Apple : Raccoon malware affects all browsers |
- Raccoon malware affects all browsers
- Best Ultrabooks 2020: the top thin and light laptops reviewed
- Best DDoS protection of 2020
- The best 2-in-1 laptop 2020: find the best convertible laptop for your needs
- Amazon trialing AI-based customer support agents
- Manchester United vs Club Brugge live stream: watch Europa League 2020 football online from anywhere
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- Arsenal vs Olympiacos live stream: how to watch tonight's Europa League 2020 football online from anywhere
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| Raccoon malware affects all browsers Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:49 PM PST Despite its expensive price and subscription-based business model, the Raccoon malware has grown increasingly popular among cybercriminals due to its ability to target at least 60 applications including most popular browsers. The Raccoon infostealer, also known as Racealer, has gained a following on underground hacking forums as a result of its aggressive marketing strategy, use of bulletproof hosting and easy-to-use backend. This malware was first discovered last year by security researchers at the firm Cybereason and it costs $200 a month. What sets Raccoon apart from other malware is the fact that it employs a subscription-based business model that includes technical support, bug fixes and updates. It also allows cybercriminals to steal data and cryptrocurrency from a wide range of browsers and other applications.
Raccoon malwareNew analysis of Racoon by Cyberark has revealed that the malware, which is able to steal data from 35 browsers and 60 applications overall, is usually delivered through phishing campaigns and exploit kits. Fraudulent emails containing Microsoft Office documents filled with malicious macros are sent out to potential victims in phishing campaigns while exploit kits are typically hosted on websites and victims are profiled for any potential browser-based vulnerabilities, before being redirected to the appropriate exploit kit to leverage them. The Raccoon malware is able to steal financial information, online credentials, data from user's PCs, cryptocurrencies and browser information such as cookies, browsing history and autofill content. The malware targets Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Firefox as well as many lesser known browsers. Raccoon can also compromise email clients such as ThunderBird, Outlook and Foxmail, among others. Cryptocurrencies stored on users' systems are also at risk as the malware seeks out Electrum, Ethereum, Exodus, Jaxx, Monero and Bither wallets by scanning for their default application folders. The Raccoon malware isn't likely going away any time soon as it recently received a number of updates from its creators according to Cyberark's blog post on the matter, which reads: “Similar to other “as-a-service” offerings, Raccoon is still being developed and supported by a group. Since we started the analysis of this sample, the Raccoon team members have improved the stealer and released new versions for the build, including the capability to steal FTP server credentials from FileZilla application and login credentials from a Chinese UC Browser. In addition, the attacker panel has been improved, some UI issues were fixed and the authors added an option to encrypt the builds right from the panel and downloaded it as a DLL.”
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| Best Ultrabooks 2020: the top thin and light laptops reviewed Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:16 PM PST
The best Ultrabooks aren’t just about looking cool. Some of the sleekest and smartest looking laptops out there, these thin and light Ultrabooks ooze sophistication and elegance in the design department. Better yet, they boast a lot of power without sacrificing their promise of portability – and long battery life. The best Ultrabooks 2020 has to offer can handle a hefty workload despite their svelte form, thanks to the best processors and SSDs they hide within. That excellent combination of portability, power and longevity is what makes them a favorite among professionals, especially those who are always on the go. They’re so powerful more creative professionals rely on them for demanding tasks like video editing and 3D design. We gathered all the best Ultrabooks on the market, each of which we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves so you know you can count on whichever one you choose. Trust that this list will find you what you need. The best Ultrabooks at a glance
The HP Elite Dragonfly tops many of our lists this year, including the best Ultrabooks list. If you’re a traveling professional, and you’re looking for the best of the best this 2020, then you will be hard-pressed to find anything that will rival the HP Elite Dragonfly. Garnering our coveted five-star rating, this laptop tops many of our lists this year, including the best Ultrabooks list. It’s no surprise, as it delivers a deadly combination of incredible features like a sublime keyboard and amazing speakers, raw power, portability, a beautiful design and a long battery life. Admittedly, it’s pricier than many of its competition; but if you’ve got the funds, it’s worth every penny. Read the full review: HP Elite Dragonfly
The Dell XPS 13 has been king of the Ultrabooks for years, and while it’s been unseated by the Huawei MateBook 13, it remains one of the Ultrabooks to beat in 2020. This time around, Dell has moved the webcam from the bottom of the display back to the top, fixing one of the biggest flaws that held back the XPS 13 for years. Add the updated internal components to the mix, and the Dell XPS 13 still makes the best Ultrabooks list – even in the face of tough competition. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
For some years now, Huawei has been sitting in the shadows, biding its time to take on the best Ultrabooks. But now, their time in the limelight is here. Like the Huawei MateBook X Pro before it, the Huawei Matebook 13 packs a ton of powerful hardware into a gorgeous shell, all while offering it at a price that’s more than reasonable. Those discrete graphics are also worth a mention – the Huawei Matebook 13 may be one of the tiniest laptops out there to come with an MX150 GPU. It’s not hard to see why the Huawei Matebook 13 is the best Ultrabook right now. Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13
You’ll be hard-pressed to find fault in the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019). Design-wise, not only is it incredibly compact and lightweight, but it also boasts that gorgeous responsive display, stunning woven design and delightful to use keyboard. But, it’s more than just looks. It’s pretty impressive as well when it comes to performance, thanks to its 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics. If you’re looking for the best Ultrabook with more than enough power, a lot of versatility and a stunning design to boot, you’ll be crazy not to get this. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019)
If an arresting Ultrabook housing 2-in-1 functionality and a ton of power satisfies what you’re looking for, it’s hard to find a better laptop than the HP Spectre x360. This slim and light Ultrabook isn’t just filled with the latest Intel Whiskey Lake processors and plenty of RAM. It also might just be the most exquisite laptop you can buy today. The HP Spectre x360 won’t just get you through your workload, but will also make you smart and stylish in the process – leaving no doubt that it’s well-deserving of its lofty spot on our best Ultrabooks 2020 list. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
With an impressive, reasonable price tag and some of the best battery life we’ve experienced in a 15-inch laptop, the Surface Laptop 3 certainly has a lot going for it. That also includes the fact that it’s got a great look and feel, as well as a weight that surprisingly light for a product its size. Performance-wise, it certainly knocks it out of the park. While it isn’t the most powerful 15-inch laptop out there, it has Intel’s 10th-generation chips and the Iris Plus graphics. That’s more than enough to make it one of the best Ultrabooks out there for 2020. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 3
The Lenovo Yoga C930 has quite a few of the makings of the best Ultrabook – from an absurd 14.5 hours of battery life and dual Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C ports to internal components that will easily handle those daily productivity tasks. That’s without even considering it’s a 2-in-1 that offers form versatility so you can squeeze in some light gaming and movie-watching once you’re done working. It has a few cherries on top as well, specifically the integrated self-charging stylus and the fab speaker system. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C930
The “world’s first gaming ultrabook” doesn't just talk the talk; it also walks the walk as one of the best Ultrabooks 2020 has to offer. Razer has spruced up its Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook with the latest internal components without affecting its super-quiet operation. Packed with a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and better graphic options, 13-inch laptop delivers and much better than its predecessor. In fact, it might just be the best gaming experience we’ve ever had on integrated graphics with the Iris Plus configuration. Round that out with extremely quiet fans, low thermal power, extended battery life and that delightful Mercury White color, and we are sold. Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019)
Durability meets portability and performance in this slim laptop with a reasonable price tag. The Lenovo Yoga 730 isn’t the close-to-perfect machine many premium buyers may be in the market for, with a few less-than-favorable issues like heavier weight, average battery life and weak speakers. However, this laptop will easily take you through your weekly workload. Lenovo then rounds out that performance with a reliable keyboard and trackpad, sturdy hinges to go between tablet and laptop mode, and a display with thin bezels. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 730
HP’s beloved and highly praised 2-in-1 is back with a vengeance, this time with more powerful components like the 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics. Of course, that impeccable 2-in-1 design and pristine gem-cut chassis are back, as are its security features and Bang & Olufsen speakers. That killer combination makes it, now more than ever, one of the best Ultrabooks out there. Is it a wonder that this is one of our favorite laptops of 2020? If you care about aesthetics as much as you do performance and overall quality, this is the laptop for you. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 (2020)
Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article Image credit: TechRadar
Best Ultrabooks 2020 at a glance:
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| Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:00 PM PST In October 2016 DNS provider Dyn was hit by a major DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack by an army of IoT devices which had been hacked specially for the purpose. Over 14,000 domains using Dyn's services were overwhlemed and became unreachable including big names like Amazon, HBO, and PayPal. According to research by Cloudflare the average cost of infrastructure failure to businesses is $100,000 (£75,000) per hour. How then can you make sure that your organization doesn't fall victim to this kind of attack. In this guide you'll discover major infrastructure providers who have the necessary digital muscle to protect against attacks designed to flood your network capacity. You'll also discover which providers can offer protection against more sophisticated application (layer 7) attacks, which can be carried out without a huge number of hacked computers (sometimes known as a botnet).
