Apple : Walmart laptop sale: cheap deals from Dell, HP, Samsung and more |
- Walmart laptop sale: cheap deals from Dell, HP, Samsung and more
- Huawei has built the Disneyland of tech R&D
- Dell shakes up AIO PCs
- What is ray tracing? The games, the graphics cards and everything else you need to know
- Fake VPN website delivers malware
- Get hands on with ASUS’ ROG Phone II at PAX West 2019
- The Apple Card is here in the US, and you can get one in minutes
- The best Windows tablets 2019: all of the top Windows tablets reviewed
- Best Acer laptops 2019
- Ransomware mutations double in 2019
- Connecting the Arctic: Q&A with Inmarsat
- Hurry! Three's 'half price for six months' unlimited data phone deals are coming to an end
- Best touchscreen laptops 2019: the best touchsceen laptops we've tapped this year
- Huawei ban: the global fallout explained
- OnePlus TV: what do we want to see?
- This leaked PS5 patent gives us our best look at the console design yet
- It's official: OnePlus TV is set to launch in September
- The best Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals in August 2019
- Fitbit Versa 2 release date, price, news and leaks
| Walmart laptop sale: cheap deals from Dell, HP, Samsung and more Posted: 20 Aug 2019 12:20 PM PDT September is a fantastic month to find cheap laptop deals with back to school sales from major online retailers. Walmart's laptop sale includes massive savings from top brands that include Dell, HP, Samsung, and more. You can find laptops as low as $159 with a variety of different features and screen sizes. See more of the best back-to-school laptop deals from Walmart below that include a variety of different features and prices. These discounts are limited-time offers so you should take advantage now before school's back in session. Walmart laptop deals:See more laptop sales with the best cheap laptop deals: prices start at just $129 today. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Huawei has built the Disneyland of tech R&D Posted: 20 Aug 2019 12:16 PM PDT A couple hours outside Huawei’s old headquarters in Shenzhen, China, the company has built a new campus in the city of Dongguan to eventually house 25,000 R&D employees. But this is no sprawling network of glass towers – it’s composed of 12 mini-districts built to look like a different European city, all linked by a full-size train. In other words, it’s a lot like a Disneyland for tech research. Walt Disney’s famous park is around 85 acres (0.34 square kilometers), but this research center is four times the size at 296 acres (1.2 square kilometers) - which grows to 1,976 acres (8 square kilometers) if you include the factories across an adjacent lake. Each mini-district - allegedly called ‘towns’ by some Huawei employees - has grandiose buildings, cobbled or bricked streets and landscaped greenery. Huawei invited tech media out for a casual tour of the grounds, and TechRadar got a close-up look. We started at a coffee shop and got on a two-car train in a bold orange with brass accents, looking straight out of Industrial-era Europe. We breezed past areas patterned after Paris, Burgundy, Heidelberg, Cesky Krumlov, and Bologna, packed with ‘towns’ in the style of, and laid out like, each city - some so large, they might as well be castles. It was completely impressive, yet out of place amid the lush Chinese flora and the shabby residential high-rises in the distance. The effect was surreal - a dizzying dissonance between carefully-constructed medieval and Renaissance European buildings that would still function as everyday workplaces. Each member of our media group stared agog as we took the long orange train beyond the completed ‘towns’ (seven of twelve are work-ready, five years after construction started ) to get a sense of the installation’s scale. We were left with the obvious question: Why? Huawei’s workplace ‘Disneyland,’ a new center of researchOr to reframe the inquiry: why not just make a modern glass-and-grass campus like the other tech titans? Our guide explained the philosophy behind the Dongguan facility: Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei wanted employees to work in a place they found peaceful, which is a far cry from the busy metropolitan sprawl in Shenzhen or Dongguan. If true, that sentiment - and the sheer resources spent to bring this city-replicating vision into reality - evokes the whimsy and dedication Walt Disney swirled together to make Disneyland. “Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future,” Disney famously said at the park’s opening in 1955 in a brief dedication. Sixty-odd years later, those words could strangely apply to Huawei’s Dongguan R&D campus. On our visit, tech media were introduced to the company’s myriad applications of its tech, from augmenting existing industries with 5G to making cities ‘smart’ with enough sensors to monitor power consumption, air quality, and even the capacities of individual trash cans. And, yes, streamlining the networks behind security camera systems (to help missing children and crowd control, a Huawei tour guide said) as well as networks (and sometimes chips) behind facial recognition software. Of course, the company’s tech innovations aren’t just made in Dongguan: that still-unfinished facility is one of 16 global R&D centers. Nine of them are in China, but whereas the others have around 10,000 employees each, the Dongguan installation will house around 25,000 once it’s finished - combined, the R&D contingent is over half of Huawei’s 188,000 employees. But those other R&D facilities weren’t built as a paean to culturally significant European cities. It’s unclear if the Dongguan campus was built so extravagantly to lure employees or to satisfy the eccentric whims of upper staff (if not Zhengfei himself) - or both, or neither. What is clear: if this was built in the US, it would be soundly criticized as a needlessly ornate and expensive feat of engineering - just like Disneyland had been before it showed up its critics. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2019 12:00 PM PDT Choosing between the sleek form factor of an all-in-one PC and the upgradability of a desktop is one of the tough decisions that businesses have to make when outfitting their offices with new computers. Dell aims to make this decision easier for businesses with the announcement of its new OptiPlex 7070 Ultra which hides a full PC inside a monitor stand. The company's new zero-footprint desktop design is not only space-saving and clutter-free, it's also fully modular which allows customers to configure the device and upgrade it as needed throughout the product lifecycle.
Vice President of Fixed Computing at Dell, Dave Lincoln explained how the OptiPlex 7070 Ultra can help businesses maximize desk space without sacrificing performance, saying: "IT leaders are faced with pressure to keep costs down while giving employees flexibility and freedom to work in ways they're most productive. As more organizations move to open floor plans, they're looking for technology that maximizes desk space, employee productivity and IT investments. Thirty-five years ago, Dell disrupted the way PCs were made and delivered to the world. With the OptiPlex 7070 Ultra, we are changing the category again, with an innovative desktop solution that's hidden in plain sight." OptiPlex 7070 UltraAccording to Dell's customer research, companies like having the ability to upgrade their systems while also enjoying the aesthetics of an all-in-one PC. However, since customers tend to upgrade their computers more frequently than their displays, the OptiPlex 7070 Ultra can be upgraded independently to bring the best aspects of the traditional desktop together with an all-in-one. Dell's new device can also be configured for different use cases with a wide range of compatible add-ons including a height adjustable stand, a fixed stand, a VESA mount, a single monitor arm and a dual monitor arm. In total, the OptiPlex 7070 can support up to three displays from 19 to 27 inches for increased productivity. Cable management has also been simplified due to the fact that power, data, video and audio are all transmitted through a single cable when the Ultra is paired with Dell's USB-C monitors. Businesses interested in upgrading their workstations will be able to purchase the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra for $749 on September 24.
