Saturday, March 30, 2019

Apple : Our solar system's violent past

Apple : Our solar system's violent past

Our solar system's violent past

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 11:00 AM PDT

When we look at the planets and moons of our solar system today, it would be very easy to be fooled into thinking that everything always looked this way. But over the past few years, scientists have learned to their surprise that the solar system used to look very different indeed. Below we'll list some of the shocking discoveries that show how a series of violent events shaped our solar into what we see today.

Theia

Image credit: NASA; JPL-Caltech 

1. When Theia smashed into Earth

The question of how the moon formed has long been an argument among astronomers, but evidence over the past few years points to a dramatic answer: that it was formed by a direct collision with Earth by another planet.

The Giant Impact Hypothesis states that within the first 100 million years or so after the Earth formed (4.5 billion years ago), a planet around the size of Mars directed impacted it. 

Known as Theia, this small planet was completely obliterated by the collision. Earth fared little better, with a huge mass of material thrown out by the impact - material that would one day reform and cool down as the Moon.

The theory may sound far-fetched, but it now has mainstream approval, with evidence for this astonishing encounter mounting with every study.

Late Bombardment Period

Image credit: Tim Wetherell - Australian National University

2. The Late Bombardment Period

We know the formation of the early solar system must have been a violent place, filled with rock and debris flying everywhere. The most dramatic evidence for this comes from the innumerable craters observed across every single planet, moon, even asteroid, in the solar system.

More so because each of these bodies show that they must all have formed and cooled sufficiently before the impacts began.

Known as the Late Bombardment Period, this is thought to have occurred around 4 billion years ago, and was effectively caused by left-over debris from the solar system's formation being flung about like pinballs.

As various craters evidence, it was a particularly violent period. At first it wasn't clear what might have caused this sudden bombardment, but we now have a clue...

Saturn

Image credit: NASA

3. The five-planet Nice model

For a very long time, no computer model of our solar system's formation resulted in the arrangement of planets that we see now. That was puzzling, because the overall process of planetary formation is something we can observe around other stars.

One astonishing solution, proposed in 2005 by a group of astronomers in Nice, France, is that the planets we see now didn't not form in those positions, but drifted into them over time. If true, the Nice model would certainly explain why the Late Bombardment Period happened.

But it goes further than that: the most recent version, Nice-V, claims that the solar system used to have an ice giant planet, which was hurled out of our solar system by the movements of the other giant planets.

If it all sounds far-fetched, the problem is that the maths actually works out. It remains, to date, the only computer model of the solar system that actually predicts the positions of the planets as we see them now.

Curiously, though, even the Nice models have nothing to say about the postulated Planet Nine, which means either the Nice models are wrong - or that Planet Nine, if it exists, may have been captured from another star system.

Jupiter

Image credit: NASA; JPL-Caltech; SWRI; MSSS; Kevin M Gill

4. Roaming Jupiter

Evidence to support the Nice model continues to mount. This week a study to be published Astronomy & Astrophysics modeled how Jupiter may have moved in the early solar system. Their conclusions are striking.

According to the study from Lund University, Jupiter originally formed in an orbit four times farther away from the sun than it does now. Over a period of less than a million years, Jupiter migrated inward to its current orbit.

Aside from anything covered so far, a striking piece of evidence for this comes from Trojan asteroids, which share Jupiter's orbit. There are two distinct groups, and computer models show that these must have been picked up while Jupiter was roaming into its current position.

We're going to find out more about this, as NASA will soon be launching a space probe named Lucy to analyze these Trojan asteroids.

Uranus

Image credit: NASA; gilderm | sxc.hu

5. When a planet collided with Uranus

An odd feature of Uranus is that the planet effectively spins on its side by comparison to the other planets in the solar system. This has proven impossible to explain by normal means. The only viable alternative is a collision theory. 

Originally it was suggested that a comet might have collided with the gas giant, but more recent modeling suggests something much bigger would have been needed to knock Uranus so completely on its side – something twice the size of Earth.

Computer modeling by astronomers at Durham University published a study in July last year suggesting a proto-planet, mostly made up of rock and ice, struck Uranus around 4 billion years ago. This possibly occurred while the giant planets were all still moving through the solar system, according to the Nice model.

This collision theory adds an interesting new twist though: fallout from the collision effectively smothered the core of Uranus, preventing heat from there reaching the outer atmosphere, thus explaining why Uranus has what is an otherwise inexplicably cold surface temperature.

Neptune

6. When Neptune captured Triton

It's not just the planets that have been moving around the solar system. Research now suggests that Triton, the largest moon around the planet Neptune, didn't originally form there.

The key evidence pointing toward this theory is that Triton orbits Neptune in a retrograde motion. Effectively, it moves backwards by comparison to all of Neptune's other moons.

Computer modeling has since shown that Neptune could indeed have captured Triton, especially while the gas giant was migrating through the solar system to its current position, along with the other giant planets.

Mercury

Image credit: NASA

7. Mercury in collision?

It may seem like planetary collisions are a rare and extraordinary event, and yet we have another possible scenario in the form of Mercury.

Simply put, Mercury is so unusually dense that it resembles something more like a planetary core than a planet. But if so, where is the rest of Mercury?

Even though Mercury is very close to the sun, heat and solar winds alone are not enough to strip out Mercury's outer layers. Computer modeling suggests that a giant impact by another small planet could have created what we see now. 

