Apple : MSI is putting Intel Core i9 processors and Nvidia RTX GPUs into its Trident desktops |
- MSI is putting Intel Core i9 processors and Nvidia RTX GPUs into its Trident desktops
- MSI amps up laptops with 9th-Gen Intel Core i9 processors, Nvidia RTX graphics
- The best gaming monitor 2019: the 10 best gaming screens of the year
- Best computer speakers 2019: the best audio systems for your PC
- Dolby and Universal Music Group are releasing thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos
- AMD Navi RX 3080 specs leak ahead of Computex 2019
- Dyson hair dryer: the best Supersonic prices and sales in May 2019
- AMD is front and center in Acer's latest Nitro 5 and Swift 3 notebooks
- Google Assistant just got smart enough to track the New York City subway
- Instagram website was leaking user details for months
- Nvidia teases something 'super' for GeForce graphics cards
- Nintendo at E3 2019: what we want to see from the special Nintendo Direct video
- Only one in ten NHS Trusts are fully digitized
- Apple Watch sale: Walmart has the Apple Watch 3 back down to $199
- Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2019
- Best cloud hosting services in 2019
- Xbox at E3 2019: what we want to see from Microsoft's big keynote conference
- PS5: all the games, specs, news, and rumors for Sony’s Playstation 5
- The best Memorial Day sales 2019: a guide to the best deals so far
| MSI is putting Intel Core i9 processors and Nvidia RTX GPUs into its Trident desktops Posted: 23 May 2019 05:01 PM PDT Computex 2019 is right around the corner, and besides massive announcements like the expected release of AMD's Ryzen 3000 CPUs and Navi graphics cards, plenty of other companies have kit to show. MSI is one of them, as it has upgraded its small form-factor gaming PC, the MSI Trident X with new internals from Nvidia and Intel. The new MSI Trident X Plus comes alongside upgraded models of two MSI laptops, the GE65 Raider and GT76 Titan. The new model will feature Intel's 9th-Gen Core i9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics for the best gaming performance, and that's all going into a 10-liter case. MSI claims this makes the new Trident X Plus the smallest gaming desktop in the world powered by a 9th-Gen Core i9 processor. To keep all those component cool despite their close proximity, the Trident X Plus is designed with MSI's Silent Storm Cooling 3 technology, which separates the CPU, graphics, and power supply to have their own distinct channels for airflow. The previous generation of the Trident X proved to be one of the best gaming PCs, so the new model could have a strong shot at ranking.
Other peripherals for pairingA gaming desktop is only as good as the peripherals you use it with, and MSI has a whole suite of them to pair with its latest computers. The company has new keyboards and mice coming, but we haven't found the company to offer the best gaming keyboards or best gaming mice in the past. However, it also has a few new monitors on offer, and an earlier MSI Optix monitor ranked among our best gaming monitors. MSI has a new Optix 4K monitor with a 31.5-inch, curved display. It's positioned as a small TV replacement with FreeSync and sub-10ms input lag. There's also the super-fast Oculus NXG25R monitor with a Full HD display that boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.5ms response time. At the more premium end, MSI also has the new Optix MPG341CQR monitor with a wide, curved, 3,440 x 1,440 display boasting a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms of input lg for smooth gaming. It also has a 21:9 aspect ratio for a cinematic experience that's further along by support for HDR with HDR 400 (we presume this is VESA's DisplayHDR 400 certification). MSI is rounding out its offerings with two new series of PC cases as well.
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| MSI amps up laptops with 9th-Gen Intel Core i9 processors, Nvidia RTX graphics Posted: 23 May 2019 05:00 PM PDT Computex 2019 is almost here, and with it will come a couple of new gaming laptops from MSI bringing the latest in high performance silicon from Intel and Nvidia. MSI has unveiled the new hardware in a press release ahead of the show in Taipei, where both will be on display from May 28th to June 1. The new laptops are upgrades to existing lines, with the MSI GE65 Raider stepping up in the thin and light gaming laptop space, while the MSI GT76 Titan upgrades the previous GT75 Titan's parts. While MSI has selected these two new gaming laptops to highlight, it may have even more in store. It will also be showcasing major updates to its productivity-focused Prestige series.
It's what's on the inside that counts hereThe 17-inch MSI GT76 Titan is coming in hot, but MSI has a new cooling solution to tame the 8-core/16-thread Intel Core i9 processor inside – even as it overclocks to 5.0GHz. The MSI Cooler Boost Titan system will include 11 heat pipes and four fans for serious airflow that should keep the Intel Core i9 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics running smoothly no matter what game you're playing. Meanwhile, the MSI GE65 Raider is keeping things more discrete, with a svelte design compared to its larger sibling. But, it's still aimed at smooth gaming with a 9th-Gen Intel Core i9 processor, GeForce RTX graphics, and a 15-inch, 240Hz IPS display for fluid visuals. Unfortunately, MSI has not yet revealed pricing and availability details for either of these laptops. We hope to get more information on this during Computex while on the ground. We'll be keeping a lookout for these laptops when they launch, so we can test them and see how they fair against the best gaming laptops. Considering that the GT75 Titan is already ranked highly, their odds may be good.
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| The best gaming monitor 2019: the 10 best gaming screens of the year Posted: 23 May 2019 04:55 PM PDT These days, the best PC games can take you to places and let you see things that you never thought possible, which is why you should think about picking up one of the best gaming monitors to bring your gaming experience to the next level. What makes the best gaming monitors better for gaming, you ask? Well, everything ultimately boils down to what you want to get out of it. The market is jam-packed with many different types of monitors these days, and the best gaming monitor for you will depend on the kind of games you play. For example, there are those that just want to sit and get absorbed into their favorite single player games like Devil May Cry V or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. If you’re one of these people, you may want a 4K Ultra HD gaming monitor with HDR. On the other hand, if you’re all about the esports life, playing Overwatch, you’ll want one of the best gaming monitors with a high refresh rate and low response time. Finding the best gaming monitor can be hard work, and that’s why we’re here. We gathered all the best gaming monitors we’ve tested and reviewed over the last year or so. So, no matter what kind of PC games you typically play, we’ll help you find the best monitor for your gaming needs. HDR has been a major selling point for the best TVs for sometime now, but the feature has been suspiciously absent from the best gaming monitors. Until now. The BenQ EX3501R takes HDR and runs with it, crafting a curved ultra-wide that is not only what we would deem ‘attainable’, but beautiful as well. BenQ bills this monitor as a ‘video enjoyment monitor’, but from the moment you launch your favorite HDR-enabled games, you’ll see straight away why it tops our list of the best gaming monitors. Read the full review: BenQ EX3501R The Alienware AW3418DW is one of the few gaming monitors that offers that level of immersion that only a 21:9 aspect ratio can, while also featuring a high refresh rate. With a dense 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, lightning fast 4ms response times and a stunning 120Hz refresh rate, the AW3418DW offers the best of both worlds. However, all these features come with a steep price, so it may not be the best choice for gamers on the budget. Still, it’s not hard to see why it’s one of the best gaming monitors 2019 has to offer. Read the full review: Alienware AW3418DW The AOC Agon AG352UCG was one of the best gaming monitors we’d used, so when we heard that a follow-up was on its way, with a higher refresh rate and better contrast, we couldn’t wait. The AOC Agon AC352UCG6 Black Edition inherits original’s best features and turns those up to 11, making it one of the best ways to experience ultra-wide gaming. It’s pricey, yeah, but if you have the hardware to back it up, you might be doing yourself a disservice by not buying it. Read the full review: AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ may just be the most advanced and best gaming monitor out there – as long as you have the budget for it. Not only does it feature a gorgeous 4K Ultra-HD resolution and HDR, but it also boasts G-Sync and a 144Hz refresh rate. These specs make for one of the most impressive gaming monitors that’s ever existed – and when you see it in action, your mind will be blown. The only thing that holds this gaming monitor back from true greatness is its insane price tag. But, then again, if you have this kind of cash lying around, you should be able to afford a PC powerful enough to drive it. Read the full review: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ Primarily designed for CAD professionals, the BenQ PD3200U is still one of the best gaming monitors you can buy today. This is due to its a rock-solid focus on graphic design, so it’s able to offer fantastic viewing angles – meaning your friends can watch you play in comfort. Plus, unlike a lot of 4K monitors on the market, you won’t have to mess around with the settings in order to get the best picture – every unit is individually calibrated by BenQ before it’s shipped. This is one of the best gaming monitors out there, even though it’s not actually a gaming monitor. Read the full review: BenQ PD3200U There’s a certain subset of PC gamers out there that need the absolute best hardware money can buy, and the Acer Predator X27 might be the best gaming monitor for them. The list of high-end features packed into the panel is almost as long as our arm – 4K resolution, HDR-10, G-Sync, 144Hz refresh rate – and you’d be hard pressed to find a more advanced monitor. And, once you get a look at this monitor in person, you’ll be sold. That is, until you see the price tag – at two grand, only recent lottery winners need apply. Still, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming. Read the full review: Acer Predator X27 With its blinders, the BenQ Zowie XL2540 might rub you the wrong way in the beginning, but trust us when we say it’s right up there with the best gaming monitors on this list. It sacrifices flashy lighting effects for a speedy 240Hz refresh rate, and lightning-fast 1ms response time. There aren’t any adaptive sync options, unfortunately, but if you have a rig that’s capable of keeping up with this refresh rate, you’ll go a long way. The BenQ Zowie XL2540 keeps things simple by supplying you with lots of visual presets, an “S Switch” control pod for managing those presets and even a pair of adjustable light screens. If you’re a professional gamer, then this is the best gaming monitor you can get. Read the full review: BenQ Zowie XL2540 With this display, Samsung not only brings QLED to gaming monitors in a massive way, but they also offer the widest ultra-wide monitor on the market today. Coming in at 49.5 inches, this behemoth may take up a lot of space, likely jutting out over the sides of your desk, but with its impressive 3,840 x 1080 resolution and HDR, you’ll at least be blown away by the image. Even if you decide not to play in this resolution (it will require a beefy rig), you can still use all of the extra screen real estate so you have a browser or a movie playing on the same screen. The only real drawback is the monstrous price tag. Still, for a display this premium, it may very well be worth it. Read the full review: Samsung CHG90 QLED If you have a powerful graphics card that you want to take full advantage of, Samsung’s got something just for you - you don’t mind missing out on 4K