Monday, March 9, 2020

Apple : Latest Intel leak shows a photo of an Intel Core i5-10400 and suggests a release date

Apple : Latest Intel leak shows a photo of an Intel Core i5-10400 and suggests a release date


Latest Intel leak shows a photo of an Intel Core i5-10400 and suggests a release date

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 12:59 PM PDT

It's almost hard to believe Intel hasn't officially, publicly announced its Comet Lake desktop CPUs when they've been available in laptops for a while, and as AMD continues to gain ground. 

But, rumors and leaks have suggested what Intel has coming, and the latest shows off a desktop Intel Core i5-10400 as well as an NDA that suggests a release date, according to a report from Kitguru.


The pictures of the chip look authentic enough. They show both the lid, labeled with the chip's name and a 2.9GHz base speed, as well as the underside of the processor. The 2.9GHz base clock lines up with earlier leaks that suggested the Intel Core i5-10400 would be a 6-core/12-thread processor with a 4.3GHz Turbo frequency. 

Comparing the chip design to a 9th-Gen chip, we can see a few differences in contacts and alignment cutouts that further suggest Intel will move to a new socket for the Comet Lake-S desktop processors. Intel is expected to use the yet-announced LGA 1200 socket for the chips.

Timing and pricing

The NDA included in this leak suggests the new Intel processors will launch sometime between April 13 and June 26. This could mean the next generation of Intel desktop chips isn't all that far off.

But that window of time is fairly big. If Intel waits until the latter half of that window, it will already have been a year since AMD announced its Zen 2 family of processors, and shoppers may be included to hold off on new Intel chips until they hear what AMD has in store for Zen 3.

Given AMD has supported its AM4 socket on all chips from Ryzen 1000-series to Ryzen 3000-series, budget-minded shoppers currently running a Ryzen processor would have a lot of gain by waiting to see if Zen 3 will continue to support the AM4 socket. If AMD doesn't change sockets, any existing customers will face the paywall of a new motherboard by switching to Intel. Meanwhile, it seems more and more likely that all existing Intel users will face the price of a new motherboard to get the LGA 1200 socket.

The Intel Core i5-10400 may not be the chip that converts AMD users, though that may be a job better left to the rumored Intel Core i9-10900K.

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Better Call Saul season 5, episode 4: how to watch or stream it online anywhere

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 12:56 PM PDT

After a break of over a year, Better Call Saul is back on TV screens and streaming services all over the world. We're here to tell you the many ways to watch Better Call Saul season 5 online - episode 4 streaming details can be found just below. 

By way of background, Better Call Saul premiered back in 2015 to give us a glimpse into the early life of Breaking Bad's seriously shady lawyer, Saul Goodman.

It's the prequel to Breaking Bad, which is widely regarded as one of best TV series of all-time. More specifically, Better Call Saul is the origin story of crooked lawyer Saul Goodman - also known as James Morgan McGill, Slippin' Jimmy, and Gene Takavic at various points in his 'illustrious' career.

Actor Bob Odenkirk once again takes on the titular role of Saul, while season 5 also features a host of other Breaking Bad favorites - ruthless drug dealer and chicken entrepreneur Gus Fring, always-quotable fixer Mike Ehrmantraut, and DEA agent Hank Schrader. 

If that's enough to take your interest, read on to learn how to watch Better Call Saul season 5, episode 4 from wherever you are - our guide is completely spoiler-free so whatever stage you're at in the show, you don't have to worry about us ruining the next big twist. 

Watch Better Call Saul season 5 online from outside your country

While many US cable subscribers will find it easy to watch Better Call Saul season 5 online thanks to AMC's website and app, it gets a bit more complicated if you find yourself abroad and want to tune in to the latest episode live on Monday nights, rather than having to wait until Tuesday - by which time, the internet is obviously a sea of unwanted spoilers.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch episode 4 of Better Call Saul season 5 online as it airs, no matter where you are. This simple bit of kit changes your IP address so that you can access episodes live or on demand as they become available, just as if you were lying on the sofa waiting for your food to be delivered.

How to watch Better Call Saul season 5, episode 4: online live streaming details

  • Sling TV: With packages starting from just $20, Sling TV is something of a cord-cutters dream and is an easy way to watch Better Call Saul season 5 on AMC without signing your life away to an overpriced cable provider. You can use it on nearly any major streaming device including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast - or fire it up on-the-go on Android and iOS mobiles.
  • FuboTV: Offering access to more than 100 channels including AMC, FuboTV costs just $54.99 a month but you can bag a free trial first to see if it's right for you. Based on our experience, it's a particularly good option for fans of top TV shows like Better Call Saul who also love sports, as FuboTV offers quality Premier League live streams plus NBA coverage, NFL games and much more.
  • AMC Premiere: AMC's paid-for app lets you watch episodes of shows like Better Call Saul live and ad-free on most major devices and can be had for just $4.99 a month. You'll need to confirm your TV provider to sign-up, but provided you can do that, there's usually a free trial available for eligible customers.
  • Amazon Prime Video: Buy individual episodes of Better Call Saul in HD for just $2.99 a pop - or grab yourself all of season 5 for a mere $24.99. Just remember that you won't be able to watch the new Better Call Saul episode until Tuesday, after AMC has aired it live on Monday night.
  • YouTube TV: It's a hefty $44.99 but that price gets you access to over 70 channels including AMC, so the latest episodes of Better Call Saul season 5 will be at your fingertips every Tuesday after they've aired live on Monday night.

Stream Better Call Saul season 5: watch episode 4 online in the UK as soon as you can

How to watch Better Call Saul season 5 in Australia

Stream Better Call Saul episode 4, season 5: how to watch in Canada

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The latest Windows 10 update is so broken, even Microsoft thinks you should uninstall it

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 12:19 PM PDT

Microsoft has released yet another glitch-ridden update to Windows 10, with KB4535996 causing more problems than it’s managed to fix. 

The KB4535996 cumulative update for Windows 10, released by Microsoft at the end of February, promised to bring with it fixes for a number of issues affecting search functionality, printing and battery performance. 

Since installing the update, however, Windows 10 1909 and 1903 users have flocked online to report numerous glitches that appear to have been caused by the update itself. These, to name but a few, include boot issues, crashes, performance problems, audio issues and broken developer tools. 

And, while Microsoft hasn't released an official fix – or even acknowledged that there's serious issues with this latest update, it has told at least one user to uninstall the update, even if it was to fix an issue with Visual Studio rather than the chronic BSODs.

Falling apart

One user over on the Microsoft Answers website complains: “I just had this update on my PC and now it will not boot. Fails the BIOS POST test with a series of beeps, completely blank screen. I bought it only 5 days ago, have tried re-seating the RAM and GPU.”

Another user, who bravely installed the KB4535996 cumulative update across their organization, reports that more than 200 PCs are now crashing and displaying the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

"Seeing this issue with about 200 machines. Uninstalling the update doesn’t come off cleanly and still gets lockups on initial boot,” they write.


Other disgruntled users, who should be used to this kind of thing by now, are reporting that the sound in Windows 10 has gone kaput, that their machine is now unable to enter safe mode, and that that Visual Studio code-signing tool signtool.exe no longer working.

Though Microsoft has yet to formally acknowledge this barrage of issues, it did acknowledge the glitch affecting Visual Studio, of all things, in response to one miffed customer.

“We're aware of issues with signtool.exe after installing the latest optional update for Windows 10, version 1903 or Windows 10, version 1909 (KB4535996),” the company said.

“If you are encountering issues or receiving errors related to signtool.exe, you can uninstall the optional update KB4535996,” Microsoft added, all but confirming that this latest release is the culprit.

Though there’s no official fix in sight, there is some good news. As it’s an “optional” update, meaning it won’t be automatically installed onto your machine, these glitches shouldn’t be affecting too many people. As we've previously reported, you should uninstall this update if you have it – even Microsoft doesn't have an official workaround yet, so it's better to just avoid the update for now.