Project Shield Project Shield is the creation of Jigsaw, an offshoot Google's parent company Alphabet. Development began several years ago under George Conard in the wake of attacks on election monitoring and human rights related websites in the Ukraine. Project Shield is able to filter potential malicious traffic by acting as a reverse proxy which sits between a website and the internet at large, filtering connection requests. If a connection seems to be from a legitimate visitor Project Shield permits the connection request. If a connection request is determined to be bad e.g. multiple connection attempts from the same IP address, then it is blocked. This system makes Project Shield extremely easy to implement simply by changing your servers DNS settings. Any power users reading may wonder how filtering traffic via a proxy will work with SSL. Fortunately, Jigsaw has thought of this and has put together a comprehensive tutorial to make sure secure connections to your site work seamlessly. Several other tutorials are also available in the support section. Currently Project Shield is only available for media, election monitoring and human rights related websites. The primary focus is also on small under resourced websites which cannot afford expensive hosting solutions to protect themselves for DDoS. If your organization doesn't match these requirements you may have to consider an alternative solution such as Cloudflare.
Cloudflare Anyone who has used the Internet in the last few years will be familiar with Cloudflare as many major websites make use of its protection. Although Cloudflare is based in the US it maintains over 180 data centers around the world: an infrastructure to rival Google's. This maximizes your sites chances of staying online. Every Cloudflare user can choose to activate the 'I'm under attack' mode which can protect against even the most sophisticated of DoS attacks by presenting a Javascript challenge. As a matter of routine Cloudflare also acts as a reverse proxy sitting between visitors and your site host to filter traffic in much the same way as Jigsaw's Project Shield. In March 2019, Cloudflare introduced Spectrum for UDP, which provides DDoS protection and firewalling for unreliable protocols. Visitors making connection requests have to run a gauntlet of sophisticated filters including site reputation, whether their IP has been Blacklisted and if the HTTP header seems suspicious. HTTP requests are finger printed to protect against known Botnets. As an industry giant, Cloudflare can easily leverage its position by sharing intel across the 7+ million websites it manages. Cloudflare offers a free basic package which includes unmetered DDoS mitigation. For those who are willing to pay for a Cloudflare business subscription (prices start at $200 or £149 a month), more advanced protection is available such as custom SSL certificate uploads.
AWS Shield AWS Shield protection is provided by the good people of Amazon web services. The 'Standard' tier is available to all AWS customers at no extra charge. This is ideal as many small businesses choose to host their websites with Amazon. AWS Shield Standard is available to all customers at no extra charge. It protects against more typical network (layer 3) and transport (layer 4) attacks when used Amazon's Cloud Front and Route 53 services. This should put off all but the most determined hackers. However, your bandwidth e.g. 15Gbp/s will still be limited by the size of you Amazon instance making it feasible for hackers to carry out a DoS attack if they have sufficient resources. Worse still you remain responsible for paying for the extra traffic to your instance. To mitigate this Amazon also offers AWS Shield Advanced. A Subscription include DDoS cost protection, which can save you from a huge spike in your monthly usage bill if you are the victim of an attack. AWS Shield Advanced can also deploy your ACL's (Access Control Lists) to the border of the AWS network itself giving you protection against even the largest of attacks. Advanced Subscribers also benefit from a round the clock DRT (DDoS response team) as well as detailed metrics on any attacks on your instances. The piece of mind afforded by AWS Shield Advanced is expensive however. You must be willing to subscribe for a minimum of one year for a price of $3,000 (£2,200) a month. This is in addition to data transfer usage costs which you can cover on a 'pay as you go' basis.
Microsoft Azure Like Amazon, Microsoft offers the option to rent service space via their service Azure. All members benefit from basic DDoS protection. Features include always on traffic monitoring and real time mitigation of network (layer 3) attacks for any public IP addresses you use. This is the very same type of protection afforded to Microsoft's own online services and the entire resources of Azure's network can be used to absorb DDoS attacks. For organisations in need of more sophisticated protection Azure also offers a 'Standard' tier. This has been widely praised for being very easy to enable, requiring just a few clicks of your mouse. Crucially Azure does not require you to make any changes to your apps although the standard tier does offer protection against application (layer 7) DDoS attacks via the app gateway web app firewall. Azure monitor can show you real time metrics if an attack does take place. These are retained for 30 days and can be exported for further study if you wish. Azure constantly checks web traffic to your resources. If these exceed a pre-defined threshold, DDoS mitigation is automatically launched. This includes inspecting packets to make sure they aren't malformed or spoofed as well as using rate limiting. Standard protection is currently $2,944 (£2,204) per month plus data charges for up to 100 resources. Protection applies equally to all resources. In other words you cannot tailor DDoS mitigation for individual ones.
Verisign DDoS Protection Update: Verisign's security services are transferred to Neustar, but the features and functionality mentioned in the review stayed relatively the same. Verisign is almost as old as the Internet itself. Since 1995 it has grown from a simple Certificate Authority to a major player in the Network Services industry. Verisign DDoS protection operates in the Cloud. Users can choose to redirect connection attempts with a simple change of their DNS (Domain Name Server) settings. Traffic is sent to Verisign for checking to prevent network attacks. Verisign analysis all traffic thoroughly before redirecting. As Verisign operates two of the thirteen global route name servers it should come as no surprise that the organization also maintains several dedicated DDoS "scrubbing centers". These analyze traffic and filter out bad connection requests. The combined infrastructure runs to almost 2TB/s and can block even the most overwhelming DDoS attacks. This is largely achieved via Athena, Verisign's threat mitigation platform. Athena is broadly divided into three elements. The 'Shield' filters network (layer 3) and transport (layer 4) attacks via DPI (Deep Packet Inspection), blacklists & whitelists and site reputation management. The Athena 'proxy' inspects HTTP headers for bad traffic during initial connection attempts. The 'proxy' and 'shield' are supported by Athena's 'load balancer' which helps to prevent application (layer 7) attacks. The customer portal displays detailed reports on traffic and allows you to configure your threat management, for example by creating connection blacklists. For users who are reluctant to deploy everything to the Cloud, Verisign also offers OpenHybrid which can be installed onsite. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons (Antoine Lamielle) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best 2-in-1 laptop 2020: find the best convertible laptop for your needs Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:29 PM PST With their versatile form factor, the best 2-in-1 laptops are the perfect tools for work and play. What were once two distinct form factors – the laptop and the tablet – are now combined in a single device, eliminating the need to carry two devices with you. Alongside the classic laptop form, hybrid laptops that can convert into a tablet for casual gaming or social networking and even into tent mode for easy, relaxed viewing. Besides being versatile, the best 2-in-1 laptops are also packed with sheer power. Many hybrid laptops are armed with the best processors and best graphics card, as well as high capacity RAM. That means that they’re more than capable of handling demanding computing tasks and casual gaming. In fact, some of them are powerful enough to make our best laptops list. These 2-in-1 laptops have indeed changed the way we use laptops forever. Perhaps it’s time for you to get rid of all those devices you’re lugging around and make the switch as well. To make your hunt for the best 2-in-1 laptops easier, we put together a list of the best ones we’ve tested and reviewed. Whatever it is you’re looking for or can afford, you’ll find the ideal match for you on it. The best 2-in-1 laptop at a glance
The HP Elite Dragonfly tops our list with its combination of portability and power. As far as 2-in-1 laptops go, the HP Elite Dragonfly tops our list with its combination of portability and power. It’s also one of the most beautiful business laptops we've tested in a long time, touting a thin and light design – complete with incredible speakers, a sublime keyboard and the optional 550 nit 4K display – that’s absolutely hard to contend with. This hybrid gets our coveted five-star rating, which already says a lot as we don’t give that out lightly. And, did we mention it also boasts an excellent battery life, which gets you a long way when working on-the-go? Read the full review: HP Elite Dragonfly
HP's beloved and highly praised 2-in-1 is back with a vengeance. HP’s beloved and highly praised 2-in-1 is back with a vengeance, this time with more powerful components like the 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics. Of course, that impeccable 2-in-1 design and pristine gem-cut chassis are back, as are its security features and Bang & Olufsen speakers. That killer combination makes it, now more than ever, one of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there. Is it a wonder that this is one of our favorite laptops of 2020? If you care about aesthetics as much as you do performance and overall quality, this is the laptop for you. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 (2020)
