Apple : Sony's State of Play livestream will show us the future of the PS4

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• Sony's State of Play livestream will show us the future of the PS4
• The best Fitbit Versa prices and sales in March 2019
• England vs Czech Republic live stream: how to watch Euro 2020 qualifier football online
• The best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals in March 2019
• Best drawing and painting software of 2019
• £75 pre-paid Mastercard gives Plusnet some of the best cheap broadband deals in the UK
• Openreach plans copper switch off
• Best ITSM tools of 2019
• Online learning tops UK universities' tech wish lists
• Walmart TV deals: Save $230 on a 43-inch LG 4K Smart TV
• This is why no-one’s buying the massive-battery Energizer phone
• The best Samsung Galaxy Watch Active prices and deals in March 2019
• The best O2 phone deals in March 2019
• The best Three mobile deals in March 2019
• The best Vodafone deals in March 2019
• The best WordPress plugins 2019
• Tile tracker deal at Amazon: get the Tile Sport key finder on sale for only $19
• The best EE phone deals in March 2019
• Huawei P30 and P30 Pro quad camera almost confirmed by Huawei's own leak
• Should you trust the news you're reading? This browser extension can help

Sony's State of Play livestream will show us the future of the PS4 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 01:15 PM PDT Sony may not be coming to E3 2019 this year, but that won’t stop the proprietor of PlayStation Nation from revealing what comes next for the PS4 and PSVR.  To that end, on March 25, Sony will be holding an online event called State of Play that will debut on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook worldwide, which will act as a kind of stand in for a traditional press event. Starting Sekiro today? Here's 5 things you need to know Love TV and PlayStation products? Check out PlayStation Vue Considering a PS4 Pro? Here are the best PS4 Pro deals While Sony hasn’t said which games it plans to show off, the company’s Director of Social Media Sid Shuman said that we can expect “new trailers, new game announcements and new gameplay footage” in a post on the PlayStation Blog.  If we had to guess, we'd say it’s likely that we’ll hear more about Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II and Death Stranding, all of which are hotly-anticipated titles but none of which currently have known release dates. What’s more telling about the announcement, however, is the language Shuman uses in the post: “Today, we’re introducing a new video program called State of Play, and the first episode kicks off Monday, March 25 at 2:00pm Pacific Time.” This is apparently a new series, and there’s going to be more than one episode – i.e. even if Sony won’t have a keynote at E3 going forward, it will probably still have one of these.  As you may already know, Nintendo has been doing events like this (called Nintendo Directs) for years to great success and it looks like Sony's finally catching on. Even without Sony, we're still excited about E3 2019 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best Fitbit Versa prices and sales in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 12:47 PM PDT If you're looking for a quality smartwatch, but don't want to pay the price of an Apple Watch, then the Fitbit Versa is an excellent option. The popular fitness tracker has been discounted from a number of popular retailers since there is a newer version of the Fitbit smartwatch out (the Fitbit Ionic) that retails for more. We also have the best prices for the Fitbit Versa Special Edition as well as the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition. The Fitbit Versa tracks all of your activity which includes steps, heart rate, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes, hourly activity and stationary time. The Versa smartwatch is also waterproof so you can tracks laps and calories burned during swim workouts. Enjoy your favorite music on the Versa with 300+ songs that you can store or connect to Bluetooth headphones so you can listen to music or podcasts wire-free.  The Versa will also help you keep on track with your health and fitness goals with personalized reminders. You can also personalize your workouts with on-screen coaching that adapts by provided feedback. The Versa also features female health tracking which allows women to log their period and gain insights into fertility and other health stats. The Versa also has the basic smartwatch features such as getting calls, texts, and notifications and accessing your favorite apps. The Fitbit Versa price normally retails for $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$299.99, but we often find a number of retailers that have the smartwatch on sale so you should never pay more than the price we've listed.  The best deals on the Fitbit Versa smartwatch If you're interested in contactless payments or switching up the look of the Versa smartwatch, then you can upgrade to the Fitbit Versa Special Edition. The special edition version of the smartwatch allows you to choose from a charcoal or lavender woven band rather than the classic Versa band. The Fitbit Versa Special Edition also has a built-in NFC chip that allows you to make secure payments without your wallet. You can make payments on the go with your credit and debit cards with a tap of your wrist anywhere that accepts contactless payments. The best deals on the Fitbit Versa Special Edition If you're looking for a cheaper version of the Fitbit Versa, then you're in luck. Fitbit has announced the "Fitbit Versa Lite Edition" which is priced significantly lower than the original Fitbit, currently priced at $159.95 / £149.99 /AU$249.95. The Versa Lite is available for pre-order now and should be available for purchase sometime in mid-March.  The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition has many of the core features that the Fitbit Versa has despite its lower price tag. The Versa Lite can track your heart rate and all-day activity like steps, distance, active minutes and calories burned as well as sleep with helpful insights. The Versa Lite also has the standard smartwatch features such as call, text and calendar notifications as well as access to your favorite apps.  So what does the Versa Lite Edition lack? Unlike the original Fitbit Versa and Special Edition, the Versa Lite doesn't have personalized on-screen workouts, and you also can't upload and store your music to the smartwatch. While the Versa Lite's price is lower than the original Fitbit Versa, which retails for $199.95 /£199.99 /AU$299.95, you can often find sales on the Versa that drops below the price of the Versa Lite. The best deals on the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition If you need more information on key features of the Fitbit Versa or how much the smartwatch normally costs, we've answered some common questions below to help with your buying decision. What are the best features of the Fitbit Versa? Some of the key features of the Fitbit Versa are the design, health and fitness tracking and the long-lasting battery. The Versa design got a makeover from the previous model and now has a more attractive, sleek look for everyday wear. The Versa smartwatch will also track your sleep, letting you know the time spent in different stages and personalized tips on how to improve. The Fitbit Versa offers a 4+ day battery life so you can track your activity, play music, text and more throughout the day without worrying of recharging your battery. How much does a Fitbit Versa cost? One of the biggest selling points of the Fitbit Versa vs. an Apple Watch is the price. The Fitbit Versa retails for $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$299.99 and is one of the best smartwatches you can get for under $200. Since the Versa has been out for almost a year, you can normally find discounts and sales from popular retailers on the smartwatch. Learn more about the Fitbit smartwatch with our Fitbit Versa review and also learn about the cheapest Fitbit Versa with our Fitbit Versa Lite review. See more of the best cheap Fitbit sale prices and deals. See more of the best cheap Apple Watch deals.. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

England vs Czech Republic live stream: how to watch Euro 2020 qualifier football online Posted: 22 Mar 2019 12:30 PM PDT International football is back! It's been a while coming, but Euro 2020 qualifying football is finally here. After a delay caused by the new UEFA Nations League, England kick off their campaign against the tricky Czech Republic. It's a Friday night game and we're delighted that it's on free-to-air TV in the UK - although you'll need to keep scrolling to see how to live stream England vs Czech Republic wherever you are in the world.  So what should we expect from this first Euro 2020 qualifier? Gareth Southgate's England team will no doubt feel positive following the unexpectedly brilliant World Cup and then a great performance in the Nations League. Harry Kane will lead from the front as ever, joined by a squad of in-form teammates including Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho. There are potential debuts for young Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi, too. On paper, it looks like a weaker Czech Republic team than we've seen in recent years. Ukraine got the better of them in the Nations League although they did manage to beat cross-border rivals Slovakia in their most recent run-out. Roma's Patrik Schick is their most notable player, and his decent five goals in 14 international appearances mean he'll be a threat. Keen Premier League followers will also recognise Matej Vydra of Burnley among the squad members. So can England get the qualifying campaign off to a flyer? Or will their opponent Czech their progress (sorry!). Find out by following the instructions below and grabbing a live stream of England vs Czech Republic football wherever you are in the world.  