Apple : The best student laptops: all the best options for school |
- The best student laptops: all the best options for school
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| The best student laptops: all the best options for school Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:15 PM PDT School isn’t cheap. Books, tuition, accommodation and even food can add up. But, you shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on the best laptops for students. In fact, student laptops will be budget-minded devices that have great style and plenty of power, but they’ll do it without charging an arm and a leg. However, when you’re buying textbooks and ramen, saving up for a shiny new laptop can be quite hard. So, the best student laptops will put value above having the best processors and graphics cards. You won’t be limited to Windows 10, either – the best Chromebooks are some of the best laptops for college students, as you can get all your work done while saving hundreds of dollars. School can get stressful, trust us, we know – but that’s why you should make sure you only have the best student laptops. No one wants the added stress of running around campus with a dying laptop – especially when you’re in the middle of a project. So, we gathered up some of the best laptops for students, because no one should be limited to some old clunker just to get some work done. Here at TechRadar, we love it when a laptop can perfectly balance price and performance without any compromises, and the Huawei MateBook 13 comes closer to hitting that perfect balance than anything in 2019 so far. Thin, light, quick and affordable, this beautiful 13-inch Ultrabook will let you get all your work done in style, without dragging down on your wallet. The battery life is a little weak, but that’s a worthy sacrifice to make here – just carry the charger around with you. Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13 Once in a while, we’ll get our hands on a laptop that completely flips the script – the Huawei Matebook X Pro is one such laptop. Not only does it feature powerful, modern components like 8th-generation Kaby Lake R processors and 16GB of RAM, it’s also beautiful – incorporating all the latest trends in Ultrabook design. What’s more impressive, it manages to do all this while being much more affordable than the competition. This is what makes it one of the best laptops for students – you’re not going to get a more powerful laptop for less cash than the MateBook X Pro – at least until the MateBook X Pro 2019 gets here. Read the full review: Huawei Matebook X Pro
Dell’s flagship laptop has always placed among the best laptops – for college students, professionals and even casual, everyday users. But, the Dell XPS 13 2019 brings back the entry-level option, making it more affordable for college students again. And, Dell managed to fix our biggest issue with the XPS lineup – the webcam. The manufacturer has moved the webcam up to the top of the display, where it belongs, so your friends and colleagues don’t have to stare up your nose when you’re in a video call. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 While the first Surface Laptop was already one of the best student laptops, it was held back by sub-par performance, a lack of ports and Windows 10 in S Mode. With the Surface Laptop 2, however, everything is better – except for the ports. It’s packed with 8th-generation Kaby Lake Refresh processors, full-fat Windows 10 Home and a black color option. We wish it had even a single USB-C port, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be able to get all your work done in style with this laptop. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2 The way we look at it, the best laptop for college students will strive to hit a golden balance between price and performance, without looking like you pulled it out of your dad’s study. The Microsoft Surface Go, then, isn’t just one of the best Windows tablets, but it’s one of the best laptops for college students, period. Don't’ be fooled by the low power components, either – Microsoft has engineered this 2-in-1 to be able to keep up with your schoolwork without breaking a sweat. You can’t do much better than the Surface Go, especially if you’re on a budget. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go Dell’s XPS lineup has been among the best laptops for college students for years now, and the new XPS 15 is no different. Taking the approach of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, not much has changed year over year – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What you’re getting here is a reliable Ultrabook with enough horsepower to carry you through all of your coursework without costing an arm and a leg. While the entry level is perfectly fine for most people, you can configure this thing with up to a Core i9 CPU and 32GB of RAM, transforming the Dell XPS 15 into a killer media editing workstation. We just wish Dell would move that webcam. Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 The Microsoft Surface lineup has built a reputation for itself for being among the best Windows devices out there – gorgeous touch screens, incredible performance and long battery life. The Surface Pro 6 continues this tradition, even if it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. What you’re getting here is a speedy Windows tablet that can effortlessly turn into a laptop through the Surface Type Cover. You can get your work done and then effortlessly transition into break time. Read the full review: Surface Pro 6 College gets expensive – you can’t avoid it. That’s why the best laptops for college students will offer awesome performance at a decent price, much like the Lenovo Flex 14. At under a four-digit price, there’s something to be said about getting an Ultrabook that can handle anything the semester throws at you – and the Lenovo Flex 14 looks good to boot. You won’t find a better laptop at a lower price. Read the full review: Lenovo Flex 6 14 We were left waiting for Apple to renew the MacBook Air for years, as it languished with a 5th-generation Intel Core processor and an out of date, low-resolution display. Thankfully, those days are over. Apple has ushered the MacBook Air into the modern age, with 8th-generation fanless processors, a thinner and lighter design, and perhaps most importantly – a Retina display. No more do you have to compromise on modern features if you want an “affordable Mac”, and that makes the MacBook Air one of the best laptops for college students. Read the full review: MacBook Air If you’re not too concerned with cash, and you’re a macOS addict (we get it), the 2018 MacBook Pro is the most powerful MacBook that’s ever existed. With its impressive hexa-core processors, and up to a whopping 32GB of memory, this cupertino workstation will get you through whatever you throw at it. It also includes the much-improved third generation Butterfly keyboard that will not only be less distracting to the students around you, but will be less prone to failure if some dust comes within 10 feet. Read the full review: MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018)
Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:13 PM PDT Windows 10 S was first revealed as a standalone OS ind May 2017, but it faced some controversy upon release. Still, Windows 10 S Mode (as it’s now known) has evolved since launch, helping Windows 10 reach a whopping 800 million devices. And, a lot of the criticism boils down to the fact that it restricts users from installing third-party applications. But, since you can easily switch out of Windows 10 S Mode – for free no less – it’s a much more attractive solution. In fact, Windows 10 S makes sense for the right users and devices. For example, the Surface Go is an affordable device without a lot of horsepower, so a lightweight version makes a lot of sense. And, we’ve seen reports of Windows 10 running on a Raspberry Pi 3, which would make even more sense for Windows 10 S. We’ve also seen reports that Microsoft is working on “Windows Lite”, which should function similarly to Chrome OS. Windows 10 S Mode will also be able to take advantage of any Windows 10 updates, like the October 2018 Update (even though that update is being adopted pretty slowly), the upcoming Windows 10 April 2019 Update – though it may be delayed – and even the untitled 2020 update that just started beta testing. That means you get neat features like the April Update’s “Light Mode” and useful storage space tools, not to mention the possibility of playing Xbox One games natively. Windows 10 S Mode is a major component of the Windows 10 experience these days, so we thought it would be a good idea to dive in and explore everything the lightweight operating system can do. Be sure to keep this page bookmarked, and we’ll update it with any Windows 10 S news that shows up. Cut to the chase
Windows 10 S release dateWindows 10 S first launched on May 2, 2017, with devices using the OS trickling out over the following months. And, now, Windows 10 S is bigger than ever, a fact that we expect Microsoft to celebrate with new Surface devices at Tuesday’s press event – these lower-spec Windows 10 devices are more versatile than ever before. There are plans to allow Windows 10 S users to switch out of S Mode through a UI toggle, but that’s not available at the time of writing. Luckily, you can still easily switch out of S Mode – just head to the Windows Store on your device and search for ‘switch out of S Mode’. As for when we’ll see the switch get implemented, who knows? However, Microsoft may sneak it in at a later date – we don’t think it’ll appear in the April 2019 Update, though. Now, as for the reveal of Windows 10 S itself – Microsoft’s event invitation was titled ‘#MicrosoftEDU’, making no misgivings about its aims with the new OS. While Windows 10 S is not for individual sale, it is issued to IT administrators in education as well as laptops found in stores and online. It’s no coincidence that Windows 10 S is focused on the education sector, where Google’s Chromebooks are experiencing outlandish success. Windows 10 S priceWindows 10 S essentially doesn’t cost a dime. The cost of the lightweight OS is more than likely subsidized by hardware makers, assuming they’re not getting it for free. Basically, you don’t really pay for Windows 10 S Mode, instead you’re paying for the hardware running it (with, again, whatever Microsoft is charging its partners to license the software). Save for premium devices like the original Surface Laptop, you can find devices running Windows 10 S Mode starting at just $189 (about £146, AU$251) and cap out around $299 (about £239, AU$396). PC makers across the board, including Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo all have Windows 10 S Mode-powered devices in their stables. But, now that Windows 10 S Mode is a thing, it’s a toggle that doesn’t cost anything extra. Both Windows 10 Home and Pro S Mode users are able to go to the Windows Store and opt out of S Mode, though the conversion only works one way – out of S Mode – right now. Though, there will be a switch in the settings app of a future build, that will let users go back and forth. What is Windows 10 S?Microsoft intends Windows 10 S to serve as a lightweight, more secure version of Windows 10 for lower-end devices. While in “S Mode,” Windows 10 will only support apps that are downloaded from the Windows Store. This talk of a version of Windows that can only download Microsoft-approved apps is familiar, isn’t it? Microsoft believes it has mastered this approach since the turbulent days of Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 with Bing – both of which tried to position Microsoft as the sole provider of apps through curation. The good news is that this allows for a startup time of under 5 seconds as opposed to the 30 - 40 second startup time of Windows 10 Pro. Not only that, but configuring settings (such as Wi-Fi, webcam, etc.) across an entire classroom of students is as easy as inserting a USB stick in each of their laptops. Being in competition with Google’s Chrome OS, Microsoft has, of course, also positioned Windows 10 S as a more secure PC operating system. However, its resilience to viruses is mostly a side-effect of the inability to install apps not approved by Microsoft. Historically, Windows viruses have tended to erupt from untrustworthy internet downloads. Should you find a must-have app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 S you can switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Home or Pro by just going to the Windows Store and searching for “switch out of S Mode”. Microsoft used to charge a fee for this service, but now it’s free for everyone. Microsoft will also allow users that upgrade to Windows 10 Pro to move back down to Windows 10 S. And, now that Microsoft is rumored to be working on a Windows 10 Lean Mode, which will be even more lightweight and locked down. Oddly enough, the shiny new Surface Laptop 2 now ships with Windows 10 Home, not in S Mode like the previous. That said, what can you expect to see included in devices running Windows 10 S? Well, the Edge browser, OneNote and Windows Ink are all givens. The standard Movies and Groove Music apps, as well as Maps and Mail and Calendar are shoo-ins, too. Of course, we won’t see x86/x64 program support on a Windows 10 cloud operating system until 2019 when the aforementioned Polaris is expected to touch down and implement a ‘virtualization container’ for each of your favorite legacy applications. That means that, yes, should everything work out perfectly, there will be a Windows 10 cloud OS that can emulate the .exe’s of the past. Despite its constraints, Windows 10 S still features File Explorer, and although many of the laptops that come with the lightweight OS pre-installed may ship with smaller capacity SSDs, Microsoft’s forthcoming introduction of OneDrive Files On-Demand will make it so files can be stored in the cloud, but still viewed the same way as locally stored content. All things considered, there are still questions looming around in regard to the viability of Windows 10 S. Fortunately, as new developments emerge to (hopefully) address those criticisms, you can count on us to cover them right here on this page.
Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| macOS High Sierra news, updates and features Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:09 PM PDT Apple’s macOS 10.13 High Sierra launched two years ago now, and is obviously not the current Mac operating system – that honor goes to macOS 10.14 Mojave. But, because Mojave increased the system requirements by a significant margin, many people will be using macOS High Sierra for years to come. And, we can’t complain. Over the last couple years, macOS has become one of the best Mac operating systems to date – even if it did run into some security issues at launch. But, those launch problems are gone now, so macOS High Sierra is a great operating system, and will be for years to gome. But, beyond some time-saving photo editing tools and a whole new file system, macOS was initially criticized for just iterating on Sierra – much like Mountain Lion when it followed Lion. Still, just because the changes are relatively minor, doesn’t mean they aren’t numerous, so we’re going to explore everything there is to know about macOS High Sierra. Cut to the chase
Image Credit: Apple macOS 10.13 High Sierra release dateApple revealed macOS 10.13 High Sierra at the WWDC 2017 keynote, which is no surprise, given Apple’s tradition of announcing the latest version of its Mac software at its annual developer event. However, it wasn’t until September 12 that Apple revealed that High Sierra would launch little more than a week later, on September 25. There was a developer beta of the operating system you could enroll in leading to the final release, but that’s not necessary anymore – the final build of macOS 10.13 has been out in the wild for more than a year now. The final build of macOS High Sierra, 10.13.6 is available right now. Beside a few bug fixes, it integrates Airplay 2 into iTunes – though you will need to update iTunes to take advantage of it. You can download the update from the Mac App Store. More importantly, this update contains the bug fix that stops the Core i9 MacBook Pro from thermal throttling. Safari 12 is also available for macOS High Sierra users, which not only supports website icons in your tabs, but also has better security. Websites, for instance, won’t be able to track your specific Mac when using the native web browser. If you’re ready to jump to the next version of macOS , you can download macOS Mojave today. And, fortunately, we can show you how to download and install macOS Mojave. Image Credit: Apple macOS 10.13 High Sierra compatibilityLuckily, because macOS High Sierra doesn’t really shake things up, the barrier to entry didn’t change. In fact, macOS High Sierra has much more lenient requirements than Mojave, so it should be popular for a while. As long as you're on one of the following Mac models, you can upgrade to macOS High Sierra (if you haven’t done so already).