You'll be hard-pressed to find fault in the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019). You’ll be hard-pressed to find fault in the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019). Design-wise, not only is it incredibly compact and lightweight, but it also boasts that gorgeous responsive display, stunning woven design and delightful to use keyboard. But, it’s more than just looks. It’s pretty impressive as well when it comes to performance, thanks to its 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics. If you’re looking for the best 2-in-1 with more than enough power, a lot of versatility and a stunning design to boot, you’ll be crazy not to get this. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019)
Budget-conscious buyers may prefer the Asus Chromebook Flip C302. The Pixelbook is downright seductive, but budget-conscious buyers may prefer the Asus Chromebook Flip C302, a worthy pinch hitter. Having introduced a touchscreen hybrid design to Google’s cloud-based Chrome OS, the Asus Chromebook Flip is improved by its compatibility with Android apps. Just like the Pixelbook, you can use the Asus Chromebook Flip for Google Play apps, though after installing an out-of-the-box update. It’s unquestionably one of the best 2 in 1 laptops right now. And, if you're already a fan of Asus laptops, this one will make you a true convert. Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
HP Spectre x360 15T (2019) packs an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU, GTX 1050 Ti graphics and 8GB of RAM in its base configuration. For years, HP’s Spectre line of Ultrabooks and 2-in-1 laptops has been about pairing elegance with performance. The 2019 HP Spectre x360 15 is no different. It deserves a top spot on our best 2 in 1 laptops list for packing an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics and 8GB of RAM in its base configuration. This 2-in-1 can tackle just about anything your everyday workload throws at it – and then some (such as a bit of light gaming, for example) – while looking like royalty. Keep in mind that the Spectre x360 is somewhat big and heavy for a 2-in-1, so you likely won’t be using it in tablet mode very often. Put it in tent mode instead, so you can catch some movies on its stunning 4K display. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is possibly among the most coveted 2-in-1 laptops. Are you in the market for one of the best 2 in 1 laptops which can provide solid performance and serious horsepower? Well, you’ll find it in the Dell XPS 15, which incidentally also gets our vote as one of the best Ultrabooks you can buy today. This 2-in-1 is possibly among the most coveted 2-in-1 laptops – with discrete class Radeon RX Vega graphics to boot. With it, you get a spectacular convertible that doesn’t sacrifice sheer power. So, while it comes with a price tag that’s a bit on the high end, it’s also completely worth breaking open the piggy bank. Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13-inch) features cutting-edge 8th-generation processors as well as Nvidia 10-series graphics. We had nothing but love for the first Surface Book so when we heard that there was going to be a 15-inch Surface Book 2, we could barely contain our excitement. In the end though, the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 didn’t end up being the best 2-in-1 laptop out there. However, it’s still a notable machine, even if it’s held back by a few compromises that were necessary to begin with. This 2-in-1 laptop features cutting-edge 8th-generation processors as well as Nvidia 10-series graphics for gamers and creatives alike. Combine that with its unique convertible solution, and the Surface Book 2 is an ace in our book. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13-inch)
Lenovo Yoga C930 is a strong contender for consumers light on cash. Sleek, thin and with solid specs to boot, the new Lenovo Yoga C930 is definitely worthy of a spot in the best 2 in 1 laptops list. And, that’s without stating the fact that it now offers a 4K display model, so that high-end viewing experience and decent gaming might be had once users have gotten their day-to-day workload out of the way. This 2-in-1 is a strong contender for consumers light on cash, but if you do decide to go for gold, be ready to break the bank. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C930
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch) boasts its long battery life and high-end specs. It’s no secret that we’re fans of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 13-inch, seeing as how we just raved about it earlier in this list. But how about its 15-inch brother? Well, with its long battery life, high-end specs that will power through the demands of a day-to-day workload as well as a lot of entertainment, and of course, its unique design features, we’re apt to feel the same way. This model isn’t for the economical shoppers, however. Still, if you do have the money, its base model with 256GB storage is well worth the cost and is among the best 2 in 1 laptops money can buy. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
HP Envy x360 (2019) offers a premium build and 9 hours of video playback, to start. Thanks to its sleek, 13-inch design, this 2-in-1 is leaner that you might have expected, which works in your favor when engaging it in tablet mode. There are other compelling reasons why the HP Envy x360 (2019) is worth considering when you’re on the lookout for the best 2 in 1 laptops. This HP beauty offers a premium build, boasts 9 hours of video playback and delivers a performance that will get you through most of your schoolwork and project, at a very reasonable price. Read the full review: HP Envy x360 (2019)
Gabe Carey, Bill Thomas and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article Images Credit: TechRadar
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| Amazon trialing AI-based customer support agents Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:51 PM PST Amazon has revealed that it is currently trialing two AI-based systems to handle shopper inquiries in an effort to improve the customer service of its ecommerce platform. While one of the systems is able to field requests from customers automatically without human intervention, the other is designed to help human service agents respond to inquiries faster and more easily. Applied science manager at Amazon's customer service technical management organization, Jared Kramer explained in a blog post how the ecommerce giant's automated agents use neural networks to make decisions as opposed to just rules, saying:
“Most text-based online customer service systems feature automated agents that can handle simple requests. Typically, these agents are governed by rules, rather like flow charts that specify responses to particular customer inputs. If the automated agent can’t handle a request, it refers the request to a human customer service representative. On amazon.com, we’ve started phasing in automated agents that use neural networks rather than rules. These agents can handle a broader range of interactions with better results, allowing our customer service representatives to focus on tasks that depend more on human judgment.” AI-based customer supportAccording to Amazon, it's customer-facing AI-based system is using a template ranker to control the automated agent's vocabulary. This involves the AI model choosing from hand-authored response templates but the company plans to begin testing out a generative model where responses are crafted on the fly. The templates are made up of general forms of sentences with variables for things such as product names, dates, delivery times and prices. However, the model is also able to incorporate new templates with out too much additional work because it has been pretrained on a data set of interactions between customers and representatives. Amazon's researchers trained separate versions of both AI-based systems for return refund status requests and order cancellations. The order cancellation model receives some information about a customer's account profile as well as dialogue context. The response ranker also uses an attention mechanism to determine which words were particularly useful for ranking a response. Amazon isn't the only company using AI to better deal with customers and the customer experience management firm Servion has predicted that AI will be used to power 95 percent of all customer interactions by 2025.
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| Manchester United vs Club Brugge live stream: watch Europa League 2020 football online from anywhere Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:40 PM PST The second leg of Manchester United vs Club Brugge is now underway, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Red Devils firmly in the driver's seat after January signing Bruno Fernandes netted a penalty in the 27th minute and fellow new boy Odion Ighalo added a well-taken goal in the 34th. That gives United a 3-1 lead on aggregate - including a crucial away goal so follow our guide to to watch a Manchester United vs Club Brugge live stream wherever you are in the world. For Man United, the Europa League represents (along with the FA Cup) a final chance to salvage something from an otherwise lost season. Needless to say, a nice chunky piece of silverware would go a long way to silencing Ole's critics and so far his starting XI have delivered tonight. Entering the second leg of this last 32 tie, Man Utd vs Club Brugge was delicately poised at 1-1. And while it might not be the continental tournament fans want to see them competing in, the Manchester side's record in the competition is imperious - the Red Devils are undefeated in their last 12 Europa League home matches. On top of that, they thrashed Watford 3-0 at the weekend to give themselves some much needed confidence before taking on Belgian league leaders Club Brugge. French striker Anthony Martial entered the night in a particularly rich vein of European form, netting 3 goals in his last 4 starts in the competition, while youngster Mason Greenwood has also impressed with 4 goals in 5 games. On the opposite side of the pitch, Club Brugge pose a threat but have never won a match on English soil, drawing twice and losing 10 times over their 12 trips to the UK. Worse still, star striker Emmanuel Dennis has been ruled out of tonight's match, so it really does seem like it will be an uphill struggle for Philippe Clement's side. That said, this is a team that held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu in the Champions League back in October, so they can't be discounted. Read on to find out how to watch this fascinating Europa League tie. No matter where you are in the world, our guide explains how to watch a reliable Manchester United vs Club Brugge live stream.
