Apple : Cricket World Cup 2019 live stream: how to watch every game online from anywhere

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• Cricket World Cup 2019 live stream: how to watch every game online from anywhere
• What can macOS Catalina tell us about the next MacBook Pro?
• PlayStation CEO confirms PS5 backwards compatibility, SSD and 4K/120Hz output
• The best PS4 Pro prices, deals and bundles in June 2019
• The best cheap PS4 bundles, deals and prices in the June sales
• Oracle and Microsoft team up to connect Azure and Oracle Cloud
• Laptop Mag's brand rankings put HP at the top – with Apple far down
• Pokémon Go updates: all the news and rumors for what's coming next
• Project xCloud: everything we know about Microsoft's cloud streaming service
• How the new Nissan Leaf helped me conquer my fear of driving
• UK Government not doing enough to fend off cyberattacks
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake: trailers, release date, news and features
• Cyberpunk 2077: release date, trailer and news
• Fortnite Battle Royale update news, patch notes and more
• macOS Catalina vs Windows 10 May 2019 Update: which is best?
• Best e-commerce platform of 2019: get an online store now!
• Apple Music vs Spotify: the music streaming titans go head-to-head
• Best gaming laptops 2019: the 10 top gaming laptops we've reviewed
• Red Dead Online: latest news, updates and multiplayer features
• FIFA 20: release date, news, new modes and everything else there is to know

Cricket World Cup 2019 live stream: how to watch every game online from anywhere Posted: 05 Jun 2019 01:46 PM PDT The sound of leather on willow. The smell of the freshly mown grass. The teas! The 2019 Cricket World Cup is in full flow and we've already seen some big hitting, fearsome bowling and that catch. 10 of the world's elite cricket-playing countries are competing title of best ODI team on Earth with only one to be left standing by the end on July 14 - you've come to the right place to find out how to live stream every last ball of the Cricket World Cup regardless of where you live. So what should we expect from the 12th incarnation of Cricket World Cup? Well the hosts England enter the tournament as favourites (according to Betfair at least). Not only have they proved over the years that they should be feared in the unique British conditions, but Eoin Morgan's men come in on fantastic form, too. Their batsmen in particular have set new standards, with Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root all hitting form at the right time. India have the world's two top ICC ODI ranked batsmen (Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma) and the number one bowler (Jasprit Bumrah) and will naturally be a feared force. But perhaps most attention will be on reigning champions Australia, as they welcome back suspended duo Steve Smith and David Warner. With the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies also involved and hungry to win the competition, it should be a fantastically exciting few weeks of daily cricket action. If you want to know where you'll be able to watch every single match, we'll tell you exactly where you can catch them online with a Cricket World Cup live stream. How to watch the 2019 Cricket World Cup from outside your country You don't have to miss a single minute of Cricket World Cup - even if you're abroad and discover that your home broadcaster's online coverage is geo-blocked (we hate it when that happens). If that happens to you and you're desperate to watch that domestic coverage, there's still a way to get it that doesn't involve putting your security at risk with some dodgy, illegal stream from Reddit. You can simply use a VPN to login back to your country that is broadcasting the actions, and it's really easy to do: Upcoming Cricket World Cup fixtures Thursday June 6 Australia vs West Indies - Trent Bridge, Nottingham 10.30am BST Friday June 7 Pakistan vs Sri Lanka - County Ground, Bristol 10.30am BST Saturday June 8 England vs Bangladesh - Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 10.30am BST Afghanistan vs New Zealand - Taunton, Somerset 1.30pm BST Sunday June 9 India vs Australia - The Oval, London 10.30am BST Monday June 10 South Africa vs West Indies - Hampshire Bowl, Southampton 10.30am BST Tuesday June 11 Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka - County Ground, Bristol 10.30am BST Wednesday June 12 Australia vs Pakistan - Taunton, Somerset 10.30am BST How to stream the Cricket World Cup live in the UK  How to live stream the Cricket World Cup final in Australia (for FREE) How to watch the Cricket World Cup 2019: New Zealand live stream  How to stream 2019 Cricket World Cup online in India How to watch the Cricket World Cup: US live stream  What is the format of the 2019 Cricket World Cup? The Cricket World Cup is a ten-team tournament. Each country plays each other in a round-robin format, after which the top four teams qualify for the semi-finals. The two winning semi-finalists then get to face off in the final on Sunday, July 14. How long do Cricket World Cup matches usually last? Most 2019 Cricket World Cup matches will start at 10.30am BST and end early evening – around 6.30pm BST. A number of day/night games will start at 1.30pm BST and finish under floodlights at around 9pm BST. Cricket World Cup matches broadly follow the rules of One Day Internationals, with each side facing 50 overs within a 210-minute time limit. Add in drinks breaks for each side and a 30 to 40 minutes innings break and matches can run up to nine hours in length. Some matches are much shorter however - England’s capitulation to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup saw play wrapped up within four-and-a-half hours, with the Kiwis reaching their 123-run target in just 12 overs. What teams are competing in this year's Cricket World Cup? Afghanistan Having made their maiden World Cup appearance in 2015, Afghanistan aren't likely to be on anybody's list of pre-match favourites. Australia The five-time winners suffered a blow with injury ruling out fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, but are boosted by the return of key batsman David Warner after serving a ban for ball tampering. Bangladesh With outside odds of 80/1 to win the trophy, Bangladesh will be hoping talismanic batsman Tamim Iqbal continues his excellent ODI record which has seen him clock up over 5,000 runs. England The hosts are clear favourites going in to the tournament. Captained by Eoin Morgan, since the last World Cup England have beaten every country competing in the tournament in a one-day series with the exception of Afghanistan. India Their recent home ODI defeat to Australia doesn’t bode well, but India will be hoping to repeat their 1983 triumph which saw them win the World Cup on English soil. New Zealand Having been sensational throughout the tournament, the Kiwis reached their first ever Cricket World Cup final in 2015, only to fall short at the final hurdle against Australia. A strong top order of Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham should see them in contention again this time. Pakistan Having played a recent test series in England, Pakistan come into the tournament well prepared. Tipped by many to at least reach the semis, the tournament’s most unpredictable side stand a good wildcard chance of glory. South Africa The Proteas come into the World Cup in fine form having won nine of their last 11 ODI series, however injuries in the run up to key stars like Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Dale Steyn will raise concerns about their chances. Sri Lanka A run of just one win in the last 11 games suggest the 1996 winners will struggle in 2019. Much will depend on what form former captain and key batsman Angelo Mathews will be in if they are to get out of their current rut. West Indies Like Sri Lanka, the ODI form of the West Indies in recent times has fallen off a cliff. However, the emergence of Shimron Hetmyer and powerful batsman Shai Hope mean there’s some sense of optimism for a decent showing at the World Cup.  What grounds are being used for the Cricket World Cup? The Oval, London Established in 1845, the home of Surrey County Cricket Club played host to the first-ever Test match on English soil between England and Australia in 1880.  Trent Bridge, Nottingham Home of Nottinghamshire CCC, the 17,500-capacity ground will host five World Cup matches, including England vs Pakistan. Bristol County Ground, Bristol Built in 1889, and subsequently bought by WG Grace, the ground has been home to Gloucestershire CCC ever since. Hampshire Bowl, Southampton The 17,000-capacity ground will host ICC Cricket World Cup fixtures for the first time in 2019, with five matches taking place at the venue.   The County Ground, Taunton Three World Cup fixtures will be held at the County Ground Taunton, home of Somerset County Cricket Club. Old Trafford, Manchester Lancashire County Cricket Club’s ground has the honour of hosting the most 2019 Cricket World Cup matches with six games set to be played there, including one of the semi-finals. Edgbaston, Birmingham Warwickshire CCC’s ground was the scene of the 1999 semi-final showdown between Australia and South Africa - arguably the greatest Cricket World Cup game of all time. Headingley, Leeds Adjoined by Headingley Rugby Stadium, the complex is home to Leeds Rhinos rugby league and Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union clubs as well Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The cricket ground has hosted Test matches since 1899 and has a capacity of 18,350. Lord's, London Widely referred to as the Home of Cricket, the iconic north London ground will host the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final. The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street English cricket’s most northerly ground is also one of its most picturesque. Home to Durham CCC, the stadium is overlooked by the 14th-century Lumley Castle. Cardiff Wales Stadium The single ground in this year’s World Cup that is based outside of England, Glamorgan County Cricket Club’s stadium will host four fixtures during the tournament. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What can macOS Catalina tell us about the next MacBook Pro? Posted: 05 Jun 2019 01:33 PM PDT Apple’s latest operating system for Macs, macOS Catalina, is not only exciting for owners of current Mac computers – it could hold major hints for the next major MacBook Pro.  That is, the rumored MacBook Pro with a 16-inch display, not the first MacBook Pro with an 8-core processor that just launched in May 2019. All eyes are looking toward the revamp, not the refresh. There are a few major features coming to Macs via macOS 10.15 Catalina that give us a solid idea of what to expect (read: hope for) from the next MacBook Pro. Here are three major themes we’re seeing put forth in macOS Catalina that could – and should – be improved with the next MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro running Asphalt 9: Legends. (Image Credit: Apple) A much better MacBook Pro for gaming While nothing that Apple has explicitly said regarding macOS Catalina has us thinking of the next MacBook Pro as a gaming laptop, it’s the combination of Project Catalyst and Apple’s deepening relationship with graphics processor (GPU) maker AMD that drives our expectations. First, Project Catalyst will see a hopeful deluge of iPad apps coming to macOS in the coming year, and the most popular apps on iPad by a long shot are games – as is the case on the iPhone. With Apple finally recognizing its mobile devices’ position as a gaming platform via Apple Arcade, and it even name-dropping the hit mobile racer Asphalt 9: Legends in its preview of Project Catalyst, this influx of iPad games on Mac will surely have an effect on the perception of the MacBook Pro’s gaming chops. Consider also ho Apple’s relationship with AMD has grown over the past few years. In fact, AMD’s next pro-grade graphics cards debuted during Apple’s WWDC 2019 keynote, which shows Apple’s interest and confidence in the company. High-end Macs and MacBook Pros come exclusively with AMD graphics options, and that will likely only continue. So, could we see the MacBook Pro better serve the cross section of Mac fans and gamers? Here’s to hoping. Image Credit: TechRadar Siri’s big break for work life Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, has been available on the Mac for a long time now – several macOS versions at least. And frankly, it hasn’t done too much in the way of helping people get their work done. This could very well change with the next MacBook Pro, given that Siri’s capability for voice controls have vastly improved with macOS Catalina. Users can now navigate pretty much the entire operating system with only their voice. This is currently billed as an accessibility feature, which is certainly welcome on its own, but we see much more potential in this – especially given the natural language improvements coming to Siri with the iOS 13 update. If the next MacBook Pro were able to carry out complete tasks for us using just Siri, that would be a game changer for time-strapped typists. The macOS Catalina Sidecar feature at work. (Image Credit: Apple) A MacBook Pro with closer friends With macOS Catalina, the iPad becomes a trusted sidekick to the Mac with the aptly-named Sidecar feature. This allows the iPad to not only become a secondary display for the Mac, but also allows for Apple Pencil input into macOS through a list of supported apps. This looks to be a strong hint for where Apple plans to take its next MacBook Pro – and all of its Macs in general, really. It’s easy to anticipate this kind of feature getting wider system access in the next version of macOS, with Pencil input expanding beyond the few apps it now supports. Likewise, we could easily see the iPhone enjoying similar access to macOS via Sidecar, perhaps to use as a smaller secondary display or additional input method. Using this feature, the iPhone could even become a macOS game controller for the various iPad games that are destined for macOS ports in the coming years. At any rate, we anticipate Apple doubling down on the MacBook Pro as a hub for its mobile devices, using their touch functions to its full advantage. These are the best Macs we’ve tested to date This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PlayStation CEO confirms PS5 backwards compatibility, SSD and 4K/120Hz output Posted: 05 Jun 2019 01:11 PM PDT Sony PlayStation may not be a part of next week’s E3 2019 video game convention, but that won’t stop the company from making waves. In a recent interview, PlayStation’s new CEO Jim Ryan gave even more details about the company’s next home console, the PS5.  In an interview with CNET, Ryan spoke about a number of new features Sony has planned for the PS5, which include the use of a custom-designed solid-state drive (SSD) as the default storage option, native 4K 120Hz gameplay with the possibility of playing games in 8K, plus backwards-compatibility with games released on the PS4.  More interestingly, however, Ryan also spoke about the ability to start games on PS4, continue them on PS5 and then eventually take all that progress back to the PS4 as part of a “cross-generational play” feature that saves data to Sony servers and preserves your game state. "Whether it's backwards compatibility or the possibility of cross generational play, we'll be able to transition that community to next-gen," Ryan told CNET. "It won't be a binary choice about whether you have to be either on PlayStation 4 or next-gen to continue your friendship."   More curious about the next Xbox? We've got you covered Here's everything we know about Project xCloud Plus our hands-on Google Stadia preview Taking PlayStation Now to the next level  Speaking of servers, Ryan also dropped some hints about an upgrade for Sony's long-running game-streaming service PlayStation Now that made headlines a few weeks ago when Sony and Microsoft announced a groundbreaking collaboration that would allow Sony to use Microsoft’s Azure technology.  “We have a cloud gaming service right now, and we've added on it for a number of years ... We've actually achieved a lot, and probably a lot more than people realize,” Ryan said. “And our intent is to build on those learnings and really look to try to take PlayStation Now to the next level later this year and then in the years to come.” Admittedly, this is a cryptic clue rather than an outright promise, but considering how little we know about Sony’s upcoming system, we’ll take any morsel of information we can get. We'll keep our ears to the ground at next week's convention and report back with any new information we get on Sony – or Microsoft's – next-generation consoles. Need something new to play? Here's a list of the best PS4 games This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best PS4 Pro prices, deals and bundles in June 2019 Posted: 05 Jun 2019 01:01 PM PDT So you're thinking about PS4 Pro deals or maybe a bundle? Well we can most certainly help you out there as we're always checking out the latest sales. Maybe you're upgrading from your older PS4 so you can dive into 4K gaming. Or maybe you've never had a PS4 and are thinking you may as well start with the best. All solid choices, especially if you're already set with a 4K TV, even better if it has HDR too. There are some fantastic-looking games out now to really make a PS4 Pro shine; Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, God of War, Detroit: Become Human are all serious lookers and jaws are bound to drop further when The Last of Us Part 2 sneaks onto our 4K TVs later this year. And there's be even more to look forward too thanks to E3 2019 too. You'll find all of the latest and best PS4 Pro prices from the big name stores in our comparison chart below. There's not too much difference in price between retailers at this time of year, but we're constantly on the lookout for the latest deals and bundles. Looking to buy in Australia? You'll want to take a look at our AU page. If you'd prefer a standard PS4, then check out our PS4 bundles (USA) or PS4 deals (UK) pages. Don't forget to top up your subscription with one of our discounted PlayStation Plus deals too. So keep this page bookmarked to stay informed of the latest PS4 Pro bundles when they arrive. If you're looking for more information on the PS4 Pro, take a look at our handy Q&A below the bundles. PS4 Pro bundle deals (USA) Worthwhile PS4 Pro bundles have been pretty much non-existent in the US for the last few months. The PS4 Pro on its own has seemingly sold out at the regular $399 price, meaning we've only seen units for sale via third-party sellers on sites like Amazon/Walmart for prices often at least $40 more than usual. This long after release, we're not cool with that you shouldn't be either. As a bare minimum, you want at least one game with the console for $399, ideally less in the next few months. The only decent PS4 Pro bundle today is the Read Dead Redemption 2 one we've just added below, don't expect stock to last long on this one though.   