Apple : Dubai to take centre stage with live demonstrations and use cases in 5G, AI and autonomous vehicles |
- Dubai to take centre stage with live demonstrations and use cases in 5G, AI and autonomous vehicles
- Nvidia’s next-gen Ampere graphics cards could be just around the corner
- 10 games that are far better on PC than on consoles
- This vibrating shirt can help the hard-of-hearing literally feel the music
- The new Apex Legends update helps it avoid Fortnite's biggest problem
- Apple Arcade goes live for macOS Catalina beta users
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| Dubai to take centre stage with live demonstrations and use cases in 5G, AI and autonomous vehicles Posted: 05 Oct 2019 08:58 AM PDT All eyes will be on Dubai next week as the city gears up to demonstrate and showcase a wide range of use cases in 5G cellular technology, artificial intelligence and future mobility, never happened before on a global scale. The 39th edition of Gitex Technology Week will open doors on Sunday at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) as global and prominent names including China Mobile, du, Etisalat, Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia and STC in what will represent a dazzling glimpse into the wireless and interconnected future that will transform Middle East businesses. UAE is the first Arab country and fourth globally to launch 5G services. According to Ookla Speedtest, UAE is ranked fourth globally in 5G speed after the US, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. DWTC is holding a ‘5G Countdown’ conference to focus on transition to and life-changing potential, including names such as Osman Sultan, CEO of du; Fadi Pharaon, Senior Vice-President and Head of Market Area, Middle East and Africa, Ericsson, who will home in on meeting operator demands; and Dr Mohamed Madkour, vice-president for Global Wireless Networks Marketing and Solutions at Huawei, who will discuss how to create the future of manufacturing through 5G, IoT and AI. Driving the digital futureApart from showcasing the emerging technologies, the 1.4 million square foot venue will welcome over 4,800 exhibitors from over 140 countries, and host 290 hours of content over five days, while Gitex Future Stars will feature over 750 international startups and corporate accelerators and more than 1,500 investors and corporate buyers. Dr Ahmed Bin Ali, Group Senior Vice-President for communications at Etisalat, said that the telecom operator is always keen to bring the latest technologies and solutions to the event. “We aim to drive the digital future and bring solutions for different sectors. We are bringing a lot of 5G solutions such as transportation, health care, aviation, real estate and retail for the first time to the event,” he said. According to Ericsson’s Middle East and Africa Mobility Report, 30 million 5G mobile subscriptions are expected in the region by 2024. “Our focus at the event will be on 5G and AI. We will be demonstrating use cases and solutions that are possible with 5G. We have invested over $1.4b globally into 5G product development in 2017 and 2018. We will showcase what solutions and enablement are available for enterprises from an AI point of view,” Hani Sobih ELKukhun, Vice-President for Strategy at Huawei Middle East, said. Wojciech Bajda, Vice-President for Middle East and Africa, and Head of Gulf Council Countries at Ericsson, said that 5G promises a lot of economic and social values. New entrantsCompanies making their debuts this year include China Mobile, Ericsson, Honeywell, Nokia, Schneider Electric and Siemens, who will unpack developments around the world’s most transformative and emerging technologies. Franco Atassi, Head of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens Middle East, said that the company will demonstrate how cities and industries can benefit from digital transformation. “We will be showcasing MindSphere, its platform for open and cloud-based IoT operating system for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said. For Expo 2020, MindSphere will be guarding the whole expo and connect all the devices into one platform. The entire commercial platform will be done by Siemens. “We can abstract big data and turn that into small and smart data. So, people can visualise it, analyse it and make smarter decisions,” he said. Government entities field strong presenceApart from enterprises, government entities are also fielding a strong presence at the event. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE is participating as part of the UAE mGovernment, which hosts 18 federal government entities, displaying their major achievements in the field of modern technologies and harnessing them in facilitating the provision of government services, achieving customer happiness, and promoting the one government principle and excellent technology services. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General, said that TRA is keen to activate all channels of communication with its strategic partners and the public, to exchange ideas and views and develop services provided by TRA in line with the aspirations of the UAE society in all its segments. “Our participation will be a vision of the future, through which we foresee the technologies that will impact our lives and lives of generations to come. This is in line with TRA’s role in monitoring the digital transformation at the federal government level, as well as its vision to achieve the UAE global leading position in the ICT sector,” he said. The Government of Abu Dhabi is fielding 32 key government and academic entities to accelerate Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation while the Sharjah Department of e-Government is fielding 33 departments to support digital transformation and develop processes and systems across entities in the emirate. More than 100 Saudi organisations, including government entities, private companies and startups, are also participating. Startups battle for top spotGitex Future Stars will give startups the chance to pitch their ideas against one another across a packed agenda of competitions. The Gitex Future Stars Supernova Challenge will be spread across 11 categories, including the NXG category, awarding the latest innovation from a Gen Z startup. The Supernova Champion will take home $100,000, with each sub-category featuring a $10,000 prize. There will also be innovation competitions from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in partnership with Accenture and Department of Health Abu Dhabi. After a pre-selection process in Paris, London, Milan and Moscow to find the most innovative tech ventures, Chalhoub Group’s The Greenhouse retail tech startup challenge will see startups compete to win the title of the best creative economy startup. The Government of Abu Dhabi is making its mark at the event with the Emirate’s hottest innovation prospects, including Hub71, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Start AD, Krypto Labs, Department of Health Abu Dhabi, all aiming to put Abu Dhabi on the map as the innovation hub of the future. What to expect
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| Nvidia’s next-gen Ampere graphics cards could be just around the corner Posted: 05 Oct 2019 08:38 AM PDT Nvidia’s Ampere graphics cards, which represent the next-generation offerings from the firm which step up (or should that be down?) to a 7nm process could be launched in the first half of 2020, according to the latest gossip on the graphics grapevine. This fresh rumor contends that a launch could potentially happen early next year – although equally, it could be the summer – but it needs to be taken with a heftier than usual dose of salt.
This particular piece of speculation comes from a post over at Igor’s Lab (spotted by Wccftech), although it has a definite ring of guesswork about it (the author writes that Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs “should finally come” in the first half of next year). However, this isn’t the first we’ve heard about Ampere arriving next year, with DigiTimes previously holding that this is the case, and citing sources claiming that Nvidia will be using Samsung’s 7nm EUV process when it comes to manufacturing these graphics cards. The successor to the current Turing RTX cards coming out around mid-2020 also makes sense looking at the previous form of Nvidia’s release schedule, with that being roughly in line with the expected pace between generations. And of course it would mean that the company could head off AMD’s infamous Navi-based ‘Nvidia killer’ which is also rumored to launch around the middle of next year. If that does indeed pan out, then of course AMD’s GPU hitman will have the wrong target in its sights… As ever, we shouldn’t get too carried away with speculation, though, and how this might be ideal for Nvidia in some ways – even if the company is planning for things to turn out like this, those plans may not come to fruition. Cheaper cards?The chatter about Nvidia switching to Samsung for its 7nm production with its next-gen graphics cards must also be treated with a great deal of caution, because Nvidia clarified earlier this year that its next-gen GPU will continue to be produced at TSMC. Although the firm did note it already uses Samsung for manufacturing graphics products, and will use both these foundries for next-gen GPUs. Obviously it isn’t clear exactly how that will pan out, then, or if the rumor regarding Samsung is pointing to Nvidia perhaps favoring the latter for 7nm – particularly given the recent stories of TSMC’s difficulty in meeting 7nm demand, with extra pressures being piled on given Apple has now ramped up iPhone 11 production. Who knows, ultimately, but folks are getting excited about the prospect of Nvidia using Samsung’s 7nm EUV process because this could mean that Ampere graphics cards not only benefit from better performance than their predecessors, which is expected, but EUV means chips are cheaper to produce. Which could in turn mean that the successor to the RTX 2080 doesn’t blow such a big hole in your bank balance, which obviously is something folks are keenly hoping for. Turing pricing has not been kind to consumers, that much is for sure. Finally, of course we have to bear in mind that the first Ampere products arriving could be heavyweight high-performance computing offerings (the follow-on to Volta), but as we’ve already mentioned, the timing for new consumer graphics cards is seemingly about right.