Ultra HD, that is. The Samsung CHG70 is a curved 1440p monitor with a blazing fast 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate, which makes it one of the best gaming monitors you can buy in 2019. And, considering it’s regularly going on sale, this screen is a bargain as well, making it a worthwhile investment. Read the full review: Samsung CHG70 QLED When you’re playing competitive first-person shooters like Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, you’re going to require speed more than anything to stay on top of the leader boards. That’s where monitors like the MSI Optix MAG271CR come in handy. With a 1080p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms of latency, you’re going to have super fast, very smooth gameplay as long as you have the hardware to drive it. After all, 60Hz panels are so 2014 – the best gaming monitors embrace high refresh rates. Read the full review: MSI Optix MAG271CR How to buy the best gaming monitor in 2018When you are in the market for the best gaming monitor 2019 has to offer, there are a few things that you must consider before making a decision on what display should grace your desk. By familiarizing yourself with the following terms and specifications, you can ensure that you’re picking the best gaming monitor for your needs – which also means you're not paying extra for additional features that you don’t actually need. Screen size: When shopping around for the best gaming monitor, one of the most crucial things to consider is the screen size. Larger display sizes can lead to more immersive gaming experiences since the game fills more of your field of vision, but you'll need to make sure you have the room to store a large monitor. It also goes without saying that larger monitors will usually mean a higher price. Aspect ratio: The aspect ratio of a gaming monitor dictates the width and height of the screen. Most widescreen monitors have an aspect ratio of 16:9, while older monitors have a more square format of 4:3, which will likely look pretty outdated in 2019. Ultra-wide monitors with aspect ratios of 21:9 are rapidly gaining popularity – they offer a wide view of your games, which is why many ultra wides have made our list of the best gaming monitors 2019. Resolution: Another important factor to consider when looking for the best gaming monitor for your needs is resolution. Here, the higher the numbers, the sharper the picture.. You will, however, require a more powerful graphics card for anything over full HD (1,920 x 1,080), even if many gaming monitors feature resolutions as high as 2,560 x 1,400 (WQHD) and 3,840 x 2,160 (4K). Refresh rate: When you’re primarily looking to play Counter-Strike and other first-person shooters like it, refresh rate is especially important. The higher the refresh rate, the more frames per second (fps) the monitor can support, which leads to a butter smooth gaming experience on. A 60Hz refresh rate is most common, but refresh rates of 144Hz and even 200Hz are becoming more and more popular. Response time: The best gaming monitors boasts low response times, which means the action remains fast and fluid, with little to no input lag. The lowest response time for TN monitors (we’ll get to this in the next section) is 1 millisecond, whereas the newer IPS monitors usually have slower 4ms response times. When you’re playing games competitively, it’s crucial to keep this number as low as possible in order to combat latency. Panel type: This is where things get a little technical. The type of panel a gaming monitor uses will largely contribute to its response time and image clarity. TN panels (twisted nematic) have the lowest response times, and they are usually cheaper as well. However, they generally don’t have great viewing angles. IPS panels (in-plane switching), on the other hand, have fantastic viewing angles and color reproduction, but usually have higher response times. Meanwhile, VA panels (vertical alignment) sit between the two, though its slow response times makes these panels rare in the gaming world. Viewing Angle: Though most people play games directly in front of their gaming monitor, this isn’t always be the case, particularly when you’re among spectators. A monitor’s viewing angles tell you what angle you can look at the monitor from and still make out a clear image. The closer these numbers are to 180, the better your viewing experience will be when standing further to either side of the monitor or looking at it from above or below. G-Sync and FreeSync: You'll likely notice that many of the best gaming monitors in 2018 come with either G-Sync or FreeSync technology – sometimes both. This helps keep frames per second (fps) smooth, combats screen tearing and diminishes input lag. G-Sync is developed by Nvidia, so you'll require an Nvidia GPU, and the tech is built into the monitor, which can bump up their price tag. On the other hand, there’s FreeSync, which was developed by AMD. Since it is free to use by manufacturers, these monitors are typically cheaper. Check out our HDR Explained video below. Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas have also contributed to this article Image Credit: TechRadar
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| Best computer speakers 2019: the best audio systems for your PC Posted: 23 May 2019 04:45 PM PDT While many people will tell you that using the best headphones is the only way to really get amazing sound through your laptop or computer. But, what if you’re not comfortable wearing headphones day-in and day-out? For you and anyone else who feels the same way, a solid computer speaker is a fantastic alternative. Still, like any piece of computer accessory, finding the best computer speakers isn’t quite as easy as you’d think. Before you decide on a set of computer speakers for your setup, there are a few things you need to consider. How is the sound quality? If you’re a gamer and a frequent movie streamer, is the surround or stereo separation up to snuff? Will they start to grate on you after a couple minutes or is the sound nice and balanced? These are among the most essential questions to ask when shopping around for computer speakers You must also consider what kind of setup is most ideal to you. Are you going to sit back, playing the best PC games like Rage 2, where immersion (and explosions) are everything? Do you just want to binge your favorite TV show? Or are you more of a music fan? No matter what you’re looking to do, one of these best computer speakers will make your computing life sound so much better. Image Credit: Audioengine While the Audioengine A2+ launched four years ago, they’re still among the best computer speakers on the market. These slick-looking speakers will work with your PC’s USB port for uncompressed audio and incredible sound quality with its built-in DAC. The Audioengine A2+ doesn’t come with a bass, but that’s not a problem unless you need really deep bass. Luckily, there is an RCA output, so it’s a breeze to connect an external woofer. Image Credit: Logitech While they may be more expensive than you’d expect to pay for the brand’s speakers, the Logitech Z623 is still very affordable considering just what a sound powerhouse they are. The Z623 may look like your average set of speakers, but its subwoofer produces a thundering sound that can easily be dialed up or down depending on your preference. And, it offers impressive soundstage – with great highs and mids – making for a more immersive gaming and movie experience. Image Credit: Logitech When it comes to computer peripherals, Logitech is certainly a household name, but the G560 takes the company’s speaker expertise to a whole new level. These are the first Logitech computer speakers designed for gaming, and its work has definitely paid off. The Logitech G560 speakers are without question one of the best computer speakers available for gaming. Not only do they feature RGB lighting – a must for gaming accessories in 2019 – but through Logitech’s software, the multi-colored illumination can adapt to any kind of content you consume for a more immersive experience. Image Credit: Razer The Razer Nommo not only has a weird name and a funky look, but it also touts a lofty price. You might find yourself wincing at the $500 price tag, but it’s worth it as the Razer Nommo Pro has a lot to offer. You get a beefy down-firing subwoofer that’ll blow you away, as well as the Razer Chroma feature, so these speakers will look just as good as they sound. There are definitely cheaper computer speakers out there, but with this level of quality, the Razer Nommo Pro is worth every buck.
Image Credit: Harman Kardon If you look at the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III long enough, they’ll start looking like a family of jellyfish. These translucent computer speakers might look more to you like a modern art installation protesting the death of our oceans, rather than a functional speaker system – but that all changes once you turn them on. This speaker and sub combo features booming bass thanks to its woofer, as well as crisp highs. And you get that excellent sound at a decent price, making it perfect for music fans with a mid-range budget.
Image Credit: Edifier It might be a bit too bass-y for some people, but the Edifier E25 Luna Eclipse is an impressive speaker setup that not only looks good, but it also sounds incredible. The Luna, which comes in red, white and black colors, offers a powerful but controlled bass, as well as fantastic balance with sharp mids and good stereo separation. It even includes a nifty little remote control. The Luna Eclipse are some of the best computer speakers out there, especially if you like to pump up the volume with little to no distortion – and, who doesn’t? Image Credit: Logitech The Logitech MX Sound Speakers are one of the best wireless computer speakers you can buy today. They’re a thing of beauty, with their unusual circular design and silver accents. And, for the price, they definitely deliver a little more than what you’d expect from the best laptop speakers. The bass may sometimes overpower the mids and highs, but it still offers an excellent soundstage and powerful audio, which makes it excellent for gaming. It also features the nifty dual Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect two devices simultaneously. Finally, the backlit motion sensor controls are so sensitive, a light touch is all it needs to adjust the volume. Read the full review: Logitech MX Sound Image Credit: Klipsch The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speaker system brings enhanced sound for versatile use, so that whether you’re listening to music, watching movies, or playing games, you’re getting the best computer speaker experience. These THX-certified speakers boast power, a wide frequency range (31Hz to 20kHz), and a detailed audio quality with punchy bass, maximum clarity and great balance. We’re not exaggerating when we say it’s powerful enough to replicate that home theater quality you love so much.
Image Credit: Dell Dell’s AE715 may not be the most powerful speaker on the market. However, it does produce a decent 360-degree sound that, while is fairly common in portable audio, is a rarity with computer speakers. Granted, this Bluetooth speaker is nothing mind-blowing; there’s not a lot of bass and there’s a bit of delay. But the audio quality good enough if your listening standards aren’t quite as demanding. And you’re also getting its wireless functionality, the USB charging port so you can charge the device, and the built-in mic so you can use it for conference calls. It’s definitely a great portable and wireless solution.
Image Credit: Mackie The Mackie CR4BT promises professional-grade performance, which is a lot more than what its competitors offer. The question is, by how much? Well, there are drawbacks including thinner mid range, and high bass cut off at 70 Hz, which means while there’s good bass presence, you might be missing the really low stuff. However, they do sound great for a premium pair of speakers, and the pros include the acoustic foam pads to isolate the speakers from the surface it’s standing on, as well as the front auxiliary input. Overall, these aren’t your run-of-the-mill computer speakers. They are useful for multimedia creation and production-related work as well.