However, this theory isn't clear-cut. The biggest problem being, if something struck Mercury, then where did the rest of it go?

Asteroid belt

Image credit: NASA; JPL-Caltech

8. Phaeton – the planet that never was?

A popular theory in the 18th century saw a pattern in the sequence of planets. Later known as the Titius-Bode Law it successfully predicted the position of Uranus, though it failed to predict the position of Neptune.

However, part of the sequence fell on the asteroid belt. Some early astronomers thought this meant there used to be a planet there, only to have somehow been destroyed - perhaps by Jupiter's gravity.

The idea fell out of favor, and now mainstream science believes the asteroid belt is just remnants from the formation of the solar system.

There are two curious reasons why we may yet see more discussion about this, though.

The first is that the asteroid belt has been found to comprise of two main groups of distinct asteroids, of very different composition. The second is that one of the most massive asteroids there, 16 Psyche, gives every suggestion of being a small planetary core.

Is it possible that the asteroid belt was formed by the collision of two small planets We'll soon find out NASA will soon launch a probe to explore the asteroid belt, and especially 16 Psyche.

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Orioles vs Yankees MLB live stream 2019: how to watch today's baseball from anywhere

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 10:27 AM PDT

Spring training is over - regular season MLB baseball is finally back! And in New York today sees the Yankees take on the franchise from nearby Baltimore. With a huge Opening Day win for the Yankees, the Orioles will be looking to strike back quickly on the first Saturday of the 2019 regular season. Find out who will win with an Orioles vs Yankees live stream today.

It's now been 10 years since the Yankees last won a World Series and their players and fans alike will be desperate to go back to the top of the MLB tree. Aaron Judge will be the man with so many hopes on his shoulders, and he didn't disappoint on the Opening Day with three runs from two hits in a convincing win.

Orioles fans may feel like they have a long season ahead after their only 2018 All-Star shortstop Manny Machado left for the San Diego Padres. And the 7-2 defeat in game one of the Yankee Stadium series won't have lifted their spirits one iota.

Keep reading to see the best ways to get an Orioles vs Yankees live stream. As you'll see, it's available via the ESPN+ subscription service (which comes with a 7-day free trial if you haven't tried it before). And we'll also tell you how to catch it even if you're not in the US this weekend.

How to watch Orioles vs Yankees in the US for FREE

Live stream MLB baseball from outside your country

If you've been looking forward to this opening day match-up but now find yourself abroad, you'll find that your coverage will be geo-blocked. Annoying for sure, but not the end of the road...as you can try using a VPN to change your IP address to a US server and watch as if you were back at home.

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New remote and gamepad tipped for the Nvidia Shield TV

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 07:30 AM PDT

The Nvidia Shield TV was one of the first Android TV boxes to hit the market and it remains one of the best. Nvidia has continued to push a steady stream of updates out for the device, and it looks like another is in the pipeline.

XDA Developers reports that the Shield's latest code refers to a controller called "Stormcaster" and a remote called "Friday", which may be replacements for the current input devices that are available for the Shield TV.

The Shield TV box got a refresh in 2017 but the controller and remote remain the same as they were back in 2015 when the box first appeared (you get the remote included and the gamepad is an optional extra).

That means these devices are overdue an upgrade and it looks as though new hardware might be imminent. There might even be a whole new Nvidia Shield TV box on the way.

"Active vs inactive"

The names mentioned in the code don't tell us too much about these input devices, apart from what type they are. Both connect over Bluetooth, apparently, with USB another option on the gamepad controller.

An Nvidia spokesperson gave a statement to XDA Developers which reads: "It's fairly standard practice for various concept codenames to appear in codebases. Those references remain even when it becomes unlikely that the concept ever goes into production."

"We can't comment on which codenames refer to product concepts that are active vs which ones are inactive, as it can be fluid. However, I can confirm that none of the codenames below refer to products that have launched publicly."

So make of that what you will. If you already have an Nvidia Shield TV, you might soon have some new accessories to pick from, and if you don't, you might soon have another reason to make a purchase.

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This incredible Mate 20 Pro offer beats all Huawei P30 Pro deals out there

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 05:13 AM PDT

With all the Huawei P30 Pro hype we've seen this week, it's been easy to forget about all of the other brilliant Huawei phone deals out there. Well we certainly haven't forgotten about Huawei's other flagships yet, and through a little bit of digging, we found a Huawei Mate 20 Pro deal that leaves P30 Pro prices in its wake. 

Yep, this ridiculous Mate 20 Pro offer could well change your mind from grabbing those P30 Pro deals you've been coveting. Coming in at a tiny monthly cost of just £24 and upfront spend of just over £100, we've never seen the Mate 20 Pro this cheap. It doesn't even scrimp on data or have some convoluted clause to justify the price. 

This contract is so cheap in fact, that the nearest P30 Pro deal to it will cost you £400 more over the two years. So it's probably a bit of a no-brainer.

You can see this deal in full below, but we wouldn't hang around too long as you'll be kicking yourself if you miss out on this kind of value. If for some reason this tariff doesn't quite fill your needs, try our mobile phone deals guide for all of the other options.

This brilliant Huawei Mate 20 Pro deal in full:

Why is the Mate 20 Pro so good?