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| What is ray tracing? The games, the graphics cards and everything else you need to know Posted: 20 Aug 2019 11:31 AM PDT Ever since Nvidia Turing was announced back at Gamescom 2018, ray tracing has been the talk of the town. This rendering method has long been the holy grail of graphics technology, but finally with graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, you can see this tech in the latest and greatest PC games. Ray tracing, then, may be one of the most significant graphics upgrades that we’ve seen in the gaming landscape in years – or, at least it will be once we see it implemented in more actual PC games. So, what even is ray tracing? Well, it's an advanced and lifelike way of rendering light and shadows in a scene. It's what movies and TV shows use to create and blend in amazing CG work with real-life scenes. However, because ray tracing works by simulating and tracking every ray of light produced by a source of lighting, it kind of takes a lot of horsepower to actually render. This is the main reason we haven’t seen ray tracing implemented in actual games – until now. These days, ray tracing is actually achievable in PC games, and yet the biggest titles to implement this technology only use it in limited ways, like rendering realistic reflections or shadows. We still haven’t seen a fully ray-traced game. However, thanks to Nvidia’s DXR Spotlight contest, game developers and content creators were able to showcase just what this technology is capable of – from ray-traced reflections and shadows to ambient occlusion and illumination to produce life-like effects, even in real time. Now that ray tracing is the hot new technology behind the biggest PC games, we thought it was about time to dive into exactly what it is, how to do it, and the best ray tracing games. And, because we keep hearing more and more about this technology every single day, we’ll be sure to keep this guide updated with all the latest and greatest ray tracing news, so be sure to keep this page bookmarked. What is ray tracing?Ray tracing is a rendering technique that can produce incredibly realistic lighting effects. Essentially, an algorithm can trace the path of light, and then simulate the way that the light interacts with the virtual objects it ultimately hits in the computer-generated world. We've seen in-game lighting effects become more and more realistic over the years, but the benefits of ray tracing are less about the light itself and more about how it interacts with the world. Ray tracing allows for dramatically more lifelike shadows and reflections, along with much-improved translucence and scattering. The algorithm takes into account where the light hits and calculates the interaction and interplay much like the human eye would process real light, shadows, and reflections, for example. The way light hits objects in the world also affects which colors you see. With enough computational power available, it's possible to produce incredibly realistic CG images that are nearly indistinguishable from real life. But that's the problem: even a well-equipped gaming PC only has so much GPU power to work with, let alone a modern game console. Ray tracing is used extensively when developing computer graphics imagery for films and TV shows, but that's because studios can harness the power of an entire server farm (or cloud computing) to get the job done. And even then, it can be a long, laborious process. Doing it on the fly has been far too taxing for existing gaming hardware. Traditionally, video games have used rasterization instead. This is a speedier way to render computer graphics. It converts the 3D graphics into 2D pixels to display on your screen, but rasterization requires shaders to depict realistic lighting. Luckily, we’re starting to see a lot of PC games take advantage of the specialized hardware in the latest Nvidia graphics cards to use real time ray tracing instead, though rasterization will still be needed in most games, at least until it’s feasible to fully ray trace lighting engines in games. So, even if right now the results aren’t super mind-blowing, we’re seeing a groundwork being laid out that should lead to some incredible effects. We could see a total revolution in the way PC games are rendered, and we’re at the ground floor right now. Ray tracing gamesRight now, there are only 5 games that use Nvidia ray tracing tech, and only a few big name AAA titles. However, because this is the hot new graphics technology on the block, you can expect plenty more ray tracing games to show up over the next year or so. And, if the PS5 and Xbox Project Scarlett have large libraries of ray traced games, you can bet your bottom dollar that the PC will get them too. Here are all the ray tracing games you can play right now, and the flavor of RTX effects they use.
Now, admittedly that’s not a lot of games that showcase Nvidia’s premiere technology, but don’t worry – there are plenty of other games that will soon use ray tracing. For instance, Remedy’s Control will use Nvidia’s RTX tech to great effect, with ray traced reflections, shadows and global illumination – you can expect this game to be gorgeous, and it may even melt your computer (in a good way). And, at Gamescom 2019, we got a look at a ton of new games that will be implementing this technology, and how it will look in each of these games. Nvidia isn't holding any developer back, and we're starting to see some incredibly powerful implementations of the technology. For instance, Minecraft will have fully path-traced lighting. We were able to get our hands on the extremely popular game and we can honestly say that it completely transforms the way the game looks. Even now that we have a larger roster of upcoming games that are featuring the technology, we have a better idea of what ray tracing in games will look like. Still, because the technology is so new, we're sure that developers will keep finding ways to surprise us. Until then, though, here are all the announced ray tracing games coming in the future.
Either way, we’re sure many more developers are willing to jump on the ray-traced bandwagon, and we’ll update this page just as soon as we hear of any others. Ray tracing graphics cardsIn 2019, the only graphics cards that support real time ray tracing come from Nvidia. AMD has said that it wants to tackle ray tracing at some point in the future, and while it will technically work on AMD graphics cards, it will turn any game you enable it in into a veritable slideshow. With that, we’d advise going with at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 if you want to live your life ray traced. However, if you can fork over the cash for something like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, you’re going to have a much better experience – which might make up for the giant hole in your wallet. So, we went ahead and gathered up all the graphics cards that officially support real time ray tracing down below. Spoilers: they all have “RTX” in the name.
Ray tracing performanceWithout getting into any specific charts and numbers – though we will update this article with those in the near future – it’s easy to see that enabling these eye-catching effects will impact your gaming performance in a huge way. It’s not uncommon to see massive frame drops when enabling these effects. For instance, in Metro Exodus at 3,440 x 1,440 with the ‘Extreme’ preset we get around 41 fps with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, however, once we enable ray tracing with the Ultra setting, performance plummets, averaging around 23 fps. It’s definitely still playable, but you can feel the cut to frame rates. Luckily, this game uses DLSS technology, which essentially uses AI to upscale from a lower resolution. And, if you enable this option, you can get more fps: for instance in the same Metro Exodus test with Extreme quality settings and ray tracing on Ultra, we got up to 44 fps with DLSS enabled. So, essentially, if you’re looking to enable ray tracing, you’re going to have to be conservative with your resolution. If you’re looking to play ray traced games at 4K, you’ll absolutely need a 2080 Ti in your computer. However, if all you can justify is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, then you should have no problems getting playable performance at 1080p with ray tracing enabled.
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| Fake VPN website delivers malware Posted: 20 Aug 2019 11:00 AM PDT Criminals are cloning the website of popular VPN software to try and trick users into downloading malware. According to new research, the cybercriminals responsible for breaching and utilizing the website of the free video editor VSDC to distribute malware have begun to create fake websites to accomplish the same goal. Previously the group hacked legitimate websites to use their download links to spread malware but now they have turned to cloning websites to deliver the Win32.Bolik.2 banking Trojan to the devices of unsuspecting users.
The cybercriminals have created a perfect clone of NordVPN's website to trick users into downloading the Win32.Bolik.2 banking Trojan which was discovered by researchers at Doctor Web. In addition to being an almost exact copy of the company's website, the cloned website even has a valid SSL certificate issued by the open certificate authority Let's Encrypt. This helps the fake website appear more legitimate while also allowing it to bypass browser security checks. Cloned websitesIn a blog post announcing their discovery, Doctor Web's researchers explained what the Win32.Bolik.2 banking Trojan is capable of after being installed on a user's device, saying: “The Win32.Bolik.2 trojan is an improved version of Win32.Bolik.1 and has qualities of a multicomponent polymorphic file virus. Using this malware, hackers can perform web injections, traffic intercepts, keylogging and steal information from different bank-client systems.” The cybercriminals behind this malicious campaign are focusing on English-speaking targets and thousands of users have already visited the fake NordVPN website according to the researchers. Upon visiting the cloned site, users are prompted to download the NordVPN client just as they would be on the legitimate site. To avoid arousing suspicion, the fake site installs the actual VPN client but also leaves the Win32.Bolik.2 banking Trojan on a user's system as well. As the group's tactics have been successful so far, expect to see other similar cloned sites being utilized to infect user's systems with malware in the future.
