Apple : Can't wait for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? CoD: Mobile is coming out October 1 |
- Can't wait for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? CoD: Mobile is coming out October 1
- A Google-backed 5G drone took off last week
- Walmart's Game Day TV sale includes deals from Samsung, Vizio, LG and more
- How to watch American Horror Story online: stream season 9 from anywhere
- Data leak reveals how Russia uses telecoms for surveillance
- Systemkameror: Spegelreflex och spegellösa – 10 viktiga skillnader
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare release date, trailer and news
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| Can't wait for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? CoD: Mobile is coming out October 1 Posted: 18 Sep 2019 02:25 PM PDT Call of Duty: Mobile has an official release date, and it’s coming out for iOS and Android phones on October 1 for all but a few countries (except China, Vietnam and Belgium). The free-to-play, multiplayer-only title shrinks the typical modern Call of Duty shooter experience down to smartphone level, with abbreviated controls and features that preserve the feel of the FPS franchise. To that end, plenty of classic maps like Nuketown and Crash are ported over to CoD: Mobile, as are multiplayer modes like Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy and Free-For-All. The result of this effort is that the guns, pace of combat, and combat flow are pretty faithfully reproduced for the smaller screens. TechRadar got an early look at CoD: Mobile back at E3 2019, and the game felt so familiar that we felt anyone who’d played a game in the series would have little trouble adjusting to mobile gameplay – and would have an advantage over Call of Duty newbies. That extends to the game’s battle royale mode, adapted from the console Call of Duty’s Blackout mode – but played on a huge map stitched together from a bunch of well-known maps in the CoD series. Plus, of course, a bevy of weapons and vehicles from the franchise. What makes a mobile Call of DutyObviously, there’s a big difference between playing a shooter on the latest consoles or PC and playing on a smartphone. Call of Duty: Mobile has a few control options to make the transition easier, like an optional auto-shoot mode that pulls the trigger for you the moment you line up a crosshair over an enemy. You can also customize the HUD to clear up the clutter. Those mobile-friendly options aren’t surprising additions: Tencent’s Timi studio developed CoD: Mobile in partnership with Activision. TiMi had previously made one of the PUBG versions available in China as well as the blockbuster smartphone MOBA, Arena of Valor/Honor of Kings. The game will launch with a slew of multiplayer modes and Battle Royale - and while the press release didn’t mention it, we did see hints of a franchise-favorite Zombies mode when we tested the game at E3 2019. Given some of the YouTube videos purporting to show early footage of the mode in CoD: Mobile, and its wild popularity across the series, we’d be surprised if it wasn’t part of the game. But given additional modes, content, time-limited events and playlists will be added “on a regular basis,” per the press release, we’ll just have to wait and see.
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| A Google-backed 5G drone took off last week Posted: 18 Sep 2019 02:14 PM PDT Last week the HAWK30 drone, which has a massive 260 foot wingspan, took to the skies during its inaugural test flight at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California. The HAWK30 is a solar-powered 5G drone also known as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) that can fly non-stop for six months at a time while sending 5G back down to the ground. The project is currently being developed by the University of Hawai’i (UH), in partnership with SoftBank, AeroVironment, and Google's parent company Alphabet. If approved though, the HAWK30 will eventually move from California to Hawaii's Lanai Island for its final tests and Oracle's founder and chairman, Larry Ellison, currently owns 97 percent of the island.
Junichi Miyakawa, who is the representative director and CTO of SoftBank as well as the president and CEO of HAPSMobile, explained that last week's test flight is just the beginning for the HAWK30 drone, saying: “We’re very pleased that HAWK30’s first test flight was a success. It was an exciting journey to get to this point. We were able to see HAWK30 take flight in front of us and witness its grace in the air. We’re extremely grateful to NASA for their guidance and operational support. While this successful test flight represents just the first step, we’re moving forward with tests in the stratosphere and long flight duration tests lasting several months up to a half year. HAPSMobile will continue to work toward its goal of bridging the world’s digital divide and revolutionizing mobile networks by leveraging HAPS.” Delivering overhead 5G communicationThe HAWK30 is an unmanned, low-speed, high-altitude, solar-powered aircraft which is propelled by 10 electric fans and has been designed to carry 56 communications relays. The end goal of the project is to one day deliver next generation mobile connections to remote areas all over the world. The drone is designed to operate for up to six months in a single flight and each HAWK30 will provide continuous service covering 150 square miles of land. The proposed project will utilize two airplanes that will remain centered above Lana'i airspace. However, local tensions have heightened after health scares surround 5G technology has emerged and there is even a campaign building to ground the project. The HAWK30 project has addressed these tensions head on in its proposal though, saying: “The way HAWK30 projects cellular radio waves downward to the surface of the earth, with only one Watt of transmit power required to cover a surface area equal to the entire island of Lana‘i, compared to the 8 to 10 Kilowatts of power it would take to power normal cell towers transmitting horizontally. This low wattage reduces or eliminates health concerns associated with powerful radio transmission.” Via 5Gradar This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Walmart's Game Day TV sale includes deals from Samsung, Vizio, LG and more Posted: 18 Sep 2019 01:20 PM PDT Football season is officially here, and that means it's an excellent time to find Black-Friday like deals on a wide range of 4K TVs. Walmart's Game Day TV sale includes discounts on top brands like Samsung, Vizio, Sony, and more. Our favorite game-day TV deal is the Hisense 58-inch 4K Smart TV that's on sale for $299.99. That's a $128 discount and a fantastic price for a big-screen 4K smart TV. Shop more of Walmart's best game day TV deals below that include a range of different sizes and features. These discounts are limited-time offers, so you should take advantage now before it's too late. Walmart 4K TV deals:See more of the best cheap TV sales and 4K TV deals that are happening now. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch American Horror Story online: stream season 9 from anywhere Posted: 18 Sep 2019 01:13 PM PDT We survived Murder House, Freak Show and even the Apocalypse, now it's time to see just how twisted and scary 1984 is going to be - American Horror Story is back! From the trailers and sneak peaks that the co-creators of Glee have teased us with, 1984 is set to be a serial killers' paradise. Not sure when or where to watch this? Don't panic, this isn't a life or death situation - we've got you covered with all the information on how, where and when to watch American Horror Story online. American Horror Story brings you the most twisted and darkest plot-lines, combined with comedy relief and the exploration of sexuality. All of these aspects intertwined is what makes this such a gripping and thrilling series to watch. The sheer intensity of each episode rivals any great horror movie, they have all the ingredients required: violence, horror, suspense, and all the twists and turns you could possibly imagine. A series that will combine an exploration of social issues with the grimmest nightmares, AHS season 9 is set to follow the previous pattern running right through Halloween. Ryan Murphy has teased that this could be one of the last ever series (although season 10 has already been confirmed for 2020) as each season is meant to explore one of the nine circles of hell. We reckon season 9 could either be lust or violence and, from the trailer, our money's set on the former. Not sure where to watch this screaming season? We've got you covered, keep reading to see where you can watch American Horror Story 1984 online
Watch American Horror Story online from outside your country:If you find yourself outside of your country when AHS is on TV, don't panic! We understand that you have business or leisure to attend to, or you could even be an expat - either way you don't have to miss out on the latest horrors, you can still watch American Horror Story online using a VPN. This incredible tool can (sort of) teleport your IP address to a different place, giving you complete access to American Horror Story episodes as they go out. Now for the tricky bit, which VPN is best for you? Our personal favorite is ExpressVPN. And how do you use that to watch American Horror Story online? Keep calm (if your nerves will allow) and carry on reading to find out all you need to know. How to watch American Horror Story online in the US:
How to watch American Horror Story online in the UK:How to watch American Horror Story online in Canada:How to watch American Horror Story online in Australia:How to watch American Horror Story Seasons 1-8Are you not completely up to date with all American Horror Story episodes? Don't panic, you can still watch all seasons or episodes that you have missed and here is how. US: All 8 seasons are available to stream on Fubo TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime Video. UK: You are spoilt for choice here, you can choose to watch all 8 seasons on either Sky, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, TalkTalk TV, iTunes and/or Chili. Canada: Google Play is the way to go as it has all 8 seasons. Australia: Foxtel, Google Play, Microsoft or iTunes all have the 8 seasons available to stream. Watch American Horror Story online season 9 trailer:This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Data leak reveals how Russia uses telecoms for surveillance Posted: 18 Sep 2019 12:08 PM PDT Documents found on an unprotected backup drive have given new insight into both the scope and scale of Russia's system for operative investigative activities or SORM that is used for state surveillance of citizens' calls, messages and data. Director of cyber risk research at the security firm UpGuard, Chris Vickery first discovered the exposed files on a drive owned by an employee of Nokia Networks which maintains and upgrades the network of the country's largest telecom Mobile TeleSystems (MTS). Nokia Network is also responsible for ensuring MTS' compliance with SORM. According to UpGuard, Nokia secured the exposed drive just four days after Vickery reported finding it. In a statement, Nokia spokesperson Katja Antila provided further details on the discovery of the drive, saying:
“A current employee connected a USB drive that contained old work documents to his home computer. Due to a configuration mistake, his PC and the USB drive connected to it was accessible from the internet without authentication. After this came to our attention, we contacted the employee and the machine was disconnected and brought to Nokia.” SORMWhile the exposed data contained on the drive contained mostly internal Nokia files, there were also documents which revealed Nokia's involvement in providing lawful intercept capabilities to Russian phone and internet providers. SORM was first developed in 1995 as a lawful intercept system that allowed the country's Federal Security Services (FSB) to access telecoms data such as the call logs and contents of its citizens. However, changes to Russian law over the last decade led to the expansion of the government's surveillance powers to include internet providers and web companies. These businesses were required to install SORM equipment to allow for web traffic and emails to be intercepted. The documents contained on the drive show that between 2016 and 2017, Nokia proposed changes to MST's network as part of its modernization effort. These changes included upgrades to local MTS-owned phone exchanges which would allow the telecom to comply with the latest changes to Russia's surveillance laws. After reviewing the documents, TechCrunch discovered floor plans that showed SORM devices were installed on each phone network to give the government direct access to all of the data that passed through each phone exchange including calls, messages and data. Russian state surveillance is nothing new but the exposed drive gives us a better idea of just how extensive the country's SORM system is and how much data it is able to collect on citizens.
