Saturday, September 28, 2019

Apple : Amazon Great Indian Festival sale 2019: best deals and offers

Apple : Amazon Great Indian Festival sale 2019: best deals and offers

Amazon Great Indian Festival sale 2019: best deals and offers

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:54 PM PDT

Amazon India has kicked off the Great Indian Festival 2019 sale . The sale will showcase new products launches, cashback offers, discount & deals across a wide range of category across the online retail platform.

The Great Indian Festival sale 2019 will go on till midnight October 4 and as always, Amazon India offers early access to the sale for its Prime members. For them, the sale will begin at 12 noon on September 28. That's a 12-hour lead for Prime subscribers!

During the sale, Amazon will offer deals on a variety of selection across different catalogs like smartphones, laptops, cameras, large appliances & TVs, home & kitchen products, fashion, consumables such as grocery & beauty and consumer electronic products.

  • SBI debit and credit cardholders eligible for an instant discount of 10%
  • Amazon will also offer no-cost EMI and exchange offers to make the deals even more enticing.
  • Festive cashback offers worth upto Rs 900 can be collected from the sale page and will be valid for the duration of the sale.

New launches

During the Great Indian Festival sale, buyers will get to get their hands on some of the latest products as part of the new launches. The upcoming OnePlus 7T with 90Hz display will be on sale during this event on Amazon India along with Samsung Galaxy M30s featuring a 6,000mAh battery, Vivo U10 which supports 18W fast charging and Samsung Galaxy M10s with an AMOLED display.

The sale event will also witness the launch of Lenovo thin & light laptops, Polaroid Instant Camera, Playfit fitness trackers, Harman Infinity Bluetooth speaker, OnePlus TV, Xiaomi Mi 50-inch 4K TV and AmazonBasics 23L Microwave, to name a few.

Best deals and offers on smartphones

  • 100+ smartphones at lowest prices ever!
  • Exchange your old phones and get upto ₹6,000 off
  • Extra cashback on select products on Amazon Pay payments

Amazon is offering a 1-year free screen replacement offer as well which will be applicable on certain products.

During the sale, mobile phone cases, covers, screen protectors, cables and chargers will start at Rs 99, power banks available starting at Rs 399 and upto 70% off on Bluetooth headsets.

Best deals and offers on electronics

Amazon India is offering over 6,000 deals on consumer electronic products from 200+ brands. Laptops attract upto 40,000 off and upto 12 months No Cost EMI while DSLR and mirrorless cameras will have a minimum discount of Rs 10,000.

Also, there's upto 60% off on headphones, speakers, monitors and hard drives such as Boat Rockerz 255, JBL Flip 3 Stealth, Bose Solo 5 soundbar and LG 25-inch gaming monitor. Additionally, there's upto 40% off on purchase of home theaters.

As part of the new launches, OnePlus TV with 55-inch 4K screen and 50W eight speakers will be up for grabs during the festival sale. Amazon is also offering upto 50% off on smart TVs from brands like Samsung and Xiaomi.

Best deals and offers on Amazon Echo, Fire TV and Kindle

If you're looking to grab Amazon Echo device, Fire TV stick or Kindle e-book reader during the sale, Amazon is offering upto 45% off on these products.

While the retailer hasn't revealed all the offers, there is a flat discount of Rs 1,200 on Fire TV stick, Rs 2,000 off on Fire TV stick 4K, 35% off on Echo Show 5 and Rs 2,750 off on Kindle Paperwhite.

Some of the combo deals include Echo Dot with a free smart Bulb, Fire TV with Echo Dot and a smart Bulb, Echo Show 5 with Xiaomi Mi LED bulb, among others.

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Think AMD is killing it now? Just wait until Black Friday 2019

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 09:04 AM PDT

AMD has been absolutely dominating Intel in sales and we have the graphs to prove it. Ever since it dropped the 3rd-generation AMD Ryzen processors, Team Red has been giving its competition an absolute walloping when it comes to sales, and that probably won't change any time soon. 

If you weren't aware, Black Friday is coming up in the next couple of months, and judging by the way retailers are starting to put up those Holiday decorations in September, it's going to be a big one. AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors have been out long enough to get some deals of their own, but we expect to see a lot of Ryzen 2nd Generation chips getting a fire sale. 

So, we're going to take some time to go into where AMD is right now, and why we think Team Red is going to be taking home one hell of a pay day on the biggest shopping day in the year. 

Intel Core i9 9900k

Yeah, the Intel Core i9-9900K is fast, but the value isn't there right now. 

Intel who?

Look, we know the Intel Core i9-9900KS is going to be here in just a couple of weeks, but we really don't think it's going to be a big enough launch to distract the everyday user from the kind of value that AMD Ryzen processors offer. Personally, we're excited for the 9900KS – who doesn't want a CPU that can hit 5GHz across 8-cores and 16-threads? But, it's probably not going to be priced competitively with the Ryzen 7 3700X or the Ryzen 5 3600X. 

Right now, the Intel Core i5-9600K, the chip meant to go head to head with the Ryzen 5 3600X is $239 (£234, AU$375), whereas you can pick up Team Red's chip for around the same amount, with better performance and an included CPU cooler.  That doesn't even take into consideration the fact that you can get the Ryzen 5 3600 right now starting at $189 (£187, AU$320), which is within reaching distance of the X-labeled variant and still includes a cooler. 

We haven't even got into how the Ryzen 7 3700X beats the Intel Core i9-9900K in most tests, while costing much less at $329 (£329, AU$535). Unless Intel is able to drop the pricing on the Intel Core i9-9900K to meet the Ryzen 7 3700X on its turf, we don't think Intel will be having a very happy Holiday when it comes to sales. 

Plus, we haven't even talked about graphics cards, and word on the street is that AMD may be pushing out more mainstream GPUs in the very near future. And, if real, those mainstream graphics cards will also probably get huge Black Friday discounts, as they're (not so) secretly the bread and butter of the PC hardware market. 

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

Hey, look, the 2700X is old now, but it's still a beast in its own right.

Time to get nostalgic ... for 2018

Did you know you can still buy AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors? And, that they still hold up? Well, it's true, and we'll tell you how. 

Let's take a look at the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X: it came out in April 2018, packed with 8-cores, 16-threads and an out-of-the-box boost clock of  4.3GHz. Now, this Zen+-based processor doesn't hold a candle to the Intel Core i9-9900K, but right now you can find it for $199 (£209, AU$399), which puts it in the same territory as the Ryzen 5 3600. And, honestly, between the two, we'd go for the 2700X for the two extra cores. 

And, the same thing follows down the stack, you can pick up the still-good AMD Ryzen 5 2600X for $159 (£154, AU$249). You can save a huge wad of cash on a desktop processor by just going to the previous generation. 

Even if you want to pick up a beastly AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor on Black Friday, you can save a ton of cash. Don't forget that AMD just announced that its going to be launching its new lineup of HEDT processors in November, along with the much-anticipated Ryzen 9 3950X. And, in case you didn't realize: Black Friday is also in November. 

With a whole wave of new models, we would frankly be surprised if retailers didn't slash prices on the Threadripper 2nd Generation lineup. We don't know what the future deals are going to look like, but we expect to see some delicious Threadripper deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Just wait until Black Friday, then you can get this chunk of silicon for cheap

Moral of the story? 

If you're looking to build a new PC in the near future, you should definitely wait to see what kind of Black Friday deals are going on. There is so much PC hardware that launched over the last 12 months, which makes 2019 one of the best times to build that dream PC you've been fantasizing about.

We're sure that AMD is going to want to push some deals through, as it wants as many people to use its processors as possible. The more people use these processors, the more programs will take advantage of the higher core counts, the more valuable the processors will be. 

If you absolutely need that PC right now – and, really, we can't blame you – there's enough new hardware that you really can't go wrong. But, if your old PC is still hanging on by a thread, or you're just interested in picking up an upgrade to make your PC just that much faster, we'd urge you to wait until Black Friday to make the jump. 

And, don't worry, you don't have to face the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone. We here at TechRadar will be here with you every step of the way, spotting the best deals, and serving them up to you on a silver platter. 

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Why Oculus isn't worried about PS5 or Xbox Scarlett – and why it should be

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:35 AM PDT

For an Oculus Connect conference with no new hardware, there wasn’t a shortage of notable announcements. The start of the week was marked by Facebook’s acquisition of Central Labs, with a mind to working on neural interfaces for the Oculus platform – meaning you could one day possibly navigate VR using just the power of your mind.

If that’s too sci-fi for you, we also caught word of changes coming to Oculus in the nearer future: hand tracking capability for the Oculus Quest, and the ability to run Rift VR games on the Quest headset with a new cable peripheral, the Oculus Link.

But it’s hard to talk about VR or gaming in the home without mentioning Sony and Microsoft, both of whom are on the cusp of releasing the latest iterations of their home consoles – while Microsoft has said the next Xbox will launch in late 2020, we expect Sony to do the same for the next PlayStation too.

Both the Xbox Scarlett and PS5 are likely to occupy price points similar to the $399 / £399 / AU$732 Oculus Quest, and there are many households that will end up having to choose between the known strengths of a traditional console experience and the growing potential of VR headsets. We put the question to some of Facebook’s top executives working in VR and AR, to see what they thought about the incoming competition.

Embracing difference

Astro Bot Rescue Mission showcases the possibilities of platforming in VR

Mike ‘Boz’ Bosworth is Facebook’s Vice President of AR/VR, and has worked at the company for fourteen years, since starting as one of its first engineers. When asked whether next-generation game consoles pose a threat, he’s adamant that the experience is too different to compare:

“It’s one of the great benefits we have of working in virtual reality is that we’re working on something that is truly unique. The thing that we’re building is a thing that is hard to get in another way.”

"It's one of the great benefits we have of working in virtual reality is that we're working on something that is truly unique. The thing that we're building is a thing that is hard to get in another way."

Mike 'Boz' Bosworth

Bosworth cites both the untethered VR play of the Oculus Rift, with six degrees of freedom in the virtual world, as well as the more powerful experiences available with the PC-bound Oculus Rift, saying that “we feel like we’re doing something that’s pretty different from what anyone else is doing, not just in terms of what we’re trying to support but in terms of how people use the product.”

That’s echoed by Facebook’s Head of VR/AR Content, Mike Verdu, who stresses the “immersive VR experience” as something distinct from what traditional consoles offer. Verdu adds that developers are only now “discovering what those experiences can be like,” citing “new types of games, new types of mechanics, and all of the learning around how to create a beautiful, full length game.”

The Oculus Rift S offers more premium processing – if you have a high-end PC to tether it to

One of the things that marks out VR is the range of possible inputs, controllers, and processors that come with a headset, and how the experience varies between more portable models like the Oculus Go or the PC-tethered Rift S – so yes, you can’t compare too directly with the Xbox or PlayStation as platforms.

But it is competition. There are more devices competing for our time than ever, and VR headsets are closer to home consoles than anything else – because given the spatial and visual restrictions of VR headsets, even an untethered model like the Quest isn’t portable in the same way as a Switch Lite or a mobile phone. It’s a lot harder to whip out an Oculus headset on your commute or walk down the street with it in use.