PS4 Pro bundle deals (UK) Need an extra controller on the cheap? Take a look at the best DualShock 4 deals. We also have a guide to the best PlayStation VR deals too. Cheap PlayStation Plus deals If you're buying a PS4 Pro, you'll probably need a cheap PlayStation Plus deal too. PlayStation Plus (aka PS Plus or PS+) allows you to play PS4 games online, along with access to the Instant Game Collection, a bunch of free games for PS4, PS3 and Vita each month. The default price for a year is £40. We've shopped around for you though and found a range of prices. So check out our guide of you want the best PlayStation Plus deals. What is the PS4 Pro? Essentially, the PS4 Pro is an upgrade of the PS4, rather than a 'next-gen' console. The keywords to take in from the PS4 Pro are 4K and HDR. The new machine will allow game developers to include 4K options in their games, so expect the like of Uncharted 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Days Gone, Horizon: Zero Dawn and more to look even better on a 4K TV. HDR, or High Dynamic Range is the other buzzword to be excited about as the PS4 Pro will allow for extra detail to be seen on a range of games and also a wider range of colors not usually displayed by traditional HD TVs. Will my old PS4 games work on PS4 Pro? Absolutely. If you're planning on upgrading to a PS4 Pro from an older PS4, all of your games will still work. Not every title will be patched to take advantage of the new 4K/HDR capabilities, but the default upscaling (if you have a 4K TV) will more than likely see some improvement to the visuals and the improved console power may give the frame-rate a boost on some titles. What else can I watch in 4K/HDR on PS4 Pro? The PS4 Pro is compatible with 4K and HDR, and the content options for both are increasing all the time on services like YouTube and Netflix. Amazon Prime video is yet to be updated for 4K content though. Does the PS4 Pro support 4K Blu-rays? No. This was a surprise if we're honest, especially as both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles do. It's a bit of a gamble for Sony, but at the same time, 4K Blu-rays are very expensive for now and many consumers look to digital services to provide their 4K movies and TV content instead. Do I need a 4K TV to run a PS4 Pro? No, the PS4 Pro will still work on a regular 1080p TV, you won't get the benefits of upscaling or HDR though. You may see a slim amount of extra detail, or frame-rate boost, but we wouldn't expect a massive leap. If you are thinking of buying a 4K TV soon, then it's probably a good idea to splash out on the PS4 Pro instead of the regular or new PS4 Slim as it'll future proof you for a while. Be sure to look out for a TV that supports HDR too, in order to take full advantage of the PS4 Pro's capabilities. Will PlayStation VR be better on the PS4 Pro? Early reports say yes. The PlayStation VR frame-rate is better on PS4 Pro and the resolution gets a bit of a bump too. PlayStation VR will certainly work on the older PS4s, you don't need a PS4 Pro to get involved there. Does the PS4 Pro have optical audio support? Yes! The optical audio output has been removed from the PS4 Slim though, which is a massive shame. PS4 Pro owners though will still be able to use optical connections for their soundbars and sound systems. What are the best games on PS4 Pro? We've dived through our back catalogue of PS4 games that have received a PS4 Pro update patch to see which ones look the best and have a noticeable difference. Take a look at our extensive feature - The best PS4 Pro games. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best cheap PS4 bundles, deals and prices in the June sales Posted: 05 Jun 2019 12:59 PM PDT Ok, let's do this. E3 2019 is almost here and you're finally after a cheap PS4 bundle deal. This is a fantastic time to buy in as so many of the best PS4 games are super cheap nowadays. So you've got plenty of fantastic titles to enjoy for less once you take advantage of these super low prices. Naturally, lots of the below PS4 bundles come with the hottest new games. We're on the hunt for the lowest PS4 prices all year round, so we aren't easily fooled by the fake deals that don't actually save you any money over buying the games individually. We're here to help save you as much money as possible. We also want you to play the games everyone's shouting about which is why we're going the extra mile to track down PS4 and PS4 Pro bundles with the likes of Days Gone, Red Dead Redemption 2, FIFA 19, Spider-Man and more. Sometimes though, you can get a load of older games with a cheap PS4 for even less money, so we'll keep our eyes out for those offers too. This page lists the best cheap PS4 prices in the UK, but we also have dedicated guides for US readers and our Australian ones too. Below you'll find a comparison chart that automatically pulls in the freshest and cheapest PS4 deals from UK retailers, followed by our hand-picked selection of the best PS4 bundles that offer the best value discounts on the additional software or accessories. After those deals you'll find we've also covered the same options for the PS4 Pro prices. The PS4 Slim is... slimmer, quieter and smaller The PS4 Slim launched (with no games included) in September 2016 for around £259 (500GB) or £310 (1TB) and has now replaced the original fatter PS4. The new console is smaller, lighter, more power efficient and cheaper than the remaining stock of the older PlayStation 4 deals nowadays, so you're not paying more for the refined tech. We'd advise you check out the cheap PS4 bundles further down this page as many of them are cheaper than buying the console on its own or you can get a lot more for a spending a bit extra on top. You'll often find that the most attractive way to get a cheap PS4 is with a bundle with extra hardware or extra games. These are the best PS4 bundle prices currently available in the UK – we update these deals on a regular basis. Extra PS4 retailer links: Want to look through some more cheap PS4 deals? It's ok, you're only hurting our feelings a little. The links below will take you straight to the PS4 console deals section of the following websites, just in-case you fancy digging out a bargain of your own. PS4 deals - Amazon PS4 deals - AO PS4 deals - ebuyer PS4 deals - Very PS4 deals - John Lewis PS4 deals - Currys PS4 deals - Argos The PS4 that offers 4K gaming and Netflix Essentially, the PS4 Pro is a 4K upgrade of the current PS4, rather than a 'next-gen' console. The keywords to take in from the PS4 Pro are 4K and HDR. The new machine allows game developers to include 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range options in their games, so expect the like of Red Dead Redemption 2, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, God of War, Uncharted 4, Horizon: Zero Dawn and more to look even better on a HDR-enabled 4K TV. You'll also be able to stream 4K content from Netflix and YouTube. Want to get the right TV? Then check out our cheap 4K TV sales and deals page. We've seen big discounts as Sony fights off the latest Xbox One X deals too. If you're buying a PS4, you'll probably need a cheap PlayStation Plus deal too. PlayStation Plus (aka PS Plus or PS+) allows you to play PS4 games online, along with access to the Instant Game Collection, a bunch of free games for PS4, PS3 and Vita each month. The default price for a year is £50. We can do better than that though, so check out our selection of the best PlayStation Plus deals. Need an extra cheap PS4 controller? Don't forget to check our Best DualShock 4 deals. Or maybe a cheap PlayStation VR deal?  If you're still torn, maybe you'd prefer one of our Xbox One deals?  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Oracle and Microsoft team up to connect Azure and Oracle Cloud Posted: 05 Jun 2019 11:53 AM PDT Microsoft and Oracle customers will soon be able to migrate and run mission-critical enterprise workloads across Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud thanks to a new cloud interoperability partnership between the two companies. Enterprises will be able to seamlessly connect Azure services such as analytics and AI to Oracle Cloud services like Autonomous Database. The new partnership between Microsoft and Oracle will even enable customers to run one part of a workload within Azure and another part of the same workload within the Oracle Cloud as part of a best-of-both-clouds experience. How the finance industry spiked competition in the cloud wars Microsoft launches Azure cloud services for AI and blockchain A recipe for avoiding disaster in the cloud Together, Azure and Oracle Cloud now provide customers with a one-stop shop for all of the cloud services and applications they need to run their entire business. Azure and Oracle Cloud By connecting Azure and Oracle Cloud through network and identity interoperability, organizations can benefit from seamless lift-and-improve migrations.  The partnership delivers direct and reliable network connectivity between the two clouds while also continuing to provide the first-class customer service and support customers have come to expect from both companies. New and innovative scenarios are also now possible as a result of the partnership such as running Oracle e-Business Suite or Oracle JD Edwards on Azure against an Oracle Autonomous Database running Exadata infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. Executive vice president for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Don Johnson explained how the partnership can help organizations preserve their existing cloud investments in a statement, saying: “Oracle and Microsoft have served enterprise customer needs for decades. With this partnership, our joint customers can migrate their entire set of existing applications to the cloud without having to re-architect anything, preserving the large investments they have already made.” Customers looking to connect Azure and Oracle Cloud can do so first in Ashburn (North America) and Azure US East though the companies plan to expand this functionality to additional regions in the future. Also check out the best cloud computing services This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Laptop Mag's brand rankings put HP at the top – with Apple far down Posted: 05 Jun 2019 11:32 AM PDT Our friends at Laptop Mag have published their annual "Best Laptop Brands" report, ranking all of the major laptop makers on various criteria.  When you're looking for the best laptop you can get, there's more to it than just finding one loaded with the best processor in a slick design. The value you're getting, the ways the brand has innovated in making the laptop, and the support they offer after your purchase all matter as well. This is what Laptop's rankings focus on. The new ranking sees some dramatic shifts in position for popular laptop brands. HP and Asus have moved up to claim the first and second rankings, while Lenovo fell four places to go from first down to fifth. Razer made a notable move upward, surely carried along by its new laptops and improved tech support. Here are 10 things you probably missed at WWDC 2019 Check out Apple's crazy expensive Mac Pro See the latest on macOS 10.15 Catalina Meanwhile, one brand many would think about when they consider excellent laptops has sank low. Apple fell three places to land at 11th, placing only above MSI and Samsung. Reasons behind the rankings HP scored big points this year for not only having excellent laptops, like the Spectre x360, but also for its innovation in design with the likes of the Spectre Folio. It may not have earned many points for support and warranty, but with more reasonable prices, its laptops have high value. Asus and Dell follow close behind with comparable value to HP's lineup. Even though their laptops offer impressive innovation and design, and come with better support than HP's, the laptops themselves received lower review scores. Lenovo's move down the ranks doesn't stem from a lack of value or variety. Its laptops rank highest for value and selection. But, they have reviewed poorly, and Lenovo's warranty and tech support have left room for improvement. Apple's fall from grace – though, it didn't have a very high ranking last year either – is tied to its high prices, limited selection, serious lack of innovation and underwhelming design. With new laptops each year that don't look or feel all the different than the previous year's model, unless it's the faulty keyboards, it's no wonder they're getting a bit tired. Perhaps the next refresh of laptops paired with some of the exciting announcements from WWDC 2019 will change the direction Apple is headed. See our review of the 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Pokémon Go updates: all the news and rumors for what's coming next Posted: 05 Jun 2019 11:10 AM PDT Pokémon Go: the world's first augmented reality app to become a household name. Niantic's mobile AR game is still going strong two years after it first released, with a constant drip of events and updates keeping budding trainers glued to their phones and pounding the streets. And while it hasn't managed to top the peak of its popularity in 2016, it's still going strong and finding plenty of new ways to improve its player experience. So what's the latest news for Pokémon Go? As you'd expect, brand new features are being added all the time and community events are still going strong. In terms of the bigger picture, with E3 2019 a matter of days away there's always a chance of some big announcements for the future. But without further ado, here's our guide to all the latest Pokémon Go news and updates. Pokémon Go tips and tricks: how to get better at the game How to fix the biggest problems with Pokémon Go Pokémon Gone: how Pokémon Go can bring back lapsed trainers Nintendo at E3 2019: How to watch Nintendo's big keynote online Pokémon Go news and Pokémon Go updates What's new? It's Adventure Week, trainers! Adventure Week Prepare yourself, trainers. Adventure Week is returning to Pokémon Go from June 4 to June 11, bringing brand new Shiny Pokémon and limited-time Field Research activities.  During this Adventure Week players can expect to rock out with more Rock-type Pokémon sightings when they're out exploring in the wild, more Rock-types appearing to be challenged in Raids and they'll be able to hatch Rock-types like Onix, Anorith and Shieldon from 2 km eggs. Keep an eye out for Shiny Onix, Lileep and Anorith while you're out there. As far as bonuses go, this week you can earn 4 times the number of Buddy Candies, 10 times XP when visiting new PokéStops and trainers who turn on Adventure Sync will have the chance to earn 50,000 Stardust and 15 Rare Candies if they walk 50 km. Best get those walking shoes on.  It's worth keeping an eye out for some specially themed Field Research tasks during the event too.  Legendary Raids As well as Adventure Week, there are more Legendary Raid Hours happening this month. On June 5 and 12 from 6pm to 7pm local time you'll have the chance to catch the Lunar Pokémon Cresselia. While June 19 and 26 at the same times, Kyogre will be appearing in Raids. When's the next Pokémon Go event? There are more Pokémon Go Fest events taking place around the world this summer. While these gatherings take place in specific cities, even if you can't make it it's worth keeping an eye out for the ways you can participate from a distance.  June 13 - 16: Chicago, Grant Park July 4 - 7: Dortmund, Westfalen Park When's the next Pokémon Go Community Day? Pokémon Go's next Community Day takes place on June 8. The featured Pokémon for the event will be Slakoth, while the bonuses for the event will be a quarter egg-hatch distance and three-hour-long lures. The special move for the event will be Body Slam, though it'll be for Slaking only.  Pokémon Go update: what's next? Niantic hasn't revealed what updates they have planned next, but E3 2019 isn't far away and it'd be the perfect time to announce any big plans for the game's future. E3 2017 saw the announcement of a huge overhaul to Pokémon Go so only time will tell if E3 2019 will bring something similar.  