Monday, October 28, 2019

Apple : Apple's Airpods Pro: the earbuds fitness fans have been waiting for?

Apple : Apple's Airpods Pro: the earbuds fitness fans have been waiting for?

Apple's Airpods Pro: the earbuds fitness fans have been waiting for?

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 01:47 PM PDT

I'd just come off another run with Apple's Powerbeats Pro to find out that, finally, the Airpods Pro have been announced.

Why finally? Because these are the headphones that any iPhone user has needed since the first Airpods, those little white toothbrush-head-alikes, were launched in 2016. 

When they first launched, the earbuds looked so different they made me feel ridiculous. Wearing them down the street, I found myself wanting to cover my ears. Nowadays you can't move in any city without seeing two or three people with little white ear protrusions, such is the popularity of Apple's top true wireless earbuds.

That's not the reason that runners or fitness fans will rejoice about the Airpods Pro though - it's because finally Apple has recognized the key reason people have been using these earbuds while working out.

A frustrating experience

When I first used the Airpods on a run, I was sorely disappointed. They just kept falling out, which was irritating because I was starting to enjoy the simplicity of the little white sound sticks, the smooth opening action of the case... Apple's strong design was starting to make its new headphones a regular part of the day.

That's what users want - a set of headphones that can transition from commuting companion to fitness friend with a swipe of an iPhone screen. Not something that's only good for when you're sitting quietly.

If I can't run with wireless headphones, then they're useless to me - and that was the case for many other runners too with the original Airpods. The lack of a silicon tip meant that the fit wasn't secure enough, and that looks like it's been solved with the new Airpods Pro.

That more secure fit (and smaller overall footprint) is what makes the new Airpods seem like they'll be a better option for fitness enthusiasts, whether for running, gym workouts or yoga.

The Powerbeats Pro offer a secure fit, but are larger in the ears and not as useful in day-to-day life

You could argue that Apple has already solved this issue with the Powerbeats Pro - and yes, they're so, so much better at staying in when you're jogging around.

That's because they're much larger than the standard Airpods, and come with a big ol' clip. That extra arm means that you're not going to have any issues with them falling out, and they pack the H1 chip inside - so they instantly pair with any iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac connected to your iCloud account.

It's hard to overstate how good that instant connection feels, the ecosystem Apple is desperate to lock users into working at its smoothest. But the Powerbeats Pro, for all their stability, still have one major issue.

Both the headphones, and the case they come in, are massive.

Fit and function for the whole day

The thing is, both the 'normal' Airpods and the Powerbeats Pro are two sides of a coin the former comes in a small package that slips easily in and out of one's daily life, and the latter is a fitness powerhouse. 

With the Airpods Pro, you're getting both in one package. A small set of wireless earbuds that can be discreetly used throughout the day, slipping in and out of a pocket on a commute, and a powerful set of of headphones that will actually stay in when flinging your head about (ones that also pack that all-important sweat-resistance too).

That 'powerful' point is important - because while both the Airpods and Powerbeats Pro both have a direct connection to Siri, they don't have the extra capability to allow for noise cancelling.

Bowflex

Sometimes music is the only thing that can save you

There are times when you want to truly immerse yourself in music, where it's 'headphones on, world off' so you can just focus on weeping internally with the pain of moving your body. 

Having active noise cancellation brings that, and it's high time Apple added it to one of its more popular lines of headphones. This noise cancellation can work in reverse too - with a simple tap (we assume - we've not tried them yet) you can open up the microphone to let the sound in from the outside world.

If you're someone who runs near traffic or somewhere you just feel more comfortable hearing your surroundings, true fitness headphones always have a mode to let the sound pass-through - so it's good Apple has realized it needs to add this mode in.

An expensive endeavor

For all the above, these Airpods are still a pretty expensive set of wireless earbuds - at $249 / £249, they're hardly the cheapest thing that Apple has ever unleashed (especially when last year's Airpods can be had for nearly half the price these days).

We've also not actually tried the headphones either - for all the much-vaunted improvement to the fit, they might still not be as snug and secure as Apple would have you believe. While it's great that an automatic equalizer can tune the sound to your ear, if they're constantly falling out and down the nearest drain the second you take a single step at pace then that feature is somewhat redundant.

However, it shows that the fitness fan - be it a runner, gym-lover or yoga-obsessive - is being given greater and greater options when it comes to accessing music during a workout. Dropping those pesky wires, popping in a couple of small earbuds and letting the world melt away is a truly awesome thing and one that's actually still a relatively recent phenomenon.

Apple's Airpods kicked other brands into improving their wares -  Sony's WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds and the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1's are far more powerful wireless earbuds, and have had to be to overcome the ease and simplicity that the original Airpods offered.

Will the Airpods Pro have the same effect? Here's hoping - because having a set of fitness-friendly, Apple-centric earbuds that can be used throughout the day will bea  huge lure to many iPhone users - and if brands make something more attractive than that, then it's the user who really wins.

Gareth Beavis is TechRadar's Running Man of Tech, bringing you his terrible attempts to get fitter through technology.

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Apple's iOS 13.2 is here, finally bringing Deep Fusion to iPhone 11

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 01:30 PM PDT

Whether you're struggling with any of the current iOS 13 problems or just want to get the latest features, iOS 13.2 is finally here for you. The latest update to iOS, as well as iPad OS and the Apple TV's tvOS has just arrived.

The new iOS 13.2 update is almost entirely about two things: better photos and better headphones (more on the latter later). The new update activates the Deep Fusion feature for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max cameras. This is meant to dramatically improve the image quality of photos taken on these devices in lower light situations.

For anyone updating to iOS 13.2 on a device older than the iPhone 11, Deep Fusion will not be part of the package. But, that doesn't mean you'll be left out. The update also introduces some new emoji, adds new features to HomeKit and fixes a number of bugs. That last bit is definitely good news since more than half of iPhone users have iOS 13.

An update for Airpods and Airpods Pro

The other big piece of the puzzle is support for the new AirPods Pro. The new product was just recently announced, and they are launching on October 30. The big upgrade they have over their predecessor is the ability to use Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). But, as The Verge reports, the only way to use these new AirPods and their ANC is to be running iOS 13.2, iPadOS 13.2, tvOS 13.2 or the latest versions of watchOS or macOS.

The update also has a new feature in store for owners of earlier AirPods models. It introduces the Announce Messages feature for AirPods. So, if you receive a message, Siri will be able to read the message instead of you needing to look at your phone to see what was said.

If you're ready to get your device updated, you can go to Settings > General > Software Update and begin the process - though we'd definitely recommend you first back up your iPhone or iPad. 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

iOS 13 update, features list and everything you need to know

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 12:39 PM PDT

The iOS 13 update is here to introduce extra features to your old iPhone, offering new software perks even if you haven't upgraded to Apple's latest and greatest iPhones.

In fact, Apple has released five iOS 13 updates starting with the iOS 13.1 update that was pushed out barely a week later. These have brought a number of crucial bug fixes and even more new features, culminating in the latest iOS 13.2, which introduced the Deep Fusion camera software upgrade for the iPhone 11 line.

Dark Mode is the best iOS 13 feature and the most visual change. It inverts white and light gray colors for less eye-straining black and dark grays – at least in major apps.

In case you need to know how to get iOS 13, we have a step-by-step guide for that, although the update comes pre-installed on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

What's new in iOS 13? What devices are compatible with iOS 13? We have all of those answers – and a mini iOS 13 review – below, as we await the iOS 13.1 update.

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The two-minute iOS 13 review

Dark Mode: We've been getting the most use out of this iOS 13 feature. It changes up the interface (except for some third-party apps), exchanging bright white and light gray colors for black and dark gray hues. That's more pleasant on the eyes, especially at night. iOS 13 pro tip: You can schedule iOS 13 Dark Mode to turn on and off at particular times, and add it as a Control Center menu shortcut.

iOS 13 compatibility: iOS 13 is compatible with a lot of iPhones – as long you have the iPhone 6S or iPhone SE or newer. Yes, that means both iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 don't make the list and are forever stuck with iOS 12.4.1, but Apple didn't make any cuts for iOS 12, so it's just catching up in 2019. Fair.

Dark mode makes everything, well, darker. In a good way.

Photo editing tools get advanced: You can now change up photos in 15 different ways, tweaking highlights, contrast and shadows. It's more robust to the point where we're opening Adobe Lightroom less. iOS 13 pro tip: Edits also work for video, and you can edit photos without destroying the Live Photo properties.

A new QuickPath keyboard: Want to swipe on the keyboard rather than tap? It's now in there. There's no line that follows your finger's movement, and it's a little tricky to get used to at first, but it's closer to what we liked about Gboard. iOS 13 pro tip: We found this most useful on any large Max or Plus phone.

FaceTime correction: You know that thing in a FaceTime call where you look at your screen and therefore aren't looking at the camera? Apple will use AI to move the direction of your gaze. A bit creepy in principle, but hugely useful.

Face ID is much better: We love this feature - the field of view for unlocking your phone with your face is wider, so looking at the phone on the desk will open your iPhone up without needing to lift the handset.

iOS 13 is not coming to the iPad: Tricked you. iOS 13 is strictly for the iPhone (and iPod Touch). iPadOS has debuted for iPad with exclusive productivity features for the bigger tablet screen.

The QuickPath keyboard is slick to use in our testing.

'Find my iPhone' and 'Find my Friends' are fused: The two apps are now in one 'Find My' app, and Apple's added in functionality that can find offline devices from other iPhones or iPads. Best of all, we got fewer timed out tracking errors.

iOS 13 improves battery life: By that we mean 'lifetime of the battery' not 'time between charges' - the new iOS 13 platform is smarter at charging and will curtail the power input at the right times. Dark mode should help too on iPhone OLED displays, though we're testing that.

Reminders gets a huge (and useful) overhaul: A clear new design, Reminders now allows for attachments and better sorting. Might not sound massive, but a big jump for those that use it.

The camera is getting a big upgrade: Portrait mode (if your phone supports it) will offer more customizable lighting and a new 'High Key Mono' mode for when you want to look like you're in a Calvin Klein advert.

Siri sounds better: A refined voice with more natural diction, Siri is much nicer to talk to now. You might not notice it without a side-by-side comparison, but it's here.

All new Memoji to play with: You can add make-up, throw in Memoji stickers from the keyboard - if you're into your own cartoon face there's a lot to try here. iOS 13 pro tip: Stickers works on iPhone 8 and older iPhones, even if you don't have the TrueDepth camera for moving Memoji.

Look for this logo to get a secret email address.

Control Wi-Fi and Bluetooth more simply: We love this: long-press (or 3D Touch for certain iPhone models) on the Wi-Fi / Bluetooth buttons in the Control Center and you can access all your connections in one simple place.

Use your PS4 controller on your phone: Does what it says... now you can pair your console controller to play games in a more immersive way. PS4 support is here today, while Xbox One support is coming. Perfect for Apple Arcade, right?

OK, that's the key stuff out of the way - but if you want to know more about the smaller features, or just a bit more depth on what your iPhone or iPad can do, read on:

Video: How to download iOS 13 right now (without having to wait):

iOS 13 release date and time

  • iOS 13 release date: It launched on Thursday, September 19
  • iOS 13.1 release date: It launched on Wednesday, September 25
  • iOS 13.1.1 release date: t launched on Wednesday, September 27
  • iOS 13.1.2 release date: it launched on Wednesday, September 30
  • iOS 13.1.3 release date:  it launched on Wednesday, October 15
  • iOS 13.2 release date:  it launched on Wednesday, October 28

The official iOS 13 release date was Thursday, September 19, a little over three months after the first beta in which we got to test out the software early.

The iOS 13 release date was later than usual. Apple previously launched its mobile operating update on the Monday or Tuesday following its new iPhone launch event, but this time round it gave itself a couple of extra days.

But you didn't have to wait that long, as the iOS 13 public beta is still out there and has been through a few iterations after launching on June 24. It's technically up to iOS 13.2... iOS 13 has been through a lot already, and most of those have been bug and issue fixes to solve the plentiful iOS 13 problems.

Here's the iOS 13 timeline as we saw it:

1. iOS 13 developer beta: First launched at WWDC 2019, this version was restricted to paid Apple developers, and initially required Xcode or macOS 10.15 to install. The second developer beta fixed that with an over-the-air (OTA) update. Simply put, it was not meant for average consumers, but for serious app developers.

2. iOS 13 public beta: Apple's larger-scale features test began on June 24, and went through 8 versions, culminating, oddly, with a beta for iOS 13.1 (before iOS 13 was even out).

3. iOS 13 golden master: Pushed out on September 10, this was the final version of the iOS 13 software for beta testers. It was very stable and gave app makers nine days to adapt before the final software launched to the masses.

4. The official iOS 13 release date and time: Apple launched the iOS 13 software in its final, stable form on September 19, just 24 hours ahead of the iPhone 11 delivery date. 

5. iOS 13.1 update rolls out: Apple follows up its iOS 13 rollout with the iOS 13.1 update arriving just under a week later, on Wednesday 25 September.

Video: The best iOS 13 features we've tested:

iOS 13.1 update

As we've mentioned, Apple pushed out the iOS 13.1 update within a week of officially launching iOS 13 on iPhones, and it brought a number of bug fixes as well as some new features.

iOS 13.1 bug fixes

The release notes for iOS 13.1 reflects how buggy the initial release of iOS 13 actually was, with the new update bringing fixes for issues with Mail, Siri not working with CarPlay, faulty app icons and sign-in failures.

Another major issue with iOS 13 was with location permissions – Fast Company recently reported that if a user had selected to never share location details for an app, a privacy flaw changed that selection to “Ask next time”. 