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| Dolby and Universal Music Group are releasing thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos Posted: 23 May 2019 03:36 PM PDT Dolby and Universal Music Group announced today that the pair will release ‘thousands of songs’ from the music label in the Dolby Atmos Music format. The new, remastered versions of these songs will include “a diverse list of artists across a wide range of genres, from hip-hop, pop, and rock through jazz and classical music”. In an email to TechRadar, a Dolby representative explicitly mentioned “What’s Goin On” by Marvin Gaye, “7th heaven” by Beck, “Drive” by R.E.M. and “Mama said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J. Dolby Atmos, for those who might not be familiar with the technology, is like super-powered surround sound that doesn’t just use two-channels (stereo), five-channels (surround) or seven-channels of audio, but rather any number of channels that the audio editor chooses. Each channel, in this case, can be an instrument or sound effect, layering the effects to create a 360-degree sound sphere. According to Michael Frey, UMG’s President of Operations, the reasoning behind the remastering is to allow artists to “share their music directly as intended and created in the studio. Dolby Atmos Music gives artists the power and creative freedom to express their story like never before.” The Dolby representative we spoke to didn’t give the exact timing of when the songs would be available to listen to, but said that the companies will have more information about the partnership soon.
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| AMD Navi RX 3080 specs leak ahead of Computex 2019 Posted: 23 May 2019 01:35 PM PDT Information on AMD Navi graphics cards keeps leaking out, and this time the specs for the AMD RX 3080 have been spotted online ahead of Computex 2019. This leak comes via renowned leaker KOMACHI, and while the tweet was deleted, it was spotted by Wccftech. Despite the remarkably similar name, it doesn't look like the AMD Navi RX 3080 will go up against something like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080.
Instead, with its rumored 2,560 stream processors and 8GB of VRAM on a 256-bit bus, it looks like it will take on RTX 2070 instead – something that recent leaks back up. We've heard for a while now that the first round of AMD Navi graphics cards – known simply as 'Navi 10' – would occupy the mid-range, rather than competing with Nvidia's flagship RTX 2080 Ti. Image Credit: AMD It's all coming together, nowBecause Computex 2019 is right around the corner, there's been a wave of speculation and leaks about AMD Navi, and it's all starting to come together. We already know that the next-generation mid-range graphics cards from Team Red are coming in Q3 2019, and it's rumored that Nvidia is gearing up to compete. It hasn't been confirmed to appear at Computex, but just a couple days ago we heard a rumor that these new GPUs would be on sale by July 7. Add that to all the leaked benchmarks, and we're pretty confident that at least some of the rumors are true. And, if Nvidia's recent 'Super' tease is any indication, Team Green is getting ready for something big to drop. It's going to be interesting to see if these rumored new AMD Navi GPUs are going to be able to compete in the mid-range, as that's where the real AMD vs Nvidia smackdown typically occurs. The flagships of the world get the headlines, but the mid-range is where people usually spend their cash. We just want to see if AMD can provide better value for the money at that $499 price tag with the Navi RX 3080 than Nvidia offers with the RTX 2070. But at least we don't have to wait too much longer until Computex 2019 to learn fact from fiction.
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| Dyson hair dryer: the best Supersonic prices and sales in May 2019 Posted: 23 May 2019 12:52 PM PDT Dyson, a company mostly known for vacuums, has engineered a high-tech hair dryer called the Dyson Supersonic. The Dyson hairdryer features innovative technology that puts it in a category of its own and is unlike any traditional hair dryer. The Supersonic features a digital motor that creates ultra-fast drying while also preventing heat damage. The only downside of this futuristic hair dryer? The Supersonic is priced well above most hair dryers, currently retailing for $400 in the US and £300 in the UK. But fear not, we're here to ease your financial pain by listing the best prices and sales below so you can get the best deal on the premium hair dryer. The best Dyson hair dryer prices and sales:
Dyson hair dryer price: is the Dyson hair dryer worth the money?The high price tag on the Dyson hair dryer can initially cause sticker shock, but there are several reasons for the steep price. The Supersonic is engineered like other Dyson appliances and therefore priced similarly. The Dyson hairdryer features a tiny a digital motor that combined with the heat sensor produces fast drying results without damaging the hair. Dyson installed the tiny motor in the handle rather than the head which balances the weight of the dryer so your hand won't get tired when drying your hair. The Supersonic will also outlast other hairdryers so you won't have to keep repurchasing the same $70 hair dryer every couple of years. Does the Dyson hair dryer dry faster?The short answer is yes; the Dyson Supersonic dries hair faster and more efficiently than traditional hair dryers. The Dyson hair dryer combines controlled heat with a powerful motor that results in drying time that's twice as fast as most hair dryers. The Supersonic also features three different drying speeds so you can control how fast you want your hair dried. Learn more about the Dyson hair dryer with our Dyson Supersonic review. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD is front and center in Acer's latest Nitro 5 and Swift 3 notebooks Posted: 23 May 2019 11:23 AM PDT AMD may not have the strongest footing in the mobile computing space, with most (currently all) of the best laptops and best gaming laptops powered by Intel processors (CPUs) and Nvidia graphics processors (GPUs). But, Acer has turned to AMD to power its latest Nitro 5 gaming laptop and thin-and-light Swift 3 notebook. AMD has seen its processor sales ramp up, thanks to the introduction of its Ryzen line. Naturally, the company has been going full steam ahead on Ryzen. While AMD's mobile CPUs have lagged behind its desktop counterparts, launching later than the desktop components, they may be on the rise.
The Nitro 5 design remains unchanged, however, it appears. (Image Credit: Acer) Helpful inclusionsThe inclusion of 2nd Generation Ryzen mobile processors in the new Nitro 5 gaming laptop can give the component a stronger foothold in the mid-tier gaming market, especially as the Nitro 5 is already a value option that lines up well with Ryzen's placement as a value alternative to Intel CPUs. AMD Ryzen CPUs in the Acer Swift 3 may be an even bigger deal. The last iteration of the thin-and-light laptop running on Intel is already one of our top picks for laptops thanks to its budget value and strong performance for the price. The new Acer Swift 3 will offer up to a Ryzen 7 3700U quad-core processor. That can come with integrated Vega 10 graphics that outclass the prior Swift 3's Intel HD Graphics 620 option, according to UserBenchmark scores. But, the Swift 3 will also get the option of dedicated Radeon 540X graphics for an even bigger performance boost. Since AMD's components are generally more affordable than Intel's, Acer looks to be upping the premium features as well. For example, the new Swift 3 will have thinner bezels around its 14-inch display than the previous model. The Nitro 5 is getting thinner bezels, too. Acer is unfortunately not yet talking pricing or availability for these products in any of the regions that TechRadar covers. This could be a win-win for Acer and AMD. Acer is likely getting to improve the Nitro 5 and Swift 3 designs without increasing price, and AMD will get to show up in machines that have a strong shot at being popular. Acer laptops currently hold the top four spots on Amazon's best sellers list for laptops.
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| Google Assistant just got smart enough to track the New York City subway Posted: 23 May 2019 11:13 AM PDT Google Assistant and Google Pay are making navigating New York City a little easier this month thanks to new subway and bus integrations with the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Starting today, millions of NYC residents and tourists can ask Google Assistant when the next subway and bus is coming. We tried it out and have some thoughts below. And, starting May 31, Google notes that the MTA will launch its contactless payment system, OMNY (short for One Metro New York), at certain bus and metro stations. This will let users skip the time-consuming MetroCard kiosk by swiping their device instead. Google Maps will play a part, too, letting you know which accept stations accept Google Pay in addition to offering the usual real-time tracking of trains and buses.
We tested it out alreadyWe just asked our Google Home speaker, "Okay, Google, when is the next 7 train coming." It told us the wait time for the next two trains in each direction. That's infinitely more helpful when you're getting ready in the morning or running out the door for work, which should make a long New York City commute a little easier. While this helpful Google Assistant assist launched today, we have to wait until May 31 to test out the contactless Google Pay portion of today's announcement. Even when it does launch, it won't immediately cover the whole MTA network, and it's really designed for one-off pay-per-ride commuters. Select subway stations and Staten Island buses will get the contactless receivers first in a pilot program. The initial subway stations on the list are on the 4-5-6 lines between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. We plan to be first in line to test it out anyway. Global expansion and feature expansionNew York City is joining a list of over 30 cities getting similar features, including London, Singapore, and Moscow. Not all those cities are outside the US, as New York City will be joining Chicago (the first 5G city in the US) and other locales. All of this goes a little further toward cementing Google's position as an all-in-one solution for getting around. Beyond driving, walking, and cycling directions, Google has also included details on ride sharing services and is even working on a feature to locate Lime electric bikes and scooters. Being able to use Google Assistant know when trains are coming, and then to pay with Google Pay, just further rounds out the package the search giant has on offer.
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| Instagram website was leaking user details for months Posted: 23 May 2019 11:10 AM PDT A security researcher has revealed that Instagram's website leaked user contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses, over a period of at least four months. Data scientist and business consultant David Stier discovered that the source code for some of the social network's user profiles included the account holder's contact information whenever it loaded in a web browser. He notified Instagram regarding the issue shortly after he discovered it earlier this year. The desktop version of the Instagram's website did now show user's contact information in their profiles but it was used by the photo-sharing site's app for communication.
According to Stier, the contact information for thousands of accounts was exposed and private individuals including some minors as well as businesses were affected. Cybercriminals could have easily scraped this data from Instagram's website to create an index filled with the contact details of thousands of the service's users. Leaked contact informationFacebook said that it was investigating the issue this week but did not provide further details into its findings. This isn't the first time that data from Instagram was leaked online and the company is also investigating a database filled with user information left unsecured by a marketing company called Chtrbox. Stier found evidence that user's phone numbers and emails had been in Instagram's source code since at least October by examining archived versions of Instagram profiles. He first reported the issue to the company in February and it was fixed in march. Unfortunately, the contact information is still available on the Instagram app from users who opted into letting others contact them through the app. This is a bit better than including this sensitive data in the site's source code but not by much as hackers could use social engineering to obtain this information for themselves.
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| Nvidia teases something 'super' for GeForce graphics cards Posted: 23 May 2019 10:51 AM PDT Nvidia already launched its Turing graphics lineup over the last eight months or so, but it looks like something new and 'super' is on the way. Ahead of Computex 2019, it looks like Nvidia has a new graphics card in store, likely something that will compete with the AMD Navi cards rumored to be revealed next week. This comes by way of a cryptic video that appeared seemingly out of nowhere today. It's just a few seconds long, but Nvidia is certainly trying to build up the hype.