We currently rank the Huawei Mate 20 Pro as the third best phone in the world - let us tell you why. With one of the fastest processors of any Android device, a almost unrivalled battery life, a powerful triple camera set up and world first features like in-screen fingerprint scanning - this is an impressive phone. 

In fact, the only issue we've usually been able to come up with is the price, which isn't even a factor you need to worry about with this deal.

Read our full Huawei Mate 20 Pro review

Compare this with the best P30 Pro deals:

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The great ad-space race: the history of space advertising

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 05:00 AM PDT

There are very few places left in the world that advertising hasn’t poked its unwelcome way into – and no one knows that better than advertisers. While most have switched from trying to find new spaces in the real world to hawking stuff in the virtual one (try clothes in VR! Buy a holographic Coke!), some are gazing at the night sky, and thinking “wouldn’t that look better with a massive logo in the middle?”.

The benefits of advertising in space are manifold: the ad would be visible to enormous swathes of people for considerable amounts of time, it would be noticeable to anyone who looked upwards for any reason, and despite the costs of venturing into space, the size and noticeability of the ad could make it cheaper, eyeball-for-eyeball, than some more traditional formats.

As US Congressman Jim Jeffords put it in 1993: “If advertisers are willing to pay $1.7 million for a minute of ad time during the Super Bowl, it's frightening to imagine how much they might pay to have their ad seen by half of the world for 15 days.“

Jeffords was responding to a plan by Space Marketing Inc, appropriately of Roswell (...Georgia), to create an enormous inflatable billboard that would be seen from Earth for about two weeks. It wasn’t going to be especially far away: around 150 miles, but that puts it well above the Kármán line and therefore technically in outer space.

The billboard was to be made from mylar, otherwise known as that foil-like stuff they make helium birthday balloons from. However, while the appearance of a giant ’IT’S A GIRL’ would have been pretty distracting (not to mention confusing), it would still have been infinitely less irritating than an advert. 

Image of a mylar balloon

Imagine one of these, only much bigger, and in space (Image credit: Lidya Nada on Unsplash)

Unfazed by the possibility of being pariahs to half the world, no less than 11 companies apparently contacted Space Marketing Inc to express interest, and for a time it looked like a set of Olympic rings a mile wide would become the first ever space billboard, to promote the Atlanta 1996 games. The projected cost of $30m seems pretty reasonable by modern-day standards, considering NBC alone had TV and digital ad earnings of $900m during just the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Yes, OK, the value of the dollar has changed a bit, but it still would have been cheap for a world-first.

Nonetheless, it didn’t happen: as reported by the UN’s Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in its fascinating 2001 report on ‘obtrusive space advertising,’ this “potentially most devastating proposal” would have “obliterated most astronomical observations” being done by scientists the world over, and would also have been “estimated to receive some 10,000 impacts of space debris per day, with associated debris proliferation” (space junk is enough of a problem as it is).

However, neither of these very solid reasons was the one that killed the original Space Billboard – as you might expect from an advertising project, it came down to money. Neither the original plan nor the updated Olympic plan “were able to attract the required funding”, said the UN with palpable glee. 

Back down to Earth?

In the same report, the UN noted that “most [theoretical] space advertising is likely to greatly outlast the enterprise that launched it”. This is certainly the case with the 1993 plan, whose infamy has long outlived the company that spawned it. Indeed, the whole idea of advertising in space seems stubbornly unwilling to die: it’s popped up many times since the contentious mylar billboard of doom.

This is despite the US Government’s best efforts. The FAA has effectively banned obtrusive space advertising, defined as “advertising in outer space that is capable of being recognized by a human being on the surface of the Earth without the aid of a telescope or other technological device”. However, the US doesn’t own space, which potentially leaves the door open for other countries to get there first.

Companies like Japan’s Ispace Inc, for instance. Ispace was widely reported to be planning what would essentially be “billboards on the moon” by the year 2020. Japan is part of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which states that while countries can’t claim bits of space, they’re free to make use of it as long as they don’t cause (or, realistically, as long as they clean up) any damage. So in theory, they’d be okay to go ahead with lunar advertising.

Mock up of Ispace lunar lander

A mockup of Ispace's planned lunar lander (Image credit: Ispace)

However, while Ispace Inc is indeed planning a major moon-related project and has raised the required funding – being shortlisted for a Google Lunar XPRIZE in the process – the whole thing has apparently been very misconstrued. A company spokesperson told Techradar:

“Our core business is to deliver customer payloads to the moon and collect data about resources on the lunar surface. The $94.5 million we raised in our Series A round will be used to spearhead our first two exploration missions to the moon. 

“As part of these missions, we will offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities for private companies. However, we will not be installing any billboards on the Moon and no advertising services we offer will be visible from Earth.” (Emphasis ours).

Wait, so what’s all that money for? And what advertising services are they referring to if not lunar logos? 

“We’re exploring the possibility of projecting a temporary, unobtrusive digital display on the side of our small lunar lander as it sits on the lunar surface for a unique photo opportunity with the Earth in the background. The surface of the lander that would potentially have a temporary projected image will likely be smaller than 4 feet (height and width). However, we understand the challenge involved in this project, so it’s just a concept at this stage.”

Haven’t space ads basically already happened?

Ispace’s real plans are part of a wider trend of allowing advertising on products related to or headed to space, without going as far as the infamous space billboard. In this format, space advertising has been around for a long time. For instance, in 1990, Japanese TV network Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) – creators of Takeshi’s Castle and therefore no strangers to bonkers stunts – paid millions for one of its journalists to get a seat on the Soviet Soyuz mission to the Mir space station.