Via Wccftech

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The Photography Show is postponed until September 2020 – here's what to do next

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 12:13 PM PDT

The Photography Show, which was due to take place at the UK's NEC between 14 - 17 March, has been postponed along with The Video Show until September 2020, due to the recent escalation of the COVID-19 virus in Europe.

With some big new products, including the Canon EOS R5 and Nikon D6, due to make some of their first public appearances at the show, alongside some big talks from the likes of Gavin Free from The Slo Mo Guys YouTube channel, this will be disappointing news for photography fans.

It's particularly unfortunate for those who have bought tickets for the show, but the organisers have said that "tickets can be transferred to the new show date or a refund will be given". If you need a refund, The Ticket Factory will apparently be in touch in due course with more information. You can also keep an eye on the official site for more information.

Commenting on the announcement, Jonny Sullens, Head of Events at Future, said: “To date, we have been following government guidelines regarding the continuation of our event during this unprecedented outbreak of Coronavirus.  As the news has been progressing, we have listened to the concerns of all parties. And today we have taken the extremely difficult decision to postpone The Photography Show and The Video Show until later in the year."

He added: “We are incredibly disappointed to take this action so close to the event opening, however the wellbeing of our visitors, exhibitors and staff is of the utmost importance."

Right now, the event is scheduled to take place in September 2020, when "we hope the threat of COVID-19 will have significantly reduced, will allow us to deliver the show everyone deserves,", added Jonny Sullens.

Until then, keep your eyes locked onto TechRadar for our thoughts on all of the latest camera launches – who knows, by September we could have a few more shiny, new models to play with at the rescheduled The Photography Show. 

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Samsung Galaxy A31 leak suggests launch imminent, and big battery on board

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 11:33 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy A31 might get a launch soon, as the Russian version of the phone’s official site added a support page.

That doesn’t sound like much, though they answer regional questions like adding bank cards to Samsung Pay within the Russian Federation, according to GSM Arena. This is the latest in a series of steps that lead to launch, like previously securing Bluetooth certification

The support page didn’t reveal anything about the phone itself, sadly, so all we have to offer are previous leaks - like a Geekbench entry GSMArena caught that suggests it will come with Android 10, 4GB of RAM, and a MediaTek chipset (MT6768V/CA). 

Previous leaks have suggested the phone will pack 64GB of base storage, which aligns with mid range predictions - though one suggests the A31 will get a large 5,000mAh battery. That’s on par with a select few budget phones like the Moto G Power, but it’s still a large capacity that’s typically reserved for top-tier flagship devices.

The A31 and trickle-down features

On top of a bigger battery, it’s rumored to get a 48MP main shooter paired with a 5MP macro lens, per GSM Arena. This isn’t quite the 64MP main lens on the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S20, but it’s still a huge step up from the 16MP lens on the Samsung Galaxy A30 - which it seemingly inherited from last year’s slate of flagships. 

In other words, flagship specs are trickling down to the Galaxy A31 - one need only look to the slightly more refined Samsung Galaxy A51, which we actually got our hands on. That phone packs a 48MP main lens along with a 5MP macro lens, plus an ultrawide shooter and depth sensor to round out its camera package. 

While it’s hard to say whether the A31 will get as many lens options, the new lenses it’s slated to get are still a step up from last year’s model. Perhaps more of the S20 line’s flagship camera modes will trickle down, too.

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Intel 12th-gen CPUs could beat AMD by bringing Lakefield feature to desktop

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:53 AM PDT

We may still be waiting for Intel’s 10th-gen Comet Lake-S desktop CPUs to arrive, but a new leak has detailed the chipmaker’s future Alder Lake-S platform that could see it offer a version of ARM's big.LITTLE architecture designed for the desktop.

Intel first started talking about big.LITTLE in 2018 when it unveiled Lakefield, the company’s first hybrid processor that combines one big 10nm Sunny Cove core for performance and four, smaller 10nm Atom cores for low-energy tasks. While Lakefield is aimed at ultra-low power designs, the firm is reportedly planning to bring this hybrid approach to its upcoming Alder Lake-S desktop CPUs.  

Leaked slides courtesy of China’s PTT reveal that much like ARM's big.LITTLE, the design of Intel’s incoming CPUs, which Videocardz speculates could arrive as 12th-gen Intel Core chips for desktop, is clearly divided into two groups.

There will be three configurations of Alder Lake-S, according to the leak. The first is an 8+8+1 configuration comprising 8 high-powered “big” cores, 8 low-powered “little” cores, an iGPU and a 125W TDP.

This 8+8+1 setup will also be available in an 80W TDP envelope, and will reportedly debut alongside a lesser-specced 6+0+1 config with 6 big cores and an iGPU with no little cores.  

Hang on a minute

What’s not clear from the leak, however, is what Intel’s smaller and bigger cores – likely based on the Golden Cove and Gracemont architectures – are designed for. With ARM’s big.LITTLE platform, which was designed for phones as a battery-saving feature, the smaller cores are used for less power-hungry applications, while the big cores are utilized for high-performance tasks. 

Though laptops and desktops are not as constrained by power as mobile devices, tailoring this CPU configuration for desktop could make for battery life improvements in future notebooks, assuming Intel goes down a similar route to ARM. 

Elsewhere, online speculation suggests that the upcoming desktop platform, which will unlikely debut until 2021 at the earliest, will be built the 10nm++ manufacturing process and support PCIe Gen4. 

There’s also talk that Alder Lake-S will require new LGA 1700 socket, suggesting that the upcoming LGA 1200 sockets will only be used for Intel’s 10th-generation Comet Lake-S and 11th-gen Rocket Lake-S CPUs. 

Separately, a leak courtesy of Dell suggests that Intel’s long-awaited 10th-generation desktop Comet Lake CPUs will be arriving any day now. A now-deleted YouTube video posted by the company showcases its latest XPS Tower desktop computers equipped with 10th-generation Intel Core processors, which are currently only available in mobile form.

We did hear that Intel wouldn't catch up with AMD on desktop until 2021, so it's possible that Team Blue may try to leverage this design to get ahead of Team Red. But, given that we're still waiting on Intel's 10th-generation desktop chips, we'll be waiting quite a while to see how this plays out. 

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Fast and Furious 9: release date, trailer, cast and everything else we know

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:47 AM PDT

Fast and Furious 9 is a huge deal in 2020. It's the biggest blockbuster in a year with no Star Wars or Avengers movies. 

In the world of cinematic franchises, the Fast and Furious movies (officially known as the Fast Saga) are unique. For a start, unlike most other members of the multi-billion-dollar box office club they’re not really sci-fi or fantasy – though 2019 spin-off Hobbs & Shaw did cross the line with its cybernetically enhanced bad guy.

More importantly, however, the films have their own bizarre alchemy, an unlikely blend of very fast cars, elaborate heists and relationship drama that occasionally veers into soap opera territory. It’s a long stretch of road from where the franchise began with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, a fun but unremarkable movie about street racers with a sideline in audacious auto-heists.

In May 2020, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew of multi-talented drivers/tech experts return for Fast and Furious 9, the ninth of the series – or tenth if you include Hobbs & Shaw. Justin Lin, who directed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth instalments in the long-running saga – and is described as an “architect” of the franchise by Diesel – is back behind the camera, having made a detour to the 23rd century for Star Trek Beyond. 

But what can we expect when Fast and Furious 9 revs up? We’ve looked under the bonnet of the most souped-up film series on the planet to explain so you know what to expect.

Fast and Furious 9 release date: May 22, 2020

Fast and Furious 9 (or F9 as it’s known in the United States) speeds into US and UK theaters on May 22, 2020. The movie was originally set to get into gear in 2019, but was postponed a year – apparently at the request of Fast Saga star and producer Vin Diesel. “Like any vehicle that has run around the globe 8 times, the franchise is in need of maintenance,” Diesel told his Instagram feed in October 2017. “My good friend and the godfather of [distributor] Universal, Ron Meyer has granted me the time to do just that.”

