Apple : The best Ultrabooks 2019: top thin and light laptops reviewed |
- The best Ultrabooks 2019: top thin and light laptops reviewed
- Best mesh Wi-Fi routers 2019: the best wireless mesh routers for large homes
- Best over-ear headphones 2019: the best-sounding, most comfortable cans
- Mac Pro 2019 first look: release date, price and specs
- Apple to make its own 5G iPhone modem after $1 billion Intel deal
- macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features
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- Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro to end the era of Butterfly keyboards
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| The best Ultrabooks 2019: top thin and light laptops reviewed Posted: 25 Jul 2019 02:56 PM PDT The best Ultrabooks aren’t just for productivity’s sake; they’re also kind of a status symbol. Think about it: you’re sitting at a coffee shop surrounded with people stuck with a Chromebook or still using some big and bulky laptop relic. And here you are, whipping out the best Ultrabooks on this list. Its thinner, lighter and more attractive – not to mention, faster and more powerful since its packing the best processors and SSDs on the market. Make no mistake. These svelte stunners are as much about sheer horsepower as they are about portability and appeal. The best Ultrabooks won’t freeze up on you when you’re trying to get an important project done, or run out of battery on a short flight. Better yet, you can easily toss it in your backpack and carry it around with you without effort. We took the time to find the best Ultrabooks on the market for you, testing and reviewing each model so you can enjoy the best of both worlds and get your money’s worth. From household names like Dell and HP, to brands you might have only heard of like Huawei, these light and compact laptops will get you through a very productive work day in style. For a few years now, Huawei has been sitting in the shadows, biding its time to take on the best Ultrabooks. But now, that time in the spotlight is here. Like the Huawei MateBook X Pro before it, the Huawei Matebook 13 packs in a ton of powerful hardware into an attractive shell, all while keeping the price low enough for anyone to afford. Those discrete graphics are also worth a mention – the Huawei Matebook 13 may be one of the smallest laptops out there to pack an MX150 GPU. It’s not hard to see why the Huawei Matebook 13 is the best Ultrabook right now. Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13 The Dell XPS 13 has been king of Ultrabooks for years, and while it’s been dethroned by the Huawei MateBook 13, it’s still one of the Ultrabooks to beat in 2019. This time around, Dell has moved the webcam from the bottom of the display to the top, fixing one of the biggest flaws that plagued the XPS 13 for years. Add the updated internals to the mix, and the Dell XPS 13 is still makes the best Ultrabooks list – even in the face of tough competition. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 Sometimes an Ultrabook comes along that completely changes the game. When the 2018 model of the Huawei MateBook X Pro hit the streets, it did exactly that. This beautiful Ultrabook brings high-end components into an elegantly designed package that puts even the MacBook Pro to shame. It truly is one of the best Ultrabooks on the market, despite its 2019 successor’s attempts to best it with an Intel Whiskey Lake processor. It’s still the 2018 model that’s captured our computing cores. Read the full review: Huawei MateBook X Pro If a stunning Ultrabook fitted with 2-in-1 functionality and plenty of power is what you’re looking for, it’s hard to find a better laptop than the HP Spectre x360. This thin and light Ultrabook isn’t just packing the latest Intel Whiskey Lake processors and plenty of RAM. It also may just be the most beautiful laptop you can buy today. The HP Spectre x360 won’t just see you through your workload, but will also make you smart and stylish while doing so – leaving no doubt that it’s well-deserving of its lofty spot on our best ultrabooks 2019 list. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 The original Surface Laptop hit the streets nearly two years ago, and while it was a fantastic Ultrabook, it was held back by relatively weak hardware and Windows 10 S. Thankfully, Microsoft rolled out the Surface Laptop 2 in late 2018, bringing quad-core processors and the full-fat version of Windows 10. Its through these core improvements that the Surface Laptop 2 is able to bring the purest Windows 10 experience on a laptop – not to mention, join the ranks of the best ultrabooks on the market – at a price that won’t make you flee in the opposite direction. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2 The Lenovo Yoga C930 has many of the makings of the best ultrabook – from a whopping 14.5 hours of battery life and dual Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C ports to internal components that will breeze through those daily productivity tasks. That’s without even mentioning a 2-in-1 that offers form versatility so you can squeeze in some light gaming and movie-watching post-productivity. It has a few cherries on top as well, namely the integrated self-charging stylus and the fab speaker system. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C930 Razer has made a name for itself in the gaming world. Yet, with the Razer Blade Stealth, the green-themed manufacturer wants people to know that they’re more than just a company “for gamers, by gamers.” This Ultrabook will indeed change your mind by turning into a 13.3-inch, QHD+ beauty. You can no longer upgrade to 4K, but the performance this Ultrabook offers is more than worth that compromise – especially given how beautiful the chassis is. Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth Durability meets portability and performance in this svelte laptop with an affordable price tag. The Lenovo Yoga 730 isn’t the close-to-perfect machine many premium buyers might be looking for, with a few unfavorable flaws like heavier weight, average battery life and weak speakers. However, this laptop will take you through your weekly workload without whining. Lenovo then rounds out that performance off with a reliable keyboard and trackpad, sturdy hinges to switch between tablet and laptop mode, and a display with thin bezels. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 730 Anyone familiar with Apple’s thinnest and lightest laptop cannot help but draw comparisons between the Asus ZenBook 3 and the 12-inch MacBook. The similarities are startling, but one look at the specs and their differences stand out as well. Fitted with the choice of a U-series Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, the ZenBook 3 is puts-many-to-shame powerful. That’s considering that it’s less than half an inch thick and weighs only two pounds. The port selection is sparse, but ultimately it’s well worth the sacrifice, and definitely among the best Asus laptops around. Read the full review: Asus ZenBook 3
In many cases, a Windows Ultrabook can be just as good as a MacBook Air. Take the Asus ZenBook UX310UA, for instance. With decent 7th-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors, an awesome 178-degree viewing-angle QHD+ display, a USB-C port and an aluminum build, it’s still one of the best Ultrabooks out there, even after all that time. Read the full review: Asus ZenBook UX310 Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article Image credit: TechRadar
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| Best mesh Wi-Fi routers 2019: the best wireless mesh routers for large homes Posted: 25 Jul 2019 02:20 PM PDT Welcome to our picks for the best mesh Wi-Fi routers of 2019. Unlike traditional wireless routers, which are typically single receivers that reside in one room and broadcast Wi-Fi throughout the rest of your home, the best mesh Wi-Fi routers comprise a number of units that you can strategically place around your home or office, ensuring that there's uniformly strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your space. Using the best mesh Wi-Fi routers and placing several nodes in key areas of your home, you’ll get a solid, unified Wi-Fi network no matter where you are. This is different from how Wi-Fi extenders work, which only take the Wi-Fi signal from the best wireless routers and repeat it, just extending the range of the original router. The problem with this approach however is that it requires a separate SSID for the extender, as you’re just creating a second network. This can be a pain, as your device won't automatically switch to the different network. Also, filling your home up with multiple Wi-Fi networks can negatively impact network performance. The best mesh Wi-Fi routers can be easy to set up. Simply connect the main unit to your internet connection. Then with a few button presses, pair up the other units, resulting in one large – not to mention, fast – Wi-Fi network. Bear in mind that the best mesh Wi-Fi routers can be on the pricey side, and can require some technical skill in order to figure out what’s the best option for your home. Lucky for you though, we have you covered. We went ahead and picked out the best mesh Wi-Fi routers that we’ve been fortunate enough to test and review. We’re not exaggerating when we say the Google Wifi isn’t just one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers we’ve ever used. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that it might be the best wireless router, hands down. Not only does it have the power to push fast Wi-Fi throughout your home – an even more impressive feat considering how tiny it is – but it’s also not that expensive and easy to set up at the same time. Seriously, all you have to do to set up Google Wifi is download an app to your smartphone, scan some QR codes and just place the nodes where around your house. It couldn’t be easier – Google has mastered the router game… It’s almost unfair. Read the full review: Google Wifi If you can drop the cash for it, then the Netgear Orbi might be one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers you can buy in 2019. Instead of something like the Google Wifi, which uses three identical nodes to create your network, you’ll receive one main router, plus a collection of satellite nodes to plug into power outlets around your home. Additionally, because of the sheer number of Ethernet ports found on the Orbi, it’s a fantastic option for anyone who has a bunch of devices that need a hardwired connection – not to mention, it might be the best choice for anyone who uses their network primarily for gaming, especially across multiple devices. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi If you’re looking for a way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home, but want to save a few bucks in the process, you’ll want to take a closer look at the TP-Link Deco M5. It may not be as fast as some of the other best mesh Wi-Fi routers on this list, but if you’re not necessarily worried about getting the maximum theoretical throughput – which you likely wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of anyway – it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Setup, much like the other devices here, is a breeze, even if you’re not tech-savvy. The TP-Link Deco M5 might be one of the best wireless mesh routers for anyone who doesn’t want to get too technical. Read the full review: TP-Link Deco M5 If you’re the kind of person who loves Apple’s design philosophy and likes having chic gadgets set up around your home, without paying much attention to the price – the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD is the perfect gadget for you. You’ll find a lot to like here, especially if you live in a large home and can take advantage of the full power that this mesh Wi-Fi setup offers, as it’s capable of a very large amount of throughput. You might find that the value diminishes quite a bit when you live in a smaller space however, since there are more cost-effective methods available for small to medium homes. And, the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD may be expensive. Still, you’re paying for a piece of tech that has both style and substance – and that is more than enough, making this a great addition to the best wireless mesh routers list. Read the full review: Ubiquiti Amplifi HD Though it’s expensive and not quite as powerful as the rest of the Wi-Fi mesh routers, there’s something to be said about the simplicity that the Linksys Velop offers. It may come with a heftier price than the competition, but the Velop will appeal to people who need to set up a Wi-Fi network but want to avoid, well, setting it up. More tech-savvy users will probably look elsewhere – why spend the money when you can do the work yourself for free? For most people, though, the Linksys Velop is among the best mesh Wi-Fi routers. It’s also fully modular, so you only need to pick up as many nodes as you actually need – one node will cover up to 2,000 square feet. Read the full review: Linksys Velop This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best over-ear headphones 2019: the best-sounding, most comfortable cans Posted: 