Those privacy issues are also addressed in the new iOS 13.1 release, along with a fix for a lockscreen bypass bug that could let others access a user’s contact list by simply making a FaceTime call and using Siri’s voiceover feature to gain access.

iOS 13.1 new features

We have highlighted some of the key new features in the iOS 13.1 update below in more detail, but there's more too including updated Fonts settings and Personal Hotspot pages. 

If you test beta apps, they will now be indicated with an orange dot in iOS 13.1, and the old dynamic bubble wallpapers that disappeared when Apple added dark mode-friendly wallpapers in iOS 13, are back.

There's a new 'Peak Performance Capability' feature in the iPhone XS, iPhone XR and the XS Max, as they're now a year old and may start having battery issues as they continue to age. 

This means that as the battery begins to degrade, the performance management feature will be triggered to throttle the CPU, although an option to disable this will be available at that point.

Share ETA in Maps

Google Maps added this feature a while back, and now Apple Maps users can also share their approximate time of arrival with friends and family right from the app itself. When you set up directions to a location and start the journey, an option to 'Share ETA' shows up at the bottom of the screen. 

From there you can choose the contact you want to share your approximate time of arrival with, which gets sent as an iMessage (to another iPhone user) as a regular text. If Maps detects you’ll likely arrive later than expected, a message will automatically be sent to the contact to let them know you’re running late.

Lyrics view in Apple Music

If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you’ll find a new icon – like a speech bubble – on the bottom left of the Now Playing pane. When selected, it brings up lyrics to the song you’re currently listening to. 

The lyrics will also automatically scroll like a karaoke machine. Lyrics are available only if songs have been downloaded from Apple Music, not for tracks added from an external source via iTunes.

AirDrop update

This is specific to the 2019 iPhones, making use of the "spatial awareness" of the Ultra Wideband technology in the new U1 chip in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. 

If you're using the new handsets, you'll be able to AirDrop files to other compatible iOS devices by simply pointing towards the device, meaning the two devices are aware of their position relative to each other.

Automation tab in Shortcuts

The Shortcuts app has become smarter, with an easier way to set up new routines. For example, you can trigger off your morning routine by setting up a Shortcut that loads your drive to work on Maps, brings up your day's appointments on Calendar and so forth. 

You can set a time for each trigger, meaning Maps will launch automatically at, say, 8am when you're ready to leave home.

iOS 13 compatibility list

  • iOS 13 is compatible with iPhone 6S / iPhone SE or later
  • iOS 13 isn't compatible with iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus

iOS 13 compatibility requires an iPhone from the last four years. That means phones like the iPhone 6 won't be getting iOS 13 – if you've got one of those devices you'll be stuck with iOS 12.4.1 forever.

iOS 13 sheds several old devices (Image credit: Apple)

You'll need an iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus or iPhone SE or later to install iOS 13. With iPadOS, while different, you'll need an iPhone Air 2 or iPad mini 4 or later.

The iPhone SE fits into an odd category, as it has iPhone 6 era specs, but came out after the iPhone 6S. Don't worry, everyone's favorite little iPhone will get iOS 13.

iOS 13 is compatible with just one iPod – the newest version. No surprise, the new iPod Touch 7th gen is the only devices of its class that gets iOS 13 support.

iOS 13 Dark Mode

  • Overdue Dark Mode is coming to iOS 13 and iPadOS
  • We saw macOS get a system-wide Dark Mode in 2018
  • Shortcut to black-and-dark-gray UI lives in Control Center

Dark Mode in iOS 13 a system-wide, meaning it changes the hues from bright white and light grey to black and dark gray on all supported apps.

It's a nice feature when you're using your iPhone at night and want to avoid bright white hues shining in your face. It may also save battery life on the OLED-equipped iPhones, from the iPhone X onward. Apple didn't talk about this at all, but we know that OLED displays essentially 'turn off' pixels when rendering blacks.

Turning on iOS 13 Dark Mode can be done in Control Center inside the Display slider (right next to the Night Shift and True Tone toggle), according to Apple, or you can set it automatically to turn on at night through a schedule or custom time.

The yellow-tinting Night Shift mode finally gets a bright-light dimming companion, and a lot of people couldn't be happier.

iOS 13 offers 'FaceTime attention correction'

This is an interesting one. There's now an option for FaceTime Attention Correction, and it's as wild as it sounds.

What does it do exactly? It makes it so that it appears as if you're looking straight into the front-facing camera during a FaceTime video call, when you're actually looking at the adjacent screen. That distracted look could be a thing of the past soon.

iOS 13 on iPad is iPadOS, and it's a big change

Some of the biggest changes for iOS 13 on the iPad are actually coming in an update called iPadOS. Apple is signaling that the iPad needs its own platform.

That means big improvements to your iPad workflow, starting with the home screen redesign. Pinned Widgets, as we predicted in our iOS 13 rumors roundup, lets you add widgets from the Today View screen (that left-mode screen on your iPhone and iPad). So far, it's iPad-exclusive, and not coming to iOS13 for the iPhone.

Slide Over lets you have multiple apps open and cycle through them like rolodex. You can also fan to preview them all at once with a swipe gesture, kind of like the recents menu on many phones and tablets. It's multi-tasking made easier.

Split View has been enhanced to let you open one app on both sides of the screen (it wasn't possible before), and Apple demoed this by showing Notes side-by-side with Notes. You can also pair an app with more than one app – so now Safari can be paired with Pages in one space and Safari can be paired with Mail in another. 

App Expose is new to the iPad software, letting you see all of the space you have open. There's an App Expose icon on the Dock, requiring only a single press to get into the convenient overview mode.

New copy, paste and undo gestures are coming to iPadOS. Three fingers scrunched down was shown to copy text, three fingers expanding (in the opposite direction) dropped the text on the page, and sliding three fingers across the screen undid the last action. We'll have to see how this performs when the software lands.

Apple's keyboard can float around the screen in a smaller form, and it's debuting a swiping gesture keyboard, which it calls QuickPath Typing. There are also more keyboard shortcuts (a lack of shortcuts was a complaint we had about previous iOS versions).

There are actually too many iPadOS changes to detail here in the iOS 13 explainer, so we've spun the full rundown off into a separate iPadOS release date, news and features article.

iOS 13 features a QuickPath keyboard

With iOS 13, Apple's default QuickType keyboard will be incorporating swipe-to-type, a popular way of sliding across the keyboard to form words. We've used this in prior iOS keyboard extensions like Google's Gboard and SwiftKey.

Here's QuickPath keyboard in action (Image credit: Apple)

You can use the QuickType and QuickPath methods of typing interchangeably, and so far supported languages include English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese is now included.

iOS 13 debuts new 'Find My' app

Apple combined Find My Friends and Find My iPhone in iOS 13, and the union lets you locate your friends and missing gadgets with a faster, easier-to-use interface.

iOS 13 Find My app

Find My iPhone and Find My Friends come together in one app (Image credit: Apple)

What's really neat is that it use a crowd-sourced encrypted Bluetooth signal to help you track down devices that aren't connected to Wi-Fi or cellular. That's mostly a big help for Macs, but it could also help with an iPhone in rare cases, too.

Best of all, while Find My Friends didn't always work for us, Apple seems to be making a bigger push to get location tracking right with this new iOS 13 app now in the limelight.

iOS 13 makes your old iPhone faster, last longer

More people are holding onto their iPhones for longer, and that's something Apple seems to recognize – and the company is speeding up iOS 13 to accommodate them.

The most important iOS 13 stats: app launch speed is up to twice as fast according to Apple, and Face ID unlocking will be 30% faster than before. Apple also found a way to make app downloads smaller, up to 60% on average; iOS 12 gave us a faster update, and iOS 13 looks to build upon that.

Battery life is also something Apple is tackling this year. Its aim is to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged. iOS 13 is supposed to learn from your daily charging routine so it can wait to finish charging past 80% until you need to use it.

Reminders gets a big overhaul

Of all the built-in apps, Reminders has gotten the biggest iOS revamp. It's better organized, and includes shortcuts that make it easier to add reminders.

iOS 13 apps

Reminders has gotten the freshest reimagining among iOS 13 apps (Image credit: Apple)

Big, color-coded buttons for Today, Scheduled, All and Flagged categories offer you a better oversight of your pressing tasks, while the keyboard when you're in this app has a top-line Quick Toolbar that acts as a shortcut to easily add times, dates, locations, flags, photos and scanned documents.

Making plans in Messages? Siri will step in to suggest reminders that can be created, like a personal assistant who chimes in at all the right times.

Camera and Portrait Mode changes

The iOS 13 offers important changes to camera features, starting with enabling you to change the intensity of light in Portrait Mode, which is something we've wanted for a while. Portrait mode is also getting a new monochromatic effect called High‑Key Mono.

iOS 13 camera app

The new Photos tab in the iOS 13 Photos app – Apple sees it as becoming your photo diary (Image credit: Apple)

The Photos gallery is becoming what Apple called "a diary of your life", with a new tab designed to document your best photos by day, month and year. You'll also have more pinch controls to zoom in and out of the Photos gallery.

You can now do something that most people have been crying out for on an iPhone - change the aspect ratio of the picture you take in the camera app. That means square options, or 16:9 even, are there in the settings - although when you export the pictures off the phone the files are still in the original 4:3 format.

Photo editing is refined with iOS 13, adding adjustment controls and filters, while the video editing portion mirrors this almost entirely: nearly every photo tool and effect – including filters, rotating and cropping – makes it over to video. If you're not good at tinkering with video, there'll even be an 'Auto' adjustment button. 

New Siri voice sounds more natural

A new Siri voice debuts with iOS 13, and it sounds more natural than before – we've heard a sample and the tone is the same, but it sounds less robotic. 

It uses advanced neural text‑to‑speech technology, according to Apple, and you'll particularly notice this when Siri says longer phrases, like reading the Apple News aloud or answering knowledge questions.

The timing is good, because Siri can also do a lot more talking if you wear AirPods – Siri can read incoming messages and pipe them through the buds, which is convenient. 

One more new Siri perk: your voice assistant on HomePod will understand the voices of the various family members in your home. This should mean, for example, that asking "What's on my Calendar?" won't bring up someone else's irrelevant information.

Memoji gets makeup, Messages gets info sharing

Apple has put more of 'Me' in Memoji, allowing one trillion configurations: new hairstyles, headwear, makeup, and piercings to name a few categories. Examples on the WWDC stage showed that these personalized Animoji masks allow for such granular accessory detail as eyeshadow, braces and even AirPods.

Memoji gets better in year two (Image credit: Apple)

Memoji Stickers are something entirely new – iOS 13 brings more iPhone and iPad users into the Memoji fold, TrueDepth camera or not. You can customize a Memoji and iOS 13 will automatically create a fun-looking sticker pack that lives in a sub-menu on the keyboard, which you can use in Messages, Mail, and third‑party apps.

You can share your personalized Memoji with contacts through iMessages, but only when you grant them access. The same applies to sharing your name and photo with contacts, so you can chose how people see your name, for example. According to Apple, you can decide whether you want your profile shared with everyone, with only your contacts, or just once.

New HomePod features

You might not know this, but the HomePod is part of the iOS family, and it has gotten iOS 13 updates too.

First, you can transfer songs from your iPhone by simply holding your phone closer to the HomePod speaker. Previously, you had to tell Siri to do this, but now this hand-off feature is a bit easier, and you don't have to talk to do it.

The HomePod also introduce Live Radio – you can ask Siri to play 100,000 stations from all around the world. And HomePod will allow you to recognize who in your family is talking, and personalize the response – great with Apple Music, where selections will be based on your taste and history. It goes beyond Music, Messages, Notes, Reminders, and more. 

Sign-in with Apple

iOS 13 sign-in with Apple

Apple wants app developers and sites to use its sign-in feature, and there are some perks for user privacy, too (Image credit: Apple)

Apple is taking on Facebook Connect, Google and other platforms that allow you to conveniently sign in to third-party accounts. Sign-in with Apple is poised to protect your privacy more than Facebook and Google do.

What's neat is that if you don't want to fork over your email to an app developer or website, Apple will create a unique random email for you, and the email will be unique to that site or app.

We're still waiting for this to roll out through developers, but over time you'll start seeing it more regularly.

Maps get revamped

iOS 13 Maps looks a lot better, even if everyone likes to hate on it. Will it ever be better than Google Maps? No, probably not. But for people who want Apple's pre-loaded maps app on iOS 13, it's much better.

iOS 13 Apple Maps

360-degree city tours are coming to Apple Maps (Image credit: Apple)

There's way more detail here by way of Apple rebuilding maps from the ground up. There's more realistic detail for roads, beaches, parks, and buildings, and you can now explore cities with a 3D 360-degree experience.

Favorites were a part of Maps before, but iOS 13 makes these saved locations easier to navigate to with one tap – they appear at the very top of a search menu. Sometimes Google Maps on iOS doesn't get this right (but does better on Android). That's one reason to keep Apple Maps installed, even if you're a Google Maps person.

Text formatting in Mail

Mail is getting some changes when it comes to writing out properly formatted email. You'll have more control over font style, size, color, alignment, indenting and outdenting text, and numbered and bulleted lists.

What we're really hoping to see one day in iOS 13.1 or iOS 14 is the ability to insert a hyperlink into some text in an email. On both iOS and Android devices, that's just not possible in their default mail clients (that we've seen) – you have to paste long URLs, and that's not a computer, no matter what you call your operating system.

Connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth from Control Center

This is huge – and we've been asking for it for several years. You can now select Wi‑Fi networks and Bluetooth accessories right from Control Center.

Android has had this for years, and it was always convenient to connect to new Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth earbuds without having to navigate away from your current app and dive into five Settings submenus. Apple is finally coming around in iOS 13.

Xbox One and PS4 game controller support

If you're going to play games on your phone, you might as well do it with one of the two best controllers available (and maybe something you already own).