The journalist, Toyohiro Akiyama, became the first Japanese person to go into space as a result – but more importantly for our purposes, the sponsorship allowed TBS to put its logo on the spacecraft.

As the Washington Post put it at the time: “For the Soviets, the tie-in with Japanese TV offered a chance to move forward on commercializing the Russian space program. Indeed, the Soyuz rocket was so commercialized it looked like a flying billboard when it blasted off Sunday. Its nose cone and fins were festooned with the logos of TBS and other Japanese corporate sponsors, including a toothpaste firm and a producer of paper diapers.”

That said, the logos-on-spaceships model does seem to be gaining traction, with NASA saying recently that it’s exploring all kinds of commercial opportunities, including astronaut endorsements and equipment naming rights.

The Mir space station was a popular choice for early space ads: it starred in a 1997 commercial for Israeli milk brand Tnuva, which was partly hand-filmed by a cosmonaut on the station itself, and became officially the world’s first ad filmed in space. Pepsi had attempted something similar the previous year when they floated an oversized drinks can outside Mir, but the title and accompanying Guinness World Record went to Tnuva.

Image of Tesla Roadster and Starman dummy astronaut in space, looking down on the Earth

Elon Musk pulled off one of the most audacious feats of space advertising when he put one of his Tesla Roadsters on board a SpaceX rocket (Image credit: SpaceX)

Since then, there have been countless other space advertising projects, including Red Bull’s famous space jump ad with Felix Baumgartner and of course Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster launching off into the unknown. But while all the attempts so far have been related to space in some way – some more tangentially than others – we’ve yet to see what most people imagine when we talk about ads in space: whacking great logos on planets, or worse, an astronomical version of pop-ups.

That could be about to change soon though, if Russian startup StartRocket has anything to say about it. The company is planning its own 'space billboards', which will let companies place glowing logos and slogans in the night sky using glowing low-orbit satellites.

The company has released a rather dystopian video showing what it has in mind, with a KFC ad drifting across the Grand Canyon, and what appears to be an upside-down McDonald's logo floating beside the Eiffel Tower, though we're not sure what the US Government and Council of Paris would have to say about that.

No one knows who’ll win the great ad-space race, but it’s not hard to imagine where the brands of the world could go next. A Samsung launch in an actual Galaxy? Haemorrhoid cream billboards on Uranus? It’s only a matter of time… and space.

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F1 live stream: how to watch the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix online from anywhere

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 03:45 AM PDT

It's one of the youngest Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar, but Bahrain has already become one of the most anticipated. After last week's curtain raiser, it makes for an intriguing second race of the 2019 F1 season, and you're in the right place to discover how to live stream F1 action - regardless of where in the world you are when it's on.

The first weekend of the season in Australia saw a Mercedes man at the top of the podium, but it wasn't Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton. His Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas overtook him early on and dominated the race to take the first Grand Prix victory of the F1 season.

And predicting who will take the glory in Bahrain is far from an easy task. Sebastian Vettel has more wins than anybody here with four to his name - including the last two editions. So that should give Ferrari a lot of confidence going into the race weekend. His new teammate Charles Leclerc will be looking to make an impact, too. And they really impressed in the first set of practices on Friday.

But Hamilton was looking scarily good Down Under, going rapidly around the streets of Melbourne in the practices and then eventually grabbing pole position. He'll be raring to get the first Grand Prix victory of 2019 under his belt in Bahrain.

If you're as excited as we are about the new Formula 1 season, then you'll already know all of this and just want to find out how you can watch the Bahrain Grand Prix. To do so is super straightforward from anywhere in the world and on pretty much any device. And the best thing about it...it's possible to do so absolutely free of charge in some places. Read on to find out how to stream F1 live.

How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix from outside your country

To see how to live stream Bahrain Grand Prix action in any of the UK, Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand, then scroll a little further down this page to see the broadcast options. But if you try and tune in to your native stream from outside your country, you'll quickly discover that it's geo-blocked.

How to stream F1 live from Bahrain in the UK:

How live stream the Bahrain Grand Prix in Australia

How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix in the US:

How to watch a Bahrain F1 live stream in the Canada:

How to get an F1 live stream in New Zealand

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Four ways that a free VPN can profit from its users

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PDT

VPNs can be divided into two types: free VPN services and paid. Running a VPN service requires considerable investment in all manner of elements, including a good website, client software for a variety of platforms, many servers in multiple locations with plenty of bandwidth, and a customer support team to keep all this working throughout the entire world.

Better quality paid VPN providers make this considerable and ongoing investment to offer a robust VPN service which has strong throughput, with unlimited data allowance, and excellent customer support – all for a reasonable monthly subscription fee.

On the other hand, a free VPN can easily find itself in a tight spot right from the start. Without the crucial benefit of a paid subscriber base, the obvious question is: how does the provider pay to keep a decent quality service afloat?

Let’s delve into this issue, and take a look at how a free VPN can make some money to keep its operation running – although as we’ll see, too often this can be at the user’s expense.

