blogging platform’s own servers. If you want to create a self-hosted blog, the downloadable version of WordPress is an excellent option, with total flexibility, support for third-party plugins, and as much storage as your hosting plan allows. If you're interested in making a static website rather than an online journal, take a look at our guide to the best free website builders.
Wix makes it dead easy to design and realize your blog, and you can do a lot more besides Wix has a range of paid-for subscription plans, but also a free offering, although it’s best to note upfront that this has some caveats. With the free product, your site will have Wix branding, and you’ll be limited to 500MB of data transfer per month, so it’s not for heavily trafficked sites. You also only get 500MB storage, too, so bear that in mind. You are, however, free to build a blog with an unlimited number of pages, and where Wix really shines is with its powerful blog functionality. The editor may be simple, but you get access to all the stuff you need – from image galleries through to videos and music – and there are a ton of ways to customize a post. There’s also a lot of flexibility in the way you can schedule posts, and neat touches like being able to set things up so that posts are automatically pushed to Facebook when they’re published. For instance, you have a feature called WiX Bookings, that allows customers to schedule appointments and classes right on your website. And what makes Wix truly compelling is on top of this, you get the run of the rest of what this website builder offers aside from blog support. That includes using Wix’s ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) editor to make building your site a snap even for novices, plus impressively diverse support for various different types of media, and quality customer support to boot (yes, even on the free plan). As of recently, Wix introduced Wix Turbo, which increases the speed and performance of websites considerably. When you consider what you’re getting for nothing, the bandwidth and data limits don’t seem like such a heavy set of shackles. And you can always upgrade at a later date if you want to break free of them in the longer run. Try it online: Wix
Powerful and highly customizable, WordPress is a brilliant platform for blogs of any size, and bloggers of any level of experience. Creating your first blog is very straightforward, with a simple wizard that guides you through the process of choosing a name and suitable theme. You can leave it there and begin writing posts immediately, but the real fun lies in the more advanced editor, which lets you customize virtually every aspect of your blog’s appearance. Unlike some blogging sites, WordPress isn’t a drag-and-drop affair, and you’ll have to familiarize yourself with its system of menus. It’s well worth the effort, though, and enables you to create something truly personal. The editor also lets you create static pages – like a writer’s biography, for example. The post-writing interface is much like an ordinary desktop word processor (though some options are presented in a toolbar at the top, while others are in a menu at the side, which can be a little confusing at first). Again, time spent getting to know the interface is rewarded with advanced features like customizable social media sharing buttons, geotagging, and the ability to pick a custom style for individual posts. Sometimes you might want to create a photo gallery, for example, and other times a more text-focused style would be more appropriate. You can also view and edit the HTML source. As your blog grows, WordPress lets you track its stats, including page views, visitors, likes and comments over time. You can also see how readers reach your site, which content they viewed, and where they are in the world, so you can tailor your content accordingly. Your site is hosted on WordPress servers, with an address in the format yoursite.wordpress.com. Users of the free service don’t get email or live chat support, but the WordPress community forums are very active and questions are usually answered within a few minutes. Additionally, privacy protection for domains that are registered at WordPress.com is free. WordPress displays ads on free blogs, but provided you can live with that, it’s a top-notch solution for a free blogging site. Try it online: WordPress
Blogger has been around for many years, but has kept up with current trends and technology, including responsive blog templates Blogger is another superb blogging platform. It’s not quite as powerful as WordPress, but more accessible for new users, which comes as no surprise when you learn that it’s owned by Google. Blogger offers an excellent selection of templates, all of which include mobile versions optimized for smaller screens – a very sensible addition with so many people accessing online content through smartphones. Blogger’s post-editing tool is much like WordPress, but offers fewer options. As a result, its toolbars are less confusing – a trade-off between power and usability. One of Blogger’s best features is its integration with other Google apps and services. For example, it uses your Google Drive account to store images and other files for your blog. Google Drive gives you 15GB of space free, so Blogger is a good choice if you’re planning to share a lot of high-res photos. Spam comments are a big problem on blogs, so Blogger’s automatic spam filter can help save your sanity. You can monitor comments via Blogger’s dashboard, which also lets you see visitor stats. There are some handy visualizations here, including a world map to show the global distribution of your readers. Your blog will have an address in the format yoursite.blogger.com, and, like all Google services, will include ads. Support is available through the Blogger user forum, which is very active but has a strange layout that can be a little off-putting. In all other respects, Blogger is brilliant – one of the best free blogging sites if you prioritize ease of use over flexibility and are a fan of the Google ecosystem. Try it online: Blogger
Weebly takes a modular approach to blog building, with a drag-and-drop editor that lets you choose which elements to add to your site, and where. Pick a basic template, then plonk various types of content onto the page, including social media links, text, images, maps, and sections of code. It’s a refreshingly simple way to build a blog that feels unique to you, but doesn’t require any messing about with menus. It’s worth noting, however, that certain content blocks can only be positioned in certain areas; it isn’t a total free-for-all. This makes sense – forcing you to stick within the confines of your chosen template stops the page looking messy – but you might find it limiting. Blog posts are made in the same way: drag text boxes, picture frames, buttons and page breaks into position, then click to edit them. One particularly nice feature is the ‘secret draft link’, which lets you preview your unpublished post, and even share it with others via email before releasing it into the wild. Weebly has some other interesting tricks up its sleeve too, including an area for pasting in Google Analytics tracking code (though it doesn’t offer analytics itself). You’re only given 500MB for uploaded content, so photographers might want to look elsewhere. Weebly puts an ad in your site’s footer, but it doesn’t obscure any of your content. Try it online: Weebly
Penzu is a personal blogging tool that lets you create your own private diary Whereas the other free blogging sites are designed to get as many eyeballs on your posts as possible, Penzu is the equivalent of a locked diary stashed in a safe. Penzu is a journal platform that makes your posts private by default and locks them down with at least one password (even after you’re logged in, you need a second one to read or edit your posts). That’s because it’s designed for private thoughts and personal reflection. There are free apps for iOS and Android that enable you to update your Penzu diary anywhere, but the contents are for your eyes only. Penzu isn’t a tool for self-promotion, so although it’s far from ugly, it understandably focuses on function rather than looks. Custom colors and backgrounds come at a price – currently $20 (about £14, AU$25) per year. It’s a shame that 128-bit AES encryption is also limited to the paid-for version, and there’s a fair amount of pressure to upgrade. Extra options are often dangled under your nose then yanked away, but the core offering is a good one, and if you simply want a place to record your thoughts and practise writing, Penzu could be just what you need. Try it online: Penzu
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| Malicious files evading email security products Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:42 AM PST Enterprises could be even more vulnerable to email-based attacks according to a new study from BitDam which shows that malicious files regularly bypass all of today's top email security solutions. The firm's study titled “The Blind Spots of Email Security” measured the ability of email security products to detect unknown threats at first encounter. By using fresh samples of malicious files from a number of sources and qualifying them as unknown threats, BitDam was able to calculate the miss rate at first encounter as well as the Time To Detect (TTD) of today's top email security products.
Detecting unknown threatsAccording to the study's findings, the miss rate over seven weeks at the end of 2019 was about 23 percent for Office ATP while the TTD average was about 48 hours. However, close to 20 percent of missed unknown threats took four or more days to be detected and Office 365 ATP was 'blind' to selected unknown threats it did not detect at first encounter. For G-Suite, the miss rate was 35.5 percent and the TTD average was bout 26 hours with around 10 percent of missed unknown threats taking three days or more to be detected. These large detection gaps provide proof of how enterprises are often unprotected against unknown threats and this can lead to successful email-based attacks such as ransomware, phishing and malware. Former founder and CTO of Bromium, Simon Crosby praised BitDam's study for pinpointing the unacceptable gap in detection time by many email security products, saying: “Mind the gap! is as relevant to CISOs as it is to riders on the London Underground. The time gap between malware delivery and subsequent detection by the industry’s most widely used endpoint protection suites solutions is shockingly long - in practice long enough to be useless. BitDam’s recent study pinpoints this unacceptable gap in detection time, showing that organizations are exposed to cyberthreats for many hours, or even days, before their email security identifies these as malware.”
