Apple : Best true wireless earbuds: the best wireless AirPod alternatives around |
- Best true wireless earbuds: the best wireless AirPod alternatives around
- Chrome users can now give and receive remote support via the web
- Best gaming mouse 2019: the best gaming mice we've tested
- The best graphics cards 2019: all the top GPUs for gaming
- Marvel’s Avengers game: release date, news, trailers and rumors
- Best computer 2019: the best PCs we've tested
- E3 2019: everything we expect to see at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year
- Best computer speakers 2019: the best audio systems for your PC
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- Amazon Prime Day 2019: everything you need to know for the July deals event
- AMD Processors: the best AMD CPUs in 2019
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- Facebook could announce its own cryptocurrency next month
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- Stadia: everything you need to know about Google's game-streaming service
- Best cheap web hosting deals of 2019
- 5G: everything you need to know
- Acer's $20,000 Predator Thronos gaming chair is now available in Europe
| Best true wireless earbuds: the best wireless AirPod alternatives around Posted: 06 Jun 2019 01:21 PM PDT Headphone cables may be falling out of fashion. Wireless audio sounds better than ever, compression formats for Bluetooth 5.0 are more reliable, flagship smartphones are shipping without headphone jacks, and listeners of all kinds are starting to see the benefits of cordless audio. True wireless earbuds just go that extra step further. True wireless means there aren't any cables between earbuds, so there's no wire or neck band to contend with. Nothing to get tangled in your pocket or caught on your zipper, nothing to whack around your neck in the middle of that cardio class, and also nothing to keep your singular earbuds together. True wireless earbuds may be more expensive than simple wireless earbuds and tend not to offer noise-cancelling, but that additional upfront cost pays for the convenience of living cable-free. We have our picks of the best true wireless earbuds out there – but first, let's address the elephant in the room...
Image credit: TechRadar The second generation Apple AirPods, the AirPods (2019), aren't quite the AirPods 2 we were hoping for, but they still some cool features. They still feature the iconic design of the original AirPods (a good or bad thing depending on your point of view), and sound quality hasn't changed at all. The bulk of the upgrade comes from the new H1 headphone chip, which improves connectivity and battery life, and allows for a new ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature. The AirPods (2019) also come with an optional wireless charging case means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the case, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case. Like their predecessors, they are super easy to pair, but they are very much optimized for using with iPhones. The best true wireless earbuds give you more flexibility when it comes to your device of choice, and can offer superior sound quality – as well as sleeker designs. There’s also no getting away from the fact that these are an expensive pair of headphones, and for that kind of money we think that you can find better products elsewhere – especially if you're looking to pair with anything other than an iPhone. Read on for our favorite alternatives...
Image Credit: RHA Although the TrueConnect is RHAs first true wireless headphone, the company showed they did their research and development by making it one of the best true wireless headphones on the market today. The combination of sound quality, battery life, and wireless reliability means these are a pair of headphones you can rely on everyday. The Jabra Elite 65t set the standard for what true wireless headphones should be and, regardless of what RHA has done here with the TrueConnect, they’re still great headphones. Compared to the RHA TrueConnect, the Jabra has more features with its useful ambient noise mode to help with situational awareness and an app that lets you tailor sound. The RHA doesn’t have either of those features but we didn’t miss them, thanks to better sound quality and wireless reliability. The RHA also feels more like a premium product than the all-plastic Jabra. All said, if you’re shopping for a pair of true wireless headphones, the $170 (£150, about AU$265) RHA TrueConnect should be at the very top of your list. [Looking for a more stylish design? It comes at a price, but the Earin M-2 true wireless earbuds look as good as they sound.] Read the full review: RHA TrueConnect Image Credit: Jabra If you want a pair of high quality truly wireless earbuds that aren’t the Apple AirPods, then the Jabra Elite 65t should be at the top of your list. After spending over a month with them, we came away impressed with the well-rounded package that Jabra managed to create: The earbuds offer a subtle, mature look and a reliable wireless connection, which isn’t always the case with truly wireless earbuds. Plus, they sound great compared to the competition. If you only have the budget for one of these, go for the Elite 65t. Read the full review: Jabra Elite 65t Image credit: TechRadar The new PowerBeats Pro true wireless Beats headphones aren't exactly the earbuds analysts have been predicting, sure, but they are something special – they’re supremely comfortable, sound decent and seem to never, ever fall out. That said, they are - in our opinion - Apple’s best true wireless earbuds to date thanks to small additions like the pressure-reducing micro-laser barometric venting hole, their longer battery life and their superior sound quality. If we had to choose between wearing these and the AirPods around the house or office, these are what we’d wear. Read the full review: Beats PowerBeats Pro Image Credit: Jabra If you're more the athletic type, the Jabra Elite Sport are currently the ultimate true wireless earphones for runners and other kinds of athletes. There’s a heart rate sensor on the right earpiece, letting it monitor your exertion level as you exercise. A Jabra companion app lets you track your exercise, and you can kick off a workout by pressing a button on one earpiece, and the heart rate tracker is more reliable than most wrist-worn models... as long as you fit the Elite Sport buds properly. The Jabra Elite Sport don't perch in your ears, they fill them rather like a custom molded earphone. As a result, sound isolation is excellent and the fit is very secure. To sweeten the deal, Jabra recently updated the Elite Sport to boost stamina to a better-than-average four-and-a-half hours per charge – more than enough to get you through your weekly workouts – before hanging up the towel. Read the full review: Jabra Elite Sport Image Credit: Optoma The NuForce BE Free5 wireless earbuds show just how accessible truly wireless headphones are today. For around $100 (about £75, AU$134) they feature a more polished design than the more expensive BE Free8, and even sound better to boot. However, we found the left earbud would drop out briefly more than we’d like, and we hope NuForce can address this issue. The connection dropouts combined with the frustrating controls keep it from claiming the top spot on our list, but the BE Free5 offer undeniable value in the truly wireless headphone market. Read the full review: Optoma NuForce BE Free5 Image Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser enters the race with its Momentum True Wireless earbuds. An extension of its reputable Momentum range, these cordless buds offer Sennheiser's trademark high-fidelity audio in a gorgeously sleek package. You only get four hours of charge in the earbuds, but the carry case will be able to charge them two times over on top of that, giving you 12 hours in total when on the go. The main thing holding these back is the price: at £259 / $299 (about AU$400) they're almost double the cost of the Apple AirPods. You do get a range of touch-based controls to stop you reaching for your phone every time you want to skip or pause a track, but the act of prodding things in your ear could be more comfortable – while the volume control is oddly imprecise. Overall though, Sennheiser's first true wireless earbuds combine style and sound like few others. Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless review Image Credit: Sony Sony’s first pair of true wireless headphones, the Sony WF-1000X, were divisive. Some thought they didn’t offer enough bass. Others said they had too much. Some said they cut out or unpaired periodically. Others simply never had that problem. Criticisms came hard and fast from all corners of the internet and the only reasonable conclusion one could make after sifting through all of the noise was that the Sony headphones just couldn’t please everyone. Now, Sony’s second-generation true-wireless headphones – the Sony WF-SP700N – are here to try it again. These true wireless headphones are better tuned for the low-end and they’re stable in almost every situation. They still offer very modest active noise-cancellation tech and a sweat-resistant PX4 rating, and the new charging case is aesthetically pleasing if not radically different in functionality from before. Read the full review: Sony WF-SP700N Image Credit: Sony Considering it's still rare to get noise-cancellation in wired earbuds at all, the fact that Sony has managed to pack it into a pair that are not only wireless, but true wireless is very impressive indeed. The Sony WF-1000X manage to offer a level of noise-cancellation that's very good for a pair of earbuds – it won't offer the same isolation as a pair of over-ear cans, but if you're after a sleek form factor then the compromise is worth it. Beyond the noise-cancellation the earbuds continue to impress. Battery life is an acceptable three hours (acceptable for true wireless that is), with a further six provided by the charging case, and sound quality is rich and full. Our only real reservation with the headphones is an occasional spotty connection between the two earbuds themselves (which rarely lasts for as much as a full second), and a lack of volume controls on the earbuds themselves (instead your options are limited to playing, pausing, and skipping your music). Still, if you're after noise-cancellation and decent sound quality with your earbuds, then the WF-1000X are the way to go. Read the full review: Sony WF-1000X Image Credit: Bang & Olufsen Let’s get one thing out of the way – the B&O Beoplay E8 are one of the nicest-looking and most expensive wireless earphones you can buy. At $299 (£259, AU$449, AED 1,199) you can throw in a bit more cash and splurge for one of our favorite noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 35 $349 (£259, AU$499, AED 1,449), which give you better battery life and a richer sound. But if you’re looking for a something to take to the gym and have the cash to burn, then the Beoplay E8 might be just what you’re looking for. While you won't find noise-cancellation here, you will find a longer-lasting battery life of around four hours alongside Bluetooth 4.2. The E8 come with a stylish carrying case, and you can tweak the sound to your liking using the accompanying Beoplay app on Android and iOS. Even without tinkering around with ToneTouch, the E8 sounds crisp and clear. Bass feedback will depend on how snug you’re wearing the E8s, but was acceptable for earphones of this size. If you’re able to look past the price point, then then Beoplay E8 is a great investment. It’s super compact, offers great audio, and looks great – what more could you ask for? Read the full review: B&O Beoplay E8 Wireless Earphones Image credit: TechRadar It feels as though Samsung has finally got it right with the Galaxy Buds, and they represent serious competition for the Apple AirPods in terms of design, sound, and ease of use. We loved the pearlescent effect on the buds outer housing and the sleek design of the case, and we found they felt comfortable and secure. The sound quality offered by these true wireless buds is also very good indeed, with deep bass, and a wide open soundstage; although, audiophiles may want to look elsewhere for a more natural sound treatment, as the Galaxy Buds do sound very warm. The downside here is that other features that are available on the app like ambient noise and the equalizer presets are useful to have, but didn’t always work as effectively as we hoped. These features are also pretty much out of bounds for iOS users, as you can only download the app on devices running Android 5.0 or later.
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| Chrome users can now give and receive remote support via the web Posted: 06 Jun 2019 01:04 PM PDT Remote desktop applications have grown in popularity as they can be used to provide support remotely and with the release of Chrome 75, Google is making it even easier for users to get and give support to one another. The company recently announced that Chrome Remote Desktop is officially out of beta and now the service's remote support feature is available on the web. This means that users can now head to the new website and either give support or get support over the web without the need to install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension on their browser.
Clicking on the 'get support' option will generate an access code which the user providing the support will have to enter in their browser. This will give them the ability to interact with another user's computer right from a browser window. Remote accessWhile remote support is now available via the web, remote access will still require users to download and install the Chrome Remote Desktop Host app on their devices. The new web portal is not meant to replace the old host app but rather it gives even novice users the ability to quickly and easily get help from a more experienced family member, friend or colleague. Remote desktop applications can be quite pricey with many charging a monthly fee for access to their services. However, Google isn't trying to compete with programs like TeamViewer or LogMeIn Pro which are used by IT admins and businesses trying to access their work computers remotely. Instead, Google is providing consumers with a way to get help from a friend without the need to install and configure additional software.
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| Best gaming mouse 2019: the best gaming mice we've tested Posted: 06 Jun 2019 01:00 PM PDT When you own one of the best gaming PCs on the market, blowing most of your budget on your fancy rig, you’ll be tempted to just grab the cheapest mouse you can find at your local big box store. However, that isn’t wise. Gaming peripherals are a big part of how immersive and smooth your gaming experience is. The mouse you’re using, especially, can make or break your game, so you should put the same level of commitment into picking the best gaming mouse as you would with the bigger purchases. Everything attached to your powerhouse rig should be of comparable quality. Oh, and while you’re at it, you may want to pick up one of the best gaming mouse pads as well. As far as the best gaming mouse for you, keep an eye open for one that can balance price and performance, while packing in some unique features in between. There’s an age-old myth that the most expensive mouse on the shelf is going to be the best one, but that’s no longer true. Just take a look at the SteelSeries Sensei 310, for example – it has all the performance you could ask for at less than the price of a new AAA game. We put together a list of the best gaming mice we tested and reviewed in the last few months. No matter what kind of games you're into, you'll find the best gaming mouse to satisfy your gaming needs on this list. Be sure to keep checking back, as we'll be adding to this list throughout the year. Image Credit: TechRadar When it comes to the best gaming mouse, features, balance and performance are all there in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710, which easily tops our list. This heavyweight gaming mouse might be a tad pricey, but when you weigh that price tag against the customizable OLED display, haptic feedback (great for you MOBA players) and excellent build quality, the SteelSeries Rival 710 is easily worth the cash. The kicker? Everything is modular, even down to the sensor, so you never have to feel like you’re missing out on the latest tech. Read the full review: SteelSeries Rival 710 Image Credit: TechRadar The SteelSeries Sensei 310 is a gaming mouse like no other, both in terms of price and performance. The low cost of admission keeps it at about the same price that you’d expect to pay for a new AAA game, and with that, you also get its out-of-this-world TrueMove 3 optical sensor, making it practically impossible to compete with. This mouse, with no preference when it comes to dexterity, is a force to be reckoned with when comes to real-world sensitivity. You can even pick up the SteelSeries Rival 310 if you want similar performance, but a more right-handed approach to dexterity. Read the full review: SteelSeries Sensei 310 Image Credit: Corsair The best gaming mice are always going to be the ones that deliver excellent performance at a price that won’t burn a massive hole in your pocket. The Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for this ideal price-to-performance ratio. At less than 50 bucks, you’re getting a wireless mouse that has RGB lighting, touts a long battery life and doesn’t at all suck. The ergonomics are specifically for right-handed users, but at this price and with this level of performance, there’s little to complain about. Read the full review: Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless Image Credit: Logitech Aesthetically, you generally have two main options when you’re shopping around for the best gaming mouse: you can pick up a high-performing mouse that looks like it would fit in the office, or you can pick up a mouse that looks like something out of a Sci-Fi film. The Logitech G502 fits firmly in the latter category, with its robot-esque look. But, don’t let that intimidate you. With adjustable weights and a jaw-dropping 16,000 DPI sensor, this gaming mouse backs its Transformer-like look with excellent performance. It’s not perfect if you have huge hands, but beyond that, this one has our vote for the best gaming mouse on the market. Read the full review: Logitech G502 Hero Image Credit: TechRadar We’ve given the Roccat Kova Aimo high scores for solid build quality, customizability and great gaming performance that gets even better after some tweaking in the Roccat Swarm software. It’s white version looks uncannily like those scary robots from iRobot, but the solid black one is stunning and will definitely fit any set-up. Fans of LED lighting might find it wanting, but this gaming mouse’s ambidexterity more than makes for its very minimal flaws. All things considered, it’s one of the best gaming mice we’ve tested this 2019 so far. Read the full review: Roccat Kova Aimo Image Credit: Cooler Master If you’re looking to get the best gaming mouse for you while also save some cash at the same time, then get ready to eat that cake with the Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520, which is a terrific addition to your gaming set-up. It won’t win any beauty contests, but packing quality Omron switches and a reasonably sensitive sensor capable of up to 12,000 DPI makes it a smart purchase, which in turn makes it’s easy to look past the unappealing design – especially if you use a claw grip. Read the full review: Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520 Image Credit: TechRadar Have you been getting into the World of Warcraft: Classic beta? Then you’re going to want to take a look at the Razer Naga Trinity. Razer’s Naga mice have always been fan favorites in the MMO community, but the manufacturer didn’t just stop there. With the Naga Trinity, you’re getting three easily swappable side plates, so that you can configure your mouse to fit your preferences and the game you’re playing. Add in the insane 16,000 DPI sensor and Razer Chroma RGB lighting, and you’ll be topping the DPS meters in no time. Read the full review: Razer Naga Trinity Image Credit: TechRadar If you find yourself scoffing at some of the over-the-top looking gaming mice available in 2019, you should take a look at the HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB. Featuring extremely reliable Omron switches and ravishing RGB lighting – not to mention an impressive 16,000 DPI sensor – you’re scoring one of the best gaming mice for an excellent price. Plus, it’ll fit into any office, at least once you turn down the lighting effects. Read the full review: HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB Image Credit: Corsair Got big hands? We understand; most of the best gaming mice on the market are either too small or too light, or even a bit of both. To make matters worse (for you, at least), some of the big mice out there are loaded with gratuitous buttons and weird shapes that make them look like asylum-seekers from an alien robot planet. The Corsair Ironclaw is the complete opposite of that. It’s an attractive mouse for big-hand users, with a design that won’t make you throw it inside your desk drawer whenever you have company. It’s tough as well, which means it can handle some rough gaming, making it the best gaming mouse for you. Read the full review: Corsair Ironclaw RGB Image Credit: Michelle Rae Uy When you take stock of all its nifty features, it might shock you that the Gigabyte Aorus M5 only costs $69 and change. This looker is among the best gaming mouse of great value that we’ve gotten our hands on this year. It’s also highly customizable, and offers great ergonomics and fun RGB lighting. And, as far as features that will give you the gaming advantage, it boasts an adjustable weight distribution system, on-the-fly DPI adjustments and Omron switches tested for 50 million clicks. Those are just to start. If you’re in the market for a mouse that gives you more bang for your buck, this is it. Read the full review: Gigabyte Aorus M5 How to choose the best gaming mouseWhile you’ll definitely find the best gaming mouse of your gaming dreams, doing so will take a bit of time and some effort. There’s a ton of complicated technical jargon that goes into the best gaming mice – terms like polling rates and DPI ratings that a regular buyer might not be familiar with. For the record, you’ll want a higher number of both, but these two terms mean drastically different things. For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, when you see the term DPI, that is shorthand for ‘dots per inch.’ The higher the number, the wider the range wherein you can specify your how sensitive your mouse is. If you don’t have a lot of desk space available, but you still want accuracy and precision, then opt for a gaming mouse featuring a higher DPI rating. Of course, you can always toggle a lower DPI too. Meanwhile, a high polling rate means you’re getting faster response times. The polling rate is measured in hertz, so it usually ranges from around 125 to 1,000Hz. The latter means that your mouse’s position is reported to your computer 1,000 times per second. Other key gaming mouse factors you’ll want to consider are ergonomics – particularly if you’re left-handed – and RGB lighting. Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article
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| The best graphics cards 2019: all the top GPUs for gaming Posted: 06 Jun 2019 12:49 PM PDT Now that Nvidia Turing powerhouses like the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2060 have arrived, and with AMD expected to unleash several of its next generation AMD Navi GPUs at E3 2019, the best graphics cards are better than ever. But, that brings up an excellent question: is it worth it to splurge on an expensive flagship? Or, is a more budget-friendly graphics card, like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660, a better value? No matter what you choose, you should be able to use the best graphics cards to play the best PC games from Rage 2 to The Division 2. Keep in mind that the best graphics card for you will depend on what kind of PC you’re looking to build, and finding that perfect GPU can be a confusing process. Luckily, we’re here to help: we’ve gathered up the best graphics cards on the market, each tested and reviewed here at TechRadar. Before you go out to pick up that shiny new graphics card, we’ll help you decide on the perfect one for your rig. When Nvidia’s Turing cards started rolling out, we couldn’t help but balk at the high prices. However, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 turns things around, bringing value to the Turing lineup – or, at least, more value than what was there already. The RTX 2060 is already popular, due to the fact that it can handle pretty much anything at 1080p (or even 1440p) at max settings. What’s more, it’s also rumored to get a refresh alongside the RTX 2070 and 2080 at E3 2019. Of course, there’s also the fact that it’s the most affordable way to experience RTX features, well, as long as you stick to 1080p. Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 If you’re looking for the best graphics card, and compromising isn’t an option, you may want to consider the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Without a doubt, this is the most powerful graphics card money can buy without going for a professional graphics solution. And, especially now that games like Battlefield V and Metro Exodus actually use the RTX features, there’s never been a better time to jump on the ray tracing bandwagon. Just brace yourself for that price tag. Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti If you’re more interested in sticking to QHD and saving some cash, then RTX 2070 is the best graphics card for you. This mid-to-high-end card brings performance that dwarfs the GTX 1070 that came before. Not only will you be able to play pretty much anything in 1440p, but you’re going to get insane performance – up to 120fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. However, it’s worth noting that the RTX 2070 is more expensive than its predecessor, so that trade off in value may not be worth it, especially if you already have a Pascal card. Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 When Nvidia first released its Turing lineup, it was hard to find a model that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. However, with the launch of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti – more specifically, the PNY XLR8 Gaming OC model – next-generation performance became accessible to everyone. You won’t be able to do 4K 60 fps gaming with this card, but it’s absolutely perfect for anyone still using a 1080p panel. At that resolution, you’ll have trouble running into any title that will slow you down. There aren’t any RTX features here, but since there are only a few games that use them, that’s hardly a deal-breaker. Read the full review: PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC We’ve been waiting for a new high-end graphics card from AMD since 2017’s Radeon Vega 64, but a lot has happened in the graphics market since then – namely Nvidia Turing. With the AMD Radeon VII, Team Red wanted to reclaim a piece of the high-end graphics pie, and it largely succeeded. The AMD Radeon VII holds its own in 4K gaming, but it particularly excels in content creation. Packed with 16GB of HBM2 memory, the AMD Radeon VII can compete with much more expensive creative-focused competitors, making it one of the best graphics card 2019 has on offer. Read the full review: AMD Radeon VII If you’re all about the best VR games, you’re going to need the best graphics card for the job. And, nowadays, that honor goes to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Packed with the latest Turing architecture and the VirtualLink VR connector, you won’t have to worry about choppy VR performance that can make you feel ill. And, outside of VR, it should be able to handle all your favorite PC games at 1440p and 4K without breaking a sweat. Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Setting out to build a microATX or a mini-ITX gaming PC? Then you shouldn’t have to settle for a low-end GPU. Go for mini graphics cards like the Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini instead. Sure, it’s not the latest and greatest GPU out there anymore, but the 1080 Ti has a lot of juice left. Plus, when you can get that power in a card that’s only 211 x 125 x 41mm, the small loss in performance is totally worth the beautiful mini PC you’ll get. With all the fancy (read: pricey) graphics cards that’s dominating the market, the more budget-friendly products sometimes go unnoticed. That’s a shame, especially because cards like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 deserves its time in the limelight for delivering fantastic 1080p performance at a budget cost. With the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G, you’re also getting a healthy factory overclock and all the outputs you’ll ever need, so you can play all your favorite games and have several monitors attached. We’d call that a bargain, maybe even the best we’ve ever had. Read the full review: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G Any eSports player will tell you that high frame rates are far more important than beautifully rendered graphical details – and that’s where the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti shines. In a time where graphics cards cost as much as rent, it’s an affordable yet very potent GPU that can handle most eSports games well above 60fps. It’s a bit pricier than the lower-end Nvidia GTX 1050, but you’ll appreciate the extra power behind this card to play future eSports titles, as well as the odd AAA title. Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Images Credit: TechRadar
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| Marvel’s Avengers game: release date, news, trailers and rumors Posted: 06 Jun 2019 12:46 PM PDT After two years of secrecy, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are nearly ready to talk about their first Avengers game - or, as we know it, Marvel’s Avengers. An official Twitter account for the game not only unveiled the logo, but also confirmed that we’d see it in-action at E3 2019 during the Square Enix press event that takes place on Monday, June 10 as well as at large event with the game's developers happening at the E3 Colosseum. The best guess we have, at this point at least, is that Avengers is going to be a third-person co-operative action RPG - think Anthem and you’d be on the right track. We’ve heard rumors of Crystal Dynamics looking to hire a third-person camera designer, and a short post on the E3 Colosseum website confirmed that the game will feature both an expansive single-player and co-operative multiplayer modes. Details are still scarce about Square Enix’s big foray into the Marvel universe, but here’s everything we know so far, plus tons of rumors and predictions. Cut to the chase
Marvel’s Avengers trailers and screenshotsOutside of the logo tweeted out by the game’s Twitter handle, there hasn’t been much in the way of official art. What we do have, however, is the game’s first teaser trailer that came out last year. We’re expecting tons of trailers and screenshots to drop during E3 2019, so keep it locked on this space. What we want to see from Marvel’s Avengers at E3 2019Marvel’s Avengers will finally be revealed at the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference on Tuesday morning, the reveal will be the first time we get a glimpse at the title since the initial teaser trailer was released back in January 2017. Ahead of the big reveal, here is everything we want to see from Marvel’s Avengers at E3 2019: Gameplay More than anything, we want to see a deep dive on the gameplay that will form the bulk of our Avenging adventure. Information on gameplay has been scarce, but a recent leak on the E3 Coliseum website revealed that Marvel’s Avengers will feature “continuous single-player and co-operative gameplay”, and that players can “assemble in teams up to four players, master extraordinary abilities…and combine powers”. Though teaming up with friends, each playing a different hero, is hardly surprising in an Avengers game, what that actually looks like in practice we simply don’t know. One thing’s for sure, if Thor’s hammer throw is as satisfying as throwing the Leviathan Axe in God of War, we’ll be very happy Avengers. Focus on story Marvel’s Spider-Man blew us away last year with a story full of heart, characters we cared about, and some sensational performances to boot. Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics have a wonderful opportunity to deliver a narrative befitting the unbelievable roster of Marvel characters they have inherited. Avengers: Endgame, and the $2.7 billion it has taken at the box office is proof enough that people want to see engaging, character-focused, emotional stories about these heroes. The initial 2017 reveal promised a “completely original story”, and the pre-E3 leak reaffirmed that story focus by saying the title is “an epic action-adventure” with “cinematic storytelling”. The signs are positive, but the leak also emphasises the idea of a “continuous” game in an “ever-expanding world”. Could we be about to see an Avengers games-as-a-service? Recent games-as-a-service titles such as Destiny, Anthem, and The Division 2 aren’t exactly lauded for their top-tier narratives, so we’re hoping the reveal will confirm the experience won’t be diluted in favour of ever-lasting revenue. Screenshot taken from the E3 Colosseum website. Fresh, diverse range of playable heroes Decades of comics, and 22 movies over 11 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ensure fans are well versed on many classic Marvel heroes. While we love Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, we think it’s time to introduce some fresh, lesser-known faces in Marvel’s Avengers. A ResetEra rumour claims that Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, will play a pivotal role in the game, potentially being the driving force in ‘reassembling’ the Avengers. We’d love to see Khan take centre stage, perhaps even alongside other more recent Avengers, such as Iron Heart, Miles Morales, and Squirrel Girl. Why not? Expectations are high for our first look at Marvel’s Avengers, it’s been a long time coming and we can’t wait to get eyes on what Crystal Dynamics has been working on. Marvel’s Avengers will be revealed at the Square Enix E3 press conference on June 11 th at 2am BST.
