Apple : Red Sox vs Athletics MLB live stream 2019: how to watch today's baseball from anywhere |
- Red Sox vs Athletics MLB live stream 2019: how to watch today's baseball from anywhere
- The best student laptops: all the best options for school
- Public cloud revenues set to soar in 2019
- Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features
- The best cheap laptop deals in April 2019: prices start at just $129
- macOS High Sierra news, updates and features
- macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features
- 11 best open world games on PC today
- The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in April 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox
- Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested
- The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in April 2019
- The best unlimited data plans in the US right now
- AMD's Radeon VII graphics card can now power Mac computers
- InMotion Hosting launches all-in-one website builder
- PC Gaming Show returns to rock consoles’ socks off at E3 2019
- Best document editing and management apps in 2019
- Roccat's comfort-focused Noz gaming headset won’t give you any earaches
- Best full-frame camera 2019: 10 advanced DSLRs and mirrorless cameras
- Microsoft is putting an end to books in its digital store, even ones you bought
- Best beginner DSLR cameras 2019: 10 cheap DSLRs perfect for new users
| Red Sox vs Athletics MLB live stream 2019: how to watch today's baseball from anywhere Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:07 PM PDT It's just like it never went away, isn't it? Regular season MLB baseball is finally back and so are last year's World Series winners the Boston Red Sox. They're in Oakland for a four match series and we'll tell you the best way to get a Red Sox vs Athletics MLB live stream today. Without wanting to get too ahead of ourselves, the Boston Red Sox may just be suffering a bit of a World Series hangover with their 2019 MLB season getting off to a very slow start. Following a home series defeat against the Seattle Mariners to start the campaign, they were heavily thrashed 7-0 by the A's yesterday. But their 6 feet 6 inch talismanic pitcher Chris Sale is back on the mound for this one, so that could see Boston's fortunes transform. The A's of Oakland had a surprisingly strong 2018, making it to the American League Wild Card game where they were vanquished by the New York Yankees. There are a lot of hopes resting on third baseman Matt Chapman's shoulders this year, and he delivered with a homer yesterday to match those from teammates Marcus Semien, Stephen Piscotty and designated hitter Khris Davis. Keep reading to see the best ways to get a Red Sox vs Athletics 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 Red Sox vs Athletics in the US for FREE
Live stream MLB baseball from outside your countryIf 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. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best student laptops: all the best options for school Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:56 PM PDT School isn’t cheap. Books, tuition, accommodation and even food can add up. But, you shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on the best laptops for students. In fact, student laptops will be budget-minded devices that have great style and plenty of power, but they’ll do it without charging an arm and a leg. However, when you’re buying textbooks and ramen, saving up for a shiny new laptop can be quite hard. So, the best student laptops will put value above having the best processors and graphics cards. You won’t be limited to Windows 10, either – the best Chromebooks are some of the best laptops for college students, as you can get all your work done while saving hundreds of dollars. We know that school is stressful – we’ve been there. But, that’s why you should make sure you have one of the best student laptops. You don’t need to add the stress of running around campus with a dying laptop to your plate. So, that’s why we went ahead and gathered up the best student laptops you can buy today: no one should be limited to some old clunker just to get some work done, and you shouldn’t have to drop all of your savings, either. Here at TechRadar, we love it when a laptop can perfectly balance price and performance without any compromises, and the Huawei MateBook 13 comes closer to hitting that perfect balance than anything in 2019 so far. Thin, light, quick and affordable, this beautiful 13-inch Ultrabook will let you get all your work done in style, without dragging down on your wallet. The battery life is a little weak, but that’s a worthy sacrifice to make here – just carry the charger around with you. Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13 Once in a while, we’ll get our hands on a laptop that completely flips the script – the Huawei Matebook X Pro is one such laptop. Not only does it feature powerful, modern components like 8th-generation Kaby Lake R processors and 16GB of RAM, it’s also beautiful – incorporating all the latest trends in Ultrabook design. What’s more impressive, it manages to do all this while being much more affordable than the competition. This is what makes it one of the best laptops for students – you’re not going to get a more powerful laptop for less cash than the MateBook X Pro – at least until the MateBook X Pro 2019 gets here. Read the full review: Huawei Matebook X Pro
Dell’s flagship laptop has always placed among the best laptops – for college students, professionals and even casual, everyday users. But, the Dell XPS 13 2019 brings back the entry-level option, making it more affordable for college students again. And, Dell managed to fix our biggest issue with the XPS lineup – the webcam. The manufacturer has moved the webcam up to the top of the display, where it belongs, so your friends and colleagues don’t have to stare up your nose when you’re in a video call. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 While the first Surface Laptop was already one of the best student laptops, it was held back by sub-par performance, a lack of ports and Windows 10 in S Mode. With the Surface Laptop 2, however, everything is better – except for the ports. It’s packed with 8th-generation Kaby Lake Refresh processors, full-fat Windows 10 Home and a black color option. We wish it had even a single USB-C port, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be able to get all your work done in style with this laptop. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2 When you’re looking for a laptop for school, you should aim for a golden balance between price and performance – and a dollop of style can’t hurt. The Microsoft Surface Go, then, isn’t just one of the best Windows tablets, but it may just be one of the best student laptops, especially from a value perspective. Don’t be fooled by the low-power components, either – Microsoft has engineered this tablet to be able to keep up with all your schoolwork without breaking a sweat. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go Dell’s XPS lineup has been among the best laptops for college students for years now, and the new XPS 15 is no different. Taking the approach of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, not much has changed year over year – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What you’re getting here is a reliable Ultrabook with enough horsepower to carry you through all of your coursework without costing an arm and a leg. While the entry level is perfectly fine for most people, you can configure this thing with up to a Core i9 CPU and 32GB of RAM, transforming the Dell XPS 15 into a killer media editing workstation. We just wish Dell would move that webcam. Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 The Microsoft Surface lineup has built a reputation for itself for being among the best Windows devices out there – gorgeous touch screens, incredible performance and long battery life. The Surface Pro 6 continues this tradition, even if it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. What you’re getting here is a speedy Windows tablet that can effortlessly turn into a laptop through the Surface Type Cover. You can get your work done and then effortlessly transition into break time. Read the full review: Surface Pro 6 College gets expensive – you can’t avoid it. That’s why the best laptops for college students will offer awesome performance at a decent price, much like the Lenovo Flex 14. At under a four-digit price, there’s something to be said about getting an Ultrabook that can handle anything the semester throws at you – and the Lenovo Flex 14 looks good to boot. You won’t find a better laptop at a lower price. Read the full review: Lenovo Flex 6 14 We were left waiting for Apple to renew the MacBook Air for years, as it languished with a 5th-generation Intel Core processor and an out of date, low-resolution display. Thankfully, those days are over. Apple has ushered the MacBook Air into the modern age, with 8th-generation fanless processors, a thinner and lighter design, and perhaps most importantly – a Retina display. No more do you have to compromise on modern features if you want an “affordable Mac”, and that makes the MacBook Air one of the best laptops for college students. Read the full review: MacBook Air If you’re not too concerned with cash, and you’re a macOS addict (we get it), the 2018 MacBook Pro is the most powerful MacBook that’s ever existed. With its impressive hexa-core processors, and up to a whopping 32GB of memory, this cupertino workstation will get you through whatever you throw at it. It also includes the much-improved third generation Butterfly keyboard that will not only be less distracting to the students around you, but will be less prone to failure if some dust comes within 10 feet. Read the full review: MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018)
Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Public cloud revenues set to soar in 2019 Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:54 PM PDT As more organizations adopt cloud-first strategies, new research from Gartner has revealed that the global public cloud market is projected to grow by 17.5 percent in 2019 to reach a total of $214.3bn, up from $182.4bn last year. Cloud system infrastructure services, more commonly referred to as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), is the fastest-growing market segment and the firm forecasts that IaaS will grow by 27.5 percent this year to reach $38.9bn. Cloud application infrastructure services, or platform as a service (PaaS), will see the second-highest growth rate at 21.8 percent.
Research vice president at Gartner, Sid Nag explained why the cloud services industry is growing at such a breakneck pace, saying: “Cloud services are definitely shaking up the industry. At Gartner, we know of no vendor or service provider today whose business model offerings and revenue growth are not influenced by the increasing adoption of cloud-first strategies in organisations. What we see now is only the beginning, though. Through 2022, Gartner projects the market size and growth of the cloud services industry at nearly three time the growth of overall IT services.” Shifting from cloud-first to cloud-onlyMore than a third of organizations see cloud investments as a top three investing priority according to recent surveys from Gartner and this has significantly impacted market offerings. The firm expects that by the end of this year, over 30 percent of technology providers' new software investments will shift from cloud-first to cloud-only. As a result, license-based software consumption will plummet further while SaaS and subscription-based cloud consumption models continue to rise. Spending on cloud-related services, such as cloud consulting, implementation, migration and managed services, currently makes up 19 percent of organization's cloud budgets but Gartner expects this rate to rise to 28 percent by 2022.
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| Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:53 PM PDT Initially revealed as a standalone OS in May 2017, Windows 10 S faced some controversy at release. Still, the lightweight operating system has evolved since launching, helping Windows 10 reach a whopping 800 million devices, just in time for the end of Windows 7. A lot of the criticism faced by Windows 10 S Mode boils down to the fact that it restricts users from installing third-party programs. But, since you can easily switch out of Windows 10 S Mode – for free no less – it’s a much more attractive solution these days. In fact, Windows 10 S makes sense for the right users and devices. For example, the Surface Go is an affordable device without a lot of horsepower, so a lightweight version makes a lot of sense. And, we’ve seen reports of Windows 10 running on a Raspberry Pi 3, which would make even more sense for Windows 10 S. We’ve also seen reports that Microsoft is working on “Windows Lite”, which should function similarly to Chrome OS. Windows 10 S Mode will also be able to take advantage of any Windows 10 updates, like the October 2018 Update and the upcoming Windows 10 April 2019 Update – though it may be delayed . That means you get neat features like the April Update’s “Light Mode” and useful storage space tools, not to mention the possibility of playing Xbox One games natively. Windows 10 S Mode is a major component of the Windows 10 experience these days, so we thought it would be a good idea to dive in and explore everything the lightweight operating system can do. Be sure to keep this page bookmarked, and we’ll update it with any Windows 10 S news that shows up. Cut to the chase
Windows 10 S release dateWindows 10 S first launched on May 2, 2017, with devices using the OS trickling out over the following months. And, now, Windows 10 S is bigger than ever, a fact that we expect Microsoft to celebrate with new Surface devices at Tuesday’s press event – these lower-spec Windows 10 devices are more versatile than ever before. Eventually, there will be a UI toggle that’ll let Windows 10 users switch in and out of S Mode, but that’s not available at the time of this writing. Fortunately, you can still get out of S Mode relatively easily – just head to the Windows Store on your device and search for ‘switch out of S Mode’. As for when we’ll see the switch go live, who knows? However, Microsoft may sneak it in at a later date – we don’t think it’ll appear in the April 2019 Update, though. Now, as for the reveal of Windows 10 S itself – Microsoft’s event invitation was titled ‘#MicrosoftEDU’, making no misgivings about its aims with the new OS. While Windows 10 S is not for individual sale, it is issued to IT administrators in education as well as laptops found in stores and online. It’s no coincidence that Windows 10 S is focused on the education sector, where Google’s Chromebooks are experiencing outlandish success. Windows 10 S priceWindows 10 S essentially doesn’t cost a dime. The cost of the lightweight OS is more than likely subsidized by hardware makers, assuming they’re not getting it for free. Basically, you don’t really pay for Windows 10 S Mode, instead you’re paying for the hardware running it (with, again, whatever Microsoft is charging its partners to license the software). Save for premium devices like the original Surface Laptop, you can find devices running Windows 10 S Mode starting at just $189 (about £146, AU$251) and cap out around $299 (about £239, AU$396). PC makers across the board, including Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo all have Windows 10 S Mode-powered devices in their stables. But, now that Windows 10 S Mode is a thing, it’s a toggle that doesn’t cost anything extra. Both Windows 10 Home and Pro S Mode users are able to go to the Windows Store and opt out of S Mode, though the conversion only works one way – out of S Mode – right now. Though, there will be a switch in the settings app of a future build, that will let users go back and forth. What is Windows 10 S?Microsoft intends Windows 10 S to serve as a lightweight, more secure version of Windows 10 for lower-end devices. While in “S Mode,” Windows 10 will only support apps that are downloaded from the Windows Store. This talk of a version of Windows that can only download Microsoft-approved apps is familiar, isn’t it? Microsoft believes it has mastered this approach since the turbulent days of Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 with Bing – both of which tried to position Microsoft as the sole provider of apps through curation. The good news is that this allows for a startup time of under 5 seconds as opposed to the 30 - 40 second startup time of Windows 10 Pro. Not only that, but configuring settings (such as Wi-Fi, webcam, etc.) across an entire classroom of students is as easy as inserting a USB stick in each of their laptops. Being in competition with Google’s Chrome OS, Microsoft has, of course, also positioned Windows 10 S as a more secure PC operating system. However, its resilience to viruses is mostly a side-effect of the inability to install apps not approved by Microsoft. Historically, Windows viruses have tended to erupt from untrustworthy internet downloads. Should you find a must-have app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 S you can switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Home or Pro by just going to the Windows Store and searching for “switch out of S Mode”. Microsoft used to charge a fee for this service, but now it’s free for everyone. Microsoft will also allow users that upgrade to Windows 10 Pro to move back down to Windows 10 S. And, now that Microsoft is rumored to be working on a Windows 10 Lean Mode, which will be even more lightweight and locked down. Oddly enough, the shiny new Surface Laptop 2 now ships with Windows 10 Home, not in S Mode like the previous. That said, what can you expect to see included in devices running Windows 10 S? Well, the Edge browser, OneNote and Windows Ink are all givens. The standard Movies and Groove Music apps, as well as Maps and Mail and Calendar are shoo-ins, too. Of course, we won’t see x86/x64 program support on a Windows 10 cloud operating system until 2019 when the aforementioned Polaris is expected to touch down and implement a ‘virtualization container’ for each of your favorite legacy applications. That means that, yes, should everything work out perfectly, there will be a Windows 10 cloud OS that can emulate the .exe’s of the past. Despite its constraints, Windows 10 S still features File Explorer, and although many of the laptops that come with the lightweight OS pre-installed may ship with smaller capacity SSDs, Microsoft’s forthcoming introduction of OneDrive Files On-Demand will make it so files can be stored in the cloud, but still viewed the same way as locally stored content. All things considered, there are still questions looming around in regard to the viability of Windows 10 S. Fortunately, as new developments emerge to (hopefully) address those criticisms, you can count on us to cover them right here on this page.
Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best cheap laptop deals in April 2019: prices start at just $129 Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:53 PM PDT If you're in the market for a cheap laptop deal, now's a great time to find a good price, regardless of whether you're shopping for work, school, or home. To make finding the machine that's right for you easier, we’ve collected the cheapest prices and best deals of the week in addition to a selection of some of our perpetual cheap laptop favorites. This week features an assortment of workhorses, versatile machines, and basic configurations perfect for students. We know that shopping for a new laptop can be an often arduous task of comparing storage, memory, processing power and features, but our guide below will help you find the best laptop deals and get the most for your money. From huge names like Dell, Asus and Lenovo to lesser known brands, you’re sure to come away happy with these bargains. First up, you'll find our selection of the very latest and best cheap laptop deals of the week where one store in particular has come away with a standout price on a certain laptop. Beneath those laptop prices, we've rounded up some of our favourite budget-price laptops and compared prices from a range of stores so you can get the best deal. This section is well worth coming back to if something takes your fancy as the prices are automatically updating all the time and we're deep into discount season now too. If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited checking out our selection of cheap gaming laptop deals, as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mind. We've also rounded up a fine collection of cheap laptop offers in the UK too. The best cheap laptop deal of the weekMore top cheap laptop deals of the weekWhere to find the best laptop deals in the US:We've compared prices on some of our favourite cheap laptops and run through the details on why we recommend them further down this page. But if you'd like to browse the latest laptop deals directly from your favorite retailers we've included a list of the most-recommended stores directly below. The best cheap laptops of 2018Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to the MacBook Pro, that is, if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? It’s roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine. Read the full review: Acer Swift 3 Its name is alphabet soup to the average reader, but then again this convertible laptop has always been about function over form. For one minuscule transaction, you’re getting a tablet equipped with an included keyboard and even a fingerprint scanner for more secure logins. Along with reliable performance and a magnesium-alloy chassis, it’s built to last. Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA While it may be outclassed by the Pixelbook and the Samsung Chromebook in terms of sheer power, the Acer Chromebook 15 can still pack a wallop while providing battery life that is frankly out of this world. It’s rare that a laptop can truly provide all-day battery, but in our independent battery tests, Acer’s Chromebook lasted an astonishing 17 hours – on top of providing enough power to get your work done online. If you’re looking for a 15 inch Chromebook that will give you the most bang for your buck, look no further. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 The Lenovo Yoga Book, and the Windows 10 version of it in particular, is the sort of futuristic fodder you would find in an episode of Black Mirror. It has a keyboard that doubles as a Wacom touch panel and, best of all, it’s cheap as hell. Now, of course, that comes with the caveat of a weak Intel Atom processor, but the rest of the Lenovo Yoga Book should go down in the history books. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14 Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need: Check out our laptop buying guide video below.
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| macOS High Sierra news, updates and features Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:47 PM PDT Apple’s macOS 10.13 High Sierra launched two years ago now, and is obviously not the current Mac operating system – that honor goes to macOS 10.14 Mojave. But, because Mojave increased the system requirements by a significant margin, many people will be using macOS High Sierra for years to come. And, we’re not complaining. During its time in the sun, macOS High Sierra has become one of the best Mac operating systems yet – even if it did face some problems at first. However, all the launch issues have been patched out, and macOS High Sierra is fast and easy to use operating system, and will remain so for years. And, while macOS did include some time-saving photo editing tools and a whole new file system, but macOS wasn’t immune from criticism at launch. Namely, it was criticized for simply iterating on Sierra – just like Mountain Lion did after Lion. Still, just because the improvements are relatively minor, doesn’t mean they aren’t there, so we’re going to explore everything there is to know about macOS High Sierra. Cut to the chase
Image Credit: Apple macOS 10.13 High Sierra release dateApple revealed macOS 10.13 High Sierra at the WWDC 2017 keynote, which is no surprise, given Apple’s tradition of announcing the latest version of its Mac software at its annual developer event. However, it wasn’t until September 12 that Apple revealed that High Sierra would launch little more than a week later, on September 25. There was a developer beta of the operating system you could enroll in leading to the final release, but that’s not necessary anymore – the final build of macOS 10.13 has been out in the wild for more than a year now. The final build of macOS High Sierra, 10.13.6 is available right now. Beside a few bug fixes, it integrates Airplay 2 into iTunes – though you will need to update iTunes to take advantage of it. You can download the update from the Mac App Store. More importantly, this update contains the bug fix that stops the Core i9 MacBook Pro from thermal throttling. Safari 12 is also available for macOS High Sierra users, which not only supports website icons in your tabs, but also has better security. Websites, for instance, won’t be able to track your specific Mac when using the native web browser. If you’re ready to jump to the next version of macOS , you can download macOS Mojave today. And, fortunately, we can show you how to download and install macOS Mojave. Image Credit: Apple macOS 10.13 High Sierra compatibilityLuckily, because macOS High Sierra doesn’t really shake things up, the barrier to entry didn’t change. In fact, macOS High Sierra has much more lenient requirements than Mojave, so it should be popular for a while. As long as you're on one of the following Mac models, you can upgrade to macOS High Sierra (if you haven’t done so already).
Bear in mind that if you want to take advantage of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) benefits posed by macOS High Sierra, you’ll need a Mac donning – at the very least – an Intel sixth-generation Skylake processor. Unfortunately, that discounts everything released prior to 2015, but on the bright side, everything else macOS High Sierra brings to the table is fair game. macOS 10.13 High Sierra featuresBeyond the Hackintosh users being reasonably worried about the newly enforced security checks on EFI firmware automatically implemented each week, Apple has revealed a number of awesome new features with macOS 10.13 High Sierra. One of these is the new and improved Safari, which will no stop ad-tracking and auto-playing videos in their tracks, along with Spotlight Search in the Mail app. Mail also gets the ability to display a split view for the compose window – and to make it even better, it uses up to 35% less storage space. Photos also sees improvements, with a better sorting tool. This is thanks to a better layout, improved facial recognition via neural networks, and improved syncing across all Apple devices. This all makes macOS High Sierra’s photo experience better than ever before. Image Credit: Apple Editing tools, too, have seen improvements, in turn making it easier than ever to enhance the quality of your photos without learning the ins and outs of Photoshop or Camera RAW. And of course, you can count on Instagram-like filters being a part of this. One of the biggest changes that comes with macOS High Sierra is with the file system. It’s ditching the HFS – which Apple has used for around 30 years, and is now using the Apple File System (APFS) instead. Every Mac that has been upgraded to macOS High Sierra will receive these file system updates automatically with the exception of those sporting Fusion Drives and older HDDs. Similarly, all new Macs will ship pre-formatted for APFS. To be exact, APFS is a 64-bit file system that supports native encryption and faster metadata operation. This may all sound a bit techy, but the bottom line is that this will make your Mac feel a lot faster, while also being more secure and more transparent about the nature of your files and folder contents. Unfortunately, this comes with the caveat of Apple’s confirmation that 32-bit apps will be discontinued in later versions of macOS High Sierra. The update also brings HEVC, or H.265, video compression to the Mac. Apple claims that this new standard can compress video files 40% more than the previous-generation H.264 standard. The end result will be faster video streams at higher resolutions – ahem, 4K – and smaller video files sizes when stored locally. Image Credit: Apple VR finally comes to the MacOne of the biggest bits of news surrounding macOS High Sierra is that it will finally bring support for virtual reality headsets officially. Namely, the HTC Vive and Steam VR will work with Macs running the new OS this autumn. However to use such a device, you’ll need at least a 5K iMac or MacBook Pro – or, any Mac that can run the new OS with an external GPU solution. Support for such devices comes part and parcel with macOS High Sierra, but won’t be an active function until later this year. The good news is that macOS High Sierra comes with a helping of refinements to its graphics API that make up for the scarce GPU support. Metal was a step forward for hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, but with Metal 2, Apple promises less strain on the CPU as well as proper machine learning and better Xcode profiling/debugging in macOS High Sierra. Perhaps more important, though, is the fact that MoltenVK was recently brought to Mac by Khronos Group. An implementation of the open-source Vulkan API, it’s said to bring frame rate gains of up to 50% in Dota 2. As it’s cross-platform, too – being supported by Windows and Linux as well as Apple’s devices – MoltenVK is likely to be more widely adopted by creators. Image Credit: Apple
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this report This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:46 PM PDT Now that macOS Mojave has arrived on our Macs, bringing key iOS apps like News and Stocks to the fold, Apple’s OS is better than ever. This update also brings a system-wide Dark Mode and increased productivity through Finder. Apple has hinted that more iOS apps will be making their way to the best Macs in the coming years, but there’s already a lot to love. And while macOS Mojave has faced its own fair share of security issues, namely KeySteal – a security exploit that makes your Keychain passwords vulnerable – the operating system is generally safe and stable. We’ve had macOS Mojave on our Macs for months, and all the problems are getting patched out, and the ones that remain are outweighed by the benefits. So, now that we have macOS Mojave, we’ll dive into all the features the new OS offers, along with what’s coming, so you can decide whether it’s worth the upgrade in 2019.
