Apple : Surge of malicious ads target iOS and macOS users |
- Surge of malicious ads target iOS and macOS users
- The best Motorola phones of 2019: find the best Moto smartphone for you
- EU rules active consent is required for tracking cookies
- The best Verizon phones available in October 2019
- Tivo's latest DVR holds 300 hours of shows, and even streams Dolby Vision content
- Best gaming mouse pads 2019: the best mouse mats for gamers
- Best gaming keyboard 2019: the best gaming keyboards we've tested
- The 35 best indie games on PC and consoles
- How MSI builds some of the smallest gaming PCs in the world
- Best hard drives 2019: the top HDD for desktops and laptops
- Touring Maingear: the hypercar auto shop of gaming PC builders
- Why (and how) Acer makes the most extreme PC gaming hardware
- Best 4K monitors 2019: the top Ultra HD monitors and displays
- Best gaming mouse 2019: the best gaming mice we've tested
- How much RAM do you really need in your gaming PC?
- Multi-database and multi-cloud deployments are the new norm
- Top Amazon-recommended products have major security risks
- The best mouse of 2019: 10 top computer mice compared
- The best cheap laptop deals in October 2019: prices start at just $94
- Top Tech Conferences: The ultimate B2B tech events and show guide for 2019
| Surge of malicious ads target iOS and macOS users Posted: 01 Oct 2019 03:30 PM PDT By exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in Chrome and Safari, cybercriminals were able to serve over 1bn malicious ads to users in less than a two month period. The attackers targeted both iOS and macOS users by leveraging known zero-day vulnerabilities (which have since been patched) to inject exploit code which redirected vulnerable users to malicious sites according to the security firm Confiant. The threat actor eGobbler exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Webkit, the browser engine used in Safari and Blink, the Webkit fork used in Chrome, to generate successful redirects.
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2019-8771, existed in a JavaScript function which occurs each time a user presses down a key on their keyboard. By exploiting the vulnerability, eGobbler was able to allow ads linked in HTML tags called iframes to break out of security sandbox protections that prevent a user from being redirected without their knowledge. Malicious adsResearcher and engineer at Confiant, Eliya Stein explained how the vulnerability worked in a blog post, saying: “The nature of the bug is that a cross-origin nested iframe is able to “autofocus” which bypasses the “allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation” sandbox directive on the parent frame. With the inner frame automatically focused, the keydown event becomes a user activated navigation event, which renders the ad sandboxing entirely useless as a measure for forced redirect mitigation.” After discovering eGobbler's latest campaign, Confiant reported its findings to both Google and Apple's security teams. The vulnerability was fixed in Chrome with the release of iOS 13 and a patch for Safari arrived shortly after with the release of Safari 13.0.1. eGobbler has launched similar campaigns in the past and earlier this year one of its campaigns served an estimated 500m malicious ads by exploiting a similar vulnerability in the iOS version of Chrome. The threat actor's latest campaign was focused on luring European users to phishing pages based on their mobile provider.
Via Ars Technica This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best Motorola phones of 2019: find the best Moto smartphone for you Posted: 01 Oct 2019 02:26 PM PDT Motorola phones, alongside Nokia phones, and certain LG phones, are champions of the budget smartphone market. That means if you're looking for a decent handset that won't break the bank, you're in the right place. Motorola's smartphones run the gamut of lower-end price points, but each has impressive features that may convince you to pick one up. The Moto Z handsets can support additional features - including 5G - with Moto Mods; the Moto G range consists of budget devices with certain impressive specs each; and the Motorola One handsets are wacky and interesting in even more novel ways. Of course, these phones won't compete with the likes of the iPhone 11 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S10, but they won't cost you as much either. They're reliable, with impressive specs for their price tag. Motorola has a lot of phones, and tends to release a bunch of new ones at the same time, so it can be a little tough getting your head around the products. That's why we've made this list of the best Moto phones to guide your hand. We also update this list regularly, when Motorola releases a new phone, or when software updates cause the rankings to shift, so keep checking back to see which devices we recommend the most. We're approaching the time where Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals are coming our way - and we're expecting that a few cases deals might start popping up then. So if you think you're OK to wait and not damage your device, you could save some cash - but if the worst does happen then perhaps bookmark our Black Friday iPhone deals page... it could save you a heap of cash. Best Moto phones 2019 at a glance:
Image credit: TechRadar The Moto Z4 is a safe move from Motorola - it looks nearly identical to its predecessors, with only minor shifts in size and shape - but that likely arises from the company's decision to keep supporting the Moto Mods, which require phones to keep roughly the same shape. Thus, the phone doesn't look like it's changed. Look closer and you'll find some improvements, like an expanded 6.4-inch screen to the edges (around a top notch), an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and the return of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Gone also is the dual 12MP lenses in the rear camera bump; instead, the Moto Z4 follows the midrange (and Google Pixel-like) trend of dropping lenses and using software to make up for it. We found the Moto Z4 took slightly better photos with its lone 48MP rear camera, and similar improvements with its 25MP selfie lens. The phone is speedy enough, though its performance might drag on over the years: instead of packing an older but still flagship chipset like its predecessor, the Moto Z4 opted for a Snapdragon 675 - a new, but definitively midrange option. This is more speculation - we'll have to see whether this chipset lasts longer than we expect - but the phone's 4GB RAM (only option) isn't promising for longevity either. Read our in-depth review: Moto Z4 Image credit: TechRadar The Moto Z3 is still a solid pick in the Moto line, with a comparable (if not slightly faster) chipset than the Moto Z4. Best of all? It's still the cheapest way to access 5G through the 5G Moto Mod. When this Moto add-on first came out, it made the Moto Z3 the first 5G-capable phone to hit the market in the whole world. Of course, there are a lot of caveats to that fact – namely, that the mod is only coming to Verizon in the US, and will only work in that carrier's very limited 5G coverage areas – but it's still an impressive claim for a sub-flagship phone. Yes, the phone doesn't have the beastly specs of top-tier flagships – but at half the price, the Moto Z3 boasts impressive value. It sports a Snapdragon 835, which is respectable if dated, and comes in two average if unimpressive versions: 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of space (expandable via microSD to up to 512GB). That's enough for streaming multimedia and moderate gaming, which look good on the phone's 6-inch (2160 x 1080) AMOLED display. Combine that with basic dual 12MP rear cameras and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter and you have a good phone sitting somewhere below the OnePlus 6T and lesser-performing midrange phones. The phone's glass back and side-mounted fingerprint scanner are similarly middle-luxe – a good compromise if you want performance at a lower price. Read our in-depth review: Motorola Moto Z3 The Motorola One Action has lots in common with the other Motorola One phones, like its chipset and screen quality, but it has one novel feature that makes it an interesting prospect for phones buyers. As well as its main and depth sensing cameras on the back of the device, the Motorola One Action has an 'action cam' which is designed for impressive video recording. You can record in landscape while holding the phone in portrait, and the camera is great at picking up video detail: all in all it's a great device for people who take a lot of videos. On top of that the handset is actually cheaper than lots of other Motorola ones, so you could do a lot worse if you're looking for a device with an intriguing extra feature. Read our in-depth review: Motorola One Action Image credit: TechRadar The Motorola Moto G7 Plus is the top performer of the brand's G7 family, which counts four phones this time around. The G7 Plus is the standout model, though it may not reach your region: Motorola confirmed the device isn't coming to the US. But if you can pick the phone up, you won't be sorry. For sub-midrange price, you'll get a Snapdragon 636-powered phone with a decent 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable up to 512GB). The phone even has one up on the more powerful Moto Z3 with its 3.5mm headphone jack. So why the G7 Plus and not, say, an older (but still hefty) Moto Z2 Play? Simple: Android 9 Pie out of the box. That leads us to recommend the phone even over other more powerful Moto phones (like the Moto Z2 Force, which is nearly identical to the Z3), and the G7 Plus has other benefits of a later release date, like speedier Fast Charging and a higher screen-to-body ratio. Read our in-depth review: Motorola Moto G7 Plus Image credit: TechRadar No, Motorola One Vision is not inspired by the Queen song, but it is one of the royalty of Moto handsets – its clean and clear Android One operating system (OS) cuts away the bloat and excess of normal Android, and the phone itself has an attractive and clean design. The Motorola One Vision's 21:9 aspect ratio may be questionable to some, however, as the jury's still out on whether this is the future of smartphones or just an annoying gimmick. If you're on-board with the phone's unwieldy length, and don't mind its weak specs in a certain few areas, the Motorola One Vision sits at a happily affordable price point and does impress in a few major ways. Read our in-depth review: Motorola One Vision Image Credit: TechRadar Why list the Moto G7 here? Sure, it's slightly less powerful than the G7 Plus, but it's also available in more regions (including the US), so we're covering our bases in case you don't want to pay international shipping on your budget-plus phone. You don't miss much going for the G7, either: its Snapdragon 632 chip is a bit less powerful, sure, and its frame is plastic instead of aluminum. But the rest of its specs are essentially the same, which means you're getting a phone that's nearly as nice at a discount. That means 4GB of RAM and 64GB of space, a 6.2-inch LCD display and dual 12MP + 5MP rear shooters/an 8MP front-facing camera for a great price. Plus it comes with Android 9 Pie right out of the box. Read our in-depth review: Moto G7 Image credit: TechRadar If you're looking for the ultimate Moto value, think about digging back into the reserves. The Moto Z2 Force came out in mid-2017, but it's still a relative powerhouse – and you can find it for a bit cheaper than the newer Moto Z3. Despite over a year between releases, the Z2 Force packs the same Snapdragon 835 processor as its successor. Its screen is even higher resolution at 2560 x 1440, though its 5.5 inches are smaller than the Z3's display. Unfortunately, the Z2 Force shows its age in its chin and top bezels, which are significantly larger than those on phones released today. But if you don't mind not sporting the sleekest phone on the block, the Z2 Force has most of the newest top-tier Moto phone at a lower price. And it works with Moto Mods -- including, eventually, the Moto Mod 5G, which will expand functionality to the earlier Z2 phones at some point after it's released on April 11. Read our in-depth review: Moto Z2 Force Image credit: TechRadar The third phone in the budget Moto G7 line is the G7 Power, which doesn't vary much from the standard G7 – aside from its enormous battery. Yes, for those of you who tire of recharging your phone everyday, here's one with a 5,000mAh battery. Other phones have reached such heights, but they're either expensive flagships (like the gaming-focused Huawei Mate 20 X) or battery-focused brick-thick novelty items (like the Energizer Power Max P18K). The G7 Power is a much more affordable, sensible and normal-looking phone than others that offer its level of battery capabilities. Otherwise, the phone is basic but not bottom-tier, with a Snapdragon 632 and either 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (in the US) or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (elsewhere). Its 6.2-inch LCD screen is large but not terribly impressive (1570 x 720px). But in combination with the giant battery and an accessible price of $249 / £179 (around AU$330), the Moto G7 Power is a great bargain. Read our in-depth review: Moto G7 Power review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| EU rules active consent is required for tracking cookies Posted: 01 Oct 2019 02:21 PM PDT A big change will soon be coming to websites in the EU as Europe's top court has ruled that pre-checked consent boxes for cookies are not legally valid. Going forward, consent will need to be obtained before a website stores or accesses non-essential cookies such as tracking cookies used for targeted advertising. Websites in Europe could soon face legal troubles if their cookie notices fail to ask for consent first which is typically the case as site owners prefer not to risk having their ability to track users for ad targeting taken away from them.