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| Systemkameror: Spegelreflex och spegellösa – 10 viktiga skillnader Posted: 18 Sep 2019 12:05 PM PDT Du är på väg att ta steget in i fotograferingens underbara värld och letar efter en anständig kamera som du kan bygga ett system runt. Skaffar du en spegellös systemkamera (ofta även kallad kompakt systemkamera) eller en traditionell systemkamera med spegelreflex? Förr om åren var frågan lätt att besvara: Du var helt enkelt tvungen att köpa en systemkamera med spegelreflex om du på allvar ville börja syssla med fotografering. Men 2008 lanserade Panasonic världens första spegellösa kamera, Lumix G1 - och allt förändrades. Liksom med de traditionella systemkamerorna kan du med spegellösa kameror byta objektiv, men som namnet antyder har de inte ett komplext internt spegelsystem. Detta betyder att de oftast är mindre, lättare och mekaniskt enklare än en motsvarande traditionell systemkamera. Det betyder också att de kan vara lika användarvänliga som många kompaktkameror, medan de flesta traditionella systemkameror erbjuder ett hopp i inlärningen jämfört med en vanlig kompaktkamera.
Entusiaster och proffs har emellertid traditionellt sett inte varit lätta att övertyga om de spegellösa kamerornas förträfflighet. Frånvaron av en optisk sökare, tillsammans med strömlinjeformade kontroller och begränsat utbud av objektiv för de flesta system, brukade vara en vattendelare för många erfarna fotografer. Det är dock på väg att kastas helt över ända. När tillverkarna utvidgar utbudet av objektiv och tillgängliga alternativ blir valet av objektiv ett mindre problem. En rad nya spegellösa kameror har nu också kommit för att locka fotografer bort från den mer traditionella systemkameran, med prestanda och bildkvalitet som i vissa fall är bättre än spegelreflexkameror i samma prisklass. Men har spegellösa kameror gjort tillräckligt för att vara äkta konkurrenter till den traditionella systemkameran? Eller är de redan bättre? För att hjälpa dig att skapa en egen uppfattning, presenterar vi här de viktigaste skillnaderna och vad de betyder för vardaglig fotografering.
En av de stora försäljningsargumenten för spegellösa kameror har varit deras lilla storlek, men argumentet fungerar inte alltid. Anledningen? Du måste ta hänsyn till storleken på kamerahuset OCH objektivet. Detta är ett problem för spegellösa kameror med sensorer i fullformat eller APS-C, eftersom du visserligen kan få ett litet kamerahus men de kompatibla objektiven kan vara stora och tunga. Vissa modeller kommer med utdragbara objektiv, eller power zoom-objektiv, väl avvägt och som säljs i kombination med kamerahuset, men det hjälper inte när du måste byta till en annan typ av objektiv. Panasonic- och Olympus-kameror har en fördel här; Four Thirds-sensorformatet i deras Micro Four Thirds-modeller är mindre än APS-C och fullformat. Många fotografer gillar inte det här, men det betyder att objektiven ofta är mindre och lättare, vilket hjälper till att leverera ett mycket mer kompakt system. Intressant nog växer några av de vassare spegellösa kamerorna som Sony Alpha A7R IV, Olympus OM-D E-M1X och Canon EOS R nu när de tar sig an fler funktioner och när tillverkare svarar på feedback från fotografer som vill ha större kroppar att greppa om. I andra änden av skalan krymper de traditionella systemkamerorna på isntegsnivå för att tävla med det mindre fotavtrycket hos liknande prissatta spegellösa kameror. Nikon D3500 och Canon EOS 2000D är smärtsamt små och lätta, vilket gör dem mindre besvärliga att bära med sig.
Om du vill ha det bredaste möjliga utbudet av objektiv är en systemkamera från Canon eller Nikon kanske ditt bästa alternativ. Var och en har ett omfattande utbud av objektiv som flera prisklasser samt utmärkt stöd från tredje part som Sigma och Tamron. Medan Canon och Nikon båda har haft decennier på sig att bygga upp och förfina sina uppsättningar av objektiv - Nikons objektivfattning är till exempel oförändrad sedan 1959 - dök den första spegellösa kameran upp först för 11 år sedan. Spegellösa kameror vinner dock hela tiden mark. Eftersom Olympus och Panasonic använder samma Micro Four Thirds-fäste och har etablerats längst, är utbudet av Micro Four Third-objektiv det mest omfattande, och erbjuder ett brett utbud av optik, från ultra vidvinkliga zoomar till snabba förstklassiga teleobjektiv. Fujifilms system växer hela tiden, med några underbara fasta objektiv och utmärkta zoomobjektiv. Till och med 18-55 mm objektivet som levereras tillsammans med många av kamerorna som standard är mycket bra. Det finns fortfarande några luckor i sortimentet, men Fujifilm arbetar definitivt hårt för att leverera ett omfattande objektivsortiment av hög kvalitet. Sony erbjuder några riktigt fina objektiv av hög klass som är designade för fullformatskamerorna som Alpha A7 III, medan de nyligen lanserade ett mäktig FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS fast teleobjektiv också. Man erbjuder nu ett relativt hälsosamt urval för både APS-C och fullformatskameror. Både Canon och Nikon har nyligen lanserat spegellösa kameror med fullformat som saluförs jämsides med de traditionella systemkamerorna. För tillfället är den dedikerade optiken för var och en begränsad till en handfull objektiv, men många fler utlovas. Inte bara det – både Canon och Nikon erbjuder överkomliga adaptrar som gör att du kan använda objektiv designade för de traditionella systemkamerorna, dock i vissa fall med begränsningar. Den senaste förändringen här är införandet av L-mount, ett projekt som förenar Panasonic, Sigma och Leica. De tre företagen har lovat att utveckla produkter som kan användas tillsammans med de från de andra tillverkarna, vilket hjälper utbudet att utvecklas snabbt.
Alla spegelreflexkameror, även de billigaste, har en optisk sökare eftersom det är en integrerad del av designen med speglar. Många spegellösa kameror på instegsnivå har å andra sidan ingen sökare alls, så du måste använda den bakre LCD-skärmen för att komponera foton, vilket inte alltid fungerar så bra i starkt ljus. Spegellösa kameror med sökare kostar mer, och dessa är elektroniska snarare än optiska sökare. Det betyder att de visar bilden direkt från sensorns avläsning och inte via en optiskt spegel. De elektroniska sökarna utvecklas i snabb takt, och de senaste visar sällan någon kornighet vilket var ett problem hos tidigare generationer, även om det ofta kan uppstå en liten men synlig fördröjning om du flyttar kameran riktigt snabbt. Fördelen med elektroniska sökare är att de kan visa mycket mer information än en optisk sökare, inklusive histogram, till exempel. De kan också simulera den digitala bilden som kameran kommer att fånga, så att du inte får några hemska överraskningar när du granskar din bild eftersom det ser exakt vad du får. Denna simulering är dock inte alltid perfekt, och många fotografer föredrar att se världen med sina egna ögon när de komponerar bilden och kontrollera den digitala versionen på LCD-skärmen i efterhand. De är också lättare att använda i svagt ljus. Valet handlar om personliga preferenser; skaffar du en av de senare avancerade spegellösa kamerorna med en elektronisk sökare med stor förstoring och stor upplösning, kommer du ha mycket svårt att hitta några fel med den.
Spegelreflexkameror använder snabba och effektiva "fasdetekterande" autofokusmoduler monterade under spegeln i kroppen. Det här systemet kan vara otroligt snabbt när det gäller att fokusera och spåra motiv, med kameror som Nikon Nikon D850 och Canon EOS-1D X Mark II som erbjuder ett otroligt sofistikerat system. Problemet är att dessa system bara fungerar medan spegeln är nere. Om du använder en systemkamera i live-visningsläge och komponerar en bild eller video på LCD-skärmen måste spegeln vippas upp och den vanliga AF-modulen är inte längre i ljusbanan. I stället måste kameran växla till ett långsammare kontrastdetekterande AF-system med bilden som tas av sensorn. Många av de senaste modellerna från Canon (t.ex. EOS 250D och EOS 6D Mark II) inkluderar emellertid företagets lysande Dual Pixel CMOS AF som använder fasdetekteringspixlar inbyggda i sensorn. Denna är utformat för att ge snabbare autofokus i live view-läge för att minska avståndet till de spegellösa kamerorna - och det fungerar väldigt bra. Spegellösa kameror måste använda sensorbaserad autofokus hela tiden. De flesta är kontrastdetekterade AF-baserade, men dessa tenderar att vara mycket snabbare än motsvarande AF-lägen för kontrast på traditionella systemkameror. Mer avancerade spegellösa kameror har avancerade hybrid-AF-system som kombinerar kontrastdetektering med fasdetekterande AF från sensorn. Modeller som Fujifilm X-T30, Panasonic Lumix G9, Sony Alpha A7 III och Olympus OM-D E-M1X imponerar inte bara med sin hastighet, utan också med den noggrannhet som de kan låsa på och följa ett rörligt motiv. Detta är ett område där spegelreflexkamerorna hittills har haft en tydlig fördel, men det är alltså på väg att ändras nu.
