Apple : Mario Kart Tour: everything we know so far |
- Mario Kart Tour: everything we know so far
- LastPass bug could have let hackers steal your passwords
- Anything to hide? Why your VPN provider should be audited
- Hatch: all about Google's next rumored Chromebook
- Cheapest 4G phones in India for September 2019
- Google Pixel 4 release date, price, news and leaks
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| Mario Kart Tour: everything we know so far Posted: 16 Sep 2019 02:17 PM PDT Nintendo's smartphone games shrink down their source experience to enjoy on the go, and the next one is big: Mario Kart Tour. This will be the third mobile Mario game, following Super Mario Run and Dr. Mario World - but of course, on the go-karts and tracks beloved by gamers for decades. Mario Kart Tour will be released on iOS and Android on September 25, which is weeks away, and will be free-to-play. The game has been in closed beta for Android in certain countries and, so far, it looks to bring a faithful (though vertically-aligned) Mario Kart experience, though there seems to be a lot of in-game currencies and microtransactions you'll have to deal with to get all your favorite characters. However, although it was first announced as in-development in February 2018, Mario Kart Tour was meant to be officially released in early 2019, which has since been pushed to Summer 2019. Following the failure of Miitomo, Mario Kart Tour is a good sign that Nintendo is going to be investing in mobile adaptations of its more popular IPs, rather than trying anything more weird or new any time soon. While we don’t know too much about the game thus far other than the closed beta leaks, this is everything we do know, and we’ll keep updating this page as more details are revealed.
Cut to the chase
Mario Kart Tour – when can I play it?Mario Kart Tour's exact release date is September 25, on iOS and Android, for free with in-app transactions. It has been released in closed beta on Android, giving players an early look at the soon-to-be-released mobile game. We were right to be a little pessimistic, as the game went far past our expectation of an 'early 2019' release. Nintendo’s mobile titles have historically been subject to delays, and given the fact that Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp are still undergoing updates, we’re not sure when the time is right to push another big IP title out. Mario Kart Tour – how much will it cost?Going on Nintendo’s past mobile releases, we can't be absolutely sure whether Mario Kart Tour will be a free-to-play title with microtransactions, or a one-time purchase game with no paid extras. Now that the closed beta has come out, chock-full of microtransactions and multiple in-game currencies, we're pretty sure this is how the final game will be monetized. A recent report from the Wall Street Journal has said that the game will be ‘free-to-start’. While this is a little unclear, Super Mario Run is also a free-to-start game which does give us some idea as to how the model could translate to Mario Kart Tour. What this means is you can play it for free, but there could be a lot to buy in-game. It's still possible that Mario Kart Tour will – like Super Mario Run – be released as a free trial which gives access to one or two tracks and a limited number of characters and cards. After players have gone through this trial, they’ll then be able to purchase the full game for around $10/£10 and get access to all of the game’s features as well as free updates at later stages. It's possible that the game will be set up like Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, which is free to download but has certain content which can only be accessed for a fee. Although this is a model that would also work for Mario Kart Tour; we could quite easily see the game being free to download with certain tracks, characters and cars requiring an additional purchase. But it's far more likely that Mario Kart Tour will go the route of previously-released free-to-play Nintendo titles like Fire Emblem Heroes that run on gacha-style pay-for-a-random-item/character via in-game currency, which can always be bought with IRL cash. It's a setup that has worked well for Nintendo: two years after Fire Emblem Heroes launched, players have spent a combined $500 million on the game, per Sensor Tower. Hopefully the monetization mechanisms in Mario Kart Tour won't be too obnoxious – Nintendo did just tell its partners to rein in the microtransactions.
Mario Kart Tour – which platforms will it be on?Though Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything here just yet, we think it’s safe to assume that Mario Kart Tour will be released on both iOS and Android as other mobile titles have been. Mario Kart Tour – how will it play?Unfortunately, Nintendo hasn’t released any official details on how Mario Kart Tour will actually play. But if the closed beta is anything to go by, the game looks to be a streamlined version of the console games. Take a look at this beta footage and explainer: Characters automatically drive forward while you drag your finger on the screen left and right to turn. Some items (like invincibility stars) are automatically used if you pick them up, others are activated just by touching the screen. It's a lot like how Super Mario Run, Nintendo's first mobile game, was simplified from its console versions. There’s even room in this kind of control system for motion controls, whereby players turn their phone onto its side and turn the screen like they would a steering wheel, though we haven't seen that gameplay implemented yet. As in the latest Mario Kart games, players pick a driver, kart and glider, then they’re matched against seven other players online. Maps are a mix from the entire series: the initial Toad Cup features courses from SNES, 3DS and GameCube versions of Mario Kart. There is a purported list of maps collected in a ResetEra thread. How the multiplayer element will come into the game has yet to be confirmed, too, though the beta information does suggest it will be 8-person multiplayer connecting over the internet. Nintendo’s mobile games usually require that the player be online but whether they’ll face off in live races or simply race around an AI populated track and try to establish themselves on a variety of leaderboards is currently unclear. A big part of the fun in Mario Kart is the unpredictability of facing-off against real opponents, so we’d definitely like to see live races rather than a leaderboard system. While details are limited just now, keep checking back because we'll keep updating as we hear more about Mario Kart Tour!
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| LastPass bug could have let hackers steal your passwords Posted: 16 Sep 2019 01:08 PM PDT The popular password manager LastPass has released a patch for a bug that would have allowed malicious websites to extract passwords that were previously entered using the service's browser extension. The bug was first discovered by Google Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy who disclosed the vulnerability to the company early enough that it could release a patch before it was exploited in the wild. LastPass has since fixed the issue by deploying an automatic update to all browsers but it still recommended that users verify they're running the latest version of the software.
The bug itself works by luring users to visit a malicious website where their LastPass browser extension is tricked into using a password from a previously visited website. According to Ormandy, attackers could even use a service such as Google Translate to disguise a malicious URL and trick unsuspecting users into visiting a rouge site. LastPass bugThe update should be applied to LastPass automatically according to the company but it is still worth checking to see if you're running the latest version of the service's browser extension. This is especially true for users who are running a browser that allows you to disable automatic updates for extensions. Version 4.33.0 is the latest version of the extension and according to LastPass, Chrome and Opera are the only web browsers that are vulnerable. However, the company has deployed its latest patch to all browsers as a precautionary measure. In a blog post, security engineering manager at LastPass, Ferenc Kun downplayed the severity of the bug, saying: “To exploit this bug, a series of actions would need to be taken by a LastPass user including filling a password with the LastPass icon, then visiting a compromised or malicious site and finally being tricked into clicking on the page several times. This exploit may result in the last site credentials filled by LastPass to be exposed. We quickly worked to develop a fix and verified the solution was comprehensive with Tavis.” In the same way that software should be patched to the latest version, so to should browser extensions as cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to gain access to user credentials and other sensitive information.
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| Anything to hide? Why your VPN provider should be audited Posted: 16 Sep 2019 10:39 AM PDT Trusted by millions of freedom seekers across the globe, VPN services strive to offer their users the utmost in privacy but also, maximum security. On that basis you should rightly hope that your chosen VPN provider would be able to pass muster via some kind of information systems audit. Indeed it seems that more and more VPN providers are announcing the results of such audits to prove to the world that they have nothing to hide and that everything is above board. Within the VPN industry, audits are certainly becoming a trend as providers look to legitimise their claims and market a holier-than-thou existence. In the last couple of years, independent auditing has proved to be an efficient way for VPN service providers to test their security features, as well as provide their customers with more than just promises. With organisations such as the likes of ISACA, through to global professional services companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers offering their expertise, this type of auditing is certainly picking up speed and gaining awareness in the wider world. What your VPN provider shouldn't be recordingSo what kind of information can a VPN provider potentially have on you if you decide to sign up for such a service? It might be easier here to highlight what they shouldn’t be doing; specifically, VPNs should NOT be keeping any record of the following activities;
Any VPN should be committed to the online privacy and security of its users and as part of that commitment, it should be reasonable for users to expect that any VPN perform a security audit of both its systems and its no-log policy. There have been a few announcements by VPNs outlining revisions to their privacy policies to proudly wear their, “we are a zero-log VPN company now”. VPN providers including Tunnelbear, NordVPN and ExpressVPN have all announced the results of such audits and now claim zero-log policies and no recording of their users' activity online. We actually had our audit done nearly 4 years ago which does beg the question: why has it taken others companies so long to catch up? Using a no log VPN service should mean that your provider does not collect or log any of your activity online. That is, it doesn’t collect or hold any information transmitted through the VPN. That means browsing 100% anonymously, just as you should be if you’re using a VPN. But there are plenty of well-known VPNs that do keep logs of your browsing sessions - meaning that you’re not entirely secure or private. For peace of mind (and maximum privacy) it is sensible to choose a no log VPN provider. Independent audits as a featureBeing able to point to the results of an audit should rightly be held in the same bracket as things such as speed, price, number of servers etc when people come to choose a VPN service. In fact, it is arguably the most important factor to consider. After all, if a VPN can’t prove to you that they are not recording your browsing activities, your browsing history or even your outgoing traffic, then why on earth would anybody sign up for such a service? We should also consider the credentials of any such company carrying out these audits and how robust their reporting actually is. Any solid certification should rate VPN providers on both users security and privacy of users’ data. Each category should then have a set of criteria upon which these providers can be rated. Ideally, only providers who could fulfill all criteria should be certified. Security testing should determine that web application security levels are high and that no high risk or medium risk vulnerabilities are detected. Source code security analysis is also important here to determine that best security practices are being used in application development along with correctly implemented security measures. It should form part of any VPN’s mission statement - to protect users’ privacy. On that basis ask to see a Transparency Report that should detail the number of requests to disclose individual users’ personal data received. If the VPN cannot respond to all these requests by stating, “We cannot and do not keep any logs and therefore we will not be able to provide you with any further information on this matter”, then perhaps you should be asking yourself why… However, it is also worth sounding a word of caution - an independent audit is not a silver bullet and some announcements regarding VPN audits have to be taken with a pinch of salt. PureVPN were, after all, caught red-handed giving out user information to the FBI - so much for not keeping logs. After only a few weeks on from this scandal, PureVPN updated its privacy policy to reveal (in a transparent manner) just how much they were taking care of the privacy of their users. Caveat emptor! Also, there is nothing to stop a VPN to start to log user activity AFTER the audit is done. Any audit is a momentum picture capturing the very time of the audit - ultimately you still have to trust the provider. It is also worth pointing out that many VPN providers disclose how they process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and there are a few that process more data than required to provision the VPN account and connection. With many of the major VPN providers checking their services for potential vulnerabilities, independent audits look to be an effective way to back-up the security and privacy claims that such providers make. And with some of the high-profile logging cases eroding negatively impacting upon user trust ( e.g. PureVPN and IPVanish) it is more important than ever to verify that your VPN’s claims are actually true. With the number of VPN providers growing day by day, these audits could well become the de-facto consumer standard for choosing the best provider. Sebastian Schaub, CEO of hide.me
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| Hatch: all about Google's next rumored Chromebook Posted: 16 Sep 2019 10:24 AM PDT Google is reportedly working on an all-new Chromebook developed in-house, codenamed ‘Hatch’ in several benchmark listings and other leaks over the past few months. Rumors regarding the laptop’s capabilities have been shared as well, painting a rather clear picture. With the latest leak showing off up-to-date Intel Core processors (CPUs) and more memory (RAM) than most Chromebooks, the Hatch is getting set up to be a truly worthy successor to the excellent Pixelbook of 2017. With that, Google clearly has quite a lot to live up to with this Chromebook release, especially considering whatever losses were caused by the failure in reception to Pixel Slate. Here’s everything we’ve heard so far about the Hatch, codename for Google’s next Chromebook. Cut to the chase
The Google 'Hatch' would hopefully have Thunderbolt 3, too. Google Hatch release dateWhile rumors and leaks of a release date are rather thin right now, many reports from MySmartPrice and NotebookCheck peg this Chromebook to release alongside the Google Pixel 4. That would mean a debut date of October 15, which is already anticipated by Pixel fans. With that, it would be more than likely to see the Hatch hit store shelves and online retailers before the end of October. At the very least, an October 15 debut would all but guarantee a release before the Christmas shopping season. Google Hatch priceUnfortunately, nothing in these leaks and reports comes close to discussing a potential price for the Hatch. However, we do know that the Chromebook is expected to run some of the latest 10th-generation (Comet Lake) Intel Core CPUs, starting with the dual-core Intel Core i3-10110U. This would obviously put the Hatch in line with premium-priced Ultrabooks, like the Dell XPS 13. So, we can safely expect this Chromebook to reach similar prices, much like that of the previous Pixelbook that we so loved. The previous stylus was not stow-able, sadly. Google Hatch specs and featuresWe now know of several key specification points and features expected to be included in the Hatch Chromebook product. For starters, we’re again aware that Google is reportedly equipping the laptop with Comet Lake Intel CPUs. This is based on recently leaked Geekbench testing information made publicly available, specifically listing the Intel Core i3-10110U part in use, with outlets further speculating that Google won’t stop here. It’s likely that Google will include Comet Lake options for the Core i5 and perhaps even the Core i7. Coupled with at least 8GB of RAM listed in the Geekbench results, this will make for a Chromebook that’s decidedly more powerful than most, which has been a hallmark of Google’s homemade Chrome laptops since their start. Rounding out the known rumored feature list are a 2,400 x 1,600-pixel display with a 3:2 aspect ratio – just like the Pixelbook of 2017 – along with a new built-in stylus, backlit keyboard and a proper fingerprint reader for additional security. All told, the Google Chromebook codenamed ‘Hatch’ is may be among the very best once more. However, judging by the Pixel Slate downturn, Google would be wise not to rest on its laurels here.
