Apple : Samsung’s new QLEDs nail built-in audio – and other TV brands should take note |
- Samsung’s new QLEDs nail built-in audio – and other TV brands should take note
- We played Destiny 2 on the Intel Xe DG1 at CES 2020
- These companies own the most domains on the web
- Xbox Series X games: all the games confirmed and expected on the next Xbox
- PS5 games: all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5
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| Samsung’s new QLEDs nail built-in audio – and other TV brands should take note Posted: 09 Jan 2020 01:01 PM PST There’s a lot of noise at conventions – and CES 2020 is no different. There are hordes of attendees, whirring gadgets, creaking exoskeletons (yes, really), speakers blasting all around, and (of course) plenty of televisions showing off what they can do. The problem is that built-in audio – that is, the sound capability of speakers baked right into the television – is often lacking. On cheaper sets, you’re often stuck with tinny 10W output, while more expensive sets will be designed to be used in tandem with a soundbar or external setup. If you’re spending a fortune on a television, after all, it’s likely you’ll be able to afford a sound system to match.
Listening to the built-in speakers on Samsung’s new flagship 8K QLED, the Q950TS, hit home for me how often TV manufacturers resort to half-measures to prop up their audio, or simply leave it to shoppers to go find an audio solution elsewhere. What’s the problem? There are a few (quite major) TV brands currently making use of ‘actuators’ in their television panels: cone-less audio drivers that vibrate the panel itself to emit sound from across the panel. While this stops audio being isolated to only one location, it also muddies where the sound is coming from, with the effect of even small or inconsequential sounds filling the room, like a footstep echoing throughout a cavern. Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology is guilty of this, even as it attempts to use the panel-vibrating tech to differentiate its sound solutions from other television competitors. It feels like a great idea in theory, that in practice loses audio detail rather than adding it – but is deployed widely across Sony’s premium television lineup (including the new 8K Z8H and A8H OLED).
The Sony A8H OLED makes use of Acoustic Surface Audio+, but do you want it to? Hisense was also present on the show floor with panels that vibrate with sound for a similar effect – using the term ‘incitors’ rather than ‘actuators’ – and it’s a bit devastating to hear audio distorted in the name of technological progress. This isn’t a problem if you’re channeling audio through a soundbar or surround sound system, and therefore sidestepping built-in speakers – but you shouldn’t have to rely on that solution either. Not so good vibrationsSamsung’s response has been with a technology called OTS+ (Object Tracking Sound+), which has been deployed in its 2020 range of 8K QLED TVs, with a slightly simpler version in its 4K QLED range called OTS (without the ‘+’). Object Tracking Sound+ and Acoustic Surface Audio+ are similarly phrased pieces of jargon (why is everyone adding pluses to things these days?) but a world apart in their end effect.
Samsung’s Audio R&D vice president, Allan Devantier, points out that, with TV panels getting bigger and bigger, “speakers on the top, side and bottom are all far enough apart to be perceived as distinctly different sources. For example, properly done the sound from the side or top speakers do not ‘color’ the sound from the main speakers on the bottom. So, we exploit this property with OTS and OTS+." In that situation, you can turn the panel itself into a single source, but you’re essentially vibrating a piece of glass and blurring the sources into each other: “Placing actuators that drive the screen causes the whole screen to vibrate and therefore ‘distinct’ channels (i.e. left, right, surround) are lost. So using real speakers is still better. “Other than some ‘electrostatic’ speakers (which are nothing like the actuators some TV companies are trying to make sound with) most audiophile speakers still use good old woofers and tweeters – and for good reason.”
Samsung Q950TS AI 8K QLED The flagship 8K QLED for 2020, the Samsung Q950TS, makes use of an array of audio drivers located around the panel casing – which are housed in the bottom, sides, and top of the television. With this OTS+ array, the set is able to shoot out audio from multiple places, giving a real sense of place to sound as it travels across the screen, rains down from above, or runs off into the distance. Whether listening to scenes of war, or the rich rhythms of Billie Eilish’s pop track Bury A Friend, the depth achieved through multi-channel audio that varied in height, and not just shunted out in one direction – downward-firing, rear-firing, or upward-firing, for example – was astonishing. It’s obviously not a solution for cheaper sets – the best features rarely are – but OTS+ is an example of audio given the space to breath, with the precision it deserves, and other TV brands should take note.
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| We played Destiny 2 on the Intel Xe DG1 at CES 2020 Posted: 09 Jan 2020 12:41 PM PST it's going to be a while before we see Intel Xe GPUs make their way into laptops, much less into the best graphics cards, but at CES 2020 we at least got a glimpse of them in action. Intel has been super cagey about any information about these upcoming GPUs, and the only information we really know is that the integrated versions coming to the upcoming Tiger Lake will be approximately twice as fast as the Gen11 graphics found in the latest Ice Lake chips. That's a huge jump in performance, certainly. It still means that Tiger Lake laptops aren't going to compete with the best gaming laptops, though they aren't really meant to, either. What's more interesting, then, is the mysterious DG1 Xe GPU that was teased at Intel's CES 2020 press conference. We basically know nothing about this graphics chip beyond the fact that it's a discrete graphics processor and is built for mobile. That's probably disappointing news for anyone that's hoping for a desktop graphics card from Intel, but given Intel's recent priorities with its laptops, it's hardly surprising that it would kick things off with a mobile chip.
The PCIe DG1 being sent to developers for optimization Xe isn't ready for market yet, but it's getting thereFor the last couple of years Intel Xe graphics have always felt like this abstract thing hovering in the distance, rather than a product on the verge of release. However, if Intel proved anything this year at CES, it's that Xe is real and on its way. Intel invited us to check it out for ourselves, and we got to play a bit of Destiny 2 on a laptop equipped with DG1 – even if it was a rough experience. The frame rate wasn't super high, and there was a lot of stuttering, meaning that this isn't a market-ready experience yet. That's fine, of course, as the GPU is still in its early stages and CES is, if nothing else, built for these conceptual announcements that won't be hitting the market for a while. What it did prove, however, is that Intel Xe can run games right now, which means Intel will be working on optimizing performance over the coming months to make sure it can compete with comparable chips from Nvidia and AMD.
We got to play some Destiny but we had to use a controller, obviously Intel is working on itIntel knows that the DG1 is still early in production, so when we were talking with Team Blue about its new graphics chip, we were told that it's still in development, but that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Intel is shipping out DG1 out to developers so that they can start to optimize games and creative software to run well on the GPU, and they're doing so on some PCIe cards, in order to make the work easier. That does mean that we got to see some neat renders of Intel graphics cards, even if none of them ever make it out to market as actual products.
Another render One thing that helps put our mind at rest while all this development and optimization goes on is that Intel seems to be open to community feedback through its Odyssey program. This is essentially a community of graphics enthusiasts that Intel is collecting feedback from. Hopefully this will result in Intel producing GPUs that can live up to the hype it's cultivated over the last couple of years, but only time will tell. We're as ready as anyone else for a third manufacturer to enter into the graphics card wars, but only time will tell what that will look like.
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| These companies own the most domains on the web Posted: 09 Jan 2020 12:11 PM PST By analyzing OECD domain data, WebsiteToolTester has determined which corporate giants are receiving the most traffic online and which ones are purchasing the most domain names. The firm's research has revealed that Google's parent company Alphabet receives the most traffic with almost 120bn visits per month. The company owns 422 domains with the largest being google.com which receives over 77bn visits per month and makes up more than half of Alphabet's monthly traffic. Youtube.com is Alphabet's second largest domain with 27.8bn monthly visitors. In terms of total traffic, Microsoft is the second biggest company and its domains reached a total of 7.2bn monthly visits. The software giant owns 139 domains names including msn.com, bing.com and linkedin.com which the company purchased for over $26bn in 2016. However, the Microsoft site which generates the most traffic is live.com which receives over 2.2bn visits.
Amazon is the third largest company and it received over 6bn total visits across its 258 domain names. Its ecommerce site, amazon.com receives the most traffic of all of its domains with 2bn monthly visits. Domain namesThe company that owns the most domain names is Unilever NV which owns 1,181 domain names including those of Ben & Jerrys, Dove and Hellman's. The group's collection of domain names is more than eight times larger than Microsoft's and more than double those of Alphabet. Despite the fact that Unilever NV owns the most domains, the group's two biggest sites are cleanipedia.com and dollarshaveclub.com which combined, see around 5m visits a month. CEO of WebsiteToolTester, Robert Brandl provided further insight on the company's research, saying: “It’s really interesting to gain insight into the different domain names that companies own, with some large corporations such as Walt Disney Co receiving over 782 million visits in website traffic, and giants such as Microsoft Corp reaping the traffic of its domains such as live.com and linkedin.com. Some of the monthly traffic across certain domains is surprising with the likes of Amazon.com alone receiving over 2 billion visits and google.com seeing a staggering 77 billion visits every month.”
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| Xbox Series X games: all the games confirmed and expected on the next Xbox Posted: 09 Jan 2020 10:18 AM PST We're starting to hear more about Xbox Series X games as the next-gen console's launch date creeps ever closer. Microsoft officially revealed Xbox Series X (formerly known as Xbox Project Scarlett) during the Game Awards 2019, giving us a better look at Microsoft's next-gen console and what we can expect to see on it. Faster and capable of more advanced graphics than its predecessors, the next-generation hardware promises to be the most powerful games console (or perhaps consoles) in the world when it launches late in 2020 – even more so than the PS5, which is expected to hit shelves around the same time. Microsoft has been slow to announce exclusive launch titles for the console given its release is still a while off, but it has been more forthcoming with its plans for backwards compatibility and cross-generational potential. Similarly, release confirmations and suggestions from third party developers are only now beginning to trickle out. But these announcements are still coming and it's essential if you're thinking about signing up for Xbox in the next generation then you'll want to keep track of what titles you might be playing. So without further ado, we've gathered together this handy guide to all the Xbox Series X games Microsoft has confirmed – and some that we expect to see.