With Oculus settling in comfortably around the $399 / £399 / AU$732 price point of its Rift S and Quest headsets – and the older Rift not much cheaper – there’s a clear question of which ecosystem you’d rather buy into for the next hardware cycle. But the question isn’t just Rift S vs Quest, or even PS5 vs Xbox Two. Consumers will increasingly find themselves choosing between established home gaming consoles or the possibilities of a new medium in VR.

Change is coming

A photo of Becca wearing the Oculus Quest

The Oculus Quest is said to be the last of Oculus' first VR generation

"We are working on headsets with better optics, better computing, better displays... Certainly there are things that are foundational, that can continue to improve."

Mike 'Boz' Bosworth

Since the launch of the Quest in May, Facebook has been open in calling it the last model of the first generation of their VR hardware. While Facebook is still improving the features of that model, there’s a clear sense of the next chapter being unwritten, with plenty of potential features involving hand tracking, haptic feedback, or even neural interfaces paving the way for the next generation of products.

Bosworth is open about the amount that could change, saying that “we are working on headsets with better optics, better computing, better displays... Certainly there are things that are foundational, that can continue to improve.” He adds that Oculus is still asking whether its headsets “can get more comfortable, or balance the weight more effectively,” even citing work on “straps that work on people with more hairstyles.” Not quite mind control in VR, but a sign of the small iterative changes coming in what is still a nascent medium.

PlayStation VR requires a PS4, but expands the kind of gaming experiences you can have through the console

If Sony is able to iterate on its own VR hardware in the same way as Oculus, we may see a PlayStation console able to succeed on all fronts.

The future is a lot clearer for Xbox and PlayStation, with gamers knowing roughly what to expect, even if next-gen consoles will be expanding the scope of the games they can run. Increasing resolutions on televisions, too, will bring more 4K gaming – and even 8K gaming – to players, even as sharper VR displays with higher frame rates iron out headache and motion sickness problems.

We know that the next generation of PSVR will be coming to the PS5 as well, meaning that the sense of competition is only likely to increase. If Sony is able to iterate on its own VR hardware in the same way as Oculus, we may see a PlayStation console able to succeed on all fronts.

Facebook’s VP of Special Gaming Initiatives, Jason Rubin, tells us that VR is still “maybe centuries - but certainly decades and decades - away from getting to the end of what it is trying to do.” While there are VR games and experiences worth trying now, Oculus is still competing with console makers that know their medium well – and players who largely like to know what they’re getting.

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Are fitness trackers the future of healthcare?

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT

Imagine your fitness tracker vibrates on your wrist – but it’s not because you’ve reached your 10,000 steps goal for the day or because you’ve received an email. Instead, your tracker is warning you that your blood pressure is high, your doctor has seen the stats in real-time and they want you to de-stress. Or maybe an analysis of your sweat is showing you’re a little too dehydrated. Or maybe the air around you is full of allergens and could set off your asthma.

The sensors within our fitness trackers have improved greatly in recent years. We now have more accurate heart rate monitors, accelerometers to detect the smallest changes in movement and positioning, and even ECG sensors in devices like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Amazfit Verge 2 to flag up issues with our hearts.

But many experts believe this is just the beginning and soon our fitness trackers will be packed with an even wider range of sensors to collect data that could, potentially, save our lives, diagnose illnesses and keep our doctors constantly updated.

Advancing sensors

For fitness trackers to become valuable health tools and diagnostic devices in the future, they’ll need even more sensors. Right now, there are many different sensor technologies in development that could tell you more about your body – and the atmosphere around you – in the not-so-distant future.

For example, air sensing and analyzing tech is receiving a lot of funding and attention at the moment – especially as areas around the world become more smoggy and polluted. Over the past few years, we’ve seen companies like Plume Labs and Cair develop products that can alert you to changes in the air around you. This is appealing for those with respiratory issues, allergies and anyone with general pollution concerns too.

These sensors currently exist within standalone devices, but could one day be translated into much smaller wearable trackers.

But it won’t just be about sensing the air in your home or direct vicinity. To make data about the air more meaningful, this information could become cloud-based. That way upcoming hazards, including pollen or smog, could be crowd-sourced and then relied upon for real-time updates. This is the thinking behind the AIR app from Plume Labs, which shares data with people in different locations.

Apple Watch

The noise meter in the Apple Watch 5 constantly tracks the ambient noise around you – a protection system for your hearing

Another sensor technology that might be fitted into wearables in the future is the kind that can monitor and analyze your sweat. Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley have been working on a sensor that can measure electrolytes and metabolites in your sweat. It takes information about skin temperature and can then alert you to lots of problems, including fatigue and high temperature, which might be the first sign of dehydration or illness.

As well as sweat, your breath could also provide useful feedback. Devices that contain sensors to analyse the composition of your breath are already available to some athletes and health professionals and, one day, could make their way into our fitness trackers.

For example, Cosmed’s K5 measures oxygen consumption, heart rate and energy expenditure from your breath. These kinds of devices are bulky, so it’ll be a challenge reducing them into a wearable. But with so much valuable data in your breath, a Fitbit that doubles as a personal breathalyzer might not be too far away.

Of course, this is just the beginning. New ways to track blood glucose levels, interpret your mood, guess at your stress and measure your blood pressure are also being developed, and even built-in to some consumer-facing wearable devices already.

Flow by Plume Labs

Flow by Plume Labs is a small device that gives you the real-time picture of what's in the air, anywhere

Joining the dots

The big question is: what do we do with all of this new data?

“We’re at a point where the suite of sensors is pretty good. And so the focus now is to make the information more valuable,” Mike Feibus president and principal analyst at FeibusTech, tells us. “Consumers of tired of alerts like ‘you walked 1,243 more steps than yesterday,’ or ‘you spent 23% of the night in REM sleep.’ They want to know what that means. And what they can do to make that better. That’s challenging.”

The technology is only half of the equation. There are many who believe that for these wearables to truly change the way we treat and diagnose health issues in the future, we need to improve the way data is interpreted and then shared with healthcare professionals as well.

For example, an advanced tracker that can detect heart problems may sound like a life-saving wearable, but if the data isn’t easy to understand, sent to your doctor or properly taken into account for future treatment, it won’t be as helpful as it could be. In fact, it could just prove to be more confusing.

Of course there’s responsibility here on wearable tech manufacturers to work to better interpret our data for us and make it accessible. But there’s only so much individuals can do with potentially complicated medical information. This is where doctors come in and why it’s imperative they understand the potential of wearable technology – and how to use, access and interpret the data it collects.

“Fitness trackers are great. And, if used well, can give clinicians useful insights into a patient’s physical wellbeing,” Farhan Amin, GP and founder of Concept Health Technologies tells TechRadar. “They can also be incorporated in hospitals to measure the activity and physical progress of a patient. This can help with the discharge planning enabling right support for the patient is in place before discharge.”

But although fitness trackers are encouraged by some doctors, they’re not commonplace – at least not yet.

“The challenge is how to incorporate fitness tracker within the existing healthcare setting,” Amin says. He believes the answer is a more joined-up approach. “To move forward, healthcare providers and fitness tracker companies need to work together closely to ensure the patient gets value from being tracked.”

Although implementing new ways of tracking and diagnosing issues might seem like a costly undertaking, it certainly makes sense for both patients and medical professionals. “Here’s an opportunity to make the devices our doctors’ eyes and ears for the 99.99% of the time we’re not in their offices,” Feibus says.

Babylon Health

Babylon Health connects you with GPs via your mobile

One company already working to make sense of the data collected from fitness trackers, and shake up how we view and access healthcare, is Babylon Health.

“We already help users better understand the information that’s collected using their fitness and wellness devices with our Monitor product,” Keith Grimes, clinical artificial intelligence and innovation director at Babylon Health tells us. “Users can review their activity, weight, energy expenditure and distance travelled through integrations with popular wearables like Fitbit and Garmin.”

But Grimes explains this is just the beginning. Future plans will look to track mood and other measurements, integrating them into a comprehensive health record. “In this way, fitness tracker data will be able to help people manage their chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, better understand their risk of diseases and take action to prevent them,” Grimes explains. “This will even support doctors and our AI to make diagnoses, advice treatments, and better manage their health.”

For this to work, both Grimes and Amin point to the need for accurate data that’s collected with a patient’s consent. “If we are going to help people manage their health using fitness trackers, we have to first make sure that it is safe to do so,” Grimes says. People will, increasingly, need to know what they’re consenting to, who will see their data and what it’ll be used for.

Babylon Health

Monitor builds a more comprehensive picture of your health and fitness

Looking to the future

Amin believes that different kinds of wearable and consumer-focused sensor technologies will become a standard way of collecting more data about patients in the future.

“I think the wrist will continue to remain the mainstay of the fitness tracker for now,” he tells us. “It comes natural as people are used to wearing wrist watches. There is a lot of research going on in smart patches, smart ink, smart clothing, all of which is really exciting but none of them are consumer ready yet.”

But further into the future our wrists will just be the beginning. We can expect more of a holistic approach to health with the tech, and AI assistants, already in our homes.

Withings

The Withings Move ECG can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) and warn you to the symptoms of atrial fibrillation

“Eventually fitness trackers or the current generation of fitness trackers will become obsolete and replaced with even more intuitive and passive form of data capture,” Amin predicts. “Smart home, smart cars, smart offices will talk to each other and may be able to capture physiological and biochemical data in a non-invasive way.”

More sensors are being added to fitness trackers as we speak, and plenty more are in development. The challenge is how we can turn these trackers from cool lifestyle devices into potentially life-saving health tools. To do this we’ll need ways to better interpret our own data, as well as understanding from medical professionals who are as clued up about what the technology is capable of as we are. That way our doctors will be better equipped to look after us and we’ll all be much more informed about our health because we can keep a close eye on it 24/7.

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Apple TV Plus original movies might be heading to cinemas first

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 07:00 AM PDT

We're still waiting for Apple TV Plus to go live – November 1 is the big day – and now a new report says original movies made for the platform are going to open in cinemas weeks before they're available on the web.

Variety and the Wall Street Journal have the scoop, saying that "boutique distribution companies" are helping Apple to release the films across "select cities" in the US.

The first, The Elephant Queen, arrives in theaters on October 18, having just had its premiere in New York. The film is a wildlife documentary centered on an African elephant called Athena and her family, and will be available on Apple TV Plus on November 1.

That movie will be joined by family tale Hala on November 22 and financial drama The Banker on December 6, Variety reports. These films will both show up on Apple TV Plus a month after their cinema debuts.

Cinema vs streaming

One of the obvious reasons why Apple would do this, besides raking in some extra cash for their movies, is to get the films in contention for awards. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have received awards recognition for their original movies.

Netflix typically pushes out films in theaters and on its streaming service around the same time, something which the cinema chains aren't particularly pleased about. Apple's approach of a limited theater run is more in line with Amazon.

The move also means film fans interested in Apple content won't necessarily have to sign up for a $4.99-per-month subscription to Apple TV Plus in order to see these movies – they'll be able to go down to the local cinema instead.

Another way of getting this content in front of your eyeballs – both the movies and the shows – is to buy an iPhone, iPad, a Mac or an Apple TV, which will get you one year's subscription for free.