Cut to the chase
macOS 10.14 Mojave release dateApple announced macOS Mojave back in June 2018 at WWDC 2018, where most of the features were detailed. This was followed by a public beta launch back in July, then finally the macOS Mojave launch on September 24 2018. Apple is keeping macOS Mojave updated with all the latest features. The latest of these updates, macOS 10.14.4 brings Dark Mode to Safari, along with the new Apple News+ service. Past updates included a fix to the FaceTime Bug that allowed people to access your camera without you answering their call, and a supplemental update, boosting reliability for the 2018 MacBook Air. Keep it tuned, because we will keep this section updated with all the newest updates as they release. macOS 10.14 Mojave featuresSo, now that macOS Mojave has been out for a while, there are a ton of new features available to your Mac. And, we’re going to dive into a detailed overview of everything your Mac can do. From Finder improvements to more rigid security, the best Macs are about to become a lot better. Read on to discover all the new features coming to your Mac when you update to macOS Mojave. Dark ModeApple’s macOS Mojave introduces a system-wide dark mode, which will extend to every first-party program on your Mac. Even Xcode gets a full makeover, completely in black, making those extended programming sessions more comfortable for your eyes. Third party programs will also be adopting this new theme, with changes happening automatically for any app that uses standard colors through AppKit. Even developers that don’t use AppKit are working on bringing Dark Mode to their programs. For example, in a recent bug report, Google Chrome developers confirmed they’re working on a way to implement Dark Mode into the hugely popular web browser – they just have some issues to iron out first. Group FaceTimeInitially shown as part of the initial release of MacOS Mojave, Group FaceTime has finally been released as part of macOS 10.14.1. This feature allows you to have FaceTime conversations with up to 32 people across iOS and macOS devices. This feature is implemented in a way that makes it extremely intuitive in macOS Mojave. You can start a group FaceTime chat from any group iMessage thread, and invites will be sent via a ringless notification, so you won’t be disruptive. Once you’re in a Group FaceTime Chat, it will automatically detect whoever’s speaking and bring them front and center, so that you’re always looking at the person actively speaking. StacksIf your desktop starts to look like a virtual hurricane blew through it after a full day of work like ours does, your days of cluttered desktops end with macOS Mojave. With Stacks, macOS Mojave will sort similar files together so that you have a less cluttered desktop – photos with photos, pdfs with pdfs – it’s great. You’re even able to scrub through thumbnails with a two-finger scroll, so that you can make sure the file you’re looking for is actually in the stack. Gallery ViewIn macOS 10.14 Mojave, Apple has added a new Gallery View to Finder. This will let you quickly browse through, annotate and edit files. No matter what kind of file you select, you'll be able to quickly and easily find exactly what you're looking for. This is made even easier, thanks to Apple adding a very detailed metadata display to the Preview pane. This makes it easier than ever before to take note of all the information of any file on your Mac. And, thanks to the inclusion of Quick Actions in the Preview pane, you won’t even need to leave Finder to work on files. You should be able to edit images, add protection to files and more. You can even assign Automator tasks as Quick Actions to make browsing through files even easier. Continuity CameraHave you ever found yourself working on a project, and you needed to implement a document or a photo? Well, with Continuity Camera, it’s easier than ever to do just that. Across a multitude of different apps, like Numbers and Pages, you’ll be able to simply Control + Click in the body of the document, and select “Take Photo” or “Scan Documents.” It’ll then open the camera on your iPhone or iPad, where you’ll be able to take a photo and instantly pop it right into what you’re working on. It’s smooth, it’s convenient, and it’s going to be a boon for anyone that needs to save some time while doing schoolwork or that next big project. Markup in Quick Look and ScreenshotsQuick Look is already an easy way to look at files quickly, and in macOS Mojave, you'll be able to quickly and efficiently use Markup to edit files you open in Quick Look. Markup is also implemented into screenshots. You’ll be able to bring up any screenshot and instantly edit any content within. Being able to quickly crop screenshots in macOS Mojave without any third-party photo-editing software is going to be a huge time-saver. Once you capture a screen, you’ll see a preview image open up, similar to iOS 12, which you can click to preview and edit your screenshot. That's not all though, Screenshots are still a simple shortcut away, but with macOS Mojave, a new easy-to-use menu includes screen-recording tools, so that you can capture animated content. And, perhaps most importantly, you can choose to save the screenshot to your clipboard, saving time if you just need to send someone a quick screenshot. AppsApple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home are all brought over from iOS to macOS Mojave, with special care given to reformatting them to fit your computer. These apps leverage the power of the best Macs to deliver an awesome experience. Voice Memos, for instance, will automatically transfer any memos you take between your iOS and macOS devices – rewarding anyone who utilizes the ‘Apple Ecosystem’. This isn’t a full iOS app migration, though. In fact, since these apps are specially redesigned for macOS, they feel like new Apps. Plus, the new Apple News+ service is available on Mac the same day as iOS. Apple did say that it’d be bringing more iOS apps to Macs this year, so we’ll just have to wait until WWDC 2019. SecurityApple is concerned about your device security, and now macOS Mojave asks for permission with more features, now including the camera and microphone. Mojave’s security also provides more robust protection for your file system. Safari also has its own share of security enhancements, shutting down cookies that track you across websites, making sure Safari asks permission before it allows cookies of any kind to access your browsing data. This even includes those annoying social buttons that mysteriously appear on every page – Facebook and Twitter can’t track your activity outside of their own websites unless you grant them permission to. New Mac App StoreThe App store has been a macOS staple for years now, but it always seemed a little out of place. That all changes with macOS Mojave. Apple has completely refreshed the Mac App Store, and it’s now designed exclusively for the best Macs. Not only does it look great, but it also lets you browse through apps depending on what you’re trying to install. If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to Logic Pro X or Adobe Photoshop, it’s simple to find the best Mac apps for you. The new Mac App Store also adopts the iOS App Store’s approach to editorializing its content. It’ll now have a much more modern interface with featured apps getting tutorials, spotlights and other such content. It really does bring the Mac App Store into the modern age. And, perhaps more exciting is that a ton of third-party developers, like Adobe and Microsoft, are bringing their apps to the Mac App Store, so you don't’ have to go through dodgy websites to get the apps you need. macOS 10.14 Mojave specificationsUnfortunately, with all these new features, some older Macs will have to go without updating to macOS Mojave. This is a departure from macOS High Sierra, which basically had the same requirements as macOS 10.12. First off, macOS 10.14 requires at least 14.3GB of hard drive space for the installation, as that’s what was required last year. To keep it on the safe side, make it 20GB. However, macOS Mojave requires more powerful hardware than High Sierra. macOS 10.13 required at least 2GB of RAM and OS X 10.8 or later – that’s not the case anymore. These are the Macs supported by macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Unfortunately, while the required models rarely change year over year, they have with macOS 10.14, so if you have an older MacBook, you might need to upgrade to enjoy this new version of the OS.
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| 11 best open world games on PC today Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:44 PM PDT The best gaming PCs are getting more powerful every day, and the best PC games are evolving right alongside them. All you have to do is look at the best open world games on PC to see how far things have come. Even traditionally linear franchises are opening up their worlds. Take The Witcher 3: it used to be a straightforward narrative RPG, but with it evolved into one of the best open world games we here at TechRadar have ever laid hands on. There are many open world franchises out there that have always been open world, though. Games like Just Cause 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey are the pedigree of open world game design. There are even a ton of indie games that adapt to this style. In 2019, you can’t go anywhere without finding an open world game on PC, but since they take up so much free time, you should only go for the best of the best. Fortunately, we here at TechRadar spend entirely too much time playing open world games, so we were able to pick out the best open world games on PC in 2019.
Check out our Linux vs Windows vs Mac - OS comparison video below. The first two Witcher games were compelling, complex and difficult, but only enjoyed minor success. However, all the word of mouth about the first two games finally paid off when the Witcher 3 came out and absolutely blew up. It was a massive step up in quality, too, and probably one of the best RPGs of all time. You step in the role of Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, or witcher, and search the world for your adopted daughter in a medieval world ravaged by war. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be turning 4 years old in 2019, but it stands the test of time. It’s still one of the best open world games you can play in 2019 because the well-realized world blows the likes of Skyrim out of the water. Geralt can walk, ride or sail across the war-ravaged lands of Novigrad and Velen, or sail across monster-riddled and frosty islands of Skellige in the North. And, in Blood and Wine, the second expansion, you get to take on a clan of Vampires in the colorful land of Toussaint. You can forage for herbs, explore under the seas or the back alleys of cities and encounter all kinds of folk and creatures. And the other elements of the game are spectacularly polished as well - limber, agile combat, a deep levelling system, and a storyline with some unusually-smart storylines. Last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Origins already felt like a revelation of what an Assassin’s Creed game could be – replacing many of the gameplay mechanics with what felt more engaging, organic and even fun. However, Ubisoft wasn’t done – it has refined everything that made Assassin’s Creed: Origins so great and molded it into the best game in the series so far – Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey places you in the shoes of Alexios or Kassandra in the middle of ancient Greece, as you take on the role of a mercenary trying to find his or her family. Everything else you do is completely up to you – you choose your alliances, you choose your missions and the world is your oyster. The fantastic RPG mechanics from Origins make a return in Assassin’s Creed odyssey – with some much-needed improvements. In so many ways, this game perfects the legendary series’ formula – making for one of the best open world games of all time. Plus, if the massive world wasn’t already enough content for you, Ubisoft is constantly updating it with new content, new mercenaries to hunt down and even some fresh expansions. And, if you pick up the season pass, you get access to Assassin's Creed III Remastered, which includes Assassin’s Creed: Liberation. You might not quite understand why Forza Horizon 4 is even on a list of the best open world games. You might be saying “Forza is a racing series, not an open world game”, but you’re only half right. Sure, it’s definitely a racing game, but the Forza Horizon series has always sat among the best open world games. And, Forza Horizon 4 takes the winning formula even further. Not only are all of the systems that were in place in 2016’s Forza Horizon 3 present here, but they’re refined to create one of the smoothest open world racing games we’ve ever had the pleasure to play. The map is a little bit smaller than the previous offering, but Forza Horizon 4’s world changes seasons every week, changing how each track plays every time you play it (or, at least until you’ve played it on 4 separate weeks). Simply put, Forza Horizon 4 is one of the most fun racing games on the market, and with all the added open world content – like collectable cars and randomly placed ramps – it’s one of the best open world games on the market. Plus, there are new expansions getting added, like Forza Horizon 4: Fortune Island, that add even more content. Grand Theft Auto V has been out for quite a while now, but because we still don’t have Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC, it’s still the best open world game on PC from Rockstar. It’s a huge pastiche of L.A. that you can fly, run or drive across. It’s an amazing achievement and the fact that it works in multiplayer is astounding. What makes it such a success is the freedom it gives you. When you’re not running around and robbing banks during the campaign, GTA V basically lets you do whatever you want – even if it breaks the game. You can go anywhere, do anything and commit however many atrocities as your wicked heart pleases. There are also a ton of side activities available. So, in your downtime from creating all kinds of mayhem, you can take up some tennis, yoga, or even kick your feet up and watch some TV. There’s a reason this game is so beloved. The plot may not have made much sense, but Hideo Kojima’s last entry to the Metal Gear series was a masterpiece of layered open world mechanics – and it’s why we’re so excited about Death Stranding. In the twin deserts of Afghanistan and Angola, Big Boss, or Venom Snake, has a range of objectives to achieve. He traverses the areas on foot, horseback, or in a variety of ground vehicles. You can take either lethal or non-lethal weapons, and a variety of AI companions. The world of Metal Gear Solid V is unbelievably bleak, weather-torn and heavily guarded. Uniquely, it learns from your behavior – overuse a particular tactic and enemies will adapt. For instance, rely too much on headshots and they’ll start to wear metal helmets. Away from the frontline, you can develop Mother Base by building new facilities and airlifting enemy soldiers, prisoners, resources, vehicles, animals and anything else you want to from the battlefield to beef up your armory. Bethesda has made a name for itself over the last couple of decades for making some of the best open world games, and Fallout 4 is a fantastic example of why. You’ll be able to traverse a post-apocalyptic Boston, where you’ll explore the ruins of the city in all it’s retro-futuristic glory. While the plot ultimately revolves around rescuing your kid from their kidnappers, you’ll ultimately forget all about the plot, while you do side missions and plunder loot from super mutants and bandits. And, even once you get everything done (if you ever get everything done), Bethesda’s games have a tendency to be immensely replayable thanks to the way different character builds can interact with the world around you. Plus, if you want to get closer to the action, you can play through Fallout 4 in VR, with the HTC Vive. When Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor released nearly five years ago, it was praised for its portrayal of Tolkien’s Mordor, alongside with its unique nemesis system. The sequel, Middle Earth: Shadow of War takes this concept and turns it up to 11, setting you loose in the last human stronghold in Mordor – and is thus one of the best open world games you can play in 2019. And, especially after the removal of the microtransactions that plagued the game at launch, the Nemesis system still feels fresh, and the combat is just as good as ever, with a wealth of new skills that you can unlock during its lengthy campaign. Later on in the game, it will start introducing some RTS elements as you command an army of dominated orcs to retake and hold different strongholds. The Middle Earth series has shown some real innovation, and we can’t wait to see what Monolith Studios will be capable of in the future. Last year, Ubisoft took one of the most venerated squad-based shooter series in its arsenal, Ghost Recon, and turned it into an open-world delight. You’re set loose in Bolivia, and you’re tasked with taking down a drug cartel that has taken power over the region. You’re then free to pursue this goal however you feel like. Ghost Recon Wildlands may be one of the best open world games when you’re playing by yourself, but where it really shines is when you’re playing with friends. This is because Ghost Recon, at its very core, has always been a tactical shooter that’s built around working with a team of AI companions. So, naturally, when you team up with your friends, this gameplay is elevated to another level entirely. Just keep in mind that this game is gorgeous, and demands a pretty beefy setup to run properly, so make sure you