Confirmed Xbox Series X titlesHalo Infinite
Image credit: Microsoft Halo Infinite is was the first title that Microsoft confirmed for Xbox Series X - so we definitely know Master Chief is making the jump to the next-generation console. Not only that, but Halo Infinite will be a launch title for Series X, releasing in Holiday 2020 alongside the console (or consoles). It's not particularly a surprise, considering Master Chief has served as the face of Xbox for nearly 18 years... Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Xbox Series X's name and design was officially revealed during the Game Awards 2019. Alongside a look at the next-gen console we also recieved an official announcement that there's another Hellblade on the way - and it's coming to the next Xbox. We don't know much about what Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be about but the announcement trailer, harnessing the Series X's next-gen technology, was extremely impressive. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Announced in March 2019, Daedalic's Gollum game has now been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The developer confirmed to Edge, that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be a "stunning next-gen adventure". Previously Daedlic confirmed Gollum will release in 2021 for PC and "all relevant console platforms at that time". Whether the game will be cross-generation (releasing on PS4 and Xbox One also) is still unconfirmed however. But what will the game actually be about? Gollum is an action-adventure which focuses on the ring-obsessed creature. According to Daedalic, the narrative-driven game"tells Gollum's story from a perspective never seen before ... while staying true to the legendary books." Gods and Monsters
Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for Xbox at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year. Knowing now that we could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021, we've long thought it's likely that the title will make an appearance on the Xbox Series X platform. This has now been officially confirmed. Along with Rainbow Six Quarantine and Wathdogs: Legion, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has said it will be coming to the next-gen platform. Rainbow Six Quarantine
Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year. So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the Xbox Series X launch and increases the likelihood we'll see it playable on the next generation of consoles. Of course this has now been officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in an earnings call to investors in November, 2019. Watchdogs: Legion
First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year. This delay does, however, make it more likely than ever that Watch Dogs Legion will launch for Xbox Series X as a cross-generation title. Which has now been officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in an earnings call to investors in November, 2019. Watchdogs: Legion will be joining Rainbow Six Quarantine and Gods and Monsters on the next-gen platform. Suspected Xbox Series X titlesEverwild
A surprise announcement during XO19 was Rare's next original title: Everwild. This game is still in the very early stages of its development and there's no release date just yet. This certainly suggests that the game could be a cross-generational title, launching on Series X and Xbox One as an exclusive. We don't know much about Everwild just yet but Rare has said that it will "give you memorable, engaging and meaningful experiences for players everywhere to share." Cyberpunk 2077
Image credit: CD Projekt Red CD Projekt Red has been reticent to say whether or not its upcoming title will be releasing on the next generation of consoles. In an interview with VG247 last year, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 will be able to work with future gaming technology. “Next gen hasn’t been announced yet, so we can only speculate,” CD Projekt Red president Adam Kiciński explained. “Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations. “The game is developed in such a way that it can use very powerful future equipment." However, since this time the developer has admitted (via GameSpot) that while the possibility of a Series X release is being explored it's not in its "area of interest right now". Instead, the studio wants to focus on what it's doing right at this moment, rather than look too far ahead and lose sight of what's important: launching the game well. This is perhaps unsurprising as Cyberpunk 2077 is due for release in April 2020 and Xbox Series X is not due to launch until late 2020. If the game did launch on Series X it'd be a cross-generational title. At the moment though, as far as CD Projekt Red is concerned, this is still only a "maybe." Starfield
Image credit: Bethesda Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP in 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space. Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become an Xbox Series X game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case, but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next-generation consoles. The Elder Scrolls 6
Image credit: Bethesda As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works. Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next-generation consoles. Grand Theft Auto 6
Image credit: Rockstar Games Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here - mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new instalation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while. Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 an Xbox Series X game. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Image credit: Square Enix Again, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be an Xbox Series X game but Square Enix has confirmed the title will come to PS4 first - with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future . Given the age of the Xbox One, and the ambitious nature of the game - it's coming in multiple episodes across a multi-year release schedule - a cross-generation title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question. So we're definitely hoping to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Xbox Series X. Battlefield 6
Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles. EA didn't confirm which consoles (so we will keep Battlefield 6 in the rumored section for not) but, regardless, it'll be a few years before we see the shooter on any next-gen consoles as the publisher wants to give the platforms time to build a strong player base. But Xbox Series X looks very likely. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PS5 games: all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5 Posted: 09 Jan 2020 10:10 AM PST PS5 games are almost here. Sure, you may not be able to play them yet, but with a confirmed release window for the next-gen PlayStation console – end of 2020 – and specifications for the PS5 starting to drop, it's no surprise to see developers start announcing titles for the hardware. There aren't many confirmed PS5 games so far, and we don't know the PS5's launch titles quite yet, but they're slowly trickling in and we're expecting to see developers announce even more in the coming months. So what are we expecting to play on the PlayStation 5? Well, we've gathered together this handy guide to all the PS5 games that have been confirmed so far– and some that we expect to see. Confirmed PS5 gamesThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Announced in March 2019, Daedalic's Gollum game has now been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The developer confirmed to Edge, that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be a "stunning next-gen adventure". Previously Daedlic confirmed Gollum will release in 2021 for PC and "all relevant console platforms at that time". Whether the game will be cross-generation (releasing on PS4 and Xbox One also) is still unconfirmed however. But what will the game actually be about? Gollum is an action-adventure which focuses on the ring-obsessed creature. According to Daedalic, the narrative-driven game"tells Gollum's story from a perspective never seen before ... while staying true to the legendary books." Godfall
Announced at the Game Awards 2019, Godfall is an action RPG from Gearbox that kind of looks like Destiny with swords and shiny hardware. We don't know exactly what the gameplay is going to look like, but it can be said that Gearbox popularized the "looter shooter" with its Borderlands franchise, so we imagine that the gameplay loop will be just as satisfying. But, because Gearbox hasn't really made a hack and slash before, we'll just have to wait and see what the actual gameplay will look like and whether the slashing will be as satisfying as Borderlands' shooting. We don't have a specific release date, but we do know that Godfall will be coming to PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store Holiday 2020. New Bluepoint Studios game
It's taken months, but we've finally got our first confirmed PS5 game. That's not to say we have a name, a release date or even a concept, but this is the first time a company has come out into the open and said that it is indeed developing a title for Sony's next-generation console. That company is Bluepoint Studios, the team best known for ports of classic games, having put out the incredibly well received Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and astonishing Shadow of the Colossus remaster. Talk early in 2019 pointed to the studio's next project being yet another re-imagining of a classic game, and with rumors swirling around a Demon's Souls remake happening (an IP owned by Sony unlike the rest of the Bandai Namco franchise), it's looking like a relatively good guess that'll be the company's next title. Watch Dogs: Legion
First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year. This delay does, however, make it more likely than ever that Watch Dogs Legion will launch on the PS5 platform, which was officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot earlier this month. Gods and Monsters
Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for PS4 at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year. We could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021 and have now had official confirmation that it'll be coming to the PS5. Rainbow Six Quarantine
Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year. So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the PS5 launch. And, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, it's one of a number of games that's been officially confirmed for the next-gen console.