1. The ‘gateway’ VPN

In some cases, such as Windscribe or Tunnelbear, the free VPN service that is offered is piggybacked onto the infrastructure of the firm’s paid VPN offering. The hope is that a free user will get to experience the VPN first-hand, and be converted to a paid subscriber of the premium service once they realize the value proposition. This type of VPN service sometimes gets dubbed ‘freemium.’

This sort of makes a freemium VPN tier a kind of ‘gateway’ VPN, not unlike when infant formula is handed out to new mothers while in hospital after the delivery of their new-born, a practice known to discourage breastfeeding.

Still, we can’t seriously fault the VPN providers for having a free VPN tier as a recurring trial for users, trying to bring them into their revenue fold as they blow through the monthly data allowance every month. However, this practice can’t be all that profitable, as plenty of popular VPNs do not offer any free tier.

For many users, online privacy is the entire point of using a VPN (Image Credit: Pixabay)

2. Kicking privacy to the curb

A primary reason for using a VPN is to regain control of your online privacy. After all, once it leaves your computer and goes onto the internet, your data is available for your ISP to access as it transmits the information along to its intended destination. This whole issue came to the forefront back in 2017 when the FCC’s privacy regulations that govern the ISPs were overturned, thereby giving clearance to your ISP to collect and sell your data. Not surprisingly, what followed was a large surge in VPN subscriptions as users attempted to re-establish and protect their privacy online.

What we have to bear in mind, though, is that while using a VPN means that your ISP won’t be able to access your internet traffic, the VPN provider will instead. And that’s precisely why informed buyers look for a VPN with a fully disclosed privacy policy, based in a country with established legal privacy protections such as Switzerland or Romania.

However, going with a free VPN does not afford this same level of privacy. A free VPN can potentially collect all kinds of data on you, including your email, location, cell phone number, and browsing data. This data can then be sold to the highest bidder, which uses it for targeted advertising.

Users of free VPNs certainly have to bear in mind that their data could be potentially used for profit in one way or another, including selling it to affiliate advertisers.

HolaVPN has been at the center of some controversy to say the least (Image Credit: HolaVPN)

3. Share and share alike

You pay good money for your connection to the internet, whether that’s your fixed broadband connection, or mobile data plan. At the very least, you would not want to share the bandwidth you pay for, and indeed if that was to happen, you could potentially be liable for another user’s illicit online activities.

Yet with one free VPN provider, HolaVPN, this is exactly what happened. HolaVPN doesn’t have its own network of servers, but effectively crowdsources, with everyone using the service providing them bandwidth – not only for the free HolaVPN offering, but also for a related paid product known as Luminati. In addition, your device could become the exit node for another user’s activity, making you potentially liable for their actions.

As we reported at the end of last year: “The bandwidth of HolaVPN users is being sold via Luminati and their machines could end up becoming part of a botnet facilitated by the network. Cybercriminals could take advantage of this access to a user’s system to perform various illegal or unauthorized activities on their machines.”

4. Billboards on the superhighway

A traditional way to make money online is with advertising, and the more targeted these ads are, the better. Certainly this has been a profitable business for the likes of Google.

With a user’s browsing going through a VPN, this can quickly become a treasure trove of information for the provider, and just as with Google, this can be used to target ads at the user. In fact, this is an all too common practice that again is the antithesis of the privacy desired when using a VPN. The user is being tracked and logged, with the free VPN provider intending to profit from this.

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Valve unveils its own virtual reality headset: the Valve Index

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PDT

There had been whispers that Valve was working on its own virtual reality headset, having previously launched VR kit in partnership with HTC, and now those rumors have turned into a real product: the Valve Index.

However, the name is just about all we know about the new VR headset for now. Valve has put up a teaser site inviting you to "upgrade your experience" and listing May 2019 as what we assume is a launch date.

We get one pretty good look at the headset, but for now the price and specs aren't clear. At least with Valve's track record it should know what it's doing with the new hardware.

Unfortunately there's no sign of the Half-Life game that some insiders were suggesting might be revealed alongside a VR headset from Valve – though maybe Valve is just waiting until May to give us the details.

Guessing game

It's certainly a busy time for new VR headset launches, with the Oculus Rift S and the Oculus Quest about to go on sale, and the HTC Vive Focus Plus coming on April 15 as well.

There's more choice than ever for discerning consumers but it means the Valve Index is going to be up against some stiff competition when it sees the light of day. Presumably it'll run the same SteamVR game and apps store as the HTC models.

What seem to be two sensors can be seen at the side of the Valve Index case and previous reports suggest the headset will come with a wider-than-normal field of view. Expect a lot of these information gaps to get plugged in May.

We'll be bringing you all the news of the Valve Index launch when it happens, but in the meantime, you might want to hold off on that VR headset purchase.

Via Ars Technica

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These incredible discounted EE phone deals come to an end on Monday

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 03:26 AM PDT

Do you want a top of the line flagship? Want the UK's fastest 4G speeds? Don't want to pay full price for your new mobile phone deal? If any or all of these questions are answered 'yes' by you then you're going to love these price cut offers from Mobiles.co.uk.

With the help of some handy voucher codes, you can currently knock £20 or £25 off top Android and Apple flagships. This includes the iPhone XR, Samsung Galaxy S10 and Google Pixel 3.

This isn't some deal to make incredibly expensive contracts ever so slightly cheaper, these vouchers cut the prices of EE phone deals that were already some of the best offers available on these devices.