25 Jul 2019 02:00 PM PDT The Best Over-Ear Headphones Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best Hi-Fi over-ear headphones that you can buy in 2019. If you're looking for good quality sound and best-in-class performance, nothing beats the full immersion you'll get from a pair of solid over-ear headphones. In terms of soundstage, sound quality and comfort during extended listening sessions, no other form factor can compete with them. Plus, if keeping your ears healthy long into your twilight years is just as important to you, they also tend to be better for your ear health because you don't need to amp up the volume to get a good level of audio performance and noise-cancellation. The pair you go for will be down to personal preference, but before you invest in a pair of the best over-ear headphones, you'll need to consider what your priorities are. Do you want wireless headphones or do you want noise-cancelling headphones? Do you want something expensive and mainstream like Beats headphones, or you do you want something that's a bit more generic but overall sounds better like these Sony headphones? There are tons of options out there, so writing out a list of must-have features or brands can be a good starting point. To make things easier for audiophiles this guide will focus on sound quality above all else. There are a few wireless and noise-cancelling equipped choices in our list, but that's only because they sound great in addition to packing these new features. That said, you can expect this guide to be as up-to-date as we can get it on any given day, ensuring that you're getting out top picks all year round. Without further ado, here's our guide to getting the most for your money, whatever your budget. What are the best over-ear headphones?Image Credit: Beyerdynamic While Beyerdynamic may not be as well known as its German brother, Sennheiser, the audio company has a history of creating some of the best sounding audio gear on the market – the company’s DT770, DT880 and DT990 were renown for their excellent build and sound quality. Above them all, however, stands the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, an open-back version of the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro, a headphone which won our Editor’s Choice for its imaging, design and value for the money. Both headphones are priced the same ($599, £589, AU$1,159), so you won’t find a deal picking up one over the other. The difference here comes down to sound. As they’re open-back, the DT 1990 Pro are meant to be used at home or in the studio for serious analytical listening. Sound is able to get in and out but the good news is that the open-back design gives you the DT 1990 Pro a great sense of space. Soundstage is quite wide, too, allowing even the most lackadaisical listener to pinpoint the exact location of where each instrument is playing. If you've been searching for a pair of Hi-Fi headphones that are used by some of the world's leading audio engineers, these are them. Read the full review: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro Image Credit: Philips The Philips Fidelio X2's are a superb pair of headphones offering premium comfort and build quality with a sound that rivals even the most vaunted audiophile cans. Perhaps on sheer sound quality they're a notch off the likes of the top Oppo or Sennheiser offerings – but the fact that you'd be saving vast amounts of cash by opting for the Philips is just a no brainer. Read the full review: Philips Fidelio X2 Image Credit: Beyerdynamic The Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pros are a stunning pair of headphones. Are they expensive? To some no, to most yes; but for the sheer listening experience they deliver you'd be hard pressed to take them off after putting them on, even using them with portable HRA players and mobile phones. That said, they really do push the boundaries of what you can do with a dynamic driver. All praise to Beyerdynamic for putting together such a wonderful product. Read the full review: Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro Image Credit: Sennheiser The fourth entry on our list easily could've been the first if it didn't cost well over $1,000/£1,000. The Sennheiser HD 800 are, hands down, one of the best-sounding pairs of over-ear headphones on the planet, affectionately praised by inner circles of audiophiles the world over. When paired with the proper hardware, they sound absolutely excellent – balanced in every way. Unfortunately, they're supremely expensive and require more audio equipment than the average consumer is ready to buy. Should you find yourself in need – or, let's be honest, in want – of amazing over-ear headphones, these are them. Read the full review: Sennheiser HD 800 Image Credit: 1MORE If you’re looking for a pair of audiophile headphones that won’t break the bank, the 1MORE Triple Driver over-ear is a great place to start. Its build quality and detailed sound really impress and we think bass-lovers will like the slight mid-bass emphasis and control in the lower registers while not sacrificing the mids or highs. The headphone reveals a good level of detail throughout the frequency range and never get harsh in the upper registers. To that end, it’s hard to fault the $250 (about £190, AU$338) 1MORE Triple Driver Over-Ear, making them an easy recommendation for the price. Read the full review: 1MORE Triple Driver Over-Ear Image Credit: Bowers & Wilkins The B&W P9 Signatures are simply some of the best-sounding headphones we’ve ever used. They have a tight, refined sound that offers an almost unmatched level of detail. That said, the fact remains that they’re a comparatively feature-light pair of cans. If you want to spend less then you can get a much more portable pair that’ll be better suited to the morning commute or a plane ride thanks to additional features like noise-cancellation and Bluetooth connectivity. But, if you’re looking to invest in a seriously high-quality pair of headphones to listen to a high-quality music collection, then there are few that can match the P9s at this price point. Read the full review: B&W P9 Signature Image Credit: Sony It's almost unfair to stick them in the same category as the more critical listening-focused over-ear headphones, but the Sony WH-1000XM3 are one of the best all-around headphones we heard last year. Not only do they sound great and pack excellent noise-cancellation, but they manage to do this all wirelessly. Other headphones on our list offer superior sound quality, sure, but the WH-1000XM3 manage to offer the best balance of features and performance. And while it's the noise-cancellation that really sell these headphones, they've also got a couple of interesting tricks up their sleeves like built-in Google Assistant and Alexa, plus support for NFC and aptX HD with some Android devices. Offering all of this without a serious price-premium over the competition means the Sony WH-1000XM3 are a great all-around choice for on-the-go music listeners. Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM3 Image Credit: Audio-Technica Audiophiles typically shun wireless headphones because of poor sound quality. However, Bluetooth audio has improved tremendously over the years. There are now plenty of wireless headphones that can please the music enthusiast, with Hi-Res Audio support being more and more prevalent. That said, the Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT feature some of the best wired and wireless sound quality for a headphone under $200 (£150). They play well with all music genres and offer a near-flat response curve. They're extremely comfortable for long listening sessions and are well built. Battery life is equally impressive with nearly 40 hours of playback from a charge. And while they lack some features of more expensive wireless headphones like active noise cancelling and multi-device pairing, these are tradeoffs worth making for phenomenal sound. Read the full review: Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Image Credit: Beyerdynamic The Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless are the best-sounding wireless headphones you can buy, period. Sound is spacious, detailed, and makes you want to rediscover your music library. Their bulky design and average noise isolation make them terrible for travel but if you’re looking for the best sound from a wireless headphone, this is it. Read the full review: Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Image Credit: Bose After cutting the wires off its flagship cans with the Bose QC35 headphones, Bose's QC35 II are a slightly more minor upgrade. This time the big addition is Google Assistant, which can be summoned with the press of a button. Otherwise these are more or less the same headphones that we enjoyed the first time around. The QC35s aren't the best sounding out there, but their noise-cancellation is class-leading and if that's your priority then they're a great choice. Read the full review: Bose QC35 II Image Credit: TechRadar For the money, the JBL Live 650BTNC punch above its weight in terms of sound quality, build, and features. The cons we have listed above – like mapping the assistant to the touchpad and its use of microUSB – are simply nitpicks with none of them being outright deal-breakers. That said, we came away very impressed at the well-rounded package JBL created for the market and would certainly recommend them to anyone in the market for a cheap pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Read the full review: JBL Live 650BTNC review Image Credit: TechRadar The SXFI Air headphones are something of a mixed bag when used in Bluetooth mode, and if you’re mainly planning to use them indoors then it’s tempting to opt for the less expensive wired version instead. However, the wired mode really shows off the SXFI holographic audio to best effect, adding a dramatic sense of space to music, games and video alike. There’s still some room for improvement when listening to music – but for gaming and video the SXFI Air is about as good as you’ll get for just over $150. Read the full review: Creative SXFI Air headphones review Image Credit: Microsoft Overall, Microsoft’s Surface headphones are surprisingly good, with a stunningly warm sound, and generous bass frequencies, which means your music will sound great whether you’re listening to subby hip-hop or acoustic singer-songwriters. One criticism of this warm sound is that it can take some of the attack away from lower-mid frequencies, which some users may find a bit underwhelming. However, if sharp trebles and mids tend to give you listening fatigue, these could be the perfect headphones for you. The calling card of these headphones is the active noise cancellation, which we felt worked really well, and we loved how easy it was to control this using the inbuilt dials on each housing. Although we were initially unconvinced by the high price (particularly when you can buy quality cans from heritage audio brands for less), the features work so seamlessly that it feels justified. Image credit: TechRadar The Focal Stellias sound absolutely fantastic. Their wide-open soundstage and detailed, accurate sound treatment means they make any genre of music sound brilliant. If you listen to songs you think you know inside out, the Stellias' precise separation of the frequencies means that you will probably hear details you’ve never noticed before. So why didn't they make the list? Well, we included them as a bonus option because they're incredible. But they're very, very expensive. They're $3,000. And as good as they are, therein lies the problem: the Focal Stellias are prohibitively expensive for most people, at 10 times the price of our current favorite headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM3s. Read the full review: Focal Stellia review
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| Mac Pro 2019 first look: release date, price and specs Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:58 PM PDT Finally, Apple revealed the new Mac Pro 2019 at WWDC 2019, complete with the modern high-end hardware that creatives and professionals have been demanding from Apple’s most powerful computer for years. The new Mac Pro 2019 has up to a 28-core Intel Xeon processor, on top of 1.5TB of 6-channel ECC system memory, which means that you’ll be hard pressed to run into any task that's too intense for the new Mac Pro. We got a first glimpse at the new Mac desktop replacement for the Mac Pro 2013, and this revision allows for modular upgrades, just in case having up to a 28-core Xeon processor isn’t enough for you down the line. The Mac Pro 2019 is, without a doubt, built with an eye for the future – and looks like it came from the future as well. The new Mac Pro features a stainless-steel frame that ditches the cylindrical 'bin' look of the 2013 model in favor of a more traditional tower chassis that hearkens back to older Mac Pro models. Visually, the front and back are filled with uniquely designed vent holes, setting it apart from the more traditional look. The power and design come together when you pop open the computer from the top. You can lift off the aluminum housing for 360-degree access to just about every component.