Enter PS4 and Xbox One game controller support for iOS 13. Apple didn't say if all games will support this or if it'll be limited to Apple Arcade, but whatever the case may be, we're happy to be able to put our PS4 controller to use everywhere we roam.

Silence Unknown Calls

Nuisance spam calls drive us crazy every day, and iOS 13 wants to fix the issue with the help of Siri, which scans your Contacts, Mail and Messages to see if you've previously been in contact with the caller.

Silence Unknown Calls sounds fairly smart, if you're not expecting business numbers cold-calling you for work. Those that do call you and aren't on your personal 'VIP list' will go straight to voicemail.

iOS 13 features exclusive to iPhone 11 phones

  • Camera UI buttons / wheel toggle between ultra-wide and telephoto
  • Holding photo shutter button captures video (no longer for burst photos)
  • Front camera takes wide-angle selfies in landscape, 4K60fps video and 'Slofies'

We thought we knew all about iOS 13 in June, but it turns out there were a few new features geared toward the newly announced iPhone 11 phones. 

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Since the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are almost all about the new cameras, the iOS 13 software lends itself to the new ultra-wide lens and special night mode.

Switching between the cameras lenses (two lenses on the iPhone 11 and three on the iPhone 11 Pro series) is supposed to be seamless, with quick taps or a wheel to transition between zoomed-in and zoomed-out perspectives. 

Holding down on the familiar shutter button in iOS 13 start recording video, akin to the Snapchat and Instagram UI. Apple claims it's new handsets offer the highest-quality video ever in a smartphone, so it's putting a big emphasis on how easy it is to shoot video. On any other iPhone running iOS 13, holding down the same shutter button captures burst photos.

The front TrueDepth camera on a iPhone 11 phones can capture wide-angle selfies when held in the landscape orientation, and record up to 4K60fps video. Before, we were all deprived with 1080p60fps selfie videos.

Sure to be the ire of everyone older than millennial age, you're going to starting to see 'Slofies'. Love it or hate it (because of the name), this iPhone 11-exclusive iOS 13 feature captures epic-looking slo-mo video from the front camera. It works best when you have long hair to capture in motion.

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iPadOS release date, features and compatibility details

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 12:07 PM PDT

Apple didn't launch its new tablet-friendly software as soon as we expected, but the iPadOS release date has passed and you can download iPadOS to your Apple tablet right now. In fact, we're already up to iPadOS 13.2.

It's the first time Apple has made a piece of software that's specifically designed for iPads.

The update means iPad owners are finally able to play Apple Arcade, the new gaming subscription service - and enjoy all the new tricks and tweaks coming to Apple tablets. You'll also be able to enjoy some features also coming to iPhones - that's why iPadOS has been numbered identically to iOS versions to indicate parallel releases.

The new operating system is a big change for Apple, which finally committed to splitting the iPad's software from the iPhone's iOS it had run on since the tablet first came out.

Below, we have a list of the best iPadOS features you're now able to experience when the new software hits your slate. It "builds on the same foundation as iOS," according to Apple, but expect iPadOS to grow more into its own operating system over time.

iPadOS brings a variety of critical improvements to the tablet UI. Some of these make better use of screen real estate while others introduce new gesture controls (and even mouse support) for a better tablet experience. In short, iPad users won't just run an up-sized iOS any longer.

iPadOS release date

September 24 was the download date for iPadOS and that was revealed alongside the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, as well as the Apple Watch 5 and a new entry-level iPad.

Apple followed up with iPadOS 13.1 swiftly thereafter, released a few other interim versions and, in late October, pushed iPadOS 13.2. Most of these updates were bug fixes and optimizations, as Apple's changelog revealed - not just residual issues from the new forked build, but similar problems to those haunting iOS 13. 

iPadOS 13.2 also introduced support for the just-announced AirPods Pro, as well as support for HomeKit video and routers. 

Which iPads work with iPadOS?

There's a long list of iPads that are able to download the update, but you'll be missing out if you have the original iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3 or something older.

The following iPads can get an update to iPadOS now:

It's likely the new iPad Pro, which we're expecting to see unveiled in mid-October 2019, will come with the operating system pre-installed.

New iPadOS home screen

iPadOS

Today View alongside a tighter grid of apps on the new iPadOS home screen. Image credit: Apple

The first big change over you'll notice in iPadOS is on the new home screen. The grid of app icons is tighter, allowing you to fit more on the screen and reducing the amount of dead space on the display.

With a tighter grid of apps, there's now an option to show Today View alongside them, for a more useful overview screen.

It can be added to the Home screen for quick access to widgets with a simple swipe from the left side of the screen, and you can switch out the widgets pinned here to display the ones most relevant to you.

Sidecar is a big new change

If you're wondering what the biggest feature of iPadOS might be, Sidecar is a real contender. It natively bakes in wired (or wireless) support for using your iPad as a Mac second screen, bringing with it a whole host of functionality.

This mode effectively turns any iPad into a portable monitor, one with a powerful internal battery, allowing apps and multiple windows to be dragged onto its screen and interacted with using a mouse, keyboard or Apple Pencil.

In the beta, you couldn't mess around with the resolution but that may have changed now the final software is here. We'll be sure to check that when we have it running on our tablet.

iPadOS has a new way to multitask

iPadOS

Slide Over in iPadOS in action, with a side view of Messages over Safari. Image credit: Apple

Multitasking also gets an upgrade on iPadOS is a few ways.  First up, you'll be able to use Split View to see two app windows at a time for the same app, or two different apps. iPadOS uses a drag-and-drop interface here, making switching between apps and windows easy.

Slide Over lets you quickly pull up an app in a side window, over the top of another app – allowing you to quickly check things such as emails, messages or reminders without having to exit the current app you're using.

Dragging up from the bottom of the screen will allow you to move between apps in the Slide Over panel.

Apple has also brought the Mac's Exposé feature to iPadOS, allowing you to get an overview of all your open apps – making it easy to jump between them, and close down any you no longer need running in the background.

iPadOS gets USB drive and SD card support

iPadOS features

USB drive and SD card support arrives in iPadOS. Image credit: Apple

External storage fans rejoice! iPadOS allows you to plug a USB drive or SD card reader into your iPad, and the Files app will be able to read the plugin and allow you to easily manage data between the iPad's internal storage and the external drive.

Files gets a Column View to better take advantage of the iPad's wide screen, and the iCloud Drive allows folder sharing, and will show content from a USB drive or SD card if they're plugged in.

There's good news for photographers too, as support is being built into iPadOS to allow you to plug your camera into your iPad and import images directly into editing apps such as Lightroom.

iPadOS performance boost

Your current iPad could get a performance boost when iPadOS arrives, with Apple claiming that its tablet-specific operating system is quicker than iOS 12.

It says Face ID unlocks are up to 30% faster, while apps launch up to twice as fast as on iOS 12 – and apps themselves should be smaller in download size (by up to 50%), taking up less of that precious storage space. 

Desktop-quality websites and browsing on iPadOS

The Safari web browser is also improved with iPadOS, because it's no longer purely tied to iOS and a mobile ecosystem. 

That's right: you're no longer just viewing mobile sites, as iPadOS views websites in a modified desktop view that's a bit cleaner and optimized for touch.

It doesn't just work with Apple's websites either – the likes of Google Docs and Wordpress web apps will also work better with Safari on iPadOS.

Apple's browser will also get a download manager, 30 new keyboard shortcuts, and improved tab management when iPadOS lands later this year.

New iPadOS gestures

One of the bigger features across the whole of iPadOS are the new gestures. The ones we've seen are pretty simple: three-finger pinch to cut, three-finger splay to paste, three-finger swipe to undo. Easy.

In some apps, you'll also be able to two-finger-pinch the keyboard to shrink it to iOS mobile size and move it around. Plunk it next to the side of the screen and boom: you can type on it with one thumb. 

Add to that the new gestures for the home screen and multi-tasking, and there may be a learning curve required to get used to all the new interactions which come with iPadOS. 

Markup and much more on iPadOS

Markup also gets an update, and you'll be able to mark up entire web pages, documents and emails. 

A simple swipe up from the corner with your Apple Pencil launches markup and brings up the newly-redesigned tool palette, which can be dragged around and repositioned anywhere on the screen.

And speaking of the Pencil, Apple has reduced the latency of its input from 20ms to 9ms, which means you'll get a more natural, pen-like experience when using it.

Plenty of new features that are coming to iOS 13 are also headed to iPadOS, like Dark Mode, custom fonts, the new Photos organized by machine learning, and the SwiftKey-like slide-and-type QuickPath keyboard feature.

Mouse support for iPadOS

iPadOS does support connecting a mouse to your iPad, though it's not something you'll find front-and-center on the official iPadOS features list.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith initially tweeted out instructions he'd discovered to connect a mouse through new Accessibility settings, and Tom's Guide successfully activated a mouse on an iPad. 

While it doesn't seem to be the smoothest thing, we're excited for a serious leap in the iPad family's productivity potential and accessibility. 

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Apple’s rumored Tile-like tracking device may be called ‘AirTag’

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 11:53 AM PDT

Apple’s much-rumored accessory to rival Tile’s trackers might just have its official name: ‘AirTag'.

That’s the name found on a folder by 9to5Mac inside the latest version of iOS 13.2, which was released today at the time of writing. Apple hasn’t made any announcements (yet), but given the name and folder location came included with the latest operating system update, we can only guess that the company will formally introduce its product soon.

Supposedly, the AirTag will be able to be paired with an iPhone just like AirPods and enable owners to track their 'AirTagged' item via the Find My app.

The folder contained placeholder asset images of other Apple products (AirPods, HomePod, etc), so there’s no sneak peek of the AirTag yet. There are, however, videos inside the folder named  “Battery Swap,” suggesting a feature or capability to swap out the AirTag’s battery, according to 9to5Mac.

Months of tracker rumors coming to a head

The first hint of an Apple tracker device was found in an early iOS 13 beta back in June, when iOS developer Steve Moser discovered a code string named ‘Tag.’ Later builds of iOS 13 included mention of an accessory that would help you “Tag your everyday items” and “never lose them again.”

That code laid out how Find My would work with the Apple tracker: once the app detects you’ve been separated from an AirTag, the accessory will start beeping, unless you’ve set up “safe locations” like home or work where you’re expecting to leave your AirTag-connected devices astray. 

That’s also where hints of the “lost mode” surfaced, which would let you ask other iPhones to ping the missing AirTag and help track it down. Lastly, there was  an augmented reality aspect to Find My that guided you toward lost items using an overlay on top of a live feed from your cameras.

To its credit, Tile heard about Apple's upcoming rival products – and its message is "bring it on," Tile Chief Experience Officer told TechRadar. We’ll have to wait and see which of these predicted features and capabilities pulled from the code made it to the final product if, and when, Apple formally announces the AirTag trackers.

  • Your iPhone will be the hub for your AirTagged items – see our list of best iPhones

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Best bridge camera 2019: 9 cameras that pack huge zoom lenses

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 11:27 AM PDT

If you're in the market for a bridge camera, you've come to the right place. With huge zoom lenses and chunky, DSLR-style handling, they're a popular choice for many - particularly for travel if you don't want to have a weighty kit bag.

Bridge cameras are a versatile and affordable alternative to DSLRs. They offer many of the same manual controls (as well as a host of easy-to-use auto modes) plus a huge built-in zoom lens that covers everything from wide-angle to super-telephoto photography. 

In essence, bridge cameras are a versatile and often more affordable alternative to DSLRs or CSCs. They feature the same kind of manual controls (typically as well as a host of easy-to-use auto modes), alongside a large built-in zoom lens that will cover everything from wide-angle to super-telephoto photography. It's like having a bag full of lenses in one neat package.

If you want to travel relatively light, you'll have one camera that's great for shooting expansive landscapes as well as tightly framed subjects like wildlife.

There are two important differences to be aware of, though. The first is that while some models now sport one-inch sensors, bridge cameras still have much smaller sensors than DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Basically, that means they're not likely to match those models for picture quality. If that's your key concern, stick with one of these options.

The second is that the lens is non-removable on a bridge camera, so although it can handle a wide range of subjects you can't swap to a macro lens for close-ups, for example, or a super-wide-angle lens, or a fast prime lens for low-light photography.

If you're not quite sure what kind of camera you need, read our essential guide: What camera should I buy?

Bridge cameras were traditionally so-called because they bridged the gap between basic point-and-shoot models and more advanced DSLRs. These days, some bridge cameras are extremely advanced, expensive and probably deserve to be a category in their own right. With larger sensors than we traditionally saw gracing bridge cameras, they come closer than ever to matching DSLR/CSC quality, too.

That said, there are still plenty of models out there that give you a lot of camera for your money and are great for learning with if you're still relatively new to photography. 

This is our pick of the best bridge cameras you can buy right now…

Before we get into our ten picks for bridge cameras, here's a quick look at a great value option from Panasonic. It was launched back in 2015, so it's a fair old age now, but that just makes the FZ300 (known as the Lumix FZ330) outside the US an even better bargain. With a 25-600mm zoom lens, what's really impressive is an f/2.8 constant aperture throughout the range, which is particularly useful at the longer end of the zoom range. Top that off with a splash-resistant body, a vari-angle touchscreen and a decent electronic viewfinder and you've got all the makings of a great all-rounder. Impressively for an older model, it even shoots 4K, too.

Best bridge cameras in 2019

For those looking for a powerful all-in-one solution, you won't find better than the  RX10 IV. Featuring a hugely flexible 24-600mm f/2.4-4 zoom lens, the RX10 IV builds on the RX10 III with an overhauled AF system that now does justice to the rest of the camera, while the 1-inch, 20.1MP sensor is capable of achieving excellent levels of detail. It's quite bulky for a bridge camera, and there's no getting away from the hefty price, but the RX10 IV is virtually in a league of its own and is perhaps even deserving of a better name than "bridge". 