Currently many websites display a cookie banner which users need to click okay on before they can gain access to a site's content. This practice will no longer be legal in the EU and site owners will likely have a much more difficult time getting European users to opt into ad tracking cookies. Cookie storage and trackingThe ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) comes after a German court asked it to make a decision in regard to a case involving the lottery website Planet49 which required that users first consent to the storage of cookies in order to play a promotional game. The ECJ provided further details on its ruling in a press release, which reads: “In today’s judgment, the Court decides that the consent which a website user must give to the storage of and access to cookies on his or her equipment is not validly constituted by way of a prechecked checkbox which that user must deselect to refuse his or her consent.” This means that pre-checked consent boxes as well as cookie banners are not valid under EU law. Additionally, cookie consent cannot be bundled with another purpose such as allowing a user to access a site's content or giving them the ability to play a promotional game as is the case with Planet49. Users must also now be provided with some specific information on what a cookie tracks for consent to be legally valid. This includes details on how long the cookie will operate and who a user's data will be shared with. The ECJ's ruling is a big win for internet privacy but it will likely have far reaching implications for European website owners that have abused the tracking ability of cookies for too long.
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| The best Verizon phones available in October 2019 Posted: 01 Oct 2019 02:13 PM PDT The best Verizon phones just got easier to find, because we're here to help you know figure out which smartphones are either premium picks worth the high price tag or excellent value devices that won't let you down. We've tested the best smartphones and the best cheap smartphones, and we've compared our findings to what Verizon has on offer. We've also taken into consideration the deals Verizon offers on its phones. So, whether you're looking to switch to Verizon and take advantage of new customer discounts and trade-in deals, or you're an existing customer looking for an upgrade, we'll help you figure out which phones are worth your while. We'll go over what each phone has to offer, and which discounts Verizon offers on them to sweeten the deal. This way, you can be sure you're money is well spent, and you're not missing out on an opportunity to save a little bit more. Best Verizon phones at a glance:
Verizon phones: Your options explainedHow TechRadar has found the best Verizon phone for you From premium to budget, and Android to iOS, we've looked at the phones Verizon has to offer and determined which are the best options in a number of categories. These choices are based on the value of the phones compared with the price Verizon is charging. Whatever your needs, you should be able to find something that fits in this list. We're also approaching the time where Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals are coming our way - and we're expecting that a few cases deals might start popping up then. So if you think you're OK to wait and not damage your device, you could save some cash - but if the worst does happen then perhaps bookmark our Black Friday iPhone deals page... it could save you a heap of cash. Understanding your purchasing optionsThe phones listed here are all available on an installment plan from Verizon that allows you to pay for the device over a set 24-month term. We'll include the installment price so you can clearly understand what your bill for the phones will look like. If you're also looking for a new Verizon plan, check out our rundown of the best plans the carrier has to offer. The best Verizon phones for every budget:Image Credit: TechRadar Picking your planOnce you've found the phone you want, make sure you find the best Verizon plan. You'll want to see all the plan options Verizon has available to you can rest easy knowing you're getting the most for your money, If you want more phone recommendations check our list of the best smartphones we've tested. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tivo's latest DVR holds 300 hours of shows, and even streams Dolby Vision content Posted: 01 Oct 2019 01:49 PM PDT Rather than disappearing into the aether alongside cable television packages, Tivo is taking on traditional streaming players with the release of its latest DVR, the Tivo Edge, that offers traditional TV recording features with the added bonus of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos playback for select streaming services. The new DVR is launching this week in two separate models - the Tivo EDGE for antenna that comes with a 2TB hard drive, plus four tuners, and costs $349.99 with Tivo’s $6.99 per month service package; or the Tivo EDGE for cable that raises the amount of tuners up to six, but costs $399.99 and requires Tivo’s $14.99 service plan. According to Tivo, that 2TB hard drive will store up to 300 hours of shows and movies, and the device will have access to all of the main streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and others. If you’re looking for even more content, both of the new devices will work with the company’s upcoming Tivo+ service that offers live streaming channels as well as thousands of movies and TV shows from various content partners. Some of those partners include TMZ, FailArmy, Tastemade and Mobcrush, so don’t get too excited, but it’s still a nice additional feature. Cutting through the cable noiseSpeaking of good features, both boxes will have SkipMode that lets you breeze through commercials, OneSearch that scours live TV, DVR recordings and streaming apps to quickly and easily find what you’re searching for, and OnePass that organizes seasons of TV shows automatically, regardless of their source. At over $300, the Tivo Edge is a bit pricey compared to $99 streaming boxes like the Roku Ultra and $129 Amazon Fire TV Cube. But for folks who bought into expansive cable packages, it could be a solid time-saving solution.
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| Best gaming mouse pads 2019: the best mouse mats for gamers Posted: 01 Oct 2019 01:04 PM PDT Just a few years ago, the best mouse pad for gaming was just a mouse pad, maybe it had an extra slick surface or some gaming logo on it. However, these days things have changed radically. The best gaming mouse pads now feature things like RGB lighting and even wireless charging – they truly have adapted to all the demands of modern PC gamers. It should be obvious that having a good mouse pad is essential, but if you’re already playing the best PC games on the best gaming PC with the best gaming mouse, why would you settle for anything less than the best mouse pad? Spoilers: you wouldn’t. Loading up an online retailer will immediately make one thing clear: there are hundreds of mouse pads. And, while that does mean that it’s hard to find the best mouse pad for your needs, it also means there’s a mouse pad out there for everyone. So, whether you want to light up your desk like a Christmas Tree, or if you want a slick pad for maximum accuracy and response times, we’ve found the best gaming mouse pads you can use today, especially in celebration of PC Gaming Week 2019! Image Credit: Corsair The Corsair MM600 isn’t interested in distracting you with brightly colored lights like the MM800. Instead, it offers a great deal more versatility than its higher priced sibling. This double sided mouse pad stays secure in place with rubber stoppers on each corner so that your mouse moves – not your mouse pad. The MM600 is also made of aluminum, and features a low-friction surface that will boost your response times in-game. Image Credit: SteelSeries Existing solely as a budget mousepad, the SteelSeries QcK does exactly what you want out of a mousepad and nothing more. The QcK’s surface material has a high thread count for extremely precise mouse control and a smooth glide. At the same time, its rubber base helps prevent it from sliding around your desk while you’re gaming. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and there’s even a higher end version with RGB lighting – the SteelSeries QcK Prism. Image Credit: Cooler Master There are a lot of mouse pads out there that we love in theory, but just won’t fit our desk – either too big or entirely too small. However, the Cooler Master MP510 looks to get on top of this problem by offering 4 different sizes, from a small pad that’ll fit any desk to a giant mouse pad that will take up even the largest desk. It’s made of a durable Cordura fabric that won’t fray, stain or even absorb liquid. So, you won't have to panic when you inevitably spill your drink – except for all your other peripherals, we guess.