Live stream Champions League football: how to watch every single game How to live stream England vs Czech Republic from outside your country If you're in the UK, US or Australia this Friday, then your viewing options are set out in simple black-and-white below. But it's not so straightforward if you try and watch the game from abroad, as you'll likely be faced with a very unhelpful geo-block. How to stream the England game live in the UK  How to live stream England vs Czech Republic in Australia Live stream England vs Czech Republic in the US This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 12:24 PM PDT Upgrade your living space into a smart home without breaking the bank with our hand-picked devices that include speakers, security cameras, light bulbs and more. Create a smart home hub with these gadgets can simplify your technology and help make your day-to-day life even easier. Whether you want to personalize and control your lighting, stream music and videos or secure your home, we've found a variety of top-rated smart home gadgets to help you get started building your smart home. Most of your products work with Alexa or the Google Assistant so that you can control the devices with the command of your voice. We've also included the Aukey Smart Plug-in our list which gives any device you plug into smart capabilities. Read on for our list of the best smart home gadgets that include the best prices and deals that are currently available. We have a variety of devices that will fit all smart home needs and budgets. The best smart home device deals The best-selling Echo Dot is a voice-controlled smart speaker that works with Alexa to make calls, answer questions, set alarms, check the weather and so much more. The compact smart speaker can also control your compatible smart home devices with the command of your voice. Just ask Alexa to find TV shows, turn on lights, adjust the temperature and more. You can use your voice to play a song or artist through Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others. Alexa has over 50,000 skills so you can discover new skills that will help you with everyday tasks. The Amazon Echo smart speaker can play music, answer questions, set alarms and more all with the command of your voice. You can also control your other smart home devices with the Alexa-enabled speaker just ask Alexa to turn off the lights, adjust your thermostat, lock your door and more. The Echo can make calls and send and receive messages through the hands-free speaker. The smart speaker features a better audio experience than the Echo Dot offering a powerful audio with Dolby technology built in to the speaker. Control your lighting from anywhere with the TP-Link Alexa-enabled light bulb. You can turn your lights on and off and adjust brightness with your tablet or smartphone using the Kasa app. You can connect the smart bulb with Alexa or Google Assistant devices and use your voice to control your lights. The easy-to-install light bulb can transform into any color to set the mood and personalize your lighting by adjusting brightness as well as light appearance from soft white to daylight. The TP-Link bulbs will also help you out with your energy costs by reducing energy use up to 80% without brightness or quality loss.  Turn your electronics and appliances into voice and app-controlled devices with the Kasa Smart WiFi plug by TP-Link. The smart plug works with Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can turn your devices into a hands-free experience. You can turn on lamps, appliances and more from anywhere on your smartphone using the Kasa app. You can also schedule the smart plug to automatically turn on and off when you're away and reduce your energy by managing devices that use the most power.  Help secure your home with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro that allows you to answer your door from anywhere. The Ring Pro works with Alexa and will send alerts to Echo devices which allows you to hear and speak to visitors entirely hands-free. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro also sends alerts to your smartphone when motion is detected or when someone presses the doorbell so you can monitor your home from anywhere. The Pro features advanced motion detection with a camera view that generates motion alerts within user-set motion zones. The Ring doorbell connects to your existing doorbell wiring so you don't have to worry about re-charging the battery and features four different faceplate options. Control your thermostat from anywhere with the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat. The smart thermostat uses technology to learn your habits and adjust automatically to help save you energy. On average the Nest thermostat saves 10-12% on heating bills and 15% on cooling bills so the Nest will pay for itself in no time. You're able to control your thermostat from anywhere with Nest app using your phone, tablet or laptop. The smart thermostat also works with Alexa so you can adjust and control the temperature with the command of your voice. The Nest thermostat features a thinner and sleeker design than previous models and comes in four different colors. Clean your floors with the command of your voice and completely hands-free with the Wi-Fi connected iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum. You can use the iRobot home app to clean and schedule your vacuum from anywhere and receive notifications when the job is complete. The Roomba 960 can continuously clean for up to 75 minutes and will automatically recharge. The robot vacuum features a three-stage cleaning system and a high-efficiency filter that captures 99% of allergens, pollen, and dust. The Roomba is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can control the vacuum with your voice.  Keep your home secure with the Arlo Pro two camera security system. The top rated security system includes two cameras, rechargeable batteries, power adapter and cable, wall mount, and a base station. The Arlo Pro cameras are weatherproof so they can be used indoors or outdoors and can operate in up to 122-degree temperature. The 100% wireless Arlo Pro records video in 1080p HD resolution and offers advanced motion detection to catch every angle so no moment goes unnoticed. The security system also has a smart siren that can be controlled remotely, or when motion or sound is detected. The security camera works with Alexa, and has a compatible app which allows you to monitor your home from anywhere. The top-selling Anova Sous Vide lets you master the hottest cooking trend, sous vide. Just fill a pot with water, set the desired temperature and time, and cook everything (meat, souffle, carrots) to perfection. The Anova Sous Vide allows you to prepare restaurant quality meals by cooking your food at the precise temperature and not ever having to worrying about over-cooking. You can set the time and temperature manually on the device or through the Anova app. The app allows you to cook remotely, so you don't have to wait around in the kitchen waiting for your food to cook. The app also gives you access to over 1,000+ creative recipes and guides you through each recommended meal. Build your smart lighting hub for your home with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit. The Philips starter kit includes three 60W white and color ambiance A19 bulbs, one Hue bridge, ethernet cable, and power adapter. The Hue hub is compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can control your lighting with your voice. The Hue color bulbs allow you to choose from sixteen million colors in the Hue app to set the perfect mood and create a unique and personalized lighting experience. The Hue app also lets you sync your lighting with movies and music and allows you to control everything remotely. The Hue hub will enable you to add on to your smart lighting system with the bridge accommodating up to fifty Hue lights. The Logitech Harmony Elite Remote is the ultimate universal remote that not only controls your TV but can also control other smart home devices. The Harmony remote works with Alexa so you can use your voice to control your TV and other connected devices. The remote features one-touch automation so you can touch one button to trigger everyday activities like turning on the lights and TV. The Harmony Elite also works with other smart home devices, offering single-touch control with smart lights, locks, thermostats and more. The universal remote lets you combine up to fifteen remotes and several apps into one easy-to-use remote so you can control all of your electronics and gadgets with one device. See more of the best Amazon Echo prices, deals and sales See more of the best Ring Doorbell deals currently going on Internet provider deals (USA) | Broadband deals (UK) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best drawing and painting software of 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 11:23 AM PDT For thousands of years, art has remained an important part of human culture and expression. But, of course, it has undergone a great deal of transformation as new technologies have emerged. If you’re a professional artist or designer working in today’s interconnected world, you don’t necessarily need access to a physical notepad and pencil to get your creative juices flowing. With your trusty computer, it’s possible to create amazing masterpieces with a mouse or indeed stylus, when used in conjunction with a software package replete with all manner of virtual tools and paintbrushes. Many of these applications work alongside electronic sketchpads and other hardware, making it even easier to develop amazing artwork. Another obvious benefit is that these apps come with built-in effects, filters and editing features so you can really jazz up your creations. Here’s our pick of the best drawing and painting software which is currently available. We’ve also highlighted the best free painting software Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.  Image Credit: Adobe When it comes to creative software, Adobe has dominated the scene for decades, and Photoshop CC (CC stands for Creative Cloud) is loved by artists and designers across the world. It provides creative types with a plethora of cloud-based tools to create and enhance photos, illustrations and 3D visuals. This software isn’t just about editing photos. If you’re a professional designer, you can use it to create packaging, banners, websites, logos and icons. Not only can you come up with your own creations, but you’re also able to make use of intuitive templates if you’re more of a beginner, or you’re working to a tight deadline. You can design your own illustrations and turn images into paintings as well, with the option of switching between animate and print-style options. When you’ve created a piece, you can enhance it with a range of built-in effects.  