If your budget doesn't quite stretch to RX10 IV levels but you still want something top-quality, flexible and with great image quality, the Panasonic Lumix FZ2000 (known as the FZ2500 in the US) is an excellent choice. It uses a 1-inch sensor, and while the zoom tops out at 480mm equivalent, which is relatively short for a bridge camera, that's still plenty for all but the most extreme everyday use. We'd certainly sacrifice a little zoom range for better and faster optics, and we love the FZ2000 because it delivers both image quality and zoom range. If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, the older FZ1000 (below) is also worth a look, as is its successor, the FZ1000 II.

FZ1000

The Lumix FZ1000's 16x optical zoom is less than that of typical bridge cameras, but that's due to its sizeable 1-inch sensor, which delivers a big boost in image quality. This isn't just any old lens, either, but rather a Leica optic with a large f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide-angle end, which narrows to a still-respectable f/4 at full zoom. This helps you capture shots in low light without resorting to high ISO sensitivities, while the Hybrid 5-axis Optical Image Stabilisation minimises camera shake. 4K (Ultra HD, strictly) 3840 x 2160 video recording, advanced autofocusing, a superb 2,359,000-dot electronic viewfinder and raw shooting all help to make the FZ1000 one of our top picks. Note that Panasonic replaced the FZ1000 with the FZ1000 II this year - but as more of a gentle refresh than complete rebrand, making the older model the best value right now.

Sony RX10 III

As is often the case with Sony, you can make decent savings if you look towards its extensive back-catalogue. In this case, if you can live without the advanced AF system and other performance advantages offered by the RX10 IV, the RX10 III is still worth a look. The design is pretty much identical to the RX10 IV, and you've got the same 24-600mm f/2.4-4 lens. What's the compromise? Well, the AF is a bit pedestrian compared to the latest model, while there's no touchscreen control or the ability to shoot at an impressive 24fps. 

Canon's PowerShot SX70 HS is what we'd consider a more conventional bridge camera than those found in the top four. That's because it uses a smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor which gives you the advantage of a ginormous 65x optical zoom range. You still get full manual control, along with other great features such as an fully articulated screen (it lacks touch sensitivity though), a decent electronic viewfinder and the ability to shoot in raw format. In-built Wi-Fi and NFC is another bonus. This is a classic all-rounder which would suit those looking for something relatively small and light for trips such as safaris, where that big zoom comes into its own. A bugbear is having to activate the viewfinder manually since there's no sensor, but otherwise it's a solid performer. Image quality is very good, with the image stabilization system doing a good job of keeping captures even at the extreme end of the telephoto lens sharp. Shooting at the wide-angle and low-light are not this camera's forte, but there's good autofocus performance and speedy operation to compensate.

The Lumix FZ80 (known as the Lumix FZ82 outside the US) might be one of the most affordable bridge cameras here, but it still packs quite a punch. The zoom range is very impressive, going from an ultra-wide 20mm through to a staggering 1200mm, and benefits from an effective image stabilization system. There's also 4K recording with Panasonic's 4K Photo, which can shoot 8MP images at 30fps, meaning you should never miss that split-second moment. It's also very easy to use, with an intuitive touchscreen. The viewfinder could be better (and there's no eye sensor to automatically switch between the viewfinder and rear screen), while high-ISO performance can't match that of larger-sensor (and more expensive) rivals. That said, this is one of the best budget bridge cameras around.

Nikon Coolpix P900

If you were thinking that the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS's 65x zoom was pretty remarkable, then the P900 should impress you even more. Nikon pretty much rewrote the rulebook with its 83x optical zoom lens P900, which at the time was the world's longest zoom bridge camera. It's since been beaten, but only by the P900's successor, the P1000 (see below). If you don't think you'll need the newer model's frankly insane 125x range (and let's face it, who does), you'll do well to stick with the better value P900. There's no getting around the fact that this is a hefty model, so if travelling light is your main concern, it won't be the one for you. It also can't match the one-inch models for image quality, either - but if you simply want to get close to the action, it's worth looking at.

The Coolpix P1000 is the follow-up to the P900 and stretches what we’ve come to expect from superzoom cameras that bit further. The reason is the lens, with the P1000 packing in a massive 125x optical zoom range equivalent to 24-3000mm in 35mm terms, it has the potential to home in on the most distant subjects you’d realistically want to capture, be it wildlife or the Moon. If you absolutely need a camera with a 3000mm-equivalent lens, the fact that the P1000 is alone in offering this makes your decision easy. With a huge body, less-than-reliable autofocus, a sub-standard LCD and operational strifes, however, its appeal for anything else is more limited.

Sony HX400V

Sony's superzoom bridge camera is closely matched with the Panasonic FZ82, and is available at a great price owing to its age. The downsides when compared to the FZ82 include JPEG-only image capture and a lesser zoom range, but if you can live with both it's a great budget option. The HX400V claws back some ground by offering Wi-Fi, while it's also pleasure to use thanks to its ergonomic design, and the tilting screen is nice touch, although it isn't fully articulating. More disappointing is the relatively low-resolution electronic viewfinder. Although there's no raw support, JPEG images have great colors and plenty of detail. Some image smoothing is visible when images are viewed at 100%, but that's a common trait amongst small-sensor bridge cameras.

Yes, yet another Sony, but for good reason. This is where the RX10 line began its life six years ago, and Sony has kept it alive for those don't need the fancy tricks or mammoth zoom lens of its other offerings, but just want a decent travel camera that won't cost a fortune. The 1in sensor and 24-200mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens will still cover many eventualities, while the weather-resistant magnesium alloy body should help to keep it protected in all manner of conditions. There's no 4K video, but Wi-Fi with NFC, together with a built-in ND filter, 10fps burst shooting and a titling LCD show it to still be competitively specced, even today.

Read our in-depth: Sony RX10 review

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iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 10:43 AM PDT

Apple unveiled the iPhone 11 Pro at its September event (alongside the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max), and the phone is a beauty - even if, new cameras aside, little has changed on the outside since the release of the iPhone X in 2017. 

But it’s undeniably the best iOS phone yet - so how does it stack up to one of the best Android phones, the Samsung Galaxy S10?

Both the iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 are incremental upgrades on their predecessors, though that still makes them some of the best phones available. In features and price, they’re certainly two of the top flagship phones of 2019. Even after the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has come out, the S10 is an all-around powerhouse that doesn't need an S Pen to stand out.

But what sets them apart? We've broken down a comparison into key categories to see how these top devices measure up. Wondering which has the better display? Curious which packs a better suite of cameras? We’ve got you covered.

Samsung Galaxy S10

iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10 design

As far as design, both phones look much like their predecessors. The Samsung Galaxy S10’s ‘Infinity Edge’ bent display and camera arrangement are one style, while the iPhone 11 Pro is a round-edged rectangle. Samsung’s 6.1-inch screen makes it slightly larger than the 5.8-inch-display’d iPhone 11 Pro, if screen size matters to you.

Alright, there’s really only one comparison here: that camera blister. The Galaxy S10 opted to stretch its three cameras and flash into a rectangular wedge, which looks a bit too angular in an 80s sedan sort of way. 

But it’s arguably more attractive than the camera blister on the iPhone 11 Pro, an offset circular-lenses-within-a-square on the back cover. That setup looks all kinds of lopsided, and will arguably split phone fans down a love-or-hate line...but if anyone’s winning this beauty contest, it’s the Galaxy S10 by a healthy margin.

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10 display

The iPhone 11 Pro’s 5.8-inch OLED screen looks sharper than ever, and it’s even got a new gobbeldygook name, 'Super Retina XDR'. Sadly, those early rumors were correct: Apple has kept the notch, which looks larger than ever in a year where phonemakers strained to give users more and more screen. 

As for the Samsung Galaxy S10, the front-facing camera has been reduced to a single punch-hole in the top right of the display, while the fingerprint node on the back has been eliminated in favor of an in-screen sensor. 

It’s more attractive than a notch, and the best compromise this side of workarounds like pop-up cameras or exposing lenses by sliding down the front screen. 

Overall, this is an OLED vs OLED battle, and though the resolution figures differ, they by in large look great. The Samsung Galaxy S10’s 1,440 x 3,040 pixels are bigger than the 1,125 x 2,436 pixels in the iPhone 11 Pro - which makes sense, given the former has a bigger screen than the latter. 

But Samsung sets its default resolution to 1080p, meaning you don't really need much more than that.

Samsung Galaxy S10

iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10 camera

In true 2019 fashion, the iPhone 11 Pro added a third lens to its repertoire - a 12MP ultrawide lens, capturing a 120-degree field of view. The 12MP main and 12MP telephoto lenses of the iPhone X and XS captured great medium photography, but the extra width should be great additions to the toolset for snagging photos of landscapes and tight interiors.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 already introduced a third wide-angle lens to its photographing setup, with great results. We loved the 123-degree field of view gained by the lens, augmenting an impressive array and giving us much more context than the typical 90-ish degree main lens. 

Both phones expanded their setups this year with more lenses, but the competition has consistently come down to post-processing software. Apple’s prior phone cameras have taken softer and tighter shots, but there’s a lot of quality-of-life tweaks that streamline shooting (like when holding down the shutter to take a video, a la Snapchat or Instagram), while Samsung has tried to augment its lens range with a dedicated Night mode, to decent success. 

What’s clear is that both phones have built out the variety of shots you can take, which is a win-win for everyone.

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10 performance

The iPhone 11 Pro packs the new A13 chipset, making it the fastest iPhone yet. At its September launch event, Apple said this is the fastest chip ever in a smartphone. As in every device since the iPhone X, expect this chip to power the new handset’s AR and AI capabilities to new heights.

The iPhone 11 Pro also comes with another mystery chip - the U1. Its Ultra Wideband tech allows the handset to find other devices packing the same chip. This has been interpreted as a reference to the Apple Tags tracking tiles, which went unmentioned at the September event - but in any case, it’s additional tech that lets devices running on the the cohesive iOS ecosystem to play even nicer with each other.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 packs either the Snapdragon 855 chip in the US or the Exynos 9820 in the rest of the world - both powerful processors, and the best you can get in an Android phone outside of the odd mid-year upgrade Snapdragon 855 Plus. 

Given that neither of these devices are 5G-capable, they’re mostly going neck-and-neck for processing and streaming media via mundane networks. In a showdown, we'll end up seeing Apple’s new chip edge out the Snapdragon 855 (the A12 chip was more powerful than the 855 in some tests), but it doesn’t much matter: both are capable and fast enough to play games and watch TV shows.

Samsung Galaxy S10

iPhone 11 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S10 battery

Apple didn’t announce the iPhone 11 Pro’s specific battery capacity - but it never does. A previous estimate put the iPhone XS battery at 2,658mAh, and rumors pegged the new handset at 15% larger (or more). 

But that metric is less useful for Apple handsets, which are tuned to iOS much more tightly than Android and get decent battery life with lower capacity - expect this one to last at least through the day and then some. 

Officially, Apple claims the iPhone 11 Pro gets four more hours of battery life than the iPhone XS, which is a big jump, if true. 

The handset also swapped out its tired 5W charger for an 18W plug in the box, which Apple claims will juice up the new phone by 50% in 30 minutes. The wall adapter portion uses USB-C while the new iPhone sticks with Lightning. 

Contrast that with the 3,400mAh battery in the Galaxy S10, which will almost certainly be larger than the capacity in the iPhone 11 Pro but might not exceed its lasting power by much. That said, the S10 does have an edge in utility: it can charge other devices wirelessly through its Wireless PowerShare feature (elsewhere called Reverse Wireless Charging). 

While Samsung is no stranger to fast charging - it packs a 20W plug in the box - it takes the crown with an optional 45W charger (sold separately). There's also fast wireless charging available at 15W, beating Apple's 7.5W wireless charging speeds.

iPhone 11 review

Conclusion

The iPhone 11 Pro is the most refined Apple phone yet, as much as the Galaxy S10 is the among the best version of Samsung's line. Which is as much to say that neither have made great strides ahead of their predecessors, but they’re the top choices available for each series if you don't want to go 'Plus' or 'Max'.

It’s tough to pick a favorite between the two - and not just because we’ve had so little time with the iPhone 11 Pro. The differences coming to iOS 13 and Android 10 have divvied these phones up even more than they seem after pitting their specs against each other. 

But it’s also clear that both phones have pivoted to becoming camera powerhouses, with a similar spread of main, telephoto and now ultra-wide lenses. If you want a handset to last you years, well, either will do you fine - clearly, no phones are introducing must-own features to pull ahead of the competition anytime soon. 

(Of course, if you want a tiebreaker, let’s just say we wouldn’t pick the phone with a distinct camera suite looks like an electric razor head.)

(Just sayin'.)

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Microsoft looks to secure the IoT with Azure Sphere

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 10:35 AM PDT

At this year's IoT Solutions Word Congress, Microsoft announced that its Azure Sphere microcontroller (MCU) and cloud security service will be generally available in February 2020.

Over the last few years, the software giant has been working to help secure low-cost IoT devices. Microsoft Research's “Project Sopris”, which was dedicated to creating a highly secure microcontroller, became Azure Sphere which the company first announced in April of 2018.

The MediaTek MT3620 is the first Azure Sphere chip and it includes an onboard security subsystem that Microsoft called “Pluton”. According to the company, its customers across a variety of industries have already adopted the MT3620 and are using the chip to produce consumer appliances as well as retail and manufacturing equipment. Additionally these Azure Sphere chips are also being used to power a series of guardian modules which help securely connect and protect mission-critical equipment.