Image Credit: Razer Sure, everyone loves RGB lighting, but what if you’re looking for an unobtrusive, seamless desk surface? Well, the ultra thin – less than half a millimeter in height – Razer Sphex v2 is the mouse pad for you. Despite its thin profile, the polycarbonate surface is durable and optimised for laser or optical gaming mouse control. We picked the regular size, but if you have a smaller desk, there’s a Small size variant as well. Image Credit: Roccat The top of the Hiro+ is covered in a vulcanized silicone surface with a 3D structure to help increase your gaming accuracy and speed. The base has a non-slip surface for steady mouse control, and the edges have been rounded for a smoother profile. Its surface is also coated to protect from water and grime, and makes for easy cleaning. Image Credit: Corsair Most people think that the best gaming mouse pads are just glorified tablecloths that you move your mouse on top of. Well, until the Corsair MM1000 Qi hit the market, that was almost right. Not only is this thing one of the best gaming mouse pads, but it also features Qi charging. Launching alongside the Corsair Dark Core RGB SE, which itself features Qi compatibility, the MM1000 Qi isn’t just Corsair’s answer to the Logitech PowerPlay, it takes mouse pads to the next level. Image Credit: Razer Let’s say you have a ton of RGB-bedecked peripherals, a keyboard, a mouse and maybe even a headset. You can’t just leave your mouse pad out of the RGB party, so you should keep an eye out for the Razer Goliathus Chroma. This illuminated mouse pad takes Razer’s expert RGB implementation and throws it into a soft gaming mouse pad that’ll let you score those headshots, and do it in style. Image Credit: Corsair You simply can’t go out looking for the best mouse mat for gaming in 2019 without considering RGB. All the hottest gaming peripherals right now boast about how they can light your desk up like a Christmas tree, and the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris is no different. On top of Corsair’s always-fantastic RGB implementation, the MM800 uses a low-friction finish that’ll allow for quick and precise tracking across its surface. And if the lighting wasn’t enough, the MM800 uses Corsair’s special CUE2 interface to sync its lighting with your other peripherals and even your PC through RGB share. It’s even available in two materials: cloth and a micro-texture surface. Image Credit: Asus More of a ‘desk pad’ than a gaming mouse pad, the Asus ROG Scabbard is absolutely massive. It can hold your laptop or keyboard and mouse, along with any other accessories you have lying around. It has a non-slip ROG red rubber base and low-friction Sheath woven surface for maximum mouse control. Asus has even temperature tested the ROG scabbard down to -30°C – but we wouldn’t recommend gaming in sub-zero conditions, even if you’re really into overclocking. Image Credit: MSI Are other mouse pads just too soft for your gaming setup? Well, if so, you’re in luck – the MSI Thunderstorm gaming mouse pad is all metal. To be precise, this gaming mouse pad is made of an anodized, hairline-surfaced aluminum material with rubber stoppers. This textured surface is optimized for mouse control and speed, while its L shape allows it to be situated close to the keyboard. And, if that metal surface is just too real for you, you can flip it over for a micro-textured surface and the comfort of cloth. 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 |
| Best gaming keyboard 2019: the best gaming keyboards we've tested Posted: 01 Oct 2019 12:50 PM PDT It’s in your best interest to invest in one of the best gaming keyboards, especially if you're serious about gaming and especially when you've just dropped a bunch of cash on the best gaming PC. Trust us; you’ll need the best gaming peripherals to back you up. As much as you'll be tempted to save some money, pick up a $10 keyboard and call it a day, do yourself a favor and resist. If you don’t, you’ll only be doing yourself – not to mention, all your new PC games – a disservice by not picking up one of the best gaming keyboards. Much like with the best gaming mice, a gaming keyboard can help considerably with giving you the best and most immersive gaming experience. The best gaming keyboards, unlike many other PC components and peripherals, can actually make you better at the PC games you play, especially if you've invested in a mechanical keyboard. Plus, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming soon, it's worth taking a look at the best gaming keyboards 2019 has to offer, as you could see some killer deals. What exactly makes the best gaming keyboard? Before you to pick up the best gaming keyboard for your needs, make sure to consider the kind of switches you want. Membrane switches might be the worst for gaming, so finding a mechanical keyboard is the most ideal. Of course, don’t forget about RGB lighting – it wouldn’t be 2019 if your desk isn’t lighting up like a Christmas tree. Plus, you'll be happy to know that if you don’t have a large budget, there’s an excellent gaming keyboard for you on this list. If money isn’t an issue, there are also a ton of feature-rich keyboards on it that boasts all the bells and whistles. Let’s dive into all the best gaming keyboards 2019 has on offer – during PC Gaming Week 2019, no less – all of which have been tested and reviewed by us. The best gaming keyboard 2019 at a glance:
The SteelSeries Apex Pro’s svelte aesthetic and clever OLED display are just the appetizers. The SteelSeries Apex Pro gets our coveted 5-star rating for many reasons, the biggest of which are its stunning and solid build, custom actuation and comfortable – not to mention, quiet – magnetic switches. Performance-wise, it’s among the best gaming keyboards we’ve tested yet, which makes its $199 price tag worth the splurge. Read the full review: SteelSeries Apex Pro Razer Huntsman Elite If you have the need for speed, then the Huntsman Elite is your best bet, thanks to its new optomechanical switches. That sounds like a mouthful, but essentially, it means that Razer has managed to combine mechanical switches with optical sensors. This unthinkable allows the Huntsman Elite to take its actuation to the next level, and you would be hard-pressed to find a faster keyboard on the market. Switches aside, it’s also remarkably comfortable to type on. Plus, it’s covered with more RGB lighting than you can shake a stick at. Sure, it needs two USB cables for power and costs a small fortune, but with tech like this, it’s absolutely worth it. Read the full review: Razer Huntsman Elite Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo The Roccat Vulcan 120 should be at the top of your gaming keyboard wish list, if you want one that looks and feels good. This svelte keyboard uses Roccat’s own Titan switches, rather than the Cherry MX switches found on most other keyboards on this list, and we can vouch for how superb they are. This gaming keyboard combines amazing tactile feedback with quiet and comfort. It really isn’t hard to see why this is one of the best gaming keyboards on the market today. Read the full review: Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo Logitech G513 One of the biggest issues with Cherry MX Red keys is that even though they’re good for gaming, they’re not really ideal for typing anything other than your Steam credentials. That’s exactly why the Logitech G513 and its Romer-G Linear switches steal the show. With its brushed metal finish that is, miraculously, practically immune to fingerprints, it all adds up to one of the best gaming keyboards to date. Read the full review: Logitech G513 Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 When you think Alienware, “value” isn’t the word that comes to mind. But, this time around, the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 is a genuinely great deal. At under 100 bucks or quid, you’re getting the toughest gaming keyboard fitted with mechanical keys, dedicated macro keys and slick aesthetics. It’s not the most feature rich keyboard in the game, but at this price, it really doesn’t need to be. One of the best gaming keyboards in 2019, the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 gets the job done, and looks good while doing it. Read the full review: Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 Not everything has to be super high-end to be good, and the Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is the perfect example. Though this one’s a keyboard and mouse set, the keyboard is the star of the show. Sitting at just under a hundred bucks, the MasterSet’s keyboard is affordable while being up there with its more premium ‘mem-chanical’ competitors in terms of quality. The switches on offer bring a ton of tactile feedback and deep travel. It’s quiet as well, so you can furiously pounding away during an intense late-night Overwatch match without worry. The Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is, without a doubt, one of the best gaming keyboards under $100. Read the full review: Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 Corsair K63 Wireless We have tested many wired gaming mice over the last few years, but we haven’t seen that many wireless gaming keyboards and even less that we actually liked. That is, until the Corsair K63 Wireless keyboard entered the scene. The computer peripherals company took what made the wired version of the K63 so great, and put it into a wireless version – without compromising on much at all. Packing tight Cherry MX Red switches, full RGB lighting and convenient media controls, the K63 wireless is proof that wireless keyboards can be very capable in 2019, even for gaming. Read the full review: Corsair K63 Wireless Corsair K95 RGB Platinum A $159 price tag on a gaming keyboard might a tad too steep, but the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum, one of the best gaming keyboards we’ve tested in the last year, really does give you a lot of ounce for your bounce. We’re not talking the more trivial bells and whistles like fancy RGB lighting either – although since we are on the subject, this one’s got a whole lot of them, not to mention its integrated 19-zone light bar and the 16.8 million color options, to boot. By bang, we actually mean its 6 dedicated macro keys, 8MB on-board storage and aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame. Read the full review: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard You might be thinking that if you’ve seen one of the best gaming keyboards, you’ve seen them all: big, garish hunks of metal with bright RGB lighting. Well, the Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard will surprise you. While it definitely has the RGB lighting (honestly, how could it not?), it leaves the rest of the cliches in the past where they belong. Appealing and responsive, this keyboard is only as big as it needs to be, and is thus extremely comfortable to type as well as game on. There are no multimedia buttons, but we’d happily make that trade any day for a keyboard this good at such a low price. Read the full review: Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard Razer Cynosa Chroma If you’re new to PC gaming and currently in the market for a keyboard that’ll do admirably minus the high price tag that a lot of mechanical keyboards have, the Razer Cynosa Chroma might be for you. It doesn’t have the tactile clickiness of a higher-end keyboard, but its hybrid mesh switches perform well enough, boasting a 1ms polling rate and 10-key rollover. Impressed yet? We haven’t even mentioned the sick RGB lighting. The Razer Cynosa Chroma is one of the best gaming keyboards for PC gaming newbies who might not necessarily want to spend money on the slickest rig just yet. Read the full review: Razer Cynosa Chroma 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. Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 35 best indie games on PC and consoles Posted: 01 Oct 2019 12:34 PM PDT Update: Added Outward and A Plague Tale: Innocence The best PC games with cash to splash are quickly evolving, but so are the best indie games you may have never heard of. One of the great things about our best indie games list is that most of these more obscure titles, unlike AAA game publishers, don’t try to squeeze you out of every penny every chance they get. Free from corporate influence and constant badgering for your money, the best indie games give players the pure artistic vision of the developers – most ideally experienced on one of the best gaming PCs. In fact, many of them are among the best Steam games you can download in 2019. But, make no mistake: just because the best indie games don’t make a lot of money, doesn’t mean they can’t keep up with the latest AAA hits in scope and ambition. In fact, the opposite is true. The best indie games can easily rival mainstream games in both quality and scope. And, since they don’t have to rely on tired tropes just to sell millions of copies, like their AAA counterparts, they’re essentially artistic masterpieces and offer a more unique experience. If you want to dive into the best indie games, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of all the best indie games on the PC market today, from in vogue indies like Return of the Obra Dinn and Outward, to classic titles like Braid and Dwarf Fortress. If you’re looking for the next great indie title, keep reading. And, don’t worry, we’re going to keep this list updated with all the latest and greatest indie hits. 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. Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas, Joe Osborne, Kane Fulton and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article It’s not out yet, with Double Fine promising it’ll be out ‘soonish,’ but Ooblets is already on our radar. Being developed by first-time studio Glumberland, and backed by Double Fine, the game is described as some kind of combo between Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, capturing our attention – and probably yours, too. The game combines an art style oddly reminiscent of post-apocalyptic sensation, Adventure Time, with gameplay that revolves around gathering creatures called ooblets in the town of, uh, Oob. In the game, you’ll be able to train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer. That’s right; drawing influence from the likes of Stardew Valley, you can cultivate, produce and decorate your house with various trimmings as well. You’ll also be able to join an Ooblet Club comprised of friends (NPCs) you’ll meet along the way. If you don’t know what to do just yet, you can just walk around aimlessly to discover new shops and buildings that suit your interest. Better yet, you can open up your own shop to sell produce that you’ve grown yourself on the farm, as well as items that you’ve scavenged throughout the world. And, you can feed the leftover crops to your ooblets to watch them level up and learn new techniques to be used in the turn-based, RPG-style battles. Expected: ‘Soonish’ At first, Jonathan Blow's masterpiece appears to be a simple pastiche of Super Mario Bros, with a middle-aged curmudgeon replacing the titular plumber, but still seeking to rescue a princess. But, the longer you spend in the game, the more that’s revealed to you, progressing from a series of time-bending puzzles to quiet reflective texts. That doesn’t stop it from being the smartest puzzle game since SpaceChem, however. Blow himself has subtly hinted that the ultimate story may revolve around the atomic bomb. First released as PC freeware by Japanese designer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in 2004 after five years of 100% solo development, Cave Story predates this recent indie renaissance by a few years. Because of that, it's often been omitted in indie gaming discussions. However, this classic more than deserves to be on every best-of list, and not only for its loving homage to the classic action platforming games of the Super Nintendo era. It also boasts awesome music and a breathlessly vibrant world, not to mention, the hugely intuitive controls as well as gobs of secrets and weapons that are simply too fun to use. If you've yet to enjoy this one, you need to put it at the top of your list already. From family-owned and operated Studio MDHR, Cuphead has resonated with millions of people around the world, many of whom normally wouldn’t touch a run-and-gun platformer with a ten-foot pole. While its gameplay was inspired by classic games such as Mega Man and Contra, most gamers will likely compare it to a Fleischer Studios cartoon like Betty Boop. Because Cuphead uses a hand-drawn art style similar to a 1930s animation, it’s been universally praised for its gorgeous visuals. Cuphead is more than just its stunning visuals, however. It’s a series of 19 challenging and engaging bosses, with platforming bits interspersed between them. It already made our list of the best indie games, but then Studio MDHR has announced that the Cuphead: the Delicious Last Course DLC, slated for 2019, will include a new isle to explore, new bosses to conquer and, most importantly, a new character to master. This dark and moody action-adventure stealth game by Asobo Studio is hauntingly beautiful, already making our best indie games list even though it’s only been released in May 2019. Set in the 1340s during the Black Death pandemic in the French countryside, you’re Amicia, a young noble girl whose parents were killed by the Inquisition. You must now traverse battlefields and villages with her brother Hugo to find a cure for his mysterious ailment. Along the way, you must scare away ravenous rats as well as stun (or kill) guards and hostile villagers with your sling and special ammunition supplies. Despite the ghastliness and rawness of the Middle Ages and the Plague, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a complete stunner and a game who almost never want to end. Among the hardcore gamers we know, Spelunky is the go-to drug. Even today, several years after its release, some of them still play it consistently, despite having completed it many times over. That's because this ostensibly rogue-like platformer with a definite end is tough, varied and highly randomized. It also has more dark secrets than a presidential candidate, which means that there are a number of ways to finish it, and its daily challenges are a sure-fire way to public humiliation. Does humor belong in video games? Well, if the Stanley Parable has its way, it’s a resounding ‘yes’. This game is hilarious without being dumbed down. Players follow (or don’t) a very British narrator who changes the world around you, based on your choices. No choice is punished, and every playthrough will be fresh with new humor and weird goings-on. In fact, being trapped in the closet in The Stanley Parable is more moving and funny than the majority of other games, indie and otherwise. If you missed out on this ironic gem back when it first launched, you’ll be happy to know that the developer announced the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe edition for 2019, touting fresh content, more endings and a console release. This Ultra Deluxe edition actually sounds pretty tempting, even for us – and we played it a whole lot when it first came out.
It took more than nine years to make, but Owlboy is certainly worth the wait. Originally designed for PCs and released in late 2016, this clever indie game masterpiece is now available to experience on Mac and Linux as well – and there’s even a Nintendo Switch version! Owlboy revolves around a race of owl-human hybrid characters called, aptly enough, Owls. Of them, you control Otis, an Owl who is censured by his mentor for his inept flying skills. The story sees Otis’ village destroyed by pirates who have conflict with the Owls. As a result, Otis has to work with an assortment of villagers in-game to take out enemies. Of course, before the boss battles arise, you’ll need to manage allies accordingly, as each character comes with their own set of unique skill sets to use in conjunction with one another. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Kid Icarus game, this is one’s for you. If not, well… play it anyway. Similar to The Stanley Parable, Gone Home falls into the unofficially christened ‘walking simulator’ genre. Where it diverts from the clever and philosophical Stanley Parable, however, is its focus on life’s difficult realities, as opposed to light humor. After coming home to your childhood house following an overseas visit, you play as 21-year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar who is greeted by an empty house. While gameplay is limited to scavenging through notes to find out where your family is, the compelling story is extremely emotional and gripping, as long as you keep an open mind. After all this time, Gone Home still stands out as one of the best indie games out there. Only SpaceChem has mixed learning with entertainment as successfully as The Kerbal Space Program. The game is simple - design and build a spacecraft to take the cutesy Kerbals to the Mun and beyond. Its intelligent use of real physics, however, means that you'll find yourself following NASA as you’re building multi-stage rockets and space stations as well as exploring the Kerbal's strange universe on EVAs, before bringing your discoveries back for research on the Kerbal planet - that's if you can get off the ground at all. It's a huge, complex, challenging and fun game that manages to be super smart without being preachy. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the exact opposite of something like Kerbal Space Program – it’s an action roguelike par excellence. You play as a young boy forced to kill his damned siblings, mother and possibly the Devil, using only tears that he shoots from his eyes, naturally. This indie games is matched only by the equally visceral Nuclear Throne. With dozens of weird items to collect, endless procedurally-generated levels and many secrets, the Binding of Isaac is a very dark take on the exploratory model established by Spelunky. Don’t let its pixel art graphics put you off – Undertale isn’t a game that would have fit on the Super Nintendo. That’s because, in Undertale, the decisions you make have a huge impact on how the game ends and, more importantly, how it continues in New Game Plus. While playing Undertale, you’ll realize just how much freedom the game gives you. Despite its highly inspired and very intense boss matches, you’ll make it through the entire nine or so hours of Undertale as a total pacifist, if you choose to. Plus, when you go through the game a second time, you’ll bear the weight of the consequences from your previous run. What’s even better is that Undertale is out now on the Nintendo Switch, so you can take this masterpiece of game design wherever you go. From developer Playdead, Inside is very much like its predecessor, Limbo, in some ways, only with an added layer of depth that often inspires wonder. This is mostly a result of the unspoken narrative, which revolves around yet another nameless boy. In Inside, the boy is running away from a group of men who – if you fail to stay out of their sights – will try to mercilessly kill you. It isn't quite clear why the boy is running from these men or why you should even care since you don't know who he is, so Inside will leave you begging for answers. The bleak, lifeless setting of Inside is more than worth the price of admission. Its minimalist art style alone is avant-garde enough to feel right at home in a museum. Factor in the fact that this game is both fun to play and dripping with curiosity, and you won’t doubt that Inside is one of the best indie games money can buy. Developed single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is a technical feat for that little fact alone. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with its premise – you may just not know it yet. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator, which lets you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them. Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, however – it’s a whole bunch of other things at the same time. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff. You can even go explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even fight slime-monster-things. You should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite however, so you'll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. Pass out, and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. Stardew Valley will have you playing for hours on end, for better or worse. (Definitely better.) From Canadian game developer Alec Holowka, creator of the award-winning Aquaria (also featured on this list), and independent artist/animator Scott Benson, Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game that revolves around a 20-year-old protagonist named Mae who drops out of college and moves back in with her parents. Featuring a story largely based around dialog choices and mini games that put a spin on mundane tasks, like carrying boxes up the stairs and eating perogies, Night in the Woods is a timeless coming-of-age tale. Not only will you experience middle class America through the eyes of a personified cat, but virtually every interaction in-game will have you laughing aloud. And now that it’s available on the Nintendo Switch, you can now take it wherever you go. If you’re a fan of the recent wave of games inspired by Dark Souls, you’ll absolutely love Hollow Knight. You take control of the Hollow Knight, and lead them through the deceptively adorable landscape to take on bosses and other difficult challenges. Much like Dark Souls, it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually supposed to be doing as the narrative is intentionally obtuse. The Dark Souls inspirations don’t end there, either. It also embraces Dark Souls’s ‘tough but fair’ philosophy, and the game is only as hard as you make it. In fact, you can overcome anything as long as you have patience and learn from your mistakes. Hollow Knight takes these lessons from Dark Souls and injects them into a MetroidVania, with all the side-scrolling and upgrades you could possibly want. You can even play it on the Nintendo Switch now. If you’re looking for a game that’s as unforgiving as it is fun, look no further than Dead Cells. It takes gameplay inspiration from so many places – from roguelikes to MetroidVania. There’s even a hint of Dark Souls in there, creating a unique action game that will test your limits and skills. Each time you play this game, it will feel new. And, while you’ll lose some progress each time you die – and you will die a lot – the game will become even more rewarding as the complex and fluid combat becomes second nature. In the final release of the game, you get access to over 90 weapons, skills and abilities that will let you tailor your gameplay however you want. Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged if you fail. Get up and try again, as Dead Cells will only reward you in the end, which is why it has our vote for one of the best indie games in 2019. Introversions was one of the earliest 'indie' companies, rolling out games like Uplink, Defcon and Darwinia while Vlambeer was still in short pants. After years of struggling to design a hit, they've finally found huge success with Prison Architect, a game where you build, staff, outfit and manage a maximum security prison, of all places. With smart prisoners willing to do anything to escape, you'll struggle to keep them all locked up or from rioting - and turn a profit. It's eminently playable, even more so in the near future as Paradox has acquired it and plans to make it available on all platforms. These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an RPG that will really push you to your limits. Luckily, Outward, with its focus on survival and tough combat, is here to satisfy that need. There isn’t much in the way of story, but you’re placed in the middle of the world of Aurai, where you’ll struggle to survive. You’re not a hero, however, just the everyman trying to survive in a harsh world. In many ways, Outward is like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. There’s a heavy emphasis on exploration, but you aren’t given quest arrows or any kind of waypoint. You have to rely on your own ability to use a map, along with any directions that are given to you by quest NPCs. If you’re looking for an RPG game that will challenge you, this is one of the best indie games you’ll ever play. Dwarf Fortress is its own genre and its own industry. This is a game that has to generate the entire geography, mythology and history of its massive world before you set foot in it. It then tracks every single one of the dwarfs you're managing down to the hairs on their legs, and the particular horrible elephant murder that they’ve witnessed and are now carving on an ornamental chair. Your task is simple: to keep the dwarves alive as they carve out their subterranean kingdom. Though given that insanity, monsters and starvation plague them at every stage, it isn’t easy. Plus, dwarves, always, always mine too deep. Run. Jump. Die. Repeat. That’s basically the gameplay loop of Super Meat Boy, a fiendishly addictive 2D platformer that’s also bloody hard, with an emphasis on bloody. Gallons of blood is spilled as the game’s eponymous meaty hero leaps over deadly drops, spinning saws and walking chainsaws in a bid to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr Foetus. Obviously. With solid controls, lots of humor and vibrant graphics, Super Meat Boy leapt onto the PS4, Vita, and Nintendo Switch in style. It might not be Playdead’s most recent game, but Limbo is eternal. Five years after its release, and the game’s haunting storyline still has an effect on us. You play the Boy, a child with glowing eyes who is cast into Limbo to find his sister. Making your way through a bleak and dangerous world full of hostile silhouettes, giant spiders and deadly gravitational fields, you’ll need to think on your feet and perfectly time your movements, if you were to survive. Limbo is much more than a simple platformer: it's an experience, and one that will have you pondering the very essence of life by the time you finish. Deep, profound and absorbing, it's among the best indie games that everybody should take time out to play. If you're looking for a retro-inspired multiplayer archery combat game (aren't we all?), TowerFall: Ascension is the pick of the lot. Fast, frenetic and teeth-gnashingly hard in hardcore mode, the game's mechanics are simple: fire arrows at your enemies or jump on their heads to stay alive until the round ends. Arrows that don't hit are embedded in walls, making for tense scenarios when you have to traverse the map while dodging enemies to retrieve them. As such, practicing until you achieve Robin Hood-esque levels of accuracy is key. Ascension is best experienced with friends in local multiplayer mode, which is reminiscent of Super Smash Bros' most manic moments. It’s not often that a platformer is able to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative. Celeste, however, pulls it off, making it one of our best indie games picks. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. In doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain, but about herself as well throughout the process. An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jump, air-dash and climb controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. If that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the most intrepid of hardcore players. You don’t even have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn, as Celeste brings you back from the grave in an instant, a welcome departure from the typically extensive load screens. Have you ever wanted to land on an alien planet, and build a factory? Yes, it’s an unusual premise, but we promise that it works in Satisfactory. You’ll land on one of three planets of varying difficulty, where you’ll be tasked with building and automating a factory to exploit the world around you. The premise sounds bland, but being able to roam these beautiful worlds in first person while scavenging materials and fighting off hostile wildlife makes it all that more exciting. Plus, is there anything better than sitting back and admiring something you worked hard on? Satisfactory is in early access right now, and exclusive to the Epic Games Store, but if you can get past all that, you’re sure to get hours of wholesome simulation out of it. After the raging success that was the original Nidhogg, it’s a shame to see the superior sequel get thrown under the bus. Nevertheless, despite its controversial art style, Nidhogg 2 packs a refined, stunning look that the first version, a cult-classic, wouldn’t dare compete with, which is one of the reasons why it’s on our best indie games list. In still frames, we can see how this could get misconstrued, but fortunately, it’s the fun and addictive local multiplayer gameplay that makes Nidhogg, well, Nidhogg. And it’s all there in Nidhogg 2. Additionally, every time you respawn, you get one of four unique weapons that only bolster the challenge. Esteemed indie designer Jon Blow's follow up to Braid may look like a wholly different adventure, being 3D and all. However, the two are more thematically alike than you might think. The Witness, at its core, is another puzzle game that tells an absorbing story through said puzzles. This puzzler takes place in an almost equally impressionist – albeit heavily Myst-inspired – world, but it's story is far more nuanced and mysterious than Blow's earlier work. At almost every corner of this island that you've simply woken up on (or beneath), there is a clue as to how you got onto this island and why you're here. Don’t get us wrong, we liked Bastion. Still, we can’t deny that Transistor was SuperGiant Games’ best work to date – not to mention, one of the best indie games to hit the streets today. Much of that has to do with the combination of action-based and turn-based RPG elements contained within its cyberpunk futurescape. Likewise, in classic SuperGiant fashion, those mechanics are complemented with a stunning art style and a music score so stunning it’ll make you want to buy the soundtrack. Leaving key gameplay beats up to the player, the story isn’t so variable. Transistor’s main character, Red, is a renowned singer in the city of Cloudbank. However, she’s been attacked by a group of vicious robots who call themselves the Process, operated by another group called the Camerata. In her journey, she finds the Transistor, a mysterious sword with the voice of a man. Soon enough, she’ll learn more about him and how he will shake up her world. It’s weird to think that Oxenfree came out before the first season of Stranger Things, and yet, the two coincidentally have a lot in common. The 80s-inspired heavy synth music composed by scntfc, for one, highlights some truly gripping sci-fi horror revolving around – you guessed it – a group of teenagers stuck on an island. The story involves a handful of uniquely written characters, namely the main character Alex, along with her stoner friend Ren, her newfound stepbrother Jonas, her dead brother Michael’s ex-girlfriend Clarissa and her best friend Nona, with whom Ren happens to be in love with. The plot is explained through branching speech dialogues, kind of like Life is Strange or modern-day Telltale games, and it offers five different endings depending on your choices. Exploring a surreal wilderness seems to be the trend these days – and not just in real life. Developer Campo Santo's debut, Firewatch, only serves to keep it going in gaming. Set in the wilderness of 1989 Wyoming, you're playing Henry, a fire lookout that's all alone in the woods after exploring