Rumored PS5 gamesCyberpunk 2077
Image credit: CD Projekt Red CD Projekt Red has been reticent to say whether or not its upcoming title will be releasing on the next generation of consoles. In an interview with VG247 last year, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 will be able to work with future gaming technology. “Next gen hasn’t been announced yet, so we can only speculate,” CD Projekt Red president Adam Kiciński explained. “Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations. “The game is developed in such a way that it can use very powerful future equipment." However, since this time the developer has admitted (via GameSpot) that while the possibility of a PS5 release is being explored it's not in its "area of interest right now". Instead, the studio wants to focus on what it's doing right at this moment, rather than look too far ahead and lose sight of what's important: launching the game well. This is perhaps unsurprising as Cyberpunk 2077 is due for release in April 2020 and the PlayStation 5 is not due to launch until late 2020. If the game did launch on PS5 it'd be a cross-generational title. At the moment though, as far as CD Projekt Red is concerned, this is still only a "maybe." Death Stranding
Image credit: Kojima Productions Hideo Kojima and Sony have been pretty tight-lipped about whether we will be seeing Death Stranding as a PS5 game. Death Stranding has already launched on the PS4 but in an interview with Wired, Sony's Mark Cerny hinted that we could be seeing the allusive title on PS5 too. When asked by Wired about the transition from PS4 to next generation, and how Death Stranding will fit into this process, Cerny gave a "pregnant pause" and a glib smile before a spokesperson interjected that game would be released for PS4. It's not exactly a confirmation but Cerny's response has definitely fuelled speculation that Death Stranding will be a cross-generation release. Ghost of Tsushima
Image credit: SuckerPunch Perhaps more wishful thinking on our part, but we haven't heard much in the way of Ghost of Tsushima news since the new IP was revealed at Paris Games Week 2017. SuckerPunch's historical open world adventure will take players back to Feudal Japan, and now we have a much clearer picture of when that will happen. At the Game Awards 2019, SuckerPunch revealed that Ghost of Tsushima will be hitting the streets in Summer 2020, which means the wait is very nearly over. That means that the game will arrive ahead of the PS5, but given how beautiful the graphics have been so far, we wouldn't be surprised if it launches on Sony's new console. Still, we haven't heard word one from Sony about whether Ghost of Tsushima will be a PS5 game. The Last of Us: Part 2
Image credit: Naughty Dog We now know that The Last of Us: Part 2 will release on May 29, 2020 - much earlier than the PS5's late 2020 release date. However we think it's a safe assumption that any Sony exclusives coming in 2020 will likely be cross-generation titles. It would seem slightly odd for Sony to release one of its most eagerly anticipated sequels for just the PS4 at the end of the console's life cycle. So we think it's a safe bet to assume Joel and Ellie will make their way to the PS5, instantly becoming one of the best PS5 games. Control
Remedy's supernatural action game is a wildly imaginative spin on Arthurian legend, set in a mysterious government facility with powerful, magical artefacts and the ability to manipulate your surroundings with telekinesis. From the studio that brought us Alan Wake and Quantum Break, it's a game that revels in the mystery of its lore, but doesn't forget to give you things to blow up on the way. While the game has already launched on PC, PS4, and Xbox One consoles, a recent interview with Official PlayStation Magazine suggests that Remedy could be looking ahead to a next-gen re-release – which would make sense, given the game's use of ray tracing for enhanced light rendering and graphics on PC. Starfield
Image credit: Bethesda Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP for 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space. Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become a PS5 game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next generation consoles. The Elder Scrolls 6
Image credit: Bethesda As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works. Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next generation consoles. Grand Theft Auto 6
Image credit: Rockstar Games Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here - mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new instalation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while. Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 a PS5 game. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Image credit: Square Enix Again, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be a PS5 game but Square Enix has confirmed the title will come to PS4 first - with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future . Given the age of the PS4, and the ambitious nature of the game, a cross-generation title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question. So we're definitely hoping to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PS5. Horizon Zero Dawn 2
Now, it's worth noting this title hasn't been officially confirmed nevermind being confirmed for PS5. Sony has had huge success with its PS4 exclusives, particularly post-apocalyptic RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best-selling games on the PS4, selling over 10 million copies and cementing itself as a must-have title. So it would make perfect sense for Guerrilla Games to develop a sequel, right? It seems that is exactly what's happening. While neither Sony nor Guerrilla Games have announced a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is in the works, one of the game's voice actors spilled the beans earlier this year and essentially confirmed a sequel is on the way. But with no release date in sight, it looks likely that Horizon Zero Dawn will land on PS5. God of War 2
Much like Horizon Zero Dawn 2, God of War 2 hasn't officially been confirmed to be in the works. It's only been a year since the critically acclaimed (and our Game of the Year 2018 winner) God of War reboot launched exclusively on PlayStation 4, but we're already looking to the future. Despite Sony remaining tight-lipped on the subject, the success of God of War means a sequel is probably on the way (perhaps another God of War 2?). In addition, Sony Santa Monica has posted job listings for a number of roles across its teams - with one listing clearly citing the God of War reboot. At this point, it's most likely that God of War 2 will come to PS5 than the PS4. Battlefield 6
Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles. EA didn't confirm which consoles (so we will keep Battlefield 6 in the rumored section for not) but, regardless, it'll be a few years before we see the shooter on any next-gen consoles as the publisher wants to give the platforms time to build a strong player base. But a PS5 looks very likely. Gran Turismo
There are rumors abound that the next Gran Turismo title will be a part of the PS5's launch lineup. While nothing has been confirmed, it does seem likely that a Gran Turismo game will appear on the console at some point as it's PlayStation's landmark racing series. Wired has reported that developer Polyphony Digital has Gran Turismo Sport running on a PS5 devkit while an even more recent leak has suggested that Gran Turismo 7 will release on November 20 as a launch title for the console. We don't know for sure when a Gran Turismo title will appear on PS5, or what form it will take, but we think it's likely it will happen at some point. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Clop ransomware looks to target Windows 10 apps Posted: 09 Jan 2020 10:09 AM PST A new variant of the Clop ransomware which targets Windows 10 apps such as text editors and office applications as well as other processes has been discovered in the wild. When the Clop ransomware first appeared in February of 2019, it was just a CryptoMix ransomware variant that had many features seen in other types of malware. However, in March, the ransomware changed suddenly and began disabling services for Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, MYSQL and other enterprise software. The ransom note left by Clop also changed to indicate that the attackers behind it had begun to target entire networks as opposed to individual machines. At that time, it was also determined that the threat actor group called TA500 had adopted the Clop ransomware as its preferred final payload after compromising a network.
Then only a few months ago in November, a new variant of the ransomware was released that tried to disable Windows Defender from running on local machines so that it could remain undetected after future signature updates. Clop ransomware evolvedThe latest evolution of the Clop ransomware was discovered in December of last year by MalwareHunterTeam and reverse engineered by ethical hacker Vitali Kremez. The ransomware now sports an improved process termination feature that terminates 663 Windows processes before encrypting files. Cybercriminals often have their ransomware terminate processes before encrypting files in an effort to disable security software but the latest variant of Clop takes things a step further. The Clop ransomware now terminates even more processes including new Windows 10 apps, popular text editors, debuggers, programming languages, terminal programs and programming IDE software. Other processes that are terminated include Microsoft Office Applications, the Windows calculator, Notepad++ and even the new Windows 10 Your Phone app. For those interested in learning more, a full list of the terminated processes is available in Kremez's GitHub repository. Now that Clop has begun to successfully target enterprises' entire networks, expect its development to continue with new variants better designed to bypass user's security software.
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| Apex Legends update brings 7 limited-time modes – and may reintroduce your favorite Posted: 09 Jan 2020 10:01 AM PST Apex Legends' latest free update introduces the Grand Soirée arcade event which features seven rotating limited-time modes and some fancy formal skins. Running from January 14 to January 28, the Grand Soirée event lets players partake in new modes every two days, from returning favorites like 'Armed and Dangerous' to brand new additions like Dummie’s Big Day. Alongside these rotating modes, players will also get the chance to earn (or buy) a bunch of Art Deco inspired cosmetics and outfits. Check out the Grand Soirée arcade event trailer below: Apex Legends Grand Soirée modesBelow, we've listed the modes available during the event. Remember, each mode rotates every two days, and each limited-time mode will have three new challenges worth a total of 1,000 points.
Apex Legends' Grand Soirée arcade event is a free update and kicks off on January 14 for PS4, PC and Xbox One.
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| Photo Culling app kicks off Canon's promise to boost its automated editing software Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:23 AM PST Canon has vowed to step up its photo editing and processing game in 2020, starting with a new Lightroom plug-in called Photo Culling, which will be available to auto-sort your snaps from February. Powered by Canon's Computer Vision AI engine, the plugin will sit in Lightroom Classic and aim to save you from hours of editing by selecting images for "sharpness, noise, exposure, contrast, closed eyes, and red eyes." Canon's virtual editing assistant won't just be a law unto itself – you'll be able to customize the settings to make sure it's picking the right kinds of photos. But the main aim is for it to choose by quality, rather than style or content. It'll also flag the photos with different colored flags within Lightroom Classic to make them easier to find. Naturally, you'll need an Adobe Lightroom Classic subscription to use it, and the app itself will be available exclusively on the Adobe Exchange App Marketplace for a monthly subscription, the price of which Canon hasn't announced yet. Many photographers use the likes of Photo Mechanic to import photos to Lightroom due to its speedy handling of Raw files, but Canon's Photo Culling app certainly sounds like it has potential for those who want to edit as quickly as possible within Lightroom Classic itself. Interestingly, it's the start of a big new push from Canon into next-gen editing and processing software. At a pre-briefing event for the 1DX Mark III, Canon Europe's Professional Imaging Product Specialist Mike Burnhill admitted that software "is an area we've neglected in the past" and promised that new Canon Cloud Processing, which will soon be available in Beta with its DPP (Digital Photo Professional) software, is "a vision of where Canon is going" and is "showing how Canon is changing".
Get on my cloud
To back this up, Canon showed us a preview of its new Canon Cloud Processing system for Raw files. The Beta version, which will come with the 1DX Mark III, is basically cloud-based noise reduction – Canon showed us side-by-side images, one showing a photo shot at ISO51,200, and another after it had been automatically processed by its cloud system. As you'd expect, the processing did indeed bring out more detail and texture in the image. But like its new Photo Culling app, the Canon Cloud Processing is more symbolic than mind-blowing in its current form – the company promised that this was just the "start of that process" towards cloud-based editing and processing. Given that the company announced in October 2019 that it was closing its Canon Irista cloud photo storage service, it appears the camera company is keener on becoming your photo editing ally rather than the ultimate home for all your precious snaps.
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| CES 2020 day 4: news, reviews and analysis of all the hottest new tech Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:22 AM PST It's day four of CES 2020 – because, of course, we're counting Monday's (January 6) press conference saga as the first day – and once again there has been a slew of top tech news and trends to pick through. Samsung and LG have unveiled some beautiful TVs, Canon has outdone itself with its latest specialist DSLR, Dell has shown some interesting concepts in the computing space and Sony even unveiled a concept car. It's been another year full of new ideas – Samsung's shown off a ball, robots are still being shown with ever-greater levels of sophistication and audio products continue to grow in power and performance. CES 2020 runs until Friday (January 10), and even this far in we're finding new and exciting changes to the tech world you need to know about. So, make sure you bookmark this page, as we'll be updating it throughout CES 2020 with all the most important news, reviews and opinions from the show.
AMD took to the stage at CES 2020 to introduce a new line of high-end GPUs with a variety of other announcements. It also mistakenly announced some Xbox Series X details, but the company has now confirmed these were "not accurate".
LG's big reveal show is now complete, and the company unveiled a few new products at the show with a big focus on TV.
CES is always a big show for Samsung. It’s the place the company picks to roll out its latest QLED TVs, concept screens and monstrous custom-installs plus innovations in the computing and phone space too.
Sony didn’t have a ton of new products to show off at CES 2020, but it did give us a little teaser for the PlayStation 5 and a surprising whole new area of the business for the company - an electric car.