Alongside the Mac Pro 2019, Apple is also rolling out a new professional display – the Pro Display XDR – which comes with a matching design that compliments the Mac Pro 2019’s new look. This monitor boasts a 32-inch Retina 6K display (the world's first), and the next level in high-dynamic range (HDR) or what Apple calls Extreme Dynamic Range (or XDR). This 32-inch 6K display features a Nano-Texture surface meant to minimize reflections without affecting the image quality. Additionally, because every single LED is calibrated at the factory level for HDR, Apple is able to deliver high-dynamic range like never seen before. Apple does this by using a unique lattice cooling pattern on the back of the display in order to maintain 1,000 nits of brightness at all times – with 1,600 nits of peak brightness. This display is able to produce stunning images, as well, thanks to its 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. All of these specs combine to deliver a new technology Apple is calling Extreme Dynamic Range or XDR, the next generation of HDR. Unsurprisingly, this display will cost you $4,999 (about £3,950, AU$7,270) for the standard version, and $5,999 (about £4,730, AU$8.720) for the Nano-texture equipped version. The Pro Display XDR looks stunning. Naturally, the new Mac Pro 2019's companion screen comes separately, as do the color-tweaked keyboard, mouse and trackpad. That's always been the case with Mac Pro configurations – it's going to be an investment for everything, which means it’s not for everyone. In fact, Apple is targeting the new Mac Pro 2019 for production crews and serious creators. This isn't a computer that's really made for the average consumer, as you'll find the spec and price to be far in excess of what you need – and what you can afford. Cut to the chase
Mac Pro 2019 release date and priceWhat's waiting a few more months for the new Mac Pro 2019 when we've been holding our breath for several years to get our hands on this desktop computer? Apple announced the Mac Pro 2019 release date for "fall 2019," meaning that it will most likely be here between September and November. Apple has favored October for a lot of previous computer launches, and that falls into this release window. The Mac Pro 2019 price starts at $5,999 (about £4,730, AU$8.720). That’s for the base model with an 8-core Intel Xeon processor (CPU), Radeon 580X graphics processor (GPU) and 32GB of ECC memory (RAM). But remember, the Pro Display XDR – for $4,999 (about £4,000, AU$7,150) – is a separate purchase, as is the Pro Stand for $999 (about £800, AU$1,400) and VESA Mount Adapter for $199 (about £160, AU$285). We only know the price for the base model so far, but a recent estimate suggests it could cost as high as $45,000 (around £35,000, AU$65,000). A new designFor those that were unmoved with the previous Mac Pro's design, the Mac Pro 2019’s design is far more industrial and modular. The Mac Pro's leanings are more traditional with the combination of brushed aluminum and heat sink holes festooning the outer shell, which unfortunately makes it resemble an industrial cheese grater. It's brutal and says 'this is for working on, not for looking good.’ However, it’s rack-mountable, and you can screw wheels on the bottom to move it around an office or studio. We'll get to the performance of the new Mac Pro in just a moment, but one thing that's worth mentioning about the new model is how much innards you can cram inside such a small space. In fact, one music producer told us that previously one would need to use multiple machines to mix a score, whereas those three or four could now be squished into the body of Apple's Mac Pro 2019. Apple has also furnished the Mac Pro 2019 with a unique cooling system, which maximizes airflow while keeping the noise down. Even with the massive fans, this powerhouse will not distract you from your work. There's also the advantage of the multiple Thunderbolt ports on top of the machine, allowing for easier access inside. Mac Pro 2019 specs and performanceWhen it comes to specifications, Apple is taking a no-holds barred approach, cramming some seriously formidable hardware into the body of the new Mac Pro 2019. The rear view of both the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR. The base model comes with a new 8-core Intel Xeon processor, which should give plenty of horsepower for multitasking. The Xeon line of CPUs are designed for professional workstations – and, this can be configured up to a Xeon processor with an astonishing 28 cores. The more cores, the better it can handle multiple tasks at once – so the processor powering the new Mac Pro will undoubtedly tackle even the most strenuous creative tasks without so much as breaking a sweat. As with Apple’s other prosumer computer, the iMac Pro, the Mac Pro 2019 boasts an AMD graphics card, starting with the Radeon Pro 580X and up to the Radeon Pro Vega II, which features 32GB of high-bandwidth memory – 1TB/s to be precise. That makes it the highest memory bandwidth of any GPU. If that’s not enough, you can also deck it out with the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo, which features two Vega II GPUs for a total of 64GB of memory – making it the world’s most powerful graphics card. The removable lid and shell via the semi-circle handle. These GPUs are fitted into the Apple MPX Module, which easily slot into the Mac Pro, offering quiet operation while being kept cool by the Mac Pro’s own cooling system. Impressively, the Mac Pro 2019 can have two MPX Modules installed at once. That means that if you have the need – and the budget – you can install two Vega II Duos for an insane 128GB of video memory and 56 teraflops of graphics performance. All this output requires a lot of power, which is why there's a 1.4kW power supply powering the machine. However, the sound is pretty cool despite the fans inside, and when seeing it running at full power, we didn't feel a huge amount of heat emanating from the rear, nor heard anything like a light aircraft trying to take off. This kind of graphical grunt will destroy most video encoding and rendering tasks – even at resolutions of 8K and above. While we’d love to imagine what the gaming capability of this level of firepower is like, this machine is going to be purely of interest to video professionals that need to render ultra-high resolution footage quickly. Seeing it in real time, you could see and feel the raw power of the rendering capabilities of the Mac Pro 2019. 3D imagery could be manipulated in real time with multiple shading and lighting changes, meaning the need to ship projects off to a rendering farm won't be necessary for many tasks in the future. One creative artist estimated the raw power of the extra cores gave him around four times the performance previously available, meaning he had far more time to allot to his artwork and creative process rather than standing around to see if the images and videos had shown as intended. Being able to manipulate 8K streams so flawlessly was impressive - an engineer we spoke to claimed that using the Mac Pro 2019 was akin to when '1080p was finally able to be used properly,’ meaning that the speed of manipulation was finally able to be used properly. Not a bad look for Apple's newest professional gear. Memory-wise, the Mac Pro 2019 supports six-channel memory and comes with 12 slots, which allows you to install up to 1.5TB of RAM. In a demonstration, this allowed a full orchestra-worth of instruments to be rendered within that RAM space, meaning that a rack of PCs can now be replaced by a single Mac Pro unit, with the output slickly creating right in front of our eyes. Again, this makes the Mac Pro 2019 a workstation that’s designed to breeze through multitasking. PCI Express slots also make a comeback, with eight in total, to offer plenty of options to expand the Mac Pro’s capabilities in the future. Even at the entry level with a 8-core Intel Xeon processor with a max turbo boost of 4.0GHz and 32GB of ECC RAM, you should be able to handle most situations. The Mac Pro 2019 is definitely not meant for everyday computing, not that most users would feel comfortable paying such a high price. The entry model Mac Pro comes with a 256GB SSD, which is the only part of the specifications that seems a bit constrained since that doesn't offer much storage space these days. However, you'll be able to upgrade it with up to a 4TB drive. That's a gigantic SSD and will be a major bonus to any video editors considering this machine. Unfortunately, you will be expected to pay at least $2,000 (about £1,580, AU$2,900) more to upgrade to such an enormous drive. The good news is, most creative professionals have their own, more powerful external SSD drives anyway, so having a smaller storage space isn’t as much of a dealbreaker. The fact that the new Mac Pro 2019 offers such high expansion possibilities is note-worthy, however. This desktop system features eight PCIe expansion slots, so you can keep the Mac Pro current with the latest hardware for the foreseeable future. This is backed up by the new Apple Afterburner accelerator card, which allows users to play back multiple 8K RAW video streams. This should be especially useful for video editors that shoot in very high resolutions. You'll be able to upgrade the RAM too. Even if you just pick up the 32GB model (which is expensive enough already), the new Mac Pro features 12 physical DIMM slots, so you can upgrade your system memory as your needs change. Apple will facilitate new graphics cards with its new MPX module, a PCIe expansion card that not only allows you to slot in more powerful graphics cards, but will also feature native Thunderbolt integration and 500W of power. You can have two of these cards in the Mac Pro, allowing you to use two Radeon Pro Vega II GPUs at once. The best part? Getting access to the innards of the new Mac Pro 2019 should be remarkably easy, thanks to the chassis design. The outer aluminum housing is also designed for easy expansion, as it lifts off in one motion, granting easy access to the entire system. These specs certainly sound impressive on paper (if, perhaps, a little overkill for most people), and we look forward to seeing how the Mac Pro 2019 really performs in a full review.
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| Apple to make its own 5G iPhone modem after $1 billion Intel deal Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:54 PM PDT Apple is on its way to making a 5G iPhone with its own modem thanks to today's $1 billion acquisition of the Intel's smartphone modem business. The Apple-Intel deal will see approximately 2,200 Intel employees join Apple, along with all-important intellectual property, equipment and leases, according to a newly released official announcement. In the end, Apple will hold a combined 17,000 wireless technology patents. “This agreement enables us to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology that our team has created,” said Intel CEO Bob Swan in a statement. When will Apple launch an iPhone 5G?With today's news, Apple will be able to wean itself off of the Qualcomm modem that is in many previous-generation iPhones and expedite the development of its own 5G smartphone modem, which is something Intel had struggled to do on its own. Currently, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR all have 4G LTE with Intel modems and that's not expected to change with the forthcoming iPhone 11 series. Some iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models have Qualcomm modem chips. Apple and Qualcomm agreed to stop suing each other back in April (and Apple had to pay Qualcomm a hefty multi-million-dollar fine in the end). On top of this, Apple has had a habit of bringing tech in-house when it can – we expect Apple-designed ARM-based MacBook chips in 2021, too. A series of 5G iPhone rumors point to the first iteration launching in 2020. But this Apple-Intel deal isn't expected to close until the fourth quarter of 2019, leaving the company less than a year to turnaround a 5G iPhone modem. It doesn't give Apple very much time to develop its own modem, never mind a 5G version that competes with the Qualcomm modem chip already inside the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. So it may still have to license modems from Qualcomm. We've reached out to both Apple and Qualcomm for comment on the situation. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:43 PM PDT Now that macOS Mojave has been on our Macs, bringing key iOS apps like News and Stocks to the fold, Apple’s OS is better than ever before. But, that’s not all: Mojave is also stocked with fantastic new and improved features, like the system-wide Dark Mode and increased productivity through Finder. In the coming years, more iOS apps should be coming to the best Macs. Apple confirmed this at WWDC 2019 with Project Catalyst, which makes it easier and more seamless for developers to bring their iPhone and iPad apps to mac. Moreover, Project Catalyst has been available to developers as of June 3 with the beta version of macOS Catalina, so we can expect app developers to be releasing more macOS versions of iOS apps soon. Yet even now, there’s already a lot to love in macOS 10.14. And, despite macOS Mojave having its own fair share of security issues, most notably KeySteal, the operating system is on the whole safe and secure. Apple’s macOS Mojave has been on our Macs for more than eight months at this point and most, if not all, of the problems have been addressed. Plus, any problems that do remain are dwarfed by the benefits this new OS brings to the table. Let’s dive into all of its benefits, alongside any new features that have been added, so you can decide for yourself whether or not the upgrade is for you.