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| Get hands on with ASUS’ ROG Phone II at PAX West 2019 Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:53 AM PDT Mobile gaming may be most famous for free-to-play, hyper-casual apps, but the success of mobile ports of blockbuster games like PUBG and Fortnite proves that gamers are ready for more robust mobile experiences. Combine that with the imminent rise of cloud-based streaming, and your smartphone is due for an explosion of games that you’d typically only see on a PC or console. That’s why it’s unfortunate that most smartphone manufacturers aren’t ready for the rise of hardcore mobile gaming! Each generation of phones is getting more raw power, but any discerning PC gamer will tell you that CPU power isn’t everything. You need a phone designed like a gaming laptop, with the graphics, battery, cooling and accessories to match. At PAX West 2019, you’ll get your first glimpse at a next-gen phone that brings all that and more to the table. Come to the Republic of Gamers (ROG) booth at PAX West any day from August 30th to September 2nd, and you’ll get a hands on with the ROG Phone II, the powerful gaming smartphone so anticipated by gamers and techies that it sold out online in 73 seconds. At the booth visitors will have a chance to play a demo of their favorite mobile battle royale—Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds or Fortnite—on a device designed to make touch-screen gaming much more intuitive. Come and try out the mobile behemoth so many people are desperate to get their hands on. Because the ROG Phone II comes packed with specs that will make PUBG and Fortnite look run better than it ever has on your current phone. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus CPU can clock speeds from 2.84GHz up to 2.96GHz, and its customized Adreno 640 GPU can run at up to 672MHz, almost 100 MHz faster than the regular 640. Combine that with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage, and you have a lethal combo of instant app installs, shortened game loading times, higher frame rate maximums and the capacity to run games on higher settings. All this power could turn an average phone into a flaming rectangle, but ROG engineers found room for a GameCool II heatsink with a 3D “vapor chamber” to keep your system running smoothly. You can even be extra safe and clip on its AeroActive Cooler II accessory fan and cool things down an extra 3.5º C. Typically, once you buy a smartphone you’re stuck with whatever specs and design came out of the box. If your phone runs hot, you either live with it or drop another grand on a better one. The Phone II is unique in its modular design, built to give gamers options for improving their mobile experience in different ways. Other accessories for the ROG Phone II include a TwinView Dock for dual-screen action (think Nintendo DS), a gamepad that lets you slide joystick controllers on either side of the phone like Switch joy-cons, and a desktop dock for turning mobile gaming into a more big-screen experience. It may sound like ROG has essentially turned its phone into a mini-gaming console or laptop, but mobile gaming comes with very specific challenges, and ROG had to find solutions to make such a comparison viable. For example, the vsync tech that reduces tearing for mobile games also locks a game’s frame rate to the max refresh rate of the display screen itself. So ROG gave its newest OLED display a max of 120Hz, compared to 90Hz on the previous ROG Phone. That’s a potential 120fps on a 2340x1080 resolution HDR screen, which is exactly as wide as it sounds. Beyond mimicking ultrawide gaming monitors, this horizontal real estate gives vital room for the on-screen control interface, so your UI doesn’t block half the screen and stop you from spotting your enemies. Plus, there’s the simple fact that touchscreen controls can be slower and less reliable than a controller or keyboard. So ROG added AirTriggers with a 20ms response time, reduced its touch-to-response latency to “35% less” than competing smartphones according to ROG, and the touch screen has a 240Hz response rate, which is double what the nearest competitors offer. A short booth visit won’t let you see all of the ROG Phone II’s upsides. Its massive 6000 mAh battery capacity probably won’t matter if ROG keeps it charged with one of the phone’s 2 USB Type-C ports. And while its twin speakers with DTS:X Ultra processing would sound like a symphony at home, we can’t guarantee it will cut through the crowded PAX hubbub. Still, all of these freakishly good specs will make your mobile gaming experience anything but casual, and we strongly encourage that people with PAX West tickets check out the booth for themselves and turn all of these impressive numbers into a tactile, seeing-is-believing experience. |
| The Apple Card is here in the US, and you can get one in minutes Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:50 AM PDT Apple has officially announced via a press release that its Apple Card, an actual credit card launched in partnership with Goldman Sachs and MasterCard, is available now for everyone in the US. “We’re thrilled with the overwhelming interest in Apple Card and its positive reception,” Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey said in the press release. “Customers have told us they love Apple Card’s simplicity and how it gives them a better view of their spending.” The Apple Card touts several tech-savvy features, like zero fees and an easy-to-understand management app interface that promotes transparency of a user's financial activity and apparently encourages users to pay less interest... somehow. While the Apple Card is a true-to-life physical credit card – that comes in metal, no less – the company intends for users to manage and use their Apple Card through the Wallet app on their iPhones. For the past few weeks at the time of writing, Apple allowed many to test out the Apple Card in a beta test. Today, anyone in the US can apply for the Apple Card right now through the Wallet app and, once approved, use the card digitally in minutes. Why an Apple Card?The Apple Card brings with it several more attractive, quality-of-life features that Apple hopes will paint it as the credit card of the future. These include a Daily Cash program that gives users a percentage of several qualifying purchases with key partners, particularly Uber, in a neatly contained "Apple Cash" pool from which they can apply that cash to other purchases. Daily Cash includes 2% when using the Apple Card through Apple Pay, 3% when buying anything from Apple's online and physical stores and services and 1% on all purchases made using the titanium Apple Card. Apple Card users also have access to 24/7 support simply by texting a contact in Messages on iPhone, and due to the card's supposedly supreme security, not even Apple is aware of the specifics of users' Apple Card transactions. But, ultimately, the Apple Card is the latest in the company's attempts to keep its existing user base within its ecosystem however possible amid slipping hardware sales. Not only can Apple be your phone, your laptop, your watch and your headphones, but now Apple is also your music service, your TV service, your cloud storage and – today – in a way, your money.
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| The best Windows tablets 2019: all of the top Windows tablets reviewed Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:35 AM PDT The best Windows tablets are only getting better. Not only are they excellent for streaming movies, chatting with friends and playing casual games. However, because of their lightweight designs and powerful components, they’re among the best 2-in-1 laptops alternatives on the market. Because they offer the best of both worlds and because of the versatility offered by these best Windows tablets, it’s not hard to see why they’re so universally beloved. From light and slim showstoppers to processor-hungry powerhouses, the best Windows tablets – some of which also makes our best tablets list – have something for everyone. Still, considering that there are hundreds of Windows tablets on the market right now, it does make it harder to find the right one or the best value for you. Lucky for you, we here at TechRadar have you covered. We found the best Windows tablets, testing and reviewing them ourselves, and put together this list. What, you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. The Microsoft Surface Go fulfills that large demand for a budget Surface device, while also being among the best Windows tablets for anyone who wants to do a bit of work on the go. It’s thin, light, portable and elegant like its more expensive cousins, but it has a price tag that’s a bit more affordable for regular users, thanks to Microsoft packing in everything they could in a device with a reasonable price tag. If you’re a student, or just someone who wants to consume some media while traveling, including playing some of the best laptop games on an airplane, then you can’t go wrong with the Microsoft Surface Go. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go Touted by Lenovo as ‘an IT admin’s dream,’ the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet indeed boasts many of the makings of such a device. That includes dual Thunderbolt ports for faster data transfers, Windows Hello login via fingerprint reader, and the optional IR camera for a more secure login and Microsoft AutoPilot readiness. And, that’s without mentioning the SSD and battery that are field serviceable so that you can get a certified technician to come to you if you need parts replaced. But that’s not all; it’s also got a light and sleek chassis, and it comes with the ThinkPad Pen Pro, which means it’s great value all around. Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup is the epitome of what other Windows tablets should strive for – and the Surface Pro 6 has followed in its predecessors’ footsteps. While it doesn’t bring anything particularly fresh to the table, it does iterate in a relevant way, inheriting all the best parts then rolling out with more powerful hardware and a new black color option to boot. The Surface Pen and Type Cover are still for purchase and not included in the box, but that’s just the reality we have to live with these days. Either way, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 easily tops our list of the best Windows tablets you can buy today. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 6 The Acer Switch used to be a more affordable alternative to the Surface Pro. These days, the Acer Switch 5 will cost you just as much, but that’s also for comparable specs except perhaps an older processor. Price increase aside, this tablet is still one of the best Windows tablets – not to mention, best performing – out there, and it’s an ideal solution for students and professionals who don’t want to buy into the Surface trend. Read the full review: Acer Switch 5 The Lenovo Yoga Book C930 is a genuinely innovative 2-in-1 laptop, with a second E Ink display that moonlights as a keyboard, a pad for making notes and drawing and a traditional E Ink reader for viewing documents. It's perhaps this second stunning screen that's the biggest selling point of the Lenovo Yoga Book C930. That fact that it's thin and light makes it an excellent tablet as well. If you're looking for a laptop that doubles as a tablet and a drawing pad, this one's an ace in our book. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book C930 Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article Images credit: TechRadar