something strange in the distance. That is, except for your partner on the other line of a walkie-talkie: Delilah. She's your only point of contact as you explore the wilderness. Will you make it back alive? Will the decisions you make help or harm the relationship with your only lifeline to the outside world, your boss? But don't worry about those questions just yet – as with any adventure in the Great Outdoors, take some time to appreciate those forestscapes first! Rust is one of the more successful indie titles – not to mention, one of the best indie games – of recent times. By the end of 2015, it had sold more than 3 million copies. That’s not too shabby considering it wasn’t even finished — the game has been on Steam's Early Access scheme since being released in December 2013. It seems people can't get enough of the Day Z-inspired survival sim. It sees you use your wits and bearings to survive its harsh open world, with nothing but a rock… at least, in the beginning. After gathering the resources you need to build a house and weapons to fend off attackers (other online players, in other words), Rust progressively becomes more intense as you defend your growing base — or attempt to breach others'. Fans of the original Overcooked will not be disappointed by its second installment in the chaotic couch co-op series from British indie game developer Team17. This time around, your mission is to defeat the 'Un-Bread' (zombie baked goods) that have taken over the Onion Kingdom, by battling through brand new recipes including sushi, pizza and burgers in increasingly chaotic kitchens with up to three other people. To add to the frenetic fun, you must deal with obstacles including random fires, collapsing floors and interfering passers by, all while getting your orders out to the pass in time. Things get complicated incredibly quickly. Relationships, friendships and family bonds will be tested as you work together to complete your recipes on time. Overcooked 2 is a fun and challenging couch co-op game that will make you truly understand the meaning of "too many cooks spoil the broth” and is well-deserving of its spot in our best indie games list. The natural progression of survival games, SCUM takes what predecessors like Rust and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds both succeeded at, only better by iterating in impressive ways. It offers a unique twist, combining the frenetic gameplay of battle royale games with the slow, thoughtful tactical of a survival sim. SCUM, unlike other similar games, is very heavy on the simulation side of things, however. You shouldn’t expect to run in guns blazing, as you’re going to get tired quickly (just as you would if you tried running outside in person with a ton of stuff in your backpack). But, if heavy statistic systems is something your into, this might be one of the best indie games for you. It’s like spreadsheets with a physics engine. Just don’t go in expecting a polished experience, not for now. However, developer Croteam promises to add more features over time, and as they’re backed by Devolver, you can trust that the game is going to shape up into something great. Every so often, there’s a game that perfectly balances aesthetic, gameplay and narrative – where everything feels like it just fits like puzzle pieces. The best indie games always excel at this, and Return of the Obra Dinn is the epitome of that. A mystery taking place on a derelict ship, your mission is to figure out how the crew of this lost ship died, disappeared or worse. The entire game has this old-school visual styling that, combining it with the simple controls and gameplay technique that make it feel like a nostalgic sort of adventure. Right from the settings menu, you’ll get to choose what kind of monitor you’d like to emulate – we picked an old school Macintosh option – that should give you an idea of the type of retro revivalism on offer here. Critical thinking, exploration and a ton of reading is essential in Return of the Obra Dinn. If that all sounds appealing to you, and you’re happy with retro aesthetics, you will love this game. In fact, it’s one of the best indie games in a season marked with AAA decadence. If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours playing Roller Coaster Tycoon during your childhood. These days, while there have been plenty of amusement park simulators over the last few years, they’ve never quite hit that spot. That is, until Parkitect. Parkitect might just be the closest we have to those early aughts park simulators currently, and we’re absolutely in love. From the cartoonish art style to the realistic simulation and Steam Workshop integration, Parkitect is one of the best indie games 2019 has to offer. For years, thatgamecompany has been behind some of the best indie games on the market, but most of them had been exclusive to PlayStation. One such game was Flower. Serving as a kind of a precursor to the beloved Journey, Flower puts you in command of a flower petal, surfing through the wind. You’ll activate different colors of flower beds to affect the environment, which will also get you different colored petals, until you have an entire trail of color surfing the wind. It’s an incredibly relaxing and creative experience, which also gives you an insight on the industrial world we all find ourselves living in. Trust us, give it a shot as it’s one of the best – not to mention, most legendary – indie games ever. 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| How MSI builds some of the smallest gaming PCs in the world Posted: 01 Oct 2019 12:28 PM PDT MSI has been one of our favorite gaming computer makers of late. That's because, in the last few years, it’s introduced some of the smallest PCs we’ve ever seen – from a gaming-grade, Mac Pro look-a-like to one of the first backpack PC’s designed to power a wireless virtual reality experience. More recently, the company has introduced the Trident 3, a console-killing mini PC gaming system. We caught up with MSI marketing manager Lenny Tang to get the low down on how the company designed some of its latest and smallest gaming PCs. 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. First published April 2017 TechRadar: Before the MSI Vortex, we've seen a few cylindrical chassis before, including the latest Mac Pro, what spurred MSI to pursue this form factor? TR: It's amazing that the MSI Vortex only requires one fan to cool the entire system. LT: The idea is to have this powerful PC not only fit as a gaming setup but also in the living room. One of the top design limitations we had was to keep the unit as quiet as possible. Since we are able to build it into a cylinder shape, we were also able to fit in a huge fan on top that perfectly drew out the heat without making much noise. TR: MSI originally introduced a VR backpack PC that looked a lot like a cyclist's backpack, while the VR One sports a much more futuristic and vented design. What caused the shift? LT: One of the top reasons why we shifted the design is to work out a lighter and smaller product without suffering in performance. During the first introduction of the prototype design, one of the most common pieces of feedback from media and end users who tested it was air flow. The old prototypes blew heat out on the side, which could feel warm if you extended the arm too far to the back. By redesigning the cooling system to exhaust away from the user’s back, we are able to keep the heat out of reach wherever possible, making it much more silent. TR: There's a striking resemblance between the Trident 3 and VROne in both shape and design. Did the experience of creating a VR backpack PC help with the creation of the Trident 3? LT: There are two different design teams who thought of the Trident and VROne, but there is some resemblance across our product line. Our notebook, desktop, VGA, and motherboard teams have weekly synergy meetings, which allows each team to help provide input and suggestions in order to make the best product possible. You can also see some resemblance across our VGA and motherboard [products] as well. TR: When MSI developed the Trident 3, how did the team balance making the system as compact as possible while still being accessible and familiar enough for DIY upgrades? LT: It was a huge challenge to start with. The idea is to build a console-sized PC that can run 4K gaming. Of course, most desktop users want their system to be future-proof. We had surveyed the top three upgrade parts from our users and they said VGA, SSD and memory – that’s why we designed the unit to be easily upgradable for years to come. TR: Between all of MSI's compact systems, what is the hardest component to miniaturize or engineer around? LT: Thermals is the most important component in our hardware. How can we keep the unit cool without sacrificing any performance? We came out with a unique fan design for Vortex and Trident which is called Silent Storm Cooling. The specific airflow we create within the unit would be almost impossible without a combination of unique chassis designs and motherboards inside those units. Of course, we need to keep the unit as quiet as possible so it can fit in living rooms or gaming rooms. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best hard drives 2019: the top HDD for desktops and laptops Posted: 01 Oct 2019 12:21 PM PDT The best hard drives won’t be anywhere near as fast as the best SSDs. However, they’re got their advantages as well. For example, the best hard drives are so much more affordable and capacious. Plus, a good hard drive can be useful as an extra drive or even an external measure – especially if you have a lot of data to back up. When you’re in the market for the best hard drive, you need to consider what you want to get out of it. If you want to expand the storage for your PS4 or Xbox One, a 2.5-inch drive or even an external hard drive is going to be perfect. On the other hand, if you have one of the best gaming PCs, and you need somewhere to store all those games, a 3.5-inch drive rated at 7,200RPM should be your top choice and might be one of the best hard drives for you. Understandably, that's a lot to take in especially if you don't know the ins and outs of computer components. To lend you a hand in choosing the best hard drives for you, we went ahead and gathered the best hard drives we've found.
Image Credit: Seagate It’s almost impossible to talk about hard drives without mentioning Seagate’s BarraCuda lineup – it’s a force to be reckoned with. And, it’s not hard to see why, Seagate BarraCuda drives offer a great gigabyte-per-dollar ratio and speed benefits to top it off. The 2TB model hits a sweet spot by balancing high performance and affordability. Since this drive combines 7,200rpm platters and high density data, computers outfitted with this drive will be able to read data extraordinarily fast. Image Credit: Toshiba Even if its laptops aren’t as popular as they used to be, Toshiba is still a huge name in computing, and has a lot to offer. When it comes to the best hard drives, the Toshiba X300 is a high-capacity, high-performance champ worth taking a look at. The X300 drives boast great gigabyte-to-dollar value without sacrificing on performance. These drives all spin at 7,200 rpm and include 128MB of cache for higher speeds. The only downside is the warranty only lasts two years, which feels short for a drive meant to store so much important data. Image Credit: Western Digital When it comes to PC gaming, it’s better to be fast than capacious. So, if you’ve been resisting the allure of an SSD, and looking to kick it old school with one of the best hard drives, the WD VelociRaptor should be up your alley. Not only does this drive have a whopping 10,000 rpm spin speed, but you’re going to want to pay attention to it. With capacities up to 1TB, the VelociRaptor drives are ready to store large game libraries, and the super fast platters will help your games launch and load quickly.