The Diesel On Fadelite is the latest smartwatch from Fossil with a name that's difficult to pronounce
The smaller version of the Big-O gaming hybrid
Sennheiser's new wireless headphones could be real Sony rivals
The newly announced Nikon P950
It's been an odd show - yes, we brought you everything from the top manufacturers, but there's loads below the obvious surface that we think you need to know about - so have a good click through here to see the new trends that will be coming your way in 2020.
Bosch's new virtual visor
It may just look like a cat, but this robot is also a waiter too.
When is CES 2020?If you’re going by the official dates, CES 2020 runs from Tuesday, January 7 through Friday, January 10, 2020. However, journalists started pouring into Las Vegas a few days before that to cover the news conferences that kicked off on Sunday, January 5 at 12pm PST and continue through Monday and Tuesday. It’s during this time that we’ll hear from leading consumer tech brands as they introduce us to new products at their keynote events. Traditionally, the biggest of these keynotes happen on Monday, when LG, Samsung and Sony all hold their events, but some CES-related announcements will landed on Sunday night as news began to trickle out of the conference. How big is CES and where does it take place?CES is massive and takes over the vast majority of the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding streets. In fact, in terms of square footage, there’s 2.75 million net square feet of exhibit space between the Las Vegas Convention Center, The Sands, Mandalay Bay and The Venetian, nearly all of which plays host to the convention and its exhibitors. Fun fact: There are around 160,000 hotel rooms in Vegas and around 180,000 attendees each year. As you’d expect given those numbers, hotels fill up fast and the roads leading to the convention center get pretty crowded that week. Thankfully, the CTA (the company that puts on the show) offers free shuttles to almost all of the major hotels on the strip from the Convention Center, and has buses running to and from the Sands between 9 and 6 pm. All that said, be prepared to walk. The convention center itself is massive and so is The Sands. Walking either can easily take between one and two hours, and you’ll easily rack up three to four miles on your pedometer along the way. Which companies are attending CES 2020?The big news this year (well, in theory) is that Apple is 'attending' CES for the first time in decades. The brand has traditionally not presented at the show after it switched to its own events to unveil key products, but this year Apple will be taking part in a security round table. Appearing at the 'Chief Privacy Officer Roundtable: What Do Consumers Want?' discussion, Jane Horvath, Senior Director, Global Privacy at Apple will join Facebook, the Federal Trade Comission and Proctor & Gamble in discussing privacy in today's online world. So while Apple won't be at CES in the same vein as rivals from Samsung and LG, launching a slew of new devices, it will be present in a way it hasn't been for years. Beyond that, confirmed exhibitors include Amazon, Canon, Facebook, Intel, LG, Lenovo, Microsoft, MSI, Nikon, Samsung, Sony and many, many more. Now, admittedly, not everyone is there to show off new products. A fair majority of companies are there for business, while others are there to collect feedback and have a presence, rather than debut something new. That said, there will still be hundreds of new products making their debut this year in nearly every category. You can see a complete list of those attending on the CES 2020 website.
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| LG’s CineBeam 4K projectors are perfect for anyone building a home theater Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:22 AM PST
Looking to build a home theater? While you might immediately think of getting a large TV, getting a projector might make for a much better experience. Projectors can make for much larger screens, making viewing much more immersive -- and modern projectors, like those in the LG CineBeam lineup, offer a 4K resolution without breaking the bank. In fact, LG has something for any home theater, in any budget, and any home setup. There are plenty of reasons why you should consider a projector from the LG CineBeam lineup. For starters, LG has actually brought over a lot of its much-loved tech from its TVs to its projector lineup. Notably, you’ll get the same awesome WebOS operating system, the same ThinQ AI tech, and more. In other words, LG CineBeam projectors are just as smart as its super-smart TVs -- so you’ll easily be able to watch the content you love, and integrate the device with other smart devices.
Other tech features in LG CineBeam 4K projectors include its awesome TrueMotion motion smoothing tech, and its Dynamic Tone Mapping tech for a more vivid picture quality. As you would expect from a modern device, LG CineBeam projectors also offer a 4K resolution. The result of that is that you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies in stunning, crisp detail -- and on a massive display. Speaking of a massive display, you’ll get, for example, 140 inches on the LG CineBeam HU70LA, or an even bigger 150 inches on the HU80KA. These projectors both offer other tech too. The HU70LA boasts a 4-channel light source for extremely vivid and more accurate colors, while the HU80KA offers a unique design to help make it a half of the size of a conventional 4K projector, and has a handle to make it easier to watch movies anywhere in your house. The HU70LA in particular is a great option for those getting started in building a home theater -- especially if you want a 4K projector with excellent picture quality. It’s the newest projector in the LG CineBeam lineup too, having been launched at the end of 2019.
There’s a projector for any situation too. If you have a dedicated home theater, it might be relatively easy to mount a projector to the ceiling or at the back of the room. You don’t necessarily have to though -- the lineup features ultra short-throw projectors too, which can be placed only a few inches from the surface you want to project on, and it’ll still create a stunning, large viewing area. In fact, the LG CineBeam HU85LA can create a massive 90-inch image from only two inches away -- or a 120-inch image from only 7 inches away. That’s some pretty impressive tech. The best thing about the LG CineBeam series, however, may have to do with the price. The fact is that 4K projectors can still be very expensive, but LG’s offerings are a fraction of the price of its competitors. The aforementioned ultra short-throw CineBeam HU85LA has a three-channel laser, and only comes at $5,999.99 -- while competitors, many of which only have dual-channel lasers, often cost over $20,000. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The new Birds of Prey trailer proves Harley Quinn is better off without The Joker Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:17 AM PST Birds of Prey's second trailer has arrived. It's the spin-off from the 2016 movie Suicide Squad that focuses on the character of Harley Quinn, again played by Margot Robbie. It introduces us to the movie's ensemble cast, which features a refreshing array of lesser known DC Comics characters like Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), alongside the Batman villain Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). We also get a little look at Harley Quinn's break-up with The Joker, even if the Crown Prince of Crime doesn't appear himself. Take a look below: Birds of Prey launches worldwide on February 7. It's the first of two DC Comics adaptations coming this year, with the second, Wonder Woman 1984, releasing in June. Filming has also begun on The Batman from director Matt Reeves (best known for the last two Planet of the Apes movies), and The Suicide Squad from James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy director), with both scheduled for a 2021 release. Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in the latter. Birds of Prey surely can't be worse than the 2016 Suicide Squad movie, which works in its favor, even if the tone of this trailer might remind you of it a little. And Robbie's version of Harley Quinn remains incredibly popular: go to any big comic con and you'll probably see 100 people cosplaying as that character.
DC vs MarvelWarner Bros is taking a 'Worlds of DC' approach to the continuity of these movies, which means these films don't necessarily exist in a single timeline. That's proven to be a good thing, so far: it means a harder-edged movie like Joker doesn't have to tie into the Suicide Squad version, for example. While the MCU movies are designed to connect as one big story, Warner's approach allows for more simultaneous interpretations, which arguably yields a more diverse range of films. Birds of Prey comes from director Cathy Yan, and it'll hopefully continue the form that we've seen with the DC movies since Aquaman surprised everyone by grossing a billion dollars at the box office in 2018. Aquaman, Shazam and Joker are all a little different in tone to the likes of Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman, which seems like a good thing.
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| Sony PS5 controller release date, news and confirmed features Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:55 AM PST Looking for the latest news on the PS5 controller? Then look no further. Sony has officially announced the next-generation PlayStation 5 will land at the end of 2020 - along with a brand new PS5 controller to complement it. Although we don't know what its official name will be (or what it will look like), we do know that the PS5 controller will have a big focus on player immersion and feedback. This means shaking up the typical PlayStation controller formula with new features, and even doing away with the DualShock 4's classic rumble technology. Despite adding some great new features, it looks like - when it comes to design - the PS5 controller may stay true to the DualShock 4, with some minor aesthetic adjustments. We've gathered everything we know so far about the PS5 controller right here for your perusal, including confirmed features, the latest news and the juiciest rumors. Cut to the chase
PS5 controller release dateThe Sony PS5 controller will release alongside the PlayStation 5 at the end of 2020 – sometime between October and December. We're expecting that the PS5 controller, like the DualShock 4 before it, will work not only on the PlayStation 5 but also with PC. PS5 controller priceA price for the PS5 controller has not been confirmed yet, but with the PS4 controller retailing for around £40/$50, we expect the new controller to be just a bit more expensive – maybe around £60/$70. This is pure speculation at this point, based solely on the confirmed features and Sony's previous price strategy for controllers.