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| Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:34 AM PDT When you take stock of everything the best Acer laptops have to offer, it’ll make a lot of sense to opt for one when you’re ready to replace your old laptop or upgrade to a more powerful one. The best Acer laptops combine affordability with reliability and top-notch performance, only compromising on things that won’t matter as much, especially to budget-minded buyers. And, that’s exactly why we had to put together a list of the best Acer laptops on the market today, so that whether you’re looking for a lightweight Chromebook or a robust gaming machine, you’ll find the best match on here. What’s even better is that we’ve tested and reviewed these Acer laptops ourselves, so each has our seal of approval. Look past Acer Swift 3's unassuming exterior, and you'll find a superb laptop that's more than powerful enough for work and study. The Swift 3 (not to be confused with the Switch 3 below) is a budget laptop, but that plain chassis is all-aluminium and packed with beefy components. In terms of performance, it comes surprisingly close to the far more expensive Microsoft Surface Laptop. Its screen is a little lower-res, but the two are otherwise strikingly similar - other than the price. This laptop is a pleasure to use; its trackpad is roomy, and its backlit keyboard offers a pleasant typing experience with decent travel. If you're going to be writing a lot on the move or at the office, here’s one of the best Acer laptops for you. Read the full review: Acer Swift 3 If you've had your eye on a Microsoft Surface Pro, but your wallet is holding you back, then this Acer 2-in-1 laptop is for you. The Acer Switch 3 is fast and responsive enough for designers, but will make half as much of a dent in your savings. Its touchscreen is sensitive and bright with good viewing angles – essential for a device whose strong hinge allows it to be used in an infinite number of configurations. It isn’t the lightest convertible you'll ever lay your hands on, but it feels reassuringly well made. Pick it up, and you know it's a robust device that'll stand up to the occasional knock when you're on the move, as well as among the best Acer laptops to creatives. Read the full review: Acer Switch 3 Modest workloads have nothing on the Acer Swift 5, whose incredibly light chassis packs enough punch to see you through web design and after hours entertainment, after it’s already lasted you an entire work day. There’s no doubt this is one of the best Acer laptops the company has rolled out yet. Beyond its performance, there’s its stunning display on which any movie or game looks good. It isn’t perfect, but none of those limitations are serious enough to put potential users off. Read the full review: Acer Swift 5 The Acer Predator Triton 500 isn’t what you’d call cheap, but seeing as it’s one of the best Acer laptops – as well as one of the most powerful gaming machines – it’s worth blowing your budget for. It’s fitted with Intel’s 8th and 9th generation chips as well as Nvidia RTX cards, giving it enough juice to get through the most demanding AAA games. The lid is slightly flimsy, but that won’t affect its overall performance. Read the full review: Acer Predator Triton 500 The display isn’t anything to write home about, while the construction is a bit flimsy. However, this budget laptop delivers more than you’d expect from its asking price. There are a few things to love here – that is, on top of the fact that it will get you through your daily workload seamlessly – including a huge trackpad, a comfortable keyboard and a variety of ports. It isn’t much for gaming, but for productivity’s sake, it’s among the best Acer laptops. Read the full review: Acer Aspire E 15 The Acer Predator Helios 500 is a beast in almost every sense of the word, from its powerful components that can handle any game you throw at it to its massive size. It’s designed for hardcore gamers who have zero tolerance for common gaming issues that result from having less power under the hood. If you’re looking for a monstrous mobile PC gaming machine, this is one of the best Acer laptops to grace your desk. Read the full review: Acer Predator Helios 500 At a mid-range price, it's easy not to expect much from the Spin 5, but that'd be wrong. Acer Spin 5 offers decent performance, design and battery life for the price, sacrificing display and speakers so that it can get you through most computing and productivity tasks without issues. And that decent battery life will last you a while without charging. Read the full review: Acer Spin 5 It may not be available at the Acer store anymore. However, third party stores are still selling it, which means bargains can be had if you know where to look. And this Chromebook is definitely worth taking the time for, with its versatile 2-in-1 design, simple yet attractive design and a decent battery life. And that definitely hits that sweet spot, making this among the best Acer laptops to purchase if you’re trying to save some cash. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook R11 Despite some limitations that aren’t exactly deal-breakers, the Acer Chromebook Spin 15 is an incredible, if lightweight, device with a talent for multi-tasking and handling several processor-hungry tasks while hardly breaking a sweat. And that impressive battery life of 13 hours? Well, it will outlast yours so you can get all your work done then watch an episode of your favorite show without needing to charge. The best part, you’ll get all that without splurging. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 15 Revamping its thinnest and lightest, Acer has given the Swift 7 an improved design, supreme portability and a decent performance that will please anyone who needs a laptop they can carry just about anywhere. Bear in mind that the svelte design comes at a cost, but if you’re willing to pay for it for convenience, it’s definitely worth the splurge and perhaps the perfect match of all the best Acer laptops for you. Read the full review: Acer Swift 7
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| Ransomware mutations double in 2019 Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:22 AM PDT During the second quarter of this year, researchers at Kaspersky detected 16,017 new ransomware modifications including ones belonging to eight new malware families which is a dangerous sign that criminal activity is intensifying online. The number of ransomware modifications discovered by the cybersecurity firm is more than double the number of new samples detected during the same period last year. Kaspersky's new IT Threat Evolution Q2 2019 report also revealed that 232,292 unique users were targeted by ransomware attacks which marks a 46 percent increase when compared to the number of users who fell victim to similar attacks in Q2 of 2018.
The countries hit the hardest by ransomware during the second quarter of 2019 were Bangladesh (9%), Uzbekistan (6%) and Mozambique (4%). Ransomware familiesWannaCry remained the ransomware family that attacked users most often in Q2 2019 (23.4% of cases) despite the fact that Microsoft released a patch for its operating system to close the vulnerability exploited by the ransomware two months before the start of its widespread and destructive attacks two years ago. Gandcrab was another major actor responsible for 13.8 percent of attacks even though its creators publicly announced that the ransomware would no longer be distributed. Security researcher at Kaspersky, Fedor Sinitsyn explained that a new ransomware will likely emerge to fill the gap left by Gandcrab, saying: “In this quarter we observed an increase in the number of new ransomware modifications, even though the Gandcrab family closed down in early June. The GandCrab ransomware family has long been one of the most popular cryptors amongst cybercriminals. For more than 18 months it has stayed in the list of the most rampant ransomware families we detect, but even its decline did not lower the statistics, as there are still other numerous widespread Trojans. "The GandCrab case is a good illustration of how effective ransomware can be, with its creators stopping their malicious activity after claiming they made a tremendous amount of money by extorting funds from their victims. We expect new actors to replace GandCrab and urge everyone to protect their devices by installing software updates regularly and choosing a reliable security solution.” To avoid falling victim to a ransomware attack, Kaspersky recommends that users update their operating system, use an updated security solution and keep local backup copies of their files just in case.
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| Connecting the Arctic: Q&A with Inmarsat Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:00 AM PDT Providing high-speed mobile connectivity to remote locations is a formidable challenge that London-based Inmarsat has been able to accomplish thanks to its global network of satellites. Now the firm is preparing to launch two new satellite payloads to service the Arctic region in a partnership with Space Norway and its subsidiary Space Norway HEOSAT. TechRadar Pro spoke with Inmarsat’s CEO, Rupert Pearce to learn more about the upcoming launches and how its expanded coverage will benefit both businesses and governments.
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| Hurry! Three's 'half price for six months' unlimited data phone deals are coming to an end Posted: 20 Aug 2019 09:59 AM PDT For the HD streamers and gamers of the world, having a data cap is the ultimate burden and while unlimited data contracts are a readily available option, they're not exactly cheap. That's why Three's half price unlimited data deals have been just so tempting. Unfortunately, it's a promotion that Three will now be bringing to an end at 11.59pm on Thursday, 22 August meaning if you wanted to get involved with this offer you'll have to act very quickly. For those less informed on the world of Three mobile deals, let us break this offer down. On any unlimited data contract from Three - both SIM only and phones - you can cut the monthly bills in half for the first six months. For example, that could mean scoring an unlimited data iPhone XR for £29 a month (saving £174) or a SIM only offer for just £10. Once those first six months are over, you will go back to paying for the full price but those bargain months really will help to slash your bills right down. So if you're in need of some serious internet data limits, consult the top deals down below or head to Three to see all of Three's cut price offers in full. We've also got a list of the best mobile phone deals if you happen to miss this sale. Three's half price SIM only and mobile phone deals:Not seeing your dream handset in the list above? There are loads of other handsets you can grab with this promotion from Three, including the likes of the iPhone XS, Apple iPhone 8, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and many more. Head over to the Three website for even more. Why go with Three?If you haven't already been won over by these amazing offers then you'll be excited to hear that Three doesn't shy away from offering up some extra incentives as well. Whether that be free exclusive prizes or extra roaming. You can see all of best parts of a Three SIM only deal or Three mobile deals down below.