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| Best compact camera 2020: 10 top premium compacts for all abilities Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:10 AM PST Are you looking for the best compact cameras around right now? You've come to the right place. We've rounded up all the best smartphone-beating compacts, from simple point-and-shoot snappers to big-sensor premium models, in one handy list. Smartphone cameras might have replaced budget compacts with limited zooms, but there are still very good reasons to buy a standalone pocket camera. Whether you need a waterproof model for the beach, one with lengthy optical zoom for holiday snaps, or a big sensor for low light street shooting, many compacts still have physical advantages that allow them to trump smartphones in certain situations. All of the compacts below offer a great blend of portability, features and performance, and can produce results to rival many DSLR cameras. If your budget is unlimited, our current pick of the compact crowd is the Sony RX100 VII. It might be a good deal more expensive than the still pricey RX100 VI, but its impressive autofocus system and superb video quality make it impossible to pass over. If the RX100 VII is too much, though – and for almost everyone it will be – read on for a host of excellent suggestions to suit every need and budget. Each camera in this list has been tested in-depth by us, while our price comparison tool means you’ll get the best deal on whichever compact camera you choose. Best compact camera 2020 at a glance:
In some respects, this is the best compact around right now. Its autofocus system is way ahead of what anyone else is doing right now, tracking moving subjects with excellent skill and cleverly switch into and out of face- and eye-detection as necessary. Control over video recording is as superb as the quality of the footage itself, while image quality is also stellar. But all of this comes at a price, and for many people it's just a little too steep for the camera to be included in the main list, but we can't pass it by as one of the best options there is. So if you have some spare change, we'd highly recommend the RX 100 VII. If, however, you like the idea of the seventh-generation RX100 but are happy to sacrifice that superb autofocus system, check out the RX100 VI (position 6), which maintains much of what we see here for a little less outlay. Read more about the Sony RX100 VII
There's something very special about Fujifilm's X100 series, which mixes retro styling, a fixed 35mm f/2 lens and a large, APS-C sensor. Street photographers love them, and the X100F is the fourth entry in the popular series – though it may not be the latest one for long. There are strong rumors that a fifth version, the Fujifilm X100V, is going to be announced soon. Does that mean you shouldn't consider the X100F? While it's probably wise to wait for now, its likely price drop could still make it a fine buy, depending on what new features its successor brings. This is likely to include a new sensor, but there's certainly nothing wrong with the X100F in this department – its 24MP APS-C sensor delivers cracking images with superb colors, while the hybrid viewfinder and manual dials give it a shooting experience that's unmatched by other compact cameras. We'll update this page when news of the X100V breaks, but at current prices the X100F is still a fine premium compact camera. Read our in-depth Fujifilm X100F review
Panasonic invented the travel-zoom camera genre - compact cameras that you can fit in a pocket but that have long zoom lenses built-in. Despite strong competition, the ZS range (known as TZ outside the US) has continued to dominate sales, and it looks set to continue this with the brilliant Lumix ZS200 (called TZ200 outside the US). As we first saw with the Lumix ZS100 / TZ100, Panasonic has been able to keep the camera body about the same size as earlier ZS-series cameras but squeeze a much larger 1-inch sensor into the camera to deliver much better image quality. The zoom lens isn't quite so extensive as some, but the versatile 15x zoom should be more than enough for most users, while you also get (an admittedly small) electronic viewfinder, 4K video and a great touchscreen interface. If you're looking for a neat all-in-one compact camera that delivers great images, this is it. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200 review
If you're looking for a powerful all-in-one bridge camera, then the RX10 IV from Sony is the best there is. You'll pay a premium for that performance, but when you look at what else is out there for the same price, the RX10 IV is virtually in a league of its own. Featuring a huge 24-600mm f/2.4-4 zoom lens, the RX10 IV builds on the RX10 III with an overhauled AF system that now does justice to the rest of the camera, while the 1-inch, 20.1MP sensor is capable of achieving excellent levels of detail. Handling is very polished, feeling like a DSLR in the hand and complemented by a large and bright electronic viewfinder. That's not forgetting the ability to capture video in 4K and shoot at up to 24fps. Impressive stuff. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review
The G7X Mark II proved to be a smash and we're confident that this will be just a great a hit with vloggers and enthusiast photographers. With the new advantages of 4K shooting, a mic port and live streaming to YouTube joining the previously seen built-in ND filter and flip up LCD screen, this is arguably the strongest compact right now for vlogging. But if you've no interest in video there's still plenty to keep you happy, from 30fps shooting at full resolution to a super-sensitive touchscreen, in-camera raw processing and the added convenience of USB charging. It's a shame there's no viewfinder or hot shoe, but then not everyone needs these. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III review
Compact cameras with sensors larger than 1-inch in size are typically limited to fixed-focal-length lenses, which is great for quality but less so for flexibility. But not the Panasonic LX100 II; it manages to marry a 17MP Four Thirds sensor – the same size as those found inside Panasonic's G-series mirrorless cameras – with a zoom lens equivalent to 24-75mm in 35mm terms, proving that sometimes you can get quality and flexibility at once. The original LX100 was something of a landmark camera for offering something similar, and this latest iteration takes the baton, with a nippy AF system, robust body, clear 4K videos and a useful electronic viewfinder among its highlights. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix LX100 II review
Sony's original RX100 was a landmark camera that fused a 1-inch sensor in a compact, metal body with the controls and image quality demanded by enthusiasts. The RX100 VI goes several steps further, though, with a 'stacked' sensor design for high-speed data capture. This means it can shoot 4K video, amazing 40x slow motion and still images at 24fps in continuous burst mode. That's not forgetting the neat little built-in electronic viewfinder that its rivals lack, while this sixth generation model now packs an impressive 24-200mm zoom lens. It's a pricey option and does have its quirks, but if you're looking for a versatile, pocket-sized compact with a quality zoom lens, you won't be disappointed. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI review
The second coming of the G5 X is a serious step-change in styling and spec for the series. Gone is the DSLR-style shell in favor of a streamlined body that’s still a pleasure to grip but far easier to slip into a pocket. Inside, a new 20.1MP stacked CMOS sensor, driven by Canon’s DIGIC 8 engine, is able to capture uncropped 4K footage, while a fresh 24-100mm lens offers a generous focal range and a relatively wide maximum aperture. Well-rounded and wonderful to use, the G5 X Mark II delivers reliably good image quality, brisk focussing and a strong feature set. Battery life could be better and the lens can be a little soft at longer focal lengths, but the Mark II remains a very capable all-rounder that’s untroubled by almost all scenes. So why the lower ranking? It needs to come down in price. Read our in-depth Canon Powershot G5X Mark II review
Keen photographers usually go for a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they also want something that will slip in a pocket for those days when the big camera needs to stay at home. Usually, that means putting up with a smaller sensor – but not this time. Somehow, Canon has shoehorned a DSLR-sized APS-C sensor into a compact camera body. There's also a built-in electronic viewfinder and refined touchscreen interface. The zoom range is a bit modest at 24-72mm, but there's nothing else quite like it. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III review
It's tempting for list this model higher up just for the value for money it offer, but it isn't the newest model and, as a result, doesn't have the topnotch performance of its newer siblings. The RX100 IV sits in the middle of the RX100 family, and while newer models beat it for burst shooting, autofocus and focal range, for most people this cheaper alternative would still serve them brilliantly. The 1-inch sensor at its heart captures lovely images and super-crisp 4K videos, and while the 24-70mm (35mm equivalent) lens range isn't quite as broad as on the RX100 VI and RX100 VII, the lens itself has a wider f/1.8-2.8 aperture. The 2.36 million-dot viewfinder cleverly hides away when not in use, while optical image stabilisation inside the lens keeps everything steady. You might want to pair it with a separate grip for better handling, but if you need a powerful compact to slip into your pocket – and you don't want to spend a fortune getting it – you'll find the RX100 IV delivers plenty. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV review
The ZS100 may have been refreshed by the ZS200 (position 2) but don't let that put you off; this is still a fine camera, and its last-gen status means it's at a better price than ever. Part of its charm is that fact that it partners a large 1-inch sensor with a 10x optical zoom lens, which provides better image and video quality than other superzoom compacts, but with the flexibility of a broad zoom lens – not something many cameras can claim. Other niceties include a built-in EVF, very good quality 4K video and Wi-Fi, along with image capture in raw. Read our in-depth Panasonic ZS100 review None of the above take your fancy? Got some cash to play with? Here are two further options.