Bear in mind that if you want to take advantage of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) benefits posed by macOS High Sierra, you’ll need a Mac donning – at the very least – an Intel sixth-generation Skylake processor. Unfortunately, that discounts everything released prior to 2015, but on the bright side, everything else macOS High Sierra brings to the table is fair game. macOS 10.13 High Sierra featuresBeyond the Hackintosh users being reasonably worried about the newly enforced security checks on EFI firmware automatically implemented each week, Apple has revealed a number of awesome new features with macOS 10.13 High Sierra. One of these is the new and improved Safari, which will no stop ad-tracking and auto-playing videos in their tracks, along with Spotlight Search in the Mail app. Mail also gets the ability to display a split view for the compose window – and to make it even better, it uses up to 35% less storage space. Photos also sees improvements, with a better sorting tool. This is thanks to a better layout, improved facial recognition via neural networks, and improved syncing across all Apple devices. This all makes macOS High Sierra’s photo experience better than ever before. Image Credit: Apple Editing tools, too, have seen improvements, in turn making it easier than ever to enhance the quality of your photos without learning the ins and outs of Photoshop or Camera RAW. And of course, you can count on Instagram-like filters being a part of this. One of the biggest changes that comes with macOS High Sierra is with the file system. It’s ditching the HFS – which Apple has used for around 30 years, and is now using the Apple File System (APFS) instead. Every Mac that has been upgraded to macOS High Sierra will receive these file system updates automatically with the exception of those sporting Fusion Drives and older HDDs. Similarly, all new Macs will ship pre-formatted for APFS. To be exact, APFS is a 64-bit file system that supports native encryption and faster metadata operation. This may all sound a bit techy, but the bottom line is that this will make your Mac feel a lot faster, while also being more secure and more transparent about the nature of your files and folder contents. Unfortunately, this comes with the caveat of Apple’s confirmation that 32-bit apps will be discontinued in later versions of macOS High Sierra. The update also brings HEVC, or H.265, video compression to the Mac. Apple claims that this new standard can compress video files 40% more than the previous-generation H.264 standard. The end result will be faster video streams at higher resolutions – ahem, 4K – and smaller video files sizes when stored locally. Image Credit: Apple VR finally comes to the MacOne of the biggest bits of news surrounding macOS High Sierra is that it will finally bring support for virtual reality headsets officially. Namely, the HTC Vive and Steam VR will work with Macs running the new OS this autumn. However to use such a device, you’ll need at least a 5K iMac or MacBook Pro – or, any Mac that can run the new OS with an external GPU solution. Support for such devices comes part and parcel with macOS High Sierra, but won’t be an active function until later this year. The good news is that macOS High Sierra comes with a helping of refinements to its graphics API that make up for the scarce GPU support. Metal was a step forward for hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, but with Metal 2, Apple promises less strain on the CPU as well as proper machine learning and better Xcode profiling/debugging in macOS High Sierra. Perhaps more important, though, is the fact that MoltenVK was recently brought to Mac by Khronos Group. An implementation of the open-source Vulkan API, it’s said to bring frame rate gains of up to 50% in Dota 2. As it’s cross-platform, too – being supported by Windows and Linux as well as Apple’s devices – MoltenVK is likely to be more widely adopted by creators. Image Credit: Apple
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this report This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best wireless routers 2019: the best routers for your home network Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:07 PM PDT These days, everything we do is online: our work, our play, even our socializing. So, it’s never been more important to go out and pick up one of the best wireless routers. Whether you just want to watch your favorite programs on Netflix, or top the leaderboards in the best PC games, no one wants a poor connection. That’s why picking up the best wireless router is essential. But, you might be tempted to angrily call up your ISP and demand the fastest internet on offer, rather than going out to get the best router. However, even the fastest internet connection in the world won’t do much good if you don’t have a wireless router that’s up to the task. So, whether you need a gaming router or a wireless mesh router, the best routers are critically important. However, you may be asking: what makes for an awesome wireless router? Well, there are a couple features you need to keep an eye out for. Both MU-MIMO and QoS (Quality of Service) will ensure that your online experience isn't throttled by your roommates. You should also look for a fast router – one with a rated speed of AC1900 should be just fine for most users. However, you might notice that there are hundreds of wireless routers out there, and it can get hard telling them apart. But, that’s why we here at TechRadar have picked out all our favorite wireless routers, from the Google Wifi to the TP-Link Archer C5400, so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. The days of traditional wireless routers are over – 2019 is the year of the best wireless mesh routers. Google Wifi is the best proof we can think of for this mesh revolution – you can finally say goodbye to the days when the only way to achieve wireless freedom was to install a bunch of wireless extenders. The premise of Google Wifi is simple – buy a set of points and place them in key locations around your home. Then, just scan a QR code and you’re good to go – it’s not just the best wireless router you can buy, it’s also the easiest to set up. Read the full review: Google Wifi If you know Asus, and more specifically its gaming products, you should know what you’re getting with the Asus RT-AC86U. This wireless router looks like what would happen if you poured Mountain Dew and Doritos into a wireless router manufacturing machine – it’ll definitely stand out wherever you put it. Beneath its garish design is hardware that, for its price, easily tops the competition. You’re not paying a premium here for a gaming device, and if you’re looking for a fast connection at a great price, the Asus RT-AC86U is a great wireless router, as long as you can stomach the aesthetic. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U When the Netgear Orbi first hit the streets, it completely changed the wireless router game. And, in 2019, Netgear is offering the Netgear Orbi AC2200 RBK23, a more affordable router for casual users that don’t need to cover a stately mansion. It features less antennae and ethernet ports than the original, but it’s still enough to offer very solid network coverage. Plus, the smaller size means that it can more easily blend in – you won’t feel the need to obscure it. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi AC2200 RBK23 Now that smart homes are becoming more and more common, we need wireless routers that can also serve as a smart home hub. This doesn’t just do wonders for convenience, but it would clear out some of the clutter made by multiple routers, modems and hubs. And, the Samsung Connect Home does exactly that. It’s not the most feature-rich wireless router out there, but it’s competitive enough with the Google Wifi, while still packing in the SmartThings hub that it’s still one of the best routers – especially if you have a ton of smart devices. Read the full review: Samsung Connect Home
If you’re in the market for a high-end wireless router that looks like it was a prop in some 90s Sci-Fi flick, you may want to look at the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2. Sure, it’s not a trendy mesh wireless router, but it’s unique in its ability to bridge consumer and enterprise users by featuring high-end functionality at an affordable price point – with easy setup to boot. It might look weird, but if you’re looking for a wireless router that’ll cover a large home, you can’t go wrong here. Read the full review: TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 If you’re ready to bring your office’s networking into the modern age with one of the best wireless routers, you need to take a look at the Netgear Orbi Pro. It’s a modular Wi-Fi mesh router, but it takes some design and performance cues from business-grade products. It’s not cheap, but if you run a business where you can’t afford anyone slowing down due to poor Wi-Fi, it’s worth every penny. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi Pro These days, wireless mesh routers are everywhere, and we love it – the level of coverage these routers offer is beyond anything we’ve seen in the past. And, with devices like the TP-Link Deco M9, we can see how wireless routers keep getting better. By integrating IoT smart home support, on top of industry standard speeds and coverage, the TP-Link Deco M9 is easily one of the best routers for smart home fanatics. It’s a bit pricey, but with all the features and performance you’re getting, it’s worth it. Read the full review: TP-Link Deco M9 If you’re looking to jump on the mesh wireless router trend, but you’re trying to save a few bucks, and don’t really care about some advanced tech mumbo-jumbo – the D-Link Covr-C1203 might just be the best wireless router for you. It offers the same type of coverage as something like the Google Wifi at a lower cost, but with slightly slower speeds – it’ll still be fast enough for most users, though. It also features an attractive triangular design, which should fit in nicely with your decor – you won’t need to hide it in shame. Read the full review: D-Link Covr-C1203 If you’ve been on the market for a wireless mesh router, but wanted to maintain control over your network, you’ll love the Eero Home Wi-Fi system. It’s more expensive than your standard router, but it allows users complete control over their network, while still providing a secure connection through AI. To make things better, the Eero Home Wi-Fi System includes subscriptions to 1Password, MalwareBytes and Encrypt.me VPN – which should keep everyone on your network secure. Read the full review: Eero Home Wi-Fi System It might be even more expensive than the Google Wifi for similar performance, but the Amplifi HD has a modern, clean look to it. Aesthetic doesn’t matter to everyone, obviously, but it does help prevent users from installing this wireless router behind objects that will obscure its signal. This is a wireless router that features excellent performance with stylistic flair to match – as long as you have the cash. Read the full review: Amplifi HD Joe Osborne, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article
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| macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:07 PM PDT Now that macOS Mojave has arrived on our Macs, bringing key iOS apps like News and Stocks to the fold, Apple’s OS is better than ever. This update also brings a system-wide Dark Mode and increased productivity through Finder. Apple has hinted at more iOS apps making it over to the best Macs in the coming years, but there’s plenty to love already. While macOS Mojave has certainly faced some issues, like KeySteal – a security exploit that makes your Keychain passwords vulnerable – the operating system is generally stable. We’ve had macOS Mojave on our Macs for months, and all the problems are getting patched out, and the ones that remain are outweighed by the benefits. So, now that we have macOS Mojave, we’ll dive into all the features the new OS offers, along with what’s coming, so you can decide whether it’s worth the upgrade in 2019.