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| Cheapest 4G phones in India for September 2019 Posted: 16 Sep 2019 10:23 AM PDT There was a time when the availability of 4G support in a phone was worth mentioning, however, these days, almost every smartphone that is launched in the country comes with not only 4G support, but also 4G VoLTE, thanks to Reliance Jio. While 4G support has become one of the basic features in a smartphone, you also need to look at other features while selecting a device for yourself. Today, we will list some of the best 4G phones available in the entry level.
Combing a minimalist design with the traditional high-quality build that is expected from Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy M10 is the most affordable Galaxy smartphone to be launched recently in India. The waterdrop notch on the front further accentuates the Galaxy M10’s design while allowing Samsung to squeeze in more screen real estate. While the camera performance is average and the Galaxy M10 may not be the most powerful smartphone in this segment, it should attract users who want a decent smartphone from a reliable brand. Read the full review here: Samsung Galaxy M10 review Xiaomi Redmi 6A The Xiaomi Redmi 7A is among the best budget smartphone currently available in India. It comes with a 5.45-inch HD display and an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset. The phone was launched with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box with the company’s MIUI 9 skin on top. As it features a huge 4,000mAh battery, it offers a one-day battery backup, allowing you to use your device throughout the day on 4G without having to worry about the battery. The only downside is limited storage, but a dedicated microSD card slot covers it up with support for up to 256GB. The Xiaomi Redmi Go, the first Android Go device from the Chinese smartphone maker is worth considering if you are looking for an affordable 4G smartphone in India. The device launched in March this year runs on the toned-down version of Android that has been designed for low-end devices. The Xiaomi Redmi Go features a 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 425 chipset, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, an 8MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie camera. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. If you are looking for an affordable 4G smartphone, the Realme C2 is another good option in the budget segment. After its success with the Realme C1, the Chinese smartphone maker has introduced the Realme C2. It is a well-designed device that features a premium design. The Realme C2 features a 6.1-inch HD+ display, a dual camera setup at the back and a 5MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that is enough for a full day’s use on 4G. If you are a first time Android user and want to experience stock Android device with a budget in mind, the Moto C Plus priced at Rs 7,000 is a good option for you. The device features a 5-inch HD display and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 chipset. In terms of memory, the Moto C Plus comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, with support for microSD cards up to 32GB. Imaging duties are handled by an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. Watch Game of Thrones online: how to stream season 8 from anywhere This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google Pixel 4 release date, price, news and leaks Posted: 16 Sep 2019 09:42 AM PDT The Google Pixel 4 is one of the most anticipated phones of 2019, and like all upcoming smartphones we've heard plenty of leaks and rumors regarding it. The Pixel 4 is no secret by any means – Google showed us the design itself, in a bid to bypass months of speculation – but there's no stopping the rumor mill, and on top of that there's much we still don't know about the upcoming device. Or, upcoming devices, since we're expecting to see a Google Pixel 4 XL and possibly a Google Pixel 4 XL 5G too. We don't know the number of devices, but we do know the release date: October 15, according to Google's official announcement. Indeed, the end of the year is 'big phones launch season', with the iPhone 11 already unveiled and the Huawei Mate 30 expected to come soon too. Latest leak: A benchmark points to the existence of a Google Pixel 4 XL 5G with more RAM than the 4G models. Plus, leaked videos and photos have given us yet more looks at the likely Pixel 4 XL, and the redesigned camera app has also leaked.
Since its launch in 2016, the Pixel line has become a reliable tent-pole in the smartphone release calendar. Offering a suite of features with an almost unmatched level of software polish, and impressive cameras too, the handsets have done a lot to earn the adoration of the tech community at large. That's not to say the competition is resting however, and Google in 2019 really needs to keep on its feet if the Pixel line is to meet expectations with its next iteration. Could it reach the top of our list of the best Android phones, or best camera phones as the Pixel 3 did before it? Only time will tell. Read on for the most up-to-date list of rumors regarding its design and pricing, and a full breakdown of what we’d like to see feature-wise from Google's upcoming pocket rocket. Cut to the chase
Google Pixel 4 price and release dateFor years now, Google has opted to release its Pixel lineup in the latter half of the year, after the usual roller coaster of smartphone releases from the first half of the year has died down. Google has officially announced when the Pixel 4 will be unveiled: October 15. It's likely that Google will take the opportunity to launch a few other hardware options at the same time, such as the long-rumored Pixel Watch. Four new Google phone models have been listed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), which is something we'd expect to happen close to launch, adding more evidence to an October announcement. Following the announcement, it's likely that the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL release date will be in early November, if past years are anything to go by. In terms of the Google Pixel 4 price, the cost of Pixel handsets have been climbing for years now. With the extra features now included and the general emphasis on a premium fit and finish, the Pixel 4 - or at least the XL model - could be the first of the line to break the $1,000/£1,000/AU$1,500 mark. We'll probably also see multiple different storage capacities offered at different prices. More information will arrive closer to the launch, so watch this space. Google Pixel 4 leaks and rumorsWe've heard a few leaks and rumors about the upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone, so we've collected them below so you can find out what we know. Google Pixel 4 designWe know what the Google Pixel 4 will look like (on the back at least), thanks to Google itself posting a tweet with a picture of its upcoming handset. It confirms that the Google Pixel 4 design will feature a large, square camera bump on the rear - which we'd seen in multiple rumors before Google posted its tweet. On closer inspection, it appears the bump houses two cameras - which would be a first for the Pixel line of phones, which have stuck to just a single rear snapper to date - along with a camera flash below them (with a sensor to its right) and another sensor at the top of the square. Another key point we can glean from the official Google Pixel 4 image is the lack of a fingerprint scanner. Every Pixel handset to date has had a rear fingerprint scanner, which points towards the Google Pixel 4 coming with an in-display scanner. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL may not have fingerprint scanners at all though, if Google opts to go all-in on face, retina or voice recognition instead, as has also been rumored. While the front design isn't totally clear, it's also rumored that the Pixel 4 range might have a full bezel at the top, rather than a notch or punch-hole. You can see a close look at the likely bezel (along with the square camera block) in the leaked photos below. That full bezel is a claim that someone else who seemingly snapped a Pixel 4 in the wild also makes (though the front isn't visible in the photo). It's also an idea that Google itself has virtually confirmed, so this looks likely. And yet more people have seemingly photographed the phone, with another source catching the front, complete with that top bezel but seemingly almost no bottom bezel. Better yet, what appears to be the Google Pixel 4 XL has also been caught on video, as you can see below. The phone is shown from all angles, highlighting the top bezel, the lack of a 3.5mm headphone port, and the glass back that's all one color, rather than two-tone as we saw on past Pixel handsets. We've also seen leaked renders of the Pixel 4 XL, giving us a close look at the possible bezel. We've since also seen the Google Pixel 4 XL in more videos and live photos and they all match the design above - so this is looking very likely to be accurate. Another Google Pixel 4 XL leak with case renders supports this top-bezel design and gives more angles to see the phone's potential design. Sadly, if this render is true, there's no return of the 3.5mm audio jack that we surprisingly saw in the Google Pixel 3a. Whatever design the phone has, it might come in some new colors, as a mint green shade has leaked alongside the expected black and white models. We've also seen images showing off a new coral color. Google Pixel 4 cameraLeaked Pixel 4 XL images show bottom-firing speakers, a dual-lens camera on the front, and a triple-lens camera on the back. We don't know for sure what specs the camera will have yet, but rumors suggest it will include a 16MP telephoto lens and improved color capture. Elsewhere we've heard that the Pixel 4 could have both a 12MP main lens and a 16MP telephoto one, as well as a "DSLR-like attachment." There's also a chance that the Pixel 4 could have an improved zoom, possibly offering up to 20x zoom. We're basing this theory on a zoomed-in photo posted on Instagram by Claude Zellweger (Google's design director), in which he says "20x zoom #Pixel" in a reply to a comment. However, in another comment he clarifies that the shot was taken on a Google Pixel 3a using a mix of zooming and cropping. So it doesn't sound like this is a new feature, but it could be hinting at one. We're not convinced, but you never know. Other rumors point to an 8x zoom, though it's not clear whether or not that's all going to be optical. There's also talk of a new Motion Mode to help you take the best action shots without blur, and an improved night mode, one which a leaked marketing video further suggests. And despite the images above, another leak, this time in the form of case renders, suggests the Pixel 4 might have a notch, one housing two cameras. The renders also show a big bezel below the screen housing a speaker, and the same square camera on the back as the leaks above. There's also alternatively a chance the Pixel 4 might arrive toting the punch-hole design used by the Honor View 20 and then brought into the mainstream by the Samsung Galaxy S10 line. At least, that's what an image for a screen protector seemingly designed for the phone shows, along with stereo speakers and virtually no bezel. We've also similarly seen a leaked image below, supposedly showing the Google Pixel 4 XL with a dual-lens camera cut into the top right corner of the screen - although as we now know the rear design it suggests is incorrect, it pours cold water on the rest of the claims made here. Image Credit: SlashLeaks Indeed, it's since been rumored that three Pixel 4 designs were in the works before Google settled on the one with the square camera block, so the images above may have once been in consideration. The design that won out seemingly involves a full top bezel on the front, and just one selfie camera - at least in the base Pixel 4. In a seeming bid to get ahead of leaks, Google announced two new features, the hand gesture control Motion Sense and Face Unlock (detailed below). Both require a full suite of sensors located in the big top bezel, though that seemingly edged out the second selfie camera. We've also seen what might be the Pixel 4's new and improved camera app, which sports an expanded photo-taking view, a horizon-leveling feature, and more. Google Pixel 4 displayIn screen news, the latest leak suggests that the Pixel 4 XL will have a 6.23-inch 1440 x 3040 screen with 540 pixels per inch and a 19:9 aspect ratio. That would make it marginally smaller and sharper than the Pixel 3 XL. Previously we've heard that the Pixel 4 could have a 5.6-5.8-inch screen, while the Pixel 4 XL could have a 6.2-6.4-inch one (compared to the 5.5-inch Pixel 3 and 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL). That same source says the Pixel 4 will be roughly 147.0 x 68.9 x 8.2mm (or 9.3mm thick including the rear camera bump), and the Google Pixel 4 XL will be around 160.4 x 75.2 x 8.2mm (rising to 9.3mm at the camera bump). Another source claims that the Pixel 4 will have a 5.7-inch screen and the Pixel 4 XL will have a 6.3-inch one. That matches the leak above, but this source adds that the phones will have a 90Hz refresh rate, allowing for smoother scrolling than most handsets. This would apparently be marketed as 'Smooth Display'. Google Pixel 4 specsWe've seen a Geekbench benchmark possibly for the Google Pixel 4. It lists a top-end Snapdragon 855 chipset, along with 6GB of RAM - up from 4GB in the Pixel 3 range. It also, unsurprisingly, lists the phones as running Android Q. The benchmark includes a single-core score of 3,296 and a multi-core one of 9,235, which are solid but unexceptional results for a top-end phone. Of course, this would be pre-release hardware and software, so results at launch might be better. We've heard from multiple sources, in fact, that the Pixel 4 could launch with 6GB RAM. So far all the Pixel phones have had 4GB RAM, so this would be a long-overdue step up in terms of processing power. Another source has pointed to the same specs, along with 64GB or 128GB of storage, and a 2,800mAh battery for the standard model and a 3,700mAh one for the Pixel 4 XL. Elsewhere we've also seen the Snapdragon 855 mentioned. Google Pixel 3a XL However, there might be a model that comes with as much as 8GB of RAM - along with 5G, as exactly that has also appeared on a benchmark. Elsewhere, we've seen evidence that there could be a third Pixel 4 model, which could be the Google Pixel 4 XL 5G benchmarked above, though there's an outside chance that it could be a Pixel 4a or something else. In more unusual news we've heard that the Google Pixel 4 might have capacitive buttons rather than mechanical, clickable ones - however the image Google has shared appears to go against this, with raised buttons on the side of the handset suggesting mechanical ones. It's possible that this change would be made to allow Active Edge (the ability to launch Google Assistant by squeezing the frame, as found on previous Pixels) to work along the full length of the phone's frame, and it could also help improve the design of the phone. Though notably image leaks still show physical buttons, so take this with a pinch of salt. The same source added that the Pixel 4 will have front-facing speakers and a punch-hole camera. Finally, code added to the open source foundation of Android suggests that the Google Pixel 4 might have improved dual-SIM support, letting you use both a normal SIM and an eSIM at the same time. Throughout the year more leaks will continue to arrive, so keep checking back here for all of the latest developments. Google Pixel 4 featuresIn an apparent bid to get ahead of leaks, Google itself revealed two big features coming to the Pixel 4: a type of hand gesture control called Motion Sense and the appropriately-named Face Unlock. Motion Sense uses the Google Pixel 4's whole new suite of sensors alongside its front-facing camera - specifically Soli, a motion-sensing radar concept - to track hand gestures for theoretically easy, no-touch controls. Ostensibly, these will be used to perform simple actions like skipping music tracks and swapping apps. However, it seems Motion Sense won't work everywhere, with an early store listing stating that it will work in the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, and most European countries (likely including the UK), but not Japan. Face Unlock meanwhile seems to do what it says - though achieved through multiple sensors, including a dot projector, IR camera, and flood illuminator. For the privacy-concerned, Google assured in its blog post that all processing would be done on the Pixel 4 and no images or recognition data would be shared through its services. Another feature we're expecting to see in the Google Pixel 4 is close integration with Google Stadia, Google's upcoming cloud gaming service. Google has already announced that the service will work on all its smartphones from the Pixel 3 onwards, so the Pixel 4 is definitely included, and we could definitely see certain features that make it a great mobile platform to game on. We've also heard rumors that Google Assistant on the Pixel 4 might be able to take over when you're placed on hold on a call, then alert you once a human answers. What we want to seeNot much is known yet about the Google Pixel 4, but we know what we’d like to see - our suggestions can be found below. 1. Multiple rear camerasSince the beginnings of the Pixel line back in 2016, Google has not only defined what is possible with a single camera sensor, but for smartphone cameras overall. With tricks such as super-res zoom, night shot and more, the Pixel 3 in particular outcmatched the likes of Huawei, Apple and Samsung in 2018, all seemingly without breaking a sweat. The competition isn't resting on its laurels however, with the Huawei P30 Pro in particular turning up the heat. We wouldn't be surprised if a left-field, potentially game-changing software feature is added to the Pixel 4, but to really exceed expectations a second, third or even fourth sensor on the rear would give it an edge. Ultra-wide-angle, telephoto zoom, monochrome, there are lots of options, so we would like Google to experiment with the options available to it - the results could be spectacular. 