The Q2 is a thing of beauty, and right now it's arguably the best compact camera around. It's not for everyone – not least because it costs a small fortune – but if you genuinely want the best compact you'll be hard pushed to find a finer one than the Q2. Leica hasn't compromised on the spec sheet, with the 47.3MP sensor producing masses of detail and keeping noise impressive low, while the 3.68 million dot electronic viewfinder is bright and sharp. Also bright and sharp is that 28mm f/1.7 lens, while 4K videos show plenty of detail. It's not the easiest to handle (although you can get an optional grip) and some may have preferred a tilting screen, but its build quality is near-faultless. If you're pining for such a camera in your life but can't quite find the funds, consider the previous Q1 model, which offers a slightly stripped-down feature set by comparison for a hell of a lot less.
We had mixed feelings when we came to review the GR III, but it still deserves a mention here. Why's that? Because, despite a few quirks, Ricoh managed to get a lot right, and it delivers something no other compact quite manages right now, namely the combination of an image-stabilized 24MP APS-C sensor inside a body that you can squeeze into your pocket. Other advantages include a high-performing lens, fast operation, a revamped menu system and understated styling to help keep you discreet when you're out shooting. The fixed 28mm-equivalent lens won't be to everyone's taste, and the battery life is also disappointing, but for those who need to travel light and take great images, this is a very capable alternative to an interchangeable-lens camera. Read our in-depth Ricoh GR III review
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| Your old Sonos speaker may stop getting updates Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:08 AM PST Do you have an old Sonos speaker kicking around at home? It may become obsolete soon, as the audio brand announced that it will no longer provide software updates and ongoing support for a number of its legacy products, including the original Sonos Play: 5. On top of the 2010 Play:5, Sonos will cease updates in May for the Connect and Connect Amp, the original Zone Players, the CR200, and Bridge.
It's important to note that this doesn't mean your old Sonos speaker will stop working – it just won't receive any new features from May onwards. Sonos has also confirmed that it will "monitor and deal with bugs in the future, should they arise", according to What Hi-Fi?. What am I missing out on?If you have one of the affected Sonos speakers, you won't be able to take advantage if the brand introduces any new features or services to the rest of its lineup. For example, if a cool new music service to rival Spotify comes along, your older Sonos speaker won't be able to support it. While that's probably not a huge concern to owners of the original Sonos Play:5 and other affected devices, it could prove a problem for anyone who uses one of these speakers as part of a multi-room setup. This could stop your newer Sonos speaker from receiving the updates it needs; the solution of course, is to disconnect the offending speaker (but then your multi-room setup will be missing one component, which isn't ideal if it consists of only two speakers to begin with). There's also the possibility that changes from service developers like Spotify or Tidal, that require an update from Sonos to work, could render your old Sonos speaker unable to use your favorite streaming platform.
Sonos seems to be focussing on newer models like the Sonos One. Why is Sonos doing this? Engadget says that the technical capabilities of these older devices has "essentially been maxed out, due to limitations on memory and processing power" – which isn't surprising when you consider that some are more than a decade old. It's clear that Sonos is trying to encourage its users to move on to its newer products like the Sonos Move portable speaker or the Sonos One smart speaker. In October, the brand announced its Trade Up program, which gives you a 30% discount on new models when you recycle your unwanted old Sonos speakers. Eligible models include the Sonos Connect, Connect:Amp, ZP80, ZP90, ZP100, and ZP120 – the Sonos Play:1, which has now been discontinued, and replaced by the Sonos One and One SL. As such, it's probably not worth buying a really old Sonos speaker; instead save your money for a newer model or check out the best wireless speakers of 2020 for non-Sonos alternatives. Via What Hi-Fi? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||
| We may have just got a peek at AMD Zen 3 in this Linux kernel update Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:59 AM PST References to Zen 3, the architecture of AMD’s next-gen Ryzen desktop processors, have turned up in the Linux kernel, hinting that these chips might just arrive sooner than we think. New versions of the Linux kernel are often combed through as they emerge, looking for clues like references to unreleased hardware, and this time around it’s Komachi_Ensaka (a prolific leaker) who spotted details of AMD’s ‘Family 19h’ processors, and shared them on Twitter. As Techspot, which reported on the tweet, points out, Family 19h refers to Zen 3 silicon. Zen 2 – the architecture on which existing Ryzen 3rd-gen CPUs are built – is Family 17h.
The fact that it’s a new family underlines what we’ve previously heard: that Zen 3 is a whole new architecture, with major gains expected as such. Indeed, some speculation contends that Ryzen 4000 desktop processors might witness a 20% performance leap over and above current Ryzen 3000 products. Which could possibly leave Intel in a difficult position, particularly if its next-gen Comet Lake desktop processors are delayed – with potential issues around power consumption seemingly causing trouble if the rumor mill is right. And certainly something seems amiss somewhere – these CPUs were widely expected to be at least teased at CES, but were a complete no-show. AMD aggressionZen 3 appearing in the Linux kernel doesn’t mean the release of Ryzen 4th-gen chips is around the corner, by any means, but it does hint that perhaps the mid-year point, or just after, could be feasible for release. And if Comet Lake slides to maybe even May, as current speculation holds, that could leave these Intel chips almost immediately facing off against the next-generation of Ryzen. AMD CEO Lisa Su recently confirmed that Zen 3 will definitely be out in 2020, and that the company is going to be “very aggressive” with its CPU roadmap, again hinting that we might see Ryzen 4000 desktop chips sooner rather than later in the second half of the year. Naturally, all of this is merely theorizing on launch timeframes, but Intel is doubtlessly feeling the CPU heat in more than one way right now. The company has already lost enough ground in the desktop processor arena to AMD, without further slipping up. Via PC GamesN This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best cloud storage of 2020 online: free, paid and business options Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:55 AM PST Businesses and consumers are increasingly reliant on cloud based storage solutions instead of in-house, on-premise local storage hardware. Your files are stored in the cloud, which is a simplified view of what is essentially someone else's infrastructure (data center, server, hard drive, connectivity etc). Ever since Amazon popularised storage online with S3 (Simple Storage Service), 13 years ago, Google data shows that interest for "Cloud Storage" alone has increased by 40x over the past decade. So much so that people less frequently refer to it as "online storage". Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the maximum amount of low-cost storage and bandwidth, while still keeping your data safe. This list represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they're right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash. And it's iDrive that leads the way thanks to how fast, thorough and easy to use it is. And it's an added bonus that its Cyber Monday sale pricing is still going strong (for a limited time only): Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego. Go straight to your desired option through the jump links below: Best cloud storage of 2020 at a glance:
IDrive secures servers, desktop system and mobile devices with equal aplomb (Image credit: IDrive) IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident. Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained.
Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard. For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your linked devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. That applies to the newly introduced disk image backup feature. A business version exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup. Furthermore, IDrive Cloud, an enterprise-class cloud object storage is also available.
pCloud delivers an affordable Cloud storage facility with a selection of apps (Image credit: pCloud) While some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files with pCloud. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website. The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords. Note that it is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions. The latter come with 30 days trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are - as expected - limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package.