Use a VPN to watch Europa League football when away from homeScroll down to find out your football viewing options in some of the major Europa League watching countries around the world. And if you're out of the country for this game week and are worried that you won't catch the game, don't sweat. With the option of using a VPN service, you can tune into those fixtures no matter where you are in the world. And best of all, it's really easy to do.
How to watch Manchester United vs Club Brugge: live stream the Europa League in the UK
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Manchester United vs Club Brugge: live stream tonight's Europa League in Canada for free
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| AMD has sold more GPUs than Nvidia, according to this analyst report Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:37 PM PST Team red is on fire. It seems like AMD’s winning streak won’t likely end anytime soon. After leaked figures from Mindfactory revealed that AMD’s Ryzen CPU sales are destroying that of Intel’s, the latest report from Jon Peddie Research is now showing that the Santa Clara company is winning in the GPU market as well. According JPS’s Market Watch Q4 2019 report, AMD saw a 22.6% increase in overall GPU shipments in Q4 2019. This means that AMD now has 19% share of the GPU market, which is a 3% increase from Q3, while rivals Nvidia and Intel saw 0.97% and 2% drops respectively. That leaves Nvidia with only an 18% share - leaving AMD in the lead between the two. That said, Intel still dominates the market with its integrated and discrete GPUs, taking 63% of the market share in Q4. And, Nvidia is still king of the discrete GPU game, taking 73% of discrete GPU shipments in 2019 over AMD’s 27%. However, the fact that AMD's GPU sales are steadily going up is still great news for the company. AMD's shipments of discrete graphics in particular progressed to 27% of the market total, up from 26% in 2018 and 24% in Q3 2019. With the highly-anticipated “Nvidia killer” Radeon RX 5950 XT just around the corner, those numbers are likely to go higher in 2020. Of course, it’s also entirely possible that Intel’s promising Xe discrete graphics will only perpetuate Team Blue’s dominance, especially in the laptop market.
Good news for the GPU market in generalIt’s not just AMD that’s enjoying the fruits of its labor, however. According to Market Watch, the overall GPU shipments had increased 3.4% from Q3 2019. The overall attach rate of GPUs to PCs was up by 1.8% and the number of desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs) that use discrete GPUs also saw 12.17% increase in Q4. Considering that GPU shipments have been historically flat in the fourth quarter, this is excellent news for the graphics card industry. JPR President Jon Peddie, even notes that this is “the third consecutive quarter of increased GPU shipments.” It’s not all good news. With the coronavirus epidemic crippling many of China’s factories and thus interrupting the supply chain, Q1 2020 “may show an unusual dip,” says Peddie. However, with “Intel’s entry into the discrete GPU market and a possible fourth entry by an IP company,” 2020 is still going to be an exciting year in graphics card game. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Timex GPS watch lasts 25 days and costs a third of the Apple Watch 5 price Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:52 AM PST Timex has a new smartwatch that tracks fitness and GPS for a maximum 25-day battery life – and all at a third the cost of a new Apple Watch 5. The Timex Ironman R300 GPS is now available to buy on Timex’s website for $120 (around 93 / AU$182), tracks sleep and workouts for the better part of a month before recharging. Of course, precise location monitoring will swiftly drain its battery – if you keep GPS on constantly, the R300 will deplete its capacity in 20 hours. While the R300 doesn’t have many bells and whistles, it packs features expected of a fitness-oriented smartwatch: guided workouts, an optical sensor for continuous heart rate tracking, and water resistance down to 30m. All in a package that looks, well, a lot like a Timex watch from the brand’s digital watch primacy. But the R300 has something its predecessors do not: a full-color smartwatch display at a bit extra cost. Ironman R300 brings the 'smart' back in Timex smartwatchWhile you don’t need a full-color display for a wearable to count as a ‘smartwatch’ - see the Withings ScanWatch, for instance - the R300’s screen is a step toward modern fitness watches. Timex has been pretty conservative in its design, releasing its first fitness smartwatch in 2014 and retaining the thick-bezeled, big-buttoned look of old digital watches, so the R300 modernizes functionality without abandoning its signature look. That said, the R300 doesn’t look to have nearly the feature set of leading all-around smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, for instance, but it allows a lot more interactivity than the simple digital displays on prior Timex trackers. And like Withings watches, the fitness and sleep data tracked by the R300 can be seen on a smartphone via a paired app. Via The Verge
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| Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:51 AM PST Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice at the weekend as Arsenal squeaked past Everton in a 3-2 thriller, giving them a nice bit of momentum heading into tonight's crunch Europa League 2020 clash against Greek Super League leaders Olympiacos. Our guide explains all the best ways to watch an Arsenal vs Olympiacos live stream from practically anywhere in the world. This Europa League round of 32 fixture could go either way, with the Gunners carrying a slim 1-0 lead into the second leg at the Emirates. However, the importance of the away goal can't be discounted in continental competitions, and most experts will be picking Mikel Arteta's side to prevail over Pedro Martins' Greek giants and secure their place in the last 16. History is also on Arsenal's side tonight, with the Gunners never having failed to progress in a European tie when carrying a lead into the second leg - a hugely impressive 17 times in total. Contributing to the team's Europa League push this year is 18-year-old wonderkid Bukayo Saka, who leads the competition in assists and has even drawn comparisons to the legendary Dennis Bergkamp due to his talent and style of play. In fact, many think the London-born player's recent form should earn him a place in England's Euro 2020 side. But Arsenal will be without left-back Sead Kolasinac this week, after the defender suffered a bad shoulder injury against Everton, while Olympiacos fans will be looking for goals from star Moroccan striker Youssef El-Arabi, who has netted a hefty 17 goals in the Greek Super League this year. Read on to find out how to watch what looks set to be well-matched Europa League clash, no matter where you are in the world, with our guide to getting an Arsenal vs Olympiacos live stream tonight.
Use a VPN to watch Europa League football when away from homeScroll down to find out your football viewing options in some of the major Europa League watching countries around the world. And if you're out of the country for this game week and are worried that you won't catch the game, don't sweat. With the option of using a VPN service, you can tune into those fixtures no matter where you are in the world. And best of all, it's really easy to do.
How to live stream Arsenal vs Olympiacos in the UK
Arsenal vs Olympiacos live stream: watch in the US
How to live stream tonight's Europa League in Canada for free
How to watch Arsenal vs Olympiacos: live stream tonight's match from Australia
How to watch Arsenal vs Olympiacos: live stream in New Zealand
How to live stream tonight's UEFA Europa League match from India
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| Best laptops under $300 2020: the top laptops you don't have to splurge on Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:46 AM PST In a market packed with premiums, it’s hard to find the best laptops under $300. Budget laptops in general are tricky things – at about the same price point, some of them are surprisingly great while others are simply not worth your time. That gets even worse as your budget shrinks. Picking the ideal laptop under $500, for example, is a lot easier than finding the best laptop under $200. Then again, the latter might be easier than choosing the best laptop under $300 since your expectations are already low. At $300, you expect a more reliable and nicer looking laptop, with better build quality than those that sell less than $100/£200. That, however, doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With a bit of digging through heaps of mid-range and premium laptops, you’ll find that there’s quite a few choices out there. But, as usual, we’re here to make your life easier. We found five of the best laptops under $300, and put them on this list alongside our price comparison tool. From lightweight Chromebooks to 14-inch notebooks, here are the best contenders if your budget is under $300. The best laptops under $300 at a glance
While the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 was over $300 when it was released, many of its configurations have dropped in price, which is only good news for budget-minded consumers. This little Chromebook that could has many things going for it, starting with its surprisingly great design and solid build, as well as its comfortable to use keyboard and touchpad. But, that’s only to start. It also delivers performance-wise, with a solid set of components under the hood. You can multitask without issue on this laptop, so you can use it for work and entertainment. That is, as long as you can do most of your work on Google Chrome. It is still a Chromebook, after all. The features we love most about this laptop, however, is its versatile 2-in-1 design and touchscreen display. You won’t often find that combination in cheaper laptops, which adds more value to this particular portable. And, we’re not talking about a crappy screen here. It has a Gorilla glass touch display that may be a little dimmer than its premium counterparts, but is still tough and nice to touch. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 311
There are several reasons why HP’s Chromebook 14 is so popular, including the fact that it has a surprisingly wide range of configurations, giving economical buyers many options. Though in the budget range of the lightweight Chromebook environment, this line is also powerful enough, has an impressive battery life and boasts a good selection of ports. And, if you choose wisely, you’ll be rewarded with a configuration that gives you great value all around, like the HP Chromebook 14A G5. Beyond the line’s 14-inch display, battery longevity and port selection, it’s also fitted with AMD A4-9120C APU and Radeon R4 Graphics. It’s one of the crowd-favorites in the bunch, but it won’t set you back more than $300, unlike the other highly rated configurations. It’s not without its compromises. The lower resolution HD display isn’t anything to write about, and the keyboard isn’t great either. But, budget laptops are never without flaws. At least with this, you’re getting great performance without breaking the bank.