Guardian modules themselves are designed to help customers quickly bring their existing investments online without taking on risk or jeopardizing their equipment. The modules plug into existing physical interfaces on equipment and they can be deployed easily without the need to redesign devices. Avnet and AI-Link have created the first guardian modules and devices from both companies are now available, though Microsoft says that we'll hear more about guardian modules from other manufacturers soon.

Azure Sphere chips

Although MediaTek produced the first Azure Sphere chip, Microsoft has partnered with other chipmakers to produce their own versions of its secure chip.

Back in June, the company announced that it would collaborate with NXP to deliver a new Azure Sphere certified chip. This new chip will be an extension of the chipmaker's popular I.MX 8 high-performance applications processor series and will be optimized for performance and power. When complete, NXP's Azure Sphere chip will bring improved compute capabilities to support advanced workloads such as AI, graphics and richer UI experiences.

Earlier this month, Microsoft also announced its collaboration with Qualcomm to deliver the first cellular-enabled Azure Sphere chip. Qualcomm's chip will feature ultra-low-power capabilities that will give customers the freedom to securely connect anytime, anywhere.

In a press release announcing the general availability of Azure Sphere, distinguished engineer and managing director of Azure Sphere, Galen Hunt explained how the new product shows how Microsoft can innovate in an entirely new space, saying:

“We want to empower every organization on the planet to connect and create secure and trustworthy IoT devices. While Azure Sphere leverages deep and extensive Microsoft heritage that spans hardware, software, cloud, and security, IoT is our opportunity to prove we can deliver in a new space.”

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Apple AirPod alternatives: These are the best true wireless earbuds around

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 10:30 AM PDT

If you haven't noticed, headphone cables are no longer in fashion. That's because wireless audio sounds better than ever, compression formats for Bluetooth 5.0 are more reliable, flagship smartphones are shipping without headphone jacks, and listeners of all kinds are starting to see the benefits of cordless audio - including no more annoying cables. True wireless earbuds are the next step in audio.

True wireless means there aren't any cables between earbuds at all, so there's no wire or neck band to contend with. Nothing to get tangled in your pocket or caught on your zipper, nothing to whack around your neck in the middle of that run, and also nothing to keep your singular earbuds together. 

True wireless earbuds may be more expensive than simple wireless earbuds and tend not to offer noise-canceling - with the notable exception of the Sony WF-1000XM3 - but that additional upfront cost pays for the convenience of living cable-free. We'd also argue that it's worth spending a bit more to go true wireless, too, as they offer more freedom of movement and tend to be more comfortable over longer periods (see: the Beats Powerbeats Pro).

Best true wireless earbuds at a glance

  1. Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Earbuds
  2. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1
  3. Klipsch T5 True Wireless
  4. RHA TrueConnect True Wireless Eabuds
  5. Jabra Elite 65t
  6. Beats Powerbeats Pro
  7. Jabra Elite Sport True Wireless Earbuds
  8. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless
  9. Sony WF-SP700N Noise-Cancelling Earbuds
  10. B&O Beoplay E8 Wireless Earphones
  11. Samsung Galaxy Buds
  12. Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW

One of the best times to buy cheap true wireless earbuds is coming up soon: Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019. We're expecting lots of the Bluetooth earbuds on this list to be discounted, so make sure you bookmark our Black Friday deals page for the latest wireless headphones deals as they come in.

We have our picks of the best true wireless earbuds out there – including our latest addition, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW – but first, let's address the elephant in the room: Apple AirPods. These are the true wireless headphones that all others are compared to, and as such are worth knowing about before we dive into the other better options out there.

A new challenger approaches: Apple AirPods Pro

Before we dive into our official list, we absolutely need to mention the Apple AirPods Pro, a newly announced pair of true wireless earbuds from Apple with noise-cancellation and interchangeable, flexible eartips that will challenge the established players like Sony, RHA and Jabra. 

The earbuds use the H1 chip with an 'Adaptive EQ' system to tailor its equalizer settings on the fly dependent on what your listening to, be that the vocal-focused words of a podcast or the dreamy ambiance of a film soundtrack.

Like the 2019 AirPods before them, the Pro's charging case is compatible with Qi-certified wireless chargers, with the case capable of offering 24 hours of battery life for the buds. Early reports expect 4.5 hours of battery life from a single charge, with a charging time of 5-minutes for an hours' worth of playback.

Launching on October 30, they'll be priced at $249 / £249 / AU$399 / AED 999, making them significantly more expensive than the current AirPods (which start at $159 / £159 / AU$249 / AED 679) and, if they can deliver excellent sound, could dethrone the current king of true wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM3.

Best true wireless earbuds

Image credit: TechRadar

The second generation Apple AirPods, the AirPods (2019), aren't quite the AirPods 2 we were hoping for, but they still some cool features. 

They still feature the iconic design of the original AirPods (a good or bad thing depending on your point of view), and sound quality hasn't changed at all. The bulk of the upgrade comes from the new H1 headphone chip, which improves connectivity and battery life, and allows for a new ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature.

The AirPods (2019) also come with an optional wireless charging case means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the case, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case. 

Like their predecessors, they are super easy to pair, but they are very much optimized for using with iPhones. 

The best true wireless earbuds give you more flexibility when it comes to your device of choice, and can offer superior sound quality – as well as sleeker designs. 

There’s also no getting away from the fact that these are an expensive pair of headphones, and for that kind of money we think that you can find better products elsewhere – especially if you're looking to pair with anything other than an iPhone. 

We're still waiting for the AirPods 2, which will hopefully address some of the issues we've found with the original Pods. In the meantime, read on for our favorite alternatives...


Sony WF-1000XM3

Considering it's still rare to get noise-cancellation in wired earbuds at all, the fact that Sony has managed to pack it into a pair that are not only wireless, but true wireless is very impressive indeed. 

The Sony WF-1000X manage to offer a level of noise-cancellation that's very good for a pair of earbuds – it won't offer the same isolation as a pair of over-ear cans, but if you're after a sleek form factor then the compromise is worth it. 

That being said, in spite of a few minor problems we feel that Sony has knocked the ball out of the park with the WF-1000XM3: Not only are these hands down the best-looking True Wireless headphones out there, but they combine serious noise cancelling tech with fist-pumping musicality. If you don’t want the inconvenience of carrying full-size cans, they’re a persuasive alternative.

Battery life is above average, and that compact charging case is pretty slick too. On-ear volume controls similar to the PowerBeats Pro would've been nice, but again, that's really not a deal-breaker in our books.

We reckon the True Wireless jungle has found a new king.

Read the full review: Sony WF-1000XM3

cambridge audio melomania 1


Cambridge Audio is known for its high-end audio equipment, but until now, hasn’t ventured into the world of true wireless earbuds. Enter the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1s: with an outstanding 45 hours of battery life, they combine the brand’s award-winning engineering with the convenience of truly wireless listening. 

For a pair of true wireless earbuds, the sound quality offered by the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1s is sensational. In fact, it rivals some of the best over-ear headphones, which is all but unheard of for buds of this size. 

They may not have the noise cancelation technology offered by the Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds, but they are $100 (around £80) cheaper – and have a superior battery life. 

They certainly outperform the Apple AirPods, in all respects apart from the lack of wireless charging case. This is a small price to pay for that exceptional audio quality, though, and we think they represent much better value for money, too.

Read the full review: Cambridge Audio Melomania 1

They're not cheap, but the T5 holds their own against the top of the line true wireless headphones - in fact, we'd argue that they're one of the best models on the market right now. We think that because they offer stellar sound, build quality, long-lasting battery life and one of the coolest cases we've ever seen.

Of course, you're buying a Klipsch product because it features the signature Klipsch sound, which is warm, detailed, and never harsh. Acoustic music is lush and detailed, and the detail extends to the highs as well, allowing the headphones to sing in the higher registers without ever being sibilant. 

Battery life is rated at 8 hours per charge with the case giving an additional 24 hours. Our testing playing music at 50% volume found 7 hours per charge and the case giving three additional charges no problem. This is a headphone that can last you an entire flight from New York to San Francisco. 

Read the full review: Klipsch T5 True Wireless 

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: RHA

Although the TrueConnect is RHAs first true wireless headphone, the company showed they did their research and development by making it one of the best true wireless headphones on the market today. The combination of sound quality, battery life, and wireless reliability means these are a pair of headphones you can rely on everyday. 

The Jabra Elite 65t set the standard for what true wireless headphones should be and, regardless of what RHA has done here with the TrueConnect, they’re still great headphones. Compared to the RHA TrueConnect, the Jabra has more features with its useful ambient noise mode to help with situational awareness and an app that lets you tailor sound. 

The RHA doesn’t have either of those features but we didn’t miss them, thanks to better sound quality and wireless reliability. The RHA also feels more like a premium product than the all-plastic Jabra. 

All said, if you’re shopping for a pair of true wireless headphones, the $170 (£150, about AU$265) RHA TrueConnect should be at the very top of your list.  

[Looking for a more stylish design? It comes at a price, but the Earin M-2 true wireless earbuds look as good as they sound.]

Read the full review: RHA TrueConnect

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: Jabra

If you want a pair of high quality truly wireless earbuds that aren’t the Apple AirPods, then the Jabra Elite 65t should be at the top of your list. 

After spending over a month with them, we came away impressed with the well-rounded package that Jabra managed to create: The earbuds offer a subtle, mature look and a reliable wireless connection, which isn’t always the case with truly wireless earbuds. Plus, they sound great compared to the competition. 

If you only have the budget for one of these, go for the Elite 65t. 

Read the full review: Jabra Elite 65t

Best true wireless earbuds

 Image credit: TechRadar 

The new PowerBeats Pro true wireless Beats headphones aren't exactly the earbuds analysts have been predicting, sure, but they are something special – they’re supremely comfortable, sound decent and seem to never, ever fall out. 

That said, they are - in our opinion - Apple’s best true wireless earbuds to date thanks to small additions like the pressure-reducing micro-laser barometric venting hole, their longer battery life and their superior sound quality. If we had to choose between wearing these and the AirPods around the house or office, these are what we’d wear.   

Read the full review: Beats PowerBeats Pro

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: Jabra

If you're more the athletic type, the Jabra Elite Sport are currently the ultimate true wireless earphones for runners and other kinds of athletes. There’s a heart rate sensor on the right earpiece, letting it monitor your exertion level as you exercise. 

A Jabra companion app lets you track your exercise, and you can kick off a workout by pressing a button on one earpiece, and the heart rate tracker is more reliable than most wrist-worn models... as long as you fit the Elite Sport buds properly. 

The Jabra Elite Sport don't perch in your ears, they fill them rather like a custom molded earphone. As a result, sound isolation is excellent and the fit is very secure. 

To sweeten the deal, Jabra recently updated the Elite Sport to boost stamina to a better-than-average four-and-a-half hours per charge – more than enough to get you through your weekly workouts – before hanging up the towel. 

Read the full review: Jabra Elite Sport

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: Sennheiser

Sennheiser enters the race with its Momentum True Wireless earbuds. An extension of its reputable Momentum range, these cordless buds offer Sennheiser's trademark high-fidelity audio in a gorgeously sleek package.

You only get four hours of charge in the earbuds, but the carry case will be able to charge them two times over on top of that, giving you 12 hours in total when on the go.

The main thing holding these back is the price: at £259 / $299 (about AU$400) they're almost double the cost of the Apple AirPods. You do get a range of touch-based controls to stop you reaching for your phone every time you want to skip or pause a track, but the act of prodding things in your ear could be more comfortable – while the volume control is oddly imprecise.

Overall though, Sennheiser's first true wireless earbuds combine style and sound like few others.

Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless review

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: Sony

Sony’s first pair of true wireless headphones, the Sony WF-1000X, were divisive. Some thought they didn’t offer enough bass. Others said they had too much. Some said they cut out or unpaired periodically. Others simply never had that problem. Criticisms came hard and fast from all corners of the internet and the only reasonable conclusion one could make after sifting through all of the noise was that  the Sony headphones just couldn’t please everyone.

Now, Sony’s second-generation true-wireless headphones – the Sony WF-SP700N – are here to try it again. These true wireless headphones are better tuned for the low-end and they’re stable in almost every situation. They still offer very modest active noise-cancellation tech and a sweat-resistant PX4 rating, and the new charging case is aesthetically pleasing if not radically different in functionality from before. 

Read the full review: Sony WF-SP700N

Best true wireless earbuds

Image Credit: Bang & Olufsen

Let’s get one thing out of the way – the B&O Beoplay E8 are one of the nicest-looking and most expensive wireless earphones you can buy. 

At $299 (£259, AU$449, AED 1,199) you can throw in a bit more cash and splurge for one of our favorite noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 35 $349 (£259, AU$499, AED 1,449), which give you better battery life and a richer sound. But if you’re looking for a something to take to the gym and have the cash to burn, then the Beoplay E8 might be just what you’re looking for.   

While you won't find noise-cancellation here, you will find a longer-lasting battery life of around four hours alongside Bluetooth 4.2. The E8 come with a stylish carrying case, and you can tweak the sound to your liking using the accompanying Beoplay app on Android and iOS.

Even without tinkering around with ToneTouch, the E8 sounds crisp and clear. Bass feedback will depend on how snug you’re wearing the E8s, but was acceptable for earphones of this size. If you’re able to look past the price point, then then Beoplay E8 is a great investment. It’s super compact, offers great audio, and looks great – what more could you ask for?  

Read the full review: B&O Beoplay E8 Wireless Earphones

Best true wireless earbuds

Image credit: TechRadar

It feels as though Samsung has finally got it right with the Galaxy Buds, and they represent serious competition for the Apple AirPods in terms of design, sound, and ease of use. 

We loved the pearlescent effect on the buds outer housing and the sleek design of the case, and we found they felt comfortable and secure. 