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| Best touchscreen laptops 2019: the best touchsceen laptops we've tapped this year Posted: 20 Aug 2019 09:26 AM PDT For better or worse, the best touchscreen laptops have completely changed the laptop scene. Whether you’re considering one of the more touch-friendly operating systems like Windows 10 and Chrome OS to saving up for one of those drawing apps, there are more reasons now than ever before to opt for one of the best touchscreen laptops. The explosion of best 2-in-1 laptops does nothing but confirm this. In 2019, it does seem like every laptop under the sun has touchscreen capabilities. However, while that’s not far from the truth, not all touchscreen laptops are created equal. For example, although most will detect basic finger scrolling up or down a web page, the best touchscreen laptops are finely tuned for precise digital pen utility, and even have some specialized features. With this in mind, we found all the best touchscreen laptops for everyone – from note takers to digital artists. You don’t even have to want to be a part of the touchscreen revolution. You could just be looking to upgrade to the next best thing or need some tech-savvy gifts in time for the holidays. Whatever it is that you need one of the best touchscreen laptops for, you’ve come to the right place. The touch model in the Dell XPS 13 line has every single thing we love about this highly-rated laptop, from its updated 8th-gen processor to its battery life boost. Of course, the display also inherits that excellent quality, with top-notch color reproduction, HDR features and 400 nits of brightness – not to mention, bezels that are practically non-existent. What’s even better is that it boasts that covetable 4K touchscreen feature, making it all the more useful for many productivity and creative endeavors. Is there any doubt why this tops our best touchscreen laptops list? Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 Chromebook fans practically worship the Asus Chromebook Flip, and so will those users who might be in the market for a lightweight (at least ons the inside) laptop with touchscreen functionality. Its stunning screen, which gets pulled tightly against the underside of the notebook by a magnetic clasp when in tablet mode, is sharp and vibrant – not to mention, very responsive. Whether you’re in laptop mode or doing some creative stuff in tablet mode, you’ll enjoy the seamlessness of the experience, making this one of the best touchscreen laptops. Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip If a 13-inch slimline 2-in-1 laptop that gets you through your day-to-day, whether for productivity or for entertainment and Internet browsing, is what you need, then you cannot go wrong with Envy x360's AMD upgrade. This not only packs the latest AMD mobile CPU, but also boasts a premium chassis that will be the envy of other laptops at your office. Better yet, it offers 9 hours of video playback, which means it'll last you through the work day without charging. Read the full review: HP Envy x360 (2019) Over the last few years, Microsoft has been hard at work in designing some of the best touchscreen laptops on the market. Devices like the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 are brilliant. However, it’s the new Surface Laptop 2 that takes the cake, flawlessly merging that traditional laptop form factor with touchscreen technology in the most compelling way possible. Not only is its display beautiful, but it also boasts a gorgeous chassis and a powerful hardware behind it. Some may lament the absence of Thunderbolt 3, but when it already does so many things right, it’s hard not to love the Surface Laptop 2. Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2 The Samsung Chromebook Pro is akin to an extremely large Samsung Note device in that it has a stowable stylus and an incredible touchscreen for handwriting notes. What’s better, every single thing you write down on the Samsung Chromebook Pro is saved to Google Keep, which then digitizes your handwriting into a text document for convenient searching later. And, when you take into consideration its access to the Google Play Store for all the best Android apps, it isn’t hard to see why this is one of the best touchscreen laptops. Read the full review: Samsung Chromebook Pro
The HP Spectre x360 is not only one of the best touchscreen laptops out there, but it’s also one of the best laptops, full stop. It strikes that perfect balance between tablet and laptop. As a tablet, it has superbly slim bezels for entertainment and is light enough to hold for a long time. As a laptop, it can power through any work you throw at it without having to scramble for the nearest outlet, with its long battery life and powerful full-fat Ultrabook processors. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 Not only is the new Lenovo Yoga C930 one of the best hybrid laptops we’ve tested to date, but it’s also deserving of a spot on our best touchscreen laptops list. It’s all thanks to that high-quality IPS Glossy touchscreen display that extends stylus support and is available in both Full HD and 4K, nifty if you work with high resolution photos. Get all your productivity tasks out of the way, and after work, throw in some decent gaming. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C930 The Surface Book 2 15-inch delivers the same great touch and pen experience as the Surface Pro, yes. However, it also takes it to a new level by touting a larger screen and extremely beefier hardware. Thanks to its quad-core processor and potent discrete GPU, it’s well-equipped to handle your most demanding art projects, not to mention some of the best PC games you’re currently addicted to. If this isn’t one of the best touchscreen laptops on the market right now, we don’t know what is. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch) Budget shoppers seeking touchscreen functionality will appreciate the value the Lenovo Yoga C630 offers. This 2-in-1 starts at $629 (about £517, A$927), with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB of SSD storage and integrated Qualcomm graphics. That means that it’s a lightweight option for those folks who aren’t entirely convinced by the Chrome OS environment. It has a few aces as well, including the Lenovo Active Pen, a Fingerprint Reader and more than 23 hours of battery life. And, what of the display? It’s a 13.3-inch, wide-angle FHD stunner with touchscreen functionality. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C630 In the market for a potent powerhouse and you have the funds to splurge, then Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation is among the best touchscreen laptops for you. It has several configurations on hand, depending on your needs and budget. At its most basic, however, it’s already pretty powerful, packed with a solid graphics card and a 4K multi-touch display that is an absolute knockout. For gamers, this display also boasts the Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) technology for top-notch image quality. Read the full review: ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation Michelle Rae Uy, Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas have also contributed to this article
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| Huawei ban: the global fallout explained Posted: 20 Aug 2019 09:19 AM PDT Update: The US government has extended its ban to 46 Huawei affiliates by adding them to the Entity List. While they also let US companies work with Huawei for another 90 days, it's clear the extra time is for them to wean off of the Chinese tech giant's products and services. If that wasn't bad enough, the UK is said to be reconsidering Huawei's role in its 5G infrastructure - which is disconcerting for the Chinese company given all four major carriers use its tech in their networks. Huawei has found itself at the center of a global tussle between the US and China after Trump administration placed the Chinese brand on the 'entity list', limiting the business US companies could do with it, and leading to worldwide implications. It led to Google blocking Huawei's future access to Android updates, UK-based chip designer ARM has ceased all activities with the brand, and multiple retailers and networks around the world have had to stop dealing with Huawei for fear of sanctions from the US government. There have been a few reprieves though, as on May 20 the US Commerce Department issued a temporary license for Huawei to work with businesses in the US, meaning US companies can resume partnerships with the brand on a short term basis. Read more about the Huawei ban:
While the WiFi Alliance and the SD Association, the standards-making bodies that govern the technology used for connectivity and mobile storage ejected Huawei preventing the company its chance of shaping the future of these technologies, the Chinese company has since been reinstated. By July, things took a turn in Huawei's favor, with President Trump suggesting the Huawei ban could soon be over at the G20 summit in Japan, and by mid-July, some US companies were permitted to trade with Huawei. In isolation, this isn't the silver bullet Huawei need, as the specifics of this relaxation to the ban are still unclear, but by mid-July, reports hinted that within two to four weeks, Huawei and US companies could resume trading. In the face of all of these setbacks, Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei maintained a positive outlook for the brand, stating: "We will certainly be able to continue serving our customers. "Our mass production capacity is huge, and adding Huawei to the Entity List won't have a huge impact on us. We are making progress in bidding worldwide." While it was promising to see the US government allow companies with pre-existing deals to continue supplying Huawei for 90 days, the renewal of that limited license in mid-August came with an extension of the ban to 46 Huawei affiliates seemed to dash those hopes. It seems the new period is just to give US companies more time to detach from Huawei: “As we continue to urge consumers to transition away from Huawei’s products, we recognize that more time is necessary to prevent any disruption,” US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement, according to The New York Times. What does the ban mean if I have a Huawei phone?Perhaps the most useful piece of information about current Huawei phones is Google's statement issued to TechRadar: "We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications. For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices," a spokesperson told us. That's good news if you’ve just spent large amounts of money on a Huawei P30 Pro: as alluded to above, current devices from the Chinese brand will continue to get security updates and access to the Play Store for the foreseeable future, as Google has promised not to leave those out in the cold. The temporary lifting of the ban will also allow the two brands to prepare better Android support for current and future models, meaning that Huawei will be able to do business as it has been – so current customers will be able to benefit for longer. Google has since resumed its relationship with Huawei, to enable it to deliver benefits for longer. Huawei has also said to TechRadar that it will continue to do all it can to support the phones currently out in the wild, and is looking at other implications of Google's decision. The company told us: “Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefited both users and the industry. The Honor sub-brand of Huawei is also subject to the same constraints. Image credit: TechRadar "Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.” Huawei Australia has echoed the sentiment, also claiming that “those that are planning to buy a Huawei device in the near future” will not have to worry about the sanctions, according to Huawei Australia’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Jeremy Mitchell. We've asked for comment regarding the recent lifting of the ban, but Huawei declined. With recent developments, it is looking more likely that the flexible Mate X to launch with 'full fat' Android, along with the upcoming Mate 30-series. It's spent enormous sums marketing that model since the unveiling in February and is keen to lock in its reputation as a technological leader. It looks like the bendable phone will, at least, be delayed though - the CEO of UK network EE said, during the launch of its 5G networks, that the brand had temporarily paused stocking the phone while it worked to understand the implications of the trade ban. UK retailer Dixons Carphone has followed suit, halting plans to bring the 5G handset to launch as planned while the UK gears up to enter the next phase of connectivity. So while the fact remains that current models will be offered speedy updates, it's unclear how long these will last for, and the fact networks are already getting jittery about the sanctions isn't going to make anything easier for Huawei. While most smartphone brands will honor security updates for two to three years after launch of a new handset, one might expect this to be much shorter in the case of Huawei phones, given these restrictions from Google. What about future Huawei phones?Image credit: TechRadar If it happens, the move from Google means it will no longer work with Huawei directly on issuing updates to its system, and won't give the company access to the Google Play Store. This is a potentially critical blow to the Chinese brand, which only recently spoke out about its plans to be the world's largest smartphone