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| Best computer 2019: the best PCs we've tested Posted: 06 Jun 2019 12:33 PM PDT The best computers are more advanced than ever before. They’ve evolved to the point of using eight (or more) core processors and super high-end graphics cards that can handle real time ray tracing, among others – things that would have been impossible only 10 years ago. So, if you want to stay on the cutting edge in 2019, you’re going to want one of the best PCs, even if all you do is go on Facebook and do online shopping. Lucky for all of us, the best computers are also more affordable than ever. These days, you can easily find a solid PC or even an all-in-one desktop for $500. Many of them will even last a lifetime, because the best computers will let you upgrade the components, making it easy for you to keep them up to date by slotting in new and improved PC components, like fast SSDs, more RAM or maybe even the best graphics card. Still, with so many options, choosing the computer most ideal for you and your needs can be confusing. So, we decided to gather all the best computers on the market, paying close attention to any that hit that sweet spot between price and performance. Here are our top picks for the best computers 2019 has to offer. The Dell XPS Tower, for lack of a better word, is stealthy. It looks quite similar to the type of PC that your parents had hidden beneath the desk when you were young, except sleeker and more modern. Plus, its plain exterior hides an exciting array of components. One of the best computers on the market right now, the Dell XPS Tower conceals up to a GTX 1080 graphics card, an 8th-generation Intel Core processor, and a spacious hard drive and/or SSD. Now, this excellent special edition PC is only available in the US, but our UK and Australian readers can pick up the regular Dell XPS Tower and beef it up to the same level through Dell’s configuration page – just with a different chassis. Read the full review: Dell XPS Tower Special Edition The Microsoft Surface Studio was the best computer for artists when it was first released, so it’s no surprise that its sequel follows in its footsteps. In fact, packed with a Kaby Lake mobile processor and Nvidia Pascal graphics, the Surface Studio 2 is way more powerful than the original, and should be able to handle everything you throw at it for the next few years, at the very least. It’s also inherited that gorgeous PixelSense display with Surface Pen support, allowing it to retain the accolade of the best PC for artists. Read the full review: Surface Studio 2
If you’re in the market for an excellent desktop experience, but you don’t have a ton of space on your actual desk, the Intel Hades Canyon NUC should be at the top of your list. This tiny bare-bones PC has an insanely fast 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and discrete-class AMD Radeon graphics. As soon as you throw in some RAM and storage to the mix, you’ll be able to conquer the best PC games without hassle. It won’t stand up against a full-sized desktop, but when you’re short on space – or you’d rather have a PC that looks like a set-top box – this is the best computer for you. Read the full review: Intel Hades Canyon NUC The Alienware Aurora R7 isn’t just one of the greatest gaming PCs, but it’s one of the best computers money can buy today. It boasts mind-blowing performance with its 8th-generation Intel Core processor and GTX 10 series graphics, and all that power is conveniently stored away in its appeal, sleek chassis. It’s even surprisingly affordable, considering the power on offer, not to mention easily upgradeable, despite its unique build. With the Aurora R7, Alienware continues its journey back to the top of the best computers. Read the full review: Alienware Aurora R7
If you’re on the market for a computer with an absolutely unbelievable amount of power, and will also look good in your living room, then the Corsair One i160 might be your new best friend. Packed with a Coffee Lake Refresh processor and Nvidia Turing graphics – not to mention a whopping 32GB of RAM, this computer is an absolute beast, and will chew through any game you throw at it, even on that nice 4K TV you just bought. Just prepare yourself; that steep price tag might send you reeling. Read the full review: Corsair One i160 It’s easy to associate Apple with inflated pricing, but your piggy bank will be spared if you just on the Mac Mini bandwagon. The Mac Mini 2018 isn’t just an attractive small form-factor PC; it’s also packed with high-end desktop parts, all of which are touted at a much cheaper price than any other Mac on the market. That makes it a wise purchase for anyone that already has a slew of Mac-ready peripherals, not to mention worthy of its best computer accolade. Plus, as opposed to Apple’s recent products, you can upgrade the Mac Mini… well, just the memory, but you can kit the Mac Mini with up to 64GB of RAM. Read the full review: Apple Mac Mini
Don’t confuse the HP Pavilion Wave for a fabric-woven Mac Pro refresh, because it is anything but. This compact Windows machine packs in 6th-generation Intel Core processors and optional discrete AMD graphics with a uniquely integrated Bang & Olufsen speaker. Wrapped in a handsome fabric exterior, this is the perfect PC to have on the desk, as it radiates crisp sound while you browse the web or watch movies. Read the first look: HP Pavilion Wave Some people have problems with desktop PCs, as they tend to take up a lot of space, but the Intel Core Compute Stick essentially makes that a non-issue. Looking more like a thumb drive than an actual PC, this tiny renegade can connect to any display with an HDMI input. It starts out with a lowly 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor running Linux, but you can configure it with up to an Intel Core m5 processor, making this one of the best computers to take with you, if you need to get some work done on the go. It is, after all, a computer that fits in your pocket. Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article Image Credits: TechRadar
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| E3 2019: everything we expect to see at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year Posted: 06 Jun 2019 12:29 PM PDT E3 is still a week away, and yet we've already seen some of its biggest games: In the last two weeks, we've heard rumors about a half-dozen games with one game - Watch Dogs 3: Legion - getting leaked to the public. While leaks spoil a bit of the fun, we'll still see plenty of new titles this time next week. There's rumors of a new Fable game, the first details of Square Enix's ambitious Avengers title and, if we're lucky, we'll get our first look at Microsoft's next-gen console. By the time the Nintendo Direct hits on Tuesday morning, we could be up to our eyes in new games coming later this year. That's because, no matter how it changes over the years, E3 is still the biggest event in gaming. Whether it’s held at a hotel, a convention center or somewhere out in Hollywood, it is the definitive industry event of the year, where gamers from around the world get together to see what comes next for consoles, handhelds, PCs, mobile phones and everything in between.
While we can't spoil all the surprises ahead of time, we can hopefully provide some insight - and some predictions - as to the games we’ll get to see at this year’s show. Officially, the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2019) will begin on Tuesday, June 11 and end on Thursday, June 13. Those dates, however, are just for the portion of the show held inside the Los Angeles Convention Center. In reality, the first big event of E3 2019 is the EA Play kick-off event that’s slated for Friday, June 7 at the Hollywood Palladium. While EA has told us not to expect a keynote speech, that Friday afternoon is the first time we’ll be able to play the publisher’s upcoming titles, as well as get some info about games coming out in the next year or two. Between EA Play on Friday and the opening of the show floor on Tuesday morning you can also expect a press event for Microsoft sometime on Sunday afternoon with a chance of Bethesda, Square Enix, Ubisoft and Nintendo announcing a keynote later. We expect to be in Los Angeles from Friday until Thursday, and gamers with an entry pass should try to do the same. FIFA 19 (Image Credit: EA) Keynote time: The EA Play livestream event kicks off at 9:15am PST, and ticketed fans are welcome to join EA Play at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday, June 8. EA has an early lead going into 2019 with its plans already detailed on the publisher’s website. To that end, EA says it will be hosting its annual EA Play event on June 8 with free tickets to be distributed shortly. What can we expect at EA's livestream event? Well, instead of a traditional keynote, EA is doing individual breakout sessions for each of its main franchises. Here's a complete breakdown of the event sent to TechRadar: 9:15am: Countdown to EA PLAY 9:30am: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Hosted by Greg Miller and Andrea Rene) 10:00am: Apex Legends (Hosted by Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez) 10:30am: Battlefield™ V (Hosted by Julia Hardy and Adam Freeman (EA)) 11:00am: FIFA 20 (Hosted by Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez) 11:30am: Madden NFL 20 (Hosted by Adam Rank) 12:00pm: The Sims 4 (Hosted by Andrea Rene) So what's going to be at the event downtown? According to a press release from EA on which games it’s bringing to E3 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn Entertainment will definitely be there. It's more than likely we'll hear about some addition to the Titanfall universe - either a second spin-off title or Titanfall 3 - as well as its plans to expand its successful battle royale shooter, Apex Legends. Elsewhere inside EA’s event we’ll see announcements for the next version of the Madden, FIFA, NHL and NBA Live franchises and, very likely, another expansion for The Sims 4 that might continue StrangeVille’s story-first approach. Less likely but still possible are new games from EA’s DICE studio, the developers behind the Battlefield and Star Wars Battlefront games who have yet to announce a project for 2019, as well as projects from PopCap (famous for Plants vs Zombies) and Ghost Games, the new stakeholders of the Need for Speed franchise. Last but not least, BioWare debuted a teaser trailer for Dragon Age 4 at last year’s The Game Awards, and while it's a longshot it'd be nice to hear something - anything - about its development at EA’s event. Final Fantasy VII (Image Credit: Square Enix) Keynote time: Monday, June 10, at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET After the long-awaited release of Kingdom Hearts 3 in early January, Square Enix has been fairly quiet. But that looks like that's going to change at E3. Thanks to a tweet posted to the Marvel's Avengers twitter in late May, we know we're going to see Crystal Dynamic's game at the show, as well as Final Fantasy VII Remake which recently had a key spot during Sony's last State of Play event. We also know that Square Enix is currently working on Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Nintendo Switch, as it was announced during a Nintendo Direct earlier this year, as well as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition. Outside of those games, it’s likely we’ll hear more about the next episode in Life is Strange 2, as well as DLC for Kingdom Hearts III. Square Enix might also use the time during its press event to talk about Just Cause 4 and Oninaki. ‘But is it too early to hear something about Final Fantasy 16?’ Yes. Yes, it is. Halo Infinite (Image Credit: 343 Industries) Keynote time: Sunday, June 9 at 1 pm PST, 4 pm EST and 9 pm BST As of right now, Microsoft is the only one of the big three console makers that’s definitely going to E3 2019. That gives Microsoft a bit of an advantage if it decides to debut its next-gen Xbox codenamed Project Scarlett, and it might be the reason why Sony is avoiding the show altogether. While we’re still not sure exactly what Microsoft is going to show us in terms of hardware, we're likely to hear more about XCloud, Microsoft’s new game streaming service and new updates to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service which has grown immensely in the last 12 months. Less likely, Microsoft could have demos of the HoloLens 2 in a similar setup to a few years ago when it paired the hardware with a demo of Halo 5: Guardians, but that’s on the far fringes of what’s likely to happen. In terms of games, we’re predicting that Microsoft’s first-party studios should be there in full force with new footage of Gears 5, Halo Infinite and, as always, a new Forza title. Last year Microsoft announced the acquisition of several new studios including The Initiative, Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games, so hopefully we’ll start to see some of the projects these companies have been working on. Elder Scrolls VI (Image Credit: Bethesda) Keynote time: Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 5:30pm PT Regardless of Sony's plans, we now know that Bethesda will be holding a showcase event at E3 2019, close in time to last year's event. To that end, you can expect to hear more about the developer/publisher's titles starting on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 5:30pm PT. So what can we expect to see? It’s almost a given that we’ll hear updates for legacy titles like The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76, two of the developer’s largest MMOs to date, as well as the previously Doom Eternal from partner iD Software. In between bombshell announcements, we’re also likely to hear more about Bethesda’s free-to-play and mobile offerings like Elder Scrolls Blades, which is due out later this year, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends, a free-to-play card game that’s in the same vein as Hearthstone. Unfortunately, those of us expecting to see new trailers for the next hotly anticipated entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise, Elder Scrolls VI, and Bethesda's ambitious sci-fi project, Starfield, are going to be disappointed. Bethesda Game Studios executive producer Todd Howard told a roomful of attendees at PAX East that it's still too early to talk about the games and asked everyone to "please be patient". Interested in attending in-person? Bethesda is giving out tickets via an online contest that will give out two tickets to you and a friend! Keynote time: N/A Sorry guys, unfortunately Sony is skipping the E3 festivities this year and has said that it will instead find another venue to showcase the games and hardware coming down the pipeline. That said, we won't rule out another State of Play event, like the one Sony held back in March. If that doesn't happen, well, we’ll just have to wait to hear more about The Last of Us Part II, Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima. Beyond Good & Evil 2 (Image Credit: Ubisoft) Keynote time: Monday, June 10, 2019 at 1pm PT (4pm ET, 9pm UK) Ubisoft will definitely be back at this year's E3. The developer-slash-publishing house has a lot on its plate for early 2019 including Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 as well as Trials Rising, both of which came out in the February-March window, but hasn't said what's coming later this year. The game we know the most about from Ubisoft that would likely be at this year’s show is Skull and Bones, the ship-focused combat game that looks to carry the torch from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft has yet to give us a solid release date for the game, but it’s likely that’s the sort of thing it’s saving for an E3 2019 keynote. It’s also likely we’ll hear more about Beyond Good and Evil 2 and potentially get our first look at the gameplay at Ubisoft’s keynote... but that could just be wishful thinking on our part. Beyond those two games, we’ve heard rumors that Ubisoft will announce three to four new AAA titles in between March 2019 and March 2020, but we can only speculate what’s to come. The only franchise that’s definitely not going to be there is a mainline Assassin’s Creed game as Ubisoft has said that it will be skipping a release in 2019. PC Gaming Show (Image Credit: PC Gamer) Keynote time: Monday, June 10, 2019 at 10am PT (1pm ET, 5pm UK) If you’re a PC gamer, you won’t want to miss the PC Gaming Show, which will make its fifth consecutive return to the convention. We’re not sure what to expect from the two-hour event, but if it’s anything like previous years it will feature a number of indie games that wouldn’t usually get time up on the big stage alongside hardware announcements. For folks at home, the event will be available to stream on twitch.tv/pcgamer, or on Facebook or YouTube or, if you're in town, it's open to the public with an RSVP at The Mayan Theater. At last year’s event we got the chance to see a number of new indie games like Neo Cab and Maneater, as well as some heavy-hitting titles like Stormlands from Insomniac and Warframe: The Sacrifice from Digital Extremes. We’re expecting some similar big announcements from this year’s show. The gaming world might be gearing up for a possible reveal of the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Two at E3 2019, but there's a lot in store for desktop gamers, too. Animal Crossing (Image Credit: Nintendo) Keynote time: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 9am PT (12pm ET) While Sony won’t be at this year’s event, Nintendo most certainly will - first digitally in a Nintendo Direct that usually airs Tuesday morning and then physically when its massive booth takes over West Hall. In terms of what games Nintendo is going to bring with it this year, the company says we’ll hear more about Pokemon Sword and Shield, as that’s due out by the end of 2019, plus the Link’s Awakening Remake and Mario Maker 2. We're hoping we'll also hear more about Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch, which was announced in 2018 and given a 2019 launch window, but there's no guarantee from Nintendo that we'll catch Tom Nook at this year's show. Beyond those core games, we know Nintendo is developing Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Fire Emblem Three Houses, the latter of which should be available in August unless it’s delayed. Nintendo could also use the time to show off its next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character pack. Either way, we'll find out more on June 11 at 9am PT. Keynote time: Confirmed, but TBD Last but certainly not least, we couldn’t leave out Devolver Digital, who has confirmed via Twitter that it would be posting another off-the-wall pre-recorded keynote which may or may not involve fictional CEO Nina Struthers. Expect it to be just as weird as year’s. Keynote time: Technically not a keynote, but the first Stadia Connect aired on June 6 at 9 am PDT While it's not technically part of E3 as it doesn't have a partnership with the ESA, Google has shown that it wants to be part of the big show by leading the week's events with a Google Stadia announcement. In a 25-minute presentation held on June 6, Google Stadia boss (and former Microsoft VP) Phil Harrison gave us our first tangible details about the new streaming service coming later this year. The TL;DW? Stadia will cost $9.99 per month and will allow you unlimited game-streaming in 4K HDR at 60fps. You can play on your TV with a Chromecast Ultra, or your laptop or desktop in a Chrome browser. You'll also be able to game on your smartphone... as long as you own a Google Pixel device. Want to know more about Google's ambitious venture into videogames? We've got all the details in our complete Google Stadia guide. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best computer speakers 2019: the best audio systems for your PC Posted: 06 Jun 2019 12:13 PM PDT While many people will tell you that using the best headphones is the only way to really get amazing sound through your PC, wearing headphones day-in and day-out isn’t exactly the most comfortable experience. For anyone else who feels this pain, a solid set of computer speakers is a fantastic alternative, and not just to give your earlobes a bit of a break. Still, like any computer peripheral, finding the best computer speakers for you 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 you start getting listener fatigue after only a couple of minutes, or is the sound nice and balanced? These are only some of the most essential questions to ask when shopping around for computer speakers Then you must consider what kind of setup is most ideal to you. Will you be sitting back while playing the best PC games like Rage 2, so that immersion (and explosions) is vital? Do you just want to binge your favorite TV shows? 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 sound so much better. Image Credit: Audioengine Though 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 subwoofer, but that’s hardly a deal breaker unless you need really deep bass. And if there were the case, there is an RCA output, so it’s a breeze to connect an external woofer. Image Credit: Logitech While they may be pricier than you’d expect to pay for the brand’s speakers, the Logitech Z623 is still very affordable, considering just what a sound superpower they are. The Z623 may look like your average set of speakers, but the subwoofer produces a thundering sound that can easily be dialed up or down depending on your preference. To top it off, these speakers also boast an impressive soundstage – with great highs and mids – making for a more immersive gaming and movie-watching experience. Image Credit: Logitech When it comes to computer peripherals, Logitech is certainly a household name, but the G560 takes the company’s speaker prowess 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 a doubt, one of the best computer speakers 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, not to mention stunning, 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 recoiling from that $500 price tag, but if you’ve got the tenders, then it’s worth it as the Razer Nommo Pro has a lot on offer. There’s the beefy down-firing subwoofer that’ll blow you away, and there’s 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 penny.