Check out the best and weirdest Pokémon Go stories so far Pokémon Go Plus deals Want to buy yourself a Pokémon Go Plus wearable? Check some of today's best deals down below. (Image credits: Niantic/Pokémon Company) Read more: Harry Potter Wizards Unite: everything we know This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Project xCloud: everything we know about Microsoft's cloud streaming service Posted: 05 Jun 2019 11:03 AM PDT Last year Microsoft announced it was working on Project xCloud, a new streaming service that aims to let you play big-name games on whichever device you want, whenever you want. Project xCloud aims to leverage Microsoft’s existing data centers across the globe, literally loading up servers with the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, and using these to run the games streamed directly to your mobile device of choice.  This means that gamers will be able to play the likes of Halo Infinite, Forza and other classic console and PC big hitters on their phones or tablets. Project xCloud is currently being beta tested by Microsoft employees and, according to Microsoft, can already stream 3,500 games from the cloud – with another 1,900 games potential titles on their way. The company promises it will scale out across 54 Azure regions (with data centers in some 140 countries) when the system is honed and ready. Microsoft's cloud game-streaming service seems to be well into development, so we've gathered together everything we know about Project xCloud below for your perusal. Project xCloud release date Image credit: Microsoft Project xCloud doesn't currently have a release date, but we do know that public beta testing will begin this year.  We're expecting XCloud to launch in late 2019 or early 2020, perhaps to coincide with the release of the next Xbox. Project xCloud news and features Image credit: Microsoft Project xCloud can already stream 3,500 games Microsoft revealed on Xbox Wire that Project xCloud can already stream 3,500 games from the cloud with another 1,900 games potential titles on their way.   According to the company, there are a number of games that are already compatible with the service from the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox game library. In addition, Microsoft claims that any game published on the Xbox One could be xCloud-compatible without any extra work from developers.  Streaming won't replace consoles In a post on Xbox Wire, CVP of Gaming Cloud at Microsoft Kareem Choudhry described Project xCloud as "a vision for game-streaming technology that will complement our console hardware and give gamers more choices in how and where they play."  "We’re developing Project xCloud not as a replacement for game consoles, but as a way to provide the same choice and versatility that lovers of music and video enjoy today," says Choudhry. "We love what’s possible when a console is connected to a 4K TV with full HDR support and surround sound – that remains a fantastic way to experience console gaming."  Image credit: Microsoft A lot of servers Microsoft has deployed xCloud servers to data centers across 13 Azure regions – including North America, Europe and Asia – and says that it will continue to build more centers as development continues.  Developers running tests Microsoft says developers like Capcom and Paradox are currently running tests on the servers, and has updated its developer kit to include cloud-specific APIs. In some examples provided by Microsoft, the new developer tools allow creators to make multiplayer matches in the cloud more seamless by moving all connections to the same server, and enables games to scale font size depending on the screen you're using. Project xCloud beta Details of when Project xCloud's beta will launch have not yet been confirmed, but we do know that public testing will be rolled out sometime in 2019. Possibly shortly after E3 2019? Project xCloud price Microsoft has not revealed a price for Project xCloud yet, but we expect the service will be subscription based much like PlayStation Now. xCloud vs Now vs Stadia Numerical data, believe it or not, is Microsoft's greatest weapon at this point. Its biggest rival, Google Stadia, has yet to announce any details about the streaming service, telling journalists that more details would be revealed soon.  Knowing exactly how many games we can expect when the service launches (somewhere between 3,500 and 5,400) should give some credibility to Microsoft's new game-streaming service, as should the number and locations of Microsoft's Azure servers.  That last bit of information is so powerful, in fact, that even longtime rival Sony has said it would partner with Microsoft on building game-streaming technology. The pair recently announced a partnership, and say that it's primarily based around the shared development of Azure cloud technology – something Sony could use in the next iteration of its PlayStation Now service. While details are still light right now about both Google Stadia and Project xCloud, we expect to hear more about both at E3 2019 or shortly after. Read more: Xbox Two: what we want to see out of a new Xbox This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

How the new Nissan Leaf helped me conquer my fear of driving Posted: 05 Jun 2019 11:00 AM PDT I’m not a confident driver, so I almost turned down the opportunity to test the new Nissan Leaf for three days – but I’m very glad I didn’t. I learned to drive when I was 19 on the distinctly un-mean streets of Milton Keynes – a town 50 miles from London, known for its 130 roundabouts (traffic circles, if you’re from the US) and utterly straight, flat roads. Predictable and easy – nothing like the rest of the UK, where city centers are single-track tangles of tarmac, lined with parked cars and connected by winding country lanes with a mad sounding speed limit of 60mph. Before taking the Leaf on the road, I booked myself two refresher lessons to make sure all knowledge of driving hadn’t somehow dribbled out of my ears in the 10 years since I passed my test. The instructor’s car was a Toyota Prius – a hybrid to bridge the gap between the petrol-fuelled Nissan Micra I first learned in, and the shiny new Leaf. Thankfully, everything was still there, even if a little rusty. The car didn’t roll five times and burst into flames. There were no fatalities. I was ready. A helping hand (or foot) The Leaf is a nippy, agile little thing or so it felt to me, my point of reference being a Nissan Micra. It easily handled the rather steep, winding path down to the beach I chose to visit on our first day together – not in Bristol or Milton Keynes, but the island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. One of the Leaf’s key selling points is the e-Pedal, which applies the brakes automatically when you lift your foot off the accelerator. In theory, this allows you to drive with just one pedal. Image credit: Supermop/Shutterstock It took some getting used to; it often hit the anchors a little more forcefully than I would myself, and prevented the 'creep' that makes automatics inch forward when neither brake nor accelerator are pressed. I did become accustomed to it though, and I can see it working well for stop-start city driving. The ProPILOT parking was more impressive still, and felt like a glimpse of (automated) things to come. Line the car up with a space, make sure the correct parking mode is selected using the touchscreen (parallel park, or forwards or reverse into a bay), check that the coast is clear, then hold the ProPilot button and the car will take over, turning the wheel and applying the accelerator and brakes for you. The car's multiple sensors watch out for obstacles, and releasing the switch or touching any of the controls yourself will return the car to your control if you need to take over. It goes without saying that you need to keep  ProPILOT works best with clearly marked bays, and you must take care to select the right mode before letting it take control. On my first attempt, in a quiet supermarket car park, I selected parallel parking by mistake and ended up perpendicular, neatly straddling two spaces. I don’t think anyone saw me, thankfully, and it worked perfectly on a later attempt. Image credit: Memory Stockphoto/Shutterstock It's worth noting that, when reversing into a space using ProPILOT, the car always performs a two-point maneuver rather than turning 90 degrees. It means the car has more room to move, and can more easily judge angle and distance, but fellow drivers might get impatient. ProPILOT doesn’t always detect every empty bay either, resulting in you crawling along and holding up traffic, but with a little experience you’ll learn how to position the car so it identifies available spaces. When you're doing the hard work yourself, the rear camera makes life much easier, as does the Intelligent Around View Monitor, which shows a bird's-eye view of the car and its surroundings. Better yet, it also shows the car's trajectory based on the position of the steering, making it easier to judge maneuvers.  On the right track Having learned on the enormous streets of Milton Keynes – a town built for the car – I found the relatively narrow Hebridean roads a little daunting, and was terrified of straying too close to the center line and clipping oncoming traffic. With hindsight, I should have given the Leaf’s lane departure warning a shot. This system warns you if there’s a risk of you leaving the traveling lane unintentionally. It wouldn’t improve my driving, but could have served as a set of training wheels, helping me get a better sense of the car’s position on the road relative to my own until I didn’t need it. Charging is amazingly simple – no tougher than charging a phone – and the need to wait a while for its battery to charge means you get a pleasant break from focusing on the road. I also picked my destinations carefully – a beach, a park, an ancient stone circle, somewhere to take a walk and get some fresh air. Even with the Leaf lending a hand, I still arrived pretty anxious – but I did get there. Image credit: TechRadar Driverless cars explained: everything you need to know This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

UK Government not doing enough to fend off cyberattacks Posted: 05 Jun 2019 10:53 AM PDT A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed that the UK government has not done enough when it comes to developing long-term objectives for the National Cyber Security Strategy. According to the report, the current strategy, which covers the five-year period from 2016 to 2021, has been “hampered by a weak evidence base and lack of business case”. PAC believes that more data needs to be collected going forward and the lack of a business case has made it difficult to determine if the funds allocated at the start of the program were the correct amount. Following a poor start, the Cabinet Office reported that it is beginning to make progress in meeting the strategic outcomes of the current National Cyber Security Strategy. However, it has not yet laid out its plans for its approach to cyber security after 2021. UK government criticized over cybersecurity Government bodies are at risk online 1 in 10 UK businesses are at risk from cyber threats The Cabinet Office therefore needs to start planning now to develop a revised approach before the next Spending Review which will likely be announced as part of the 2019 autumn budget. Protecting consumers The report also highlighted the fact that it is difficult for UK consumers to know whether the devices they buy or the companies they give their details to online are storing their information securely. Currently there is no 'traffic light' or 'kitemark' system in place to inform consumers on how secure the products they buy are. This area is particularly difficult for the government to influence and regulate but it has made some progress in the area. For example, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has promoted two-factor authentication to make thefts of basic personal information less valuable to cybercriminals and the organization has also worked with the Bank of England to build better cyber security standards. Instead of regulating how the banking sector protects itself online, the NCSC has provided technical advice to the Bank of England to help it implement cyber security policies in line with its statutory mandate to promote financial stability. PAC recommends that a similar approach be developed to support other industries, including retail, which have also been the target of cyberattacks. Committee Chair Meg Hillier MP commented on the findings of the report, saying: “In the interest of national security, the Cabinet Office need to take a long-term approach to protecting against the risk of cyber-attacks: future plans should be based on strong evidence, business cases should be rigorously-costed to ensure value for money, and strategic outcomes and objectives should be clearly defined."  We've also highlighted the best antivirus This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: trailers, release date, news and features Posted: 05 Jun 2019 10:52 AM PDT First released in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 immediately cemented its place as one of the best JRPG titles around and introduced millions of gamers around the world to the genre. Now, due to the success of Final Fantasy 7 over 20 years ago (and the pleads from die hard fans), Square Enix is releasing a remake.  Unfortunately, those high expectations have been both a blessing and a curse for the game as the path to release hasn’t been smooth: four years after it was announced at E3 2015, we’re still not entirely sure when we’ll see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake released. But we're expecting to hear more at E3 2019. With news and rumors still churning around the great wide web but official information pretty thin on the ground, we’ve gathered up everything we know has been confirmed and everything fans suspect right here for your perusal. Square Enix E3 2019 live stream: how to watch Square's press conference online Cut to the chase What is it? A remake of the popular JRPG Final Fantasy 7  When can I play it? There’s no official release date just yet but we're hoping late 2019 What can I play it on? It’s been confirmed the game will come to PS4 first, but it may appear later on PC and Xbox One. It could even be a cross-generation title. Final Fantasy 7 trailers The first trailer for the game was released upon the remake's announcement at E3 2015. The trailer is largely cinematic and you can watch it for yourself below: A further trailer (this time featuring gameplay) was revealed at PSX in 2015: The latest Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer was revealed during Sony's May 9 State of Play event. In it, we got a great look at what the action-heavy combat would look like (think Kingdom Hearts and you'll be on the right track) and one of the series most well-remembered protagonists, Aerith.  Check it out below: Final Fantasy 7 release date The Final Fantasy 7 remake has had something of a troubled development, so unsurprisingly we still don’t have a solid release date.  It's also very possible that the the game will end up having several release dates, as Square Enix has confirmed the game's story would be told episodically.  The game has been in the works since 2014 but there have been few significant official updates since the E3 2015 reveal.  In this time, development of the game has moved from external developer CyberConnect2 to Square Enix’s in-house team. Overhauls like this can cause big delays to a game’s progress but according to Square Enix's Naoki Hamaguchi the decision was made out of a desire to maintain “control quality as well as keeping the schedule stable.” Things may be further along than we think, however. In an interview with Famitsu, the game's director (Tetsuya Nomura) said that some parts of Final Fantasy 7 such as cutscenes are further along in development than the now-released Kingdom Hearts 3. This gives us hope that we may see the first portion of the Final Fantasy 7 remake at some point in 2019 still. In addition, according to Kotaku's News Editor Jason Schreier, early 2020 will see the release of Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us: Part 2, George R. R. Martin’s rumored FromSoftware game, an unannounced Ubisoft title, Final Fantasy 7 Remake episode one, and “possibly” Cyberpunk 2077.  Schreier claims this information comes via his sources and, due to his connections in the games industry and history of accurate leaks, we're partial to believe the rumors.  Something we definitely do know is that the game will be available to PlayStation 4 players “first” as was promised at its E3 reveal. Saying “first” suggests this isn’t an outright exclusive and that the game will eventually come to Xbox One and PC. However, there was no indication as to how long the agreed exclusivity period would be.  We're also expecting Final Fantasy 7 remake to be a cross-generation release, likely releasing on both PS5 and the next Xbox alongside current generation consoles. We're likely to get confirmation of a release date at E3 2019. Final Fantasy 7 news and rumors State of Play trailer Until E3 2019 comes along, the best look at Final Fantasy VII Remake will come from May's State of Play event where Sony debuted a one-minute teaser trailer of the game, full of combat, dialogue and story sequences. It's our deepest look yet at the game, and is definitely a ploy to whet our appetites until we get a full look (and maybe even a demo!) later this year. Nomura admits an announcement was premature Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura has admitted that both Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy 7 remake were announced too early. "I am well aware of the fact that we announced it too early," Nomura told Italian gaming mag Multiplayer (translated by Kingdom Hearts Insider) . "But even in the industry, word was beginning to spread that we were working on the game, so we just decided not to keep it more secret and officially reveal it." It’s a reconstruction, not a shot-for-shot remake  The Final Fantasy 7 remake will follow the original game’s narrative and feature the iconic characters and locations that fans love.  