Image credit: Zoolz There are lots of things to like about Zoolz Cloud Backup for both personal use and business deployment. It offers an easy to follow interface with excellent web management options, and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage. This UK-based company leverages Amazon’s Glacier infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices far cheaper than the competition. With 20PB of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as ephemeral as some of its rivals.
Image credit: Degoo Swedish outfit Degoo is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market. With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day. It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents. It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in.
Image credit: Mega With an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based Mega is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There's a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. The company also has business tailored plans. Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the source code to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities. Price: 50GB free. 400GB for $6 a month (£4.50, €4.99, around AU$7.50). 2TB for $12 a month (£9, €9.99, around AU$16). 8TB for $23 a month (£17, €19.99, around AU$30). 16TB for $35 a month (£26, €29.99, around AU$46).
Image credit: Microsoft OneDrive is integrated into Windows 10's File Explorer. You don't have to download an additional app – it's there to use out of the box, which is obviously very convenient for those who have made the jump to Microsoft’s newest operating system. Microsoft's Photos app can also use OneDrive to sync pictures across all your devices. As of late March, Autodesk AutoCAD has been integrated with OneDrive which is good news for anyone using the software's drafting tools. In addition, you have a feature called Personal Vault, which gives you an added layer of protection. There's an app for Android and iOS devices, and there's even one in the App Store for Mac users (although it has received mixed reviews). Price: 5GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.50, around AU$2.9). 1TB for $7 a month (£5.99, around AU$11). Unlimited (as part of Onedrive for Business) for $10 a month (£7.99, around AU$14)
Image credit: Apple If you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud, you'll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals iCloud prices are very reasonable. The Mac Finder app integrates iCloud Drive, where you can store any files you wish. Documents created in the iWork office suite are also saved to iCloud and can sync across your devices. Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the official client, and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website. Price: 5GB free. 50GB for $0.99 a month (£0.79, AU$1.49). 200GB for $2.99 (£2.24, AU$4). 2TB for $9.99 (£8, AU$13)
Image credit: Google Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. You can also store high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google's own office suite (now known as G Suite). Also, upgrading to paid Google Drive plans is now called Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region). Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn't very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily. Price: 15GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.59, around AU$2.50). 200GB for $2.99 a month (£2.35, around AU$4.10). 2TB for $9.99 a month (£8, around AU$13). 10TB for $99.99 a month (£74, around AU$130). 20TB for $199.99 a month (£148, around AU$260). 30TB for $299.99 a month (£236, around AU$426).
Image credit: Box Box's website currently seems to be pushing its Business plans as clicking ‘sign up’ takes you to the pricing page where for $15 per user (£11, around AU$19) you can benefit from advanced collaboration options and unlimited storage. But there is a 10GB free option, too. As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. It's also integrated with G-Suite, which means Docs, Sheets and Slides are automatically saved and managed in Box. Additionally, like OneDrive, it's also been integrated with AutoCAD. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows, plus there's also an official Android client. Price: 10GB free. 100GB for around $10 a month (£7.50, around AU$13)
Image credit: NextCloud NextCloud isn’t an online cloud storage provider itself, but offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer. If you've no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured NextCloud Box (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. Unfortunately, NextCloud Box is sold out but you can check out the alternatives on their website Price: Free to install and use. Self-hosting so storage costs vary.
Image credit: SpiderOak SpiderOak is part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers. The website claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there's no way to confirm this. The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can't upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees. Price: 21-day free trial. 150GB for $6 a month (around £4.5, AU$8.25). 400GB for $11 a month (around £8.4, AU$15). 2TB for $14 a month (around £10.7, AU$19.25). 5TB for $29 a month (around £22.1, AU$39.9)
Best free cloud storage
Image credit: Google Free storage allowance: 15GB (expandable) If you're a Google user, you already benefit from Google Drive integration, such as the ability to save email attachments from Gmail. However, anyone can sign up for the free cloud storage, even if they don't have a Gmail address, by creating a new Google account. Google is also in a process of releasing Google One as a sort of substitution for Google Drive, although depending on your region it might not be available yet. With 15GB of space for new users, Google Drive is one of the more generous cloud offerings, and there are occasional ways to boost this capacity free of charge. The catch is that this Google storage space is also shared with a user’s other Google services including Gmail and Google Photos. Mobile apps are available to allow easy access for iOS and Android users, and Google’s Backup and Sync desktop app lets you synchronize files from your PC to the cloud. Google Drive also includes online office tools for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations which can makes sharing files with others effortless.
Image credit: pCloud Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) You might not recognize the name, but if you're looking for a decent chunk of cloud storage free of charge, pCloud could be just the ticket. To kick things off, you're given a fairly generous 10GB to play with, and there's a bandwidth allowance of 50GB of downlink traffic per month. While we're primarily interested in the free version of pCloud, note that you can upgrade to 500GB of space for a monthly plan of $4.99 (£3.70), or 2TB for $9.99 (£7.50) a month – both of which are great deals for storage. You also have annual and lifetime plans, which are a cheaper option in the long run. The initial 10GB free offering can also be expanded up to 20GB via an additional 4GB for completion of offers, as well as referrals that add 1GB each. It’s also worth noting that pCloud offers well-designed desktop and mobile apps that supplement the website for seamless integration into a user’s workflow. With no limit on file sizes, and simple sharing options, pCloud is a great way to send large files to friends and colleagues – it's even possible to share with people who aren't using the service themselves. Add in decent streaming options and a neat online interface, and pCloud is well worth a look.
Image credit: Microsoft Free storage allowance: 5GB Coming from Microsoft – a company with plenty of money to throw at the cloud – it's a little disappointing to find that OneDrive doesn’t include more space free of charge. Free users get a mere 5GB of storage, although it's relatively inexpensive to increase this to 50GB. If you have Office 365, you'll automatically get boosted to 1TB of space, but not everyone wants an Office subscription. Like Google Drive's appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services. There's neat integration with Outlook.com, for instance. It's also integrated with non-Microsoft services like AutoCAD. OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows 10, and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move. It's possible to share files with other people even if they aren't OneDrive users (complete with customizable permissions), and the ability to edit files online without downloading them is a welcome touch.
Image credit: Dropbox Free storage allowance: 2GB (expandable) Dropbox is a stalwart of the free cloud storage world, with a web interface that remains streamlined and easy-to-use. Despite its popularity, Dropbox actually has one of the least generous free packages for new users (just 2GB), but there are various ways to boost this space without paying, including inviting friends to join (you get 500MB per referral up to 16GB), completing the Getting Started guide (250MB) and contributing to the Dropbox forum (which elicits 1GB per 'Mighty Answer' provided). DropBox really comes into its own when you start delving into the service’s extra features. There's a great collaborative working tool called Dropbox Paper that acts as a group workspace, and – if you install the desktop app – you can back up photos automatically. The File Requests feature also allows you to request another user to upload a file to your Dropbox account. Additionally, a feature called Dropbox Rewind lets you restore folders or your entire account to a specific point in time. There are desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, and mobile apps including Android, iOS and even Kindle. This gives Dropbox broad appeal, as does the support for third-party apps and services. The web version of Dropbox lets you edit files without needing to download them, and really the only thing that counts against the cloud storage service is that most alternatives offer more space to free users.
Image credit: MediaFire Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) MediaFire has been around for over a decade, and those years of experience really show. You're given 10GB of free space initially, but you can boost this by an extra 40GB through activities like referring friends and following MediaFire's social media accounts. Few people would disagree that 50GB of free cloud storage is impressive. Free accounts carry ads, but this is a small sacrifice to make. There's support for large files up to 20GB, and the sharing options are very impressive, even allowing sharing with non-users. The web-based interface is excellent too, and MediaFire offers mobile apps for convenient uploading and downloading on iOS and Android. These make it easy to access files you're storing in the cloud, and include convenient features such as automatic photo syncing.