But, what is it? The video doesn't drop any hints this time around – instead it just looks like a closeup on an engraving of a 'Super' logo, in the same style as what the Nvidia RTX Founders Edition cards feature. So, is this a new graphics card – it's on the GeForce YouTube channel, so we know it's a gaming product. This is just speculation, but it could be Nvidia teasing 'super' variations of its existing RTX lineup, said to feature faster VRAM to better compete with AMD's Navi cards. Nvidia Turing Founders Edition cards already get hot under load, so we might see improved coolers on any overclocked parts. Either way, Computex is quite literally around the corner at the time of writing, so we're sure we'll find out what this 'Super' graphics card is during the show.
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| Nintendo at E3 2019: what we want to see from the special Nintendo Direct video Posted: 23 May 2019 10:28 AM PDT Nintendo will be at E3 2019, once again opting to host a special Nintendo Direct E3 livestream rather than holding a live press conference. Last year saw Nintendo dropping big announcements, such as the official reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Mario Party, alongside news that Fortnite was coming to the Nintendo Switch. And we're expecting the House of Mario to have a bigger and better livestream at E3 2019. So what are we expecting? Mainly, we're hoping Nintendo will offer more solid details on titles which have already been announced such as Pokémon Sword and Shield, Link's Awakening Remake and Luigi's Mansion 3 - not to mention Animal Crossing on the Switch. But we're also hoping there's a few unannounced titles on the way too, third- and first-party alike. If we're being really optimistic, there could even be news about the new Nintendo Switch – but it's not super likely given the lack of concrete rumors. Nintendo's livestream usually lasts between 45 minutes and an hour, but that's not much time to cram our entire wishlist in. So we've gathered together a list of the things we would most like to see from Nintendo at E3 2019.
Pokémon Sword and ShieldPokémon Sword and Shield (Image credit: Nintendo) Nintendo has already announced that Pokémon Sword and Shield will be hitting the Nintendo Switch in late 2019, with the next generation of Pokémon games seeing players traversing the brand new region of Galar (based on Britain). While we already know the new core Pokémon games will bring with them fresh Pokémon to train, we don't know much about these outside of the starter options. We also don't know much about the game's new features (or which will be making a return) or how Sword and Shield will differ, if at all. Therefore, we're hoping Nintendo will fill in all these details during E3 2019, including providing us with a firm release date for the games. Animal Crossing on Nintendo SwitchAnimal Crossing (Image credit: Nintendo) Nintendo has remained pretty tight-lipped since announcing last year that Animal Crossing will be coming to Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019. While we did get a lovely trailer to accompany the announcement, it didn't actually give any details of new gameplay mechanics, or even which characters would return from previous games. Now that we're halfway into 2019, we think it's about time that Nintendo spilled the beans on Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch – and it probably will. We're expecting Nintendo Direct at E3 2019 to offer a heap of details about the upcoming Animal crossing game, as well as a firm release date for the highly-anticipated title. Link's Awakening RemakeLink's Awakening Remake (Image credit: Nintendo) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake was announced during a Nintendo Direct earlier this year. Nintendo revealed we'll see the remake of the 1993 GameBoy classic on Nintendo Switch in late 2019 but, once again, didn't confirm a solid release date. Apart from dropping an announcement trailer (that sees Link and friend's rejigged into 3D), Nintendo didn't give any more details about the remake. What will be the same? What will be different? We don't know yet, but we're hoping Nintendo will use E3 2019 to reveal all the juicy details. Luigi's Mansion 3Luigi's Mansion (Image credit: Nintendo) Luigi just doesn't learn his lesson when it comes to haunted houses – and we're very glad. Nintendo announced last year that Luigi's Mansion 3 will be hitting the Nintendo Switch in 2019. No solid details about the spooky new installation of Luigi’s flagship franchise have been released as of yet. However the announcement trailer showed Luigi creeping through a haunted mansion with ghosts bursting out from behind cleaning supplies as he battles them with his trusty new Poltergust G-00. Much like with Pokémon Sword and Shield and Link's Awakening, we're expecting Nintendo to confirm the release date for Luigi's Mansion 3 at E3 2019 as well as offering up a few more details about what we can expect from the long-awaited sequel. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLCSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate (Image credit: Nintendo) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was revealed at last year's E3, taking up the majority of the Nintendo Direct livestream. Following a successful launch in December last year, Nintendo is now focusing on DLC for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We've already seen Piranha Plant and Persona's Joker added to Smash's roster as part of DLC, but who is next on the cards? We're pretty in the dark about which character will join Smash's lineup yet, but we're expecting Nintendo to shed some light on this at E3 2019. While we're hoping for Doom's Doomslayer, Banjo Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot, we're not holding out hope... More third-party gamesL.A. Noire (Image credit: Team Bondi) More and more third party games are emerging on Nintendo's hybrid console, and we're expecting even more to be on the way. This will likely be in the form of some indie favorites, AAA titles and even newly announced games fresh from E3 2019. Skyrim and LA Noire were examples of ports done right, making last-generation games feel fresh thanks to some interesting Switch control integration and the sheer novelty of playing them on the go. We'd like to see some more beloved games make their way to Switch this year – a Grand Theft Auto title seems to be a popular request that we can get on board with. Nintendo Switch 2?Nintendo Switch (Image credit: TechRadar) Color us optimistic, but we're hoping Nintendo will announce the new Nintendo Switch at E3 2019. It is very, very unlikely but we can always hope. New Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Switch Pro, Switch Mini, or a pair of new Switch consoles – whatever the new handheld from Nintendo is called, there's going to be at least one other Switch model coming down the line at some point soon. Not necessarily at E3 2019, but maybe. Mostly all we have to go on at the moment is rumors but, with the PS5 and next Xbox on the horizon, a Nintendo Switch 2 announcement at E3 could really steal this year's show - and Nintendo is pretty good at surprise announcements... Metroid Prime 4Metroid Prime 4 (Image credit: Nintendo) Metroid Prime 4 has had a rocky development road since it was announced back at E3 2017 with a logo and little else. A brand new Metroid Prime title for the Switch got fans hyped, but they were disappointed to find out Metroid Prime 4 is even further away than initially expected as Nintendo scrapped the project and decided to start again with the help of developer Retro Studios. We've not heard anything about Metroid Prime 4 since then, so we're expecting Nintendo to provide a development update during its Nintendo Direct at E3 2019 – even if it's just a short one.
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| Only one in ten NHS Trusts are fully digitized Posted: 23 May 2019 09:59 AM PDT The UK government is aiming for a Paperless NHS by 2020 but new research from OpenText has revealed that many NHS Trusts are falling behind with only one in ten (12%) being fully digitized. The company obtained this new data by issuing a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to 74 NHS Trusts across the UK, thought only 52 responded. Back in January, the UK government announced its new NHS Long Term Plan with the intention of addressing the healthcare system's lack of interoperability in hopes to improve the quality of patient care and healthcare outcomes in the UK. Under the plan, all secondary healthcare providers are required to transition to digital records by 2023 to ensure that clinicians can access and interact with patient records and care plans no matter where they are.
However, the new data obtained by OpenText shows there is still progress to be made with just 37 percent of responding Trusts stating that over half of their patient records have been digitized. Surprisingly, only 23 percent of NHS Trusts confirmed that 76-99 percent of their patient records, including scans, letters, notes and results, are currently digitized. Digitizing patient recordsUnder the FoI request, respondents were asked to confirm the number of paper-based patient records they collected in Q4 2018. Of the 52 NHS Trusts surveyed, 69 percent were unable to provide an answer to this question and only 16 Trusts (31%) were able to provide this information. During Q4 2018, these NHS Trusts alone created over 1.7m paper-based records. However, the majority (62%) of these Trusts, do have plans to digitize all patient records with 12 percent already fully digitized and a further 21 percent aim to become fully digitized within the next one to two years. Additionally one in five (21%) Trusts plan to become paperless within the next three to four years in accordance with the new government guidelines. Head of UK public sector at OpenText, Tracey Lethbridge explained how a one patient, one record environment can help NHS Trusts manage digital patient data, saying: “With new Government guidelines in place, the ultimate goal is to empower healthcare organisations to evolve working practices and provide better patient care whilst reducing costs. One way to achieve this is to take a digital approach to information management. Through the creation of a “one patient, one record” environment, NHS clinicians can easily access the necessary information – regardless of where it is and in what form – to more effectively commission and monitor services that reflect the needs of patients. Ultimately, accurate and timely patient data is at the heart of delivering quality care and will ensure all front-line care staff can access this information where and when it is needed, boosting their productivity and enabling them to help more patients, more quickly.”
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| Apple Watch sale: Walmart has the Apple Watch 3 back down to $199 Posted: 23 May 2019 09:56 AM PDT Memorial Day sales are officially here, and Walmart has discounted a variety of best-selling tech items. A standout deal from the sale event is the Apple Watch 3 that's currently on sale for $199. That's an $80 discount and the lowest price we've seen for the Apple smartwatch. If you're interested in Apple's latest smartwatch, Amazon has the Apple Watch 4 on sale for $349. The Series 4 watch offers an upgraded design and additional health features such as built in ECG, fall detection and emergency SOS. Shop more deals with our roundup of the best Memorial Day sales of 2019. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2019 Posted: 23 May 2019 09:35 AM PDT Opting for a dedicated server means that you get an entire server to yourself. There's no sharing of CPU time, RAM or bandwidth, which means your website stays responsive at all times. Shared website hosting can appear to be amazing value, with feature-packed products available for just a few pounds every month. But the reality is often very different, and they're not always the bargains they seem. Very low prices probably mean the host is cramming more customers onto each server, for instance. Performance will be poor as there aren't enough resources to go around, and the extra load could mean more server problems and downtime. Dedicated hosting implies that you also get far more control over how the server is configured. You can add and remove software, install updates or tweak all settings, allowing you to optimize the server for your specific needs. Best of all, dedicated hosting contracts often come with fast and knowledgeable support. The best providers will even monitor your server for issues, like failed services, and can often fix them before you've realized there was a problem. This kind of power doesn't come cheap, and although there are some good signup deals around, you can easily spend $50-$140 a month and more on just a basic package. With that kind of investment, it's important to make the right choice. In this article, we're going to highlight five top dedicated hosting providers who you might want to check out first.