Considering it’s so beloved there’s a lot of pressure on Square Enix to not stray too far from the original source material but according to director Tetsuya Nomura it won’t be a completely direct recreation. In an interview with Wired, Nomura said “We're not intending for this to become a one-to-one remake, or just the original Final Fantasy VII with better graphics.” Nomura has said that he wants the remake to "apply to the current era" and "the current generation of players." He added the caveat that he doesn't "want to change it so much that it's unrecognizable" but it has to be offering something "fresh and new."  To accommodate modern consoles and gamers, changes will naturally have to be made to the game both in terms of gameplay, mechanics and perhaps even to some elements of the story. For starters, early trailers show a game more akin to Final Fantasy XV mechanically, with fixed viewpoints and static backdrops swapped out for full-3D terrain, and a turn-based battle system removed in favour of a real-time action-orientated one. It’s episodic A significant way the remake is going to differ from the original game is that its story will be told episodically. This is a detail that was confirmed back in December 2015.  The reasoning behind the decision, according to series producer Yoshinori Kitase is that “a proper HD remake” just wouldn’t fit into one instalment and maintain the “same feeling of density of the original.” “We've seen everyone's comments and reactions to the news that Final Fantasy 7 remake will be a multi-part series and many have speculated correctly as to the reason why we have made this decision,” he said, “If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake instalment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy 7. We knew none of you would have wanted that. “I hope that by explaining a little more about our design decisions that you can appreciate the size of this project and what we have planned for this remake. Going beyond the scale and depth of the world, narrative and gameplay from the original to deliver something that feels familiar yet new. As I said before, we like delivering surprises.” Each episode will apparently be its “own unique experience” but as yet we don’t know how many episodes there will be or how they’ll be structured in relation to the original story.  No more turn-based battles  As mentioned above, a major element that’s changing from the original game is a move away from turn-based battles.  In an interview with Famitsu, Nomura said that battles in the remake will be “action-based” rather than command-based. Nomura didn’t go into much more detail with regards to the game’s combat system but it’s widely expected that we’re going to see a formula more similar to Kingdom Hearts and FFXV.  This would mean a more active and seamless style of battling involving party members whom the player will be able to switch between.  Though the loss of turn-based combat will be mourned, a move towards a system like Kingdom Hearts will be more accessible to new players.  A PS5 release? PS5 development kits are now said to be out in the wild, with Sony's first-party development teams working almost solely on titles for the as-yet-unannounced next-gen system. With the ambition on display here, could Square Enix be planning to shift Final Fantasy 7's remake to the next machine?  For Sony, it'd be a system seller right out of the gates for the new console generation, and for the developers you'd imagine it'd offer more processing grunt and a little longer in terms of the development window. This is speculation at this point, but as the sun sets on the PS4, and titles like Final Fantasy 7's remake being no closer to even having a release date, it starts to seem like the looming next generation machines may be now what they're being aimed at. (Image credits: Square Enix) Read more: PS5 games - all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Cyberpunk 2077: release date, trailer and news Posted: 05 Jun 2019 10:40 AM PDT Cyberpunk 2077 is a neon cyberpunk game that has The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red moving from a gritty, high fantasy world to an equally gritty, science fiction world metropolis. It's based off the pen-and-paper RPG of the same name, but plays a hell of a lot like The Matrix game we've always wanted. We caught our first peek at the game behind closed doors at E3 2018 – you can check out what we saw in the 48-minute walkthrough video below – and all signs point to another big showing at the expo this June. Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that looks vastly different from its developer's The Witcher series, with towering neon skyscrapers, bionic enhancements and a focus on vertical movement rather than wide open plains. It's also all in first-person. CD Projekt Red has big plans for Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2019 and we can't wait to see what the developer is cooking up for gaming's biggest trade show. The internet is crawling with news and rumors about this PC, Xbox One and PS4-bound game, so we’ve collected everything that's been said about Cyberpunk 2077 here for your convenience and we'll be constantly updating this page as more details emerge. [Updated: It wouldn't be E3 season without a spiel of rumors about what we'll see at the show. The latest Cyberpunk 2077 rumor (and nothing more than rumor) is that fans could see a release date announcement. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the Chase What is Cyberpunk 2077? A brand new IP from CD Projekt Red What's the Cyberpunk 2077 release date? Hopefully 2019, but possibly as late as 2021 What systems will Cyberpunk 2077 be released on? PS4, Xbox One and PC (almost certainly 4K consoles too) Cyberpunk 2077 trailers After a veritable truckload of hype, CD Projekt Red released 48 minutes of gameplay footage, based on the demo journalists saw at E3 2018.  In it, you'll see what gunplay looks like, character creation and backstory assignment, plus how you'll upgrade yourself via cybernetic enhancements. You'll meet some of the characters in Cyberpunk's seedy crime circuit and explore the city on foot and in vehicles. (Quick warning: the trailer contains nudity, violence and swearing.) Check it out below: We were treated to a brand new Cyberpunk 2077 trailer during E3 2018 which you can watch below: In March 2019, we got yet another video, this time of the development team gearing up for the E3 2019 showcase event. Those hoping for a 2019 release may want to start to brace themselves however – though the game remains without a release date, the suggestion of the video below is that development is still in full swing, and a release date may be some time away yet: Cyberpunk 2077 is the game that could make me leave meat space for good Waiting for Cyberpunk 2077? Here are nine games to play until release Henry Cavill is bewitching in first clip from Netflix's Witcher series Cyberpunk 2077 release date In the game’s first official teaser trailer, it’s stated that the game will be coming “when it’s ready.” Though we'd hoped that would mean a 2019 release date, it's starting to appear as though it will slip into 2020. This is despite an investor call in early 2016 that suggested that Cyberpunk 2077 would be released before June 2019. It was also said in this call that CD Projekt Red is planning to release two new triple A RPGs before 2021.  It was later clarified in forums that Cyberpunk 2077 would be the first of these games to arrive and work on the second would not start before Cyberpunk 2077 was finished.  Considering The Witcher 3 took around three and a half years to develop, a 2019 release didn't seem unmanageable for the studio. But the scale of the development, as well as rumours of the game being a cross-gen Xbox Two and PS5 title, is starting to make it appear as if the game will take longer than initially anticipated. In addition, according to Kotaku's News Editor Jason Schreier, early 2020 will see the release of Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us: Part 2, George R. R. Martin’s rumored FromSoftware game, an unannounced Ubisoft title, Final Fantasy 7 Remake episode one, and “possibly” Cyberpunk 2077.  Schreier claims this information comes via his sources and, due to his connections in the games industry and history of accurate leaks, we're partial to believe the rumors.  As well as a deadline they’ve no doubt set for themselves, the studio also has a deadline from the Polish government.  In December 2017 they were given a grant of more than $5 million from the government to research new game techniques related to multiplayer, animation and city creation. The sizeable sum came with a project deadline attached, and if it does relate to Cyberpunk 2077 then it’ll mean the game really does have to be released in 2019. The government said so, which ironically isn’t particularly Cyberpunk.  We're hoping to get more information on Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2019. While CD Projekt Red has revealed that new gameplay will be definitely be shown at the event, it also confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will not actually be playable at E3.  Cyberpunk 2077 news and features New Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay will be shown at E3 2019, but it won't be playable CD Projekt Red has confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 won't be playable at E3 but we will get to see new gameplay footage.   he news was confirmed by CD Projekt Red's global community lead, Marcin Momot, on Twitter, who revealed that the developer will be hosting gameplay presentations both behind closed doors and open to the public at E3 2019 (via Gamespot).  Check out the tweet below:  In a follow-up tweet, Momot revealed that these two presentations will be "different showings", but wouldn't go into details of exactly how the two will differ or what will be shown.  E3 2019 could bring a release date announcement Now, any rumor in the run up to E3 should be taken with a pinch of salt but those looking forward to CD Projekt Red's next offering will be excited about this one. A user on NeoGAF (via PCGamesN) has posted a thread in which they list a number of things likely and unlikely to happen at this year's show. Something they believe is coming is a release date announcement for Cyberpunk 2077. While it definitely doesn't seem outside of the realms of possibility that the release date will be announced at this year's show as we know that the game will be there and we've now seen a significant amount of gameplay, nothing is certain and this remains nothing more than conjecture. Fortunately, E3 2019 is closer than ever and we don't have long to wait.  Vampire Bloodlines and Deus Ex were inspirations for the game Given it’s based on a tabletop roleplaying game and Cyberpunk is already a massive sub-genre in science fiction, we knew Cyberpunk 2077 hadn’t been totally pulled from the ether without any kind of influence. But we’re always interested to find out about some of the more subtle influences on the game and the way it plays, some of which Quest Director Mateusz Tomaskiewicz has revealed in a recent interview with gaming publication AreaJugones. Tomaskiewicz said that games such as Deus Ex, Vampire Bloodlines and Elder Scrolls had influenced him in his work on Cyberpunk 2077's quests. He cites the original Deus Ex as a particular influence and praises the ways in which it gives players the freedom to complete missions in multiple ways. This suggests we can expect a great deal of freedom and complexity and non-linearity in Cyberpunk 2077’s missions as well as in the protagonist you'll be using to cause havoc in the game world which is something quite different from the tight gameplay-loop found in The Witcher.  CD Projekt Red is working on two AAA titles – both to be released by 2021 CD Projekt Red has confirmed it still plans to release two AAA titles by 2021. While we know one of these titles will definitely be Cyberpunk 2077, we're still in the dark about what the second title could be. This release window was reaffirmed on the official CD Projekt Red forums, with moderator Donata Popławska confirming the studio is sticking to its original roadmap. "As far as the strategy of the CD Projekt Capital Group for 2016-2021 is concerned, its plans to release the second AAA game by 2021 remain unchanged," the moderator wrote (translated via Resetera user Antiax).  However, Popławska did not expand on what the second AAA title to be released in this time frame could be. "We are currently focusing on the production and promotion of Cyberpunk, so we do not want to comment on further projects," they continued. Cyberpunk 2077 will be at E3 2019 According to a tweet from the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account, CD Projekt Red will be at E3 2019. So hopefully that means we will be seeing more gameplay footage from Cyberpunk 2077. Lady Gaga could be making an appearance? According to french site ActuGaming, Lady Gaga and CD Projekt Red are collaborating for Cyberpunk 2077 and the artist has already visited the Polish studio to take part in motion-capture – suggesting she will have a character role in the game itself. In addition ActuGaming claims the collaboration will be officially announced at E3 2019, with Gaga rumored to be making an appearance at the gaming convention. Last year Gaga tweeted a strange mix of letters and numbers, which the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account replied to with "Of course! Of course we will!", suggesting the A Star is Born actress would be involved with the game in some way or another. E3 2018 confirmed features We got to spend some time watching a demo of Cyberpunk 2077 during E3 and we learned some interesting things about the game.  It's a first person RPG set in a huge open world known as Night City – a metropolis split into six districts, each offering a different environment to explore. During the demo we only saw a small part of one of them.  Players can create their own character called V and embark on their journey to crawl up from the criminal underbelly. This is a dark game and though The Witcher series is mature, this takes it to a new level.  As you'd expect, the game lets you augment your body using various bits of tech – illegal or otherwise – and you can use drugs to enhance your combat, or a kind of digital brain-hack called 'Braindance'. We know weapons are wide ranging and seriously creative, with smart guns and bullets as well as terrifying Mantis Blades for melee. There are no loading screens in Cyberpunk 2077 and the story and side quests are branching and numerous, and your choices genuinely impact the outcome. You can read more about how impressed were were by what we saw. E3 2018 secret message CD Projekt RED used the Xbox Showcase to show its latest trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. But it's more than just a trailer. Spotted by Polygon, there's a moment in the trailer with hidden text with more information on the game which is revealed when you enhance the image. In the message CD Projekt first apologises for "staying silent longer than we planned" but following the release of The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine the developer wanted to wait until it had "something meaningful and substantial" to show. It goes on to say that the vision for Cyberpunk is "an alternative version of the future where America is in pieces, megacorporations control all aspects of civilized life, and gangs rule the rest." This game will, CD Projekt says, be a "true single player, story-driven RPG" where you'll be able to create your own character. At the moment the developer isn't ready to confirm any kind of release date and asks for more patience. It also says it has "no bloody clue" about how big the game is but does say it's "seriously big." It could be on the next generation of consoles CD Projekt Red has hinted that Cyberpunk 2077 could be developed for both current and next gen titles. GamingBolt has reported that during a presentation at the Pareto Securities Gaming Seminar 2018 event, the studio's CFO Piotr Nielubowicz and CEO Adam Kiciński mentioned Cyberpunk 2077 hinted that it may be being developed for future hardware. The slide in question stated the team was developing the title for “current and next-generation technology”. Given the game's current timeline, it's possible it could be a dual launch title on current and next-gen systems: PS4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Two alike. It will be on Steam Good news Steam fans: Cyberpunk 2077 will definitely be coming to the platform. At the Pareto Securities Gaming Seminar (via PCGamesN) the studio’s CEO Adam Kiciński gave a presentation in which he confirmed that the game would not be exclusive to GOG. There's been a lot of furore over the Metro Exodus being 'removed' from Steam and onto the Epic Games Store, but it looks like CD Projekt Red is steering clear of that minefield. It’s going to be bigger than The Witcher 3 It would have been a pretty safe guess to say that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be a big game, but in an interview with MCV in 2015 visual effects artist Jose Teixeira said it’s going to be “far, far bigger” than anything the studio has ever done.  