Fast and Furious 9 trailer: first look at the movie

An epic Fast and Furious 9 trailer, running at nearly four minutes long, debuted on January 31, 2020. That's all we've seen of the movie so far.

It starts slow, with Diesel’s Dom Toretto retired to a quiet rural life with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Brian, the young son whose existence was revealed in Fast and Furious 8. “I used to live my life a quarter mile at a time,” Toretto says in voiceover. “But things change…”

This is the Fast Saga, however, so things don’t change that much, and it’s not long before we’re plunged back into some familiar high-octane action. There’s bus-top battles in Edinburgh, a Pontiac Fiero strapped to a rocket engine (yes, really), and cars flying off beautiful cliffs in Thailand – but don’t worry, there’s a “magnet plane” standing by to make sure at least one of them doesn’t go tumbling into the sea.

But beyond the usual four-wheeled stars, there’s set to be just as many fireworks between the humans. Most importantly, we meet Dom’s previously unmentioned younger brother Jakob (played by WWE wrestler and Bumblebee star John Cena), and it turns out there’s no love lost between the two siblings. So much so, in fact, that Jakob’s in league with cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), the returning Big Bad who was revealed as the all-controlling Blofeld of the Fast Saga in Fast and Furious 8. She’s still very much at large...

“Your whole life you pushed yourself to be faster than Dom,” she tells Jakob. “Smarter than Dom. Stronger than Dom. But could you kill him? Because I’m ready if you are.”

But the trailer saves its biggest revelation for the end, as Han (Sung Kang) – presumed dead after his car was totalled by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift/Fast and Furious 6 – rejoins Toretto and his crew. Hands up who saw that one coming…

Fast & Furious 9 story: what’s revving up?

Aside from the fact it’ll feature familiar faces, very fast cars and the usual quasi-espionage shenanigans, the inner workings of Fast and Furious 9’s plot remain carefully under wraps. The taglines in the trailer offer up a couple of big clues, however.

“Justice is coming” could refer to several simmering revenge angles. Cipher clearly wants to get back at Dom for ‘betraying’ her in Fast and Furious 8, while Dom has plenty of beef with her – everything from masterminding the criminal schemes of the three previous movies to the cold-blooded murder of Elena Neves, the mother of his son. There’s also the not-so-small matter of Han’s ‘murder’ – though it it’ll be interesting to see who Han thinks is responsible, now that Deckard Shaw (driver of the offending car) has effectively been absorbed into Deckard’s crew.

But it’s the “Not all blood is family” line that’s set to have the biggest impact on the plot – not least because the adopted “family” Dom Toretto has built around himself is one of the main themes of the Fast Saga. His crew may not be blood relatives, but they’re every bit as tight-knit – much closer, it seems, than Dom is to the people he shares DNA with.

The Fast Saga suddenly introducing important relatives we’d heard nothing about is nothing new: Fast and Furious 6 antagonist Owen Shaw turned out to have an angry big bro called Deckard, while Dom Toretto learned he had a son in Fast and Furious 8. So it’s not that surprising that Dom should have a younger brother who’s gone unmentioned until now. Their father’s death in a stock car racing accident – and Dom’s subsequent revenge attack on the driver he blamed for the incident – is bound to be a major bone of contention. And then there’s the return of their younger sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), to think about. Could she be a potential mediating factor between the Toretto boys?

After Hobbs & Shaw’s cyborg villain took the franchise into genuine sci-fi territory for the first time, we’re also wondering whether Fast & Furious 9 will follow suit. Beyond the now-traditional bending of the laws of physics, there’s nothing in the trailer to suggest that’s the case – though long-time Fast Saga writer Chris Morgan (replaced by Daniel Casey on Fast & Furious 9) has hinted that a trip to space may be on the cards one day. “Nothing’s out of the question,” Morgan told Polygon in 2019. Maybe that rocket-powered Pontiac in the trailer does more than just drive…

Fast and Furious 9 cast: who’s behind the wheel?

The tragic death of franchise mainstay Paul Walker (who played cop-turned-racer Brian O’Conner) left a major hole in Dominic Toretto’s crew for Fast & Furious 8. Heading into part 9, however, the Fast Saga’s core “family” is pretty much unchanged. That means Vin Diesel’s back as Dom, backed up by Michelle Rodriguez (Letty), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (Tej) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey).

Among the returnees to the gang, Sung Kang is the biggest news, back as the unexpectedly not-dead Han, but Jordan Brewster also makes a comeback as Dom’s younger sister, Mia – she sat out Fast and Furious 8, as Mia settled down with Brian to raise their family.

There’s also franchise returns returns for Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift vets Lucas Black (Sean), Bow Wow (Twinkie) and Jason Tobin (Earl), and for Helen Mirren as Magdalene, the Shaw matriarch busted out of prison in Hobbs & Shaw.

There’s been no confirmation, however, on whether we’ll be seeing more from Kurt Russell (Mr Nobody), Scott Eastwood (Little Nobody), Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs) or Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw) – we wouldn’t be surprised if any of them popped up for a cameo,

Charlize Theron, a brilliant addition to the Fast and Furious 8 cast, is back with a new short haircut to front the villains as uber-hacker Cipher. She’ll be joined by John Cena as antagonistic Toretto sibling Jakob.

There are also roles for Guardians of the Galaxy’s Michael Rooker (Buddy) and singer Cardi B.

Will there be more Fast Saga movies after Fast and Furious 9?

You can bet on it. In fact, at least one more is a certainty, because – as Diesel revealed in a Facebook post after the release of Fast & Furious 8 in 2015 – parts eight, nine and ten have been planned as “one last trilogy to end the saga”. Various reports have suggested that Lin will be back to direct part 10.

A 2020 interview with Total Film magazine (via GamesRadar) went further, with Diesel hinting that the tenth movie could be split into a two-part finale, à la Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

“I started planning for Fast 10 before we started filming Fast 9,” he said. “The universe is so robust and so rich with talent and rich with story that, on one level, it’s totally feasible to have spin-offs, and I think that’s something that is inevitable. Universal deserves it because of how much they’ve invested in this little saga, and it’d be good to give back to Universal. And for the fans, should Fast 10 parts one and two be the conclusion, it would be nice for this world to continue for generations to come.”

Diesel’s comments are slightly ambiguous, but it doesn’t look like there are any plans to park the franchise any time soon. There’s already a Fast & Furious: Spy Racers animation on Netflix, while the success of Hobbs & Shaw means there’s every chance Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will rekindle their love-hate relationship in a follow-up. There have also been rumors of a female-fronted spin-off.

The Fast Saga will be 20 years old in 2021, but there’s no reason it can’t manage another couple of decades – though the fact the crew will probably be driving electric cars by then means the franchise could sound very, very different.

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Vodafone's data-boosted SIM only deals are the perfect cheap option right now

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:39 AM PDT

Big data and even unlimited caps on your SIM plan are great, but they come with one obvious downfall: they're expensive. So for those on a budget hunt, what are the best SIM only deals right now?

Amongst the strong crowd of affordable options, Vodafone stands out as a top pick. With its basic plans, you can secure deals from as low as £6 a month, making these some of the cheapest plans in the UK.

It goes without saying that these options aren't overflowing with data, and those needing their weekly Netflix binge will be better off going with the likes of Three or Smarty.

However, with three options currently available, offering up to 10GB of data, Vodafone will be the ideal choice for anyone who just wants one thing above all else...cheap bills.

Vodafone's cheap SIM only deals

What are the benefits of being on Vodafone?

There are a few benefits to being in a contract on Vodafone, but the most obvious is the network's use of VeryMe. This is a rewards app that comes with Vodafone, allowing you to receive free coffees, discounted film tickets, enter competitions and more.

On top of that, Vodafone offers the ability to roam in 48 EU countries and over 104 other destinations (with a small extra cost). And with all Vodafone SIM and mobile plans, you'll be getting access to both 4G and 5G depending on which phone you use.