Cut to the chase
macOS 10.14 Mojave release dateApple announced macOS Mojave back in June 2018 at WWDC 2018, where most of the features were detailed. This was followed by a public beta launch back in July, then finally the macOS Mojave launch on September 24 2018. And, now Apple has released macOS 10.14.4 in the wake of its March Special Event. This brings Dark Mode to Safari, along with the new Apple News+ service. This update was preceded by a patch that fixed the FaceTime bug that allowed people to access your camera without you answering their call. This is a minor update, to be sure, but it’s still critical. And, even earlier, Apple launched a supplemental update for the MacBook Air that boosted reliability. Then, Apple seeded the fourth developers beta for macOS 10.14.4. And, while 10.14.3 was a glorified stability fix, this update brings Safari Auto-Fill, which will let you auto-fill web-forms, secured by Touch ID. And, if you have Dark Mode enabled, Safari will automatically enable it for any supported websites. Keep it tuned, because we will keep this section updated with all the newest updates as they release. macOS 10.14 Mojave featuresSo, now that macOS Mojave has been out for a while, there are a ton of new features available to your Mac. And, we’re going to dive into a detailed overview of everything your Mac can do. From Finder improvements to more rigid security, the best Macs are about to become a lot better. Read on to discover all the new features coming to your Mac when you update to macOS Mojave. Dark ModeApple’s macOS Mojave introduces a system-wide dark mode, which will extend to every first-party program on your Mac. Even Xcode gets a full makeover, completely in black, making those extended programming sessions more comfortable for your eyes. Third party programs will also be adopting this new theme, with changes happening automatically for any app that uses standard colors through AppKit. Even developers that don’t use AppKit are working on bringing Dark Mode to their programs. For example, in a recent bug report, Google Chrome developers confirmed they’re working on a way to implement Dark Mode into the hugely popular web browser – they just have some issues to iron out first. Group FaceTimeInitially shown as part of the initial release of MacOS Mojave, Group FaceTime has finally been released as part of macOS 10.14.1. This feature allows you to have FaceTime conversations with up to 32 people across iOS and macOS devices. This feature is implemented in a way that makes it extremely intuitive in macOS Mojave. You can start a group FaceTime chat from any group iMessage thread, and invites will be sent via a ringless notification, so you won’t be disruptive. Once you’re in a Group FaceTime Chat, it will automatically detect whoever’s speaking and bring them front and center, so that you’re always looking at the person actively speaking. StacksIf your desktop starts to look like a virtual hurricane blew through it after a full day of work like ours does, your days of cluttered desktops end with macOS Mojave. With Stacks, macOS Mojave will sort similar files together so that you have a less cluttered desktop – photos with photos, pdfs with pdfs – it’s great. You’re even able to scrub through thumbnails with a two-finger scroll, so that you can make sure the file you’re looking for is actually in the stack. Gallery ViewIn macOS 10.14 Mojave, Apple has added a new Gallery View to Finder. This will let you quickly browse through, annotate and edit files. No matter what kind of file you select, you'll be able to quickly and easily find exactly what you're looking for. This is made even easier, thanks to Apple adding a very detailed metadata display to the Preview pane. This makes it easier than ever before to take note of all the information of any file on your Mac. And, thanks to the inclusion of Quick Actions in the Preview pane, you won’t even need to leave Finder to work on files. You should be able to edit images, add protection to files and more. You can even assign Automator tasks as Quick Actions to make browsing through files even easier. Continuity CameraHave you ever found yourself working on a project, and you needed to implement a document or a photo? Well, with Continuity Camera, it’s easier than ever to do just that. Across a multitude of different apps, like Numbers and Pages, you’ll be able to simply Control + Click in the body of the document, and select “Take Photo” or “Scan Documents.” It’ll then open the camera on your iPhone or iPad, where you’ll be able to take a photo and instantly pop it right into what you’re working on. It’s smooth, it’s convenient, and it’s going to be a boon for anyone that needs to save some time while doing schoolwork or that next big project. Markup in Quick Look and ScreenshotsQuick Look is already an easy way to look at files quickly, and in macOS Mojave, you'll be able to quickly and efficiently use Markup to edit files you open in Quick Look. Markup is also implemented into screenshots. You’ll be able to bring up any screenshot and instantly edit any content within. Being able to quickly crop screenshots in macOS Mojave without any third-party photo-editing software is going to be a huge time-saver. Once you capture a screen, you’ll see a preview image open up, similar to iOS 12, which you can click to preview and edit your screenshot. That's not all though, Screenshots are still a simple shortcut away, but with macOS Mojave, a new easy-to-use menu includes screen-recording tools, so that you can capture animated content. And, perhaps most importantly, you can choose to save the screenshot to your clipboard, saving time if you just need to send someone a quick screenshot. AppsApple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home are all brought over from iOS to macOS Mojave, with special care given to reformatting them to fit your computer. These apps leverage the power of the best Macs to deliver an awesome experience. Voice Memos, for instance, will automatically transfer any memos you take between your iOS and macOS devices – rewarding anyone who utilizes the ‘Apple Ecosystem’. This isn’t a full iOS app migration, though. In fact, since these apps are specially redesigned for macOS, they feel like new Apps. Plus, the new Apple News+ service is available on Mac the same day as iOS. Apple did say that it’d be bringing more iOS apps to Macs this year, so we’ll just have to wait until WWDC 2019. SecurityApple is concerned about your device security, and now macOS Mojave asks for permission with more features, now including the camera and microphone. Mojave’s security also provides more robust protection for your file system. Safari also has its own share of security enhancements, shutting down cookies that track you across websites, making sure Safari asks permission before it allows cookies of any kind to access your browsing data. This even includes those annoying social buttons that mysteriously appear on every page – Facebook and Twitter can’t track your activity outside of their own websites unless you grant them permission to. New Mac App StoreThe App store has been a macOS staple for years now, but it always seemed a little out of place. That all changes with macOS Mojave. Apple has completely refreshed the Mac App Store, and it’s now designed exclusively for the best Macs. Not only does it look great, but it also lets you browse through apps depending on what you’re trying to install. If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to Logic Pro X or Adobe Photoshop, it’s simple to find the best Mac apps for you. The new Mac App Store also adopts the iOS App Store’s approach to editorializing its content. It’ll now have a much more modern interface with featured apps getting tutorials, spotlights and other such content. It really does bring the Mac App Store into the modern age. And, perhaps more exciting is that a ton of third-party developers, like Adobe and Microsoft, are bringing their apps to the Mac App Store, so you don't’ have to go through dodgy websites to get the apps you need. macOS 10.14 Mojave specificationsUnfortunately, with all these new features, some older Macs will have to go without updating to macOS Mojave. This is a departure from macOS High Sierra, which basically had the same requirements as macOS 10.12. First off, macOS 10.14 requires at least 14.3GB of hard drive space for the installation, as that’s what was required last year. To keep it on the safe side, make it 20GB. However, macOS Mojave requires more powerful hardware than High Sierra. macOS 10.13 required at least 2GB of RAM and OS X 10.8 or later – that’s not the case anymore. These are the Macs supported by macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Unfortunately, while the required models rarely change year over year, they have with macOS 10.14, so if you have an older MacBook, you might need to upgrade to enjoy this new version of the OS.
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| E3 2019: Everything we expect to see at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:59 AM PDT No matter how it changes over the years, E3 is still the biggest event in gaming. Whether it’s held at a hotel, a convention center or somewhere out in Hollywood, it is the definitive industry event of the year, where gamers from around the world get together to see what comes next for consoles, handhelds, PCs, mobile phones and everything in between. That said, while E3 2019 has the heritage of the world’s most illustrious gaming convention, this year’s show will be a bit different: EA announced recently that it wouldn’t hold a traditional press conference and would opt instead to host several smaller live stream events, while Sony says it won’t be attending the conference at all.
If E3 is your go-to source for gaming news, that may raise a few questions: Will E3 still be the same? Is it dying? Does that mean we’ll all get a discount on a conference pass? The answers to all of the above, for now, are no. While we won't be sure exactly what’s going to be different about this year’s event until we get there, we can hopefully provide some insight - and some predictions - as to the games we’ll get to see at this year’s show. Officially, the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2019) will begin on Tuesday, June 11 and end on Thursday, June 13. Those dates, however, are just for the portion of the show held inside the Los Angeles Convention Center. In reality, the first big event of E3 2019 is the EA Play kick-off event that’s slated for Friday, June 7 at the Hollywood Palladium. While EA has told us not to expect a keynote speech, that Friday afternoon is the first time we’ll be able to play the publisher’s upcoming titles, as well as get some info about games coming out in the next year or two. Between EA Play on Friday and the opening of the show floor on Tuesday morning you can also expect a press event for Microsoft sometime on Sunday afternoon with a chance of Bethesda, Square Enix, Ubisoft and Nintendo announcing a keynote later. We expect to be in Los Angeles from Friday until Thursday, and gamers with an entry pass should try to do the same. FIFA 19 (Image Credit: EA) Keynote time: TBD on Friday, June 7 EA has an early lead going into 2019 with its plans already detailed on the publisher’s website. To that end, EA says it will be hosting its annual EA Play event from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9 with free tickets to be distributed shortly. While EA hasn’t told us which games, exactly, it’s bring to E3 2019, chances are good we’re going to see Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn Entertainment, as well as some addition to the Titanfall universe - either a second spin-off title or Titanfall 3. Speaking of Respawn, we’ll also likely hear about its plans to expand its successful battle royale shooter, Apex Legends. Elsewhere inside EA’s event we’re predicting that we’ll see announcements for the next version of the Madden, FIFA, NHL and NBA Live franchises, as well as another expansion for The Sims 4 that might continue StrangeVille’s story-first approach. Less likely but still possible are new games from EA’s DICE studio, the developers behind the Battlefield and Star Wars Battlefront games who have yet to announce a project for 2019, as well as projects from PopCap (famous for Plants vs Zombies) and Ghost Games, the new stakeholders of the Need for Speed franchise. Last but not least, BioWare debuted a teaser trailer for Dragon Age 4 at last year’s The Game Awards, and we expect to hear something about its development at EA’s event. Final Fantasy VII (Image Credit: Square Enix) Keynote time: TBD After the long-awaited release of Kingdom Hearts 3 in early January, Square Enix has been fairly quiet. What we know for sure is that Square Enix is currently working on Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Nintendo Switch, as it was announced during a Nintendo Direct earlier this year, as well as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition. Outside of those two games, it’s likely we’ll hear more about the next episode in Life is Strange 2, as well as DLC for Kingdom Hearts III. Less likely but still possible is the chance that we’ll hear about The Avengers Project that’s being developed by Crystal Dyamics and Eidos Montreal and Final Fantasy VII Remake which, back in 2017, switched developers from CyberConnect2 to Square’s in-house team. ‘But is it too early to hear something about Final Fantasy 16?’ Yes. Yes, it is. Halo Infinite (Image Credit: 343 Industries) Keynote time: TBD As of right now, Microsoft is the only one of the big three console makers that’s definitely going to E3 2019. That gives Microsoft a bit of an advantage if it decides to debut its next-gen Xbox codenamed Project Scarlett, and it might be the reason why Sony is avoiding the show altogether. While we’re still not sure exactly what Microsoft is going to show us in terms of hardware, chances are good we’ll at least see the new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition somewhere at the show, either on-stage during the keynote or, in the case it releases beforehand, throughout Microsoft’s booth on the show floor. We’ll also hear more about XCloud, Microsoft’s new game streaming service and new updates to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service which has grown immensely in the last 12 months. Less likely, Microsoft could have demos of the HoloLens 2 in a similar setup to a few years ago when it paired the hardware with a demo of Halo 5: Guardians, but that’s on the far fringes of what’s likely to happen. In terms of games, we’re predicting that Microsoft’s first-party studios should be there in full force with new footage of Gears 5, Halo Infinite and, as always, a new Forza title. Last year Microsoft announced the acquisition of several new studios including The Initiative, Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games, so hopefully we’ll start to see some of the projects these companies have been working on. Elder Scrolls VI (Image Credit: Bethesda) Keynote time: Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 5:30pm PT Regardless of Sony's plans, we now know that Bethesda will be holding a showcase event at E3 2019, close in time to last year's event. To that end, you can expect to hear more about the developer/publisher's titles starting on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 5:30pm PT. So what can we expect to see? It’s almost a given that we’ll hear updates for legacy titles like The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76, two of the developer’s largest MMOs to date, as well as the previously Doom Eternal from partner iD Software. In between bombshell announcements, we’re also likely to hear more about Bethesda’s free-to-play and mobile offerings like Elder Scrolls Blades, which is due out later this year, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends, a free-to-play card game that’s in the same vein as Hearthstone. What’s harder to predict is if Bethesda will show up with new trailers for the next hotly anticipated entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise, Elder Scrolls VI, and its ambitious sci-fi project, Starfield, that only received a teaser trailer at E3 2018… but we can hope. Keynote time: TBD Sorry guys, unfortunately Sony is skipping the E3 festivities this year and has said that it will instead find another venue to showcase the games and hardware coming down the pipeline. We’ll have more info on this shortly, but for now, we’ll just have to wait to hear more about The Last of Us Part II, Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima. Beyond Good & Evil 2 (Image Credit: Ubisoft) Keynote time: Monday, June 10, 2019 at 1pm PT (4pm ET, 9pm UK) Ubisoft will definitely be back at this year's E3. The developer-slash-publishing house has a lot on its plate for early 2019 including Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 as well as Trials Rising, both of which came out in the February-March window, but hasn't said what's coming later this year. The game we know the most about from Ubisoft that would likely be at this year’s show is Skull and Bones, the ship-focused combat game that looks to carry the torch from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft has yet to give us a solid release date for the game, but it’s likely that’s the sort of thing it’s saving for an E3 2019 keynote. It’s also likely we’ll hear more about Beyond Good and Evil 2 and potentially get our first look at the gameplay at Ubisoft’s keynote... but that could just be wishful thinking on our part. Beyond those two games, we’ve heard rumors that Ubisoft will announce three to four new AAA titles in between March 2019 and March 2020, but we can only speculate what’s to come. The only franchise that’s definitely not going to be there is a mainline Assassin’s Creed game as Ubisoft has said that it will be skipping a release in 2019. PC Gaming Show (Image Credit: PC Gamer) Keynote time: TBD If you’re a PC gamer, you won’t want to miss the PC Gaming Show, which will make its fifth consecutive return to the convention. We’re not sure what to expect from the two-hour event, but if it’s anything like previous years it will feature a number of indie games that wouldn’t usually get time up on the big stage alongside hardware announcements. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Animal Crossing (Image Credit: Nintendo) Keynote time: TBD While Sony won’t be at this year’s event, Nintendo most certainly will - first digitally in a Nintendo Direct that usually airs Tuesday morning and then physically when its massive booth takes over West Hall. In terms of what games Nintendo is going to bring with it this year, it seems likely that we’ll hear more about Pokemon Sword and Shield, as that’s due out by the end of 2019, as well as well as Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch, which was announced in 2018, and given a 2019 launch window. Fans of The Legend of Zelda franchise have the Link’s Awakening Remake to look forward to while fans of Mario will likely get a chance to play Mario Maker 2 on Nintendo Switch - as that’s due out sometime in June. Beyond those core games, we know Nintendo is developing Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Fire Emblem Three Houses, the latter of which should be available in August unless it’s delayed. Nintendo could also use the time to show off its next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character pack. There’s also this weird Nintendo Labo VR kit that maybe Nintendo should lose on the plane on its way to the show. (Kidding!) Keynote time: TBD Last but certainly not least, we couldn’t leave out Devolver Digital, who has confirmed via Twitter that it would be posting another off-the-wall pre-recorded keynote which may or may not involve fictional CEO Nina Struthers. Expect it to be just as weird as year’s. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best smart thermostat 2019: heating your home using tech Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:38 AM PDT Owning a smart thermostat is an important step to completing your smart home - not only will it simplify your life by intelligently warming and cooling you home, but it will save you money in the long run, too. The best smart thermostats learn your routines, like when you leave the house in the morning and when you go to sleep at night. You can control them from anywhere in the world through your phone, enable you to adjust temperatures room-by-room, and even let you control your heating using your voice. As with most technology, there are a wide range of smart thermostats, and different models each have their own particular selling points. In this guide, we've broken down the best smart thermostats you can buy from the biggest names in the business: Nest, Hive, Honeywell and Tado. For each smart thermostat, we'll explain their key selling points, and which particular environment each one is best suited to: You may value price over smarts, or want a smart thermostat that looks like a piece of art, rather than something utilitarian. Because of the nature of the market, a direct comparison isn't actually very helpful, so the units here aren't ranked by number according to our preference. Instead, we recommend each one of these smart thermostats – they're all great. It's up to you to decide which one is best for your needs and home. Nest is one of the biggest names in the smart home market, and for good reason. This Google-owned company delivers well-designed, easy-to-use products that are packed with serious smarts. The Nest Learning Thermostat (third generation) is renowned for its ability to learn your routines and adjust itself accordingly. This means that over time your heating system can actually adapt to suit your needs, without you having to do anything. It also benefits from location-based features that track where your phone is, and will turn the heating on or off depending on your location. But don't worry that it's going to turn off the heating and leave your guests to freeze when you're out, as its built-in sensors enable it to detect whether there's anyone at home. The main criticisms of the Nest Learning Thermostat are that it doesn't offer zonal control, and that if you're a tech novice it can be a little complicated to set up and use. The absence of zonal control means that while you'll be able to digitally control your property as a whole, you'll still have to manually adjust individual radiators. That said, if you're looking for a top-of-the range system Nest is a good way to go. Plus, with Google behind it, Nest is a good system to invest in if you're planning to build a wider smart home setup.