keep an eye on those system requirements. When the first Crackdown came out way back in 2007, it kind of changed the game. You took the role of a superpowered cop out to bust a cast of zany criminals. And, while Crackdown 3 hasn’t changed much in the 12 years since, it still has its own identity. Crackdown 3 takes the super-powered hijinks of the original and scales it to modern graphics without changing too much of what made the original game so great. This might make it feel a little dated to some, but if you were into the first one, you’ll find a lot to love here. What’s especially noteworthy is the new Wrecking Zone multiplayer game mode, which utilizes the power of Microsoft Azure cloud computing to make the entire city destructible. Far Cry 5 might just be a benchmark of what the best open world games on PC will look like in 2019. Far Cry 5 is unique in the fact that it allows you to truly go anywhere on the map – and do anything. And, it doesn’t water this freedom down by limiting the amount of space you have open to you either, it’s perhaps one of the biggest game maps we’ve ever experienced. Far Cry 5 takes place in the middle of the Montana wilderness, and while it does feature a plot that involves cultists or something, that all falls into the background as you wander around and get lost in the massive world. We haven’t finished Far Cry 5, but we don’t think ‘finished’ exists here. And, we’re obviously not the only ones that love Far Cry 5. At the Game Awards 2018, Ubisoft announced Far Cry: New Dawn, a direct follow-up – a first for the classic shooter series. For years, the Yakuza franchise has been a bit of a hidden gem, but recently these fantastic games have gained some mainstream success. And, with this success, these classic titles are finally, albeit slowly, making their way to PC. Yakuza Kiwami, then, is the remake of the first Yakuza title, released nearly 13 years ago in the US. With this game, PC gamers can finally see how the franchise got its start, placing players in the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu as he fights his way through the Yakuza’s ranks. It’s a compelling mix of serious storytelling and silly moments – something that the Yakuza series would become famous for over the years. Love it or hate it, the Just Cause franchise has always been about causing random violence and destruction with barely any plot to justify it. And, well, the same is true with Just Cause 4 – we wouldn’t have it any other way. Just Cause 4 puts you in the middle of Solis, a gigantic South American island to overthrow an oppressive local government, by destroying everything in your path. You’ll take to the sky, sea and more with a wide variety of vehicles and weapons to create mayhem however you want. It’s not a particularly deep game, but if you’re looking for some mindless entertainment, it’s not hard to see why Just Cause 4 is one of the best open world games on PC in 2019. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in April 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:43 PM PDT After a quiet start to the year we've found some excellent Xbox One X prices. We're talking brand new bundles with the hottest games like Metro: Exodus, Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V and more. Gamers looking for the most powerful console ever made have have been keen to pick up Xbox One X deals since release but there was a high cost to pay in the early days. Until recently, prices have been high at most stores if you weren't sure where to look. That's where we come in as our dedicated team of Deal Hunters cut through the chaff to bring you only the very best Xbox One X deals every day, and we've got some excellent ones for you today. In this article you'll find a comparison chart with the lowest prices on where to buy the 4K HDR Xbox One X console from a wide range of the best retailers. After the comparison chart we've put together a collection of the latest bundles in the States and UK. These Xbox One X bundles will save you money over buying the items separately. If you're after information on the latest Australian deals, head over to our Australian page. The best Xbox One X pricesUS Xbox One X bundles are really stepping things up now after a quiet few months. there's never been a better time to buy actually as you're getting genuine discounts and free content for the first time in ages. What is the Xbox One X price?The Xbox One X MSRP is $499 in the US and the UK RRP currently sits at £449. So sure, it looks like UK gamers are paying considerable more as the direct currency conversion would have it at £390. On the plus side, retailers are starting to cut prices and we're seeing games bundled in too. So you should never pay those costs for the console alone today. Why should I buy an Xbox One X?Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a powerful upgrade over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV. As things stand the Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and we're not expecting to see any games released exclusively for the Xbox One X (or so we've been told), so there's certainly no reason to throw away your Xbox One S yet. The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though with its upcoming titles and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem set to be true jaw-droppers in the graphics department. Where can I buy an Xbox One X?Most of the usual big name retailers are stocking the Xbox One X. Prices this close to launch are all very similar for now, but as we move forwards, we'll start to see stores chipping away at the price to try to get an edge over the competition. Keep an eye on the highlighted Xbox One X bundles above and our comparison chart, which we'll keep up to date on the latest prices for the Xbox One X on its own. So feel free to bookmark us and check in again soon to see if we've found the deal that's right for you. Fingers crossed the bundles get better soon, especially in the US where we're not seeing massive software discounts so far. What is the Xbox One X release date?It's here now! The Xbox One X came out on November 7 2017. That was a worldwide release date too. Will there be Xbox One X deals are Christmas?Unlike the first Xbox One X's first Christmas, we do expect there to be some deals this year. The 4K console was seemingly too new to discount last year, but Microsoft will be keen to catch up the the PS4 Pro this year and we're hoping for some decent discounts in what has been a slow year for deals in all honesty. In all likelihood, the PS4 Pro prices and bundles are still going to be much cheaper. What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money?The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for around $250/£250 or less. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 prices, deals and bundles pages. Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now.4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. We've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too in the UK, and also a collection of US TV deals. How big is the hard drive in the Xbox One X?For now, the only option available is the 1TB option, that's 1000GB of storage. There are no official plans for larger versions, but we wouldn't be surprised to see these come along in 2018. With some 4K-friendly update patches to games coming in at over 100GB, we certainly wouldn't hold out for a cheaper 500GB Xbox One X, as it'd be a bit pointless to be honest. We think gamers are going to fill up the 1TB Xbox One pretty soon. Thankfully the Xbox One X is compatible with external hard drives using USB 3.0. So if you need some extra storage, check out our list of the best external hard drives. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:32 PM PDT Now that CES 2019 and MWC 2019 are in the rearview, we've got a slate of powerful phones we've pitted against each other – a competition that will certainly get tougher once foldable and 5G phones start hitting the market. At the front of the pack is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus along with the budget flagship Galaxy S10e and the less-specialized standard Galaxy S10. Google’s Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have been contenders for the best camera phone, and continue to stand out. Apple's flagship iPhone XS, XS Max and the more affordable iPhone XR still rank highly. The new OnePlus 6T hit the market with a price well below its competition yet with competitive specs, ensuring it a spot up here. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus and Note 9 remain as serious picks from the end of last year. It can be hard to keep track of all the great phones on the market, but we’ve thoroughly tested all of the best and determined which stand above the rest. We’ve got all the specs and details for you to compare and detailed accounts of how each phone performs. Whenever a new phone comes out, we’ll see how it stacks up against the current roster of top smartphones. So, whether you’re excited about a new iPhone or Android coming out or heard that a new phone has the best specs around, you can see where it ranks among the best smartphones right here. With all the phones ready to compare, we’ll make one thing clear. The best phone isn't simply the new iPhone, although our list is made up of familiar names: Apple, Samsung, Google and LG, all in the top 15. We test out the latest and (sometimes) greatest phones in comprehensive mobile phone reviews. That's our job. We're here to separate the best from the mediocre. To drill down to a list of our favorites in the US for March 2019, we based our newly updated rankings system on a lot of geeked-out factors: design, performance, battery life, camera quality, and consistency software updates. The truth is they're all so close, but you want to walk away with the greatest phone for you. Why we have more than just a No. 1 pick: Your personal preference among iOS 12 and Android Pie could sway you to another device besides our top-ranked phone. No one in the US wants to get rid of iMessages, and we understand that. Likewise, Android is better for a lot of people who like to tinker with their settings – that's Google's speciality with its mobile OS. Likewise, your contract with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile is a preference. The best phone for AT&T may not be available on-contract on Verizon, and vice-versa. We have to take that into account when recommending phones. If you didn't catch it the first time, spoiler alert, our top pick isn't just Apple's iPhone XS or the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. We're not that predictable. Before you lock into a binding contract or spring for an expensive unlocked phone, consult our best phone guide, updated regularly. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone you can get for Android right now, if you're just going by specs. Naturally, as the first flagship of 2019, its new Snapdragon 855 processor is the big standout here with even better performance than the phones that closed out 2018. Add in a few cool new (but not essential) features, Samsung's stunning-as-ever display and design as well as top specs and you have a true flagship – for a true flagship price, of course, starting at $999 / £899 / AU$1,499 / AED 3,599. Screen: The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display is gorgeous, but that's not surprising. it's the same size as the Galaxy Note 9's screen, and far larger than the Galaxy S9 Plus' 6.2-inch display. The 'Infinity O' display ditches the notch for a punch-hole in the top right corner. Yes, it's twice as wide as the hole in the S10 and S10e, but how else will you fit in the extra selfie camera? This choice (and thin bezels) enable a stunning 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, which keeps the phone as slim as possible. Battery Life: The S10 Plus' 4,100mAh battery is Samsung's largest yet, just nudging past the Note 9's 4,000mAh and far beyond the 3,500mAh one in the Galaxy S9 Plus. While that didn't lead the new phone's battery life to outpace its predecessors, it still kept it going through the full day with 10%-30% to spare in our casual testing. This is, of course, with standard settings: bump up the resolution from Full HD+ to QHD+, brighten the display or keep it on longer, and the battery will drain faster. Camera: The S10 Plus has three cameras on the back: a 12MP regular lens, a 12MP optically zoomed telephoto lens, and a new 16MP ultra-wide lens. We found the photo quality to be a bit variable – perhaps due to the dual-aperture main lens – with good but not consistent low-light performance. It's not quite up to par with the Google Pixel 3's Night Vision mode, but it still outpaces most other phone cameras on the market. The two front-facing cameras allow depth for Portrait mode-style photos, which is worth the wider punch-hole gap in the display. Mini verdict: After some time with the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e, we can say for sure that the S10 Plus beats them out. It has the best specs, cameras and battery life of the whole set, and it's not too much more expensive than the other models. If you want a phone that will blow every other device out of the water in early 2019 – as well as its in-screen fingerprint sensor and reverse charging – this is your only real option. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review The iPhone XS Max is Apple's new big iPhone with an expansive 6.5-inch display that can't be missed if you're looking for the best phone running iOS 12. It's fast, has a brilliant all-screen display, and gives you great photos out of its noticeably upgraded 12MP dual-lens rear camera. Screen: The 6.5-inch OLED screen is the reason to choose the iPhone XS Max over its smaller 5.8-inch iPhone XS counterpart. The phone is still about the size of an iPhone Plus, but thanks to the all-screen display (minus the notch cut out at the top), you get a lot more real-estate. It looks more color-rich vs the old iPhone LCD displays, too. Battery life: You'll get the best battery life out of the iPhone XS Max simply because it has room for a bigger battery. The 3,174mAh capacity is by no means the biggest (Samsung's Note 9 is 4,000mAh), but Apple's ownership of both software and hardware means it's smartly optimized. You'll get all-day battery life even with heavy use. Camera: This is the best iPhone camera ever made, even if the 12MP dual-lens rear camera number hasn't changed in several years. It's all about the software inside and how the A12 chipset interprets scenes with Smart HDR. It's up there with the Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9, even if Apple's photos tend to be less vivid in our tests and more true-to-life. Mini verdict: This is the iPhone for anyone who wants what's new and doesn't care what it costs. The iPhone XS Max is expensive, but it's the best upgrade if you're into big screens and Apple's ecosystem, like the App Store and iMessages. The iPhone XS is a good choice if you have smaller hands, and the iPhone XR may be better if you have a smaller wallet. Read more: iPhone XS Max review The Google Pixel 3 came out in October, offering some internal upgrades, improved camera performance, a second front-facing camera, and a better screen than its predecessor. And, as with past Pixels, when it comes to smartphone cameras, this is a top contender. Screen: The Pixel 3 stretches the previous model’s screen to 5.5-inches for an 18:9 aspect ratio. There are no notches taking up any of the screen space either. Colors are rich on the OLED display, and thanks to the dual front-facing speakers, it makes for a handy streaming device. Battery life: A 2,915mAh battery is nothing to get excited about in a modern smartphone. That said, with conservative us, it’s not hard to get all-day battery life. If you’re not taking a lot of photos, it may be easier to get a full day of battery, but with such a good camera, it may be tough to avoid. Camera: The Pixel 2’s cameras are its best selling point. On back, the 12.2MP sensor paired with Google’s brilliant software optimization make for stunning photos in most situations. Optical Image Stabilization certainly helps, too. Selfie lovers get a bonus with dual front-facing cameras that can snap photos with different viewing angles. Mini verdict: The Pixel 3 is powerful on the inside, and even though its design isn’t the most exciting from 2018, nor is its battery, it’s all about the camera in the end. And, with Google’s knack for photo optimization, this phone can almost sell itself with the camera alone. Read more: Google Pixel 3 review The Samsung S10e is the littlest (and least pricey) sibling of the S10 line in both size and features. While it loses out on a few of the cutting-edge features like in-screen fingerprint scanner and a telephoto lens, its remaining arsenal of flagship specs, ultrawide camera and good interface make the S10e a standout at a discount. Plus, it's small enough to use one-handed. Screen: The 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is crisp and sharp, with enough bright colors and customization options to tweak to your liking. While it's nice that the budget flagship of the S10 line has an OLED screen (unlike the iPhone XR with its LCD display), it's not as high resolution as its bigger siblings, capping out at 1080 x 2280 pixels to the S10 and S10 Plus' 1440 x 3040 pixel maximum. Battery life: A 3,100mAh capacity isn't the biggest battery on the market, but it will see you through the day, and may last longer than you think thanks to the phone's smaller screen. You'll need to stretch it out if you plan to use Wireless PowerShare, the S10 line's new feature that lets you donate battery charge to another Qi-charging device. Don't worry, it won't drain yours to oblivion: the feature shuts down when your phone hits 30% battery. Camera: Considering the standard Galaxy S9 had a single lens, the S10e is a major upgrade with its two useful cameras. The first is the standard 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4 Dual Aperture lens found in the phone's predecessor (switching between the two in day/night shots), while the second is a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens that manages 123-degree field of view. While the phone misses the 2x telephoto of the other S10 phones, its ultrawide is far more useful. Mini verdict: The S10e is a fantastic little phone, perfect for anyone who wants to use their flagship phone one-handed – or just wants all the best specs at a lower price. While it's still more expensive than midrange phones or the current value champion, the OnePlus 6T, the S10e has more features and cutting-edge specs to push it beyond the competition. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10e review Following its trend in recent years, OnePlus has released its iterative update in the OnePlus 6T. The new phone doesn’t substantially change the internals of the phone, but the design is tweaked with some exciting improvements that can challenge the best of them. Screen: The new OnePlus 6T screen is the most exciting part off the device. It’s a huge 6.41-inch AMOLED display, and though the resolution is just 1080x2340 (not as sharp as more expensive competitors), OnePlus has made the screen dominate the space on the front of the phone. It’s even shrunk down the notch to a negligible side, and the coup de grace is an under-screen fingerprint scanner. Battery life: The OnePlus 6T packs in a nice 3,700mAh battery. In our testing, it was easy to get through a full day. With fast charging, it’s not too hard to add in a extra battery life if you’re using the phone a lot on any given day. Camera: The back of the OnePlus 6T packs two good cameras, both with wide aperture. There’s a 16MP wide-angle camera and 20MP secondary sensor. They take great photos that may not beat the top competitors, but they come satisfactorily close. For sharp selfies, the front camera has a 16MP sensor. Mini verdict: For all that the OnePlus 6T offers, it’s all the more impressive that it’s priced as low as it is. The value proposition of the OnePlus 6T is so good, anyone looking for flagship quality without the high price has a good option here. Read more: OnePlus 6T review The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the best phone you can buy today if you're not one to shy away from its $1,000 starting price for the 128GB version. The 512GB model is an eye-popping $1,250. But that version, when combined with a 512GB microSD card, gives you the first 1TB phone – bigger than many laptops sold in the US. Screen: Samsung's 6.4-inch Infinity Display is slightly bigger (taller, but actually more narrow than the Note 8) and wraps around the sides for a nice curved look and feel. Samsung is anti-bezel and anti-notch. What you may not see at first is the extreme brightness of this display and the color reproduction. It's impressive when you see it in person. Battery life: The Note 9 has a 4,000mAh battery and is the key reason we like it over the S9 Plus, the second best phone in the US. The capacity is 14.2% bigger than the S9 Plus and 33.3% bigger than the S9. It lasts all day with heavy use and deep into a day two with normal use. You can also charge over wireless easily, and fast charging boots in 17% battery in 15 mins. Camera: The Note 9 camera is impressive, just like the S9 Plus six month before it, and it has the added benefit of remotely capturing photos from up to 30 ft away via the Bluetooth S Pen. Samsung also added AI smarts to the camera that automatically adjusts the white balance and color based on the scene it detects. The camera does as well as the Google Pixel 2 in low-light (sometimes better, sometimes worse, but not by much in either direction), and the default camera app is robust (more so than Google's), yet remains streamlined and initiative. It does lack HDR video recording, seen on other Android phones from Sony and LG. Mini verdict: The Note 9 is bigger in all ways, including the price. It's one of the most expensive phones in the US, right up there with the iPhone X. But you're getting a better camera and more storage (and a microSD card slot) for your money. The battery is bigger, too. Samsung packs a lot into its all-day smartphone with a stylus. Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review Apple’s iPhone XR was a little bit late to launch after the iPhone XS and XS Max that launched a bit earlier. But thanks to its lower price point, it makes for a more affordable option than the XS models. For some, the powerful internals paired with the large screen and lower price will make for a compelling buy, especially thanks to the surprisingly good battery. Screen: The iPhone XR screen isn’t its strongest selling point, as it’s a notable downgrade. It’s resolution falls short of Full HD, and it’s not a battery-friendly OLED. Still, the Liquid Retina LCD display used still has good sharpness and brilliant colors.That said, the 6.1-inch display offers plenty of real estate. Battery life: Though this is the more affordable iPhone to come out in Apple’s latest batch, its battery life stands out. Thanks to the A12 Bionic and chipset and lower resolution, the battery performance is great, making it the first iPhone that could comfortably get through a whole day of use in our testing without us worrying about. Camera: While the other iPhones have dual rear cameras, the iPhone XR has just one sensor. For normal photo shooting, it does a great job though. The lack of a second camera also reduces the quality of Portrait Mode photos. But, the detractors came largely in comparison to other top cameras. Mini verdict: The iPhone XR has all the performance of its more expensive siblings on the inside. It’s camera and screen may not be as impressive, but where it truly dazzles is in the battery life. If you want an iPhone with a battery you won’t always worry about, the iPhone XR is it. Read more: iPhone XR review The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the best phone from the Chinese firm to date, offering up a heady mix of design, power and performance with a few party pieces thrown in too. It builds on the excellent P20 and P20 Pro, offering up even more screen, enhanced triple rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Screen: The Mate 20 Pro packs a huge 6.39-inch display giving you a huge amount of space for gaming and movies, and its QHD resolution and HDR10 support ensures everything looks great. There is a wide notch at the top of the display though. Battery life: You'll get great battery life from the Mate 20 Pro, and we regularly achieved a day and a half of usage from a single charge during our review time with the handset. Camera: The Mate 20 Pro comes with three cameras on the rear, nabbing the excellent 40MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses from the P20 Pro - but the third sensor is new. It's an ultra-wide 16MP snapper allowing you to cram even more of your surroundings into each shot. Mini verdict: The Mate 20 Pro is a full-featured phone for a full-featured price - it even has a few tricks you won’t see elsewhere, and more powerful specs than most of its competitors. Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review The bigger S10 Plus is by far Samsung's best phone, but the standard S10 backs almost all the same top-end features into a more compact form factor and slightly lower price tag. And yet, the S10e loses a few of those for even lower cost, putting the standard S10 in an awkward place. This middle child is a great phone, but it's overshadowed by both its siblings, which occupy more desired niches in the smartphone market. Screen: With a 6.1-inch display you're not exactly getting a small screen with the standard S10, but Samsung has reduced bezels even more over the S9, keeping the dimensions surprisingly compact. You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display, meaning there isn't one on the back for a seamless rear cover. Battery life: The battery in the S10 has grown versus the one in the S9, but with the increased screen size as well you're still looking at all-day battery life with a nightly charge. The S10 also has Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handset. Camera: Like the S10 Plus, the trio of cameras on the Galaxy S10 are among the best on the market, building on the excellent setup on the S9 series by offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. Mini verdict: The Samsung Galaxy S10 gets proper under-the-hood upgrades, two more lenses and fun new perks. You’ll like all of these powerful features, while your friends will like the new Wireless PowerShare perk – it helps them out more than you. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10 review iPhone XS is a minor, but important upgrade over last year's completely redesign iPhone. It's noticeably faster and has an improved dual-lens camera to make it a better choice, if you're willing to pay the same launch price. No the look of the 5.8-inch new iPhone hasn't changed on the outside, but if you want a more one-hand-friendly size for a cutting-edge iPhone, this is the one to buy. Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED on this iPhone is big, but not a turn off for some people who literally can't handle the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (which we like a bit more in our big mitts). This phone size isn't too much bigger than your old 4.7-inch iPhone 7 or iPhone 6 thanks to its reduced bezel – though you'll miss the Touch ID home button. You'll forget about that when staring into the color-rich OLED that's dreamier than the old iPhone LCD. Battery life: The iPhone XS has about the same battery life as the iPhone X, so you'll get all-day battery life with normal use. Power users may struggle a bit without one of the best power banks, and although Apple says it has 30 minutes more battery life than the iPhone X, the smaller capacity and our tests show it's shy of that claim. Camera: This is where you'll see differences in the otherwise familiar-looking iPhone XS. Its dual-lens camera offers Smart HDR and optical image stabilization (OIS). It's not as vivid as the cameras on a Google Pixel 2 or Samsung Galaxy S9, but you'll get true-to-life photos that make the 2018 iPhone's a worthy upgrade. Mini verdict: Although still expensive, the iPhone XS is our best phone for someone who wants to use iOS 12 and doesn't want to spend even more money on the bigger iPhone XS Max. You have your limits, and that may be 5.8 inches and $1,000. Read more: iPhone XS review The Google Pixel 3 XL brings higher end internals and a notched screen to the latest iteration of Google’s larger phone. It’s got the same great cameras as its smaller sibling, but more screen and more battery. Unfortunately that also means a higher price. Screen: The Pixel 3 XL has a sizable 6.3-inch OLED screen with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. There’s HDR support and a sharp 1440 x 2960 resolution. The viewing experience is good, though this screen does have a rather chunky notch that may not be to everyone’s liking. Battery life: In our testing, we found the 3,430mAh battery to be plenty. Power users can get a full day, and average users are likely to find themselves getting a day and a half. Some of that battery performance is likely coming from good battery optimization within Android Pie. Fast charging and fast wireless charging just round out the offering. Camera: The Pixel 3 XL has the cameras to beat. Google knows how to make a good camera that far exceeds what the specs sheet says. It uses a 12.2MP rear sensor, but software optimization helps it outperform other smartphone cameras in just about all cases. The dual front-facing cameras also give selfie-lovers some extra versatility. Mini verdict: The Pixel 3 XL improves on the previous generations design, fitting more screen into roughly the same size. It also manages a battery life that should satisfy most. Best of all, the camera is better than anything else you’ll find (except the Pixel 3, which is just as good). Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is the second best phone you can buy today, and meant for anyone who won't use the stylus. It's slightly cheaper and marginally smaller than the Note 9. It's still a big phone with an expansive screen, top-of-the-line camera and all-day battery life. This is one of the best Samsung phones you can buy in the US if you're willing to pay the price and have large enough hands for its massive size. Screen: Its 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display that really sells this phone, and not because it has more pixels than before (it doesn't) than last year's S8. It’s the futuristic-looking curved edges, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratio that make the screen pop. It's hard to go back to any other size once you hold this large, beautiful light beam in your hand. Battery life: Samsung's 3,500mAh battery is large enough to last all day and a little bit more. It's better than the normal-sized S9, though other phones out of China are maxing out at 5,000mAh these days. It's the one area this handsets seems adequate and not Plus-sized. Luckily, it support Samsung's very quick fast charging standard. Camera: Low-light scenarios are no match the the Galaxy S9 Plus dual-lens, dual-aperture. It does a fine job at amping up dark environments without adding noise that you'll see from other camera phone. It does smooth out textures in the process, but it's on par with, and at times better, than the Google Pixel 2. Mini verdict: The Galaxy S9 Plus is Samsung's answer to the iPhone X, but better in several ways. It too has stereo speakers, face unlock, AR Emoji and vertically stacked 12MP dual cameras. What's better? Its better low-light photos, 3.5mm headphone jack and larger 6.2-inch curved all-screen display – without a notch. No one else has this combination right now. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review The iPhone X has been surpassed by the iPhone XS, but not too much has changed since the former launched in late 2017. The phone is still fast, has good cameras and looks great – and you'll be able to get it a bit cheaper than its successor from retailers and carriers (Apple discontinued it from its store). Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED is Apple flagship, alright: sharp and bright, with a better display than its budget successor, the iPhone XR. The X abandoned a home button for flat screen and Face ID for login and authentication in its quest for ultimate screen-to-body real estate, so expect edge-to-edge glory...aside from the notch. Battery life: At 2,716mAh, the X's battery is nothing to brag about. Careful use will get you a bit over a day before the phone keels over, but that's not flattering for modern phones. Camera: The iPhone X's dual 12MP shutters were the top of their day, but have since been surpassed by plenty of flagships. It's still a venerable rear camera system, especially for Portrait mode, and its 4K video shooting is nothing to scoff at. Expect good selfie performance, too. Mini verdict: The iPhone X is still a quality phone, especially since the iPhone XS added little to its predecessor. Don't expect it to outrace this year's best phones, but a year-old flagship is still only a year old. Read more: iPhone X review Google Pixel 2 is the best phone if you're looking for a pure Android experience with a big screen, incredible camera and stereo speakers. It's not cheap like an old Nexus phone, but it's a big improvement in terms and quality and specs. Screen: The Pixel 2 has a 5-inch display and exceptionally hefty top bar, chin and side bezels by today's standards. Swallow that bitter pill, and the phone's unremarkable Full HD resolution, and you'll find it enjoyable enough for gaming and video playback (although a few issues have surfaced around its viewing angles). Battery life: While the 2,700mAh battery is small by today's standards, the phone's smaller screen won't drain your battery as fast. Just don't expect to get more of a day of charge out of the phone. Camera: Even today, the camera on the Pixel 2 remains stunningly good. Photos look fantastic, and they'll please both casual and more serious snappers alike. Low light conditions in particular are where this phone shines – perhaps not as competent as the Galaxy S9 pair though – and you'll struggle to take a poor snap with this phone. Mini verdict: This phone is for you if you want to go for a pure Android experience with one of the best camera setups on the market. And all for a price that's fallen to the upper budget/cheap midrange region. Read more: Google Pixel 2 review The LG G7 ThinQ is an impressive little phone from the brand (irritating name aside), bringing with it a strong package and a decent price in many regions. There's an attempt to right the wrongs of the LG G6 - and it's resulted in a good alternative to the traditional big hitters. Screen: LG's Super Bright screen might not be OLED - LCD is preferred here - but it's capable of delivering good peak brightness, can handle HDR10 and Dolby Vision playback and has a large, expansive look with a smaller notch. It's a little large to hold, but it's one of the most capable screens around. Battery life: At 3,000 mAh, the LG G7 ThinQ isn't the largest on the market... and it shows in the performance. It's not terrible, with some clever background processing keeping things going, but it'll only last you around a day when others are starting to eke into two. Camera: The smart camera here is great if you want to capture more of the picture, with a much wider field of view bringing in more information. The smart sensor tries to work out what's in front of you - with great results, but only