Saturday, July 13, 2019

Apple : The best cheap laptop deals and sales on Amazon Prime Day 2019: prices from just £159

Apple : The best cheap laptop deals and sales on Amazon Prime Day 2019: prices from just £159

The best cheap laptop deals and sales on Amazon Prime Day 2019: prices from just £159

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 12:05 PM PDT

Checking through the cheap laptop deal scene here in the UK can be a bit overwhelming as there are so many options to choose from. Luckily for you, we're used to sifting through the net's laptop sales all year round. There are some fantastic finds today, proving you don't have to wait for those Amazon Prime Day deals to get a bargain as we've found some mega discounts already.

So if you need to buy a new laptop sharpish, we should be able to find you something that fits with your budget nicely. We've split this guide into sections based on price to help you keep that budget in check.

We'll give you a bit of info about each laptop we highlight too, so you can see some specs at a glance before you click through to the store and have to browse their lengthy descriptions for those vital stats you're after. 

Not everyone needs a super powerful laptop, especially if you just want something for the basics like casual browsing, email and document editing, so don't feel like you have to spend £500 on a laptop for that - you can get something for far less if you want. Naturally, if you're a bit of a multitasker, love to have loads of tabs open and want a little extra grunt for media editing, we've found laptop deals with higher spec. Chromebooks get a mention most weeks too as they're increasingly popular nowadays as users look to ditch Windows for the stripped down speedy Chrome OS instead. For you Apple fans, you might be interested in our MacBook prices and deals page too.

If you're from the States or Down Under, be sure to check out our selection of the top laptop deals in the US or Australia.

Cheap laptop sales and deal highlights

We'll continue adding the best cheap laptop deals in the latest sales as we find them. Up next, you'll find the latest prices on some of the most popular laptops around along with a list of retailers who often have a great selection of laptop sales if nothing else takes your fancy here.

  • Amazon: retail giant is often the cheapest in the UK.
  • AO: lots of cheap laptops at this growing electronics specialist.
  • Argos: home delivery or pick up a cheap laptop locally today.
  • John Lewis: models come with at least two-year guarantee.
  • ebuyer: the UK computing specialists have some great promotions.
  • Very: Often surprises with cheap prices on electronics.
  • Currys: the retailer that's seemingly always having a laptop sale.
  • Laptops Direct: specialist UK store has a huge selection of laptop deals.
  • Dell: get a great laptop deal direct from Dell.
  • Apple: MacBooks aren't exactly cheap, but they're excellent workstations

The cheapest laptop deals on these popular picks

cheap laptop deals prices sales

On release, the Chromebook Flip reached new heights for the Windows-free laptops as it came rocking a proper Intel Core processor along with a HD screen. Most models nowadays come with 64GB of storage instead of the 32GB which is plenty for running apps and storing regular documents and a fair few media files - you can always use a USB drive for more space. For most users, the newer PixelBook is what we'd call 'overkill', not to mention considerably more expensive, so we'd recommend this model if you just need something for work, browsing the net and so on. The Chrome OS works beautifully in this 2-in-1 laptop's tablet mode too.

HP Pavilion 15

A sturdy choice for a study laptop for school/college/uni. The HP Pavilion 15 has plenty of power for the average student's needs while keeping the costs sensible. There are plenty of configurations available too. Some favour speedy SSDs, while other go for larger regular hard drives, so it all depends on what you're going to need more really. Faster loading or more space for storing media files and downloads.

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

The Asus Transformer Mini series is one of the most reliable brands of 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrids on the market. This upgrade includes a fingerprint sensor and double the RAM at 4GB for speedier performance compared to the older models. For your money, this is one of the most impressive two-in-one transformer models out there. Available in orange/white as seen above, or in a traditional grey steel colour.

cheap laptop deals prices sales

Ready to stretch that budget a bit (ok, maybe a lot) further? Then be sure to check out our selection of the very best laptops money can buy as we've used our dedicated price comparison technology to find the cheapest prices for them too. You can always come back to this page if they seem a bit overpowered (and over-expensive) for what you need.

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England vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch Cricket World Cup final 2019 from anywhere

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 11:43 AM PDT

Cricket World Cup finals only roll around every four years, but the 2019 edition will see a first-time champion crowned - hosts England or last time's losing finalists New Zealand. It's all set to be an unforgettable match and you can read on how to discover how to watch your England vs New Zealand live stream options for the Cricket World Cup final.

Having dominated one day cricket for the last few years, it will likely seem just reward to many cricket watchers should England win their first ever World Cup title at Lord's on Sunday. Their ruthless dismantling of Australia in the semi-final at Edgbaston showed a coolness under pressure that bodes well ahead of a game that offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for glory.

Standing in England's way of making it into the history books are a New Zealand side who will themselves have been buoyed by a glorious semi-final win. Having come through as underdogs in the semi-finals to beat India, arguably the tournament's strongest team, they too must fancy their chances at Lord's.

The match marks the the fourth time England have reached the final. Having beaten New Zealand in the group stage and with a partisan home crowd urging them on, Eoin Morgan's side unsurprisingly go into the match as clear favourites. Kane Williamson's side nevertheless have shown their capability for causing an upset with their win over India, and will be out to ensure they are not runners-up once again after losing the 2015 final to the Aussies.

England made relatively light work of the Kiwis in their round-robin stage clash earlier in the tournament, winning by 119 runs, with Jonny Bairstow smashing 106.

Key to any Black Caps' victory will be a good knock from Kane Williamson - an early takeout of the talismanic batsman will likely hand the trophy to the hosts.