There are multiple pricing tiers, depending on which other apps and features you'd like bundled with Photshop CC. The cheapest is the Photography level at $9.99 per month and also comes with Adobe Lightroom CC, as well as 20GB of cloud storage. Up from that is the Single App plan at $20.99 per month and comes with 100GB of cloud storage, as well as Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. For the All-Apps plan you get access to all Adobe creative desktop and mobile apps as well, and that costs $52.99 per month. You can download Adobe Photoshop CC here Image Credit: Autodesk Autodesk SketchBook is a drawing app targeted specifically at designers, architects, concept artists and other creative professionals. If you fit into any of these categories, the software will give you the tools to sketch and create stunning illustrations easily and quickly. It sports a minimalist interface that works across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices, as well as 140 pre-designed brushes. Should you not be able to find the brush you need amongst that lot, you have the option to tweak them and import your own. Another neat feature is the ability to add an unlimited amount of layers to your creations, all of which come with blending nodes and grouping abilities. The software costs $16 monthly or $126 yearly, but whichever package you choose, there’s a lot of support on offer. For instance, you can schedule a call with Autodesk’s customer support team if you have any questions about the software, or indeed chat online or via email. You also get access to the company’s knowledgebase, which contains extensive documentation, tutorials and training videos. You can download Autodesk SketchBook here Image Credit: Corel Corel offers a host of creative software packages, one of which is a drawing app called Painter. Aimed at designers, artists and students, this cross-platform application provides you with the likes of ‘thick paint’ which you can daub onto your digital canvas, and then scrape around or blend to create some highly realistic looking masterpieces. There’s a large selection of brushes, with the ability to create custom brushes and palettes – plus you can import these, too. Painter is a downloadable app which is available on both Windows and Mac. It’s compatible with third-party software like Photoshop and drawing tablets from companies such as Wacom, as well. As for the price, for the latest version of Corel Painter is available for around $400, though there are special rates for an education edition for students and learning centers. You can download Corel Painter here Image Credit: Escape Motions Developed by artist Peter Blaskovic, Rebelle 3 is another highly versatile drawing and painting application. Described as “one-of-a-kind paint software”, it’s been designed for creatives working on watercolor, acrylic, wet and dry media artwork. Blaskovic created the app as part of his experimental drawing projects and wanted an easy-to-use program to access natural painting tools on-the-go. The app uses realistic color blending, wet diffusion and drying techniques, and offers a plethora of watercolors, acrylics, inks and pastels. There are also ‘dry’ tools like pencils, markers and erasers, so you don’t have to stick to paintbrushes. The app also boasts some interesting capabilities like the ability to tilt the canvas you’re working on. What’s more, Rebelle works with Photoshop, allowing you to tap into 23 additional blending nodes. It currently costs $89.99, but you can give the app a spin via a free trial. You can download Rebelle 3 here Image Credit: Artweaver Artweaver is one of the oldest painting tools out there, and the software is now on its sixth edition. The application provides you with a diverse set of predefined brushes and pencils that can be used to create amazing pieces of art. Not only does Artweaver offer an intuitive and easy-to-use interface which makes it suitable for novices, but it also boasts an impressively configurable brush system. So while you can choose from a variety of predefined brushes, you can also tweak them to suit your exact needs. Furthermore, Artweaver has another strong suit when it comes to working on joint art projects, because you can use the app to collaborate with other folks on the same document. Of course, you’ll need to be online to do so. Want to get a better idea of your artistic process and exactly how it flows? Then you can get the application to record your work. That way, you can review, evaluate and improve your abilities (hopefully). Currently, Artweaver is only available on Windows, but it’s temptingly cheap at $47 – and there’s also a free version available though it has limited functionality compared to the paid version. You can download Artweaver 6 here Other drawing and painting software to consider While we've covered some of the big hitters when it comes to drawing and painting software, there are some good lower-level programs worth considering if you'd prefer for not to pay out for a big program. Here we'll look at some of the other alternatives you might want to consider, especially if looking for something more entry-level, or simply competent when it comes to art and design. PaintShop Pro is a neat little art program. Although not as full-featured as some of the above it's still very competent software for many aspects of art and design. Whether it's photo editing, drawing, or creating/designing graphics, there are a lot of tools and additional plugins available to get the effect you want. Originally developed by Jasc, it's now part of the Corel stable of creative programs and is available for around $80.  Adobe Illustrator can sometimes be thought of as being the little brother to the more powerful Photoshop, but don't overlook its possibilities. While Photoshop was originally built for photo editing, Adobe Illustrator has always been designed around illustration and drawing. You don't need to choose between one or the other, however, as if you subscribe to even the basic level Adobe creative apps plan, you can have both Photoshop and Illustrator together. Sketchup is more focused on 3D design rather than general painting and drawing, but is worth considering if that's the main reason you need software for drawing. Even better is that there's a free version, but even the paid-for versions are relatively cheap by comparison to some of the above, with an annual cost of $119 or $299 according to how many features you want to unlock.  GIMP is a dedicated art program specifically built to run on Linux operating systems. While it may not be as powerful as some of the software listed, it makes a big effort to do a lot of things, from photo editing to sketching to design. Anyone who already works with Linux has probably heard of it and even has a copy, but if you were thinking of moving to Linux but weren't sure what creative software was available, you could do a lot worse than try out GIMP. Microsoft Paint is a basic art package that comes with every Windows install, and has done so since at least Windows 3.x. The release of Windows 10 has seen 3D editing tools added to it, but let's be fair-it's still a simple program that isn't going to rival anything else on this list. However, because of the easy availability of MS Paint it's worth mentioning - if nothing else because it does have a basic toolkit that is expanded on by other software. We’ve also picked out the best VPN for creative users This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

£75 pre-paid Mastercard gives Plusnet some of the best cheap broadband deals in the UK Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:41 AM PDT There really is nothing better than getting something for free with your broadband deal, and when that freebie effectively makes the internet package you're buying one of the cheapest options around, well that's just showing off.  Plusnet is no stranger to the idea of offering up an incentive with its deals, this time dropping in impressive £75 pre-paid Mastercards with its ADSL internet package. That means that the monthly price of its cheapest plan effectively drops down to £14.80 a month, making it one of the cheapest offers on the market. Ready to begin your new life with a cheap broadband deal from Plusnet? You can find all of the information on this internet package down below. Or if speed is something you feel this offer is missing, then check out our guide to the best fibre broadband deals on the market.  This new Plusnet broadband deal in full: Want something a bit faster from your broadband? When it comes to cheap ADSL broadband, this is one of the best options out there. The only thing that beats this is Onestream, which is currently the UK's cheapest option at £13.99 a month. Or for a well known name in internet, without messing around with reward cards, TalkTalk has a £17 ADSL offer that could be more up your street. But if you need something a bit faster, a fibre broadband deal perhaps? Then there really is no beating BT right now. It starts with monthly costs of £29.99 but then dampens that price with a £90 pre-paid Mastercard and then offers up average speeds of 50Mb - not a bad place to be with your internet. For our pick of the most affordable fibre we would offer up Vodafone. With average speeds of 35Mb, no upfront costs and monthly payments of just £21, this is a truly great value package. How fast is your internet? Take the TechRadar broadband speed test This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Openreach plans copper switch off Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:39 AM PDT Openreach is inviting its telco customers to participate in a consultation that will identify the best way to migrate the UK from copper to fibre infrastructure, with a view to switching off the analogue network entirely. BT-owned Openreach is embarking on a major build of FTTP, with ambitions to reach 10 million premises by the middle of the next decade. It has pledged to expand the scope of this rollout if the investment conditions are right. It believes engaging with industry is a key enabler to delivering this larger target and to fulfilling the government’s ambition of a nationwide FTTP network by 2033. Openreach recruits more fibre engineers EE to launch 5G in 2019 What is 5G? Everything you need to know Openreach copper The consultation is seeking views on how Openreach would build out this new network, how the industry should migrate customers across, and how Openreach should eventually retire the copper network. For its part, Openreach has outlined a number of principles to guide the process. These include a pledge to avoid building new notspots, to work with customers to upgrade every customer in areas where the network is available and a simple product portfolio. It believes copper services should be phased out progressively and that large numbers of customers should be upgraded “voluntarily”. Openreach is also proposing a consumer charter to encourage transparency and create a process for those who will be migrated at a later date. “More than 16 million homes and businesses could order better broadband connections over our network right now, so we’d encourage everyone to check the services available to them and upgrade today,” said Katie Milligan, Managing Director for Customer, Commercial and Propositions at Openreach. “At the same time, we’re consulting with broadband providers to decide how and when we upgrade customers to even faster, more reliable and future-proof, full fibre broadband. “Our new network will place the UK at the forefront of the global digital race and provide a major boost to the UK economy, so we’re determined to create a plan that will benefit of every UK community, by upgrading customers quickly, smoothly and affordably. Openreach’s short term target is to connect three million homes and businesses by 2020 and recently announced Salisbury would be the first city in the UK to have universal access to the FTTP network. The government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR) has called for 15 million properties to be covered with fibre by 2025 and for nationwide coverage to be completed by 2033. It would then consider switching off the UK’s copper network. However, the Institute of Directors (IoD) believes a more ambitious timetable of 2025 would encourage fibre adoption and rollout.  