Du behöver ett snabbt kontinuerligt fotograferingsläge för att ta actionbilder och spegellösa kameror visar vägen här, delvis eftersom det spegellösa systemet innebär att det finns färre rörliga delar och delvis för att många modeller nu har 4K-video - vilket kräver seriös processorkraft, precis det som behövs för kontinuerlig fotografering också. För att sätta detta i perspektiv kan Canons bästa professionella systemkamera med speglar, EOS-1D X Mark II, ta 14 bilder per sekund, men de spegellösa Panasonic Panasonic Lumix G9 och Sony Alpha A9 kan båda ta häpnadsväckande 20 bilder per sekund. Du måste dock vara lite försiktig när du tittar på specifikationen. Vissa spegellösa kameror kan skryta med ännu högre bildhastigheter än detta (i vissa fall upp till 60 bilder per sekund), men måste då använda en elektronisk slutare för att uppnå detta och fokus kommer att fixas från första bilden. Inte bra om du planerar att spåra ett rörligt motiv, eller under vissa typer av konstgjort ljus där bandning kan uppstå om du inte använder en mekanisk slutare. Du måste också vara realistisk gällande vilken typ av bildhastigheter du kommer att behöva; fotografering med 60 bilda per sekund innebär att du fyller ett minneskort ganska snabbt, och du måste spendera mycket tid på att tränga igenom en mängd bilder för att hitta det "rätta" fotot. Som sagt, då även spegellösa kameror på instegsnivå erbjuder snabbare bildhastigheter än de flesta systemkameror, ligger spegellösa kameror verkligen i framkant här om detta är viktigt för dig.
Traditionella systemkameror var de första att erbjuda professionell HD- och Full HD-video, som tillsammans med ett stort utbud av objektiv och andra tillbehör omedelbart var en hit hos proffs och videoproducenter. Men förändringen har verkligen varit till de spegellösa kamerornas fördel de senaste åren, vilka nu erbjuder en mängd videofunktioner som de flesta systemkameror inte kan matcha. 4K-video är till att börja med en vanligare funktion hos spegellösa kameror, medan traditionella systemkameror har varit långsamma med att erbjuda denna funktion. 4K-videoinspelning finns nästan inte alls hos systemkameror i instegsklassen, och bara en handfull modeller längre upp i kedjan erbjuder detta. Vi har också den effektiva autofokusen för Live View och processorkraft som erbjuds av spegellösa kameror, medan det växande utbudet av adaptrar och tillbehör där ute erbjuder användare ett mer komplett system. Panasonic har tagit fram en nisch för sig själv med Lumix GH5 och Lumix GH5S, och erbjuder en hybrid för stillbilder och video som är älskad av entusiastfotografer och professionella filmfotografer, medan Sony har valt en liknande metod med Alpha A7S II.
När det gäller fotografiska funktioner och kontroller är det svårt att utse en klar vinnare. De erbjuder alla manuell kontroll över exponering och fokusering och kan fotografera både RAW- och JPEG-filer, så att du får bästa möjliga bildkvalitet. Inom vilken sektor som helst, till exempel kameror på startnivå, entusiast eller pro-modeller, är kontrolllayouterna och funktionerna ganska lika. Systemkameror på ingångsnivå tenderar att dölja de manuella kontrollerna under ett automatiseringslager, men det är samma sak med de spegellösa kamerorna. Tänk på det här med sökare - alla traditionella systemkameror har sökare, men billigare spegellösa kameror har det inte.
Det finns inget tydligt val att göra här heller. För närvarande hittar vi den högsta upplösningen i en spegellös kamera, det medelstora formatet Fujifilm GFX 100, som har en sensor på 102MP. Det är visserligen inte en kamera som många har råd med, även om den billigare spegellösa Sony A7R IV klarar 61MP - fortfarande 11MP mer än ed närmaste traditionella systemkamerorna, Canon EOS 5DS och 5DS R. Det handlar dock inte bara om megapixlar eftersom den viktigaste faktorn i bildkvalitet är sensorns storlek. Med undantag för sensorer i mediumformat är sensorer med fullformat de största och erbjuder bästa kvalitet, medan kameror med APS-C-sensorer är nästan lika bra och mycket billigare - och du kan få någon av dessa sensorer i både spegelreflex- och spegellösa kameror. Men marknaden för kompakta systemkameror erbjuder också mindre format. Micro Four Thirds-formatet som används av Panasonic och Olympus är mindre än APS-C, men det är också kamerorna och objektiven, så du måste väga vad som är viktigast för dig - storlek eller bästa bildkvalitet. Sammantaget finns det ingen inneboende bildkvalitetsfördel i en systemkameraa, med tanke på att samma sensorstorlekar också hittas i spegellösa kameror.
Jämförelse av batteritid är kanske inte spännande, men är viktigt när skillnaderna är lika stora som i detta fall. Den mycket prisvärda Canon EOS 250D, till exempel, kan ta 1 070 bilder på en enda laddning, medan spegellösa Fujifilm X-T3, en mycket mer avancerad modell, på pappret, bara kan ta 390 foton innan batteriet tar slut. Detta mönster upprepas om och om igen, när man jämför spegelreflexkameror med spegellösa. Varför är det så här? Batterieran för de traditionella systemkamerorna är ibland större, men inte alltid, och du kanske trodde att spegelns rörelser upp och ner för varje bild förbrukar mer kraft och att LCD-skärmen skulle användas lika mycket. Men spegellösa kameror måste i de flesta fall också också driva en EVF. Så detta är ett område där systemkamerorna ofta har en väsentlig praktisk fördel. Du behöver säkert ett extra batteri eller två med de flesta spegellösa kameror.
Du kanske hoppas att en enklare design av en kompakt systemkamera skulle göra dem billigare att köpa, men så är inte nödvändigtvis fallet. Om du vill ha en fullt utrustad, "riktig" kamera för minsta möjliga pengar, är en traditionell systemkamera fortfarande det billigaste alternativet - men det är ett gap som minskar hela tiden. Till exempel har 24MP Nikon D3500 nästan den bästa APS-C-sensorn som för närvarande finns på marknaden, en optisk sökare (naturligtvis), anständiga manuella kontroller och en häpnadsväckande batteritid på 1 500 bilder. De närmaste konkurrenterna för detta pris på den spegellösa kameramarknaden kan inte matcha upplösningen eller batteritiden och har inga sökare, men för bara lite mer pengar hittar du Sony Alpha A6000 med en nästan identisk 24MP APS-C-sensor och funktioner som en inbyggd elektronisk sökare. Du måste fortfarande ha ett extra batteri. Med det sagt, är kameran så billig eftersom den har ersatts av nyare modeller. När du väl kommit in på entusiast- och proffsmarknaden försvinner emellertid skillnaderna till stor del - för varje given summa pengar får du i stort sett samma funktioner, prestanda och kraft.