Best business cloud storage
Image credit: SpiderOak SpiderOak is a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service founded in 2007. The platform allows users to access, synchronize and share data using a cloud-based server. The company places a strong emphasis on data security and privacy. They offer a cloud storage, online backup and sharing service which they claim uses a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment. This means the client is the only one who can view all stored data. Not even SpiderOak themselves have access to your data. SpiderOak’s main focus is on privacy and security. As a result, the tool itself has a very basic design. This makes the admin console and all central device management very straightforward to use. They also include a handy drag and drop feature for organising files. From the centralized device management dashboard, users can access settings for all applications such as backup selection and sharing. The dashboard also allows users to manage their accounts, set group permissions and gain insight into usage. Prospective business clients will need to contact SpiderOak’s Sales Team directly to obtain a quote. 500 users minimum is required. Online commentators have observed that SpiderOak lacks many of the collaboration tools available from other cloud storage providers.
Image credit: Tresorit Tresorit is a cloud storage provider based in Hungary and Switzerland. It was founded in 2011. The provider emphasizes enhanced security and data encryption for businesses and personal users alike. If you are concerned with ensuring that your stored data is kept safe online then Tresorit is the service for you. This provider allows you to keep control of your files through ‘zero-knowledge encryption’ meaning that only you and the chosen few you decide to share with can ever see your data. Your Tresorit account can also be secured by two-factor authentication login and you can choose where to keep company data with Data Residency Options. Furthermore, you also have features like Document Scanner which securely scans and uploads documents directly to Tresorit. Tresorit’s ‘Small Business’ Packages starts at $25 (£19.60) per month (or $20 monthly for the annual plan) for teams with 2-9 users. This includes 1000GB encrypted storage, secure access on up to 10 devices and synching of existing folder structure. Tresorit’s ‘Business’ plan begins at $30 (£23.30) per month (or $24 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with over 10 users. This comes with extras such as digital rights management, remote wipe and phone support. At the time of writing there is a 50% discount on "Business plan", so you can pay as low as $12 (£9.4) per month The ‘Enterprise’ tier weighs in at $34 (£26.65) per month (or $27 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with more than 100 users. Extras included in this are personalized staff training, admin API and on-premises deployment. In order to sign up for this plan, users need to contact Tresorit directly. All tiers come with a 14-day free trial. The extra security offered by Tresorit makes it relatively expensive compared to other cloud backup solutions. However most users will probably appreciate the greater piece of mind and extra features offered by Tresorit.
Image credit: Egnyte Egnyte was founded in 2007. The company provides software for enterprise file synchronization and sharing. Egnyte allows businesses to store their data locally and online. All types of data can be stored in the cloud, whilst data of a more sensitive nature can be stored on servers on-premise. This makes for better security. Business teams can work how and where they want with an easy to use collaboration system through Egnyte’s content services platform. Egnyte integrates with popular industry applications such as Office 365 or Gmail. This allows both remote and internal employees to access all files with ease. Egnyte’s ‘Office’ plan starts at $8 (£6.21) per employee per month. This covers 5-25 employees, 5TB of storage and 10GB max file size. The ‘Business’ packages starts at $20 (£15.7) per employee per month. This includes 25-100 employees, 10TB online storage and 10GB max file size. In order to take advantage of their ‘Enterprise tier’, which includes over 100 employees, 25GB max file size and unlimited storage, you will need to contact Egnyte directly. Egnyte offer a 15-day free trial for all packages. Users have observed that some files, such as photos, can take a long time to load.
Image credit: Dropbox Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage providers. It was founded in 2007. To date it is one of the simplest storage providers to use. Dropbox can be installed on most computers or devices and syncs easily between apps. The app can store almost any kind of file while never having any issues with compatibility. You can drag and drop files into the desktop app with ease. You can also share files with other users easily through links. These can be shared with users who don’t have a Dropbox account. Also, teams can make use out of Dropbox spaces, which transforms folders into collaborative workspaces. Furthermore, with Dropbox Transfer you can send up to 100 GB of files in just a few clicks. As Dropbox has been around for a long time it integrates with most other apps such as MS Office and Slack. All files and folders can be shared with other users even if they are not part of your account. These users will be limited to their own plan's storage limits. Dropbox Business can be connected to your personal account so you can access all your files in once place. Personal account feature "automatic camera upload" is now also available to Business accounts, as of November 2018. The dashboard is simple and easy to use. From here, admins can see how many team members they have as well as any pending invites. You can restrict sharing, and allow/block commenting as you see fit. The dashboard allows you to access settings and to monitor usage. Dropbox offers a 30-day free trial which asks for your payment details. Your plan will automatically upgrade after the trial at which point your card is charged. The ‘Standard’ plan starts at $12.50 (£9.71) per user per month starting at 3 users and includes 3TB storage. The ‘Advanced’ package begins at $20 (£15.70) per user per month with unlimited storage. In order to subscribe to the ‘Enterprise’ tier, users will need to contact Dropbox directly. Some users have commented on the lack of online editing tools.
Image credit: Box Box is a cloud content management and file sharing service for businesses. It was founded in 2005. Box offers strong management capabilities and security features. The interface is made for ease of use and is simple to navigate. The dashboard allows access to settings, files and folders. Admins can manage all users, monitors activity and control sharing. As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows. There's also an official Android client. Box offers a 14-day free trial for all packages. Their ‘Starter’ plan is priced at $5 (£3.88) per user per month. This includes 100GB secure storage, 2GB file upload with a maximum of 10 users. The ‘Business’ plan starts at $15 (£11.80) per user per month which includes unlimited storage, 5GB file upload and no maximum number of users. The ‘Business Plus’ package is $25 (£19.60) per user per month and comes with unlimited storage, 5GB file upload and unlimited external collaborators. In order to subscribe to Box’s ‘Enterprise’ plan, users will have to contact them directly for a quote. If you choose to share files external users are limited to read-only access.
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| Nvidia could be striking back at AMD with rumored RTX 2080 Super-equipped laptops Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:23 AM PST At CES 2020, AMD came out swinging with a group of GPUs, like the Radeon RX 5700M, for laptops that should see it compete in the market for the first time in years. However, Nvidia's not going to take that lying down. We've seen a leaked Geekbench result, spotted by renowned leaker Tum Apisak, that suggests that we'll be getting a Max-Q Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super in the near future – however there are some details that are suspect.
The specs reported in the Geekbench leak are a little fishy, which we'll get into later, but it could just be due to early drivers and misreported system information. This isn't the first time we've heard rumors suggesting that Nvidia could be working on a GeForce RTX Super mobility lineup, so this just helps paint a picture of what the lineup could look like. At the end of the day, we won't know whether or not these leaks are accurate until Nvidia deems it necessary to actually announce its Super Mobility lineup – if it ever does. Until then, all we can do is take these leaks and tear them apart to see what we can potentially learn. Getting our hands dirtyThe Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q appears in a laptop equipped with an Intel Core i9-10980HK. But, the 10980HK in this Geekbench result only has a maximum frequency of 4.92GHz, short of the 5GHz promised at CES 2020. We did see a leak from Tum Apisak earlier that suggested that the maximum frequency is 4.8GHz, so the sample in this leak is the slowest one we've seen – which suggests it may not be real. The specs for the actual graphics processor seem legit, however. With 48 streaming processors, it matches the spec of the desktop-class RTX 2080 Super. Clock speeds see a massive dip, however, which is to be expected: down to 1.23GHz boost from the 1.815GHz that the desktop card features. That's only to be expected – because of the power constraints of the thin-and-light gaming laptops that Max-Q graphics are found in, GPUs simply cannot reach the same clock speeds, and thus result in lower performance overall. If this mobile GPU is actually real, it should lead to improved performance over the vanilla RTX 2080, though if it mirrors the bump seen when we moved from the RTX 2080 to the RTX 2080 Super on the desktop side, it'll be a very minor upgrade. Until Nvidia actually details what the RTX 2080 Super Max-Q can do (if it actually exists), we're just going to have to keep digging into these leaks. As it stands, because today's information features hardware that's either unannounced or is announced with no specific specs, it's hard to actually trust these leaks. Either way, because the RTX 2080 Super was such a slight upgrade over the original card when it launched back in July 2019, if you're looking to buy a high-end gaming laptop, we'd just jump on it now. If real, the RTX 2080 Super will be faster, but it likely won't be so much faster that waiting a few months will be worth it.