German-based 1&1 (as October 2018 called 1&1 IONOS) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn't just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $50 (£45 for UK) a month for the first three months, then $70 (£65 for UK). As you might imagine, 1&1 has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1 Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (1&1 updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there's also a setup fee of at least $50 (£50 for UK). But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited 1&1 dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge. Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 (£10) a month for management doesn't just mean 1&1 will look after server admin: you also get a Website Builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us. Hostwinds is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range. Its dedicated server range may start at just $79.50 (£57) a month, for instance – $106 (£76) on renewal – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere. All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you're not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters. Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That's considerably more flexible than providers like 1&1, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they're often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance). There's more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 (£18.8) – we've seen charges of up to $50 (£35.70) elsewhere. Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren't crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price. Opting for dedicated rather than shared hosting will speed up your website in itself, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. A2 Hosting's managed server plans blend multiple tricks and technologies to try and ensure you see the best possible performance. This starts with a powerful set of server components: OPcache and APC may speed up PHP processing by 50%. Memcached holds key MySQL data in RAM for faster retrieval, while mod_pagespeed uses multiple tricks to optimize site content. SPDY and HTTP/2 accelerate page loads even further, and support for technologies like edge side includes and websockets allow more fine-tuned optimizations of your site. A2 Hosting plans also include Cloudflare's free CDN and its Railgun Optimizer, which "compresses previously uncacheable web objects up to 99.6%" and may result in an average 200% performance increase. In reality you might not see anything like that – the boost will vary greatly, depending on your site – but it's still a technology worth having. Elsewhere, performance-boosting add-ons include RAID 1 SSD storage of up to 2 x 1TB. An optional Turbo Boost feature costing from 34.86$ (£26.80) a month replaces Apache with the LiteSpeed server, apparently bringing up to 20x faster page loads, and another add-on can cache the HTML contents of a page, then speedily reload it later without needing to run PHP. We were happy to see cPanel is thrown in, too (it's often a chargeable extra with other hosts). These kind of professional features come at a cost, with even the most basic Sprint plan priced from around $99.56 (£75) a month. But if speed is your top priority then this company could be worth a try, especially as A2's ‘Anytime Money Back Guarantee’ will refund your fees if you cancel within 30 days of your order. It may not have the profile of the big-name competition, but OVH is a hosting giant, with more than a million customers using 25+ data centers around the world. The OVH dedicated hosting range stands out for its long list of data centers, with hosting available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Singapore and the UK. Some of these locations offer cheaper hosting than others, and, unusually, OVH passes the savings on to you. For example, one of the UK server costs $86 (£64.99), but switching to Poland cuts the minimum cost to $79 (£59.99). Experienced users will also appreciate the many advanced options that OVH makes available. You don't just get access to SATA or SSD storage, for instance – the company also supports SAS and the supercharged NVMe (non-volatile memory-based storage, potentially five times faster than SSD). If you really know what you're doing, you could buy several servers, link them together in a private cloud, and maybe add a load-balancing IP to spread peak-time demand or keep your website running if one server fails. Novice users are likely to be confused by over 50 available server configurations, and figuring out exactly what's available can take a little time and effort. But the range of data centers alone could make OVH an interesting choice for many users, and if you're the demanding type, its array of expert-level extras are also worth a closer look. Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end business hosting products ranging from managed WordPress and WooComerce plans, to cloud VPS, dedicated servers and private clouds. The company's dedicated offerings may look expensive, with a starting price of $199 (£142) a month (at the moment, you pay $123.38 for the first four months), but they're also far better specified than most of the budget competition. Even the cheapest dedicated server includes two speedy 480GB SSD drives, for instance. There's also a 1TB SATA backup drive provided, making it easy and convenient to run regular backups. The plan includes a dedicated IP. Support for Cloudflare CDN should boost your website speeds, and your server can be hosted in one of three data centers (Arizona, Michigan, or the Netherlands). Although, the special entry plans are only hosted in Michigan. Most importantly, all dedicated servers are managed by Liquid Web's professional support team. They monitor system health, proactively respond to notifications (for example, they’ll restart a failed service), alongside taking care of installing and updating the operating system. If you have any difficulties, support is available 24/7/365, and the company guarantees a 59 second response time via phone or chat, 30 minutes via ticket and email. Factor in the wide range of optional add-ons – load balancers, firewalls, VPN – and the range has more than enough power for almost any purpose. If you're managing a heavy-duty website, Liquid Web needs to be on your shortlist. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Best cloud hosting services in 2019 Posted: 23 May 2019 09:02 AM PDT Signing up for a simple website hosting package will usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores. While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while. Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments. This flexibility is great for delivering extra power when you need it most, and starting prices can be similar to regular VPS hosting (from £10 or $14 a month). Costs will rise as you add resources, but typically you'll only pay for the time in which you use these resources. DigitalOcean's monster 192GB RAM, 32 vCPU and 3,840GB SSD product costs $960 (£685) a month, for instance, but this pay-as-you-go approach allows you to try it out for $1.429 or £1.02 an hour. Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself.
Cloud hosting isn't just for big business. HostGator's cloud platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more. For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $4.95 (£3.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal. If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $9.95 (£7.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month. Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure. But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away. 1&1 IONOS Cloud Server Hosting is a powerful range of products which combine dedicated server resources with the performance, flexibility and scalability of the best cloud hosting technologies. Seven standard root access (self-managed) configurations aim to cover everyone from the individual user ($10 or (£10 for UK) a month for a single CPU core, 1GB RAM and 50GB storage) to big businesses (16 cores, 48GB RAM and 500GB storage for a monster $400 or (£400 for UK) a month). All plans have decent specifications, giving you unlimited traffic and email accounts, a bundled SSL certificate, DDoS protection, $100 (£100 for UK) starting credit for the first month and a choice of US and European data centers. A wide range of options includes Windows hosting, or managed hosting with your choice of stack: Apache + MySQL + PHP 7.2, Nginx + MariaDB + PHP 7.2, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress and more. The highlight of the range is probably 1&1's Cloud Hosting Flex package. Not only does this allow for adjusting cores, RAM and storage on demand, and adding up to 99 servers to the same contract, but billing is by the minute and you're only charged for what you use. Prices start at $20.84 (£15.84 for UK) a month including the management fee. There's no long-term contract and the first 30 days is free, giving you the chance to try before you buy. At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: user-friendly but basic products from hosts like 1&1, and enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, which is so complex that even experts might struggle to set it up. Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition. It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations). Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits. Founded in 2002, Bytemark is a UK-based cloud hosting company which has designed its own public platform using open source software. This in-house experience brings some unusual advantages. Bytemark has developed its own hosting environment to set up a server, email and more. It covers everything from installing and managing PHP, MySQL, Perl and Ruby on Rails to helping you configure your firewall, spam rules and backups. Experienced users can manage their account with a command line client, or even automate common tasks by integrating with Bytemark's API. Pricing seems somewhat fair. The baseline specification costs $28 (£20) for one core, 2GB RAM, 25GB storage, 10TB bandwidth and one IPv4. If you need more, everything is available via a simple flat rate: $14 (£10) per 1GB RAM, $12.70 (£10) per 10GB of SSD storage, $28 (£20) per extra 1TB of traffic. Unusually, you can even get a Windows licence for $2.64 (£2) per GB of memory. As ever with cloud hosting, there's plenty of flexibility. You can configure your servers with anything from 1 to 180GB RAM, 1 to 16 CPU cores, and 1 to 8 individual disks with either fast SSD or cheaper archive storage. If you're interested, Bytemark's free trial gives you seven days to find out more. While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system. DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer. For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space. Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups. There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure. DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy. If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 2,100+ at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Xbox at E3 2019: what we want to see from Microsoft's big keynote conference Posted: 23 May 2019 08:52 AM PDT It's shaping up to be a big E3 for Microsoft. With Sony skipping this year's event entirely, Microsoft's Xbox E3 2019 conference has the chance to steal the whole show. And it looks like that could be the case, with rumors circulating that E3 2019 will finally be the year that Microsoft unveils the next Xbox console (or consoles plural as the case may be). We're expecting Microsoft to go full force with hardware this year, revealing details of the next-generation Xbox along with any games we can expect to see on the upcoming console. Despite this potential focus on hardware, we're expecting Microsoft to have some software exclusives up its sleeve too at this year's Xbox show. We're also hoping to see more about what Microsoft has been working on with its newly-acquired studios, which include the likes of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice developer Ninja Theory and Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment. So, without further ado, we've put together a list of everything we're hoping to see from Microsoft at this year's Xbox E3 2019 conference.