Cut to the chase
macOS 10.14 Mojave release dateApple unveiled macOS Mojave back in June 2018 at WWDC 2018, where most of its features were highlighted. This was followed by a public beta launch back in July, and finally a full launch on September 24, 2018. Apple has been keeping macOS Mojave updated with all the latest features. The latest of these updates, macOS 10.14.4, brings Dark Mode to Safari, alongside the new Apple News+ service. Past updates included a fix for the FaceTime Bug, which allowed other people to access your camera without you answering their call, and a supplemental update to boost reliability for the 2018 MacBook Air. Apple has also released macOS 10.14.5, which will likely be one of the last major updates to the operating system before macOS 10.15 is unveiled. This update focuses on stability, and is still very much worth downloading despite its more nuanced refinements. Stay tuned here as well, as we will keep this section updated with all the newest updates as they’re made available. macOS 10.14 Mojave featuresNow that macOS Mojave has been out for some time, there are a lot of new features to look forward to, if you haven’t yet upgraded. We’re going to dive into a detailed run-through of everything your Mac can do. From Finder improvements to more rigid security, the best Macs are about to become a lot better. Read on to uncover all the new features macOS Mojave brings to the table, whether or not you’ve updated your computer yet, so you can take full advantage. Dark ModeFirst and foremost, Apple’s macOS Mojave brings in an extremely exciting feature in a system-wide dark mode, which extends to every first-party program on your Mac. Even Xcode gets a full makeover, completely in black, making those extended programming sessions easier on your eyes. Third party programs are also adopting this new theme, with changes happening automatically for any app that uses standard colors through AppKit. Even developers that don’t use AppKit are working on implementing Dark Mode on their applications. For example, in a recent bug report, Google Chrome developers confirmed they’re working on a way to bring Dark Mode into the massively used web browser – just as soon as they iron out some issues first. Group FaceTimeOne of the features showcased as part of the initial release of MacOS Mojave, Group FaceTime was released as part of macOS 10.14.1. This feature allows you to have FaceTime conversations with up to 32 people across iOS and macOS devices. Group FaceTime has an incredibly intuitive implementation in macOS Mojave. You can start a group FaceTime chat from any group iMessage thread, and invites are sent via a ringless non-disruptive notification. Once you’re in a Group FaceTime Chat, it automatically detects the speaker, bringing them front and center so that everyone’s always looking at the person actively speaking. StacksThe days of cluttered desktops are now a thing of the past, thanks to macOS Mojave. Whenever your desktop starts looking like a virtual hurricane just blew through after a full day’s work – like ours does, simply use Stacks. With Stacks, macOS Mojave sorts like files together so that you have a more streamlined, less cluttered desktop, organizing photos with photos, pdfs with pdfs and so on. You’re even able to preview the thumbnails in a stack using a two-finger scroll, so that you can make sure the file you’re looking for is actually in that stack. Gallery ViewIn macOS 10.14 Mojave, Apple has provided a new Gallery View to Finder. This view lets you quickly browse through, annotate and edit files. No matter what kind of file you select, you are able to quickly and easily find exactly what you're searching for. This is made even better, thanks to the very detailed metadata display in the Preview pane. This feature makes it easier than ever before to take note of all the information of any file on your Mac. Finally, thanks to the inclusion of Quick Actions in the Preview pane, you won’t even need to leave Finder to work on files, whether you’re editing images or adding protection to files. You can even assign Automator tasks as Quick Actions to make browsing through files even more effortless. Continuity CameraIf you often find yourself needing to import a document or a photo on a project you’re working on, you’re in luck. With Continuity Camera, it’s easier than ever to do exactly that. Across a multitude of different apps - Numbers and Pages, for example – you’ll be able to simply Control + Click in the body of the document, and select “Take Photo” or “Scan Documents.” It’ll then open the camera on your iPhone or iPad so you can take a photo that instantly pops it right into whatever you’re working on. It’s easy to use, it’s convenient, and it’s going to be a boon for anyone that needs to save some time while doing schoolwork or that next big work project. Markup in Quick Look and ScreenshotsQuick Look is already a quick and easy way to look at files, but macOS Mojave takes that accessibility to the next level. With this update, you are also able to quickly and efficiently use Markup to edit files you open in Quick Look. Markup is also implemented into screenshots, which means that you can just bring up any screenshot and instantly edit any content within. Being able to swiftly crop screenshots in macOS Mojave without having to open any third-party photo-editing software is going to be a huge time-saver. When you capture a screen, you’ll see a preview image open up, just like in iOS 12, that you can click on to preview and edit your screenshot. That's not all. Screenshots are still a simple shortcut away, but with macOS Mojave, a new easy-to-use menu includes screen-recording tools that allow you to capture animated content. Perhaps most importantly, you can choose to save the screenshot to your clipboard, saving time – not to mention space – if you just need to send someone a quick screenshot, but don’t want that screenshot filling up your storage. AppsApple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home are all brought over from iOS to macOS Mojave, with special care given to optimize them to fit your computer. These apps leverage the power of the best Macs to deliver an awesome experience. Voice Memos, for instance, will automatically transfer any memos you take between your iOS and macOS devices – rewarding anyone who relies on the ‘Apple Ecosystem’ for a more streamlined workflow. This isn’t a full iOS app migration. In fact, since these apps are specifically redesigned for macOS, they feel like new Apps. Plus, the new Apple News+ service is available on Mac the same day as iOS. Apple did say that it’d be bringing more iOS apps to Macs this year, but we’ll have to wait until the later part of 2019. SecurityAs proof that Apple is just as concerned about your device security as you are, the macOS Mojave now asks for permission with more features, including the camera and microphone. Mojave’s security also gives more robust protection for your file system. That’s not all: Safari also has been upgraded with its own share of security enhancements. Those include shutting down cookies that track you across websites, and making sure that Safari asks permission before it allows cookies of any kind access to your browsing data. Among these are those annoying social buttons that mysteriously appear on every page – Facebook and Twitter can’t track your activity outside of their own websites unless you allow them to. New Mac App StoreAnd, finally, the App store, a crucial part of macOS for years now, is different. It has always felt a little out of place. That all changes with macOS Mojave. Apple has completely redesigned the Mac App Store, and it’s now made exclusively for the best Macs. Not only does it look great, but it also lets you browse through apps depending on what you’re trying to install. If you’re currently seeking an affordable alternative to Logic Pro X or Adobe Photoshop, for example, it’s organized so that you can easily find the best Mac apps to fit your needs. The new Mac App Store also adopts the iOS App Store’s approach to editorializing its content. It’ll now have a much more modern interface with featured apps getting tutorials, spotlights and other such content. It really does bring the Mac App Store into the modern age. What’s even more exciting is that a ton of third-party developers, like Adobe and Microsoft, are bringing their apps to the Mac App Store, so you won’t have to go through less-than-safe websites to get the apps you need. macOS 10.14 Mojave specificationsUnfortunately, with all these new features, some older Macs will have to go without access to macOS Mojave. This is a departure from macOS High Sierra, which basically had the same system requirements as macOS 10.12. macOS 10.14 requires at least 14.3GB of hard drive space for the installation, as that’s what was required last year. To be on the safe side, have at least 20GB of free space. However, macOS Mojave does have more powerful hardware requirements than High Sierra. macOS 10.13 required at least 2GB of RAM and OS X 10.8 or later – that’s not the case anymore. These are the Macs supported by macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Unfortunately, while the required models rarely change year after year, they have with macOS 10.14. If you have an older MacBook, you might need a newer device to enjoy this new version of the OS. Images Credit: Apple
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| Google Fuchsia release date, news and rumors Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:24 PM PDT We were expecting Google to announce Google Fuchsia, or Google Andromeda – a fusion of its Chrome and Android operating systems (OS) – back in October 2017. However, that announcement never came, and for the time being, we can only speculate. What will Google Fuchsia look like? Well, there are some Chromebooks, along with the Google Pixelbook, that can run both Android apps from the Google Play Store and an early build of Fuchsia itself – which is also rumored to run Android apps. We believe Google Fuchsia, if and when it finally comes to the light of day, will be the universal Google operating system stretching across all kinds of devices. Nobody knows what Google Fuchsia will look like once it’s released. There’s very little in the way of concrete information, and what is out there is pretty unclear. However, we do know that Google Fuchsia revolves around the idea of being able to do whatever you want from whatever device you have at the ready. We can even see hints of this approach in Google’s recent endeavors, like bringing Android Messages and a VR video editor to a wide range of hardware. In fact, the maligned Google Pixel Slate might actually offer a glimpse at what the future of Google Fuchsia will look like. Even if the tablet never runs the nascent OS, and doesn’t give us a clue about when Fuchsia actually comes out, it does provide some kind of union between Chrome OS and a mobile OS. Google changed the UI of Chrome OS to be more palatable on tablet – bringing it closer to a unified OS across different families of devices. Whether it relates to Fuchsia remains to be seen, but we see it as a step in the right direction. Regardless of what the final product is, or whether or not Google Fuchsia ever makes it to the devices, be sure to keep this page bookmarked, as we’ll update it with any new information we find. Cut to the chase
Image Credit: Ars Technica What is Google Fuchsia?Right now, there appears to be a divide within Google regarding what Fuchsia actually is. While the team working on it says they want Fuchsia to be the ultimate Google OS, running on all of its phones, tablets, laptops and smart home devices – Google’s leadership is still considering it an experiment. That basically means that we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, and what materializes out of all this testing. What we actually know is that Google Fuchsia is a hybrid OS that is still very much in its development stage. The entirety of Fuchsia OS is comprised of two distinct but connected user interface (UI): a phone-centric one codenamed ‘Armadillo’ and a traditional desktop UI known as ‘Capybara’ internally, according to 9to5Google. So far, we know more about the mobile version of Fuchsia than the laptop one, but ArsTechnica was recently able to get Fuchsia running on a Google Pixelbook in a very early state. And, it looks like both versions should be capable of running Android apps, much like many Chromebooks in 2019. So, backwards compatibility looks to be something that early Fuchsia adopters can look forward to.
Dividing the OS up into two separate UI based on the hardware it’s being used on is a classic Microsoft-inspired move. Windows 10 already scales depending on whether it’s being used with a desktop computer, phone, tablet or game console. In fact, Windows 10’s only unifier is its kernel, the root code that controls most of the OS. In the case of Fuchsia, that kernel is known as ‘Zircon,’ and it’s built to be consistently upgradeable – in addition to being safe from applications accessing it constantly, adding an extra layer of security and eliminating situations where apps are rendered incompatible with OS updates. Whether it’s in the mobile or desktop mode, Fuchsia is loaded with Google’s Material design found all through its Android and Chrome OS products. Shadows are a big part of the design aesthetic, using a new Vulkan-based graphics renderer known as ‘Escher’ to do the job. The result is an interface with more depth to its appearance than traditionally flat OS products. Image Credit: Google In addition, Fuchsia is heavily focused on a card-based interface, in which each app you open appears inside one of these cards – plus, you can place multiple apps into a single card. This orients the user around tasks at hand rather than apps. Those apps are expected to look the same regardless of the device because of a new cross-platform mobile app development framework, developed by Google, known as Flutter. Beyond that, Google Fuchsia revolves around Google Assistant more deeply accessing and working with your apps and information to provide even more actions and insights. Google has referred to these apps and pieces of information as ‘entities,’ according to a GitHub developer page, and they’re all accessible by Google Assistant on Fuchsia. We’ve even seen a recent demo that further demonstrates how deeply ingrained Google Assistant is in Fuchsia. It also looks like Google will be changing how it gathers analytic data within Fuchsia, according to a report from 9to5 Google. Fuchsia will see the implementation of a new analytic program called ‘Cobalt,’ which will collect information on how you use apps within the OS. Cobalt is supposedly a part of Google’s security-minded approach to the OS, but encryption hasn’t been worked in yet. Nevertheless, we’re sure Google will roll better security into Cobalt eventually. Google Chrome, or at least an early build of Chromium, is up and running on early builds of Google Fuchsia, according to a report from 9to5 Google. And, while it’s not ready for the limelight, this does mean that the fledgling OS is getting closer to being usable without days of preparation. Finally, Fuchsia strives to be the best cross-device OS to date. To achieve this, Fuchsia uses a new tool known as ‘Ledger’ by the GitHub community. Ledger, once you’re signed into a Google Account on a Fuchsia device, will automatically hold your place in all installed apps across all Fuchsia devices. All in all, Fuchsia is Google’s attempt to get the best of Chrome and Android into a single operating system that’s more efficient and seamless both while you’re using it and when you’re away – not to mention in between those states or between devices. Google Fuchsia release dateEver since August 2016, we’ve come across a ton of rumors about Google Fuchsia’s release date – and each turned out to be wrong. These rumors usually bubble up right before Google’s big Google IO developer event in California, or when we know a big hardware release is on the horizon. Back in February, it was revealed that Google’s former head of Android platform security, Nick Kralevich, had left the Android team to ‘define security’ over in the Fuchsia department. Describing it as a “new, experimental operating system,” Kralevich doesn’t hint at any specific launch window. However, it does prove where Google chooses to put its most important resources. Today, all the speculation points to Google Fuchsia running within the next three years just on smart home devices, with a full public release coming within the next five years. Still, that seems to be a rumor with little foundation – we’d be surprised if we saw it release before 2024 (or actual androids), if it ever actually comes out. Recent developer messages through the Android Open Source Project do suggest some movement. One of the commits mentions two repos, which the folks at 9to5Google take to be the “incorporation of the official Fuchsia SDK”. Another commit mentions the Huawei Honor Play smartphone, so we could see Fuchsia tested on actual devices soon. We’ve also seen evidence of other developers working on the platform. Yang Guo from the Node.js project at Google tweeted, looking for someone to help port Node over to Fuchsia, according to a report from Android Police. This suggests that Google is looking to implement full Javascript functionality to Fuchsia, and may point to some progress and maybe toward an eventual release date. What might help point to some progress for the Google Fuchsia release date, though, is a new hire from Apple. Bill Stevenson, a senior macOS engineer for Apple, announced on LinkedIn that he is joining Google to help bring Fuchsia to market. At any rate, keep it locked to this page as we draw closer to a possible release date, and therefore might have some new information for you. Image Credit: TechRadar What could Fuchsia mean for Android and Chrome – and Windows and macOS?Word on the street is that Google Fuchsia is Google’s answer to Microsoft and Apple’s united platforms. In turning Android into one of the two biggest smartphone platforms and later popularizing Chrome OS – not to mention G-Suite, Google’s web-based productivity programs – Google has already been developing into a major player on all platforms. From the sounds of it, Google is trying to accomplish much of what Microsoft and Apple already have in place with Windows 10, iOS and macOS High Sierra – continuity, respectively, but in a very Google way. It’s easy to expect access to Google’s unmatched search and data-tracking at your fingertips – Google Assistant and ‘entities’, anyone? – which it can boast as better than Microsoft and Apple’s, and an interface that evolves to meet the needs of the device from which it’s accessed. Will this eventually mean the end of Android and Chrome? In name, most likely, but their principles will almost certainly live on – there's too much solid foundation not to build on them. Just look at the Material design language found throughout these early builds of either version of Fuchsia. The end result – hopefully available in some kind of preview form later this year – will be just one platform for Google to worry about. With Fuchsia, Google will be able to push new updates and features to all versions at once, simplifying support as well as user understanding and experience. With that, Google will become that much more of a formidable foe to Microsoft and Apple, and that much more enticing an option to Android and Chromebook users all over. Who knows, perhaps it will be enough to make converts from the other side of Microsoft and Apple’s fences. Michelle Rae Uy and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this report
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| Silicon Lottery's binned Ryzen CPUs show nearly maxed potential Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:23 PM PDT AMD's latest Ryzen 3000-series CPUs may actually be sold at close to their maximum performance potential, as can be seen by the limited overclocking potential found by Silicon Lottery's binning process, Tom's Hardware reports. Normally, the binning process is an effective method of letting the best performing PC components show their potential - so not all silicon will perform equally. Through the process of manufacturing processors, there are just some that will perform better than others.