Image Credit: Western Digital Western Digital offers a solid bargain with its line of WD Blue hard drives. With a wide variety of storage options from a small 500GB to a capacious 6TB, the WD Blue is a viable pick for almost any type of PC build that’s sticking to a budget. The best value comes from the larger drives – they’ll give you much more storage per dollar spent. And, if you’re looking for a bit more speed, there are also 7,200rpm models available that don’t come with too much of a price hike. Image Credit: Seagate SSDs are incredibly popular, and it’s not hard to see why. But, if you need a lot of fast storage, and you don’t have a vault of cash, hybrid hard drives are a great option. The SeaGate FireCuda is the best hybrid hard drive on the market. It can fit up to 2TB of data, and then its 8GB of solid state cache storage learns which data you use most, so that you can access it quickly. That speed boost is even sweeter when you consider that this drive spins at 7,200rpm. With a 5-year warranty and an approachable price tag, it’s easy to see why this is one of the best hard drives you can buy today. Image Credit: Seagate It’s a little unfortunate that the Seagate IronWolf NAS drives come at a premium, but they aren’t priced much more expensively than a standard hard drive at their capacity. However, their native NAS optimization makes that premium totally worth it. These drives are capable of running at a fast 7,200rpm spin rate 24/7 without having to worry about drive failure. Really, if you have one of the best NAS devices for your business or home, the Seagate IronWolf NAS really is your best bet. Image Credit: Seagate Upgrading the storage in a laptop can be tough, since the hard drives are much smaller. There aren’t a lot of impressive 2.5-inch hard drives, as anything fast comes with a serious markup, but Seagate’s 2.5-inch FireCuda hybrid drive strikes a nice balance. It offers an easy way to add loads of storage to a laptop while also giving it a speed boost thanks to 8GB of flash storage. A five-year warranty on the drive will also help ensure it lasts a long time. Image Credit: Western Digital Game consoles hard drives fill up fast with massive libraries. And, like laptops, the upgrade path for 2.5-inch hard drives isn’t all that great, but that’s where an external drive comes in. The WD My Book strikes an amazing balance of storage and price, offering enough room for massive game libraries. Running on USB 3.0, it may not be quite as fast as an internal drive upgrade, but it will run games and offer more storage at a cheaper rate. Image Credit: G-Technology A lot of people seem to think that the best hard drives are ancient and dead technology in 2019. However, with devices like the G-Technology G-Drive, you can show the naysayers in your life that spinning disks have their own place in the future. Not only does this external hard drive offer huge amounts of storage – up to 10 TB – but thanks to Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, it can even charge your laptop while you work. If you have a MacBook Pro, it’s hard to think of a better work companion. Read the full review: G-Technology G-Drive 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 |
| Touring Maingear: the hypercar auto shop of gaming PC builders Posted: 01 Oct 2019 12:14 PM PDT Walking into the headquarters of Maingear, a boutique gaming PC builder based in New Jersey, the building looks like a few that surround it (albeit a bit cleaner): a custom auto body shop. The front desk and lobby are adorned with countless awards and magazine clippings – with TechRadar’s friends Maximum PC featured among them – resting on shelves and hanging on stark red and white walls. While showing off a set of sick-looking chassis painted custom by DC Comics artist Tommy Castillo, co-founder and CEO Wallace Santos recalls Maingear’s humble beginnings. Newly certified as a networking systems professional, Santos became an independent consultant in 2002. Not long after, a custom gaming PC order gone wrong inspired Santos to try his hand at building computers, already a passion, professionally. A lucky break at a CES in Las Vegas and a plug from famed tech pundit Leo LaPorte launched the Maingear rocket, but not without some refinements to its process over the past 15-plus years. You see, Santos is also pretty hot on automobiles, so as a means of spicing up Maingear’s systems, the founder incorporated auto-grade paint jobs to its suite of services – among the first to do so in the US. (Wait until you see how that’s done.) So, to accommodate Santos’s love for both PC gaming and automobiles, the CEO created a working environment that looks a lot like the custom car shops seen on shows like Pimp My Ride, only with 100% less Xzibit. Beyond embodying Santos’s love for custom cars, the attention to detail and tailored service that scene is known for is what the founder and his team care about capturing. What that looks like is a large garage stands behind Maingear’s office building.The shop buzzes with the sounds of whirring hand drills and snapping cable cutters. The first sight upon walking inside are PC builders putting elaborate desktop rigs together, but not at record speed. They’re moving quite quickly, but with precision. They know these chassis in and out, taking one gray bin of PC parts off the shelves at a time and fitting them perfectly inside a variety of chassis, some original designs. Those perfect-looking fits grow challenging when the customer orders hardline liquid cooling, much less choosing which pipe fittings to use. (Seriously, sometimes the leadership team and system builders deliberate for hours on which pipe fittings to order – the attention to detail is fierce.) When the PCs are finally built – which sometimes involves customizing components to work in specific scenarios, like the above Nvidia Quadro GPUs going into what will be a silent graphics rendering machine – they’re taken to these Matrix-looking monitor rigs for imaging. It’s here that Maingear custom images each ordered machine, whether it be a laptop or desktop, according to his or her requests and only those requests. This means only the drivers that the customer needs or wants. And, yes, this includes the HP Omen and Razer R1 machines that Maingear builds and sells in tandem with those brands. The images are delivered by an OPK server that can fully install a built PC’s BIOS and operating system – drivers and all – in just seven minutes. Now, that’s fast. When you’re building PCs with this kind of care, time can’t be wasted on imaging systems. When a PC is ready to ship, Maingear offers several different boxing options, from straight-up (albeit reinforced) cardboard to plastic crates and luggage-style, plastic shipping crates. But, no Maingear shipping container is closed without getting a spritzing of some new car smell. It’s at this point that we’re taken out of the building and across the driveway to another garage, but this one is outfitted to be an automobile-grade painting operation. Looking just like the spray booths at auto body shops, Maingear has hired ex-auto painters to apply their skills to its line of PC chassis. Save for what’s actually being painted, nothing about the process is different from that of painting an automobile, we’re told. The result being, of course, is a PC worthy of a photo studio, where all of Maingear’s opulent videos are shot. Take this gorgeous gaming rig custom built for famed DJ and producer deadmau5, for instance. So, when you order a gaming PC from Maingear, this is where and how your PC is built, egregious chrome pipe fittings and all. 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. First published April 2017 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Why (and how) Acer makes the most extreme PC gaming hardware Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:52 AM PDT Acer has made something of a name for itself in the PC gaming world these past few years for some absolutely bonkers pieces of gaming hardware. The trend started with the Acer Predator 21X, a 21-inch gaming laptop with desktop parts inside. The laptop costs $8,999 (about £6,729, AU$11,879) (at the time of first publishing), and houses some of the most intense silicon available today. It also weighs a back-breaking 18.74 pounds (8.5kg). Acer then followed up this barely mobile monster with an even more powerful machine, a desktop known as the Predator X. The company hasn’t even issued a price or release date for the PC yet. But, with two server-grade Intel Xeon processors and the latest, most powerful Nvidia graphics cards paired together via SLI, rest assured that it too will rival the down payment on your house. Surely the market for these pre-built, mega-powered gaming PCs is tiny – how many people do you know with thousands in cash lying around? So, if that’s the case, then why does Acer bother crafting such power-packed PCs? “You are right, X is pushing to the limit. But [that] may not be 100% limited to in terms of GPU performance, [hardcore] gamer performance,” Acer President of IT Products Jerry Kao tells us. “Because we’re also thinking a different kind of usage model – when you’re playing a game you are still doing multitasking. "A lot of gamers are playing games," he says. "[But] they also broadcast while they are playing games. They livestream to other people. So, I was thinking about different usage, the amount of pure, strong [GPU] performance sometimes may not help.” Targeting the 1% of PC gamersWith these devices, Acer is targeting a very specific type of PC gamer that perhaps other mainstream PC product manufacturers aren’t: effectively the 1% of PC gamers. So, it’s easy to consider the Predator X line of products an extremely low volume, high yield end of its business. So, it’s clear that Acer looks to establish its might and position in the PC gaming space with these highest of high-end devices, but how does it go about that? It’s not quite as simple as just putting the most powerful components into a box and shipping it off. “For the first time we created our 9000 series, last year, [it] got to be a very successful concept when we launched it, because we were starting from the gamers’ demand,” Acer’s General Manager of Stationary Computing Products Jeff Lee says. “That’s the starting point from the design.” “We don’t just say, well, put the best CPU, put the best GPU inside – what [is] the end user needing? For example, for our special edition Acer Predator Helios 500 … because our end-user survey tells us that our female gamers, what they care about most in addition to performance is the noise control. So, we did a special edition in fact [that] has a special, tailor-made application where an end-user can change what kind of noise level they can accept.” Like any product maker, Acer designs and conceives its highest-end PC gaming products with the end user in mind, but not just from a gaming perspective. We’re told that, especially with the Predator X, Acer is considering what gamers do other than gaming while a game is running. Kao promises that this isn’t just a cliche for Acer but a defining tenet of its design philosophy. “Again, it’s back to the user demand,” Lee tells us. “For example, our users not only play games but also do the streaming [and] multitasking, so I think [the latest] technology and also the end-users’ demands will be our [focus].” Of course, Kao and Lee are keen to point out that Acer offers PC gaming devices for several levels of budget, and that features first conceived at the highest end can eventually trickle down into those more approachably-priced products. What’s Acer’s future in extreme gaming hardware?That said, Acer’s mission to deliver the highest-end PC gaming experiences of any mainstream computer maker will not stop. In fact, Acer is already cooking up a new extreme PC gaming product aimed at another niche: portability in the high-end desktop space. “So, I think we are thinking more about something like a form factor change, a new usage model, Kao teases. “Not just the CPU [or] GPU – of course that’s something that all the competitors are doing. But, we are thinking [of having] a revolutionary form factor change, or usage model change. So, thinking about a LAN party, what you can carry today: [the] desktop is too heavy; the notebook ... you need to carry a keyboard and all those things, and it’s not easy – or a notebook is not strong enough. So, [how can] you carry a strong notebook with luggage, or is there or something like that? We are thinking of solutions. So, a new form factor change is something that we’re working on now.” 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. First published June 2018 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best 4K monitors 2019: the top Ultra HD monitors and displays Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:49 AM PDT For the longest time, 4K monitors were held as the golden ideal of computing, but nowadays, even some of the best 4K monitors are attainable for all. And, because of all the UHD content available in 2019, you’re going to want to jump on the 4K train, whether you’re playing the best PC games or just doing some general computing. And, just like any other monitor, the best 4K monitors are designed to provide users with a beautifully immersive – or productive – experience. There are so many more affordable 4K monitors out there these days, and because they’re much cheaper than a 4K TV, they’re incredibly popular. If you’re one of the many people on the market for a 4K monitor to meet your PC gaming needs while still keeping within a budget, we’re here to help you find the right one. Keep an eye out for any Black Friday 2019 deals we'll be sharing with you when they come our way. Who knows? You might just take home the 4K monitor of your dreams at a bargain price. The best 4K monitors at a glance