when it gets things right. It's not the best camera out there, but you can take some stellar shots. Mini verdict: It's so tight at top of our best smartphone list that the small tweaks can make all the difference, and LG impresses thanks to offering up a tightly-made package for a pretty reasonable price - it's similar to many other top Android phones out there, but you'll certainly find some elements to enjoy here. Read more: LG G7 ThinQ review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in April 2019 Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:26 PM PDT Freshly discounted cheap Xbox One bundle deals have appeared this week and we've found some fantastic discounts. So if you've decided it's finally time to opt for a sweet Xbox One deal, then you're in luck. Microsoft is really pushing discounts on the 1TB consoles now too, which are much more accommodating for your library of games and their large install sizes than the regular 500GB models. The Division 2, Crackdown 3, Anthem, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4 and more are all aboard the Xbox One deals train today. Microsoft still needs to pull its socks up as the Xbox One sales are way behind those of the PS4 and owners of Sony's console may by eyeing up a Nintendo Switch purchase soon instead. Retailers are stocking some cheap Xbox One deals as standalone purchases, but the best value is to be found with the bundles with extra games. Xbox One bundles nowadays often cost less than the standalone consoles prices too, so be sure to check out our hand-picked list of the best Xbox One offers below the comparison charts. Or maybe you're looking for a 4K upgrade? Then you'll want to take a look at the latest Xbox One X bundles. Looking to buy in the US or Australia? You'll want to head on over to our US page or AU page. The slimmed-down design of the Xbox One S looks much better than the original chunky box and the power brick is now a thing of the past. The main draw though is 4K visual support meaning you'll be able to watch specialised Blu-Ray and Netflix content in 4K on your new 4K TV. The Xbox One S is now the standard console and has replaced the older model that's been phased out at retailers. The Xbox One S is cheaper too, so in all honesty we've generally stopped covering deals on the older model as you're getting better value with the newer version and we've not spotted any decent stock for months now. More Xbox One dealsStill not found your ideal Xbox One deal in our highlights of the best offers out there? Why not check out more Xbox One bundles directly from the retailers from our list below? The new Xbox One X is capable of displaying games in glorious HDR 4K and is the most powerful console ever made. Sadly, it has the price-tag to match too as it's way more expensive than the Xbox One S. The comparison chart below is mainly full of prices for the new console on its own. However, we're starting to see better offers appear online where you can get discounted (or sometimes free) games included too. For more details, head on over to our extensive Xbox One X bundles page for the best value deals. If you're looking to play your Xbox games online or take advantage of the free Games with Gold initiative, you'll want to check out our cheap Xbox Live Gold deals page where's we've found prices considerably cheaper than the default RRP. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best unlimited data plans in the US right now Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:23 PM PDT The best unlimited data plan is definitely something you should look into. Whether you're constantly using your phone to stay in touch through text, calls, and frequent video chats or you're streaming whole series and sharing data with a handful of other devices over a Wi-Fi hotspot, you don't want to suddenly get cut off because of a data cap. And, because carriers big and small are constantly changing what they offer and how much it'll cost you, it can be hard to tell who really has the best plan and who just appears to have a good one. It all gets even murkier when you have to take into account all the fine print associated with unlimited data plans, like what services have limited speeds, and whether you'll get reduced speeds after a certain level of usage. There are still plenty of plans using the word "unlimited" when there's a clear limit on high-speed, LTE data. Fortunately, you can count on us to help clarify what the best data plans are actually offering. If you're on the market for a new mobile plan, we've got you covered. From a huge range of small MVNO carriers to everything from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint, we've sorted through all the unlimited data plans offered in the US in 2019. The best unlimited data plans will combine limitless data with all the talking and texting you could dream of each month. But, the ones that truly stand out won't slow you down for nothing, don't charge too much, and support features like mobile hotspot. We want to save you the trouble of having to figure out what a carrier is actually offering. We know how straining all the fine print can be on the eyes. So, after culling through all the unlimited data plans on offer, we’ve narrowed down the results by cutting out carriers that majorly throttle your data speeds at a certain point. This means only carriers that rely on throttling to address network congestion have made it through. Everything else fails to fit our definition of the word “unlimited”. We’ve also focused simply on the base tier of unlimited data plans for individual customers: no family plans making it seem like a carrier has a good deal, when in fact you need three more people to sign up with you; just the lowest cost plan that offers unlimited data, talk, and text. This means deals on phones and the value of extra perks like free Netflix or HBO aren’t factored into the rankings. Now that we’ve cleared up how we picked, let’s get straight to the rankings. Best value unlimited plans:Best deal: MetroPCS unlimited plan for $50 (runs on T-Mobile network) MetroPCS offers the best value unlimited plan on the market right now. For mobile phone users that want to pay as little as possible while getting as much data as possible, MetroPCS is the right carrier. MetroPCS runs on T-Mobile’s powerful network (though sometimes spotty in rural areas, in our experience). And it’s unlimited plan costs $50 with all taxes and fees included in that price. Users can stream DVD-quality video and use as much data as they want. They can also call and text to their hearts’ content. MetroPCS has even upgraded this plan by adding in 5GB of high-speed hotspot data. There are some limitations to the plan. Users who exceed 35GB of data use in a month can see their speeds throttled during times of network congestion. Still, the plan remains highly competitive, with a soft data cap much higher than a lot of its similarly priced and even more expensive competitors. Alternative pick: Visible unlimited data plan (runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network) Boost Mobile's Unlimited Gigs plan used to hold this spot for its extra hotspot data at the same price as MetroPCS, but we've found the plan from a new carrier called Visible to be a better option for budget-minded shoppers. Visible offers a value-focused plan with unlimited texting, calling, and data on Verizon's LTE network. The plan has a great price at $40, and that's inclusive of all taxes, fees, and other charges. Your bills will be straight forward. Visible has no point at which it will begin to throttle data speeds, however the company does keep a cap on speeds at all times. Users will be kept at a max of 5Mbps, which isn't crazy fast, but is enough for almost all mobile needs. Visible makes up for that limit by allowing unlimited video streaming and unlimited mobile hotspot on these plans. While some carriers limit the speeds of certain activities, like online gaming or music streaming, Visible just caps everything at 5Mbps. At the price, the only competition we could find was Teltik, which is only available to businesses and self-employed customers. Other contenders in this category:
Top of the Big 4:3. Best offer: T-Mobile ONE plan for $70 At first glance, the T-Mobile ONE plan doesn’t look like it’s the best deal, but we factored everything in, and it added up. One big point in T-Mobile’s favor is that the $70 monthly fee is exact: all taxes and fees are already included. Sprint's plan appears cheaper at first, but its plan has some more limits that keep us from recommending it over T-Mobile. T-Mobile has the highest soft data cap of all four major carriers, tying with Sprint. It won’t begin deprioritizing T-Mobile ONE customer data speeds until after they’ve used 50GB. That means customers who truly plan to get their money’s worth of unlimited data will get more mileage from T-Mobile. One constraint is that video streaming is limited to DVD quality. There are extra perks as well. Tethering is allowed at up to 3G speeds. Customers can use their phone while traveling in Canada and Mexico with unlimited talk and text and 5GB of 4G LTE data, along with some usability in more than 140 other countries. Plus, T-Mobile throws in a free Netflix subscription that didn’t even factor into our consideration (because it requires two lines, so individuals can't get it). Better still, for customers that don't need a international features, the T-Mobile One Prepaid Domestic Only plan is much the same as the One Plan, but costs just $50 plus taxes and fees. 4. Alternative pick: Sprint Unlimited Basic plan for $60 Of the big four carriers, Sprint offers the lowest base price for its unlimited data plan. We do have some gripes with it, though. Sprint discontinued the Unlimited Freedom plan and introduced a new tiered plan system. The Unlimited Basic plan is the cheapest at $60, but has additional taxes and fees. While the price is the same as the old Unlimited Freedom plan, Sprint has reduced the mobile hotspot data from 10GB down to 500MB. It also only allows 480p video streaming, whereas before it offered HD video. There has been an upgrade to its data allotment though, as now customers can use 50GB of high-speed data before data deprioritization during network congestion. Sprint also throws in a free subscription to Hulu, and allows for some services abroad, including free texting and basic data in over 200 countries and full service with 5GB of LTE data in Mexico and Canada. Base plan: Verizon GoUnlimited plan for $75 Verizon's base unlimited data plan is a bit more expensive than the competition, and the $75 starting price for individual plans doesn't factor in taxes and fees. But, with that price comes uncapped data, calls, and texts, and 4G network coverage that consistently ranks higher than all of the other major carriers. Verizon's GoUnlimited plan offers DVD-quality streaming, and it allows unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot usage at 600Kbps. Customers can also use their service for data, calls, and texts in Canada and Mexico. Though this is a true unlimited data plan, customers may experience reduced data speeds when the network is congested. And, that's regardless of how much data they've used in a month. With a price higher than it's competitors, we don't like that the plan has so many limitations. Base plan: AT&T Unlimited &More plan for $70 AT&T's base Unlimited &More data plan starts at $70 for a single line when auto-pay and paperless billing are enabled. Taxes and fees are an additional price. But, the cost gets you onto AT&T's network, which ranks highly in the US and works with many of the best unlocked phones. That AT&T '&More' in the plan name also has some meaning for customers. AT&T adds in over 35 live TV channels on the service via the WatchTV app, giving customers access to thousands of shows and movies they can stream without ever running out of data. The plan doesn't allow Wi-Fi Hotspot usage, limits streaming to DVD quality, and can see reduced data speeds during times of network congestion. But, customers do get unlimited texting to over 120 countries, and free roaming in Canada and Mexico. AT&T does have a value option in the Prepaid Unlimited plan, which starts at $55 a month with AutoPay. It's comparable to the Unlimited &More plan while coming in at a lower price. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD's Radeon VII graphics card can now power Mac computers Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:11 PM PDT AMD may not have the crown when it comes to GPU performance next to Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, but its graphics processors have held the advantage in one regard, thanks to Apple's reluctance to use Nvidia's hardware. Now, the company's latest graphics card, the Radeon VII, has received support in the macOS Mojave 10.14.5 Beta 1, as Reddit user rsoatz posted. In follow-up testing by AppleInsider, the Radeon VII graphics card was confirmed to work in high-power external GPU (eGPU) enclosures, but malfunctioned when used with a Mac Pro tower. Since the support is coming in the form of a beta update to macOS, it's not surprising there are flaws here in there in the functionality across the range of possible setups. But, it's still promising news for creative users and gamers looking to boost the performance of their machines with the latest AMD card. What Radeon VII can doThe Radeon VII is built on new 7nm architecture and offers a claimed 25% performance boost over its predecessors. There's no doubt gamers using an eGPU with their MacBooks would love to get that extra performance, and creative professionals can immediately benefit from the 16GB of HBM2 video memory. Hackintosh users could also eye the new graphics card for their builds. This support for the Radeon VII is almost suggestive of what we could find in a new Mac Pro. Though, since the Radeon VII still doesn't top the 2080 Ti, power users might hope for Apple to skip right past the Vega-based card and go for an upcoming Navi GPU with ray-tracing.
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| InMotion Hosting launches all-in-one website builder Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:02 PM PDT Avoiding vendor lock in and ensuring ownership of digital assets are two hurdles that InMotion Hosting is helping businesses overcome with the launch of its new website builder. The firm's latest product, Website Creator, is the first WordPress compatible all-in-one website builder solution that enables businesses to easily create and manage a commercial online presence while still retaining ownership and control of their functional website assets.
InMotion Hosting's co-founder and president Todd Robinson explained how Website Creator will help small businesses create a web presence without being locked in to a single provider, saying: “InMotion Hosting is continually enhancing the online experience to support our goal of helping small businesses. Website Creator is the first end-to-end solution not to lock customers into a single online provider. Our product grants ownership of all digital assets necessary for a functional website to be relocated to compatible servers and to go live, in minutes, without the cost of rebuilding. Website Creator gives customers options and complete freedom to choose a provider.” Image Credit: InMotion Hosting Leveraging WordPressWebsite Creator goes beyond simplifying the task of creating a professional quality site by taking full advantage of WordPress' ecosystem. By leveraging WordPress and Boldgrid's suite of advanced site creation and management plugins, InMotion Hosting's new product streamlines the web design process with a built-in drag-and-drop website builder. Website Creator goes a step further by allowing businesses to automate their social media posts and a real-time SEO tool ensures that their page will be ranked higher than with competing offerings. InMotion Hosting's customers will even be able to extend and automate the functionality of their website with thousands of WordPress plugins while being able to seek additional expertise from WordPress professionals online. InMotion Hosting is currently number one on our list of the best web hosting services and the company is able to service individuals and businesses of all sizes looking for WordPress or ecommerce hosting.
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| PC Gaming Show returns to rock consoles’ socks off at E3 2019 Posted: 02 Apr 2019 12:09 PM PDT Our friends at PC Gamer broke the news this morning that their annual E3 event – the PC Gaming Show – would return in 2019. The event is scheduled for 10am PST on Monday, June 10 before the Ubisoft keynote that’s slated at 1pm PST. The event will be available to stream on twitch.tv/pcgamer, or on Facebook or YouTube. If you're in town for E3 2019, it's open to the public with an RSVP at The Mayan Theater. At last year’s event we got the chance to see a number of new indie games like Neo Cab and Maneater, as well as some heavy-hitting titles like Stormlands from Insomniac and Warframe: The Sacrifice from Digital Extremes. We’re expecting some similar big announcements from this year’s show. According to PC Gamer’s Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti, attendees will get an inside look at “the full spectrum of what’s happening on PC” with new trailers for upcoming games, announcements from big franchises and new hardware. But don't just take our word for it. According to the numbers PC Gamer provided, last year’s event had 4.7 million views and a whopping 241 million impressions on social media, making it the fifth-largest event at E3 and the show's only PC-focused showcase. The gaming world might be gearing up for a possible reveal of the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Two at E3 2019, but there's a lot in store for desktop gamers, too.