Image Credit: Harman Kardon If you look at the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III long enough, they’ll start to look like a family of jellyfish. These translucent computer speakers might look more to you like a modern art installation protesting the rising ocean temperatures, rather than a functional speaker system – but you’ll change your tune once you turn them on. This speaker and sub combo features booming bass thanks to its woofer, as well as very crisp highs. And you get that excellent sound at a decent price, making it ideal 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 a stunning speaker setup that not only has a nice aesthetic, but it also sounds great. The Luna, which comes in red, white and black colors, offers a powerful but well-controlled bass, as well as fantastic balance with sharp mids and good stereo separation. It even includes a nifty little remote control for convenience. 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: AudioEngine We know what you gamers are thinking: wireless speakers just won’t cut it for gaming when every millisecond counts. But here’s the thing about these things of beauty: they’ve only got about 30ms of latency, which is practically negligible as far as listening to audio, watching videos and doing casual gaming. For you competitive gamers out there, you’ll be happy to know that these also come with USB Audio and Dual Analog Audio Inputs as well, not to mention subwoofer output for that extra rumble. And since it is made by AudioEngine, you know the sound quality is top-notch. Image Credit: Klipsch The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speaker system offers excellent, versatile sound, so that whether you’re listening to music, watching movies or gaming, you’re getting the best computer speaker experience. These THX-certified speakers tout power, a wide frequency range of 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 in your living room.
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 fairly common in portable audio, is a rarity when it comes to computer speakers. There’s not a lot of bass, and there’s a bit of delay, but the audio quality is definitely 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 a built-in mic for conference calls. It’s, without a doubt, a great portable and wireless solution that’s affordable to boot.
Image Credit: Mackie The Mackie CR4BT promises professional-grade performance, which is a lot more than what the competition offers. But, it also has its share of drawbacks – including thinner mid range and high bass that 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. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill computer speakers, and they are excellent for multimedia creation and production-related work.
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| The best 13-inch laptop 2019: the top 13-inch laptops we've reviewed Posted: 06 Jun 2019 11:59 AM PDT These days, it’s hard to really get by without one of the best laptops, as they’re essential for so many reasons. However, there’s only one real reason to go for one of the best 13-inch laptops: they’re the ideal size. 15-inch laptops are too large, while anything less than 12-inches will leave you squinting. The best 13-inch laptops, on the other hand, hit that sweet spot – they’re perfect for getting your work done as well as watching movies on Netflix at the end of the day. We still love the Dell XPS 13, but it’s not the only choice out there. It wouldn’t be surprising that some folks would take to the new MacBook Air, or prefer the Huawei MateBook 13. Sure, the XPS is beautiful, but the other options are more than appealing as well. The best 13-inch laptops all excel in different ways. Still, the best 13-inch laptop for you will ultimately depend on your individual preference and needs. Do you just want a regular laptop, without any of the fancy bells and whistles? Or, do you need a 2-in-1 laptop that can switch to one of the best Windows tablets with just a flip of the display? Or maybe you want to skip Windows 10 entirely, and opt for one of the best Macs, backed up by macOS Mojave (or soon, macOS Catalina). No matter what your needs are, you’ll find a great laptop here, as there are many to choose from. Image Credit: TechRadar It’s not often that we run into a 13-inch laptops that ticks all the right boxes, without having to compromise on anything. The Huawei MateBook 13 is one of the very few that does exactly that. Packed with the latest Intel Whiskey Lake processors and Nvidia MX150 graphics in a chassis that really should be too small to handle them, the Huawei MateBook 13 is a powerhouse that will fit in most backpacks or a medium-sized tote bag. Even better, it’s affordable – what more could you ask for? Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13 Image Credit: TechRadar While its changes over last year’s model are subtle, the Dell XPS 13 is still one of the best 13-inch laptops. On the high end, the 4K display offers a sharper picture across the board. But, even if you can’t afford the top end model, the dashing design, lengthy battery life and SD card slot aren’t going anywhere – plus, you’ve got a quad-core processor no matter what poison you pick. No matter which configuration you go for, the Dell XPS 13 is, without a doubt, one of the best 13-inch laptops right now. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 Calling a laptop is beautiful might seem like a cliche; but just look at the HP Spectre x360, and you’ll understand why we can’t stop staring at it. This beautiful 13-inch laptop is packed with the latest Intel hardware, so you know it can get your work done. And that gem-cut build means it’ll get your work done in style. If that’s not enough, it can also be flipped around into tablet mode – it really is one of the best 13-inch laptops out there. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 Image Credit: TechRadar While the 13-inch version isn’t the most powerful Surface Book 2, it still makes for one of the best 13-inch laptops on the market. Whether you’re a professional or a creative, the Surface Book 2 will dominate your daily workload in style. What’s more, the dynamic fulcrum hinge is much more improved this time around, which only complements the robust quad-core processor. Plus, unlike many other 2-in-1 laptops, the keyboard is removable to make it much more manageable when you need to use it in tablet mode. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 Image Credit: TechRadar You may be expecting a gaming laptop, especially given Razer’s reputation, but the Razer Blade Stealth is one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy today. It’s thin, light, and packed with the latest Ultrabook-class hardware – including dedicated MX150 graphics. The 8th-generation Intel Whiskey Lake Processor makes this laptop a force to be reckoned with. Of course, that comes at a cost, but the sheer style and build quality might be worth it. Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth Image Credit: TechRadar If you’re looking for a thin, fast and svelte 13-inch laptop to lug around with you – and you don’t mind compromising on some premium features, then you’ll fall in love with the Asus ZenBook 13. Coming in at just half an inch thick and weighing just 2.5 pounds, this is the idea laptop to take with you when traveling. And, don’t think you have to give up on power with all this portability, either. The Asus ZenBook 13 boasts quad-core Intel processors, 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB SSD. Its combination of power, portability and style easily makes it one of the best Asus laptops around. The only thing you’re missing here is a USB-C port, but while it’s a nice feature to have, it’s easy to overlook especially on a laptop as stylish as this. Read the full review: Asus Zenbook 13 Image Credit: TechRadar No one likes change, we get it. Still, the 15.6-inch frame of the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin we once knew will soon be erased from our memories forever. On the bright side, the new 13.3-inch model doesn’t seem like an awful upgrade. It’s bounced two generations into the future in terms of processing power. And even though there are no discrete graphics, we’re happy to see a keyboard that can compete with some of the heavy hitters. It’s not going to blow your mind, yet as far as hybrid notebooks go, this one ain’t too shabby. Plus, it’s cheaper than a mid-range MacBook Pro. Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin
Image Credit: TechRadar The early Surface Laptop already had our vote for one of the best 13-inch laptops – it had a gorgeous screen, competent internals and fantastic build quality. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that the sequel, the Surface Laptop 2, does everything better. Yuu won’t find any radical changes, but the speedy 8th-generation CPUs, 8GB of RAM and most importantly, the removal of Windows 10 S all add up to make the Surface Laptop 2 one of the best 13-inch laptops right now. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2 While slightly bigger than your typical 13-inch laptop, this nearly 14-inch 2-in-1 contender has several aces up its sleeve – namely, longevity, power and durability. This means that the newest Lenovo Yoga C930 will last users a while for their day-to-day workload and some entertainment at the end of the day. To round it all out, this device also features a lovely display with deep colors, a solid keyboard and a decent trackpad. It may not have the best graphics performance, but it more than makes up for that, making it one of the best 13-inch laptops 2019 has to offer. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C930 Image Credit: TechRadar The MacBook Pro 2018 feels like the final form of Apple’s pro series laptop since its 2016 redesign. It keeps the thin and light design, while also bringing a wealth of improvements both to the hardware within and the Butterfly keyboard to making it quieter and more reliable. With this new keyboard, you won’t need to worry about it breaking because a piece of dust appeared under the spacebar. If you need an ultra-portable workhorse running macOS Mojave and can justify the cost, the 2018 MacBook Pro won’t let you down. Keep in mind, though, the model without the Touch Bar is still running last year’s hardware. Read the full review: MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid-2018) Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article
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| Amazon Prime Day 2019: everything you need to know for the July deals event Posted: 06 Jun 2019 11:46 AM PDT Get ready to mark your calendar because Amazon Prime Day 2019 is only a couple of months away. The tech giant hasn't officially announced the date, but based on previous years we know the big shopping event will be held in mid-July. Prime Day first launched in 2015 and has grown into the biggest shopping day of the year with Prime Day 2018 even surpassing Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Last year's Prime Day had 89 million visitors that logged on to the site with 100 million products purchased during the sale event. Globally it was the biggest day of sales in Amazon’s history, and we expect Amazon Prime Day 2019 to be even bigger. It didn't just increase in terms of territories or numbers, but the sale itself lasted longer too. Where 2017's Prime Day ran for only one day (well, 30 hours), 2018 ran for a day and a half (36 hours). We expect this year's sale to last even longer, so Prime members will have even more time snag the hottest deals of the year. Read on to learn what we can expect for this year's Prime Day and everything we've learned from last year's Prime Day. When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?Even though Amazon hasn't announced the exact date of the big day, we can take a pretty good guess based on previous years. Last year Prime Day went live on Monday, July 16 at 3 PM ET and lasted for 36 hours. Past years the event only lasted for 24 or 30 hours and happened between July 10 and 12. Thanks to the World Cup, Prime Day started later in the month last year. We predict this year they'll stick to last year's event date and start Prime Day on Monday, July 15. The big question is whether the sale will be extended beyond past years. Each year the sale has been lengthened so we're placing bets that Amazon Prime Day 2019 could be a record 48-hour event. Top Amazon Deals You Can Buy NowEven though Prime Day 2019 is still a couple months away, that doesn't mean you can't find stellar deals now from the tech giant. We've scoured Amazon's site to find the best discounts that you can take advantage of today. We'll be updating this page regularly, so check back to shop the best deals up until the big shopping day. What were the best-selling items from Prime Day 2018?Prime members around the world purchased more than 100 million products during the 2018 Prime Day event. The top-selling items from last year's Prime Day included a mixture of home goods, electronics, and Amazon devices. In fact, it was the biggest event ever for Amazon devices with the Fire TV Stick and Echo Dot leading the pack of best-selling items worldwide. The top selling products in the US from Prime Day 2018 consisted of the 6-Qt Instant Pot, Fire TV stick, Echo Dot, 23andMe DNA Test, and the LifeStraw personal water filter. Image credit: Shutterstock How can I sign up for Amazon Prime?To participate in the big shopping event, you must be an Amazon Prime Member. Your membership will not only let you partake in Prime Day, but you'll also have access to Amazon Prime movies, books, music, photos, and more. You can sign up here for a 30-day trial and cancel at any time. All you need is an Amazon account with a valid credit card tied to the account. Once you sign up for your free trial, you'll have access to all the Prime benefits, receive free two-day shipping and partake in the biggest shopping event of the year. What other retailers participate in Prime Day?Every year more and more retailers are trying to compete with the tech giant by participating in their own version of Prime Day. You'll find discounts on clothing, tech, home goods and more from a variety of online and local retailers. Last year Walmart joined in on Prime Day by offering free two-day shipping without membership fees and free same-day pickup on qualifying items. They also discounted a wide array of products that included TVs, Google Home devices, kitchen appliances, laptops and much more. Other big retailers like Target, Best Buy, Macy's and eBay also promoted their own one-day sale with discounts on best-selling items throughout their site. Amazon Prime 1-day deliveryAmazon just recently announced plans to offer free one-day shipping for Prime members on most orders. Amazon's CFO Brian Olsavky revealed the ambitious project during Amazon's first-quarter earnings call. To achieve this, the tech giant says they plan to invest $800 million in the second quarter of 2019 and continue its expansion of their fulfillment and logistics network. Amazon currently offers free 2-day shipping for all Prime members and offers free one-day and same-day delivery on certain items in eligible zip codes. Amazon's future plans include increasing the locations and available items so free one-day delivery replaces the standard two-day Prime delivery window. While we don't think the new one-day delivery will be rolled out in time for Prime Day, we do believe there will be more items available for one-day and same-day delivery in eligible zip codes for the big shopping day. Prime Day and Whole FoodsLast year Prime Day extended its sale from devices and electronics to discounts on groceries at the Whole Foods Market chain. Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 and Prime Day 2018 was the first time they promoted the big sale event at the grocery store. Savings included price cuts on popular food items and discounts for first time users of the grocery delivery service Prime Now. Amazon also offered $10 back in Amazon credits to use on Prime Day for members that spent $10 at Whole Foods. Amazon credit card users also received double the rewards when they used their card at Whole Foods during the week leading up to Prime Day. We expect this year to be more discounts on groceries in-store as well as promotions with the Amazon Rewards Card and Prime Now. How much money did Amazon make on Prime Day?Amazon was predicted to gross $3.4 billion on Prime Day last year, although we don’t know if that prediction is accurate as Amazon doesn’t release such information. However, it did announce that third party sellers shifted a billion dollars of product in just one day. As for its own sales, Amazon was content to say that “sales this Prime Day surpassed Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the previous Prime Day, when comparing 36-hour periods, making this once again the biggest shopping event in Amazon history.” That’s a little sneaky, mind you: last Prime Day only ran for 24 hours, not 36. What were the best deals on Prime Day?As ever, some of the best deals on Prime Day were on Amazon’s own devices. The Echo Show dropped from $229.99 to $129.99, the Echo Spot from $129.99 to $99, the Echo Dot from $49.99 to $29.99, the Echo from $99.99 to $69.99 and the Echo Plus from $164.98 to $99. There was a big drop on the Amazon-owned Ring video doorbell pro too, which went from $249 to $174, and on the Echo Look camera: that went from $199.99 to $99.99. Kindles and Fire ranges got deep discounts. The Fire Stick went from $39.99 to $19.99 and the Fire TV Cube from $119.99 to $89.99 (we told you it was worth waiting a few weeks before Prime Day) while Fire Tablets dropped significantly: the Fire 7 went from $49.99 to an incredible $29.99, the Fire 10 from $149.99 to $99.99 and the Fire 7 Kids from $99.99 to $69.99. There were good deals on TVs too. In the US, the excellent TCL TVs were massively discounted and better known brands such as Hisense were chopped too: for example Hisense’s 43-inch 4K TV dropped from $349.99 to $239.99. The best phone deal we spotted in the US was a big drop on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, which went from $799 to a much more affordable $549. Image credit: Amazon Why did Amazon crash on Prime Day? Did the crash cost it money?Amazon struggled to cope with traffic on Prime Day, an issue that affected not just the Amazon site but services such as Prime Video and Twitch. Customers found their shopping carts would suddenly empty, or links simply wouldn’t work, or they couldn’t access Amazon at all. The issues were largely confined to the US website and customers, although problems with Prime Video lasted well into the evening in the UK. Some sites got their calculators out and concluded that the worst outage, which lasted for 63 minutes, cost Amazon just under $100 million in lost sales. Amazon disagrees, saying that the effect on sales was “minimal”. CNBC has seen internal documents that describe what happened. First, it didn’t secure enough servers to cope with the demand; secondly, that shortage caused a “cascading series of failures” that knocked out key services; and thirdly, Amazon temporarily killed all international traffic to reduce the load. All of those things happened within the first 15 minutes of Prime Day. The outage wasn’t the only issue Amazon faced on Prime Day. There were also strikes in protest at the way it treats its workers. Why were workers striking and supporters urging Amazon boycotts on Prime Day?Prime Day wasn’t the first time Amazon has been accused of terrible working practices, but it was a great day to get the issue into the papers. Workers in Spain and Germany went on strike over working hours and conditions while activists urged people to send Amazon a message on Prime Day by boycotting it altogether over its treatment of workers and its tax arrangements. It was also marked by a surge in health and safety complaints from UK workers. As you’d expect, Amazon denies the allegations, with a spokesperson telling us: These allegations and the data are just not accurate — safety incidents in our fulfillment centers did not increase around Prime Day, they actually decreased from the previous week. We’re proud of our team and our workplace, and invite anyone to come see for themselves – we offer public tours of our buildings and you can learn more at amazonfctours.com." Amazon also told Wired that the Organise campaign behind the publicity was indulging in fake news. “To our knowledge, Organise doesn’t verify that respondents actually work for the company they claim to work for.” Image credit: Amazon What could Amazon have done better on Prime Day?It should have anticipated and been able to cope with the load not just on its ecommerce site but on its cloud services too: we weren’t the only ones irritated because we couldn’t get our Preacher fix on Amazon Prime Video. It’s all the more embarrassing when you remember that Amazon provides the cloud infrastructure for many high-profile sites and services: Prime Day wasn’t a great ad for that side of its business. Our main criticisms aren’t technological, though. Navigating the deals was hopeless and many of the deals were laughable, especially in gaming: we frequently found much better console bundles on AO.com’s eBay page than we did on Amazon. Here’s a great example. On Prime Day, one of the flagship deals we identified was $50 off a set of Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones. That brought the price down from $299 to $249. Just three weeks later, Amazon US was listing the same headphones for $169. Will Amazon Prime Day 2019 do things differently?Yes. CNBC reports that Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO of worldwide retail, has already demanded improvements to prevent a repeat the previous Prime Day’s capacity problems: “tech teams are already working to improve our architecture”. We’d like to think that Amazon will also improve the navigation and discoverability of its deals for Prime Day 2019, although we aren’t holding our collective breath: both factors’ general rubbishness didn’t stop Prime Day breaking all records, so there’s not much incentive for Amazon to change it unless it decides better navigation will drive significantly higher sales. But that's why we're here to show you the best Prime Day deals! It’s a safe bet that Prime Day 2019 will be longer. It’s already grown from one day to one and a half; further inflation seems inevitable. Image credit: Amazon What does all this mean for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?It’s clear that Amazon is prioritising Prime Day over Super Black Friday Deals Month or whatever convoluted name it’s going to give its Black Friday sales period in 2019: according to Digitalcommerce360.com, 67% of this year's Prime Day deals were lower than comparable deals on the preceding Black Friday. That’s not to say Amazon won’t take part in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It will, and it’ll offer the same kind of discounting that we’ve seen in recent years. But Prime Day is more important to the firm, and we’d expect its discounts to be deeper, especially on its own devices. Prime Day: why does it matter more to Amazon?There are some crucial differences between Prime Day and Black Friday. The first is that Prime Day is Amazon’s own day. It’s right there in the name, which of course refers to Amazon’s Prime membership programme and associated services. Amazon doesn’t own Black Friday, and that means ultimately it’s just another retailer shouting for attention – a massive retailer with a really loud voice, of course, but Black Friday is a sales event for the entire retail sector. It’s much harder for rivals to muscle in on something that Amazon has effectively created from thin air. The second and more important difference is that Black Friday doesn’t create new spending. It just moves it slightly. As we’ve discovered in recent years, the money people spend over the Black Friday period is money they were probably going to spend anyway: all Black Friday really does is concentrates pre-Christmas shopping in the last week of November. Prime Day spending is different in two ways. First of all, people aren’t spending the money they’d already planned to spend on Christmas presents. And secondly, they’re buying mainly for themselves, not for others. If you go back to the list of bestsellers there’s an awful lot of impulse buying in there: Instant Pots and Hue Lightstrips, frying pans and dishwasher tablets. This is new spending, not merely moving pre-planned spending. There’s another key benefit for Amazon. Its best-sellers on Prime Day weren’t just Amazon devices; they were Amazon devices that connect to Amazon services. Fire TVs, Kindle Fires, Echo devices, Alexa remotes. Each one of them connecting to Amazon Prime, and each one of them requiring a Prime membership to buy in the first place. So when Black Friday rolls around, Amazon will have a whole bunch of Prime members for whom shopping on Prime is the default, and who might want to enhance their Amazon-powered smart homes with Amazon-branded Black Friday deals. Prime Day means that for Amazon, Christmas now comes twice a year. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD Processors: the best AMD CPUs in 2019 Posted: 06 Jun 2019 11:36 AM PDT Over the last few years, the AMD vs Intel battle has heated up, thanks in large part to the best AMD processors. Now, while Intel has traditionally taken the CPU crown in the past, AMD has slowly been getting to the top of the pile, even outselling Intel in the desktop space thanks to Ryzen 2nd Generation. AMD looks to continue this trend with its Ryzen 3rd Generation processors, which were easily the star of Computex 2019. But, you don’t have to wait until July to get your hands on a worthy AMD processor, there are a ton available today, whether you’re playing PC games or trying to get some work done. So, we’ve went ahead and gathered up the best AMD processors you can buy today, from the budget Ryzen 3 2200G to the incredibly powerful Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX. And, because we’ve used all of these AMD processors ourselves, you can be confident you’re getting your money’s worth. We even included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you know you’re getting the best deal. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is our current pick for the best processor, period, as it manages to feature amazing performance at a reasonable price point. It’s not the fastest processor on the market, sure, but you’d be hard pressed to find an 8-core, 16-thread processor that boosts to 4.3GHz out of the box for a lower price. That’s not to mention the Wraith Stealth cooler that’s included in the box – one of the best CPU coolers we’ve seen included with a mainstream processor. Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X If you’re looking to play the best PC games without breaking the bank, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X will go a long way. With 6-cores, 12-threads and a boost clock of 4.2GHz, it should be more than enough for most AAA games at any resolution. You won’t be able to play something like Battlefield V at 200 fps, but when you’re saving this much cash, it’s hard to complain. Just make sure you pair it with a decent cooler, because it can get a bit toasty. Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X If you’re trying to build a home theater PC, the name of the game is finding affordable parts that don’t require a ton of power. And, with just a 65W TDP and a very approachable price tag, the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G is the best AMD processor for HTPC builds. This is a single-threaded chip, and doesn’t have the highest clock speeds, so it’s not ideal for gaming, but at this price point, it doesn’t need to be. Plus, if you’re just playing PC games in 1080p, you should be fine. Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Any burgeoning PC hardware enthusiasts are going to want to pay attention to this AMD processor. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950WX is probably the best intro to HEDT hardware you could ask for. It’s affordable (for an HEDT chip), and its 4.4GHz boost clock across 16-cores and 32-threads means that it offers formidable single and multi-threaded performance. It doesn’t come with a CPU cooler out of the box, but when you’re getting into this realm of PC hardware, it’s expected you bring your own cooler, anyway. Read the full review: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X This is it, this is the big one. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is the fastest AMD processor you can buy today, without dropping stacks on an Epyc chip. This absolute unit of a processor is packed with 32-cores and 64-threads, with a boost clock of 4.2GHz. Combine all that with the massive 64MB of cache, and you have one of the most powerful chips on the market on your hands. Just keep in mind, that with its 250W TDP, you’re going to need some serious cooling to keep temperatures in check. Read the full review: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