De tekniska skillnaderna mellan en traditionell systemkamera med speglar och en kompakt spegellös systemkamera är inte det enda du behöver tänka på och kanske inte ens det viktigaste för dig. Det enda sättet att bestämma en gång för alla är att plocka upp dem och prova dem för att se vilken du föredrar. Du kanske föredrar den feta, tjocka känslan och den optiska sökaren på en traditionell systemkamera, eller kanske du föredrar de mindre husen och en mer exakt känsla hos en spegellös dito. Det handlar i slutändan om vad du gillar att fotografera och vad kameran kan leverera - och uppmärksamma också de objektiv som erbjuds och tillbehör som finns tillgängliga. För nybörjare och de med begränsade resurser ger en systemkamera i instegsklassen mer än en billig spegellös kamera. Längre upp i prisintervallet är det jämnare, men man måste säga att även om vissa kanske föredrar hanteringen och den optiska sökaren, så blir det allt färre och färre tekniska skäl till att en traditionell systemkamera fortsättningsvis bör betraktas som det bästa alternativet för fotografer. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare release date, trailer and news Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT Call of Duty Modern Warfare is going back to the series' roots. Forget the zombies. Forget the WWII battles. Forget the jetpacks, exo launchers and all the other future weaponry – Call of Duty is going back to one of the most beloved series within the franchise with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a reboot of the highly-lauded 2007 first person shooter that's set in today's battlefields. It’s all about the gritty realities of war this time out, with the ‘modern’ of the ‘Modern Warfare’ title referring to the high-tech gear of today, the cutting-edge killing machines employed in combat right now in places like the Middle East and Russia, rather than the far-flung fantasies of science fiction. With the battle royale genre taking up many shooter fans’ spare gaming time, Call of Duty’s crown as the king of competitive shooters has slipped in the past few years. Can a return to its most-popular roots bring it back to glory? Read on for what we know so far. [Update: Call of Duty Modern Warfare is gearing up for its second beta period, this time with crossplay across all platforms.] Cut to the chase
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare release dateAnnounced right before E3 2019, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare leaked ahead of the event but a trailer gave us our first glimpse and a variety of details for the game. It included the release date, which is set for October 25, 2019. You're already able to pre-order the game on the official site too. Call of Duty Modern Warfare screenshotsCall of Duty: Modern Warfare trailersAt Gamescom 2019, Infinity Ward released a new trailer revealing Modern Warfare's ray tracing in action. Check it out below: Not had enough footage of Modern Warfare multiplayer? Check out the 24 minutes of multiplayer footage released by Infinity Ward in August 2019 below. The latest multiplayer trailer has been revealed for what's being claimed to be Call of Duty's most immersive multiplayer to date. Infinity Ward has confirmed a brand new multiplayer mode for Modern Warfare called Gunfight and released five whole minutes of crisp 4K gameplay to give players a better idea of what to expect from this fast-paced, 2v2 mode. Watch it for yourself below. The first trailer for Modern Warfare was the release trailer that debuted on May 30. In it, we can see series protagonist (and all-around badass) Captain Price light up, and some intense - and dare we say great-looking - nightvision sequences. You can watch it below: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare betaAs expected, there will be a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta held prior to the game's release. The first, PS4-exclusive, weekend has already been and gone and now we're gearing up for the second period which will be cross-platform. The cross-play element will be opt-in so it's up to you if you play with people on other platforms or not. Players will also be able to choose which controller type they're playing with and will be matched on this basis. The second weekend which will be for PC, PS4 and Xbox One will run in early access across September 19 and 20. The open access for this weekend will run from September 20 to 23 Wondering how you can get in on those early access days? You'll have to pre order the game. If you don't want to pre-order, you can still get access on the open access days, just remember to set up a COD account. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare newsCrossplay Battle royale possibilities The rumors are unconfirmed but they do come from YouTuber LongSensation, a source with a fairly good track record. However, until Infinity Ward confirms or denies we can't be sure. PC optimzation Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be fully optimized for PC players, according to recent reports, complete with some PC-specific features as well as cross-play with consoles. As reported by DualShockers, the PC version of the game will have an uncapped frame rate as well as a slider for Field of View so that you can decide how much of your surroundings you want to see in your peripheral vision. Ultra-wide monitors will be supported with the ability to configure monitors to suit your needs. For any console players concerned about mouse and keyboard advantages in cross-play scenarios, matchmaking will be done according to peripherals so it's down to you whether or not you play with those using a mouse and keyboard. Infinity Ward is already ahead of those ultra-sneaky players who might think about changing their peripheral mid-match; you can't, it's locked in. Multiplayer reveal As promised, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's multiplayer reveal took place in August. Fans have already seen the brand new 2v2 mode, Gunfight, but now there's a bigger picture that suggests a truly reinvigorated Call of Duty multiplayer experience to look forward to. First up, there's cross-platform multiplayer between consoles and PC as well as a free season pass, showing Infinity Ward is taking a cue from popular multiplayer titles like Fortnite and is making efforts not to split up its playerbase. Further to 2v2 fights in Gunfight, there are 6v6, 10v10 and 20v20 matches though the real surprise is a new mode called Ground War which will support up to 100 players, though there's no footage of that just yet. With this expansive multiplayer offering, it seems that Infinity Ward is looking to appeal to all kinds of shooter fans. Watch the multiplayer trailer for yourself below. Killstreaks are back Ahead of the full multiplayer reveal scheduled for August 1, Activision has confirmed that Killstreaks will make a return in Modern Warfare, making it the first game in quite a while to include the feature. As players rack up kills, they'll be able to unlock weapons and armor. Some of the killstreaks have been revealed on Twitter already including the intimidating Juggernaut suit from Modern Warfare 3, the light infantry assault vehicle and, most unpleasantly, the controversial White Phosphorus. More information on the game will be revealed on August 1. Female multiplayer options Infinity Ward has been drip-feeding multiplayer news ahead of the full reveal on August 1st. The latest announcement has come from a Reddit post in which communications manager, Ashton Williams, has confirmed that there will be playable female models in Modern Warfare's multiplayer. Multiplayer intro In addition to that confirmation of playable female characters, Infinity Ward has also revealed some footage of what the short cinematic preceding a multiplayer match will look like to Twitter ahead of the full multiplayer reveal. Like in Call of Duty: WW2's War Mode, the cinematic will show players in a scene heading towards their drop point. Full Multiplayer Reveal Gunfight Gunfight is a mode for four players where two teams will play in “multi-round cage matches” across three small custom maps. Every two rounds, teams will swap to opposite sides of the map. All four players will have the same loadout which will typically be comprised of a primary and secondary weapon as well as a tactical Grenade and a piece of Lethal Equipment. The first team to win six rounds are the winners. This is going to be a mode for players that like fast rounds, with each round counting down on a 40 second timer. If one team hasn’t wiped out the other by the time the 40 seconds is up, a flag will appear on the map. The first team to control the area around the flag for more than three seconds is them the winner of the round. Each round, overall, will last for around a minute so speed is key. Aim Down Sight reload Aim Down Sight reload will mean that, while aiming down the sight of your weapon, your view won't be pulled away to watch an animation when you reload. Instead, you'll stay on target. Animation director Mark Grigsby offered some details on the feature in the post: “One other thing we added this year is the ADS [Aiming Down Sight] reload. In the past, if you're ADS, and you're shooting and you reload, the weapon would go off to the side, and you'd have to retrain to get to your target. This time if you reload, it stays on the target, so you can stay in the battle.” "Ripped straight from the headlines" This mission sees you tracking down the instigator of the terrorist attack (AKA The Wold) to a townhouse in North London. As a member of the SAS, the player creeps up a ladder and into the back of the dimly lit home where they methodically assassinate the plain-clothes terrorists occupying the residency. There's even an unsettling situation involving a woman using her baby as a shield. It's pretty rough but Infinity Ward claims the new Modern Warfare sees missions "ripped straight from the headlines" and investigated the "civilian collateral damage" that comes hand-in-hand with war. What was peculiar was that our presentation was shorter than those who had attended earlier in the week. We were only shown the London townhouse mission, whereas other journalists were shown an extra - more controversial - segment which seen players taking on the role of a child soldier in an unspecified war-torn country. Image Credit: Infinity Ward Is this a reboot of the classic Modern Warfare? Instead, Infinity Ward is using the Modern Warfare name here to evoke a similar feeling, and some of the same characters will return but this is an entirely new storyline set in a different timeline. It's totally separate to what we've seen in the previous games as here those events haven't occurred. We'll still follow Captain Price in this different timeline, and it may mean we see over returning characters throughout too. Price features heavily in the trailer above, and he ends it by saying there's a team of his "old comrades" so it may well be that we see the return of other fan favorite characters such as Soap or Gaz. This new timeline is also why the game isn't called Modern Warfare 4. It should mean it's a good place for new entrants to the series to pick up the game, but there's sure to be a few nods to the original series for die-hard fans. Narrative director at Infinity Ward, Taylor Kurosaki, also noted that the game's storyline is still being tweaked but it's anywhere between five and nine hours long. That means it's not set to be very long, but at least this time there is a storyline. Call of Duty: Blacks Ops 4 opted to drop the storyline in favor of focusing on online play, which is something we've heard very little about so far for this game. Image credit: Activision/Infinity Ward No Zombie mode for Modern WarfareZombie mode might be a staple of the over-the-top Black Ops entries into the Call of Duty series, but the undead horde will not be being reanimated this time around in Modern Warfare according to Campaign Gameplay Director Jacob Minkoff. In an interview with PlayStation Lifestyle, Minkoff said that the team's goal is to create something on par with today's battlefields - which, unfortunately, don't include any undead wandering around. "We don't have the flexibility to do something like put zombies in the game. That would compromise the feeling of playing in a world that feels realistic and authentic and relative to today's conflicts and things we face," Minkoff said. If you want Zombies, you'll just have to wait for the next Black Ops game. Image Credit: Activision / Infinity Ward Return of the JuggernautWhile Call of Duty Modern Warfare didn't have a huge presence at E3 2019, it did pop up at an E3 Coliseum event where Activision had the first two multiplayer screenshots. One shot shows a sniper in a ghillie suit, while the other shows a juggernaut suit – one of the most powerful pieces of gear from the original game. A whole new engineThis title will be the first to use a whole new engine for the series, and that should allow for some drastic graphical improvements over previous titles including Black Ops 4. It's the first time the games will use a new engine in 14 years. We've yet to learn the name of the engine, but we know that the franchise has been working on it for five years. We expect to learn more about it in the coming months, but we can expect some more detailed environments, improved volumetric lighting and ray tracing technology too. Expect controversyAccording to ComicBook.com, the game be "heavy on troubling, realistic emotions, very much inspired by the controversial 'No Russian level" That mission is in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. It was highly controversial at the time for depicting an undercover CIA agent who takes part in a mass shooting of civilians. The trailer suggests other terrorist attacks may feature in the story, and children also feature so it may be these elements are used to stir up controversy.