Next-generation Xbox console (or consoles)Xbox One X (Image credit: TechRadar) Could E3 2019 finally be the year Microsoft unveil the next generation of Xbox consoles? We think so. For a long time a new Xbox seemed like a dream, but now Microsoft has confirmed a next-generation Xbox is in development – and rumors suggest there's more than one console in the works. The official story started last year when Xbox Chief Phil Spencer told the thousands of attendees at E3 2018 that the console (or perhaps series of consoles) is in development: "our hardware team is deep into developing the next generation of Xbox consoles, where we will once again deliver on our commitment to set the benchmark for console gaming." Since Spencer's announcement details have slowly bubbled up all around the net on the purported system. First we got a codename for the collection – Xbox Scarlett – and now we've heard rumblings of the first games to be designed for the next-gen Xbox: The Elder Scrolls 6, Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite. There's even been a leak of the alleged specs of two upcoming next-generation consoles (codenamed Anaconda and Lockhart). What's more, this same report claims these consoles will be announced at E3 2019, with a release date rumored for 2020. While we are taking these rumors with a pinch of salt, we do expect Microsoft will unveil at least one next-generation Xbox console at E3 2019 – and we can't wait. Project xCloudProject xCloud (Image credit: Microsoft) It's likely we'll hear more about Microsoft's Project xCloud streaming service. Project xCloud was announced by Microsoft at E3 2018 but we haven't heard much about the streaming service since. What we do know is that Project xCloud promises to let you play big-name games on whatever device you want, whenever you want. Project xCloud will leverage Microsoft’s existing data centers across the globe, literally loading up servers with the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, and using these to run the games streamed directly to your mobile device of choice. The end result will be that gamers will be able to play the likes of Halo, Forza and other classic console and PC big hitters on their phones or tablets. You’ll be able to use an Xbox controller hooked up to your mobile via Bluetooth, or if you want to dispense with that, Microsoft is promising touch controls that will work just fine as an alternative. E3 2019 would be a great time for Microsoft to reveal more details on Project xCloud, including when we can expect a release, especially given that Google has announced the Stadia and Sony's cloud gaming plans have leaked. George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware's unannounced titleDarks Souls Remastered (Image credit: FromSoftware) According to a report by Gematsu, FromSoftware is working on a new project in collaboration with George R.R. Martin – the author behind the fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was the basis of the hugely-popular Game of Thrones TV series. Gematsu's source claims the open-world title (known internally as “GR”) has been in development for the past three years and will be published by Bandai Namco. But when will this new title officially be revealed? According to Gematsu's source, the game will be officially announced at Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference. According to an investigative report from Spawn Wave and Liam Robertson (via GamesRadar), George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware are working on an open-world RPG title (rumored to be called "Great Rune") which will explore Norse mythology and see the player on horseback. Gematsu's report echoes these rumors and, in addition, Martin has confirmed in a blog post that he has "consulted on a videogame out of Japan". While we don't expect the title to be a Microsoft exclusive (unless it's timed), we're hoping the rumors will come true and we'll get an official announcement during the Xbox E3 2019 keynote. Halo InfiniteHalo Infinite (Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft finally announced the the next entry in the Master Chief saga at last year's E3. While we didn't get any solid details about Halo Infinite (apart from the teaser trailer) it looks like it'll be the sixth main entry in the Halo series. Well, we're hoping that's the case... We're also hoping that Microsoft will give us all the juicy details at E3 2019 - maybe alongside the next generation Xbox announcement? Halo Infinite looks likely to be a launch title for the next Xbox, so we aren't expecting a release until, at least next year. Gears 5Gears 5 (Image credit: Microsoft) We waited with bated breath during Microsoft's E3 2018 Xbox conference for the announcement of Gears of War 5 - and Microsoft didn't disappoint. The company revealed that Gears 5 is in the works and even dropped an enticing announcement trailer. Gears 5 sees the series having its first female protagonist, Kait. Marcus Phoenix will still appear, but Kait will take the starring role as she takes her team on a personal mission which will continue on from the emotional ending of Gears of War 4. While we garnered quite a few details about the game's story, we didn't get much in the way of solid details about when we can expect to get our hands on Gears 5, what gameplay will look like or what new features we can expect. These are all details we're hoping Microsoft will reveal during its E3 2019 keynote, including whether we will see Gears 5 as a launch title on the next Xbox. Xbox VRImage credit: TechRadar This is mainly optimistic thinking on our part, but Microsoft seems to really be dragging its feet when it comes to VR, instead putting a lot of effort into the HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset. The PlayStation VR continues to grow in strength, so we expect Microsoft will be much more active about developing and progressing VR technology for the next-generation Xbox. At E3 2018, we asked Xbox’s corporate vice president, Mike Ybarra, about Xbox's future VR plans. “For us, we’re going to continue to invest on the Windows side where people are engaging," Ybarra told TechRadar, at the time. "Our MR devices work with Steam games now – I love what’s happening there – and in the living room there are still, in my opinion, challenges to be solved. But we’re looking at that and we’re listening to customers and fans, but our investment profile will remain on Windows for now.” When asked for any details about who Microsoft might be talking with to bring VR to its consoles, Ybarra said that he couldn’t comment on that at this time but at no point was there an outright no to VR on consoles. We're hoping Microsoft will unveil further VR plans at this year's E3 keynote, maybe to coincide with the announcement of the next Xbox? New exclusiveImage credit: Microsoft Alongside the games we already know about, we're expecting Microsoft to have some brand new exclusives up its sleeve. This seems pretty likely, particularly because the company has been acquiring studios left, right and center, including Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games and Compulsion Games (to name just a few). We're hoping this will result in some killer Xbox exclusives, especially as the collection on the Xbox One has been pretty sparse. Whether these titles will be current-generation, next-generation or cross-generation will likely be tailored by whether or not we see the next Xbox.
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| PS5: all the games, specs, news, and rumors for Sony’s Playstation 5 Posted: 23 May 2019 08:50 AM PDT We finally know a new PlayStation is definitely coming. Whether that new console will be called the PS5, PlayStation 5, or something completely different, is yet to be revealed but thanks to Mark Cerny, the chief architect on Sony's next-generation console, we have confirmation that Sony is working on a successor to the PS4. What's more, Sony has even started to drip feed us details about what we can expect from the PS5 and when we might see it release - well, more precisely, when we can expect it not to release. The release of the PlayStation 5 makes perfect sense as PS4 consoles (both PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro) are officially reaching the end of their life cycle (that's direct from Sony), so a successor was imminent. Although solid details on the PlayStation 5 remain light, we do know that the rumors, wish lists and alarmingly convincing 'leaked' renders in the run up to a console reveal are a big part of the fun. So we've gathered together all the rumors, news and confirmed details on the PS5 for your perusal - along with a few features we would love to see on Sony's next-generation console. [Update: PS5's 'incredibly powerful' backwards compatibility will let you play online with PS4 players.]
PS5 confirmed specs: the concrete details we now knowGhost of Tsushima (Image credit: SuckerPunch) A bespoke 8-core AMD chipset based on third generation Ryzen architecture, with a GPU taking the best bits of the Radeon Navi GPU family; a built-for-purpose SSD storage system; 3D audio; backwards compatibility with PS4 games and PSVR hardware; 8K TV support. It's all been revealed by PlayStation top-dog Mark Cerny, the man behind the construction of the PS4, and now in charge of the next-gen console's development. While the look of the console remains a mystery, it internals are coming into focus, and they're very promising. That AMD one-two-punch of CPU and GPU unlocks the powers of ray tracing, an advanced lighting technique that can bring next-level immersion to gaming visuals. It's a Hollywood technique that's used in big-budget CGI spectacles, putting into context the level of visual fidelity you can expect. With 8K TV support comes far more detailed textures, and much larger ones at that. The news of a bespoke SSD drive will be heartening then – just because the games will be becoming more complex, that doesn't mean they'll be slower to load too. It's estimated that the new SSD is 19 times faster than traditional SSD storage methods. Audio will reach a new "gold standard" on PS5 too, according to Cerny, thanks to a new audio engine that will deliver immersive sound – particularly if you're using headphones. While the details remain unclear, expect something resembling the experience seen with a Dolby Atmos set-up. Death Stranding (Image credit: Kojima Productions) Sony's PS5 next-generation console will also offer improved cloud gaming performance and "dramatically improved graphics rendering" power. That's the word straight from the company itself, as it showed off a sneak peak during a corporate strategy presentation. In a statement sent out following the presentation, Sony said the "two keywords for the future direction of PlayStation are 'immersive' and 'seamless'", with the 'immersive' experience "created by dramatically increased graphics rendering speeds, achieved through the employment of further improved computational power and a customized ultra-fast, broadband SSD". The company also reinforced the importance of its cloud-gaming plans with Playstation Now, and somewhat surprisingly doubled down on its underused Remote Play feature, saying the "evolution" of this would in the future "provide a seamless game experience anytime, anywhere". Remote Play is already available as part of the PS4 package, enabling you to stream a game direct from the console to a computer, smartphone, tablet or PS Vita handheld console. But Sony says that going forward it will be "leveraging the latest computing, streaming, cloud, and 5G technologies" to allow it, and the performance of PlayStation Now, to improve. Sony also showed off a demo of the custom SSD storage system that will be employed in its next-gen machine, again hammering home how it expects super-fast load times to improve the player experience: It appears to be the same demo that PlayStation hardware architect Mark Cerny revealed back in April, with Sony suggesting then that the SSD in use is 19 times faster than a standard issue one. The meeting comes off the back of two key pieces of the puzzle for the PS5 being revealed – firstly, that the next-gen machine will make use of a third-generation, 8-core AMD Ryzen CPU built with 7-nanometer Zen 2 microarchitecture, alongside a customized Radeon Navi GPU capable of ray tracing, and a surprising partnership with Microsoft to bolster the PlayStation Now cloud infrastructure. Sony has also confirmed the PS5's 'incredibly powerful' backwards compatibility will let you play online with PS4 players. However, Sony remains tight-lipped about some specific plans for the PS5: the PlayStation 5 release date remains a mystery, for instance. 2019 has been ruled out, but it will definitely be revealed in the coming months, thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment's President and CEO Shawn Layden confirming as much in an interview with Golem.de. In addition, Sony president Kenichiro Yoshida had also previously confirmed the company is working on a next-generation console in an interview with the Financial Times. It's been four years in the making already. Back in May, Sony Interactive CEO John Kodera revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the PlayStation 5 would not be releasing until at least 2021. That now seems a reasonable guess, debuking a report from Ace Securities that claimed the PS5 could release as soon as Christmas 2019 - earlier than the Xbox Two. One such rumor is that the PS5 could be backwards compatible with the PS4, PS3, PS2, and original PlayStation, meaning its games library could stretch right back to the glory days of the mid 90s. The PS4 element of that rumor is now confirmed, as well as PSVR support. The rest of Sony's vintage catalogue? That remains to be seen. PS5 release dateSony PlayStation 4 (Image credit: Sony) With no official word yet on a PlayStation 5 release date, and Sony officially confirming it won't be at E3 2019, it's difficult to pin down exactly when we might get to see a PS5 console. Some analysts are predicting the PlayStation 5 release date could be around 2020 or 2021, for example, while others say 2019 – so just the three-year window, then. With 2019 now ruled out by the Wired interview, 2020 seems the most realistic launch window. Speaking to GamingBolt, Michael Pachter said that though he thinks the PS5 will be a half-step and will be backwards-compatible with the PS4 Pro, he doesn't think we'll see it until "2019 or 2020, but probably 2019". This speculation now seems entirely wrong – the early specs suggested by Cerny suggest a significant hardware leap forward, with the 2019 date now ruled out. More recently Pachter clarified this claim, saying that Sony would most likely release the new console in 2020. He added that at this time he thinks the PS4 Pro will become the base model PlayStation and will see a reduction in price. Meanwhile a recent report from Kotaku's Jason Schreier backs up this thinking. He spoke to a number of developers about likely release dates with most of the conversations pointing to a 2020 release. He writes: "There is information about the PlayStation 5 floating around at both first- and third-party companies, but it’s far more limited than it would be if the console’s release was imminent." Sony's new CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, also recently released a three-year business plan for the company which predicted the company's profits would dip in the run up to 2021. This is the kind of dip that may come as the PlayStation 4 reaches market saturation, before the launch of the PS5. So mark your calendars for 2020 and 2021 then...