Here are the best BT Broadband deals for March 2019  The Mobile Industry Awards 2019 return on 6th June! To enter the awards visitwww.mobileindustryawards.com Entry Deadline: 5pm on 29th March   This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best ITSM tools of 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:30 AM PDT Information Technology (IT) has become a necessary and ordinary part of the modern business landscape. However, being able to track and resolve issues across many devices can be a difficult challenge. Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) software aims to make it manageable. One of the key issues faced by ITSM is the variety of devices that might be used. There could be a mix of desktops, laptops, and cell phones, all of which will need to be kept up to date with security updates, as well as any software issues with them corrected. Additionally, ITSM cannot be focused only on the technology but must also manage the users of that technology. That means there is a need for proper error reporting and logging, technical helpdesk assistance, and other ticketing support.  This must all be organized so its easy for IT managers to find what they want and need to find to resolve problems as quickly as possible, and ensure others are solved before they become an issue. Here at Techradar we've put together a list of five of the major ITSM platforms you might want to consider if you find yourself needing an ITSM solution. We've also highlighted the best helpdesk software Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.  Image Credit: Now ServiceNow IT Service Management is the ITSM offering from the ServiceNow family of support products. This product endeavors to aggregate IT Services into a single cloud-based platform, and has plenty of heavyweight customers including GE Digital, Broadcom, and Overstock.com. It features the ability to aggregate those essential, but often difficult to work with legacy applications into a single cloud location, with manual processes becoming automated along the way. The firm also claims IT productivity increases via implementation of features such as incident management with automated routing, asset and cost management which can track costs and contracts for assets, and a modern, self-service portal for consumers to access. ServiceNow IT Service Management can also be integrated into real-time performance analytic dashboards, with the proficiency to benchmark how you are performing among peer industry averages. While the website provides plenty of information on how this can benefit your business, the company is unfortunately rather opaque on pricing. With no offer of a free trial, there are two plans with descriptive names, the lower being “IT Service Management,” and the higher “IT Service Management and Performance Analytics” which adds features, true to its name, for performance analysis.  You can sign up for ServiceNow IT Service Management here Image Credit: Freshworks The folks at Freshworks bring us Freshservice, a cloud-based ITSM which promises to standardize processes in a “slick, modern and efficient manner.” This ITSM software package offers an array of features including opportunities for collaboration between agents, proactive problem management that can reduce service desk incidents by 40%, support for root cause analysis of incidents via a visual timeline and coordination for new releases with standardized start and end dates. There are also available mobile apps for iOS and Android.   All tiers offer a 21-day free trial to see if Freshservice fulfills your organizations needs. Plans start at the Blossom plan, which costs $19 per agent monthly for the basic feature set. Stepping up to the most popular Estate plan adds additional features including software license management, analytics and customizable agent roles.  You can sign up for Freshservice here Image Credit: LogMeIn RescueAssist is remote support software that offers a robust support platform to cover the gamut of ITSM needs. With such a mature product, the features are well developed, and include two-way screen share so technicians can take over a system remotely including keyboard and mouse control. There's also the ability to use file transfer to send updates to remote systems, support for customers using multi-monitors, annotation tools for technicians to draw on a customer’s screen, and multi-session support for techs to be able to handle up to eight customers simultaneously.   The cost of RescueAssist depends on whether you would prefer to pay monthly or yearly. The monthly charge is $69 per month per technician, but if you pay on a yearly subscription this comes down to $55 per technician. You can sign up for RescueAssist here Image Credit: Samanage Samanage is a cloud-based ITSM solution which is Information Technology Information Library (ITIL) ready. Users can submit their tickets through either email or the self-service portal, and Samanage helps to move the ticket requests through the “Lifecycle of problems, changes and releases.” The feature set is rounded out with a service level management, automations, benchmarking, automations and IT asset management.  There is also a tool for risk detection. It is OS agnostic as it works from any device - desktop, laptop or mobile - with a web browser offering flexibility in use.  There is a 30-day free trial, which is longer than competitors. After that, the pricing is opaque, although it is based around an annual subscription.  You can sign up for Samanage here Image Credit: InvGate InvGate Service Desk is a comprehensive ITSM tool to support IT; it is available as either on-premise software, or SaaS. The list of organizations that use this solution includes Burger King, Nike, Toyota and Starbucks. The features include ticket management with assessment of customer satisfaction, self-service capabilities with a predictive knowledge base and news broadcast capabilities, and ‘gamification‘, which refers to the use of game-style mechanics to support and motivate employees with a positive reinforcement model.  There is also multi-department support, and integration for asset management with InvGate Assets.  As with some other ITSMs, unfortunately the pricing is opaque, but the firm does offer a 30-day trial. You can sign up for InvGate Service Desk here This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Online learning tops UK universities' tech wish lists Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:14 AM PDT New research has revealed that online learning tools are the most important technology for British universities and these tools are twice as popular than any other type of tech. A new survey, from Jisc and ucisa, also found that 68 percent of higher education (HE) digital leaders feel the effective use of this technology is key to their digital transformation projects. Improving student experience is the biggest driver for tech adoption (91 percent) followed by improving workforce productivity (71 percent), saving costs across the organization (41 percent) and improving staff morale (11 percent). Hackers target UK cybersecurity universities Printer security a major worry in the education sector Universities lead the way in public cloud adoption The Digital leadership in HE report also sheds light on the progress made by universities in strategic digital transformation with more than half of British universities (53 percent) having a digital strategy in place while a further 21 percent stated their strategy is integrated with others in the organization. Digital technologies in higher education When it came to the barriers that need to be overcome before digital technologies are embraced at UK universities, organizational culture (70 percent) was at the top of the list, followed by financial constraints (48 percent) and a lack of capability or capacity in IT (41 percent). In terms of online learning, some higher education digital leaders raised concerns that such tools undermine the worth of a physical campus but almost half (48%) of academic staff have digital tools embedded into their workflows. Director of Cloud at Jisc, Josh Fry provided further insight on the findings of the report, saying: “It’s heartening to see HE institutions throughout the UK increasingly making progress with their digital strategies. I truly believe that the technology priorities recognised in the report – such as online learning, AI and machine learning – can result in improved experiences and greater accessibility for a wider range of students, whilst continuing to make the UK the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. “Innovation must have a purpose, and it is important to take a whole-campus approach to a digital strategy before implementing new tools; technology initiatives work much better when aligned with an organisation’s business and teaching and learning strategy. Digital leaders in HE must work out how ‘disruptive’ technologies can be introduced into methods of working in a way that encourages engagement from academic and support staff.” We've also highlighted the best laptops for students This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Walmart TV deals: Save $230 on a 43-inch LG 4K Smart TV Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:13 AM PDT Enjoy March Madness on a brand new TV with help from Walmart's game time TV sale that's happening now. You can find excellent TV deals that include a wide range of different sizes, features, brands, and prices. Right now you can get the LG 43-inch 4K Smart TV on sale for only $269.99. That's a $230 discount and the lowest price we've seen for this UHD TV. The LG 43UK6300PUE not only features smart capabilities but it also offers AI (Artificial Intelligence) ThinQ technology. This allows your TV to become a smart home hub so you can use your voice through the LG Magic Remote to control your TV and other smart home devices. The 4K high dynamic range and quad-core processor delivers accurate colors and sharp contrasts so you'll feel like you're watching the big game in person. The LG TV also features an ultra-slim design, so your TV will look sleek and seamless from every angle. This is an excellent price for a 43-inch TV with premium features so if you're in the market for a mid-size TV - this is a fantastic deal. Shop the rest of Walmart's March Madness TV deals below and make sure to take advantage of these limited-time discounts while you can. Shop more of best cheap TV deals and sale prices that are currently going on and read our buying guide on the Best TVs in 2019 and which big screen TVs are worth buying. You can also find out how to watch the tournament with our guide on March Madness live stream: how to watch every 2019 NCAA basketball game online from anywhere. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