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| iPhone 11: 512GB vs 256GB vs 128GB vs 64GB: prices and which size is enough? Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT Apple's new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are here, and they're going to confront you with plenty of vexing choices. You'll have to decide which iPhone you want and pick the color you prefer. And then, you still have to choose which iPhone 11 storage size is right for you. Depending on which iPhone 11 version you get, you'll get different storage options, which can have a significant impact on the price of the phone. Here's a quick overview of which options are available:
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is available with the same storage capacities as the as the iPhone 11 Pro, but it has a higher starting price, and each increase in storage raises its price accordingly. Now, with the storage sizes in front of you, it's time to figure out which is right for you. Here's our advice. iPhone 11 64GB: is it enough?Everyone is going to start out looking at the 64GB model, whether you want the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro. It's the base size at either phone's base price. While it may be enough for some very light smartphone users, we don't think it's going to be quite enough for many people, especially iPhone 11 Pro users. There are users who won't be too bothered by the smallest option. If you have a handful of core apps you always use and only occasionally shoot photos and video, or if you regularly offload content from your phone to the cloud or a backup device, and if you mostly stream music and videos - then you can likely get away with the 64GB model. But, if you tend to record a lot of video (which the iPhone 11 Pro cameras will surely encourage), you'll likely find 64GB option falls short of your needs. Just a few minutes of 4K video can add up to gigabytes of storage, and the Pro model's ability to record from multiple cameras at the same time will mean even bigger files. 64GB isn't going to be enough to keep up with that rate of regular recording. Even if you plan to only occasionally use the cameras and video recording capabilities, the combination of media files, apps, locally installed games, and any downloaded Netflix content is going to add up quickly. You probably won't regret jumping to a larger storage level when you see how quickly you use up 64GB. iPhone 11 128GB: a worthwhile upgrade?The 128GB model is only available for the 'budget flagship' iPhone 11 - the iPhone 11 Pro models only get the bumped up (256GB, 512GB) options. But, the 128GB size is likely going to be the sweet spot for the iPhone 11, especially because it's such a small increase in price from the 64GB model. It's just $50 (£50, AU$70) more than the base model, but doubles the storage capacity. With 128GB, you'll be able to take plenty of photos, and you can get a decent amount of video as well. And, that'll still leave you room to download apps, games, and keep a regularly rotating queue of downloaded videos stored on your phone. If you plan to take a lot of video, then you'll definitely want at least 128GB, but it may still not be quite enough. You'll either want to make sure you're regularly backing up your old footage and clearing it off the phone, or you should consider jumping up to the next larger size. If you don't like backing up your phone or relying on the cloud, and you don't plan to jump to the next iPhone in a year or two, then this may also be a bad choice. While it's not hard to stretch 128GB, you have to be judicious with what you keep on your device. And, if you like to keep a lot on it, and accumulate even more large video files and photos, you may find yourself hitting that 128GB cap before you're ready to upgrade to a future iPhone. iPhone 11 256GB: is this the perfect size?The 256GB storage capacity is available for both the Pro and non-Pro version of the iPhone, and it's probably going to be a strong option for a lot of users. Heavy iPhone 11 users may want to go with the 256GB size if they plan on storing a lot on their phone and capturing photos and videos on a daily basis. For the iPhone 11 Pro, the 256GB model should almost be the default. With its three rear cameras and ability to record from all the cameras at once, it'll be able to use up a serious chunk of storage in no time. 64GB just wouldn't be enough for the Pro unless you don't take advantage of the cameras, and then you might as well go with the standard iPhone 11. If you really don't use the cameras for video, you may not want to pay the extra cash to jump up to the 256GB model. Smaller capacities should be decent for keeping up with still photography, and downloaded Netflix shows don't take up all that much space if you regularly remove things you've already watched. On the other hand, if you are going to be aggressively recording video, 256GB might not be enough. If you try to produce lots of professional video like the kind shown off in Apple's iPhone 11 event, you'll likely be looking at two options: upgrading to 512GB or regularly offloading video from your phone. iPhone 512GB: is this too much?The 512GB option is only available for the iPhone 11 Pro, and it comes at a serious hike in price from the base model. Most people won't need this much storage, and that's especially true if you plan to upgrade to the iPhone 12 in a year. 512GB is more storage than a lot of laptops are coming with lately, and the storage Apple puts into its phones is far more expensive than the same capacity in an external drive. If you've had a 256GB iPhone in the past and you never filled that up, then you can probably safely safe your money and not jump up to 512GB. That said, if you're relying less and less on computers and want to make the iPhone 11 Pro the center of your tech world, it might not be a bad idea to jump to 512GB. This will give you room to keep the photos and videos you shoot local. You can also keep a local music library and save money by cancelling music streaming plans. This is extra handy if you travel a lot as well, as you can load your phone up with downloaded videos from your favorite streaming services to get you through the craziest multi-leg flights. And, you'll still have room on your device to document your journeys.
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| Pokémon Go updates: all the news and rumors for what's coming next Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:27 AM PDT Pokémon Go: the world's first augmented reality app to become a household name. Niantic's mobile AR game is still going strong two years after it first released, with a constant drip of events and updates keeping budding trainers glued to their phones and pounding the streets. And while it hasn't managed to top the peak of its popularity in 2016, it's still going strong and finding plenty of new ways to improve its player experience. So what's the latest news for Pokémon Go? As you'd expect, brand new features are being added all the time and community events are still going strong. Plus we have some more Safari Zones and brand new Gen 5 Pokémon to catch! But without further ado, here's our guide to all the latest Pokémon Go news and updates.
Pokémon Go news and Pokémon Go updates
Gen 5 The Pokémon Go Pokédex continues to expand with the introduction of some Generation 5 Pokémon. Hailing from the Unova region, these are Pokémon that have previously featured in the Black and White DS games. The new Pokémon include starters Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott as well as Patrat, Lillipup, Purrloin, Pidove, Blitzle and others. These Pokémon will now be appearing in the wild and they'll also be hatching from eggs. There are some limitations on the Unova Pokémon, though: Klink will only be appearing in Raids and some will be region specific. Pansage, Pansear and Panpour, for example, will be appearing in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle-East and Africa and North America respectively. Meanwhile, Heatmor will be available in the Western Hemisphere while Durant will be in the Eastern Hemisphere. These new Pokémon are also joined by a new item: the Unova Stone. This will allow certain Pokémon to evolve and will be available through Research Breakthroughs. Flower Crown Eevee There's also a brand new Research Breakthrough rewards to enjoy. From September 1 until November 1, Eevee wearing flower crowns will appear in encounters for you to catch. Even more appealing, there's a chance some of those you encounter will be Shiny. Research Breakthroughs will be the only way you'll encounter these Pokémon so if you want to evolve every Eeveelution wearing a flower crown you'll have to get started now! When's the next Pokémon Go event?Legendary Raid Hours There are more Legendary Raid Hours in the month of September. For one hour between 6pm and 7pm local time each Wednesday evening (that's September 4, 11, 18 and 25) Raid battles with the current Legendary Pokémon will be more frequent. September 4 and 11 have now gone by but on September 18 look out for Mewtwo. September 25 is a yet-to-be-confirmed surprise. Safari Zone Pokémon Go Fest is now over but Safari Zones are coming soon to Taipei and Montreal. Those unable to attend the events in person will, of course, be able to enjoy some of the benefits that will be available globally. The first Safari Zone will take place in Montreal from September 20 to 22 at the Parc Jean-Drapeau. For this period, Pokémon known for their speed will appear more frequently in the safari zone and across Canada. For players further around the world, Yanma will appear more often. From October 3 to 6, another Safari Zone event will take place in the New Taipei Metropolitan Park. During this period, water, bug and grass type Pokémon will appear more frequently and the event is un-ticketed. When's the next Pokémon Go Community Day?
Now that Turtwig has had its day, the next Pokémon Go Community Day has been confirmed to be taking place on October 12, between 11am and 2pm local time. The featured Pokémon for the event will be the ground-type Pokémon Trapinch. Across the day Trapinch will spawn more often and there will be a possibility you could encounter it in its shiny form. The event-specific move for Trapinch hasn't been confirmed yet but this will be revealed closer to the time. During the event, there will be triple XP awarded for any Pokémon caught and any Lure Modules will last for three hours rather than thirty minutes. Pokémon Go update: what's next?Niantic hasn't revealed any more plans for what's coming next in Pokémon Go in terms of the big picture but there are always new creatures and new events happening in the game. Big reveals can happen at any time, though, and we'll report them right here if and when any announcement happens.
