Apple : Trump anticipated to ban 5G networks from using Chinese tech |
- Trump anticipated to ban 5G networks from using Chinese tech
- Amazon offers suggestions on facial recognition guidance
- New MacBook Air deal brings it to that magic $999 number
- Opera browser adds VPN
- The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in February 2019
- Google makes Chrome bug detection tool open-source
- Valentine's Day 2019: the best online flower delivery services
- The best Valentine's Day flowers online delivery services: order now to avoid the doghouse
- SSD vs HDD: which is best for your needs?
- The best cheap TV sales and 4K TV deals in February 2019
- Get 10GB of data for only £5 a month with this great value SIM only deal on EE
- Carbonite acquires Webroot for $618m
- Best 55-inch 4K TVs 2019: the best medium-sized screens for any budget
- Best 65-inch 4K TVs 2019: the best big screen TVs for any budget
- Is it worth getting insurance for my iPhone?
- Building trust in open source: a look inside the OpenChain Project
- Best on-ear headphones 2019: our pick of the best supra-aural cans
- Apple HomePod 2: rumors, news, release date and more
- Microsoft publicly puts Internet Explorer on death notice
- Apple HomePod 2 could support Face ID
| Trump anticipated to ban 5G networks from using Chinese tech Posted: 08 Feb 2019 02:00 PM PST Sometime in the next few weeks, Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would ban equipment made by Chinese telecoms from US wireless networks, sources told Politico. The order has reportedly been long-delayed, and a report indicated the Trump administration was and there’s been internal pressure in the Trump administration to sign the order before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) industry convention in Barcelona at the end of the month.
The order plays into the Trump administration’s trade war and tensions with China, but it also reflects the US, European and Western-allied countries’ apprehension to install Chinese telecom tech into their current and future wireless infrastructure. The US government has been the most outspoken in its suspicions that companies like Huawei have uncomfortably close ties to the Chinese government, and alleged that the company’s tech may even endanger wireless network security with preinstalled backdoors granting Chinese government access -- insinuations Huawei has vehemently denied. Naturally, this is all heating up as 5G looms, which will require specialized infrastructure to make networks ready for the new wireless standard. The US government has reportedly singled out Huawei in particular, banning its tech (along with tech from ZTE) from government use last fall and urging allies not to buy Huawei communications technology. The larger ban Trump is expected to sign in the next few weeks was originally reported to concern only Huawei and ZTE, but now it’s now rumored to include telecom equipment from all Chinese companies. Where does that leave the US?There are other companies to turn to, of course, but Huawei leads the global telecom equipment field with 28% of the market, per Telecom Lead ( ZTE has just over 5%, below Cisco, Ericsson and Nokia). But Huawei’s share of the US telecom equipment market is smaller than other countries like the UK, instead mainly supplying smaller American wireless providers, many in rural and remote areas. Banning Huawei could hurt those small carriers, the company stated, and could leave the country falling behind in 5G. In any case, should the ban be signed, the US will head into MWC with a more concrete policy about who it’s inviting to build out American infrastructure as the world marches toward 5G.
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| Amazon offers suggestions on facial recognition guidance Posted: 08 Feb 2019 12:02 PM PST As criticism over its facial recognition system Rekognition has grown among lawmakers and consumers alike, Amazon has come out in favor of legislating the technology and has even proposed guidelines on how to do so. In a blog post, Amazon Web Services' VP of Global Public Policy, Michael Punke laid out five proposed guidelines on how the technology should be used responsibly. However, Punke's suggestions come at a time when the company has been criticized for selling Rekognition to law enforcement agencies despite the fact that researchers claim to have discovered gender and ethnic biases in the system.
Currently there are no federal rules regarding the use of facial recognition technology which is why Washington lawmakers are considering creating their own bill to regulate its use. Federal regulationIn his blog post, Punke suggested that federal regulation is necessary to control the use of facial recognition technology, saying: "We understand why people want there to be oversight and guidelines put in place to make sure facial recognition technology cannot be used to discriminate. We support the calls for an appropriate national legislative framework that protects individual civil rights and ensures that governments are transparent in their use of facial recognition technology." While Amazon is now supporting the idea of federal regulation, the e-commerce giant has been hesitant to support Washington's state legislation due to a provision which would require facial recognition software to be open to third-party testing. Facial recognition has huge implications for law enforcement but its potential for misuse is too high for the technology to be used without proper safeguards in place. Via ZDNet
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| New MacBook Air deal brings it to that magic $999 number Posted: 08 Feb 2019 11:14 AM PST If you were burned by Apple price spiking the new 2018 MacBook Air over its previous models, B&H Photo and Amazon are thinking of you. Both retailers have slashed a cool $200 off the list price for an entry-level MacBook Air, likely for a limited time given just how big of a name "MacBook Air" is. If you're on Amazon, only the silver and gray colors are available at the discounted rate at the time of writing. Over on B&H, it's solely the gray model that's enjoying the price cut, again at the time of writing. Simply put, this is the price that Apple should have gone with when releasing the new MacBook Air in the first place. Now's your chance to get one of these gorgeous laptops at the price it was meant to be.
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| Posted: 08 Feb 2019 10:52 AM PST Opera has announced that it is adding a built-in VPN to its Opera for Android browser in an effort to better protect its users safety online. The company is already quite familiar with VPNs as it launched and later discontinued its free VPN app for Android called Opera VPN. Now the company has taken things a step further by including a VPN inside its Android browser and beta users around the world will be the first to test out the new feature.
Opera explained its decision to add a VPN to its browser in a blog post announcing the new feature, saying: “This exciting new feature in Opera for Android is designed to empower you with increased control and privacy of your browsing. You no longer need to download separate, paid-for apps to shield your browsing when on public Wi-Fi. Just tap on “Settings” in your Opera browser and activate VPN.” A convenient VPN solutionUsers will no longer have to download a separate app to protect their devices with a VPN and Opera's solution also offers unlimited data and the company has said that it won't keep any usage logs. Locations are limited by region and you will have the option to connect to servers in Europe, America or Asia though you won't be able to choose an exact server location by country. Still, for a free VPN, Opera's built-in solution sounds promising and perhaps other companies will follow suit. The company also offers a free, unlimited VPN as part of its desktop web browser and you can try it out now to get a feel for how it will work on mobile. Via Mashable
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| The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in February 2019 Posted: 08 Feb 2019 10:03 AM PST Freshly discounted cheap Xbox One bundle deals have appeared this week and we've found some fantastic discounts. So if you've decided it's finally time to opt for a sweet Xbox One deal, then you're in luck. Microsoft is really pushing discounts on the 1TB consoles now too, which are much more accommodating for your library of games and their large install sizes than the regular 500GB models. Anthem, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Minecraft and more are all getting in on the Xbox One deals train today. Microsoft still needs to pull its socks up as the Xbox One sales are way behind those of the PS4 and owners of Sony's console may by eyeing up a Nintendo Switch purchase soon instead. Retailers are stocking some cheap Xbox One deals as standalone purchases, but the best value is to be found with the bundles with extra games. Xbox One bundles nowadays often cost less than the standalone consoles prices too, so be sure to check out our hand-picked list of the best Xbox One offers below the comparison charts. Or maybe you're looking for a 4K upgrade? Then you'll want to take a look at the latest Xbox One X bundles. Looking to buy in the US or Australia? You'll want to head on over to our US page or AU page. The slimmed-down design of the Xbox One S looks much better than the original chunky box and the power brick is now a thing of the past. The main draw though is 4K visual support meaning you'll be able to watch specialised Blu-Ray and Netflix content in 4K on your new 4K TV. The Xbox One S is now the standard console and has replaced the older model that's been phased out at retailers. The Xbox One S is cheaper too, so in all honesty we've generally stopped covering deals on the older model as you're getting better value with the newer version and we've not spotted any decent stock for months now. More Xbox One dealsStill not found your ideal Xbox One deal in our highlights of the best offers out there? Why not check out more Xbox One bundles directly from the retailers from our list below? The new Xbox One X is capable of displaying games in glorious HDR 4K and is the most powerful console ever made. Sadly, it has the price-tag to match too as it's way more expensive than the Xbox One S. The comparison chart below is mainly full of prices for the new console on its own. However, we're starting to see better offers appear online where you can get discounted (or sometimes free) games included too. For more details, head on over to our extensive Xbox One X bundles page for the best value deals. If you're looking to play your Xbox games online or take advantage of the free Games with Gold initiative, you'll want to check out our cheap Xbox Live Gold deals page where's we've found prices considerably cheaper than the default RRP. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google makes Chrome bug detection tool open-source Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:56 AM PST In its latest effort to aid developers in finding bugs in their software, Google has announced that its scalable fuzzing tool ClusterFuzz will now be open-source and available to all. The search giant has been using the tool internally for some years now and it has allowed developers to find over 16,000 bugs in Chrome. A few years ago, Google launched its OSS-Fuzz service which utilised ClusterFuzz, though it was only available to open-source projects.