You’ll be able to watch all the 2019 Cricket World Cup final action with ease from anywhere in the world if you follow our England vs New Zealand live stream guide below.  

Watch a Cricket World Cup 2019 live stream from outside your country

If you're in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, US or India and looking to find out how to watch the big final, we've got all the details about the broadcaster in your region below.

If you're away from home country and looking to tune in you'll likely to find you won't be able to thanks to geo-blocking. Thankfully there's a way to alleviate that frustration. By using a VPN you'll be able to watch the game safely without having to take a chance on an illegal feed from a website that's likely infested with malware.

How to stream England's final showdown live in the UK for FREE

How to watch the Kiwis' final clash in New Zealand for FREE

How to watch a Cricket World Cup final live stream in Australia for FREE

How to live stream the 2019 Cricket World Cup online in India

How to live stream England vs New Zealand in Pakistan for FREE

How to watch England vs New Zealand: US live stream 

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The best cheap laptop deals on Amazon Prime Day 2019: prices start at just $129

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 11:33 AM PDT

If you're in the market for a cheap laptop deal, now's a great time to find a good price, regardless of whether you're shopping for work, school, or home. To make finding the machine that's right for you easier, we’ve collected the cheapest prices and best deals of the week in addition to a selection of some of our perpetual cheap laptop favorites. This week features an assortment of workhorses, versatile machines, and basic configurations perfect for students.

We know that shopping for a new laptop can be an often arduous task of comparing storage, memory, processing power and features, but our guide below will help you find the best laptop deals and get the most for your money. From huge names like Dell, Asus and Lenovo to lesser known brands, you’re sure to come away happy with these bargains. If you don't find something you like today, be sure to check back in with us soon when we round up the best Amazon Prime Day deals.

If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited checking out our selection of cheap gaming laptop deals, as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mind. We've also rounded up a fine collection of cheap laptop offers in the UK too.

The best cheap laptop deal of the week

More top cheap laptop deals of the week

Where to find the best laptop deals in the US:

We've compared prices on some of our favourite cheap laptops and run through the details on why we recommend them further down this page. But if you'd like to browse the latest laptop deals directly from your favorite retailers we've included a list of the most-recommended stores directly below. 

The best cheap laptops of 2019

Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to a MacBook Pro from a couple of years back, that is, if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? It’s roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 3

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

This convertible laptop has always been about function over form. For one minuscule transaction, you’re getting a tablet equipped with an included keyboard and even a fingerprint scanner for more secure logins. Along with reliable performance and a magnesium-alloy chassis, it’s built to last – not to mention, one of the best Asus laptops you can buy when you're on the budget.

Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

acer chromebook 15

While it may be outclassed by the Pixelbook and the Samsung Chromebook in terms of sheer power, the Acer Chromebook 15 can still pack a wallop while providing battery life that is frankly out of this world. It’s rare that a laptop can truly provide all-day battery, but in our independent battery tests, Acer’s Chromebook lasted an astonishing 17 hours – on top of providing enough power to get your work done online. If you’re looking for a 15-inch Chromebook that will give you the most bang for your buck, look no further.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 

Lenovo Yoga Book

The Lenovo Yoga Book, and the Windows 10 version of it in particular, is the sort of futuristic fodder you would find in an episode of Black Mirror. It has a keyboard that doubles as a Wacom touch panel and, best of all, it’s cheap as hell. Now, of course, that comes with the caveat of a weak Intel Atom processor, but the rest of the Lenovo Yoga Book should go down in the history books.

Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book

Asus X102BA

With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14

Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need:

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Amazon Prime Day 2019: UK deals live now ahead of the 48-hour event

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 06:49 AM PDT

Amazon Prime Day is held once a year and offers exclusive discounts to Amazon Prime members around the world. And this is year is set to be the biggest event yet and it kicks off just two days from now.

Amazon Prime Day 2019 will take place July 15th-16th. That's right, we're getting an epic 48-hour sale this year - a significant upgrade over the 36 hours last year. So get ready for a huge number of Prime Day deals - some of which have already begun.

If you're not a Prime member yet, this is the best time of year to get it sorted as Amazon has just knocked £20 off the annual fee. Check out the full details of this limited-time deal.

Given summer can be a bit dry for deals, unless you want items for the garden at least, Prime Day is a fantastic opportunity for tech fans to pick up discounted bargains from their wish-list and enjoy them sooner rather than later. Black Friday is a long time away after all and sometimes the Prime Day deals are actually even better. 

You're in the right place to learn everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2019. We'll tell you what deals to expect, what the best deals were last time and even what brilliant offers you can take advantage of right now as there are some early Amazon Prime Day deals appearing already. And if you want to get involved, we'll tell you how to sign up for Amazon Prime membership for free.

What is Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is a summer sales event on Amazon websites around the world where members of Amazon Prime get exclusive discounts on a huge range of items. It's not just Amazon-branded items either (although they're amongst the best deals for sure), lots of other manufacturers and third-party merchants save their best deals for Prime Day too, knowing millions of extra shoppers will be hitting the online store.

Why does Amazon have Prime Day? Sure, it's a neat "thank you" for all it's paying members. A thank you that involves giving Amazon more money. It's a smart model to be honest. You need to either sign up for a free trial or be an existing member of Amazon Prime and people that keep the service either pay Amazon a monthly or annual fee giving Amazon a regular income source from them.

And it's no co-incidence the best deals are found on Amazon's items. Buy a Kindle and you're going to keep buying ebooks from Amazon. Buy a Fire TV Stick you're going to watch Prime Video (a great perk of membership) and maybe pay for the odd rental. Buy an Echo smart speaker and you're into the Alexa family and helping Amazon fight off competition from Google's rival Home devices.