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| Microsoft and Alphabet chiefs disagree over facial recognition ban Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:16 AM PST Following the news that the European Commission is considering a temporary ban on facial recognition technology, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has voiced his support for the new measure while Microsoft President Brad Smith believes that banning it outright may not be the best move. At a recent conference in Brussels organized by the think tank Bruegel, Pichai explained that facial recognition regulation should happen sooner rather than later, saying: “I think it is important that governments and regulations tackle it sooner rather than later and give a framework for it. It can be immediate but maybe there’s a waiting period before we really think about how it’s being used. It’s up to governments to chart the course.”
Benefits of facial recognitionWhile Pichai cited the possibility that facial recognition could be used for nefarious purposes as his reason for supporting the EU's ban, Smith stressed that the technology can be used for good and gave the example of NGOs using it to help find missing children, saying: “I’m really reluctant to say let’s stop people from using technology in a way that will reunite families when it can help them do it. The second thing I would say is you don’t ban it if you actually believe there is a reasonable alternative that will enable us to, say, address this problem with a scalpel instead of a meat cleaver.” According to Smith, it is important to first identify problems and then create rules to ensure that the technology would not be used for mass surveillance as opposed to banning facial recognition outright. The European Commission has already drafted a white paper on its plans to temporarily ban facial recognition for three to five years in order to figure out how to prevent the technology from being abused. The paper is expected to be published in February and at that time we'll have a better idea as to the specifics and whether or not other countries will follow suit.
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| Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus release date, price, news and leaks Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:08 AM PST Among the Samsung Galaxy S20 line of phones, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is expected to be the bigger version that potentially boasts higher specs, a larger battery, and possibly even more features. We’ll find out for sure on the February 11 launch date, which we know thanks to Samsung’s official invites. This could land as the Galaxy S20 Plus even though we originally expected it to be called the Galaxy S11 Plus. Rumors suggest Samsung is skipping S11-S19 and in doing so aligning with the year 2020. What we’ve heard so far comes from leaks and speculation - like suspecting the S11 Plus will be a 5G phone. That’s because the next flagship chipset in line, the Snapdragon 865, mandatorily requires a 5G modem - but to save costs, we could also see a 4G model. There's a greater question of what role the S20 Plus plays though, now that the S20 Ultra is rumored to sit above it as the maximum-spec'd model in the S20 line. It could just be a larger S20, but given that Samsung typically follows Apple’s lead in phone lineups, we could see the standard S20 become the new affordable flagship, in a similar way to the iPhone 11. That would be in place of an S20e, so in that case the S20 Plus could be a 'standard' spec'd version, a larger version, or both. We've also heard that Samsung might be upping the display refresh rate to 120Hz paired with a 1080p screen, with the option to push it back down to 60Hz for a QHD+ resolution. Most other rumors refer to either the S20 or the rumored full-spec'd S20 Ultra, so we've referenced those that could potentially apply to the S20 Plus, too. Below then you'll find what little we know for sure along with the many leaks and rumors that we've heard, which together start to paint a picture of the Samsung Galaxy S20 or S11 Plus. Cut to the chase
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus release date and priceThe Samsung Galaxy S11 or S20 range is set to be announced on Tuesday, February 11 in San Francisco. Based on past form, that means we could see the Galaxy S11 phones in stores the first week of March. That said, while the Galaxy S10 release date was March 8, this year's launch event is nine days sooner than last year's, so it's possible the S11 Plus will hit stores at the very beginning of March.
Samsung's Galaxy launch invite that was sent to TechRadar The Galaxy S11 Plus price could be the same as the S10 Plus's was at launch. That phone was $999 / £899 / AU$1,499 at launch for its cheapest storage size, rising to $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,399 for the largest 1TB/12GB version. There's always a chance Samsung could price the Galaxy S11 Plus to be even more expensive - either because of its increased specs or for the inclusion of 5G, especially given the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G's starting price was $1,299 / £1,099/ AU$1,850. However, we won't know for sure until Samsung officially launches the S11 Plus. The Galaxy S11 Plus could launch along with new premium wireless earbuds designed to rival the Apple AirPods Pro. These are rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. Given the original AirPods-rivaling Galaxy Buds were released alongside the Galaxy S10, it would make sense for the new model to launch with the S11 range. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus nameWhile it makes sense that the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus would be the next numbering in the line after the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, we could see it leap ahead, with rumors calling it the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus. Since the handset will come out in 2020, we've heard Samsung might want the phone names to match the release year, for this model and those thereafter. Specifically, according to few sources including a reliable leaker and potentially even the Samsung CEO himself, the whole line could be branded as the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, instead of (respectively) the S11e, S11 and S11 Plus we've been assuming. Until we know for sure, we'll still mostly refer to this device as the Galaxy S11 Plus, but that will change if we get official word from Samsung that the new devices will be the S20 series. Confusing, but necessary. We haven't heard much mention of a distinct 5G model in the lineup, though this isn't much of a surprise given how likely it is that Samsung will include 5G in each of the standard models. This would follow what the phone-maker did with the 5G version of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, as opposed to crafting a unique 5G handset, as it did with the Galaxy S10 5G. As a last naming rumor, we've heard the Galaxy S line could be discontinued: one source suggests that the S11 and Galaxy Note 11 will merge to create the Galaxy One, a new series that would combine all of Samsung's premium features into one smartphone line. While that's still a moonshot rumor, it would be unwise not to even consider it. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus news and rumorsPerhaps the most important leaks are the ones showing us how these new Samsung flagships could look, and we've seen leaks of the entire lineup. In fact, we’ve seen several leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S11 range, and while the designs vary, there are a lot of similarities. Check out some here, others here, and even more here. Just about every render we've seen shows the rear cameras as being in a large bump at the top left of the back of the phone. How they're laid out is less certain though, with some of the renders showing them in a single neat row while others point to a more haphazard arrangement, but some allegedly real images suggest something different to either of those options. Hands-on images of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, as it's called in the leak, show the lenses and flash laid out in two vertical rows within the camera bump, domino-style. We've also heard that the S11 Plus could have a punch-hole camera in the top-center of the display, similar to where it is in the Galaxy Note 10 range, which we've seen in leaked images. The source adds that the camera would be smaller than on the Note 10 range though, which lines up with leaked images that show a noticeably smaller punch-hole.
The most prevalent sizing rumor implies that the Samsung Galaxy S20 (which could launch as the lowest-cost model instead of the S11e) will have a 6.2-inch screen, while the S20 Plus (or S11 Plus) will have a 6.7-inch display, and the S20 Ultra will have a 6.9-inch screen. That’s a noticeable size increase over the previous generation's screens. A remarkably complete spec leak, shown below, echoes those sizes, adding that the S20 Plus will have a 1440 x 3200 20:9 screen with 525 pixels per inch, and that the body of the phone will be IP68 certified and come in at 162 x 74 x 7.8mm and 188g. As for the rest of the design, one rumor we've heard is that the standard Galaxy S11 might come in blue, grey and black colors, while the cheaper Samsung Galaxy S11e might come in more playful blue, grey and pink shades. That's a lot like how Apple has split hues on its iPhones between more restrained colors in the 'Pro' models and fun, vibrant hues for the less expensive version. The source doesn't say which colors to expect for the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus (or Ultra), but we wouldn't be surprised by a premium color for the premium version. The screen meanwhile could feature a maximum 120Hz refresh rate, offering smoother interactions than the 60Hz offered by the S10 range. A 120Hz mode was allegedly spotted in a beta for Samsung's smartphone software, an assertion supported by another source. A further leak backed this up with a fuzzy image specifically of an S11 Plus showing these options as well as a maximum display resolution of 3,200 x 1,440 WQHD+ - but crucially, the 120Hz mode can't operate at this resolution, which only supports 60Hz refresh rate.