Fuzzing is an automated method for detecting bugs in software that works by feeding large numbers of unexpected inputs to a target program. While the process may crash an application, fuzzing is quite effective at discovering memory corruption bugs that can often have serious security implications. Fuzzing at scaleFor fuzzing to be truly effective though, it must be continuous, carried out at scale and integrated into a software project's development process. This is why Google created ClusterFuzz which is run on over 25,000 cores. ClusterFuzz is able to provide end-to-end automation, from bug detection, to triage, to bug reporting and finally to closing bug reports automatically. In addition to detecting bugs in Chrome, Google's tool has discovered 11,000 bugs in over 160 open-source source projects that utilised OSS-Fuzz. Fuzzing has grown in popularity recently due to the fact that more and more software testing and deployment is automated. ClusterFuzz is now available on Google's GitHub repository and the company has even provided detailed instructions for developers that wish to begin using its tool to integrate fuzzing into their workflows. Via TechCrunch
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| Valentine's Day 2019: the best online flower delivery services Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:38 AM PST Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you, like many others, are still searching for that perfect gift placing an order online for flowers is always an easy and romantic option. You can order a gorgeous floral arrangement in minutes from a variety of online retailers including; 1-800-Flowers, ProFlowers, Bouqs, and many more. Right now most U.S. retailers (get U.K. deals here) are still offering standard shipping fees for Valentine’s Day delivery. If you don’t mind your flowers arriving early, ProFlowers is offering a 20% discount on all Valentine’s Day gifts with delivery between 02/10 and 02/13. For all those who love to procrastinate, fear not, because all of the online flower delivery services we've listed below offer same-day delivery as long as your order is placed by a specific time and for an additional fee. We'll continue to update delivery fees and cut-off dates for Valentine's Day delivery as we get closer to the big day. Online flower delivery services:If flowers aren't your thing, we've listed a wide selection of Valentine's Day sales and collections below from retailers such as Amazon, Victoria's Secret, Shari's Berries and more. Amazon has also knocked down the Amazon Echo prices ahead of Valentine's and has a great Kindle Paperwhite deal running too. Valentine's Day sales
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| The best Valentine's Day flowers online delivery services: order now to avoid the doghouse Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:37 AM PST Get your Valentine's Day flowers delivered online this year and avoid the drama of phoning florists on the day and listening to their cruel laughter as you ask if they can make a delivery that afternoon. "I'll just pick something up on the day" you say? Unless you get to your local florist first thing, or even the day before, you might not have much to choose from either. And no, petrol station flowers aren't going to cut it. Do you really want to explain why your wilting bouquet smells of diesel? Don't panic though, because we've done our research and tracked down the best online flower delivery services in the UK (we've also covered the best options in the US). Delivery charges have been accounted for too, and we made sure to mention if you can allocate specific days for delivery. Some online florists charge extra for Valentine's Day, which is to be expected really given the huge demand on the day. Don't forget, most of these flower deliveries won't come with a vase despite the photos, although we have found one store that does clearly label some deals as coming with one for free. Get Valentine's Day flowers delivered on timeMore Valentine's sales and dealsIf you're after something different for Valentine's Day, we've rounded up a few more retailers below. These stores have dedicated sales and promotions running right now for gift ideas to help you out. Need some offers to get you going first, well Amazon has some great Amazon Echo deals ahead of Valentine's and there's a great Kindle Paperwhite deal promotion today too.
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| SSD vs HDD: which is best for your needs? Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:35 AM PST Welcome to our SSD vs HDD guide, where we'll look at the pros and cons of traditional hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD) to help you choose which one is the best for your needs. When you’re looking to buy a new computer or laptop, or if you’re researching ways to upgrade your machine, you’ll see a lot of references to both hard drives and SSDs, but which one is best for you? Here we'll compare the two storage mediums, look at which tasks they excel in, and which ones they’re not so good at. If you’ve got a desktop PC, then you’ll have the luxury of being able to install both types of hard drive at once. If you go down that route, this guide will help you identify the best ways to use those drives to maximize their performance. Before we dive into comparing SSD vs HDD technology, let’s take a quick look at each type of drive. A traditional hard drive uses a spinning disc What is a traditional hard disk drive (HDD)?If you have a desktop PC it will most likely have a traditional hard disk drive, on which the operating system, along with any applications you install, and your files and folders, are stored. A traditional hard drive contains a circular disc – known as a platter – that stores your data. The disc spins, allowing the read-write arm to read data on the disc (or write data to it) as it passes. The faster the platter spins, the faster the hard drive works, which can impact how quickly your operating system responds, and how long it takes applications installed on the drive to load and open. Older hard drives use an IDE port to connect to the motherboard of a PC, but most modern hard drives use a SATA connection. The most recent version of SATA, SATA III, is found on modern motherboards, and enables the fastest possible data transfers for a HDD. Solid State Drives (SSDs) offer faster ways to store data What is a solid state drive (SSD)?A solid state drive (SSD) is newer storage technology, but it’s still been around for a while now, and if you have a modern laptop, it’s likely that it uses an SSD. As the name suggests, an SSD – unlike a traditional hard drive – has no moving parts. Instead, it uses NAND flash memory. The more NAND (Negative-AND) memory chips an SSD has, the more storage capacity it has. Modern technology allows SSDs to have more NAND chips than ever, which means SSDs can have capacities similar to HDDs. Many SSDs come with SATA III ports, which means they can be easily installed in place of a HDD, and many also come in the 2.5-inch format that smaller hard drives also come in. However, the maximum data throughput of SATA III is 600MB/s, and while this is fine for HDDs, SDDs are capable of much faster speeds, which means if you have an SSD with a SATA III connection, the drive’s performance is actually being held back by its SATA connection. On the left is the SATA III connection of a hard drive To avoid that bottleneck, you can get SSDs that have a PCIe connection. These drives slot into the PCIe lane of a motherboard, enabling much faster speeds. However, if you have a smaller motherboard, or you use your PCIe lanes for other devices, such as graphics cards or sound cards, then you may not want an SSD taking up a lane. Another increasingly common connection for SSDs is the M.2. If your laptop uses an SSD, it’s most likely using an M.2 connection, and most modern desktop PCs have motherboards with an M.2 port. M.2 SSDs are typically smaller than other SSDs, which means they can be easily installed without impacting your other components. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is the newest SSD technology, and offers incredibly fast data transfer speeds. This SSD uses a PCIe connection for improved speeds SSD vs HDD: priceWhen you’re choosing between an SSD and HDD, the first big difference you’ll notice at first is the price. SSDs are typically more expensive per gigabyte than traditional hard drives. However, it’s worth noting that some SSDs are more expensive than others. Older SATA III SSDs are cheaper than M2 and PCIe SSDs, and because the technology has been around for a while, certain SATA III SSDs aren’t all that more expensive than a traditional hard drive. Check out our best cheap SSD deals guide for help finding the best price for an SSD. If you want the most capacity for the least amount of money, HDDs are the way to go. Manufacturing processes for traditional HDDs mean they're now relatively cheap to produce, which makes them more affordable. You can get some large HDDs for very low prices, but if you’re keeping important data on the drives, it’s best to check out user reviews and reports about their reliability. We’ve also got a guide on the best cheap hard drive deals, which can help you to bag a bargain. SSD vs HDD: capacityClosely tied to the price when comparing SSDs and HDDs is the capacities of the drives. Generally, if you’re after a lot of storage space, HDD is the way to go. HDD capacities range from 40GB up to 12TB for commercial hard drives, while there are even larger capacities for enterprise use. These days you can get a 2TB hard drive for an affordable price, which offers you plenty of space. HDDs around the 8TB to 12TB size are primarily used for servers and NAS devices, where you need a lot of space for holding backups. Generally, we’d recommend having several smaller hard drives rather than a single large hard drive. This is because if the drive fails, you may lose all your data – if your data is held across several drives, if one drive fails, you won't lose everything. So, HDDs are good for storing lots of large files, which makes them good for holding photos, videos and games. In the past SSDs generally weren’t capable of such large capacities, but thanks to advances in technology you can now get SSDs with terabytes of storage. However, this comes at a premium, and large SDDs often come with prohibitively high price tags. If you can, it’s a good idea to go for a smaller SSD, maybe around 160GB–256GB, to hold programs such as your operating system, for which you want to take advantage of the SSD’s higher speed, and then use a HDD to store other files where speed isn’t as important. An SSD with an M.2 connection SSD vs HDD: speedIn the match-up between SSDs vs HDDs, speed is where we really begin to see a difference. Solid state drives have always been much faster than traditional hard drives, but with SSD technology advancing all the time, and the SATA III bottleneck removed, the difference is now starker than ever. First, let’s look at HDD speeds. Because these drives using a spinning platter, the speed of the drive is largely dependent on the RPM (revolutions per minute) the drive is capable of – and the higher the RPM, the faster the drive can perform. Many budget hard drives have an RPM of 5,400 RPM, which is the slowest speed modern hard drives are capable of – you’re better off going for a drive that can achieve 7,200 RPM, which is what most modern HDDs will be rated at. You can get higher-RPM drives, up to 10,000 RPM and even higher, but these are rarer and more expensive. The higher the RPM of a hard drive, the faster it performs SSD and HDD speeds are measured in MB/s (megabytes per second) for both read (how fast the drive can read data) and write (how fast data can be written to the drive). There are other factors in play that determine HDD speeds, such as capacity, but in general a SATA III hard drive at 5,400 RPM will have speeds of around 100MB/s, while a 7,200 RPM will be 150MB/s. Because SSDs don’t have any moving parts their speeds aren’t dependent on RPMs, but on the technology – and the data connection – of the drive. A solid state drive with a SATA III connection should achieve around 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write speeds, though some will be faster – but will max out at 600MB/s. So, even with a SATA III connection, which limits the speed of SSDs, you’re getting around four times the speed of traditional hard drives. However, if you use one of the better-optimized connections for SSDs, the speed difference really opens up. Average speeds for PCIe/M.2 SSDs range from around 1.2GB/s up to around 1.4GB/s – and if you’ve got the budget there are even some that can reach 2.2GB/s. So, you’re looking at around 10 times the speed if you go for one of these SSDs. When it comes to speed and performance, SSDs are definitely the way to go. SSHDs combine the best of SSDs and HDDs. Image credit: Seagate SSD vs HDD: other considerationsThere are other things you should consider when thinking about whether to buy an SSD or HDD. For example, because SSDs don’t have any moving parts they're more robust, which makes them a better choice for laptops and other mobile devices. An SSD can also use less power than a HDD, which means laptops may benefit from longer battery lives when using an SSD – although this will depend on the kind of SSD you use, and what you use it for. So is an SSD or a HDD best for you? While SSDs are faster, more robust and more power-efficient, HDDs are more affordable – especially when it comes to larger capacities. As we mentioned earlier, if you have the option then it may be worth getting a smaller SSD for your operating system and apps, along with a HDD to store your files. There are also hybrid drives, known as SSHDs, which offer the best of both worlds, with the speeds of SSDs and the capacities of HDDs in a single drive, and which are worth considering if you don’t have the space in your device for multiple hard drives.
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| The best cheap TV sales and 4K TV deals in February 2019 Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:33 AM PST There's still time to take advantage of some of the very best cheap TV sales. TV prices on some fantastic Ultra HD 4K TVs have been dropping nicely in recent months in the UK. We've got you covered if you're looking for TV deals in the US too. We've tried to find something for everyone here. So we've got you covered for multiple size categories and we've looked at both ends of the pricing scale so you can get a cheap TV on a low budget, or you might find a higher quality set for a lower price than you expected - although those super new 8K models aren't coming down any time soon. Not to worry though, as some of these HDR 4K TV deals will make your jaw drop. And with the bleak weather and long nights being here for a while now and your Netflix watch list getting longer and longer all the time you may as well settle down for the winter and enjoy them with a lovely TV. Netflix, Amazon, Sky TV and the like are all increasing their 4K content too so you won't be short on Ultra HD content to watch. We keep our eye on the latest TV deals throughout the year, so we're poised to find you the best price whenever the need to replace your old TV arises. We're fully behind the 4K TV movement too as a competitive market has seen prices reach affordable levels much quicker than when HD tellies first came around. One look at the prices below and you'll see what we mean. So much so, we'll rarely even mention regular HD TVs here seeing as Ultra HD TV deals are so cheap today. Finding you the best cheap TV dealWe've split our carefully curated 4K TV deals into different size categories immediately after our pick for cheap TV deal of the week. Whatever your budget, we're sure we can find something for you. Note: all of our selected TV sales highlights are for 4K/Ultra HD TVs and include a built-in freeview tuner as standard. Pretty much every deal comes with Smart TV functionality built-in along with HDR technology. If they don't, we'll clearly call it out. The best cheap TV you can buy todayExtra retailer cheap 4K TV sales links:Not found the right cheap TV for you today? Or maybe you'd prefer to directly browse the TV sales at your favourite retailers instead of our highlights of the best cheap TV deals? We're updating this page on a regular basis, so you may have better luck another day. If you want to take a look for yourself now though, here are the direct links to a the full collection of TV sales at multiple stores. More large screen 4K TV salesIf you're after more seriously large TV deals, we should warn you, they don't come cheap. However, if you want to see some more large screen TV deals -we're talking about 65 to 85-inch TVs- we'd recommend heading over to AO.com, John Lewis, Currys and Amazon as they seem to stock more models than most UK retailers. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Get 10GB of data for only £5 a month with this great value SIM only deal on EE Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:18 AM PST Whether you've just bought yourself a brand new phone or your contract has come to an end, cheap SIM only deals can be an absolute life saver when you find yourself lacking a phone contract. And luckily, UK mobile retailer Fonehouse currently has some of the cheapest SIMO deals out there thanks to a huge cashback promotion. There are two deals that especially stand out, both of which are on EE. The first gets you 10GB of data for an effective price of just £5 per month and the second ups it to 20GB of data for an effective £7 each month after cashback (just scroll down the screen after you've clicked through to see these top tariffs). There is a bit of a catch here though if you want to get these SIMs at such a low price. Both of them are only this cheap after cashback by redemption. That means a little bit of persistence, claiming your money back in instalments during the third, fifth, ninth and twelve month of your contract. So although the monthly payments may be a bit more expensive in the first instance, the savings in the long run are incredible. So if you want to get your hands on what are, effectively the cheapest big data SIMO deals out there scroll down for all of the details. Or if you don't want the hassle of cashback, check out our best SIM only deals page for all the other options available. These cashback SIMO deals on EE in full:This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carbonite acquires Webroot for $618m Posted: 08 Feb 2019 09:06 AM PST The data backup and storage company Carbonite has announced that it has acquired endpoint security provider Webroot for $618m. The deal will allow Carbonite to combine the strengths of both companies to provide customers with automated cloud security software that has emergency backup already built in.