Via The Verge

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The augmented reality app for the 2019 Range Rover is helpful for any new driver

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT

Forget the new car smell we all know about. When you first buy any new car, there’s a much more memorable experience for the driver: learning the new car interface.

As a journalist these past 18 years, and a car reviewer the last seven, I can attest to the slight feeling of confusion when you first slip behind the wheel of any new car. You have to learn how to adjust the seat and mirrors, find the radio controls, and then start exploring all of the 'extra' features like how to set the follow distance for adaptive cruise control.

For me, it’s not difficult – every major brand works roughly the same. A Chevy Blazer has similar controls and options to the Chevy Equinox. The radio works roughly the same in every new BMW, and all Ford cars and trucks use a similar navigation.

However, with much more advanced cars with unusual and innovative tech features, it can take some more time. Fortunately, when I started testing the new 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR, I used an app called Land Rover iGuide that helped tremendously.

Minimizing confusion

Now, before I explain how the tech works, you should know that this is not a matter of intelligence or comfort in learning technology. Without doing a deep dive on the brain science involved, it’s really more about how we adjust to new situations. Our brains tend to go into overload when something is brand new.

This is the opposite of a more automated mode our brains use when we actually drive cars – we don’t have to think about where to find the brake pedal. With a new car, for the first week at least, our brains have to work overtime.

The Land Rover iGuide app is designed to minimize the confusion. It uses a form of augmented reality (I will explain that in a moment) where you move your phone around inside the car. If you point the phone over to the side door, the buttons there will illuminate. If you point up to the sun-roof controls, you’ll see highlights on those buttons. Click any of these highlights, and you can then see that portion of the manual with a simple click.

I loved learning about the car this way. I didn’t have to drag out the manual and find page 242 section eight. If I was interested in the touch controls on the steering wheel, I point the app there and then read up on how they work. (Side note: these buttons turn off completely and the touch interface goes to total black, which I’ve never seen before on other cars.)

Find your way around

Now, one interesting discovery (no pun intended Land Rover fans) is that the app doesn’t actually use augmented reality, and maybe that’s OK. You can download and use the app even if you don’t own a Range Rover SVR, and even if you aren't sitting inside one. When you're behind the wheel, you click a centering button in the app with the phone pointed directly ahead. This means the app doesn’t really use your camera or augment reality.

It does, however, work really well. I found that I could still point the phone in the direction I wanted and click the buttons to learn more. It’s smart of Land Rover to do this because you can learn about features anywhere, and then if you are about to drive, it makes it easier. Again, your brain will do the mapping for you when you move the phone, even if it is all a bit fake.

For future cars, this is good news. Augmented reality will most definitely be part of future tech advancements, showing where to drive on the road (or where the robotic car will drive while we play chess). It’s one of those features that will be indispensable as future cars become more and more advanced, and as cars do more and more of the driving for us,

On The Road is TechRadar's regular look at the futuristic tech in today's hottest cars. John Brandon, a journalist who's been writing about cars for 12 years, puts a new car and its cutting-edge tech through the paces every week. One goal: To find out which new technologies will lead us to fully self-driving cars.

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OnePlus 7T vs OnePlus 7: what's new in the upgraded handset?

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 05:00 AM PDT

OnePlus has just unveiled the OnePlus 7T, an upgraded version of the OnePlus 7 from June 2019.

This follows the normal pattern OnePlus takes, releasing a flagship phone in the middle of the year, then following it up with a T variant later on.

So what exactly has OnePlus changed from the 7 to the 7T? Well, quite a lot actually. We’ve run through all the changes, so if you’re in the market for a new OnePlus phone, you know what you’re looking at.

Price and availability

When the OnePlus 7 came out it cost £499 (around $640, AU$930) for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and £549 (around $700, AU$1,000) for 8GB / 256GB. 

In India, the OnePlus 7T costs ₹37,999 / $599 (roughly £430, AU$790) for the 8GB / 128GB handset and ₹39,999 (around $565, £455, AU$830) for 8GB / 256GB. That means it could end up being cheaper than the OnePlus 7, but prices often change for different markets.

We don't know the UK release date or price for the OnePlus 7T, and we'll likely only find out on October 10 when the smartphone launches outside India. In the US it'll be out on October 18, and in India you can pick it up from September 28.

The 256GB storage version of the phone won't be available in the US, however.

That means, we don't know how the OnePlus 7T compares to the 7 in the cost department just yet, but we'll know for sure rather soon.

Design and display

OnePlus 7T, although it looks like the OnePlus 7

Perhaps the biggest changes from the OnePlus 7 to the OnePlus 7T are in terms of the design and display, as there has been a major change in both.

The OnePlus 7T’s display is 6.55 inches, making it bigger than the OnePlus 7’s 6.41-inch screen, although both use AMOLED tech for vibrant colors and a1080p resolution. 

The main difference between the two screens is that the OnePlus 7T has a 90Hz refresh rate, which means on-screen motion is smoother and more graceful. This tech comes from the OnePlus 7 Pro, which has it, however the base 7 only has a 60Hz refresh rate, which is standard for most smartphones.

One other small difference is that the OnePlus 7T’s screen has HDR10, which is lacking on the OnePlus 7, for better dynamic range with supported content.

In terms of design, the two phones aren’t hugely different on the front – both have a ‘teardrop’ notch breaking up the screen and housing the front-facing cameras. Both also have a volume rocker on the left, and power button and silence slider (so you can easily switch your phone between silent mode and alert mode) on the right. There’s a USB-C port too, but no headphone jack.

The OnePlus 7. Look familiar?

The two main changes from the OnePlus 7 to the 7T are on the rear. The first is the most noticeable. We’re talking, of course, about the huge camera bump on the back. It’s a bold protrusion that sticks out quite a bit, but it serves a purpose, as it’s housing a more impressive camera array (we’ll get into that later).

While the camera array may be impressive to most users, the thick bump may be a nuisance when holding the phone in landscape orientation for movies or gaming.

The second major change is the OnePlus 7T’s rear design, with two different colors (Frosted Silver and Glacier Blue) that stand out a lot more than the comparatively dull plain black design of the OnePlus 7. They don’t pick up fingerprints too much either, as that can often be a pain point for these interesting-looking handsets.

Camera and battery life

The OnePlus 7 has a 48MP main snapper joined by a 5MP depth sensor, but OnePlus has thrown in a whole new camera for the 7T (and dropped the depth sensor).

The OnePlus 7T’s camera array consists of the same 48MP sensor, but it’s now joined by a 16MP camera with an ultra-wide lens and a 12MP telephoto shooter for zoomed pictures.

There are a few new modes too that could improve your camera experience. The first is a macro mode, which lets you take great-looking pictures from just 2.5cm away. The second is an improved portrait mode that uses both the main and ultra-wide snappers to improve the shot. The third is a super-stable video shooting mode that captures GoPro-like action footage (although only in 1080p, not 4K).

All in all, the OnePlus 7T’s camera array is a lot more like the OnePlus 7 Pro’s than the OnePlus 7’s, which is to say fairly impressive, although it could be trumped by the OnePlus 7T Pro when and if that comes out.

In terms of battery specs, the OnePlus 7T has a 100mAh capacity bump up to 3,800mAh, which isn’t huge, but should comfortably be enough for a full day of use.

One improvement is Warp Charge 30T tech inside the OnePlus 7T that allows it to get charged up much quicker than the 20W OnePlus 7. OnePlus suggested it will charge to full in an hour, which is impressively quick if true.

Features

While the OnePlus 7 shipped with Android 9, the 7T comes with the newer Android 10, although you’ll likely be able to upgrade older OnePlus handsets soon enough.

OnePlus 7

The OnePlus 7 has a Snapdragon 855 chipset, but the 7T comes with the slightly improved 855 Plus. The benefits of this are largely in the gaming department, so the 7T should be a better handset for mobile games.

In general, the specs are improved, as the OnePlus 7T also comes with 8GB of RAM (the base OnePlus 7 could have 6GB or 8GB), although both come in 128GB or 256GB options.

On top of that, the OnePlus 7T has an improved haptic vibration motor, which means it will have more powerful vibrations, and also a better optical fingerprint sensor, which should fix the problem we had with the OnePlus 7 of it being rather slow to recognize our fingerprint.

Takeaway

OnePlus 7T

The OnePlus 7T seems a major improvement on the OnePlus 7 in a variety of ways, most noticeably the camera improvements, but also in terms of design, internal specs and screen quality. It’s not a complete redesign of the OnePlus 7, but there are improvements across the board.

Once we know the price, we'll know for sure if it's a worthy upgrade and if you should check out the 7T over the 7. If they're a similar price, or even cheaper as the India price suggests, the newer phone is definitely better for you.

Saying that, when (and if) OnePlus unveils the OnePlus 7T Pro, both non-Pro phones could look redundant, so watch out for that.

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Best phones under Rs 15,000 in India for September 2019

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 03:09 AM PDT

The Indian smartphone market has been extremely competitive, especially the whole segment from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. The market is full of so many options that often it can be a bit of a challenge to choose the best smartphone for your needs. In this guide, we're looking at the sweet spot -- the best phones under ₹15,000. In 2019, most of these phones come with big batteries, notched displays and multiple cameras. Some brands have also started offering fast charging capabilities, just like flagships.

While Xiaomi has dominated the ₹15,000 smartphone segment for a long time, players like Realme, Asus and even Samsung are giving it a tough fight now. Without wasting any more time, let's take a look at the best smartphones under ₹15,000 in India in August 2019.

Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri

Realme has been gunning for the market share that Redmi smartphones currently enjoy. To this end, the company launched the Realme 3 Pro with the Snapdragon 710 chipset. In lay terms, Realme 3 Pro is aimed at users who like gaming and want a good option in the budget segment.

Beyond its gaming capabilities, the Realme 3 Pro also looks good with its waterdrop notch and a glossy back design. To round it off, the lowlight camera performance, battery life and the display quality are very good, too.

The Realme 5 Pro was just announced in India, bringing the Snapdragon 712 chipset and an interesting quad-camera setup. Comes just 4 months after the Realme 3 Pro, but definitely ups the game.

The processor is pretty good for tasks such as heavy gaming and the performance was very consistent too. Paired with a 4,035 mAh battery with support for fast charging makes this an easy recommendation

Check Review: Realme 5 Pro

Samsung is back to the budget segment with another excellent offering, this time with the Galaxy M30s. The main talking point is the gigantic 6,000 mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging over USB Type-C.

Other Samsung staples such as a Super AMOLED display, an Exynos processor, triple cameras consisting of a primary, an ultra-wide and a depth sensor, and OneUI all make the cut. For anyone looking for a phone from a reputable brand, the M30s is a no brainer.


Xiaomi has dominated the budget and entry-level smartphone segments for a long time now. This is no different this year either - the launch of the Redmi Note 7 Pro changed the market dynamics yet again. Offering a high-resolution, premium-grade 48MP camera at budget prices was the primary clincher for the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Apart from its imaging capabilities, the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers a great bang for your buck thanks to the great display, a well-balanced chipset and battery life that we've all grown to expect from Xiaomi's Redmi Note series.