2. No notchThe Google Pixel 3 XL. Image Credit: TechRadar To anyone watching smartphone design evolve, 2018 was the year of the notch. No matter the size of the display, every manufacturer followed the trend set most strongly by the Apple iPhone X with a slew of copycat efforts. Google's Pixel 3 XL is a particularly infamous example of egregious notch design, as it's larger than most. We would like to see the firm completely avoid the notch this year, without resorting to the large bezels of the standard Pixel 3, either by using a pinhole camera in the display or with a sliding mechanism. 3. More RAMDespite generally providing a solid software experience for those using it, the Google Pixel 3 line wasn't without controversy, particularly with regards to RAM management. Many users reported that in the first weeks of use, the camera app in particular used up so much available memory that any other apps then open would be force-closed. In a budget phone with only a smattering of RAM available, this might have been forgivable, but for a flagship it certainly is not. For the Pixel 4 we would like to see at least 6GB of RAM, along with a suitably powerful chipset - hopefully this then will remove any accusations of poor performance. 4. Stereo speakersThe humble stereo speaker, usually front-facing, has faced an odd existence. Although popular with fans on any handset graced with their presence, they tend to be the first victim of space-saving measures. Case in point, 2019 has seen the elimination of the feature from many popular handsets, with it sometimes being replaced by a speaker underneath the display. But for the quality of audio offered, and the improved listening experience, we would like to see stereo speakers remain on the Pixel 4 as they did on the Pixel 3 - standing out from the competition in all the right ways. 5. Longer battery lifePacking in huge batteries has become the done thing for most flagships in 2019. Nearly all sport packs the size of which would have been unheard of only a few years ago. Google though - claiming improved efficiencies with each passing year - has so far not massively improved the size of the battery packs included with its devices. And although early signs are promising that the new Snapdragon 855 is significantly more efficient than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 845, we would like to see Google go the whole hog. We want to see a Pixel which can measure its life in days, rather than hours. Here’s hoping that Google can deliver on this. 6. Stadia-sized ambitionsImage Credit: Google Earlier in 2019, Google 'surprised’ the world with the announcement of its game-streaming platform ‘Stadia’, which utilizes compression technology in an attempt to make a service accessible to all. It has been promised that the service will reach a plethora of devices, mobile, console or otherwise. The question of mobile is a little more complex however, for although expanding the service to all Android devices will likely be a future ambition, for the moment the word is that availability will be restricted solely to Pixel devices. With this in-mind, we’d like to see Google take this concept as far as it can go - but what would this mean? In practice, what we want is improved focus on network performance (to combat potential latency issues) and, more importantly, a dedicated peripheral. This would ideally be in line with what Xiaomi has helped to pioneer with its Black Shark gaming handsets - touch controls are not suited to complex control systems and a dedicated peripheral would help to bridge the gap. 7. More color optionsIn most settings, from the boardroom to the bedroom, black or white options are a solid choice for phones. They add a touch of class and don't stand out in a crowd. The Pixel line certainly caters to this subset of the population, however in the past it has taken slightly wild strides, mostly notably the original 'Really Blue' model (which was indeed very blue). In the vein of this original, we'd like to see the Pixel 4 come in more than one slightly unconventional color, following the example set by the iPhone XR and the Samsung Galaxy S10e. Whether green, blue, yellow or whatever else, the new option needs to stand out from the similarly colorful opposition. 8. A sturdier constructionThe Google Pixel 3. Image Credit: TechRadar The Pixel 3, in no uncertain terms, is a better constructed phone than its predecessor. Boasting tight lines and a glass rear, it has really been a match to the likes of the various iPhone models released in 2018. No amount of truth twisting could lead to accusations of it being damage-proof however - quite the opposite in reality. The stone-like finish applied to the glass on the rear has shown the tendency to scratch easily, far more so than might have been expected. This meant that those shelling out hundreds for their shiny new Google devices found that it didn’t take long before they regretted not slapping a case on instantly. As such, whether via an all-metal build or through something a little different (even a different kind of glass or treatment) we would like to see Google embrace a little utilitarianism into its design, creating something which anyone can use at any time, any day.
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| Huawei MateBook laptops now come with Linux Posted: 16 Sep 2019 09:34 AM PDT Huawei has launched a new range of its popular MateBook series of laptops powered by Linux but unfortunately, you'll have to be in China to pick one up. The launch of the last MateBook in the US was canceled following the US government's decision to add the Chinese networking giant to its Entity List alongside other companies that are banned from trading with the US without a special license. Now Huawei has released a new, slightly cheaper, version of its MateBook 13 which runs the Chinese made Linux distro, Deepin. The device is physically identical to other MateBooks which run Windows except for the fact that the Windows key now reads “start”.
Linux-powered MateBookThose interested in picking up a MateBook running Deepin can do so directly from Huawei's vMail portal in China. There are a number of possible reasons why Huawei decided to launch a MateBook running Linux. Perhaps the company is trying to move away from US-based operating systems on PC just as it is trying to do with HarmonyOS for Android or maybe it thought a Linux-powered MateBook would be a good way to use up unsold hardware from the canceled US launch. As Deepin is a flavor of Linux based in mainland China, don't expect these new Linux-powered MateBooks to arrive in the US anytime soon. Though we could possibly see a MateBook running Ubuntu or Mint launch in the US in the future if there is enough demand.
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| Google Pixel 4 launch date confirmed for October 15 Posted: 16 Sep 2019 09:23 AM PDT The Google Pixel 4 launch date has been confirmed as October 15, after the search giant sent out invites to a New York City event. It's not too surprising given that previous Pixel phones were released in October, but now that we have a solid release date, the month-long countdown has begun. Date aside, Google didn't release any more information - like confirmation that there will be both a Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL, as has been the case in previous years. There's even evidence of a Pixel 4 XL 5G, which won't just be able to connect to next-gen networks - it could be a bit more powerful than the base phones, too. The company has dribbled out some disclosures of its own in the last few months, but we expect more rumors to come before the new phones launch. Google Pixel 4: finally, more lensesAs leaks started to spill about the upcoming handset, Google itself tweeted a teasingly-cropped photo of the Google Pixel 4 in June, which showed a camera block on the phone's rear housing what seemed to be at least two lenses, though we're still speculating without official release models. Other leaks and rumors, including one released earlier today hinting at a more powerful model, have suggested specs in line with current flagships: 6GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 855 chipset, and two front-facing cameras. But we have only a month to wait and see which early looks were right on the money.
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| PS5: all the games, specs, news, and rumors for Sony’s Playstation 5 Posted: 16 Sep 2019 09:14 AM PDT We may not have an official name for it yet, but the next PlayStation console is definitely on its way, and it's set to a bigger, better and more powerful gaming machine than any PlayStation before it. Whether it ends up being called the PS5, PlayStation 5, or otherwise is anyone's guess – but now we know for sure that a next-generation PlayStation console is coming. We heard from Mark Cerny, the chief architect on Sony's next console, that Sony is working on the successor to the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro, with a few choice details about what we could expect from its hardware. The PS5 will still play discs, for one – but as to the exact hardware specifications, and how it will link up with Sony and Microsoft's plans for game streaming, we're still largely in the dark. We've had some surprising leaks, in the form of a Sony-registered patent that seems to show off the PS5's general shape, button inputs, and cooling vents – though even an authentic design outline could change between now and the PlayStation 5's launch. Sony made the tactical decision to skip out on E3 2019 this year, with no big announcements at Gamescom 2019 later in the year either. Microsoft has been keener to show off its Xbox Project Scarlett console – which we know is landing at the end of 2020 – but these early days make the inevitable PS5 vs Xbox Project Scarlett battle still a hazy question to consider. But with 2020 creeping closer, Sony can only keep the finer details of the next-generation PlayStation so secret – and between the rumored specs, likely next-gen titles, and official features we are aware of, there's plenty to keep us busy for now. Here's everything we know about the PS5 so far, and what we hope will be revealed the closer we get to launch. [Update: A PS5 patent leak seems to show the look and design of the PlayStation console – and it's certainly different. Read on to find out more.] PS5 FAQ: quick questions answered
PS5 confirmed specs: things we know for sureGhost of Tsushima (Image Credit: SuckerPunch) A bespoke 8-core AMD chipset based on third generation Ryzen architecture, with a GPU taking the best bits of the Radeon Navi GPU family; a built-for-purpose SSD storage system; 3D audio; backwards compatibility with PS4 games and PSVR hardware; 8K TV support. It's all been revealed by PlayStation top-dog Mark Cerny, the man behind the construction of the PS4, and now in charge of the next-gen console's development. While the look of the console remains a mystery, its internals are coming into focus, and they're very promising. That AMD one-two-punch of CPU and GPU unlocks the powers of ray tracing, an advanced lighting technique that can bring next-level immersion to gaming visuals. It's a Hollywood technique that's used in big-budget CGI spectacles, putting into context the level of visual fidelity you can expect. With 8K TV support comes far more detailed textures, and much larger ones at that. The news of a bespoke SSD drive will be heartening then – just because the games will be becoming more complex, that doesn't mean they'll be slower to load too. It's estimated that the new SSD is 19 times faster than traditional SSD storage methods. Audio will reach a new "gold standard" on PS5 too, according to Cerny, thanks to a new audio engine that will deliver immersive sound – particularly if you're using headphones. While the details remain unclear, expect something resembling the experience seen with a Dolby Atmos set-up. Sony's PS5 next-generation console will also offer improved cloud gaming performance and "dramatically improved graphics rendering" power. That's the word straight from the company itself, as it showed off a sneak peak during a corporate strategy presentation. In a statement sent out following the presentation, Sony said the "two keywords for the future direction of PlayStation are 'immersive' and 'seamless'", with the 'immersive' experience "created by dramatically increased graphics rendering speeds, achieved through the employment of further improved computational power and a customized ultra-fast, broadband SSD". The company also reinforced the importance of its cloud-gaming plans with Playstation Now, and somewhat surprisingly doubled down on its underused Remote Play feature, saying the "evolution" of this would in the future "provide a seamless game experience anytime, anywhere". Remote Play is already available as part of the PS4 package, enabling you to stream a game direct from the console to a computer, smartphone, tablet or PS Vita handheld console. But Sony says that going forward it will be "leveraging the latest computing, streaming, cloud, and 5G technologies" to allow it, and the performance of PlayStation Now, to improve. Sony also showed off a demo of the custom SSD storage system that will be employed in its next-gen machine, again hammering home how it expects super-fast load times to improve the player experience: It appears to be the same demo that PlayStation hardware architect Mark Cerny revealed back in April, with Sony suggesting then that the SSD in use is 19 times faster than a standard issue one. In fact, a patent from Sony describes a type of loading software designed to essentially do away with loading screens altogether. The meeting comes off the back of two key pieces of the puzzle for the PS5 being revealed – firstly, that the next-gen machine will make use of a third-generation, 8-core AMD Ryzen CPU built with 7-nanometer Zen 2 microarchitecture, alongside a customized Radeon Navi GPU capable of ray tracing, and a surprising partnership with Microsoft to bolster the PlayStation Now cloud infrastructure. Sony has also confirmed the PS5's 'incredibly powerful' backwards compatibility will let you play online with PS4 players. There have also been rumors that the PS5 could be backwards compatible with the PS4, PS3, PS2, and original PlayStation, meaning its games library could stretch right back to the glory days of the mid 90s. The PS4 element of that rumor is now confirmed, as well as PSVR support. Sony has also confirmed that PS5 players will be able to play online with PS4 players thanks to this powerful backwards compatibility. When it comes to the rest of Sony's vintage catalog? That remains to be seen. Despite releasing some details on specs and features, Sony remains tight-lipped about some specific plans for the PS5: the PlayStation 5 release date remains a mystery, for instance. 2019 has been ruled out, but it will definitely be revealed in the coming months, thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment's President and CEO Shawn Layden confirming as much in an interview with Golem.de. In addition, Sony president Kenichiro Yoshida had also previously confirmed the company is working on a next-generation console in an interview with the Financial Times. It's been four years in the making already. Back in May, Sony Interactive CEO John Kodera revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the PlayStation 5 would not be releasing until at least 2021. That now seems a reasonable guess, debuking a report from Ace Securities that claimed the PS5 could release as soon as Christmas 2019 - earlier than the Xbox Two. PS5 release dateUncharted 4: A Thief's End (Image Credit: Naughty Dog) With no official word yet on a PlayStation 5 release date it's difficult to pin down exactly when we might get to see a PS5 console. Some analysts are predicting the PlayStation 5 release date could be around 2020 or 2021, for example, while others say 2019 – so just the three-year window, then. With 2019 now ruled out by the Wired interview, 2020 seemed the most realistic launch window. However Tech reporter Takahishi Mochizuki revealed details of a transcribed conversation during Sony's latest earnings call, which specified that "no next-gen PlayStation [would] launch over next 12 months." That means we won't be seeing the console before mid-2020. That rules out the rest of 2019 and the first half of 2020, with the usual holiday-schedule release for Sony's console systems (October / November) making late 2020 the most likely bet - putting the PS5 in direct competition with Microsoft's Xbox Project Scarlett (which will release in Holiday 2020). According to a 'leaked internal email' from Sony (and posted to NeoGaf), the PS5 will be unveiled at a "PlayStation Meeting 2020" launch event on February 12, 2020. This meeting, according to the rumor, aims to showcase "the future of Sony PlayStation to the whole world". In response to a request for comment, a Sony spokesperson stated: "We don’t comment on rumour and speculation". PS5 competitionPS4 dashboard (Image credit: Sony) Although we're hideously impatient for news of a PlayStation 5 release date, we can't fault Sony for taking another few years to really milk the last of the PS4, given its huge and loyal player base. After all, the PS4 Pro is still relatively new to the market and its direct competitor, the Microsoft's Xbox One X, is an even more recent release. It looks like Microsoft will release its next-generation console before Sony, which will give the next Xbox the edge on its competition. However, Sony taking longer to develop the PS5 may result in it being more successful long-term. However, if Sony chooses to release the PS5 at the end of 2020 then it puts the console in direct competition with Xbox Project Scarlett. In addition to the next Xbox, the PS5 will also have to contend with the Google Stadia – a streaming-focused gaming service from the kings of the internet. With streaming undoubtedly set to be a key component of any console going forward (and Sony's cloud streaming patent already being leaked), Google's expertise in internet infrastructure could make them a dark horse entrant into the gaming race. But Sony and Microsoft may end up eating their own offerings if appetite for streaming renders powerful home consoles somewhat redundant.