This would be a game-changer for the cybersecurity industry and the company's CEO Mohamad Ali explained how combining both companies products would benefit users to investors on a conference call, saying: “Imagine a product that not only secures your endpoints, but if something gets through, automatically recovers it by going back to an older version of your environment or an older version of an infected file. Nobody does this today. We have the opportunity to create a whole new way of securing and recovering.” Endpoint security with cloud backupCarbonite will use cash on hand as well as a $550m loan from Barclays, Citizens Bank and RBC Capital Markets to fund the acquisition which is its largest to date since purchasing Mozy from Dell for $145m last year. The company estimates that it will be able to generate $50m by selling to Webroot's customers while simultaneously saving $20m as a result of the acquisition. The fact that Webroot has built automation into its endpoint cybersecurity tool helps set it apart from its competitors in the space and was one of the main reasons Carbonite was drawn to it. According to Ali, other tools are capable of monitoring devices on a network for intrusions but they rely on human operators to take the next recovery steps while Webroot can take action automatically. The deal is expected to close by the end of March though Carbonite predicts the news will immediately start to boost the earnings of the combined companies. Via Xconomy
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| Best 55-inch 4K TVs 2019: the best medium-sized screens for any budget Posted: 08 Feb 2019 08:42 AM PST Looking for the best 55-inch TV out there? TechRadar has you covered. In this buying guide we'll take you through what to look for in your new 55-inch television, and the latest and greatest models waiting to be taken into your home. 55-inch is the goldilocks of TV sizes: not as compact as the 40-inch TVs, and not as super-sized as the 65-inch TVs either, the 55-inch TV occupies a great middle-ground between sheer size and practicality. Of course, if you’re looking for a superior home cinema experience, a bigger 65-inch or 75-inch TV is going to be the best for maximum impact. But a 55-inch set will still offer a sizeable picture for your movies and TV shows, without taking up every inch of space in your living room – as well as every penny in your paycheck.
Whether you already knew a 55-inch TV was right for you or we’ve managed to talk you round to the idea, you shouldn’t worry about finding one with the basics baked in. Most 55-inch TVs that are on the market right now will support 4K resolution, HDR and will have built-in smart TV services to boot. So unless you're looking at an old or very, very cheap model, you should find at least one of these features (and usually all three). That means that to make your decision about which 55-inch 4K TV to buy, you’ll need to focus on the model you want, as well as how much cash you're willing to part with to give your home entertainment setup an upgrade. You'll also need to consider whether you'd prefer the unrivalled brightness of LCD or the cinema-beating black levels and deep contrast of an OLED. Granted that’s a lot to consider, but we're here to point you towards some of the best 55-inch 4K TVs available to buy. All the sets listed below have been tried-and-tested by our expert reviewers, and you can click through to read the full reviews for more about the pluses and minuses of each model. There is a clear winner in the 55-inch 4K TV game, and it’s the LG C8 OLED – available in a 55-inch version as well as a 65-inch. This year's TV offers a boost on the hardware side compared to last year's C7, with a new Alpha9 Processor boosting the TV's High Frame Rate content and offering a significantly larger Look Up Table (LUT) to help the TV more accurately re-create images. While there are other OLEDs worth considering in 2018 (see: Sony's A1E OLED or LG's B8 and E8), we think this is the best 55-inch 4K TV for the price. Read the full review: LG OLED55C8 This was the first 2018-series high-end TV we reviewed, and we were immediately impressed. The Sony XBR-55X900F is an LCD TV, but in most conditions you get OLED-like black performance thanks to excellent local dimming with minimal halo-ing. This year Sony has improved brightness and motion handling. It makes the most of HDR, and retains more detail when there's motion on screen. The Sony XBR-55X900F is also significantly less expensive than most OLED TVs – you get top-end performance on a more sensible budget. Like the 2017's Sony BRAVIA XBR-65X900E the set uses Android TV, which is flexible but can feel slow at times. However, the balance of cost and image quality is spot-on. In the UK this TV is knows as the Sony KD55XF9005. Read the full review of the 65-inch version: Sony XBR-65X900F If you had deep pockets and a checkbook filled with blank checks, we'd tell you to reach deep and shell out for only the best TVs on the market – LG's crazy-thin OLED W8 or Samsung's ultra-bright Q9FN QLED. That's not really realistic, though. For the vast, vast majority of us, our budget to spend on a TV is limited to somewhere under $1,000 (and often less than that). To that end, it's absolutely fair to say that the TCL 6-Series is the best TV you can possibly get in this price range. Its performance-per-dollar is unmatched, and its picture quality – despite a few minor flaws – will truly impress you. Read the full review: TCL 6-Series (R615, R617) Buy a B&O TV and you don’t just get high-end image quality: the B&O BeoVision Eclipse is also a design statement. It has an integrated 450W, six-driver soundbar and a motorized stand that lets you tilt the screen to suit your viewing position. It’s a stunning floor-standing TV (rather than one you mount on the wall). The display itself is an OLED made by LG. You get the similar image quality and the same software, WebOS, as one of LG's own sets. That means perfect black and excellent color, if not quite as strong motion handling as the very latest high-end Sony LCD TVs. If you're not bothered about the B&O magic sprinkled on the Eclipse, you'll see similar image quality with one of LG's latest OLEDs. However, this is one TV you can't just boil down to its image versus the price: it offers a different experience, and a different look, to any other TV out there. The price? You'll need to cough up $9,995 (£7,495, AU$13,990). Read the full review: B&O BeoVision Eclipse It might seem ludicrously expensive, but Sony’s 55A1E – and the A1E OLED series in general – are phenomenal devices in just every way imaginable. Their ‘picture only’ design has been gorgeously brought to life, somehow managing to be simultaneously subtle and dramatic. This set even delivers on sound performance through their unique screen vibration technology. Where the A1E really shines, though, is its ability to deliver pictures that are beautifully colorful, rich in contrast and exquisitely detailed. These prove once and for all what we’ve long suspected: more manufacturers incorporating OLED technology can only be a good thing. Read the full review: Sony Bravia OLED A1E Samsung was the first brand to introduce an HDR-compatible screen way back in 2015, but it's not been sitting back and taking it easy since. It's latest flagship, the QN55Q9F (QE55Q9FAM in the UK), is a perfect example of this. It ups the brightness to 1500 nits, 50% higher than the level required for UHD Premium certification, making it one of the brightest TVs we've ever tested, and a front runner in the 55-inch 4K TV category. Outside of an impressive-sounding number, this brightness has a real impact on the set's image quality. Detail is preserved in even the brightest areas of the image, and colors are exceptionally vivid and bright. That means even non-HDR content looks fantastic thanks to Samsung's SDR upscaling technology. No TV is perfect: the Q9F can occasionally suffer from some backlight clouding around bright objects, and some settings cause color striping in HDR colors, but in all other respects this is one of the best televisions around at the moment. Read the full review: Samsung Q9F QLED TV AV enthusiasts living in the UK have it good. Not only do you have access to great OLEDs from Sony and LG, but Philips and Panasonic each have their own line of infinite contrast screens that are exclusive to your neck of the woods. Of them, one of our favorites is the Philips 55POS901F: a gorgeous-looking 55-inch TV built around an OLED panel. The screen makes a stunning first impression thanks to the radiance of its three-sided Ambilight system and the gleaming metallic purity of its bodywork. It’s much more than just a pretty face, though. By the time you've added to the 55POS901F's heady 4K HDR picture mix OLED's ability to be watched from wider angles than current LCD TVs, without losing color and contrast, you have on your hands one of the best TVs on the market, even in the especially competitive 55-inch screen space. Read the full review: Philips 55POS901F If OLED displays seem too expensive, LG might just have your plan B. The LG OLED B8, like the OLED B7 before it, offers a great entry point into the OLED display technology. It's exactly the same OLED panel as the more advanced W8, C8, or E8 televisions from LG, so even if it's the runt of the litter, you're still getting some serious OLED contrast levels at more affordable price. The B8 has stuck with last year's processor while the rest of the family get an upgrade, but you're still getting a great base level of image quality. The body of the set has also been slimmed down to only 1.85 inches, seemingly without impacting on the sound quality from its built-in speakers. If you're looking to get a taste of OLED for a good £200 / $200 less than the C8, the B8 is still an example of great image quality and gorgeous design. Get on that OLED ladder. Read the full review: LG OLED B8 (OLED55B8, OLED65B8) Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best 65-inch 4K TVs 2019: the best big screen TVs for any budget Posted: 08 Feb 2019 08:30 AM PST Sometimes 55 inches just isn't enough. TV viewers are expecting bigger, more impressive displays than ever, and the fleet of high-spec 65-inch televisions hitting the market are set to satisfy that. TV makers tend to save their best processing and panel technology for the truly big screens too, so if you're investing in a 65-inch set, it's likely you're getting the best the company has to offer. The massive screen size will be a problem for some – not to mention the price tag that usually come with it. But if you want to know the very best 65-inch TVs from the likes of Samsung, LG, and TCL, we've put together our extensive list of the top ten 65-inch TVs current available to buy. Most of the sets below will have launched last year – 2019 has barely started, after all – though new models arriving throughout the coming year. If you can't wait for a new model or a price drop on any listed below, then go ahead. But if you want to get the very latest bigscreen tech into your home, we'll be updating this guide as new market-leading TVs are released.