Hive is owned by Centrica, one of the UK's leading energy providers, so you can rest assured that you're in experienced hands when it comes to your heating needs. While the company may be British, Hive products have been available in the US since 2017. The thermostat itself is a collaboration between Hive and Swiss designer Yves Béhar, who's responsible for everything from the August smart lock to PayPal's brand identity. That top-quality styling makes the Hive Active Heating thermostat something you'll be proud to have on your wall. What's more, Hive has an excellent ecosystem, so you're able to control a vast range of Hive products using a single app. And its thermostat is no slouch, garnering our 'recommended' tag thanks to its simple interface and easy voice assistant integration. It's worth noting that, like the Nest thermostat above, Hive Active Heating doesn't support Apple's HomeKit, so it's best avoided if you're already invested in Apple's smart home ecosystem. With a small dial in the middle of its compact design controlling temperature, the Hive Active thermostat gives you the option of keeping things extremely simple, while being packed with features for those who want greater control of their system.
The Honeywell Evohome gives you total control over your home, with individual thermostats for each radiator enabling you to set an independent heating schedule for every room in your house. It's difficult to grasp what a difference this feature makes until you've tried it for yourself. If you live in a house where different inhabitants prefer a different temperature, or if one room always seems to be hotter or colder than the others, this system is going to be a godsend. What's more, it works with under-floor heating too, so even if you have a large and complicated heating system the Evohome gives you total control over all of it via an app that's a pleasure to use. The control panel and radiator thermostats aren't going to win any awards for design, coming as they do in plain white plastic, but that's not really the point of the Evohome. It's a simple system, without the bells and whistles of the Nest or Hive, but if you've got a complicated heating system that you want to control digitally, it's hard to beat.
The Tado Smart Thermostat should be brilliant. It offers the zonal control of the Honeywell Evohome, a slick design that rivals the Hive, and the geofencing smarts to match the Nest, but somehow it doesn't quite manage to pull all these features together into a cohesive system. It's seriously good-looking – by far the most attractive zonal control on the market – but the app is unintuitive to navigate, and compared to the incredibly user-friendly app on the Evohome, it's positively difficult. That's not to say it's a bad system – it's still comfortably a 4-star product, and we don't imagine anyone who buys the Tado regretting their purchase. And it's so close to being the perfect system – the one that mixes together the best features of other offerings. The problem is, it just doesn't manage to outshine any of its rivals. One thing that does make the Tado stand out in this list is Apple HomeKit integration – if you're the proud owner of a HomePod, or you're firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, this is probably the best smart thermostat for you. It's also worth noting that the things keeping Tado from standing out are all software rather than hardware issues, so these could well be addressed over time. The Tado Smart Thermostat isn't currently available in the US, but as Tado's Cooling system is sold there we'd be surprised if it didn't become available at some point.
If you like the look of the Nest Learning Thermostat but don't fancy shelling out the money for it, there's a cheaper alternative. It definitely looks cheaper – it's made of white plastic, with a white coating on the plastic screen that can make it hard to see the information being displayed – but it does echo the design language of the original Nest Thermostat, so you'll be more than happy to have it on your wall. As the Nest's smaller sibling it benefits from industry-leading smarts, lacking only the most advanced features of the premium model which most users are unlikely to take advantage of anyway. The Nest E is a great example of how to streamline a flagship product to make a cheap alternative without damaging the qualities that made the original great. Make no mistake, this isn't flagship quality for bargain price, but it's great value for what it is.
If it's available where you live, the Ecobee4 is well-worth auditioning for your smart home setup. Like other smart thermostats on our list, you can control the Ecobee4 using a smart speaker or smart hub – but, unlike any of the other entries, the Ecobee4 comes with Alexa built right in. That means, not only is it a great thermostat that can save you bundles on your energy bill each month but it doubles as a conduit to Alexa and its 10,000-strong library of skills. Besides being able to order pizza (yes, really) the Ecobee4 can be controlled wherever you are in the world – should, say, you forgot to turn that thermostat off before your international flight. While Ecobee may not have the same clout that Nest has garnered in the last few years, it remains one of the best thermostats on the market, bar none. OK, so not everyone needs another device with Alexa built-in. (We get it, guys, you can build Alexa into anything!) If you're in the camp of people with too many Alexa devices, the Ecobee3 Lite is the perfect solution - it's just the smart thermostat without the smart assistant. Now, that said, the Ecobee3 is still compatible with all the leading smart home ecosystems. (Ecobee was the first smart thermostat compatible with Alexa, believe it or not.) But if you want the all the extras, like room sensors that can detect temperatures in certain spots in your home, you'll have to buy them separately.
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| Consumer data loss sees major rise Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:30 AM PDT In preparation for this year's World Backup Day, Acronis has released new research into the data protection habits of users around the world revealing that 65.1 percent of consumers (up from 29.4% last year) have lost data as a result of an accidental deletion, hardware failure or software problem. The firm's 2019 World Backup Day Survey also showed that nearly all consumers (92.7 percent) are backing up their computers which is a 24.1 percent increase from last year and the single largest year-over-year increase. Director of Cyber Protection at Acronis, James Slaby explained how more consumers have lost data despite the fact that almost all of them have begun to backup their computers, saying:
“At first glance those two findings might seem completely incompatible – how can more data be lost if nearly everyone is backing up. Yet there are hints at why these numbers look this way in the survey. People are using more devices and accessing their data from more places than ever before, which creates more opportunities to lose data. They might back up their laptop, but if they did not back up the smartphone they just left in a cab, they are still losing data.” Consumer dataThe number of devices being used by consumers continues to increase with 68.9 percent of households reporting they have three or more devices including computers, smartphones and tablets. The increase in reported backups suggests that consumers are at least trying to protect their data. This year, only seven percent of respondents said they never back up their data while nearly a third of those surveyed last year (31.4%) did not back up their personal data. To protect their data, 62.7 percent of consumers keep it nearby, backing up to a local external hard drive (48.1%) or to a hard drive partition (14.6%). However, only 37.4 percent are using the cloud or a hybrid approach of cloud and local backups. Acronis' research revealed that consumers believe having access to data is the greatest benefit of creating backups though their lack of cloud adoption presents a disconnect because data stored in the cloud is more readily available than data stored locally.
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| Games with Gold April 2019: these are the free Xbox One games this month Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:09 AM PDT Looking for the latest Games with Gold titles? You've come to the right place. One of the main benefits of being an Xbox Live Gold subscriber is definitely the fact that each month you get access to a range of free games across the Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms. If you’re an Xbox One owner, backwards compatibility means you get to take advantage of the Xbox 360 titles too. This is a great way to try games you might not otherwise have played, whether because they're indie titles that slip under your radar or simply because you don’t have the funds to buy several games a month. Even if you don’t have the console memory or the time to spare right now, we’d say it’s always worth claiming them every month anyway as you’ll then have free access to them for as long as you have an active Xbox Live account. Looking for the latest free Games with Gold titles? You've come to the right pla be able to find the newest free games, as well as scroll back and see which games were featured in previous months. That way you’ll know whether it’s worth holding out for a game to appear in an upcoming Games with Gold month or if it's already been offered. Games with Gold (April 2019)Image Credit: Spiders Game The Technomancer - Available April 1 to 30 on Xbox One (usually $39.99, £34.99, AU$54.95) If you've missed mid-2000s BioWare games, check out The Technomancer. The game is a relatively straightforward action RPG with copious skill trees and rich, diverse environments. It's not quite up to par with the world of Jade Empire or Mass Effect, but it's not a bad entry in the genre. Image Credit: Bigben Interactive Outcast: Second Contact - Available April 16 to May 15 on Xbox One (usually $39.99, £35.99, AU$52.45) While the original Outcast is probably best known for introducing gamers to the concept of an open-world, we have Outcast: Second Contact to thank for overhauling the graphics and bringing a level of modern polish to the game. Unfortunately, not everything was updated in the remastering, so prepare accordingly. Image Credit: LucasArts / Pandemic Studios Star Wars Battlefront II - Available April 1 to 15 on Xbox One and Xbox 360 (usually $9.99, £8.99, AU$14.95) One of the best split-screen multiplayer games since GoldenEye or TimeSplitters, the original, Pandemic Studios Star Wars Battlefront II was a masterpiece of its era. The game featured battles in both the prequels and original Star Wars trilogies, and added new heroes and ship combat. For a younger generation that missed the game its first go around, this is definitely worth downloading this month. Image Credit: Ubisoft Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 - Available April 16 to 31 on Xbox One and Xbox 360 (usually $19.99, £8.99, AU$9.95) When it was released, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (commonly referred to at the time as GRAW2) was the pinnacle of the tactical shooter genre (suck it Rainbow Six). The set pieces had the feel of a modern-day Call of Duty, and the multiplayer was some of the best of its time. A worthy replay. Games featured previously in the program
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| The best Samsung Galaxy Watch Active prices and deals in March 2019 Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:09 AM PDT Samsung's announcement of its new Galaxy S10 phone wasn't the only new product information to drop. The tech retailer also announced its newest Galaxy smartwatch - the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. The newest Samsung wearable is available now for purchase, so we've rounded up the best prices and deals from several retailers below. As the name implies, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is focused on fitness, and its new design and features reflect that. The ultra-lightweight Galaxy Active comes in one size and features a 1.1-inch display. The fitness watch continually monitors your heart and will send alerts when an abnormal heart rate is detected. The Samsung watch can also help with your sleep and stress, analyzing your sleep patterns and sending you breathing exercises when high stress levels are detected. The Galaxy Active will also help you keep on track with your health and fitness goals by tracking up to 39 exercises and displaying your health summary on the smartwatch display. The waterproof watch comes in four different colors and has a battery that lasts for days on a single charge. Samsung Galaxy Watch pricesThe Samsung Galaxy Active Watch currently retails for $199.99/£229. The main reason the Active Watch is cheaper than the original Samsung Galaxy Watch ($329 / £279 for the 42mm model) is that the Active is missing the rotatable bezel, a core feature from the Samsung Galaxy Watch. So navigation of the menus and features is handled by the touchscreen and two side buttons. If you plan on using the Samsung watch just for fitness purposes, then the Galaxy Active is a great alternative at a lower price. You'll find all of the prices from several retailers below. You can also find out more about the Samsung smartwatch with our Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review. If you're interested in Samsung's newest phone you can find the best Samsung Galaxy S10 prices and deals in the US, and we've got you covered for UK pre-order deals of the Galaxy S10 too. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Now is the time to grab a top Samsung Galaxy S9 deal Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:09 AM PDT There has never been a better time to grab a top-end flagship smartphone for an affordable price. The Samsung Galaxy S10 has launched which means the S9 has been demoted to last-year's-model status. This is a very good thing for you. It means you can grab a phone with a stunning screen, superb camera and top speeds all for a price that really doesn't seem like it should be that cheap. This is largely thanks to a host of new deals, specifically from Tesco Mobile. You can now save a whopping £72 on the Samsung Galaxy S9, the larger Galaxy S9 Plus and the mighty stylus toting Galaxy Note 9. The deals go on but there is a catch, you need to be fast as this particular one ends on March 31. After that time there's no guarantee the prices will be as good. So why should you jump on this now?