In fact, he said that The Witcher 3 was being treated as a learning experience and that they could do better. To do better, the studio has doubled in size with studio head Adam Badowski saying that after The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 needs to be “even better, even bigger, even more revolutionary” than what had originally been planned.  You’ll be travelling on more advanced tech than boats and horses So, we know the game map is going to be intimidatingly big. How will we get around it, then? Well fortunately, moving out of the high fantasy realm gives CD Projekt Red a little more freedom when it comes to creating vehicles. Don’t expect horses and basic boats here – a job listing for a Senior Vehicle Artist for the studio said they’d be expected to work on “incredibly complex vehicles, planes, bikes, robots and mechanics.“ There may be multiplayer It was confirmed years ago that the game would have multiplayer elements but what exactly they’ll be is unclear. It was said, though, that the game would mainly focus on single player.  The company president said in March 2018 that these elements are not on the table right now, so it's possible that they'll be introduced after the game's release in a sort of online world like GTA Online.  There will be online As well as multiplayer, CD Projekt's CEO has confirmed that there will also be online elements to the game. In an interview with Polish tech site Strefa Inwestorow Kiciński stated that “Online is necessary, or very recommended if you wish to achieve a long-term success. At some point, we have mentioned that there will be a certain online element related to Cyberpunk.” Whether or not the online elements will feed into the multiplayer is unclear. But there won't be microtransactions The studio also tweeted to quell fears over microtransactions in online components, stating that Cyberpunk 2077 will be "nothing less than" the Witcher 3, adding that players will "get what [they] pay for" with "no hidden catch." It appears that while many studios are feeling the need to move to a service model to ensure their titles make money, CD Projekt is staying committed to the story-driven single player experience with Cyberpunk 2077, one which served them very well with The Witcher.  Things we'd like to see Combat inspired by the original tabletop RPG We know that the designer of the tabletop RPG Cybperunk on which Cyberpunk 2077 is based is heavily involved in the creation of the game. We hope his involvement extends to the game's combat because the combat system he created in his own game was fairly revolutionary for the tabletop genre. Rather than involving drawn out and long turns, it was fast, brutal, gritty and overall perfectly suited to the spirit of Cyberpunk. A big part of Cyberpunk combat involves upgrading your body with new abilities and robotics which would be perfectly in line with a video game character development system like those created by CD Projekt Red.  In Pondsmith's game bodily enhancement has to be carefully considered – it's a balancing act where every benefit has a drawback. When a player makes robotic additions to themselves they reduce their humanity and empathy leading to an uncontrollable state of cyberpsychosis. This has the potential to be a really interesting system if it's adapted for the game and could be used in a similar manner to excessive consumption of combat-enhancing potions in The Witcher.  Keep checking back here for all the latest Cyberpunk 2077 news  (Image credits: CD Projekt Red) Read more: Waiting for Cyberpunk 2077? Here are nine games to play until then This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Fortnite Battle Royale update news, patch notes and more Posted: 05 Jun 2019 10:25 AM PDT In such a short space of time, Fortnite Battle Royale has become certified gaming phenomenon. Pitting 100 players against each other on a single map, it melds fun, cartoonish gameplay with a fierce competitive streak, and has attracted millions of players across the globe across all ages and demographics.  Season 9 is now officially live, and we've got details of all the latest updates. We knew from the teaser tweet that we had a futuristic theme to look forward to, and so it's been proved. To help you keep on top of what's new and what's coming up in Fortnite, we've put together this handy page which will be updated with all the latest announcements. So to get you ready for blast off, here's everything you need to know about Fortnite. What is Fortnite? There's been a lot of hype surrounding Fortnite since its release in July 2017. But what exactly is it?  Fortnite is a battle royale game which sees you thrown onto an island with no weapons or armor and it's up to you to scavenge for supplies and fight for your life to be the last man or squad standing at the end of the game – with the added pressure of a shrinking map that closes in as the match progresses, forcing players into tighter skirmishes.  The game is available for free on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, with in-game purchases limited to purely cosmetic options. How to download and play Fortnite on mobile Fortnite update news and Fortnite patch notes What's new? Fortnite Season 9 is live and we're now on update 9.10. See the new Burst SMG gun in action below. Fortnite is now into season 9 and version 9.10 is our latest update. The big addition introduced in this update is a new gun: the Burst SMG. It's available in common, uncommon and rare variants, dealing 23, 24 and 25 damage with its four round burst shots and light ammo. You'll be able to find it as floor loot and in chests and vending machines.  It has, however, come at the cost of the Suppressed Submachine Gun which has now been vaulted.  Alongside this new weapon, there are three Limited Time Modes being added to the rotation. First is Solid Gold Duos which exclusively features Legendary weapons for you to use in your fight to the finish. Then, there's Unvaulted Squads during which you'll only have access to items which have been vaulted in the standard Battle Royale mode. And finally, there's Close Encounters Squads which will involve high intensity battles using shotguns and jetpacks. You can access the patch notes in full on Epic's official website. See also: how to unblock Fortnite at school or the office Or check out: the best gaming keyboards for Fortnite  Will Fortnite be at E3 2019? We're glad you asked, Fortnite will indeed be present at E3 2019. One of the biggest gaming shows in the world does seem like the ideal place to display one of the biggest games in the world after all.  Fortnite doesn't tend to do huge announcements at E3 but its developer, Epic Games, will be headlining the PC Gaming Show on June 10 so it's worth keeping an eye out for some news. It's also celebrating with Microsoft if this special edition purple Xbox One S is anything to go by. Those attending the show itself will be able to swing by the Fortnite booth in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center to play matches with friends and win some prizes. There's also going to be a Fortnite Summer Bloc Party running from June 15 to June 16 at The Forum in Inglewood. It's something of an unofficial after party.Things will kick off on June 15 with a celebrity and streamer Creative event followed by the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am on June 16, where fifty creators will work with fifty celebrities to fight it out in an epic Battle Royale.  If you can't attend, don't worry the whole thing will be livestreamed on official Fortnite channels such as Twitch and YouTube. Can I play Fortnite on mobile? Yes you can! Well, maybe. After months of waiting, Fortnite is finally on both iOS and Android, though you'll need a phone that can actually run the game. iOS users can download straight from the App Store. As long as you're using iOS 11 on iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro devices or later you'll be fine. Oh, and you'll need an internet connection, naturally. Fortnite also hit Android phones this summer, and finally came out of beta in October. You can see the full list of phones – and how to find the Fortnite Installer – on our Fortnite on Android page. Is it the full game? It is the full Fortnite game. There are some small differences: it’s not quite as visually impressive as it is on more powerful devices, the controls are touchscreen, and a lot of audio cues have been made visual so you can play comfortably in public without the need for headphones. But you won’t be missing out on any key features.   What's the deal with cross-play? A sweet deal is what it is. While previously Xbox One and PS4 owners couldn't play the game together, Sony's U-turn on the matter means that now everyone across Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android can all take part in the crossfire. So if you've got friends that prefer PC, others that prefer console and you're off on holiday with your mobile, that's no reason for the fun to stop. There's also cross-progression. So, if you're logged into your Fortnite account on mobile and you later log into your console to play there, everything you did on mobile later that day is carried over.   Sounds great, how do I get it? We have a guide on how to get Fortnite on mobile on TechRadar and we're constantly updating it with the latest rollout news. If your device isn't there yet, keep checking back and one day it probably will be. What's a Fortnite Battle Pass? The Battle Pass is a purchasable item in Fortnite that gives you access to exclusive in-game rewards.  As players complete daily challenges and level up their rank, they earn Battle Stars which can then be used to unlock Tiers in their Battle Pass. Each new Tier you unlock will bring both Free and Premium rewards. The Tiers vary from season to season but in season three you get around 100 items in each Battle Pass which can take anywhere between 75 and 150 hours of play to unlock.  Everyone that has a Battle Pass will get the Free reward they unlock, but only Premium Pass holders will get the Premium reward. Battle Pass Premium can only be purchased with in-game V bucks and not with real money. You can purchase a Battle Pass for around £7/$10 in the Battle Pass tab of the game’s menu.  Twitch Prime benefits Those who use Twitch Prime and play Fortnite will be glad to know that they have access to free loot right now. Those with a Prime account can claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack  and the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack 2 which include a host of cosmetic items and are available across all platforms. The first pack includes two exclusive gliders and outfits: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider.  The second pack contains three exclusive items for Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode including the camouflage-heavy Trailblazer Outfit, the True North Back Bling, and the Tenderizer Pickaxe. There’s also a brand new dance emote for those that like the dance floor as much as the battleground.  The packs can only be claimed on a single platform, but they can be shared across PC/console and mobile as long as you use the same Epic account across these platforms. You can’t however, share your loot across PS4 and Xbox One even if you are using the same Epic account.  (Image credits: Epic Games) Sick of getting schooled in Fortnite? Here’s what happened when we hired a Battle Royale teacher This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

macOS Catalina vs Windows 10 May 2019 Update: which is best? Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:56 AM PDT Apple has now unveiled macOS 10.15 Catalina and announced that it will be heading to Macs and MacBooks later this year after a beta testing period. Meanwhile, Microsoft has begun rolling out its latest major operating system (OS) revision: the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. Now that we know more about the two major OS updates, we can pitch macOS 10.15 Catalina vs Windows 10 May 2019 Update to see which one offers the best updated experience for users. Will macOS 10.15 make you ditch your Windows PC for an Apple device? Or will Windows 10 May 2019 Update make you consider switching to to Microsoft's rival OS? Let's find out. User interface The user interface (UI) – how the OS looks and acts while using it – is one of the most important aspects of a computer's software. Both Windows 10 and macOS do things quite differently when it comes to their user interfaces – and both have iconic elements that users of the OS would miss if they swapped. The UI for macOS 10.15 doesn't appear to be that different from the interface we've come to know and love with previous versions of macOS. That means if you've used Macs for a while, you're going to feel right at home with macOS 10.15. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been more strident when it comes to tweaking the Windows 10 UI with the May 2019 Update. The biggest change is the inclusion of a Light Theme in the May 2019 Update. As the name suggests, this is an alternative to Windows 10's Dark Theme. As with the Dark Theme, menus, apps and the taskbar and Start menu all change their looks to match the theme. Apple's macOS 10.15 also comes with a Dark Mode, too, which tweaks how the UI and apps look. macOS 10.15 also completely drops the Dashboard feature, which collected together widgets to make launching them quick and easy. The feature hasn't been a major part of the OS since OS X Yosemite, and in later versions it was hidden away. However, you were able to turn the feature back on. With macOS 10.15, this is no longer the case. Overall, both macOS 10.15 and Windows 10 May 2019 Update make only slight tweaks to the UI, so if you're used to using either OS, you'll feel at home with the latest updates. However, it also means that if you don't like the interface, there's nothing in the new versions that will change your mind either way. The Start Menu is an essential part of Windows 10. (Image credit: TechRadar) There are similarities with the user interfaces, however. In macOS 10.15, apps are either launched from the Dock at the bottom of the screen (which is also used to switch between open apps, or using the Launchpad menu. In Windows 10, you can launch apps in a similar way, either from the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen (which can also be used to switch between apps) or through the Start menu. With Windows 8, Microsoft removed the iconic Start menu – which had been a staple of the Windows UI since Windows 95. The outcry was big enough that Microsoft promptly brought it back with Windows 10. With the May 2019 Update, the Start menu is still a central part of the OS – and Microsoft is even asking its users what they think and how it can be improved, something Apple doesn't often do when it comes to its own OS. Media capabilities Both macOS 10.15 and WIndows 10 May 2019 Update are fine when it comes to playing back media, and they both come with pre-installed apps that can play music and videos. In previous versions of macOS, iTunes was the default media player which would handle music – either bought from the iTunes Store or ripped from CDs – or play videos. However, in macOS 10.15, iTunes is no more. Instead, three new apps are included: Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. While splitting iTunes into three separate apps might seem like it's complicating things, the idea is that these apps will be able to focus on their individual media and offer more robust and specialized features. Despite its large user base, iTunes wasn't widely loved, and many people found the app in need of an update. Breaking it into three new apps might not be what they had in mind, though. With Windows 10 May 2019 Update, there are also separate apps for media playback. Groove is the music player, with Films & TV handling videos. These feature more modern and user-friendly interfaces compared to Apple's apps - though some may accuse them of being overly simplified. Windows Media Player is also installed in Windows 10 May 2019 Update. This offers a more traditional desktop media playing experience – similar to iTunes. Or course, both macOS 10.15 and Windows 10 May 2019 Update allow other media playing apps to be installed, and many are available for both operating systems. Somewhat ironically, it looks like iTunes will continue to be available in Windows 10 May 2019 Update – so if you really love that software (there must be someone out there who does), then you may want to switch to Windows to keep using Apple's classic media player. Apple Music features heavily in macOS 10.15. (Image credit: Apple) Apple also has a music streaming subscription service called Apple Music.  As of 2019, 50 million people use Apple Music, so the user base is catching up with Spotify. It costs $9.99/£9.99 per month and you can stream as much music as you like, as many times as you like, on as many devices as you like. As you'd imagine, Apple Music is tightly integrated into macOS 10.15. Microsoft used to have a rival subscription service called Groove Music, however it struggled against Spotify and Apple Music, and at the end of 2017 it was discontinued. The Groove app in Windows 10 May 2019 Update can play streamed music, but it is now integrated with Spotify for that purpose. Both operating systems are accomplished at handling media – and often use the same apps and services. However, for a more cohesive media playing experience, we've got to hand it to macOS 10.15. Productivity Many people use macOS and Windows for their work computers, and both operating systems are geared towards productivity. macOS 10.15 is compatible with most major software applications, and it comes with a number of new productivity features.  