Not only are there upcoming new models to consider, but there’s also the monster size. After all, a whole 65 inches of TV display won't fit well into every home (and won't fit at all in some). So if 65-inches is a little too big, then go down to a 55-inch TV. That way, you can save yourself some money by sacrificing some screen size real estate. But assuming you’ve done the math and the measurements and a 65-inch TV will a) fit into your home and b) not break the bank when you buy it, then there’s still a lot to consider. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure out which 65-inch model is for you. Best 65-inch TV sets: making a choiceThe sets in this list give you a wealth of choice at the popular 65-inch TV size, but as we've said, sometimes a lot of choice gets confusing. That's why we're here to try and help you answer the question: which one is right for you? Currently, our favorite 65-inch 4K TVs are LG's series of OLED TVs, boasting exceptional black levels and premium HDR in the form of Dolby Vision. On the other hand, they aren't the best option for brightly lit rooms. If your living room's ratio of windows to doors is too high, you might want to consider Samsung's QLED TV series for your 65-inch 4K TV purchase instead. In comparison to the LG mosels, these are bright and colorful, and pack in technology that helps them cope with overly bright environments. Of course, Sony TVs come with both OLED and LED panels, and you can't go wrong with these either – so you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking out the best 65-inch TV set. Don't forget 60-inch TVs either – we haven't highlighted any in particular in this list, but you still get a decent-sized set, all the benefits of a 4K resolution, and the usual set of smart TV features too. Oh, and they're cheaper. As you consider what you can afford, how bright your room is and where it'll look best in your living room, let's take a look at our favorite 65-inch 4K TVs right now. Each one in this list has been tested and approved by our expert team of reviewers, so you can make a well-informed decision. 65-inch LG OLED65C8 The big question this year for 65-inch 4K TV buyers with money to spend is QLED or OLED? QLED is Samsung's LCD-based screen tech, while LG makes not just the panels for its own OLED TVs but the other makers too. An OLED like the OLED65C8 is hard to beat for a cinema-like environment. This 65-inch TV actually has much better contrast, and probably color, than your local cinema screen. It uses WebOS software too, which just about the best smart TV interface out there in our humble opinion. Cinematic images, smart software and slick design – what more could you want? Well, as you're asking, Samsung's QLED TVs are much brighter (which does wonders for HDR), and their motion handling is a little better too. However, for the image quality fundamentals of color and contrast, the LG OLED65C8 still wins in our opinion. This TV is so high up our list for its practicality, though. It costs less than other OLEDs, or Samsung's top QLED, which makes it our top choice. Read the full review: LG OLED65C8 65-inch Samsung 65Q9FN The Samsung 65Q9FN deserves bold statements, so here's one: this is the best LCD TV we've ever seen. It might be the best TV to date for some. Sure, it may not be perfect, but this is the closest you can get to a 65-inch TV that has it all. Its HDR images are amazing, and its upscaler engine makes content of almost all resolutions look great. The Samsung 65Q9FN uses direct LED lighting to avoid the halo-ing seen in older LCD TVs, while delivering blacks that, in most conditions, don't look too far off those of an OLED TV. Even the sound is the best that we've heard from a Samsung TV in years, so it's a strong all-rounder. In perfect cinema-style conditions you'll see deeper blacks from an OLED though. Sony's latest TVs have more advanced motion handling, and image quality does take a hit at an angle, so keep that in mind. However, you can't do any better at the moment if you want ultra-bright HDR images, as well as great contrast. Read the full review: Samsung 65Q9FN 65-inch Panasonic TX65FZ952B The Panasonic TX65FZ952B is perhaps the classiest OLED TV around – it comes with a clever soundbar, but detach it and the TV looks restrained and minimal. The soundbar also has a mammoth 12 drivers, for audio actually worth listening to. Picture quality is fantastic on this 65-inch 4K TV set, edging out LG's models with better handling of areas of shadow, which can look a little noisy in the LG sets. Not so here, however. On the downside, there's no Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision processing, which seems a shame when the audio and visual sides are otherwise so strong. The price also needs to be considered. At several hundred dollars (or pounds) more than the LG C8 or Sony KD-65AF8, you had better appreciate the extra magic Panasonic has put into this 65-inch TV's processing and calibration. Read the full review: Panasonic FZ950/952 65-inch LG OLED65E8 The LG OLED65E8 is similar to the LG C8 you'll find above. But why is it lower on our list of the best 65-inch 4K TVs? Let us explain. This is the premium alternative to the C8. It has a better speaker system and a more impressive-looking 'floating' stand design. However, underneath the gloss and audio improvements, you get more or less the same TV, with the same Alpha 9 processor. The OLED65E8 is a few hundreds dollars/pounds more expensive than the C8, so think carefully about whether the upgrade is worth it. We use a surround sound speaker system with the TV, so the benefits of the improved drivers are minimal. Read the full review: LG OLED65E8 65-inch Sony A8F/AF8 OLED There are nowadays a handful of choices if you want a 65-inch OLED TV. Sony, Panasonic and LG all make them, and each offers multiple options. In some ways the 65-inch Sony KD-65AF8 is the best of the lot. Its processing is excellent, making SD and HD look better than the LG competition, and this is largely down to great upscaling algorithms. Its motion handling is excellent too. And when you add that to the vivid color and flawless contrast of OLED, you're on to a winner. Be prepared for some frustration, though, because the Android TV software is awkward and prone to crashes (it's made us want to snap the remote a few times in the past). Like other OLEDs, the Sony KD-65AF8 can't go as bright as Samsung's latest QLED TVs either, making HDR look a little less potent. Check out the full review: Sony A8F / AF8 OLED Sony XBR-65X900F The Sony XBR-65X900F was one of the first 65-inch 4K TVs of 2018, taking over from 2017's Sony XBR-65X900E. Improvements include greater brightness, which improves HDR performance, and even better motion handling. In fact, we doubt you'll find smoother motion handling on any other set. Image quality is also fantastic, with great black depth and insight – even SD content looks good. As this is an LCD you don't quite get the perfect blacks of OLED, but it gets as close as LCD can. Like previous Sonys, the Sony XBR-65X900F uses Android TV, which can be frustrating at times. However, it does give you access to masses of apps, games and streaming services. Sound quality has improved too, although this TV's speakers won't, of course, make an action movie's explosions shake your floorboards. In the UK this 65-inch TV set is known as the KD-65XF9005. Read the full review: Sony BRAVIA XBR-65X900F 65-inch B&O BeoVision Eclipse Do you have serious money to spend? No other 65-inch 4K TV makes the visual impact of the B&O BeoVision Eclipse. It has a motorized stand that tilts the screen to match your viewing position, and it has an oversized, ultra-loud sound bar built into the frame too. The B&O BeoVision Eclipse stands on the floor, not on a TV stand or perched on the wall (though there is the option to wall mount it). B&O teamed-up with LG to produce this set, so you get roughly the same image quality and the same software as one of LG's top-performing OLEDs – that means stunning contrast and flawless black levels. Sure, a high-end LCD has higher brightness and more powerful-looking HDR, but the cinematic look of OLED is hard to beat. And the price? At $15,595 (£10,795, $19,990) this is the most expensive TV on our list of 65-inch 4K-capable sets. It's not for everyone, but is a piece of striking living room furniture as well as one of the best TVs around. Read the full review: B&O BeoVision Eclipse 65-inch