Pokémon Go Plus dealsWant to buy yourself a Pokémon Go Plus wearable? Check some of today's best deals down below. (Image credits: Niantic/Pokémon Company) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Death Stranding: release date, trailers and news Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:14 AM PDT Finally, after years of being in development, we know when Hideo Kojima's upcoming title Death Stranding will release and we also know a little bit more about what to expect from the game...kind of...probably as much as we ever will. As the game's November release date approaches Kojima has been taking advantage of events like Gamescom and Tokyo Games Show to steadily release more information about the game and show us more footage. But with Kojima, nothing is simple. While we have now seen more gameplay footage, more trailers and learned of further confirmed features which has cleared up some of our confusion, there's still a part of us that's not entirely sure of what to expect from Death Stranding. We're not actually sure we'll have a real handle on it until we can play it in its entirety. So while fans try to work out what to expect from Kojima's latest offering, let this article guide you through everything there is to know about Death Stranding so far. [Update: Kojima has been drip feeding some more Death Stranding news during Tokyo Games Show and we've got more footage to pore over than ever. Read on to find out more and watch it for yourself.] Image credit: Kojima Productions Cut to the chase
Death Stranding trailers and screenshotsKojima made an appearance at Tokyo Games Show in 2019 and brought with him the longest chunk of Death Stranding gameplay footage we've seen so far. At just under an hour, this footage gives us a good look at how the game will play. Death Stranding trailers are becoming increasingly focused and two released on August 19 at Gamescom 2019 brought the enigmatic infants into closer view. The trailers revealed a new character that is the mother to an infant who was born still, and so its soul exists in a mirror plane to the real world, the world of the dead. Then, some of the characters in this world have managed to manipulate and navigate this world with actual stillborn infants connected across planes with still mothers ... we think. It's wild stuff that borderlines on taboo – and it features Guillermo Del Toro, too. Finally, Kojima revealed gameplay of Death Stranding, which detailed a character interacting with a character modeled after Geoff Keighley (who is literally in the game now). Then, he fell off a cliff onto the baby resting in its artificial womb on the character's chest ... unscathed. We have no idea. Prior to Gamescom, Kojima gave us a two minute look at a brand new character: Heartman. Played by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, this character's heart stops every 21 minutes. Each time his heart stops he dies for around 3 minutes and enters the world of the dead before being revived by a defibrillator strapped to his chest and returned to the land of the living. The most revealing Death Stranding trailer dropped on May 29, announcing the game's release date and attempting to shed some light on the storyline. Check it out below: The Tokyo Game Show 2018 trailer revealed voice-acting veteran Troy Baker has joined the cast as the mysterious villain The Man in the Golden Mask. E3 2018 brought Death Stranding gameplay to our eyes and left our minds somewhat confused. Before E3 2018, Death Stranding featured at the Game Awards 2017. Coming in at nearly eight minutes long, this isn't a quick watch and unfortunately it doesn't answer many of the questions we have about the game (actually we think we have more). Watch it for yourself below: The reveal trailer that was shown at E3 in 2016 may have been more than 3 minutes long, but it didn’t reveal much about the game at all other than that it would star The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus. A second even longer and 4K trailer was shown at The Game Awards at the end of 2016. This trailer starred Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen and Guillermo Del Toro and although it didn’t give us any more of an idea of what the game will actually even be about (in fact leaving us more confused than we were before) it did send expectations soaring. Death Stranding release dateDeath Stranding will release on November 8. 2019. Death Stranding is available to pre-order now from the PlayStation Store. The standard digital edition will cost you £54.99 / $59.99 / AU$99.95, while the deluxe digital edition costs £64.99 / $79.99 / AU$114.95. Image credit: Kojima Productions What do we know so far about Death Stranding?Tokyo Games Show Hideo Kojima and Death Stranding made an appearance at Tokyo Games Show; quite a long one as well. The creator took to the stage to show off almost an hour of gameplay footage which is the longest look at the game yet. From what we could see from the footage, there's a lot of walking in Death Stranding though it's mercifully broken up by some vehicles and, of course, some combat with enemies. As Reedus' character Sam, players will pull their cargo across the game world, struggling as it gets heavier. As players walk they'll need to contend with the little things like replacing their worn out boots and they'll be able to pick up cargo dropped by other players in their playthroughs. Another round of footage was shown at the close of the show which gave us a glimpse of the game's Safe House, a more intimate place in the game world where time will be spent between missions. The Safe House is a place where you can hang out as Sam and mess around with selfies, customise your gear, plan your next move, take a shower and, er, eat some bugs. Kojima also took some interviews during the show and in one particular interview he admitted that the game won't get "really fun" until players get around halfway through it. According to Kojima the game will have a slow start and "there is no explanation or anything". The reason for this is, in part, to make the game more accessible to every kind of player which has been a key concern for Kojima. Accessible difficulty settings No longer listed as PS4 exclusive Gamescom 2019 While the gaming auteur certainly tried to explain Death Stranding, and in particular the baby we see Norman Reedus carrying about, it still manged to be a convoluted affair. We kind of have a better idea about what Death Stranding's Bridge Babies are about thanks to a couple of new trailers. It seems like Bridge Babies (or BBs) are babies who are born on "the other side" (aka stillborn). However they remain attached to their mothers via some sort of supernatural umbilical cord, which means they exist in a kind of mirror plane to the real world - ethereal, but still 'connected' to their mothers. The babies then seem to be used to allow people in the real world, like Norman Reedus' character Sam, to see BTs (supernatural, shadowy creatures). So Sam attaches a device to him that acts like a mother's womb, so the BB thinks it's still in there. It seems Sam needs to keep his BB calm and happy because they're "unpredictable" and can possibly fail. It seems like Sam will die if the BB dies. So essentially you're a delivery man and a surrogate mother... After the two trailers on BBs, Kojima revealed gameplay of Death Stranding which started with Sam urinating to empty his "tank". The pee also caused a mushroom to grow a bit. We can only assume there's a survival mechanic that means you need to drink, eat and pee. We assume... Next, the trailer detailed Sam interacting with a character modeled after Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley (who is literally in the game now). Sam delivers a package and then a new strand is uncovered, showing more of the map. Then, he fell off a cliff face-down into the ground, flat on the baby resting in its artificial womb on the character's chest, which was... unscathed. We have no idea. The baby then start crying and Sam has to rock it to calm it down. The new trailers didn't shed a whole lot of light on Death Stranding but it seems the babies are technically dead and create a link to another world, allowing Sam (and anyone attached to BBs) to see the shadowy BT figures. Maybe? Who knows. Death Stranding could be out on PC as soon as May 2020 Bear in mind that it is just a rumor, and nothing more at this point, but the source of the speculation, an Italian journalist by the name of Antonio Fucito, previously leaked the game’s release date correctly (before it was officially revealed as November 8). In a livestream session, Fucito said that Death Stranding would be a PlayStation 4 exclusive for a set period, before releasing on PC (but not Xbox). Regarding the possible length of exclusivity period, he added: “I don’t know if it’s a 6 or 12 months exclusive.” So we could potentially be looking at a PC release in May 2020, a year from now, or November 2020. Of course, that’s pure guesswork, and we still have to be cautious about any PC release happening at all. Keanu Reeves was almost cast in Death Stranding "I originally was recommended Keanu Reeves but I wanted Mads," Kojima explained during the panel, according to Twitter user Kalai Chik. Check out the tweet below: Release date revealed in trailer Kojima has stated the game centers around 'connection' Check the tweet out below: Death Stranding's pre-order page is live now Check out all the items below: Image credit: Sony Tribeca Film Festival “In Death Stranding I’m trying to put every aspect [of Norman] in there,” Kojima said through his interpreter, “and you will see his … everything, in the game,” he finished, suggestively, cracking up the crowd. By the end of the game, he says, you’ll “love Norman”. Non-branching narrative Online features Image credit: TechRadar Troy Baker is a villain E3 2018 We also got look at two more famous faces who will make an appearance in the game – Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner. Something edgy We do know that Kojima is planning to do something different with the game’s mechanics, most notably around the concept of dying and involving the baby that has appeared in every trailer. Kojima said in the interview that the mechanics of Death Stranding were inspired by a Japanese short story. Image credit: Kojima Productions In the story it’s stated that the first tool mankind creates is a stick for protection, but that the second tool mankind created was a rope to keep things close and secure. “Most of your tools in action games are sticks,” Kojima explained, “You punch or you shoot or you kick. The communication is always through these 'sticks.' In [Death Stranding], I want people to be connected not through sticks, but through what would be the equivalent of ropes… But of course you will be able to use the sticks too.” Unfortunately we haven’t seen any gameplay that would give us a better insight into how this rope approach will actually work. A mystery to its own devs Before this, the game's star Mads Mikkelsen admitted he "got lost" when Kojima tried to explain the game's plot to him. Sporadic details We know the game will run on the Decima engine which was created by Horizon: Zero Dawn developers, Guerilla Games. Kojima praised this engine during PSX 2016 as being an excellent engine for creating open world games, something that Horizon: Zero Dawn’s reception suggests has an element of truth to it. Though its unsettling trailers suggest otherwise, Kojima has said that Death Stranding won’t be as dark as some fans are expecting. It’s certainly not a horror game, he told Glixel, and it would have comedic moments which isn’t entirely surprising considering the overarching tone of the Metal Gear series. An impressive cast O'Brien posted a picture to Instagram which showed her alongside Baker and Reedus, with a caption stating "Honored to be working alongside these two fine lads on [Hideo Kojima's] new project Death Stranding." While Baker is well known for his starring roles in video games such as The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, O'Brien has had roles on both TV and in games, featuring in Telltale's Guardian's of the Galaxy and Batman: The Enemy Within as well as Rock in a Hard Place. Players won't die The game apparently explores the themes of life and death and it's for this reason that Kojima would like to explore the traditional death mechanic in games and let players know that in-game death isn't the end for them when it happens. In this underwater area, he explains, “you're not dead or alive. It's the equivalent of that screen that says 'Continue?' and a counter ticking down towards zero.” When players decide they're ready to leave and return to the game world, they won't be returned to a point before their death. Instead the game acknowledges their defeat and coming back to life is more of a reincarnation than a respawn. There's a weird time rain This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Avira and TP-Link team up on Wi-Fi routers with IoT security Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:10 AM PDT Avira and TP-Link have announced a new partnership which will see the security firm embed its SafeThings security solution in the networking company's Wi-Fi routers. Smart device adoption has increased significantly in recent years and experts predict that it will jump from 7bn in 2018 to 21.5bn by 2025. As the number of smart devices in user's homes increase, so to do the potential risks to their privacy as cybercriminals look to exploit smart devices that lack encryption or use default passwords. This is why Avira and TP-Link have joined forces to ensure comprehensive protection for all internet connected devices in consumer's homes including smart TVs, smart thermostats and all of the other IoT devices connected to their home networks that are usually incapable of running their own security software.
Avira's CEO Travis Witteveen explained why the two companies have partnered to bring improved IoT security to home routers in a press release, saying: “The router is the best place to enhance security and privacy for the modern connected home. Controlling what devices are able to do, with whom, and what they communicate is essential to taking back control. Partnering with TP-Link is a major milestone in our customer promise, protecting people in the digital world. Together we will deliver IoT security globally to billions of users. Making the world a safer place.” Securing the smart homeAs part of the new partnership, select TP-Link routers will now include a complete home network security solution, powered by Avira SafeThings, which will protect all of the devices connected to a network with privacy features, malware and DDoS protection and more. Avira SafeThings utilizes AI and machine learning to detect anomalies in the behavior of smart devices. This allows the security solution to intercept cyberattacks, unauthorized remote access, malware and other cyber threats. Users will have full visibility over all of their connected devices through a mobile application which helps keep them secure. Together, TP-Link and Avira will continue to work to enhance the security of Wi-Fi routers and their joint initiative will create an opportunity for service providers around the world to add new cybersecurity value-added services to their portfolio to help secure their infrastructure and increase customer loyalty.
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| Is Red Dead Redemption 2 getting its own Undead Nightmare? The evidence so far... Posted: 18 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT Halloween is just around the corner and things are getting rather spooky in Red Dead Redemption 2. Since last week's Frontier Pursuits update for Red Dead Online, players are encountering some rather peculiar "zombies" in the wild west (via Polygon). While it's entirely possible that these encounters are simply glitches, the sudden appearance of the living dead has led some players to believe developer Rockstar Games intentionally dropped them in the game to tease even more zombie content - which could mean an Undead Nightmare mode is coming to Red Dead Redemption 2.