For example, Sidecar allows you to use an iPad as a second display. You can use it to expand the desktop, making it easier to work on numerous apps at once, or you can use the iPad to control your Mac by using its touchscreen. Best of all, this feature can be used either with the iPad plugged into your Mac, or wirelessly. Apple also introduced the Voice Control accessibility feature to macOS 10.15, which allows you to easily control the OS using just your voice. Windows 10 has a commendable range of accessibility features, and offers a similar method of voice control. New productivity tools in Windows 10 May 2019 Update include an improved Start menu search box which lets you find documents on your PC quickly and easily. There's also a new Windows Sandbox tool for Windows 10 Pro users, which allows users to run software in a closed-off virtual version of Windows 10. This lets you test out software without it affecting the rest of your PC. It's not a feature everyone will want, but it's a great productivity tool for testing out new software from the internet. Microsoft has also beefed up its Windows subsystem for Linux, which allows you to run Linux apps (and even entire distributions – or 'distros') from within Windows. You can now access Linux files and directories direct from Windows 10's File Explorer in Windows 10 May 2019 Update. While both macOS 10.15 and Windows 10 May 2019 Update are great operating systems for productivity, the new features of the May 2019 Update, along with the platform's openness and larger range of available programs, means Windows 10 May 2019 Update wins this round – but barely so. Siri is macOS 10.15's virtual assistant. (Image credit: Apple) Virtual assistants Both macOS 10.15 Catalina and Windows 10 May 2019 Update have their own virtual assistants that are deeply integrated into each OS. Not only do they allow you to control your PC using your voice, but you can ask them to perform tasks such as creating events in your calendar and sending messages. In macOS 10.15, Siri is the virtual assistant. It's expected that some of Siri's new features, such as Siri Shortcuts, and a more 'human' sounding voice, which are included in iOS 13, will also make their way to macOS 10.15. Siri is one of the oldest virtual assistants, and one of the most feature-rich. Apple has put a lot of time and effort into making Siri a genuinely useful addition to macOS. With Windows 10 May 2019 Update, the virtual assistant is Cortana. Cortana isn't as popular as Siri, but it's still capable of most of the things Siri can do. It doesn't quite feel like Microsoft is as invested in Cortana as Apple is in Siri, however, and while Cortana is still a big part of Windows 10, with the May 2019 Update it does feel like it is being sidelined a bit. For example, Cortana is now separate from Search box in the taskbar – whereas before it was integrated into it. It's a small move, but one which could make it less used by people. You can also disable Cortana completely, or use Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant instead. It's good to have those options, but for the best virtual assistant experience on PC and laptop, macOS 10.15 and Siri are the way to go. The Game Bar in WIndows 10 (Image credit: Microsoft) Gaming This is a pretty simple comparison. If you're into games, then Windows 10 May 2019 Update is easily the best OS. Not only do you get a much larger selection of compatible games with Windows 10, but it has some great game-centric features as well. The Xbox Game Bar is an easy-to-use overlay which allows you to chat with friends, launch games, record and steam gameplay and a lot more. To launch it, you just press the Windows Key and G on the keyboard. Meanwhile, while more games are getting ported to macOS, the selection is still quite thin compared to Windows. As a result, there's not many game-centric features in macOS 10.15. That might change in the future, but for now Windows 10 May 2019 Update is the one to go for. macOS Catalina vs Windows 10 May 2019 Update: who wins? So, macOS 10.15 Catalina versus Windows 10 May 2019 Update: which is the best OS in 2019? It's a tough call, as both are legitimately good OSes which bring some great new features to Mac and PC owners. It's also worth noting that macOS 10.15 is still in beta – so, more features could be added before its release later this year. Microsoft is also known for adding and tweaking Windows 10 even after major updates, so the May 2019 Update could continue to evolve. As it stands, both operating systems are fantastic updates. However, unlike last year, when we said that macOS 10.14 offered a bigger leap over its previous version compared to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, this time we think that the Windows 10 May 2019 Update is a more compelling upgrade compared to macOS 10.15. However, it doesn't matter if you have a Mac or Windows PC – these new operating systems are well worth installing when they become available. These are the best laptops of 2019 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best e-commerce platform of 2019: get an online store now! Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:56 AM PDT The rise of the web has allowed countless businesses to reach a wider market. Not only that, it has given rise to countless new online-only businesses, fueled by the exponential rise of mobile connections. It's not surprising, then, that one analyst claims that the SMB e-commerce platform market will break the billion dollar barrier. There's no doubt that the web provides a huge opportunity for companies, but it’s important for organizations to make the most of that opportunity. In order to sell your products or services online, your website has to be appropriately equipped. Building an online store from scratch is a mammoth task, and fortunately, an unnecessary one. Today, there is a huge variety of e-commerce platform packages from which to choose.  Most e-commerce platforms will provide businesses with standard functionality such as the ability to showcase products in an online catalog, take payments online, manage customers and provide with after-sales. Others will provide more sophisticated functionality, such as online marketing features, the ability to manage or integrate with in-store systems and the provision of APIs. Which e-commerce software is best for your business depends entirely on your specific requirements. If you're an online-only outfit, then POS integration won't be necessary, but you may get a lot of business from overseas, in which case foreign currency support would be a requirement. In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best e-commerce platforms available right now, before moving on to consider other options you might want to explore in terms of creating your own e-commerce solution. The best e-commerce platform packages Shopify is perhaps the most well known e-commerce platform available. It was set up in 2006 by founders Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake who, as the story goes, felt that there wasn't a simple-to-use e-commerce platform available and so built their own. The company claims that: "You don't need to have any technical or design experience to easily create a beautiful online store."  According to Shopify, it's possible to get one of its online stores up-and-running within minutes. Users can choose from a wide range of templates, or they can design the look and feel of their store themselves. It accepts a comprehensive range of credit cards, has Level 1 PCI compliance and 256-bit SSL encryption for security, and it offers 24/7 support via phone, instant messaging or email. The platform provides a full CMS with which users can manage the functionality and layout of their online store. Users can manage their store on-the-go using Shopify's mobile apps, and the platform itself is fully responsive, meaning the store will be optimized for visitors regardless of whether they access it from a desktop computer or a mobile device. Shopify also offers users unlimited hosting for their stores, in-depth analytics of how visitors are using the store, and functionality for marketing such as SEO optimization, a discount and coupon engine, gift cards and email marketing tools. You can test out Shopify with a 14-day free trial. Bigcommerce was established in 2009 and promises to "support your business, not just your store." In addition to offering support via phone, instant chat and email, it also offers articles and videos to help with e-commerce, and access to a team of e-commerce experts who can provide advice and guidance about online selling. Their experts are qualified in both Google Analytics and Adwords. Like Shopify, Bigcommerce provides a variety of templates and themes to help stores look their best and get up-and-running quickly. Alternatively, users can design their own store or use Bigcommerce designers to do so. The platform incorporates a full-featured CMS that allows users to run an entire website, rather than just a store. Users can benefit from detailed and flexible product management, optimized search engine rankings, along with a variety of integrated marketing tools and analytics. Payments can be accepted via 40+ pre-integrated gateways and shipping details can be customized as per the business's requirements. As of late, some new features have been added like support for Amazon Import and Link and Shopping in Instagram Stories. The platform offers automated order processing, flexible tax rules depending on where orders are made and shipped, and support for multiple currencies. You can test out Bigcommerce with a 15-day free trial. Volusion has been around for almost two decades, having been set up in Texas over in the US in 1999. The company touts its platform as being an "all-in-one e-commerce solution", and offers a free 14-day trial (no credit card required). As with other e-commerce platforms, users are offered a variety of templates from which to choose, and can also customize templates if they so wish. Should a more complex design be required, Volusion offers a custom design service that can incorporate branding and a firm's social media presence. The platform provides the site and product management tools you'd expect, marketing functionality for SEO, social media, and affiliate outlets, along with emails and order management functionality for fast order processing, accepting payments, tax calculations and POS integration. In addition to its platform and associated services, Volusion offers apps from its partners, support for users and a knowledge-base for help with e-commerce. Users can draw upon blog posts, guides and webinars. As of October 8th 2018, there are no more transaction fees. CoreCommerce was set up in 2001 and focuses on providing e-commerce services to small and medium-sized businesses. The company places an emphasis on simplicity and transparency, promising that its platform is easy-to-use and that customers will not fall foul of any hidden charges. Perhaps CoreCommerce's most unique aspect is that all of its features are offered to all customers regardless of what plan they are on. Price plans are determined by the number of products, the number of email addresses, the amount of bandwidth and the amount of storage required by the user (and higher-end plans also benefit from additional support). As with other e-commerce providers, CoreCommerce offers functionality for store design, product management, order processing and marketing. Of its headline features, the platform offers unlimited product customization options, a built-in blogging engine, and secure hosting that is provided by Rackspace and comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. You can try CoreCommerce out with a 15-day free trial. Having been founded in 1997, 3dcart is the oldest of our featured providers here. It was set up with a view to incorporating as many of the most requested e-commerce features into one platform as possible. The company says it has six core values by which it operates: ongoing innovation, good service, simple solutions, fostering trust, keeping employees and customers happy, and stimulating prosperity amongst employees and customers. Some of the platform's innovative features include a module that users can install to offer gift-wrapping, a purchase order system, the option of running a loyalty program and the ability to offer recurring orders. Many of these features are very specific, meaning that stores can be highly tailored to the needs of each business. Stores can be designed using one of the many templates offered by 3dcart, or users can design their own store. A quick edit bar means that making changes to the design of a store is simple. Product images are fore-fronted with 3dcart's auto-zoom feature and products can be sold via Facebook with its store integration. As with some other platforms, users can blog directly from 3dcart and tools are provided for setting up coupons, sending newsletters and affiliate marketing. Users can also make use out of "make an offer" feature, which basically lets you and your customers to negotiate on a price. In addition to its platform, 3dcart offers a number of professional services. Users can request help with SEO, PPC, shopping feed management, social media, Facebook ads and conversion consulting. Help can also be provided to ensure that a user's store is set up to the highest standard. Services such as site cloning, setting up custom tracking, data migration and training are offered. In addition, 3dcart can provide SSL certification. Hosting is guaranteed at 99.9% uptime and 24/7 support is provided via phone, email or online chat. You can test out the service with a 15-day free trial. Also consider: Actinic ShopFactory ekmPowershop Alternative means If you don’t want to go the route of using an off-the-shelf package, what other options are available for you to explore? That’s what we’re going to look at in the second half of this piece… Is eBay right for your business? Opening its doors in 1999, eBay UK now has over 14 million users, with over 10,000 people using the site for a business that is their primary means of income. It's not just about people selling unwanted goods - businesses have used the simplicity that eBay offers to set up lucrative operations. Even the larger brands such as Argos, Debenhams and House of Fraser are using eBay to sell online. With sophisticated tools now available you can be up and running with your store in just a few hours. The eBay Seller Centre has all the information you need. Each store is managed via eBay's familiar user interface, and there are a number of eBay-provided tools to help manage, track and promote your shop once it's established. Using eBay as the platform for your business could be ideal if your business wants to sell goods on a fixed price basis. The complete integration of the PayPal e-payments system into eBay takes care of this essential component of your store. The key with eBay is to look closely at the costs involved and also the transaction fees that PayPal charge before moving forward and setting up your own store. How to create your own e-commerce solution Of course if you want complete control over every aspect of your new online store, building each page yourself will be the best course of action. Hiring someone to code your website is one option. If you decide to do this follow these steps: Ask the company for live examples of their work to look at Write a detailed brief of the site you want created. The more detail the better to avoid confusion Ensure you understand the price you are being charged and how many revisions this price includes Always have a signed agreement or contract before work commences Ask whether the designers will host your site and if you will be able to make updates yourself or if all updates must go through the design agency at an additional cost Ask for the copyright of your design to be assigned to your company, as your website is an important part of your business' intellectual property Put into your contract, details of how the agreement can be amicably dissolved if things go wrong You also don't have to build your site completely from scratch. Buying a template can give you all the basic pages your site needs. You can then either modify them yourself using an application like Dreamweaver, or hire a coding expert to make the changes. Website templates are available from a number of vendors including Template Monster. If you already have a website and want to add e-commerce functionality, this can be easily achieved with a number of applications including: XCart ClickCartPro CubeCart Final advice Whichever route you decide to take when building your website always remember: You need to ensure your store can be easily updated and managed. Good professional web hosting is vital to ensure your site is always available. Look for payment and shopping carts that are intuitive and efficient to use. Customer service is king these days. Businesses shouldn't just efficiently take customers' money, but should also properly support them. Make sure that your store is fully integrated with all the leading social media sites. Put security first – shoppers are now more comfortable buying online, but always ensure your site uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) which is now the industry standard for online payments. Above every other consideration should be your site's visitor experience. Don't forget your competitors are just a mouse click away in the world of e-commerce.  