Even with its most budget laptops, Lenovo has never been one to shy away from great, modern aesthetics. It’s one of the many things we appreciate about the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14-inch. Inside, it kind of reminds you of older MacBooks, only with a small yet noticeable Lenovo logo sitting at the edge on the right. Outside, the logo’s there again, but nothing else. This makes it perfect for fans of the minimalist look. And, if you’re sick of the same old gray/silver color, it comes in ice blue too. Of course, there’s more to laptops than just looks, and this one’s got a few other things going for it, including a great port selection and a lightweight design. Well, lightweight for a budget laptop at least There’s also it’s “just right” 14-inch screen size – it’s not too big like a 15-inch and not too small like a 13-inch. Fair warning, though: this isn’t known for its speedy performance and multitasking skills. So only get it for casual use. If you have a penchant for multitasking and addiction to games, this probably isn’t the best laptop under $300 for you.
Not everyone can be a Chromebook fan– others prefer the more familiar environment of Windows 10 in S mode. If this sounds like you, then the Asus L402YA is certainly worth considering, especially if you’ve only got $250/£250 to spend. This 14-inch laptop will bring you back to that excellent Windows 10 environment, only more secure and more lightweight. And, don’t worry about looking cheap. This laptop will allow you to save money while still looking good. It may not have options when it comes to internals, but externally, you’ve got choices. The Asus L402YA comes in three different colors, but the crowd-favorite seems to be the dark blue one, with the white one coming in close second. The downsides? The display is not impressive, and the webcam is just not good. However, it makes up for those with a diverse port selection and good battery life. You lose some, but you also definitely win some.
If you want a full Windows 10 operating system, on the other hand, then go with the Dell Inspiron series. The Dell’s budget line comes in many configurations as well as sizes, ranging from tiny 11-inch notebooks to 17-inch behemoths. But, for something under $300, you can’t go wrong with the latest Dell Inspiron 14 3480. These 14-inch additions to the Inspiron line comes in three configurations, the second of which will not only set you back less than $300, but also give you an Intel UHD Graphics 605 GPU and 4GB of memory. Dell pairs those with an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor. While those specs might not look like much to consumers with more intensive computing use, they’re definitely enough for the right kind of user. Plus, it boasts 128GB of SSD storage while most of its rivals only have flash memory. Whether you’re looking for a laptop for the kids to use for school, or you’re looking for a portable to surf, stream and chat in, there’s great value to be had in the Dell Inspiron 14 3480. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Witcher season 2: release date, story, new cast members and what we know Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:53 AM PST The Witcher is simply one of the best Netflix shows around, and we can't wait for season 2. Tens of millions tuned in to the first eight episodes of the fantasy drama, and in The Witcher season 2, you can expect to see Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer's stories take place in the same timeframe. Season 2 won't have season 1's divisive approach to timelines, instead following a more linear narrative, after the season finale brought them together. The Witcher season 2 is already filming, and the cast has been officially announced. Expect more witchers next year, and for the show to take us to locations from The Witcher books that we've never seen before. Henry Cavill, of course, returns as Geralt – and in the meantime we've been replaying The Witcher 3 just to get excited about the Netflix drama's return. Below, read everything we know about The Witcher season 2's release date, cast, new characters, story and more.
The Witcher season 2 release date: 2021
The closest actual date for The Witcher season 2 release date we have is '2021'. This was reported by Variety but was also confirmed by writer Lauren S. Hissrich during a Reddit AMA, who said, "We don't yet have a target launch date for season 2, past 2021." It's not a great deal to go on, but it guarantees there'll be more than a year's wait between seasons. Our best guess is we'll see it in early 2021. The Witcher season 2 was announced on November 13, around six weeks before the first season aired. That was our first sign the show was going to be a hit. Season 2 started filming in February 2020, this time in London, Scotland and parts of Eastern Europe. The Witcher season 2 cast: new characters confirmed for next year.Henry Cavill (Geralt), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) will all return for The Witcher season 2. The full cast for the show has now been revealed by Netflix, in fact. Two new witchers are apparently joining the cast: Lambert, played by Paul Bullion, and Coën, played by Yasen Atour (Netflix confirmed only the casting detail, and Redanian Intelligence reported they're witchers). This has added fuel to the fire that a lot of The Witcher season 2 will take us to Kaer Morhen, where witchers are trained. Also announced, Kristofer Hivju – better known as Game of Throne's crimson-bearded Tormund Giantsbane – will play Nivellen. Other new castings include Mecia Simson as Francesca, Thue Ersted Rasmussen as Eskel, Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia and Agnes Bjorn as Vereena. Deadline reports that Carmel Laniado has joined the cast as a secretly sadistic young girl called Violet for at least three episodes. Returning characters from season one include – thank the heavens – Jaskier (Joey Batey) and Triss (Anna Shaffer). Eamon Farren will be back as Cahir, too. Other familiar season one characters include Tissaia, Artorius, Sabrina, Murta, Yarpen Zigrin, Stregobor, Istredd and Filavandrel. The Witcher season 2 story: what's confirmed, and what happens in the booksA big talking point of season 1 was how it told stories in multiple places and across a non-linear timeline (though the now-released official Witcher map and Witcher timeline really help) resulting in a multi-tale anthology of sorts. In an interview with Vulture, Hissrich said that while she believes she didn't give the audience too much credit – "the audience is incredibly smart" – she had "misunderstood what everyone was looking for in their entertainment". She said "I love to be challenged when I'm watching TV," but conceded that that wasn't the case for everyone. However, season one's climax brought all the separate threads together nicely, priming The Witcher season 2 for a more straightforward plot. Hissrich has confirmed that Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer exist in the same timeframe now. "That’s where we ended season one. That’s absolutely where we will pick up in season two. The stories will be told in a much more linear fashion. They won’t all be one story. It’s not like all three are together and happy all the time. But, I do want to employ some different ways to look at time series-wide." That doesn't mean we won't see any of the episodic Geralt monster-hunting adventures that we loved in season 1. Hissrich will be mining "different short stories" for season 2, and suggests the chance of flashback scenes with which to tell them.
Ciri will be "center stage" in season 2, apparently. In the books, Ciri's story makes up the central plot of 'the saga'. The saga covers five books, starting with Blood of Elves, and centers on Ciri, her importance as a magical royal with Elven heritage, her relationship with Geralt, her ongoing efforts to survive, and how all this shapes events on The Continent. The setup for this has already begun, as the very beginning of Blood of Elves is covered in season 1 by the siege and downfall of Cintra and Ciri's escape. Elsewhere, expect to see more of life under Nilfgaardian rule in season 2, and high tensions between humans and non-humans. The grand location of Kaer Morhen should appear prominently in The Witcher season 2 as well. This is the ancestral home and stronghold of the witchers, and Geralt is required to take Ciri to the fortress for protection and training. Here, he takes closer guardianship of Ciri, becoming a father figure. Factor in the appearance of a mysterious, powerful wizard - also pursuing Ciri – some more war, prophecies, dark magic and, of course, monster hunting, and season 2 begins to look incredibly promising. In terms of story specifics, Redania Intelligence claims that another short story from The Last Wish will appear. This short story, A Grain of Truth, features Geralt meeting the cursed man, Nivellen (who we now know is played by Hivju), who has been turned into a beast.