PS5 news and rumorsSolid news on the PlayStation 5 is starting to come into shape, but as always, we do have rumors about what could be coming down the line – and we've collected and assessed them right here. PS5 patent leak – with a lot of cooling vents The V-shaped design also makes sense as a reference to the Roman numeral 'V', meaning '5'. You can also see USB ports for DualShock controllers and a thin line seeming to designate a disc drive. This could be a placeholder image, or a design outline open to change over the coming months, but it's given us our first good idea of what the PS5 could actually look like. Leaked reveal date? It's worth taking this rumor with a huge pinch of salt as it hasn't been verified that this is an official internal email. In response to a request for comment, a Sony spokesperson stated: "We don’t comment on rumour and speculation". Ghost of Tsushima PS5 launch exclusive? God of War (Image credit: SIE Santa Monica Studio) PS5 could mark the end of loading screens after Sony patent Sony's patent, 'System and method for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play' outlines a technology that tracks the player's movement through their environment, loading relevant assets as you move into certain areas. The patent describes the process as follows: “A system and method are disclosed for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play. A load boundary associated with a game environment is identified. A position of a character in the game environment is then monitored. Instructions corresponding to a next game environment are loaded into a memory when the character crosses the load boundary, such that game play is not interrupted." Technically this patent is a continuation of a previous patent filed in 2012, but with added functions for when a player / character passes the aforesaid "load boundary". Those might be additional events triggered when passing certain points, certain sections of game environments being visible despite not being adjacent areas, or previous areas being loaded again when back-tracking through the boundary. This seems like a version of the technology used in games like God of War, which famously achieved a continuous camera shot throughout the whole game, without loading screens. Using dynamic ways to load or remove sections of levels, including the kinds of character, creature or enemy assets found there, is going to be increasingly crucial for ensuring an immersive experience that isn't regularly interrupted – ensuring that loading is something that happens dynamically in the background of your games rather than at set points that render the game unable to do anything else. Marvel's Spider-Man (Image credit: Insomniac Games) PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games The comments were reportedly made by Sony Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida at a strategy meeting according to The Wall Street Journal. According to Yoshida, instead of prioritizing indie developers, Sony will instead prioritize marketing for AAA content which will likely be key for the company to maintain its momentum after outselling Microsoft’s Xbox One two-to-one over the last five years. Sony's cloud streaming patent In other words, a cloud gaming service which could rival the Google Stadia (or a cloud streaming new Xbox) and could potentially launch with the PS5. Players would be able to stream a game through a hosting server. So if you have a device that connects to the internet, be that a mobile device, console, or PC, you can connect to that server and the game you're wanting to play will be streamed to your monitor or screen, allowing can play using your preferred input device. Imagine Netflix for gaming. Rather than downloading a game, it is instead streamed directly to your device and you would play real-time, cutting the need to delete games to make storage room on your device and reducing the hardware requirements - although you wouldn't technically own the title. A diagram illustrating how the streaming service would work, included in Sony's patent (Image credit: Sony/ United States Patent and Trademark Office) Sony also points out that this cloud gaming service would benefit game developers as the service would prevent piracy (as the games exist only on the server) and developers would be able to design games to specifically utilize the service's capabilities. But how would player's pay for this service? Sony details two particular models in its patent. The first would see Sony itself collecting a subscription fee from users, then paying royalties to the developers. The second sees the developers themselves collecting a subscription fee from players, then paying Sony a fee for using the hosting service. However, neither model specified a price range. We expect Sony would implement this cloud gaming service alongside the PlayStation 5, although the company hasn't specified if this is the case. The next Xbox will be more powerful than the PS5 – say industry insiders Check out the tweet below: Bowden's claim hasn't been confirmed but, from the Xbox Project Scarlett specs we've seen so far, it looks likely. The Last of Us: Part 2 (Image credit: Naughty Dog) Patent suggests backwards compatibility – now confirmed Kenichiro Yoshida confirms next-gen PS5 game development is in full swing John Kodera talks life cycles During the meeting, Kodera made it clear that Sony is still very much behind the console but warned that sales are expected to slow, in line with expectations as market saturation approaches. As a console gets to this point in its lifecycle, it's natural to start looking forward to the next iteration. Kodera stated that the time passing from now until 2021 would be a period where Sony would hunker down – which suggests that a new big idea could be around the corner. Perhaps 2021 will be the time to expect the PS5? No E3 2018 or 2019 appearance Cyberpunk 2077 (Image credit: CD Projekt Red) Andrew House talks the next generation In other markets, however, he thinks that streaming games will be a big part of the next generation of consoles - something which looks to be true considering Sony's leaked cloud gaming patent and the Google Stadia. House also stated that he thinks the PS4 and the PS4 Pro still have a long life in them yet. With the PS5 confirmed to be backwards-compatible with PS4 then the PS4 generation will remain relevant long into the lifecycle of the PS5. The SemiAcccurate report In addition to this, SemiAccurate also reports that Sony will use this console to push its VR efforts even further, with VR-tech baked in at the Silicon level, and will sport a GPU based on AMD's Navi architecture with a CPU that's potentially a custom item from AMD's Zen line. The Navi rumors have since been confirmed by Cerny, with the Sony guru also confirming that PSVR will work with the new machine. PS4 on stage (Image credit: TechRadar) The PlayStation Plus news This is, of course, pure speculation but it's interesting that Sony would be willing to reduce its game offering to only two games (as it informed Polygon) without any other excuse than wishing to focus on titles for an already highly successful console. Whether Sony is truly making way for the PS5 or whether it's going to offer a higher quality of PS4 game is unclear and it seems we'll have to wait a while to find out what the final plan for PS Plus is. What the analyst says...DualShock 4 controller (Image credit: Sony) We spoke to Matias Rodriguez, VP of technology for the Gaming Studio at Globant, about what it will take for Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles to get the lead on the competition and, at this point, whether the next Xbox or PS5 looks to be more powerful. He told us: “While hardware advantages such as CPU and GPU are often criteria people look at when it comes to the business and sales performance of a console, more telling signs of the performance of a console include software SDKs, bindings to game engines (such as Unity and Unreal), and, most importantly, the toolchain that allows gaming studios and publishers to build content for the console’s platform. “Given this, and how statistically speaking, Xbox and PlayStation have taken turns being the reigning-supreme console, I predict Microsoft will take the lead this time.” But what are the key factors in the next-gen console war? Rodriguez gave us a rundown of the attributes he believes will sway players’ preferences when it comes to picking up one of the consoles. God of War (Image Credit: SIE) Exclusives “His crusade proved successful with the addition of Obsidian and Ninja Theory studio – preparing Microsoft for next-gen consoles. It was also revealed that Microsoft will be delivering the new Halo game, Halo Infinite, which is expected to outperform and replace the current Halo that is on the esports ecosystem.” Currently Halo Infinite is one of the only first-party titles from Microsoft that we're expecting on the next Xbox (apart from perhaps Gears 5), and, while the series is definitely a huge draw to fans, it may not be enough to sway PlayStation players towards the next Xbox. Meanwhile the PS5 is offering the possibility of The Last of Us: Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding as exclusives on its next-generation console. When it comes to exclusives, Sony seems to have the edge. Death Stranding (Image credit: Kojima Productions) Backwards compatibility “Microsoft already has the current functionality for back compatibility, and seems to be partnering with Nintendo to deliver Xbox content to the Switch platform, which is assumed to be streamed.” Microsoft definitely has the upper hand when it comes to backwards compatibility. As Rodriguez points out, Microsoft already has backwards compatibility integrated, allowing Xbox players to play select Xbox 360 titles, and will no doubt implement the same strategy in making the next Xbox compatible with Xbox One titles. While Sony has said the PS5 will be backwards-compatible with the PS4, it still lacks the ability (as far as we know) to let us play PlayStation or PlayStation 2 titles – something which would go down a treat with players. Whether this is something Sony plans on allowing in the future is unclear, but it doesn’t seem likely right now. Cross-platform / progression It’s no secret that Sony isn’t a fan of cross-platform – the only titles which actually allow for full cross-platform play between PlayStation and other consoles are Rocket League and Fortnite. Despite Sony claiming it’s “open for business”, some developers have accused Sony of “playing favorites” (via Kotaku). Whether or not Sony is going to ease up on its cross-play restrictions isn’t clear, but mounting pressure from fans and developers may sway the company in the right direction. Meanwhile, Microsoft is pretty open to cross-platform play, allowing play between Xbox One and PC, Switch and even mobile in some cases. For players who love playing online with friends (without the restrictions of which platform that friend may be playing on) then cross-platform could be an important factor in choosing a next-generation console. Get with the times, Sony. Th evolution of Tomb Raider (Image credit: Sony) Cloud game streaming While Microsoft does seem to be going digital with its disc-less Xbox One S All-Digital (and rumors of a disc-less next-gen console), Sony has just had a patent approved for a cloud gaming service that could rival both the Google Stadia and next Xbox. We don’t know much more about this streaming service from Sony (or whether it’ll launch alongside the PS5) but if it does then it will be a game-changer, and will potentially prevent the Stadia having the edge over its competition. Developer relationship / dev environment Arguably, Microsoft is the most friendly of the gaming giants when it comes to indie titles. The ID@Xbox program allows indie developers to self-publish titles for Windows and the Xbox One, and it’s likely the program will continue into the next-generation (or some form of it at least). In addition, Microsoft titles tend to run across both PC and Xbox One, making life easier for devs. If Sony can kick it up a notch and get the PS5 onto a PC level (which seems to be the case), then the platform may become more hospitable to devs and players alike. PS5: Can we have proper 4K gaming?PS4 games (Image credit: Sony) The PS4 Pro offers a tantalizing hint of what 4K gaming could be like. But the stark fact remains: it still doesn’t have the grunt to do native 4K consistently. Its “checkerboard” technique of taking single pixels and using each to render four pixels in 4K resolution is clever, and it can do native 4K output, but it often has to sacrifice resolution to keep performance consistent. Chris Kingsley, CTO and co-founder of developer Rebellion, dangles an even more ambitious technological carrot in front of a putative PS5: “Obviously new hardware should be able to support 4K TVs and possibly even 8K TVs at a push!” Native 4K support will be a basic requirement of the PlayStation 5. And, thanks to the Mark Cerny's confirmation, 8K will be supported in some form too. But 4K base-line visuals won't be all – it's been confirmed that the new console will support ray-tracing graphical capabilities. The past two GDC events gave us a glimpse of what the next generation of games might look like using the technology, and it's left us extremely excited for the PS5. Real-time ray tracing was revealed to be the next big thing in rendering while Epic Games gave us a taste of how it might be used to create the most lifelike characters ever. Using its capture technology, the Unreal Engine creator displayed a future with character models so realistic they bring us close to crossing the uncanny valley. Watch a performance from Andy Serkis below to see just how capable these new development technologies are: “Honestly, between five and ten years from now, I don't think you're going to be able to tell the difference between the real and the virtual world,” Epic CTO Kim Libreri told GamesIndustry.biz, “You'll see hardware that can support these kinds of capabilities pretty shortly, and then, finally, the greatest blockbuster with the most complicated effects, within ten years, you'll be able to do that in real-time.” PS5: The VR effectSony became the first console manufacturer to embrace virtual reality, thanks to the PlayStation VR, but if you examine PlayStation VR closely – and observe how it operates on the PS4 Pro – it invites speculation about how a PlayStation 5 console might take VR to a new level. Sony's Mark Cerny has confirmed that existing PSVR headsets will work with the next-generation PlayStation console, but wouldn't be drawn into confirming a PSVR 2 release just yet. Currently, PlayStation VR operates at lower resolution than the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive – but, as it stands, even its current incarnation almost pushes the base PlayStation 4 beyond its limits. Running a PlayStation VR on a PS4 Pro brings improved frame-rates, which are very handy indeed in terms of the overall VR experience, but even the PS4 Pro can’t overcome the resolution constraints set by the PlayStation VR headset.