Setting up your online store should be approached carefully and diligently to ensure you put a professional and efficient site live. Internet shopping continues to expand. Make sure your business doesn't miss out on a sales channel that shows no signs of slowing down. We’ve also picked out the best website builders of 2019 and the best website hosting services This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Apple Music vs Spotify: the music streaming titans go head-to-head Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:44 AM PDT The music world has always been about rivalries. There's  Taylor Swift vs. Kanye, Tupac vs. Biggie, Eminem vs... everyone? Now, you can add a new rivalry to the mix: Spotify vs Apple Music.  While there are any number of streaming services for you to choose from out there, the only two contenders you should care about are the Swedish-born Spotify with its freemium music model and Apple Music, the replacement to iTunes that has exclusive albums and a monstrous 45-million song library. That said, Spotify has the advantage at the moment with a much larger user base, at least outside the US. That's because Spotify doesn't ask for any money upfront, and you can go for years without ever paying a dime. Sure, Apple may offer a free trial but, at some point, you're going to need to pony up.  So which service should you invest your entertainment budget in? To help you choose the right one for you, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of each service so you can sign up and start listening. Apple Music How big is its music library?  Apple music has a large song library, numbering around 45 million, across a broad range of genres. So if you’re into French skiffle or Brazilian electro pop and you’re struggling to find your more obscure artists, there’s a great chance Apple Music will have you covered. Plus, this being an Apple product, its interface is easy to navigate both on a Mac/PC and in more portable forms such as smartphone or tablet and you can download tracks to take them with you when you’re away from a Wi-Fi connection. It’s a feature Apple Music shares with Spotify, but it’s a vital one if you want to keep users signing up to the paid version. How much does it cost? Unlike Spotify, which offers both free /and/ paid versions, Apple Music only offers a free trial version before it requires you to sign up.  It’s understandable from a business POV - especially with so many exclusives serving as a golden carrot for potential users - but not having any form of long-term free-to-use version has ultimately worked against Apple’s desire to increase its overall user base. Free trials are limiting, especially to those looking to experience the service on a long term basis. Giving users limited access to the full experience of its service might seem like a better deal in the short term, but it suffers in the long-term compared to the free/ad-filled version Spotify offers. Still, having three different payment plans does show Apple wants its users who are willing to cough up a more dynamic approach. Having a cheaper plan aimed at students (£4.99/$4.99) is a great deal (but not an exclusive one as Spotify offers something similar), especially as this rate still gives you access to every facet of its service. For everyone else its £9.99/$9.99 for an individual, or £14.99/$14.99 for a family subscription for up to six people  What exclusive benefits does Apple Music offer? Admittedly, Apple has gone to great means to cut Spotify and the smaller music streaming services out of the picture by signing some of the biggest names in popular music to exclusivity deals on new albums.  So far, Apple Music boasts albums from Drake, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Frank Ocean, Future and more and it’s a strategy that’s really rankled Spotify over the years. Of course, if you’re not a fan of these artists then this feature might not be a game-changer, but if you do then it’s a serious trump card. Apple Music also offers Beats 1, the vanguard for a wider push towards original broadcasting on the service. It’s a 24/7 radio station that offers round the clock playlists and live DJs. It’s an internet radio station backed by Apple, so it’s as slick as you might imagine with the likes of former Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe and more on its roster. With Apple already planning more stations for the service, this original broadcasting angle is a facet Spotify simply has no answer for. There’s also an exclusive social feature called Connect that’s packed is as part of the Apple Music package. It’s essentially a way for artists to link up with fans in a more intimate fashion, offering access to new singles, videos and messages.  Connect might seem something designed for the bigger bands, but it’s open to any artist, offering a service not too dissimilar to what MySpace was back in its heydey. For followers, it’s simply a simple yet effective way to get a little closer to the bands you love. Finally, there’s the exclusive video content. With its integration with iTunes, the ability to browse and play tons of music videos adds a dimension Spotify simply doesn’t offer. And Apple Music is doubling down on the visual side with original programs such as Carpool Karaoke: The Series (a longer version of James Corden’s uber-popular celeb singing skit on The Late, Late Show) and Planet of the Apps (a Dragon’s Den-esque show for app and software developers). What’s it like to use? While both the desktop and portable versions are great to look at (aesthetics, after all, is Apple’s thing to a tee), there’s a disparity in the user experience between the two: Apple Music's Mac, PC or laptop version is much superior to the one you'll find on your phone or tablet. That's because the continued use of larger images and boxes suits a larger screen, and it’s really easy to navigate through your playlists, exclusives and your imported iTunes library. That said, the setup does suit using larger tablets, as having more screen real estate makes the larger icons and more content-heavy focus a far more agreeable experience.  The version optimized for smartphones isn’t broken by any means, but its large icon design often makes it a little fiddly to use since it doesn’t use the smaller screen of a phone to its advantage. Also, launching to your library simply doesn’t make any sense for a service that’s geared towards new music updates. Spotify How big is its music library? Spotify currently boasts over 30 million songs. Sure, it’s not quite as many as Apple Music right now, but with an average 20,000 new songs being added a day we wouldn’t be surprised to see Spotify eventually match and even exceed its biggest rival. Spotify’s strong influx of tracks has helped jettison it into the stratosphere, with a heavy focus on promoting new tracks and breakthrough artists. Curated playlists are almost always the first thing you see when you load any version of the app, with the service seemingly designing playlists for almost every musical subgenre. These are constantly being updated too, so your favorite ones never grate following extended use. Discover Weekly, the playlist based off your listening preferences, has come leaps and bounds in the last few years with the nuances of its suggestions, although Apple’s For You playlist (introduced in 2016) now largely offers the same feature so it’s no longer the special boon it was once. How much does it cost? So now we get to one of the main reasons why Spotify has always held Apple Music at bay - paid and unpaid access. While it's trialed a few different versions over the years, Spotify has always come back to the basic formula that’s worked best - everyone can sign up and access every track in its catalog for free. There are ads every few songs, but you can tailor 15 playlists that feature the songs you want. You also get access to top curated playlists like Discover Weekly. In the past you did not have full control over playback, and were only able to skip a limited number of times per hour. Rather than locking content behind a paywall, Spotify wisely seals away features that simply make the service more dynamic. Want to listen to music without any adverts? Want to download as many tracks as you want to your smartphone to listen to them when away from home? Want the ability to skip songs as and when you want on your tablet/smartphone? Then it’s time for Premium.  It’s a business model that might seem crazy on paper, but it’s the ideal way to increase your user base by making the whole experience awkward just enough to get those users coughing up. What exclusive features does Spotify offer? Here’s the thing, right now, you really don’t get much that really sells the exclusivity of using Spotify. Sure, there are podcasts that are exclusive to the platform (along with plenty of others you can find on iTunes or Stitcher), but Spotify has never been that interested in that corner of the market.  Video was an area Spotify has dipped its toes into, thanks to deals with the likes of ESPN and Comedy Central bringing some of their shows to Spotify users. However, neither seem to be resonating with users as rumor has it that Spotify might scrap its current slate of shows entirely and head straight back to the drawing board. It’s unlikely it will abandon video entirely, but it’s clear the current plan isn’t working. Low-data mode is one 2018 extra. It caches some audio for when you lose signal, and uses less of your data allowance. 75 per cent less according to Spotify. Of course, if you have a Premium sub you can just download songs over Wi-Fi anyway. What’s it like to use? Spotify has had its fair few updates over the years, but it’s hard to deny how well the current UI works. Unlike Apple Music, it’s a service that’s clearly been redesigned and tweaked with smaller screens in mind thanks to the raft of options available on screen at any one time. Whether you’re downloading an album or playlist to your phone or starting a radio channel based on an artist, it’s a consistently intuitive experience. The tile system is just small enough to make selecting new albums and playlists easy while packing in plenty of content into a timeline of content that’s ultimately curated to what you’ve been listening to and what you might want to jump into next. Spotify might just have as many playlists as it does albums, but it’s a strategy that works as its algorithms ultimately tailor the app to each user. Being able to work with multiple platforms is another huge asset. Being able to work on almost any type of smartphone and tablet increases the scope for its audience and the UIs for all these platforms are uniformly strong. Being able to play Spotify from your console - such as the version running on PS4 - is a massive tick for the service, as is the ease with which you set it up. Overall, Spotify is currently winning the UI war.  Verdict Overall, both services come with their pros and cons and each one will suit a user looking for different things from a music streaming platform: Spotify offers a more well-rounded experience that’s effectively open to everyone, but its mobile experience is limited unless you’re willing to go Premium. Apple’s three-month free trial does give you a taste of its service, but its fiddly mobile design remains at odds with its impressive library and exclusive content. As it stands, Spotify remains the stronger service overall, but unless it starts upping its original content, Apple Music won’t remain in second place for long.  Either service you choose, you'll need the best headphones around to get the most out of your music streaming subscription This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best gaming laptops 2019: the 10 top gaming laptops we've reviewed Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:43 AM PDT The best gaming laptops have evolved so much in such a short amount of time, and now they’re more powerful than ever before. Thanks to introductions like Nvidia RTX graphics, the top-of-the-line gaming laptops can run the best PC games at the highest resolutions and frame rates. You won’t need to build the best gaming PC to get powerful hardware and performance anymore, not when the top gaming laptops come in every shape and size. That’s why you shouldn’t judge a gaming laptop by its cover. Thanks to Nvidia Turing Max-Q graphics for laptops to start, there are many gaming laptops that hide great power inside their relatively compact chassis. Look at the aptly named MSI GS65 Stealth, for example. And, if you want a beastly desktop replacement, that option is still open to you, with devices like the MSI GT75 that demand attention from anyone that steps in the room. So, whether you have the space for a thicc desktop replacement that boasts the most powerful graphics and processors so that you can run the Division 2 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice with the settings cranked, or you just want a thin and light gaming laptop that’ll let you play your favorite games while on the go, we’ve got a few options on here that will satisfy your gaming needs. Yes, that includes affordable ones that will help you stick to your budget. And, don’t worry, we’ve tested these gaming laptops ourselves, so you know they’re up to snuff. These days, gaming laptop manufacturers seem to be locked in a race to see who can design the thinnest gaming laptop that also showcase raw power. At the moment, the one leading the charge might just be the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this monster of a laptop conceals an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – excellent for nomads with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle anyone that looks at it. Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701  If you would like to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone at the cafe to know you’re gaming, the MSI GS65 Stealth might just be the gaming laptop of your dreams. Coming in at just 0.69 inches thick and showcasing impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a punch in its very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the classy aesthetic, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it the best gaming laptop on the market right now. Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth  For a few years now, the Razer Blade has constantly been named one of the best gaming laptops on the market. Rightly so, since powerful components pack its elegant chassis that also boast a beautiful display. That’s true for the 2019 model as well, which now rocks up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. That is, frankly, a ton of power for a laptop with this thin, light form factor. And, if that’s not enough GPU horsepower for you, you can use the Razer Core for future expansion. It’s a pricey device, but it might be worth it if style and power are equally important to you. Read the full review: Razer Blade The Lenovo Legion Y740 packs a lot of muscle and smarts inside its stylish, accessible chassis, combining a very high refresh rate, Nvidia Turing graphics and a powerful processor with a gloriously effective thermal cooling, a cable management system and a number of applications for customizations. It’s practically the complete package, wrapped in a gorgeous chassis that you’d be proud to show off to friends and strangers. It still has the remnants of a gaming look, only made elegant so that you could be gaming in public and no one would be the wiser. And, despite its unfortunate keyboard and webcam placement, as well as its subpar battery life, it’s still one of the best gaming laptops we tested in 2019. Read the full review: Lenovo Legion Y740 Some gaming laptops just don’t pull any punches, enabling you to run any game you can imagine on Ultra without breaking a sweat – and the MSI GT75 Titan is a terrific example. It’s a titanic desktop replacement packed with 6-core Intel Coffee Lake processors, plenty of RAM and powerful Nvidia Pascal graphics. Aptly named, this is indeed a titan, and is neither portable nor cafe-friendly. However, if raw power is what you’re after, this is the best gaming laptop for you. Though be sure you’ve got the budget for it. Read the full review: MSI GT75 Titan Thin and light gaming laptops are very popular right now. But if you don’t care about that, and you’re OK with a thick, heavy and monstrous laptop as long as it can breeze through any game you throw at it, then the Asus ROG G703GI is the one to get. This gaming machine is massive, not to mention one of the more expensive Asus laptops, but it does justify its size and price with gaming performance that can rival the best gaming PCs. With its two power bricks, it’s not exactly an ideal travel companion. Leave this one at home where it belongs. Read the full review: Asus ROG G703GI  It may not have the most innovative design, trading the usual black and red aesthetic for one that makes it feel like Halloween all year round (no complaints here, but some might not find it particularly appealing). However, it’s undoubtedly one of the best laptops when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we are able to crank the settings all the way up in Overwatch without ever going below 60fps. It doesn’t offer the longest battery life, but the screen, power and onboard sound system more than make up for it. And, that’s what chargers are for. Read the full review: Asus ROG Strix GL502 This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Alienware 17 R5 If you’re looking for a gaming powerhouse, and you don’t want to shell out more dough for one of those svelte thin and light gaming laptops, the Acer Predator Helios 500 is might be an ideal choice. It’s packed with up to an Intel Core i9 processor and full-fat Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics, and therefore will be able to handle any game you throw at it – even if it’s not the most portable device in the world. If you can get past the mediocre speakers and trackpad, you’ve got an ace here.  