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| 10 games that are far better on PC than on consoles Posted: 05 Oct 2019 08:11 AM PDT It's the same every console cycle – the new consoles come out and, for a time, there's a glory period where they at least seem more powerful than the average games PC or Mac. The marketing blather between the big companies ramps up to a degree that you believe that these machines can resurrect the dead and simulate walking on water to an unparalleled degree. Then it all calms down and within a year a new PC is more powerful than them again. A case in point is that none of the current flagship consoles can handle 4K, or even 2K; the Xbox One can't even manage 1080p half the time. But there are some game franchises which, irrespective of the console's accessibility and the PC's grunt power, are just better on PC. They have more content, they have better controls, they have mods, they have user-generated content, hell, they even have hats. And we've listed the top PC offerings here, for your perusing pleasure... Also on: Xbox One, PS4 Pop The Witcher 3 disc into ye olde faithful Xbox One, and you may be completely lost as to why anyone would ever consider this one of the most graphically impressive games of the generation. Launch it from your Steam library, however, and you'll see what we meant when we said consoles held The Witcher 3 back from achieving its full potential. With the first two games having been developed for PC and then ported over to consoles, the third title in the series took a detour, with developer and publisher CD Projekt Red releasing Wild Hunt on all three platforms simultaneously. The developer even admitted to the visual burden the console versions of the game put on their PC counterpart, asserting that the only reason they were created at all was to secure a sufficient enough budget. While the mod scene may be sparse compared to some of the more whimsical content contrived from the Skyrim and GTA V communities, there are still a number of things there to enhance the experience. From a mod that transforms every instance of combat into a card game to one that replaces the bleak tint of the game's graphics with a more gaudy arrangement of hues, the mod selection certainly outweighs that of the Xbox One and PS4, who have none. Also on: Xbox 360, PS3 Whilst we wait for the inevitable Skyrim HD on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the PC version of the game is the only place that it looks decent. Remember, after all, that the Xbox 360 has 512MB of memory dynamically shared between RAM and the video card – which is way less than any modern mobile phone, let alone a modern PC. Hence both Skyrim and Oblivion on Xbox 360 are amazing technical achievements, but the definitive version is on PC. If you love open world fantasy games, PC is your home. And we've not even mentioned the thriving mod scene for the Elder Scrolls games on PC. The Steam version has integrated mod support, meaning you can just pick a mod from a huge curated database, including free stuff made by Valve and other professional developers. Steam currently has a 100MB file limit on mods, though it's disappearing soon, alongside rumours of paid-for mods, but if you head over to Skyrim Nexus, then huge total conversions like Falskarr and Nehrim are available, which are basically like free expansions or new games, and there's even a new character scripted by the much-missed Terry Pratchett. Also on: Xbox, Arcade Valve's flagship multiplayer game has been the most played game in the world at several points of its history, but only on PC. There have been some dreadful console versions of Counter-Strike over the years – notably the Xbox port – but then, the PC also had the poor Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. The only other significant version is Namco's bizarre Japanese Counter-Strike arcade game. Despite that, Counter-Strike has almost always been better on PC, from the original mod, through the first release, to the Half-Life 2-powered Counter-Strike: Source. The latest standard version of Counter-Strike, the terrifyingly popular Global Offensive, is only on PC, which is a pretty big bonus. Aiming is easier with a mouse, the frame-rate stays high on good hardware, and finding matches is much easier with Steam's matchmaking engine. Nexon Corp has taken on the development duties for new games in recent years, with Counter-Strike Online 1&2 and Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies, again only for PC. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Also on: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 Dragon Age is Bioware's flagship fantasy series and, whilst its flagship science fantasy series Mass Effect is inarguably better with a gamepad, the first iteration of this Baldur's Gate wannabe was certainly superior with a mouse and keyboard, due to extremely clunky controls on gamepad, and a pseudo-Infinity Engine interface. It also looked much better on the high resolution monitor of a PC compared to the 1080p limits of an HDTV (which with the previous-gen consoles was always heavily upscaled.) The second game felt like more of an action-oriented Mass Effect sequel than the first game, and the third game felt more like it wanted to be a single-player MMO like Kingdoms of Amalur, with a confusing tactical planner that only made sense with a mouse. But they both benefitted from the PC's improved graphics punch and superior control schemes. It's just a pity that neither of them is on Steam! Also on: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 It's hard to remember now but the PC was always the traditional home of the FPS – until Halo came along, the argument was that you just couldn't do an FPS on console. So Battlefield was born on PC in 2002, with Battlefield 1942, Vietnam, Road to Rome, and Secret Weapons of WWII arriving before Battlefield 2 came out on Xbox 360 just after the console's launch. And again, given the weaknesses of the system, it wasn't exactly a PC killer. The control system was equally important, given that the game involves tanks, helicopters and planes. And it has to be said that playing on PC is much easier, given the access to all forms of control – sniping is more accurate with a mouse and flying is steadier with a joystick. And there are even more players on the servers on Battlefield 4 PC! Also on: Xbox 360, PS3 The Orange Box was probably the best value in gaming when it came out, with three amazing games for £30 (around $45, AU$57) – Portal, Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. Team Fortress' history on PC is ancient, going back to a free mod for Quake that came out in 1996. The games revolves around two teams of specialised classes competing to kill each other and/or claim objectives. Team Fortress 2 was a rebuild of 1999's Team Fortress Classic mod for Half-Life but introduced cartoon graphics, comedy achievements galore, entire new game modes and something that might one day prove to be the downfall of gaming – hats. Essentially, there were all sorts of unlockable weapons, costumes and hats (even piles of hats) which made the game not just tremendously fun in and of itself, but also compelling to keep playing, to get those random drops which gave you goodies – none of which were on console. It was a perfect Skinner box. The hats tied in with the game going free (which didn't happen on the consoles), which meant every PC gamer worth their salt has played it. It also inspired both the extreme DLC drive we've seen recently, the F2P games market in general on all platforms, and kept gamers playing TF right up to the present day. Also on: Xbox 360, PS3 Another Orange Box survivor, Portal was the core of the orangey package, but Valve was so uncertain about its reception that they kept it short and bundled two existing games along with it. I guess it shows that everybody suffers from imposter syndrome. Portal 2, meanwhile, has a mammoth amount of user-generated content through Steam Workshop, all rated and curated by the community. I suspect there's enough stuff here that you would literally never have to play another game again. Also on: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, iOS, Android Like all the best indie efforts, Notch's survival, crafting and exploration game started on PC and it's also where the fullest version is. Sure, the console ports are much more polished, easy-to-run, and have stuff like same-screen co-op included. But the myriad skins and mods are just on PC, along with all the more mature stuff for Minecraft. A working computer built from redstone that simulates another computer? That's on PC. A full-size USS Enterprise? On PC. The entirety of Westeros, the Game of Thrones world, recreated in the kind of pernickety detail that only PC gamers seem to bother with? Well, it's PC, of course. There's nothing quite like walking up all those bloody steps to the Eyrie to make it worth seeing where Tyrion was nearly defenestrated. Also on: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 Being on PC can't do anything for GTA's misanthropic, misogynist characters, but it sure makes them look better as they roam its unique, huge world. The GTA series started on PC, back in the days of DMA Design, but when Rockstar took over, the firm brought GTA III out on PlayStation 2 (though it followed on PC around half a year later). Essentially, the reason the PC version is superior is that it always comes out with all the expansions, bug fixes, and then has a keen modding community who ensure that it takes advantage of the latest hardware (similar to the awful Dark Souls PC port, which had a day one fix from modders to make it run at vaguely reasonable resolutions.) GTA V is coming to PC soon, a bare two years after the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Rockstar normally takes its sweet time to 'convert' each game – even though every game was built in Windows first! (We suspect the real reason for the delay has always been to maximise console sales, and minimise the inevitable PC piracy). Even better than being hugely more beautiful on PC, all the bugs will be fixed (which they weren't with GTA IV), and it won't look as terrible as GTA IV did before the PC community's seemingly-endless supply of highly talented mod-engineers set about it with the pretty hammer. Also on: iPad, iPhone, Android tablet Blizzard's card-hoarding game (at least that's how I play it) has been a smash hit, with live streams of the game proving hugely popular on Twitch.tv. Blizzard has responded by aggressively balancing the game, endlessly tweaking controversial cards (I pretty much stopped playing after they completely nerfed Starving Buzzard) and by releasing a lot of new content. The Naxxramas dungeon was a huge paid expansion, adding a ton of tough single-player battles and a lot of new Deathrattle cards. The next paid update is Blackrock Mountain, which looks to be focused on dragons. As Lily's article and video showed, there are problems with the internet connectivity on older iPads. I've won games because my iPad 2 connection problems have disconnected opponents – which obviously creates the potential for cheating – and I've lost games because I've played cards I didn't meant to, because of the unreliable lag. And, even with a retina screen, the PC version trumps it on frame rate, and the ease of chat. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This vibrating shirt can help the hard-of-hearing literally feel the music Posted: 05 Oct 2019 08:00 AM PDT There was a human glitterball, an eight-armed barman, and a Grime-loving grandma – but the most exciting thing to come out of London's Desperados Epic House Party was a haptic shirt that allows deaf and hard of hearing people to, in a sense, 'feel the music'. The plan was to create a party experience that would be inclusive for all, creating a space that everyone could enjoy. Diederik Vos, global brand director of Desperados explained the concept: “The Desperados Epic House Party embraced ideas from partygoers all over the world to create the ultimate welcoming experience.” “One of the epic party ideas came from Deaf Twins, Hermon and Heroda, who dreamt of being able to experience music in a way they have not been able to before,” he told us. So, how could the brand help the lifestyle and culture bloggers behind Being Her to experience music in a new way? The answer lies in haptic technology: in other words, tech that creates the sensation of touch by applying effects like vibration, motion, or force onto the user. In this case, Desperados teamed up with wearable tech brand CuteCircuit, who developed a haptic shirt, called the SoundShirt, which allowed the twins to literally feel the music, through sensations moving across the material. How does it work?According to CuteCircuit founder Francesca Rosella, the innovative shirts worked in tandem with the music played by the DJ at the Epic House Party, allowing Hermon and Heroda to “physically feel the music and enjoy dancing with their friends”. Explaining the process, she said: “We received the audio feed straight from the Desperados DJ desk and used the CuteCircuit Q software to analyze the music and transform it into touch sensations. These touch sensations were then broadcast in real-time wirelessly to the SoundShirts worn by the twins during the party.” They work by using built-in micro-actuators that can create forces of different amplitudes and patterns in response to the music played by the DJ. This music is split into different frequencies, including bass, mid-low, mid-high, and trebles, with each frequency corresponding to a different touch sensation. Rosella says that this means “every nuance of the music could be felt on a different part of the body,” making it easier for Hermon and Heroda to dance in time to the beat. The SoundShirt isn’t the first wearable haptic garment that CuteCircuit has created. It began as a new version of CuteCircuit’s HugShirt – listed in Time Magazine's best inventions of 2006 – which allows you to send the feeling of a hug to a loved one no matter how far away they are. Rosella says that, “over the years, many deaf people have asked us if they could use the HugShirt to feel sound, and in 2016 we created a SoundShirt for the Junge Symphoniker Orchestra in Hamburg”. “There, deaf members of the audience [have] tested it for the past three years, giving us amazing feedback on how to perfect the product,” she explains. Using the feedback of the audience members, CuteCircuit finally created the SoundShirt 2.0, along with new software that can analyze pop music as well as classic music – and it was used for the first time at the Desperados Epic House Party. Hermon and Heroda wearing the SoundShirts. How did it feel to dance among 3,000 other party goers? “Amazing,” say Hermon and Heroda, who told us that wearing the SoundShirts was as moving as it was fun. “We actually felt a little emotional... It was great to physically feel the music playing at the Desperados party and be able to dance with everyone else in the crowd. Music can lift you when you feel sad or a sad song can make you reflect, so to ‘feel the music’ was an emotional experience for us.” Wearing the haptic shirts also made the twins feel more included in the festivities, particularly as they were able to “dance to the music in real time and join everyone on the dance floor." “It made us feel so welcome and included,” they explained, describing how embedded LEDs on the shirts also lit up to the tempo of the music, helping them to feel like an integral part of the party. Tech for everyoneBeing able to dance with friends is something that people without hearing loss usually take for granted, but to Hermon and Heroda, this was “very special” indeed – and for them, it’s about time that technology companies started to take accessibility for those with hearing loss seriously. “There are so many ways technology can include deaf people and make our lives more inclusive and make us feel a part of society,” they told us. “So many people with disabilities become isolated from society because of the barriers involved with doing simple tasks [like] simply going to the shops to buy something because they can’t communicate.” Despite more shops and services having an online presence, deaf people are often left out of the loop, unable to communicate over the phone. The twins say that video calling technology “should be included in all types of apps so deaf people can communicate with companies like your bank, utility company or the council,” and that haptic devices like the SoundShirt "should be more widespread". Technology and fashion coming togetherSo, will the SoundShirt come to market and grant Hermon and Heroda’s wish for more accessibility-driven tech? Rosella says that the current version of the shirt “is being used by orchestras and entertainment venues, while the consumer version will be available early next year with a mobile version of the Q Sound app." It isn’t just those with hearing loss that could benefit from these innovative shirts. Rosella explains that the haptic shirts could find an important use within “augmented and virtual reality experiences such as remote concerts and video games." “The real beauty of a product like this is that it enhances experiences for all people and for all types of media right across the board,” she says. “The sense of touch is what gives the real feeling of immersion into an experience and this is the key point of CuteCircuit’s haptic wearable technology.” Not only that, but these shorts are designed to look as good as they feel: “Using smart fabrics instead of wires, so it feels comfortable like a garment should feel, and looks beautiful as well — it’s technology and fashion coming together.” This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The new Apex Legends update helps it avoid Fortnite's biggest problem Posted: 05 Oct 2019 07:00 AM PDT While so many games are looking to knock Fortnite from its battle royale perch, it feels few have come closer than Apex Legends. Respawn’s reputation for excellent gunplay and player movement, a neat class-based twist, and the free-to-play nature saw the game reach a million unique players within eight hours of launch. There’s a saying that goes “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone”, and Fortnite has lost it where it matters – at least from Epic’s point of view. Year on year revenue for the second quarter of 2018 vs 2019 shows a steep decline of 52 percent, while the game’s 2018 peak enjoyed almost 75 percent more revenue than the most recent quarter. Has the king been slapped from its pedestal by this young upstart? It’s hard to consider a game backed by EA as the David battling Goliath, but given Fortnite’s meteoric rise and complete permeation of mainstream culture it feels like the publishing juggernaut is taking aim with its slingshot nonetheless. It could be about to get worse before it gets better, though, as Apex Legends makes the one move that Fortnite seems to have tiptoed around for an eternity – introducing a new map. World's Edge looks to be an exciting refresh for Apex Legends heading into Season 3. Battle Royale is a strange genre. It’s one built on matches with high player-counts, built solely for competitive multiplayer. That means, in theory, you’re simply playing the same matches again and again – though every now and again with new rulesets or slightly amended weapon load outs. All this is to say that dropping onto the same map dozens of times every day (and watching your favourite streamer do the same) can lead to understandable tedium. There’s only so many times you can find enthusiasm for Tilted Towers, whether it’s the Neo version or not. Fortnite has been reinventing its map on a near-constant basis with the start of each new season, but many changes feel small scale. With everything being somewhat destructible (or at least harvestable) with a pickaxe, it feels like these small tweaks lack any permanence or strategical boosts - feeling almost like a box tick. There have been more impressive changes, too. Fortnite’s addition of Creative Mode was a stroke of genius – a set of tools for a fervent community to bend to their will, remaking games and creating new game modes entirely. Seeing fan-made products appear on the Battle Royale map as The Block is fun, but it’s a small piece of a very large map that lacks meaningful innovation. Standing at the edge of the worldApex Legends, on the other hand, may lack the visual identity of Fortnite’s almost toy-like villages and structures – Kings Canyon’s sandy, arid, and downright brown colour palette certainly doesn’t feel particularly inspired – but its buildings can’t be converted into materials with which to build new ones. Instead, each combat diorama feels deliberate, the entire map feeling like a patchwork quilt of deathmatch maps stitched together by sight-lines and kill-boxes. Of course, Apex Legends focus on verticality can’t be understated either. The game feels built with player locomotion in mind, with sliding downhill not only an option but actively encouraged – right from the game’s tutorial. There are ziplines, no fall damage, and even stations where teams can redeploy across the map with relative ease. With Kings Canyon leaving rotation at the start of the latest season 3, it would be reasonable to expect that all of these skills and fun ways of getting around will feature heavily in traversing the new World’s Edge map, particularly given the location’s position within a cliffside. World's Edge offers plenty of built-up, impressively urban style areas. This adds extra depth, factoring in environmental hazards like molten lava as well as rejuvenating the aforementioned dull aesthetic. There’s even a lore reason for the change, with the Syndicate that manages the Apex Legends tournament changing locales after displeasure with Kings Canyon’s construction schedule. It’s minor, and doesn’t affect gameplay in the slightest, but it's a neat piece of trivia that feels thought out. Of course, rumours abound that Epic are preparing a map swap of their own. It even looks as though the Battle Bus, the erstwhile method of jumping into a match, is being retired at the end of the current tenth season. Fortnite has never been afraid to mix things up in other areas, notoriously adding aeroplanes and mechs in Seasons 7 and 10 respectively, but both were lambasted by the game’s competitive players. What is clear is that the next move Fortnite makes could be huge. One wrong tweak or a lack of meaningful variation in its battlefield, and it could potentially lose more than just revenue – and a Battle Royale haemorrhaging players is never a good thing. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple Arcade goes live for macOS Catalina beta users Posted: 05 Oct 2019 06:30 AM PDT Apple has flicked the switch to enable Apple Arcade on the macOS Catalina beta, suggesting a full, public launch of Catalina is just around the corner. If you're running the beta on your Mac, you can get gaming now. The service costs $4.99 / AU$7.99 / AED 19.99 / £4.99 a month, which covers up to six family members, and you can try it for a month free of charge to see if you like it first. Apple Arcade has already gone live on iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs, with the roll out of the latest software updates, so if you're invested in the Apple ecosystem you may already be playing some of the exclusive games on offer.