Sony A1E OLED If you have the money to bankroll them, the 65-inch 4K TV 65A1E – and the A1E OLED series overall – are crowd-pleasers in just about every way. Their 'picture only' design has been beautifully realized, managing to be simultaneously subtle and dramatic. Meanwhile, their vibrating screen delivers a far more powerful and effective sound performance than we'd ever thought possible. The real stars of the show here, though, are the A1's exquisitely detailed, contrast-rich and colorful pictures. These prove emphatically what we've long suspected: more brands using OLED technology can only lead to good things for TVs in general. In 2018 Sony has replaced the A1 with the BRAVIA A8F, but the only real difference is the stand design. If you find this TV at a great price, jump on it, as it's still one of the best 65-inch TV sets on the market. Read the full review: Sony Bravia OLED A1E 65-inch LG OLED65B8 If OLED displays seem too expensive, LG might just have your plan B. The LG OLED B8, like the OLED B7 before it, offers a great entry point into the OLED display technology. It's exactly the same OLED panel as the more advanced W8, C8, or E8 televisions from LG, so even if it's the runt of the litter, you're still getting some serious OLED contrast levels at more affordable price. The B8 has stuck with last year's processor while the rest of the family get an upgrade, but you're still getting a great base level of image quality. The body of the set has also been slimmed down to only 1.85 inches, seemingly without impacting on the sound quality from its built-in speakers. If you're looking to get a taste of OLED for a good £200 / $200 less than the C8, the B8 is still an example of great image quality and gorgeous design. Get on that OLED ladder. Read the full review: LG OLED B8 (OLED55B8, OLED65B8) 65-inch TCL 6-Series Roku TV There's no doubt in our minds – the TCL P6-Series was hands down the best budget TV of last year in the sub-$1,000 price range. It made our Best TVs of 2017 list, as well as our Best 4K TVs of 2017 list, alongside OLEDs from Sony and LG, and QLED TVs from Samsung – all of which cost two, three, four or even five times as much as TCL’s budget-friendly series. If there was a downside to last year's models, one that could've and should've been fixed by year's end, it was the fact that the TVs were limited to one size – a paltry 55-inch screen. Worse, production couldn’t keep up with the heavy demand once word got out how spectacular those TVs were. Thankfully that's all changed this year and the TCL 6-Series is now available in a gorgeous, affordable 65-inch TV size that not only looks phenomenal, but goes easy on your wallet as well for a 4K screen. Read the full review: TCL 6-Series (R615, R617) Philips OLED 803 4K Philips has significantly upgraded the picture processing power of its 2018 OLED TVs, and the benefits of this new-found brawn can be seen writ large, with enhanced contrast and spectacular colors. The brand’s second generation P5 Perfect Processing Engine offers twice the picture processing power of the original, and that was a pretty impressive chip in its own right. The effectiveness of Philips second generation P5 picture engine may sometimes be subtle with real-world content, but it gives this 65-inch TV set an edge when it comes to playing 4K or HD in SDR. Buyers should weigh the visual benefits against the minor irritations, like poor catch-up TV provision, just two full-spec UHD HDMI inputs, and the lack of Dolby Vision. The Philips Hue-compatible Ambilight room lighting system, and the promise of an early Android TV updates, however, might just balance the books. With a competitive price point for the technology on offer, the 803 is arguably Philips most compelling OLED proposition to date. Read the full review: Philips OLED 803 4K HDR TV Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: The Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’ Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Samsung TV catalog 2019: here’s every new Samsung TV coming in 2019 Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Is it worth getting insurance for my iPhone? Posted: 08 Feb 2019 08:22 AM PST When it comes to phone prices nobody manages to push the limits with more staggering speed than Apple and its iPhones. Ever since the iPhone broke the £1,000 price mark, and added even more glass to the handset - which is also bigger and harder to hold - damage has been more likely. Turning your thoughts to iPhone insurance is only natural. So should you get your smartphone insured to make sure that glass is protected from drops, the device is covered for theft and, crucially, your hangover after a big night doesn't also have to be compounded by a lost phone without cover?
What's covered by an iPhone-based insurance policy?Cover will vary from policy to policy so be sure to check you've got cover for everything you need. The main things to think about are theft, loss and damage. But beyond that you might want to check the fine print to make sure it covers water damage specifically. Another factor is calls made after a phone is stolen - not all policies cover this either so you might want to check twice before picking a cheaper policy that may not cover this. If you want a replacement phone while yours is gone, then that might be another part of the policy you need to look out for and add. Who needs to insure their iPhone?Anyone with a relatively new iPhone could use insurance. Unless you have some way of never losing, breaking or having your iPhone stolen (and please let us know if you do!) then insurance is needed. That or you're rich enough to just replace it outright, of course. Some home insurance policies cover gadgets, but not outside the home. So you may wish to add your iPhone to that policy, but it will mean paying a greater excess on all your home insurance if you claim. How much will it cost to insure my iPhone?Prices will vary depending on what model you splashed out on. Typically you're going to be looking at a cost of between £70 and £180 per year. You could find a decent policy on a new iPhone XS or iPhone XR costs you around £100 for the year, or £10 per month. As that storage space and value goes up so too does the insurance price. Something the keep in mind when picking which iPhone to go for in the first place perhaps - insurance on an iPhone SE will be far less, of course. Not sure which iPhone to go for? Then see our expert guide on choosing the best iPhone. Insuring your iPhone with AppleRather than going for a third-party insurer, Apple itself does offer a level of cover itself called Apple Care+. This service won't cover you for loss or theft but it will help when it comes to damage. So combing this home insurance could be a smart combination to cover your iPhone for damage while protecting your policy rate. This cover will cost you an excess each time you claim but that's just £25 for a new screen, which can be claimed twice in a year. For any other damage that'll cost you a £79 excess (correct at the time of writing). Your best options for insuring your iPhoneYour options are essentially: home insurance, Apple Care+, third party cover, cover by your network provider or insurance from your bank. To find the best cover for you, check out our Apple iPhone insurance guide here. Want to combine insuring your iPhone together with other gadgets? It could save you money in the long run. If that sounds tempting, then head over to our guide on getting the best gadget insurance cover for mobiles, laptops, tablets and more. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Building trust in open source: a look inside the OpenChain Project Posted: 08 Feb 2019 08:00 AM PST Open source software provides businesses with a number of benefits including cost, flexibility and freedom. This freely distributed software can also be easily altered by any business that is familiar with its source code. However, licensing issues do arise which could present a major hurdle for an organisation's legal team. This is why the OpenChain Project was set up to help introduce common standards regarding how companies declare their open source efforts are compliant with licensing standards. TechRadar Pro spoke with OpenChain's General Manager, Shane Coughlan to gain a better understanding of how open source licenses work and to learn how the Linux Foundation is making it easier for businesses to take advantage of open source software.