The sound quality offered by these true wireless buds is also very good indeed, with deep bass, and a wide open soundstage; although, audiophiles may want to look elsewhere for a more natural sound treatment, as the Galaxy Buds do sound very warm.

The downside here is that other features that are available on the app like ambient noise and the equalizer presets are useful to have, but didn’t always work as effectively as we hoped. These features are also pretty much out of bounds for iOS users, as you can only download the app on devices running Android 5.0 or later. 

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Buds

true wireless earbuds

With a promising battery life and well-managed bass enhancement over Audio-Technica’s usual neutral sound, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW true wireless earbuds have a lot going for them. 

They've one of the most complete and well-rounded sound profiles we've seen from true-wireless earbuds, and that's despite the claimed bass enhancement. It's a very enjoyable sound that they make.

However, they are let down a bit by their fit – mileage will vary of course depending on your preferred bud style and the size of your ears, but all will find the fiddly case fit will annoy over time. Still, the quality audio here may be a worthy trade-off.

Read the full review: Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW review

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Google owner Alphabet wants to buy Fitbit, report says

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 10:21 AM PDT

Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. has reportedly made a formal offer to buy Fitbit, sources told Reuters.

But, the existence of an offer doesn’t suggest an acquisition is imminent: “There is no certainty that the negotiations between Google and Fitbit will lead to any deal,” according to the Reuters report.

Given how long we’ve waited for Google to release its own heavily-rumored Pixel Watch, it’s not a surprise that the company is also interested in the fitness hardware market. After years developing WearOS, it’s no stranger to wearables software, either – though given Fitbit’s reliance on its own proprietary OS, it would be up to speculation whether a Google-owned Fitbit would switch over.

The acquisition would also follow the tech giant’s experience with phones after it contracted HTC to help build its Pixel line of phones – and then in early 2018, bought HTC’s Pixel ateam for $1.1 billion to transition everything in-house. Google isn’t afraid to spend serious money to buy the right hardware expertise.

This is the first we’re hearing of a deal, and there’s no indication how far it’s progressed or how likely it will be to go through, but we’ll follow up on the story when more news emerges.

Via Yahoo News

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AirPods Pro: what you need to know about the next AirPods model

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 10:03 AM PDT

It's official: the next AirPods model will be called the AirPods Pro – and in case you thought it was still a while off, we can confirm the AirPods Pro will be dropping on October 30.

The official Apple product website now lists the AirPods Pro alongside the 2019 AirPods model, along with a slick new video introducing the true wireless earbuds and the various new features for the range.

The AirPods Pro have even got their own tab on the Apple website, alongside AirPods, iPad, iPhone and otherwise – meaning they seem to be treated very much as their own product and not a replacement for the still-new 2019 AirPods. New features include active noise-canceling, IPX4 water resistance, and even customizable silicon tips – a first for the AirPods range.

Admittedly, the new AirPods (2019) do have some cool new features, like the ability to charge wirelessly. Still, they aren't quite the all-out AirPods 3 reimagining we were hoping for, and they don't beat rivals like the Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds and the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1s in terms of noise-cancelation and audio quality.

The AirPods Pro will look to scratch the itch for those after more premium features then, and we'll be able to give a final verdict on the earbuds when we've put them through the testing process.

We'd heard various rumors about the AirPods Pro for months now, though an incoming AirPods Pro release was cited in a report by China Economic Daily, which said the new AirPods were expected to launch before the end of October, which has now been proven right. There was no mention of any 'AirPods 3' at Apple's iPhone launch event in September though, which saw in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max – and many wondered if that pointed to a 2020 release instead.

One of the best sources of Apple AirPods rumors came from a 2018 report from TF International Securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He said that we could be getting two more headphones before 2020 – an updated version of the original Apple AirPods (check) and the brand new AirPods 3, now officially named the AirPods Pro. Again, very on the money.

So what are the AirPods Pro, how much do they cost, and what brand new features will be included?

Apple AirPods Pro: Cut to the chase

  • What are they? The long-awaited AirPods 3 – now named the AirPods Pro – acting as a premium sibling to the 2019 AirPods (not to be confused with the recently updated AirPods (2019) true-wireless earbuds.)
  • When are they out? October 30
  • How much will they cost? $249 / £249 / AU$399

Apple AirPods Pro release date

We've been hearing rumors about the Apple AirPods 3 all year, and until recently, it looked as though the new true wireless earbuds wouldn't be coming out until at least 2020. 

However, a spate of leaks over the last couple of months seemed to make a late-2019 release more likely – and the official product page has now vindicated this with the AirPods Pro getting an October 30 launch date.


AirPods Pro price and availability

The AirPods Pro are not a replacement for the 2019 AirPods model, and that's reflected in the price point.

You can order the AirPods Pro for $249 / £249 / AU$399 – which is a decent step above the AirPods' $159 / £159 / AU$249 / AED679 (with charging case), and even the $199 / £199 / AU$319 / AED829 pricing with the AirPods' Wireless Charging Case bundled in. 

Interestingly, the AirPods Pro only ships with a Wireless Charging Case, which partially explains the higher price point – and points to Apple's plans for wireless charging going forward.

What's new with the AirPods Pro?

New design and silicon tips

The AirPods Pro will offer a slate of new features, both on the inside and the outside.

Visually, the general shape and form hasn't changed much, with the same ear-stick design popularized by previous models. This time, though, there'll be three silicon tip options for a customizable fit.

Adaptive EQ for improved sound

While there isn't a boost in audio processing, the AirPods Pro do use an EQ algorithm to tweak low- and -mid frequencies based on the shape of your ear.

Ear tip test

Your AirPods Pro will even be able to tell you if you're using the right fit ear-tip, with an algorithm that measured the sound levels recorded in your ear. Try each one and see which your AirPods thinks is appropriate.

Wireless charging case

The Wireless Charging Case that made up the more expensive AirPods package, and is compatible with Qi-compatible charging mats to power the case without having to stick a cable in – though you still get a Lightning cable to do so if you wish.

Water and sweat resistance

For the first time, there'll also be IPX4 water and sweat resistance, meaning the earbuds can take some light rain, splashes of water, or some sweat during exercise. A deep puddle or being dropped in a storm drain will likely be too much for them though.

H1 chip (that we've seen before)

Inside the buds there's a newly-designed H1 chip which Apple has built specifically for its 2019 models. It improves connectivity pairing times, the efficiency of the battery life, and allows for hands-free 'Hey Siri' functionality.

Active noise cancelation and transparency mode

Interestingly, the AirPods Pro only offer 4.5 hours of use, compared to the 5 hours of the AirPods (2019) – though this is with active noise cancelation enabled, which cancels out outside noises by playing contrasting frequencies within your ear.

A new transparency mode also allows uses built-in microphones to record and playback outside sounds, meaning you can listen to your surroundings without taking your pesky earbuds out.


Apple AirPods 3 into AirPods Pro: all the rumors we heard

We've seen hints about a new charging case and also some new colors for the upcoming AirPods Pro – even if there's only a white case and coloring visible so far.

Most recently, the design of the so-called AirPods Pro was leaked by phone accessories manufacturer ESR. Spotted by MacRumors, a listing on the site for an 'AirPods Pro Cover' showed a wider carrying case than we've seen for previous AirPod models. 

Rumors around the new Apple AirPods 3 have been circling since the originals were released in 2016, but the release of the iOS 13.2 beta may have revealed what the buds will look and sound like. 

After delving into the beta, 9to5Mac discovered an icon that could show Apple's upcoming true wireless earbuds.

The new Apple AirPods 3 will reportedly come with noise cancelation and a comfier fit, with silicone or rubber tips giving listeners more choice when it comes to their Apple earbuds.

The design of the so-called AirPods Pro might have just been leaked by phone accessories manufacturer ESR; a listing on the site for an 'AirPods Pro Cover' shows a wider carrying case than we've seen for previous AirPod models.

We've also heard that black and green could join white in a choice of up to eight colors for the next-generation AirPods.

Apple's recent iPhone 11 launch event left us bereft of the long-rumored Apple AirPods 3, but a new leaked image could give us a glimpse of the new Apple earbuds. 

SlashLeaks has shared a hazy image from contributor Leakspinner that it says shows the AirPods 2 "in the wild".

If this leaked image is genuine, we could be in for an even more compact Apple AirPods charging case – and potentially smaller earbuds. It would make sense, as true wireless earbuds are getting smaller as the technology improves, and the AirPods' long stems was subject to ridicule when they were first revealed in 2016. 

We're not totally convinced though – the image is so blurry, there's no way of confirming whether its a legitimate Apple prototype. You can check out the image below and decide for yourself.

airpods 2

Previous trademark filings suggest that the second generation AirPods would be a health and fitness device, in addition to being a pair of true wireless earbuds. Now we know that the updated AirPods don't have these features, we think we will see them in the AirPods 3 in 2020. 

Back in July 2018 Apple filed a patent for biometric sensors, which would allow the AirPods 3 to take on fitness tracking capabilities like those seen in the Jabra Elite Wireless. This followed another patent filed in March, which further fueled the rumors.

We also heard separately that the AirPods 3 would come in black and white, be both waterproof and offer active noise-cancellation, features that have similarly been predicted by Bloomberg. Another patent from July suggested that Apple was working on some pretty nifty tech for how the earbuds handle outside noise as well as dissipating pressure from inside the ear canal. 

The patent outlined a valve system that would allow sound to escape your ear canal to avoid that weird reverberating effect that occurs when you speak with earbuds in your ears. 

It then goes on to describe how the earbuds would handle ambient noise, using a microphone to filter in noise from the outside world so that you can remain aware of your surroundings while still hearing your music.

One rumor that did prove to be accurate however was wireless charging and Bluetooth 5.0 - but instead of being an improved thanks to an updated W2 chip, Apple has designed a brand new H1 chip, which is made for headphones specifically.

AirPods 2 release date price rumors

Image credit: Apple

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This rugged phone has a unique feature that the Samsung Galaxy S10 and iPhone 11 should copy

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:51 AM PDT

Motorola got heads turning in 2017 when it launched its Moto Mods, which were modular accessories that added to the versatility of the Moto Z2 Play and earned it a solid 4.5 stars from us two years ago. Now, a challenger brand, Doogee, wants to do the same thing with its new flagship model, the S95 Pro.

While its rival Blackview focuses on one single unique selling point, a FLIR IR camera, in its latest product, the heat-seeking BV9800 Pro, Doogee opted for expansion capabilities. 

You can add a battery module or a speaker module; the latter has two 27mm speakers and an integrated battery. The battery module has a 3500mAh that tacks on the 5150mAh already present in the phone, delivering a whopping 8650mAh capacity, which can be wirelessly charged. 

The manufacturer has alluded to more modules depending on demand; that might include special camera modules or walkie-talkie style ones, all of which will magnetically attach to the phone.

A camera with some oomph

The rest of the configuration is not bad at all; there’s a Mediatek P90 CPU with 8GB RAM with 128GB onboard storage, a 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 camera, NFC, Android 9.0 and a 10X optical zoom. 

As for the price? Gearbest sells the S95 Pro for $364.99 after factoring in a $5 coupon plus we’ve been informed that the first 100 buyers will get a free pair of Bluetooth earbuds worth $30. Use the coupon code 104792861339731428 at checkout. 

  • Don’t take risks. Have your data protected with a provider from our best cloud storage guide

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PureVPN's Halloween VPN deal gets you online security for only $1.65 a month

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:47 AM PDT

Were you planning on waiting till Black Friday to get the best sales and discounts? PureVPN's new 85% flash sale just might change your mind if it was VPN deals you were holding out for.

To celebrate spooky season, the VPN provider has decided to have a spooktacular sale and offer its VPN service for effectively a mere $1.65 a month. Plus, this sale is for its five-year plan - this means that if you do sign up before the offer ends, you won't have to worry about your VPN for the foreseeable future. You'll simply pay $99 now and be covered for all that time.

Click here to get a fantastic 85% discount on PureVPN

Currently, this is one of the cheapest VPN prices going.

So if you want a fast VPN to use on up to five devices on one account and access to over 2,000 servers, then PureVPN is a very affordable way to go.

However there is one thing spooky about this deal..we're told that it will end next Sunday, November 3.

  • Not sure this is the VPN for you? Check out our best VPN services guide

PureVPN Halloween flash VPN deal:

What can you do with a VPN

A VPN or Virtual Private Network allows you to browse the internet securely and bypass geo-restricted content. So if you wanted to watch a Netflix show that is geo-restricted to a location, a VPN changes your IP address so your device gets tricked into thinking its in a different location.

Make sure to check out our Netflix VPN guide if your primary reason for a VPN is streaming.

Another equally important reason it has become so increasingly popular is because it allows you to browse the internet securely. A VPN uses encryption technologies that basically mean you're browsing anonymous, so if you're worried about your cyber security, a VPN is definitely the way to go.

Want extra security? Check out our best antivirus software packages

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Now you can authenticate Google Pay transactions with your fingerprint or face

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:19 AM PDT

Biometric security, which Google introduced with Android 10, is now coming to Google Pay. As of version 2.100 of the app, it is possible to use either facial or fingerprint recognition to authentic transactions in the app.

Previously, the only authentication option was PIN entry, but as Android Police reports, now a fingerprint or a face scan does the job quickly and easily – and more securely. PINs and passwords may be a fairly traditional means of secure accounts and confirming activity, but they are also guessable and crackable. Fingerprint and facial recognition are rather more secure, and decidedly more user-friendly.

For now, biometric authentication is only available in Android 10 on devices such as the Google Pixel 4, but Google plans to bring the same option to Google Pay in Android 9. It is not clear at the moment whether users of older versions of the operating system will also be given access to the feature.

For now, biometric authentication only applies to the sending of money from within the app; it can't be used to authenticate NFC payments in stores.