So it’s a good bet that, seeing as PlayStation VR has proved incredibly successful, Sony will want to return to the market with a second, markedly higher-tech iteration: which would provide an obvious selling point for the PlayStation 5. And if a PlayStation VR 2 headset could be sold without an external black box, it should be markedly cheaper, further accelerating VR’s march into the mainstream. A report from SemiAcccurate, which claims that the PS5 will have virtual reality capabilities built-in at silicon level, suggests this will indeed be the case – a feature that was hinted at by Cerny, too. PlayStation VR (Image credit: Sony) Rebellion’s Kingsley makes another good point about second-generation VR. “Anything that reduces the leads has to be a good thing,” he says. The umbilical cord which currently attaches VR headset-wearers to their consoles or PCs obviously goes against VR’s entire immersive nature, and we’re already beginning to see, for example, a third-party implementation for the HTC Vive that renders it wireless. Oculus is pushing the wire-free space forward to with its Oculus Go and Oculus Quest hardware. It’s a safe bet that the capacity for running a wireless PlayStation VR 2 will be built into the PS5. But Kingsley’s PlayStation VR 2 wish-list goes further: “Wide vertical and horizontal field-of-view would be top of my list, and of course, that would require 4K resolution per eye, and high dynamic range would be great too.” HDR and wider fields of view should be achievable but sadly, we don’t reckon full 4K VR is likely to be a possibility even for the PS5. As Kingsley points out, that would require 4K rendering per eye, which equates to 8K rendering overall, which we expect to be beyond the PS5’s capabilities. That said, perhaps Sony will find some clever technological bodge to get around that before it releases its fifth PlayStation console. Foveated rendering techniques, using eye tracking to render only the items you're focusing on in high definition while other elements are reduced in quality, could be one potential technique used. In addition, according to published patent (spotted by Upload VR), Sony is working on "prescription glasses with eye gaze tracking and electro optical signaling to a HMD". These Sony developed prescription glasses would be custom-designed for the wearer and gaze would be able to be detected by the VR headset via an encoded sensor. In other words, glasses-wearers could use VR much easier. We don't expect these glasses to come cheap, but the implementation of eye gaze software does mean we can probably expect it to arrive in the PSVR 2... Gran Turismo Sport (Image credit: Polyphony Digital) While most of what we 'know' about Sony's next-generation VR is speculation and rumor, we do know that one developer is already thinking about what it would do with the power of PS5 VR. In a roundable interview with GT Planet, Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi revealed that, when it comes to harnessing the power of next-gen consoles, developer Polyphony Digital's focus is primarily on VR. “The first thing that’s going to be affected by more power is VR,” Yamauchi told GT Planet. “I don’t think that there’s anything else that requires that much processing power. I really like VR; I’m one to believe in the possibilities of it, and it’s very suited for a driving game.” As Gran Turismo is a PlayStation exclusive series, it's likely that the future of the racing franchise will be fuelled by PlayStation VR and its likely successor: PlayStation VR 2. While Sony hasn't officially confirmed that PSVR 2 is in development, Yamauchi's comments suggest that the company will be leaning into VR in a big way when it comes to the upcoming PS5. “VR is something that really depends on the evolution of GPU power, and the hardware for it, like display devices even," Yamauchi continued. "It’s something where you can never have enough computing power; there’s always going to be that hardware limit, and that limit is never going to be high enough for us! Obviously that’s going to gradually improve over time and we’ll make sure to follow that.” Ratchet and Clank (Image credit: Sony) What form will the PS5 take?It has been suggested that future consoles like the PlayStation 5 could take radically different forms to current ones, thanks to advances in cloud computing and game streaming, doing away with the components that make today's devices so bulky. However, we reckon it's unlikely that Sony will take a more Nintendo-like approach and put the PS5 in a tiny box. One reason for that is that with the PS4, Sony has only just committed to using what are basically the innards of a PC – the first three PlayStation variants used proprietary components (and which in the PS3 impacted sales). Developers, certainly, were massively relieved that the PS4 took the PC route.
“Developers want the ability to make the best games using the minimum amount of effort. We want to focus on being creative and getting things to just work,” Kingsley says. “So the hardware should be based around current console hardware, which is in turn based on PC hardware. We always want fast CPUs and GPUs, but lots of fast RAM is also very important – it’s no use having fast processors if they are starved of data.” All the above are achievable, but will the PS5 still have a hard disk? It certainly will – but not the sort that you know currently. Sony has confirmed it will be employing a bespoke solid state drive in each PS5, allowing it to decrease loading times by an estimated 19 times compared to existing SSD technology. PlayStation Now (Image credit: Sony) PS5 and streaming gamesOf course, if games were just streamed to the PS5 that high-res texture storage problem would disappear entirely, and Sony already has a game-streaming service in the form of PlayStation Now. However, we do know that Sony has a patent for a "system for combining recorded application state with application streaming interactive video output" (aka a cloud gaming service).
One of the biggest issues here remains around broadband speeds. Even 4K TV requires a minimum of 25Mbps broadband in order to provide satisfactory streaming, and it’s doubtful whether 4K game streaming – with extra information on top of the visual side – would even work reliably at such speeds. There would be nothing to stop Sony launching a small form-factor cloud-based version of the PS5 console for those with mega-fast broadband, perhaps with a mobile phone-style subscription model that has an upfront hardware costs (something Microsoft is thinking about). But for the PS5 to sell anything like its predecessors, there would have to be a conventional version with similar innards to the PS4, which going from the Cerny interview appears to be the case. Uncharted (Image credit: Naughty Dog) PS5: optical discs or not?The rise of downloadable games, which continue to eat into the physical disc market, means that pundits have been predicting that consoles will go discless for about a decade now. However, PS5 won’t be the first system to risk venturing down that road, with physical media still confirmed to be supported. Sony has taken a lot of (justifiable) flak for not putting a 4K Blu-ray drive in the PS4 Pro – making it a less attractive purchase for film and TV buffs than the Xbox One S or the Xbox One X. Surveys continue to show that gamers are still attached to the possibility of buying games on physical discs – not least because they can then sell them (a practice that the games industry hates), and keep hard disk space usage at a manageable level. If Sony were to axe the Blu-ray drive from the PS5, gamers would expect several terabytes of storage in compensation. Kingsley gives a developer’s view on the topic: “I think the days of delivering films and games via disc are on the decline, as most people are going digital; however, some people like physical discs, so who knows whether that decline will level out and remain present but at a lower level than now?” Download figures have been on the rise over the last year but EA CFO Blake Jorgensen has said that he thinks consoles and disc drives will continue to stick around. “Consoles and disc drives probably stay around for a long period of time [...] I think it's the consumer deciding what's the easiest way for them to buy a game. “And it may mean they no longer have a store down the street from them so they decide to buy it [digitally] maybe it's easier for them to do.” PlayStation 4 hardware (Image credit: TechRadar) What games can we expect to see on PS5?The entire PS4 library, including PSVR games, will be supported by the PS5. That much is known. But there are now games being developed specifically for this new PlayStation 5 console generation and the extra power it's likely to offer. Already we've seen CD Projekt Red mention that it's developing for this generation as well as the next, and alongside the rumors that there are already developers kits out in the open, we think there's a good chance that Cyberpunk 2077 will be one of the early PS5 titles. Likewise, a knowing glance from Cerny during his Wired interview pointed towards Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding being a cross-generation title, too. At this point, any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2, would be prime candidates for PS5 cross-gen upgrades. We've also heard enough chatter around a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel and new God of War game to assume we'll be seeing both land on the PS5 console. Sony has also confirmed the PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games in an effort to focus on "serious gamers".
Check out our PS4 vs PS4:PSVR compared and explained video below.
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| Save 10% on a range of brilliant phone deals from eBay - cheap iPhones included Posted: 16 Sep 2019 09:02 AM PDT Like most other phone launches, the introduction of the brand new iPhone 11 brought two thoughts to mind. First, that this phone is amazing, packed with so many features and a great new camera set up. That thought is quickly followed by a realisation of just how much money it costs to own. And, if like many, you're not prepared to give up your life savings for Apple's latest, eBay has a solution for you. Up until September 20, the online retailer is offering a 10% discount on a massive range of phones with the code PHONES10. That means you can invest in a range of phones, including cheap iPhones, the iPhone XR, Huawei's impressive Mate 20 Pro and a host of Samsung's phones. And, this discount applies across both brand new handsets and refurbished phones. It is important to note that a lot of these offers come from other retailers with eBay simply being the middleman. With this in mind, check the deal you're choosing before to see how well it is reviewed and whether there is warranty on offer. But obviously, with the countdown to get this discount in full swing, you'll just want to know the details of this offer. You can see everything you need to know below - including the best deals to catch our eye.
Below we've listed the standout offers from eBay however if you don't find what you were hoping for then don't worry, there is still a massive range of phone deals available with this code. Simply head over to eBay to see what you can get. Didn't see anything you liked? Check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals and SIM-free mobile phones to find your ideal phone deal. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Google Pixel 4 isn't real yet, but it already supports Netflix HDR Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:57 AM PDT Netflix has just added another crop of phones to its list of HDR-supported devices – i.e. phones and tablets that can stream shows and movies in HDR10. Phones getting brighter, more colorful video support include the Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel 3 XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Sony Xperia 1 and LG G6. Oh, and the Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL … which is weird because neither had been officially announced by Google until hours after Netflix's news (the tech giant did send out invites shortly thereafter). The common thread between all these devices is that they all use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 845 or 855 processor – moderately powerful pieces of silicon that can process HDR data – and corroborates the rumors that the Pixel 4 will be running the Snapdragon 855 processor as well. How to get Netflix in HDR10 on your phoneWhile streaming Netflix in HDR on your Google Pixel 4 might prove challenging until the phones materialize at Google's upcoming October Pixel event, Netflix says you can immediately start streaming in HDR on the other phones listed above – just look for the updated Netflix app in the Google Play Store. Of course, don't forget that you'll need to be paying for Netflix's premium plan that costs $15.99 (£11.99, $17.99) per month in order to access the high dynamic range content. (The same goes for HDR-capable TVs and streaming devices, too.) That said, once you're all paid up and your phone's up-to-date, you'll be treated to HDR content wherever you go – a nice perk if you want the best-looking content on your next trip.
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| Huawei Mate 30 Pro release date, news, price, specs and leaks Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:55 AM PDT The Huawei Mate 30 and Huawei Mate 30 Pro are set to be introduced on September 19 at an event in Germany where we'll be sure to learn all about the next phablet devices from the Chinese manufacturer. There's still a lot of uncertainty around the company's future business in the US. Google has now confirmed that the Mate 30 series won't be shipping with "licensed Google apps and services." Those with the phone could sideload them later, but most won't know how to do that. It also likely locks Huawei out from crucial security and feature updates. We won't know the full situation until Huawei announces its plans for the next-gen hardware on stage. With the event happening in under a week, there's quite a bit we know about the Huawei Mate 30 Pro from leaks, and all the rumors and leaks are collected below. We’ll also update this article any time we hear any credible new information. Update: Leaked renders have given us a close look at the likely design of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, along with the Mate 30, Mate 30 Lite, and Mate 30 Porsche Design.