PS5 competitionPS4 dashboard (Image credit: Sony) Although we're hideously impatient for news of a PlayStation 5 release date, we can't fault Sony for taking another few years to really milk the last of the PS4, given its huge and loyal player base. After all, the PS4 Pro is still relatively new to the market and its direct competitor, the Microsoft's Xbox One X, is an even more recent release. Thanks to recent leaks, we already know Microsoft is working on the next Xbox, which is likely to be announced at E3 2019. So it's likely Sony is also deep into development of the PS5. If we're honest, we can't really see any urgent need to start a new generation right now. And given Microsoft's growing commitment to backwards compatibility, we think it's key for Sony to really think carefully about its next steps. Despite Yasuda's report, a two to three-year wait make a lot more sense to us. However, it could be Sony is trying to throw Microsoft a sucker-punch from left-field by releasing earlier than expected. In addition, Slightly Mad Studios has announced it is working on a high-powered next-generation console called the 'Mad Box'. It's pedigree remains to be seen, but more interestingly is the reveal of Google Stadia – a streaming-focussed gaming service from the kings of the internet. With streaming undoubtedly set to be a key component of any console going forward, Google's expertise in internet infrastructure it them a dark horse entrant into the gaming race. PS5 news and rumorsGod of War (Image credit: Sony) Solid news on the PlayStation 5 is starting to come into shape, but as always, we do have rumors about what could be coming down the line – and we've collected and assessed them right here. Sony's cloud streaming patent In other words, a cloud gaming service which could rival the Google Stadia (or a cloud streaming new Xbox) and could potentially launch with the PS5. Players would be able to stream a game through a hosting server. So if you have a device that connects to the internet, be that a mobile device, console, or PC, you can connect to that server and the game you're wanting to play will be streamed to your monitor or screen, allowing can play using your preferred input device. Imagine Netflix for gaming. Rather than downloading a game, it is instead streamed directly to your device and you would play real-time, cutting the need to delete games to make storage room on your device and reducing the hardware requirements - although you wouldn't technically own the title. A diagram illustrating how the streaming service would work, included in Sony's patent (Image credit: Sony/ United States Patent and Trademark Office) Sony also points out that this cloud gaming service would benefit game developers as the service would prevent piracy (as the games exist only on the server) and developers would be able to design games to specifically utilize the service's capabilities. But how would player's pay for this service? Sony details two particular models in its patent. The first would see Sony itself collecting a subscription fee from users, then paying royalties to the developers. The second sees the developers themselves collecting a subscription fee from players, then paying Sony a fee for using the hosting service. However, neither model specified a price range. We expect Sony would implement this cloud gaming service alongside the PlayStation 5, although the company hasn't specified if this is the case. The next Xbox will be more powerful than the PS5 – according to industry insiders Check out the tweet below: Bowden's claim hasn't been confirmed, so it's worth taking it with a pinch of salt. However when asked by a speculative Twitter user about the sources of this information, Bowden replied that the informants "have been accurate for years on leaks". The Last of Us: Part 2 (Image credit: Naughty Dog) Patent suggests backwards compatibility Kenichiro Yoshida confirms next-gen Ace Economic Research Institute report The report estimates that "the introduction of the PS5 will be at the end of 2019". If this is true, then it'll be a massive blow to Microsoft who has confirmed the Xbox Two (codenamed "Xbox Scarlett") will not launch until 2020. However, Cerny's interview all-but-debunks that claim. We may see a PS5 by the end of 2019, but you certainly won't be able to buy it. PS5 game development is in full swing John Kodera talks life cycles During the meeting, Kodera made it clear that Sony is still very much behind the console but warned that sales are expected to slow, in line with expectations as market saturation approaches. As a console gets to this point in its lifecycle, it's natural to start looking forward to the next iteration. Kodera stated that the time passing from now until 2021 would be a period where Sony would hunker down – which suggests that a new big idea could be around the corner. Perhaps 2021 will be the time to expect the PS5? No E3 2018 appearance – and no E3 2019 showcase either Cyberpunk 2077 (Image credit: CD Projekt Red) Eurogamer tech analysis Even if Sony did manage to push its console out more quickly, the cost of production would make the PS5 far too expensive, making it more likely that we won't see the console released until the end of 2020, if Sony has any intention of making it an appealing proposition. Andrew House talks the next generation In other markets, however, he thinks that streaming games will be a big part of the next generation of consoles. House also stated that he thinks the PS4 and the PS4 Pro still have a long life in them yet. This doesn't necessarily cancel out the rumors that the PS5 will be with us in the next one to two years; if the reports that the console will be backwards-compatible are true then the PS4 generation will remain relevant long into the lifecycle of the PS5. Regardless, given that House was unwilling to comment on the PS5 despite being pushed, these details can only be considered speculation at the moment. The SemiAcccurate report In addition to this, SemiAccurate also reports that Sony will use this console to push its VR efforts even further, with VR-tech baked in at the Silicon level, and will sport a GPU based on AMD's Navi architecture with a CPU that's potentially a custom item from AMD's Zen line. The Navi rumors have since been confirmed by Cerny, with the Sony guru also confirming that PSVR will work with the new machine. PS4 on stage (Image credit: TechRadar) The PlayStation Plus news What the analyst says...DualShock 4 controller (Image credit: Sony) We spoke to Matias Rodriguez, VP of technology for the Gaming Studio at Globant, about what it will take for Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles to get the lead on the competition and, at this point, whether the next Xbox or PS5 looks to be more powerful. He told us: “While hardware advantages such as CPU and GPU are often criteria people look at when it comes to the business and sales performance of a console, more telling signs of the performance of a console include software SDKs, bindings to game engines (such as Unity and Unreal), and, most importantly, the toolchain that allows gaming studios and publishers to build content for the console’s platform. “Given this, and how statistically speaking, Xbox and PlayStation have taken turns being the reigning-supreme console, I predict Microsoft will take the lead this time.” But what are the key factors in the next-gen console war? Rodriguez gave us a rundown of the attributes he believes will sway players’ preferences when it comes to picking up one of the consoles. Exclusives “His crusade proved successful with the addition of Obsidian and Ninja Theory studio – preparing Microsoft for next-gen consoles. It was also revealed that Microsoft will be delivering the new Halo game, Halo Infinite, which is expected to outperform and replace the current Halo that is on the esports ecosystem.” Currently Halo Infinite is one of the only first-party titles from Microsoft that we're expecting on the next Xbox (apart from perhaps Gears 5), and, while the series is definitely a huge draw to fans, it may not be enough to sway PlayStation players towards the next Xbox. Meanwhile the PS5 is offering the possibility of The Last of Us: Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding as exclusives on its next-generation console. When it comes to exclusives, Sony seems to have the edge. Death Stranding (Image credit: Kojima Productions) Backwards compatibility “Microsoft already has the current functionality for back compatibility, and seems to be partnering with Nintendo to deliver Xbox content to the Switch platform, which is assumed to be streamed.” Microsoft definitely has the upper hand when it comes to backwards compatibility. As Rodriguez points out, Microsoft already has backwards compatibility integrated, allowing Xbox players to play select Xbox 360 titles, and will no doubt implement the same strategy in making the next Xbox compatible with Xbox One titles. While Sony has said the PS5 will be backwards-compatible with the PS4, it still lacks the ability (as far as we know) to let us play PlayStation or PlayStation 2 titles – something which would go down a treat with players. Whether this is something Sony plans on allowing in the future is unclear, but it doesn’t seem likely right now. Cross-platform / progression It’s no secret that Sony isn’t a fan of cross-platform – the only titles which actually allow for full cross-platform play between PlayStation and other consoles are Rocket League and Fortnite. Despite Sony claiming it’s “open for business”, some developers have accused Sony of “playing favorites” (via Kotaku). Whether or not Sony is going to ease up on its cross-play restrictions isn’t clear, but mounting pressure from fans and developers may sway the company in the right direction. Meanwhile, Microsoft is pretty open to cross-platform play, allowing play between Xbox One and PC, Switch and even mobile in some cases. For players who love playing online with friends (without the restrictions of which platform that friend may be playing on) then cross-platform could be an important factor in choosing a next-generation console. Get with the times, Sony. Th evolution of Tomb Raider (Image credit: Sony) Cloud game streaming While Microsoft does seem to be going digital with its disc-less Xbox One S All-Digital (and rumors of a disc-less next-gen console), Sony has just had a patent approved for a cloud gaming service that could rival both the Google Stadia and next Xbox. We don’t know much more about this streaming service from Sony (or whether it’ll launch alongside the PS5) but if it does then it will be a game-changer, and will potentially prevent the Stadia having the edge over its competition. Developer relationship / dev environment Arguably, Microsoft is the most friendly of the gaming giants when it comes to indie titles. The ID@Xbox program allows indie developers to self-publish titles for Windows and the Xbox One, and it’s likely the program will continue into the next-generation (or some form of it at least). In addition, Microsoft titles tend to run across both PC and Xbox One, making life easier for devs. If Sony can kick it up a notch and get the PS5 onto a PC level (which seems to be the case), then the platform may become more hospitable to devs and players alike. PS5: Can we have proper 4K gaming?PS4 games (Image credit: Sony) The PS4 Pro offers a tantalising hint of what 4K gaming could be like. But the stark fact remains: it still doesn’t have the grunt to do native 4K consistently. Its “checkerboard” technique of taking single pixels and using each to render four pixels in 4K resolution is clever, and it can do native 4K output, but it often has to sacrifice resolution to keep performance consistent. Chris Kingsley, CTO and co-founder of developer Rebellion, dangles an even more ambitious technological carrot in front of a putative PS5: “Obviously new hardware should be able to support 4K TVs and possibly even 8K TVs at a push!” Native 4K support will be a basic requirement of the PlayStation 5. And, thanks to the Mark Cerny's confirmation, 8K will be supported in some form too. But 4K base-line visuals won't be all – it's been confirmed that the new console will support ray-tracing graphical capabilities. The past two GDC events gave us a glimpse of what the next generation of games might look like using the technology, and it's left us extremely excited for the PS5. Real-time ray tracing was revealed to be the next big thing in rendering while Epic Games gave us a taste of how it might be used to create the most lifelike characters ever. Using its capture technology, the Unreal Engine creator displayed a future with character models so realistic they bring us close to crossing the uncanny valley. Watch a performance from Andy Serkis below to see just how capable these new development technologies are: “Honestly, between five and ten years from now, I don't think you're going to be able to tell the difference between the real and the virtual world,” Epic CTO Kim Libreri told GamesIndustry.biz, “You'll see hardware that can support these kinds of capabilities pretty shortly, and then, finally, the greatest blockbuster with the most complicated effects, within ten years, you'll be able to do that in real-time.” PS5: The VR effectMoss (Image credit: Sony) Sony became the first console manufacturer to embrace virtual reality, thanks to the PlayStation VR, but if you examine PlayStation VR closely – and observe how it operates on the PS4 Pro – it invites speculation about how a PlayStation 5 console might take VR to a new level. Sony's Mark Cerny has confirmed that existing PSVR headsets will work with the next-generation PlayStation console, but wouldn't be drawn into confirming a PSVR 2 release just yet. Currently, PlayStation VR operates at lower resolution than the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive – but, as it stands, even its current incarnation almost pushes the base PlayStation 4 beyond its limits. Running a PlayStation VR on a PS4 Pro brings improved frame-rates, which are very handy indeed in terms of the overall VR experience, but even the PS4 Pro can’t overcome the resolution constraints set by the PlayStation VR headset.