How should I prepare for Amazon Prime Day?

Want to enjoy the best Prime Day deals? Then you have to be a member of Amazon Prime. If you've not been a member before, then our best advise is to sign up for a free 30-day trial. Given Prime Day is happening July 15th-16th, that free trial will last you right through the sale. 

You can totally cancel it anytime before the 30-day are up free of charge if you're not bothered about the other perks of membership like free access to loads of TV show and movie content on Prime Video, free Kindle books/magazines, member-only discounts and super fast delivery options.

We'd also advise setting yourself a sensible budget aside and doing your research on what sort of items you'd like to keep an eye out for. If you have been thinking of getting an Amazon product, TV, set of headphones, bluetooth speakers, robot vacuum cleaner or any sort of tech really, holding on for a Prime Day deal is a solid shout as we see great deals on these items every year. We're really not that far off now too. 

We've rounded up a list of our favourite Amazon Prime membership benefits. Take a look if you want to learn a bit more about what's on offer for Prime members throughout the year.

Amazon delivery

Image credit: Amazon

What deals are live right now?

Just because those Prime Day deals are a while off yet we're not waiting to bring you the best discounts. We've been able to dig out a few crackers already, it's what we do here every day after all. So here's a selection of the best deals we've seen at Amazon today. Stay tuned as we'll keep updating this page with the best discounts all the way until Prime big day itself.

Amazon even gave us an early Prime members-only deal to get us going when it officially announced the Prime Day dates. The original Echo Show is down to £79.99 from £179.99. It's for a refurbished model though. That's....not a particularly great start to be honest, Amazon. We think you're better off waiting for a Prime Day deal on the newer 2nd-gen Echo Show or maybe the smaller Echo Show 5 which we can see getting a tasty discount in the sale. 

We've had a look around on Amazon though, which of course has some super competitive deals going on throughout the year if you know where to look. These are our favourite pre-Prime Day deals you can buy right now.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?

Amazon Prime Day is July 15 and July 16, which makes the name a bit of a misnomer. No one is complaining about having a whole 48 hours to save money, though.

Amazon has steadily increased the time of its Prime Day sales year after year: it was 24 hours the first year, then 30 hours, and last year it was 36 hours. Now we're in for a whole 48 hours, starting from July 15th next month. 

And let's face it with the Amazon Black Friday deals event now lasting about a week, anything's possible. Except sleep apparently if you're a Deals Editor.

We'll be front and centre for the entire thing to ensure you can see the best deals as navigating the messy array of deals and discounts that can be a bit exhausting directly on Amazon's site. Fortunately, we're used to trawling for deals there every day and we usually learn of the best deals way in advance, giving us plenty of time to prepare coverage for you.

Image credit: Amazon

What were the best-selling Prime Day items last year?

The online behemoth's sales event of the summer was the biggest day of sales in its history last year, with over 89 million visits logged (10% more than in 2017). We can only see 2019 being even bigger.

Amazon sold over 100 million products around the world and over one million smart home devices – not just Amazon ones but Philips Hue lights, Hive thermostats and various manufacturers’ smart plugs. Prime Day was the biggest day ever for Echo devices, Fire tablets for kids, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV products.

Amazon said the two best-sellers worldwide were the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote and the Echo Dot. Both of those items have actually been replaced with newer versions since - thankfully without a bump in RRP. So we totally expect the newer Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen) and Fire TV Stick with the all-new Alexa voice remote (it now has extra buttons for volume control and gaming) to get similar discounts for the best prices of the year.

Other best-sellers included:

What were the best Prime Day deals last time?

As ever, some of the best Prime Day deals were on Amazon’s own devices, some of which have since been discontinued and replaced with new and improved models. The ever-popular Echo speakers were big hits with the following price drops:

Kindles and Fire Sticks and tablets received mouth-watering discounts too. The biggest surprise though was the never-previously-discounted Kindle Oasis dropping from £50 and the Paperwhite getting its lowest price yet. It just goes to show that the Prime Day deals on Amazon's devices is the absolute best time to buy. Amazon has knocked £30 off since the slightly newer version arrived, but there's room for a bigger price-cut on Prime Day itself.

The Fire TV Stick dropped to its lowest ever price while the already cheap Fire Tablets dropped significantly with the Fire 7 getting reduced to just £29.99. So yes, these are the deals to look out for again this year.

There were some cracking deals on TVs too, some of which are now even cheaper given TV deals in general are seriously competitive here in the UK. We saw 55-inch Ambilight OLED screens go from £1499 to £1199 (or just £999 today!). On the other end of the scale a 55-inch Hisense dropped to just £369, an all-time low at the time.

Mobile phone deals on Amazon Prime Day don't make too many headlines, but if you're willing to pay the upfront cost of a phone rather than go for a contract, there were certainly deals to be had last year. The then year-old Samsung Galaxy S8 dropped to £439. The Honor View 10 was just £338.99.  And the already very budget-friendly Moto G6 Play dropped to £135.99. So not the most modern or premium selection of handsets, but don't bet against a wider range this year as more brands are keen to get involved each year

Here in the UK we saw plenty of other deals across multiple products. The biggest discounts were on coffee machines: many of them got 50% price cuts. Hive smart thermostats were 44% off, selected home security kits were 45% off and everything in the Amazon Warehouse section was 20% off. Chromebook fans got to snap up the excellent but terribly named Asus C202SA-GJ0027 for £99.99 instead of the usual £199.99.

prime day optimus day deals ebuyer

Image credit: ebuyer

Will other retailers take part in Amazon Prime Day?