Cut to the chase
Huawei Mate 30 Pro release date and priceThe Mate 30 Pro is landing in September. Originally we expected Huawei to introduce the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro in October considering the company announced both the Huawei Mate 20 range and the Huawei Mate 10 in October of their respective launch years. Now Huawei has said the phones will be launched on September 19, which actually matches up with a previous rumor from Russian news site High-tech Mail, via a briefing with Huawei's Consumer Business Software President. Huawei has yet to confirm when the handsets will actually go on sale around the world, but mark your calendars for September 19 for our first official look at the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro. There aren’t any price rumors yet either, but the Huawei Mate 20 Pro cost £899 / AU$1,599 (around $1,150) at launch, so it’s likely that the Mate 30 Pro will cost at least that much. It’s worth noting also that given Huawei’s ongoing issues in the US, the Mate 30 Pro probably won’t be available there. What does Huawei's trouble with Google mean?Before we dig into further leaks and rumors, it's important to address the fact the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are unlikely to come with access to Google's services. That's likely to be a big problem for some users. Analyst Dominic Sunnebo, Director of Consumer Insights at Kantar, told TechRadar, "If the Mate 30 does release without access to key Google apps, like Maps and YouTube, it will struggle to sell in any meaningful volumes across Europe. "Google apps are bread and butter for the majority of users and not having access is a risk few will be willing to take." Suunebo continued, "Huawei has the scale and expertise to bring out an operating system capable of competing with Android from an interface and efficiency point of view, but without key Google apps it will not be a viable solution in Europe." Huawei Mate 30 Pro news and rumorsOur closest look at the likely Huawei Mate 30 Pro design comes from leaked renders, showing a circular camera block and a curved screen with a notch. The standard Mate 30 has also been leaked with a similar design, but a smaller notch and a flat screen. We've also seen a shot of the Huawei Mate 30 Porsche Design, which trades a glass back for a leather one and has a different camera arrangement, but otherwise looks similar to the leaked Mate 30 Pro. Then there's the Huawei Mate 30 Lite, which has a punch-hole camera rather than a notch, and the rear snappers aren't arranged in a circle. All of these can be seen below. Specs alongside these images suggest that the Huawei Mate 30 Pro will have a Kirin 990 chipset, a 6.7-inch screen and a 4,000mAh battery. We've seen a similar design previously, as a leaked render shows a circle camera block with the lenses aligned in an X shape. It's a futuristic design for sure, but it's rather surprisingly large, and could be obnoxious in physical form. That circular block can be seen again in another leak (below), albeit without the 'X' configuration and oddly only seemingly housing three lenses. This leak also highlights the large notch, and seems to show a headphone port on the standard Mate 30, but not on the Mate 30 Pro. While a design like the ones above is looking likely, we've also seen a Huawei patent which shows a phone case with space on the back for a different camera arrangement. You can see the image below and based on that it looks like there could be room for five rear lenses, up from three on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and four on the P30 Pro. Of course, patents don’t always become real devices, and even if this does get used it might not make it to the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, but it would make sense for Huawei to increase the number of lenses on its flagship, given that a number of other phones are doing the same. This could point to extra lenses on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Image Credit: Mobielkopen It's almost certain the Huawei Mate 30 series will come with 5G onboard, or at least one version of the phone will come with the next-gen internet tech. The brand new Kirin 990 has been confirmed to feature in the next phones from Huawei, and 5G is one of the big improvements alongside better performance for generic tasks. A spec leak from a SlashLeaks contributor seems to provide a lot of details about the upcoming phone included the fact it'll come with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. The leak, as you can see below, suggests the phone will only come with a 512GB storage size. The leak doesn't reference the standard Mate 30 though, so it may be we see different specs on that handset. Another report suggests Huawei may be able to include 25W wireless charging, which should mean super quick recharge times for your phone when using wireless pads. The Mate 30 Pro is also likely to have at least four rear cameras, given that the Huawei P30 Pro does, and it might have a similar design to that phone, including a tiny notch and hardly any bezel. Having said that, multiple leaks have now shown a design with a larger notch, along with a curvier screen. The curves of the screen can be seen below. But we've also seen an older set of renders supposedly showing the handset with a punch-hole rather than a notch. The over-sized camera block matches the cutout in the patent leak above, and appears to house at least four cameras. On the front, this Huawei Mate 30 Pro leak suggests the handset will have dual front-facing cameras, surrounded by screen in a similar fashion to the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. Is this our first proper look at the Huawei Mate 30 Pro? (Image Credit: IT Home) Big camera blocks are starting to become one of the major design points for phones set to launch in the second half of 2019, with the Google Pixel 4 also tipped to adopt a larger bump. As well as the actual design of the cameras, we've heard a tiny bit about the camera capabilities, thanks to Huawei trademarking the phrases 'Cine Lens' and 'Camera Matrix'. We're expecting the former to be a lens with specific features designed for video recording, but the latter is a bit of a mystery at the moment, as it could refer to many things. Elsewhere, a leak has suggested that at least one of the phones will have four rear cameras, consisting of two 40MP lenses, an 8MP lens, and a time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensor. On the front of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, leaked images of the display show screen cut-outs for many cameras – more than for a dual-lens front-facing snapper, as some smartphones have, so it's possible that the device will have Apple-style facial unlocking. What we want to seeThe Huawei Mate 30 Pro is likely to be a powerful, impressive phone, but for it to really stand out it could do with the following things. 1. An improved cameraThe cameras on the Mate 20 Pro are generally very good, but in our review we found that shots taken with the ultra-wide-angle lens would sometimes have warped edges. We also noted that the phone’s HDR skills weren’t a match for some of its top rivals, such as the Google Pixel 3 and iPhone XS, so these are two things that we’d like to see improved for the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. 2. More lensesThree is good, more is better. While we’re on the subject of the camera, we’d also like more lenses. The three on the back is a good start, but with the likes of the Nokia 9 getting five lenses there’s always room for more. This may well happen too, as early rumors suggest that extra rear lenses could be a feature of the Mate 30 Pro. Similarly, we’d like to see an extra lens on the front of the phone, especially if it can be used to power Apple-calibre facial recognition. 3. No notchThe Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a good-looking phone, but one element that could start to look dated in 2019 is its notch, since phones are starting to arrive with punch-hole cameras instead. But ideally we don’t even want that for the Mate 30 Pro, what we’d like to see is a truly all-screen design with the camera and sensors somehow built into the screen. That might not be possible, but Huawei is often among the first to show new technology in handsets, so you never know. 4. A slicker interfaceOne ongoing issue with all of Huawei’s phones is the heavy EMUI overlay the company sticks on top of Android. We’d like to see the Huawei Mate 30 Pro stay closer to stock Android. Better yet, ditch EMUI entirely and use Android One – which would also ensure software updates could be offered rapidly. 5. An improved in-screen scannerThe Mate 20 Pro's scanner needs work. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro has an in-screen fingerprint scanner and it was among the first phones to sport one. It’s a cool feature but in the Mate 20 Pro’s case it’s not perfect. It’s only on a small area of the screen, so can be hard to find without first turning the screen on (which brings up an icon). It also isn’t perfect at recognizing prints. That’s all forgivable since it’s the first generation of the tech, but by the time the Mate 30 Pro launches, Huawei will have had another year to perfect it, so let’s hope it will use the time wisely. 6. A 3.5mm headphone portLike many phones, the Mate 20 Pro lacks a 3.5mm headphone port, but we’re still not convinced that it’s time to abandon wired headphones. There are lots of arguments for the convenience of wireless headphones and the fact that the space used for the port could better be used for other things. This is all valid, but many of us still have wired cans that we don’t want to bury just yet. Some of us also don’t want to have to charge our headphones, and when it comes to sound quality wired can still have the edge. 7. Something newMost of the things listed above are focused on perfecting the Mate 20 Pro, but what we really want to see for the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is something completely new and exciting. Some sort of futuristic feature perhaps or a completely new, completely dazzling design. We’ll leave the specifics to Huawei, but in the face of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the iPhone 11 it’s likely to take more than impressive basics for the Mate 30 Pro to truly stand out.
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| Nearly all Ecuador citizens have personal data leaked Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:50 AM PDT A major database breach has seen personal information on nearly every person in the nation of Ecuador leaked. The breached data includes names, cedulas (national ID numbers), date of birth, places of birth, home addresses, and gender, with millions of financial records also exposed. The affected database contained records on 20.8 million people, despite Ecuador's official population being recorded as around 16.6 million. The researchers say that these extra entries are mainly duplicate and erroneous entries, but some also concern deceased citizens.
BreachedThe breach was discovered by vpnMentor security researchers Noam Rotem and Ran Locar. They discovered an Elasticsearch server owned by a company called Novaestrat, which claims to provide analytics services for the local market. Data on 6.7 million children under the age of 18 was also discovered, with the researchers finding that they were often able to reconstruct entire family trees from the information they uncovered. Notable individuals affected included the President of Ecuador, as well as Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks who infamously gained asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and was granted a cedula whilst there. The information appears to gave been gathered from two separate sources - Novaestrat, and the country’s civil registry. However the researchers were unable to contact the former, as it did not list an email address or a phone number on its website, and its customer support page was broken. The researchers were forced to reach out to Ecuador CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) team, which served as an intermediary and helped close the database down last week.
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| Now is the time to get fibre broadband deals with TalkTalk, BT, Virgin and more Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:48 AM PDT Ah, the search for broadband deals. A time spent lost in comparison charts and working out what a large amount of internet and broadband lingo means. Luckily, we hear your cries for help and are here to help you find your ideal super fast broadband deal. And the great news for those ready to go big on their internet speeds is that super fast fibre packages are surprisingly affordable right now. Whether you want the familiar name of BT, the affordability of TalkTalk and Vodafone or the insane speeds of Virgin Media , you don't actually need to pay all that much. We've picked out what we deem to be the absolute best speed boosted fibre broadband deals and listed them below. All you have to do is choose the one that works for you and then show off with your lightning fast downloads to your friends.
1. The best BT broadband deal on fibre2. Cut price fibre with TalkTalk and Vodafone3. Virgin goes super fast with its fibre broadband dealsIf none of these broadband deals took your fancy then don't worry, there is still a load of other options to choose from. You can see all of the top offers over on our broadband deals page or check the comparison chart below for the best fibre offers. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5G phones: these are the first next-gen handsets Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:46 AM PDT It could be said that 5G is no longer a 'new' thing, as some countries have had 5G networks for months now, but most of the world still hasn't been graced by its presence, and as the networks slowly roll out, so do the 5G phones you'll need to make use of the fast speeds. It won't take long though for 5G smartphones to take over, as during CES 2019 at the start of the year, smartphone chip-maker Qualcomm said it expects to see over 30 5G devices launched in 2019, with most of those being smartphones. It looks like Qualcomm might be right – new 5G phones keep getting launched, and although they're nowhere as popular as 4G phones still, 5G users at least have a choice of new phones to whet their appetite. With that in mind we've listed all the various confirmed and rumored 5G phones we're expecting to see over the coming months and years. You'll find everything we know about these phones below, including when and where they’re likely to launch, and we'll be constantly updating our 5G phones list with all the latest information.