Image Credit: OpenChain Image Credit: Linux Foundation
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| Best on-ear headphones 2019: our pick of the best supra-aural cans Posted: 08 Feb 2019 07:53 AM PST Best On-Ear (Supra-aural) Headphones: Welcome to TechRadar's guide to the best on-ear headphones you can buy in 2019. Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a classic right? Our favorite part, and the one that's most applicable here, is the part about the beds being too small, too big and finally, after a lot of trial and error, the one that was just right. In the world of headphones, on-ear headphones (also called supra-aural headphones) are the middle child between bulky over-ear headphones and diminutive in-ear earphones. For most folks, they're just right. Their name comes from the fact that their cushions sit on, rather than over, your ears. This means they're more compact and can travel with you without taking up a ton of room in your bag. Conversely, they're bigger and more comfortable to wear for long periods than in-ear headphones. The reason you'd pick this form factor over the other two is that you're a traveler, a commuter or a home listener who needs a bit of noise-cancellation without the bulk of over-ears. It's a winning combination, honestly, and a form factor that we've tested extensively over the years. To that end, and to help you pick out a great pair of on-ear headphones, we've put together a list of our top-rated on-ear headphone reviews, so that you can do all your research and make a purchase in one place. What are the best on-ear headphones?For your money, you can't do any better than Grado's SR60e. The third-generation of the Brooklyn, NY-based company's Prestige Series is its best and most refined yet. The SR60e in particular is a smart choice if you're looking for an entry-level set of headphones that sounds like it should cost you way more than it does. Their open-backed ear cup design makes them a more breathable experience than what most on-ear headphones can deliver, although this does mean that they're not ideal for use in loud environments where sound can 'leak' in and disrupt your listening. That said, in terms of pure sound quality, they're our gold-standard when it comes to on-ears. (Our review is for the SR60i, but the newer SR60e headphones are largely similar in design and performance) Read the full review: Grado SR60e [Update: We recently tested Grado's first ever wireless headphones. Check out our Grado GW100 wireless headphones review for everything you need to know before you buy.] There is a lot to love about the Philips Fidelio NC1 headphones: Not only are they a joy to wear and offer up great sound reproduction, but they're also one of the lightest and most compact ANC headphones around. They're best suited for frequent travellers who don't want to lug massive cans around with them all of the time but also don't want to compromise on sound quality. To that end, they offer superb sound that's balanced and warm and while I would love to see a wireless range, the cable offered in the mix is dextrous enough to not worry about it. Read the full review: Philips Fidelio NC1 In recent years AKG has dominated the budget and mid-range headphone space. While most other headphones at these price points chase after the bass-addicts, AKG has been content to stick to what it knows best; namely headphones that offer a balanced, refined sound you'd normally find in more expensive cans. With the AKG N60NC Wireless headphones the company appears to be stepping out of its comfort zone a little. The aluminium accented design is more flashy than AKG’s usual fare, and the noise-cancellation combined with wireless operation pushes the N60NCs to the upper end of the company’s normal price points. Read the full review: AKG N60NC Wireless The V-Moda XS are the perfect travel buddy for audiophiles. It’s balanced and detail-rich sound is a pleasure to listen to, plus, it’s built like a tank. While the bass could use a little more impact, we had little complain about the sound. However, that said, the XS has a loose fit on the head and barely blocks out any sound, which isn’t ideal for working out or for commuters. If you're a sedentary listener, however, these are great. In terms of competition, the Klipsch Reference On-Ear II are an excellent alternative that can block out more external sound. However, the trade off is the extended and exciting highs of the V-Moda XS as the Klipsch has more high frequency roll-off. Read the full review: V-Moda XS If you can afford the steep price, the Master & Dynamic MW50 will not disappoint. These headphones are a simply work of art and feel every bit as expensive as their price commands. They sound great with all types of music and are one of the most comfortable on-ear headphones we’ve ever tested. Those looking for value, however, will want to look elsewhere. Read the full review: Master & Dynamic MW50 The Klipsch Reference On-Ear II is the follow up to the previous year’s excellent Reference On-Ear model, a previous resident of this list. Admittedly, this year's model doesn’t change much in terms of design or sound – but why fix something that’s not broken? That said, Klipsch kept it simple with the Reference On-Ear II, concentrating on sound, comfort and portability that will please audiophiles. Only diehard audiophiles will even consider this wired-only headphone after looking at the price tag, but those who value sound and comfort above all else will be happy with the Klipsch Reference On Ear II. Read the full review: Klipsch Reference On-Ear II The Samsung Level On Pro Wireless are one of the few headphones we've tested that feel like they're meant as a package deal for another device. Yes they'll work with every Bluetooth and 3.5mm jack-equipped device on the market, but you're better off sticking to a Samsung device in order to squeeze every ounce of aural goodness from the UHQ audio codec. But it's one of the comfiest pair of cans on the market, and one of the best noise-canceling, too. If it had a better sound quality for the vast majority of cell phone users it would be an easy recommendation but it really makes the most sense at checkout when purchased alongside Samsung's Next Big Thing. Read the full review: Samsung Level On Pro Wireless Headphones The Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2 aren't the most feature-rich option, but in terms of sheer sound and build quality, they easily raise the bar for the competition to follow. They look fantastically stylish, and sound just as good. So long as you have the money, there's not much else in the on-ear market that can match this package. Read the full review: Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2 You, like everyone else, probably wants a set of headphones that nails the tricky blend of design, useful features and incredible sound. You might think that you need to flush your savings to enjoy such a pair of cans. Protip: you don't. The Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT are a well-built, great-sounding, long-lasting pair of headphones. Their features constantly outweigh their modest price and we can’t get enough of that 40-hour battery life. While technological advancements usually mean a premium price, that's just not the case with the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT. Read the full review: Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT While the Samsung Level On Pro Wireless are best paired with a Samsung Phone, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless come into their own when paired with an iOS device thanks to its W1 chip that makes for excellent wireless connectivity. At first glance, the Solo 3 Wireless appear almost identical to the Solo 2 headphones that proceeded them. The majority of the changes Apple made to its class-leading cans come internally, baking its mobile phone know-how into these headphones to ramp-up their wireless skills and maximise battery life. In terms of wireless performance, these $299 (£249/AU$399.95) headphones are as reliable as any out there. However, you can get significantly better sound quality at the price. (See: entries one through nine.) Read the full review: Beats Solo 3 Wireless
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| Apple HomePod 2: rumors, news, release date and more Posted: 08 Feb 2019 07:39 AM PST Following the yearly iPhone launch event on September 12, we still don't know much about what the next HomePod will look like. There's been speculation that the Apple HomePod 2 may actually be a compact version of the original, with the name Apple HomePod Mini being rumored. However, with no mention of an updated HomePod at September's launch, we just don't know whether Apple are about to bring out a bite-sized HomePod Mini to counter smart speaker rivals Google and Amazon. According to a Bloomberg report in July 2018, Apple could be looking to release the HomePod 2 in early 2019, which would make sense based on the release date of the original HomePod. The original Apple HomePod has been on sale since February 2018 and has so far been met with mixed reviews. While many people praised it as a speaker, when it comes to its capabilities as a smart home hub, there are those who question whether it’s worth its rather high price point. With reports claiming that sales aren’t doing particularly well, the stage could be set for a HomePod Mini, and though Apple is yet to make any kind of confirmation we have heard a few whispers about it – a cheaper and smaller HomePod could be exactly what the brand needs to draw in those who have yet to be convinced. We've already seen how well the Google Home Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot have done, so it would make sense for Apple to follow suit. Regardless of whether it’s in the works or not, this is exactly what we’d like to see from the HomePod 2 or HomePod Mini if it ever comes. Cut to the chase