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The best cheap laptop deals and sales for March 2020: prices from just £79

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:38 AM PDT

Cheap laptop deals abound this week with many of the top retailers offering significant discounts on laptops from all the usual big brands. Getting the right specs for you doesn't necessarily have to set you back a pretty penny as we've got some great prices on machines that still offer the latest processors and solid-state drives. We've sorted them into handy price ranges for you, ranging all the way from this amazing Chromebook from just £79 to upwards of £629 for this powerful i7 equipped Lenovo. With all these great cheap laptop deals on offer, all you'll need to do is scroll down and browse whichever price range is right for you.

In general, an everyday laptop used for basic web browsing, entertainment, and email won't cost you more than £300, but once you push past £400 you'll open yourself up to machines that can run higher performance programs with far better specs to support them. That means if you're looking to use Adobe programs or other high-performance software suites, you might want to take a look further down the page. 

The top half will suit those looking to study, browse the web, and take on a few more processing-intensive programs every now and then. We've split our deals by price, so if you know exactly what you want to spend, you'll find a wealth of models and brands available to fit your budget. If you're not sure what you can get for your cash, we'd recommend browsing through a few of the laptop sales on this week below. 

We've also combed each listing for those vital stats to give you the numbers straight up. Compare the models and laptop deals we've found from across the web to find the one that suits your needs perfectly - we'll also give you a bit of background info about each laptop we highlight. For you Apple fans, you might be interested in our MacBook prices and deals page too.

If you're from the States or Down Under, be sure to check out our selection of the top laptop deals in the US or Australia.

Cheap laptop sales and deal highlights

We'll continue adding the best cheap laptop deals in the latest sales as we find them. Up next, you'll find the latest prices on some of the most popular laptops around along with a list of retailers who often have a great selection of laptop sales if nothing else takes your fancy here.

  • Amazon: retail giant is often the cheapest in the UK.
  • John Lewis: models come with at least two-year guarantee.
  • Very: Often surprises with cheap prices on electronics.
  • Laptops Direct: specialist UK store has a huge selection of laptop deals.
  • ebuyer: the UK computing specialists have some great promotions.
  • Currys: the retailer that's seemingly always having a laptop sale.
  • AO: lots of cheap laptops at this growing electronics specialist.
  • Argos: home delivery or pick up a cheap laptop locally today.
  • Dell: get a great laptop deal direct from Dell.
  • Apple: MacBooks aren't exactly cheap, but they're excellent workstations

The cheapest laptop deals on these popular picks

cheap laptop deals prices sales

On release, the Chromebook Flip reached new heights for the Windows-free laptops as it came rocking a proper Intel Core processor along with a HD screen. Most models nowadays come with 64GB of storage instead of the 32GB which is plenty for running apps and storing regular documents and a fair few media files - you can always use a USB drive for more space. For most users, the newer PixelBook is what we'd call 'overkill', not to mention considerably more expensive, so we'd recommend this model if you just need something for work, browsing the net and so on. The Chrome OS works beautifully in this 2-in-1 laptop's tablet mode too.

HP Pavilion 15

A sturdy choice for a study laptop for school/college/uni. The HP Pavilion 15 has plenty of power for the average student's needs while keeping the costs sensible. There are plenty of configurations available too. Some favour speedy SSDs, while others go for larger regular hard drives, so it all depends on what you're going to need more really. Faster loading or more space for storing media files and downloads.

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

The Asus Transformer Mini series is one of the most reliable brands of 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrids on the market. This upgrade includes a fingerprint sensor and double the RAM at 4GB for speedier performance compared to the older models. For your money, this is one of the most impressive two-in-one transformer models out there. Available in orange/white as seen above, or in a traditional grey steel colour.

cheap laptop deals prices sales

Ready to stretch that budget a bit (ok, maybe a lot) further? Then be sure to check out our selection of the very best laptops money can buy as we've used our dedicated price comparison technology to find the cheapest prices for them too. You can always come back to this page if they seem a bit overpowered (and over-expensive) for what you need.

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Google now lets you use security keys on even more devices

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT

After open-sourcing its security keys earlier this year, Google has announced that it will now be easier for users to enroll new keys by expanding support to additional browsers and devices.

G Suite and Cloud Identity users will now be able to register security keys using either Chrome on Android or Safari on macOS.

To register a security key on mobile, your device will need to be running at least Android 7.0 Nougat and have Chrome 70+ installed. This will then make it possible to register a USB, Bluetooth or NFC security key right from your smartphone.

macOS users will need to be running Safari 13.0.4 in order to enroll security keys from Apple's laptops and desktops.

Enrolling security keys

To set up a new security key, users first have to sign in to their Google Account on the web and go to the Security setting. From there, you'll have to go to the "Signing in to Google section" and click on 2-Step Verification where you will find the option to “Add security key”.

Users are then walked through the process of associating a device with their account and shown where to tap for NFC on mobile devices.

Once they security key has been enrolled, you'll need to plug it in, tap it to use NFC or click on it to connect over Bluetooth in order to verify you're trying to sign into your Google Account.

Security keys have proven themselves as an effective way to fight against phishing as hackers are unable to intercept the temporary codes which are used by other methods of two-factor authentication.

Via 9to5 Google

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Galaxy S20 price cut at Best Buy: save up to $850 on the S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:09 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is officially available to order, and Best Buy is offering a fantastic deal on the phone that would be hard to pass up. The retailer is offering up to $850 in savings on the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra 5G with qualified activation and trade-in.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 was unveiled last month at the Samsung event and is now available to order. Best Buy is currently offering up to $850 on the Galaxy lineup when you trade-in a qualifying phone and activate with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint. You must trade-in your phone in-store, and your activation savings will be applied in either instant savings or vendor bill credits, both of which will result in reduced monthly payments.

Keep in mind this is a limited-time offer and a fantastic deal if you're looking to buy the latest Samsung phone and have a phone to trade-in. You can also see more Samsung Galaxy S20 deals that are available from carriers and retailers.

Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S20 deals:

Learn more about the all-new Galax phone with our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S20 review, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review.

You can also shop more offers with our roundup of the best Samsung Galaxy S20 prices and deals and the best Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus deals and plans.

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Call of Duty: Warzone is the franchise's 150-player answer to Fortnite and Apex Legends

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:01 AM PDT

Call of Duty is expanding its repertoire, with a new, free-to-play battle royale game called Warzone that supports 150 players at a time, and is set to release Tuesday, March 19 at 12pm PT/3pm ET/7pm BST for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. 

The game's announcement came on March 8 – though not, at first, from Activision or Infinity Ward itself. Gamers were treated to an 11-minute video from streamer Chaos, who seems to have got, in his own words, “exclusive gameplay” of the brand new Warzone title coming from the Call of Duty publisher. 

The video has since been taken down – likely as it preceded any official announcement from Activision – and has since been replaced by an official statement and trailer from the Call of Duty Twitter account:

Warzone is a “free-to-play, battle royale game [...] that you can download and play for free.” So far, so Fortnite – and Activision is no doubt seeking to cash in on the battle royale trend in a similar vein to Respawn’s Apex Legends, which launched in early 2019. 

Warzone, however, will support up to 150 players in a single session, giving it significantly more scale than the 100 players in Fortnite, or the 60 in Apex Legends. There’ll also be a lot more vehicles, with tanks and other kinds of ground transport looking to shake up the action – as well as a creative spin on respawning called Gulag, which puts fallen soldiers in a jail facility of some kind that they need to shoot their way out of, for the chance to return to the primary map for a second time.

Gulag seems like the most interesting shake-up of the battle royale, here, with the central mechanic of parachuting into a map, looting for weapons and upgrades, and killing everyone in sight, not exactly being new territory these days. 

We already have a Call of Duty battle royale mode, of course – COD: Black Ops 4 – but the difference here is that Warzone won’t require you to purchase a Call of Duty game to play. There’ll no doubt be microtransactions of a sort, though we’ve yet to hear details in that regard.