PS5 controller confirmed features
The PS5 controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. While rumble technology seen the PS4 controller vibrating intensely during particular in-game events, it wasn't particularly fine-tuned to the player's experience. Haptic feedback simulates touch, meaning the controller will output vibrations or movements to replicate a real-life touch experience. This aims to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player's immersion. The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. In an interview with Business Insider Japan (translated by Gematsu), SIE CEO Jim Ryan said: “3D audio and the haptic feedback support of the controller are also things that, when you try them, you will be surprised at how big a change they are. Even just playing the racing game Gran Turismo Sport with a PlayStation 5 controller is a completely different experience. While it runs well with the previous controller, there is no going back after you experience the detailed road surface via haptic control and play using the adaptive triggers." PS5 controller news and rumors
Is this the PS5 controller? We don't think so Despite the cleaner asking people not to share the images, they obviously made their way to Reddit where posters began speculating, not only about the kit itself, but about the controller attached and whether it could be the PS5 controller. We don't think it is the controller, though, and here's why. The leaked images are very similar to those that we've seen before. The dev kit looks the same, a bulky V-shape with a disc drive in the front and a small screen. What we already know about the PS5 dev kits is that the final model is very unlikely to look like that. As the leaker pointed out in these photos, this is prototype 1. So the final model will look different to that, just in case you worried that thing would end up underneath your TV. What's potentially more interesting is that these images give us a much closer look at the controller attached - which some are speculating to be the PS5 controller. But there are plenty of signs that this isn't the case. For one, the controller looks exactly like the current Sony DualShock 4 controller (minus the branding). Now, based on leaked patents, we think the PS5 controller will look very similar to the DualShock 4. However, if these leaked patents are to be believed, there's a lot of key details missing from the controller hooked up to this dev kit. The PS5 controller is expected to have a chunkier design, larger touchpad, back buttons, a built-in microphone and smaller sticks. This controller doesn't have that. The PS5 controller is also meant to lack the lightbar, but we can't exactly see if that's the case here. While the gamepad in these images doesn't seem to be the PS5 controller, then, there is some good news. If the PS5 dev kit is being tested with a DualShock 4 controller then it suggests that the next-gen console could support backwards compatibility for PS4 accessories. That would make sense, seeing as Sony has already said PSVR will work with the PS5 and rivals Microsoft have announced this feature for Xbox Series X. It would also be welcome news as it means we won't have to upgrade all the PS4 controllers we have at home right now - hopefully, anyway. Back buttons? The design shows two larger buttons that can be moved up and down, and two smaller buttons that can be pressed (and that can detect the pressure of a press). There seems to be some scope for adjusting the positioning of the buttons to suit the size of your hands. As for how these buttons are going to be used, the patent doesn't go into too much detail: except to say that they'll be used to control video game characters, so no surprises there.
This is a patent focused on utility rather than design, so the finished product might not look like the drawing above. Also, as with every patent, the fact that it's filed doesn't necessarily mean Sony will go through with it. What makes us think that these could be back buttons is that the sketches look similar to Sony's newly unveiled Back Button Attachment for existing DualShock 4 controllers. Perhaps the DualShock 5 won't need any attachment. Leaked images Published by the Japanese patent office (via VGC), the Sony Interactive Entertainment patent lays out designs for a new controller that looks very similar to the DualShock 4. Compared the the DualShock 4, the new controller design has some key differences. For a start, the potential PS5 controller seems to have a slightly chunkier design, built-in microphone, larger triggers, no light bar and smaller sticks. It also seems the DualShock 4's micro USB port has been replaced by a smaller USB-C port, which is placed on the top rather than the bottom of the controller. The lack of light bar does make us question how the PS5 would track the controller via when it comes to PSVR and PS Camera games. Usually this is done via the PS Camera, so we're hoping the console will have a different means of tracking the controller otherwise compatibility will suffer. Unless, of course, Sony is gearing up to move solely onto PSVR 2. However, this doesn't seem likely as Sony has promised the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PSVR. It also looks like the stereo headset jack and extension port at the bottom of the headset has been replaced by two larger circular ports. We think these will still be for plugging in headsets, but the two jacks could be headphone and microphone slots respectively, to increase compatibility with headsets. There's also a rectangular design that seems to wrap around the headset, which is potentially for compatibility with a charging dock. Again, this is all speculation on our part. Check it out below:
The design we've seen lines up with nearly everything we know about the PS5 controller so far. We already know the controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. Another patent suggests back buttons of some sort are coming to the controller for the PS5 as well. These may well match the official Back Button Attachment that Sony sells for current DualShock 4 devices. Cloud gaming controller? In other words, a cloud gaming controller that works like a normal gamepad but has the benefit of connecting directly to WiFi - improving input efficiency and potentially unlocking next-level functions. "The controller device communicates directly to an access device for connection to a network that connects the controller device to the server without connecting to a client device", the patent states. "Wherein the server receives and processes the inputs to render gameplay video that is transmitted over the network for rendering to a display device that is local to the controller device." While it's possible this technology may be being developed for the PS5, and could be key in the PS5 controller, it's more likely we'll see it used for Sony's game streaming subscription service PlayStation Now. Last year, Sony slashed the subscription price for PS Now to take on Xbox Games Pass, but it could be this is actually part of a longer term plan to improve and invest in PS Now so it's in the position next-generation to take on upcoming game streaming services such as Google Stadia. Sony confirm PS5 controller PS5 release date
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| PS5 release date, specs, news and rumors for Sony’s PlayStation 5 Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:51 AM PST PS5 is the next-generation PlayStation, releasing in late 2020 – after a long and incredible decade that quite clearly put Sony at the top of the home console wars. (Sorry Xbox.) What do we know about the PS5 so far? The hysteria started in early 2019, when Mark Cerny, the chief architect on Sony's next console, confirmed that the company is working on the successor to the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro. We didn't get the official name or release date until much later, but Cerny did shed light on the next-gen console's capabilities – including that it would retain a disc-player, and have something to do with Sony's game streaming ambitions – even if there was little else to go on. However, since then, Sony has been drip-feeding us juicy titbits such as an official PS5 release window, logo, name and a few key details about features. But, according to the company, the PS5 still has big surprises to come. In addition, we've had some surprising leaks, in the form of a Sony-registered patent that seems to show off the PS5's general shape, button inputs, and cooling vents – confirmed to be the PS5 dev kit in a leaked photo – though we expect the end product design will be different for the PlayStation 5's late 2020 launch. With 2020 now underway, Sony can only keep the finer details of the next-generation PlayStation a secret for a little longer – especially with Microsoft officially unveiling the Xbox Series X. But between the rumored specs, likely next-gen titles, and official features we are aware of, there's plenty to keep us busy for now. Here's everything we know about the PS5 so far, and what we hope will be revealed the closer we get to launch.
God of War (Image Credit: SIE) Sony has officially confirmed the PS5 will release "Holiday 2020", aka between October and December 2020. A leak has suggested that the release date will be November 20, 2020 but that's yet to be confirmed. It's in the right window, though, and it does leave time before Christmas to get those orders in. This will put the PlayStation 5 in direct competition with Microsoft's Xbox Series X (formerly Xbox Project Scarlett), which is releasing during the same period. Game on.
Death Stranding Sony hasn't officially confirmed a PS5 price just yet, so we can't say for sure what it'll be. There have, however, been rumors. A leak has suggested that the console will cost $499 in North America when it launches. Naturally this should be taken with a pinch of salt, but it would be welcome news if the console did launch at this price as it's only $100 more than the launch price of the PS4 and PS4 Pro. There's also been a less believable rumor claiming the PS5 will cost up to £900 - but Sony has already debunked that. We can expect that the console's price will be in line with the technology it uses but Sony will also have to be aware of its competition. It's unlikely that Microsoft will want to make the same mistake it made in the last generation, with the prohibitively high price point of the Xbox One, so Sony will have to ensure it doesn't make a similar mistake in the next generation by making the PS5 too expensive.
Ghost of Tsushima (Image Credit: SuckerPunch)
So what is the PS5 packing under the hood? We don't know a huge amount about the PlayStation 5's specs, but here's what we do know. That AMD one-two-punch of CPU and GPU unlocks the powers of ray tracing, an advanced lighting technique that can bring next-level immersion to gaming visuals. It's a Hollywood technique that's used in big-budget CGI spectacles, putting the level of visual fidelity you can expect into context. Ray tracing is done by GPU hardware rather than software level, Mark Cerny told Wired. “There is ray-tracing acceleration in the GPU hardware,” Cerny explained. Sony has confirmed the PS5 will support 8K gaming and we think AMD SmartShift could be the secret sauce to this. With 8K TV support comes far more detailed textures, and much larger ones at that. The news of a bespoke SSD drive will be heartening then – just because the games will be becoming more complex, that doesn't mean they'll be slower to load too. It's estimated that the new SSD is 19 times faster than traditional SSD storage methods (but given the speed difference between the SSD and the optical drive, installation of games will be mandatory). Not only that, by harnessing the power of the SSD, developers could potentially reduce the install sizes of games as “there is no need to duplicate data to compensate for slow seek times that optical drives and HDDs have.” The PS5 will benefit from simplified data management due to its SSD, and this will allow players to have more control over installing and removing games. This will allow players to install (or remove) only certain parts of a game. So instead of installing the full game, you could choose to just install the single-player mode and then do multiplayer later - or vice versa.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Image Credit: Naughty Dog) Physical games for the PS5 will use 100GB optical disks, inserted into an optical drive that doubles as a 4K Blu-Ray player and the next-generation hardware will boast a completely revamped UI. Speaking about the new UI to Wired, Cerny said: "Even though it will be fairly fast to boot games, we don't want the player to have to boot the game, see what's up, boot the game, see what's up. "Multiplayer game servers will provide the console with the set of joinable activities in real time. Single-player games will provide information like what missions you could do and what rewards you might receive for completing them - and all of those choices will be visible in the UI. As a player you just jump right into whatever you like." Audio will reach a new "gold standard" on PS5 too, according to Cerny, thanks to a new audio engine that will deliver immersive sound – particularly if you're using headphones. While the details remain unclear, expect something resembling the experience seen with a Dolby Atmos set-up. Sony's PS5 next-generation console will also offer improved cloud gaming performance and "dramatically improved graphics rendering" power. That's the word straight from the company itself, as it showed off a sneak peak during a corporate strategy presentation.
Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games) In a statement sent out following the presentation, Sony said the "two keywords for the future direction of PlayStation are 'immersive' and 'seamless'", with the 'immersive' experience "created by dramatically increased graphics rendering speeds, achieved through the employment of further improved computational power and a customized ultra-fast, broadband SSD". The company also reinforced the importance of its cloud-gaming plans with Playstation Now, and somewhat surprisingly doubled down on its underused Remote Play feature, saying the "evolution" of this would in the future "provide a seamless game experience anytime, anywhere". Remote Play is already available as part of the PS4 package, enabling you to stream a game direct from the console to a computer, smartphone, tablet or PS Vita handheld console. But Sony says that going forward it will be "leveraging the latest computing, streaming, cloud, and 5G technologies" to allow it, and the performance of PlayStation Now, to improve. If that's not enough, Sony has confirmed the PS5's 'incredibly powerful' backwards compatibility will let you play online with PS4 players. There have also been rumors that the PS5 could be backwards compatible with the PS3, PS2, and original PlayStation, meaning its games library could stretch right back to the glory days of the mid 90s.