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| iOS 12.4 release date and all iOS 12 features explained Posted: 06 Jun 2019 11:22 AM PDT We're still not sure when the iOS 12.4 release date will be now that WWDC 2019 has come and gone, but we've got all the iOS 12.3.1 release date info to fill you in on what has changed in the latest version of Apple's iPhone and iPad operating system. We've also got a full list of all the iOS 12 features added from its launch last September to today – right before the iOS 13 beta changes all up again at the Apple WWDC 2019 keynote. iOS 12.3.1 is the latest stable version of the mobile operating system while we wait for Apple to launch iOS 12.4, but that release date is still officially unknown. While iOS 12.3.1 just introduced a few bug fixes, iOS 12.3 added a redesigned Apple TV app (making way for Apple TV Plus) and some behind-the-scenes bug tweaks, and before that iOS 12.2 gave us the Apple News Plus subscriptions and four additional Animoji. We've seen 70 new emojis, eSIM support and Group FaceTime in iOS 12.1 at the iPad Pro 11 launch last October. These are all stopgaps between last September's iOS 12 and the next major numbered revision, and a way to solve any iOS 12 problems, like that FaceTime glitch earlier this year. Apple's iOS releases have made its software stable and competitive in 2019 in the wake of the Google Android Q beta and increasingly great Google Pixel 3 camera. With iPhone sales still falling, that's increasingly important. Downloading iOS 12.3.1 right now or wondering if it's worth it? Here's everything that's gone into the software revision. Also, be sure to note our updated best iPhone guide (the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or iPhone XR are at the top of the line) or, if you're waiting, our iPhone 11 leaks page. What's the difference between the latest phones showcasing iOS? Watch our handy explainer to find out: iOS 12.4 release date
The Apple Card is coming soon, and it may be ushered in with the iOS 12.4 update. So far no changes have been reported in the beta software, even though Apple is up to iOS 12.4 beta 3 for developers as of today. When is the iOS 12.4 release date? No one knows for sure, and the WWDC 2019 keynote came and went on Monday, June 3 without a new version of iOS announced. Of course, iOS 13 got a lot of stage time with a bunch of new features, but we're still looking forward to whatever comes along with the interim upgrades in iOS 12.4, but it's anyone's guess when that will come. iOS 12.3.1 bug fixesShortly before WWDC 2019, Apple released iOS 12.3.1 - which was signal enough that we weren't getting a full-featured update any time soon. The interim version included mostly bug fixes. These included fixing issues that blocked Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and a couple Messages kerfuffles. The first let some messages reach you even if you'd enabled Filter Unknown Senders, which should be fixed, while the broken link to report those erroneous junk messages should be fixed. iOS 12.3 offers minor changes
Before iOS 12.4, we had a very minor iOS 12.3 update that solely focused on Apple TV. It changed up the layout and threw in some new 'Apple TV Channels' that so far include streaming extras HBO, Showtime and Starz in the US, in case you want to subscribe through the iOS ecosystem instead of into it separately. Under-the-hood are fixes minor, but annoying iOS 12 bugs, specifically if you were having trouble with VoLTE calls and iMessage filters. iOS 12.2 update features list
Apple gave us something we didn't expect from the iOS 12.2 beta: Apple News+, an enhanced version of the Apple News app that includes magazine and newspapers. Apple News+ access includes access to over 300 publications, but requires iOS 12.2 and a $9.99 per month fee (good news, you can share it with your entire family). The first month of access is free, so Apple is hoping to lure iPhone, iPad and Mac users in like it did with Apple Music. The other big change to iOS 12.2 is the addition of four new Animoji:
With these four, there are now a total of 24 Animoji, not counting all of the customizable Memoji characters you can make. As of iOS 12.2, you can ask Siri to play videos from your iOS device on your Apple TV, according to Apple's official release dates. Most of the other minor design changes happen within Control Center. For example, you'll notice that the Screen Mirroring button is no longer represented by a triangle with a floating rectangular box on top of it. It now shows two rectangles overlapping each other. It makes a lot more sense. More useful is the fact that the Apple TV shortcut button in Control Center leads to a virtual remote that takes up the entire length of the screen. That's helpful if you have an Apple TV or Apple TV 4K, or have an AirPlay 2 compatible 4KTV and lost your remote. iOS 12.1 and iOS 12.1.4
While the newest iOS 12.1.4 update is the stable version you should download, the last time we got front-facing features was with iOS 12.1. It launched on October 30, the same day the iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 were unveiled. There are four important iOS 12.1 changes: 70+ new emoji Group FaceTime Portrait Mode bokeh effects eSIM support – kind of iOS 12.1 fixes bugs The top iOS 12 features1. iOS 12 makes your old iPhone and iPad faster
iOS 12 focuses on reliability and performance with this update, and it supports all of the same iPhones and iPads that iOS 11 worked with. Apple highlights the iPhone 6 Plus, specifically, saying iOS 12 makes this phone 40% faster at launching apps, 70% faster at launching the camera app, and 50% faster at displaying the keyboard. Keyboard typing and other routine features on older iPhones can slow down with every new iOS update, and Apple is looking to change these pain points with iOS 12. This makes your existing iPhone and iPad more reliable, and your older devices can be used by family members, or will be more sellable – they don't have to sit in a drawer because they're too slow. 2. Grouped notifications
Grouped notifications are a part of iOS 12. This is a small, but very important tweak (maybe the most important in the iOS 12 update) because it changes the lock screen alerts you see each and every day. It binds together notifications by message threads and topics, making it easier to see everything at a glance. Right now, individual notifications in the morning are a big pain to check as they pile up. 3. Memoji and changes to Animoji
Memoji is a customizable mask that can look like you – or the real you, according to Apple. It still resides in Messages. You can select hairstyles, eye color and accessories like earrings and sunglasses. Like Animoji, this is a feature for newer iPhones in the X lineup as it requires Apple's TrueDepth front-facing camera. Animoji is expanded, not just with new masks, but with tongue detection and wink detection. Ghost, Koala, Tiger, and T-Rex will be joining the cast of Animoji masks. 4. Automatically enter those pesky security codesTwo-factor authentication is great, except the annoying task of entering six-digital security codes sent to you via text feels like a chore. iOS 12 fixes this issue. As soon as a security code is sent to your device as a text, it'll automatically pop up within the suggested words in the keyboard interface. All you have to do is tap it. It makes life just a little easier when you're locked out of Dropbox. 5. iOS 12 allows for more than one Face ID faceFace ID on iOS 12 supports more than one face within the Setting menu labeled 'Face ID & Passcode.' Look for the 'Set up an Alternative Appearance' sub-menu to add a second look. This is helpful for two reasons: You can either allow a partner to have access to your iPhone or iPad with Face ID, or you can add your alter ego to make sure Face ID unlocks your phone no matter what you look like today, tomorrow or the next day. 6. Siri Shortcuts can find your lost keys, more
Siri is smarter. If you set up Siri Shortcuts, a brand new app, It‘ll know that “I lost my keys” means to ring your Tile tracker. Sure, Tile is a handy gadget, but getting to the slow app is a pain when you've lost your keys. An integrated Siri is a game-changer for both Tile and our peace of mind. Siri Shortcuts go far beyond this example. Apple allows for all sorts of formulas. The app can suggests coffee orders from the place you always order from, and nudge you to message contacts to tell them you're running late. There's also Kayak-based flight information you can call up via voice. By pressing the add to Siri button, you can then say “Travel plans” and Siri will read back information such as your hotel address. Apple's IFTTT-like Siri Shortcuts app launched alongside the final iOS 12 software. However, not all shortcuts will be found in the new app. Some companies, like the aforementioned Tile, will host shortcuts within their own app, so look out for that. 7. Group FaceTime (now launching later)
Group FaceTime is coming to iOS 12 with up to 32 participants, and you go directly from a group chat to a group FaceTime in the Messages app. Update: Apple has delayed the launch of iOS 12 Group Notifications, according to release notes indicating that it'll come out this 'fall'. To us, that sounds like an iOS 12.1 launch – like Apple Pay, Apple Cash, AirPlay 2 and other features didn't make it live on day one in previous operating system updates. People can drop in and drop out at any time. The interface is filled with tiles that can expand, and 'the roster' along the bottom for everyone else in the Group FaceTime chat. When people start to speak, their window gets bigger, even if they're in the bottom roster of participants. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and you can even answer on the Apple Watch and HomePod with just audio. Animoji is coming to FaceTime and Group FaceTime. You'll of course need to update to iOS 12 and an iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or an iPhone XR to make that magic happen. 8. Screen time – using your iPhone less
Screen time is Apple's way of limiting your iPhone usage – calculating how much time you're spending on apps, which apps you use the most, and which apps are sending you the most notifications. Screen time doesn't lie. For those without self-control, Apple has created app limits. You can set your own limit, with a notification letting you know when time is almost up. A 'Time is up' message will display when you've reached your self-imposed-Siri-assisted limit. Parents can create limits for kids with Allowances, time-of-day-based downtime controls, and category controls. Education and essential message apps can also be greenlit thanks to an always-allowed settings. The best part? Setting limits for your kids uses Family Sharing, so you can manage it all remotely from your parental device – no need to get hold of your 12-year-old kid's phone to execute on these new iOS 12 controls. 9. Do Not Disturb goes visual in iOS 12
Apple has expanding its Do Not Disturb capabilities with a cleaner 'Do Not Disturb During Bedtime' mode. It'll silence not just the notification delivery sounds, but also the visual notifications clutter that can distract you when you're trying to sleep. The lock screen remains clear until you unlock your iPhone in the morning. You can allow certain apps to break through, just like with DND mode right now. Apple refers to these as critical alerts, and they're opt-in. We really like the solo DND notification hanging out on the lock screen. It's peaceful without distracting visual clutter at night and it reminds us that DND mode is on. All notched iPhones don't have the DND icon at the top, so it was always hard to tell before iOS 12. 10. Instant Tuning for axing notifications
Instant Tuning is an iOS 12 feature you'll love if you've ever gotten a notification from an app you always seem to dismiss (HQ trivia, breaking news alerts, etc), but don't have time to turn off future notifications in the many submenus of Settings. Apple is allowing you to control individual app notification profiles right from the lockscreen, without making you leave what you're doing. Deliver Quietly is an option within Instant Tuning, and it'll allow you to choose to have notifications delivered silently Notification Center by default so you’re not interrupted by alerts on the lockscreen. It's a nice in between option. Siri helps clean up your messy lock screen with notification delivery suggestions based on how you interact with notifications. Siri will understand which notifications it should deliver prominently and which ones to send to Notification Center. It's like iOS 12's version of 'clean up your desktop' system nudges. 11. New 'Measure' app and USDZ file format
'Measure' is getting its own AR app. It uses the iPhone's and iPad's sensors to measure objects in front of you, including suitcases, as shown in the first iOS 12 demo. All it takes it just tap-and-drag along the edges of the object on the screen. It also automatically detects the approximate dimensions of a photo – we've used it to buy a photo frame when we couldn't find the old-fashioned tape measure. iOS 12 to the rescue. For AR developers, Apple has created a new file type called 'USDZ.' The company worked on USDZ with Pixar, and Adobe is supporting it, too. The file format can be shared across FIles, Mail, Messages and Safari. This is an important step forward for developers working on AR apps. 12. Apple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and CarPlay
Apps are indeed getting updates with iOS 12, starting with Apple News. There’s a new Browse tab and a sidebar for better navigation. Stocks is finally being rebuilt with a helpful news design, complete with charts and Apple news headline integrated into into stocks. The top stories will be business news curated by Apple News editors. Voice Memos has come to iPad (as well as macOS), and it’ll get iCloud support, long overdue changes. Now you won't have to AirDrop conversations between devices in order to listen back. It'll also be easier to assign names to voice clips thanks to an overhauled Voice Memos redesign. Apple Books is the new name for iBooks, allowing you to pick up reading where you left off and a new store interface to browse buy ebooks and audio books. CarPlay now support third-party applications, with Waze and Google Maps appearing on-screen. Apple didn’t call out the Google-owned apps by name, but they were there on the screen. This was a major highlight of iOS 12. 13. Some NFC features work even with a dead batteryApple delivers a clever trick with NFC, allowing you to use a metro pass or student ID in the Wallet app, even if your iPhone has a depleted battery. Express Cards with power reserve ensures you're not stranded outside of a train station or a dorm room because there's still some low-level power in your phone. This is one of our biggest fears for users who routinely rly on NFC. Apple solves this, and though there's not enough power to give you visual feedback, when you touch your dead iPhone to an NFC-equipped terminal and you'll get a haptic response. And like magic, it works. Just don't expect this new feature to work with Apple Pay. That requires Face ID, so you're going to have to possess a powered-on smartphone for that to work. 14. Closing apps in multitasking mode is easierFor 12 and 13, iOS 12 fixes some irksome features we hated about iOS 11. They're the kind of problems only first-year iPhone X users will know about. Closing open app windows in iOS 12 is easier. All you have to do is slide up on an open app to dismiss it from the multitasking menu. iOS 11 had us press down on the app until a bunch of red close icons appeared over top of each app, and then to tap those little red icons to dismiss the app. That was unpleasant. 15. Accidental screenshots are less commonWhenever we picked up our iPhone X, we'd always press the volume up and power button accidentally, which is the new 'take a screenshot' button combination on iPhone X. Apple has disabled this action whenever the phone screen is off. Our iOS 12 Photos app is no longer going to be filled with errant screenshots on the daily. 16. ARKit 2 and multiplayer gaming
iOS 12 cements Apple as a leader in augmented reality (AR) with the arrival of groundbreaking multiplayer capabilities it calls Shared Experiences in ARKit 2. These multi-user virtual environments allow for multiplayer gaming and experiences through iPhones and iPads. iOS 12 creates a more collaborative (and competitive) way of experiencing AR. Lego demoed a four-player game at WWDC in June, pledging that it was in when it came to Apple's “creative play possibilities.” Players were involved in building up an AR town. It was like The Sims was reimagined for the future. ARKit 2 opens up AR to hundreds of millions of users, according to Apple, and that makes iOS 12 the broadest AR platform in the world. We got a taste of AR last year, but multi-user virtual environments bring more advanced tools and gameplay. 17. Camera app changesSmart DHR is reserved for the A12 chip-equipped iPhone XS and iPhone XR phones, but iOS 12 also tweaks the default camera app on older devices with new tricks. First, the Portrait Lighting mode (on newer iPhones with dual-lens cameras) looks more natural. The software will be able to define crisper edges by more effectively separating a person from a background scene. Apple is also allowing third-party apps to use the software to separate the foreground and background. Second, it's the end of an era for our how to scan a QR code from your iPhone and iPad guide. The default camera in iOS 12 makes QR code reading automatic. Third, while not part of the camera app, RAW photos can be imported and managed on an iPhone and iPad, with the bonus ability of editing RAW photos on an iPad Pro. 18. Photos app is now smarter with iOS 12
The Photos app expands its search capabilities in an effort to compete with Google Photos. It recognizes photos by event now and indexes them accordingly. Apple says it takes into account over four million events, citing the Aspen Ideas Festival as a very niche example. This lets you search by event without any thankless manual tagging. Searching by event joins other smart suggestions, including filtering by people, places, and relative dates (searching via Siri works with all of these and is quite handy in our experience). The iOS 12 Photos search capabilities have also been broadened to let you use multiple search terms at once. Seeking "dog, animal" should weed out all of your gourmet hotdog results (this is a real problem we just tested at TechRadar). A new tab 'For you' is a part of the iOS 12 Photos app, and it's filled with personalized suggestions on how to improve and share your pictures. Sharing has gotten smarter, letting you share at full-resolution and suggesting who to share these photos with. Share back suggestions is a neat feature that lets you send photos to a friend, and it uses machine learning to poke them to send photos they took to you. Bonus: iOS 12’s photo sharing features uses iMessage's end-to-end encryption. 19. iPad switches to iPhone-like gesturesIt's confusing owning both an iPad and a new iPhone X right now because returning to the home screen and opening Control Center are executed by different gestures. The iPad takes cues from the iPhone X with the iOS 12 update: swipe up from the bottom to return home and check Control Center by pulling down from the top right-hand corner. This may be a prelude to the iPad Pro 2018 that's rumored to include Apple's TrueDepth camera for Face ID, Animoji, and Memoji. 20. Siri translates new languages, learns motorsport scores
Try asking Siri to translate something into Spanish. It works, and with iOS 12 it'll be even more robust with over 40 language pairs to aid your international travels. So far, Siri will translate English (US) into Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish. We really hope Siri will be able to translate foreign words into English. That may have to wait for iOS 13. Siri will also learn the language of motorsports, per se. Asking for Formula One and NASCAR information will have Siri recite live standings, schedule, roster and stat info. Food knowledge and celebrity facts are also part the Siri update. Right now, asking "How healthy is fish" gives a smatter of search results and requires opening up Siri. In the future, a specific answers about food will come from the USDA database, citing calories, vitamins, and how healthy the food is overall. Password hunting is now within Siri's grasp, letting you search any saved passwords, according to Apple. This applies to both apps and websites. 21. Pinpoints 911 calls in the USYou won't have to worry about reciting your exact location when calling 911 in the US thanks to iOS 12. It'll pinpoint your whereabouts during emergency calls. Apple says it'll "automatically and securely" share your iPhone location with first responders, but only with them and only during such emergencies. It's an effort to reduce response time, yet maintain your privacy. 22. iOS 12 compatibility
iOS 12 will run on all devices that have its 64-bit chipset. It'll work on the iPhone 5S and newer, while the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 are the oldest iPads that are compatible with iOS 12. That's means this update is supporting 11 different iPhones, 10 different iPads, and the sole iPod touch 6th generation, still clinging to life. It’s the broadest support for a software update Apple has ever offered, and this is one of the biggest advantages Apple has over Android phones. 23. Weather app warns unhealthy air qualityApple's official weather app contains new messaging that indicates air quality in cities. This is where Sunny, Cloudy, and Partly Cloudy messaging usually sits. iOS 12 puts it in a spot where you'll see it more regularly, as opposed to a separate air quality app. The forecast New York City as of writing this, for example, tells us that the area has 'Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups'. People with asthma therefore may want to stay indoors. When did iOS 12 launch?