Image credit: Samsung The phones available are brilliantly broadThere should be an option for everyone in this sale. For the media fan who needs a big display there's the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with its mighty screen and latest S Pen stylus. For those that want the screen space but don't need a stylus then the Galaxy S9 Plus is ideal. Then for those that still want a top-end camera and high speeds, but a more pocket-friendly display, there's the Galaxy S9. Should those phone options be too expensive, there is a more affordable option in the Samsung Galaxy A7, with a saving of £36 offered on this highly capable handset that offers Samsung's gorgeous Super AMOLED screen. Image credit: Samsung Tesco Mobile is a well-loved networkThe network offerings from Tesco Mobile are well appreciated by users with an impressive 98 percent saying they would buy from them again on the Reevoo Verified platform. On top of that there are great reviews from the likes of Ofcom, which has named the network the least complained about for the fourth year in a row. Also, uSwitch granted it four awards including Best Network for Customer Service, Best Pay Monthly Network, Best Value Pay Monthly and High Street Retailer of the Year. If all that wasn't convincing enough, Tesco Mobile has been a Which? Recommended Provider for a whopping eight years running. Image credit: Samsung Why the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and Note 9 are still great, even with the S10 hereYes the Samsung Galaxy S10 is the new gadget on the block and yes that punch hole display is pretty stunning – even the triple camera is something to shell out for. But the price is still high and when compared to the S9, S9 Plus and Note 9 there is still a lot to be said for these models. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a single lens 12MP rear camera but it does offer variable aperture of f/1.5 to f/2.4 and dual pixel technology, so the pictures are stunning. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and Note 9 both pack in dual 12MP rear cameras for super depth of focus, excellent slow-motion video and high resolution shots that perform well in low light. This is all thanks to an f/2.4 telephoto lens paired with a wide angle lens with variable aperture capable of going from f/1.5 to f/2.4. Adding the third camera on the new S10 model might get you even better low light shots and even more zoom, so that's something to think about when you decide whether to spend that little bit extra. The Samsung display is what this company is known for so whichever you buy it's going to look rich with bright colours and crisp detail. The S9 screen is a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED while the S9 Plus is larger at 6.2-inches and the Note 9 is the biggest at 6.4-inches. However, all three have the same resolution of 1440 x 2960. So no matter which you go for the detail will be the pretty similar. Image credit: Samsung What are the Samsung Tesco Mobile deals?Across all three top phones, the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and Note 9, the saving is £72 and that applies to whichever tariff you decide to go for. All tariffs come with 4G at no extra cost. Capped contracts let you pick your own tariff and add a safety buffer so you never pay more than you expect each month. Anytime Upgrade Flex is another nice offering from Tesco Mobile that lets you spread the cost of your phone across the number of months of contract you opt for, so you can pay even less up front if you need. You can also change your tariff down as well as up whenever you need to, and upgrade whenever you like. Tesco Mobile is powered by O2’s network, giving you 99 percent UK population coverage, and their Tariff Promise is that they won’t raise your tariff price mid-contract, so that’s one less thing to worry about. A good example is the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus on a 36 month contract which lets you get the phone with no upfront cost and then a payment of £29.49 per month that gets you 1GB of data, 5000 minutes and 5000 texts. Try finding a deal that good on a Samsung Galaxy S10. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The ultimate getaway: a complete guide to space tourism Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:00 AM PDT Main image: Is space tourism ever going to happen? Credit: Axiom Space Why go to space? Is it to see the panoramic curvature of Earth, watch a sunrise from space, or get some 'black sky time' and stargazing in daylight? The experience of orbiting the planet 16 times in each 24-hour period while traveling at five miles per second? Or to experience a few minutes of zero gravity after a 30-minute supersonic ride up to Kármán, the invisible line 62 miles up that separates the Earth and space? Whatever the appeal, space tourism is not new – the first space tourist paid US$20 million dollars to visit the International Space Station (ISS) in 2001 on a Soyuz spacecraft – but it's still a rarity; there are almost never more than six people in space at any time, all of them professional astronauts on the International Space Station. So how can you join in?
How to get to spaceHow a private citizen gets to space is, currently, pretty simple: you acquire many millions of dollars, call Space Adventures and go to Star City near Moscow to embark on a 12-week training regime. Then you get into a Soyuz-TMA spacecraft and blast off for a week-long stay on the ISS. However, there may soon be more choice. SpaceX's Crew Dragon 2 and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner are on the cusp of tests to take astronauts into space for NASA and others, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity is getting closer to space, and thre are some ultra high-altitude balloons in the works, too. Currently the only way to get to space in on board a Soyuz rocket, lifting off from Kazakhstan. (Image credit: NASA) There may also one day be more choices of places to visit, with a brief trip to space or a 10-day stay on the ISS not the only possible option. SpaceX recently postponed its plans to fly tourists around the Moon on a Falcon Heavy rocket until at least 2019, but some private 'space hotels' are planned for those who want a taste of orbital spaceflight. Whether you want to be a space tourist, a private astronaut or a citizen space explorer and see the planet from above, here are some of the ways you can get into orbit. Virgin GalacticIt's been expected to launch since 2009, but perfecting Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered supersonic trips to suborbital space has not proved easy. Its SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise experimental spaceflight crashed in October 2014, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury, and since then there have been a series of tests. SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity soars above California's Mojave Desert. (Image credit: Virgin Galactic) In May its SpaceShipTwo VSS UnityVSS Unity spacecraft performed its second successful supersonic, rocket-powered test flight after detaching from the WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve 'mothership'. After a 30-second burn of the engine it reached a speed of Mach 1.9 and an altitude of 114,500 feet before gliding home to a smooth runway landing. However, there's a long way to go yet – 114,500 feet is about 21 miles, which is far short of the 62 miles Virgin Galactic intends to eventually reach. There are over 700 ticket-holders waiting to take one of VSS Enterprise's six passenger seats; their $250,000 tickets may get them five minutes in space during a two-hour flight. Blue OriginAlthough it’s neck-and-neck with Virgin Galactic to be the first space tourism company to go live, Blue Origin's plans for suborbital trips are a completely different ball-game. Jeff Bezos's space tourism offering will see punters paying $200,000-$300,000 to blast-off on top of a reusable rocket. Six passengers will climb into a capsule on top of a New Shepard rocket, and be launched towards the edge of space. Blue Origin's Crew Capsule 2.0 will parachute back to Earth after a rocket launch. (Image credit: Blue Origin) As the rocket returns to the launchpad, each passenger in the capsule will get a few minutes of weightlessness, and chance to gawp at Earth from above through their own window, before the capsule parachutes back to Earth. The company has already performed tests, with its Mannequin Skywalker standing in as a space tourist. Blue Origin hasn't set a timetable for its first flights, but it did recently test its safety procedures. BloonAlthough it couldn't be more different from Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin’s adrenalin-inducing supersonic experiences, the idea behind this two-hour cruise through near-space in a high-altitude balloon is exactly the same: you get to see the curvature of the planet, and return home inspired to change it. Instead of going up 62 miles, Bloon reaches 'only' 22 miles, but that's more than high enough to see both the curvature of the planet and a completely black sky. Bloon could take passengers 22 miles up in a capsule suspended beneath a high-altitude balloon. (Image credit: Zero2Infinity) Taking off from a Spanish Air Force base near Virgen del Camino in northern Spain, a helium-filled Bloon balloon will carry a pressurized capsule underneath that will take four passengers and two pilots to the stratosphere. The trip is planned to go something like this: take off well before dawn and rise to 22 miles in around one hour, where passengers will watch the sunrise out of huge windows during a two-hour cruising period. Bloon them vents helium and gradually descends, separates from the balloon, and para-foils back to Earth over 30 minutes. Space AdventuresVirgin Galactic and Blue Origin may grab most of the headlines when it comes to space tourism, but there's only one company that's actually done it: US travel agency Space Adventures. So far it's sent seven people to the International Space Station (ISS) for a total of 80 days. They've included Dennis Tito in 2001 – the first space tourist – and Guy Laliberté, the Cirque du Soleil founder, while Microsoft co-founder Charles Simonyi has been up twice. All the trips were aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, after extensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City in Russia. Space Adventures has already sent seven paying tourists to the ISS. (Image credit: NASA) Space Adventures describes itself as 'the world's premier private spaceflight company', although it's currently on something of a hiatus. The last person it sent to space was Laliberté in 2009. It planned to send either singer Sarah Brightman or Japanese advertising exec Satoshi Takamatsu into orbit in 2015 – at a cost of around $52 million each – but both pulled out after beginning training. However, it's certainly ambitious, and is already offering a Circumlunar Mission for two private citizens (and one professional cosmonaut) who want to commit to a flight on a Russian Soyuz rocket first to the ISS, and then to the far side of the Moon in a Lunar Module, in the early 2020s. Orion SpanSpace tourists will one day be able to enjoy more than just a ride on a rocket – they'll be able to stay in orbiting space hotels and 'space condominiums', a few of which are in the works. The first comes from US space company Orion Span, whose Aurora Station space hotel for six guests and two crew will sit in a low-Earth orbit 200 miles above the Earth's surface, circling the globe once every 90 minutes. Naturally, it will have high-speed wireless internet access available so that occupants can livestream their experience back to Earth (get ready, Instagram) when it opens in 2022. Orion Span will sell 'space condominiums'. (Image credit: Orion Span) If you fancy a visit, Orion Span is already taking bookings upon payment of a US$80,000 deposit, and Aurora Station is fully booked for its first four months. The full cost for a 12-day trip is US$9.5 million per person – although the rocket ride will cost (a lot) extra. Orion Span CEO Frank Bunger plans to sell 'condominiums', enabling people to live in the Aurora Station, take frequent trips, and likely sub-let their room. State-owned space agency astronauts are likely to be frequent visitors. Axiom SpaceAxiom Space has plans for its own orbital hotel – Axiom Station – which it's hoping to piggy-back onto the existing ISS structure. Presuming that the ISS will be decommissioned in 2025, Axiom wants to attach its own module(s) that, for now, will expand the ISS for more astronauts. Once it's grown in size, or the ISS is scrubbed, Axiom Space's modules will be able to detach and orbit alone as the Axiom Station. French designer Philippe Starck has mocked up interiors for Axiom Station. (Image credit: Axiom Space) The company reckons its project will cost US$2.2 billion to build, and recently announced that it's now selling trips to the ISS (with an astronaut in tow) starting as soon as 2020, at $55 million per seat for a 10-day sojourn. The ride to the ISS is likely to be via SpaceX, after a 15-week astronaut training program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Bigelow Aerospace has a similar idea, though its Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), now attached to the ISS, isn't intended for space tourism. NanoRacksFrom space condos to recycled rockets: Independence-1 is an ambitious concept from cubesat-deployer NanoRacks, which wants to re-use a spent rocket upper stage to create a 'near-space habitat' for exploration and space tourism. A crazy idea, surely? Actually, that's exactly what NASA did back in 1973 to create SkyLab, its first orbiting space station, which used a Saturn V fuel tank. SkyLab was made from a spent Saturn V fuel tank. (Image credit: NASA) The concept is known as a 'wet lab', and NanoRacks thinks Independence-1 could be a prototype for similar space habitats in deep space. Ultimately it wants to use a spent upper stage from NASA and Boeing’s Space Launch System rocket, which could be used to send astronauts on their way to Mars. The first steps may involve attaching Independence-1 to the ISS, with NASA's help. It's still early daysFor now the choice for wannabe space tourists is between a long, slow trip to near-space to get 'the overview effect' in slow-motion, an adrenalin-fueled short-but-sharp trip to the edge of space in a supersonic plane or on top of a small rocket, or a trip on top of a big rocket – probably Russian, possibly SpaceX – to orbit Earth for a few weeks. Either way, all of these experiences have two things in common: they're hugely expensive and forever delayed. One of Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin will probably be the next to take tourists into space after Space Adventures, but not before many more tests that meet stringent safety standards have been carried out. Space tourism continues to require as much patience as it does cash. Welcome to TechRadar's Space Week – a celebration of space exploration, throughout our solar system and beyond. Visit our Space Week hub to stay up to date with all the latest news and features. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 things to look for with a free VPN Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:00 AM PDT Do a search for a VPN, and a boatload of choices will appear in the blink of an eye. This can be quite intimidating for any VPN user, particularly for those new to this area. After all, just a few short years ago, VPNs were more for the tech elite, but these days a VPN is more mainstream. Before anyone gets overwhelmed, we can break down the important factors to consider when choosing a free VPN service - and most of this will apply to paid VPN services, as well. Just be aware that choosing a free VPN too often involves compromising as the user cannot get all the vital features in a single service. For a more rounded, no-compromise service, a paid VPN is the better choice.