You can't buy happiness

We’d hope to only see cosmetic microtransactions, as is the case in Fortnite, though Warzone does have a financial mechanic, slightly reminiscent of the vending machines in the short-lived Radical Heights battle royale game from Boss Key Productions, which didn’t make it out of beta.

Kill streaks here are bought, rather than being achieved automatically as you pass a certain number of kills. It looks like you’ll have to run to certain buying locations every few kills to cash in on your good streak – meaning there’ll likely be a lot of sights trained on these areas.

There’ll be a mix of old and new maps – including fan-favorites such as Broadcast, Overgrown, Terminal, as well as custom-made maps that only appear in Warzone.

It may be that Call of Duty is a bit late to the game – especially with its reworking of one of Radical Heights’ most notable mechanics – and the larger player-size may make it harder to gain momentum on the title in the first place, or more frustrating for players waiting for enough people to log onto a server.

Call of Duty has some pretty incredible brand recognition, though, and may be able to drag Warzone into life on that alone. COD: Mobile exploded in popularity in its first few months, and we may well see a similar success story here.

Via ArsTechnica

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The Last of Us on HBO: everything we know so far about the TV series

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:35 AM PDT

The Last of Us TV show is confirmed to be in development at HBO – and there’s a lot to be excited about.

The Last of Us first came into existence as a 2013 video game for PS3, and garnered critical acclaim for its heartfelt portrayal of two people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world: protagonist Joel, and the teenage girl Ellie he's tasked with escorting to a band of rebels known as the Fireflies.

Yes, it’s a story with zombies in it – of a sort – but there’s a lot more to The Last of Us than that, which is why we gave it the number one spot in our roundup of the best games of the decade.

There was the inevitable PS4 remaster, the sequel The Last of Us 2 put in development – out this coming May – and a lot of rumors about a movie adaptation (via IGN). Now, though, developer Naughty Dog is going down the TV avenue instead.

That seems like a good thing to us: the story of The Last of Us is already episodic in nature, split out across various levels, and it would be hard to cram everything good about the game into one 90-minute dump.

So what do we know so far about The Last of Us TV show’s release date, streaming platforms, story, and cast? Not much yet, but we’ve gathered what small nuggets of information we have right here.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A TV show based on The Last of Us video game 
  • Where can I watch it? HBO 
  • When can I watch it? 2021 if we’re lucky, but probably later than that 
  • Who’s in it? No casting is confirmed, but we know the characters of Joel and Ellie will appear – as well as Marlene, Maria, and Tess

The Last of Us TV show release date

The Last of Us TV show has only just been confirmed as being in development, so we’re not going to get a clear idea of a release date for a while yet, other than "coming soon to HBO". Let them write the thing first!

To speculate: we think 2020 is too soon, late 2021 is possible, but 2022 seems more likely given the attention and effects work that HBO will likely want to give the show. Honestly, please don't rush this one.

We can't rule out more delays, though, given that the movie adaptation had reportedly reached a second draft script and even had actors in to read for the roles before development stalled.

Back in 2015, Druckmann was cited as saying he'd “just finished a second draft, and we did a table read with a bunch of actors," while calling the script "Pretty faithful to the game. There are some big changes, but the tone and what the story’s trying to say is pretty faithful to the game" (via IGN).

The Last of Us: Part II (2020)

The Last of Us TV show: where can you watch it?

The show is being developed for HBO, with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann acting as co-writer alongside screenwriter Craig Mazin, who won an Emmy for outstanding writing on HBO's highly-praised Chernobyl miniseries that aired last year. 

We expect it will be – like the six-episode Chernobyl, or nine-episode Watchmen – a miniseries consisting of only handful of episodes, in order to tell a punchy, contained story.

It will end up on HBO Max – the new streaming platform being released by HBO in May 2020. However, the new streaming service isn’t replacing the existing HBO Go and HBO Now services yet, so we may see it on more than one HBO platform.

HBO's Chernobyl

Chernobyl (HBO)

The Last of Us TV show: story, cast, and characters

There's not much confirmed aside from a few base facts about the story. We do know that Joel and Ellie will be featuring, so we assume it will act as something of a retread of the 2013 game, rather than a spin-off. That said, it's likely we'll see a mix of new and returning characters as the story is workshopped for the needs of the TV miniseries.

Sony has hinted at the "possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel", but that doesn't seem like a certainty right now (via The Hollywood Reporter).

The tweet below shows that Neil Druckmann has made some decisions about who is and isn't featuring, though.

We know we'll be seeing Ellie, for one – but also the childhood friend (and romantic interest) Riley, who appeared in the Left Behind DLC for the first game. We won't spoil how that one ends, though.

Tess (Joel's partner of sorts), Marlene (member of the Fireflies) and Maria (wife of Joel's younger brother) are all other characters from The Last of Us, which give a good sense of some of the story beats that will likely be recreated from the game.

The blocked out section in the tweet suggests a four-letter name, which could be any number of characters. Possibly Anna, Ellie's mother – who is only mentioned via letter in the game? Or maybe even Dina, if the TV show jumps forward to The Last of Us 2's character list? 

Casting seems a while off, though it's possible that conversations started during development of the film – including talks with Maisie Williams for the role of Ellie – could pick up where they left off.

Ellie's sexuality could also easily have become a source of contention for fans, given the 'straight-washing' that often happens in screen adaptations, but we have it on good authority (screenwriter Craig Mazin) that HBO won't betray their queer fans on this one.

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The best March Madness TV sales: 4K TV deals from Samsung, LG, Sony and more

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:33 AM PDT

Selection Sunday is less than a week away, and that means March Madness 2020 is almost here! This is a fantastic time to find incredible TV deals from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. You can score record-low prices on a range of 4K TVs from top brands like Samsung, Sony, LG, and more. To help you sort through all the offers, we've listed the best March Madness TV deals and sales that are available online.

Our top March Madness TV picks include everything from a mid-size 43-inch TV to a massive 75-inch set, with prices starting at just $218 and different features like HDR, smart functionality and voice control.

To make things easier for you, we've split our selection of TVs into three categories: the outright best TVs for watching your favorite team, the best mid-range TVs, and the best budget TVs. We've included a range of different sizes in each category, and we've also picked a standout bargain for our March Madness TV deal of the week.

See our top TV deals below and make sure to bookmark this page as we'll be updating it with all the best TV sales leading up to the big dance.

The best March Madness TV deals 2020:

Vizio P-Series Quantum X 4K TV


The Vizio P-Series Quantum X TV is loaded with premium features and provides cinema-like image quality – perfect for watching the big tournament. The Ultra HD TV features Quantum Dot technology, which delivers deep blacks and bright, bold colors for sharp contrast and lifelike images. The smart TV is available in 65-inch and 75-inch screen sizes and features voice control support for Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.

Shop more of our top picks for the best TV deals for watching March Madness.

TCL R625 6-Series 4K QLED TV


This mid-range TV is available in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch screen sizes, and is part of the TCL's 6-series lineup, which means you'll get a premium picture experience with Dolby Vision HDR, which delivers extreme contrasts and vibrant colors. The smart TV has the Roku experience built in, so you can stream movies and TV shows from the home screen of your TV. The enhanced remote also allows you to use your voice to change the channel, launch movies, turn the TV off, and more.

Shop more of our top picks for the best mid-range TV deals.

LG UM6900PUA 4K Smart TV


The LG UM6900PUA TV comes in a range of sizes, starting at 49 inches and going all the way up to 65 inches. The budget TV features smart capabilities, so you can stream your favorite movies and TV shows all in one place with webOS. You'll enjoy a stunning picture with realistic images thanks to the quad-core processor, which improves images, action, and color. The LG TV also works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant and features AirPlay 2, which allows you to stream content from your TV to your iPad, iPhone, or Mac.

Shop more of our top picks for the best budget TV deals.

Shop more TV offers with our roundup of the best cheap TV deals and sales that are happening now.

You can also see the best TVs of 2020: 10 big-screen TVs worth buying this year.