How to activate biometric authentication

As we mentioned, for now the option is only available in Android 10, but you also need to be running the correct version of Google Pay. Specifically you'll need Google Pay 2.100 (or later), which you can grab from the Play Store, or from APK Mirror if you don't feel like waiting for it to roll out.

To activate the feature, simply head to the 'Sending money' settings section and enable 'Use biometrics instead'.

It's a feature with great potential, and we look forward to seeing it for other versions of Android in the near future.

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Best cloud hosting services in 2019

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:10 AM PDT

Signing up for a simple web hosting package will usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores.

While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while.

Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments.

This flexibility is great for delivering extra power when you need it most, and starting prices can be similar to regular VPS hosting (from £10 or $14 a month). Costs will rise as you add resources, but typically you'll only pay for the time in which you use these resources.

DigitalOcean's monster 192GB RAM, 32 vCPU and 3,840GB SSD product costs $960 (£685) a month, for instance, but this pay-as-you-go approach allows you to try it out for $1.429 or £1.02 an hour.

Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself.

Cloud hosting isn't just for big business. HostGator's cloud platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more.

For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $3.13 (£2.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal.

If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $6.28 (£5.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month.

Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure.

But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away.

1&1 IONOS Cloud Server Hosting is a powerful range of products which combine dedicated server resources with the performance, flexibility and scalability of the best cloud hosting technologies.

Seven standard root access (self-managed) configurations aim to cover everyone from the individual user ($10 or (£10 for UK) a month for a single CPU core, 1GB RAM and 50GB storage) to big businesses (16 cores, 48GB RAM and 500GB storage for a monster $350 or (£400 for UK) a month).

All plans have decent specifications, giving you unlimited traffic and email accounts, a bundled SSL certificate, DDoS protection, $100 (£100 for UK)  starting credit for the first month and a choice of US and European data centers.

A wide range of options includes Windows hosting, or managed hosting with your choice of stack: Apache + MySQL + PHP 7.2, Nginx + MariaDB + PHP 7.2, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress and more.

The highlight of the range is probably 1&1's Cloud Hosting Flex package. Not only does this allow for adjusting cores, RAM and storage on demand, and adding up to 99 servers to the same contract, but billing is by the minute and you're only charged for what you use.

Prices start at  $15.84 (£15.84 for UK) a month including the management fee. There's no long-term contract and the first 30 days is free, giving you the chance to try before you buy.

At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: user-friendly but basic products from hosts like 1&1, and enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, which is so complex that even experts might struggle to set it up.

Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition.

It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations).

Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits.

Founded in 2002, Bytemark is a UK-based cloud hosting company which has designed its own public platform using open source software.

This in-house experience brings some unusual advantages. Bytemark has developed its own hosting environment to set up a server, email and more. It covers everything from installing and managing PHP, MySQL, Perl and Ruby on Rails to helping you configure your firewall, spam rules and backups.

Experienced users can manage their account with a command line client, or even automate common tasks by integrating with Bytemark's API.

Pricing seems somewhat fair. The baseline specification costs $28 (£20) for one core, 2GB RAM, 25GB storage, 10TB bandwidth and one IPv4. If you need more, everything is available via a simple flat rate: $14 (£10) per 1GB RAM, $2.50 (£2) per 10GB of SSD storage, $28 (£20) per extra 1TB of traffic. Unusually, you can even get a Windows licence for $2.64 (£2) per GB of memory.

As ever with cloud hosting, there's plenty of flexibility. You can configure your servers with anything from 1 to 180GB RAM, 1 to 16 CPU cores, and 1 to 8 individual disks with either fast SSD or cheaper archive storage.

If you're interested, Bytemark's free trial gives you seven days to find out more.

While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system.

DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer.

For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space.

Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups.

There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure.

DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy.

If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 2,300+ at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

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Millions of Adobe Creative Cloud accounts exposed online

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:10 AM PDT

The user records of almost 7.5m Adobe Creative Cloud customers, including email addresses, account information and the names of the Adobe product they use, were left exposed online and were accessible to anyone with a web browser.

Comparitech partnered with the security researcher Bob Diachenko to uncover the exposed Elasticsearch database which was accessible without a password or any other form of authentication.

Upon discovering the exposed database, Diachenko notified Adobe immediately on October 19 and the company took the necessary steps to secure the database on the same day.

However, we do not know exactly when the database was first exposed online though Diachenko estimates that it was accessible for about a week.

Exposed user data

While the exposed user data did not contain sensitive user information such as customers payment details, the information it did contain could be used to create phishing campaigns that target Creative Cloud users whose emails were leaked.

In total, the database contained information on users' email addresses, account creation date, which adobe products they use, subscription status, whether the user is an Adobe employee, member IDs, what country they're from, time since last login and payment status. Fortunately though, the database did not include any payment information or user passwords.

Creative Cloud users whose information was leaked need to remain vigilant when it comes to checking their inboxes for phishing emails and other scams. Now that cybercriminals have information about their account status, they will likely leverage it to launch phishing attacks.

For instance, a cybercriminal could use a user's subscription status to create a phishing email in which they say something along the lines of your account is set to expire, click here to renew it and this would bring a user to a fake website where their account credentials could be harvested. These phishing emails will likely appear much closer to legitimate emails from Adobe since an attacker would have access to a lot of extra information, such as when a user created their account, which they could use to their advantage.

Via Comparitech

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iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 09:01 AM PDT

At first glance, the iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR comparison doesn't reveal much difference. But after handling and reviewing all three of these venerable flagships, we've developed an in-depth idea of how each has its own great selling points and is suitable for particular tastes and needs.

This generation was the first time Apple released three new iPhones at once, giving us a trio of powerful flagship handsets that differ in size, camera quality, specs, and price. Now that the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are here, the previous year's Apple flagships aren't quite the best iPhones on the market, though they're close - and still incredible phones, especially with iOS 13. 

But which one is for you?

The iPhone XS is technically the flagship phone, and also the smallest of the bunch. Naturally, the iPhone XS Max is its bigger sibling with the largest screen. The iPhone XR is the leaner, lower-cost ‘budget flagship’ that’s sized somewhere between the other two and drops a few perks in order to save costs.

But that oversimplifies the three phones - each has its pros and cons. If you’re on the hunt for one of the latest and greatest iPhones, read on for a breakdown of these top smartphones to find the right one for you. Just keep in mind that Apple only sells the iPhone XR now - but you can easily find the others sold by third parties.

Image credit: Apple

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR price and availability

The quick-and-dirty: the iPhone XR is sizeably cheaper, a true ‘budget flagship’ that starts at $599 / £629 / AU$1,049 for the 64GB model ($649 / £679 / AU$1,129 for 128GB and, while you can still find the 256GB model, Apple doesn't sell it). That is, as we’re fond of saying, a 2018 phone at 2016 prices, one that's still suitable for 2019 and been discounted after the release of the new phones.

Of course, the iPhone XS somewhat exceeds the XR in many ways and you’ll be able to buy it with more storage. For that, you’ll pay a premium: the iPhone XS's launch price was $999 / £999 / AU$1,629 (or $1,149 / £1,149 / AU$1,879 for 256GB, and $1,349 / £1,349 / AU$2,199 for 512GB) - but after the release of the iPhone 11 line, Apple no longer sells the iPhone XS or XS Max itself. If you do find it sold by a third party, you'll almost certainly pay less.

If you want the bigger size of the iPhone XS Max, expect bigger prices: its launch pricing started at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799 for the 64GB model, while the 256GB model is $1,249 / £1,249 / AU$2,049 and the most expensive 512GB version will set you back a staggering $1,449 / £1,449 / AU$2,369. Again, expect discounts.

iPhone XS

iPhone XS Max (Image credit: TechRadar)

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR design

Overall, not much has changed in the house of Apple since the release of the iPhone X toward the end of 2017 - which isn’t a bad thing. All three of these models follow the same broad design: front and rear glass sandwiching an aluminum frame, with rounded corners and a healthy notch cut out of the top front display.

The widest difference between the three phones is size. The iPhone XS (143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm) is the smallest, with a 5.8-inch screen - a phone ideally suited for users with smaller hands or who prefer using their device one-handed. It weighs the least, at 177g, which is respectable but still not as light as some Android phones. 

It’s an objectively attractive handset, with sleek glass and minimal bezel. Its two rear cameras line up vertically on the top left of the phone’s back. You can get it in silver, space gray, or the always-popular gold.

The iPhone XS Max (157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm) is simply a larger version, with a 6.5-inch display that provides noticeably more screen real-estate. It’s otherwise identical, leaving your choice down to aesthetics: do you want a larger phone? Do you mind using two hands to use it? 

Finally, the iPhone XR (150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm) looks similar but has a few nods toward simplicity in its design: it has a single rear lens and, instead of metallic hues, comes in bright primary colors, white, and black. It’s also (.6mm) thicker than the other two. Its 6.1-inch screen puts it squarely between the other two phones in size, giving users a just-right option if the XS is too small and XS Max too large.

One more note: though Apple still hasn’t allowed dual SIM card trays in its phones (except in China, for reasons) nor expandable storage, all three of these phones get compromise - eSIM. You can register an internal SIM for a separate number with a wireless carrier that supports eSIM, as Apple’s support page explains. 

iPhone XS (Image credit: TechRadar)

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR display

Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have OLED screens in identical 19.5:9 ratios and, predictably, resolution to match their size. The XS’ 5.8-inch display manages 1125 x 2436 pixels (~458 pixels per inch), while the larger XS Max’s display reaches 1242 x 2688 pixels (again, ~458 ppi). In other words, virtually the same bright, snappy screen.

The iPhone XR’s display is another compromise Apple made to save cost, though it’s by no means a poor screen. Instead of OLED, this phone has a 6.1-inch ‘IPS’ LCD screen, which manages the same 19.5:9 ratio but has a lower 828 x 1792 pixel resolution (~326 ppi). In comparisons, this screen is less sharp than those of the XS and XS Max.

If you’re upgrading from an older iPhone, one thing is immediately clear: none of these phones have the customary home button at the bottom. That’s been excised for a full display reaching the bottom.

In its place, each phone uses Face ID to authenticate by way of the lone front-facing camera, which sits in that top notch. While they’re all about the same size - significantly wider than other smartphones that employ the ‘teardrop’ notch style - the iPhone XR’s is unnecessarily large since it lacks the depth-sensing time-of-flight sensor that comes in the notches of the XS and XS Max.

iPhone XS Max (Image credit: TechRadar)

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR: specs and iOS 12

Good news: if you buy any of these phones, you’ll be able to make full (or nearly-full) use of the latest version of iOS for years to come. The only features the iPhone XR won’t be able to use are those that require depth-sensing, since it only has a single camera on both the front and rear.

All three run the latest version of iOS 12, and when iOS 13 launches to the public later this year, all three flagships will easily run it: Apple reliably supports phones for 4-5 years after their release. 

Given that each of these phones are of the same generation, they all pack the A12 Bionic chip - the fastest Apple has yet produced. Likewise, their performance is fairly comparable, though the iPhone XR might be slightly slower with its 3GB of RAM compared to the XS and XS Max’s 4GB. 

In other words? You should have no problem running any app or media on these phones. The edge, if any, goes slightly to the iPhone XS and XS Max.

iPhone XR

iPhone XR (Image credit: TechRadar)

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR camera and battery

Here’s where the differences really shine. 

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max both pack dual 12MP cameras: one f/1.8 wide angle lens, and one f/2.4 telephoto with 2x optical zoom. These allow both to take photos with depth effects, including the ever-popular Portrait mode.

Strictly speaking, these lenses aren’t as powerful as those on some competing Android phones, but it doesn’t really matter if you’re taking casual pictures: Apple has refined its photo software to produce great images in most lighting, and most importantly, it’s easy to use.

The iPhone XR gets this software, too - but its single rear f/1.8 wide-angle lens (which looks little changed from the lone shooter on the iPhone 8) means depth effects aren’t as good. Don’t worry, you can still take Portrait photos - the software will just have to do a bit of heavy lifting to make up for it.

Likewise, the iPhone XR lacks a time-of-flight sensor in its screen’s notch, meaning your Portrait selfies won’t be as high of quality.

On the other hand, the iPhone XR packs a 2,942mAh battery, which is nearly as large as the 3,174mAh capacity in the iPhone XS Max. Unless you’re streaming media for hours or using lots of location services, these should last through a full day (and well into the next) on a full charge. 

The iPhone XS is no slouch here, with its 2,658mAh battery, but it’s still notably smaller. All three of these phones work with Apple’s standard 15W quick charging, which claims 50% recharge in 30 minutes. All have wireless charging.

Image credit: TechRadar

iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR: review wrap-up

As more folks feel the sting of skyrocketing phone prices, it would be easy to simply recommend the more affordable iPhone XR and call it a day. After all, it does contain most of the best parts of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max at a steep discount.

But the other phones do earn their flagship quality, with a polish and extra hardware that pushes them into a slightly higher tier. They take higher-quality photos and, heck, simply look classier with a glossy, chromed look.

Ultimately, the choice is yours: which iPhone suits you best? What features (and aesthetics) can you live without – or not?

  • These three phones clearly top our best iPhones list - but where do the others sit?

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The best free stock video sites 2019

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 08:59 AM PDT

A few well-placed snippets of high quality footage can really bring projects to life – whether they're presentations, websites or your own home-made videos. 

Finding the right video clips can be tricky, though. Many stock video sites charge a subscription fee for their best content. Thankfully, there are also places where you can download high quality video clips completely free of charge for both personal and commercial use, with no royalties or strings attached.

We've put the best free stock photo sites under the microscope and picked those that offer the best combination of video quality, variety of clips, and flexible licensing.

It's worth bearing in mind that even if a video clip is in the public domain, you shouldn't use it to create that shows identifiable people in a bad light.