That same leak suggests that the S11 Plus, and conceivably the rest of the line, is finally doing away with the headphone jack. While we couldn't exactly see whether this was true with the alleged hands-on video included by the source of the leak (below), it would make sense, with the Galaxy Note 10 range and most other flagships already lacking such a port. The Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus might come with new screen tech though, given that Samsung has trademarked the name SAMOLED. That sounds a whole lot like a new take on the AMOLED screens used by its flagship handsets, though we have no idea how SAMOLED would differ. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus cameraWe’re anticipating that the the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus (or possibly the Ultra) will come with a 108MP sensor, an idea which is supported by not one but two leaks. This 108MP sensor is expected to combine nine pixels into one, which becomes the equivalent of 12MP shots that can take in plenty lot of light for far more vivid photography. Exciting as this sounds, some more recent rumors (highlighted below) suggest that the Galaxy S11 Plus will actually just have a 12MP main snapper, with the 108MP lens reserved for the S11 Ultra, so don't count on seeing this on the mid model. One source alleges that the S11 line's telephoto lens meanwhile could have a 5x optical zoom, and it might use a 48MP sensor. That would make for the most high-res zoom lens sensor we’ve seen on a phone yet. While we haven’t heard too much about other lenses in the array yet, we’re expecting an ultra-wide angle lens, likely a depth sensor and perhaps even a macro lens, given that the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has a macro lens. We've also seen how the camera arrangement on the Galaxy S11 Plus (or Galaxy S20 Ultra) might look, as evidenced by the tweet below. A more recent rumor from the same source meanwhile implies a four-camera array on the rear of the Galaxy S11 Plus. They previously claimed it would have five rear lenses, but they note that this new information is from a more recent prototype - which leads them to believe that four lenses is more likely. This also aligns with one of the most recent renders we've seen leaked, but with so many different renders leaked into the wild, we have no serious idea what the rear array will look like. We have seen an incredibly detailed spec dump though, coming from three sources who simultaneously revealed information on the cameras.
If accurate, those would be some impressive specs, although it's suspect that the telephoto lenses have more megapixels on the smaller handsets. This does however match the complete specs leak further up in this article, which adds that there's likely to be a 10MP front camera, 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. Indeed, we've heard a range of zooms cited for the telephoto lenses, but the general consensus seems to be 3x optical / 30x digital for the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus, and a whopping 10x optical / 100x digital for the S20 Ultra, although that seems too good to be true. We’ve also heard of plenty of neat features that Samsung trademarked which may end up in the S11 series, from a ‘Space Zoom’ astrophotography mode to a 'Bright Night Sensor'. The latter sounds a lot like a 'low light' mode but bolstered by dedicated hardware. Elsewhere, hints toward several new camera features have been unearthed in official Samsung software code. There's Single Take Photo, which could use AI to automatically shoot photos at the prime moment; a Director's View mode for tracking a subject; the return of Samsung's Pro Video mode, allowing you to adjust the ISO, exposure and the like when shooting video; and a selection of new Live Focus bokeh and depth effects. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus specs and featuresWe’re almost positive the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus will come with the Snapdragon 865 chipset unveiled in late 2019, which has been benchmarked with scores that beat any other phone. At least in the US, as has been tradition; everywhere else will very likely get an upgraded Exynos processor, likely dubbed the 9830 or Exynos 990. We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S11 range will all come with a base 12GB of RAM, although that may spike up to 16GB or potentially beyond at the top end. What you could need this much RAM for in a smartphone is beyond us, but it shows just how high-end this range is set to be. Storage meanwhile is rumored to be 128GB, along with a microSD card slot. As for battery size, one leak suggests that one of the Galaxy S11 models will have a 4,500mAh battery with another set to get a 5,000mAh one. The latter size is probably for the Samsung Galaxy S11 Ultra, but we'd expect at least 4,500mAh in the S11 Plus. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Android-based Philips TVs will support Disney Plus at launch in Europe Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:06 AM PST The Disney Plus TV app is coming to all Android-based European Philips smart TVs in time for the streaming service's launch in this continent, TechRadar learned today. This is encouraging news if you own such a TV, as it means you'll be able to watch Disney Plus natively without using a device like a Fire Stick or a games console. It was announced today that Disney Plus will launch on March 24 in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland, which is a little earlier than expected. It'll cost £59.99 per year in the UK, or £5.99 per month if you'd prefer to pay that way. Until today, we didn't really hear many specifics about its European launch, but now that information is finally starting to reach us. The all-in-one subscription fee includes movies and TV in 4K, when it's available, which is a big difference from Netflix's tiered subscription packages.
The future of PhilipsIt's a big day for Philips news. Earlier, we reported about how Philips' range of 2020 OLED TVs will feature AI picture processing, to offer the highest quality image possible. We also learned about how the manufacturer is teaming up with Bower and Wilkins to integrate high-quality sound systems into its LED TVs. For our American readers, it's worth reiterating that the TP Vision part of Philips sadly doesn't distribute the new sets discussed here in North America - but they are bringing Philips' OLED TVs from last year to America in 2020.
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| The massive 90% discount on this ace web hosting deal has just been extended Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:59 AM PST If one of your new year's resolutions is to get your new website sorted and you're in desperate need of a new web hosting provider, we think we may have found a deal you'll find very attractive. Hostinger is offering up to 90% off its web hosting plans. That means that you could be paying as little as $0.80/£0.80 a month for your website hosting for the foreseeable future if you head to this link. The 90% off sale is on the Single Shared Hosting plan, which brings you 24/7 customer support, 99.9% uptime guarantee and a pretty impressive 100GB of bandwidth for a single website. Sound pretty good, doesn't it? Well there's even better news - this offer was initially supposed to end at the weekend, but it's now been extended further. The countdown timer on site currently says it will be on until next Sunday but, frankly, who knows!? Below we've got this and the service's other on-sale web hosting deals outlined in full, so keep scrolling if you have any questions or need a little more convincing. Or if you're already sold, head over to Hostinger's website.
Hostinger's brilliant New Year web hosting deal:Now with a deal this awesome (and let's face it, 90% off really is awesome), there has to be a bit of a catch - this deal is better suited for long-term, committed web hosting users as if you want the lowest price you'll have to opt for a four year contract. If this seems like too much of a commitment, don't close this page just yet - Hostinger has other sales for you too! The web hosting giant is also offering 76% off a 12-month plan for a single plan, meaning $1.95/£1.95 a month - so you'd only have to commit for one year rather than all four. If you need to learn more about this provider, then be sure to read our full Hostinger review. Or if you're unsure which of Hostinger's web hosting plans is best for you, you can compare every last feature and detail on its website.
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| Philips new 4K LED TVs get premium Bowers and Wilkins sound systems Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:31 AM PST Remember the ace Bowers and Wilkins-tuned soundbar that came integrated with the top-notch Philips OLED+984 TV? As with all good things in tech, from 2020 you'll see that kind of dedication to built-in audio trickle down into Philips more affordable TV sets. Continuing its partnership with Bowers and Wilkins, Philips' new 2020 LED-based TVs, the Philips 9435 LED 4K UHD and Philips 9235 LED 4K UHD sets will each come with an integrated Bowers and Wilkins sound system. The larger (55 and 65-inch) 9435 models will make use of a 50W 2.1.2 system, with upwards firing drivers to make the most of Dolby Atmos content. The smaller 9235 models, measuring 43-inches will make use of a simpler 40W 2.1 system.