This is why no-one’s buying the massive-battery Energizer phone Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:11 AM PDT The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop, Energizer’s monumental battery beast of a phone, has been added to crowdfunding site IndieGoGo – but hardly anyone is interested. Energizer’s handset boasts the biggest battery ever in a smartphone at 18,000mAh, and it’s also one of the first ever devices to have a dual-lens front-facing pop-up camera.  But its size and weight make it distinctly brick-like – you can read our hands-on review of the device from our time with it at MWC 2019 for more information. Will the Samsung Galaxy Fold reinvent smartphones? These are the 5G phones we're expecting to see out soon Check out all the other intriguing phones we saw at MWC 2019 Added to IndieGoGo on March 21, after 24 hours the handset had reached a grand total of two backers, which puts it less than 1% of the way towards its goal of $1.2 million (roughly £910,000, AU$1.7 million).  The Energizer phone is offered from $549 (around £420, AU$775) for early bird backers, with a final retail price at $699 (roughly £530, $990). The poor backer figures (at the time of writing) are a little surprising given that at MWC 2019 there were significant waits to see the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop, with queues of people waiting to test it out. So why is it that no-one wants to get their hands on the Energizer phone now it’s on sale to the public?  Image credit: TechRadar  Who is it for? Something we noted in our hands-on review of the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop is that we couldn’t work out who the phone was actually for – and it seems consumers can’t either. The Energizer phone’s two strengths are its massive battery and its novel dual-lens pop-up camera – brilliant battery life and camera potential mean it would be great for people traveling, who will want to be able to throw the phone in a bag and only bring it out for the occasional selfie – but the phone is too big to be the perfect portable device. Similarly it has lots in common with certain rugged phones, like its bulky size and long-lasting battery, but it just doesn’t have the features of other rugged phones that make them fit for purpose like infrared scanners or a hardy design to survive rough impacts. Of course, normal smartphone users aren’t going to consider it as a viable device, given that it’s much bigger than even the largest smartphones, and runs slower than we’d expect given its Mediatek Helio P70 chipset. Image credit: TechRadar  When we tested out the Energizer phone we decided that its only appeal was as a novelty device, intriguing to pick up and toy around with - hence the queues to see it at MWC - but no use as a day-to-day handset – and customers seem to be recognizing this. It's all about the price tag People are used to paying more and more for their smartphones – but this cost suggests extra features, which the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop just doesn’t have. At $549 (around £420, $775) for the cheapest tier, the Energizer phone isn’t priced right for its place in the market, as its slow user interface and relatively weak rear cameras put it more in line with the Moto G7 Play, which costs $200 / £149 / AU$270 – although even that was surprisingly snappy to use.  Image credit: TechRadar  Putting down money for multiple phones reduces the price per unit somewhat, with a bundle of three phones costing $1,587 (around £1,200, AU$2,235) for a saving of 24% from the retail price, however this still means you’re paying a significant amount of money for a novelty handset. When you can buy any of the fantastic Moto G7 series, or the mid-range in price, high-end in specs Xiaomi Mi 9 for the same or less, there’s no reason to shell out so much for the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop phone, especially in a world where most of us are rarely far from a socket.  When will we see it? The year before the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop made waves at MWC, the Power Max P16K Pro made its debut – it too had the biggest battery in a smartphone at the time, though no points for guessing how big it was. However, in most parts of the world the phone never ended up hitting the shelves, and it disappeared from our radar altogether. With that in mind it’s a big surprise that the latest Energizer phone is actually being released at all, albeit on IndieGoGo – the page suggests the phone’s first backers will start receiving it in October, although that’s part of a four-paragraph list of challenges that makes sure to mention the release could get delayed. Image credit: TechRadar It’s worth pointing out that the Power Max P16K Pro is not representative of Energizer’s phone output – the company has a large range of phones, and most of them get released fine – but it was quite a high-profile disappearance that may lead some to question whether the Power Max P18K Pro will see the light of day. Should I buy it? There’s no clear specific audience the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop seems ideal for, and its impressive features seem more like intriguing curiosities than elements that come together to make a great phone. If you’ve read this article, and our hands-on review, and still think it’s worth splashing out on an 18,000mAh battery with a phone attached, the Energizer phone’s IndieGoGo campaign has all the information you need on the upcoming handset. But if, like us, you have your reservations about the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop, it’s probably best to find something else that suits your tastes a bit better – and luckily you’re in the right place. Why not try our best Android smartphones guide? Or if you have a phone in mind, head straight to our best mobile phone deals page to find your perfect tariff. Energizer's made a foldable phone too, but we're not too sure about it This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best Samsung Galaxy Watch Active prices and deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:06 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 prices The 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

The best O2 phone deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:00 AM PDT O2 has been killing it with deals recently, we've been seeing some of our absolute favourite offers coming up with this provider in the start of 2019. While offers from O2 themselves aren't too strong, 3rd party retailers (like Mobiles.co.uk and Carphone Warehouse) have been throwing out consistently strong deals with O2. The company has been one of the best networks in the UK for some time. It's the network that's renowned for its extra Priority reward giveaways. And if you switch to the O2 network you obviously want to be sure you're getting the best deals that O2 has to offer, and that's where this page comes in!  We've rounded up all of the best O2 phone deals on the best handsets - from the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10 down to the cheaper P20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S9. And if you're still not sure about O2, you can browse the best phone deals at other networks, too - simply head to our best mobile phone deals page. And if the deal you've found is being offered by retailer Mobiles.co.uk and costs at least £10 upfront, then make sure you enter our exclusive 10OFF discount code at the checkout to knock a tenner off. Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals on all the providers Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10e deals on all the providers The iPhone XR hits a sweet spot between high tech and reasonable pricing. It looks a lot like its more powerful brethren - both in appearance and on the spec sheet - and boasts a glorious 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and A12 Bionic chipset without a £1,000 price tag.  Check all the best iPhone XR deals on all the networks  OK, so the Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn't make massive strides on the S8, but that doesn't mean it's not still one of the best Android phones on the market right now. The cameras in particular are awe inspiring and tangible improvements have been made to both the biometrics and position of the fingerprint scanner.   Check all the best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals on all the networks   Oh gosh, Apple went and did it. After years upon years of incremental upgrades, it finally made something special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. For the iPhone X it has dropped the bezel altogether, while the 5.8-inch Super Retina HD is scarily good - and then it tweaked things a year later for the XS. Marvellous!   Check all the iPhone XS deals and iPhone X deals on all the networks    Samsung has now well and truly put the flaming memories of the Note 7 in the past. If the Note 8 was exceptional (6.3-inch infinity display and 6GB RAM), then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is even bigger and more powerful (6.4-inch infinity display and 8GB RAM). If you want the best big screen Android phones on the market, then look no further.  Check all the Note 9 deals and Note 8 deals on all the networks  Thanks to the spectacle that was the iPhone X launch, the reception for the iPhone 8 was a little bit flat. Which we think is unfair - it improves on the iPhone 7 with wireless charging and an improved camera. Plus, it's quite a bit cheaper. So if you're looking for the best iPhone but the price of the iPhone X is too much to cope with, try the 8 on for size instead.  Check all the iPhone 8 deals on all the networks There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a fantastic phone.  The lightning fast chip-set and introduction of its infinity screen makes it the premier Android experience. And now that the S9 is here, it's no longer even that expensive.  Check all the best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals on all the networks  The iPhone SE looks and feels exactly the same as the iPhone 5S. But instead of sporting two-year-old hardware it's been updated, with a faster CPU and graphics, and the 12MP iSight camera straight out of the iPhone 6S. It's a modern iPhone in the shape of an old iPhone, for people who like the old iPhones but want more up-to-date hardware.  