Pexels screengrab

There are some truly spectacular videos available on Pexels – all under a Creative Commons 0 (ie public domain) license, which means you’re free to use them for personal or commercial projects without attribution. 

The time-lapse videos are particularly lovely, and there are plenty of fun clips from GoPro-wearing divers and climbers. Pexels also include a handy ‘mockup’ category for footage of mobile devices with green screens that can be easily replaced via chroma keying.

Search results include premium videos from Shutterstock, but unlike most stock video sites, Pexels displays these at the bottom so you’re unlikely to mistake them for free clips.

Videos are provided in MP4 format in HD. The only drawback is the lack of clips in 4K, but if Full HD is enough for your project, Pexels should be your first stop.

If you need stock photos, Pexels also offers a great selection of stylish premium-quality stills under the same license. 

Pexels

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Stock Footage for Free screen grab

Stock Footage for Free feels like the video equivalent of free stock photo site Unsplash, focusing on quality rather than quantity. The footage is extremely impressive; we particularly like the selection of landscapes and looping backgrounds.

You’re given a detailed description of the video so you can be sure it’s the right one before downloading it. This is a sensible decision; downloads can take a while because of the large file sizes. The site’s HD videos are provided in MOV format, but there aren’t currently any 4K clips available.

Video clips are free for personal and commercial use, unless it’s a seriously high-budget production. Stock Footage for Free provides a detailed license agreement that makes explicit all the intellectual property information you’re likely to need.

Before you can download files you’ll need to sign up for a free account or log in using Facebook. At the time of writing, an error meant that we were unable to log in using an email address, though the Facebook option worked fine. We’ve reached out to the company to find out if this is an issue that can be resolved.

Stock Footage for Free

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Pixabay screen grab

Pixabay is best known as a resource for free stock photos, but is also has a great selection of video clips available to download and use, no strings attached. 

The videos are all submitted by Pixabay’s community of users, and are generally under a minute in length. The site is a good option for abstract images like clouds, as well as somewhat niche clips (the video of a man preparing pieces of beef is a particularly odd example). 

There’s a small selection of 4K video too, motion graphics, and some infinitely looping clips that are handy for websites.

All clips are provided free for personal or commercial use, with no attribution necessary. The files are provided in MP4 format, in a choice of resolutions.

Pixabay

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Clipstill screen grab

Clipstill is dedicated to cinemagraphs – still photos containing a small repeated animation that plays on a loop. The effect is hypnotic, and a great way to grab viewers' attention. There's only a small selection of cinemagraphs available free (most of the videos on the site are premium content), but they're high quality and change each month, so it's well worth keeping Clipstill bookmarked.

Clipstill's cinemagraphs are available to download as small video files, and are particularly well suited to web design.

It's not essential to provide credit when using Clipstill's videos, but a link back is appreciated. You're free to use cinemagraphs in your own projects unless you're making a commercial product in which it's the main attraction, such as a greetings card or website template (see the licensing page for full details)

Clipstill

Videezy screen grab

Footage from Videezy is royalty free for personal and commercial use, but users are asked to credit ‘Videezy.com’ in their projects.

Most videos are provided in HD resolution, but there’s also a good selection of 4K clips – mostly landscape scenes and abstract clips rendered using Adobe After Effects.

The quality is mixed, but generally high. We particularly like the selection of aerial drone footage 

All videos are supplied in MP4 format, and you can see the resolution below the preview on the download page.

Keep an eye out for search results marked with a green 'Pro' tag; these are premium clips only available using paid-for credits. The first two rows of search results are also sponsored videos from Shutterstock, which also require a paid membership to download.

Videezy

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Videvo screen grab

Videvo offers thousands of videos contributed by its community of users. Quality is variable (a few clips have clearly been shot without a tripod) but they’re generally good, and there’s a huge selection to choose from so it’s highly likely you’ll find something suitable – even if it takes a little while.

If you'd like to contribute your own videos for others to download, you can do so after signing up for a free account.

Videos on Videvo fall under one of three licenses, so be sure to check which one applies to your chosen clip before you start working:

Videvo Standard License, which lets you use the clips in your own work without attribution, provided you don’t redistribute the footage.

Videvo Attribution License, which is the same as the Standard License, but requires you to credit the clip’s creator.

Creative Commons 3.0 Unported, which lets you share and adapt the clip, but requires you to credit the creator and indicate if you’ve made any changes.

Clips marked ‘Editorial use only’ can’t be used commercially, but those labelled ‘All projects and media’ can.

As with many free stock video sites, the top row of search results are actually premium samples from an advertiser (in this case Shutterstock). Scroll past these for Videovo’s own clips.

Some clips are provided as MP4 files, while others are delivered in QuickTime format. There’s a small selection of 4K clips, but half of these are Christmas-themed motion graphics. If you’re specifically looking for 4K video, you’re better off looking at one of the sites listed above.

Videvo

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Best phones for work 2019: the top business smartphones today

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 08:47 AM PDT

Having the best smartphone that isn't just great to look at, but also great to work on is an absolute essential for many workers these days.

With phone makers offering  ideal for employees of all levels, we’ve updated this guide to give you the very latest buying advice to help you choose the best smartphones for business use. 

Although some of these selections may overlap with our best phones for casual use, we've identified how these picks will help your business too.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming very soon (at the end of November), now is an excellent time to start researching the best smartphones for work of 2019.

Best business smartphone 2019 at a glance

1. iPhone 11

2. Google Pixel 4

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 10

4. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

5. OnePlus 7

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 9

7. Huawei Mate 20 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro

Apple's latest release may be the best business device it's ever made. Along with the headline-grabbing top-end camera and snazzy colour schemes, there's a lot to recommend it to everyday workers as well. This includes Apple's best performing battery to date, which will last a full day's working, as well as a slimmer and more portable build that means it slips into a pocket or bag easily. 

Read the full review: Apple iPhone 11 review

Googlr Pixel 4

Google's Pixel line has become a key focus for the company in recent years, and the new Pixel 4 is the latest iteration in its flagship device family. Featuring a top-class camera and all-new design, the Pixel 4 is great to look at and use, but also comes with a number of benefits for business users. Top of this is access to all the vital everyday Android tools on the go, as well as the latest updates and security protection directly from Google. Battery life isn't quite as good as some of its bigger rivals, but for the cost, the Pixel 4 is one of the most appealing devices around today.

Read the full review: Google Pixel 4 review

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the company's largest and most powerful device to date, but does this make it a great business smartphone? It certainly features an expansive screen that will allow you to scan through all the documents, spreadsheets, social media feeds and more - and the additional S Pen gives a whole new dimension for working on the move. Pair that with a huge 4300mAh battery, Snapdragon 855 processor and 12GB of RAM, and you have an absolute powerhouse - albeit one that with its 6.8in display might need to be carried in a jacket, rather than a trouser pocket.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review

Best business smartphone

You'll be in good hands if you opt to give your employees the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, which is also our pick for the best smartphone in the world right now. It improves on almost every aspect of the phones that have come before it, with supremely powerful components, a dazzling 6.4-inch QHD Super AMOLED display and a top notch camera - but it's not all fun.

The battery has also been given a huge boost to 4,100mAh, which means you can comfortably use it all day without worrying about recharging it. While it doesn't quite have the business focus of the Galaxy Note 9, which is our pick for the best business smartphone, it's still one hell of a great handset from Samsung.

Read the full review:  Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review 

OnePlus has been quietly growing its market share and popularity over the years, and the OnePlus 7 is the company's latest big-name release, and probably its best business device too. Available for far less than some of its other rivals, the OnePlus 7 matches a pocket-friendly price tag with a huge 3700mAh battery and either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, meaning it should be more than capable of handling whatever you throw at it.

Read the full review: OnePlus 7 review

Best business smartphone


If you want the very best business smartphone, no matter what the cost, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the one to go for. It's got a spec list to die for, including a huge screen, bags of RAM, a huge 4,000mAh battery and up to 1TB of storage. It's also got a microSD slot and a headphone jack – something that many modern smartphones lack. It's also got some great business-specific features, such as an improved Bluetooth stylus (known as the S Pen), and if you plug it into a USB-C dock or USB-C to HDMI, it can be used in DeX mode, replicating a desktop-environment that can replace your desktop PC. Seriously impressive.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review

Best business smartphone

Huawei has been steadily releasing some excellent smartphones that offer specs and features that rival its more established (and expensive) Western rivals. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of the firm's best releases yet, and it's one of our picks for the best business smartphone you can buy in 2019. It comes with a huge 6.39-inch display with a QHD resolution and HDR10 support, plus a large battery that lasted a day and a half in our tests. And given that the latest Mate 30 Pro device still lacks Google apps, this is probably the best Huawei device around for workers today.

Read the full review: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

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The best free DVD ripper 2019

Posted: 28 Oct 2019 08:39 AM PDT

Free DVD rippers can be enormously helpful, giving you a handy backup in case your discs become scratched, or allowing you to get rid of the physical discs altogether if you don't have room for them.

It might seem like a complicated process (Windows doesn't come with any tools for the job), but with the right free software you can easily convert the disc's contents to a file that can be stored anywhere. Here we've rounded up the very best free DVD rippers that will make the job a breeze.

The nature of free DVD rippers means it's a segment of the software market that's home to a lot of malicious software. It can be difficult to know which DVD ripping software is legitimate, so we've done the hard work for you and sorted out the wheat from the chaff.

As with CDs, there are no international copyright laws that cover free DVD rippers. For example, in 2014, UK copyright law was changed to legalize personal backups, but that decision was overturned by the High Court in 2015. Make sure you check out intellectual property law in your country before you rip DVDs.

Handbrake

Handbrake is best known as a media file converter, but it can also rip data from DVDs. Image credit: The Handbrake Team

HandBrake is not only a free DVD ripper (or video transcoder, as it prefers to be known) but also open source, so it's totally free in every sense of the word.

More than a decade in the making, the software finally reached version 1.0.0, It is – or at least looks – a little more complicated that some of the others we're looking at here, but don’t let that put you off. By default there's no support for bypassing copy-protection, but this is something you can get around with a little research (bearing in mind IP laws in your country).

As with other programs, there are a number of presets ready for you to choose from, but you can also manually tailor each ripping session if you prefer. If you're working with ISO images or disc folders, it's possible to queue up multiple encoding jobs to run consecutively to save having to be around when each finishes. The sheer level of control makes HandBrake well worth a try.

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Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is an excellent multimedia toolkit, and its DVD ripper is no exception. Image credit: DigitalWave Ltd

Freemake is a name synonymous with powerful, high quality freeware, and Freemake Video Converter doesn't let the side down. Its free DVD ripper boasts a clean, clear interface is a joy to use, and you're never left feeling in any doubt about what you're meant to do.

Fire up the software, switch to the DVD section and choose your drive from the list. After disc analysis you'll need to indicate which of the video track you're interested in. You can even take things a step further and clip out segments of a video to rip rather than grabbing the whole thing. Shortcuts at the bottom of the screen provide access to popular output formats (AVI, MKV, device-specific formats); just make your selection, hit 'Convert', and you're done.

Unfortunately, although it doesn't contain extra bundled software, the latest version of Freemake Video Converter adds a watermark to ripped videos. If you can live with that, it's one of the most convenient DVD rippers around.

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MakeMKV

MakeMKV can rip data from Blu-rays, as well as regular DVDs. Image credit: GuinpinSoft Inc

If you've used free DVD ripping software before, MakeMKV might look a little familiar – it bears more than a passing resemblance to DVD Decrypter. As well as handling DVDs, the program, is also capable of ripping Blu-ray discs, and the process works in exactly the same way in each case (although it's worth noting that Blu-ray ripping is only be free while the program is in beta).

The great thing about MakeMKV is that there is so little to think about. Fire up the program, analyze your disc, choose which of the track you would like to rip, indicate where the output file should be saved, and then hit the 'Make MKV' button. That's really all there is to it. There's no messing about, no complex configuration – just analyze, rip and go. 

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DVDfab screen grab

DVDFab's disc-ripping component is free to use after the trial versions of the other tools expire. Image credit: DVDfab.cn

DVDFab is an unusual case. The full DVDFab suite isn't free of charge, but its DVD ripping component is. When you download the software, it installs as a trial version, but the DVDFab HD Decrypter – which you need for DVD and Blu-ray ripping – remains free forever.

The free portion is rather limited, allowing you to rip discs in Full Disc or Main Movie modes only. This means that the free version is nowhere near as versatile as the other programs we've covered here, but it still has its place.

For example, it can be useful if you want to extract the video files from a disc and maintain their original formats when transferring them to your hard drive. You're then free to import the files into another program for further work if you want, or just use your favorite DVD software to watch the videos without the need for a disc to be inserted.

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WinX DVD Ripper Free Edition

WinX DVD Ripper can rip any kind of DVD, but the free version is quite limited. Image credit: Digiarty Software

When you install the free version of WinX DVD Ripper, you'll notice that it's actually the Platinum Edition in trial mode. This lacks a few of the features found in the premium version (mainly speed-related and a couple of specific DRM cracks), but you'll still have a powerful DVD ripper on your hands that you can use indefinitely.

WinX DVD Ripper can be used to rip directly from DVDs, but it also works with ISO images, and folders of DVD files. Once your input has been analyzed – a process that doesn't take long – you can take your pick from a raft of ready made profiles. These profiles help you to quickly output a video that's suitable for playback on specific mobile devices or, say, ideal for uploading to Facebook

You can choose to rip the built-in subtitles or embed your own, and you can select which audio tracks should be included; it's all beautifully simple and pleasingly fast.

There is, sadly, one major drawback to the free edition of the software: it can only rip videos a maximum of five minutes in length, which rules it out for backing up your movie collection.

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