Apple HomePod 2 release dateConsidering the Apple HomePod 2 hasn’t actually been announced yet and there isn’t really any kind of historical pattern when it comes to previous releases for this this product, making a guess on a release date is tricky. We're also not yet certain whether the new HomePod will be full-sized, or a mini version of the original. We were surprised not to hear any details at Apple's yearly iPhone launch, which kept the smart home news limited to a HomePod OS update coming on September 17, with new search features, multiple timers, and additional Siri languages. There have been rumors this year that we could see the product released before the end of 2018 – but we’re taking this information with a pinch of salt until Apple makes an official announcement. Bearing in mind that Samsung has its own smart speaker on the way in the form of the Galaxy Home, Apple might want to make its next move sooner rather than later. Apple HomePod 2 and Apple HomePod Mini news and rumorsThere’s not exactly a glut of HomePod 2 or HomePod Mini rumors out there but there have been a couple of reports worth picking up on. Face ID and 3D gestures A recently filed patent by Apple suggests that the second generation smart speaker could support Face ID. According to MacRumors, the patent describes a "countertop speaker" that could "identify users in the vicinity of the speaker using facial recognition, as well as measure the distance of users [in relation] to the speaker". The patent also explained the countertop speaker would be kitted out with "various sensors and cameras that gather hand gestures and other three-dimensional gesture input." Beats branding One of the more recent rumors around a new HomePod came from a Chinese tech firm called Sina, stating that there could be a cut-price HomePod with Beats branding in the works. We haven’t seen a great deal of Beats-branded releases since Apple purchased the company in 2014, so this might be a chance for Apple to revive the name while repositioning the reportedly floundering HomePod to a brand new (perhaps younger) audience. According to the report, the new HomePod would cost around $199 (about £150, AU$260), which is in line with previous rumors and would go some way to combating criticisms of the speaker’s high price point. This is a report which should, however, be taken with a fistful of salt. The first report of a Mini HomePod Back in March 2018, only a month after the HomePod’s release, there was a report from Economic Daily that Apple was planning to release a more affordable HomePod at some point in 2018. It was rumored that this cheaper HomePod would launch in the US in the second half of 2018 for around $200 (around £145, AU$260), which is significantly lower than the device’s current $349 / £319 / AU$499 price point. In this report it wasn’t made clear how Apple was actually planning to lower the price of its speaker, but a brand new and smaller Apple HomePod Mini could be a way to do this. You've seen the rumors that the Apple HomePod 2 could actually be a HomePod Mini, but either way, here are the things we'd like to see from the new version: Bluetooth connectivity Sure, smart speakers are all about voice controls, and the fact that they’re standalone devices that don’t need to be hooked up to another audio source in order to playback tunes and podcasts. But, sometimes, a few added options are just convenient – especially if you’re trying to play back a track that, for whatever reason, can’t be found on the smart speaker’s streaming service of choice. It may not be cutting edge in the smart speaker world, but there’s still the odd occasion when Bluetooth connectivity would be useful – and in the case of a HomePod 2 or HomePod Mini being tied to Apple Music, that’d be particularly useful for anyone looking to access, say, Spotify streaming. Which brings us onto our next point… Open access to other music services If you buy one of the current Apple HomePod speakers, you’re essentially locking yourself into Apple’s audio ecosystem. So, iTunes purchases aside, that’s $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 a month for a single Apple Music streaming account, or $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99 for a family account. That’s fine if you’re an iPhone-owning Cupertino disciple, and Apple Music is a fine service definitely worth investing in. But, if you’ve already committed to Spotify or Google Play Music or any of the other myriad smaller streaming options, that could be a frustrating restriction. By knocking a few bricks out of its walled garden and letting other services have a look in could give a new Apple HomePod a user base boost – and it could be paired with incentives to jump to Apple Music, if Apple played a savvy long-game. More color options The Apple HomePod is certainly an attractive speaker, with its fabric mesh covering and cylindrical size subtle enough to fit among many decors. But that’s not always what you’re looking for – sometimes you want a gadget that separates you from the pack, as evidenced by Apple’s Beats headphones. That brand has been built around bold colorful designs, and if the rumors that the HomePod 2 or HomePod Mini is to feature Beats branding prove to be true, we’d like to see the speaker embrace Beats’ colorful aesthetic as well. Better Siri performance Apple’s HomePod does well on sound but when it comes to smarts it’s somewhat lacking. Compared to Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, Siri is rather limited in what it can do for you as a smart home hub. This isn’t great considering it’s one of the most expensive smart speakers on the market, and Siri is your main means of controlling it. With that in mind, we’d love to see better Siri performance in a new HomePod iteration when it comes to performing commands quickly and accurately. There are rumors that Siri will be cut from the device entirely to save on cost, but we’d rather see some improvements. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Microsoft publicly puts Internet Explorer on death notice Posted: 08 Feb 2019 07:37 AM PST If you’re still using Internet Explorer (IE) on your computer, stop it. This is the overwhelming gist of a blog post published by Microsoft speaking primarily to IT professionals, but its message ultimately reaches end users like us. The blog post is titled “The perils of using Internet Explorer as your default browser,” and goes on to detail how using this dated web browser creates what’s known as “technical debt” within businesses. Technical debt collects all of the implied costs of additional work caused by opting for easier or incumbent technology solutions rather than adopting modern tools that would take longer to implement but solve more problems long term. Because IE isn’t even considered by a growing majority of web developers, people and businesses using the browser to access modern websites are at an inherent disadvantage. Certain materials or features won’t even be available to them on modern websites through IE today.
In fact, Microsoft’s Chris Jackson even refers to IE as a “compatibility solution” rather than a true web browser in the closing arguments of his post. And, that’s how the company has been treating IE for several years, at least since the debut of Windows 10, yet apparently far too many businesses are still relying on the app. But, what’s the alternative?The issue with Microsoft’s missive regarding the perils of using IE in 2019 is that the alternative that it presented with the launch of Windows 10, Edge, may work just fine for most end users, but it runs on different standards than the most popular browser today, Google’s Chrome, as well as others such as Mozilla Firefox. That’s why Microsoft is finally rebuilding its Edge browser to run on Google’s Chromium backend web standards. This will make the browser more immediately compatible with the rest of the internet, but critics of the move say this will also cede a bit more control to Google regarding common web standards. It’s unknown currently when that change will be implemented, but the upcoming April 2019 Update is a safe bet. The technology world at large has been trying to send IE off to the farm for years, but this message from Microsoft is the strongest yet that it plans to do the deed itself soon enough. Prepare yourselves for the end of an era … and start using a decent web browser already.
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| Apple HomePod 2 could support Face ID Posted: 08 Feb 2019 07:28 AM PST Details about the rumored Apple HomePod 2 have been thin on ground so far, but a recently filed patent by Apple suggests that the second generation smart speaker could support Face ID. According to MacRumors, the patent describes a "countertop speaker" that could "identify users in the vicinity of the speaker using facial recognition, as well as measure the distance of users [in relation] to the speaker". So, while Apple hasn't explicitly named the HomePod 2, a Bloomberg report in July 2018 suggested that Apple could be looking to release the HomePod 2 in early 2019, so it would make sense if the patented tech was designed for a second gen smart speaker. Having Face ID built into the Apple HomePod 2 could provide an additional layer of security for users, as well as allowing for multiple user profiles, with each user identified via facial recognition.
The patent also explained the countertop speaker would be kitted out with "various sensors and cameras that gather hand gestures and other three-dimensional gesture input." If the countertop speaker mentioned in the patent really is the HomePod 2, it may be possible to control it by waving or clapping for example, with no need to actually touch the device itself. According to the patent, the smart speaker could have LEDs woven into the fabric to provide "visual feedback for the hand gestures," as well as being configured to "display alphanumeric characters through the fabric that change depending on time of day". So, it sounds like the HomePod 2 could potentially double up as a clock. Sounding emotionalMacRumors also identified a rather unusual potential feature of the Apple HomePod 2 in the patent – an "emoji-based avatar that would adapt to a user's mood or actions," perhaps even mirroring your emotions. Like any patent, it's not guaranteed that any of this technology will ever be rolled out to the public, or even if it applies to the rumored Apple HomePod 2 – and with no release date confirmed, we are as in the dark as ever (despite the promise of LEDs).
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