We haven't actually gotten an official look at the PlayStation 5 yet but, if several leaks are to be believed, Sony's next-generation console will sport a very different look to its predecessors. The above render, courtesy of Let's Go Digital, is based on a spy shot received by Zone of Tech, which shows what's alleged to be a real, working PS5 development kit in its natural habitat – the offices of an anonymous PlayStation 5 developer. The image, if legitimate, all-but confirms the many leaked rumors and renders concerning the PlayStation 5's hardware design, one that sports an unusual V-shaped cavity and excessive amounts of ventilation. What does the image show us? There's a number of buttons: On/Standby, Reset, Eject (for the double layer 100GB-reading Blu-ray drive), System Initialisation and Network initialisation, all on the front left. There are also a number of status lights, numbering '0' to '7', which likely relate to CPU cores engaged, but could also be a status light for controllers connected. To the right there are 5 USB ports (one USB 2.0 and five likely USB 3.0 ports – the final port being obscured by a cable), as well as a USB type B port. A small circle above could well be a camera built into the console, according to earlier patent filings. Interestingly, rubber feet appear to be on the top side of the console, suggesting that devs are being encourage to either flip the console for stress testing and convenience, or to stack them when working on demanding games. We've seen several leaked images of the PS5 dev kit out in the wild, with each showing this same console design. However, these images should only really be used to speculate on what the final design of the consumer console will be, rather than considering it wholly indicative on the machine to come. If we look at older PlayStation dev kits, then we know the final product rarely resembles the dev kit. Dev kits are specially designed to be robust, and to support a console working under extreme load so as to allow the developers to push their creations to the maximum without frying the hardware they are working on. It's also designed, at this stage, to help find any flaws in the final PS5 consumer hardware industrial design. With Sony less than a year away from the launch of the PlayStation 5, there's plenty of time for its team to create something a little less alien-looking.
While we may not know exactly what the PS5 will look like, Sony did reveal the PS5's official logo at CES 2020. It's essentially just the PlayStation 4 logo with a '5' replacing the '4'. But Sony PlayStation president, Jim Ryan, did tease during Sony's CES keynote that “there’s plenty to share about the PS5 in the months ahead. And we look forward to sharing more details, including the content that will showcase the platform and the future of gaming.”
The PS5 will come with its own controller, according to Sony. The PS5 controller (we don't know the official name yet) will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. This aims to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player's immersion. The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. In an interview with Business Insider Japan (translated by Gematsu), SIE CEO Jim Ryan said: “3D audio and the haptic feedback support of the controller are also things that, when you try them, you will be surprised at how big a change they are. Even just playing the racing game Gran Turismo Sport with a PlayStation 5 controller is a completely different experience. While it runs well with the previous controller, there is no going back after you experience the detailed road surface via haptic control and play using the adaptive triggers." If that's not enough for you, a patent suggests new back buttons are coming to the PS5 DualShock controller – perhaps along similar lines to the Back Button Attachment that Sony just launched for existing DualShock 4 gamepads. But what will it look like? According to a Sony patent for a new controller, published by the Japanese patent office (via VGC), the PS5 controller could look very similar to the DualShock 4 – with some key differences. For a start, the potential PS5 controller seems to have a slightly chunkier design, built-in microphone, larger triggers, no light bar and smaller sticks. It also seems the DualShock 4's micro USB port has been replaced by a smaller USB-C port, which is placed on the top rather than the bottom of the controller. The lack of light bar does make us question how the PS5 would track the controller via when it comes to PSVR and PS Camera games. Usually this is done via the PS Camera, so we're hoping the console will have a different means of tracking the controller otherwise compatibility will suffer. Unless, of course, Sony is gearing up to move solely onto PSVR 2. However, this doesn't seem likely as Sony has promised the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PSVR. It also looks like the stereo headset jack and extension port at the bottom of the headset has been replaced by two larger circular ports. We think these will still be for plugging in headsets, but the two jacks could be headphone and microphone slots respectively, to increase compatibility with headsets. There's also a rectangular design that seems to wrap around the headset, which is potentially for compatibility with a charging dock. Again, this is all speculation on our part. Be careful of controller 'leaks' like these, though – as the rumor mill can work at a feverish pace without much to go on.
The entire PS4 library, including PSVR games, will be supported by the PS5. That much is known. But we're now hearing more about confirmed - and rumored - PS5 games. At this point, any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2, would be prime candidates for PS5 cross-gen upgrades. We've also heard enough chatter around a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel and new God of War game to assume we'll be seeing both land on the PS5 console. But what about third-party titles? We've had confirmation that Gearbox's new IP Godfall is coming exclusively to PS5, as is a new title from Bluepoint Studios. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters are all coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Meanwhile Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles - which probably means PS5. There's still no confirmation on what the PS5's launch titles will be but we're expecting first-party games to take the lead. In addition, Sony has confirmed the PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games in an effort to focus on "serious gamers".
A rumor has cropped up suggesting that Sony will cut to the chase and launch the PlayStation 5 Pro at the same time as its base-model PS5. As spotted by Wccftech, noted Japanese games journalist Zenji Nishikawa made the claim in a new video on his YouTube channel, and while that kind of thing normally wouldn't be considered a rock-solid lead, Nishikawa has proven accurate in the past with his predictions of the PS4 Pro and Switch Lite. According to Nishikawa, the PS5 Pro will cost around $100-$150 more than the basic PS5 console. The report states that Sony is taking this approach because it has "acknowledged the interest in a high-end model and wants to give players what they want right from the beginning of the generation".
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| US may stop sharing intelligence with countries that use Huawei tech Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:33 AM PST A US lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prevent the United States from sharing intelligence with countries that rely on Huawei's equipment for their 5G networks. The bill was introduced by Senator Tom Cotton who strongly urged US allies to consider the consequences of dealing with Huawei when it comes to their national security in a statement, saying: “The United States shouldn’t be sharing valuable intelligence information with countries that allow an intelligence-gathering arm of the Chinese Communist Party to operate freely within their borders. I urge our allies around the world to carefully consider the consequences of dealing with Huawei to their national interests.”
Huawei banThe US has been the driving force behind a global campaign against the Chinese company claiming it could be used to spy on customers for Beijing. Last year, the US even placed Huawei on a trade blacklist citing national security concerns though Huawei has repeatedly to deny these allegations. Senator Cotton's bill is the latest in a series of moves by US politicians aimed at persuading the country's allies to follow suit and ban Huawei as well. While some countries such as Australia and Japan have already decided to ban the Chinese firm's equipment from their networks, the UK and Germany have yet to make a final decision. Britain is expected to make a decision on whether or not it will ban Huawei later this month but before then, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss the firm's role in British 5G networks with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in a meeting this week. While the trade war with the US and China has yet to be resolved, some companies such as Micron have been granted licenses to sell their products to Huawei. Via Reuters This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best gaming reveals of CES 2020 (and the PS5 logo) Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST CES is rarely the place for big gaming announcements in the world of consoles, and CES 2020 was no exception. Other than the reveal of a PS5 logo, which got the internet talking because it was a bit of a non-story, this was a more interesting time for PC and mobile gaming. AMD announced a new graphics card targeted at 1080p players, Razer introduced a peripheral that makes your phone look like a Nintendo Switch, and Nvidia debuted 360Hz displays. There were plenty of interesting individual moments, even if there was arguably no jaw-dropping explosive reveal to speak of. Here are some of our gaming highlights, and you can check out our CES 2020 awards for our best tech of the show. The PS5 logo was revealed
The biggest non-story story of CES was the PS5 logo reveal during Sony's keynote. To be fair to the PlayStation manufacturer, it never promised we'd see a significant PS5 presence at CES 2020, and it was clear that this was just step one of a long 2020 announcement cycle. Nonetheless, that didn't stop the PS5 logo from becoming the most-liked gaming-related image on Instagram ever (5 million and counting), according to VGC. Expect to see the PS5 ramp up its announcements later in the year. From specs to exclusive games and console features, there's still loads to be revealed about Sony's next-gen hardware.