Check all the best iPhone SE deals on all the networks The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are relatively new devices on the flagship scene but they have very quickly become two of our favourites. Powerful processors, loud speakers, but most importantly they have what is arguably the best cameras you can get on a phone right now.   Check all the best Google Pixel 3 deals on all the networks This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best Three mobile deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:50 AM PDT Three mobile has for a long time been well known in the UK for offering good deals, especially for customers looking for some seriously big data bundles. In the early days, the network was blighted by poor reception in many areas but these days Three mobile doesn't have any such issues and its prices can be stellar. So take a look at our comparison tool to see what you can get for your money with Three. And below that we've also handpicked the best the network has to offer on flagship handsets such as the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10. And if you're perfectly happy with your current handset but are at the end of your contract, then we heartily recommend that you consider the 100GB Three SIM only deal for £20 per month Want to browse the best phone deals at other networks too? Simply head over to our best mobile phone deals page. Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals on all the providers Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10e deals on all the providers The iPhone XR hits a sweet spot between high tech and reasonable pricing. It looks a lot like its more powerful brethren - both in appearance and on the spec sheet - and boasts a glorious 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and A12 Bionic chipset without a £1,000 price tag.  Check out all the best iPhone XR deals on Three Mobile  OK, so the Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn't make massive strides on the S8, but that doesn't mean it's not still one of the premier Android phones on the market. The cameras in particular are awe inspiring and tangible improvements have been made to the biometrics and position of the fingerprint scanner.   Check out all the best Samsung Galaxy S9 deals on Three Mobile   Oh gosh, Apple went and did it. After years upon years of incremental upgrades, it finally made something special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. For the iPhone X it has dropped the bezel altogether, while the 5.8-inch Super Retina HD is scarily good - and then it tweaked things a year later for the XS. Marvellous! Check out all the best iPhone XS deals and iPhone X deals on Three Samsung has now well and truly put the flaming memory of the Note 7 behind it. If the Note 8 was exceptional (6.3-inch infinity display and 6GB RAM), then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is even bigger and better (6.4-inch infinity display and 8GB RAM). If you want the best big screen Android phones on the market, then look no further.  Check out all the best Note 9 and Note 8 deals on Three  Thanks to the spectacle that was the iPhone X launch, the reception for the iPhone 8 was a little bit flat. Perhaps unfairly - it improves on the iPhone 7 with wireless charging and an improved camera. Plus, it's quite a bit cheaper. So if you're looking for the best iPhone but balk at the iPhone X expense, try the 8 on for size instead.   Check out all the best iPhone 8 deals on all the providers There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a fantastic phone.  The lightning fast chip-set and abandonment of a large bezel around the screen makes it the premier Android experience. And now that the S9 is here, it's no longer even that expensive. Check out all the best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals on all the providers  The iPhone SE looks and feels exactly the same as the iPhone 5S. But instead of sporting two-year-old hardware it's been updated, with a faster CPU and graphics, and the 12MP iSight camera straight out of the iPhone 6S. It's a modern iPhone in the shape of an old iPhone, for people who like the old iPhones but want more up-to-date hardware.  Check out all the best iPhone SE deals on all the providers   The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are relatively new devices on the flagship scene but they have very quickly become two of our favourites. Powerful processors, loud speakers, but most importantly they have what is arguably the best cameras you can get on a phone right now.   Check out all the best Google Pixel 3 deals on all the providers   This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best Vodafone deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:47 AM PDT Vodafone is one of the biggest networks in the world and by far one of the most powerful brands in the UK. Not surprising when they so frequently offer excellent tariffs on flagship handsets like the iPhone XR, Galaxy S9 and the market's other favourite phones. Vodafone seems to go through fits and spurts when it comes to how competitively it's priced. It can go from the cheapest on the market, to pretty poor on our mobile phone deals comparison charts. Unfortunately, Vodafone seems to be going through one of its more expensive periods. We've seen prices across devices rise on Vodafone lately, especially the bigger devices like the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. However, there are still tonnes of great deals floating around, it just takes more searching and luckily we've done that part for you.  If Vodafone appeals to you though - or if you want to bag a Red Entertainment package that gives you a year's subscription to Spotify Premium, NOW TV Entertainment or the Sky Sports app - then that's where this page comes in! We've rounded up all of the best Vodafone phone deals so that you don't have to, just take a look at TechRadar's bespoke comparison chart below. Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals on all the providers Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10e deals on all the providers The iPhone XR hits a sweet spot between high tech and reasonable pricing. It looks a lot like its more powerful brethren - both in appearance and on the spec sheet - and boasts a glorious 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and A12 Bionic chipset without a £1,000 price tag. Check out all of the best deals on the iPhone XR no matter the network OK, so the Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn't make massive strides on the S8, but that doesn't mean it's not still one of the premier Android phones on the market. The cameras in particular are awe inspiring and tangible improvements have been made to the biometrics and position of the fingerprint scanner. Check out all the best Samsung Galaxy S9 deals on all the networks Oh gosh, Apple went and did it. After years upon years of incremental upgrades, it finally made something special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. For the iPhone X it has dropped the bezel altogether, while the 5.8-inch Super Retina HD is scarily good - and then it tweaked things a year later for the XS. Marvellous!  Check out all the best iPhone XS deals and X deals on all the networks  Samsung has now well and truly put the flaming memory of the Note 7 behind it. If the Note 8 was exceptional (6.3-inch infinity display and 6GB RAM), then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is even bigger and better (6.4-inch infinity display and 8GB RAM). If you want the best big screen Android phones on the market, then look no further.  Check out all the best Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8 deals on all the networks  Thanks to the spectacle that was the iPhone X launch, the reception for the iPhone 8 was a little bit flat. Perhaps unfairly - it improves on the iPhone 7 with wireless charging and an improved camera. Plus, it's quite a bit cheaper. So if you're looking for the best iPhone but balk at the iPhone X expense, try the 8 on for size instead.  Check out all the best iPhone 8 deals on all the networks  There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a fantastic phone.  The lightning fast chip-set and abandonment of a large bezel around the screen makes it the premier Android experience. And now that the S9 is here, it's no longer even that expensive.   Check out all the best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals on all the networks   The iPhone SE looks and feels exactly the same as the iPhone 5S. But instead of sporting two-year-old hardware it's been updated, with a faster CPU and graphics, and the 12MP iSight camera straight out of the iPhone 6S. It's a modern iPhone in the shape of an old iPhone, for people who like the old iPhones but want more up-to-date hardware.   Check out all the best iPhone SE deals on all the networks   The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are relatively new devices on the flagship scene but they have very quickly become two of our favourites. Powerful processors, loud speakers, but most importantly they have what is arguably the best cameras you can get on a phone right now. Best Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL deals on all the providers This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best WordPress plugins 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:45 AM PDT WordPress is a fantastic platform for building your own blog, portfolio, or ecommerce site. It's packed with tools to help you create a professional-looking site and monitor its performance, and you can make it even better by installing WordPress plugins to add new features. Some WordPress plugins are free, while others are premium products with a price tag to match. You can find free plugins using WordPress's own Plugin Directory, which is accessible from your dashboard. Paid-for plugins can be uploaded using the Add New option from the plugins menu, You can only install third-party plugins if you're hosting your site yourself using the software from WordPress.org. If your site is hosted on WordPress.com, you won't have a plugins menu. Check out our hit list of the best WordPress hosting providers 1. Yoast SEO If you’re serious about search optimization, use Yoast to reach the next level Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that offers real-time page analysis to help you optimize your pages’ content, images, titles, meta descriptions, and keywords. You can also use the plugin to tell Google not to index a page, or set of pages. And it even analyses the readability of your copy; checking the length of your sentences and paragraphs, whether you use transition words or subheadings, if you use passive voice too often, and