What's Undead Nightmare?Undead Nightmare was an expansion pack for the original Red Dead Redemption that added a zombie/horror themed single-player campaign, two new multiplayer modes, and creepy cosmetic additions to the game's environments and characters. The Undead Nightmare's campaign followed original protagonist John Marston as he ventured across the frontier in an attempt to find a cure for the Undead plague that has ravaged the wild west. But how do you solve a problem like the zombie apocalypse? By helping survivors, cleansing infected towns and gunning down undead hordes - that's how. What's the evidence it's coming back?Redditors have been reporting strange happenings since Red Dead Online's new Frontier Pursuits update. And by "strange happenings", we mean zombies. Redditor groats_active spotted "another zombie lady in the swamp" that looks pretty Undead-like (especially because she's seemingly dead yet standing up). Other Redditors noted that they too had spotted similar looking dead bodies in the game, with some sporting blue skin and yellow eyes. What's strange apart this particular swamp "zombie" is that the player was led to her by a barking dog, suggesting she was meant to be found. It's worth noting that these sightings could just be in-game glitches (as Red Dead Online has had quite a few of those) or simply Easter Eggs, so don't get too excited. Check her out for yourself: If Rockstar was hinting at Undead Nightmare coming to Red Dead Redemption 2 (or Red Dead Online) then it would be perfect timing. It's almost been a year since Red Dead Redemption 2's release and the game hasn't had any official DLC yet. If that's not enough for you, it's also only a few weeks until Halloween - so a spooky DLC would be a welcome addition.
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| Apple AirPods prices slashed by Amazon – but should you wait for Black Friday? Posted: 18 Sep 2019 10:21 AM PDT Thinking of buying the latest Apple AirPods? Amazon has slashed the price of the true wireless earbuds, both with and without the wireless charging case, in a rare AirPods deal. The price of the AirPods with the wireless charging case has been slashed by £30, representing a discount of 15% – that's the cheapest we've seen them (although the price has dropped that low in the past.) If you're not interested in the wireless charging case, you can get the Apple earbuds with the regular case at a discount, too. Check out the deals below. Today's best Apple AirPods (2019) dealsShould I buy the Apple AirPods?You may be wondering whether it's the best time to buy a pair of Apple AirPods, with Black Friday 2019 coming up on November 29. It's definitely possible that these prices will fall even lower during Black Friday and the Cyber Monday deals, but Apple products rarely see the enormous discounts that other brands lavish upon us during the massive sales event. There's also the possibility that Apple is gearing up to release the Apple AirPods 2 in 2020. We didn't see them at the recent iPhone 11 launch event, but a 'leaked' image could suggest an AirPods 2 release date is on the horizon. The 2019 AirPods certainly weren't the AirPods 2 we were hoping for, with precious little difference between them and the original AirPods. However, the new H1 chip does improves connectivity and battery life, and allows for a new ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature, while the wireless charging case means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the device, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case. So, if that all appeals to you, these deals could well worth be taking advantage of – if not, you'll have to keep your fingers crossed for a speedy AirPods 2 launch in 2020.
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| iPadOS release date, features and compatibility details Posted: 18 Sep 2019 10:18 AM PDT Apple didn't launch iPadOS when we expected it to, but at least it provided us with a release date that's only weeks away. At its September event that saw the launch of the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, as well as the Apple Watch 5 and new entry-level iPad, but Apple usually uses this event to launch its new operating systems like iOS 13 and watchOS 6. We were expecting to see the iPadOS launch too, but it wasn't even mentioned. However, Apple did update its website with the news that iPadOS will be released on September 30, so you'll be able to download it then. Sadly, that's a bit later than iOS 13's public release, but better a bit late than never. The new operating system is a big change for Apple, which finally committed to splitting the the iPad's software from the iPhone's OS it had run on since the tablet first came out. The public beta for iPadOS has been open for a while, but for the finished product, you haven't got long to wait. We have a list of the best iPadOS features you'll be able to experience when the new software rolls out. Sure, there are shared a lot of changes. After all, it "builds on the same foundation as iOS," according to Apple, but expect iPadOS to grow more into its own operating system over time. iPadOS brings a variety of critical improvements to the tablet UI. Some of these make better use of screen real estate while others introduce new gesture controls (and even mouse support) for a better tablet experience. In short, iPad users won't just run an upsized iOS any longer. iPadOS release date and public beta timingApple has confirmed through its website that iPadOS will be available to download from September 30 – that's a little later than iOS 13. That means the new iPad Pro, which we're expecting to see launched in mid-October, should come with the operating system pre-installed. The iPadOS public beta release date landed on June 24, and it contains a lot of the features Apple shows us at its WWDC 2019 keynote. Since then, Apple has pushed a new version out to enrolled tablets, with iPadOS public beta 2 made available from July 8. From there we've had the first iPadOS 13.1 public beta, as the new changes move forward ahead of the impending 'full' release. Which iPads will work with iPadOS?Apple has confirmed that the "iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later" will all get the iPadOS update when it releases later this year. So which iPads are missing out this year, after getting iOS 12 in 2018? Well it's the end of the update road for the original iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. It's unclear if older iPads will be getting iOS 13 or if they've been completely left behind. The following iPads will get an update to iPadOS in (likely) September and October) (As a reminder, it's always best to avoid using the beta version of software on a primary or daily-use device, as there can sometimes be erratic elements within the system - wait until the final version lands in the near future.)
New iPadOS home screenToday View alongside a tighter grid of apps on the new iPadOS home screen. Image credit: Apple The first big change over you'll notice in iPadOS is on the new home screen. The grid of app icons is tighter, allowing you to fit more on the screen and reducing the amount of dead space on the display. With a tighter grid of apps, there's now an option to show Today View alongside them, for a more useful overview screen. It can be added to the Home screen for quick access to widgets with a simple swipe from the left side of the screen, and you can switch out the widgets pinned here to display the ones most relevant to you. Sidecar is a big new changeIf you're wondering what the biggest feature of iPadOS might be, Sidecar is a real contender. It natively bakes in wired (or wireless) support for using your iPad as a Mac second screen, bringing with it a whole host of functionality. This mode effectively turns any iPad into a portable monitor, one with a powerful internal battery, allowing apps and multiple windows to be dragged onto its screen and interacted with using a mouse, keyboard or Apple Pencil. You can't mess around with the resolution just yet, so you can't work in super fine detail and may want to wait a little while until the final software launch appears in late September - but even at this early stage, Apple fans will find they've suddenly got a new screen for their Mac right in another pocket of their backpack. iPadOS has a new way to multitaskSlide Over in iPadOS in action, with a side view of Messages over Safari. Image credit: Apple Multitasking also gets an upgrade on iPadOS is a few ways. First up, you'll be able to use Split View to see two app windows at a time for the same app, or two different apps. iPadOS uses a drag-and-drop interface here, making switching between apps and windows easy. Slide Over lets you quickly pull up an app in a side window, over the top of another app – allowing you to quickly check things such as emails, messages or reminders without having to exit the current app you're using. Dragging up from the bottom of the screen will allow you to move between apps in the Slide Over panel. Apple has also brought the Mac's Exposé feature to iPadOS, allowing you to get an overview of all your open apps – making it easy to jump between them, and close down any you no longer need running in the background. iPadOS gets USB drive and SD card supportUSB drive and SD card support arrives in iPadOS. Image credit: Apple External storage fans rejoice! iPadOS will allow you to plug a USB drive or SD card reader into your iPad, and the Files app will be able to read the plugin and allow you to easily manage data between the iPad's internal storage and the external drive. Files gets a Column View to better take advantage of the iPad's wide screen, and the iCloud Drive allows folder sharing, and will show content from a USB drive or SD card if they're plugged in. There's good news for photographers too, as support is being built into iPadOS to allow you to plug your camera into your iPad and import images directly into editing apps such as Lightroom. iPadOS performance boostYour current iPad could get a performance boost when iPadOS arrives, with Apple claiming that its tablet-specific operating system is quicker than iOS 12. It says Face ID unlocks are up to 30% faster, while apps launch up to twice as fast as on iOS 12 – and apps themselves should be smaller in download size (by up to 50%), taking up less of that precious storage space. Desktop-quality websites and browsing on iPadOSThe Safari web browser is also improved with iPadOS, because it's no longer purely tied to iOS and a mobile ecosystem. That's right: you're no longer just viewing mobile sites, as iPadOS views websites in a modified desktop view that's a bit cleaner and optimized for touch. It doesn't just work with Apple's websites either – the likes of Google Docs and Wordpress web apps will also work better with Safari on iPadOS. Apple's browser will also get a download manager, 30 new keyboard shortcuts, and improved tab management when iPadOS lands later this year. New iPadOS gesturesOne of the bigger features across the whole of iPadOS are the new gestures. The ones we've seen are pretty simple: three-finger pinch to cut, three-finger splay to paste, three-finger swipe to undo. Easy. In some apps, you'll also be able to two-finger-pinch the keyboard to shrink it to iOS mobile size and move it around. Plunk it next to the side of the screen and boom: you can type on it with one thumb. Add to that the new gestures for the home screen and multi-tasking, and there may be a learning curve required to get used to all the new interactions which come with iPadOS. Markup and much more on iPadOSMarkup also gets an update, and you'll be able to mark up entire web pages, documents and emails. A simple swipe up from the corner with your Apple Pencil launches markup and brings up the newly-redesigned tool palette, which can be dragged around and repositioned anywhere on the screen. And speaking of the Pencil, Apple has reduced the latency of its input from 20ms to 9ms, which means you'll get a more natural, pen-like experience when using it. Plenty of new features that are coming to iOS 13 are also headed to iPadOS, like Dark Mode, custom fonts, the new Photos organized by machine learning, and the SwiftKey-like slide-and-type QuickPath keyboard feature. Mouse support for iPadOSiPadOS does supports connecting a mouse to your iPad, though it's not something you'll find front-and-center on the official iPadOS features list. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith initially tweeted out instructions he'd discovered to connect a mouse through new Accessibility settings, and Tom's Guide successfully activated a mouse on an iPad. While it doesn't seem to be the smoothest thing, we're excited for a serious leap in the iPad family's productivity potential and accessibility. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oracle to open more data centres in UAE and Saudi Arabia Posted: 18 Sep 2019 10:06 AM PDT Oracle is planning to open three more data centres in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by next year in a bid to up the game against Amazon Web Services. The US software giant is planning to open one more data centre in the UAE, likely in Dubai, and two in Saudi Arabia as part of their “in-country” dual region strategy to help customers address disaster recovery and compliance needs and expand the footprint for Microsoft Azure interconnect. Big tech companies have shown interest in the Middle East, especially in the UAE, to open data centres. Amazon Web Services has a cluster of data centres in Bahrain and the UAE. Oracle already opened its first data centre in the UAE this year in Abu Dhabi while Microsoft opened its data centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently. Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, has already invested in the one data centre in the UAE while Huawei is also set to open its data centre in the UAE this year. Oracle announced at the OpenWorld that it plans to launch 20 new Oracle Cloud regions by the end of 2020, for a total of 36 Oracle Cloud Infrastructure regions compared to 25 for Amazon Web Services. Oracle has opened 12 regions in the past year and currently operates 16 regions globally—11 commercial and five government—the fastest expansion by any major cloud provider by opening an average of one region every 23 days over the next 15 months. High availability round-the-clockKaran Batta, director of product management for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, told TechRadar Middle East that most of our customers are running mission-critical applications today that require high availability while the data centres will be completely isolated from each other and can withstand the failure of each other, with different power sources and networks. “Every time we go to a region, we have plans for a second region [more data centres] in that country for various reasons such as data residency, natural disaster and high availability for our customers to build highly available applications without crossing borders. It is an orders-of-magnitude difference when compared to Amazon Web Services,” he said. Most of the packaged applications such as PeopleSoft and JD Edwards, he said, require very high availability to run round-the-clock with guarantees that customers want from a back-office application standpoint. “For that, we need a second data centre in a country. With these dual regions, customers can deploy both production and disaster recovery capacity within their country or jurisdiction to meet business continuity and compliance requirements.” Building intelligence into every layer of the cloudMoreover, Batta said that Oracle is the only company delivering a complete and integrated set of cloud services and building intelligence into every layer of the cloud. “There is a change in strategy in the last few years. We have an autonomous database and autonomous applications. If you look at other cloud providers, everybody has compute, storage and networking at the end of the day. “We have built compute, storage, database, networking and services a little bit differently in a bid to tune to our customers,” he said. Furthermore, he said that other cloud providers offer pre-selected products and services by “lift, edit and shift” but Oracle provides “lift and shift” method to move your 10-year old OS and virtualize it. “Our model is move in and improve. Amazon gives you a bunch of Lego bricks and tells you to build your own. It is our responsibility to protect you and we are going to have foolproof services,” he said.
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| This ace iPhone XS Max deal will convince you to skip the huge cost of 11 Pro Max Posted: 18 Sep 2019 09:31 AM PDT There are a few things Apple is known for with its snartphones. Innovation, style, easy-to-use IOS. But perhaps above all, it's the massive price tags. And nothing resembles that eye-watering price range more than the new iPhone 11 Pro Max deals. With that in mind, for those that want Apple in one of its larger forms, we actually think last year's iPhone XS Max could be the way to go. While this older phone is also a pricey investment, a recent crash in price has made it a more than affordable alternative. With a iPhone XS Max deal from Three offering up 100GB of data for just £56 a month, going for the older handset will save you a mountain of cash. In fact, the exact same deal on the 11 Pro Max would cost you an additional £380! Of course, there is a reason for the 11 Pro Max's hefty price tag. It is currently Apple's best phone, rocking a triple camera set-up, the fastest CPU around and a glorious HD screen. But, if you don't mind taking a small reduction in power and dropping down to a dual camera system, the iPhone XS Max will be the far cheaper option.
iPhone XS Max or 11 Pro Max? Which deals should you choose?Across the device, everything about the iPhone XS Max feels premium. Apple's near infinity OLED display with smart HDR looks stunning and its 3174mAh battery is a vast improvement on previous options. Although it hasn't been hugely improved on from the previous model it's an impressive phone to get for the price on offer. Read our full iPhone XS Max review Read our full iPhone 11 Pro Max review
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| Vodafone to open 24 new stores in franchise expansion Posted: 18 Sep 2019 09:30 AM PDT Vodafone plans to expand its retail presence with the opening of 24 new high street stores in premises that were previously vacant. The Newbury-based operator is expanding its franchise programme, inviting local entrepreneurs to manage stores with no up-front costs involved. Franchisees will be provided with devices to sell and will earn commission on sales. More than a third of Vodafone’s existing 400 stores are franchises, with 50 added this year alone. The first two stores to open through this expansion are in Morecambe, Lancashire, and St Austell, Cornwall.
Vodafone storeThe expansion has two aims. The first is to strengthen Vodafone’s multi-channel approach by allowing customers who want in-person advice on a new contract or device to visit a physical location. Although customers are able to research products and gain support online, Vodafone stores still attract 20 million visits a year and account for 70 per cent of pay-monthly sales. The second aim is to “bring life” to high streets across the UK following a wave of closures. “As a business with its roots in the UK, we are keen to do what we can to help local communities, whether that is giving local entrepreneurs the opportunity to be their own boss of a retail store or extending our network to remote areas,” said Vodafone UK CEO Nick Jeffrey. “New services have helped us become the fastest growing home broadband provider this year and attract thousands of new mobile customers every week. With this momentum, we are looking to extend our high street presence so that we can provide face-to-face advice and support to even more customers.”
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| The all-new Apple iPad gets a price cut at Amazon Posted: 18 Sep 2019 09:10 AM PDT The 2019 iPad was just unveiled last week at the Apple Event, and it's already on sale right now at Amazon. For a limited time, you can pre-order the 10.2-inch Apple iPad with 128GB of storage for $399.99 at Amazon. That's a $30 discount and the best price we've found for the latest iPad. If you're looking for deals on older model iPads, Walmart has the 2018 iPad with 32GB of storage on sale for $249, and the 2018 iPad with 128GB of storage on sale for $379. iPad deals:Interested in other iPad models? We've listed even more of the cheapest iPad deals that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Comcast is giving away a free 4K HDR streaming player to cord-cutters Posted: 18 Sep 2019 08:31 AM PDT Comcast is trying to repair its reputation with cord-cutters and cord-nevers by offering a free Infinity Flex 4K HDR streaming box to its internet-only subscribers. While the offer is brand-new as of this week, the box itself was announced back in March and originally cost subscribers $5 per month. Thankfully, Comcast has decided to cut the monthly cost in a play to get boxes in more subscribers’ households. Why is Comcast, a company that’s notorious for its hardware rental fees, giving something away for free? In a press release the company says that handing consumers the streaming box will make it easier for them to upgrade to the upcoming Xfinity TV streaming service that’s purported to launch next year. It doesn't hurt that Comcast is also hedging its bets on its service by eliminating the competition on the Flex – the box doesn't support Sling TV, YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, or Hulu with Live TV, so Comcast's service will be your only option should you ever decide you want a cable streaming service. What if you have more than one TV in the house that requires a streaming box? Comcast will lease you a second box for $5 per month … which is kind of ridiculous when you consider that the one-time cost of an Amazon Fire TV Stick is $39.99. So yeah, it's still Comcast.
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| Facebook Portal TV brings video calls into your living room – via your television Posted: 18 Sep 2019 08:21 AM PDT Facebook has announced a new entry in its range of Portal smart displays, the Portal TV – designed to make use of your big-screen TV for large-scale video calls. Clipping to the top of a flatscreen TV, the Portal TV is essentially hacks your television’s screen and speakers, turning it into a smart display far larger than the 10-inch Portal or eight-inch Portal Mini. Integrated speakers also allow you to speak with an Alexa or Portal smart assistant even when your TV is off, while a Watch Together feature synchronizes Facebook Watch shows over calls.
There were reports back in August of Facebook looking to create a TV-centered device, though it sounded more like a set-top box than a smart display accessory. With the Facebook Watch platform continuing to be pushed through the range, though, and TV streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix possibly joining down the line, this vision could still come to pass. The Portal TV retails at $149 / £149 in the US, UK, and Europe. All eyes on the smart homeThe entire Facebook Portal range – with a redesigned picture frame shape for non-TV models – will also be getting support for encrypted Whatsapp calls to any other Whatsapp-installed device, in what might be a killer app for the smart displays, alongside enhanced muting and privacy features. Finally expanding beyond the US, the Facebook Portal, Portal Plus, and Portal Mini models will all be available to the UK and Europe from October 15. The Portal will be retailing for $179 / £169, the Portal Plus for £269, and Portal Mini for $129 / £129 – with $50 / £50 off models bundled together. The Portal TV marks an interesting moment for the software company – now turned hardware manufacturer – especially given Apple’s move towards software services as it sees sales of its iPhone handsets slip. With many having valid privacy concerns about Facebook’s use, or misuse of data, having a Facebook-owned product that films and records you in your own home is a hard proposition – though the Whatsapp encryption and hard camera shutter coming to new models will likely offset that to a certain extent. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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