iOS 12 released on Monday, September 17 following the iPhone XS launch event, where Apple announced the official launch date. You can now download it. There were actually three phases to the iOS 12 launch: one for developers, one for public beta testers, and one final version launching in mid-September. First, the developer beta launched at WWDC and got more frequent refreshes, but it was early software. You have to be a registered Apple developer, which costs $99 for the annual membership. It's for people who like to tinker with Xcode and make apps. Second, iOS 12 public beta launched on June 25 and was completely free. It was less problematic than the developer beta. The downside? It was always one step behind what the developers have access to. Third, the final software, meant for everyone, launched on September 17. There's no need to jump through hoops to enroll in a beta. iOS 12 is now here in its final form, right in time for the iPhone XS release date. That's a wrap for new iOS 12 features. The two biggest highlights were Grouped notifications and Group FaceTime with Memoji. Of course, Group FaceTime is not due to launch just yet, which means an inevitable iOS 12.1 and more updates for us to write about. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Many businesses 'still not achieving benefits of cloud' Posted: 06 Jun 2019 11:17 AM PDT Despite the rise in cloud adoption, two-thirds of large enterprises have yet to realize the full benefits of their cloud migration journeys according to new research from Accenture. The company surveyed 200 IT professionals from large businesses around the world to compile its “Perspectives on Cloud Outcomes: Expectation vs. Reality” report which suggests that the cloud migration journey is more complex that many businesses anticipated. The vast majority of companies surveyed reported that they had achieved some level of their desired cloud outcomes with overall satisfaction levels exceeding 90 percent on average. However, only around one-third of companies reported that they had fully achieved their expected outcomes across cost (34%), speed (36%), business enablement (35%) and service levels (34%).
Senior managing director of Accenture Cloud for Technology Services, Kishore Durg explained why businesses need to approach their cloud migration journeys strategically and with patience, saying: “Like most new technologies, capturing the intended benefits of cloud takes time; there is a learning curve influenced by many variables and barriers. Taking your cloud program to the next level isn’t something anyone can do overnight — clients need to approach it strategically with a trusted partner to access deep expertise, show measurable business value and expedite digital transformation. Also, if IT departments fail to showcase direct business outcomes from their cloud journeys, they risk becoming less relevant and losing out to emerging business functions, like the office of the chief data officer, that are better able to use cloud technologies to enable rapid innovation.” Realizing the benefits of a cloud migration journeyWhen asked about the barriers to realizing the benefits of cloud, respondents identified security and compliance (65%), complexity of business and organizational change (55%), legacy infrastructure and application sprawl (43%) and lack of cloud skills within the organization (42%) as the barriers holding them back. To overcome this barrier, Accenture's report suggests that IT teams consider having a managed service provider run cloud services on their behalf with 87 percent of the surveyed executives saying they would consider the use of managed cloud services. The report also found that the cloud model employed by organizations appears to have an influence on their ability to capture expected cloud results. Companies using private clouds tend to lag behind their counterparts employing public cloud or hybrid models when it comes to fully achieving their expected outcomes (28% vs. 42% and 38% respectively). Kishore added: “Our Accenture research also shows that when it comes to cloud technology, the more clients consume, the greater value they’ll see in return. Specifically, as clients expand their use of cloud applications and footprint across different functions, divisions and geographies, they’ll increase the areas to which the technology can bring value; in short, the more widespread your adoption, the greater the value lift, creating an upward curve in return on investment.”
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| Facebook could announce its own cryptocurrency next month Posted: 06 Jun 2019 10:00 AM PDT Public interest in cryptocurrency could be set for a rebound as social media giant Facebook is planning to announce its own digital coin later this month according to a new report from The Information. Last year, the company appointed former PayPal executive David Marcus to start exploring possible opportunities with blockchain and this led to speculation that it could be developing its own cryptocurrency for use on its platform. Anticipation has grown since then and several media outlets have reported that Facebook is indeed building its own digital currency called GlobalCoin which consumers would be able to store, trade and exchange for regular currency through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Surprisingly, The Information's report also revealed that the company is planning to release physical machines similar to ATMs where users can buy its cryptocurrency in person. GlobalCoinFacebook has repeatedly faced pressure from privacy advocates and lawmakers over its advertising business which is why launching its own cryptocurrency could make sense as way to diversify its revenue streams. A digital coin would also be an easy way for Facebook's 2bn users to pay for items on its Marketplace and exchange money between countries at a much lower price or perhaps even for free. During this year's F8 developer conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg also made a point to highlight how important of an area payments is to the company. According to the report, Facebook has even begun to solicit third-party organizations to act as nodes that will help manage its cryptocurrency. However, this privilege comes at a steep price and the company has discussed charging each node organization $10m. Cryptocurrency nodes are utilized to resolve the complicated mathematical equations needed to validate transactions and while they are typically decentralized, Facebook is planning to create a foundation with named partners to help manage its new digital coin offering. Via CNBC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best free blogging site of 2019 Posted: 06 Jun 2019 10:00 AM PDT Free blogging sites have come a long way in recent years, and it’s now easier than ever to create a professional-looking blog to share a hobby with likeminded people, express your opinions, and establish an online presence. These free blogging sites are aimed at hobbyist bloggers – blogs are created and managed online, and hosted on the blogging platform’s own servers. If you want to create a self-hosted blog, the downloadable version of WordPress is an excellent option, with total flexibility, support for third-party plugins, and as much storage as your hosting plan allows. If you're interested in making a static website rather than an online journal, take a look at our guide to the best free website builders. Wix makes it dead easy to design and realize your blog, and you can do a lot more besides Wix has a range of paid-for subscription plans, but also a free offering, although it’s best to note upfront that this has some caveats. With the free product, your site will have Wix branding, and you’ll be limited to 500MB of data transfer per month, so it’s not for heavily trafficked sites. You also only get 500MB storage, too, so bear that in mind. You are, however, free to build a blog with an unlimited number of pages, and where Wix really shines is with its powerful blog functionality. The editor may be simple, but you get access to all the stuff you need – from image galleries through to videos and music – and there are a ton of ways to customize a post. There’s also a lot of flexibility in the way you can schedule posts, and neat touches like being able to set things up so that posts are automatically pushed to Facebook when they’re published. For instance, you have a feature called WiX Bookings, that allows customers to schedule appointments and classes right on your website. And what makes Wix truly compelling is on top of this, you get the run of the rest of what this website builder offers aside from blog support. That includes using Wix’s ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) editor to make building your site a snap even for novices, plus impressively diverse support for various different types of media, and quality customer support to boot (yes, even on the free plan). As of recently, Wix introduced Wix Turbo, which increases the speed and performance of websites considerably. When you consider what you’re getting for nothing, the bandwidth and data limits don’t seem like such a heavy set of shackles. And you can always upgrade at a later date if you want to break free of them in the longer run. Try it online: Wix Powerful and highly customizable, WordPress is a brilliant platform for blogs of any size, and bloggers of any level of experience. Creating your first blog is very straightforward, with a simple wizard that guides you through the process of choosing a name and suitable theme. You can leave it there and begin writing posts immediately, but the real fun lies in the more advanced editor, which lets you customize virtually every aspect of your blog’s appearance. Unlike some blogging sites, WordPress isn’t a drag-and-drop affair, and you’ll have to familiarize yourself with its system of menus. It’s well worth the effort, though, and enables you to create something truly personal. The editor also lets you create static pages – like a writer’s biography, for example. The post-writing interface is much like an ordinary desktop word processor (though some options are presented in a toolbar at the top, while others are in a menu at the side, which can be a little confusing at first). Again, time spent getting to know the interface is rewarded with advanced features like customizable social media sharing buttons, geotagging, and the ability to pick a custom style for individual posts. Sometimes you might want to create a photo gallery, for example, and other times a more text-focused style would be more appropriate. You can also view and edit the HTML source. As your blog grows, WordPress lets you track its stats, including page views, visitors, likes and comments over time. You can also see how readers reach your site, which content they viewed, and where they are in the world, so you can tailor your content accordingly. Your site is hosted on WordPress servers, with an address in the format yoursite.wordpress.com. Users of the free service don’t get email or live chat support, but the WordPress community forums are very active and questions are usually answered within a few minutes. Additionally, privacy protection for domains that are registered at WordPress.com is free. WordPress displays ads on free blogs, but provided you can live with that, it’s a top-notch solution for a free blogging site. Try it online: WordPress Blogger has been around for many years, but has kept up with current trends and technology, including responsive blog templates Blogger is another superb blogging platform. It’s not quite as powerful as WordPress, but more accessible for new users, which comes as no surprise when you learn that it’s owned by Google. Blogger offers an excellent selection of templates, all of which include mobile versions optimized for smaller screens – a very sensible addition with so many people accessing online content through smartphones. Blogger’s post-editing tool is much like WordPress, but offers fewer options. As a result, its toolbars are less confusing – a trade-off between power and usability. One of Blogger’s best features is its integration with other Google apps and services. For example, it uses your Google Drive account to store images and other files for your blog. Google Drive gives you 15GB of space free, so Blogger is a good choice if you’re planning to share a lot of high-res photos. Spam comments are a big problem on blogs, so Blogger’s automatic spam filter can help save your sanity. You can monitor comments via Blogger’s dashboard, which also lets you see visitor stats. There are some handy visualizations here, including a world map to show the global distribution of your readers. Your blog will have an address in the format yoursite.blogger.com, and, like all Google services, will include ads. Support is available through the Blogger user forum, which is very active but has a strange layout that can be a little off-putting. In all other respects, Blogger is brilliant – one of the best free blogging sites if you prioritize ease of use over flexibility and are a fan of the Google ecosystem. Try it online: Blogger Weebly takes a modular approach to blog building, with a drag-and-drop editor that lets you choose which elements to add to your site, and where. Pick a basic template, then plonk various types of content onto the page, including social media links, text, images, maps, and sections of code. It’s a refreshingly simple way to build a blog that feels unique to you, but doesn’t require any messing about with menus. It’s worth noting, however, that certain content blocks can only be positioned in certain areas; it isn’t a total free-for-all. This makes sense – forcing you to stick within the confines of your chosen template stops the page looking messy – but you might find it limiting. Blog posts are made in the same way: drag text boxes, picture frames, buttons and page breaks into position, then click to edit them. One particularly nice feature is the ‘secret draft link’, which lets you preview your unpublished post, and even share it with others via email before releasing it into the wild. Weebly has some other interesting tricks up its sleeve too, including an area for pasting in Google Analytics tracking code (though it doesn’t offer analytics itself). You’re only given 500MB for uploaded content, so photographers might want to look elsewhere. Weebly puts an ad in your site’s footer, but it doesn’t obscure any of your content. Try it online: Weebly Penzu is a personal blogging tool that lets you create your own private diary Whereas the other free blogging sites are designed to get as many eyeballs on your posts as possible, Penzu is the equivalent of a locked diary stashed in a safe. Penzu is a journal platform that makes your posts private by default and locks them down with at least one password (even after you’re logged in, you need a second one to read or edit your posts). That’s because it’s designed for private thoughts and personal reflection. There are free apps for iOS and Android that enable you to update your Penzu diary anywhere, but the contents are for your eyes only. Penzu isn’t a tool for self-promotion, so although it’s far from ugly, it understandably focuses on function rather than looks. Custom colors and backgrounds come at a price – currently $20 (about £14, AU$25) per year. It’s a shame that 128-bit AES encryption is also limited to the paid-for version, and there’s a fair amount of pressure to upgrade. Extra options are often dangled under your nose then yanked away, but the core offering is a good one, and if you simply want a place to record your thoughts and practise writing, Penzu could be just what you need. Try it online: Penzu
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| Google Stadia will feature The Division 2 and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Posted: 06 Jun 2019 09:59 AM PDT Google has revealed just some of the games coming to its Google Stadia game-streaming service along with the first solid details on subscription services. During Stadia Connect, Google announced games coming to the service will include The Division 2, the upcoming Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Mortal Kombat 11, Baldur's Gate 3 and Rage 2 (alongside many, many more). However, no firm release date was given for when the service will launch. Check out the video below: What about internet connection?Image credit: Google Google states that, at the highest quality, Stadia will run games in 4K HDR at 60fps with 5.1 Surround Sound. This is based on a connection speed of 35 mb/s. But what if your internet connection isn't quite that fast? Google assures players that they can still enjoy Stadia with lower connection speeds, with a 10 mb/s connection allowing you to stream games at 720p. It's not ideal, but it's something. Google Stadia will apparently run on tablets, TVs and the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL without the need for a console - all you need is a monitor. The Stadia will run via your Chrome browser on most devices, the Stadia app on smartphones or through the Chromecast plug-in on TV. If you don't want to purchase the Google Stadia controller then you can play with either mouse and keyboard or any supported controller. Stadia Pro and Stadia BaseImage credit: Google Google also revealed the first details of the Stadia's subscription services. The premium Stadia Pro subscription will cost $9.99 (about £8, AU$14) a month and will allow members to access regular content that is added to the Stadia library. In addition, Stadia Pro membership will allow games to be streamed in 4K HDR at 60fps in 5.1 Surround Sound. Stadia Pro also allows members to access the full Destiny 2 experience including the base game, previous add-ons and all DLC up to and including Shadowkeep. You'll even be able to transfer your Guardian from another game to Stadia (though not PS4 apparently). However, there is also a free option: Stadia Base. Base allows you to individually purchase games on Stadia without subscribing to the monthly fee (but you won't get the same streaming quality). Google Stadia Founder's EditionImage credit: Google Google is offering the Stadia Founder’s Edition bundle for those who wish to get their hands on the service earlier than everyone else. The bundle costs $129 and is only available for a limited time. Here's what comes with it:
If you want to buy an extra controller (which come in clearly white, black and wasabi green), you can purchase one for $69 (about £55, AU$99). This will be available in: US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Finland, and Denmark. However, Google has said it wants to roll it out to more countries from 2020 onwards. Google Stadia gamesImage credit: Ubisoft Here's the full list of games confirmed for Google Stadia so far:
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| Stadia: everything you need to know about Google's game-streaming service Posted: 06 Jun 2019 09:57 AM PDT Imagine a world in which you don't need expensive gaming equipment to play the next big release title. A world in which all you ever have to do to start gaming is open up your browser, select a game and start playing – no lengthy download required. This could soon become a reality if Google's cloud gaming service, Stadia, delivers on its promises. Bringing you great gaming from Chrome tab to 4K, 60fps game, in five seconds. No installation required. The service, which was announced at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, got a proper unveiling ahead of E3 2019. In a 15-minute presentation starring Google Stadia boss Phil Harrison, we learned just how much the service will set us back ($9.99 per month for unlimited games) and just how good of a connection we'll need (35mbps for full 4K HDR/60fps). At launch, Google has promised that Stadia will support desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones - but just the Pixel series to start - without the need for a hardware box, instead running on Google's own data center. So far, Google has promised that Google Stadia's cloud computing power is the equivalent of a console running at 10.7 GPU terraflops, which is more than the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X combined. This could be a total game-changer. Cut to the chase
How Google Stadia worksThe best bit about Stadia is that as long as you've got a stable and fast internet connection, and you're using a recent version of the Google Chrome browser, you've got everything you need to get up and running. Playing a videogame on Stadia is as simple as opening a new tab up in Chrome and going to the service's Stadia.com homepage, or even jumping from a YouTube video link about the game. To get started, Google will prompt you to run a connection test that checks your internet bandwidth, the latency between your computer and the servers, and any data loss. Google requires a streaming rate of 15Mbps, latency below 40ms, and data loss below 5%. With these requirements met, you’ll be ready to dive into a game. The beta of Project Stream offered Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which is nothing short of a demanding title. When you launched the game in your Chrome tab, it would go fullscreen, and run exactly as if it has been launched on a proper gaming computer (except without a deep graphics settings menu). You can play with a keyboard and mouse or connect a game controller and play that way. All of your inputs on the computer get sent over to Google’s servers, processed in the game, and everything happening gets streamed right back to you. This is why that latency is so important, because you can’t have a good game experience if everything you do in the game shows up a second later. The limits of Stadia are still being detailed, but Google has stated that Stadia will eventually be able to scale up to 8K / 120+fps frame rates, with 4K/ 60 fps play as the norm. That's way above the standard bar for quality PC gaming.
What you're effectively doing here is opening a new tab that pipes all your inputs to a high-end gaming PC that streams back the visuals and audio to your computer screen. This system is simpler than some others, which set you up with a virtual desktop that then remotely runs Steam, Origin, Battle.net, or what have you. In the case of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Stadia, you are still required to log into a Ubisoft account to play, but beta testers aren’t required to own the game. Stadia will also work well with Google Chromecast, which means you'll be able to stream its games straight to any TV using Google's streaming dongle, not to mention phones and computers. You'll be able to use keyboard and mouse or a gamepad to play Stadia, and Google's Stadia gamepad, a brand new piece of hardware, seems particularly smart. First off, the issue of latency – the gamepad itself connects directly to Google's cloud, which take a few of the steps out the data transfer chain, reducing the lag between your inputs being registered by the game. It also has a dedicated Google Assistant button, which Google claims will be loaded up with information on the title you're playing, offering tips when needed, or allowing you to access special in-game features from developers. In addition, it'll support cross-platform multiplayer – so long as the other major game players want to take part, of course. It’s unclear at this point whether Google will require players to buy games and pay for the streaming service in separate transactions, or whether access to select games will be bundled into the service. What games will be available on Stadia?The final number hasn't been released just yet, but so far, the numbers look promising. During Google's pre-E3 event, we got our first look at Baldur's Gate 3 from Larian Studios, plus heard from Bungie that Destiny 2 would be available at launch on Google Stadia. Add to that Ghost Recon Breakpoint from Ubisoft and a number of new Bethesda titles, and Stadia could have one of the best launch libraries of any platform in recent memory. Here's every game announced so far: Will my PC or laptop be able to handle it?Because everything runs on the cloud, it seems like nearly any internet-connected laptop or PC with Chrome should be able to play Stadia. That said, Google did release a set of required specs when it tested the service last year:
For 4K at 30fps and high settings, the recommended specs bump up to include 16GB of RAM, a more powerful AMD Ryzen 1700X or Intel Core i7 7700 processor, and a beefier AMD Vega 64 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. With Stadia streaming in video, this limitation could be eradicated, bringing AAA gaming to even entry level laptops. In addition, id Software confirmed Doom Eternal is coming to the Stadia - with the team only taking a few weeks to transfer the title onto Google's cloud streaming service. id Software's Marty Stratton revealed Doom Eternal is capable of running at 4K 60fps at native HDR on Stadia. If the service can handle Assassin’s Creed Odyssey at 1080p 60fps and Doom Eternal at 4K/60fps, Stadia is going to be capable of playing a whole lot of games at these settings. Other major titles could easily see support on the service. Games with a major online focus may have dicier prospects on Stadia. Since competitive online games are often fast-paced and require split-second reaction times, the extra latency introduced by streaming will likely be an issue for serious competitors. But Stadia looks better placed to beat this issue than other similar services, with infrastructure that no-one else has in terms of fibre optic cabling, and a Wi-Fi controller that connects directly to Google's cloud. That could mean online multiplayer titles such as Fortnite supporting thousands of players rather than just hundreds. A recent Chromium update also added support for Nintendo Switch controllers to Google's browser, so it looks like we could be getting more than just streams of PC releases. Google also announced the launch of Stadia Games and Entertainment. This will be a new arm at Google, with the sole aim of designing games exclusively for Google's game streaming platform. As well as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft has indicated a few upcoming games will also make it on to Stadia when it's released, including multiplayer motor-cross game Trials Rising, naval warfare game Skull and Bones, as well as strategy game Anno 1800. Google Stadia will also allow for developers to implement split-stream local couch co-op easier, through Stream Connect. This should allow players to not only view but interact in each other's worlds. But, perhaps the biggest development for content creators and their viewers, is Crowd Play which will allow viewers to play games with their favorite streamers by simply clicking a button. The big focus here is on designing a system that's both easy to play and easy to show off to your friends. To that end, Stadia will send both a 4K signal to both your device and to YouTube simultaneously, allowing you to record what you're doing. The last feature Google showed off was called State Share - i.e. the ability for you to share any spot in your adventure with anyone via a Google link. One use case would be that State Share would allow you to record your spot in a tough boss fight and challenge your friends to beat it. If you're stuck, either in your game or your friend's, Google Assistant integration will allow you to access guides and walkthroughs on-demand. What was Project Stream like to use?At its best, Project Stream was good. At its worst, well, Google won’t let you play below a certain threshold of quality, and you wouldn’t want to anyway. We tested Project Stream on varying setups. We played on an unstable 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, a fast and nearby 5GHz Wi-Fi connection, and on an ethernet connection held steady and offered high bandwidth. Keep in mind this was without the dedicated hardware Google has now introduced.