so on. You can also use Yoast SEO to generate URLs automatically (so you don’t get penalized by Google for duplicate content), create readable XML sitemaps, and get finer control over breadcrumbs. The premium version of Yoast SEO offers more advanced features, but even the free plugin can help you make a real difference to your site's ranking. Yoast SEO is constantly updated with new releases which you can check here. Download here: Yoast SEO 2. WP-Rocket Want to speed up your site? Caching plugin WP Rocket could be your friend WP Rocket begins at US$49 (about £37, AU$69) for an annual license for a single site. That might sound like a lot – especially when there are other caching plugins available free – but this really is a premium product where you get what you pay for. It’s very easy to set up, and can be installed and configured in just a few minutes. And that’s it – a real case of set it and forget it. Page caching is activated straight away and you should get an immediate speed boost to your site as a result. Plus, because this WordPress plugin's crawler simulates a visit to preload the cache, the indexing of your website by search engines is instantly improved. WP Rocket, which has been used on more than 690,000 WordPress websites, also makes sure the images on your site are loaded only as your visitor scrolls down the page, and reduces the weight of your HTML, JavaScript and CSS files through minification, both of which should improve your load times further. Furthermore, being a premium product means you’ll receive regular updates and excellent customer support. Download here: WP Rocket 3. Gravity Forms If you need a contact form for your WordPress site, Gravity Forms is ideal Currently in use by more than one million sites, Gravity Forms is a WordPress plugin that allows you to build complex, contact forms quickly and with ease, with no technical knowledge required.  A user-friendly editor prompts you to select the fields you want to include, configure your options, and then embed the forms on your WordPress site. If you wish, you can also break up your form into multiple pages, and show a progress bar that lets users know how far they’ve got in the process.  You can also schedule forms to appear and disappear at certain times; create order forms with pricing fields; and even build a form that creates user-generated WordPress posts on your site. All in all, well worth the US$59 (about £45, AU$83) price tag. Download here: Gravity Forms 4. Google Analytics Dashboard for WP Use this plugin to find out how many people are visiting your site, where they’re from, and how long they're staying on each page This powerful, free WordPress plugin enables you to track your site’s visitors using Google Analytics’ tracking code, and view key statistics within your WordPress installation. You can use Google Analytics Dashboard for WP to generate a set of performance reports about the site’s performance as a whole, as well as that of individual pages and posts, and the information you get back is fully customizable.  This WordPress plugin is fully compatible with multisite network installs, integrates with Google AdWords so you can keep track of how well your ads are converting, and supports AdSense, so you can work out which posts or pages are generating the most income. Note that you need to open a (free) Google Analytics account before you can use this plugin. Download here: Google Analytics Dashboard for WP 5. WooCommerce A free WordPress plugin that's the world’s most popular for ecommerce sites The WooCommerce WordPress plugin currently powers more than 30% of online stores. First launched in 2011, it was acquired by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com) in 2015, so its future development is clearly in safe hands.  The standard, free version of WooCommerce can calculate the costs of shipping and taxes and offers the ability to accept major credit cards, PayPal, bank transfers and cash on delivery. There are also some very capable stock management tools to help you keep track of your inventory. The premium version of WooCommerce comes with more advanced tools, such as a one-page checkout, and an add-on for cart abandonment emails. There are also hundreds of add-ons and themes to extend WooCommerce’s functionality further. Download here: WooCommerce 6. TypeKit Fonts for WordPress Integrate hundreds of top quality fonts for your WordPress site If you want to make your WordPress site look beautiful, you need to move beyond standard fonts and start investigating a wider range of typography. Typekit (also known as Adobe Fonts) is an Adobe service that gives you access to high quality custom fonts, and the free Typekit Fonts for WordPress allows you to use it within your site with the minimum of effort on your part. The fonts are applied to your website using the font-face standard, so you can be sure they’re web standards-compliant, fully licensed and accessible. You just need to create a free account with Typekit to get started. Download here: Typekit Fonts for WordPress 7. SearchWP Help readers find the content they want with a plugin that's a huge improvement on WordPress's own built-in search tool Unfortunately, the search functionality provided by WordPress isn’t so great. But if you want to give your own visitors a decent in-site search experience (and let’s face it, who doesn’t), there’s a great free WordPress plugin that can help you out. SearchWP offers a list of advanced search features including the indexing of post titles, descriptions and keywords, as well as PDF, Office and text document content. You can also create multiple search engines, each with their own settings; so you could, for example, create a search box solely for product searches.  SearchWP lets you to give users better results by using keyword stems instead of exact term matches, so, for example, the search term ‘sing’ would return related words like ‘song’ and ‘singing’. You can even customize how results are ranked using SearchWP's weighting system. Prices start at $99 for one site for one year. Download here: SearchWP 8. TablePress Make and manage tables on your site, and even import them from Excel If you need to present a lot of data in table form, it can be quite a pain coding it all by hand. TablePress is a Wordpress plugin that makes it easy to create and manage tables on your site without any knowledge of HTML. And best of all, it’s totally free. With TablePress, your tables can contain any type of data, even formulas, plus an additional JavaScript library can be used to add features such as sorting, pagination and filtering to help your visitors make sense of all the info.  You can include tables in posts, pages and text widgets, and tables can be imported from Excel (XLS and XLSX), CSV, and HTML files, as well as being exported. Download here: TablePress 9. BackUpWordPress Disasters and security breaches happen, so be cautious and protect your site In the Wild West world of the internet, nothing lasts forever and you never know when catastrophe may strike. So it’s important to make regular backups of anything you put online.  BackUpWordPress lets you back up your entire WordPress site, including your database and all your files, on a schedule and timeframe that suits you.  The WordPress plugin, which boasts more than 200,000 active users, works in low memory 'shared host' environments, lets you manage multiple schedules, and gives you the option to have each backup file emailed to you. You can send your backups to a wide variety of destinations, including remote FTP servers, Google Drive, DropBox, Amazon S3, Dreamhost DreamObjects, Rackspace Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Pricing starts at US$29 (about £25, AU$35) for a single-site, one year licence. Download here: BackUpWordPress 10. Askimet The quick and easy way to manage and eliminate spam comments If you allow comments on your WordPress site, you’ll know what a headache comment spam can cause. One way to deal with this is to enable comment moderation, but once the volume of spam reaches a certain level, there often aren’t enough hours in the day to deal with it.   Created by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Akismet is a WordPress plugin that automatically checks all comments and filters out the ones that look like spam for you. It works in the background and there are no settings to configure, so it’s extremely easy to pick up and run with.  Of course, you can’t rely on Askimet capturing every single piece of spam, and there’s also the possibility of false positives. But by telling it when it has missed spam or identified false positives, it can learn and get better over time.  Akismet is free to download but you’ll need an Akismet.com API key to use it. Keys are free for personal blogs; paid subscriptions are available for businesses and commercial sites. Download here: Askimet Check out the best website hosting services This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Tile tracker deal at Amazon: get the Tile Sport key finder on sale for only $19 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:37 AM PDT You can get the Tile Sport Key Finder on sale at Amazon for only $19. That's a $15 discount and the best price we've seen for the GPS tracker.  The Tile tracker is a handy way to help you keep track of important stuff. Attach the tracker to anything you don't want to lose, and it will send location data to the Tile app on your phone. You can even use the tracker to help find your phone, just double tap the button on your Tile and your phone will begin to ring even on silent mode.  As the name implies, the Tile Sport model is rugged and ready for anything. The Tile Sport is waterproof and claims to be the company's most powerful and durable tracker. The Sport has a 200-foot range and is twice as loud as the previous models. The tracker also works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can use your voice to help find your keys or phone.  This is the lowest price we've seen for the Tile Sport so you should take advantage of this fantastic deal while you can. Shop more smart home products with our best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best EE phone deals in March 2019 Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:31 AM PDT EE is the UK's fastest 4G network and for that reason many people want to switch to it. But you want to make sure you're getting the best deal when you do, right? Well we've tracked down all of the best EE phone deals currently available. Now that we're well into 2019 we've been seeing plenty of great EE deals to kick-start the year. The other thing working in EE's favour is that it frequently has some of the best mobile phone deals on flagship devices including the iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10. All the EE phone contracts in our comparison charts are updated daily so that they remain current, in-stock and represent the best value currently available.  