manufacturer. This means that if Huawei wants to keep using the Android operating system, it will need to use the Android Open Source Platform (AOSP), which is a free system that any brand can use as an underlying foundation for its products. However along with the Google Play Store it won’t have access to the core Google apps like YouTube, Google Maps and Chrome – these are core elements of Google's business that it's not duty bound to make available to anyone. Without access to the Play Store, Huawei would be forced to work directly with developers to get them to create versions of their wares for its phones. This situation would be similar to that of Amazon’s Fire OS, which is based on AOSP but has its own app store, as the retail giant seeks to control the platform its Fire tablets and Echo devices run on. If Huawei does have to use AOSP, the consequences could be devastating, as access to a fully-stocked app store is crucial to the success of any modern smartphone – Nokia and Microsoft failed to make Windows Phones a viable alternative to Android and Apple’s iOS, even though both brands poured millions into developer tools and enticing the top app creators onto their platform. However, Huawei has claimed that it's been developing its own alternative to Android for nearly seven years, calling it a 'Plan B' that’s ready to go should it lose access to the services listed above. Previously codenamed HongMeng OS, the operating system's final name (as predicted by a registration in Europe) is HarmonyOS, and stating its alternative operating system will be launched either at the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020, and would work across "mobile phones, computers, tablets, TVs, cars and smart wearable devices." More recently, Huawei is reported to have filed "Hongmeng" trademarks in the EU as well as multiple countries, including Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Cambodia, and Peru. In the latest statement to TechRadar, Huawei said: "We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally," which sounds like it already wants to generate some positive hype around its alternative OS. However, Huawei also said it would rather continue working with brands like Google and Microsoft (whose Windows operating system runs on Huawei laptops) to offer the best experience - a sentiment it has since offered around all its suppliers, hinting strongly that it hopes to resume actions when this ban is lifted. Huawei is also claiming that it can still create smartphones and other equipment with the components it has stockpiled before the ban, as well as creating new partnerships around the world. The brand has continued to state it believes working with international partners remains the best course of action - although has confirmed it's looking at how to manage as much as possible within its own country. The Google Play Store is a key part of attracting users. Image credit: TechRadar. "Huawei has been working hard on developing its own AppGallery and other software assets in a similar manner to its work on chipset solutions." Ben Woods, Chief of Research at CCS Insight, told TechRadar. "There is little doubt these efforts are part of its desire to control its own destiny." If Huawei loses access to the Google Play Store, it would take an enormous amount of investment to attract developers to create app options that would keep users of its smartphones happy – and you have to wonder whether the brand would feel it was worth continuing to make phones at all when faced with that kind of hurdle. The same would also apply to Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei phones, in the future. Honor might have tried to distance itself from its parent company, but it’s been confirmed that it will be subject to the same sanctions. However, the launch of that brand’s Honor 20 smartphone went ahead as planned and made no mention of the issues facing its parent company – so it’s clear that devices currently created and in the supply chain are still going to be supported in the Android ecosystem. Since the news of the Android suspension, more details have emerged about Huawei's plans for the App Gallery on the HongMeng OS: it's been reported that the brand is offering app developers access to Chinese users, as well as financial incentives to networks to add its app portal to phones. Developers would be able to simply and quickly tweak their Android apps to work on Huawei's platform, and theoretically have access to a huge Chinese user base - although it remains to be seen whether Huawei phones will continue to be sold in strong enough numbers worldwide for developers to update and maintain their apps. What of the ARM news, is it truly damaging?A huge issue facing Huawei is that chip designer ARM isn't going to work with the brand for the short term. That may seem odd, as it's a Japanese-owned brand headquartered in the UK, but as its designs use US-based technology, there's a fear this could fall foul of the trade restrictions. If the Huawei ban means it can't use ARM reference designs in its chipsets, it would be incredibly difficult and costly for the brand to replace them - and it may prove to be impossible, which would cast further doubt over the future of Huawei's phone arm. A Huawei spokesperson told the BBC: "We value our close relationships with our partners, but recognize the pressure some of them are under, as a result of politically motivated decisions. "We are confident this regrettable situation can be resolved and our priority remains to continue to deliver world-class technology and products to our customers around the world.” The upcoming Kirin 985 chipset is not believed to be affected, which would mean Huawei looks set to be able to release another cycle of smartphone before the ban truly causes issues, but partners and networks are already starting to react to the US' trade license suspension. However, the loss of ARM support might take a little longer to be felt than previously thought: Huawei has apparently been granted a permanent license over key ARM technology from a few months ago, after it saw potential trouble ahead. This would allow it to keep using these key chip designs for the foreseeable future in its phones, laptops and infrastructure equipment, and the brand has also told TechRadar that it believes it can create ARM-based chipsets for use in its laptops as well, to replace any issues with Intel chip supply. What about other brands? What does this mean for the wider smartphone world?While these sanctions don’t currently affect other brands, the message being sent is clear: global politics can have dramatic implications for the manufacturing and marketing of consumer devices that have become indispensable for billions of people. The Huawei news has sent the some technology stock prices downwards too, affecting the market as a result of the US ban. While there’s currently no issue with brands headquartered in other parts of the world, a similar sanction could see other smartphone manufacturers forced into a costly rethink. A few years ago Samsung seriously threatened a breakaway move from Google’s Android operating system, as it felt the search giant had too much control over the operating system on its Galaxy smartphones. It worked to develop the Tizen OS, which is still used on devices like Samsung's Galaxy smartwatches, triggering negotiations with Google about allowing more freedom for manufacturers. (It’s worth noting that while Samsung did release smartphones based on Tizen, they were budget models, and didn’t come anywhere close to the success of its Galaxy phone range). The big beneficiary here could be Apple – President Trump has long advocated for the brand to move its operations from China to the US, and exempted Apple from the trade tariffs imposed on China so that the brand wouldn’t have to raise its prices. Huawei has been a thorn in Apple’s side of late, with the rise of the Chinese brand seeing it usurp its Cupertino-based rival in the worldwide rankings and become a serious competitor in the premium smartphone space – and Trump clearly wants to see the US tech giant do more of its business back home. Worries of China responding with a sanction on Apple's phones could follow, but Huawei's founder has spoken out, saying that he hopes this does not happen. The Chinese government also doesn't want Apple moving its operations from the country - it would not only be incredibly costly for Apple, which would still need to source many components from Asia to build future iPhones, but also affect the Chinese economy too by losing such a big customer. The loss of Huawei as a major player in the global smartphone market could also have a wider impact on the smartphones other vendors are pushing out. The Chinese brand’s aggressive development of new technological capabilities has forced rivals to significantly improve their devices and push out new advancements of their own, and any diminution of its influence would likely slow the rate of development. Huawei’s smartphone camera prowess has arguably kickstarted a race to offer cameras that deliver ever-better sharpness, color and overall image quality in the last two years – the quality of the pictures it's possible to take on a premium phone has improved dramatically as the brand's P series has relentlessly pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. The company is also in a race with Samsung to bring out the first widely available foldable phone – and the Huawei Mate X’s mere existence surely forced the South Korean brand to speed up its development of a bending handset, meaning consumers will get access to the technology earlier (although Samsung probably would have rather waited to deliver the Galaxy Fold…). Meanwhile, companies in Huawei's supply chain could suffer, and chipmaker Broadcom has adjusted its revenue forecast, as it predicts lower sales due to the ongoing issues with Huawei. Should I buy a P30 or P30 Pro (or any Huawei phone)?If you’re wondering, whether you should buy a P30 or P30 Pro with everything that's going on, Huawei clearly thinks you should. It's been indignant in the face of the bans, with its P30 Pro price holding firm. Considering it was launched four months ago, that's unusually bold for Android smartphone pricing. Its CEO has also claimed that Huawei's new operating system, whatever it ends up being called will be faster than Android. The brand has also opened its largest flagship store outside China, in Madrid, hitting the point home that it’s serious about its European, and the US sanctions placed against it won’t change that. Huawei has, additionally, confirmed it will be rolling out the Android Q update to the P30 Pro (and a number of its other handsets) too, and that apps and services won’t be switched off for existing Huawei devices, which guarantees a degree of future-proofing for the flagship. In turn, we can’t categorically say whether you should or shouldn’t buy a P30 Pro, or another Huawei smartphone, but things are looking up for the tech giant. The recent ban lifting means there's a real chance that negotiations can be entered into with the US government, allowing the brand to prove itself 'safe' and move out from the middle of the trade war between China and the US. This is far from certain, but things certainly look a lot less bleak for the brand, especially if Trump's statement that Huawei could included in a trade deal with China turns out to be true. Google has also confirmed that it's ‘reviewing’ the situation, and the implications of the US sanctions – it doesn’t want to limit the reach of its Android ecosystem, and US brands like Qualcomm are going to be severely impacted by the Huawei restrictions, so will likely lobby to have this decision re-examined. However, if Google is forced to cut Huawei off from future Android security updates and access to the Play Store, then it could not only make things difficult for Huawei, but may cause consumers to view any Chinese brand with suspicion – and given the proliferation and technological prowess of the latest phones coming out of that country, that would also have a huge impact on the industry. So while this move seems to only affect Huawei right now, it's going to have a knock-on effect for the entire industry, and may have implications when it comes to the next smartphone you buy. It could even mean the rise of a new mobile operating system, and potentially a serious challenger to Android. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| OnePlus TV: what do we want to see? Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:57 AM PDT You'll likely know OnePlus as the fast-growing smartphone brand from China, which found a huge following for making high-spec handsets that still manage to sharply undercut the increasingly astronomical price of the competition (we're looking at you, iPhone XS Max). But do you know about the OnePlus TV? UPDATE: We now have an official OnePlus TV release date... sort of, anyway. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the OnePlus TV will launch in September 2019, earlier than the 2020 release date we were anticipating – but only in India to begin with. OnePlus is now looking to repeat the trick with a new smart TV, out sometime in 2020. It will launch first in India and China – with four different model sizes, from a 43-inch TV to a massive 75-inch display – with the possibility of a wider global rollout sometime after. There's talk of a Bluetooth remote, rather than infra-red, that could spell some interesting connectivity options for the set – but what exactly is the OnePlus TV, and what will it do differently from the competition?