Not all the Apple Arcade games are available on all devices though – MacRumors reports that around two dozen titles are available on macOS, including Sayonara Wild Hearts, Operator 41, Big Time Sports and Card of Darkness. Catalina coming very soonApple Arcade can be found inside the Mac App Store – if you're still on macOS Mojave, then you'll just see a message saying "Welcome to Apple Arcade on Mac!" together with a button to check for updates. Apple has promised that macOS 10.15 Catalina will be pushed out to users at some point during October, and that point would now appear to be imminent, with Apple Arcade and plenty of other pieces in place. A couple of days ago Apple released the Gold Master (GM) version of the software to developers – basically the version of the operating system that puts a period at the end of the beta testing stage. The macOS Catalina roll out could happen any day now, and when it does, you'll be able to dive straight into Apple Arcade on your Mac. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How Razer is reinventing the wheel with the new Blade Stealth Posted: 05 Oct 2019 06:00 AM PDT It's PC Gaming Week, and that means we're taking the time to really dig in and celebrate everything that makes desktop computing the most powerful gaming platform. And, really, it's impossible to talk about how big PC gaming is without exploring all the unique peripherals and systems that make its experiences so wonderfully diverse. And, of course, there's no talking about gaming peripherals without bringing up Razer. Established way back in 2005, Razer has always been at the forefront of PC games, creating some of the most iconic designs and even popularizing RGB. In fact, there are some people out there that call this titan of gaming hardware manufacturing "the Apple of PC gaming." Looking at laptops like the Razer Blade and Razer Blade Stealth, that label really isn't far off. So, when we got the opportunity to talk to Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan at IFA 2019, we jumped at the opportunity. He dove into the mindset behind the new Razer Blade Stealth, a laptop that we got a chance to play with at the tech show, and how it's at the forefront of a new category of gaming laptops. The new Razer Blade Stealth is in a league of its own On the front lines of innovationThe saga of the Razer Blade Stealth began eight years ago, according to Min-Liang Tan. "We called [it the Razer Blade], and we had a whole lot of flak, we called it ‘the world’s first true gaming laptop’. We had a whole bunch of people going “Razer, you’re just blowing smoke up my ass, right? Because, there’s gaming laptops today” and, I said “no, they are gaming luggables”". If you look back at the gaming laptop scene almost a decade ago, you can kind of see where Tan is coming from. In his words, it's "because, 8 or 9 years ago, all these [gaming laptops] were 2 inches thick and nobody really wanted one, because it was so heavy, we were the first to, and that’s why I said we were launching the world’s first true gaming laptop." The first Razer Blade wasn't nearly as thin and light as the current model, much less current competitors like the MSI GS65 Stealth. But for its day, it was slim and very fast - but Razer still faced some doubt back then. Min told us that "people said “you’re just doing a niche, nobody is going to pay that much money for a thin and powerful” but the entire industry today has gone the same way." And, we don't know about you, but we have definitely noticed that a lot of gaming laptop manufacturers are starting to make devices that can actually fit on your lap. It seems like Razer is completely keen to stay in that lane too.
We actually pointed out devices like the recent Alienware Area-51m, a desktop replacement device that allows users to upgrade the processor and graphics card. But, Razer isn't interested. Min-Liang Tan, who heads up Razer's design, wants folks to know that "basically I design stuff I want to use myself", so when at the desktop "I want something ultra modular, I want something super powerful, I want to have all the bells and whistles. Why? Because I’m sedentary, I’m at my desktop, I’m in my home, and that’s what I design it for." But, that obviously carries over into his laptop design. "Now, I designed the Razer Blade primarily for one thing: I needed a laptop for myself. And, back then, laptops were super thick, super heavy. But, that’s not the laptop I want," Min tells us "I want something I can travel with, I want something very light. But, because I want to play games, I need something really powerful but thin and light at the same time." So, basically, you shouldn't expect a modular laptop from Razer any time soon (or ever.) But didn't Razer have a concept desktop that had modular components? Well, yes, but instead of it becoming a product, according to Tan, "that technology, which was really about the hotswapping modular, kind of plug and play CPU/GPU technologies is actually the Razer Core." Razer is definitely more interested in crafting thin laptops that can pack a punch, rather than those thicc desktop replacements that you need a forklift to move around. We're still waiting for the Razer Toaster, though. The gaming UltrabookNaturally, because Razer is trying to craft new laptops that are thinner and lighter to give gamers better on-the-go options, the Blade Stealth emerged. For a while it just existed as this gaming-flavored Ultrabook, but at IFA 2019, Razer managed to shove dedicated graphics in there, transforming the device completely. At the show, Min told us that "Today, we’re launching the world’s first Gaming Ultrabook, 6 months later, I guarantee you, the entire industry is going to see gaming Ultrabooks everywhere", just like Razer released the first "true gaming laptop" 8 years ago. Now, we're definitely into the idea of a 13-inch gaming Ultrabook. Just imagine: a MacBook Pro-sized device that you can carry with you, and play the best PC games on while traveling. That's definitely the guiding principal behind the Stealth, too. "[the Razer Blade Stealth] is designed for myself," Tan explained. "Because I’m in a different city every 5 days, I want to have something I can carry around and play but not have to compromise on my gaming experience." He pitched the idea of the laptop, saying "It’s one thing to have to dial down all your settings, and something like that, but it’s another thing to be in a hotel room, you jack it in, and boom, you play an hour or two. You know, it’s great."
In our (admittedly limited) time with the new Razer Blade Stealth, we were able to run Wolfenstein Youngblood at 1080p. And, while we were playing with the settings on medium - not the high-caliber graphics that make the game sing on proper desktop gaming rigs - that's about the same experience as you'd get on a console. All with a device that you can easily carry around in your backpack - which is definitely Razer's design goal. Razer is even working on a mobility line of peripherals to go along with that mindset "Sure, well you can see our Mobility line, which is doing really well. We’ve got the Atheris, which is a Bluetooth 2.4GHz laptop mouse." And, while products like the Atheris will obviously not be as fully featured as more intense desktop peripherals, that's all part of the plan, according to Min. "The laptop mouse in and of itself is all about portability, so you sacrifice some of the ergonomics, when it comes to it. Why? Because you need to throw it in your bag, you need to be able to bring it around." We think this new Blade Stealth is just a sign of how gaming has transformed over the last few years, and we imagine it will be super popular with folks that like to play their esports titles on the go. All in all, the gaming-on-the-go future is looking bright. The new Razer Viper is proof that Razer is sticking to its roots Future-gazing at RazerWe don't think Razer is going to jump into mainstream computing, to compete with the likes of Dell or Apple directly, and neither does Tan. "My take has always been that Razer will never go mainstream, mainstream will come to us," Tan said. "Someday we’ll see esports at the olympic games, which we are slowly hearing discussions about, we’re going to see gamers everywhere." Don't think that Razer plans to sit on its laurels any time soon, either. When we asked Min-Liang Tan whether or not Razer will be ready to jump on whatever trends pop up. "Everything we’ve done has started with a niche, but we’ve made it into a category or an industry. When we invented the world’s first gaming mouse, we didn’t just invent a category, we invented this entire industry," Tan remarked. Razer has obviously been at the forefront of the gaming space before, and now it's doing it again, and will continue to do so in the future. No matter what happens, Min assures us that gamers will stay at the forefront of Razer's focus. "What I’m happiest about is that we just didn’t want to sell out, we just wanted to stay hyper-focused on the gamer." Its refreshing to see a hardware manufacturer, especially on the level of Razer, that's willing to stick to its roots, no matter how awesome a Razer 2-in-1 laptop or toaster would be. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The HP Elite Dragonfly could be its best business laptop yet Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:30 AM PDT As the battle for laptop workplace domination rumbles on, HP is hoping its latest release will help it continue its success in the space. The company recently revealed its all-new HP Elite Dragonfly model, part of the long-running Elitebook series, as the latest business-focused hardware. Featuring an all-new design, colour scheme and improved portability, HP sees the Dragonfly as a major step forward in its B2B offering, and TechRadar Pro got the chance to go hands-on at the recent Microsoft Future Decoded event in London.