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| Best document editing and management apps in 2019 Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:43 AM PDT The movement towards the paperless office continues, with countless digital formats, designs, and filing options. While Microsoft Office remains the dominant player when it comes to document creating, editing, and publishing, there are plenty of alternatives. Some compete on pricing, but some offer additional features that are not available in Microsoft Office itself, and therefore serve to enhance that experience rather than replace it. This is especially the case where multiple document formats need to be worked with or even merged, signed, or otherwise manipulated outside of the normal capabilities of Word. Additionally, some introduce extra layers for editing in design integrations that are innovative yet necessary for certain industries Here are some of the leading options, alternatives, or add-ons to the digital office you might need to consider adopting in order to improve your document management capabilities.
Image credit: Google It’s highly likely you’ve ended up in a Google Doc at some point of your professional life, and if you’re one who likes to explore tools and features, you’ve probably noticed the steady expansion of capabilities within Docs over the years. Smart editing and styling options are plentiful, allowing you to personalize your document more than ever. Over one hundred free fonts, plus the ability to throw in links, images and drawings make for further customization. If you find yourself staring a little blankly at your document on start-up, there is a good variety of templates on offer to get you going, suitable for reports, CVs, posters and more. The real selling point of Docs, however, has been its accessibility factor, with multiple users able to edit, annotate and chat through a document wherever they are. The Docs app enables easy editing via mobile and tablet too, and you don’t even need a constant connection to work. Another boon of the live-evolving nature of a Google Doc? All changes are saved automatically as you type, and a revision history tool shows you older versions of the doc, with who made what changes. Finally, as an olive branch of peace in the war of the word processors, Google Docs is fully integrated with Word, so docs can easily be converted from one platform to another. Google Docs is free for personal use, but if you want it as part of the G Suite for business you'll have to pay. Image credit: Evernote Scaling down the canvass a little, Evernote, as its name suggests, specializes in note taking, filing and sharing, and has been widely adopted in the work place (and by individuals) for a number of years. Despite its digital makeup, it can process hand written notes as well as receipts and audio files and makes everything accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. It also has the collaboration factor, with users able to work on shared notebooks that update instantly on editing. Evernote is available for businesses with basic, plus and premium models. This expands storage on the free offering, and makes it easy to share content, digitize important documents, capture image-centric brainstorms, and keep track of finances. You may well be thinking that Evernote would work well in addition, rather than instead of, your current word processing and productivity tools. Such a demand has been noted – pun intended – and the service can be fully integrated with Google Drive, Outlook, Slack, Salesforce and others. Image credit: Bluebeam Blubeam Revu works as a plugin for Microsoft Office’s Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint apps, as well as popular CAD (computer aided design) programs, and enables users to create, edit and collaborate on PDF documents. Taking on the likes of Adobe, Blubeam includes 2D and 3D markup features which can be worked on in real-time by multiple users. You can customize layouts, fonts, headers, and footers, perform color processing and grayscale conversion, split PDFs into sections, extract and rotate pages, and export all of your work as editable Word documents. Another handy feature is batch processing, which allows users to apply changes across multiple documents at once. Those tools come with the standard plug-in, but at the top of the pricing scale is the eXtreme package, which includes all of the above plus the ability to add complex bookmarks, redact sensitive content permanently, and create in-depth PDF forms. A full suite of automatable parameters with fully customizable scripting are also thrown in among other bells and whistles. Despite the bevy of features at your disposal, Blubeam Revu isn’t overly complicated to use, so you shouldn’t have to set aside too much time for getting to grips with the service. If you’re looking for a little more from your document editor, with a particular lean on creating complex PDFs, Blubeam could be the product you’re after. Prices start at $349 (£262). Image credit: PandaDoc Sales-focused document manager PandaDoc describes itself as ‘the future of documents’, and it reports statistics that apparently show the difference it makes to your business’s bottom line. According to the service, clients report 50% less paperwork, 30% higher close rates, and 15% higher value per closed rate thanks to PandaDoc. Your sales team is salivating, but what exactly does the program do? Well, features include a document editor that comes with themed templates for consistent branding, content and image libraries to store reusable assets, cost and margin calculators, document analytics to show how long people spend on each item, a configure, price and quote (CPQ) tool and many more. While workspaces are available for collaboration, multiple users are not able to access and work on a document at the same time, which feel likes a drawback. Nevertheless, the business-focus of PandaDoc will appeal to those who want to specifically manage sales and finance via their document manager, something the other services we’ve covered don’t offer. Image credit: Microsoft We may all be familiar with Microsoft’s Office suite, but less well known is the Microsoft Teams platform which acts as a collaborative workspace for collaboration on items within the famous Office programs. Teams allows users to view and edit documents directly within the application, participate in voice and video conference calls, view conversation histories in email-style conversation threads, and more. The service can be customized to suit each individual team in an organization by creating tabs for frequently accessed documents or regularly-used cloud services. Teams works with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, SharePoint, Power BI, Delve, and Planner, allowing users to work together on a range of files. Facilitating video communication in Teams is integration with Skype for Business, so users can jump on a call and discuss their project without leaving the program. Other third-party link-ups include Github and Twitter, further clearing the path for implementing Teams into your app roster. Nevertheless, the platform is naturally entrenched in the Office ecosystem, so if you’re not currently a user of Microsoft productivity programs, Teams may not be right for you. Best of the restWebMerge has established something of a niche in the world of document editing, allowing users to set up a doc, integrate it with a third-party service to send data to that document, then receive a merged copy. The tedious transfer of data is taken care of, and WebMerge conveniently supports Office among other productivity platforms to smoothen the operation. A certified key player in the world of document editing, Adobe Document Cloud lets users convert any kind of document into a PDF and then edit it, send it, sign it, and track it. Businesses can create a PDF from Office files, physical scans, emails, web pages, and even photos of documents taken with a camera. Document overload in your business? eFileCabinet is here to help, by capturing, storing, managing and sharing files. It comes as a mobile app too, allowing users to click and upload pictures of documents then can then be processed and filed. Microsoft wants to take care of your scribbles and shorter texts as well as your longer documents, with OneNote taking on Evernote in the world of note editing and management. Those already well embedded in the Office ecosystem may well opt for Microsoft’s version. You may think we’ve covered everything you can do with a document by now, but no. Enter e-signature specialist DocuSign, which lets businesses’ and their clients quickly and easily sign a full range of documents and forms online without the hassle of training or extra software to install. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Roccat's comfort-focused Noz gaming headset won’t give you any earaches Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:28 AM PDT Roccat has revealed a new gaming headset designed with comfort and style in mind, which will go on sale very shortly. The Noz over-ear headset will be available on April 18 priced at £59.99 (around AU$110), but is up for pre-order now in Roccat’s online store for those in the UK and a few other European countries: France, Germany and Austria. Roccat will retail the Noz at $69.99 in the US, but pre-orders aren’t live there yet. Roccat’s Noz offers ‘natural-sounding’ stereo sound (there’s no surround antics here) with 50mm drivers, and the ellipse-shaped earcups have plenty of internal space for better sound reproduction. Plus, the manufacturer claims the drivers are "perfectly ergonomically aligned" to balance the sound flow to your ears.
Breathe easyAlso, the earcups are built for comfort, with a soft and breathable fabric used on the cup padding and indeed the headband as well. The latter is made of leather, to inject a little more style into the design, although it has stainless-steel sliders (metal is also used for the hinges to ensure an ideal level of durability). Image credit: Roccat The Noz – yes, it’s an odd name, and if you Google it, the name will perhaps seem even stranger – is also lightweight at 210g, and all this effort at making it comfortable to wear is to ensure that lengthy gaming sessions are perfectly palatable with the headset. You also get an integrated mic and a volume wheel on one earcup, where there is also a mute button. The headset has a 2.45m cable and a 3.5mm jack, but there is also a mobile adapter included. Not too bad for under 100 bucks or quid.
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| Best full-frame camera 2019: 10 advanced DSLRs and mirrorless cameras Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:26 AM PDT Full-frame cameras are aimed at photographers who want the best image quality possible without resorting to medium format, and the good news is that there's never been more choice. Read on to find out the best full-frame cameras you can buy right now. There's a bit of a buzz around full-frame cameras right now. Panasonic has unveiled two new full-frame models in a fresh 'S' system, while Canon and Nikon have both recently launched full-frame mirrorless cameras too. These latter two companies also still offer many full-frame DSLR cameras alongside these, and when you stack them on top of Sony's extensive range of models along with those from Leica and Pentax, you end up with a varied pool of options at all kinds of price points. So what makes a full-frame camera so special? Most entry-level and mid-price DSLR and mirrorless cameras sport an APS-C sized sensor, with the physical dimensions of the chip measuring 23.6 x 15.7mm. A full-frame sensor on the other hand has larger dimensions of 36 x 24mm – the same size as a frame of 35mm film, hence the name 'full-frame', and offering a surface area 2.5x larger than an APS-C sized sensor. This allows for larger photosites (pixels to you and I) on the sensor, delivering better light gathering capabilities, which in turn means better image quality – especially at higher sensitivities. Full-frame DSLRs used to be the preserve of professional photographers, but as the costs have dropped and lower-cost models have started to appear, many serious amateurs and enthusiasts can now enjoy the benefits of full-frame photography. But it's no longer just DSLRs that enjoy full-frame sensors. Sony muscled in on the full-frame market with its Alpha A7 range of full-frame mirrorless cameras, and as we've just touched upon, both Canon and Nikon have recently launched rival full-frame mirrorless cameras (supplementing but not replacing each company's DSLR range). Panasonic is the latest company to throw its hat into the same ring, and it seems Sigma will shortly have something for us too. To get an idea of what kind of DSLR or mirrorless camera you can get at different price points, try Best DSLR and Best mirrorless camera buying guides. Otherwise, here's our pick of the best full-frame cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless, you can buy right now: Our top ten list of best full-frame camera starts just below, but we wanted to highlight a camera that, while it's not the the latest and greatest, we still think is a great buy. Sony's Alpha A7 II has since been replaced by the A7 III (which is in our top ten below), but is a great option if you're on a bit more of a budget, or you want to spend more money on lenses. Still available (as is the even more affordable Alpha A7), the A7 II includes a great 24.2MP full-frame sensor, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder and a very capable AF system. Handling isn't quite as refined though as the newer camera, but for the incredibly tempting price, this can be overlooked. You'll be hard pressed to find a better full-frame camera for your money right now.
Best full-frame cameras in 2019Nikon's Z6 is one of the newest cameras here and jumps straight in at the top of our best full-frame mirrorless camera chart. It's our pick thanks for a brilliant blend of features, performance, handling and price. The 24.5MP sensor delivers beautiful results with great color reproduction and fine detail, while the 273-point AF system is more than up to the job. There's also an impressive 12fps burst shooting mode, sensibly laid-out controls and a lovely large and bright electronic viewfinder. Existing Nikon user? The FTZ adapter means you'll be able to use your existing F mount lenses too (though check compatibility for older lenses). All this makes the Z6 a brilliant choice for the enthusiast photographer or pro photographer looking for a second body. We can't wait to see where this system goes from here.
The Alpha A7 III might be the entry-level full-frame camera in Sony's mirrorless range, but it's no poor relation. This is a brilliant camera for both enthusiasts and professionals thanks to the excellent 24.2MP full-frame sensor, advanced 693-point AF (borrowed from the flagship Alpha A9) and 10fps burst shooting should mean you'll never miss another shot. It can also shoot uncropped 4K video, features a very good 5-axis image stabilization system and a high-resolution electronic viewfinder. Until recently, this has been our pick of the 'entry-level' mirrorless cameras, but it's just been pipped by the Nikon Z6. Still, as a rare winner of a full five stars in our recent review, it's just as worthy of consideration if you're not tied to any particular system right now.
It may be pricey, but the Nikon D850 is the ultimate full-frame DSLR you can buy right now and possibly the most complete DSLR we've ever seen. A bold statement, perhaps, but when you look at the spec, you can see why. The 45.4MP full-frame sensor delivers detail-rich images with brilliant dynamic range and excellent high ISO noise performance, while the advanced 153-point AF system is hard to beat. Add in 7fps burst shooting, a rock-solid build and refined handling and the D850 is pretty much at the top of its game for any subject you want to shoot. A brilliant piece of kit that won't disappoint.
Nikon's first full-frame mirrorless camera along with the Z6, the Z7 is triumph. As a first-generation camera we should expect the odd hiccup, but the Z7 has been crafted with consideration and it behaves far better than we would expect. A solid sensor, combined with effective image stabilization, together with a beautiful EVF, excellent handling, very competent AF performance and great response throughout form the bones of what make this camera such a pleasure to use. The fact that Nikon allows you to use F-mount lenses through the FTZ adapter also makes the journey from DSLR to mirrorless relatively painless if you've already built up a collection of lenses.
Like the look of the A7 III but want more pixels? Then the 42.2MP Alpha A7R III is the answer. Not only do you get twice the number of pixels, but Sony's managed to keep the burst rate at 10fps. And while the 399-point AF system isn't quite as advanced at the 693-point system used in the Alpha A9 and A7 III, it's still performs brilliantly - especially with the camera's EyeAF mode that locks onto your subjects eye. Like the Nikon D850 above, the Alpha A7R III means you no longer have to sacrifice performance for resolution or vice versa. This is a camera that would be equally at home perched on a mountain as in a studio or shooting action.