Cut to the chase
The OnePlus 6 was one of 2018's best mid-range phones OnePlus TV release dateWhen will the OnePlus TV release? We know know that the smart TV will launch in September 2019, according to a blog post by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau. Lau also verified that the smart TV will initially roll out in India, and that the smartphone company is "working hard to launch OnePlus TV in North America, Europe and China", while OnePlus tries to "establish partnerships" with local and regional content providers. That September release date is a lot earlier than we had initially anticipated: in a December 2018 interview with India's daily newspaper Economic Times, Lau stated that there was no official deadline for launch, but that a 2020 release date was the rough plan. Lau added: "India will be one of the first markets to get the OnePlus TV. It will be available through Amazon. We haven’t set a deadline as yet, as we want it to be the best there is." There's still no official confirmation on the availability of the OnePlus TV in Western markets, though a wider global release beyond Asia will probably depend on how much buzz the product gets on release. OnePlus TV priceThere's no prices yet for the OnePlus TV – or whatever they'll call it – but OnePlus' strategy in the smartphone market has been to offer upper-mid-range products that undercut the competition by about 20-30% of the price. The end price could be in the range of $600 / £500 to $1,000 / £800, depending on who OnePlus decide to lock horns with, but we'd be surprised for it to fall out of those margins. It's probably a safe bet to say it won't be cheaper than the OnePlus 6 handset ($529 / £469), but it's difficult to predict with so little information to go on. In the Economic Times interview, CEO Pete Lau did say to expect "a flagship killer, like we do with smartphones, at a very competitive pricing [sic]". OnePlus TV: what's in a name?OnePlus CEO Pete Lau first announced the set in a blog post on the official OnePlus forum – rather than a flashy launch event – in keeping with the brand's customer-focused outlook. A follow up post a few days later invited forum members to suggest names for the new television – with 10 finalists getting a free pair of OnePlus Bullets Wireless for their suggestions (listed below). OnePlus was careful to note that "the OnePlus team is not obligated to use any suggestions submitted to this contest", though one winner (listed below) will be rewarded with a OnePlus TV and fancy hotel stay for the set's first launch event.
Of course, now we know the OnePlus TV will officially be called what everyone was calling it anyway: the OnePlus TV. OnePlus TV: what we want to seeA mid-sized television set Remember when 40" screens seemed excessive? Today's televisions market is moving towards ever-larger 55" and 65" displays, even as the average home gets smaller. If OnePlus could offer a well-made 40" television that didn't skimp on resolution or smart features – so a modern set that consumers could actually fit in their living rooms – we could see it making a big splash. 4K display 4K is the buzzword of the moment, and failing to match that resolution would make the OnePlus TV a hard sell. Our guess is OnePlus is angling for a mid-quality 4K television – one that doesn't try to compete with the big-screen OLED forerunners but doesn't settle for a low resolution either. That sleek OnePlus design – at a decent price The success of the OnePlus range of smartphones has been in its ability to stay affordable compared to the competition – even if the company has moved more towards high-end devices in recent years. And just as importantly, OnePlus phones look good. The smart TV need to offer a sleek design to stand out and sell itself as a lifestyle item as much as it does as a television. Maybe take a leaf from the smartphone arena with some more imaginative color options (like a limited edition red television)? A standout smart TV plaform Given that the OnePlus smartphone range runs on Android OS, it's unsurprising that the OnePlus TV will run on the Android smart TV platform. A Bluetooth SIG listing oddly describes the set as a "unique Android TV", so we're expecting to see some out-of-the-ordinary features, possible based around a Bluetooth-enabled remote and smartphone connectivity. Google doesn't usually allow third-party alterations to its Android OS, so it'll be interesting to see if OnePlus have been allowed an exception – or what it can include without changing the base software on the television. There are a lot of perks for Android TV, being a widely-used platform and one that comes with Chromecast and therefore a large number of streaming services built in. But it's also prone to software bugs, and what we really want to see in a OnePlus TV is a smooth user experience, which is worth more than all the quantum dots in the world. A connected service We'd hope the OnePlus TV would find smart ways of connecting to handsets: using your phone as a stand-in remote, having a smartphone app to browse the TV guide or flick through the Netflix catalogue, and easy casting of video and images to the set. With the smart home sector larger than ever, it would be really surprising not to see the likes of Alexa and Google Assistant built-in from the get-go, allowing you to connect to other devices around the home with ease. We'll be keeping a close eye on OnePlus TV announcement in the coming months, so stay tuned – if we're sure of anything it's that this will be one to watch. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This leaked PS5 patent gives us our best look at the console design yet Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:54 AM PDT The PS5 is still over a year away from release, but as we hear more about the Sony console's features, specifications, and PS5 games, it's hard not to get excited even this long in advance. And that was before this patent came our way, showing a Sony-registered device that is very possibly the PlayStation 5 itself. The patent in question was registered as a Sony electronic device on August 13, after applying for the patent back in May of this year – showing a console-shaped device that seems highly unlikely to be anything but the PS5. The patent page we have is through LetsGoDigital, and we haven't found the WIPO listing itself, but we think this is on pretty good authority. The patent is registered through the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), with Sony technical director Yusuhiro Ootori also being listed on the patent as its designer too.
Sony PS5 patent: what does this mean?What's most fascinating about the PS5 patent is its V-shaped design, possible in reference the Roman numeral V (meaning '5'). On the diagram you can see a number of USB ports for DualShock controllers, as well as a line of buttons that would likely correspond to ejecting discs, turning on power, and other connectivity features. There's a thin slot that's likely the disc drive too. The ribbed sides and edges appear to show the ventilation system, which would need to be pretty substantial to deal with the PS5's massive jump in power over the current generation of PlayStation consoles. Finished products never look quite like their patent diagrams, of course, and it's very possible this is a placeholder image or an early build of what will eventually become the PS5. Sony does like to feature a numerical count on its consoles, with tiers being cut into the shape of its PS3 and PS4 to represent the increasing number. So it's very possible this is the PS5 design so many of us will have in our homes, starting in Holiday 2020.