We have seen other stores in the UK try and cash in on the Amazon Prime Day fever by hosting their own deals. But in all honesty, they've regularly disappointed. 

However, if retailers do sell the same item that's getting a great deal on Amazon, expect to see a lot of price-matching. This can be especially handy if you have a store-specific gift card burning a hole in you pocket. We see retailers price match Amazon on items like Fire sticks and Echo speakers throughout the year and some even go 99p cheaper to gain an advantage. 

John Lewis is worth a look as the store usually offer a minimum two-year guarantee on all electricals while most rivals stick with the standard one year. Currys, Argos and AO.com will be hoping to entice buyers to their sites too.

Hopefully electricals and computing specialists ebuyer will launch its Optimus Day again to rival Prime, which was a nice bit of Transformers humour for us last time around. Will Argos go for Megatron deals?

We also expect to see rivals to Amazon's own devices go on sale. In particular, expect to see multiple discounts on the Google Home deals to match the equivalent Echo products.We see this sort of price-matching happen a lot during even basic sales during the year. Chances are, you'll be able to get the best prices yet on Google's smart speakers.

amazon delivery

Image credit: Amazon

What could Amazon have done better on Prime Day?

It should have anticipated and been able to cope with the load not just on its ecommerce site but on its cloud services too: we weren’t the only ones irritated because we couldn’t get our Preacher fix on Amazon Prime Video. It’s all the more embarrassing when you remember that Amazon provides the cloud infrastructure for many high-profile sites and services: Prime Day wasn’t a great ad for that side of its business.

Our main criticisms aren’t technological, though. Navigating the deals was hopeless and many of the deals were laughable, especially in gaming: we frequently found much better console bundles on AO.com’s eBay page than we did on Amazon. 

Here’s a great example. On Prime Day, one of the flagship deals we identified was $50 off a set of Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones. That brought the price down from $299 to $249. Just three weeks later, Amazon US was listing the same headphones for $169.


Will Amazon Prime Day 2019 do things differently?

Yes. CNBC reports that Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO of worldwide retail, has already demanded improvements to prevent a repeat the previous Prime Day’s capacity problems: “tech teams are already working to improve our architecture”. 

We’d like to think that Amazon will also improve the navigation and discoverability of its deals for Prime Day 2019, although we aren’t holding our collective breath: both factors’ general rubbishness didn’t stop Prime Day breaking all records, so there’s not much incentive for Amazon to change it unless it decides better navigation will drive significantly higher sales. But that's why we're here to show you the best Prime Day deals!

It’s a safe bet that Prime Day 2019 will be longer. It’s already grown from one day to one and a half; further inflation seems inevitable.

Image credit: Amazon

What does all this mean for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

It’s clear that Amazon is prioritising Prime Day over Super Black Friday Deals Month or whatever convoluted name it’s going to give its Black Friday sales period in 2019: according to Digitalcommerce360.com, 67% of this year's Prime Day deals were lower than comparable deals on the preceding Black Friday. 

That’s not to say Amazon won’t take part in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It will, and it’ll offer the same kind of discounting that we’ve seen in recent years. But Prime Day is more important to the firm, and we’d expect its discounts to be deeper, especially on its own devices.

Image credit: Amazon

Prime Day: why does it matter more to Amazon?

There are some crucial differences between Prime Day and Black Friday. The first is that Prime Day is Amazon’s own day. It’s right there in the name, which of course refers to Amazon’s Prime membership programme and associated services. Amazon doesn’t own Black Friday, and that means ultimately it’s just another retailer shouting for attention – a massive retailer with a really loud voice, of course, but Black Friday is a sales event for the entire retail sector. It’s much harder for rivals to muscle in on something that Amazon has effectively created from thin air.

The second and more important difference is that Black Friday doesn’t create new spending. It just moves it slightly. As we’ve discovered in recent years, the money people spend over the Black Friday period is money they were probably going to spend anyway: all Black Friday really does is concentrates pre-Christmas shopping in the last week of November. 

Prime Day spending is different in two ways. First of all, people aren’t spending the money they’d already planned to spend on Christmas presents. And secondly, they’re buying mainly for themselves, not for others. If you go back to the list of bestsellers there’s an awful lot of impulse buying in there: Instant Pots and Hue Lightstrips, frying pans and dishwasher tablets. This is new spending, not merely moving pre-planned spending. 

There’s another key benefit for Amazon. Its best-sellers on Prime Day weren’t just Amazon devices; they were Amazon devices that connect to Amazon services. Fire TVs, Kindle Fires, Echo devices, Alexa remotes. Each one of them connecting to Amazon Prime, and each one of them requiring a Prime membership to buy in the first place. So when Black Friday rolls around, Amazon will have a whole bunch of Prime members for whom shopping on Prime is the default, and who might want to enhance their Amazon-powered smart homes with Amazon-branded Black Friday deals.

Prime Day means that for Amazon, Christmas now comes twice a year.

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Hulu is bringing back 4K streaming for some shows and devices

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 06:30 AM PDT

Hulu is currently behind rivals such as Netflix and iTunes when it comes to support for 4K content, but the service has now switched on 4K streaming again – for some shows and some devices.

4K content streaming was pulled from Hulu last year, though the company didn't really explain why or make any sort of official announcement about the move.

Now it's back – but again the news has kind of quietly slipped out (it seems to have shown up first on Twitter). You can read more details on the official Hulu support page.

Exactly which shows are available in 4K isn't clear: Hulu says a "select list of programming" is available, and that the list "continues to grow". What we know for sure is that all the Hulu Originals can be viewed in 4K.