Asked by Pure Fandom for a teaser on season 2, Hissrich had this to say: "Without spoilers, I will say that there’s a crop of new monsters, a new cost to magic, and new and unexpected pairings of our favorite characters." Expect to see more from magical villainess Fringilla, too. When asked by Vulture, Hissrich confirmed that "you will absolutely get more Fringillla [...] we're digging deeper into her past and how she ended up at Nilfgaard, who she is as a person, and how she and Yennefer ended up on such different paths." In other words, expect more metal mind-control earworms. Ugh. The Witcher season 2 will be accompanied by a Witcher animated movieIn addition to The Witcher season 2, an anime-style Witcher movie has been announced for Netflix called The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. No release date has been set for that one yet. It'll be written by Beau DeMayo (who scripted episode 3 of season one), and it focuses on Vesemir, Geralt's mentor. He'll be familiar to anyone who knows the games and the books. It'll be animated by Studio Mir, which was behind the acclaimed Legend of Korra series. The story will take us "back to a new threat facing the Continent." An official synopsis was added to Netflix for Nightmare of the Wolf, which was later pulled. "Long before mentoring Geralt, Vesemir begins his own journey as a witcher after the mysterious Delgan claims him through the Law of Surprise." The Witcher season 2: other rumors and detailsA lot of tiny details about season 2 have been doing the rounds, and we'll sum them up briefly in this section. The wrinkly Nilfgaardian armor, which some fans on the internet didn't like, will be changed in season 2. Hissrich told Flickering Myth's Writer Experience podcast that, "the Nilfgaard armor will be totally different. You have that opportunity [in season two] to go back and course correct if you want to." People have been campaigning for Mark Hamill to play Geralt's mentor, Vesemir. We can't be entirely sure Vesemir will be introduced in The Witcher season 2, though, and he wasn't announced as part of the cast for this year. In January 2020, Hissrich told IGN, "we have not contacted his agent yet because we’re not casting the role quite yet" regarding the campaign to get Hamill on the show. The Witcher could run for seven seasons on Netflix
The Witcher could run on Netflix for a long time. Hissrich claims to have thought out ideas for a massive seven seasons. And we're pretty certain there's enough source material left for that to be viable. We've got the entirty of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer's stories to play out. It takes them across The Continent to a rich variety of locations, and introduces us to some of the best fantasy characters around. Ciri's development is a great basis for future tales in The Witcher universe that combine themes of family and love, and mystery and magic. The Witcher feels like it's here to stay on NetflixThe first season of The Witcher shrugged off the idea that it was just here to replace Game of Thrones. It confidently told stories in its own way and presented a fantasy world that has already captures people's imaginations. And, while we are unlikely to see much spillover from the games - they are not really canon according to Sapkowski but rather a "free adaptation containing elements of [his] work" - we know fans will enjoy various subtle references to the series, as they did in season 1. Hissrich and company aren't in the business of rushing this out. Hissrich said that the series would need time: "We don't want to rush the product. That doesn't benefit anyone." If it's as good as season 1, it'll be worth the wait. If it'll help pass the time until season 2, you can finally listen to the official version of 'Toss a Coin to your Witcher' on Spotify.
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| Great value Disney Plus UK deal kicks £10 off the price when you buy now Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:37 AM PST Disney Plus UK is finally out here on March 24, but pre-ordering now will save you some cash. If you buy a year's subscription to Disney Plus before launch, you save £10 off the price, making it just £49.99 for a year. On March 23, that price will be £59.99 permanently, so if you know you want it, this is worth taking advantage of. Why subscribe to Disney Plus UK before it's even out here? Well, for the price of a new game, you're getting 12 months of fantastic exclusives – you'll see seasons 1 and 2 of The Mandalorian, as well as future Marvel shows WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Disney's library is still a bit of an unknown element, but these big originals are ultimately the long tail reason to subscribe. Here's the Disney Plus UK deal: When Disney Plus finally releases in the UK, you can expect over 1000 shows, movies, shorts and other forms of content. Its different 'channels' include Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and National Geographic. But you can expect some Fox content in there too, like the X-Men movies and the Ice Age films, both of which have featured in the UK marketing effort. This deal is worth it if you know you'll be streaming Disney content on day one anyway – and you've got a few weeks to make up your mind if you're not sure it's for you.
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| Save up to £60 with these exclusive EE iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10 deals Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:30 AM PST Both Apple and Samsung's latest - the S20 range and iPhone 11 range - are some of the most expensive phones currently on the market. For anyone trying to save money on their next phone, that obviously makes them an instant no go. However, if you are interested in one of these two brands (and as the UK's two most popular, you likely will be) then going for the phones of the year before will save you some serious cash. We've found some offers on both the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10 that, with the help of an exclusive code for TechRadar readers, are looking all-around pretty affordable. Once you apply the code, you're saving £60 on the iPhone XR or £30 on the Samsung Galaxy S10, making them two of the best mobile phone deals compared to the current competition.
So what's so good about the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10?iPhone XR: As one of the best iPhones currently on the market (even with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro out!) there is a lot to love with the iPhone XR. Above everything, the battery really stands out. Before the launch of the iPhone 11, this was the biggest Apple battery at 2942 mAh. Sporting Apple's Liquid Retina display and a powerful A12 Bionic chip, going for this more budget flagship doesn't have to mean taking a hit on specs. Read our full iPhone XR review Fitting perfectly between Samsung's affordable S10e and its mammoth S10 Plus and Note 10 devices, this phone is the ideal middle ground. You're getting a high-quality screen, in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a powerful battery/processor combo. A quick glance at our best smartphone guide shows we currently rank it as the joint best phone in the world. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S10 review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Disney Plus: UK release date, price, deals, Sky Q integration and what we know Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:29 AM PST Disney Plus UK is finally about to land in the UK. The final Disney Plus release date in the UK and Ireland is March 24, which is seven days earlier than the previously announced March 31 date. It's just weeks now until you can stream all the Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars content you could want. Pre-orders are live, and you can save £10 if you want to buy a year's subscription now. The regular Disney Plus UK price is £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year. But Disney is also running a limited time offer when you pre-order now, of £49.99 for a whole year (sign up here). Subscribers to the UK-only Disney Life service will be migrated over to Disney Plus, but Disney hasn't elaborated on exactly how that'll work yet. Click below to save £10 on a Disney Plus UK subscription: Disney Plus previously launched back in November in territories like the US and Australia, but if you were hoping we'd get every episode of The Mandalorian at launch in the UK, episodes will only start to 'roll out' on the March 24 launch. Still, future originals are more likely to keep pace with US releases. Below, we'll talk you through everything we know about Disney Plus's UK launch, price, compatible devices, shows, movies and the possibility of Sky Q integration. Disney Plus UK release date: start streaming in MarchDisney Plus has an updated release date in the UK: March 24, a week earlier than initially planned. It launches in Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland at the same time. It's been an absurdly long wait for Disney Plus to arrive in the UK, but it's getting close now. No one's been thrilled about getting the streaming service – including originals like The Mandalorian and Lady and the Trap – four months after the US, especially when we've had to fend off Baby Yoda memes for that entire time. That said, although many Disney fans in Europe might've felt a bit left out by the staggered release date of Disney Plus, Disney fans in South America and Asia will be doubly disappointed as they still have yet to get a Disney Plus release date for the service for Brazil, Japan, Argentina and dozens of other Disney-loving countries. It does feel like the delayed rollout of the service has made piracy Disney Plus's worst enemy, even knowing a firm date is on the horizon for many European countries. We saw the UK release date for Rick & Morty Season 4 brought forward after fan backlash over the delay, but doing so for a whole platform such as Disney Plus was likely too big a task. After all, a lot of Disney movies were still on Sky over the holidays, including most of the Star Wars films. The delay is presumably more to do with available programming than anything else. We know The Mandalorian, though, will only start releasing episodes on March 24 – meaning UK viewers may have to wait longer to see the Star Wars show in full. Disney Plus: UK price, subscription tiers and pre-order deal explainedDisney has confirmed that Disney Plus will cost £59.99 for an annual subscription, or £5.99 per month. As mentioned above, until March 23 you can pre-order a year's subscription and bring the price down to £49.99. Monthly and yearly, then, are the two available tiers, and you can cancel at any time. Unlike in the US, where it's bundled in with ESPN and Hulu, in the UK Disney has so far only been announced as a standalone service. Either tier gets you four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads with a maximum of 10 devices and the option to create seven profiles. Disney UK doesn't specifically mention 4K resolutions, just 'high-quality' viewing. Since it's available in the US and Australia, though, expect to see that for the same price tier. We'll explain more about compatible apps below. In the US, you can gift a year of Disney Plus either digitally or in the form of physical cards, but no such option has been announced for the UK yet. Disney Plus may launch in the UK with Sky Q and Now TVAccording to a report by The Telegraph, Disney Plus may be integrated into Sky Q and Now TV at launch. That means Sky Q users will be able to access content through the Sky interface, similarly to how it currently incorporates Netflix. We'll update this page if the deal gets confirmed – but you can assume that The Telegraph scoop was made with some confidence. Disney Plus UK: shows and movies
Star Wars series The Mandalorian is the clear highlight of Disney Plus originals. As mentioned, episodes will only start to 'roll out' on March 24. Expect the live-action Lady and the Tramp, High School Musical: The Series, Encore!, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Togo, Diary of a Future President, Forky Asks a Question and The Imagineering Story at launch, too. An important thing to note: UK Disney Plus content will differ to Disney Plus US, which already has movies like the live-action Lion King and Aladdin pictures from 2019 to stream. As of mid-February, Disney started sending out marketing emails with samples of what to expect from Disney Plus UK at launch, which will include over 1000 films, series and originals, according to the email. Here's everything we spotted on there that isn't an existing Disney Plus original, as well as content the official Twitter account has discussed – most notable is X-Men: Days of Future Past, as none of the Fox X-Men movies are currently on the US version of the service.