Topping it all off is the glass design which gives it a premium look.

It has a great value for money quotient which is why the Redmi Note 7 Pro is the phone to buy.

Read our full review of the Redmi Note 7 Pro

Vivo Z1 Pro

Vivo has upped its game in the budget and mid-range segments over the last few months in India. While a few other smartphones are aimed specifically at a slightly younger audience, Vivo has tried to offer a slightly more rounded package with the Z1 Pro.

The Z1 Pro is also one of the few smartphones in this price range to sport a punch hole notch. If you are looking for a smartphone that offers really long battery life, the Z1 Pro won't let you down with its massive 5,000mAh battery. The display, camera and the glossy design round off the remaining important aspects.

If you are searching for a smartphone in the ₹15,000 price segment that looks amazing, the Honor 20i could be right up there with the best in this range. Apart from its looks, it also has a very good display and a trio of decent cameras. Battery backup is above average too. The performance and UI fluidity leaves something to be desired, though.

Read our review of the Honor 20i

The Nokia 8.1 was launched last year in the premium segment, but a couple of price drops have not made it a compelling budget offering. Powered by a Snapdragon 710 and 4GB of RAM, the phone performs admirably, also thanks to the Android One OS powering it.

The unique feature that no other phone in this segment offers is the HDR display bringing in incredible colour, brightness and contrast. Along with that, you get Nokia's legendary built quality which is unparalleled in this segment.

Read our review of the Nokia 8.1

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Fragmented streaming market could lead to more illegal downloads

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 03:00 AM PDT

New research from Broadband Genie has revealed that the number of streaming TV viewers using illegal sources to watch movies and shows could double as consumers become increasingly frustrated with the growing number of subscription services.

The firm surveyed UK streaming users to find that almost a fifth (18%) admitted to accessing TV shows and movies using unauthorized streaming or file sharing sites. However, that number could increase to 37 percent if the market continues to fragment into different services.

The streaming video market has become highly competitive as new players such as Apple and Disney prepare to release their own streaming services this November. Netflix remains the most popular streaming service for the time being but its subscriber count could take a big hit as it loses popular shows and movies to its rivals.

If consumers wish to continue watching their favorite content as well as the latest hits, they face having to sign up for a growing number of subscription services. However, Broadband Genie's survey found that over two thirds (67%) of consumers already fell like they're paying too much.

Streaming services

The survey found that most people currently pay up to £15 a month for streaming services but they would rather prefer to spend a maximum of £10.

Respondents said that the biggest issue with streaming is cost but they also expressed frustration with finding where to watch particular shows or movies and with the need to use different apps.

One possible solution for cutting streaming costs is to illegally access content and the majority (60%) of respondents considering this option said they would invest the money they saved into a VPN subscription. A VPN would allow them to hide their identity and watch content from different regions usually at a monthly price cheaper than most streaming services.

Ernesto van der Sar from TorrentFreak explained why consumers are turning to piracy when it comes to streaming, saying:

“As more legal services have exclusive releases, it’s harder for people to get everything they want from one place. Instead of signing up for paid subscriptions at a handful of services, which may go beyond one's budget, some then turn back to piracy. These people still pay for legal services, but they use pirate services to watch movies and TV-shows that are otherwise only available at services they don't have access to.”

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Windows 10 problems are ruining Microsoft’s reputation – and the damage can’t be underestimated

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 03:00 AM PDT

Microsoft dreams of a future where its cloud empire dominates – in the computing and business world, as well as game-streaming – and subscription revenue pours in at such a gushing rate that the accountants can barely keep track of the ever-spiralling-upward numbers,

But the software giant’s current slumbers are more likely to be dogged by nightmares rather than any sweet dreams of a heavenly cloud-based future. Microsoft’s sleep is probably haunted by visions of poisonous little bugs skittering in the shadows, clustering around the occasional hulking queen of a showstopper that threatens to shred user files in her chitinous mandibles.

Yes, we’re talking about Windows 10, which in recent times has been plagued by an alarming amount of bugs. This started with the infamous October 2018 Update and a doozy of a file deletion faux pas along with a raft of other ‘small but serious’ gremlins that caused the upgrade to actually be put on ice for over a month (an unprecedented move with Windows 10 updates).

So Microsoft was careful to thoroughly test the following May 2019 Update, holding the upgrade in the final phases of bug squashing for a considerable time, and rolling it out very slowly and cautiously indeed. Quite rightly so, and with apparent success as users subsequently flocked to the upgrade (albeit with many being pushed by an impending support deadline, mind you).

Still, the rollout itself went well enough – certainly in comparison to the previous one – only afflicted by some minor hiccups which are always likely to be present. However, it’s in solving those little issues where Microsoft has come badly unstuck in September.

Cortana in Windows 10

A recent Microsoft fix introduced a fresh bug to Cortana – and things went downhill from there

Fixing the fixes

At the start of September, some long-standing minor bugs (including compatibility issues with certain Intel storage drivers) were fixed by a patch Microsoft issued for Windows 10 May 2019 Update. The problem was that this cumulative update didn’t just fix bugs, but introduced a new one whereby Cortana suddenly caused high levels of CPU usage.

Then the patch to fix this Cortana bug broke something else – the Start menu and Taskbar. Oh, and it also caused audio issues in certain games, and broke internet connectivity for some folks.

If Windows 10 was a china shop, Microsoft was flailing around between the shelves, and in its efforts to fix a broken spout back onto a teapot, cracked a jug by knocking it over with a stray elbow, before managing to send a set of plates crashing to the floor below in an unholy cacophony of shattering porcelain.

In short, the whole situation felt farcical, and was hardly helped when a subsequent bug ‘fix’ for Microsoft’s built-in Windows 10 antivirus actually broke most of Windows Defender’s scanning functionality.

So, following all this, an inevitable outcry ensued from the tech world, with serious eyebrows, questions and criticisms raised about Microsoft’s QA and testing procedures for Windows. More on that in a moment, but perhaps most crucially in terms of the cumulative damage to Microsoft’s reputation here, the general public sat up, shook its collective heads, and engaged in a witheringly slow handclap. At least according to a new report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

According to ACSI, customer satisfaction with software for PCs has dropped by 1.3% compared to last year, with Microsoft slipping the most out of all software makers with a 3% decrease. The report further notes: “According to ACSI data, customer perceptions of quality have deteriorated significantly for Microsoft over the past year, as the manufacturer has encountered a host of customer issues with its Windows 10 updates.”

Let’s digest that again for a moment. That’s a significant deterioration in perceived levels of quality being delivered by Microsoft going by US consumers, thanks to the numerous issues with Windows 10 updates.

So Microsoft’s reputation with the public is seriously slipping, at least according to this survey – although that’s easy enough to believe, or even blatantly obvious, arguably, given what we’ve witnessed of late. And indeed, as we mentioned, the tech community is drawing attention to Microsoft’s testing procedures, something which you may have seen earlier this week.

Labors of Barnacules

As Ghacks reports, Barnacules – aka Jerry Berg, an ex-Microsoft senior software development engineer in testing, who parted with the company in 2014 – uploaded a YouTube video explaining how the software giant had changed its testing procedures compared to five years ago.

In a nutshell, there was an entire team dedicated to just testing Windows back in Berg’s days, broken down into different subgroups (interface, networking, drivers etc) which all got together in daily meetings to discuss glitches, and where they might come from, along with using automated testing – with a large variety of different real-world PC configurations, including notebooks – to back up manually run testing.

Then, in 2014, everything changed when Microsoft laid off that dedicated Windows testing team (for the most part), and stopped testing on actual real-world PCs in favor of using virtual machines (again, not exclusively – but mostly). And as we know, Microsoft also now relies on a small army of Windows Insiders testing beta builds of Windows 10 and providing feedback on bugs, and it has telemetry as a further resource (data taken from users’ Windows 10 machines pertaining to crashes).

However, catching bugs in this manner is a far more haphazard pursuit: Windows Insiders aren’t always that diligent, sometimes can’t be bothered reporting bugs, and even when they do, those reports can be buried amongst a mountain of other feedback complaining about very minor things like suggestions or tiny tweaks for the interface. On top of that, working with the aforementioned telemetry data can be a notoriously tricky business, and bug details can easily be missed there.

The eminently reasonable-sounding argument therefore runs that this new scheme of things is a far less cohesive, less thorough approach than having a dedicated team – and that’s why we’re seeing many more issues with Windows 10.

Presumably there were considerable cost-savings made when that full-on Windows testing team was dismissed, and the new approach was brought in, but what has been the real cost of this change?

Regardless of whether any of this speculation about Microsoft’s changed internal processes is on the money in terms of this being the cause of the aforementioned gremlins, these bugs are undeniably present. And while many of them may be relatively minor, or confined to a narrow range of victims, some most definitely aren’t (although Microsoft will certainly argue that lessons have been learned over the data deletion showstopper).

The truth is that Microsoft has evolved Windows through the years, from the days where crashes were a pretty regular occurrence, to the more stable era from Windows 7 onwards where blue screens became far, far rarer. But of late with Windows 10, that evolution and victory in the battle of the bugs seems to be taking a step backwards.

To the point where, coming back to that ASCI report, incidents like the calamitous October 2018 Update are causing the public perception of Windows to be seriously negatively impacted.

Although another question could be: how big a problem is that, realistically?

What are disaffected Windows users going to do exactly? Migrate to another operating system? That’s a lot of effort, and comes loaded with some considerable drawbacks, like not being able to play all the latest PC games, or being limited in your hardware choices with macOS (and issues like driver support with Linux).

Still, as we observed in our recent piece about Google’s Chrome browser being in danger of becoming Windows in that everyone uses it, but no one loves it: Mac and Linux are a danger waiting in the wings.

Laptop running Windows 10 May 2019 Update

Windows 10 bugs tarnishing Microsoft's reputation could have a very unfortunate knock-on effect

From ripples to waves

This bug-related reputational damage isn’t just about desktop operating systems, though. The wider public perception of Microsoft flailing around in an almost amateurish fashion could well have a knock-on effect when it comes to the levels of trust in the company, and all those future dreamy cloud products we mentioned at the outset could be subsequently affected...

Punter #1: “Are you going to try Project xCloud?”

Punter #2: “Nah, forget that. Microsoft can’t fix a simple bug without causing two others, let alone get smooth game-streaming right. Think I’ll give Google Stadia a spin instead…”

There doesn’t have to be any truth to that doubt – or whatever doubt might be expressed – of course. This is about perception, not reality.

Along with the cloud, and drive with open source, one of the big themes Microsoft has been pushing since Nadella took the reins is that the company is listening to users, acting on feedback – putting to rest the pig-headedly insistent ‘this is what you need’ specter of Windows 8 – and indeed it has demonstrably done so for the better part.

And now the firm needs to listen to the voice of the doubting computing public as expressed in this recent survey – and indeed all over the place online – lest the trust in Microsoft’s ability to execute without bungling begins to erode, and the prevailing feedback heard down the line is the ever-louder noise of footfalls heading for rival products.

In short: fix the fixing department. And fast.