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| It's official: OnePlus TV is set to launch in September Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:52 AM PDT OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the OnePlus TV will launch in September 2019, earlier than the 2020 release date we were anticipating. In a blog post, Lau also verified that the smart TV will initially roll out in India, and that the smartphone company is "working hard to launch OnePlus TV in North America, Europe and China", while OnePlus tries to "establish partnerships" with local and regional content providers.
That means there's no guarantee that the OnePlus TV will come to Western markets, and there's still no word on pricing yet. However, OnePlus' strategy in the smartphone market so far, has been to offer upper-mid-range products that undercut the competition by about 20-30% of the price, so we're not expecting the OnePlus TV to break the bank. How "unique" will this TV be?While Lau's blog post didn't reveal much about the upcoming smart TV (including whether it has a 4K display), we do know that the OnePlus TV will ship in 43-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes, as listed by the official Bluetooth SIG website. The cheaper 43-inch model will only be available in India, though, while the 75-inch model will be exclusive to China; that means the September launch date could feasibly pertain specifically to the 43-inch model. The Bluetooth SIG listing, which describes the OnePlus TV as a "unique Android TV", confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus TV will sport the most recent Bluetooth 5.0 standard. Sony TVs use the Android TV operating system. Android TV in itself isn't new, with Sony TVs, Philips TVs, and many more using the operating system to power their smart features. What sets the OnePlus TV apart from these models isn't clear, although it could have something to do with the remote and connectivity options, perhaps using a more smartphone-like interface than your standard Android TV. At least now we won't have too long to wait to find out; and if you're in India, you could be among the first to get your hands on the much-hyped smart TV.
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| The best Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals in August 2019 Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:44 AM PDT In theory, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals should now be old news - right? Well we would disagree, the phone might have now been replaced by a few newer Samsung models but it still stands as one of their best releases yet, now at a super affordable price. Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S10 have come out since, full of high-end specs but, they both carry massive price tags. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals are definitely still well worth a look. And it's still getting cheaper! The Note 8 is not by any means a budget device, however. It's a absolutely massive smartphone, not just in size but also in raw power. It's got the screen size and specification smarts to be a competitor to the highly praised iPhone X or iPhone's new massive iPhone XS Max and neither of those come cheap. But there are now some excellent Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals floating around. Check out our comparison chart and handpicked favourite Galaxy Note 8 deals below. Now we know some of you may have fiery memories of the Galaxy Note 7 in your head when looking at this device but leave those worries behind. Both the Note 8 and 9 have massively improved their batteries and you won't be facing overheating problems anymore. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals truly are miles ahead of the 7 in every way.
Should I get the Galaxy Note 8 SIM free?Are you determined to get the very best price? Always looking to see how you can trim a few pounds off your new favourite gadget? As you probably know, you can now pick up cheap SIM only deals for as little as £4 a month, which could make it worth buying a SIM and handset separately. The Galaxy Note 8's RRP has dropped massively recently to £649. That is much cheaper than it used to be but you will still be putting up a big chunk of money upfront. Even if you get the cheapest SIM card (usually around £4 a month for 500MB data), that would still cost near to £800 over the two years. You're probably better cranking up the upfront cost in our price comparison chart above, imposing a low maximum for monthlies and finding a cheaper deal in the long run. To get the best price on your new SIM free Galaxy, you can head to our cheapest unlocked Note 8 deals page. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Well the fervour for the Note 8 is probably doubled due to the fact that the Note 7 was pulled from shelves soon after release. But it doesn't take more than one look at the Note 8 to see that it justifies the hype. The huge 6.3-inch ‘Infinity Display,’ is gorgeous to look at, the 6GB RAM innards go like a train and there are two best-in-class rear cameras. It's expensive, but we think the Note 8 is worth it. Read TechRadar's full Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fitbit Versa 2 release date, price, news and leaks Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:40 AM PDT The Fitbit Versa 2 is likely on its way, so we're hopefully going to see a new fitness tracker/smartwatch hybrid very soon. Ever since Fitbit moved from simple fitness trackers like the Fitbit Alta, to decent smartwatches like the Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa, we've been waiting for the company to make the perfect wearable device. They all come very close, but each has one or two too many missing features to be considered perfect.
With the Fitbit Versa 2, the company has another chance. We've heard a few leaks and rumors about the device too, enough to make us pretty sure it's coming soon, and they paint quite a pretty picture. With that in mind, we've compiled this list of what we know about the upcoming fitness tracker, as well as what we'd like to see in it. Cut to the chase
Fitbit Versa 2 release date and priceThe original Fitbit Versa came out in April 2018, which is quite a long time ago in the fast-moving tech world, but Fitbit doesn't always stick to yearly cycles. We did see the Fitbit Versa Lite in April 2019, so the Fibit Versa has technically seen a successor in 2019, but that's a pared-down version – we're expecting to see an improved model sometime too. There aren’t any price rumors, but the Versa 2 will probably cost at least as much as the £199.99 / $199.95 / AU$299.95 Fitbit Versa. We’d be surprised if it costs much more than that though, since one of the main selling points of the Versa is that it’s a more affordable alternative to the Fitbit Ionic. Fitbit Versa 2 news and rumorsThere have only been two main Fitbit Versa 2 leaks so far, but they contain a lot of important information – if they're correct. Firstly, it looks like the Fitbit Versa 2 could come with Amazon Alexa integration. This would let you communicate with the AI assistant using your voice on the go, whether that's to check the weather before a run or to change your music without fumbling with a device. It's a big feature, one that would change the way you use your fitness tracker, so we're intrigued to see if it makes its way onto the device. This leak also included other possible details about the watch, including 4+ days of battery life, 18 exercise tracking modes, contactless payments through Fitbit Pay, support for music playback, and a design similar to the original Fitbit Versa. Indeed, other than Alexa these features largely sound similar to what that watch offered too. Another leak suggested the Fitbit Versa 2 could have an AMOLED display, which is a premium screen tech and would be a big step up from the Fitbit Versa, with its LCD display. The move could allow for clearer and more striking visuals. The Fitbit Versa Lite One advantage of LCD, however, is that it can potentially be seen much better in daylight thanks to the way the tech works, so an AMOLED screen might not be the best choice of display tech for a fitness tracker you're planning to wear outside. Although we don't know much about the fitness features the Fitbit Versa 2 will include, we can take some educated guesses. For a start, it will probably have all the same features as the original Versa, including a heart rate monitor, a water-resistant build and a color touchscreen. Of course, it will also presumably have new features and improvements, perhaps including some of the ones in our wish list below. What we want to seeIf Fitbit does make a Versa 2 there are a number of key things that we want from it. They are as follows: 1. Give it GPSGPS is the main missing feature from the original Fitbit Versa. As it’s largely a health and fitness device, GPS would be hugely beneficial to it, so we’d really like to see it on the Fitbit Versa 2. There’s no guarantee we’ll get GPS, especially as Fitbit will presumably want to differentiate it from the Ionic range, but equally some major improvements will be needed to justify a new model, so GPS is an obvious upgrade. 2. A more grown-up designThe Fitbit Versa looks alright but there's room for improvement The Fitbit Versa is lightweight and comfortable, but it also has a slightly cheap, childish design, which we’d like to see rethought for the Versa 2. A more premium finish and a slightly less chunky build with smaller bezels would be ideal. But we don’t want any of the comfort to be lost in the process, since that’s one of the most important design aspects if you’re going to be wearing this in the gym. 3. A week of lifeThe Fitbit Versa has reasonable battery life by smartwatch standards, coming in at around 3-4 days in our tests, but that’s a step down from the Fitbit Ionic. For the Fitbit Versa 2 we’d love to see major strides made in this area, so that we only have to charge the battery roughly once every week. 4. Less fiddly contactless paymentsYou can make contactless payments on the Versa but not as easily as we'd like You can make contactless payments on the Versa using Fitbit Pay, but if you’re outside the US you might find the list of supported banks quite limited, and wherever you are the process can be fiddly. That’s because you have to input a PIN on the Versa’s tiny screen, which can often lead to you pressing the wrong buttons. So we’d like to see this step either removed or tweaked so that contactless payments can be as speedy and slick as they really should be. 5. A similar priceOne of the main selling points of the Fitbit Versa is its low price – at least compared to the Fitbit Ionic, and while we’re hoping for lots of upgrades we don’t want to see the price to go up too much in the process. Keeping the Versa 2 at around £199.99 / $199.95 / AU$299.95 while adding GPS or other features could make it the activity-tracking smartwatch to beat. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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