The Xbox Series X...wasn't shown
AMD showed a picture of the Xbox Series X during its presentation that seemed to reveal the rear ports of Microsoft's new console. The company later apologized, though, as this image wasn't sourced officially, with internet sleuths later revealing it to be a stock image of the console from a third-party. That made this even more of a non-story about next-gen hardware than the PS5 logo. Still, in minor, real Xbox Series X news that broke during CES week, Xbox head Phil Spencer did change his profile photo to that of the console's chip. That didn't reveal a whole lot, other than the fact that it's engraved with '8K' and 'Project Scarlett', but at least it was from an official source. This handheld PC looks like a Nintendo Switch
The success of the Nintendo Switch is influencing other areas of gaming hardware, now, with Alienware's UFO Concept packing gaming PC specs into a (heavy, according to our man on the ground) handheld device. It's unclear if it'll ever actually launch as a consumer device, and Dell didn't reveal the specs of the UFO Concept, but it's pretty cool that it can play demanding games like The Division 2 away from a desktop or console. It's also exciting that companies are thinking about non-traditional PC designs. The idea of owning actual gaming PC in this format is pretty appealing, in lieu of streaming devices or beefy gaming laptops. This accessory makes your phone into a Nintendo Switch (sort of)
The Kishi isn't Razer's first attempt at creating Switch-style controls for your phone, but it supports a an impressively wide range of handsets. Released sometime in early 2020, this accessory will be available for both Android and iPhone, and it's compatible with most mobile games that support controllers. It's also designed for the future of cloud gaming, in the scenario where you're comfortable streaming more graphically intensive software to your phone. The Kishi is meant to give you console-quality controls to match, and it looks the part, considering how it has to fit around a variety of phones. MSI reveals a 300Hz gaming laptop
Among MSI's CES 2020 announcements was the MSI GE66 Raider laptop, which features a 300Hz display, fancy lighting and a limited edition version (pictured above) designed by Collie Wertz, a concept artist of Marvel and Star Wars fame. MSI also revealed a PC that features a 'gaming dial', the MEG Aegis Ti5 gaming desktop. This is designed so you can adjust performance as you play. We were kind of hoping it could be used as a reel in a fishing simulator game, but oh well. Nvidia debuts 360Hz G-sync monitors
Designed for competitive players, Nvidia debuted the fastest displays available, with 1080p 360Hz monitors that are supposed to give esports players an edge. The vast majority of PC players will never need a monitor with a refresh rate that high, but it's a fascinating glimpse into what's possible with future displays. Nvidia is kicking off these displays with Asus, with the 24.5-inch ROG Swift 360 debuting later in the year. AMD targets 1080p players
AMD announced its Ryzen 4000 mobile APUs at CES, and revealed that its Ryzen 4000 CPUs are coming this year too. Huge news came on the 1080p gaming front, too, with AMD announcing the RX 5600 XT graphics card, which boasts impressive benchmarks for modern games and is priced the same as Nvidia's GTX 1660 Ti. If you're thinking of building a budget PC in 2020, then, you'll have some decent options to choose from.
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| The best Samsung phones of 2020: finding the right Galaxy for you Posted: 09 Jan 2020 07:46 AM PST Samsung sits alongside Apple as one of the most recognizable smartphone brands – in fact in terms of pure sales it has Apple beat. And there are good reasons for its popularity, as Samsung makes some of the best smartphones in the business, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. Those phones will soon be joined by even newer and likely even better handsets too, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S11 range (which might land as the Galaxy S20) and the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 – all of which are expected to land on February 11. Samsung is also regularly innovating, with the likes of the original Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (which was one of the first 5G phones). Add to that the almost overwhelming number of mid-range and low-end phones offered by the company, such as the Samsung Galaxy A30, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite, and one thing becomes clear: there’s a Samsung phone for almost everyone. But with so many phones available now and coming soon, choosing the right one for you can be a daunting task, even if you round it down to just the great ones. That’s where we come in. Below you’ll find a list of the very best smartphones Samsung has to offer, an accolade which ensures they rank among the best phones from any manufacturer. You’ll find specs, pros, cons, and a brief overview for each, so you can see all the key things about them at a glance, making it easier to compare them. Though for anything that makes your shortlist, we’d recommend clicking through to the full review. Best Samsung phones 2020 at a glance:
Best Samsung phones 2020
Image credit: TechRadar As Samsung’s latest and greatest S-range flagship, is it any wonder that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus tops this list? It’s a big upgrade over the previous year’s model, with a new all-screen design, enabled by Samsung ditching bezels in favor of a punch-hole camera. Speaking of the camera, you get three on the back and two on the front, making this a very versatile camera phone. The fingerprint scanner is in the screen now, which is far more ideal than it being on the back, and there’s a big 4,100mAh battery, which gives the Galaxy S10 Plus a lot of life. So much so you might even consider using the new Wireless PowerShare feature to juice up other devices with it. The Galaxy S10 Plus also has a massive 6.4-inch screen and all the power you’d expect from a flagship. It’s Samsung’s best and at the time of writing also tops our list of the best smartphones from any manufacturer. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review
Image Credit: TechRadar Samsung's Galaxy S10 is a fitting second place in our list of the best phones from Samsung as it's largely similar to its top-end sibling. You miss a few features by opting for the S10 over the Plus, but if you're looking to save a little money it's still going to offer the core highlights, such as that Infinity-O screen, the slick design and top-end internals. The fingerprint scanner is also in the screen on the Galaxy S10, plus it looks gorgeous with an incredible 550 pixels per inch on this model. You've got a variety of color options, plus there's the choice of either 128GB or 512GB depending on how much space you'll need. The battery life on the standard S10 isn't as great as it is on the Plus, but it's not something to turn your nose up at as it can still easily survive a full day of use. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S10 review
If you're looking for the best Samsung phablet, its latest premium smartphone is just that. It comes with a massive screen, powerful processor, and four rear cameras. The highlight of this device is the S Pen, a stylus that helps you do loads with your device. It isn't just used for drawing and taking notes; a range of gesture controls help you get the most out of your handset. Yes, the phone is expensive (prohibitively so, to some), but every penny you pay goes straight into the best Samsung phone about, and one of the best handsets full stop. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 isn't quite as high on this list as the Note 10 Plus, and that's because of a few problems we had with it, like a battery life that left us wanting more. However, the Galaxy Note 10 is still an impressive smartphone, and it's a lot more affordable than the Note 10 Plus. So if you're looking for a great new smartphone that combines impressive processing power, great video recording hardware, and the S Pen stylus for note-taking, doodling and drawing, then the Note 10 could be that handset. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review
Image Credit: TechRadar Fancy an S10 but don't want to spend lots of money? Samsung has you covered with its more affordable Galaxy S10e, which is a new addition to the company's range of flagship phones for 2019. The S10e loses a lot of the top-end features you'll find on the two S10 products above in this list such as the in-screen scanner or high-res display, but it has a slick design for its lower price. There's a dual rear camera that can take some impressive shots considering the price of this handset, plus you'll be sporting a top-end chipset inside alongside either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Overall, the Galaxy S10e isn't anywhere near as impressive as the other two parts of the S10 range but if you're not looking to spend lots of money, this is one of the best Samsung phones for you. Read the full Samsung Galaxy S10e review
Image credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 isn’t just one of the better Samsung phones you can buy today, it’s one of the better phones, period. It’s an expensive device, sure, but cheaper than it once was Its key selling point this time around is the unique S Pen, which no longer requires a charge. Not only will you be able to do normal stylus-like things with the new S Pen, you’ll also be able to use it to take selfies remotely, giving you shots you otherwise would be incapable of getting. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also one of the best camera phones in Samsung’s lineup, with a camera that easily outshines much of the competition. That’s on top of the improved cooling and battery life compared to its predecessor, which will see this jumbo device last you through most of the day without burning a hole through your pocket – even if the price does. Read the full Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
Image credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is big, in fact its 6.2-inch screen would make it very big, were it not for the almost complete absence of bezel and the curved edges, which ensure it’s actually quite manageable in the hand. The screen is one of the best around too – it’s sharp and sports great colors. The Galaxy S9 Plus also stands out through its dual 12MP cameras, one of which is a dual-aperture one, meaning it can switch between f/1.5 for dark scenes and f/2.4 for everything else. Other highlights include impressive stereo speakers and a big 3,500mAh battery. There’s flagship power too of course, and all the bells and whistles that tend to go with that, like a stylish metal and glass build, water resistance, wireless charging and various biometric security options, including a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner and a face scanner. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s most ambitious and arguably exciting handset yet. It’s also the company’s most expensive and arguably impractical. Its 7.3-inch folding screen is sure to wow literally everyone who sees it, and it means you basically have a phone and tablet all in one. It also has a pin-sharp resolution, a small secondary display for when the main screen is closed, and flagship specs, including a high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and six cameras (three on the back, two on the front, and one on the ‘cover’). In other words this is about as flagship as flagships get, as well as being the best choice at the time of writing if you want a foldable phone. But that’s a big if – the screen is even more delicate than most, and that price tag puts it out of reach for most buyers. The Galaxy Fold is certainly impressive, which is why it’s on this list, but it’s also certainly aimed at early adopters with lots of money to burn. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Fold review
Samsung's premium Note and S-series aren't its only good phones, as it has the Galaxy A devices that provide toned-down specs at lower prices. However A phones are also Samsung's testing grounds for more novel ideas, and that's exactly what the Samsung Galaxy A80 is, with its cameras. When you want to take a selfie on the Samsung Galaxy A80, which has no front-facing camera (in order to make way for a full screen with no complications), a panel housing the device's rear cameras pops up and spins around, which is a quirky and fun gimmick. There's more to the phone than its cameras though, with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display and impressive charging speed, making it a decent option for people who don't need one of Samsung's premium devices. Read our full Samsung Galaxy A80 review
Image credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a smaller, cheaper (but still expensive) alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. The 5.8-inch screen makes it potentially preferable if you have smaller hands or pockets, and as with the S9 Plus it’s more compact than you might expect, thanks to its slim bezels and curvy screen. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has many of the same high points as the S9 Plus, including a sharp, vibrant display, a high-end build, plenty of power and various biometric security options. It’s only got a single-lens camera, but it’s still a very good one, and the battery is smaller, so this is definitely the weaker phone in the S9 range. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S9 review