The hardware is tested, and if it has higher potential than another part, that will show. Hardware manufacturers already do their own binning, with many different of versions of certain components actually just being binned versions of the same hardware. What sets Silicon Lottery apart, however, is that it finds the best processors for you. Silicon Lottery is seeing with the Ryzen 3000 series is that AMD has effectively binned the new CPUs itself. This means if you buy a new CPU at the high end, it's very likely already offering close to its maximum performance potential. While there is still some overclocking headroom on some chips, even a bit of luck isn't likely to give you a huge leap from stock speeds. Silicon Lottery's overclockingSilicon Lottery did manage to overclock some chips. It managed to push some Ryzen 7 3700X models from their 3.6GHz base clock up to 4.15GHz. Ryzen 7 3800X models went as high as 4.3GHz from their normal 3.9GHz base clock. And, the company pushed the Ryzen 9 3900X as high as 4.2GHz from its 3.8GHz base clock. While there's clearly a little more power available from these CPUs, there's not a lot. And, not all of the CPUs that Silicon Lottery binned managed to go so high. The company is also selling Ryzen 9 3900X units that only overclocked to 4.0GHz. There are lower units of the Ryzen 7 3700X and 3800X as well. There isn't information yet on how many of the CPUs binned by Silicon Lottery managed to achieve those highest overclocking numbers, but those details should appear in the coming week. What this does mean for customers though is that buying one of the newest Ryzen CPUs means you're getting pretty close to the performance advertised. Of course, this all comes down to the base clocks anyway. Each CPU has its boost speed to offer increased performance when a computer needs it. And, so far, we've seen these new processors delivering performance that's plenty high out of the box.
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| Best TV 2019: here are the big-screen TVs worth buying this year Posted: 25 Jul 2019 01:22 PM PDT Best TV 2019: These are the must-see, must-own TV sets of 2019. Shopping for a new TV can be tough, especially if it's been a few years since you last bought a big screen. TVs can have complicated names, complicated feature sets and price tags that seem to shoot up without reason. It's so easy to give up searching that most folks just plunk down money on whatever's cheapest - even if that means getting the worst TV on the shelf. We don't want that happen. In fact, we're going to do everything in our power to help you find the best TV in your price range. That's what this list is all about.
The TVs listed below are based on scores assigned by our sterling team of reviewers and compiled by TechRadar editors based on price and performance. At the top of our list you'll find the brand-new Samsung Q90, available now, which is an early contender for TV of the year. Behind it is LG's new 2019 C9 OLED and a stellar Vizio screen that can reach up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. We've got models from Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL and Vizio below, so if you've got a particular brand affiliation – or an ecosystem you want to stay within – there's something for you. After you've found a TV on page one, the second page will teach you more about what makes a TV tick and why those specs matter so much. "Should I buy a TV now or wait it out?"This is a question we get a lot. Like most technology (cough, iPhones) TVs are getting incrementally better all the time – which means, yes, if you wait a year - or even a few months - there will probably be a bigger, flashier TV out there for less money. But while doing so will certainly net you a larger screen at a better price, some of the best panels are already being manufactured today. Tomorrow's screens might be a bit larger, a bit brighter and a bit cheaper, but today's screens are just as competent in their own right. We can say that with confidence knowing that most manufacturers have finally embraced the three most important standards in TVs: Ultra HD, Wide Color Gamut and HDR (HDR10 and Dolby Vision). If a TV you're looking at doesn't support at least one of these, you should probably look somewhere else. Not sure where to start? Here are the best TVs we tested this year. Image credit: Samsung Last year, the Samsung Q9FN was the TV to beat. It won plaudits galore for its features and image quality, not to mention its excellent, improved smart platform that came with Bixby support and Samsung SmartThings. However it wasn’t perfect and there were legitimate complaints about viewing angles and an over-aggressive local dimming system that crushed detail just above black. Samsung has clearly taken these criticisms to heart, and directly addressed them in the Q90. The new model has a visibly superior viewing angle that holds its own against an OLED TV, and the local dimming delivers deep blacks without losing shadow detail. To that end, the new Ultra Black Elite filter is nothing short of a revelation, rejecting ambient light in a way that just staggers belief. The Q90 is able to deliver images that can directly compete with an OLED, with natural colors, bright highlights, deep blacks, and well defined shadows. It can also surpass any OLED when it comes to HDR, with images that are often breathtaking in their detail and dynamic range. In fact our only real criticism would be that, unlike some of the competition, the Q90 doesn’t support Dolby Vision. However in all other respects the Samsung Q90 is an absolutely stellar TV that takes QLED to another level. Read the full review: Samsung Q90R QLED TV LG C9 OLED Series (2019) The LG C9 is a truly exceptional 4K OLED TV that takes what was so impressive about last year’s C8 OLED and builds on it. The major difference is the inclusion of the 2nd generation Alpha9 processor, which uses AI enhancements to deliver stellar SDR and HDR images, and helps make the upscaling and processing second-to-none with incredible levels of detail and image fidelity. As is the case with all OLED TVs the panel brightness pales when compared to an LCD TV, but brightness isn’t everything. The absolute blacks and pixel level of precision afforded by the self-emissive technology ensures that HDR looks stunning. There’s support for Dolby Vision as well, and only the absence of HDR10+ disappoints. There are other OLEDs worth considering this year (see: LG's own E9 Series) but we think the OLED C9 offers the best price-to-performance ratio of any TV under the sun in the year 2019. Read the full review: LG C9 OLED (OLED55C9, OLED65C9, OLED77C9) The Vizio P-Series Quantum X is a home run for Vizio. Sure, the SmartCast interface isn’t all the great, and the speakers are worth bypassing, but the TV is packed with awesome features and backed up by an excellent image quality. We’re looking forward to AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support, but even without those features the TV is still one of the best options in its price range. If you truly have deep pockets and want the best image quality out there, then it’s still worth going for LG's OLED or Samsung's QLED TVs - but in the absence of a six-figure salary, the $2,199 Vizio P-Series Quantum X PX-65G1 is clearly an excellent option for those that want quantum dot tech in a smart TV at Vizio-level prices. Read the full review: Vizio P-Series Quantum (PQ65-F1) Samsung Q900R QLED TV With most people - *cough* content providers - only just getting to grips with 4K resolution, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Samsung had gone nuts by introducing the world’s first true 8K TV. And yet, while it's easy to be critical about the Samsung Q900R, it truly does usher in a new era of TV picture quality. Its native 8K pictures are incredible, looking just like the real world - only better. But even more crucially given the dearth of true 8K content for the foreseeable future, the 85Q900R makes all today’s lower resolution sources look better than they do anywhere else, too. Whether 8K delivers the same impact on smaller screens remains to be seen, but if you have a big enough room and budget, the 85Q900R is a vision of the future that’s actually spectacularly worth buying today. Sony Bravia A9F OLED (2018) Sony’s second-generation OLED flagship, the A9F, is coming at a good time – just as Samsung and LG have stepped up their games with the Samsung Q9FN QLEDand LG E8 OLED, Sony has fired back with a phenomenal OLED of its own. Even better than the A1E before it, the A9F is unquestionably Sony’s best OLED offering to date, and arguably a strong contender for high-end screen of the year. While we experienced some minor issues (notably Black level crushing on Dolby Vision, and that Netflix Calibrated mode), niggles are to be expected on a set as ambitious as this. If you can live with the slightly idiosyncratic design, and afford the asking price, it’s a glorious UHD display. LG E9 OLED Series (2019) Overall, the LG E9 OLED offers a dazzling picture, with crisp detail and truly cinematic visuals. LG’s organic LED displays lack the brightness of competing models, but those after a proper movie night in won’t be disappointed. The E9 differs mostly from other LG OLEDs in its shape and its size options – both the more premium W9 and cheaper C9 offer a larger 77-inch model – but we’d be surprised if the E9’s all-glass panel design didn’t impress you. With a unique look, and the multi-channel audio to elevate it above other OLED sets in the range, the E9 is a fantastic addition to any living room if you can afford one. Samsung Q70R QLED TV (2019) Samsung’s flagship Q90R QLED TV blew us away recently with its wider viewing angles, deeper blacks, and superior HDR images - sadly, however, not everyone can afford the flagship model. So what can Samsung offer for those wanting to experience QLED picture quality on a budget? Despite sitting lower down in the QLED line-up, the Q70R includes the same comprehensive smart platform, extensive connections, and cutting-edge features found further up the range. This isn’t the flashiest-looking TV that Samsung has ever made, but if your funds are limited the Q70 is a cracking QLED all-rounder that’s worth checking out. Read the full review: Samsung Q70R QLED TV Sony Bravia X900F Series (2018) OK, so you don't want (or can't afford) Sony's new A9F OLED or the fantastic-but-pricey Z9F. So what should you buy? Check out the X900F series. With superb 4K image clarity, powerful SDR-to-HDR remastering, and a smooth direct LED backlight, Sony is offering something very different with the X900F. We loved the consistency of its images, the eye-popping vibrancy of its wide color gamut panel and its easy-to-watch HDR – you get spectral highlights without accompanying eye fatigue. Given this set’s high-but-fair price point, any niggles we have are negligible. The X900F is highly recommended and deserved our Recommended award. Read the full review: Sony Bravia X900F (XBR-65X900F) review TCL 6-Series (R615, R617) (2018) If you had deep pockets and checkbook filled with blank checks, we’d tell you to reach deep and shell out for only the best TVs on the market - LG’s crazy-thin OLED W8 or Samsung’s ultra-bright Q9FN QLED (both featured on this list). But that’s not realistic. For the vast, vast majority of us, our budget to spend on a TV is limited to somewhere under $1,000 - and often less than that. To that end, it’s absolutely fair to say that the TCL 6-Series is the best TV you can possibly get in this price range. Its performance per dollar is unmatched and its picture quality - despite a few minor flaws - will truly impress you. Read the full review: TCL 6-Series (R615, R617) Hisense's H8 Series has long offered high quality at a very reasonable price, but this year's new H8F really takes the cake in terms of value and performance: It's the company's best value TV yet and offers both Android TV and the company's proprietary ULED TV tech that it claims offers better contrast than rival LED TVs. When it comes to raw picture quality, the Hisense H8F is simply the best TV in this price range. At $500, the TV offers a stellar image quality, with beautifully deep black-levels and crisp colors - all in a manageable 55-inch package. Sure, the audio leaves a lot to be desired, and you may or may not like Android TV, but you can always buy a Roku streaming stick or Apple TV, and use the TV with a stereo surround system or other speakers - leaving the Hisense H8F to do what it’s best at: display a great image. Read the full review: Hisense H8F (55H8F) Continue on to page two to read about what to look for when buying a TV!