Disruptive"This is something very different for us,” Simon Barlow, HP business development manager, tells us. “With Dragonfly, what we wanted to do was have something a little bit disruptive and memorable.” The most noticeable thing about the HP Dragonfly is its colour. HP wants its device to stand out from the crowd, and has created an all-new Dragonfly Blue colour scheme to do just that. The company says that blue is the most trusted colour in the world, and the Dragonfly’s colour scheme will certainly make it stand out from the greys and blacks seen in most traditional business laptops. The device is made from a single piece of magnesium alloy, making it incredibly light at just under 1kg for the lowest-spec model. Barlow adds that the device has been “tested to destruction”, fitting the requirements for the MIL-STD 810G military standard. The screen has been re-engineered from previous generations, with a 13.3in display that has allowed HP to reduce the top bezel by 42 percent, and the side bezel by 14 percent. This results in an 87 percent screen to body ratio (up from 83 percent on the previous 1030) generation, helped by an inbuilt 3.5mm hybrid camera with integrated webcam blocker and HP’s own Sure View technology for greater privacy. It’s not all about technological progress, however, as HP says that the Dragonfly is its most sustainable laptop to date, right down to using water-based rather than lead-based paint. The company notes that the device is the world's first notebook made with ocean bound plastic material, with up to 50 percent recycled plastic material used in the keycaps, and no metal components within the keyboard array, with rubber and plastic used instead. These keycaps also come alongside a redesigned trackpad and mouse that are quieter than previous generations. Under the hood, there’s your choice of a quad-core 8th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, and either a two- or four-cell battery, the latter of which HP says can offer up to 24 hours of battery life. HP Fast Charge tech is also included, allowing the HP Elite Dragonfly to charge 50 percent of its battery in just 30 minutes. When it comes to connectivity, the Dragonfly sports HDMI and two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, reflecting the trend of more businesses using PC docks in the office. HP has also included a USB-A port for those users whose office hardware may be a bit older, but the move will also allow the device to apply to more customers. As for networking, the Dragonfly sports the option of gigabit-class 4G LTE wireless broadband connectivity, allowing workers to stay online on the go, with Wi-Fi 6 ensuring they stay connected whilst in the office. The HP Dragonfly will go on sale from October 25, with prices starting at $1,549 / £1,099.
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| BT Broadband gives parents power to pause the very internet itself with Wi-Fi Controls Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:12 AM PDT BT has announced a new free update, called Wi-Fi Controls, that allows parents far greater control over their internet. This new feature that now comes with all BT Broadband deals is aimed at parents that want to manage family screen time more healthily. Of the all the many broadband deals out there right now, this new feature certainly helps BT's appeal. Wi-Fi Controls is for those with a Smart Hub 2 only, allowing more control over that device including the ability to stop the internet. Yup, using the MyBT app parents can pause the internet for specific devices. Up to 15 devices can be controlled via the Wi-Fi Controls feature which means parents can schedule and pause the connection for as little or as long as they like. There is also the ability to set up groups, so you could have one set of rules for a certain age of children and another for a different age. The idea is to offer a way to control screen time so families can spend more time together. Carolyn Bunting, Chief Executive of Internet Matters, commented: "One size doesn’t fit all, so setting up groups of devices that can be online at different times will help parents balance different screen time needs. "Involving children in the process of setting age appropriate limits on how long they can spend online, at what times and on which platforms, is the best way of making sure they have a healthy mix of screen activity."
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| Want a way to track swimming? These AR goggles provide your stats in real time Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:00 AM PDT When it comes to sports gadgets, swimmers have been pretty hard done to over the years. While cyclists, runners, even footballers, all have their own gadgets throwing out metrics in real-time, the number of dedicated products for swimming enthusiasts remains disappointingly low. This is despite the fact that swimming remains the number one participation sport in the UK with 2.5 million people swimming in pools each week, according to figures from Sport England (even more if you include open water or wild swimming). Sure, a number of smartwatches, including the Apple Watches from Series 2 onwards, will now calculate how many laps you've swum (even which stroke you've used) while waterproof MP3 players – or SwiMP3 players, like the excellent Finis DUO – provide underwater entertainment. But that’s really been about it. Until now.
Recently introduced by Canadian company FORM are a pair of ‘smart goggles’ with a built-in Augmented Reality (AR) display, that can provide real-time performance information without you having to stop at look at your watch. It’s a really simple, yet clever, solution. But do they work? Well yes, though they aren't perfect by any means. We tested the goggles in an outdoor pool over a number of weeks, and were generally very impressed. Sleek designHoused inside a large plastic case, the FORM goggles are inevitably much more bulky than standard goggles. All the electronics are located very neatly down one side of an eye-piece where you can find two small buttons – one at the front for switching the device on/off, one at the rear for toggling between various menu options (more of that later). A special USB lead is provided for charging from your mains power with two small magnetic charging points on the goggles themselves. Up to 16 hours swimming can be provided from a single charge, which is very generous. Given the extra bulk you might expect the goggles to be uncomfortable or difficult to wear in the water, but actually that’s not the case at all. Inside the pack are four nose bridges (small, large, extra small, extra large) to suit different faces, although we managed to use the standard medium-sized bridge provided with the goggles. Leaking goggles is the curse of all swimmers from novice right through to professional, but we didn’t experience any problems. The suction cups remained firm throughout and didn’t let in any water. Nor did they hurt eyes at all when swimming, unlike some other goggles. The only problem we did face was that, because the goggles are designed so you can view the built-in AR screen, there is very little peripheral vision. Instead it’s rather like looking down a tunnel when you swim. As a result, we certainly wouldn’t recommend the FORM goggles when open water swimming, where you need to be able to see all around you, or in a very busy pool, unless you are swimming in a lane. Easy to use appAs with most sports tech these days, the FORM goggles incorporate their own Android/iOS app where you can set up the device and monitor your swims, in more detail than the two metrics that are provided in the eye display during swimming. On the top of the goggle display there’s the total amount of time you have swum and on the bottom you can choose from a range of options, including total distance, calories or length counter. Alternatively you can see your pace (how fast you are swimming 50 or 100m) or monitor your swimming efficiency by viewing the distance you are travelling per stroke and your stroke count per length. Like other devices such as the Apple Watch, a built in accelerometer automatically knows when you are turning so the lengths can be counted accurately (it works with tumble/flip turns too) and can even figure out which stroke you are swimming – freestyle (front crawl), backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly. In addition to the information provided in your eye display during swimming, the app stores masses of data about each of your swims, including your splits (how fast you've completed each length and each 100m), the stroke you used, the overall time you swam and the number of calories you burnt. You can even mark the location for each swim using the app’s huge database and share all of this information via the app with friends, should you choose. Getting startedUsing the goggles in the water is reasonably straightforward. Once you've put them on your face, simply press the small power button to switch on the display. Either you can view the display in your right eye or change the settings on the app, or the goggles themselves, to view it in your left eye. As we swim mostly in an outdoor pool, and were testing the goggles in summer, we assumed the lack of brightness may be a problem, but the yellow display was more than bright enough in standard mode. What’s more, you can change the brightness setting either in the app or on the goggles (we recommend using the app as it can be quite fiddly trying to toggle through various menus in the water). Once you have switched the goggles on, you have the option of setting up the pool size (we used the standard 25m) and choosing the type of swim – lap swim if you are just swimming up and down, or intervals for structured swimming work-outs. Then you just press a button again to start your swim. As the FORM goggles have a built-in motion detector they will only time your swim from when you move off the wall and will pause if you rest at the end of the pool for a break. However, at the end of each workout you need to remember to save and quit manually, otherwise your swim won’t be stored. VerdictThere’s no doubt the FORM goggles really raise the bar when it comes to swimming tech. Unfortunately they’re not suitable for open water swimming because their design means you can’t see very clearly around you (only straight ahead). Also, unlike smart watches, they don’t store GPS information, so it’s not possible to use them to track an open water swim. They are also a little bit fiddly if you need to change settings in the water. However, if you are pool swimmer who wants to monitor your progress, we definitely would recommend them. We particularly liked being able to see how fast we swam each length (this information flashes up each time you turn) and how many lengths we had swum overall, because it’s so easy to lose count when you are ploughing up and down. At $199 (about £160, AU$300) they’re certainly not cheap, but it’s a price that many swimming enthusiasts would be prepared to pay for the information they provide. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| iPhone 11’s popularity could mean you can’t buy the 7nm AMD Ryzen 3000 CPU or Navi GPU you want Posted: 05 Oct 2019 04:59 AM PDT Apple has turned things around with its latest iPhone in terms of sales, but while that’s great news for Tim Cook and company, it might be bad news for AMD, with more pressure being exerted on 7nm supplies at chip maker TSMC. Those are supplies that AMD uses for its latest-gen Ryzen 3000 processors and Navi graphics cards, and we’ve already previously heard that demand is such, that TSMC tripled its production lead time on 7nm orders to six months. As we reported yesterday, the Nikkei Asian Review claims Apple has told its suppliers that demand for the new iPhone 11 models is such that the company wants production increased by 10%.