Confirmed 5G phonesThe following are all the 5G phones that are confirmed – either they're out now, or they will be very soon, and we've seen the handset. Samsung Galaxy S10 5GImage Credit: TechRadar Samsung has released it first 5G phone and it's a top-end flagship dubbed the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. As well as 5G connectivity, the phone has a 6.7-inch QHD+ screen, a 4,500mAh battery, a top-end chipset, 8GB of RAM, and four rear cameras, consisting of a 16MP ultra-wide lens, a 12MP variable aperture lens, a 12MP telephoto lens and a 3D depth-sensing camera. The Galaxy S10 5G also has a dual-lens front-facing camera (cut into the screen, so there's no notch and minimal bezel), and 256GB of storage. The phone is out now in some regions, including the US and the UK. It costs $1,299/£1,099 for the 256GB version and $1,399 for the 512GB version. On contract in the UK you can get it from Vodafone, EE Or O2. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5GSamsung has also now launched the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G. It's not quite in stores yet at the time of writing, but can be pre-ordered for $1,299 / £1,099 with 256GB of storage. That version's not available in Australia, but for $1,399 / £1,199 / AU$1,999 you can get the 512GB version. 5G aside this is the same as the standard Galaxy Note 10 Plus, meaning you get a 6.8-inch 1440 x 3040 screen, four rear cameras, a top-end Exynos 9825 or Snapdragon 855 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and Samsung's S Pen stylus, to make the most of all that space. OnePlus 7 Pro 5GImage credit: TechRadar When OnePlus launched the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, it also announced a 5G version of the latter phone, which is exactly the same in all regards (except that it can connect to 5G networks as well as 4G). That means the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G has a curved all-screen AMOLED display, novel pop-up selfie camera, Snapdragon 855 chipset, and 90Hz screen refresh rate. It will set you back quite a bit too - in the UK for example it starts at £59 per month on contract, where it's currently only sold by EE. Moto Z3Image Credit: TechRadar Motorola was the first in the world to sell a 5G phone. Well, sort of anyway, as what it actually sells is the Moto Z3 (a 4G handset from 2018) paired with a new 5G Moto Mod, which adds 5G connectivity to the phone. At the time of writing this is only available in the US and only on Verizon (which only currently has a 5G network in a few places), so it's limited, but technically available. The Moto Z3 and Moto Mod combined actually also undercut most other 5G handsets, though of course the phone itself is also more dated. The initial 5G service available on the phone is a mixed bag too. Moto Z4Image credit: TechRadar The Moto Z4 is a similar story to the Moto Z3 in that it supports 5G but only with a Moto Mod. It launched on June 13 in the US. It has a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2340 screen, a 48MP rear camera, a 25MP front-facing one, a mid-range Snapdragon 675 chipset, and a 3,600mAh battery. It's set to start at $20.83 per month on a Verizon contract, which is the only place you'll be able to get the 5G-ready version. Huawei Mate XImage Credit: TechRadar Huawei announced the Huawei Mate X at MWC 2019 - a phone that not only supports 5G, but also folds. It essentially has three screens, with one big 8-inch OLED display that can be folded in half, leaving you with a smaller screen on each side of the handset, one of which is 6.6 inches and the other 6.4. The phone also has a triple-lens camera, a 4,500mAh battery with fast charging, a high-end Kirin 980 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All in all the Huawei Mate X could be the most exciting of the early 5G phones, but it also might be the most expensive, as it's set to cost €2,299 (around $2,600 / £2,000 / AU$4,770) when it lands around the middle of the year. We don't know when we're going to be able to get our hands on the device, as Huawei has postponed its release date – the latest rumors say somewhere between September and November, but we'll keep you updated. Huawei Mate 20 X 5GImage credit: TechRadar As well as the Huawei Mate X, Huawei has plans to release a more 'traditional' 5G handset in the form of the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G which is, as the name suggests, a new version of the Huawei Mate 20 X. That means it's a phone with a huge 7.2-inch screen and triple-lens camera setup, however it's set to have a smaller battery capacity at 4,200mAh. That's still a large power pack, but it doesn't compare to the 4G phone's 5,000mAh. This was expected to release alongside 5G networks, but Huawei's Android problems saw it delayed, as many UK networks dropped the company's phones from their 5G launch rosters. However, it is now available on EE, Vodafone and Three. Additionally, Huawei has revealed that it is "considering" making a 5G version of the upcoming Huawei Mate 30. LG V50 ThinQImage Credit: TechRadar LG is another company that has announced a 5G handset, namely the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. Launched at MWC 2019, this phone has a 6.4-inch 1440 x 3120 AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and a triple-lens rear camera, with a 12MP standard lens, a 12MP telephoto one and a 16MP ultra-wide one. There's also both an 8MP standard lens and a 5MP wide-angle one on the front of the phone. The LG V50 ThinQ also has a 4,000mAh battery, and it should be built to last, as it's both IP68-certified (for dust and water-resistance) and sports military-grade drop protection. There's also an optional second screen attachment in the form of the LG DualScreen. The 5G phone can be bought in certain countries now, including the US, where it can be grabbed for $24 per month on contract with Sprint, or for $1,152 outright; the UK, where it can be ordered on EE; and Australia where it costs AU$1,729 outright or can be had on contract with Telstra. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5GImage Credit: TechRadar The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 was launched a while ago, and while the standard version doesn't support 5G, a 5G model has now been launched too. This model has a Snapdragon 855 chipset, a 6.39-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen, 256GB of storage, a dual-lens 12MP rear camera and a dual-lens front camera which slides out of the top of the phone, so there's no need for big bezels or a notch. A big highlight though could be the price, as at €599 (around £520 / $680 / AU$950) it could undercut most of the first wave of 5G handsets. It's currently available from Vodafone in the UK, starting at £50 per month with £99 upfront. It's not clear whether there will be US or Australian availability. Oppo Reno 5GImage Credit: TechRadar On April 24, 2019 Oppo announced the Oppo Reno 5G, a phone which as well as 5G has a triple-lens camera, including a 10x lossless zoom lens, a 48MP lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. It also has a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, a 4,065mAh battery, a 6.6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen, a pop-up selfie camera, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. It's available on EE in the UK, where it starts at £54 per month with £70 upfront. The Oppo Reno 5G has arrived in Australia for AU$1,499 outright, or you can you get it on contract through Telstra. In the UK it's available on EE. Samsung Galaxy A90Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G at IFA 2019, to sit as its most affordable 5G phone. The Samsung Galaxy A90 has a lot in common with other Galaxy A phones, with mid-range specs and features, and it's for people who want 5G but don't need a super-powered smartphone. ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5GImage Credit: ZTE ZTE used MWC 2019 to announce a 5G phone, specifically the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G. Set to supposedly land in Europe at some point, this phone has already launched in China and has a Snapdragon 855 chipset, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a trio of rear cameras, namely a 48MP standard lens, a 20MP wide-angle lens and an 8MP telephoto lens. There's also a 20MP front camera, a 6.47-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a notch, 6GB of RAM, a 4,000mAh battery and 128GB of storage. Pricing and exact availability is still to be confirmed. Xiaomi Mi Mix 4Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 Xiaomi hasn't officially unveiled the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 5G, but it's confirmed the existence of the smartphone and its 5G capabilities, so we know it's not just a rumored device. This follows the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, one of the first 5G smartphones to come out, that at the time was a more 'budget' alternative to high-end 5G phones. We can expect the Mi Mix 4 to be the same, although we've also heard rumors it'll have a 108MP camera (the Mi Mix 3 had a dual 12MP sensor, so 108MP is a huge step up). This would make the Mi Mix 4 a pretty impressive device, but we'll have to wait to see if this turns out to be correct. Xiaomi Mi 9 ProXiaomi Mi 9 Alongside the Mi Mix 4, Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 9 Pro, which is presumably a high-end version of the Xiaomi Mi 9. Again, we don't know much about the phone save that it definitely exists, it'll definitely be 5G, and it'll be shown off by Xiaomi at the end of September 2019. Rumored 5G phonesThese are all the 5G handsets we've heard about, but not seen yet. That includes phones from companies who have confirmed they're working on a 5G phone, but we don't know what it is yet. iPhone 12Image Credit: TechRadar Apple will of course eventually launch a 5G phone, but it's not going to be one of the first companies to do so. As of August 2019, the latest news on that front is that Apple is likely using Qualcomm for 5G modems. Apparently it was using Intel, but the company has abandoned plans for 5G modems after reportedly missing deadlines. While we might be waiting a while, the good news is that whenever Apple launches its 5G iPhone it's likely to be globally available, since iPhones are sold in most countries. HonorImage Credit: TechRadar Given that Huawei has launched a 5G phone it's not overly surprising to hear that Honor is working on one too, given that this is a sub-brand of the company. The latest news on that front comes from an interview with Honor's president, who said the phone is coming in the fourth quarter of 2019 and that it will be cheaper than Huawei's 5G phones. Black SharkImage Credit: TechRadar As well as the Mi Mix 3 5G, it looks like Xiaomi will launch a 5G phone under its Black Shark banner and it will probably land this year according to Black Shark's VP. This seemingly won't be the Black Shark 3 though, as it will apparently land before that phone, so it might be a 5G version of the Black Shark 2, but that's not yet confirmed. VivoImage Credit: TechRadar Vivo is also known to be working on a 5G phone thought to be called the Vivo iQOO Pro 5G, but as yet we don't know much about it. The company has also teased that the Vivo Nex 3 will support 5G. We wouldn't count on either phone being widely available though, since most Vivo handsets aren't. SonyImage Credit: TechRadar Sony has confirmed that it will make a 5G phone, but only when the tech rolls out. The company hasn't got more specific than that yet. However, there are rumors that it could be a foldable phone called the Sony Xperia F. This would apparently have a 21:9 screen and a clamshell design. NokiaWe know that Nokia is planning to launch a 5G phone in 2020, but we don't know anything about the handset. That's according HMD Global Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas (HMD Global makes Nokia phones) who said there will be Nokia 5G phones soon. We can expect them to be affordable mid-range or low-end devices, as that's Nokia's corner of the market, but we don't know anything about them yet. Royole FlexPaiImage Credit: Royole The foldable Royole FlexPai launched globally during CES 2019 at the start of 2019, and while it's not 5G enabled right now, a software update later in the year will unlock support for the fifth generation of network. You can buy the FlexPai now, however it's expensive and we found during our hands on time with the phone that the software needs some serious polish before we'd be able to think about recommending it as a viable everyday device. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC: will we see a PC release? Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:30 AM PDT When will Red Dead Redemption 2 release on PC? If you're still waiting for the PC release to sample Rockstar's incredible open-world Western game, even another few months might seem too much – but we have reason to believe that Red Dead 2 could still get a PC port within 2019. And not too soon, either. Red Dead Redemption 2 launched on console back in October 2018, and despite enjoying a huge amount of critical acclaim, as well as launching a Red Dead Online component to keep players coming back for more – not that the epic-sized single-player campaign wasn't enough – you can still only play the game on Xbox One and PS4. While that's not exactly a restrictive release, committed PC players have been left twiddling their thumbs in the vague hope of a Red Dead Redemption 2 PC port coming down the line.
Players hungry for a high-spec or 4K experience can opt to play the game on the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, but there's nothing quite like a souped-up PC rig to bring out the finer details and see what Rockstar's game engine can really do. So if you don't have a console from Sony or Microsoft, what are your prospects for getting Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC any time soon? We've run through all the latest rumors pointing to a PC release, and made our best guess as to when we'd expect it to land. And no, before you ask – there's little chance you'll get a game as big as Red Dead 2 on Nintendo Switch, even if The Witcher 3 somehow got crammed on there. Will we see Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC?Rumors kicked off in mid-October last year about a possible Red Dead Redemption 2 PC release, after the online retailer MediaMarkt listed a PC version of the game on its website, with a placeholder date of December 31, 2019. The listing was promptly pulled and that date came and went without any news of a PC release. Things heated up again after a LinkedIn profile for a Rockstar employee appeared to list credits as a programmer on the PC version of the game – though this, again, was amended after the media attention that it attracted. The firmest clues we have appeared when Rockstar released a mobile / tablet companion app alongside the new Red Dead game, mainly as a hub for viewing in-game stats, journal entries, and map locations. Some savvy data-mining, though, contained references to PC-quality graphics settings – shadow quality, grass rendering, and the like – as well as lines explicitly naming PC, such as 'PARAM_companionAutoConnectIpPC' or 'CommandIsPcVersion(void)'. You can see the full list on Rockstar Intel. There was also a reference to 'Oculus', which can only really refer to VR capability for the game. Given the option to play the entire game in an immersive first-person perspective, virtual reality would be a natural fit – and Red Dead 2 VR would be most at home on a dedicated Oculus or PC-bound headset. However, things quietened down after that and there's been little news on Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC - until recently. Spotted by Twitter user JakoMako51 (via PCGamer), there is a line in the Rockstar Social Club's source code that mentions "RDR2_PC_Accomplishments". Check out the tweet below: It may be a single line of code but, paired with previous PC rumors, it ignites hope that Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC could still be on the way. Red Dead Redemption 2 PC release dateRed Dead Redemption 2: ripe for VR? (Image credit: Rockstar Games) So when could we see Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC? At this point Rockstar could make an announcement at any time, but it's worth noting that the studio seems to be focusing on Red Dead Online, so news on Red Dead 2 on PC could be a while off. While 2010's Red Dead Redemption never came to PC, previous Rockstar games like GTA IV or GTA V both took around six months to make the jump to PC after their initial console launch. So that means we could have been looking at an April/May 2019 launch date this time around, but we've now missed that window. That said, as we come up to the one-year anniversary of the launch on consoles, it could be the perfect time to announce the PC version. Given the scale of the the open-world game, it's not wholly surprising for a PC port to follow a few months after – it takes a lot of work to get the game running on different systems. But the longer PC gamers have to wait, the less likely they are to maintain their anticipation.