Still want more money off? If the perfect EE plan for you is offered by Mobiles.co.uk, then you're in luck as the retailer is currently offering a further £10 off the upfront cost of the handset if you enter the code 10OFF at the checkout. Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals on all the providers Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing. Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S10e deals on all the providers The iPhone XR hits a sweet spot between high tech and reasonable pricing. It looks a lot like its more powerful brethren - both in appearance and on the spec sheet - and boasts a glorious 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and A12 Bionic chipset without a £1,000 price tag. Check out all of the best iPhone XR deals on all the providers OK, so the Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn't make massive strides on the S8, but that doesn't mean it's not still one of the premier Android phones on the market. The cameras in particular are awe inspiring and tangible improvements have been made to the biometrics and position of the fingerprint scanner.  And not to mention you can get the S9 quite cheap right now.   Check out all of the best Samsung Galaxy S9 deals on all the providers  Oh gosh, Apple went and did it. After years upon years of incremental upgrades, it finally made something special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. For the iPhone X it has dropped the bezel altogether, while the 5.8-inch Super Retina HD is scarily good - and then it tweaked things a year later for the XS. Marvellous!  Check out all of the best iPhone XS and iPhone X deals on all the providers  Samsung has now well and truly put the fiery memory of the Note 7 behind it. If the Note 8 was exceptional (6.3-inch infinity display and 6GB RAM), then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is even bigger and better (6.4-inch infinity display and 8GB RAM). If you want the best big screen Android phones on the market, then look no further. check out all the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 deals and Note 8 deals on every provider Thanks to the spectacle that was the iPhone X launch, the reception for the iPhone 8 was a little bit flat. Perhaps unfairly as it does improve on the iPhone 7 with wireless charging and an improved camera. Plus, it's quite a bit cheaper. So if you're looking for the best iPhone but are avidly avoiding the prices of the likes of the iPhone X and XS try the 8 on for size instead.  Best iPhone 8 deals on all the other providers  There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a fantastic phone.  The lightning fast chip-set and the introduction of the infinity screen makes it the premier Android experience. And now that the S9 is here, it's no longer even that expensive.    Best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals on all the other providers    The iPhone SE looks and feels exactly the same as the iPhone 5S. But instead of sporting two-year-old hardware it's been updated, with a faster CPU and graphics, and the 12MP iSight camera straight out of the iPhone 6S. It's a modern iPhone in the shape of an old iPhone, for people who like the old iPhones but want more up-to-date hardware.    Best iPhone SE deals on all the other providers    The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are relatively new devices on the flagship scene but they have very quickly become two of our favourites. Powerful processors, loud speakers, but most importantly they have what is arguably the best cameras you can get on a phone right now.   Best Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL deals on all the other providers   This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Huawei P30 and P30 Pro quad camera almost confirmed by Huawei's own leak Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:27 AM PDT We're just days away from the launch of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro, and we've been seeing a few details leak out here and there over the course of the preceding months. Those leaks look to have been dwarfed by a recent page briefly put on Huawei's site, which apparently confirms new features of the phones. The quad camera, a more advanced zoom system and multiple colors of the phone have all been outed, alongside special extras for those that pre-order the handset. According to the page, users in some regions will get a new Huawei Watch GT Active - which has also leaked - and JBL speaker when they order a Huawei P30 or P30 Pro at 'roadshow venues' on April 6. A big camera push The leaked page - which has been taken down, but can still be seen on the Wayback Machine - also talks about improved low-level camera performance in both photo and video, a new camera system for dedicated lossless zoom and a feature that lets you record two video streams at once - zoomed in and at normal length. (Why you'd want that last feature is slightly beyond us - but we'll see what it's like when it's shown off next week). This leak is in addition to the information unleashed by Twitter source Evan Blass, who tweeted new colors of the phones (which match the imagery shown on the removed Huawei page): We're going to be live at the Huawei P30 launch next week - we're expecting to hear far more than what's been shown off today, given this is going to be one of the more popular phones of the year. Hankering for some secret smartwatch news? We've got the inside track from the massive watch show in Baselworld. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Should you trust the news you're reading? This browser extension can help Posted: 22 Mar 2019 08:24 AM PDT How do you know whether you can trust the news you're reading online? Sites like Facebook show us articles based on ones we’ve clicked on before, reinforcing our existing views in a way that makes us feel better about our opinions – regardless of accuracy. Rather than challenging us to see things from a different angle, they push us into a bubble that echoes our own thoughts back at us. The big news sources are starting to take notice. Microsoft recently added a browser extension called NewsGuard to its mobile web browser, which notifies you if you’re visiting a site that’s known for sub-par reporting, and Facebook employs fact-checkers to warn users about fake stories – but you don’t have to rely on the big players acting responsibly. There are also various tools around that can help you decide whether an article is worth your time reading, and whether you can trust what it tells you. We are all living in information bubbles, which polarize us against each other and keep us underinformed Dr Tania Ahuja, Nobias Nobias is a free extension for Google Chrome that serves a similar purpose, helping you determine whether the article you’re about to read is trustworthy, and telling you if the site has any noticeable political leaning. It can also estimate how long the story will take to read, helping you manage your time. “Readers are drowning in so much online information that it is almost impossible to keep track of what is credible and what isn’t,” says Dr Tania Ahuja, CEO of Nobias. “Algorithms create positive feedback loops, only showing us what they think we like. As a result, we are all living in information bubbles, which polarize us against each other and keep us underinformed.” Ahuja says Nobias’s mission is to protect readers from deceptive or misleading content, help them understand the landscape of media bias, and give them power over the algorithms that shape what they see online. How it works Nobias assesses articles for bias from a US perspective, as Ahuja explains: The Nobias Chrome extension assesses political slant of the source drawing from the methodology of Matthew Gentzkow and Jesse Shapiro in Econometrica (2010), which looks at congressional speeches and finds certain keywords said by a Democrat or Republican. Our machine-learning algorithm mines the text to assess a slant towards the left, right, or center. “Nobias further adds to the source slant, used as a prior, a labeled article corpus from LexisNexis to develop article level slant using widely used machine learning techniques to identify which words are most associated with left or right leaning articles and assign those words as left and right leaning words.” The extension ranks the credibility of both the publisher and the author. Publishers are given a score between one and five using source rankings from LexisNexis (where ‘one’ is a top national, international or business source, like The Wall Street Journal or The Economist. Individual authors are assessed based on the credibility of their employer, and whether they have won any prestigious journalism awards (such as a Pulitzer, for example). Ahuja says the early reaction to Nobias has been very positive, and several users appreciate being able to see articles from a different perspective. One particular user said he didn’t realize how biased his newsfeed had become. What's next The team are currently working on bringing Nobias to other browsers, including Firefox, Opera and Safari. They are also planning to add premium features and venture into other industries (such as finance and health news), but Ahuja insists that the core feature will remain free.  “[…]Our customer will always remain our number one priority and the political tools we have developed, as well as the extension’s core functionality, will always be free with no advertisements,” she says. The best way to break out of your filter bubble is to talk with people on different sides of a given issue Dr Tania Ahuja, Nobias Tools like Nobias can give you a helpful insight into the kind of news you’re reading, but they’re not a one-stop solution for bias and fake news. We asked Ahuja what else we can be doing to make sure we’re seeing the full picture. “Nobias helps you understand your online choices, but the best way to break out of your filter bubble is to talk with people on different sides of a given issue,” she says. “Using reputable news sources is another way to help ensure you are getting more balanced information about a news item.  “We are not changing news, nor are we controlling how our customers find it or limiting what they read. We are simply enhancing their online browsing experience by providing insights on content before they consume it—to be aware of their biases and read from a variety of reliable sources, to have a holistic view rather than one contained in a bubble. Our mission is to help our customers be proactive about developing their own informed, unique point of view.” Get a better online experience with the best web browser This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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