That translates into 8 million more iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models (apparently the iPhone 11 Pro Max isn’t as popular) which are powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic hexa-core chip, and that SoC is, you guessed it, built on 7nm and manufactured by TSMC. Thus Apple’s success, with Tim Cook previously noting that iPhone 11 sales have got off to a “very strong start”, could be to the detriment of AMD’s latest 7nm processors and graphics cards. Because this is obviously extra strain on TSMC, casting additional doubt on production capacity following the aforementioned tripling of production lead time. Indeed, as Tom’s Hardware observes, according to DigiTimes – the source of the lead time tripling rumor – TSMC has advised its customers to get their orders in for the whole of 2020 already. Smooth sailing – at least for now?Being a big customer of TSMC, with both Ryzen 3rd-gen and Navi products, you would hope we wouldn’t see any real effect on AMD’s newest processors or graphics cards in the nearer-term, as it should have cast-iron contracts to ensure things run smoothly for now. Or at least smoothly enough, although on the CPU side of the equation for AMD, there have already been stock issues with the likes of the Ryzen 9 3900X, and the delay of the incoming flagship Ryzen 9 3950X which is seemingly tied up in production issues too. So all in all, there are some fairly worrying doubts floating around currently, and indeed Nvidia could potentially be affected here, too, given that its next-gen graphics cards are moving to a 7nm process. And Nvidia will be using TSMC to make those GPUs, at least in part, with Samsung also set to be involved in their manufacturing going by what Nvidia said earlier this year. So longer-term, there could be some broad repercussions for the supply levels of various PC components. That said, TSMC is (unsurprisingly) making a move to expand its 7nm capacity – although whether the chip manufacturer can move fast enough to meet the seemingly swiftly increasing demand is another question. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Japan vs Samoa live stream: how to watch today's Rugby World Cup 2019 match from anywhere Posted: 05 Oct 2019 03:16 AM PDT It may be cliched to throw around words like 'fairy tale', but Japan's Rugby World Cup is certainly starting to feel like one. After that remarkable win against hotly tipped Ireland, they now take on a Samoan side fresh from a Scottish spanking. Keep reading to discover how to get a Japan vs Samoa live stream, no matter where in the world you are. Yep, this time last week Japan were celebrating another phenomenal Rugby World Cup victory, managing to dispatch the Irish by 19 points to 12. If the home country fans weren't already excited enough about the tournament, then that huge win will surely have converted the doubters. One can't quite imagine influential captain Michael Leitch starting again from the substitutes bench. He really was the difference maker last weekend. Winger Kotaro Matsushima - and hat-trick hero against Russia - is also garnering plenty of attention and will be hoping to add to his tally in Toyota today. For Samoa, it's the last chance saloon. They know that they now have to beat Japan AND Ireland to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in over 20 years. They beat Russia with ease, but then got decimated by Scotland on Monday. Veteran fly-half Tusi Pisi will need to bring all his experience and nous to hurt the hosts. So which way will it go? Will Japan continue their dream run, or can Samoa ruin the party? Thanks to TechRadar's Japan vs Samoa live stream guide you can discover how to watch this showdown from your corner of the Earth. How to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup from outside your countryWatching from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US or Canada? Then keep scrolling to discover who's showing the match in your country. But if you're abroad this weekend and still want to watch your domestic coverage, then you'll soon find it's geo-blocked by the broadcaster meaning you can't watch it. At least you wouldn't be able to, if it weren't for the magic (OK, not actual magic) of a VPN. A Virtual Private Network let's you change the IP address of your laptop, phone, tablet or TV streaming device meaning that you can change it back to one that's in your home country and watch the rugby as if you were back there. It's ridiculously easy to do, too. How to stream Japan vs Samoa live in the UK for FREEHow to watch Japan vs Samoa: live stream in AustraliaHow to watch a Japan vs Samoa live stream in New ZealandHow to live stream Japan vs Samoa in the US
Live stream Rugby World Cup 2019 match in CanadaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple may fix your busted iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus for free Posted: 05 Oct 2019 02:30 AM PDT Apple has announced another of its official repair programs, this time for users with an iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus that won't switch on. If Apple verifies that the problem is due to a faulty part, it'll fix the phone for free. "Apple has determined that certain iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices may not power on due to a component that may fail," says Apple. "This issue only affects devices within a limited serial number range that were manufactured between October 2018 to August 2019." You can head over to the support page Apple has set up to type in your device's serial number and see if you're eligible for a free fix. You'll find the serial number on the iPhone itself, and you can also find it by tapping General then About in the iOS Settings menu.
The usual Apple repair program rules apply: you can take eligible devices to an Apple Store, or an authorized Apple retailer, or send them to Apple in the mail. If there's more than one problem with the device, you might get charged for extra repairs. Apple's 2015 flagshipYou can no longer buy the iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus direct from Apple – the phones first appeared back in 2015, introducing 3D Touch and a new rose gold color. They would be the last iPhones to have a headphone jack. Now they join a growing list of Apple products covered by a repair program. In recent months we've seen Apple offer to repair cracking Apple Watch screens and unresponsive MacBook keyboards free of charge. Apple certainly seems keen to take the leading role in repairs of its own devices, rather than leaving you to turn to your local repair shop – the iPhone 11 handsets will show an alert if you've had a screen repair done by anyone other than Apple. Bear in mind that your iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus is only covered for two years after the initial purchase by this program. If you've already fixed the issue out of your own pocket, Apple says it will refund the cash. Via Gizmodo This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Microsoft just gave us the perfect excuse to wait until Black Friday to buy a Surface Pro Posted: 05 Oct 2019 02:00 AM PDT Poor old Microsoft. It puts all that effort into building – and then launching – a new wave of Surface devices, including the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X, but instead of making me want to rush out and buy one of its new products, instead I want hold tight. Then buy one of the older models. That’s because, while the new Surface devices – especially the Pro X – look pretty good, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up. Why does that matter? Because, in the many many years I’ve now been covering Black Friday (I think this will be my 1,245th), one of the things that has been pretty dependable (apart from riots at Walmart over crap TVs) is that Surface products, especially the Surface Pro line up, get some excellent deals. So, usually around this time of year, I’d normally tell anyone who was thinking of buying a Surface Pro to wait a few more weeks and see what kind of Black Friday deals are available. A bit of patience can save you a decent chunk of change. New devices, big price dropsHowever, with Microsoft launching new Surface products, it makes it even more likely that the older Surface products will get price cuts as retailers look to clear out the older stock. Remember – Black Friday isn’t done because retailers are kind and want to give us a nice pre-Christmas gift, but because they want to make a lot of money by shifting old (or crap) stock. Now, the likes of the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Laptop 2 are certainly not crap, but now that their successors are out, they are ‘old’. At least in the eyes of retailers. We’ve already seen some decent Surface Pro 6 discounts in the UK since the Surface Pro 7 launch. I expect them to only get better the closer to Black Friday we get. Minor upgradeAnother good reason for holding off until Black Friday and getting a Surface Pro 6, rather than a 7, is that in our early tests, the Surface Pro 7 isn’t that much of a huge upgrade compared to the previous model. While that’s disappointing on one hand, it means you can buy the Surface Pro 6 without worrying about missing out too much. In fact, the biggest thing you’ll miss, is the higher price tag. So, thank you Microsoft for showing us lots of new goodies. But I’m going to hold off for a while…
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| BT Broadband deal: get superfast fibre and a free gift for less than £30 a month Posted: 05 Oct 2019 01:49 AM PDT It's true to say that BT Broadband isn't the cheapest internet provider around and there are ISPs out there (wave hello to the likes of Vodafone and TalkTalk) that can undercut it with their most affordable broadband deals. But a recent price cut has seen BT return to our good books - it's brought its best value Superfast Fibre package down below the £30 per month mark for new customers. That's excellent value when you consider that the average speeds are 50Mb - a nice upgrade from the cheapest fibre offered by other providers. It may not be Black Friday standard, but it isn't far off. And to add to the joy, BT is also throwing in a £40 'Reward Card' to sweeten the deal further. So that's a pre-paid Mastercard that you can use anywhere in store or online where it's accepted...so pretty much everywhere! Sound good? Discover more details below and beyond that our full broadband comparison chart of all of today's best BT Broadband deals.