We also played on a 5-year-old Chromebook, a 2-year-old Razer Blade, and a modern desktop gaming rig that would be happy to run Assassin’s Creed Odyssey at 1080p/60FPS on its own hardware. We even started one computer up while another was running the stream, and Google simply transferred control over to the second computer, with no stop in the stream. Across the board, we’d describe the experience as at least playable. The highly dated Chromebook hardware didn’t hold it back from playing. The biggest issues come from a bad connection: if the connection speed drops, so does the game quality, with lower resolutions, latency, and far more noticeable compression. That said, in our experience, the visual degradation came before the latency, so we were able to continue battling enemies smoothly even if they started to look like ghostly swarms of pixels. Overall, the graphics were fairly good throughout, especially when playing on a high-bandwidth connection using ethernet cables. Colors, shadows, and anti-aliasing look fine, and the frame-rate seems to vary between 30 and 60fps. The low frame-rate was one of the two issues we noticed. The other was compression. Most of the time, it’s not super jarring, but when there’s a lot of detail in a scene and a lot of movement, the compression turns it all into a bit of slop. Character faces become a blur and hard edges (noticeably the character’s hair) go soft. Will Stadia have fixed these issues by launch? It would seem to be a sign of the lower bitrate enabling this type of streaming, but the truth is that most of the time it’s unnoticeable, and would be even harder to spot if you weren’t looking for it (we were looking for it). Panning the camera and running through dense wooded areas in the game (and combining the two) were the only times we were turned off by the dips in visual quality. The experience isn’t mind-blowing, at least until you remember that it’s using so little of your computers processing power that you’ve literally got a full-system virus scan going in the background and nothing changed. The visuals are comparable to what you’d get on a console, except with compression artifacts here and there. And, with a stable connection, it compares rather favorably to in-home streaming on a Steam Link. While the price and service model Google adopts will go a long way in determining whether Stadia is worthwhile, we can say right now that its prototype works, and it looks good doing it. But, will Microsoft’s xCloud do it better? Will you be able to play Google Stadia on your phone?Yes! Well, yes... as long as you're a Google Pixel owner. For whatever strange reason, Google is limiting Stadia to Google Pixel phones to start. That's not so bad considering there are so many other ways to access the service (see: desktop, laptop, tablet and TV through Chromecast Ultra), but the fact that all Android phones won't get Stadia at the same time does feel a bit strange. Why would Google strand its biggest user base? It all comes down to quality. Because the hardware can range so widely when talking about Android devices, Google probably wants to make the best splash possible by only releasing Stadia on hardware it knows can handle it - i.e. its flagship Pixel phones. That doesn't mean that iOS and Android users won't eventually see the service - they will at some point, we're sure - but not on launch day. CompetitionA diagram illustrating how the streaming service would work, included in Sony's patent (Image credit: Sony/ United States Patent and Trademark Office) According to a recently accepted United States Patent and Trademark Office patent (spotted Digital Trends) filed by Sony back in 2014, the company is working on a "system for combining recorded application state with application streaming interactive video output". 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. 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.
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| Best cheap web hosting deals of 2019 Posted: 06 Jun 2019 09:45 AM PDT Quality web hosting can be an expensive affair – but it doesn’t have to be. And while you can always fall back on free website hosting providers, there’s also a growing number of cheap web hosting providers that deliver honest, reliable performance and great value for money without breaking the bank. All bar one of the web hosting companies listed below will accommodate more than one website. So while cheap web hosting providers are great for starting your business, they might not be powerful and scalable enough to take it to the next level; which is where VPS and dedicated servers come into play. Note that some of the headline eye-catching prices (from free to just a few dollars/pounds per month) are often only for a limited period (usually the first year), and after that they can swiftly balloon, especially when you factor in the cost of the domain names bundled. If you plan to have a successful online business, it is important to think long-term and how the total cost of ownership (the cost of running your website over years) might impact your bottom line. So, without further ado, below is our hand-picked list of the best cheap hosting deals.
Below are the best cheap web hosting providers of 2019 Image credit: HostGator $31.68 for the first year when purchased for three years. Total cost of purchase is $95.04 HostGator is backed by EIG, one of the biggest web hosting companies, and its Hatchling plan is great for getting started. As with most of the offerings highlighted here, you can only run one website on this plan, but you don’t get a free domain name or free SSL. What you do get is unlimited disk space and bandwidth (but note that you won’t be able to use this space for storing files as this is against the terms and conditions), along with a $150 marketing budget (Google and Bing Ads credits). You also get 24/7 support, unlimited backups, subdomains, MySQL databases, email inboxes and FTP accounts. And finally, HostGator provides access to the popular cPanel control panel as well as its very own website builder (check our best website builder list). Every web hosting plan includes an industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee alongside a 99.9% uptime guarantee. HostGator also provides free transfers for new accounts within 30 days of signup, and to newly upgraded accounts. (US) $3.45 per month when purchased for four years. (UK) £3.45 per month when purchased for four years. While Hostinger has a cheaper $0.8 per month plan, it's rather basic in features and it supports only one website, but at that price depending on your needs, it might be enough. That being said, the "Business" plan gives you unlimited bandwidth, websites, databases, FTP and email accounts, and 30GB disk space, which compared to rivals isn't that much but it should be enough for the majority of people. Extras include free SSL, daily backups, Cloudflare protection, and SSH access. All in all a good deal and if you're not satisfied, Hostinger provides a standard 30-day money-back guarantee. Image credit: iPage (US) $23.88 for the first year when purchased for three years. Total cost of purchase is $71.64 (UK) £18 for the first year. Renews at £8.35 per month Like dozens of other web hosting providers, iPage is part of the big EIG family and uses the bargaining power of the organization to bring prices down. iPage has it all for such a small price: you get unlimited websites, disk space, bandwidth, MySQL databases and email accounts. As with other EIG members, you get Google and Bing advertising credits and 24/7 support. The money-back guarantee is an industry average 30-days and you don’t get domain privacy, website security or backup as standard. As a sweetener, iPage includes a domain name (for a year) plus free SiteLock security tools (although iPage doesn’t provide much detail as to what that actually includes). Image credit: GoDaddy (US) $1 (there is a sale at the time of writing, usual price is $4.49) per month for the first year, renews at $7.99 per month (UK) £1 (there is a sale at the time of writing, usual price is £3.99) per month for the first year, renews at £5.99 per month plus VAT GoDaddy is the second of the triumvirate of ‘uber web hosting’ companies (the two others being EIG and 1&1) that we’ve listed in this buying guide. Its Economy package has to be one of the best on the market with GoDaddy flexing its (virtual) muscles to deliver exceptional value for money. As expected, you get a free domain name and oodles of storage (100GB) along with unlimited bandwidth, plus free Microsoft Office 365 Business Email for a year (a freebie worth $73 (£55)). Support is delivered 24/7 via a toll-free line and GoDaddy even guarantees 99.9% uptime for this service. Add in 1-click install functionality for more than 125 applications, DDoS protection, plus 1GB of MySQL database storage and you’ve bagged yourself a pretty solid offering. The only true limitation is the fact that you won’t be able to host more than one website, but that’s a common theme across the budget board.
Image credit: 1&1 Ionos (US) $12 for the first year, renews at $8 per month (UK) £12 for the first year, renews at £5 per month plus VAT Like many other premium web hosting companies, 1&1 IONOS offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. As part of one of the world’s largest web hosting firms, you’re in good company as this German-based host includes DDoS protection, geo-redundancy and the all-new HTTP/2 protocol as standard. Your website will have room to grow with a staggering 100GB storage, unlimited bandwidth, up to 2.5GB of system memory and up to 25 databases with 1GB SSD storage each. On top of that you also get a personal consultant, one free domain for a year (no .com or .net in the UK, though), daily backup, 25 email accounts, an SSL certificate and 24/7 customer service.
Image credit: One.com $2.45 (£1.86) per month ($29.4 for a year), renews at the same price Let’s start with the downsides here: One.com is the only web hosting outfit here that charges a setup fee and has a short 15-day money-back guarantee. However, the price you see includes VAT (unlike most of its rivals). The fee is also very reasonable and you do get a lot for your money. We’re talking unlimited bandwidth, 25GB storage, a single database, a website builder (single website), SSL certificate and unlimited email accounts. SSH, backup and restore features are optional. This web hosting company is based in Denmark and has more than 1.5 million active users. Image credit: Tsohost $45.60 (£35.04) a year when purchased for two years, renews at the same price Tsohost is owned by GoDaddy and operates solely in the UK. You get one domain name (free for the first year) and three websites with up to 100,000 page views, 15GB storage, unlimited bandwidth, hundred 200MB mailboxes, an SSL certificate and one basic migration package. You also get free daily site backups, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. Tsohost uses Dell hardware and UK-based data centers. Our review found this outfit to be a “capable web host with some feature-packed, versatile and honestly priced plans”. We concluded that it was worth a look for beginners and experts alike, particularly if you need a UK provider. Image credit: 123 Reg £8.99 ($11.40) per month for the first year, renews at £12.99 ($16.4) per month Another GoDaddy-owned web host, 123 Reg is a well-known provider in the UK. Its Unlimited package delivers an attractive hosting solution if you have ambitions to grow your website business fast. For £9 per month for the first year, you can host 10 websites, which is particularly impressive seeing as many of these cheap deals limit you to just one site, as we’ve seen. You also get three domain names (which are free for a year) plus you get unlimited web space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited databases (up to 1GB each), a free SSL certificate, unlimited FTP accounts, website backup and restore, scheduled tasks, IP address blocking and website directory indexing plus a JavaScript generator and Linux apps (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Media Wiki and eCommerce). Sadly you only get one 5GB mailbox, which is poor compared to the competition, and the monthly cost of renewing the service after a year gets considerably more expensive. Image credit: Clook Clook are a British company with servers based in the UK and USA. While they may not be one of the big brand names, they have a solid reputation in the web hosting industry, especially for support and stability, which is something many cheap web hosting providers are poor with. While most of their shared and dedicated server plans are priced at normal market rates, ie, not discounted, they do offer a shared web hosting plan which is especially cheap: the Clook shared-0 plan, which costs around $30 (£25) per year. This comes with a respectable 200MB of diskspace and 5GB of bandwidth per month. While these resources are far below what some of the other companies offer, Clook don't oversell which means their servers are less packed and therefore less prone to failure due to too many accounts competing for too many resources. Additionally, the resources provided by the shared-0 plan are absolutely ideal for most small business start-ups and local traders. Most people running a business fear to have too few server resources allocated to their shared web hosting plan, just in case they enjoy a spike in internet traffic and web sales. However, this is a needless fear, and Clook - as with most good hosting providers - can easily upgrade the hosting account if and when resource use and internet traffic use shows that it's needed. In the meantime, the shared-0 plan easily provides enough for any new website and business, and there are all the standard web hosting features included so you don't need to feel like you're missing out on anything. While the Clook website states that it's not designed to host dynamic PHP scripts, there should be no problem hosting a Wordpress website or similar. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| 5G: everything you need to know Posted: 06 Jun 2019 09:28 AM PDT What is 5G?5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before. Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm. The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world. With development well underway and testbeds already live across the world, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are. When will 5G launch?In the US Verizon surprised most of the world by launching its 5G network at the start of April 2019, making it the first globally to offer the next-generation network. It's currently only available in limited parts of Chicago and a few other locations, and there are just two handsets currently available to use on the new 5G network. In Chicago, US we've managed to obtain speeds of up to 1.4Gbps, which is massively faster than 4G's theoretical top speed of 300Mbps (although average speeds tend to be below 100Mbps). However, 5G coverage is patchy and we had to move around the city's various 5G masts to get this top speed. We did tend to get around 1Gbps quite consistently though. 5G in London, UK is more of a mixed bag, with speeds in our test ranging from 200Mbps to 550Mbps - still much quicker than 4G, but not the same level as we are seeing in Chicago. AT&T has rolled out its 5G network to 19 cities across the States, but it still doesn't offer any 5G phones - with your only option for now a 5G Netgear Nitehawk mobile hotspot. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is yet to launch its 5G network in the US, but it previously said it would bring 5G to 30 cities, starting in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas.
In the UK EE was the first UK carrier to launch its 5G network, switching it on in six cities on May 30 2019. It's promised to bring 5G to 10 further cities by the end of 2019. It will then be followed by Vodafone on July 3, 2019, when it will launch 5G in seven cities, with a total of 19 locations covered by the end of the year. O2 and Three have also committed to launching 5G networks in 2019, but we're yet to get a firm release date from either carrier.
What 5G phones are available?Image Credit: TechRadar A number of 5G phone announcements have been made in 2019, however only a handful are currently available, and the choice is further limited by country and carrier. In the US, Motorola's 5G Moto Mod provides next-generation connectivity to a select few Moto Z handsets, plus the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is also available. For those in the UK, you can currently get hold of four 5G phones; the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Oppo Reno 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. How fast is 5G?5G speeds will vary between locations, countries, carriers and devices, but on the whole the average internet speed you can expect should be much greater than what's currently offered on 4G. We've been testing the first 5G networks in both the US and UK, and have found speeds to be a little bit of a mixed bag. 5G - the latest news06/06 - NETWORKS - 10 things 5G can do that 4G can’t - 5G could be a game-changer... 06/06 - NETWORKS - Huawei works on 5G with Russian operator MTS - Boost for beleaguered firm... 05/06 - NETWORKS - 5G security: does more data mean increased risk? - The volume and value of data will increase in the era of 5G... 05/06 - NETWORKS - UK 'needs to create Huawei 5G competitor' - Matt Hancock warns against rash actions as Trump pushes for Huawei agreement... 04/06 - NETWORKS - Nokia secures 42 commercial 5G deals - Nokia pitches itself as one-stop-shop for 5G... 04/06 - NETWORKS - Who's winning the race to 5G? - Network providers are racing to deploy the next generation of wireless... 03/06 - NETWORKS - Which network is currently ahead in the race to 5G? - Only one network will appeal to 5G early adopters... 03/06 - NETWORKS - Transforming sports for spectators: the 5G effect - Better for fans, better for broadcasters... 01/06 - NETWORKS - Will 5G solve signal issues at stadiums, festivals and venues? - Mo spectrum, fewer problems... 01/06 - NETWORKS - 5G and film: how will the tech change how we consume movies? - Get used to a world of portrait-first video... 01/06 - NETWORKS - How 5G could improve augmented reality - 5G could be the key to unlocking AR's potential... 31/05 - NETWORKS - How 5G could make your home smarter - 5G will make your home smarter, faster, and better... 31/05 - DEVICES - 5G will help smartphone sales recover in late 2019 - Market will still contract in 2019... 31/05 - NETWORKS - The unsung heroes of 5G: which companies are pushing the tech forward? - From Qualcomm to ZTE... 29/05 - OPINION - A new force on the horizon: the future of video will be 5G - 5G technology is finally moving from hype to real testing and deployment... 29/05 - NETWORKS - Europe has best 4G ahead of 5G launches - UK 4G availability nears 85 per cent... 29/05 - DEVICES - 5G phones are expensive, but MediaTek wants to change that - We talk to MediaTek on its plans to introduce feasibly-priced 5G phones... 27/05 - DEVICES - Is this what mobile 5G gaming will look like? - Game on... 24/05 - NETWORKS - Ofcom proposes further duct and pole access to boost 5G - Regulator wants to help spread of 5G... 23/05 - DEVICES - Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is the UK's first 5G phone - And Vodafone is selling it first... 23/05 - DEVICES - Dixons Carphone pulls Huawei 5G handsets - EE and Vodafone suspend pre-orders... 22/05 - NETWORKS - The CEO of EE just made the best case for 5G yet - We'll use it for things we don't even know we need right now... 22/05 - DEVICES - EE temporarily pulls Huawei Mate 20 X from 5G line after Android restrictions - But perhaps not permanently... 22/05 - NETWORKS - EE targets businesses as it launches 5G 'Phase One' - EE wins UK 5G race and will launch next week, pitches reliability and convergence... 22/05 - NETWORKS - EE targets businesses as it launches 5G 'Phase One' - EE wins UK 5G race and will launch next week, pitches reliability and convergence... 22/05 - NETWORKS - EE will launch the UK's first 5G network on May 30 - Bringing a new level of connectivity... 20/05 - NETWORKS - Lamp post rows could delay UK 5G rollout - Operators and councils clash over street furniture 14/05 - NETWORKS - Vodafone 5G will launch in seven UK cities this July - And it will cost the same as 4G... 10/05 - DEVICES - 3 ways Android Q is being built for 5G - Giving developers – and users – more info... 10/05 - NETWORKS - O2 improves indoor coverage for 5G as revenues rise - Shopping centres, stadiums and other public services are covered... 09/05 - NETWORKS - UK 5G could be delayed over security worries - Culture Secretary won't rule out UK 5G delay as Huawei debate rumbles on... 09/05 - NETWORKS - BT increases fibre target and promises imminent EE 5G launch - BT targets 4m fibre premises by 2021... 07/05 - NETWORKS - Ericsson: Consumers will pay more for 5G and there are use cases - Ericsson makes case for 5G to the industry... 04/05 - DEVICES - The first 5G phone in Europe was unexpected - and here's what it means for you - A new champion enters the ring... 03/05 - NETWORKS - South Korea reaches 260,000 5G users - However some alrady complain of technical and coverage issues... 02/05 - DEVICES - Huawei is developing a 5G 8K TV because that's apparently a thing now - 5G is coming… to your TV... 01/05 - DEVICES - EE sets foundations for 5G with new Smart Plans phone deals - More flexibility the intention from UK's fastest phone network... 29/04 - NETWORKS - China urges UK to act independently over Huawei and 5G - Chinese ambassador says Britain should resist pressure... 26/04 - NETWORKS - EE brings 5G to Glastonbury 2019 - Operator to build 5G network at famous music festival... 26/04 - DEVICES - Apple could be working on a 5G iPad Pro - But we won't see it for a few more years... 24/04 - OPINION - UK's Huawei decision ends uncertainty for 5G operators - Huawei ruling matters far more to politicians than to networks... 