Supported devices

You're also going to need the right device to take advantage of the content Hulu is now offering in 4K. For the time being only the Apple TV 4K and the Chromecast Ultra will show streams at the top resolution.

Hulu says you're going to need connection speeds of around 16 Mbps to get the top quality 4K UHD streams. That compares with 6 Mbps for 1080p streams and 3 Mbps for 720p streams. As usual the quality will automatically adjust based on your connection speed.

Even in its present limited form, having some 4K content available means Hulu is catching up with its rivals in the streaming space – and with more services appearing this year, the market is about to get even more competitive.

The 4K resolutions should be available now, so if you're a Hulu subscriber, fire up The Handmaid's Tale or Catch-22 to see all those extra pixels.

Via 9to5Google

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Serena Williams vs Simona Halep live stream: how to watch Wimbledon 2019 ladies' final 2019 online from anywhere

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 04:41 AM PDT

For many the greatest women’s player of all time, Serena Williams, is out to draw level with Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles as she faces Simona Halep today in the 2019 Wimbledon final. Making her first appearance on this stage, could Romanian star Halep stop Serena creating history? You can watch all the action from SW19 no matter where you are in the world with our Wimbledon final Williams vs Halep live stream guide below.

There's plenty of history to be made for Halep also. A win here today would make her the first Romanian to win Wimbledon and would be her second Grand Slam win following her triumph at the French Open last year. Halep has only dropped one set on her route to the final, but she'll need to be at her absolute best against the seven-time champion who has gone from strength to strength as the tournament has progressed.

The head-to-head stats bodes well for the American - Williams has won nine of the 11 meetings between the two players and the last five all on the bounce. Their only showdown on grass came all the way back in 2011, with Williams winning 3-6 6-2 6-1. Their most recent encounter came in the Australian Open earlier this year, which Williams also won 6-1 4-6 6-4. 

It's all set to be an intriguing battle on Centre Court, and one you'll be able to watch using the guide below - read on to find out how to get a Williams vs Halep live stream no matter where you are in the world.

Use a VPN to live stream all the tennis at Wimbledon from outside your country

This match is being broadcast all over the world - we'll tell you some of the UK, US< Australian, Canada and New Zealand broadcasters below.

But if you're abroad today and still want to watch your familiar old coverage, you'll need to download and install a VPN to get around the geo-restrictions that will block you.

How to live stream Williams vs Halep in the UK for FREE

How to watch the Serena Williams match in the US

Logging in to the broadcast from overseas is also a great option using a US VPN and following the instructions above.

- Discover our pick of all the US's best sports streaming sites

How to watch a Halep vs Williams live stream in Australia for FREE

How to live stream Williams vs Halep  in Canada

Stream Williams vs Halep live in New Zealand for free

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Ubisoft’s Gods and Monsters is a ‘lighthearted’ game narrated by Homer

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 03:00 AM PDT

Ubisoft has started releasing some more details about its upcoming mythological adventure, Gods and Monsters. 

First announced at E3 2019, the game is currently being developed by the team behind Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. At the time of its announcement, we didn’t get too much information on the game (though there was a tone-setting trailer) but now Creative Director Jonathan Dumont and Senior Producer Marc-Alexis Côté are ready to speak in an interview on the official Ubisoft site.

Narrated by Homer to his grandchildren, the game’s story will follow a fully customisable hero called Fenyx, who is on a journey to save the gods of Olympus from Typhon and his mythological monsters. 

Telling Tales

When you’re not limited by history, you can start to do some weird and wonderful things with your heroes and according to Jonathan Dumont, Gods and Monsters will take the special abilities designed for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and “put it on steroids for Gods and Monsters.”

“When you’re fighting and you trigger your abilities, you’re going to wreck the enemies you’re facing. You can expect fast-paced combat that takes place on the ground and the air. For example, if you’re fighting a cyclops, you may have to double jump to reach his head and hit him in the eye to blind him, so then you can fight him on the ground. We also have aerial enemies like harpies.”

The game won’t just have abilities, Dumont has promised that magical mythological items like the Boots of Hermes will appear in the game. The Boots of Hermes will allow players to double-jump and explore new places. According to Dumont “there are plenty of items like that, but we’re saving them for future surprises.”

While the game will be dealing with myth rather than fact, senior producer Marc-Alexis Côté has said that the team is still taking the same “rigorous historical approach” as it has with the Assassin’s Creed games. 

This means experts in mythology have been brought in to advise and to “ensure that we can retell them in a way that is interesting and profound for our players.”

Even with this kind of rigour, Ubisoft is hoping that Gods and Monsters will be a “lighthearted” game with a story that has humour. It’s this and the game’s bright and colourful art style (which gives off some serious Fable vibes) that the team is hoping will help it stand out from other open-world adventure games. Even its own. 

Gods and Monsters will  launch on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia on February 25 2020.

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Samsung could still be planning to launch a pair of augmented reality specs

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 02:30 AM PDT

Gadget makers aren't giving up on the idea of getting Google Glass-style augmented reality specs on our faces, with a recently filed Samsung patent the latest evidence that more of these wearable devices are on the way.

Spotted by Patently Apple, the filing shows a fairly standard design for a pair of glasses with added smarts on board. They're going to be foldable, apparently, so you can pop them in your pocket when you're not being wowed by AR.

A tiny projector mounted on the wearer's temple beams images in front of the eye, though we don't get much detail  about what information the glasses would actually show. We're guessing smartphone notifications for a start.

The filing does make mention of an ARM processor, so that could well be one of the components that make it into the finished version of the specs. An on-board camera and various sensors are also mentioned.

Samsung Smart Glasses leak

As always with a patent application, this isn't a guarantee that such a product is ever going to reach the market – but it does give us an indication of how Samsung is thinking in regards to future product launches.