BT's cut price fibre broadband dealWhat are BT's Reward Cards?The Reward Card that BT sends out is a pre-paid credit card that you can use anywhere that accepts Mastercard. In short, that's around a million shops, cafes and restaurants around the world, so you shouldn't find it difficult to find places to spend, spend, spend. It's an old-fashioned chip and pin card, rather than contactless. But do make sure that you claim your Reward Card within three months of installation, otherwise you'll lose out on all that cash. Today's best BT broadband dealsThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| OnePlus may have just confirmed the OnePlus 7T Pro launch for October 10 Posted: 05 Oct 2019 12:31 AM PDT OnePlus has begun teasing the Indian launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro. The second member of the OnePlus 7T family will arrive on October 10. The OnePlus 7T was launched on September 26, making its global debut in India. At that time, the company was mum on the existence of the 7T Pro. Just a week later, we now have the first set of teasers pointing at the launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro in India. OnePlus has an event scheduled on October 10 in London, where the phone will make its official debut. The teaser also shows a silhouette of a phone that looks eerily similar to the OnePlus 7 Pro, in line with the previous rumours that the 7T Pro will primarily be a minor upgrade over its predecessor. If the HDFC Bank deals landing page is to be believed, the OnePlus 7T Pro will launch on October 10 and will be available in retail stores and other offline channels first, before making its way to Amazon on October 15. OnePlus 7T Pro specificationsThe OnePlus 7T Pro is expected to be very similar to the 7 Pro, bringing a 6.67-inch curved Fluid AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 capabilities. There will be an in-display fingerprint scanner as well. The most notable upgrade will come in the form of the processing package, with the Snapdragon 855+ powering the OnePlus 7T Pro, along with 8 or 12GB of RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. There will be a triple camera setup on the back, consisting of a 48MP f/1.6 primary camera with hybrid image stabilization, a 16MP ultra-wide shooter and a 12MP telephoto lens. The front camera will pop-up from the top edge, and will be a 16MP unit. New features such as the Macro mode, improved Nightscape, etc. are also expected to make the cut. The battery might get a slight bump too, up from 4,000 mAh with support for 30W Warp Charge 30T. Physical design is likely to remain unchanged, but a McLaren edition might also make a comeback, like the one we saw with the OnePlus 6T. OnePlus 7T Pro price in IndiaBack in May, the OnePlus 7 Pro was priced at Rs 48,999 for the variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage. The 7T Pro can be expected to be priced similarly, but the base RAM might go up to 8GB, just like the OnePlus 7T. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Marvel’s Avengers game: release date, news, trailers and first impressions Posted: 04 Oct 2019 03:07 PM PDT After two years of secrecy, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are starting to talk about their first Avengers game – or, as we know it, Marvel’s Avengers. At Square Enix's E3 2019 press event, we finally got our first look at the game in a story trailer that seems to riff on some of the biggest moments from the Avengers comics. You'll play as your favorite Avengers in an all-new story set in the Marvel universe featuring many Avengers throughout the game (with the exception of Hawkeye) as you save the day from an evil force. According to Crystal Dynamics, the game has 'an all-star cast' that includes Laura Bailey, Nolan North and Troy Baker, some of the most preeminent voice actors in the videogame industry. It was at this year's E3 that we also learned that the game will have a multiplayer component alongside a single-player campaign, though it wasn't shown off during the event - but we did get hands on time with the game at Gamescom 2019. While we only got hands on time with Avenger's campaign mode, what we've heard from Crystal Dynamics in a closed-door briefing is that you'll assemble into teams of four online, customize your characters and fight online together through new scenarios. Crystal Dynamics says this content will be free and will come at a constant clip. Last, but not least, we got a confirmed release date: May 15, 2020. Here's everything we know about Square Enix’s big foray into the Marvel universe. [Update: Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms. Marvel is joining Marvel's Avengers, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics unveiled at New York this week. At the event, the developer teased a slightly tweaked origin story for the character who, according to Crystal Dynamics, will be exposed to the mysterious Terrigen Mist during A-Day (the game's opening event) and "finds herself developing extraordinary polymorphic powers, which she subsequently hides for years ... As the story expands, Kamala plays an essential role in bringing the disbanded Avengers back together." Check out a trailer for the newly introduced character down below.] Cut to the chase
Image credit: Crystal Dynamics Gameplay impressionsWe got some hands on time with Marvel's Avengers at Gamescom 2019. Check out our hands on: Marvel's Avengers review for our impressions. Marvel’s Avengers trailersThe game’s first teaser trailer came out last year. Check it out below: The big unveiling for the game came at E3 2019, when Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics really let loose a lot of details and clips. We've embedded the Avengers E3 2019 trailer below: The most recent trailer from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics revolves around Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) who plays a crucial role in the events of A-Day and sub-sequent re-union of the Avengers. Check out her trailer down below. Marvel’s Avengers news and featuresPS4 beta According to the game's official twitter page, Marvel's Avengers will have a beta on PS4 before release. However, Crystal Dynamics hasn't revealed when or how we can access the beta. Check out the tweet below: Maybe cross generation? During a Q&A session at Gamescom 2019 we asked Crystal Dynamics about whether Marvel's Avengers will be a cross generation title, considering it's releasing next year and the team plans on supporting it for the long haul. While the devs didn't outright confirm or deny, the smirk and laugh we got suggested this is the case. Stadia Crystal Dynamics has confirmed Avengers is coming to Google Stadia. Skill trees As you progress you will unlock skill points and trees which allow you to specify your playstyle. Skills include both classics and new moves, and are categorized under the following: primary, speciality, capability and utility. Earn and upgrade gear You can customize your gear to suit your playstyle. Gear has varying rarity and, as you progress, you can unlock perks for pieces of gear. War table Players choose either hero missions (single player campaign focusing on one hero) or war zone missions (can be played with any hero in a team of up to four people) from the war table. Hero missions will flesh out the story and allow you to unlock new heroes, while war zone missions expand the narrative. Who is the bad guy? Crystal Dynamics has now shared that the Avengers will mainly be battling against a corporation called 'Advanced Idea Mechanics' (aka AIM), who believe science will save the world. With superheroes outlawed following the A-Day incident, AIM has replaced them with AI - who also keep the supers in check. Cosmetic microtransactions Avengers will have a marketplace where players can buy cosmetic outfits for their heroes. While some outfits can be unlocked, other must be bought with real-life money. According to Crystal Dynamics, there are outfits spanning the history of Marvel's comics, TV shows, films and more. San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con has been and gone but not without important happenings for Marvel's Avengers fans. In a panel for the game, hosted by creative director Shaun Escayg explained to attendees that the game would allow players to play through an original Avengers story, with customisable heroes and online multiplayer. There will be the main story campaign where you'll play as the various Avengers, and then the online co-op which is where you'll do your character customisation. This customisation will include skill trees as well as appearance changes. There was also footage of the game shown. While this footage was supposed to be for attendees only and released around Gamescom to the public, it was leaked and you can see the leaked footage for yourself in our trailer section above. The footage showed the prologue of the game's main story campaign which sees an A-day event in San Francisco gone wrong following an explosion. Footage of Thor, Iron Man and Hulk in action against the minions of Taskmaster. It shows the different kind of moves and skills each hero brings to the table but also reveals that more than the core group will appear in the game. Ms Marvel makes an appearance in the footage but whether or not she'll be playable is unknown. Offline and solo gameplay It's been confirmed that Marvel's Avengers will offer players the chance to play offline and alone, despite its focus on the online multiplayer experience. In an interview with GamesIndustryBiz, Crystal Dynamics boss, Scott Amos, said that players "can have a complete experience and have fun" even if they never go online. No paywalls or Loot Boxes It's also been confirmed by Scott Amos that paywalls and Loot Boxes will not be a feature of the game. It seems that monetization will come from entirely optional cosmetic purchases. These