So it’s a good bet that, seeing as PlayStation VR has proved incredibly successful, Sony will want to return to the market with a second, markedly higher-tech iteration: which would provide an obvious selling point for the PlayStation 5. And if a PlayStation VR 2 headset could be sold without an external black box, it should be markedly cheaper, further accelerating VR’s march into the mainstream. A recent report from SemiAcccurate, which claims that the PS5 will have virtual reality capabilities built-in at silicon level, suggests this will indeed be the case – a feature that was hinted at by Cerny, too. PlayStation VR (Image credit: Sony) Rebellion’s Kingsley makes another good point about second-generation VR. “Anything that reduces the leads has to be a good thing,” he says. The umbilical cord which currently attaches VR headset-wearers to their consoles or PCs obviously goes against VR’s entire immersive nature, and we’re already beginning to see, for example, a third-party implementation for the HTC Vive that renders it wireless. Oculus is pushing the wire-free space forward to with its Oculus Go and Oculus Quest hardware. It’s a safe bet that the capacity for running a wireless PlayStation VR 2 will be built into the PS5. But Kingsley’s PlayStation VR 2 wish-list goes further: “Wide vertical and horizontal field-of-view would be top of my list, and of course, that would require 4K resolution per eye, and high dynamic range would be great too.” HDR and wider fields of view should be achievable but sadly, we don’t reckon full 4K VR is likely to be a possibility even for the PS5. As Kingsley points out, that would require 4K rendering per eye, which equates to 8K rendering overall, which we expect to be beyond the PS5’s capabilities. That said, perhaps Sony will find some clever technological bodge to get around that before it releases its fifth PlayStation console. Foveated rendering techniques, using eye tracking to render only the items you're focussing on in high definition while other elements are reduced in quality, could be one potential technique used. In addition, according to recently published patent (spotted by Upload VR), Sony is working on "prescription glasses with eye gaze tracking and electro optical signaling to a HMD". These Sony developed prescription glasses would be custom-designed for the wearer and gaze would be able to be detected by the VR headset via an encoded sensor. In other words, glasses-wearers could use VR much easier. We don't expect these glasses to come cheap, but the implementation of eye gaze software does mean we can probably expect it to arrive in the PSVR 2... Ratchet and Clank (Image credit: Sony) What form will the PS5 take?It has been suggested that future consoles like the PlayStation 5 could take radically different forms to current ones, thanks to advances in cloud computing and game streaming, doing away with the components that make today's devices so bulky. However, we reckon it's unlikely that Sony will take a more Nintendo-like approach and put the PS5 in a tiny box. One reason for that is that with the PS4, Sony has only just committed to using what are basically the innards of a PC – the first three PlayStation variants used proprietary components (and which in the PS3 impacted sales). Developers, certainly, were massively relieved that the PS4 took the PC route.
“Developers want the ability to make the best games using the minimum amount of effort. We want to focus on being creative and getting things to just work,” Kingsley says. “So the hardware should be based around current console hardware, which is in turn based on PC hardware. We always want fast CPUs and GPUs, but lots of fast RAM is also very important – it’s no use having fast processors if they are starved of data.” All the above are achievable, but will the PS5 still have a hard disk? It certainly will – but not the sort that you know currently. Sony has confirmed it will be employing a bespoke solid state drive in each PS5, allowing it to increase loading times by an estimated 19 times compared to existing SSD technology. It seems certain that Sony is very keen to hear what its community thinks – recently a group called PlayStation Voice sent out surveys to members of its closed community asking them what their expectations of the PS5 are. One community member posted the email they received and found themselves removed from the group for breaking its non-disclosure agreements. According to PSU, PlayStation Voice is a community run by third-party consumer insight agency, Join the Dots. Once information has been gathered, it's fed back to clients (the client in this case presumably being Sony PlayStation). Admittedly, this doesn't tell us much about PS5 itself, other than that things are likely to be still in the very early stages. While it's unlikely that Sony would use the information gathered from its communities to decide exactly which features will be included in the console, the ideas of fans can certainly spark a good deal of inspiration. PlayStation Now (Image credit: Sony) PS5 and streaming gamesOf course, if games were just streamed to the PS5 that high-res texture storage problem would disappear entirely, and Sony already has a game-streaming service in the form of PlayStation Now. However, we do know that Sony has a patent for a "system for combining recorded application state with application streaming interactive video output" (aka a cloud gaming service).
One of the biggest issues here remains around broadband speeds. Even 4K TV requires a minimum of 25Mbps broadband in order to provide satisfactory streaming, and it’s doubtful whether 4K game streaming – with extra information on top of the visual side – would even work reliably at such speeds. There would be nothing to stop Sony launching a small form-factor cloud-based version of the PS5 console for those with mega-fast broadband, perhaps with a mobile phone-style subscription model that has an upfront hardware costs (something Microsoft is thinking about). But for the PS5 to sell anything like its predecessors, there would have to be a conventional version with similar innards to the PS4, which going from the Cerny interview appears to be the case. Uncharted (Image credit: Naughty Dog) PS5: optical discs or not?The rise of downloadable games, which continue to eat into the physical disc market, means that pundits have been predicting that consoles will go discless for about a decade now. However, PS5 won’t be the first system to risk venturing down that road, with physical media still confirmed to be supported. Sony has taken a lot of (justifiable) flak for not putting a 4K Blu-ray drive in the PS4 Pro – making it a less attractive purchase for film and TV buffs than the Xbox One S or the Xbox One X. Surveys continue to show that gamers are still attached to the possibility of buying games on physical discs – not least because they can then sell them (a practice that the games industry hates), and keep hard disk space usage at a manageable level. If Sony were to axe the Blu-ray drive from the PS5, gamers would expect several terabytes of storage in compensation. Kingsley gives a developer’s view on the topic: “I think the days of delivering films and games via disc are on the decline, as most people are going digital; however, some people like physical discs, so who knows whether that decline will level out and remain present but at a lower level than now?” Download figures have been on the rise over the last year but EA CFO Blake Jorgensen has said that he thinks consoles and disc drives will continue to stick around. “Consoles and disc drives probably stay around for a long period of time [...] I think it's the consumer deciding what's the easiest way for them to buy a game. “And it may mean they no longer have a store down the street from them so they decide to buy it [digitally] maybe it's easier for them to do.” PlayStation 4 hardware (Image credit: TechRadar) PlayStation 4 (Image credit: Sony) So when can we expect the PS5?Given that the PlayStation 4 was launched in 2013 and Sony’s previous consoles arrived in six-year intervals, it would have been easy to project that it would launch the PlayStation 5 in 2019 at the earliest. The sort of technology available then should easily allow full native 4K games without saddling the PS5 with a massive price-tag and, by 2019, 4K TVs will be the norm, rather than the exception, in the average household. It appears, however, that Sony will be taking at least an extra year to refine its product and for the hardware it requires to mature. So perhaps 2020 might be the year in which Sony unleashes the PS5 on the world, as the first native 4K console with wireless VR... as long as Microsoft doesn’t get there first. What games can we expect to see on PS5?The entire PS4 library, including PSVR games, will be supported by the PS5. That much is known. But there are now games being developed specifically for this new PlayStation 5 console generation and the extra power it's likely to offer. Already we've seen CD Projekt Red mention that it's developing for this generation as well as the next, and alongside the rumors that there are already developers kits out in the open, we think there's a good chance that Cyberpunk 2077 will be one of the early PS5 titles. Likewise, a knowing glance from Cerny during his Wired interview pointed towards Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding being a cross-generation title, too. At this point, any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2, would be prime candidates for PS5 cross-gen upgrades. And, given the success of God of War, Gran Turismo and Horizon: Zero Dawn, it'd be crazy to assume anything but the possibility that their successors will be heading to the PS5. Either way, given what we now know about the PS5, the future of gaming with PlayStation seems very bright indeed. Check out our PS4 vs PS4:PSVR compared and explained video below.
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| The best Memorial Day sales 2019: a guide to the best deals so far Posted: 23 May 2019 08:18 AM PDT
The best Memorial Day sales:
Our best Memorial Day sale picks:When is Memorial Day 2019?Memorial Day is an American federal holiday that always falls on the last Monday in May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This year Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27, with the long holiday weekend kicking off on Friday the 25. When do Memorial Day sales start?Most Memorial Day sales start the week before the actual holiday on Monday the 20, and some retailers don't start their promotions till the weekend before. All sales will last through the holiday weekend, and most will end on Memorial Day. What are the best Memorial Day sales?The biggest categories discounted during Memorial Day include appliances, patio, mattresses, and laptops. Because Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, you can find discounts on several outdoor items such as grills, patio furniture, planters, and camping equipment. Retailers like Home Depot and Target are offering up to 40% off patio items.
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