And it wouldn't be alone in wanting to put some smartglasses tech on our noses: Huawei has already announced a pair to go on sale this year, though it's not clear how the company's ongoing US trade problems will affect those plans.

Apple is another big name in the business that's rumored to be working on smart AR specs. iOS now includes plenty of AR capabilities, so it makes sense that Apple would eventually release its own hardware around the technology.

Samsung itself has previously been tipped to be working on something like this, and of course it already sells portable virtual reality headsets to go with its phones. Last year we even saw a logo that might come attached to the glasses.

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Ubisoft tackles XP farming in Assassin’s Creed Story Creator

Posted: 13 Jul 2019 01:00 AM PDT

Ubisoft is taking action against players who are using Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Story Creator mode to exploit the game’s character levelling system. 

Announced at E3 2019 and released shortly after, the Story Creator Mode is supposed to allow players to make their own quests for the game and then share them with other players. 

It’s been found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that some players have been gaming the system by creating easy quests which make it possible to farm a lot of XP and level up significantly faster, instead of purchasing the XP boosters from the in-game store.

Quality Control

In a post on the Ubisoft forums, the publisher has explained how it will be tackling the problem. 

According to Ubisoft “these exploits risk jeopardizing the overall quality, integrity, and purpose of Story Creator Mode and results in less visibility for the creative, interesting and frankly fantastic community stories that have been published.”

Now, existing XP farming quests won’t appear in any of the automatic recommendation lists such as the Hall of Fame or Trending and any quests which are reported for farming will be hidden. 

To make the rules absolutely clear to players going forward, Ubisoft will be updating its terms of use for the tool, after which those who continue to break the rules will be sanctioned. 

Ubisoft has other plans to deter players from using such exploits in the future which it will reveal closer to implementation.

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Wimbledon 2019 live stream: how to watch final tennis online from anywhere

Posted: 12 Jul 2019 11:13 PM PDT

After a fortnight of surprises, sensational semi-finals and the return of Andy Murray, we've finally made it to Wimbledon 2019 finals weekend. Some of tennis's biggest names are still going for glory - Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic - as they compete to add yet another title to their resumes. Get out the strawberries and cream and watch all the action with a Wimbledon live stream...no matter where in the world you are.

The women's final will be final will be fought out between Serena Williams and Simona Halep - Johanna Konta's loss brought an end to British hopes in the singles in 2019. It should be a cracker, taking place on Saturday.

Last year saw Novak Djokovic win the gentlemen's singles title and he remains favourite to take this year's crown after overcoming Roberto Bautista Agut with relative ease. Across from him will be the GOAT Roger Federer - it could be a real classic.

This is the 133rd Wimbledon Championships and there have been plenty of talking points already at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Despite homegrown hero Andy Murray not being fit enough to play in the singles this year, he has played some very enjoyable doubles in a formidable team with the awesome Serena Williams.

You can live stream Wimbledon 2019 tennis using the guide below so read on to find out how to get your lawn tennis fix from anywhere in the world.

Use a VPN to live stream all the tennis at Wimbledon from outside your country

One of the most prestigious events on the sporting calendar, Wimbledon 2019 is of course being broadcast worldwide with some countries (Australia, New Zealand and, naturally, the UK) getting free Wimbledon live streams. Not so much luck if you're across the Atlantic - sorry US tennis fans.

But if you don't have easy access to watch Wimbledon when away from your country and want to catch all of that geo-blocked domestic coverage, then you can still watch it by downloading and installing a VPN. That way you can login to a server back in your country and then watch as if you were sat in the British Isles.

Wimbledon 2019 - final matches

Saturday July 13

Ladies' singles - 2pm BST
Serena Williams vs Simona Halep

Gentlemen's doubles - approx 3.15pm BST
Nicolas Mahut & Édouard Roger-Vasselin vs Juan Sebastián Cabal & Robert Farah

Ladies' doubles - approx 5.15pm BST
Barbora Strýcová & Hsieh Su-wei vs Gabriela Dabrowski & Xu Yifan

Sunday July 14

Gentlemen's singles - 2pm BST
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer

Mixed doubles - approx 4pm BST
Jeļena Ostapenko & Robert Lindstedt vs Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodig

How to live stream Wimbledon 2019 in the UK for free

Live stream Wimbledon for FREE at Wimbledon.com and YouTube

Wimbledon.com is globally live streaming action and that goes for Wimbledon's YouTube channel, too, so handy if you want to watch via an app on your mobile phone or tablet.

The trouble is, assuming Wimbledon 2019 is the same as last year, it doesn't have the rights to show the big action from the show courts - that becomes a particular problem if you're only interested in the top seeds and as the fortnight reaches its climax. We reckon you should stick to the breadth of coverage offered by the BBC if you can.

How to watch Wimbledon 2019: live stream in the US

It's also worth noting that ESPN+ will have additional Wimbledon live stream coverage from the outer courts.

Logging in to the broadcast from overseas is also a great option using a US VPN and following the instructions above.

- Discover our pick of all the US's best sports streaming sites

How to watch tennis from Wimbledon: Australia stream

How to live stream Wimbledon 2019 in Canada

The best ways to stream Wimbledon 2019 live in New Zealand for free

Where is Wimbledon 2019?

The annual tournament takes place at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in south west London. The venue has held the Wimbledon Tennis Championships - the sport’s oldest tournament - since its inception in 1877. It now attracts an attendance of over 470,000 people over the course of the thirteen-day competition.

How much money do you get if you win Wimbledon?