will allow players to invest in their favorite heroes and make them look exactly as they want them to. "The idea, from the beginning, is that we want you to be able to customize your hero; how they look, how they play, the gear they have and how they use it," Amos said. "Your Black Widow could be different to my Black Widow – just a little, maybe a lot – depending on what you favor and how you unlock things." Of course, players will also be able to earn customization items as they play as well. Official reveal Marvel’s Avengers was finally revealed at the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference on Monday evening, giving us our first real look at the game since it was announced back in January 2017. A "tribute to Stan" Crystal Dynamics has revealed that the Marvel's Avengers game is a tribute to Stan Lee, who passed away in 2018. When we asked if Stan would be making in appearance in the game, the developer seemed coy but hinted we will be seeing the legend make a appearance. Image credit: Crystal Dynamics Gameplay The most important thing we saw was the gameplay, which looked to be a third-person adventure in the same vein as Marvel's Spider-Man. We know we'll get the chance to play as almost all of the most famous Avengers at some point, with the exception of Hawkeye who sadly wasn't part of the unveiling. Marvel’s Avengers will feature “continuous single-player and co-operative gameplay”, and that players can “assemble in teams up to four players, master extraordinary abilities…and combine powers” – i.e. an online multiplayer component that Crystal Dynamics has yet to reveal, but we're hoping we'll hear more about that later. Focus on story Marvel’s Spider-Man blew us away last year with a story full of heart, characters we cared about, and some sensational performances to boot. Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics have a wonderful opportunity to deliver a narrative befitting the unbelievable roster of Marvel characters they have inherited. Thankfully, it looks like they're doing just that with Avengers. We know the game takes place after A-Day, the day the Avengers get honored for their service to the community. This day of jubilation is quickly ruined, however, and our heroes our ripped apart – which gives us real Disassembled vibes. Apparently the heroes come back together and will have to face a new threat that wasn't revealed in the trailer. Continuous content? Crystal Dynamics emphasized the idea of a “continuous” game in an “ever-expanding world”. All this content may come first to PS4 thanks to a deal between Square Enix and Sony, but all of it will be free on every platform. Recent games-as-a-service titles such as Destiny, Anthem, and The Division 2 aren’t exactly lauded for their top-tier narratives, so we’re hoping the reveal will confirm the experience won’t be diluted in favour of ever-lasting revenue. Screenshot taken from the E3 Colosseum website. Fresh, diverse range of playable heroes Decades of comics, and 22 movies over 11 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ensure fans are well versed on many classic Marvel heroes. While we love Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, we think it’s time to introduce some fresh, lesser-known faces in Marvel’s Avengers. Unforunately, for whatever reason, Hawkeye wasn't part of the presentation and Hank Pym – a.k.a Ant Man – only got a supporting role. We’d love to see Khan take centre stage, perhaps even alongside other more recent Avengers, such as Iron Heart, Miles Morales, and Squirrel Girl. Why not? It's Crystal Dynamics' biggest game ever In a recent interview, Crystal Dynamics studio head Scott Amos told GamesIndustry.biz that this is the developer's biggest game to date, requiring five studios from around the globe to make: "We've had to change how we work, how we are organised as a team, the number of people we need to do this, the number of external partners... We've had to go hire experts like Shaun Escayg, who is our creative director. He told stories for Uncharted and The Last of Us [at Naughty Dog], we needed him to help tell this story. Dave Fifield was a game director who worked on Halo and Call of Duty, we needed him to help us with multiplayer," Amos said. The five studios working on the title are Crystal Dynamics at Redwood Shores, a new studio in Bellevue called Crystal North West, Crystal Dynamics' partners in the Netherlands, Nixxes, Eidos Montreal and even Square Enix Japan. Five teams to bring the five Avengers to life? Sounds about right.
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| The best cheap Apple Watch prices and sales in October 2019 Posted: 04 Oct 2019 02:04 PM PDT This is your guide to the best Apple Watch prices and sales that are currently available online. Apple's smartwatch is the most popular of its kind on the market, so finding the best deals can be a difficult task. Below you'll find all of the best Apple Watch sales we've found, from the Series 1 watch to the latest Apple Watch 5. We also threw in a few places to buy Apple Watch bands a little more cheaply than you can pick them up from Apple. The best Black Friday Apple Watch deals and pricesWhile there are several fantastic offers to shop below, Black Friday 2019 (and Cyber Monday after) is always an excellent opportunity to score Apple Watch deals. Lucky for you, we've put together a guide on how to find the best Black Friday Apple Watch deals for the upcoming November sale event. We'll also tell you what models will be on sale, what prices to expect, and when the sale begins. The Apple Watch 5 with GPS technology is priced at $399 / £399 / AU$649 for the 40mm size and cost $429 / £429 / AU$699 for the larger 44mm size. The GPS-only model is the cheapest new Apple Watch and lacks LTE connectivity. If you're not interested in a cellular plan for your smartwatch, this model would be best for you. The Apple Watch 5 with GPS and Cellular connectivity start at $499 / £499 / AU$799 for the 40mm model and goes up to $529 / £529 / AU$849 for the 44mm size. The Apple Watch Nike Series 5 includes GPS technology and has a starting price of $399 / £399 / AU$649 for the 40mm model. If you're interested in GPS and cellular the 40mm Nike+ Apple Watch is priced at $499 / £499 / AU$799. The smartwatch is available to pre-order now, but unlike the other models, it won't be available in stores until October 4, three weeks after the initial date. It's currently unavailable in the UK, but deals should be coming soon. The Apple Watch is available in four variations: 40mm and 44mm sizes, and with or without cellular / LTE service, with prices accordingly. You're currently unlikely to find this watch at lower than its list price, but be sure to check back regularly as we'll be updating with any deals we find during the Black Friday period. The regular Apple Watch 3 delivered minimal upgrade from the Series 2. Still, it remains a top-tier device in terms of fitness and longevity, with run and cycle tracking on board and a water-resistant casing for swimming, plus the a heart rate monitor on the underside. And the LTE version comes with cellular connectivity so you can use it independently from your phone. The Apple Watch 2 isn't being sold by Apple, but it's still being pushed around by various retailers for those who want an older watch on the cheap. It includes specs and features not available on the cheaper Apple Watch Series 1. This includes GPS tracking, a brighter screen and waterproof specs that allow you to wear it in the pool. Right - let's clear this up: there are multiple Nike+ editions of the Apple Watch. The first is the Nike+ Apple Watch Series 2, the second the Nike+ Apple Watch Series 3 and the third... you've guessed it... the Nike+ Apple Watch Series 4. Each is virtually identical to the 'standard' version of the Watch they're related to, apart from different (and really rather nice) rubberised straps that you can't easily buy separately and new watch faces. Other than that, they don't really offer a lot more other than a stylistic option - and of course they're 'designed' to be use with the Nike app. So if you're seeing the Nike+ Apple Watch for cheap, make sure it's not the Series 2 model... although that one is perfectly good enough in our eyes, and offers all the advantages minus the LTE connectivity.
The Apple Watch Series 1 is actually the best Apple Watch for most people who aren’t all-star runners and avid swimmers, with most of the specs you need on a smartwatch. This is a 'refreshed' Apple Watch compared to the original Apple Watch below, so it has a faster dual-core processor and better battery life as a result. It runs all the same WatchOS 4 software, which brings some decent improvements and, best of all, the original Watch costs a lot less than the models above. If you don’t need to track GPS runs and swim with it on, you’ll save money. The discounted Apple Watch Series 1 still comes in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, but only has the more economical aluminum case and Sport band, although it's still good value despite the limited choice.
Your Apple Watch literally isn’t complete without the best deals on Apple Watch bands. They make the geeky smartwatch stylish enough to show off to late adopters.
In fact, you’re going to want multiple cheap Apple Watch straps simply because more elegant bands are far from ideal for the gym. Vice versa, Sport Bands don’t cut it at the fancy dinner table. Everyday in the news, we see new cheap Apple Watch bands trying to become the de facto alternative to the more expensive, official Apple Watch bands, and they’re usually just as good. Trust us, buying a trio of third-party, lookalike Apple Watch bands for the price of one official strap is a relief after paying so much for the smartwatch itself. Plus, you'll want to save up for an Apple Watch 3 upgrade.
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