24/04 - NETWORKS - The UK will let Huawei build selected parts of its 5G infrastructure - Chinese company still banned from providing 'core' elements... 23/04 - NETWORKS - EU backs WiFi over 5G for connected cars - European Commission chose WiFi as it is currently available unlike 5G... 17/04 - DEVICES - Intel abandons plans for 5G smartphone modems - Intel won't supply modems for the iPhone 5G... 17/04 - DEVICES - Huawei has no plans to supply Apple with 5G modem chips - Founder had suggested it was a possibility... 17/04 - ANALYSIS - Driving the future: the route to autonomous travel is vested in a reliable 5G infrastructure - Why its vital to ensure reliable 5G coverage for connected and autonomous vehicles... 17/04 - DEVICES - We might see iPhone 5G in 2020 after all - 5G's back on the menu... 17/04 - NETWORKS - Huawei agrees 40 5G contracts - Huawei sees 5G customer base grow... 16/04 - ANALYSIS - 5G: How will businesses benefit? - 5G is coming...is your business prepared? 15/04 - NETWORKS - Trump vows not to nationalise 5G as FCC makes funding and spectrum available - FCC to auction 3400MHz of spectrum... 12/04 - NETWORKS - O2 switches on 5G spectrum to power connected car tests - AutoAir tests connected and autonomous vehicle technology... 11/04 - NETWORKS - BT boosts network capacity to cope with FTTP and 5G data growth - BT first to use Nokia 7750 SR-s platform... 10/04 - DEVICES - Exclusive: We could see a Black Shark 5G phone before the end of the year - Embracing cloud gaming... 10/04 - DEVICES - Google Stadia may be the first good use for 5G phones - You could soon be playing AAA games on your smartphone... 10/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile industry pushes 5G as EU debates Wi-Fi standard for connected cars - GSMA says Wi-Fi is old technology... 10/04 - OPINION - 5G's impact on the future of work - How the next generation of wireless technology will empower fontline workers... 09/04 - NETWORKS - AT&T just opened 5G in seven more cities, still doesn’t have a 5G phone - Hotspot or bust... 08/04 - DEVICES - The world's first 5G phone: our hands-on with the future of smartphones - Impressions from our five days with the first 5G phone you can buy... 08/04 - DEVICES - Apple's iPhone 2020 may have 5G trouble, but Huawei is eager to help - If Intel can't deliver, and Apple and Qualcomm can't make up... 05/04 - NETWORKS - Huawei 5G ban could cost UK economy £6.8bn - Report says ban would damage UK 5G leadership bid... 04/04 - DEVICES - Samsung starts mass production of 5G chips - Next-generation modem and RF receivers go into production... 03/04 - NETWORKS - 5G set to deliver £15.7bn in business revenue by 2025 - Barclays says conditions must be right... 02/04 - ANALYSIS - The future of cybersecurity in a 5G-connected world - With more endpoints comes more ways a hacker can penetrate your network... 26/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom confirms 5G, USO and rural 4G among priorities for 2019 - Regulator issues update for industry... 25/03 - NETWORKS - EU 'won't ban' Huawei from 5G networks - EU wants member states to share cybersecurity data instead... 21/03 - NETWORKS - Three increases annual revenues ahead of 5G launch - Operator says 2018 was solid foundational year... 14/03 - DEVICES - What will future 5G smartphones look like? - Industry experts believe a new era is upon us... 13/03 - NETWORKS - Verizon to launch mobile 5G next month - Verizon set to launch first 5G mobile broadband service... 13/03 - DEVICES - Nissan uses 5G to put an augmented reality co-driver in your passenger seat - A virtual companion for lonely road trips... 12/03 - NETWORKS - Germany makes private 5G spectrum available for industry - IIoT gets boost with local network pledge... 11/03 - NETWORKS - Germany won't ban Huawei but tightens rules for all 5G vendors - Ministers and regulator say they don't want to ban Huawei... 08/03 - ANALYSIS - 5G and a better-connected world - Turning the next generation of wireless into a reality... 07/03 - NETWORKS - Vodafone UK expands 5G launch to 19 towns and cities - More locations named ahead of commercial launch... 07/03 - NETWORKS - 15m Brits would switch to 5G now - But 5G adoption will be slower than 4G, says Deloitte... 06/03 - NETWORKS - Five Eyes "needs major 5G vendor" - Former Australian Prime Minister warns Five Eyes nations on 5G security... 03/03 - DEVICES - Why have so many 5G phones been launched already this year? - Surely, it’s too early? 02/03 - DEVICES - Foldable phones, 5G and cinematic screens: how smartphones are changing this year - MWC 2019 showed a quiet revolution is coming... 01/03 - DEVICES - Motorola targets mid-range in 5G and foldable smartphone era - "New dawn" beckons for Motorola in the mobile market... 28/02 - NETWORKS - BT hires 1,600 apprentices ahead of EE 5G launch - BT looks for apprentice and graduates to future proof workforce... 27/02 - NETWORKS - Security and cost worries could harm 5G - Business and technology executives underestimate the disruptive prospects of 5G... 27/02 - NETWORKS - FC Barcelona's Nou Camp will be 'first' 5G stadium - Fans to benefit from immersive 5G experiences... 26/02 - DEVICES - Sprint 5G: all the phones coming to the next-gen network - Top networks require top phones... 26/02 - NETWORKS - Nokia says it is the one-stop shop for 5G network gear - Nokia details new equipment and operator partnerships... 26/02 - NETWORKS - Google Fi customers will get 5G from Sprint's network - MVNO gets 5G... 25/02 - NETWORKS - Security flaws in 4G and 5G revealed - New flaws allow attackers to intercept calls and track user locations... 25/02 - DEVICES - Sony will make a 5G phone, but only when the tech rolls out - It won't be left behind in 5G race... 25/02 - DEVICES - Lenovo teases first 5G laptop powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx - But, what’s taking so long – and where are the rest? 25/02 - NETWORKS - GSMA: One in seven connections will be 5G by 2025 - GSMA kicks off MWC with prediction for the market... 25/02 - DEVICES - Affordable 5G phones will arrive in early 2020 - Not a flagship exclusive for long... 25/02 - DEVICES - HTC 5G home hub gets you ready for superfast internet - Get your home or office 5G-ready... 24/02 - DEVICES - Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G may be your first 5G-ready phone - One of the first 5G phones of MWC 2019... 22/02 - DEVICES - Will Samsung enjoy first mover advantage with 5G? - Samsung beats rivals to 5G smartphone... 22/02 - ANALYSIS - Huawei: We make it cheaper and simpler to deploy 5G - Head of carrier business touts benefits of 5G kit ahead of MWC... 21/02 - NETWORKS - 5G could solve major 4G congestion - Current 4G download speeds differ greatly depending on country and time of day... 21/02 - DEVICES - Gemalto makes 5G SIM card available to operators - Gemalto pitches "world-first" 5G SIM card... 21/02 - NETWORKS - O2 5G confirmed to launch in these four cities in 2019 - O2 5G will go live in UK capitals this year... 20/12 - NETWORKS - 5G will account for a quarter of UK mobile data traffic by 2022 - UK will be second only to the US in 5G... 20/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone 'world-first' connects smartphones to 5G network - Vodafone connects handset in Barcelona ahead of MWC next week... 19/02 - DEVICES - You may want to hold off buying a 5G phone until 2020 - This second generation 5G modem will make a difference... 19/02 - NETWORKS - Three trials cloud core 5G network with staff - Full rollout expected later in 2019... 19/02 - ANALYSIS - Does sports content hold the key to 5G adoption? - Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 could be first time many experience 5G... 18/02 - NETWORKS - UK 'doesn't need to ban' Huawei 5G kit - Huawei's 5G equipment is a 'manageable risk', NCSC apparently claims... 18/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone UK switches on first 5G airport - Manchester Airport upgraded to superfast speeds for consumers to try out 5G... 15/02 - NETWORKS - Three brings 5G to the catwalk and its flagship store - Three shows off 5G to consumers at London Fashion Week... 13/02 - NETWORKS - UK switches on first 5G factory trials - Worcestershire 5G testbed goes live... 11/02 - NETWORKS - Sprint sues AT&T over '5GE' claim - Rivals clash in 5G row... 11/02 - ANALYSIS - AI, 5G and the race to completely autonomous vehicles - Now is the time to implement a data-centric architecture... 08/02 - NETWORKS - Trump anticipated to ban 5G networks from using Chinese tech - An executive order is expected to come before MWC... 07/02 - DEVICES - Vodafone trials 5G form factor device with Ericsson and Qualcomm - Operator takes step forward in 5G development... 06/02 - NETWORKS - US urges EU to reconsider role of Huawei in 5G - US ramps up pressure on Huawei with stark warning... 05/02 - NETWORKS - Ericsson joins O-RAN to drive intelligent 5G radio development - Ericsson extends commitment to open standards... 04/02 - NETWORKS - GSMA suggests Huawei 5G talks at MWC - Industry concerned at Huawei 5G exclusion following long-term controversies... 01/02 - DEVICES - Huawei 5G foldable phone teased in MWC 2019 press conference invite - Our first look at the world's first foldable 5G phone... 31/01 - ANALYSIS - Investing in a 5G future: The role of MNOs - 5G's 2020 rollout is fast approaching... 31/01 - NETWORKS - Nokia predicts staggered demand for 5G kit in 2019 - Nokia reports increased revenue and profit in Q4... 31/01 - DEVICES - 5G phones: these are going to be the first next-gen handsets - The new 5G phones of 2019 and beyond... 31/01 - DEVICES - LG hints strongly at 5G foldable phones for 2019 - Taking the fight to Samsung's Galaxy X... 28/01 - NETWORKS - Chinese EU Ambassador says Huawei 5G ban would be 'self-defeating' - Senior diplomat dismisses security fears as fabrications... 25/01 - DEVICES - Huawei says it'll show off a foldable 5G phone at MWC 2019 - The world's first 5G phone with a foldable screen... 24/01 - HARDWARE - Huawei reveals 5G modem and base station chips - Huawei chips will ease deployment and widen support... 22/01 - NETWORKS - Vodafone and O2 team up on 5G network sharing - Two operators look at options for mast infrastructure as they extend network sharing deal to cover 5G... 17/01 - NETWORKS - Huawei faces US probe as Germany considers 5G options - US DoJ reportedly accuses Huawei of trade secret theft... 14/01 - NETWORKS - US government shutdown is threat to 5G rollout - Industry body warns about impact of FCC shutdown... 14/01 - HARDWARE - Intel wants to be your one-stop shop for 5G - Intel VP tells us that “5G runs on Intel”... 14/01 - DEVICES - Apple looks at Samsung and MediaTek modems for 5G iPhone - Latest revelations from Qualcomm's antitrust trial... 12/01 - DEVICES - iPhone 11 tipped to have faster Wi-Fi, but 5G might have to wait - Better speeds for the 2019 iPhones? 11/01 - NETWORKS - Ericsson tests strengthen wireless backhaul's suitability for 5G - Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom trials achieve 'fibre-like' performance... 10/01 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile continues US 5G crusade with 600MHz call tests - T-Mobile completes multi-band call tests with Ericsson and Intel... 09/01 - DEVICES - 5G and fixed displays to drive smartphone sales in 2019 - Research suggests 5G might be silver bullet... 09/01 - NETWORKS - AT&T claims advanced 4G is '5G' - Software update claims advanced 4G is 5G Evolution... 08/01 - DEVICES - 5G can be tonic for smartphone saturation - GSMA Intelligence finds 80 per cent of developed world owns a smartphone... 08/01 - HARDWARE - Intel targets 5G base stations with 'Snow Ridge' chips - Intel hopes edge computing advantage will pay off... 08/01 - NETWORKS - The Galaxy S10 isn't at CES 2019, but Samsung's 5G plans are here - Samsung Galaxy S10 is here in pieces if you look closely... 06/01 - DEVICES - Byton confirms M-Byte car will be available in 2019 with AI, 5G and 48-inch display - That's a whole lot of screen... 04/01 - ANALYSIS - What to expect from 5G at CES 2019 - 5G could be the star of the show at CES 2019... 2018 5G news24/12 - ANALYSIS - Three CEO: Capacity, not speed is the true 5G revolution - Dave Dyson talks up Three's 5G strategy... 21/12 - NETWORKS - O2 confirms 5G tests will use Huawei kit - London 5G tests will be carried out using Huawei equipment, O2 confirms... 19/12 - NETWORKS - 'Strong' business demand for 5G could be tempered by network transformation - Gartner says operator focus is on consumer applications... 19/12 - NETWORKS - AT&T is second US operator to launch 5G - AT&T gears up for limited 5G launch... 19/12 - DEVICES - Top Samsung Galaxy S10 could have a massive screen and support 5G - But it might not be available everywhere... 17/12 - ANALYSIS - The coming 5G revolution - How the next generation of mobile connectivity will bring emerging technologies to life... 17/12 - NETWORKS - Rivals claim Three's spectrum variation will hand it 5G advantage - Three now has 100MHz of continuous 3.6GHz spectrum... 14/12 - NETWORKS - 5G could add billions to world GDP - Unlocking the right 5G spectrum will make all the difference... 13/12 - NETWORKS - Huawei will do 'anything' to be trusted 5G partner - Huawei says if there's anything it can do to ease security concerns, it will do it... 10/12 - NETWORKS - Vodafone to use manhole covers to improve 4G and 5G - Vodafone hopes street level infrastructure will improve network... 10/12 - ANALYSIS - 5G is just the beginning for the future of smartphones - The future of mobile looks promising... 06/12 - ANALYSIS - Vodafone Business rebrand highlights strategic focus in 5G era - Vodafone Enterprise is now Vodafone Business... 06/12 - POLICY - EU approves new regulations to boost 5G rollout - EU passes new code despite industry opposition... 06/12 - PRODUCTS - OnePlus CEO confirms its 5G phone will cost $200 to $300 more than OnePlus 6T - But it isn't done with 4G devices... 06/12 - NETWORKS - We need rigorous 5G testing before we get in the driverless car - Autonomous vehicles will rely heavily on next generation networks... 05/12 - PRODUCTS - OnePlus will be the first to release a 5G phone in Europe - It's all thanks to some help from EE... 05/12 - NETWORKS - How 5G technologies can be implemented more efficiently - Knowing where to place 'small cells' will make all the difference... 05/12 - DEVICES - This Samsung 5G prototype phone has a notch... but it's in the corner - Updated with an official comment from Samsung... 04/12 - DEVICES - Here's the first 5G smartphone and, no, you can't buy it - It's a reference device from Qualcomm, but it promises a lot... 04/12 - NETWORKS - Nokia and Qualcomm complete 5G call interoperability tests - Another 5G testing hurdle is cleared ahead of launch... 04/12 - NETWORKS - Arqiva and CityFibre to build 5G small cell network in London - Hammersmith & Fulham will host UK's largest pilot to date... 04/12 - ANALYSIS - 2019 telecoms forecast: the year of 5G and open source - Canonical takes a look at some of the most important trends for next year... 04/12 - NETWORKS - MI6 chief warns UK on role of China in 5G networks - Alex Younger says there needs to be a conversation about Huawei's role... 03/12 - NETWORKS - Three Korean operators launch 5G networks - Operators bring forward South Korea 5G launch... 03/12 - DEVICES - Verizon and Samsung to launch 5G smartphone in 2019 - Companies will show off PoC this week... 29/11 - PRODUCTS - Toyota's new humanoid robot can be controlled remotely via 5G - A helping hand from afar... 29/11 - NETWORKS - 5G will require mobile operators to rethink the role of Wi-Fi - Operators may need to de-prioritise Wi-Fi in 5G era... 28/11 - NETWORKS - New Zealand 'blocks' use of Huawei 5G kit - Spark application rejected by New Zealand government... 27/11 - NETWORKS - 5G will have 'fastest ever' global rollout - Ericsson Mobility Report says Europe will fall behind without market changes... 23/11 - NETWORKS - O2 gears up for 5G with Massive MIMO trial - O2 trials technology in London head of 5G launch... 22/11 - NETWORKS - Huawei boasts of 22 5G commercial contracts - Head of Huawei carrier business touts end-to-end capabilities of its equipment... 22/11 - NETWORKS - Nokia creates Access Networks Division for end-to-end 5G - Nokia hopes organisational changes will give it 5G advantage... 21/11 - NETWORKS - EE and BT Sport plan UK's first 5G sport broadcast - EE Wembley Cup will be transmitted via 5G... 20/11 - HARDWARE - Huawei urges operators to trust its 5G vision as it shifts 10,000 base stations - Huawei Chairman Ken Hu details 'Cloud X' vision... 20/11 - NETWORKS - Three: 5G wireless broadband can be genuine alternative to fibre - Three-commissioned report touts price-saving benefits of 5G FWA... 20/11 - DEVICES - OnePlus could charge a high price for its upcoming 5G phone - Price tag for superfast device could be up to $100 more... 19/11 - NETWORKS - Faroese Telecom wants to bring 5G to Shetland - Shetland confirms talks with Faroese mobile provider... 16/11 - ANALYSIS - The week that UK 5G transformed from hype into reality - UK operators detail more about 5G launches in 2019... 16/11 - ANALYSIS - 2025: the year of 5G entertainment - Intel's Alex Gledhill tells us how 5G can benefit all areas of work and life... 15/11 - RESEARCH - Samsung invests $22bn in AI and 5G - Korean tech giant aims to control 20 per cent of the network equipment market... 15/11 - NETWORKS - US begins auction of 5G spectrum - US operators bid for high range spectrum to power mobile broadband services.. 15/11 - HARDWARE - German government 'urged' to consider Huawei 5G ban - Reports suggest push could have come too late... 14/11 - DEVICES - Verizon connects a smartphone to its 5G network - Verizon is currently the world's only commercial 5G operator... 13/11 - PRODUCTS - Intel will launch 5G modem next year - Chipmaker speeds up plans for 5G modem launch in 2019... 13/11 - NETWORKS - EE to launch 5G as 'premium' mobile experience in 16 UK cities in 2019 - Operator to upgrade 1,500 sites in the busiest parts of its network... 12/11 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 may not be the upcoming 5G phone from the brand - Is a whole new OnePlus line on the way? 09/11 - NETWORKS - What role will 5G play in NBN's gigabit broadband vision? - 5G can boost FWA broadband to gigabit levels... 08/11 - POLICY - Ofcom CTO: Spectrum and security are biggest 5G challenges - Ofcom CTO Mansoor Hanif discusses the barriers to fulfilling 5G potential... 07/11 - NETWORKS - EE announces UK 5G trial expansion - Nine east London sites are now linked up to EE's 5G trial network... 07/11 - NETWORKS - How 5G will enable the next generation of IoT deployments - Canonical head tells us why next-generation networks are the key to innovation... 07/11 - NETWORKS - Three reveals £2bn UK 5G investment - 5G set to be a "game-changer" in the UK says Three CEO Dave Dyson... 06/11 - DEVICES - UK operators urged to 'consider' 5G equipment suppliers - Government aims to ensure UK's telecoms infrastructure is secure... 06/11 - NETWORKS - GSMA: Operators need prime spectrum to fulfill 5G potential - Industry body publishes paper ahead of WRC-19... 05/11 - NETWORKS - 5G operator revenues to reach £230bn by 2025 - Research suggests £46bn in 5G R&D will be well spent... 03/11 - DEVICES - Apple tipped to launch a 5G iPhone in 2020 - Super-fast speeds on the way... 31/10 - NETWORKS - BT CTO: Convergence of fibre, 5G and Wi-Fi will create 'one network to rule them all' - Howard Watson believes convergence will be a key differentiatior in telecoms... 30/10 - DEVICES - Oppo wants to release the first 5G smartphone - Oppo wants to beat LG to the punch after successful 5G tests... 30/10 - NETWORKS - Budget 2018: More funding for rural fibre but no new 5G commitments - Digital infrastructure largely a footnote in 2018 Budget... 26/10 - NETWORKS - Trump lays out US 5G strategy - Order looks to ease progress towards 5G network deployment in the US... 25/10 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm works with Samsung on 5G small cells - Qualcomm and Samsung look to establish 5G leadership... 25/10 - NETWORKS - Vodafone switches on 'full 5G' trial in Manchester - Salford's MediaCity UK gets 5G coverage as Vodafone shapes up next-gen network... 23/10 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7T will be first from company to support 5G - 2019 is the year OnePlus adopts 5G... 22/10 - NETWORKS - EU could back Wi-Fi over 5G for connected cars - Draft proposals could see Wi-Fi rules set before 5G... 19/10 - DEVICES - Operators may have to subsidise 'expensive' 5G smartphones - Early 5G smartphones could be too expensive for consumers... 19/10 - PRODUCTS - Huawei 5G folding phone could take on the Samsung Galaxy X in 2019 - Huawei knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em... 18/10 - NETWORKS - Ericsson sales boosted by early 5G adoption - Ericsson feels flush from operator investment... 17/10 - PRODUCTS - Samsung buys Zhilabs to power 5G analytics - Samsung's 5G efforts continue with purchase of analytics experts... 16/10 - NETWORKS - European mobile giants urge pro-5G investment policies - Leading CEOs urge EU regulators to consider importance of connectivity... 15/10 - PRODUCTS - US senators urge Canada to 'ban' Huawei from 5G deployment - US senators fear Huawei kit could harm US national security... 12/10 - PRODUCTS - New Nokia kit promises more rapid and effective 5G FWA deployments - Operators can get new high gain antennas and gateways... 12/10 - NETWORKS - Deutsche Telekom plots 99 per cent 5G coverage by 2025 - German operator details plans for 5G rollout... 08/10 - ANALYSIS - Differences in early 5G services will make it a 'marketing headache' - Analysts predict difficulties in 5G marketing as mobile broadband will be key adoption driver... 05/10 - NETWORKS - EE switches on 'UK's first' 5G trial network at Canary Wharf - EE gears up for 2019 5G launch... 04/10 - NETWORKS - Huawei tells FCC that US ban could mean country falls behind in 5G - Huawei hasn't given up hope in playing US 5G role... 01/10 - INNOVATION - Samsung partners with AT&T to build a 5G tech lab - Facility will research ways 5G could improve manufacturing... 