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Six Nations 2020 live stream: how to watch every rugby union game online from anywhere

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:27 AM PDT

The Six Nations 2020 was due enter its final round of fixtures this weekend, with a winner set to be firmly crowned in March. However, the tournament is currently in the hands of the coronavirus as much as it is England or France, with the bulk of this weekend's matches postponed. 

Our guide explains how to watch a Six Nations live stream wherever you are in the world and is regularly updated with all the latest Six Nations news, so you know what to expect - and what has been pushed back thanks to Covid-19.

In round 4, England defeated Wales by the narrow score of 33-30 to win the Triple Crown, with the Twickenham faithful no doubt feeling the final score flattered the Welsh. Equally, the Dragons are none too pleased with the questionable antics of their opponents. 

Most infamously, hot-headed prop Joe Mauler faces a lengthy ban from the sport for grabbing Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones by the genitals, while Manu Tuilagi was red carded during the match and Courtney Lawes also faces a citation by the union overlords.

Elsewhere, Scotland stunned prior Six Nations leaders France 28-17 on the Sunday in another match filled with drama. French prop Mohamed Haouas was red carded for punching Scotland's Jamie Ritchie in the face, but Gregor Townsend's men ultimately prevailed because of their defensive dominance - they turned France over nine times in the first-half, with the dismissal not occurring until just before the break.

By now, we're sure you'll want to watch the rest of this year's biggest European rugby union international tournament. Read on to learn how to get a reliable Six Nations live stream wherever you are, plus a complete guide to the remaining 2020 fixtures.

Six Nations fixtures 2020: what has been postponed due to the coronavirus?

Right now, only Wales vs Scotland is due to go ahead this weekend, with the match set for Saturday, March 14. Kick-off is at 2.15pm and it will take place at Cardiff's epic Millennium Stadium (or Principality Stadium, to its sponsors). It's a crying shame, because as we've said, last weekend saw some stunning results. The Six Nations 2020 is going down to the wire, but public safety is rightly being prioritised for now.

It means that England currently sit atop the Six Nations 2020 table on 13 points because of a superior point differential compared to France - Les Bleus are also on 13 points. But Scotland are also suddenly in the frame with 10 points and, with their match against Wales now the only one set to go ahead this weekend, they can really pile the pressure on the tournament favourites with a victory in Cardiff.

How to live stream Six Nations 2020 in the UK for free

Great news! All of the remaining Six Nations fixtures will be shown live in the UK on free-to-air television. Enjoy it while it lasts, as Sky is tipped to bid aggressively for exclusive rights to Six Nations coverage in the future, meaning it could soon be behind a paywall. For now, though, the coverage is spread across the BBC and ITV, so take a look at our info box below to see what channel is showing which individual games.

If you're trying to watch online (either live or on catch-up) then you can get access via the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub websites or mobile apps. Alternatively, just head to an online streaming TV service such TVPlayer.com, which has all of the UK's freeview channels (including the BBC and ITV) in one place. This means you can catch the match on TV, computer, tablet and smartphone for free if you're in the UK - or subscribe to TVPlayer Plus if you want to record it and watch later.

Not in the UK for the next Six Nations fixtures? No worries - just download and install a VPN and use a UK location to watch live as if you were back home. Full instructions below.

How to live stream the Six Nations when you're not in your country

If you're outside your country of residence - whether that be the UK or anywhere else - and try to start streaming the rugby via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't as it is location restricted. But there's a way you can watch anyway. By downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home. That way you can enjoy your home coverage without having to find an illegal stream - assuming you comply with the broadcaster's Ts&Cs, of course.


Six Nations 2020: Fixtures and UK TV schedule

There's just two rounds of Six Nations rugby action left. Here are the fixtures we have to look forward to over the next two weekends. All times are in GMT.

ROUND FOUR:

Saturday, March 7, 2020

England v Wales, 4.45pm, Twickenham Stadium, London. TV - ITV SPORT + S4C

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Scotland v France, 3pm, BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh. TV - BBC SPORT

ROUND FIVE:

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Wales v Scotland, 2.15pm, Principality Stadium, Cardiff. TV - BBC SPORT + S4C

POSTPONED - date, time and TV channel TBC:

Ireland v Italy (round 4), Aviva Stadium, Dublin

France v Ireland (round 5), Stade de France, Paris

Italy v England (round 5), Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Divider

Live stream the Six Nations: Watch the rugby in Australia this weekend

Live stream the Six Nations 2020 in New Zealand

Live stream the 2020 Six Nations for free in Canada and more

usa

How to live stream Six Nations: watch the rugby in the US this weekend

What is the format of the Six Nations?

Taking place each year from the beginning of February and usually concluding by the end of March, the tournament is contested by the international sides of France, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

Each Six Nations team plays the other five once per season with home advantage in alternate seasons, giving a total of 15 matches per Championship. A win earns that team four points, while a draw earns both teams two points. A losing side receives no points, however a bonus point can be picked up by a team regardless if they won, lost or drew if they score four or more tries in a game. Losing sides can also still pick up two bonus points if they score four tries or more in the process and lose by a margin of seven points or fewer.

The team with the most points at the season wins the Six Nations Championship Trophy. If the winning team has defeated all five other Unions, it is given the title ‘Grand Slam Winner’. No one will win the honour this year, though, following Scotland's victory over France. However, England has already won the 'Triple Crown', which is when one of the 'home nations' (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) defeat all the others in a single tournament.

Who are the favourites for the 2020 Six Nations?

Beaten World Cup finalists England started the Six Nations as favourites with most bookies, but now France firmly lead the pack. They need only beat Scotland and Ireland to win not only the Six Nations 2020 crown, but also claim Grand Slam glory. 

Ireland look set to face the sternest test and will need to win out if they're to be in with a shot of Six Nations glory - and England also can't afford another loss if they want to take home this year's crown.

What happened in the 2019 Six Nations?

Regarded as outsiders at the beginning of the tournament, Wales clinched their first grand slam in seven years, with a clean sweep of victories against their five opponents.

Who has won the most Six Nations championships?

England lead the pack with six championship wins, their last in 2017. Wales and France are both close behind on five.

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Google Pixel Buds: what we know so far about the AirPods-rivaling true wireless earbuds

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:17 AM PDT

Google is a huge name in the world of smartphones and smart speakers, but the tech giant hasn’t exactly made waves in the realm of personal audio. However, that might all be about to change, with the release of the new Google Pixel Buds, the company’s first true wireless earbuds

Announced back in October at the Made by Google event that brought us the Google Nest Mini, the new Pixel Buds come with Google Assistant built-in, for hands-free access to the company’s super-smart voice assistant. 

Not to be confused with the original Pixel Buds, which featured a neckbud design, these sleek-looking buds completely cut the cord, just like the Apple AirPods, the Sony WF-1000XM3, and the Powerbeats Pro

Cut to the chase

  • What are they? The Google Pixel Buds, a pair of true wireless earbuds.
  • How much will they cost? $179 (about £140 / AU$270).
  • When will they be released? The first half of 2020, with an exact release date TBC.

That means the Google Pixel Buds could be an exciting new competitor to these established true wireless earbud models – if they live up to Google’s promises that they'll boast an incredibly far-reaching Bluetooth connection and excellent sound quality. 

We can’t wait to get our hands on the new Pixel Buds to find out, but until then, here’s everything we know so far about Google’s first true wireless earbuds – and a few things we’re hoping we'll get to see.

Google Pixel Buds release date

We still don’t have a firm Google Pixel Buds release date, but we know they’ll launch in the first half of 2020 – so expect to see them anytime from now until June. 

We think a release date is coming sooner rather than later, after it emerged that the buds received certification for wireless charging from the Wireless Power Consortium on March 4. 

In the past, Google products haven’t appeared in the Wireless Power Consortium listings until after release, so this could be a good indication that a release is imminent – that is, if its not pushed back as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which forced Google to cancel the in-person portion of the Google IO event, due to be held in May.