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YouTube Music replaces Google Play Music as Android's default player

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 03:00 AM PDT

It was clear from the start that YouTube Music was intended as a direct replacement for Google Play Music, and Google just announced that YouTube Music will be the default, preinstalled music player for new Android 10 and Android 9 devices.

"Music fans on Android phones can now easily unlock the magic of YouTube Music, which will come installed on all new devices launching with Android 10 (and Android 9), including the Pixel series," says Google.

"Once you’ve started your new device, just look for the YouTube Music icon and start listening! And if you don’t have Android 10 yet, don’t stress—simply visit the Play Store to get the app."

The switchover is certainly taking a while – YouTube Music launched back in November 2015 – but Android 10 is pushing Google Play Music (which remains available to download) even closer to the exit.

The music sounds better with YouTube

YouTube Music is approaching its third birthday, but still doesn't have a lot of the functionality of its predecessor. One key feature still missing is the ability to upload local MP3 files to the cloud and stream them anywhere.

That remains one of the best tricks that Google Play Music can do, giving you a way of creating your own personal Spotify that can be tapped into from anywhere. Google has promised YouTube Music will be able to do this, eventually.

One upgrade that has been added to YouTube Music is an option to play files stored on a local device, either a phone or a tablet – this is crucial really, for a music player app that wants to be the default on Android.

As YouTube Music stretches its reach beyond Android to smart speakers as well, now might be the time to give it a try if you haven't done so already (both free and subscription access is available).

Via 9to5Google

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AMD Ryzen 9 3900 leak reveals spec details to show how it compares to 3900X

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 02:55 AM PDT

AMD could have a Ryzen 9 3900 processor (plus a Pro variant) waiting in the wings, at least according to details leaked by a motherboard maker which include some of the specs of the alleged incoming CPUs.

This comes from Biostar’s list of supported processors for its X470NH motherboard, which contains an entry for the Ryzen 9 3900 with a base clock of 3.1GHz listed along with a TDP of 65W (as spotted by @momomo_us, a well-known leaker).

The 3900 has previously been spied back in July, in an EEC listing alongside the Ryzen 9 Pro 3900, the latter of which is also in Biostar’s support details, with the same spec details as the vanilla 3900 (3.1GHz/65W).

Although the boost clock speed was not revealed in these fresh details, previous speculation has pegged it as likely to be around 4.2GHz or 4.3GHz. But take that with a bigger pinch of salt than the rest of this story – which should equally be regarded with some caution, as ever with the rumor mill.

However, it certainly doesn’t seem unlikely that AMD might want to launch a partner in crime for the Ryzen 9 3900X, and as mentioned this has been leaked previously in EEC listings (which have often turned out to be reliable indicators for upcoming hardware).

Power efficient

If it does indeed emerge, the Ryzen 9 3900 will surely be a 12-core (24-thread) chip just like the 3900X, but with slower clocks (3.1GHz compared to 3.8GHz base) and less power consumption (65W versus 105W). It will be cheaper, too, of course.

The Pro variant of the 3900 would run with the same specs, just adding extra security features and the like for business usage.

As to when the Ryzen 9 3900 might be launched, given that it has now popped up in a motherboard vendor’s support details, you might think this might be a hint that the release could be coming soon.

However, there are a number of factors which are stacked up against that prospect, including the simple fact that AMD is continuing to struggle to meet demand for the existing 3900X (and has done since the chip was launched).

Doubtless AMD also needs to concentrate on ensuring enough supply of the incoming flagship 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X, which was supposed to be out by now, but was recently delayed until November (with AMD hinting at supply issues, saying it was focusing on meeting ‘strong demand’ – although other speculation points to concerns over clock speeds too).

Don’t forget AMD is also under pressure to deliver new Threadripper 3rd-generation processors, as well, which are also due in November. And there are imminent new budget Ryzen CPUs seemingly about to be unleashed, too.

So given all that, any Ryzen 9 3900 launch is perhaps likely to be further out than the nearer-term, although AMD may have future 7nm supply worries as well when it comes to Ryzen 3000 CPUs and Navi graphics cards, all of which are built on 7nm.

Via Tom’s Hardware

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Need to sort your internet this weekend? These are the broadband deals to go for

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 02:46 AM PDT

Ah weekends, a time of rest...and broadband deals admin. But if you need to sort your internet but can't bring yourself to waste the weekend doing it, we've got your back tracking down the absolute best options around right now.

We've picked out a selection of broadband deals ranging from some blisteringly fast fibre packages through to broadband and TV deals decked out with features. And, we've even got the perfect option for those refusing to pour money into their internet.

So take a quick look through our internet picks below, choose the option that works best for you and invest. Then you can go back to your sofa, adopt your comfy position and use the weekend for the things that are important - watching the Rugby World Cup.

1. Faster fibre broadband deal at a bargain price

2. The best BT broadband deals

3. Superfast speeds with Virgin broadband

4. The UK's cheapest broadband deal

5. Broadband and TV deal bargains

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Beat out the iPhone 11 with these stellar Samsung Galaxy S10 deals

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 02:09 AM PDT

We're fully aware that when it comes to the phone market, you are very firmly either Apple or Android, or a persistent member of a dying breed...Windows users. But, for those Apple fans sick of iPhone pricing, we're about to suggest the unthinkable - a switch.

We recently saw the launch of iPhone 11 deals and while they came cheaper than expected, they are still very much Apple in their price tags. On the other hand, Samsung's S10 series - the iPhone 11 range's closest competitor - is only getting cheaper.

And, with a range of deals on both the S10 and S10 Plus offering some stellar price tags, it's an obvious transition to make. As if the affordable pricing wasn't enough, Samsung is currently offering up a free smartwatch with both of these devices.

Compared to Apple's current freebie of a year of Apple TV+, Samsung's smartwatch is an incentive we're more than excited by. So, if you want to find out more about these Samsung phone deals, scroll down to see them all in full.

How to claim your free Samsung Galaxy Watch Active:

All you have to do is purchase a Samsung Galaxy S10 deal before 30 September. After that, go to this link and claim your new free watch. It can take up to 45 days for your Samsung Galaxy Watch Active to arrive so don't worry too much if you don't see it straight away.

  • Still unsure what to go for? Check out our best mobile phone deals to see all of your options across every device.

What is Samsung's Galaxy S10 range like?

Samsung Galaxy S10:
The middle ground of Samsung's S10 series, the S10 combines specs and affordable pricing. The battery jumps up to 3400mAh and the screen increases to 6.1-inches. It's basically the S10e with a triple camera set-up and more power.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S10 review

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus:
Finally, the big powerhouse of Samsung's S10 range. The S10 Plus jumps all the way up to a whopping 4100mAh battery and puts up the most powerful processor of the three. If you want a phablet phone, the 6.4-inch size of this device will be perfect.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review

Read more:

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A 24-hour Pokémon Sword and Shield livestream is coming in October

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 01:15 AM PDT

The Pokémon Company is preparing to broadcast a 24-hour Pokémon Sword and Shield livestream that will unveil a brand new location and potentially some more Pokémon native to the Galar region. 

Under the title The Pokémon Live Camera, the stream will take place on Friday, October 4 at 6am PT/ 9am ET/ 2pm BST and run for a full 24 hours. 

According to the official Pokémon Sword and Shield site, the stream will show “live footage for 24 hours from a camera set up in Glimwood Tangle—a strange forest location deep within the Galar region.” 

Who's that new Pokémon?

It seems that the camera has been set up by Professor Magnolia’s assistant, Sonia, who is looking to observe the Pokémon that live in the forest and learn more about them. If you're prepared to put on your Attenborough hat, you can join her. 

Sonia's message reads “I’m sending this message because I could really us your help with some research I’m doing. Next week, a camera will be set up in a strange forest here in Galar … if you could take a gander when you have time that’d be just great.” 

The livestream will be hosted on the official Pokémon Twitch and YouTube channels, where, the official site states, “This is your chance to get to know the various Pokémon that make their home in this forest! You may notice things that surprise you!” It seems likely that this means the stream will be the chance to catch a glimpse of some new Pokémon or even some new evolutions from the Galar region, though exactly what we'll see during the stream hasn't been confirmed.

Any new creatures that are introduced will add to those we’ve seen already from the latest generation which include a Galarian Weezing, Polteageist, Wooloo and, of course, Sirfetch'd, the long-awaited evolution of Farfetch'd. 

Pokémon Sword and Shield launches on Nintendo Switch on November 15. 

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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: gameplay, release date, trailers and news

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 01:07 AM PDT

Hold on to your lightsabers: there's a new Star Wars game on the way, and it's called Jedi: Fallen Order. And we've now got the first concrete details about it, thanks to E3 2019 and an extended gameplay trailer that dropped in June. 

In development by Respawn Entertainment (the studio behind Apex Legends and Titanfall), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was announced during E3 2018 but we didn't get a proper look at the game until early in 2019, during a special panel at the annual Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, before EA lifted the covers completely at E3 2019.

While the official reveal only gave us a glimpse at a story trailer, it was more than enough to get us hyped for the upcoming game. E3 2019 gave us a far more meaty look at the game - including some lightsaber-fueled gameplay - before the developer dropped an extended demo at the end of the month.

While fans of the galactic franchise have seen official tie-ins in the form of Star Wars Battlefront I and II, the new entry takes on a different tack, focusing on a single-player experience more in line with 2008's The Force Unleashed – and we have all the concrete news and wild speculation you could want below. 

[Update: A brand new story trailer for Jedi Fallen Order has been released. Watch it for yourself below.]

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A new single-player Star Wars game from the creators of Titanfall
  • What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One, and PC
  • When can I play it? November 15 2019

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release date

EA has now confirmed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will release on November 15, 2019, just in time for Christmas and the long-awaited release of Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker. 

If you pre-order the Deluxe Edition ahead of the game's launch, you'll get two exclusive in-game lightsaber colors plus an exclusive hilt, in addition to skins for your droid and star ship. EA and Respawn will also include a digital art book in the Deluxe Edition and a few behind-the-scenes videos. 

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order trailers and story

You'll take the role of Cal Kestis, a former Jedi padawan (AKA, a student of the Force). The game is set in the period following Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – the fateful time when the evil Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66, which saw the Jedi ambushed and killed by their own supporting Clone Trooper soldiers. Few survived and were forced into hiding.

And that seems to include Cal! A youngster only partially through his training, Cal has been forced into hiding, working construction sites and trying to keep a low-profile as the Jedi-hunting Imperial Inquisition continues to track down any remaining survivors.

The reveal trailer shows Cal having to use his Force powers to defend himself against rogue troopers, and to save a friend from falling from an accident. The trailer suggests the game will have some lavish set-pieces and environments, and hinted at a very-story-driven experience to enjoy.

A story trailer released in September gave an even better idea of what to expect from the game's main story, showing that Cal is not only on the run from the Empire, he's actively racing them to get to an item related to the Jedi Order. 

Check it out both trailers below:

You can also watch the EA Play 2019 gameplay reveal for the game below, but note that you're going to have to jump into around the 30 minute mark to skip the build up portion, that's basically just 30 minutes of an EA logo!