So if you're interested in saving some cash on your new tariff, scroll down to see these deals in full. But you will have to hurry, these voucher codes will be gone by Monday, April 1 at 6am. Or if you would rather compare them to what else is available, check out our mobile phone deals page

These EE phone deals in full:

The best deals on these devices no matter the network:

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Google Pixel 4: what we want to see

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 03:00 AM PDT

Since its launch in 2016, the Pixel line has become a reliable tentpole in the smartphone release calendar. Offering a suite of features with an almost unmatched level of software polish, the handsets have done a lot to earn the adoration of the tech community at large.

That isn’t to say that the competition is resting however, and Google in 2019 really needs to keep on its feet if the Pixel line is to meet expectations with its next iteration, the Pixel 4.

Read on for the most up-to-date list of rumors regarding its design and pricing, and a full breakdown of what we’d like to see feature-wise from Google's upcoming pocket rocket.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The next photography powerhouse from Google
  • When is it out? Likely October 2019
  • What will it cost? Possibly close to $1,000/£1,000

Google Pixel 4 release date and price

For years now, Google has opted to release its Pixel lineup in the latter half of the year, after the usual roller coaster of smartphone releases from the first half of the year has died down.

More specifically, we expect a launch event sometime in early October based on past form, with it also being likely that Google will take the opportunity to launch a few other hardware options at the same time, such as the long-rumored Pixel Watch.

Following the announcement, it's likely that the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will hit stores in early November, if past years are anything to go by.

Image Credit: TechRadar

Pricing-wise, the Pixels have been climbing for years now. With the extra features now included and the general emphasis on a premium fit and finish, the Pixel 3 - or at least the XL model - may be the first of the line to break the $1,000/£1,000/AU$1,500 mark.

We'll probably also see multiple different storage capacities offered at different prices. More information will arrive closer to the launch, so watch this space.

Google Pixel 4 news and rumors

At this stage, it is highly probable that the Google Pixel 4 is still in the latter stages of development and is yet to enter production. As such, any information gleaned from tipsters must be taken with an appropriately large measure of salt.

Regardless, the indications at the moment are that the Pixel 4 will arrive toting the punch-hole design used by the Honor View 20 and then brought into the mainstream by the Samsung Galaxy S10 line.

At least, that's what a leaked image below, supposedly showing the Google Pixel 4 XL, suggests, with a dual-lens camera cut into the top right corner of the screen.

Image Credit: SlashLeaks

This will hopefully mean the death of the enormous notch plaguing the Pixel 3 XL, while also ensuring further screen real estate becoming available to the consumer, a win-win.

In fact, there's no visible bezel at all on this image, so it's possible that the Pixel 4 XL will be almost bezel-free.

The image also seems to imply that Google may finally buck the trend which it has set for itself and finally begin to embrace multiple cameras on the rear of its devices.

With the Pixel 3, Google really showed off the full extent of what was possible with a single camera, while also approaching the limits of such a setup. As such, we’re excited to see what a Pixel armed with multiple rear snappers might be able to achieve.

That said, images from a patent just show a single-lens camera still, so it's possible that Google will stick with one lens, or perhaps only the XL model will get two.

You can see some of these patent images below. Note that there's no visible camera, notch or bezel on the front of the phone. That probably just suggests a lack of detail in the sketch, but could mean the phone uses a pop-up camera or something.

We'd take these images with a pinch of salt though, especially as they also show a fingerprint scanner on the back, which could feel a bit dated now that we're getting phones with in-screen scanners.

Indeed, the leaked Pixel 4 XL pictures further up have no visible scanner, suggesting it might be built into the screen. However, both sets of images show a two-tone rear, just like its predecessors.

Beyond these images, we've also seen a Geekbench benchmark possibly for the Google Pixel 4. It lists a top-end Snapdragon 855 chipset, along with 6GB of RAM - up from 4GB in the Pixel 3 range. It also, unsurprisingly, lists the phones as running Android Q.

The benchmark includes a single-core score of 3,296 and a multi-core one of 9,235, which are solid but unexceptional results for a top-end phone. Of course, this would be pre-release hardware and software, so results at launch might be better.

Finally, code recently added to the open source foundation of Android suggests that the Google Pixel 4 might have improved dual-SIM support, letting you use both a normal SIM and an eSIM at the same time.

Throughout the year, more leaks will continue to arrive, so keep checking back here for all of the latest developments.

What we want to see

Though nothing is yet known for sure about the Google Pixel 4, we know what we’d like to see - our eight suggestions can be found below.

1. Multiple rear cameras

Since the beginnings of the Pixel line back in 2016, Google has not only defined what is possible with a single camera sensor, but for smartphone cameras overall.

With tricks such as super-res zoom, night shot and more, the Pixel 3 in particular outcmatched the likes of Huawei, Apple and Samsung in 2018, all seemingly without breaking a sweat. The competition isn't resting on its laurels however, with the Huawei P30 Pro in particular turning up the heat.

We wouldn't be surprised if a left-field, potentially game-changing software feature is added to the Pixel 4, but to really exceed expectations a second, third or even fourth sensor on the rear would give it an edge. 

Ultra-wide-angle, telephoto zoom, monochrome, there are lots of options, so we would like Google to experiment with the options available to it - the results could be spectacular.

2. No notch

Image Credit: TechRadar

To anyone watching smartphone design evolve, 2018 was the year of the notch. No matter the size of the display, every manufacturer followed the trend set most strongly by the Apple iPhone X with a slew of copycat efforts.