Still, there’s no reason why the buds couldn’t be launched over video stream, and we’re still expecting all the other rumored launches to go ahead, including Android 11 and the Google Pixel 4a

For Google’s sake, we hope they make an appearance before the rumored Apple AirPods Pro Lite, otherwise the Pixel Buds are likely to be outshone by Apple’s popular true wireless earbuds. 

google pixel buds

Google Pixel Buds price

We know from the Made by Google event that the Google Pixel Buds will cost $179 when they’re released; while we’re still waiting for official global pricing, that works out at about £140 / AU$270.

That means that (in the US at least), the Pixel Buds will be more expensive than the Apple AirPods with the standard charging case. However, they’ll still be $20 cheaper than the AirPods with Apple’s Wireless Charging Case, a feature that is rumored to come with the Pixel Buds as standard. 

Google Pixel Buds design

The Google Pixel Buds look very dainty from the images we’ve seen already, with smooth, flat housings that sit flush against your ear. 

According to Google, the design was based on scans of “thousands of ears”, and should deliver a “customizable, secure fit”. A small earfin – which Google calls a ‘stabilizer arc’ – should keep the buds snugly in your ears, while what look to be silicone eartips will hopefully come in a range of sizes to suit all ears.

Google says they Pixel Buds are sweat and water-resistant too, so they should be fine for use during workouts – though the brand hasn’t confirmed whether the earbuds come with an IPX rating. They also come with a spatial vent that should allow a little outside noise to pass though the buds; this isn’t ideal if you were hoping for noise cancelation, but it should allow you to be aware of your surroundings and prevent the suction-like seal that is associated with in-ear headphones

The outer housings of the Pixel Buds are touch sensitive, allowing you to tap to play and pause your music, and swipe to change the volume. To summon Google Assistant, you’ll have to rely on your voice.

It looks like the Google Pixel Buds will be available in four colors: orange, white, mint-green, and black, echoing some of the colors we’ve seen on the Google Nest Mini

google pixel buds

Google Pixel Buds battery life and connectivity

The battery life of the Google Pixel Buds is the same as the Apple AirPods: five hours with the buds alone, and "up to 24 hours" with the wireless charging case. That's not the best battery life we've seen for true wireless earbuds, but it should be enough to get you through your commute with juice to spare. 

We’d love to see the ability for reverse wireless charging, as seen in the Samsung Galaxy Buds and the Samsung Galaxy S10 – you can simply place your earbuds on top of your smartphone and charge them up using your phone’s internal battery. 

This is a feature that would have to come as part of a new Pixel phone, though, and we don’t think it’s likely that the upcoming Pixel 4a will support reverse wireless charging, as a cheaper version of the Pixel 4. It’s possible that it could come with the yet-to-be-announced Pixel 5, but we’ll have to wait a while to find out. 

According to Google's senior vice president of Devices & Services, Rick Osterloh, the upgraded earbuds come with an incredibly long-range Bluetooth connection, making it possible, for example, to leave your phone in your locker at the gym and still be able to listen to your music wirelessly. 

Google says the buds' connectivity is so far-reaching that you could leave a distance the length of an American football field between your device and the new Pixel Buds – for non-football fans, that's 100 yards (around 90 meters).

That suggests that the Pixel Buds will support the latest Bluetooth 5.0 wireless streaming standard.

google pixel buds

Google Pixel Buds audio

It’s the most important aspect of any headphones, but it’s the area we know the least about when it comes to the Google Pixel Buds. Without having tested them ourselves, we can’t say how good they’ll sound, but we do know a little bit about the tech held within the buds. 

According to Google, they’ll come with custom-designed 12mm dynamic drivers, which should provide a punchy, powerful sound; dynamic drivers displace lots of air to create vibrations (and therefore soundwaves), and are usually compact and lightweight. 

Phone calls should sound clear thanks to the inclusion of an accelerometer that detects when you’re talking, alongside mics directed towards your mouth that Google says will ensure “background noise stays in the background”. 

Hopefully these mics are better than the ones built into the original Pixel Buds, which we found weren’t always adept at picking up our voice. 

google pixel buds

Google Pixel Buds extra features

The Google Pixel buds come with the Google Assistant built-in, just like Google Home / Nest smart speakers. That means you can summon the voice assistant hands-free, by simply saying “Hey Google”, or “OK Google”. 

You can then ask the assistant questions, for news and weather updates, or to carry out tasks, like calling a contact on your phone, and controlling your smart home devices.

Google also says that the Pixel Buds will be able to handle real-time language translations, a feature we saw in the original Pixel Buds that requires the Google Translate app to be installed on your phone.

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Top VPN software had a major security flaw

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:01 AM PDT

UDPATE: NordVPN has told TechRadar Pro that the vulnerability was isolated to three small payment providers and possible to exploit only within a limited timeframe. 

"We have confirmed with our tech team that the issue was disclosed on H1 only after evaluating that no data had been exploited," a NordVPN spokesperson told us.

One of the most popular VPN services available today may have exposed customer payment information due to a significant security flaw.

Security researchers uncovered a vulnerability in the payment platform used by NordVPN, which has millions of users around the world.

The flaw could have allowed hackers access to user account information, including email addresses and shopping history, according to the team at security firm HackerOne.

NordVPN security

According to The Register, which had the flaw flagged by a concerned user, anyone making an HTTP POST request to join.nordvpn.com without any authentication would be able to access users' email addresses, payment method and URL, currency, amount paid and even which specific products they had bought.

The patched flaw was made public in early February on HackerOne's bug bounty platform, with the company saying it had contacted NordVPN about the issue.

In a statement, NordVPN said that this was "an isolated case" that potentially could only have affected a "handful of users".

The company did not confirm whether it had told customers about the flaw, but told said it appreciated the work of the HackerOne community.

"Such reports are one of the reasons why we have launched the bug bounty program," company spokeswoman Jody Myers told The Register. 

"We are extremely happy with its results and encourage even more researchers to analyze our product. This is an isolated case that potentially affected only a handful of users, due to the implemented rate-limiting. Theoretically, only email addresses could have been seen by a third party."

The company is the only major known VPN organisation to have enlisted on the HackerOne programme which pays penetration testers for finding bugs into their infrastructure, applications and apps.

NordVPN hit the headlines last October after the company was revealed to have suffered a major data breach back in March 2018, although it was able to limit the damage and the customers affected.

Via: The Register

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Roku price cut at Walmart: deals on the Roku Ultra, Roku Stick+ and more

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 08:58 AM PDT

If you're looking for a cheap way to upgrade your television into a smart TV, then you're in luck. Right now, you can find price cuts on Roku's best-selling streaming devices, which includes the Roku Ultra that's on sale for $79. That's a $20 discount and the best price we've found for the 4K streaming media player.

The Roku Ultra gives you access to over 500,000 movies and TV shows in HD, 4K, or HDR from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Roku’s top-tier player includes an enhanced voice remote, so you change the channel, browse movies, and more completely hands-free.

The remote also allows you to set personal shortcuts for one-touch control and features a 3.5mm jack for headphones so you can enjoy private listening with the included Premium JBL headphones.

Shop more Roku deals below, which include discounts on the Roku Streaming Stick+, Roku Premiere, and Roku Express. We don't know how long the streaming devices will be on sale, so you should take advantage now before it's too late.

Roku Deals

See more Roku discounts with our list of cheapest Roku sale prices and deals that are happening now.

Learn more about the streaming media player with our guide to the Best Roku streaming device: which Roku is best for you?

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Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica data sharing

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 08:57 AM PDT

The Australian privacy watchdog has filed a lawsuit against Facebook over the alleged disclosure of user information to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

The company is accused of breaching Australian privacy law by sharing the information of 311,127 users without their permission, for the purposes of political profiling.

User data was collected as part of a survey entitled ‘This Is Your Digital Life’ and included names, dates of birth, email addresses, location, page likes and even messages, depending on the level of permission granted to the application.