Strong HDR supportPhilips is continuing its open approach to high dynamic range formats, supporting all the major types including HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision. Both sets will also feature, three-sided Ambilight for blooming behind-the-screen lightshows, Dolby Atmos audio processing, Android 9.0 as the operating system, and support for both Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa voice helpers. Disney+ apps will be landing on the TVs in time for the European launch, too. Pricing and availability is yet to be announced, but we'd expect to see them on shelves before the first half of the year is out. Remember, the European TP Vision-arm of Philips doesn't distribute sets in North America – it has a different (read: inferior) range built by Funai. After something a little more premium in the picture stakes? Check out the newly announced, AI-powered, OLED805 and OLED855 models, too.
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| Super Bowl 2020 halftime show: who are the performers and how to watch it Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:27 AM PST Not fussed about that fourth down conversion or the adrenaline of a critical pass rush? There's only one reason you've tuned into the Super Bowl, then, and that's the halftime show. We can't blame you, the spectacle of the world's biggest stars taking to the field for a historic performance at the heart of American culture is truly breathtaking, and we're in for a real treat this year as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira take to the stage for 2020. Over the years, the Super Bowl has grown larger than football itself, and from commercials to celebrity appearances, it's the Super Bowl halftime show that captures the wonder of audiences across the world every year. From the setlist to the costumes, the surprise appearances (we're talking the Janet Jackson kind and the Destiny's Child kind) to the mind-boggling production value, the Super Bowl halftime show is a pinnacle of entertainment. Even if you're not a football fan, you'll be talking about the big game. A Super Bowl halftime slot is reserved for the super stars of our age, the true musical legends of timeless appeal that grace the grass every year for a short bout of explosive showmanship. It's a high octane reel of each star-studded hit in their catalogue, keeping the adrenaline pumped while the football itself takes a pause. If your true excitement kicks in once that second quarter's over and done with and the stage starts rolling onto the field, you'll want to find out how to watch the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show online. Plus, if you're not in the US there are more ways than ever to catch the performance live Who's performing the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show?This year Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will take up the 2020 Super Bowl halftime helm, following on from Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi of 2019. On Jennifer Lopez's side, we're looking forward to some classic tracks banging out across the stadium, from If You Had My Love to Let's Get Loud. But we have to admit that opening the show with the initial tones of JLo's most recent Baila Conmigo would be particularly epic. Plus, is it too much to ask for a little Jenny From The Block transition? Once Shakira hits the stage you can only expect things to get even bigger. While Hips Don't Lie may be a little obvious to lead with, we're certainly hoping we'll hear the classic played out across the world at some point in the show. In general, Shakira has been a little quieter than her co-star over the last few years, last touring with her El Dorado album in 2017. That said, we're expecting some later tracks to hit the speakers, with medleys of She Wolf and Dare being all but loaded into the playlist already. The 2020 Super Bowl halftime show will mark a historic moment for Latin music as well, with both performers celebrating Latina women everywhere from the heart of Miami. You can also expect a few entrances from each artists' Spanish language repertoire, from La Tortura to Dinero. What time will the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show be?We would usually expect the halftime show to start about an hour after kickoff, but while the official start time of the game sits at 6.30pm ET we usually see things get going at around 7pm. That means you can expect to catch the Super Bowl halftime show at around 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am GMT. The show usually packs a mega-setlist, potential surprise guests, and a whole concert's worth of choreography into anything from 10 to 20 minutes. How to watch a 2020 Super Bowl halftime show live streamWe've got looooads of bespoke information for getting a full Super Bowl 2020 live stream on our dedicated guide. But if you just want a quick precis, then cast your eyes below... US - If you're watching from the US itself, you'll find a live stream available from Fox to accompany their live channel coverage in 2020. You'll also be able to view the big game (and the bigger show) using Hulu with Live TV and YouTubeTV which both offer complete access to CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Or, if you're after the NFL Network, DirecTV Now and FurboTV swap out ESPN for the specialized channel. UK - UK fans can catch the Super Bowl half time show through BBC One's free live coverage, that means you can stream the whole show using BBC iPlayer on desktop, mobile, and smart TVs. You can also find full coverage over on Sky Sports or with a Now TV pass, but bear in mind you'll be stopping for ad breaks. Rest of the world - If you're planning on streaming the Super Bowl halftime show from outside the US or the UK, you can catch the full coverage on a range of streaming services: Australian viewers can find streams on ESPN with a Foxtel TV subscription or on 7mate meanwhile punters in Canada can pick up a live stream on DAZN, CTV 2 or TSN 4. Log into Super Sport or Zuku if you're after a stream in selected African countries, France can view live coverage at TF 1 for the first time, India can watch using Sony Ten and Sony Six and China will find a stream on Fox Sports and BesTV. Switzerland and Germany can use SAT 1 to stream the Super Bowl. If you don’t see your country listed above or if you're out of the country and your regular broadcast is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to change your IP address to a country that is showing it and then watch as if you were in that location. Keep reading and we'll show you how. Watch the Super Bowl halftime show from outside your countryOur top 5 best Super Bowl halftime shows in historyWe've revisited the archives to recall some of our favourite halftime shows of all time. And you won't even read the words 'Janet Jackson' or 'wardrobe malfunction' once! 1. Michael Jackson may have invented the modern halftime show back in 1993 but Prince perfected the spectacle with his performance in 2007. On a stage in the shape of the 'Artist Formerly Known As Prince' symbol, His Royal Badness opened with Queen’s We Will Rock You before switching to his own Let’s Go Crazy. Prince ended his set in the pouring rain with Purple Rain. 2. Beyonce shook things up with a stage of all female performers when she was joined on stage in 2013 with her former Destiny’s Child bandmates. Together they performed her solo hit song Single Ladies and Beyonce ended her set with Halo as the finale. 3. NSYNC, Aerosmith and Britney Speaks took things to a whole new level when they teamed up for dance-offs, extra surprise guests, handheld fireworks, and some of the most spectacular boyband dancing you've ever seen. The star studded show was the first to allow the audience onto the field during the halftime performance, so things felt a little extra special as well. 4. Diana Ross left the stadium sitting on the side of a damn helicopter, and if that's not the most diva halftime performance to ever occur we'll eat our helmet. Following 14 costume changes, an airlifted rendition of Ain't No Mountain High Enough and an enormous gold cape, Take Me Higher kicks off and we see Ross jumping into the helicopter that's just landed in the middle of the field. 5. In 2015, Katy Perry was joined on stage with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. Perry performed her hit song Firework - though her set will likely be remembered for years to come due to the costumed shark dancing in the background.
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| Philips' new OLED805 and OLED855 TVs will use AI power to pimp your picture Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST Philips has revealed its first wave of new OLED TVs for 2020 – and it's going all-in on AI picture processing. Announcing two new OLED models at its annual Amsterdam showcase, the TP Vision arm of the brand gave the Philips OLED855 and OLED805 televisions their debuts. Essentially identical in terms of specs aside from the style of their respective stands (the 805 has a two-legged "chamfered stand" while the 855 has a central mount), both make use of the fourth generation of the P5 picture processing engine, which this year has been souped-up with artificial intelligence smarts. Using similar principles to rival brands' AI engines, the new Philips TVs will be able to harness the power of neural networks and machine learning, analysing clips from a database of millions to intelligently tweak the look of whatever you're watching on the fly.
Strong HDR supportYou'll be pleased to hear that Philips is continuing its HDR-agnostic approach to high dynamic range formats, supporting all the major types including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Three-sided Ambilight is onboard, as is Dolby Atmos signal processing – but don't expect to get true overhead-sounding audio from the built-in 50 watt speaker system. Android remains the operating system of choice (in its 9.0 revision), while both Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa voice assistants will be onboard. Coming in 55-inch and 65-inch versions, the TVs will release in May, with pricing to be revealed. However, the flagship TV will remain the Philips OLED+984 with its integrated Bowers and Wilkins soundbar however, so expect pricing to be reflected accordingly. And, as ever, the TP Vision-arm of Philips doesn't distribute these sets in North America, unfortunately.
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