Image credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an older model of Samsung’s other flagship, designed for those who want a truly massive 6.3-inch screen and a stylus (known as the S-Pen) to help make the most of it. Other than that, it has much in common with the Galaxy S range, with a similar (and similarly stylish) glass back and metal frame, a QHD curved screen and a dual-lens rear camera. There’s lots of power too, though it’s using a 2017 chipset rather than a later one, so it’s not quite a match for the S9 or S10 range. But then it’s also now a little cheaper than the S10 Plus and still has water resistance, wireless charging and loads of storage. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review
Image Credit: TechRadar We're quite low in our list of the best Samsung phones, but this is the best mid-range phone from the company that has been released specifically for that budget range. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is far more affordable than a lot of the other devices you'll find on this list but it comes with some impressive spec considering that. For example, there's a triple camera array on the back that includes a 24MP, 8MP and 5MP shooter. On the front, there's a 24MP shooter for taking your selfies too. It's not a top-end phone, but if you're looking for a Samsung device that doesn't break the bank it's well worth considering the Galaxy A7. Read the full Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) review
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| Cyber threats that use social engineering Posted: 09 Jan 2020 07:43 AM PST Humans are hard-wired to connect and to trust. As infants, our survival is based on making social connections so we can obtain our basic needs and this propensity continues into adult life. This natural trait is the most effective weapon for cyber threat actors using social engineering as a vector for attacks, and it is one that continues to prove especially difficult to combat. Attackers use social engineering through human interaction to exploit trust and manipulate people into ignoring or deliberately circumventing normal endpoint security procedures. The targeted nature of attacks also helps threat actors to cover their tracks for as long as possible so they can accomplish their aims—often the target doesn’t realise they have been a victim until the wider effects become noticeable. These effects can be anything from crippling malware infections to major financial fraud affecting businesses and individuals. And, just like other kinds of cyber threats, adversaries’ tactics are evolving all the time. Corporate CatfishingRecently we’ve seen a rise in attackers playing the long game, devising bespoke social engineering campaigns targeting corporate users over an extended period in a bid to ultimately dupe them into providing access to their company network so a malicious payload can be delivered. Matt Wixey of PwC, who has conducted research into this phenomenon, has dubbed it “Remote Online Social Engineering” or ROSE. Unlike a classic phishing attack, which relies on targets failing to spot a spoofed email address in the heat of the moment, ROSE is focused on building credibility with the target—in a similar way to tactics employed in catfishing, but without the romantic overtones. The campaign is built around in-depth research into the target’s personality, interests, and activities and is designed to bypass the filters that might otherwise put the victim on their guard. Credibility is built through the creation of false personas with presence across multiple social media platforms that the target trusts, such as LinkedIn. The persona engages with the target over time, often using trust-building tactics like appearing to be part of similar social groups such as a company or university alumnus. Once trust is established, the threat actor finds a way to introduce an infected file through the target’s business email, causing them to unwittingly deliver malware onto the corporate network. While malware infection seems to be the most common motivation at the moment, such tactics could equally be used for extortion or to recruit victims into undertaking activities such as money laundering. ROSE represents a significant and difficult-to-detect risk. For most organisations, the first indication that an employee has been the target of extended social engineering will be when network monitoring controls spot malware execution—at which point the “attack” has likely been under way for a considerable amount of time. A key challenge for corporate defenders stems from the proliferation of false profiles on social media platforms, including those frequented by employees and often used for legitimate business purposes. False profiles can be very convincing, particularly if they demonstrate a long account history and conversations with other profiles. Employees need to be educated to look deeper for evidence of a connection’s claims. For example, do they show independent knowledge of apparently shared events, locations, or institutions? They should also be required to “sandbox” communications with social media acquaintances by not interacting using corporate email. Any deviation from such policies should raise a red flag immediately. Phishing attacks persist“Classic” phishing attacks remain a major problem for enterprises as their sheer volume raises the chances that some will eventually succeed. The problem becomes particularly prevalent around the holiday season. The spike in consumer shopping spurs threat actors to create convincing fake shopping sites and advertise discounts sent via phishing emails designed to reel in the unwitting, often time-pressured consumer. Linked to the high volumes of holiday sales is an increase in refund fraud, which continues to be a major source of revenue loss for retailers. Here, threat actors purchase goods and then falsely claim that they have not been delivered or are faulty, relying on their social engineering skills to convince the retailer’s customer service team that they are due a refund. Fraudsters may also use fake receipts to claim refunds, despite never having purchased a product in the first place. Build a hybrid defence against social engineeringMitigating social engineering fraud risk requires a combination of automated signature- and indicator-based tools and employee education, implemented alongside an understanding of the context in which threats are developed and deployed. This context varies all the time; for example, maybe your company is involved in merger and acquisition activity and threat actors want to glean insider information. This could put employees at greater risk of phishing or ROSE attempts. Business intelligence can provide risk in context and help pivot an organization’s protection programme accordingly. Neither automation nor education can succeed in reducing risk alone, and both require security teams to stay up to date with the latest social engineering and phishing tactics to provide essential context around the attack environment. For example, in the case of refund fraud, it’s important to be aware of threat intelligence around evolving tactics, such as serial number generators on fraudulent receipts, and help customer service teams stay alert to indicators that a refund request is not genuine. From a technical perspective, automated tools that capture phishing attempts, such as blocking known spoofed email addresses and recognising indicators of compromise, reduce the quantity of phishing mails that reach employee inboxes. However, some will always make it through, and automated tools cannot detect the attackers who are “invited in” by victims of remote online social engineering scams. Ongoing employee education, cybersecurity training, and open discussions around the risks and tactics used in social engineering campaigns bridges the gap between what automated tools can block and what they can’t, thereby reducing the overall risk that attacks will succeed. Ultimately, social engineering attacks are based on exploiting human nature, and there’s no technical or automated solution that’s 100% effective against an attack that preys on individuals’ vulnerabilities. At Flashpoint, we analyse business risk intelligence around the latest social engineering tactics to better understand the context in which threats are developed and deployed. This allows us to tailor our technical and employee education programmes for organisations, accordingly. With robust and timely programmes, organisations have an opportunity to trigger warnings that will make employees and consumers think twice before they – and the corporate network – fall victim.
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| Pokémon Sword and Shield are getting DLC, a first for the series Posted: 09 Jan 2020 07:32 AM PST Pokémon Sword and Shield are finally getting an expansion pass, the first Pokemon DLC to date. The announcement was made during the latest Pokémon Direct, where Game Freak revealed that the newest Pokémon games are getting an expansion pass this year which will grant players access to two DLC packs: Crown Tundra and Isle of Armor. Crown Tundra is due for release in June 2020, while Isle of Armor is due to release in 'Autumn' 2020 (so sometime between September and November of this year). Isle of ArmorThe Isle of Armor DLC will release in June 2020 and introduces a bunch of new characters and Pokémon for you to check out. In fact, both DLC introduce over 200 Pokémon to Sword and Shield - including some old favorites - but each game has differing offerings. Isle of Armor's theme is "growth" according to Game Freak and this DLC sees you gaining a new mentor - called Mustard - and some new rivals. In addition, there's also a new fighting-style Pokémon that you get to train with, called Kubfu, who evolves into a Urshifu, who offers two distinct fighting styles that you can choose between. Isle of Armor also adds new fashion for your character and bike. If that's not enough, you also get to see new unseen areas of Galar and can take part in online (or official) competitions. Crown TundraCrown Tundra is a snow-themed DLC, releasing between September and November 2020. This DLC focuses on exploration and small communities, introducing you to new characters and Pokémon that you haven't seen before. This DLC introduces Calyrex, a psychic-grass type enigma, whom a lot of the narrative revolves around. You can also exlore Pokémon dens to see both older and new legendary Pokémon - some even dynamax. If that's not enough, Crown Tundra introduces a new co-op play mode and clothing. There's also new battle challenges for finishing both DLC. Expansion pass details
The Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass grants players access to both DLC, however each game requires its own expansion pass. You'll be able to carry your game on from where you left off as your save game carries on. It's also welcome news that an upcoming update will allow you to trade the new Pokémon with those who don't own the DLC. You'll also be able, through Pokémon Home, to import your older Pokémon (from previous games) into Sword and Shield - as long as those Pokémon appear in the DLC (or Sword and Shield). Pokémon Home is releasing in February 2020. The Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass can be pre-purchased from the Nintendo eShop for £26.99 / $29.99.
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| This 3D printer can also produce photos Posted: 09 Jan 2020 07:27 AM PST Over at CES 2020, XYZprinting has revealed an upgraded da Vinci Color 5D, which is an FFF color 3D printer combined with a standard color inkjet printer. While the 5D reference in the name might lead you to believe that this is some kind of time or dimension-bending printer, in actual fact, it simply refers to the convenient and innovative combination of a 3D printer and a traditional ‘2D’ printer (3D + 2D = 5D).
The da Vinci Color 5D boasts some clever inkjet tech which allows the printer to apply CMYK ink to a PLA material capable of absorbing color, so your 3D-printed items come out in just the colors you designed them with (with intricate color detailing possible, XYZprinting notes – check out some of the results below).
And the 2D printing module means you can use that same CMYK ink to print on paper in the traditional manner. Laser engravingFurther functionality is possible as the device has a quick release extruder, letting the user switch in a laser engraver add-on, or hardened steel nozzle (the latter enables printing with materials such as carbon fiber and metallic PLA filaments). In the case of the former, materials which can be engraved upon include leather, wood, cardboard and plastic. So one way or another, there’s a hell of a lot of flexibility here, and it’s not surprising to hear that this device scooped a CES 2020 Innovation Award. The XYZprinting da Vinci Color 5D is set to go on sale in early 2020, and will set you back $3,999 (around £3,000), with ink cartridges costing $69.95 (around £55). You’ll be able to buy it direct from the manufacturer.
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| iPad sale at Best Buy: save up to $70 on the all-new 10.2-inch Apple iPad Posted: 09 Jan 2020 07:24 AM PST If you didn't snag a discount on the Apple iPad during the holiday sales, then fear not. Best Buy's Apple event is happening right now and includes up to $70 in price cuts on the all-new iPad. The all-new iPad includes Apple's powerful A10 Fusion chip and is available in a 32GB or 128GB storage option. The tablet features a 10.2-inch Retina display that is now able to support a full-sized smart keyboard. The updated tablet runs on iPadOS, which allows for seamless multitasking and the use of the Apple Pencil. The iPad also includes a 1.2MP front-facing camera and has the voice-assistant Siri built-in. iPad deals:Interested in other iPad models? We've listed even more of the cheapest iPad deals that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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