Google's Pixel 3 XL is a particularly infamous example of egregious notch design, as it's larger than most.

We would like to see the firm completely avoid the notch this year, without resorting to the large bezels of the standard Pixel 3, either by using a pinhole camera in the display or with a sliding mechanism.

3. More RAM

Despite generally providing a solid software experience for those using it, the Google Pixel 3 line wasn't without controversy, particularly with regards to RAM management.

Many users reported that in the first weeks of use, the camera app in particular used up so much available memory that any other apps then open would be force-closed.

In a budget phone with only a smattering of RAM available, this might have been forgivable, but for a flagship it certainly is not. For the Pixel 4 we would like to see at least 6GB of RAM, along with a suitably powerful chipset - hopefully this then will remove any accusations of poor performance.

4. Stereo speakers

The humble stereo speaker, usually front-facing, has faced an odd existence. Although popular with fans on any handset graced with their presence, they tend to be the first victim of space-saving measures.

Case in point, 2019 has seen the elimination of the feature from many popular handsets, with it sometimes being replaced by a speaker underneath the display.

But for the quality of audio offered, and the improved listening experience, we would like to see stereo speakers remain on the Pixel 4 as they did on the Pixel 3 - standing out from the competition in all the right ways.

5. Longer battery life

Packing in huge batteries has become the done thing for most flagships in 2019. Nearly all sport packs the size of which would have been unheard of only a few years ago.

Google though - claiming improved efficiencies with each passing year - has so far not massively improved the size of the battery packs included with its devices.

And although early signs are promising that the new Snapdragon 855 is significantly more efficient than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 845, we would like to see Google go the whole hog.

We want to see a Pixel which can measure its life in days, rather than hours. Here’s hoping that Google can deliver on this.

6. Stadia-sized ambitions

Image Credit: Google

Earlier in 2019, Google 'surprised’ the world with the announcement of its game-streaming platform ‘Stadia’, which utilizes compression technology in an attempt to make a service accessible to all.

It has been promised that the service will reach a plethora of devices, mobile, console or otherwise. The question of mobile is a little more complex however, for although expanding the service to all Android devices will likely be a future ambition, for the moment the word is that availability will be restricted solely to Pixel devices.

With this in-mind, we’d like to see Google take this concept as far as it can go - but what would this mean? In practice, what we want is improved focus on network performance (to combat potential latency issues) and, more importantly, a dedicated peripheral.

This would ideally be in line with what Xiaomi has helped to pioneer with its Black Shark gaming handsets - touch controls are not suited to complex control systems and a dedicated peripheral would help to bridge the gap.

7. More color options

In most settings, from the boardroom to the bedroom, black or white options are a solid choice for phones. They add a touch of class and don't stand out in a crowd.

The Pixel line certainly caters to this subset of the population, however in the past it has taken slightly wild strides, mostly notably the original 'Really Blue' model (which was indeed very blue). 

In the vein of this original, we'd like to see the Pixel 4 come in more than one slightly unconventional color, following the example set by the iPhone XR and the Samsung Galaxy S10e. Whether green, blue, yellow or whatever else, the new option needs to stand out from the similarly colorful opposition.

8. A sturdier construction

Google Pixel 3

Image Credit: TechRadar

The Pixel 3, in no uncertain terms, is a better constructed phone than its predecessor. Boasting tight lines and a glass rear, it has really been a match to the likes of the various iPhone models released in 2018.

No amount of truth twisting could lead to accusations of it being damage-proof however - quite the opposite in reality. The stone-like finish applied to the glass on the rear has shown the tendency to scratch easily, far more so than might have been expected. 

This meant that those shelling out hundreds for their shiny new Google devices found that it didn’t take long before they regretted not slapping a case on instantly.

As such, whether via an all-metal build or through something a little different (even a different kind of glass or treatment) we would like to see Google embrace a little utilitarianism into its design, creating something which anyone can use at any time, any day.

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Home WiFi is the new connectivity battleground between broadband giants

Posted: 30 Mar 2019 02:10 AM PDT

Over the last year, internet service providers have moved the goal post from delivering high speed broadband to your properties to delivering high speed internet to your devices.

Whether it is a deliberate attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition or a move to increase the average revenue per user, making your home the new battleground for wireless connectivity has attracted a swath of newcomers.

Plume is one of them - having just announced a partnership with Talktalk - and we chatted with its CEO to find out more about the company's plan to expand internationally with the UK being its first port of call.

Why are you partnering together with TalkTalk?

Plume has announced the launch of its smart home services bundle in the UK in partnership with TalkTalk. Available through an invitation-only offering, the partnership will deliver a new level of WiFi personalisation, connectivity and security in the home to TalkTalk subscribers. 

With Plume’s comprehensive membership and service bundle, selected TalkTalk customers will benefit from faster, safer and more reliable home WiFi. TalkTalk and Plume together will reach a wider audience and deliver new, high quality services for the connected home.

This is the first of its kind consumer launch from Plume in the UK and will be available by invitation to TalkTalk customers. 

What’s included as part of the Plume membership?

The Plume membership offered specifically for TalkTalk customers includes Adaptive WiFi, HomePass guest access, parental controls, and the Plume app for £9 per month. This monthly fee includes a two-SuperPod starter pack. Additional SuperPods are £69 each for expansion of the home WiFi coverage area.