If you just want to see the game in-action, there's a brand-new official gameplay trailer that should provide everything you need to know about the game - including a few surprises. (Spoiler warning!) This is the same demo that journalists and attendees saw at the EA Play event.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gameplay

EA Play 2019 showed us a 15 minute slice of gameplay from the game, roughly 3 hours into the game.

We were shown Chewbacca's homeland Kashyyyk, where Jedi Cal is trying to kickstart the rebirth of the Jedi order. But the poor Wookies are enslaved by the Empire! So Cal has to try to help them out.

Walking through a tech-filled jungle corridor, gameplay at first doesn't look unlike Uncharted 4, with a tool that lets you swing from beams, and some wall-running ala Respawn's other game, Titanfall. Cal's pretty nimble, able to clamber up walls and climb as if he was Assassin's Creed's Ezio. He moves weightily.

After meeting up with some resistance fighters, he carves his way through a door and comes across a burning refinery, using his lightsaber as a torch in the darkness. A battle ensues below and Cal needs to reach a troop of Stormtroopers , so force-pushes a tree below to make a path to them.

Here we see our first glimpse of lightsaber action. Cal can force pull and push troops, as well as throwing his lightsaber at them for a ranged attack. Combat is lock-on focussed, not unlike Dark Souls for one-on-one combat, but seems massively more forgiving. There also seems to be finishing animations that trigger when you've took a baddie to low health. Lightsaber combat, thankfully, looks weighty and measured – this will be a tactical fighting game, rather than a hack and slash, with the classic ability to slash blaster bolts back at an enemy.

Cal also seems to have the ability to focus the force and slow time, letting him take on dangerous foes, like flamethrower stormtroopers with a little more ease, as well as avoiding environmental hazards like spinning blades. One cool moment had him slow time, and force pull a stormtrooper towards him in time to use it as a human-shield against the very same blaster bolt it had fired at Cal moments earlier. The same technique can be used to halt a foe momentarily in its tracks – very Kylo Ren.

So far, levels, though expansive, seem fairly linear – you're very much set along a path from one action scene to another, although the densely-designed levels prevent it from appearing too much like a series of corridors, back to back. Each scene has lots of AI interactions between NPCs, too – you'll see stormtroopers battling the native, giant-beetle-like creatures of Kashyyyk, and timing your attack against them could help to swing the odds in your favor.

Cal acquires upgrade points as he defeats enemies, and also seems to be able to complete side missions if he goes off the beaten path and explores levels in detail. C

The timing of the story, set after Revenge of the Sith, also means there was a familiar face or two turning up. Rogue One's Saw Gerrera, aka actor Forest Whitaker, was present, as was a bot that looked like K2SO. You'll have to fight this one, though.

Skill points will go into your force abilities, letting you upgrade force pulls and push, double jumps and force slowing tricks. You'll get a droid, too, BD1, to help you on your way, offering the ability to hack terminals, heal your player and manage your hologram map, as well as being your buddy. You won't be able to turn to the Dark Side though – Cal's good to the core.

So far then, so good. This is a classic-era Star Wars game, giving you a taste of the most-loved period in Star Wars history. Rather than the original reveal's suggestion that Cal will be a weak newbie Jedi, he's going to be fairly advanced in his training. And, it's all cannon – these characters are going to turn up in the wider Star Wars universe.

It looks visually impressive... except for the Wookies. They looked like the plastic figures from the 70s. A bit more free-flowing, walking-carpet Wookie hair please, EA!

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order news and rumors

New story trailer

In a brand new trailer released in September 2019, fans got a better idea of what to expect from the main story in Jedi Fallen Order. We already knew that the game's protagonist, Cal, is on the run from the Empire but in the trailer it's revealed that they're trying to stop his mission to trawl the galaxy and find something related to the Jedi Order. 

Those Sekiro Comparisons

Jedi: Fallen Order has recently attracted some comparisons to From Software's Sekiro with regards to its combat. Rather than be perturbed by this, though, Respawn Entertainment has said it finds it "badass" and "a little comforting". In a recent interview with Edge Magazine (via GamesRadar), lead combat designer Jason de Heras explained that "It just confirmed to us that you don’t have to limit everything the player does; let them have a little more agency, and then let the AI give them a slap on the wrist, or a punch in the face. It was a positive thing for us to know there was a game that was similar to ours. Very similar."

The team readily admitted to being fans of From Software's games, though given Jedi: Fallen Order was in development before Sekiro's release the similarities can't be much more than coincidence. Game director, Stig Asmussen, said that he and his team had a look at previous Star Wars games to determine what worked in them and how those fun elements could be brought forward. The Jedi Knight games, for example, were singled out as being good examples of lightsaber combat because they "really sold the lethality of the lightsaber" and served as better inspiration than the kind of heavy-handed combat found in Force Unleashed. 


Protagonist potential

In a recent interview with Game Informer, game director Stig Asmussen offered some insight into the decision making process behind Cal Kestis being chosen as the game’s protagonist. There was a point early on in the game’s development, Asmussen revealed, when an alien protagonist was considered but was soon discounted “because we felt like—no pun intended—that would alienate a lot of people.”

While Asmussen admitted that he would be interested in an alien protagonist, he said the team wanted to make sure that “there was a real human connection to the character”.

Having an alien protagonist in a Star Wars title certainly has the potential to offer a new and interesting perspective on the universe so it seems a shame that the opportunity was passed by. Fingers crossed it’s something that will be re-explored in the future. That said, Fallen Order has made a good impression thus far and hopes are high ahead of the game’s November launch.  

Retail box art
EA has revealed the retail box art for both the Standard and Deluxe editions of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Here's what the Standard edition look like:

Standard Edition (Image credit: EA)

And the Deluxe edition:

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Deluxe Edition (Image credit: EA)


EA doesn't plan to release Fallen Order on Switch
Soon after the game's official reveal, fans were wondering if Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will ever be making its way to Switch. Well, according to EA community manager Jay Ingram, there aren't any plans to do so currently.

You can check out Ingram's reply to a fan tweet below:

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was livestreamed – check it out
We already know that on April 13 we got our first proper look at Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as part of the annual Star Wars Celebration event in Chicago.

But luckily for fans that couldn't make the trek to the event, EA livestreamed it.

Check out EA's announcement tweet below for a chance to replay it:

The galaxy-wide premiere saw the head of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, and game director, Stig Asmussen (whose previous work includes God of War 3), revealing the much-anticipated details of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order toys -confirmed
Disney has announced that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order merchandise will become available in October 2019 suggesting, not only that the game will release around that time, but that the company expects it to be a title (or series) with a long life-span within Star Wars fandom. We now know that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will release in November, just a month after the toys release.

Development is well underway
"It’s very far along in development, and having spent time with it recently myself, it plays spectacularly well," EA CEO Andrew Wilson revealed during a quarterly earnings call (via Seeking Alpha). "This game truly captures the fantasy of becoming a Jedi, and we will have a lot more to share soon."

A Padawan called Cal? Confirmed
According to rumored information from a Star Wars marketing day (which obviously made its way to Reddit) the story will take place roughly five years after Revenge of the Sith and will follow surviving Padawan Cal (via GamesRadar). This rumor also states that one of the game's main plot points will revolve around Cal's mentor figure - a woman named Ceres. Both these names are now confirmed.

It's set after Revenge of the Sith
We don't know the specific time in which the game is set, but we've heard that it will take place at some point between Episodes 3 and 4, after the end of Revenge of the Sith but before Luke Skywalker's appearance in A New Hope.

This places it after the Galactic Empire hunted the 10,000-strong Jedi Order practically to extinction, leaving only a small fraction of Jedi alive (aka Order 66). With the promise that the game will be set 'in the dark times', it sounds like our Jedi protagonist may be more the hunted than the hunter.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Star Wars: Battlefront II. (Image credit: EA)

Could famous Jedi appear?
Playing as "a surviving Padawan", technically meaning a Jedi apprentice rather than a fully-fledged master of the Force, Cal could do with some extra training. Given the dearth of living mentors left to train you, it's possible Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda – or some less high-profile Jedi, like Quinlan Vos – will appear in a supporting role. 

The single-player mode comes first – and there will be no microtransactions
Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella tweeted about the upcoming game, describing it as an 'SP' (single-player) story. 

It looks like a multiplayer component won't be available at all in the game – surprising given EA's focus in recent years on games that extend beyond a single play session. Even more surprising is the fact that there will be no microtransactions at all, ever, in Fallen Jedi. It's great news considering the industry falls over itself to offer chunks of games piecemeal these days – but don't be surprised if that means there will be an aggressive DLC system instead.

I find your lack of faith disturbing
2018 was a been a bit of a fallow year for Star Wars, with Star Wars: A Solo Story struggling in cinemas and the negative player response to EA Dice's Star Wars: Battlefront 2 – largely in reaction to its prevalent use of microtransactions – still in recent memory.

Jedi: Fallen Order has been handed to a different studio, albeit one that's still a subsidiary of EA. But Respawn has garnered a lot of respect as the studio behind Titanfall and Titanfall 2, two critically acclaimed sci-fi action games that pit players against each other in giant mechanized suits, and which both came with strong single-player and multiplayer offerings. 

(Image credits: Respawn Entertainment)

Keep checking back here for all the latest Jedi: Fallen Order news 

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South Africa vs Namibia live stream: how to watch today's Rugby World Cup 2019 match from anywhere

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:45 AM PDT

Opening games don't come much tougher than having to face New Zealand, and while South Africa acquitted themselves well against the All Blacks in their first 2019 Rugby World Cup match, the Springboks came up short.

Conversely, their second match couldn't be much kinder, with a match-up against likely World Cup whipping boys Namibia.

Will the Springboks dish out a whitewash? Watch the action as it happens with our South Africa vs Namibia live stream guide.

Namibia will be hoping to exorcise the ghosts of losing 87-0 during their last meeting with South Africa which came in the 2011 World Cup. 

While the Namibians will be pleased to have notched up 22 points against Italy in the first match, that game also illustrated just how brittle their defence is.

Having shipped 47 points against the Azzurri, one worries for them as they prepare to face a South African side that will be intent on re-establishing their position as one of the tournament favourites.  

You can watch all the action from pretty much anywhere on Earth by following our Rugby World Cup South Africa vs Namibia live stream guide below.

How to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup from outside your country

If you're abroad for any of the Rugby World Cup and don't want to miss out on catching the coverage from your home country, you'll inevitably find it geo-blocked when you try to stream online. But don't sweat. With the option of a VPN, you can tune into those fixtures no matter where you are in the world without resorting to some dodgy feed on Reddit. And best of all, it's really easy to do (or read on for details on how to stream coverage from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA).

How to stream South Africa vs Namibia live in the UK 

How to watch South Africa vs Namibia: live stream in Australia

How to watch South Africa vs Namibia live in New Zealand

How to live stream South Africa vs Namibia in the US

  • Hulu with Live TV $40 per month - Hulu with Live TV includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.
  • FuboTV $35 for the first month - FuboTV gives you the first month at a discounted rate but after that the price increases to $45 a month. The service includes CBS, Fox, NBC and the NFL Network but does not come with ESPN.
  • DirecTV Now $50 per month - DirecTV Now includes CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and for $5 extra you can add the NFL Network.
  • YouTubeTV $40 per month - YouTubeTV gives you access to CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.