The EOS 5D Mark IV pretty much tweaks and improves on everything the Mark III offered. This includes a brilliant 30.4MP sensor that delivers pin-sharp results, together with an advanced and sophisticated 61-point AF system, a pro-spec performance, 4K video and some very polished handling. Put this all together, along with a host of other features and it all combines to make the EOS 5D Mark IV one of the best DSLRs we've seen. Now overshadowed by the mighty Nikon D850 (above) as our full-frame DSLR of choice.
Canon's first full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R, delighted in some ways and frustrated in others, but the EOS RP made a much more positive impression. While technically a more junior model and not as fully featured, its much smaller and lighter body and nicer price meant that it was far more accessible for those who were hoping to make the jump to mirrorless but didn't want to stretch all the way to the EOS R. Without only around 4MP difference between the two you're not really sacrificing much in terms of resolution, while the responsive touchscreen, fast autofocus and deep buffer makes it a pleasure to use in all kinds of situations. Let's hope Canon fills out the lens range with some smaller and more affordable options, as most current options aren't quite the most suitable partners.
By the standard of today's DSLRs and mirrorless camera, the D750 is somewhat dated. It employs Nikon's older (but respected) 51-point AF system, for example, and it can't capture 4K video, only Full HD clips to 60p. It doesn't even have a touchscreen, but it's still well worth its place on this list thanks to its excellent build, great handling, solid 24.3MP sensor and affordable price. If you don't need the tricks of modern DSLRs but you just want something reliable that produces excellent images in good light and bad, this is definitely one to should consider.
Canon has certainly made some significant improvements over the outgoing EOS 6D, packing in a host of new features including a fresh sensor, a faster processor, a much more credible AF system and a stronger burst rate. It's a much more well-rounded and better specified camera than the EOS 6D, but it's not without its issues. These niggles dull what is otherwise a very nice full-frame DSLR that's a pleasure to shoot with. It will certainly please Canon users looking to make the move into full-frame photography, but others might be better served elsewhere.
The D5 is Nikon's latest flagship DSLR, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. 20.8 megapixels might seem a bit stingy, but it means the D5 can shoot at 12fps continuous shooting, while the extended ISO range of ISO 3,280,000 has never been seen before in a camera. That's even before we get to the autofocus system; with a coverage of 173 AF points (99 of which are cross-type), the sophistication and speed of the AF is staggering. The ability to shoot 4K video is restricted to three minutes however, but that aside the D5 is a phenomenal camera that's used by professionals the world over.
Also consider...Nothing from the above take your fancy? There are a couple of other options that you may want to look at. While we haven't yet fully tested the more senior S1R in Panasonic's fresh S system, we have had enough time with the S1 model positioned beneath it to know what it's all about. And what we've found is that, a few issues aside, it offers some very impressive tech in a supremely rugged body. The 5.7million-dot viewfinder is, without question, the most impressive on the market, while stellar video quality, great image stabilisation and a huge buffer all put a big smile on our face too. It's somewhat big and heavy, and hampered by one or two ergonomic issues, but as an entry point into a system that's likely to grow real big real fast, the S1 has an awful lot of pieces in the right place. Not sure whether to buy a DSLR or mirrorless camera? Check out our guide video below.
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| Microsoft is putting an end to books in its digital store, even ones you bought Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:09 AM PDT The Microsoft Store has plenty of digital products to purchase and download, from apps and software, video games and gaming consoles – and even digital books. That is, until today, as Microsoft is closing the books category in the Store as of April 2, 2019, according to the store FAQ. The FAQ notes that new book purchases, rentals and pre-orders will no longer be possible from now on. While that makes sense for a store section that's closing, what may surprise customers is what's happening to books they've already purchased. Rental books will remain available until the rental period expires. Pre-orders for books will be canceled and refunded. Purchased books and free books that users have downloaded will remain available to read until an undetermined date in early July, at which point they will no longer be available. A license isn't ownershipCustomers that are losing books they've paid for will receive a full refund for the titles, with the refund going to the original payment method. After the refunds are processed, customers will no longer be able to access those books or any annotations they've made. As an extra concession, Microsoft is offering a $25 Microsoft Store credit to users who've made mark-ups or annotations in their books prior to April 2. This move on the part of Microsoft once again highlights the difference between owning a physical product and the ephemeral 'possession' of digital items. As we've noted before, you don't actually own your digital game collections or similar digital products that rely on an online store to provide ongoing access to them. On the plus side, customers in this case will at least get refunds.
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| Best beginner DSLR cameras 2019: 10 cheap DSLRs perfect for new users Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:35 AM PDT If you're ready to make the step-up from your smartphone or point-and-shot, then these are the best beginner DSLRs you can buy right now in 2019. An entry-level, beginner DSLR is the natural progression when you feel like you've outgrown your point-and-shoot compact camera or are no longer satisfied with the snaps you get from your smartphone. If that's that case, you've come to the right place to find out what the the best entry-level DSLR is to help you take your photography to the next level. DSLRs for beginners deliver a big step up in image quality over a compact camera or smartphone. They may share the same amount of megapixels, but the size of an entry-level DSLR's sensor is physically much larger in most cases, allowing for superior results with more detail and better low-light performance. That's not forgetting that entry-level DSLRs offer far more manual control and the ability to change lenses to tackle a huge variety of projects. Don't worry though – there are also a host of auto modes to help you out until you're comfortable with the more creative controls that a DSLR offers. Obviously, the more features you want on your entry-level DSLR, the more you'll pay, but do you actually need them? Our top camera is one of the cheapest on the market, but it still offers impressive performance and image quality, plus enough features to handle most photographic assignments, especially if you're still learning. You may also want to consider a mirrorless camera as an alternative. If so, you'll find our video above or Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras: 10 key differences guide very useful. Or, if you're not sure what kind of camera you need at all, then read our easy-to-follow guide to camera types: What camera should I buy? Should you buy a mirrorless camera over a DSLR? Watch our guide video below to learn more: Entry-level DSLR bundlesIf you're buying your first DSLR, it makes sense to buy it as a kit, which generally includes the camera body along with an 18-55mm lens. Often referred to as a 'kit' lens, this covers a pretty broad zoom range, perfect for everything from landscapes to portraits, but that's just the start. Look closely though and manufacturers will often offer two type of kit lens - one with image stabilization and one without. There's not much difference in price normally, so go for the kit with the image stabilized lens as it'll make it easier to sharper shoot images at slower shutter speeds. They're more than adequate to get started, but the key advantage of DSLRs over compact cameras is that you can add to your kit with additional lenses. For example, wide-angle and telephoto zoom lenses, a flashgun, and other accessories, to make the most of whatever types of photography you're into. Before we take a look at the best DSLRs for beginners, we wanted to highlight a great mirrorless alternative. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is styled like a DSLR, with a viewfinder mounted on the top, but this camera is so small it scarcely takes up more space than mirrorless cameras with no viewfinder at all. It has a Micro Four Thirds sensor a little smaller than the APS-C sensors used by DSLRs, and 16 megapixels rather than the usual 24, but the smaller sensor means smaller lenses, and you’re not likely to notice the difference in megapixels in real-world shooting, provided you're not expecting to print too large. What you will notice is this camera’s great build quality and finish, its responsiveness, its excellent built in Art Filters and the rather clever shooting options in its Advanced Photo mode. Olympus offers a good range of lenses, too.
Best DSLRs for beginners in 20192018 saw a handful of beginner DSLRs launched, including the Canon EOS Rebel T7 (known as the EOS 2000D outside the US) and the Nikon D3500. This year, we expect to see replacements for Canon's EOS Rebel T7i (known as the EOS 800D outside the US) and Nikon's D5600, but these are likely to be minor upgrades rather than sweeping changes, so don't let that put you off buying either of these great entry-level DSLRs. For now, this is our pick of the best beginner DSLR cameras in 2019. Nikon's latest entry-level DSLR replaces the D3400 below, and while it shares a very similar specification on the inside, it benefits from a comfier handgrip and revised control layout at the rear. The new 24.2MP sensor delivers excellent levels of detail, and all the controls and features are easy to get to grips with. This is helped by Nikon's clever Guide mode, that gives real-time explanations of key shooting features. If you're looking to get more creative with your photography, and looking for your first DSLR, the Nikon D3500 is hard to beat.
It may have been replaced by the D3500, but don't discount the D3400. Sporting a range of features perfect for the novice user, this is still a great camera to get started on the road to more creative photography. Sharing many of the same internal specs as the D3500, the battery life is brilliant, while the images from the 24MP sensor won't disappoint. You also benefit from Full HD video to 60p and 5fps burst shooting, together with wireless connectively (via Bluetooth) to get your shots out into the wider world without the hassle of cables. If you don't mind having the latest model and you can pick the D3400 for less than the D3500, then this is still a great buy.
The EOS Rebel T7i (known as the EOS 800D outside) sits at the top of Canon's entry-level EOS DSLR range. Sporting a 24.2MP sensor that delivers an improved high ISO performance over older models, the Rebel T7i's autofocus also gets a boost, now with a 45-point arrangement that's backed up by excellent live view AF system. There's also newly designed graphical interface that will certainly make this camera even more appealing to new users, but the absence of 4K video and the quality of the exterior materials disappoint. Perhaps one of the more expensive options out there for the first-time user – but definitely one of the best.
The D5600 competes directly with Canon's EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D at the upper end of the entry-level DSLR market. Where Nikon's D3000-series cameras are designed as cost-conscious introductory DSLRs, the D5000-series is preferable if you want to get more creative. The D5600 sports a large 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, and while the live view focusing speed could be quicker, the 39-point AF system is the best you'll find in a entry-level DSLR. There isn't much wrong with the D5600's 24.2MP sensor either, delivering excellent results, while the logical control layout of the D5600 makes it easy to use.
The EOS Rebel T6i (called the EOS 750D outside the US) may have been replaced by the EOS Rebel T7i / 800D, but it's still a great option if the price of the newer model puts you off. While the sensor isn't quite as good as the one in the newer T7i – despite sharing the same resolution – it's still very good, while the vari-angle touchscreen is still one of the best around. AF performance could be better though, and the camera isn't quite new enough to benefit from the more up-to-date Dual Pixel CMOS AF system that makes focusing swift in live view and during videos, but overall this is still a very capable entry-level DSLR.
The D5300 was around for little more than a year before the D5500 technically replaced it (which has in turn be replaced by the D5600). It shares the same 24.2MP sensor with an identical maximum ISO25,600 sensitivity as the D5500, whilst the D5300's EXPEED 4 image processor and 39-point autofocus system have also been carried over to its replacement. The D5300 doesn't sporta fancy touchscreen control, you do get GPS instead, while the D5300's 600-shot battery life will still outlast a Canon EOS Rebel T6i / EOS 750D. All in all, it may not be the latest entry-level DSLR, but the D5300 is still a smart buy.
Canon introduced the EOS Rebel SL1 (EOS 100D outside the US) to compete with the influx of mirrorless cameras and it was the smallest DSLR available when it was introduced in March 2013. Now replaced by the EOS Rebel SL2 (EOS 200D), its slightly bulkier proportions make it feel more like a slightly pared-down Rebel T7i / 800D than anything unique. It's not a bad option for new users, but there are better-value alternatives available at the moment.
The EOS Rebel T7 (known as the EOS 2000D outside the US) is Canon's cheap and cheerful entry-level DSLR. While not featuring quite the same impressive spec as pricier models up the Canon range, you still get a pretty solid set of features for the beginner including Wi-Fi and NFC technology built-in. This means you can transfer images to your smartphone for super-quick sharing. Images from the 24.1MP sensor are more and adequate, but not quite a match for those from the EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D. The 9-point autofocus system, as well as the Live View AF system is disappointing, while there's no touchscreen either.
Replaced by the D3400 in 2016, which itself was replaced by the D3500, the D3300 was a big seller in its day and it's still one to consider if you're on a tight budget. The biggest difference between the D3300 and the D3400 is the lack of connectivity on the former. If you want to transfer your images to your smartphone or tablet, you'll need to invest in Nikon's cheap plug-in Wi-Fi adapter that plugs into one of the ports on the D3300. With stocks running down, the D3300 is becoming less easy to come by, but if you do track one down at a good price then you'll get yourself a great beginner DSLR.
It may have been replaced by the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D (above), but that does mean that the EOS Rebel T6 (known as the EOS 1300D outside the US) should now be even cheaper. In many ways the specification is very similar to the newer camera, with the key difference being the Rebel T6 features a 18MP sensor, which compared to rivals, is starting to show its age against rivals with higher pixel counts. Now that it's been replaced, you might be able to track this down at an even more tempting price before it disappears for good.
Also consider...Got a bit more cash to play with? Want something that will give you a bit more growing space? Here's another option to consider. Canon's EOS 77D was launched at the same time as the EOS 800D / EOS Rebel T7i , and in many respects they offer much the same thing. The same sensor, the same autofocusing system, the same focusing system... so what do you gain stepping up to the EOS 77D? You get a bit more physical control by way of an extra control dial on the back that makes scrolling through menus, images and focusing points a doddle, as well as a dedicated AF-On button and a top-plate LCD screen that goes you all the essential shooting information at a glance. There are some smaller additions too (like an interval timer) but you still get the same respected blend of a 24MP APS-C sensor, a 45-point AF system and a flip-out LCD screen. If you want more physical control and a nicer shooting experience – and you're happy to pay for it – seek this alternative out.
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