What are some of the challenges that consumers face in terms of WiFi connectivity in the home?

With a rapidly increasing number of connected devices being used in the home, consumer demand for connectivity is higher than ever. However, getting WiFi to fill every inch of consumers’ homes with a strong and reliable signal across all devices, can often be a challenge.

Plume is always learning about how consumers use WiFi in the home, so it can allocate more capacity to the devices that need it most and bring out the best in all digital experiences at home, in addition to accommodating the needs of individual users.

How does this partnership enhance TalkTalk’s existing products and what are the benefits to subscribers?

Plume works seamlessly with existing TalkTalk broadband services and adds a layer of connectivity and personalisation to the home. Its security features enhance TalkTalk’s existing range of internet security and filtering products. Plume’s self-optimising network can be set up in minutes via the Plume mobile app, using high-performance SuperPods - tri-band WiFi devices that plug directly into the wall.

Plume enhances TalkTalk’s existing products by constantly analysing and adapting to each member’s unique environment, which enhances WiFi signal and streaming capabilities. Its adaptive WiFi fills every inch of the home with a strong, reliable signal, ensuring a consistent experience across every device.

How are you providing/ensuring security from Plume through to TalkTalk’s network?

Plume’s HomePass feature allows members to personalise guest access, create unique passwords, and control who gets on their network, for how long, and what they can do. 

Its advanced parental controls also offer further personalisation by enabling parents to precisely control when and what services their children have access to. The ability to freeze Internet, block access to adult sites, or set access schedules makes for ultimate peace of mind.

Are similar telecom partnerships in the works for other regions? How many other partners does Plume work with currently?

We’re unable to go into specific customers at this stage, however, what we can say is that Plume is witnessing great demand for its solutions, both in Europe and around the globe. A high volume of service providers now appreciate the benefits that a cloud-driven strategy brings in enabling the rapid deployment and scalability of services built on the home Wi-Fi infrastructure. This coupled with our rapid expansion plans means that we’ll be bringing you news of more launches very soon!

What are your future plans for Plume?

In addition to expanding into other markets we will continue to develop services for the rapidly evolving smart home which include greater levels of personalisation and security in the home. We’re working extremely hard to add further services to our portfolio to ensure that our partners can offer their subscribers the safest, most secure, most reliable and most comprehensive in-home Wi-Fi services package available.

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Hackers publish details on critical Magento flaw

Posted: 29 Mar 2019 03:40 PM PDT

The Magento e-commerce platform could soon face a number of attacks after hackers publicly released code that exploits a critical vulnerability in its systems which could be used to plant payment card skimmers on sites that have not yet been updated.

PRODSECBUG-2198 is the name of the SQL injection vulnerability that attackers can exploit without the need for authentication.

Any hacker that can obtain user names and crack the password hashes protecting these credentials could theoretically exploit the flaw to take administrative control of administrator accounts. Upon gaining access, they then could install backdoors or any skimming code they choose.

This method was tested by a researcher at the security firm Sucuri who managed to reverse-engineer a recently released official patch to create a working proof-of-concept exploit.

Card skimming

Competing gangs of cybercriminals have spent the last six months trying to infect e-commerce sites with card skimming malware to steal users' payment details. They employed known exploits as well as zero-day vulnerabilities to accomplish this and such a vulnerability in Magento's e-commerce platform will likely be exploited due to the fact that over 300,000 businesses and merchants use its services.

Lead malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes, Jérôme Segura explained the severity of the situation to Ars Technica, saying:

“There is no doubt threat actors are either actively reversing the patch or waiting for a proof of concept to exploit this flaw at scale. When it comes to hacked Magento websites, Web skimmers are the most common infection type we see because of their high return on investment. As a result, we can expect another wave of compromises in light of this newly found critical vulnerability.” 

When the proof-of-concept code was published, comments in the code revealed that it could also be modified to obtain other information from Magento's database such as admin and user password hashes. It was also discovered that the vulnerability has existed in Magento since version 1 of its software. This means that all Magento sites that have not installed the latest update are potentially susceptible.

The company's developers recently disclosed and patched a number of vulnerabilities including PRODSECBUG-2198. There is a stand-alone patch for this vulnerability but since the other flaws also pose a threat, it is recommended that all customers upgrade to Magento Commerce or Open Source 2.3.1 or 2.2.8.

Via Ars Technica

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Whoops, Google might have leaked the new Nest Hub Max smart speaker

Posted: 29 Mar 2019 03:39 PM PDT

Whoops, Google might’ve just leaked the new Nest Hub Max, a new smart speaker that has a 10-inch HD screen, a built-in Nest security camera and stereo speakers.

The description for the new smart home hub appeared for a brief moment on Google’s Connected Home section of its storefront before it was spotted by Android Police, who was kind enough to take screenshots of the product before Google scrambled all the information. 

According to the information Android Police found, the speaker looks like the evolution of the Google Home Hub: The Nest Hub Max will have a larger display, a built-in security camera and stereo speakers - giving it a clear edge on the smart home hub released last year. 

Before today, there wasn’t even a rumor of this device floating around (at least, as far as we know) and was something Google was likely hoping to save until its annual Google IO conference in June. 

Then again, maybe it was just several intricately detailed typos in a row? ...Nah, probably not.

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