Divider

Live stream Rugby World Cup 2019 match in Canada

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Pokémon Sword and Shield release date, trailers, and brand new features

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:45 AM PDT

After releasing some of the best games in franchise history on the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo and Game Freak are finally ready to bring the main Pokémon games to the Nintendo Switch – the first of which are called Pokémon Sword and Shield.

The games will release globally on Nintendo Switch this November and will bring with them a brand-new region, features and Pokémon for trainers to swoon over. The official Pokémon YouTube channel has been dripping feeding us with snippets of gameplay and Pokémon designs too – though not everyone is happy with what's been shown so far (more on this below).

The Sword and Shield games will be set in the Galar Region (basically, a Pokémon-ified version of the United Kingdom) and will include a number of creatures including three new starting Pokémon, Scorbunny, Sobble, and Grookey. We'll also see a new mechanic called Dynamaxing that will replace Z-Moves and Mega-Evolutions – and apparently even Poké Jobs that help your Pokémon gain experience.

So how does Sword and Shield stack up to Pokémon Let's Go: Pikachu and Eevee on Switch? Those games acted as a sort of reboot of the original Red and Blue titles for the Nintendo Gameboy, and for many didn't count as a 'core' Pokémon experience. Players will be looking to Pokémon Sword and Shield to bring the true Pokémon experience to Nintendo Switch, and expectations are much, much higher.

So what do we know, and what are we hoping to see when Pokémon Sword and Shield launch this year? Read on to find out.

[Update: Prepare to channel David Attenborough and tune into a 24-hour livestream that will unveil some new Pokémon. Read on to find out more.]

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The eighth-generation of Pokémon games
  • When can I play it? November 15, 2019
  • What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

Image credit: Nintendo

Pokémon Sword and Shield release date

During a special Pokémon Sword and Shield focused Nintendo Direct on June 5, Nintendo revealed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will release globally on November 15, 2019. 

In addition, Nintendo announced pre-orders for a double-pack edition of the games will be available soon.

Pokémon Sword and Shield trailers

Wondering what towns in the Galar region might look like? A brand new trailer dropped during Gamescom will give you a better idea. Rolling verdant hills, quaint train stations and the ever-familiar comfort of the Pokémon Center. Check out the new footage below:

Pokémon Sword and Shield will made battling bigger and better than ever, and we mean the former quite literally. In a trailer released in August 2019, some new battle mechanics are explored. Watch the trailer below to see new Hidden Abilities, moves, items and some more details about Dynamaxing. 

A new day, a new trailer. We were expecting possibly more of an in-depth Pokémon Direct, but this two-minute clip does give us a look at some new Pokémon designs – as well as some 'rivals' you'll be facing off against in the game.

Check out the video below:

Another recent Pokémon Sword and Shield trailer gave us a closer look at Dynamaxing, new Pokémon and the Galar Pokémon League. Check it out below:

The best glimpse we've had of Pokémon Sword and Shield was during a special Nintendo Direct in June. The Nintendo Direct shed a lot of light on what new features we can expect alongside some new Pokémon pals. 

Check out the video below:

The first Pokémon Sword and Shield trailer didn't give too much away, but you can see the first glimpse of the environments and art style.

You also get a first look at three new starter Pokémon: the fire-rabbit Scorbunny, twig-monkey Grookey, and a sad-looking tadpole (sadpole?) called Sobble.

Check the trailer out below:

The last video, released right around the time of E3 2019, highlighted some of the geographical features of the Galar Region and introduced us to raid battles – a mechanic taken from the Pokémon Go mobile game.

Pokémon Sword and Shield screenshots

Pokémon Sword and Shield news and features

24-hour livestream

The Pokémon Company has announced that it will host a 24-hour Pokémon livestream, over the course of which players will spy some brand new Pokémon in the Galar region's Glimwood Tangle. The livestream will begin on Friday October 4 at 6am PT/ 9am ET/ 2pm BST and fans tuning in can expect to help research assistant Sonia spy some Pokémon from the Galar region. 

Meet Sirfetch’d
Nintendo has introduced the new Wild Duck Pokémon: Sirfetch'd. According  to the Nintendo, "Farfetch’d that inhabit the Galar region can evolve into Sirfetch’d after experiencing many battles". However, this new Pokémon is exclusive to Pokémon Sword.

Check out the reveal trailer for the leek-wielding Pokémon below:

Autosaves?

Could we finally see autosaves make an appearance in a mainline Pokémon game with Sword and Shield? Perhaps. A while after that Nintendo Direct it's now come to the attention of some eagle-eyed fans (via Eurogamer) that during the trailer "Now Saving..." briefly appeared during gameplay. This could, of course, just be the aftermath of a manual save but it looks like it could easily be marking the introduction of an autosave that is instigated by reaching certain points or crossing certain thresholds in the game. We won't know for sure, however, until it's confirmed or denied by Nintendo. 

Nintendo Direct September 2019

Nintendo dropped a Direct in early September with some brand new details on Pokémon Sword and Shield. 

First up, as we already knew character customisation is making a return but it's going to be more wide-ranging than ever before. Now in addition to changing tops and bottoms, you can change hairstyles, apply make up and pull some stylish outerwear. Catching Pokémon in a leather jacket? You betcha. 

There's also Pokémon Camp which allows you to pitch up a tent during your journeys and play with your Pokémon. This will improve their performance in battle and you can even take your Pokémon to visit the camps of other players online. 

Camping also means cooking. Now you can lovingly create dishes of curry and rice for you and your Pokémon with more than 100 variations to enjoy. To keep track of your recipes you'll be using the Currydex (yes, seriously). 

Of course, there are also some new Pokémon. The Direct introduced us to flying-water-type Cramorant and ghost-type Polteagiest. 

Gamescom 2019

Gamescom 2019 is here and despite that fact that Nintendo dropped a new Pokémon trailer merely days before the event, more new footage has been shown. Aren't we spoiled. 

The new footage gives a good look at an as-yet-unnamed town in the Galar region. This footage reveals that in addition to the previously revealed flying taxi service in the game, players will also be able to travel by train. Hopefully the attempt to reflect the UK will only be surface level or we'll get nowhere by rail. Towns will also have, as expected, Pokémon Centers, grocery stores and clothing stores to have a look around and spend some money. 

New battle mechanics

In a recent trailer, some brand new battle details have been confirmed. 

Corviknight is shown to have a Hidden Ability called Mirror Armor which will allow it to reflect any stat-lowering effects back at its opponents. 

Hidden Abilities, it’s been confirmed in a blog post, are slightly more special than standard abilities as they’ll only feature in Pokémon that have been caught in Max Raid Battles (so a Corviknight you catch from a normal encounter won't have the Mirror Armor ability). 

These Max Raid Battles, coincidentally, are the way to encounter another kind of special Pokémon: one that's capable of Gigantamaxing. If you’re really lucky you might go into a Max Raid Battle and come away with a Pokémon that can Gigantamax and has a Hidden Ability but that’ll be a very rare event and you’ll have to take part in a lot of Raids. 

New items will also be introduced to the game. One of these is Room Service, which will lower the speed of the Pokémon holding it during Trick Room. The other is Eject Pack which will switch the holding Pokémon out of battle if its stats are lowered, allowing you to replace it with another from your team. 

Battling online

A few more details on the Online Battle Stadium have been confirmed. Players with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription will be able to connect over the internet and compete in single or double battles. These battles can be ranked or casual, with the former involving facing trainers of similar ranks to try and earn points to move up, while the latter is, well, just for fun. With things working through the Nintendo Switch Online service, that means Pokémon Global Link is not supported. 

Pokémon have jobs now

An official listing on the Pokémon Sword and Shield's website shows a way of earning experience points by freelancing your Pokémon out to random employers. Exploitation, or a fun summer job? At the very least it's a great way of ensuring your boxed Pokémon aren't languishing while you take your main team on your adventure as can sometimes happen. It seems something of a shame that you can't go along with your Pokémon and take part in a mini game for some jobs but either way it's a great way to keep your Pokémon training and to bring in some special items as rewards. 

Region variants

Regional variations of familiar Pokémon always make exploring new areas even more fun. The region variants for the Galarian region really play up that U.K inspiration. 

There’s Galarian Weezing which is clearly drawing heavily on the Industrial Revolution with its chimney pipe hat and Victorian factory-owner vibe. 

Meanwhile Zigzagoon and Linoon have taken on a more badger-like appearance.

There’s also an entirely new Pokémon confirmed for the Galar region: Morpeko. This little hamster-like creature is adorable until It gets hungry. In perhaps the most relatable Pokémon behaviour ever, when Morpeko enters hangry mode, it goes from electric type to dark type and looks utterly merciless. 

The bad guys

Pokémon grunt organisations are very rarely subtle and Team Yell are continuing that trend with their name, their fashion and their utter adoration of Marnie. 

Marnie is one of your main rivals in Sword and Shield and she’s hell bent on becoming a champion. Team Yell are her followers who will get in your way in order to help her get there. 

Bede is your other rival. He’s a little more mysterious than Marnie (and looks a little more like a grandmother too). While he’s also aiming to become champion, he’s got other motives you’ll be aiming to uncover. 

Brand new models

The Pokémon Sword and Shield development team has been facing ire from fans following the news that every single Pokémon ever won’t be available to catch in the new games with the latest rumors suggesting that Game Freak has been utilising old 3DS creature models for the Switch game in order to cut costs. This theory has been shot down by an older Famitsu interview with Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori (via Polygon) in which it’s stated that the models for the new game have been created from scratch. 

It was also said that the more intensive graphics of the Switch has lengthened the time needed to render Pokémon so the limited Pokédex would have come at some point. 

Version-exclusive Gym Leaders

Pokémon Sword and Shield will have version-exclusive Gym Leaders. In Pokémon Sword you will battle karate prodigy Bea, while in Pokémon Shield, you take on emo king Allister.

Gigantamaxing

Previously we had heard of the Dynamax feature that allows Pokémon to become super-sized during battles, however Nintendo has now revealed the "phenomenon" of Gigantamaxing. 

While Dynamaxing can only occur in specific areas of the Galar region, and is a common occurrence for Pokémon from the region, Gigantaxmaxing is only specific to certain species of Pokémon and kicks things up a notch by not only increasing a Pokémon's size but also its appearance.

In addition, Gigantamaxing boosts the power of the Pokémon and allows it to use a unique move known as a G-Max Move - each G-Max Move is particular to a specific species of Gigantamax Pokémon.

More new Pokémon

In a recent trailer Nintendo introduced us to some more new Pokémon we'll be encountering in Galar, including the walking ice-cream sundae Alcremie, adorable puppy Yamper, coal chunk Rolycoly and steel dragon Duraludon.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Image credit: Nintendo

Doubling Down

Pokémon producer Junichi Masuda has reiterated the news that not all Pokémon would be available to catch in Sword and Shield in a statement to fans on the official Pokémon site. In the statement, Masuda thanked fans for their love of the Pokémon series but reaffirmed the decision to limit Pokémon in the game to those within the Galar region. 

He did, however, add that "even if a specific Pokémon is not available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games."