What TV technology is best? Which is the best LCD TV? Which screen size is best for your living room? What's the difference between LCD and LED TVs? The answers aren't always obvious. In fact, buying a new TV can be stressful even for the tech-savvy - there are so many brands, so many features, so many screen sizes, colors, technologies and flavors to choose from. So which one is right for you, your family and your living space? In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about buying a new TV. What types of TV are there out there?There are a lot of different screen types out there, all working in different ways to produce the same results. Each technology has its own unique strengths and weaknesses so here are some basics to consider: LCD TV: CCFL LED TV: Direct LED LED TV: Edge LED OLED TV Quantum Dot Plasma TV Curved TV What resolution tech should I go for?HD Ultra HD and 4K HDR What else should I consider?Buying a flatscreen television is a major investment and one that you can't afford to take lightly. Just popping into the closest store and grabbing the first plasma or LCD you see won't get you the best deal, the screen that suits your needs, or the gear you require to make the most of your new purchase. Size matters People tend to pick the size of their flat TV based on the amount of space they have for it, this isn't necessarily wise. Flat TVs take up much less space than you might think, so your new TV may end up a foot or two further away from your viewing position, making the picture appear smaller. Also, with hi-def, you can have a bigger screen and the same viewing distance without worrying about seeing blemishes inherent to the source. A 4K TV's lack of noise means that the ideal distance to sit from the screen is three to four times the height of the TV. How to calculate the right size HD TV:The trick here is to ensure that your TV is big enough to fill your line of vision, but small enough to be sharp and clear. Remember, if you intend to only watch standard-definition sources, the bigger the screen gets, the worse the image will look. The ideal screen size can be calculated by multiplying the distance that you intend to sit away from it by 0.535 and then rounding this up to the nearest size. So, if you sit 80in away from your TV, the ideal size is 42-inch (80 x 0.535= 42.8). What features should I look out for?Features are too numerous to go into here, but here are some things you should consider. Photo viewing: If you have a digital camera, a TV that has a slot for memory cards or a USB socket for a card reader will let you view your photos onscreen. Here are some of the things we look for when we review a screen, so you should, too... Contrast: Bright whites shouldn't have any signs of green, pink or blue in them, while blacks should look solid and not washed out, grey, green or blue. Colours: Look at how bright and solid they are; how noiseless their edges are; how 'dotty' richly saturated areas are and how natural skin looks, especially in dim scenes. Fine detail: How much texture does the screen give? Does a tree look like a green lump, or can you see the individual leaves Edges: Check for ghosting, bright halos and jaggedness, especially around curves. Motion: Check moving objects and quick camera pans for smearing or blurring, trailing, jerkiness and fizzing dotty noise. Image artefacts: Look for blockiness, colour bands, grain, smearing, dot crawl: anything that looks like it's added by the TV picture processing or a weak TV tuner. Tinker with a TV's picture settings before making a final decision. Factory settings are rarely good for everyday viewing. What about sound?To provide the best audio to complement the pictures, your TV should be hooked up to a surround sound system, but this isn't always an option. So, here's what we listen for when testing a TV's speakers: Bass: Deep, rounded rumbles that don't cause the set to rattle or speakers to distort, cramp or overwhelm the rest of the sound; but that expand when needed. Vocals: Voices should sound open, rich and clear, not boxed in, nasal or thin. Trebles: Treble effects should sound clean, rounded and smooth in loud scenes and shouldn't dominate the soundstage. Soundstage width/depth: A good TV should throw the sound away from the TV, to the sides, forward and back, to give an extra dimension to what's on screen, without losing any coherence. How many HDMI sockets do I need?For a living room TV you should be looking for a minimum of 3 HDMI inputs. If you want to attach a set-top box as well as games consoles etc, those HDMI ports will fill up fast. Do I want to hang my TV on the wall?First off, you'll need to consult a construction expert to check that the wall in question is strong enough to support a flatscreen. Then find out if the set you want is designed to be wall-mounted and, if so, ask if the relevant bracket is included in the basic package or as an optional extra. Will I be connecting it to a home cinema?If the answer is no, you might want to think more carefully about your set's audio performance. Look for a screen that can go as loud as you'll need without distortion or cabinet rattle. Consider how dialogue sounds and how much low-end rumble the bass is capable of. Conversely, it's pointless paying out more cash for exceptional built-in speakers if you already have a decent home cinema system. Happy shopping! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| We need Sony's wearable air conditioner right now Posted: 25 Jul 2019 12:31 PM PDT The new Sony Reon Rocket is a body-cooling wearable that promises to chill you out in the heat. Folks suffering the current heat waves sweeping the world can all agree: it sucks to be caught in it between air conditioning havens. But, what if you could take AC with you? That's what this wearable promises. Sadly, the device isn’t for sale yet: it must be crowdfunded first, and if it makes its goal (it’s currently 44% funded), should ship by March 2020. But, the promise of mobile cooling is too tantalizing to ignore. After hundreds of simulations, Sony estimates that the Reon Pocket should be able to cool a user’s body temperature by 13 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Gizmodo. The device can help out on cold days too (if you can remember what those are), warming a body up by 8 degrees Celsius (about 14 degrees Fahrenheit). Portable AC in a proprietary shirtThe Reon Rocket itself is an 85g pod the size of a garage remote that slips into a pocket of a specially-made shirt – right on the top of your spine, actually. You can control it via iOS or Android phone, and an "auto mode" is coming. The battery lasts 24 hours with a 2-hour full recharge. Starting price for a Reon Rocket on its crowdfunding page is 14,080 yen (around $129, £104, AU$186), though you can pledge more to get extra shirts-and-pockets. No, it might not work with a regular or DIY-altered shirt: the device seems to sit in a specially-cut slip with a tiny cutout for it to vent. It’s unclear if the device is as effective if placed elsewhere. You could also pay less for the Reon Rocket Light, a version with lower functionality. This model starts at 12,760 yen (around $117, £944, AU$168), though it only has manual controls.
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| Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro to end the era of Butterfly keyboards Posted: 25 Jul 2019 11:59 AM PDT Apple has a new, 16-inch MacBook Pro expected to launch later this year, and a new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests it may be the first model to switch away from the Butterfly switch keyboards found in all MacBooks for the past few years, 9to5Mac reports. The Butterfly keyboards used in MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models have been plagued with issues since they first showed up. While the Butterfly key switch mechanism allowed Apple to make extra thin keyboards, they have suffered issues with debris getting underneath them, sticking keys, and missed and repeat key presses. None of these are experiences someone wants to have on a keyboard, especially one attached to a laptop that comes at a hefty premium. Apple addressed the issues in several ways, with improved Butterfly keyboards, and with a keyboard service program that covers all models with Butterfly keyboards. But, even with its latest release of MacBooks, Apple continues to use the Butterfly keyboards.
Out with the old, in with the olderPreviously, Kuo had suggested that the new keyboards, which will use a common scissor switch mechanism, would come in 2020 MacBooks. And, while Kuo still somewhat stands behind that, the anticipated MacBook Pro accelerates the timeline somewhat. His report still suggests that MacBooks released in 2020 will dump the Butterfly keyboard in favor of the new design using scissor switches. All that is really changing to the timeline is that the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro will come out sooner than the other models – October 2019, apparently – with the new scissor switch keyboard. This is a plus for anyone who saw the previous report but had their hopes up for the larger MacBook Pro. There's little doubt that the new, larger form factor for the MacBook Pro will let it pack in more expensive hardware, and that screen isn't likely to come any cheaper either. So, getting a dependable keyboard that doesn't have a multi-year history of issues may be a nice perk for customers later this year. Of course, this all assumes that the rumors of a 16-inch MacBook Pro are even true.
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| Mobile banking malware threats hit new highs Posted: 25 Jul 2019 11:23 AM PDT Mobile banking malware is becoming an increasingly common threat with new research from Check Point revealing that there has been a 50 percent increase in attacks this year when compared to the first half of 2018. The firm's Cyber Attack Trends: 2019 Mid-Year Report is based on data from its ThreatCloud intelligence collected between January and June of 2019 and the report sheds light on the key tactics cybercriminals are employing to attack businesses. Check Point provided further insight into what mobile banking malware is capable of in a blog post, saying:
“With over 50% increase in attacks when compared to 2018, banking malware has evolved to become a very common mobile threat. Today, banking malware is capable of stealing payment data, credentials and funds from victims’ bank accounts, and new versions of these malware are ready for massive distribution by anyone that’s willing to pay.” Banking malwareMobile banking malware has become more prevalent as a result of the greater availability of malware-building kits for sale on the Dark Web according to Check Point's report which says: “In this way, the builders of mobile bankers, such as Asacub and Anubis, can allow the creation of new versions of these malware, ready for massive distribution.” The report also found that the banking trojan Ramnit (28%), the Dyre variant Trickbot (21%) and the trojan Ursnif (10%) were the most popular banking malware during the first half of this year. Check Point also highlighted the fact that cybercriminals have begun to adapt techniques and methods from the general threat landscape to specifically target mobile devices and users. Cyberattacks focused on mobile devices are likely to continue to increase as attackers are very aware of the amount of sensitive personal data that consumers store on their smartphones.
Via Computer Weekly This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Huawei Mate 20 X 5G release date confirmed for 'coming weeks' in UK Posted: 25 Jul 2019 10:50 AM PDT The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G will finally go on sale in the UK "in the coming weeks", after being delayed in the wake of the Huawei ban. The powerful handset, with decent battery life and excellent cameras, had originally been confirmed in the line-up of 5G phones for UK networks. But it was temporarily pulled after the global fallout following the US-China trade war and the sanctions imposed by the US on its firms doing business with Huawei. You'll be able to pick the handset up from Carphone Warehouse, Three and Sky Mobile. While the latter two are yet to launch their 5G networks, you can be safe in the knowledge your handset is ready for the transition to the next generation of network when it arrives later this year. As for the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G price, it'll set you back £999 SIM-free, making it a pricey option for anyone looking to get themselves ready for 5G.
Bang for your buck?While it's a high price, you do get a lot for your money. The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G boasts a huge 7.2-inch Full HD display, Kirin 980 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, 4,200mAh battery, three rear cameras (40MP + 20MP + 8MP) and a 24MP selfie snapper on the front. It's a big handset, with plenty of power, but it won't be for everyone, but it's not the only 5G handset available in the UK, so the good news is you do have some choice in these early days of the next generation network. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The LG CineBeam is an eye-popping 4K laser projector – at an eye-watering price Posted: 25 Jul 2019 10:29 AM PDT When LG launched its second-gen CineBeam Laser 4K at CES 2019, we were left to speculate how much the innovative short-throw projector would cost. Now, we know the answer: the new LG CineBeam will set you back a whopping $6,000 (around £4820 / AU$8630), double the price of its predecessor. So, what do you get for your six grand? For starters, the new CineBeam 4K uses short-throw technology, which means it can project large-scale images over incredibly small distances.