Now, everything else from the archives is more of a question mark. Will Disney Plus UK get 30 seasons of The Simpsons, for example? We're not sure either way. Sky has the exclusive rights to new episodes here, but it doesn't offer any episodes for on-demand streaming. We've asked Disney about The Simpsons on Disney Plus UK specifically, and we'll update you if there's an answer. Fans on Reddit have noticed, though, that while the launch trailers for Disney Plus France and Spain tease The Simpsons' presence, the UK trailer does not. Let's wait and see what happens. Likewise, Sky has a pretty deep archive of Disney movies right now, including 2019's Aladdin. It's hard to tell how that might affect the content on Disney Plus, so for now we'll have to wait and see. In the future, Disney Plus is getting plenty of big exclusive shows. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things, new shows include The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (August), WandaVision (November), Loki (2021), Hawkeye (2021) and animated show What If?. Further off, expect TV shows based on Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk. Unlike Marvel's Netflix shows, too, these will canonically be part of the MCU, and feature actors crossing over between the movies and these TV series. Lucasfilm has a second season of The Mandalorian coming in October 2020, then further off it's making shows featuring Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Diego Luna's Cassian Andor from Rogue One. Disney Plus UK: apps and supported devicesDisney Plus should launch on pretty much any device you can name in the UK, including mobile devices, games consoles, streaming media devices and smart TVs. You can take Disney Plus shows on the go, too, downloading as many movies and shows as you can fit on your device, as long as you have an active subscription and connect to the internet every 30 days. In the US, the app launched on Apple TV, Roku streaming devices, Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One, Nvidia Shield, Hisense TVs, Google Chromecast and Amazon's Fire range of streaming devices. One notable exception is the Nintendo Switch, which is still pretty poor at supporting streaming services. Philips has confirmed its Android-based smart TVs will support Disney Plus.
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| Bug bounties have made these hackers millionaires Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:20 AM PST Bug bounty programs continue to grow as businesses and even federal governments seek out the help of white hat hackers to find vulnerabilities in their software. The bug bounty platform HackerOne, which helps connect companies to ethical hackers, has grown to include a community of 600,000 white hackers who managed to cash in a record $40m in bounties over the past 12 months according to its annual report on the state of ethical hacking. HackerOne has grown exponentially since its launch in 2012 and the money earned in bounties last year was almost equal to the entire amount it has awarded in all previous years combined. The platform has paid out a grand total of $82m to hackers who were able to successfully detect over 150,000 vulnerabilities.
Individual cash prizes have increased as well and while HackerOne paid out its first $1m bounty in 2018, last year it paid out the same amount to seven different hackers. At the same time, the number of hackers who earned $100,000 in bounties has almost tripled since 2018 to reach 146. According to HackerOne's latest report, the potential earnings power of a career in hacking is higher than the global average IT salary of $89,732. Ethical hackersHackerOne's annual report also shed light on how businesses and even government agencies have turned to ethical hackers to improve their security, saying: “Leading organizations including the U.S. Department of Defense, Goldman Sachs, Shopify, Facebook, have recognized hackers’ enormous potential to do good. Dozens of companies in the past year have hired from within the community, utilizing submitted bug reports, personal interactions and public HackerOne profile activity as a bellwether for hiring decisions — a practice encouraged and championed within HackerOne.” In fact, governments and government agencies had the strongest year-over-year growth at 214 percent when it came to hiring hackers to find bugs in their software and platforms. The US Department of Defense runs several programs in partnership with HackerOne including Hack the Pentagon, Hack the Army and Hack the Air Force. The European Commission is also working with the ethical hacking platform and together two have launched a number of bug bounty programs as part of its Free and Open Source Software Auditing (FOSSA) project. One of the main reasons businesses and governments have grown more interested in employing ethical hackers is due to the cybersecurity skills gap. According to HackerOne's report, the unemployment rate for trained cybersecurity professionals is at zero percent which suggests that the demand for these workers far outweighs the supply. Expect businesses and governments to continue to seek out the help of ethical hackers while HackerOne will likely pay out even more in bug bounties next year.
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| Star Trek: Picard episode 6 recap: Picard reunites with an old friend from TNG Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:20 AM PST Spoilers follow. Soji is dreaming. She's a young girl, walking through her house at night. She approaches her father working in a room filled with orchids. He calls her name and she wakes up. She tells Narek that she keeps having the same nightmare. On the La Sirena, Jurati lies to Picard about Maddox's death. He's uneasy about having to visit the Borg Cube where Soji currently is, noting that the last time he visited one it wasn't voluntary. Picard is angered by Jurati's claim that the Borg might have changed, and as he cools off in his holo-vineyard, Jurati and Rios sleep together. Rizzo and Narek meet. She notices that he's always playing with a device that appears to be a kind of Romulan Rubik's Cube – which she calls a toy and he calls a tool. Narek says Soji's recurring dream is the key to discovering the location of "the homeworld", and if he can get her to tell him about it, he might be able to get the information without her activating her defense subroutines. On the La Sirena, a drunken Raffi, still depressed about her encounter with her son last week, calls an old friend at the Federation and gets Picard 24-hour diplomatic access to the Borg Cube.
Narek confronts Soji and tells her that whenever she contacts her mother, the call always lasts precisely 70 seconds. Soji says she always falls asleep before the call ends. She returns to her quarters and calls her mother, and even though she tries to fight it, she falls asleep again. As she drifts off, the image of her mother flickers, making it fairly obvious to us that she's some kind of construct. Soji wakes up and scans objects from her childhood, which the computer reveals are actually only three years old. Picard beams aboard the Borg Cube and is haunted by visions of his assimilation. He meets with Hugh – a Borg drone he rescued when he was captain of the Enterprise, now director of the Borg Reclamation Project – and they embrace warmly. He asks Hugh about Soji, who knows who she is, and correctly guesses that she's in danger. Elsewhere on the Cube, Narek takes Soji to a chamber where Romulans practice a form of meditation called a Zhal Makh. He takes her through the process, during which she recalls her dream in greater detail – including looking through a skylight and seeing two red moons, and violent lightning storms.
Rizzo has been secretly watching the ritual and relays this information – likely a clue to the location of the mysterious homeworld they're looking for – to her Zhat Vash superiors. A tearful Narek locks Soji in the chamber with his cube, which releases gas. But before it can kill her she activates, just like Dahj did before her, and punches a hole in the floor, escaping. Picard locates her and tells her why he's here. She decides to trust him and they escape to a distant planet together using a Spatial Trajector—a secret transporter used by the Borg Queen with a range of 40,000 light years. Elnor tells Picard he's going to stay behind and defend him, and the screen fades to black as the Romulans approach the transporter. Verdict: The highlight of this episode was Picard revisiting his assimilation by the Borg; the focus of the classic Next Generation two-parter The Best of Both Worlds. We loved seeing him being reunited with Hugh, one of the few characters in this series who actually respects him. But there were a few less successful moments in the episode – particularly Jurati seducing Rios, which seemed wildly out of character, and Elnor's baffling decision to stay and fight the Romulans, despite the fact that Picard was already light years away. Extra data
Star Trek: Picard is available to watch on CBS All Access every Thursday in the US, and every Friday on Amazon Prime Video internationally. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Glasses USA coupon: save 60% off frames plus free shipping Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:29 AM PST If you're looking to save on your next pair of glasses, then you're in luck. For a limited time, Glasses USA is offering 60% off prescription frames plus free shipping with code savebig60 at checkout. You can also protect your eyes with free digital block lenses with code digitalblock. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Xbox One X bundle deal is essentially just $199 - but you'll have to be quick Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:22 AM PST If you've been enjoying the latest Xbox One X deals as much as we have you need to stop what you're doing and head over to Dell. It might seem strange that the laptop overlords are brandishing the best Xbox One X bundle deal of the moment right now, but a $100 gift card included in the discounted console purchase means just that. That's right, you can pick up the $299 Xbox One X bundle deal with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Dell right now, but the kicker is that within 20 days they will also send you a cool $100 voucher to use on anything on their site. That means you're only paying $199 overall for a 4K console with one of the latest games to hit the system. In our deal hunting books, that's a win. We don't know how much time is left on this fantastic Xbox One X deal, but you'll want to take advantage as soon as possible - Dell aren't ones to leave their deals hanging for too long. The best Xbox One X deal we've seen so farMore Xbox One X dealsIf you don't fancy hanging around for that $100 discount, but still want to save more than everyone else on your Xbox One X deal, you'll find that Walmart are also bundling in some extras to make their prices just that little bit more competitive. You can pick up a 1-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription with your Xbox One X bundle at Walmart right now, or upgrade to 3 months for just $10. We're rounding up all the best Xbox One X sales from around the web, but we're also keeping an eye on cheap Xbox One controller deals as well. If you're looking for more savings to go with your cheap Xbox, you'll find plenty of discounted Game Pass prices on offer as well. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Avengers: Endgame concept art seems to show the death of Nick Fury Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:06 AM PST Some Marvel movies spoilers follow, if you've been saving Avengers: Endgame for a rainy day. Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov didn't make it out of Avengers: Endgame alive, but otherwise the body count in the last Avengers movie was relatively low – probably because Infinity War gave us an overload of deaths at once. Newly-unearthed concept art for the movie, though, as spotted by our colleagues at GamesRadar, show Nick Fury taking a fatal hit from one of Thanos' minions. Stephen Schirle, who produced concept art for both Infinity War and Endgame as well as Captain Marvel and Ant-Man and the Wasp, shared the art on his Instagram page. It shows Corvus Glaive putting his blade through Fury's back, almost certainly slicing through his heart: RIP, boss.