A single breach of data privacy law could result in a maximum penalty of AU$1.7 million, which would mean a total fine of AU$529 billion if the court were to issue the maximum fine for each count.

Cambridge Analytica scandal

Facebook stands accused of sharing the information of 87 million users globally with Cambridge Analytica via its survey tool.

In July, the social media giant was on the end of a record $5 billion fine from the US Federal Trade Commission after an investigation into its relationship with the consultancy.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), meanwhile, issued Facebook a £500,000 penalty for its involvement with Cambridge Analytica. This fine could have been much greater if the incident had taken place after GDPR came into effect in May 2018.

The company initially appealed the ICO fine on the grounds there was no evidence  user data was used to target Brexit referendum voters, but eventually withdrew from its position.

Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk believes Facebook’s product was crafted in such a way as to prevent users safeguarding their personal data.

“The design of the Facebook platform meant that users were unable to exercise reasonable choice and control about how their personal information was disclosed,” she said in a statement.

“All entities operating in Australia must be transparent and accountable in the way they handle personal information, in accordance with their obligations under Australian privacy law.”

Meanwhile, a Facebook spokeswoman explained the company had cooperated to the greatest possible extent with the Australian watchdog.

“We’ve made major changes to our platforms, in consultation with international regulators, to restrict the information available to app developers, implement new governance protocols and build industry-leading controls to help people protect and manage their data.”

“We’re unable to comment further as this is now before the Federal Court,” she added.

Via Reuters

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The Boys season 2: release date, trailer and everything we know

Posted: 09 Mar 2020 08:57 AM PDT

Season one of The Boys was met with plenty of success, both critically and commercially, and it stands out even among the excellent Amazon Prime shows catalogue. But the squeamish should be warned: it's bloody and brutal. That said, it still proved to be a show lots of heart. With an ensemble cast you'll struggle not to root for, you'll be right with them despite all the, y'know, horrible murder.

The Boys season 2 was confirmed before it even launched, and it was subsequently declared one of the best performing Amazon shows in terms of viewing figures. There's a rich comics history that can be drawn on by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke for inspiration, so season 2 has every right to take things up a notch. 

And you don't have long to wait to see it in action, either: PaleyFest 2020 attendees will be getting their first look at season 2 on March 15. We've also had our first look at the latest new member of the Seven, Stormfront, played by Aya Cash. Scroll down for more on that.

Below, we’ll tell you everything we know about the release date of The Boys season 2, show you the official trailer, explore which new heroes and villains are joining the show, and more. 

The Boys season 2 trailer is here

The Boys season 2 trailer doesn't reveal much about the plot, but it - predictably - has plenty of violence, and snapshots of the show's characters. 

It appears that season 2 will pick up right where the first left off, with the evil Superman stand-in Homelander (the magnificent Antony Starr) revealing a super-powered son, and Hughie (Jack Quaid) saving the life of speedster A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), despite running through his girlfriend at the start of the show. Ouch.

We also caught a shot of Terror, Billy Butcher's dog from the comics which, given his special, err, talent, is one of the most exciting additions to the cast going in to season 2. 

If it'll help tide you over until season 2 arrives, Amazon did release this short 'Young Homelander' clip below in November 2019, to remind you why he's not very nice. 

But that's not all when it comes to teases for the next bloody instalment. Check out the following images posted to social media by the cast and creators:

The Boys Season 2 has a release date of 'mid-2020'

The first season of The Boys debuted in late July 2019, so our money's on the second starting at a similar time this year. The expedient renewal of the series ahead of the air date was, we'd speculate, partly motivated by the long lead time needed for a show with this many special effects. 

A release date of mid-2020 fits, as actor Karl Urban confirmed on Instagram that the show wrapped filming (see above). In addition, at San Diego Comic Con 2019, Kripke told Collider to expect the second season at "about the same time next year". A summer release of July 2020 seems the most likely, in that case, but we'll keep you updated. 

The Boys season 2 will be 8 episodes long, but what will the story be about? 

The key story beats season 2 will explore will be confirmed soon. At PalyFest 2020, a preview will be shown off on March 15 at the Paley Center in LA, followed by a Q&A session with a few cast members. 

A few elements hang in the air from the season one finale. First, expect Compound V, the mysterious drug that gives superpowers to humans, to remain a recurring mystery. 

"If it’s a secret, if it’s nothing the world knows about yet, then it [Compound V] becomes a secret that everyone will kill for, and it gives you an object that everybody wants, and it does all the great things a McGuffin does," Kripke told Entertainment Weekly. Now Billy and Hughie know that secret, what happens next?

At the end of season one, Homelander dropped Billy Butcher on the lawn of his wife, Becca, who he presumed dead. Instead, she has a family with Homelander, including their superpowered son. It's quite a predicament for poor Billy: how will he escape? And does this mean Billy and the rest of The Boys will struggle to function as an underground group, now Homelander has Billy in his laser sights?

The death of Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) will be important for season 2's story, naturally. Then there's Vought International's mysterious CEO, Mr Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito), who looks to be appearing in around four or five episodes, having made a notable cameo at the end of the season. At least one new villain will be added to the mix from the comics, too: Stormfront (Aya Cash), a kind of Thor/Shazam mash-up who's gender-flipped from the comics. We can't tell if she'll be a villain or not yet, though...

The Boys season 2 cast will introduce new heroes and villains

Expect both The Boys and The Seven's cast members to return. Karl Urban will return as Billy Butcher, along with Jack Quaid as Hughie, Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, Tomer Kapon as Frenchie, and Karen Fukuhara as The Female, all of whom survived the first season.

Starlight (Erin Moriarty) will return, along with other members from The Seven: Homelander (Antony Starr), gross fish man The Deep (Chace Crawford), Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) and probably A-Train (Jessie T Usher). However, the latter will need to recover from the heart attack he suffered at the end of season 1. 

Giancarlo Esposito (best known as Breaking Bad's Gus Fring and Moff Gideon in Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian) appeared in the first season's finale, guest starring as enigmatic Vought CEO, Mr Edgar. Expect him to play a larger role in season 2, especially with Madelyn Stillwell (Shue) killed in the finale. 

Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt will join Aya Cash's Stormfront, along with two other new faces playing key roles: according to Deadline, Goran Visnjic and Claudia Doumit are also in for the grisly season 2 party. Our first look at Stormfront has been revealed. Take a look at her design below:

Stormfront will be like a "hand grenade" thrown into the Seven, according to Cash. "I think she’s here to blow up Vought," Cash told EW. "She’s here to try to get Vought back to the original idea behind creating superheroes... And she can be quite the feminist. There’s a lot of, I wouldn’t say misdirect, but she also is a very empowered woman." She'll start The Boys season 2 off as a character you think you know, before she becomes someone rather different, apparently. 

Visnjic plays Alistair Adana, the cultish leader of a shadowy church, while Doumit plays an up-and-coming congresswoman. Both actors starred in creator Eric Kripke's previous show, the cult hit, Timeless.

While nothing is confirmed, it looks like Jeffrey Dean Morgan (best known as the fiendish Negan in The Walking Dead) could have a place in The Boys season 2 cast. Following Eric Kripke's tweet saying "I'll make you a deal. Season 3. I'll write it, and if you're avail, come shoot it!", Morgan replied, "in a heartbeat!"

What is confirmed is that the "terrifying" Black Noir is set to play a major role in the second season.  Announced at C2E2 Expo (via ComicBook.com), the mystery of the dark-suited masked vigilante will hang over season 2, and he'll have no lines of dialogue or action scenes. We'll never even see his face. "You're going to love what's coming up for Black Noir. It's so good," Karl Urban enthused at a panel.


The best superhero show on TV?

The Boys was one of the surprise hits of the year, with a strong ensemble cast and an original angle on the superheroes in a time almost saturated with them. Executive producer Seth Rogen's words about the next set of episodes to Collider justify our optimism for the show's future. "We just watched, actually, the first episode of the second season this week. It was a wonderful thing as producers. This is way better than I ever could’ve hoped it would be."

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