Read the full review: Acer Predator Helios 500 Thin like an Ultrabook, powerful as any gaming machine should and with an incredible cooling system to cool it all down, the Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX is one of the best gaming laptops we’ve tested in 2019. It boasts an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 that’s backed by Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and up to 24GB RAM, which means that this beast should take you a long, long way in gaming, whether you’re a casual gamer or a pro. We’re definitely fans, though probably not of its price. This pricey powerhouse is not for the shallow-pocketed, but with premium components come a premium price. So, only invest if you’ve got the tenders. Read the full review: Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX Another thin option is the Gigabyte Aero 15, which – at 0.74 inches – definitely fits the bill while still delivering top-end gaming performance. That’s mostly thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 and an Intel Core i9 CPU. It’s also ray tracing ready, making it even more future-proof. However, its thin form factor is a double-edged sword: the Core i9 gets way too hot and can throttle. So, just keep that in mind if you plan on doing any sustained creative work, like editing all your videos. Or at least, find a cooler room to do your work in. Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15 Gabe Carey, Bill Thomas and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article Image Credit: TechRadar Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptop 2019 Find out more about how Intel is powering the next generation of PC gaming.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Red Dead Online: latest news, updates and multiplayer features Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:40 AM PDT Red Dead Online is officially out of beta testing and is beginning to earn its stripe as a fully-fledged online game. But with such a massive open-world to explore in Red Dead Redemption 2's single-player story, why should you be excited about the game's online mode? Rockstar's open-world Western game, a prequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption, was released to wide critical acclaim last year and was all anyone could talk about for months on end.  While you might have expected an online mode to be live from the game's successful launch, it makes sense that Rockstar wants you to focus on the main story – and boy is there a lot of it – before waltzing into a less narrative-driven multiplayer experience in Red Dead Online. Rockstar has proved itself at converting a massive single-player game into a lively online experience, as shown in the launch of GTA Online in 2013, which has become almost as massive a phenomenon as the mainline GTA V game it spun off from. So what can you expect from Red Dead Online, and how can you access it? Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC: could it happen? Red Dead Online update news and patch notes What's new? Public Enemy mode is available now The latest update for Red Dead Online sees the introduction of a new Showdown mode: Public Enemy. Public Enemy sees opposing teams competing to take out each other’s designated (and rotating) ‘Public Enemy’ to secure the most points and victory.  In addition, a new Free Roam Event has also been introduced: Railroad Baron. Railroad Baron sees players fighting against one another for control of a specific area on a moving train.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            On top of this, Red Dead Online players will be rewarded with a free new Bellerose Hat for logging in this week. Red Dead Online: tips and tricks guides The wild west is dog eat dog. So make sure you're not the mutt of the litter with our Red Dead Redemption 2 guides which cover everything from fishing and hunting to mini-games and weapons. Red Dead Redemption 2 hunting guide Red Dead Redemption 2 fishing guide: from small fry to deadliest catch Red Dead Redemption 2 Easter Egg guide: where to find the best kept secrets Red Dead Redemption 2 mini-game guide: how to win money at Poker, Blackjack, and Five Finger Fillet Red Dead Redemption 2 weapons guide: everything you need to know about guns in the Wild West Red Dead Online: how to access It doesn't take much to jump into Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode.  You can access Red Dead Online by selecting the 'Online' option from the Red Dead Redemption 2 title menu (at the top-right hand side of the screen). You then pick which online mode you would like to play and wala!  Red Dead Online - what's next? According to Rockstar Games, a bunch of new content is coming to Red Dead Online in the next few months, including new Free Roam characters and Showdown modes. T his includes new Free Roam Missions and clothing for both PS4 and Xbox One on May 21, along with new PS4 Early Access content. Meanwhile, a new Head for the Hills Showdown Mode and the Wild Animal Kills Competitive Free Roam Challenge will roll out on May 28. This will be followed by the Public Enemy Showdown Mode and Railroad Baron Free Roam Event, where players capture cars on a moving train, on June 4. Then June 11's update includes the Sport of Kings Showdown Mode, plus new limited-time and permanent clothing additions to the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue. Rockstar has also told players to keep an eye out for weekly bonuses like RDO$ and Gold gifts, increased payouts, care packages, exclusive gifts and more. Beyond that, Rockstar promises "future updates will offer new ways to fully inhabit your character as you progress in multiple roles and carve out your own place on the frontier". Players will be able to take on the first three of a series of new roles: track down wanted criminals as a bounty hunter; search the world for treasure, and other exotic items to sell as a collector; or build a business at camp as a trader. Each new role comes with unique gameplay, outfits, weapons and rewards. (Image credits: Rockstar Games) Read more: Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 and Xbox One - what to know about RDR2 on consoles This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

FIFA 20: release date, news, new modes and everything else there is to know Posted: 05 Jun 2019 09:36 AM PDT Goal, goal, goal. Football, football, football. No ‘soccer’ shenanigans here folks – we’re talking about the beautiful game, FIFA 20, the 2020 season’s updated footie simulator. We’re yet to have confirmation that there’s a new FIFA game on the way from developers at EA Vancouver. But with it being one of the most successful sporting game franchises of all time, and it having had an annual release since 1993, it’s as safe a bet as you can get in the world of gaming.  So, with a FIFA 2020 game all but certain, what can we expect from the next FIFA game? How’s Alex Hunter’s ‘Journey’ from amateur to pro going to conclude? And when can we expect to play FIFA 20? We expect we'll hear everything we want to know about the game during E3 2019 and EA Play but until then read on for all the news and expectations for a new FIFA game below. [Update: Before E3 2019 and EA Play, in fact even before FIFA 20's official announcement, EA Sports has confirmed some of the improvements we can expect to see in FIFA 2o. Read on to find out more.] EA Play E3 2019 Livestream: Here's how to watch EA's big keynote online Cut to the chase What is it? The expected next entry in the long-running football simulation series. When can I play it? There’s no hard set release date for FIFA 2020 yet, but they traditionally launch late in September. What can I play it on? With no release information to share yet, we can only speculate. But FIFA games always launch on the core three platforms (PS4, Xbox One and PC), with regular spin-off versions available for mobile platforms and the Nintendo Switch. Expect nothing less this year. There is potential for a this to be the first next-gen FIFA for a while too, with the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Two on the horizon. FIFA 2020 release date expectations Like the changing of the seasons (and the football seasons themselves), there’s an annually expected launch window for FIFA games.  For more than a decade, FIFA games have launched towards the end of September, and it’s expected that FIFA 2020 will be following the same schedule.  The previous two FIFA games landed on the final Friday in September (29 September, 2017 and 28 September, 2018) which would align FIFA 2020’s release for Friday 27 September 2019. Note that FIFA games launch with a title suggesting the year ahead – FIFA 20 may come out in 2019, but its FIFA 20 / 2020 naming will reflect the coming season. FIFA 20 trailers There is no FIFA 20 trailer yet. We’re expecting to see footage of the game at the pre-E3 2019 EA Access event – we’ll update this page with any trailers that are revealed as soon as they become available. While you wait, enjoy this documentary on 'The Science of the Penalty Shoot-Out' from our friends at FourFourTwo. FIFA 20 gameplay development updates So far, the EA development teams have been pretty tight lipped about progress on FIFA’s development. We know it’s coming, they know we know it’s coming, so announcements can go pretty close to the wire. Most recently, ahead of the game's official reveal at EA Play and E3 2019, EA Sports has addressed some of the updates it has planned for FIFA 20 in a blog post, many of which have been inspired by player feedback from FIFA 19.  As a series, FIFA isn't known for making any huge gameplay changes between releases but these are some of the features EA Sports has decided to focus on for the latest release.  AI Defending Players will now see more benefits to manually defending, rather than relying on the skills of the game's AI. Computer-controlled defenders will now be less efficient and effective (less on-the-ball, if you will) while those controlled by you will perform better. Manual tackles are also more likely to go in your favor than those attempted by AI. This should create a balance which will see players who make the effort to manually defend feel that it's more rewarding.  Shooting  As far as shooting is concerned, one-on-one situations between the player and the goalkeeper are about to become less frustrating. In FIFA 20, 1v1 shooting accuracy will be improved allowing for more shots on target, while goalkeepers will be slightly less "superhuman" when it comes to their reactions.  Even manual goalkeepers will be slowed down to more realistic speeds. Players controlling their goalkeeper using right-stick movement will now have to commit to a direction when attempting to make a save, making it feel more rewarding or more galling when you make it or miss it.  Away from the goal, volley-crossing and volley-shooting are being checked to make them more realistic. By more realistic, of course, we mean less accurate and a little more unpredictable.  Passing It's not just shooting mechanics that are being addressed, passing is seeing a shakeup too. Easy passes will now be more accurate but more difficult passes like those at 180 degrees, first-time and those attempted in high-pressure moments will now result in slower/weaker balls which are less effective and easier to intercept. There are two new options for passing in addition to this. Manual 'Dinked' passes, which will be used to elevate the ball over a defender's leg and the Driven Pass-and-Go which will take over from the current manual pass combo.  Timed Finishing Timed Finishing was a new mechanic for FIFA 19 and as a result EA Sports has garnered a lot of feedback in order to fine tune it. If you missed its introduction, Timed Finishing meant that players could take advantage of a Green Timing Window in order to make a more accurate shot.  This should have been a high risk and high reward feature but players felt that it was just too easy to perform. As a result, EA Sports has reduced the Green Timing Window from 2-4 frames to strictly 2 frames, making it more difficult to pull off, while Green Timed Shots will generally just be less accurate. They will still, however, be slightly more accurate than a standard shot. Otherwise what's the point? With these fixes, as well as improvements to player switching and set-piece positioning, EA Sports seems to be at pains to show that it plans to address some of the biggest fan concerns over FIFA 19 ahead of announcing FIFA 20. That’s all for now though – we're sure we can expect to see even more about FIFA 20 during EA Play just ahead of E3 2019 on June 8. FIFA 20: what we want to see FIFA titles make incremental improvements over the years – it’s rare to see one massively change the formula, and FIFA has been in a pretty stable state for the best part of a decade now. If you’ve played a recent edition, you’ll be able enjoy the latest one, with a few months work needed to master its new systems. FIFA is in a good place then, with FIFA 20 set to be built on solid foundations – but that’s not to say we can’t look forward to some improvements. Here’s a handful of things we’d like to see changed. The end of the ‘Journey’ – and the start of something new? FIFA introduced a character-driven story mode back in FIFA 2017, focussing on fictional upcoming star Alex Hunter, and it’s now a much-loved staple of the game. Hunter’s story concludes with FIFA 20, so we’d like to see something new and expanded with which to carry on that legacy. EA’s Madden series has a narrative-focussed Longshot mode – it’d be great to see that idea carry over into EA’s other big sporting title. Dynamic weather For a while there, EA’s mantra seemed to be that anything rival Pro Evolution Soccer could do, FIFA could do better. But EA’s never picked up Pro’s dynamic weather systems. Just like in real life, rainy weather can blow in mid-game, changing the pace and flow of play in the Pro series. It’s a realistic consideration, and one that’d have a subtle but welcome effect to moment-to-moment tactics in FIFA 20.  Career Mode changes Career Mode is FIFA’s answer to a managerial system. It’s not Football Manager, but it’s a great way of building up a lengthy relationship with each year’s entry into the franchise. It could do with a spruce up though to its core systems after its flashy-but-shallow FIFA 18 UI overhaul. Some extra depth to the managerial challenge is what we’re really after – player wage negotiations, stadium changes for smaller clubs on the rise, that sort of thing. It’d be great to bring back the Player / Manager career option of FIFA 13, too. Build-your-own team mode Fans have been crying out for this one for years – bringing back the old-school ability to create your own team, from branding and kit right down to player names and attributes. We’re guessing EA isn’t keen on this as it’d give you the ability to make updated squad information on the game even years after release. But it’d be great to be able to make a team made up of just work colleagues or online mates, for instance, and see them bring the cup home. FIFA 2020: Early Access? FIFA as a subscription? EA has been toying with different sorts of distribution models for a while now, with its EA Access subscription model, and its Origin Premier service, letting players try out the firm’s top games for a monthly fee. With the launch of FIFA 19, EA allowed gamers to play FIFA 19 nine days before the game’s general release, and we’d expect to see the same occur for FIFA 20.  What’s potentially interesting though is the possibility of FIFA becoming its own live service, with EA offering a subscription fee for the game, or elements of the game, being constantly updated rather than as an annual release. It’d let the company drip-feed updates, as well as keeping team sheets and player likenesses up to date, and remain competitive to titles like the free-to-play phenomenon Fortnite, which follows a similar model of constant updates. To be clear, EA has not stated that this is to be the case for FIFA, but with the franchise such a powerful draw, and the idea of games-as-a-service becoming more of an industry standard, don’t be surprised if a future FIFA game takes this route. Is there a FIFA 20 demo? Although we know FIFA 20 will be officially launched in September 2019, EA Sports has yet to set a date for its FIFA 20 demo. They're released every year before the official launch, and we've got our fingers crossed for another early demo this year too. In the past, the demo has been available in a trial capacity for a week or two earlier than the launch date. Looking back, FIFA 19's demo was available on 13 September, 2019, two weeks before the game's full launch – EA followed this same pattern for FIFA 18, FIFA 17 and FIFA 16 too.  If the same pattern applies to this year, which we assume it will but can't guarantee, then we'd expect the demo to have dropped by 14 September, 2019. Again though, this is all speculation for now – but we'll be sure to update you when we get official confirmation.  TechRadar will be watching EA Play intently to update this page with the latest FIFA 20 news. Here's how you can watch EA Play along with us.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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