For instance, you need to place the projector just 2 inches away from the wall to achieve a 90-inch (diagonal) image. Looking for an all-out immersive viewing experience? If you place the projector a mere 7 inches away, you can project an enormous 120-inch image – a fantastic feature for smaller homes that can't accommodate a huge amount of space between the projector and your wall. The dream beamThose huge images promise to be super impactful too, with 2,500 ANSI lumens and Ultra HD 4K resolution, and a wide color gamut to ensure a high degree of realism and vibrancy when reproducing your films. New to this generation of the CineBeam projector is voice activation technology – using LG’s artificial intelligence technology ThinQ, you’ll be able to use simple voice commands to control the projector. As well as that, this tech-packed projector comes with webOS built in, giving you the ability to watch content from the likes of Netflix and YouTube, without the need for a smart TV or streaming device. Like its predecessor, the latest CineBeam Laser 4K sports a compact, fabric-covered design, that should fit in nicely to pretty much any style of decor. Despite all these cool features, there's of course no getting away from that considerable price tag; after all, most of the best projectors we've reviewed have come in at no more than $2,000, including LG's own DLP LED Minibeam PH450UG Ultra Short Throw projector, which costs $650 ( (£530 / around AU$860). Whether you feel those features are worth the money largely depends on how highly you value your home cinema experience – if you're a dedicated film connoisseur who loves the convenience of streaming and voice control, the CineBeam could be a worthy investment. But, if you still watch Blu-rays exclusively and hate the 'always-listening' feel of voice assistants, you might want to look for something a little less expensive to blow your films up to big screen sizes.
Via Engadget This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Johannesburg ransomware attack leaves city without power Posted: 25 Jul 2019 10:14 AM PDT South Africa's largest city and financial capital Johannesburg has been hit by a ransomware attack that infected an electricity provider and left some of its residents without power. The ransomware infection affected City Power which provides pre-paid electric power to Johannesburg residents and local companies. The company's database, internal network, web apps and official website were all encrypted by the malware disrupting its operations and leaving customers frustrated. In a series of tweets, City Power said that it had fallen victim to a ransomware attack which is now preventing customers from both buying electrical power units and selling them back into the grid.
In addition, several Power City customers have complained about blackouts at their homes and across the city that occurred over the last 12 hours since the ransomware infected the company's systems. The company has also had difficulties responding to outages at the speeds its customers are used to as a result of not being able to access its internal applications. Cities targeted by ransomwareJohannesburg may be the latest city to be infected with ransomware but compared to others, so far it appears to have got off easy for now. A number of cities and municipalities have paid huge ransom demands to cybercriminals to regain access to their files and systems including Riviera Beach City, Florida which paid $600,000, Lake City, Florida which paid $500,000 and Jackson County, Georgia which paid $400,000. Atlanta and Baltimore have suffered large-scale ransomware infections that made a number of city services unavailable and in the end, both paid tens of millions of dollars to rebuild their IT networks. Fortunately for Johannesburg, it's main IT network wasn't infiltrated but the ransomware attack on City Power is just another compelling reason for cities and other public sector organizations to beef up their security now or risk paying even more in the long run.
Via ZDNet This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Firefox for Oculus Quest lets you plunge into the web head-first Posted: 25 Jul 2019 10:00 AM PDT Mozilla has released its virtual reality web browser, Firefox Reality, for Oculus Quest headsets, letting you immerse yourself in online video, games, group chats and more. The VR browser is already available for various headsets, and became the default option for HTC Vive in January, but Oculus Quest's extra power should mean smoother performance when browsing VR content.
Like its desktop and mobile counterparts, Firefox Reality includes Mozilla's Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks third-party tracking cookies, preventing ad networks from following you around the web and keeping your activity private. Since June 2019, this features has been enabled by default in all versions of Firefox. Next-gen browsingDespite the growing popularity of consumer VR, proper VR web browsers are still few and far between, and Firefox Reality is one of very few specifically designed for use without a keyboard, mouse and touchscreen. It was launched for Oculus and Google Daydream headsets in 2018, and its rapid adoption by other hardware manufacturers shows real confidence in its potential. It'll be interesting to see how it evolves over the coming years to take better advantage of more powerful hardware, while also tackling the privacy threats presented by the modern web. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2019 Posted: 25 Jul 2019 09:10 AM PDT Opting for a dedicated server means that you get an entire server to yourself. There's no sharing of CPU time, RAM or bandwidth, which means your website stays responsive at all times. Shared web hosting can appear to be amazing value, with feature-packed products available for just a few pounds every month. But the reality is often very different, and they're not always the bargains they seem. Very low prices probably mean the host is cramming more customers onto each server, for instance. Performance will be poor as there aren't enough resources to go around, and the extra load could mean more server problems and downtime. Dedicated hosting implies that you also get far more control over how the server is configured. You can add and remove software, install updates or tweak all settings, allowing you to optimize the server for your specific needs. Best of all, dedicated hosting contracts often come with fast and knowledgeable support. The best providers will even monitor your server for issues, like failed services, and can often fix them before you've realized there was a problem. This kind of power doesn't come cheap, and although there are some good signup deals around, you can easily spend $50-$140 a month and more on just a basic package. With that kind of investment, it's important to make the right choice. In this article, we're going to highlight five top dedicated hosting providers who you might want to check out first.
German-based 1&1 (as October 2018 called 1&1 IONOS) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn't just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $55 a month for the first three months, then $75. As you might imagine, 1&1 has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (1&1 updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there's also a setup fee of at least $50. But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited 1&1 dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge. Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 a month for management doesn't just mean 1&1 will look after server admin: you also get a website builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us. Hostwinds is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range. Its dedicated server range may start at just $79.50 a month, for instance – $106 on renewal – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere. All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you're not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters. Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That's considerably more flexible than providers like 1&1, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they're often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance). There's more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 – we've seen charges of up to $50 elsewhere. Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren't crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price. Opting for dedicated rather than shared hosting will speed up your website in itself, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. A2 Hosting's managed server plans blend multiple tricks and technologies to try and ensure you see the best possible performance. This starts with a powerful set of server components: OPcache and APC may speed up PHP processing by 50%. Memcached holds key MySQL data in RAM for faster retrieval, while mod_pagespeed uses multiple tricks to optimize site content. SPDY and HTTP/2 accelerate page loads even further, and support for technologies like edge side includes and websockets allow more fine-tuned optimizations of your site. A2 Hosting plans also include Cloudflare's free CDN and its Railgun Optimizer, which "compresses previously uncacheable web objects up to 99.6%" and may result in an average 200% performance increase. In reality you might not see anything like that – the boost will vary greatly, depending on your site – but it's still a technology worth having. Elsewhere, performance-boosting add-ons include RAID 1 SSD storage of up to 2 x 1TB. An optional Turbo Boost feature costing from $35 a month replaces Apache with the LiteSpeed server, apparently bringing up to 20x faster page loads, and another add-on can cache the HTML contents of a page, then speedily reload it later without needing to run PHP. We were happy to see cPanel is thrown in, too (it's often a chargeable extra with other hosts). These kind of professional features come at a cost, with even the most basic Sprint plan priced from around $99 a month. But if speed is your top priority then this company could be worth a try, especially as A2's ‘Anytime Money Back Guarantee’ will refund your fees if you cancel within 30 days of your order. It may not have the profile of the big-name competition, but OVH is a hosting giant, with more than a million customers using 25+ data centers around the world. The OVH dedicated hosting range stands out for its long list of data centers, with hosting available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Singapore and the UK. Some of these locations offer cheaper hosting than others, and, unusually, OVH passes the savings on to you. For example, one of the UK server costs $86, but switching to Poland cuts the minimum cost to $79. Experienced users will also appreciate the many advanced options that OVH makes available. You don't just get access to SATA or SSD storage, for instance – the company also supports SAS and the supercharged NVMe (non-volatile memory-based storage, potentially five times faster than SSD). If you really know what you're doing, you could buy several servers, link them together in a private cloud, and maybe add a load-balancing IP to spread peak-time demand or keep your website running if one server fails. Novice users are likely to be confused by over 50 available server configurations, and figuring out exactly what's available can take a little time and effort. But the range of data centers alone could make OVH an interesting choice for many users, and if you're the demanding type, its array of expert-level extras are also worth a closer look. Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end business hosting products ranging from managed WordPress and WooComerce plans, to cloud VPS, dedicated servers and private clouds. The company's dedicated offerings may look expensive, with a starting price of $199 a month, but they're also far better specified than most of the budget competition. Even the cheapest dedicated server includes two speedy 240GB SSD drives, for instance. There's also a 1TB SATA backup drive provided, making it easy and convenient to run regular backups. The plan includes a dedicated IP. Support for Cloudflare CDN should boost your website speeds, and your server can be hosted in one of three data centers (Arizona, Michigan, or the Netherlands). Although, the special entry plans are only hosted in Michigan. Most importantly, all dedicated servers are managed by Liquid Web's professional support team. They monitor system health, proactively respond to notifications (for example, they’ll restart a failed service), alongside taking care of installing and updating the operating system. If you have any difficulties, support is available 24/7/365, and the company guarantees a 59 second response time via phone or chat, 30 minutes via ticket and email. Factor in the wide range of optional add-ons – load balancers, firewalls, VPN – and the range has more than enough power for almost any purpose. If you're managing a heavy-duty website, Liquid Web needs to be on your shortlist. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Oculus Rift 2: the VR headset that never was Posted: 25 Jul 2019 09:00 AM PDT There was a time when the Oculus Rift 2 seemed like it would really push the limits of a next-gen VR headset – and possibly even take on the HTC Vive, which still leads with its superior room-scale tracking. But with the departure of former CEO Brendan Iribe, and its owner Facebook's apparent enthusiasm to stick with mid-range hardware, it doesn't look like a super-powered Oculus Rift sequel is on its way. What we did get was the Oculus Rift S: a small upgrade on the existing hardware at the Rift's previous price point. Oculus has its eyes firmly on a particular price bracket, and it doesn't seem to be budging.
The Rift S opted for slightly enhanced visuals and processing, without the need for an external sensor, though still required a wired connection to a high-end PC, and didn't really distinguish too much from its predecessor. The standalone Oculus Quest headset seems to carry the company's hopes: as a wireless VR headset that will be more palatable to a casual gaming and gadget audience. It's not like Oculus has given up on advancing its technology: far from it! 2019 has seen a number of updates to bring a Amazon Prime Video VR app to its platform, while increasing the accuracy of its hand-tracking in the Quest and Rift S. The Quest will also soon be able to emulate Oculus Go games and work with its older controllers too. What's more, the tide in usage seems to be turning in the Oculus Rift's favor, at least according to the most recent Steam hardware survey. But will we ever see an Oculus Rift 2? It may live forever as a placeholder name for Oculus' succession of small enhancements, without ever really justifying the big number. It's also possible that we've seen it already: with four distinct Oculus headsets on the market, what else are we really asking for here? Here you'll find all the rumors currently doing the rounds about a potential Oculus Rift successor – and what we'd want to see in an official Rift 2.