Fan backlash against the news has been severe but it seems that Game Freak is sticking to its guns. Masuda added in his statement that the Galar region will see “the world of Pokémon continues to evolve. The Galar region offers new Pokémon to encounter, Trainers to battle, and adventures to embark on. We are pouring our hearts into these games, and we hope you will look forward to joining us on this new journey.“

Can't catch 'em all 

It's been confirmed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will not feature every Pokémon from the franchise so far, making them the first mainline games to do so. Given there are now more than 800 species of Pokémon this is, perhaps, not all that surprising.

The reason, according to Game Freak producer Junichi Masuda (via Famitsu), is that on reaching generation eight there will be more than a thousand Pokémon in the Pokédex. Such a large number means "it has become extremely difficult to make Pokémon with a new personality play an active part and to balance their compatibility" as well as to make sure they'll all be balanced in battle.

Not only that, it would be too difficult to have so many in-game models with a high enough graphical quality. 

Though the choice saddens Masuda, he says that it's a decision he "had to make some day" and that he's opting to "choose the quality". 

Poké Ball Plus

Pokémon Ball Plus

We didn't hear much about Pokémon Sword and Shield during Nintendo Direct at E3 2019, but it was teased that the Pokémon Ball Plus can be used to take your in-game Pokémon for "a stroll". However, the ball cannot be used as a controller.

In addition, it was teased that "good things" will happen if you build up a strong connection to one Pokémon in particular.

Release date revealed

Nintendo held a special Pokémon Sword and Shield focused Nintendo Direct on June 5 that revealed both games will release globally on November 15, 2019.

Max Raid Battles

Much like Pokémon Go, Sword and Shield has a feature which allows trainers to team up with up to three others online to take on more powerful Pokémon.

Legendaries

Pokémon Sword and Shield's wolf-like Legendary Pokémon are Zacian (sword) and Zamazenta (shield).

Dynamax Mode

This new mode allows trainers to make their Pokémon giant and super-powered. This mode can only be activated once during a battle and lasts three turns before a Pokémon reverts to normal size.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

Image credit: Nintendo

More new Pokémon

Alongside the starter Pokémon, Nintendo has also revealed a few more new Pokémon joining Sword and Shield: Wooloo (sheep Pokémon), Gossifleur (a fancy lady Pokémon that evolves into Eldegoss), Drednaw (who resembles a snapping turtle) and Corviknight (a raven and glorified taxi service for the Galar region).

Wild Area

Galar features a Wild Area where trainers can explore, battle and capture Pokémon. Which Pokémon appear depends on the environment and weather.

Stadiums

Trainers will battle Pokémon leaders in Stadiums rather than the usual gyms. These stadiums are huge and packed with a cheering audience. 

New characters

Nintendo revealed your new rival is Hop, whose older brother is the Pokémon champion of Galar. Meanwhile Professor Magnolia and her assistant Sonia will act as your guides.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

Image credit: Nintendo

Trainer outfit customization will be a feature

While it's not a brand new feature, trainer outfit customization has been popular with Pokémon players since it was introduced in X and Y. And it's a feature which a recent Uniqlo competition has confirmed will be in Pokémon Sword and Shield. 

In a collaboration with The Pokémon Company, the clothing brand asked fans to design a top which would then be sold in stores. Now that the winning entry has been chosen (a design featuring Magikarp and Gyrados) it's been revealed that the top will also be wearable in Pokémon Sword and Shield as a trainer outfit.

Just how many more outfit options there'll be in the games isn't known yet, but we're hoping to catch a glimpse of some more if Nintendo shows us some new Sword and Shield footage during its E3 conference this year. 

Made for handheld

While the Pokémon Let's Go games were developed with TV mode in mind, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has stated that Pokémon Sword and Shield will "emphasize the fun of playing Nintendo Switch in handheld mode." Furukawa made the comments during Nintendo's March 2019 Financial Results Briefing (via Nintendo Life).

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

Image credit: Nintendo

A whole new world

We know the game is set in a brand new region of Galar, rather than a rehash of Kanto or a previously visited territory. Galar seems to be loosely inspired by England's cities and countryside, with rolling hills and brickwork cities to explore.

The trailer also showed glimpses of jewel-encrusted mines and what might even be a football stadium (see the kit below), though we're waiting to see whether competing in a Pokémon-themed Football World Cup will be possible for players.

Brand new Pokémon

Yup, this is a new generation of Pokémon, meaning you'll be seeing a lot of new faces – as well as a lot of old ones. The trailer gave us a mix of familiar Pokémon like Pikachu and Hoothoot along the new starters, and we're hoping Game Freak manage to keep the new designs interesting (no ice cream or candelabra Pokémon, please.)

Modern to the core

Sword and Shield look to retain the look and 3D animation style of the Pokeémon Let's Go games that launched on Nintendo Switch last year.

Pokémon games haven't been flat 2D games in years, and has increasingly been moving towards full-size avatars and 3D environments. Some may miss the old-school pixel charm of the earlier games – and find the 3D creature models a bit bland – but for better or worse this is what we're getting.

Pokémon Stars what?

What still confuses us is that we've been waiting for the long-rumored Pokémon Stars game for over two years now, Eurogamer. published a report in late 2016 that said multiple sources had confirmed a new version of Pokémon Sun and Moon was being developed for the Switch under the code named Pokémon Stars. 

While it never materialized, 'Stars' could well have been a code-name for what eventually became the Let's Go games, or could still prove a Switch port for the Sun and Moon games.

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Apex Legends is taking players to the World’s Edge in Season 3

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:12 AM PDT

Apex Legends, the free-to-play battle royale set in the Titanfall universe, is just days away from the launch of its third season and its developer, Respawn Entertainment, has revealed that a brand new map is incoming. 

The action of Apex Legends currently takes place in King’s Canyon on Planet Solace but when Season 3: Meltdown begins on October 1, players will be whisked away to Planet Talos. Here, the game's new location World’s Edge, a place “where molten heat and chemical ice collide”, will be introduced.

Respawn has offered players their first glimpse of this new map in a launch trailer which you can watch for yourself below.

A game of ice and fire

Naturally, the cinematic trailer doesn’t give away absolutely everything about the new destination but it gives a good idea of what to expect as far as its environment is concerned: ice, lava, geysers and potentially a moving train. It’s also worth looking out for a glimpse of Season 3’s new Legend, Crypto, who is a hacker with his own surveillance drones he uses into battle. 

While the original King's Canyon map for Apex Legends has seen some changes since the game's launch, this marks the first time that an entirely new map has been introduced. It's not been made entirely clear yet whether World's Edge will sit alongside King's Canyon or if it will eclipse it entirely.

Season 3: Meltdown and World's Edge will arrive in Apex Legends alongside a brand new character and weapon on October 1. 

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Best headphones under Rs 2,000 in India for August 2019

Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:04 AM PDT

The best headphones under Rs 2,000 may not offer a wide range of features present on flagship headphones. However, there are a few budget-friendly earphones out there in the market that really provide that pristine audio listening experience that will keep you satisfied.

This article is the perfect guide to help you choose between options so that you can purchase the best pair of headphones under Rs 2,000 that are tailored to meet your needs. If you are looking for the best headphones under Rs 2,000 in India, these options below stand out.

Ranging from Bluetooth headsets to over-the-ear headphones and headsets with a microphone to earpieces without a mic, the list covers every category so that you can choose what fits your bill. 

Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2019: best deals, offers and discounts on headphones

1More Piston Fit

Although 1More is not a very popular audio company in India yet, it does make some high-quality headphones that offer a great bang for your buck. If you are looking for a very affordable yet high-quality headphone, the 1More Piston Fit could the right fit for your needs. 

Depending on the shape of the insides of your ears, you can choose between different sized tips on the 1More Piston Fit. The 45-degree angled design also helps in getting that feeling of a snug fit. 

The 1More Piston Fit are slightly biased in favour of details over bass, so keep this in mind while making your decision.

SoundMagic PL30+ C 

SoundMagic is yet another reputed audio accessory maker. The SoundMagic PL30+ C is well-known for its perfectly balanced audio output. You don’t have to worry about playing with the equalizer settings to get the best out of the PL30+ C. However, if you are inclined towards a certain acoustic, you can always customize it the way you like it.

In terms of looks and build quality, the SoundMagic PL30+ C is right up there with the best in this price range. They come in an attractive packaging which consists of a hard case, 5 sets of earbuds and a couple of hooks.

Sennheiser CX 275 S

Sennheiser is a well-known brand when it comes to premium audio accessories. However, keeping the budget consumers in mind, Sennheiser launched the CX 275S in-ear headphones. These headphones offer decent sound output which is a bit more inclined towards the treble.

The Sennheiser CX 275 S fits quite well in the ears and features a composed yet premium build quality.

Sony MDR-EX255AP

Sony is another well-known name when it comes to audio products. The MDR-EX255AP in-ear headphones try to strike a good balance between bass, treble and other acoustics. You can also improve the overall quality to suit your needs by fiddling with the equalizer settings.

The semi-braided wires along with the metal casing give the headphones a premium look. With real-silicon earbuds, the Sony MDR-EX255AP fits quite well in the ears.

Sony MDR-XB450

If you are a bass lover, the Sony MDR-XB450 on-ear headphones could be the perfect option for you under Rs 2,000. Powered by the huge 30 mm drivers, the Sony MDR-XB450 can produce bass levels that are unmatched in this price range.

Although the MDR-XB450 focus primarily on bass, they deliver great output in the mids and the highs too.

The MDR-XB450 has well-cushioned ear pads and the metal casing adds to the looks, but the build quality may not be up there if you’re thinking long term. Still, it is a great on-ear option, especially if you’re a basshead.

Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD

Xiaomi has been synonymous with value for money products for a long time now, and that is no different with the Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD. In terms of build quality and design, these headphones are right up there with the best.

Like many other Xiaomi products, the Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD offer great bang for your buck without compromising on the quality. These headphones offer top-notch sound at budget prices, making them one of the best options in this guide. However, it’s worth noting that you may not experience the best output quickly, as these headphones require an extensive burn out period.

SoundMagic E30 in-ear headphones

The SoundMagic E30 was launched way back in 2013, but still, it is quite relevant to current standards. The earpieces generate a very well-balanced sound output with unmatchable clarity. The best part is that you can enjoy pure music which is not distorted by excessive bass. The E30 focusses more on the treble side while maintaining a composed, yet tight, bass.

When it comes to building quality, the SoundMagic E30 fails to impress. The headphones are made of cheap plastic with sub-standard finishing. The earpieces are designed to be worn over the ears with its cables going around your earlobes. If properly plugged in, the E30 provides exceptional noise cancellation and are quite comfortable too.

Audio-Technica ATH-AX1iS

Audio-Technica is another reputed name when it comes to audio products. The ATH-AX1iS offers a well-balanced audio output, but it is conservative when it comes to bass.

Although the ATH-AX1iS are durable, the build quality leaves something to be desired. They also fit really well on the ears with well-cushioned ear pads. You also get an in-line mic along with volume controls that makes it easy to manage your music on the go.

Still haven't found what you're looking for? 

Check out our list of the best noise-cancelling headphones or our list of the best wireless headphones available in India.

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