Since 2007 there’s been parity in what the winners of the Ladies' Singles and the winner of the Gentlemen's Singles each receive –this year’s champions will both receive £2.35 million each.

The men’s and women’s doubles champions will receive £540,000 per pair, while the Mixed Doubles champions receive £116,000 per pair. In total there’s a bumper prize pot of £34million (around $42million) in total prize money to be shared amongst competitors taking part in this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

How many sets are there in Wimbledon tennis? 

The Wimbledon Championships are played under Grand Slam tournament rules.

This means that the Men's singles competition uses the best of five sets format, where the player who can clinch three sets first wins the game. For the Women’s singles it’s a best-of-three format, whereby winning two sets ensures victory.

The Men’s doubles, Women’s doubles and mixed doubles also use the best-of-three format at Wimbledon.

Who are the current Wimbledon champions?

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is the current Gentlemen’s champ, having beaten South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in last year’s final in straight sets.

The 2018 Ladies' champion was Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who suffered a shock defeat in the second round of this year’s tournament at the hands of the USA’s Lauren Davies.

Who are the favourites for Wimbledon 2019?

Defending Men’s champion Novak Djokovic is the current clear favourite with Betfair with veteran stars Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer nestling in behind.

Meanwhile, seven-time winner Serena Williams is their favourite to be crowned Women’s Champion.

How can I buy Wimbledon tickets? Are they available from Ticketmaster? 

If you’re prepared for a very early morning queue – and potentially camping out the night before - there are a limited amount of tickets available for the show courts on a first come, first served basis each day, except for the last four days of the tournament on Centre Court. If you’re happy to settle for just a ground pass and soak up the atmosphere on the lower courts, you’ll need to turn up a few hours before the gates open at 10.30am.

If all that feels like too much hard work, tickets are often available via Ticketmaster with returns and unwanted tickets released on the site on a regular basis during the tournament.

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Amazon Prime Day 2019: all of the deals listed and when it officially starts

Posted: 12 Jul 2019 10:03 PM PDT

Amazon Prime Day 2019 is shaping up to be the best online shopping summer event in US retail history, according to the early deals list we have for you.

Our list – below – is just the beginning, as more discounts are expected to launch in the middle of the night in America, between Sunday night and Monday morning. True bargain hunts may not sleep that night.

The official Prime Day deals date is this upcoming Monday, July 15, in case you're a bit confused and asking 'When is Amazon Prime Day?' But you don't have wait to and (or stay up) for the Sunday/Monday 3AM ET kick off to get lowered prices. Many tempting bargains are here today. 

One caveat to Amazon Prime Day 2019 bargains: a membership to Prime is required. Good news: if you don't have an account yet, there's a free 30-day trial that you'll probably want to make use of before Monday.

Prime Day pro tip: Amazon is promising 48 hours of deals, however, we fully expect all of the good stuff to be scooped up in a matter of an hour of Prime Day, if not minutes. Big sellers are likely to be 4K TVs, video games, Echo speakers, and even hot pots and DNA tests. Amazon sells everything, and that draws a wide consumer cross-section.

The best Prime Day deals we've seen so far is for the Echo Dot at $24.99 (50% off MSRP) if you don't already own this Alexa-powered smart speaker, or you can get a free Echo Dot if you also buy the Amazon-made Ring video doorbell for $273.99 ($80 off MSRP).

More into Apple products? Many Apple devices are on sale early, too, with iPad and iPad Pro deals, and even the newer Apple AirPods 2. To top if off, Amazon Prime Day is giving all Whole Food shoppers a Prime Day deal, if they use both stores.

Amazon Prime Day 2019: Fast facts

  • When is the next Prime Day? On Monday, July 15 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT), but our deals list is live today
  • When does Prime Day end? Tuesday, July 16 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT). It's two full days – 48 hours long.  
  • What will be the best Prime Day deals? The biggest discounts on Amazon.com are likely to be Amazon-owned products, especially Echo speakers and the Fire TV

Amazon Prime Day deals: the early list

These are the best Amazon Prime Day deals, according to our deals experts. You'll find a curated list of what's on sale and what's worth buying in advance of the 48-hour Prime Day 2019. We even note the original MSRP to prove it's a good deal.

Prime Day Pro tip: Buy early to secure the best price while things are in stock during Prime Day – if the price drops further at any point, you can always make an easy A-to-Z Amazon return (usually before things ship). After all, if you wait, you can't do the opposite and get something once it's sold out.

amazon prime day free trial

Image credit: Shutterstock

Are Amazon Prime Day deals only for Prime members?

Yes. Keep in mind that you must be a member of Amazon Prime to partake in the 48-hour deals event. It's Amazon's way of pushing its membership program that costs $119/year.

Prime Day pro tip: If you're not a member you can sign up for a free 30-day trial today, and that will last you right through the Prime Day sale. It comes with all of the perks too, like two-day free shipping and Amazon Video streaming with access to Amazon Originals.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?

Amazon Prime Day starts early next week, on Monday, July 15 right at midnight PDT. Prime Day ends on Tuesday, July 16 at 11:59pm PDT. That means from Sunday night onward, we'll be up curating the deals list below.

Prime Day pro tip: Keep in mind the official Prime Day start time is based on where the retail company is located: on the West Coast. So, many deals may come online at 3am EDT. You may have to set an alarm, or ask Alexa to set one for you.

Whole Foods Amazon Prime Day 2019


$10 Amazon Prime Day Whole Foods deal

Amazon owns Whole Foods, and for the second year in a row, the grocery chain is participating in the Prime Day discount shopping spree. Here are the fine details.