01/10 - NETWORKS - Verizon turns on the world's first 5G network - Launch across four US cities could be a major landmark in the development of 5G... 28/09 - NETWORKS - Digital Catapult switches on Brighton 5G testbed - UK's latest 5G testbed goes live on the South Coast... 26/09 - ANALYSIS - Could 5G networks herald the arrival of a four-day work week? Increased productivity as a result of 5G powered technologies could disrupt the traditional work week... 25/09 - DEVICES - Manufacturers hope 5G and foldable displays will drive smartphone growth - Analysts believe the smartphone will be unrecognisable by 2027... 24/09 - NETWORKS - WIG raises £220m for 5G infrastructure - WIG to use additional funding for small cells and fibre... 21/09 - NETWORKS - Vodafone targets cities and rural areas for 2019 5G launch - Cornwall and the Lake District will be first to get Vodafone 5G... 12/09 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile signs $3.5bn 5G network deal with Ericsson - T-Mobile secures second major 5G equipment deal... 11/09 - NETWORKS - EE could launch the UK's first 5G network in 2019 - EE reallocates 3G spectrum ahead of 2019 5G launch... 11/09 - NETWORKS - European mobile operators bring forward 5G plans - Global 5G connections to reach 340m by 2021 as European optimism increases forecasts... 11/09 - GAMING - Nvidia shows how GeForce Now 5G streaming could make high-end gaming hardware irrelevant - Hitting 60 fps in Full HD resolution with no need for a beefy gaming laptop... 10/09 - NETWORKS - CityFibre SDN rollout to speed up 5G deployments and enable 10Gbps - CityFibre agrees deal with Calix to smarten its network.. 10/09 - NETWORKS - Ericsson radio updates and transport partnerships to accelerate 5G deployments - Ericsson says a series of developments will make it easier and quicker to deploy 5G... 08/09 - NETWORKS - How 5G will make our streaming dreams come true - Zero buffering, no waiting. Will 5G lead the way? 07/09 - FEATURE - Inside the 5G factory: How Nokia's research aids its own production - Nokia's Oulu facility has been involved in every generation of mobile technology... 05/09 - NETWORKS - San Marino will have Europe's first 5G network - Microstate will be a testbed for TIM... 05/09 - NETWORKS - China considers merging two major mobile operators in 5G push - Merger would create world's second largest mobile operator... 04/09 - PRODUCTS - UK''s 'first' large-scale 5G hub to test digital health apps in 2019 - West Midlands will become UK's first 5G hub... 31/08 - ANALYSIS - Golf's digital ambitions make it an unlikely 5G pioneer - Golf looks to new technologies - including 5G... 31/08 - NETWORKS - German operators will have no rural obligation for 5G - 5G spectrum auction will take place in 2019... 30/08 - DEVICES - Larger screens and 5G to drive smartphone growth through to 2022 - Smartphone market 'generally healthy' despite recent dip... 28/08 - NETWORKS - German regulator calls for fourth operator for 5G - Competition chief believes new entrant will kickstart German 5G... 28/08 - NETWORKS - Nokia secures €500m EU loan for 5G research - New funding will accelerate 5G technology R&D... 23/08 - NETWORKS - Major 5G trends become more apparent as first network launch nears - The past seven days have been a long time in the world of 5G... 23/08 - ANALYSIS - Huawei & ZTE banned from Australia 5G networks - Australian government says 5G architecture makes it too risky... 22/08 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm to start shipping its 5G modems - However chipmaker says it doesn't expect 5G phones to launch this year... 22/08 - NETWORKS - Speed takes centre stage as operators ramp up 5G testing - Report suggests 82 per cent of mobile operators worldwide are testing 5G... 22/08 - DEVICES - Nokia expects to make €3 from every 5G smartphone - Finnish giant sets rate for its essential 5G patents... 20/08 - NETWORKS - Government to test 5G on UK railways - DCMS invites participants for pilot to see how 5G can improve transport sector... 20/08 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Nokia test 5G with a moving vehicle - Partners make progress in mobile broadband and connected car apps... 17/08 - NETWORKS - 5G network slicing could be worth £51bn to mobile operators - Researchers say efforts by operators and vendors could bear fruit... 16/08 - NETWORKS - Cisco posts healthy revenues ahead of 5G push - Cisco is happy with innovation roadmap as it prepares for next generation networks... 16/08 - NETWORKS - Telstra switches on 5G for the Gold Coast, but wider availability remains murky - Australian telcos Optus and Vodafone say there’s a long road ahead... 15/08 - NETWORKS - O2 tests light-based wireless transmission ahead of 5G tests - Li-Fi is pitched as a Wi-Fi alternative... 15/08 - DEVICES - LG to launch 'first 5G smartphone' in 2019 - LG and Sprint will release a 5G-ready device in the US next year... 13/08 - NETWORKS - Ericsson hopes US 5G investments will speed up deployments - Ericsson makes investments in 5G R&D... 08/08 - NETWORKS - Samsung invests billions in 5G and AI - Samsung's £17bn investment programme looks to guard against smartphone slowdown... 07/08 - NETWORKS - US set to lose out to China in 5G race - Deloitte report urges policymakers to promote investment... 02/08 - DEVICES - Moto Z3 is the world's first 5G-upgradable smartphone, say Motorola and Verizon - The first 5G-almost-ready smartphone... 02/08 - OPERATORS - Three focuses on 5G after revenue and customer rises - Three now boasts 10.1m customers across the UK... 31/07 - DEVICES - Lenovo says it'll be the first to launch a 5G smartphone - Could be here before the end of the year... 30/07 - NETWORKS - Nokia and T-Mobile ink $3.5bn 5G network deal - US operator presses ahead with 5G rollout plans... 27/07 - OPERATORS - Mobile helps BT Q1 results ahead of 5G trials - Consumer division continues to offset BT business decline... 26/07 - OPERATORS - O2 invites FTSE 500 to trial its 5G - O2 presses ahead with 5G tests as it adds more customers... 26/07 - OPERATORS - Nokia looks to 5G after sales slowdown - Nokia says drop is to be expected but is confident for second half of 2018... 26/07 - OPERATORS - Sky Mobile extends O2 MVNO agreement to cover 5G - Sky Mobile now has 500,000 customers across the UK... 23/07 - REGULATION - UK Government promises new regulations and investment for full fibre and 5G - Government report outlines plans to deliver fibre to entire UK by 2033... 23/07 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm's mmWave antennas pave way for first 5G smartphones - The first 5G smartphones should arrive in 2019... 20/07 - NETWORKS - Barriers to 5G could stop UK being a global leader - BSG report identifies issues and resolutions... 18/07 - NETWORKS - South Korea plans 2019 5G launch - "Korea 5G Day" will see new networks introduced a year ahead of schedule... 10/07 - NETWORKS - China Mobile, Intel and Huawei complete 5G interoperability testing - Tests pave way for China Mobile 5G launch next year... 09/07 - NETWORKS - SSE Enterprise Telecoms unbundles BT exchanges to boost broadband and Three 5G - SSE Enterprise Telecoms doubles its reach... 03/07 - NETWORKS - Samsung, Cisco and Orange hold multi-vendor 5G FWA trial - FWA will deliver a fixed-like broadband experience when 5G launches... 29/06 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 could support 5G and be sold by US carriers - But don't expect it for a while... 28/06 - NETWORKS - "World's first" 5G network launches - Finnish operator Elisa claims global first in launching a commercial 5G network... 27/06 - ANALYSIS - The World Cup and 5G: the trials you need to know about - 5G will change how you watch football forever... 25/06 - NETWORKS - UK 'needs shared spectrum' for 5G - Ofcom urged to rethink 5G spectrum auction to ensure fairer rollout... 20/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone launches 5G trials in seven UK cities - Vodafone to hold trials later this year with plans for a 2020 5G launch... 19/06 - NETWORKS - Mobile signal woes 'strengthens' business case for 5G - Only half of mobile users in the UK are happy with their speeds, but willing to pay more for faster service... 15/06 - NETWORKS - First standalone 5G network standard approved - 3GPP finalizes 'Release 15' of 5G after three years of work, meaning networks are on the way this year... 14/06 - ANALYSIS - Three CEO: 5G capacity is a 'big opportunity' to lead UK market - Dave Dyson says Three's spectrum holdings mean it could be the UK's 5G leader... 13/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone: 5G smartphone uncertainty means focus on core network and IoT - Vodafone UK CTO says 5G will be a gamechanger, but smartphone innovation in the 4G era won't be matched... 12/06 - NETWORKS - 5G networks still set to arrive this year - Ericsson report suggests Europe will fall behind US and Asia on 5G adoption... 11/06 - NETWORKS - 'First ever' UK 5G report paints rosy picture - UK's 5G ambitions rely heavily on startup and research community... 06/06 - ANALYSIS - EU telecoms rule changes will hinder rather than help 5G, claim industry - Telecoms groups label the new EU code a "missed opportunity"... 06/06 - NETWORKS - EE to switch on 'UK's first' 5G trial in London - Residents and businesses in Tech City will get chance to try out 5G... 05/06 - PRODUCTS - 5G PCs coming from Intel and Sprint next year - US telecoms giant Sprint has joined the race to bring 5G to the masses, announcing at Computex 2018 to start shipping Intel-powered 5G computers next year... 01/06 - ANALYSIS - 5G UK - How far away are we really? - 5G will deliver immediate benefits in 2019, but the true mobile revolution will take time... 25/05 - POLICY - Mobile industry 'shouldn't wait' for 5G to roll out small cells - Small cells will be essential for delivering the 5G vision but industry warns there is no time too wait... 25/05 - POLICY - Nordic Prime Ministers reach agreement to support 5G - Joint agreement is welcomed by Nokia, Ericsson and regional operators... 22/05 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm details 5G small cell platform - Qualcomm wants to help operators and network equipment manufacturers densify 5G networks... 18/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon to bring 5G to Los Angeles in 2018 - Verizon says America's second largest city will be its next 5G location... 16/05 - NETWORKS - Mobile IoT networks to be a 'core component' of 5G - GSMA says NB-IoT and LTE-M deployments are paving the way for massive IoT powered by 5G... 14/05 - NETWORKS - 5G and network convergence drives growth of carrier-grade Wi-Fi market - Fixed and mobile operators look to densify network infrastructure... 08/05 - PRODUCTS - Why self-driving vehicles could be the biggest winner in a 5G world - Telefónica tells us why autonomous vehicles are set to be a key 5G use case... 08/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Samsung get 5G regulatory boost - Verizon and Samsung make major headway towards 5G... 03/05 - NETWORKS - Deutsche Telekom holds live 5G NR trial in Berlin - German operator says test will see how 5G NR behaves in real world... 02/05 - ANALYSIS - Why T-Mobile and Sprint merger would give the US a 5G lead - A truly national 5G network could ensure the US retains its advantage... 01/05 - NETWORKS - Three futureproofs backend infrastructure for 5G - Three and SSE Enterprise Telecoms deal with start with data centre connectivity... 30/04 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile and Sprint merger promises 5G progress in the US - America's third and fourth largest mobile operators are to merge... 18/04 - NETWORKS - Huawei dampens 5G expectations - Huawei CEO says consumer might not notice the differences... 17/04 - NETWORKS - China has narrow lead over US in 5G race - Government support and industry momentum gives China slight advantage, report says... 16/04 - DEVICES - 5G anticipation set to slow smartphone sales - Manufacturers hope for 5G boost as worldwide smartphone demand slows... 13/04 - NETWORKS - What does the Ofcom 5G auction mean for the UK mobile industry? - The long-awaited auction is over, paving the way for 5G...so what next? 12/04 - NETWORKS - Vodafone hits major UK 5G milestone - Vodafone is first UK operator to test 3.4GHz spectrum in preparation for 5G... 09/04 - NETWORKS - Europe set be left behind in 5G race - US and Asia will lead the way in 5G development, claims report... 05/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile networks fork out £1.4bn for 5G spectrum - Ofcom publishes the results of its 5G spectrum auction, revealing that the UK's biggest mobile network operators spent almost £1.4 billion... 28/03 - NETWORKS - 'World's first' 5G public trial switched on in Australia - Australian telco Telstra flips the switch on the world's first public trial of 5G at the Gold Coast... 28/03 - NETWORKS - 5G RuralFirst looks at smart farming, spectrum sharing and broadcasting - Government funded project will use Cisco tech to help transform rural lives... 28/03 - POLICY - UK5G group makes bid for global 5G leadership - Government and industry backed UK5G looks to establish UK 5G community... 27/03 - NETWORKS - GSMA: 5G will be dominant mobile tech in USA by 2025 - Mobile industry body report shows US will be a 5G leader... 27/03 - NETWORKS - Telefonica tests tech that could boost 5G broadband - Telefonica spectral efficiency trials hope to pave the way for better fixed wireless access (FWA)... 23/03 - NETWORKS - 5G networks are now just a year away - Korea Telecom plans commercial 5G launch next March... 20/03 - NETWORKS - UK 5G spectrum auction gets underway - Five bidders will battle it out for more of the UK's airwaves... 19/03 - NETWORKS - UK university makes major 5G breakthrough - University of Kent-based iCIRRUS consortium says Ethernet equipment can help deliver 5G networks... 16/03 - NETWORKS - O2 kickstarts the UK's 5G charm offensive to consumers - 5G hypetrain moves from industry into the mainstream... 15/03 - NETWORKS - Digital minister pledges to eliminate barriers to 5G deployment - Margot James says she wants to work with mobile operators and local government on 5G... 14/03 - NETWORKS - O2: 5G will save local councils and households £6bn a year - Report details how smart technologies powered by 5G can improve society... 12/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom 5G spectrum auction will start next week - Ofcom confirms that bidding for 5G frequencies will begin on 20 March... 12/03 - NETWORKS - Government reveals £25m prize fund for UK 5G - £25m competition will see 5G testbeds located across the UK... 11/03 - DEVICES - 5G a key factor to seamless VR experience, says Lenovo EMEA President - Lenovo wants to create memorable experiences for its customers, but is that enough? 09/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom plans new rural coverage obligations for 700MHz spectrum - Ofcom says 700MHz is an important opportunity to improve rural coverage as it plans for 5G future... 05/03 - NETWORKS - EU Parliament and US Congress take steps to accelerate 5G legislation - EU chambers reach provisional agreement while US Congress to vote on spectrum auction... 05/03 - DEVICES - HTC CEO: 5G will turn any VR device into the most powerful in the world - Cher Wang says the smartphone still has a role to play in VR... 03/03 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm hopes 5G vision will stand out from the hype - Qualcomm's influence in the industry is significant, so its 5G roadmap is worth listening too... 02/03 - NETWORKS - BT CEO: EE convergence even more important ahead of 5G - Gavin Patterson says BT never really left mobile and is preparing for converged network era... 28/02 - NETWORKS - Intel and NTT DoCoMo prepare 5G plans for Tokyo 2020 Olympics - After success at PyeongChang 2018, Intel is stepping up plans for next Olympics... 27/02 - NETWORKS - Satellite-supported UK 5G testbed will trial mission critical apps - Juniper Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult say satellite cannot be ignored... 27/02 - MOBILE - Qualcomm looks to make it easier to make 5G phones - Launch will help OEMs build 5G connectivity into more devices... 27/02 - NETWORKS - Ofcom confirms six bidders for 5G spectrum - All four mobile operators have been approved, with small cell operator and Hull fixed wireless firm joining... 27/02 - NETWORKS - Ericsson tells operators: 5G is ready - Ericsson has agreements with 38 operators around the world as 5G moves from idea to reality... 27/02 - PRODUCTS - Get ready for a 5G Internet of the Sky - Drones like the Ehang 184 will usher in a 5G-powered autonomous airspace... 26/02 - NETWORKS - Telstra plans to ramp up 4G speeds in the lead up to its full 5G rollout - Major cities in Australia to get increased bandwidth... 26/02 - NETWORKS - Cisco targets mobile operators with '5G Now' - Cisco wants to help operators prepare for the next era of networks... 25/02 - MOBILE - Huawei reveals 5G-ready modem - Test beds for 5G networks will be launched this year, Huawei reveals... 23/02 - NETWORKS - Why PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics are a 5G milestone - Athletes are making history at the Winter Olympics, but it's an important event for 5G networks too... 22/02 - NETWORKS - O2 reveals UK 5G test bed - Operator will test 5G applications at iconic London venue later this year... 19/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone and Huawei successfully test IP Microwave backhaul for 5G - Vodafone and Huawei achieve 2Gbps on IP microwave link, claiming it shows the tech is viable for 5G... 16/02 - NETWORKS - Why startups and research can make the UK a 5G leader - Does the UK really need to be first to the mark or be an industry powerhouse to be a 5G leader? 16/02 - OPINION - No time to waste now 5G legal challenges are over - For an industry keen to avoid a repeat of the 3G and 4G auctions, Three's failed appeal removes a barrier to 5G... 14/02 - MOBILE - Fiber-like internet and a glimpse of our 5G future are coming to smartphones in 2019 - Qualcomm's new mobile modem offering speeds of up to 2Gbps... 14/02 - NETWORKS - 5G spectrum auction to go ahead after Three's legal challenge fails - Three's bid to decrease an overall spectrum cap falls on deaf ears and prevents further delay... 12/02 - NETWORKS - China Mobile plans 5G launch in 2019 - China Mobile joins a select few number of operators planning to beat original 2020 target... 08/02 - MOBILE - The first 5G smartphones are coming in 2019 - But you won't see 5G service everywhere by next year... 07/02 - MOBILE - 5G set to push mobile data use sky-high - Giffgaff research estimates customers will use nearly 100GB of mobile data a month by 2025... 05/-2 - NETWORKS - Telstra joins Optus on 5G bandwagon, also aiming for 2019 rollout - Australian carrier Telstra will trial new tech during Commonwealth Games... 05/01 - NETWORKS - AT&T set to run 5G trials - Company to adopt new 3GPP guidelines as it continues push for next-generation networks... 04/01 - NETWORKS - Samsung teams up with Verizon on 5G - New service to be launched in Sacramento later this year... 02/02 - NETWORKS - Optus 5G network rollout set to begin in early 2019 - Australian telco Optus announces its plans for 5G rollout... What will 5G networks mean for me?
How fast will 5G be?It’s still not exactly known how much faster 5G will be than 4G, as much of the technology is still under development. That being said, the networks should provide a significant upgrade to current download and upload speeds - with the GSMA proposing minimum download speeds of around 1GBps. Most estimates expect the average speed of 5G networks to reach 10Gb/s, and some even think transfer rates could reach a whopping 800Gb/s. This would mean that users could download a full-length HD quality film in a matter of seconds, and that downloading and installing software upgrades would be completed much faster than today. What will a 5G network need?The GSMA has outlined eight criteria for 5G networks, with a connection needing meet a majority of these in order to qualify as 5G:
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| Acer's $20,000 Predator Thronos gaming chair is now available in Europe Posted: 06 Jun 2019 09:24 AM PDT If you've been following the weird and wonderful world of PCs for the past couple of years, you probably remember the Acer Predator Thronos, the extreme gaming 'throne' packed with a gaming PC and up to three gaming monitors. Well, you can buy it now. Well, that's the case if you're in Europe at least, where you'll have to pay at least €18,000 (about $20,130, £15,800, AU$29,070). That's the price just for the Thronos, and if you want to kit it out with an Acer Predator Orion 9000 desktop PC, three gaming monitors along with a full smattering of peripherals, you're looking at about €25,000 (about $27,960, £22,060, AU$40,370), according to German site Winfuture.
That's a lot of money, but it's not like you'll find the Acer Predator Thronos on a store shelf (not that it'd fit anyway). Acer custom manufactures the Predator Thronos for individual consumers, a process that takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks to complete. The gaming chair will then be delivered to your door free of charge, and will be serviced for free twice a year. Who is this for?We don't know about you, but we'd be hard pressed to drop almost 30 grand on a gaming chair. Sure, it looks unique, but that's a lot of money – that's more than a year's rent in New York. However, we're sure there are plenty of affluent gamers out there looking for bragging rights. It is a custom built rig, which should make it more attractive to the 1%, but the fact that it doesn't include a PC and monitors at that base price is a little worrying. But, what do we know? Just a week ago, while walking around at Computex 2019, we saw plenty of these gaming chairs, either as attractions or products. There's clearly some interest in these gaming thrones. Who knows, maybe in the future we'll see the prices of these gaming thrones go down. At the end of the day, who needs a new car when you can get a giant gaming throne?
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