The number of servers a VPN has is an important factor to consider when choosing a provider (Image Credit: Pixabay) 1. Servers everywhere - or notAn important aspect of a VPN is the number of servers that it has. This determines a few things, such as how fast the service will be to establish the initial connection, and the overall speed of the connection. The other issue is the location of the servers, and it’s a case of the more countries the better, whether for bypassing a geo-location restriction to view video content, or to shop for a better deal overseas, such as for an airplane ticket. A free VPN typically restricts the free users to just a few locations, and reserves the full array of servers for the paying customers. For example, ProtonVPN on its free tier has servers in only three countries, while all the paid tiers have access to servers in 32 countries. WindScribe is similar, with the free tier only having servers in 10 countries, reserving the full set of servers - in 60 countries and 110 cities - for the paid tiers. CyberGhost's browser extension does not include a kill switch while its full application does (Image Credit: CyberGhost) 2. Automatic kill switchOnce the VPN encryption tunnel is established, it is important for it to be monitored, and that it remains up. Otherwise the unsuspecting user can lose the VPN protection, and be totally unaware that the VPN has gone down. The solution to this is an automatic kill switch, that can monitor the connection, and stop the internet traffic if the VPN goes down. While one option is to have a separate software kill switch, the more convenient, and easier to configure option is to choose a VPN that has already integrated this important security feature into its software. So why would someone choose a VPN without an automatic kill switch? Well, there are free options that lack it. For example, some VPNs provide a browser-based extension as a free VPN option, such as CyberGhost. As seen in the screenshot above, with a little digging, we can figure out that while CyberGhost’s paid offering has the kill switch, the Chrome browser extension lacks it (and some other features as well). Even worse, some VPNs do not indicate if there is a kill switch or not, leaving the user thinking they are protected, when they are not. On the other hand, TunnelBear VPN does have a kill switch, although this is called VigilantBear. Therefore when selecting a VPN, be sure to look for, and confirm that it has this important feature. VPNs will often highlight a no logs policy on their websites (Image Credit: ProtonVPN) 3. Privacy policyThe goal of using a VPN is privacy, and therefore a reputable VPN will have its privacy policy on the website, clarifying if it logs any data, and for how long this is kept. Reputable VPNs, including the free ones, will disclose this information, even if you have to hunt for it on the website. For example, with ProtonVPN, we could easily find the following: “Under Swiss law, we are not obligated to save any user connection logs, nor can we be forced to perform targeted logging on specific users.” It is also reassuring that the same applies to users of its free VPN as well. Not every VPN is as transparent on this front, though, so be warned. Many VPNs have begun to offer browser extensions on the Chrome Web Store to support even more platforms (Image Credit: Google) 4. Platforms supportedUsers should seek to have VPN protection on each of their devices, so pay attention to what platform the free VPN supports; most support Windows and macOS devices. When it comes to Android devices, there are few good options for a free VPN, as they are too often riddled with security flaws. Browser-based free VPNs are quite useful, such as SurfEasy which is integrated into the Opera browser, or ZenMate that has extensions for both Chrome and Firefox browsers. Recently, the Opera browser extended its free VPN for the desktop browser to the Android platform as well. Also, keep in mind that this approach protects the browser traffic, but not other network traffic from the device. TunnelBear limits free users to just 500MB of data per month (Image Credit: TunnelBear) 5. Monthly data limitA significant weakness of a free VPN is that many of them limit the amount of data you can use. For example, TunnelBear has a low monthly data limit, even among free offerings, of a mere 500MB, which any user that plans to stream video will use up very quickly. Better options do exist for those users that want a free VPN with a higher monthly data limit. These include the Opera browser, ProtonVPN, and the ZenMate browser extension - all of which have unlimited data for non-commercial use.
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| Best data visualization tools of 2019 Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:41 AM PDT Whether you’re working with a large distributed team or overseeing a small group of developers at a startup, project management is a juggling act by definition. The job of project management is all about keeping track of progress, resource allocation and deliverables. This juggling act can be a challenge even for seasoned project managers – quite simply, there are just so many things to track. That’s where project management tools come into play. Basic project management can be performed with nothing more than email and a spreadsheet, but the task is greatly improved with software that both tracks all aspects of a project and visually represents how the project is evolving. The visual component is especially important because it helps managers see at a glance how the project is moving forward. There are many ways that a list of top data visualization tools for project management might be selected: purpose-built add-ons for existing project management software, all-in-one solutions that both track and display project status, and enterprise-grade data visualization tools. For most project managers, simple all-in-one solutions represent the sweet spot of visualization and ease of use. So we’ll focus on those tools that are both visual and complete solutions unto themselves.
Image Credit: Quire If you need to manage and visualize projects but don’t require advanced functionality that is unnecessary and clutters your project management, Quire might be your tool of choice. Quire works by letting you map out tasks and thoughts in a simple to-do list format that can easily be rearranged and assigned to team members. Once tasks have been defined in the app, you can visually organize and assign these tasks using a Kanban board built into the system. The software makes it easy to flip between task lists and the Kanban board as needed. The beauty of Quire is that it also offers a number of visual representations of your task list that you can choose from, including pie charts, project summaries and graphs. All the basic visual representations are there except for Gantt charts, the one strike against this platform. Overall, though, Quire delivers a streamlined project management interface that nicely strikes a balance between simplicity and power. Image Credit: Casual There are many ways in which you can visually organize your project. If your preferred style is flowchart-based organization, you’re going to love Casual. Instead of Kanban boards or Gantt charts, Casual is built exclusively around a single flowchart interface where you organize projects by drawing lines between tasks, and assign team members to each step in the flowchart. Each team member gets a task list based on the flowchart, but essentially project managers that use Casual track progress through the single-pane flowchart. Casual is easily the best solution if you prefer the flowchart format and have a project that can be represented in that format. If you want a range of charts and other ways to organize or manage a large team, however, Casual is not for you. Image Credit: Asana Asana is one of the web-based project management leaders, and with good reason. You get most of the project management tools you expect with the platform, including task lists, Kanban boards, calendar format, conversations and Gantt charts. You manage projects by entering tasks on a task list, with manual or auto assignment to team members. A Kanban board makes organization of these tasks easy, and a timeline (read: Gantt chart) visually shows the progress of the project. While task management is quite visual, and most project managers will feel at home on the platform, Asana lacks a chart dashboard for tracking progress metrics in other visual representations. So this is visual management, but it isn’t strong on visual data representation. Image Credit: Wrike If Gantt charts and dashboards are your thing, Wrike should be on your project management shortlist. Wrike makes it easy to create tasks and workflows, and then manage these tasks visually in a Gantt chart or calendar format. One feature that’s great about Wrike is that you can visually create custom workflows for your project. Data visualization is also a strong point for Wrike, which lets you set up custom dashboard items that visually show the progress of key project metrics. In one quick view, you can see the status of each area of the project. Furthermore, Wrike is highly scalable, with many integrations to other platforms and support for large teams. Image Credit: Targetprocess If you want everything in your project management software, including a host of data representation options, Targetprocess is for you. Taking a dashboard approach but also working in Kanban and Gantt chart formats, Targetprocess basically gives your project the full suite of features. Complex task lists can be configured and rearranged, and it comes with a multitude of data representation views that can be added to the dashboard for quick progress assessment. Targetprocess is geared towards agile software development projects, and it can be overwhelming in its feature set and clunky in its interface, but this solution visually represents data in more ways than rivals, and does everything a software project manager could want.
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| AWS and Volkswagen team up on the factory of the future Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:16 AM PDT AWS and the Volkswagen Group are joining forces to transform automotive manufacturing with the announcement of a new multi-year, global agreement to build the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud. The German automaker will rely on the cloud giant's portfolio of services including IoT, machine learning, analytics and compute services to increase plant efficiency and uptime, improve production feasibility and increase vehicle quality. The Volkswagen Industrial Cloud will gather real-time data from all of its 122 manufacturing plants to manage the overall effectiveness of assembly equipment as well as track parts and vehicles.
Volkswagen will leverage AWS' suite of IoT services, including AWS IoT Greengrass, AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Analytics and AWS IoT SiteWise, to detect, collect, organize and run sophisticated analytics on data fright from the plant floor. Volkswagen Industrial CloudA company-wide data lake built on Amazon S3 will allow Volkswagen to analyze the data from its plants to glean insights that will pinpoint operational trends to help improve forecasting and streamline operations by identifying gaps in production and waste. The automaker will also use Amazon SageMaker to optimize the operation of machinery and equipment in all of its plants by building, training and deploying advanced machine learning models. Volkswagen will also use AWS Outposts to bring native AWS services, infrastructure and operating models on-premise to provide seamless functionality between the factory floor and the cloud for latency sensitive operations. Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG and Member of the Board of Management of Volkwagen, Oliver Blume praised the new partnership, saying: “We will continue to strengthen production as a key competitive factor for the Volkswagen Group. Our strategic collaboration with AWS will lay the foundation. The Volkswagen Group, with its global expertise in automobile production, and AWS, with its technological know-how, complement each other extraordinarily well. With our global industry platform we want to create a growing industrial ecosystem with transparency and efficiency bringing benefits to all concerned.” This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PlayStation Plus April 2019: all the free PS4 games you can get this month Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:11 AM PDT If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber then you'll want to know all about the free PlayStation Plus games and discounts for April 2019 – and we've got the details you need right here. We've also listed the PlayStation Plus games from previous months too. For those of you who've just signed up and are completely new to the perks of being a PlayStation Plus subscriber, each month, you’re given a range of free games for the PS4 console (PS3 and PS Vita games have unfortunately been dropped). This gives you a great way to try PlayStation games you might not otherwise have played, whether they're indie titles that slipped under your radar, or titles that were too expensive to buy. Remember PlayStation Plus games are only available for one month – so grab them while you can. PlayStation Plus Games: April 2019With PS3 and PS Vita games now completely left out of the PS Plus package, we've got two relatively-new PS4 games to enjoy for April 2019: Conan Exiles Take a sprinkling of Schwarzenegger, a dash of Minecraft and a helping of Ark: Survival Evolved, and you'll end up with something like Conan Exiles. A persistent online multiplayer game, you'll be cast into the brutal realm of the world's most famous barbarian with no belongings (literally nothing – not even a loincloth to hide your modesty) and tasked to simply survive and thrive. It launched to a bit of a mixed response, but has since built a bit of a cult following – in no small part, no doubt, due to the fact that it's the only game with a penis size slider as part of its create-a-character set up... The Surge Imagine Dark Souls in space, and that's what you've got with The Surge. It's a bit of a corridor slog, squandering its initial mysterious promise, but its combat is meaty and well presented. If you can't face Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but still want something akin to a SoulsBorne fix, The Surge will plug that gap. Get the most from PlayStation PlusEven if you don't plan to play these games straight away, or you're not sure if they're your kind of title, when they're on PlayStation Plus we'd say it's always worth claiming them while you can get them for free. You then have access to them for as long as you have an active PS Plus account, and you can't argue with that. Plus, you might even be pleasantly surprised by some of the titles you haven't tried before, even if you weren't convinced to begin with. Since new PS Plus games appear for free every month, we've decided to create a one-stop shop where you can find the newest free games, and scroll back to see which games were featured in previous months. This should help you work out if a game might eventually appear in an upcoming PlayStation Plus haul, or if it's already been offered. Without further ado, here are the free PlayStation Plus games in North America, Europe and Australia for the month of March 2019. PlayStation Plus games: March 2019(Note that March 2019 was the first month that Sony stopped offering PS3 and PS Vita games in addition to PS4 titles. Boo!) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Remastered (usually $35.99 / £34.99 AU$59.95) An FPS great. With all-new textures and HDR lighting for modern consoles, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Remastered lets us experience the game again without suffering through horribly dated graphics. The Witness (usually £22.99 / AU$59.95) The Witness is a brain-melting puzzle game that takes place in a beautiful 3D world that can be roamed around in at your own pace – just don't expect anyone to hold your hand on this journey. PlayStation Plus games: February 2019Hitman: The Complete First Season – PS4 – usually $46.99 / £30 In this thrilling game, you embody the world's greatest hitman Agent 47 as you travel the world to take out your targets in traditional (and untraditional) ways. For Honor – PS4 – usually $39.99 / £24.99 Ubisoft's melee action game lets you choose your fighter: Knight, Samurai, or Viking are up for grabs as you explore the game's 18 different PvP maps. Divekick – PS3 – usually $4.99/ £3.99 This simple fighting game can be cross played on your PS Vita, and is apparently, the world's first ever two-button fighting game. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – PS3 – usually $19.99 / £11.99 Set after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, Solid Snake is back to infiltrate a number of locations across the globe. Gunhouse – PS Vita – Usually $14.99 / £9.99 Gunhouse is part-puzzle, part active tower defense with infinite levels and music composed by Fez's Disasterpeace. Rogue Aces - PS Vita – Usually $12.99 / £9.99 You can take to the air in this arcade-style game, as you join the Rogue Aces to defeat The Baron and liberate the islands. PlayStation Plus games: January 2019Steep - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Ubisoft's Steep sees you taking on the epic snow-capped mountains of an open-world on skis, wingsuits, snowboards, and paragliders. One for the thrill-seekers. Portal Knights - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 If RPGs are more your thing, then Portal Knight may be for you. The action role-playing 3D sandbox sees you on a quest to become a Portal Knight and to stop the world being torn apart by the Fracture and the evil Hollow King. Zone of the Enders HD Collection - PS3 - usually $34.99 / £10.99 / AU$11.95 This collection includes HD editions of both the original Zone Of The Enders and its sequel, Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner. Amplitude - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 Harmonix's Amplitude offers fast-paced, musical action as you control a beat-blasting ship making sweet music by shooting at notes. With songs from Blink-182, Slipknot and Pink, Amplitude is a bizarre rhythm game in the vein of Guitar Hero. Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 2D action RPG Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion is available as a cross-buy between PlayStation 4 and PS Vita - so you can control your empire from home or on the move. Super Mutant Alien Assault - PS Vita - usually $9.99 / £9.49 / AU$17.95 If you're looking for something more fun and casual while on the move, then arcade platformer shooter Super Mutant Alien Assault might be just the ticket. PlayStation Plus games: December 2018Onrush - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 An entirely new kind of off-road racing game, Onrush isn't about coming first – it's about causing as much damage on the track as possible! From the makers of MotorStorm, features all the huge stunts and crazy crashes you could ever dream of. SOMA - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 Frictional Games hit it big with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and its follow-up, SOMA, is another nail-biting chiller in the same vein. You wake up in a dilapidated industrial facility with a head injury, and only you can figure out why you're there and who is after you! Steredenn - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 A fast-paced and chaotic space shooter, Steredenn takes the fight to galaxy's dastardly space pirates and features some insane boss battles and intense pixelated shmup gameplay. Steins;Gate - PS3 - Get it here from December 4 A visual novel with anime style art, Steins;Gate tells the story of teenage scientists who discover the ability to send messages into the past, leading to all sorts of time travel-related adventures. Iconoclasts - PS Vita/PS4 - Get it here from December 4 This action-adventure platform game is a deeply personal work from creator Joakim Sandberg, who spent seven years making this tale of a mechanic who wants to use her wrench to fix the world around her. Papers, Please - PS Vita - Get it here from December 4 An award-winning masterpiece, Papers, Please has you play an immigration inspector in the communist state of Arstotzka, whose job it is to approve and deny entry to people. The trick is in figuring out which people are smugglers, spies, and terrorists. PlayStation Plus games: November 2018Yakuza Kiwami - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Sega's remake of the first Yakuza game sees you taking on the role of former yakuza lieutenant Kazuma Kiryu, who spent 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. On his release, he realizes that his city has changed massively and quickly becomes caught in the middle of a faction war. With plenty of kooky characters and action, Yakuza Kiwami is a one not to miss. Bulletsorm: Full Clip Edition - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.95 In cult-classic shooter Bulletstorm, you step into the boots of exiled assassin Grayson Hunt. After a crash landing on an abandoned resort planet, Hunt must decide whether to take his opportunity for revenge or get his team off the planet alive. Jackbox Party Pack 2- PS4 - usually $24.99 / £21.99 / AU$40.95 Definitely one for those who enjoy party games. Jackbox Party Pack 2 comes with a mixture of madcap games including Bomb Corp, Bidiots, Quiplash XL, Earwax and Fibbage. Arkedo Series - PS3 - usually $5.99 The Arkedo Series includes three retro-style games which will take you back to a simpler time. Burly Men at Sea - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 This folktale adventure falls somewhere between a graphic novel and a classic point-and-click game. With beautiful visuals and haunting soundtrack, Burly Men at Sea is one for those wanting to turn off for a few hours. Roundabout - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 If you're less inclined to relax and more about anarchy then Roundabout is for you. This indie driving game sees you driving a limousine which is constantly spinning out of control. PlayStation Plus games: October 2018Friday the 13th: The Game - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £30.99 / AU$55.95 Just in time for Halloween, Friday the 13th sees you playing as either Jason Voorhees (hunting down unsuspecting counsellors) or as a teen counsellor desperate to escape from his clutches alongside up to six others. If you're feeling brave enough, you might even team up to take him down. Laser League - PS4 - usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95 Indie multiplayer Laser League will provide you with hours of competitive fun with a premise that's pretty easy to pick up. The light-speed future sport sees you competing ,in teams of two or three, to outlast your opponents by setting up moving lasers in an arena. It sounds pretty simple but provides hours of entertainment. Master Reboot - PS3 - usually $6.99 / £5.79 / AU$10.45 Haunting first person sci-fi adventure horror Master Reboot sees you exploring a range of unique environments while solving puzzles. Master Reboot is definitely one to try for sheer uniqueness alone, with an atmospheric soundtrack, distinctive art style and psychological twist. The Bridge - PS3/PS4/PS Vita - usually $9.99 The Bridge is a hand-drawn 2D puzzle adventure which sees you manipulating gravity to literally turn rooms upside down in order to make your way through challenging environments. Rocketbirds 2: Evolution - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £8.99 / AU$16.45 Rocketbirds 2 is a plucky side-scrolling shooter adventure which sees you stepping into the shoes of a secret agent, who just so happens to also be a chicken, determined to take down evil penguins. Yep... 2064 Read Only Memories - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$32.95 Cyberpunk adventure 2064 Read Only Memories is a classic adventure game where you take on the role of a struggling journalist who meets the world's first sapient machine, a ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) named Turing. Together they set off to uncover the city's deepest secrets. PlayStation Plus games: September 2018Destiny 2 - PS4 Just in time for its upcoming Forsaken expansion, Destiny 2 is now free for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Get some co-op buddies together and join in the planet-hopping fight against the Cabal warlord Dominus Ghaul and the Red Legion in an effort to reclaim your home. God of War III: Remastered - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 The closing chapter of the original God of War trilogy, God of War III is about as epic as games come. In this PS4 remastered edition of the PS3 classic, the ex-Spartan warrior Kratos is closer than ever to exacting his vengeance against Zeus for the deaths of his wife and daughter. Another World - PS3 - usually $7.99 / £6.49 / AU$11.95 A beautifully remastered version of one the greatest adventure platformers of all time, Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition sees a young man transported to... you guessed it... another world, only to find himself in the middle of a slave uprising. Featuring stunning rotoscoped animation and timeless puzzles, Another World is a must-play title. QUBE Director’s Cut - PS3 - usually £7.99 / AU$14.95 A first person puzzle game, QUBE sees you control a pair of futuristic gloves in order to manipulate your environment and the objects therein to solve a number of physics-based brain teasers. Foul Play - PS Vita / PS4 - usually $7.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Devolver Digital's side-scrolling brawler Foul Play is set on a grand theatrical stage, where you must hunt daemons as Baron Dashforth, who performs bone-crunching takedowns in an effort to please his audience. Sparkle 2 - PS Vita - usually £5.79 / AU$10.45 An orb-matching game that's both addictive and fun, Sparkle 2 has you casting magical enchantments and power-ups in an effort to clear each stage. PlayStation Plus games: August 2018Mafia III - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69.95 The third instalment of 2K's epic Mafia saga , Mafia III sees the gaming action moving to 1960s New Bordeaux – a re-imagined version of New Orleans. Returning Vietnam vet Lincoln Clay finds himself building a crime empire and trying to find his place in a very different world. Dead by Daylight: Special Edition - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Plenty of fun here for gore-hounds: Dead by Daylight pits horror movie icons Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface and others against each other in an asymmetric multiplayer arena deathmatch for the ages. Choose to play as the killer, on the search for victims to sacrifice, or play as a survivor, working with others to outsmart the killer and escape. Definitely one to get your heart pounding. Here They Lie - PS4 (PS VR required) - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 The terror just keeps coming and doesn't let up with Here They Lie, a psychological horror game for PlayStation VR that sees you travel through an otherworldly realm filled with creatures and strange environments. It's good to see VR titles getting an airing on PlayStation Plus. Bound by Flame - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 In this solid RPG, you play a possessed mercenary who must take on the dreaded Ice Lords and their Dead-Army in an effort to reclaim your humanity. Every choice matters, so choose your abilities and skills wisely if you want to progress. Serious Sam 3: BFE - PS3 - usually £9.99 / AU$19.45 A throwback to the glory days of first person shooters, Serious Sam 3 is all about crazy characters, silly action, and making things explode with the biggest guns you can find. Hugely enjoyable, in our book. Draw Slasher - PS Vita - usually $5.99 / £3.99 / AU$7.55 As Hanzo the ninja, you must use your finger to slash your way through hordes of pirate monkey zombies in an attempt to get your kidnapped family back. It's a simple concept, but it works. Space Hulk - PS Vita - usually $19.99 / £6.99 / AU$14.95 Set in the legendary Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk is a turn-based strategy game where you command a squad of Space Marine Terminators against hordes of Genestealers. PlayStation Plus games: July 2018Heavy Rain - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 If you've been following the video game release cycle, you might've seen a game called Detroit: Become Human hit store shelves last month. Heady and complex, Detroit borrows heavily from Heavy Rain, the 2010 game designed by Quantic Dream and developer David Cage. If you like branching story path, great writing and slow-but-steady gameplay, Heavy Rain is perfect, and it was available for free on PlayStation Plus in July. Absolver - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Hear us out on this, Absolver is a fighting game MMO with PvE and PvP areas. The way it works is that you construct a fighter with light RPG elements and bring them online to fight against other gamer's brawlers. There's not a super deep plotline here, but if you've always wanted an open-world brawler, Absolver fits the bill. Rayman 3 HD - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £4.99 / AU$14.95 While 2D Rayman has been racking up the accolades these past few years, the amelic hero got his first big break in the land of 3D graphics. Rayman 3 HD is a remastering of the PlayStation 2 adventure that pits the eponymous hero against André, an evil black lum, whose aim is to take over the world with his army of "Hoodlum" soldiers. Silly puns aside, it showed up on PlayStation Plus in JUly. Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess - PS3 - usually $49.99 / £39.99 / AU$75.95 Deception IV is one of those games you can't believe wasn't a free title earlier in its life. The basic goal here is to lure enemies into increasingly grotesque and wacky traps in an attempt to clear missions. We probably wouldn't waste the hard drive space with this one, but hey man, it's your console. Space Overlords - PS VITA - usually $7.99 / £6.49 / AU$11.95 If you've always felt that the solar system had too many planets, Space Overlords might be the gateway to galactic destruction you've always dreamed of. Allowing you to create and destroy worlds using giant robots, Space Overlords is like a 3D, space-centric version of Rampage. Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - PS VITA - usually $39.99 / £32.99 / AU$59.95 You know those really popular escape rooms that seem to be popping up all over the place? Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma brings all the fun of those into the digital world with a puzzle-solving adventure but blended with the world of SAW. So like, basically just SAW. It's pretty fan-service heavy like Deception IV so take that into account before you download it. PlayStation Plus games: June 2018XCOM 2 - PS4 - usually £44.99/ $59.99/ AU $69.95 If you've managed to miss out on the critical hit that is XCOM 2, June was your chance to get it completely free on PlayStation Plus. With its tactical turn-based strategy gameplay set 20 years after humanity has lost a war against alien invaders, it's sure to keep you invested for a long time to come. Trials Fusion – PS4 – usually £24.99/ $19.99/ AU $59.95 Looking for something a little more fast paced? Then try Trials Fusion, the platform racing game. You can play solo, with friends or race against other players from around the world. And when you're done with the official game courses, you can even explore the custom ones to keep things fresh. Zombie Driver HD – PS3 – usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 Cars, zombies, explosions, combat – it doesn't get much more wild or bloody than this. You can choose to play through the game's narrative campaign or simply try to survive in its appropriately named 'slaughter mode'. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – PS3 – usually £7.99/ $19.99 At this point we think it's likely you know what you're getting with a Tom Clancy game. One of the more futuristic offerings in the Ghost Recon lineup, this military shooter will take you to dangerous locations all around the world. Atomic Ninjas – PS Vita – usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 This colorful action platformer is a perfect fit for the Vita (a device which PlayStation Plus no longer supports). Its multiplayer gameplay will have you take charge of one of eight ninjas and pit you against others either online or locally. Squares – PS Vita – usually £6.49/ $4.99/ AU $11.95 Looking for something a little slower-paced than Atomic Ninjas? Thoughtful puzzler Squares is worth looking at. With 91 levels to get through, this could be a good one for the morning commute. PlayStation Plus games: May 2018Beyond: Two Souls – PS4 – usually £24.99/ $29.99/ AU $39.95 May was a big month for David Cage and colon fans, with his new game Detroit: Become Human due for release on May 25 and Beyond: Two Souls on PS Plus for the entire month. Beyond: Two Souls is an emotional narrative game driven by player decisions and stars Academy Award nominees Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe. Rayman Legends – PS4 – usually £24.99 / $39.99 / AU $39.99 Who doesn't love a bit of Rayman? Rayman Legends will take you back to the Glade of Dreams to save it from slew of terrifying creatures. Join forces with Rayman's friends to save their home. This game can be played solo as well as co-op with three of your friends. Risen 3: Titan Lords – PS3 – usually £15.99/ $14.99/ AU $24.95 In the mood for some action RPG of a piratical nature? Say ahoy to Risen 3. Explore seas and lush islands over the world in a grand adventure as you try to unite your body with its missing soul. Eat Them! – PS3 – usually £3.29/ $9.99/ AU $5.95 Ever wanted to live you own comic book adventure? Here's your chance. Eat Them! puts you in the smeared lab coat of a mad scientist and lets you create and control your very own giant monsters. Customize your monsters with weapons and powers and rampage through the streets to wreak havoc and get your revenge. King Oddball – PS Vita – usually £3.99/ $4.99/ AU $7.55 This is an aptly named game which stars a king swinging a boulder back and forth with his tongue. It's up to you to decide when he releases it. All you have to do is make sure you time it right to destroy as many things as possible. Furmins – PS Vita – usually £5.79/ $6.49/ AU $10.45 Yes Furmins are as cute as they sound and this game tasks you with leading them safely through more than 100 levels. One for fans of physics-based puzzles, Furmins is guaranteed hours of focused fun. PlayStation Plus games: April 2018Mad Max - PS4 - usually £49.99/ $19.99/ AU$ 99.95 TrackMania Turbo - PS4 - usually £24.99/ $39.99/ AU $49.95 In Space We Brawl - PS3/PS4 - usually £7.39/ $8.99/ AU $13.45 99Vidas - PS3/PS Vita/PS4 - usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 Q*Bert Rebooted - PS3/PS4 - usually £9.49/ $9.99/ AU $16.45 Toy Home - PS3 - usually £3.99/$9.99/ AU $7.55 PlayStation Plus games: March 2018Bloodborne - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Ratchet & Clank - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$52.95 Legend of Kay - PS3 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$29.95 Mighty No. 9 - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Claire: Extended Cut - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $24.99 / £13.99 / AU$25.95 Bombing Busters - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $6.99 / £5.79 / AU$10.45 PlayStation Plus games: February 2018RiME - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Knack - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £3.99 / AU$7.55 StarBlood Arena - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Spelunker HD - PS3 - usually $16.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Mugen Souls Z - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Exiles End - PS Vita - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Grand Kingdom - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $39.99 / £11.99 / AU$24.95 PlayStation Plus games: January 2018Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - PS4 - usually $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95 Batman: The Telltale Series - PS4 - usually $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 StarBlood Arena - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Sacred 3 - PS3 - usually $14.99 / £15.99 / AU$17.95 Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.95 Uncanny Valley - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $12.99 / £11.59 / AU$21.95 Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness - PS Vita - usually $29.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.95 PlayStation Plus games: December 2017Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of the Legendary Legends - PS4 - usually $9.99 / £11.99 / AU$17.95 Xblaze Lost: Memories - PS3 - usually $39.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Syberia Collection - PS3 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Forma 8 - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Wanted Corp - PS Vita - usually $11.99 / £9.49 / AU$17.95 PlayStation Plus games: November 2017Until Dawn: Rush of Blood - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Worms Battlegrounds - PS4 - usually $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$30.95 Bound - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 R-Type Dimensions - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Rag Doll Kung Fu - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$7.75 Dungeon Punks - PS Vita - usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95 Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse (Episodes 1 & 2) - PS Vita - usually $24.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 PlayStation Plus games: October 2017Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain – PS4 – (usually £24.99/ $19.99/ AU $39.95) Amnesia: Collection – PS4 – (usually £23.99/ $29.99/ AU $42.95) Monster Jam Battlegrounds – PS3 – (usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95) Hustle Kings – PS3 and PlayStation Vita – (usually £9.99/ $9.99/ AU $19.45) Hue – PS4 and PSVita – (usually £11.99/ $14.99/ AU $22.95) Sky Force Anniversary – PS4 and PSVita – (usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95) PlayStation Plus games: September 2017inFamous: Second Son - PS4 - (usually $19.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.99) Strike Vector Ex - PS4 - (usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95) Truck Racer - PS3 - (usually $9.99 / £10.99 / AU$16.95) Handball 2016 - PS3 - (usually $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$29.95) We Are Doomed - PS Vita - (usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95) Hatoful Boyfriend - PS Vita - (usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95) PlayStation Plus games: August 2017
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| Virgin Media Business launches new mobile plans that make sharing data easy Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:05 AM PDT Virgin Media Business has announced new mobile data plans that allow small and medium-sized businesses to buy in bulk to save money and make data sharing easier. The system works by allowing a company to buy all its data allowance at once and then spreading that across as many SIMs as it needs. Each SIM, in a phone, tablet, smartwatch, car or whatever, can then have its allowance capped. If one employee then finds that they need more data, then more can be allotted to them from the pool of data available with changes possible monthly.
Smaller business can pay £25 per month to get 10GB of data spread across two SIMs. Or for larger businesses 100GB and 10 SIMs will be set at £125 per month. There are lots of options with up to 1,000GB of data available per month. You can see all the plans by heading to Virgin Business website. Should anyone go over the data allowance there is a cap of just £1 for 1GB meaning there shouldn't be any instances of being stuck without data. That should keep any extra charges to a minimum, too. Rob Orr, Executive Director - Commercial & Marketing, Virgin Media Business, said: “By bringing together the data businesses need, the handsets staff want and the flexibility to automatically share that data as needed, our mobile data sharer plan is making it easier than ever for businesses to keep connected on the go.” Read more:
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| Reliance Jio GigaFiber Triple Play plan: broadband, TV and unlimited calls Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:50 AM PDT Reliance Jio has been testing its fiber to the home (FTTH) service, GigaFiber since quite some time now. With this service, Reliance aims to disrupt the broadband market in India with affordable Internet prices. In a bid to further strengthen its role as a telecom operator, Jio is trialing a new Triple Play plan which is an all-inclusive plan offering Internet, TV and unlimited calling facility. According to a report by TelecomTalk, Reliance has rolled out the Triple Play plan to its employees. The plan comes with 100GB of data, Jio Home TV subscription, unlimited voice calling and access to Jio Apps. With this plan, users will have to pay just one bill for Internet, TV and calling facilities. The benefits of the plan are valid for 28 days. Image Credit: TelecomTalk Interestingly, the report shares a screengrab of the details about the plan. In it, Jio Home TV has been mentioned distinctly which is the first time we have confirmed proof of Jio’s IPTV service. It was previously called Jio GigaTV but now we have substantial proof that it will, in fact, be marketed as Jio Home TV when it launches. Apart from the Triple Play plan, Jio is offering its usual plan which carries 100GB of data at 100Mbps and is valid for 30 days. In addition, subscribers of the plan also get 1000GB bonus data. There is no official word on the launch date of Jio GigaFiber or Jio Home TV but the report mentions that the telecom operator is preparing for a Ready for Sale (RFS) rollout soon. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| There's been a massive price cut on EE phone deals - iPhones, Samsung and more Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:28 AM PDT When it comes to choosing which network to go for with your new mobile phone deal, it is hard not to think of EE. With its superfast 4G speeds, award winning service and tonnes of incentives, an EE phone deal is a tempting offer. And it just got even more tempting thanks to a massive price cut across a range of EE offers. Popular mobile phone retailers such as Mobiles.co.uk and Mobile Phones Direct have jumped in on these cuts, offering some of the best prices we've seen on top devices. Whether you're looking for an iPhone XR, Samsung Galaxy S10e or the Google Pixel 3, there are bargain EE phone deals for you. We've picked out the best of these tariffs and listed them down below. Some are listed with voucher codes to drop the prices to the impressive new lows and others are already slashed to their discounted amounts.
These EE phone deals in full:
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| Best blogging platforms of 2019 Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:25 AM PDT The popularity of blogging (which originally derives from ‘personal web log’) continues, whether for profit, or just to have a voice on the web, since over a decade ago when it first captured the internet as the ‘next big thing’. Some blogs are standalone sites, but others are a more personal section that fits into a larger, corporate web site. In order to blog, a blogging platform is required, which takes care of formatting the content in the form of text and images, and provides a framework for getting it onto a website. The blogging platform also makes it easier for a search engine to categorize the blog entries, and to be able to take advantage of marketing and advertising opportunities. So before you start cranking out posts, and welcoming your virtual visitors from around the world, you need to choose the best blogging platform to suit your needs. Check out these great options.
Blogger Ask any old-time blogger about what platform they started their blog with, and chances are they'll answer that it was Blogger. To this day, Google’s offering in the blogging space still retains several advantages, including that your existing Google account already means you have a Blogger account. A broke startup blog will appreciate that it is free to use, and it will even provide the blogspot.com domain name, as well as the option for a custom domain name. It is also one of the easier platforms to use, and provides a choice of templates that can be flexibly modified. As it is a Google offering, it easily integrates with other Google products, including Google Analytics that can provide information about your website’s visitors that should be used to help grow traffic. Also, your blog can be integrated with Google’s Adsense, that will analyze your content, and display relevant ads to monetize your blog, so you can pay for the coffee as you sit in Starbucks and blog into the night. With all that going for it, is there any reason not to use Blogger? Well, the problem is that as your blog grows, its simplicity means that you may outgrow Blogger at some point. In addition, it can be difficult to transition from Blogger to another platform. WordPress WordPress is a popular blogging platform which is used on a claimed 30% of web sites, that offers an excellent balance between ease of use, and more powerful options. They can handle all the details, and take care of the domain name, the security and the hosting for a one stop shopping option. WordPress offers hundreds of themes, with flexibility in fonts and options for a custom look. They also offer expert support, and credit card payments can be accepted via an available plugin. Pricing starts at the Personal plan for $5 (€4, £4) monthly billed annually, which removes all WordPress advertising. There is also a free tier available, which is suitable for a noncommercial blog as there is WordPress advertising, and no way you can monetize it. Jekyll The latest version of Jekyll (3.8.5) is a “simple, blog-aware, static site generator.” Content gets created in TXT files, which get placed into folders. Then you build your site via Liquid language templates. Jekyll then merges the content and the template together, and voila, a website is generated that can be uploaded to a server. For those that need a host, there is integration with Jekyll to host the website for free on GitHub. While there is a comprehensive ‘quick-start guide’ on the Jekyll website, it hardly offers the simplicity of some competing blogging platforms that can do this all from a web interface. However, the benefits that Jekyll offers are the advanced features, which include options for paginating posts, available plugins, templates, and community maintained themes. It also supports blog migration from other platforms. The plus here is that there is no cost to the platform, but the downside is that there is only community support, and the work takes place in the Ruby development environment, so many newbies will be put off. Tumblr While some blogs are well developed, and blur the line between a blog, and a full fledged website, at the other end of things we have Tumblr. It seems to be doing something right as it claims a staggering 450+ million different blogs. It focuses on the more concise end of the spectrum, with an emphasis on shorter content, like just an image, or link, that can appear as more of an alternate social media platform. Content is definitely more short-form, with posts consisting of a variety of material, for example, pics, jokes, quips, Spotify tracks, and video (just remember that adult content is no longer welcome). Like a social media platform, you can also follow other blogs, and republish posts you like to your own blog. The pro is that Tumblr is quite simple to use, costs nothing, and is ideal for use on a mobile device. However, this is not ideal for a more developed blog, as the content remains in the Tumblr ecosystem, and there is no way to monetize it. Typepad Typepad is a fully developed blogging platform, designed for the professional blogger. It offers a ton of flexibility, including the ability to publish from email, a web browser, or mobile. It also easily integrates with Google Analytics, and has its own affiliate plan. Typepad supports design customization with a Theme Builder for a custom look, and the option for creating your own custom template or modifying a theme with custom CSS. Typepad is also fully hosted, and has support available. After the initial 14-day trial, plans start at $8.95 (£8) per month for up to four blogs with unlimited storage.
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