Prime members will earn a $10 credit for Prime Day (actually, it expires the day after Prime Day in case you forget) if they shop at Whole Foods. According to Amazon, all you have to do is scan your Prime Code, use your linked phone number at checkout, or make an order via Prime Now for delivery or pickup between July 3 and July 16."

Prime Day pro tip: do this now – today through July 16, spend $10 at Whole Foods or on Amazon Prime Now (the latter will be easier for some people not near a Whole Foods), and then spend your $10 credit during Prime Day or the day after (there's 24-hour a grace period).

Amazon Prime Day 2019

What else will be on sale for Amazon Prime Day?

Just look at last year's biggest sellers. Prime members around the world purchased more than 100 million products during the last Prime Day event. The top-selling items from last year's Prime Day included a mixture of home goods, electronics, and Amazon devices. 

It was the biggest event ever for Amazon devices with the Fire TV Stick and Echo Dot leading the pack of best-selling items worldwide. The top selling products consisted of the 6-Qt Instant Pot, Fire TV stick, Echo Dot, 23andMe DNA Test, and the LifeStraw personal water filter.

Prime Day pro tip: It's not just about electronics deals on Amazon Prime Day. We're always surprised at how many 23andMe DNA Test kits and Instant Pots people buy. Make a list of everything your home and life needs – and not only gadgets.

Image credit: Shutterstock

What other retailers participate in Prime Day?

Every year more and more retailers are trying to compete with the tech giant by participating in their own version of Prime Day. You'll find discounts on clothing, tech, home goods and more from a variety of online and local retailers. 

Last year Walmart joined in on Prime Day by offering free two-day shipping without membership fees and free same-day pickup on qualifying items. The retailer also discounted a wide array of products that included TVs, Google Home devices, kitchen appliances, laptops and much more - and we're already seeing a few Walmart deals to rival Prime Day. 

Other big retailers like Target, Best Buy, Macy's and eBay also promoted their own one-day sale with discounts on best-selling items throughout their site.

Prime Day pro tip: We expect this year that more retailers will participate in the July event and will even extend the one-day sale to a weeks worth of discounts, and sure enough, we'll be providing all of their Prime Day-competing deals on this page.  

amazon prime day delivery

Amazon Prime 1-day shipping

Amazon just recently announced plans to offer free one-day shipping for Prime members on most orders. Amazon's CFO Brian Olsavky revealed the ambitious project during Amazon's first-quarter earnings call. To achieve this, the tech giant says it plan's to invest $800 million in the second quarter of 2019 and continue its expansion of their fulfillment and logistics network.

Amazon currently offers free 2-day shipping for all Prime members and offers free one-day and same-day delivery on certain items in eligible zip codes. Amazon's future plans include increasing the locations and available items so free one-day delivery replaces the standard two-day Prime delivery window.

Prime Day pro tip: One-day delivery won't officially be rolled out in time for Prime Day everywhere in the US, there will be more items available for one-day and same-day delivery in eligible zip codes for the big shopping day.

How much did Amazon Prime Day make?

Amazon was predicted to gross $3.4 billion on Prime Day last year, although we don’t know if that prediction is accurate as Amazon doesn’t release such information. 

However, it did announce that third party sellers shifted a billion dollars of product in just one day. As for its own sales, Amazon was content to say that “sales this Prime Day surpassed Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the previous Prime Day, when comparing 36-hour periods, making this once again the biggest shopping event in Amazon history.” 

That’s a little sneaky, mind you: as the 2017 sale only ran for 24 hours, not 36.

Prime Day pro tip: Millions of people are expected to descend on the Amazon Prime deals bonanza this year, more so than ever before - so if you know what you're looking for, get in there quickly.

Amazon Prime Day Alexa-only deals

What better way to convince you that you need an Alexa than by offering Alexa-only deals? That's what Amazon has been doing during major holiday shopping events, making things a little different when it comes to ordering things.

However, while voice search on speakers is set to become a big thing in the future, it will likely be for more multimedia things, like grabbing films or other quick content, rather than big expensive purchases.

Prime Day pro tip: There may be Alexa-only deals during Amazon Prime Day 2019, but you're in the dark as to how good the deals are compared to other prices on the internet. For us? Well, we like our curated Prime Day deals list above. Can you blame us? 

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This is the clearest Samsung Galaxy Note 10 leak yet

Posted: 12 Jul 2019 03:29 PM PDT

A new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus photo has leaked out, this one giving us a look at the top of the phone ahead of its official launch on August 7 - as well as a look at the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

This early look comes courtesy of notable leaker Evan Blass, and the phone it depicts matches the Note 10 rumors we’ve heard before - especially the renders that came out a couple days ago that gave us a first look at the larger Galaxy Note 10 Plus. 

This image gives us an overhead look from the top of the Note 10 Plus, which shows the long-rumored central front-facing selfie camera and insight into the phone’s design. The MicroSD/SIM slot is still there in the same spot as in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, though the microphone hole seems more centered.

Much more interesting is the flat top, unlike the rounded corners of the Note 9. The new phone is a much flatter pancake-esque handset, but that should stretch the screen to its maximum dimensions. 

Note 10 Plus...and the Samsung Watch Active 2?

Blass followed up the Note 10 Plus look with another leak - this one for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. 

This look follows hot on the heels of another official-looking render that came out mere hours ago; that one featured a leather-looking band, while Blass’s features the more familiar rubberized wristband from the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Active - but both have the same circular watch body with two buttons on the right.

Image credit: Evan Blass

In the case of both of Blass’s leaks today, we’re more confident of their authenticity given his reputation as a dependable source of official content.

  •  Check out our list of the best smartphones to image how the Note 10 Plus will stack up 

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