Cut to the chase
Release dateWith no official announcement about the release of Oculus Rift 2 yet, it's unclear when we're going to see a sizeable upgrade to Facebook's VR headset (Facebook owns Oculus), if we ever will. VR is still a nascent industry, so there's been speculation about which update model Oculus, and the industry in general, will follow – it could be something like the phone model, with yearly updates, or something closer to the console model, with updates every six years or so. And manufacturers are still figuring this out. But with HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro comfortably filling the premium end of consumer VR, Oculus will need to move soon if it doesn't want to give away this ground entirely. It's fully possible, though, that Oculus will continue working on mid-range hardware, and actually away from the wired Rift models entirely, in the hopes of gaining more mass-market success. Project Santa Cruz: what eventually became the Oculus Quest PriceJust like everything else about the headset, the Oculus Rift 2 price is an unknown. Our best guess is that it won't be too much more expensive than the Oculus Rift, though chances are you will pay more for it than the original Rift. The Oculus Rift with Touch controllers costs $399 / £399 (around AU$640). The standalone Oculus Go price is $199 / $199 / AU$299 for the 32GB edition. Project Santa Cruz's price is currently unknown, but chances are it will be more expensive than the current Oculus Rift. Oculus Go standalone headset Rift 2 rumors and new technologiesHand tracking The sensation that arguably takes you out of the VR experience more than anything else is looking down and not seeing your body. This is further compounded when you try to use your hands and they don’t appear – we're so used to being able to physically interact with our surroundings in real life that having our hands suddenly taken away from us is seriously unsettling. Though Touch controllers, now bundled in the box with Rift, do improve feeling more immersed in the virtual worlds of Oculus Rift, being able to use your own hands as controllers would be ideal. As sci-fi as the idea seems, there is a chance this could become a reality, as Oculus has been steadily buying up companies that specialize in hand-tracking technology since Facebook acquired the company in 2014. Below is the Kickstarter video from one of these companies, Nimble… The Verge reported the purchase of these companies before the launch of the first Oculus Rift, so there is an argument that if the technology was going to exist that it would already exist, but we're still hopeful. What's more, companies like Qualcomm are making strides in hand tracking, as we saw at GDC 2017 with the chip maker's VR reference design headset. As more headsets adopt hand tracking, Oculus could do well to implement the tech in the next version of its headset. Oculus Gloves This one comes via Mark Zuckerberg’s official Facebook account so you know it’s the real deal. In a 2017 post full of tantalizing half-reveals, the Facebook CEO shows himself wearing a pair of white gloves and what looks like a wireless Oculus headset while doing Spider Man web-shooting hand gesture. In the accompanying caption he wrote: “We're working on new ways to bring your hands in virtual and augmented reality. Wearing these gloves, you can draw, type on a virtual keyboard, and even shoot webs like Spider Man. That's what I'm doing here.” If you’re thinking the mention of gloves means no controller-free future for VR, there is another possibility. If there was some way of building haptic feedback into the gloves, it would mean that you'd be able to physically interact with objects in the virtual world. Haptic feedback is probably most familiar at the moment in the form of small vibrations that phones make to respond to touch, but there's currently very interesting work being done on how haptic feedback could make you feel as though you're bearing the physical weight of a digital object. The possibility of haptic feedback gloves being used to control the Oculus Rift 2 was further supported by two patents published in March 2018. The patents are for gloves that would give the wearer the sensation of touch while in a VR experience. Though just drawings, the designs look similar to what Mark Zuckerberg is wearing, so it's likely Oculus is coming up with designs close to what we're seeing. While not a guarantee of a final product, it's noteworthy that Oculus has patents filed for gloves that bring greater immersion to the VR experience. This seems like a good sign of things to come. Eye tracking Another thing that Zuckerberg mentioned in his Facebook post is the possibility of eye-tracking technology being integrated into the Oculus Rift. At the moment there's no way the Oculus, or any of its prime competitors for that matter, can identify what you're looking at in the virtual world; currently everything has to be in focus all the time, requiring massive processing power and robbing the user of realistic depth-of-field focus. In real life, if you're looking at your hand in front of your face the rest of the world is slightly out of focus, and if you then look at something in the background your hand goes out of focus. In filmmaking, specific focal lengths are chosen to mimic the focal length of the human eye, and seeing focal length brought into VR would be a massive step towards making the virtual world feel more real. Qualcomm, for one, utilizes foveated rendering in its reference design headsets, meaning only what the user is looking at is in full focus. This allows developers to exercise the full breadth of their creativity, says Qualcomm, without eating up a ton of processing power. Others, including Google, are working on this technique as well. Once eye tracking becomes a feature, users will also be able to focus on objects without moving their head to look at them, which, while small on paper, we think would feel massive in reality. Eye tracking also opens the door for game developers to play with the idea of a game's AI being able to know where you're looking – imagine interacting with a character in a game that actually knows whether you're looking at them or not. Focal surface displayOculus has released a paper about an experimental technique for creating depth of field in VR called 'focal surface display'. The paper itself is fascinating but very dense. Helpfully, Oculus has made a video explaining what focal surface display is and how it works. Check it out below: The long and the short of it is that an element can sit between the screen and the lens that can manipulate the light so that it creates the illusion of true visual depth. According to the paper this will create a more natural experience than simply using eye tracking and then digitally affecting the focus of the screen element being viewed. Oculus claims that focal surface display will eliminate the effects of vergence-accommodation conflict (VEC), which is basically the difficulty that your eyes have looking at a single distance that is displaying multiple distances with no retinal blur. In the paper, VEC "has been attributed as a source of visual discomfort: viewers report eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches with prolonged viewing" so the elimination of VEC could solve one of the problems that many users have struggled with in current VR headsets. Final thoughtsThe Oculus Rift has come a long way since it first launched in 2016, including releasing controllers, more sensors and undergoing a hefty price cut – not to mention its continued life in the Rift S. Whether we'll see the enhanced hand- and eye-tracking, or haptic-feedback gloves in the next couple of years – who can tell? We do know this technology is being worked on, but the more out-there developments will likely start out costly and need to be manufactured at considerable scale to fit with Facebook's commercial strategy – and the company may well not bother. There's a huge amount of convenience, too, to the kind of wireless, all-in-one headset experience touted by the Oculus Quest and Oculus Go. These headsets aren't capable of quite the same performance, but in terms of getting VR into people's homes, they may be just what's needed. The Rift 2 may be dead in the water, then, at least as the kind of model we thought might come after the original Rift's release. But if we end up getting affordable, accessible VR that maintains a certain level of quality, does it really matter that the Rift 2 never happened? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Samsung Galaxy Fold is bound for September – at least in some places Posted: 25 Jul 2019 08:59 AM PDT We finally have a release date for the Samsung Galaxy Fold – the ambitious, very expensive, and possibly first mainstream foldable phone – and it's coming in September, five months after it faced reliability setbacks and a recall before ever reaching consumers. Just a heads up: it's not coming out everywhere at first. Its comeback story is destined to begin in 'select markets' the same month we expect the three new versions of Apple's iPhone 11 to hit stores, with exact availability details to come closer to the Galaxy Fold launch, according to Samsung's official statement today. It won't be quite as easy to get a Galaxy Fold on contract as it would have been during its original launch date: T-Mobile told The Verge in no uncertain terms that it won't sell the device - that leaves AT&T as the only carrier that will currently sell it, though it should still operate on the big carrier networks (Verizon and Sprint as well). The September release date for the Fold also puts it head-to-head with the foldable Mate X that's supposed launch by then, with Huawei's current plans to release it in China first. Which company will claim that 'world's first' title? Samsung Galaxy Fold improvements promisedThe delicate hardware behind the Galaxy Fold has been fixed, according to Samsung, and the company is "conducting final product tests." CEO DJ Koh has previously gone on the record to say that the phone launched before it was truly ready, so Samsung looks to be correcting that issue this time around. Notably, the thin, protective top layer that looked like a removable screen protector has been redesigned to avoid confusing people accustomed to ripping all the plastic off of a brand new phone. The top layer is now extended beyond the bezel. Samsung also says it has sealed up potential debris vulnerabilities around the 20-part, dual-axis hinge, which is essential to the device folding and unfolding. Dust entered through gaps around this hinge, leading to a second reason screens were breaking on a handful of review units. Here are the changes that Samsung is promising with the refined Galaxy Fold:
All of this is not to say that the Galaxy Fold didn’t go through convincing stress tests earlier this year. Samsung demonstrated its device could withstand more than 200,000 folds and unfolds in a mesmerizing video. But a machine perfectly folding the phone with uniform pressure points in a clean, dust-free room didn't translate in the real world, so we'll have to see how these changes shake out come September. There's some more good news too, as Samsung says during these intervening months it's been "working to improve the overall Galaxy Fold user experience, including optimizing more apps and services for its unique foldable UX." It hasn't provided any further information on those improvements yet, but it's something to look out for as we approach the Galaxy Fold release date. Galaxy Fold specs and concept remain the sameAlthough Samsung is promising reliability from the reworked Galaxy Fold, the actual specs and concept remain unchanged. It has a sharp 7.3-inch QXGA+ mini-tablet-sized screen unfolded, and slims down to sport a separate outer 4.6-inch HD+ screen on the outside when folded. It has a total of six cameras – three on the back of the device and two additional cameras in the notch of the 7.3-inch display – two batteries that combine for a capacity of 4,380mAh, and a fingerprint sensor in the power button that also doubles as the new Bixby button. Samsung, which is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus on August 7, is getting its foldable phone news out of the way ahead of its Unpacked event. It appears as if Samsung fans will have three different phones to decide between in the coming weeks. Despite the five-month Galaxy Fold delay and Mate X riding on its heels, Samsung still has a chance to be first to market with a foldable phone that has mainstream appeal (sorry, Royole FlexPai), maybe in part thanks to the Huawei ban in the US. Samsung Galaxy Fold questions remainToday's Samsung Galaxy Fold news answers two basic questions rather vaguely: when will the Galaxy Fold launch and how will it hold up in the real world? But there's so much more we're struggling to understand about this foldable phone. Chiefly, will the Galaxy Fold price still be $1,980 / £1,800 (€2,000)? There was no mention of how much it'll cost in the announcement, so we can only assume it'll stick to the nearly $2,000 asking price. When it does launch, it'll instantly be the most expensive smartphone we've ever reviewed. And, keep in mind, that lofty price is for the 4G LTE version. Samsung is, or at least was, planning a Galaxy Fold 5G model. It mentioned the mystery 5G version back at the February Unpacked reveal event, but that hasn’t been spoken about since. Huawei is only offering one flavor of its Mate X – so you'll have 5G in that phone, no questions asked. If the Galaxy Fold appears at the Note 10 launch event, we’ll be sure to grab more hands-on time with the overdue device. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.
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| SMBs don't expect to be hit by a cyberattack Posted: 25 Jul 2019 08:54 AM PDT Despite the fact that falling victim to a cyberattack could damage an organization's reputation as well as its bottom line, a new survey from Keeper Security has revealed that cybersecurity is not at the top of the list when it comes to where businesses are placing their focus and efforts. To compile The 2019 SMB Cybersecurity Study, the firm surveyed over 500 senior level decision makers at companies with 500 employees or less (SMBs) to identify the gaps between awareness and action in business cybersecurity needs. Surprisingly the study found that two out of three business leaders (66 percent) don't believe they'll fall victim to a cyberattack despite the fact that a previous study (conducted by the Ponemon Institute for Keeper) found that 67 percent of businesses had been attacked within the previous 12 months.
CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security, Darren Guccione explained why SMBs need to make cybersecurity a priority, saying: "Businesses face a vulnerability crisis when it comes to cybercriminals, and this reality won't get better until cybersecurity gets higher billing on their to-do list. " Cybersecurity misconceptionsA major perception gap exists between businesses that don't believe they'll fall victim to a cyberattack and those who have. Keeper's study found that only around one in ten (12 percent) of the senior decision makers surveyed understand the reality that an attack is very likely regardless of how big or small a company is. The 2019 Cyberthreat SMB Study also revealed differences in perception between newer and more mature businesses with companies in business for less than five years believing they're at a much higher risk than those who have been operating for 10 or more years. Of the companies surveyed that have been in business less than five years, 28 percent believe it is “very likely” that they'll be the target of a cyberattack while only six percent of businesses operating for 10 or more years thought the same. When it came to the importance of cybersecurity, only nine percent of the leadership surveyed thought cybersecurity was the most important aspect of their business when compared with recruitment, marketing, sales, quality of internal tools and contributing to social good. In fact, almost one in five respondents (18%) ranked cybersecurity as the least important aspect of all six. Businesses are also failing to prepare for the eventuality of a cyberattack and 60 percent of respondents reported not having any prevention plan in place against a cyberattack. In today's digital world, neglecting cybersecurity is a dangerous path that could be quite detrimental to businesses of any size and hopefully Keeper Security's study and others like it help organizations realize the error of their ways before it's too late.
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