Anyway, he didn't dieMovies change a lot in preproduction, of course. Recently, art from Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars movie surfaced, offering us an alternative glimpse at what could've been in that film – and it was entirely different, in some shocking ways. Given that Fury doesn't return in Avengers: Endgame until Tony's funeral, returning to existence after Hulk's first snap with the Infinity Gauntlet, we can guess this sequence was likely planned for the battle at the end of the movie. But, it's just as likely this piece was made for fun. Co-screenwriter Christopher Markus suggested Fury was never in that final battle back at SDCC 2019. "It was [because] we have such a traffic jam of heroes and so much power, that to have a guy who, in combat, would just be firing a gun... it doesn't come off well for Nick Fury, frankly." To speculate, the character was a major part of the plot in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and it's likely Marvel wanted to keep Fury alive for that. He's also the only Avengers character with strong ties to Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel. With Captain Marvel 2 in the works, taking him off the table means she'd have fewer connections on Earth – and their interactions were among the strongest parts of that movie. It's unclear when we'll see Samuel L Jackson reprise the role again, but the end of Far From Home suggests it'll probably be in Captain Marvel 2, given that he lives on a space station now. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| FanDuel vs DraftKings: which is the best daily fantasy and sportsbook service? Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:01 AM PST FanDuel and DraftKings are two of the world's most popular platforms for daily fantasy sports. Together, the two platforms have roughly 14 million users and have established partnerships with some of the biggest sporting leagues in the US. On top of that, both FanDuel and DraftKings now offer sportsbooks to allow online sports betting. Competition between the two platforms in this realm is only likely to get fiercer as more and more states legalize online sports wagers. Deciding whether FanDuel vs. DraftKings is the right platform for you can be tough. Both platforms have a lot to offer and neither has a clear lead over the other in the competition for daily fantasy players or online sports bets. To help you choose, we’ll walk you through an in-depth, head-to-head comparison of DraftKings and FanDuel. Read more:
FanDuel vs DraftKings: available sportsDraftKings and FanDuel both offer daily fantasy matches and online wagers for most major US sports leagues. NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA, college basketball, college football, and NASCAR competitions are all available on either platform. But, if you’re interested in international leagues, like the Canadian Football League or EuroLeague basketball, DraftKings is the way to go. DraftKings is also the only option if you want to play fantasy eSports or MMA fights (while both services have betting markets for both). FanDuel vs DraftKings: where can you play and bet?For daily fantasy, DraftKings and FanDuel are available in Canada and all 43 US states where this type of online gaming is legal. Residents of Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Washington are excluded at the time of writing. DraftKings has a slightly wider international reach, offering accounts in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria, and Malta. If you want to use DraftKings or FanDuel for betting on mobile sports betting, DraftKings operates in more places. FanDuel is available in Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey only, and retail only in Iowa, Mississippi, and New York.
FanDuel vs DraftKings: fantasy gamesIn most major ways, daily fantasy games are pretty similar between FanDuel and DraftKings. But, the two platforms do have some distinguishing features that can affect your chances of winning and the quality of contests. Salary Cap Almost every contest on FanDuel, regardless of sport, has a fixed salary cap of $60,000. That’s higher than the cap for most contests on DraftKings, so it’s often quite a bit easier to field a high-scoring team with FanDuel. In DraftKings’ model, the salary cap varies between sports and tournaments. That can add another dimension to fantasy games since it changes the math of how to draft a team. But, it can also work in favor of high-volume players and make it harder to win in large contests. Contest Types DraftKings and FanDuel offer many of the same popular contest types. Both platforms offer tournaments of all sizes with guaranteed payouts, head-to-head contests, and 50/50’s in which the top half of players win. But, there are a few contests unique to each platform. On DraftKings, satellite contests are particularly neat. These are small fantasy tournaments with low entry fees. If you win a satellite contest, you’re entered into a larger, featured tournament at no cost. So, satellite contests offer any player a chance to compete in high-profile tournaments that are otherwise too expensive. FanDuel’s advantage is that the platform is constantly experimenting with new, unique contests. For example, FanDuel hosted a home range challenge for the 2019 MLB season, in which only home runs counted towards players’ fantasy scores. The platform also tried out a positionless NBA league, in which you could draft any five players regardless of their positions. These types of contests add some excitement and diversity to FanDuel’s platform. Late Swap A major difference between FanDuel and DraftKings lies in the deadline for swapping players. On FanDuel, your roster is locked in as soon as the first games that are being counted for your contest begin. DraftKings allows a late swap, meaning you can switch out individual players from your lineup right up until the game that the particular player is in begins. Late swap is particularly useful for NBA fantasy contests since the teams often don’t announce injuries until right before gametime. It can also be nice for MLB and NHL games, since lineups for games on the West Coast aren’t always announced before East Coast games begin. FanDuel vs DraftKings: sportsbookWhen it comes to sports betting, DraftKings has the upper hand over FanDuel. While they both offer pretty much the same amount of sports to bet on, DraftKings has more available leagues in the most popular sports and operates in more states. Even better, the DraftKings sportsbook includes gambling-specific statistics about individual teams and players. For example, you can quickly find information about how a team has performed against the spread over its last several games. FanDuel includes virtually no statistics at all on site, so you have to look elsewhere like its oddsFire service to figure out how to place your bets. That said, DraftKings is noticeably more expensive than FanDuel for a lot of contests based on the odds being offered. If you’re looking to maximize your winnings, FanDuel is generally the better option.
FanDuel vs DraftKings: user interfaceThe FanDuel and DraftKings user interfaces are almost identical in all the ways that matter. Both have lobbies organized by sport. Both offer filters so you can find the exact contest you’re looking for. Both allow you to add players to your roster with a single click. Even the mobile apps are very similar between the two platforms. On mobile devices, it’s easier to monitor live contests that you’ve entered into on the DraftKings app. FanDuel’s app, on the other hand, prioritizes a screen for connecting with friends to start new contests. Why go for FanDuel
Why go for DraftKings
VerdictBoth FanDuel and DraftKings offer a lot of attractive features for playing daily fantasy sports. Ultimately, there’s no reason not to try out both. You can even use one platform or the other for specific sports—for example, take advantage of DraftKings’ late swap for NBA games, but use FanDuel for NFL fantasy because of the consistent salary cap. When it comes to sports betting, DraftKings is the superior platform. But, if you’re in New Jersey and want to take advantage of FanDuel’s cheaper odds, you can use DraftKings for research and place your bet with FanDuel. - Or check out the competition: our Yahoo! Sports review Gambling responsibly You probably don't need us to tell you that any form of gambling comes with serious risks and should never be undertaken as a silver bullet to solve your financial troubles. It's worth remembering the phrase...the house always wins! If you suffer from a gambing problem or suspect somebody you know does, then we strongly suggest that you give the National Problem Gambling Hotline a call on 1-800-522-4700 to discuss it with a professional. It’s so important to make gambling safer for yourself and loved ones. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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