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| Disney Plus streaming service pricing, launch date, and exclusive shows Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:10 AM PDT Disney Plus (stylized as Disney+) could be the biggest streaming service of 2019. That's saying something as this is the year Apple will launch its own streaming service called Apple TV Plus. It poses a real threat to smaller streaming services, and – now that we know most of the Disney Plus show lineup – to Netflix too. UPDATE: Disney Plus has gone live in a free pilot for viewers in the Netherlands, though there's still no sign of a Disney Plus UK release date. Disney CEO Bob Iger has also stepped down from Apple's CEO board, just as Apple unveiled the pricing and launch date for its Apple TV Plus streaming service (via The Verge). Disney Plus will be an all-in-one video destination for movies, TV series, and cartoons from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel – packing plenty of existing movies and TV shows along with a stack of brand-new content. With Disney's acquisition of Fox now complete, we'll also be seeing the likes of The Simpsons, and even X-Men titles, come along to the service. By now we know the pricing model and launch date (November 12), as well as a planned Disney Plus app that's coming to the Nintendo Switch. The advantage of Disney's large portfolio also comes to bear with a joint Hulu and ESPN+ bundle for $12.99 per month (for US viewers only). Where will you be able to watch it? Disney has announced the list of platforms that will support Disney Plus at launch, including Apple TV, iOS and Android, and Xbox One. There's no sign of Amazon's Fire TV Stick on that list, but we're hopeful it will come either at launch or soon after. Read on for all the latest news on Disney Plus pricing, subscriptions, and what movies and shows will be available on the service when it launches later this year. Our first look at the Disney Plus interface Cut to the chase
Disney has been working on the Disney Plus platform for some time now, acquiring a controlling stake in streaming technology provider BAMTech in 2017 following a first investment the previous year. BAMTech spun out from Major League Baseball's streaming efforts and now powers platforms like HBO Now and ESPN+, so it knows a little something about on-demand video traffic. So what kind of quality can we expect from Disney Plus video streams? Apparently, Disney Plus will stream to up to four devices simultaneously in 4K HDR at no extra cost. (Currently you have to subscribe to Netflix's highest package to get that kind of quality.) Even better, according to Dolby, the service will support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, making it great for cinephiles out there. Disney Plus release dateDisney Plus is set to have a whole load of Marvel movies The Disney Plus streaming service will launch on November 12, 2019 in five territories: US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands. There's no UK launch date confirmed, though we expect / hope it will be following soon after. Disney will be looking to bring the Disney Plus platform to "all major markets within the first two years", so it does look like the rollout will go wider over time (via ScreenRant). Disney Plus pricing and bundlesThough Disney Plus only put out its US pricing at first, we now have details about a lot more territories. Disney Plus will cost $6.99/m (around £6 / AU$10) in the US, $8.99 in Australia and Canada, $9.99 in New Zealand, and €6.99 in the Netherlands. No UK pricing has yet been announced. In the US, this means it looks like Disney has kept its promise about undercutting Netflix – at least for now. "I can say that our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is. That is in part reflective of the fact that it will have substantially less volume," said Robert Iger, The Walt Disney Company's chairman and CEO. "It'll have a lot of high quality [content], because of the brands and the franchises that will be on it that we've talked about. But it'll simply launch with less volume, and the price will reflect that." Iger also suggested that the price could rise gradually over time as the service expands, which is hardly surprising—Netflix's prices have risen alongside its pivot towards original content. The Clone Wars is still on the Disney Life app, but will it stay there? However, Disney then turned heads with its plans for subscription bundle that will certainly rival Netflix in terms of price – while possibly offering closer to the site's volume of content. The US-focused bundle will include Hulu (with ads), ESPN+ and Disney Plus for $12.99 per month – the same price as Netflix's Standard subscription. It's a good deal if you want all three services or if you live in a home with multiple age ranges who could enjoy the full range of content on offer. If you're in the UK, journalist Tom Butler pointed out on Twitter that you can already get some of the content that's planned for Disney Plus on the Disney Life app for £5 (around $6 / AU$9). But that doesn't include some of the biggest draws of the new streaming platform, like Marvel and Star Wars properties – although it does currently have past seasons of The Clone Wars. Disney Plus: Marvel TV shows and filmsMarvel fans, rejoice: not only will you get a huge back catalogue of MCU movies on Disney Plus, but you'll also get a number of original TV series and spin-offs with some of your favorite characters. The first will be Falcon and The Winter Soldier (starring Anthony Mackie), coming in Q3 / Fall 2020, around a year after the platform goes live – so we'll have some time to wait before exclusive content really gets going. Hiddleston-lovers will be happy to hear that next in the new Marvel line-up will be the Loki TV show, a six-episode miniseries featuring the iconic trickster and landing in early 2021 (via MTV News). We also know from San Diego Comic-Con that the series will kick off after Loki's sudden escape in Avengers: Endgame, via the Tesseract. Who knows what japes he'll get up to after that? 2021 will also see WandaVision, a spin-off following Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) that will tie into the events of the Doctor Strange sequel – and a Hawkeye TV show, with Jeremy Renner reprising the role. The Defenders ended too soon, but Marvel is looking to bring more "street-level heroes" to the Disney Plus platform Marvel's head of television, Jeph Loeb, has said there'll be more "street-level heroes" coming to the Disney Plus service too, with Marvel TV shows set to replace or expand on the likes of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders – all of which were axed from their home on Netflix (via Deadline). Interestingly, there's also going to be a Marvel TV show that puts a different spin on the MCU. Called Marvel's What If...?, the animated series is based on a comics series and will give fans a glimpse into what might have happened if some of the universe's biggest stories went a little differently. Like how would Agent Peggy Carter have fared if she'd taken the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers? At Disney's D23 Expo in late August, Marvel President Kevin Feige announced three new series – She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel – that would all debut on the service, too. When it comes to old Marvel movie properties, we can expect those to be pulled from Netflix as soon as contracts run out before being moved across to Disney Plus when it launches. In an earnings call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger clarified that 2019's Captain Marvel would be the first Disney movie exclusive to the service – and we know Endgame will follow the month after launch. Disney Plus: Star Wars TV shows and filmsOne of most exciting original announcement so far is that of a brand new live-action Star Wars TV series from Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book) who will both write and executive produce the show. We've been waiting for details about it for what feels like years, but the title has finally been revealed as The Mandalorian. For those not in the know, Mandalorians are a race of jetpack-toting warriors with a lot of political baggage. Now unless you've watched Star Wars Rebels, the only Mandalorian you're likely to have met before is Boba Fett. But the new series will introduce us to a Mandalorian we've never met before and will follow his (or her?) adventures throughout the Star Wars universe. Favreau will also be joined by other great directors, including Star Wars alum Dave Filoni, who’ll direct the first episode, as well as Bryce Dallas Howard, Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Deborad Chow (Jessica Jones). It's not the only new Star Wars episodic content that'll be on the service early on, either. Rogue One's Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) will also get his own prequel TV series exploring his life before the events of the 2016 film. We also now have word of an Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series, with Ewan McGregor to reprise his role from the prequel movies (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith), a surprise that was met with a standing ovation at D23. At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Disney announced that a new, concluding season of animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars will also be on the service. We have to imagine that the existing episodes, currently on Netflix, will also join the fray. Disney Plus: 21st Century FoxDisney and Fox join forces Disney's acquisition of Fox was a very, very big deal – especially for Disney Plus. Fox own the rights to a huge amount of classic television, including The Simpsons, which will see every episode in its 30-year history come to the Disney Plus streaming service. Fox also oversees the X-Men IP, which was made for some very strict stipends about what can and can't be shown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (such as the word 'mutant' never being used onscreen). The merger could pave the way for mutants appearing in the MCU, or at the very least having some form of reboot for the Disney Plus service. Given the disappointing box office returns of the last couple of X-Men movies, it may be just what the franchise needs. We will, however, be getting a bunch of animated 90s cartoons of X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and others (via HypeBeast). Keep in mind that Sony still owns the rights to Spider-Man and a number of associated characters like Venom and Black Cat (with some of the above being somewhat lent to Marvel). What you waiting for, Disney? Other Disney Plus movies, shows, and exclusivesDIsney's live-action remake of Mulan (2020) will be coming to Disney Plus too It won't all be superhero and space flicks, though. Many additional new shows and TV series have also been announced, including a new Monsters Inc. project called Monsters at Work, and a fresh take on the once-popular High School Musical franchise that, no joke, is called High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. For classic Disney lovers there'll be a live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp, while '90s kids will get a new live-action Mulan that will likely come to both theaters and the streaming service. Deadline suggests that projects based on Don Quixote, Sword and the Stone, and 3 Men and a Baby are in the works, along with other projects titled The Paper Magician, Togo, and Timmy Failure. If you want to rewind the clock all the way, however, Disney says it will include every movie that's ever been locked away in the Vault, and could possibly include some of the first, harder-to-find Mickey Mouse flicks. For younger kids there'll also be plenty of television programming from the Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD. Disney Plus will also be a home for DisneyNature documentaries, including Dolphin Reef – which will be narrated by none other than actress Natalie Portman (Jackie, Black Swan). Disney Nature works both in documentary films and animation, and will also be bringing animated feature Penguins to the Disney Plus service. All told, you can expect "thousands of hours" of Disney TV shows and films on the service, including existing content, and that new Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars films will be available to stream at some point following their theatrical releases. Will Disney Plus have classic Disney movies?Oh yes. We have word that every Disney film ever made will be coming to the service, so everything from the original Lion King to... er... the new CGI Lion King should be available on the service soon after launch. What will Disney Plus be missing?The Disney streaming service won't have content from outside of the Disney ecosystem, as far as we know. That might seem obvious enough, but services like Netflix and Hulu have such diverse offerings because of their wide partnerships and licensing deals. But, of course, Disney has plenty of content to draw from, especially if all Fox content comes onboard as well, but this will still be a very Disney-centric offering. On top of that, there won't be any R-rated or adult-oriented content on the service. That stuff will go to Hulu instead, according to a report from Deadline. Though Disney has now closed its acquisition of Fox, it's unlikely then that the R-rated Deadpool will come to Disney Plus. There's talk however of a PG-13 take on Deadpool 2's X-Force for the platform (via ComicBook). R-rated titles like Deadpool should head to Hulu rather than Disney Plus, which will be somewhat family friendly Also, the Marvel TV original series on Netflix won't be crossing over to the new Disney Plus service – as far as we know. That means the likes of Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones won't be rebooted on Disney Plus in their current iterations. They've all been cancelled from further seasons, but we're assuming previous seasons will continue to stay on the Netflix platform. That's not to say Hulu might not pick up these series and run with them, or maybe they'll get a more family-friendly re-imagining for Disney Plus? Should I subscribe to Disney Plus?We haven't tried the platform ourselves yet, so even though more information is revealed every day, it's hard to make a solid recommendation. But now details have been revealed about pricing, the early signs are certainly promising. Disney plans to tap into its estimable vault of franchises to create exclusive and potentially compelling new content, along with creating a single streaming service for watching all of the latest and greatest movies and TV shows from across the Disney creative ecosystem. Disney Plus will have less content than Netflix, but the price is lower – and Disney Plus may prove more appealing as an add-on to your current subscriptions, rather than a full-on replacement for Netflix or Hulu. The Disney streaming service won't be as comprehensive or wide-ranging as some rivals, but Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel fans might have trouble resisting some of the original shows and movies coming down the pipeline. We're certainly excited to see what Disney Plus has in mind for the live-action Star Wars series, above all, but other projects sound compelling as well.
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| Apple Watch 5 price cut: save $50 on the all-new Apple Watch at Amazon Posted: 16 Sep 2019 08:05 AM PDT While the Apple Watch Series 5 was announced just last week, you can already find discounts on the smartwatch at Amazon. For a limited time, you can pre-order the Apple Watch 5 with GPS for $384.99. That's a $15 discount and the lowest price we've found for the latest Apple Watch. Amazon also has the Apple Watch 5 with GPS + Cellular on sale for $749. That's a $50 discount for the smartwatch that comes in a stainless steel case with a Milanese Loop. Apple Watch 5 deals:See more offers on the smartwatch with the best Apple Watch 5 prices and deals that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pokémon Go sees a host of Gen 5 Unova Pokemon released into the wild Posted: 16 Sep 2019 07:43 AM PDT Blow the dust off that Pokédex, trainers – Unova region Pokémon are rolling out to Pokémon GO, expanding the roster of creatures available to fight, catch, and play with. As of 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm BST on September 16, players will be start to encounter the new Pokémon. For those who played the Pokémon Black and White games on the Nintendo 3DS, or their Black 2 and White 2 sequels, the inclusion of Pokémon from the Unova region – where those games are set – should bring some much-appreciated color to your party. You can see the release trailer for the Unova Pokémon below, which shows off the three Black and White starters and evolutions, as well as a host of additional Unova-specific Pokémon such as Blitzle, Seismitoad, and Drilbur. We're told that more Pokémon will be coming "over the weeks and months ahead" too. The new Pokémon come at a big time for Niantic, whose success with the mobile AR game has led to the Pokémon Masters title, also for mobile, as well as a Harry Potter spin-off game. While some may be surprised that the AR game is still going strong, big changes like this will be sure to draw in new players, while giving current Pokémon trainers something fresh to grapple with.
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| Best website builders for photographers in 2019 Posted: 16 Sep 2019 07:32 AM PDT Plenty of online tools will help you create a website in just a few minutes with just a few clicks, but they're not all geared towards helping photographers – those people who want to show off big, beautiful galleries of images online. If you're looking for the best website builder that's going to help you showcase your work as stylishly as possible, we've picked out four of the best for you to consider. They all score highly for their pricing, features, ease of use, and the choice of templates they offer for getting a photo portfolio up on the web. Once you've picked your favorite, you'll soon be getting your photos up in front of a potential audience of millions. Some sites even give you options for selling copies of your images via the web. Find the best website builder for photographersFormat sample photography site If you're after simplicity first and foremost in your website builder, then check out Format – it doesn't have as many advanced features or options as some of its competitors, but that means less hassle for you and a shorter time between signing up for the site and getting your photos online. You've got 23 different templates to pick from (plus additional premium ones if you go down that route), all of which can be customized in terms of pages, layouts and colors. Every theme adapts automatically to desktop or mobile, and you can preview all this in your browser. As you would hope, getting images up on your site is simple, and once they're on the page they can be dragged and dropped into position as required. If you're happy with original design of the template you've picked – and the templates are all professional-looking and clean – then you really can be online within minutes. We also like Format because of the extras it throws in. The platform lets you bring in your own domain name, set up an online store, and add a blog, with video tutorials generously spread around to help if you get stuck. If you do know a little bit of website coding, you can edit the CSS of your site too. There is a 14-day free trial available to test out the service. Carbonmade sample photography site On the scale of basic to advanced, Carbonmade is somewhere towards the former, but its service is specifically for creatives – and that means getting your work up in a cool-looking theme is very straightforward, and actually a lot of fun too. You only get a handful of templates to pick from, so if you'd rather spend time agonizing over a choice of hundreds, then Carbonmade perhaps isn't for you. Once you're in, the site builder has one of the best workflows we've seen, letting you easily create projects and pages, and get your pictures uploaded to the site. It's one of those interfaces that you really don't need an instruction manual to get around. Everything from the published/unpublished status of your pages, to the use of thumbnails for navigation, is simple to configure. The customization tweaks you've got, like the option to drop in a logo or a favicon, are all well chosen too. There are some neat extras like the Carbonmade Messages (which lets you interact with all the people interested in your work) or the ability to connect your custom domain. Additionally, If you have a Dropbox account, you can upload files directly from there. You don't get anything in the way of advanced features, like online sales or pages with password protection, but not everyone needs those anyway – if you'd rather get your site up, get it looking good, and then get on with your photography, Carbonmade is definitely worth a look. Squarespace sample photography site Squarespace is one of the biggest names in website building, and it offers dozens of top-notch templates for getting your portfolio of pictures up on the web. Whether you want your images to show up at full-screen size or you prefer the grid look, Squarespace should have something to suit. All the image cropping and resizing is taken care of for you, so your site is going to look great on any kind of device, and there's actually quite a lot of flexibility when it comes to how your images are presented. You can use your own branding, fonts, and colors, or take the defaults that Squarespace gives you. To protect your images, the platform lets you password-protect certain gallery pages, and if you need to have text flowing alongside your pictures then that's simple to do as well. Embedding a contact form only takes a few minutes if you want to give clients a way to get in touch. Everything can be managed through an attractive web browser interface and you can also add and remove pictures from an iOS app if you need to. It's easy to see why Squarespace is one of the more popular website builders, and it's well suited to photographers. Dunked sample photography site Dunked doesn't have the same range of templates or the same depth of features as some of its rivals, but getting everything up and running is really simple and really fast. Take a look at the templates on the home page – if you like any of them, give Dunked a whirl. As with most similar services, you've got a basic drag-and-drop interface for getting your pictures in the right place. If needed, images can be split up into pages and categories, so whether you want to stick your whole career online or just a few select snaps, Dunked makes it possible. Even though the choice of templates isn't the widest, they're all designed to adapt to screens of any size, and if you know a bit of CSS then you can tweak various aspects of the site design – just don't expect a massive amount of help beyond the basics of colors and fonts. Changes can be applied at any time and only take seconds. We like the balance Dunked hits in getting you started very quickly and then giving you a few customization options later on. It's going to be too basic for some, but if you don't want to spend hours pondering over layouts, it may well suit you perfectly. You can try out the service free for 10 days.
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