Image credit: LG When you’re looking for the best 4K monitor, you want to find something that’s affordable, but also has fantastic picture quality. It’s a balance that’s pretty rare, but the LG 27UD88-W hits it out of the park. Not only does this panel cover 99% of the sRGB color space, but it does so with an insane contrast ratio and a response time to display the best PC games as they should be seen. The best part? It does all this while maintaining a reasonable price tag. If you have the horsepower to drive the LG 27UD88-W, you should pick it up. Read the full review: LG 27UD88-W Image credit: Philips As both 4K panels and HDR technology become more ubiquitous, we’re starting to see more affordable monitors take on the market, and the Philips Brilliance 328P does just that. This 4K monitor combines a 4K VA panel with decent HDR performance at a price point that won’t force you to break open the piggy bank. Its brightness doesn’t quite reach its lofty HDR 600 rating, but at this price, it’s hard to complain. The Philips Brilliance 328P really is one of the best 4K monitors out there. Read the full review: Philips Brilliance 328P 4K fans will find a lot to love in the LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL, especially if they’re photographers or videographers who need all that prime real estate and high resolution. From its 4K resolution and color accuracy, to its plethora of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports and buttonless design, this 4K display is the perfect match for your Mac or ultrabook. And, despite those bizarrely thick bezels and high price tag, this display might be hard to resist. Read the full review: LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL Image Credit: BenQ If you’re on the market for one of the best 4K monitors for everyday computing and productivity, without all the fancy bells and whistles, you’ll want the BenQ PD2700U. This monitor doesn’t feature fancy Quantum Dot tech, or Adaptive Sync, it doesn’t even have USB-C input! But, when you get the BenQ PD2700U, you are getting a lot of pixels, which is all you really need. It’s not the cheapest 4K monitor on this list, but it’s color accurate, has plenty of desktop real estate, and will comfortably fit in any office environment. Read the full review: BenQ PD2700U Image Credit: Monoprice You may not have heard of Monoprice, but this brand is behind some of the most affordable monitors out there right now. Its Ultra-Slim Aluminum monitor, for example, is hailed for its sleek, ultra-thin bezel design and ultra-wide viewing angles at 178°. This monitor isn’t particularly feature-rich – there are no built-in speakers, for example – but its IPS panel allows for extremely sharp image, FreeSync tech reduces screen tearing and Monoprice’s Pixel Perfect Guarantee gives it vibrant color performance. Plus, with two DisplayPorts and two HDMI ports, there’s plenty of connectivity on offer. Image Credit: Asus While 4K monitors are becoming more and more common, even without particularly powerful hardware, we still run into the kind of monitor that changes everything. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is one of these. Asus has managed to craft a 4K gaming monitor with HDR and the kind of color support you see in professional displays – and render that all at 144Hz with G-Sync no less. There are only a few monitors out there that packs as many features as this Asus screen, and that’s why it’s one of the best 4K monitors. But, keep in mind, you’re going to have to pay for something this advanced – and we mean pay. Read the full review: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ Image Credit: ViewSonic If you’re looking for a 4K monitor for gaming, ViewSonic’s XG2700-4K is the perfect fit. It is not without quirks: the screen brightness could be higher, the red on black trim is an acquired taste, and it has no built-in speakers. On the other hand, you get amazing picture quality, quick response time, accurate color performance, multiple ports, and a versatile stand for multiple viewing angle options. Its most notable feature is AMD FreeSync to prevent tearing and ensure that your games are running smoothly. Of course, the picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes are also helpful because who doesn’t multitask nowadays. Image Credit: AOC IPS displays may offer better viewing angles and color representation, but a good TN panel makes for a much better gaming monitor, thanks to much faster response times, higher refresh rates and affordability. This is why the AOC U2879VF has a 1ms response time and a refresh rate of 144Hz refresh rate for a low price. If you can forgive the restricted viewing angles, the occasional flickering at 144Hz, the absence of a USB port, and the ho hum color performance, this AMD FreeSync enabled monitor is for you. Read the full review: AOC U2879 VF Image Credit: Acer If you have an absolute beast of a gaming computer – think two Nvidia RTX 2080 Tis in SLI – and you need a monitor that can keep up, you might want to take a look at the Acer Predator X27. Not only is it a 27-inch 4K monitor with HDR, but it also has a refresh rate of a whopping 144 Hz. If you have the horsepower, you can play games in 4K competitively without losing an edge to the person playing in 1080p. But, as you may expect from a spec sheet like this, it’s very expensive – but if you need the tech, it’s definitely there. Read the full review: Acer Predator X27 Image Credit: LG You’ll need a bigger desk with 43UD79-B’s hefty, 42-inch screen. Unfortunately this bigger than life screen might also be darker around the edges and a sluggish refresh rage. However, this 4K monitor’s other features will more than make up for its flaws. The screen split software, for one, allows for a range of screen configurations. This, coupled with its four HDMI inputs, a DisplayPort 1.2a port, and a USC-C port, will let you effortlessly run multiple devices at once. Along with its true IPS screen, color-rich display, and FreeSync compatibility, you might just be getting a bargain.
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| Best gaming mouse 2019: the best gaming mice we've tested Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:45 AM PDT For any of the PC games you want to play, getting the best gaming mouse possible will feel like night and day. If you really want to get the most out of that best gaming PC, then a gaming mouse can be the final piece in your rig to help you reach your gaming performance potential. One thing to keep in mind though is that just because a mouse is more expensive, doesn’t mean it’s always better. For example, with the SteelSeries Sensei 310, you can get a great-looking mouse with a first-rate sensor for less than the cost of a new AAA game. Your gaming mouse is incredibly important to your gaming experience in 2019, and you want to get one that will last and get the job done. Sure, you can pick up the most expensive gaming mouse of 2019, but really, what's more important is to grab one with good value. And, if you're buying a gaming mouse in 2019, you can't forget about picking up the best gaming mouse pad – if your mouse pad doesn't have RGB lights, what are you even doing? But, look, we know there are hundreds of gaming mice out there these days, from a ton of different manufacturers. It's hard out there to find the best gaming mouse – but we're here to help. We've gathered up all the best gaming mice we've reviewed over the last year or so in one place, so you don't have to worry about picking up a mouse that sucks. Plus, we've included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you know you're getting the best gaming mouse deal. We'd also keep an eye out for any excellent Black Friday 2019 deals that we'll be sharing here at TechRadar in the next few weeks. Best gaming mice 2019 at a glance:
Image Credit: TechRadar When it comes to the best gaming mouse, features, balance and performance are all present in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710, securing it a top spot on our list. This behemoth of a gaming mouse – at least, in terms of power – is a bit expensive, but when you weigh that price against the customizable OLED display, haptic feedback (great for you MOBA players) and excellent build quality, the SteelSeries Rival 710 is still a very solid purchase. The kicker? Everything is modular, even down to the sensor, so you never have to feel like you’re missing out on the latest tech. Read the full review: SteelSeries Rival 710 There are a couple reasons why Razer Viper is our new favorite esports gaming mouse. Along with its lightweight ambidextrous design, true 16,000 DPI and Razer Chroma lighting, this powerful little mouse also features 1000 Hz Ultrapolling, Optical Mouse Switches rated for 70 million clicks and 8 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons. If you want a gaming mouse to give you that extra competitive edge, you’ve found it here. Read the full review: Razer Viper Image Credit: Corsair The best gaming mouse is always going to be the one that brings excellent performance at a reasonable price. And, the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for this ideal price-and-performance match. You’ll have a wireless mouse that has RGB lighting, touts a long battery life and doesn’t at all suck, for less than $50. The ergonomics unfortunately favor right-handed users, but at this price and with this impressive performance, there’s not much else to complain about. Read the full review: Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless Image Credit: Logitech Aesthetically, you generally have two main choices when you’re in the market for the best gaming mouse: a high-performing mouse that looks like it would fit in the office, or a mouse that lives and breathes that “gaming life.” The Logitech G502 fits squarely in the latter category, with its robotic design. But, if that doesn’t intimidate you, then you get adjustable weights, a jaw-dropping 16,000 DPI sensor and superb performance as well. It’s not ideal for users with bigger hands, but other than that, this one has definitely earned its spot in the best gaming mouse list. Read the full review: Logitech G502 Hero If you’re in the market for an affordable mid-range gaming mouse, then the Roccat Kain 120 AIMO may just be the best gaming mouse for you. To start, it’s got a great design and solid build, as well as a decent number of customization options that let you personalize it according to your gaming style and needs. Of course, it’s exceptional to use as well, satisfying, responsive, and very reliable. This new offering from Roccat will without a doubt give you that gaming edge. Read the full review: Roccat Kain 120 AIMO Image Credit: Cooler Master If you’re searching for the best gaming mouse that’s both economical and functional, then the Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520 is an ideal addition to your gaming rig. It won’t win any beauty contests, but packing quality Omron switches and a relatively sensitive sensor capable of up to 12,000 DPI makes it a good purchase. Those make it easy to ignore the unappealing design – particularly if you use a claw grip. Read the full review: Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520 Image Credit: TechRadar Have you been getting into the World of Warcraft: Classic lately? Then you’ll want to look into the Razer Naga Trinity. Razer’s Naga mice have always been fan favorites in the MMO community, and the manufacturer has taken things to the next level with Naga Trinity. With it, you’re getting three easily swappable side plates, allowing you to configure your mouse however you see fit. Add the insane 16,000 DPI sensor and Razer Chroma RGB lighting to the mix, and you’ll be topping the DPS meters in no time. Is there any doubt that the Razer Naga Trinity belongs on the list of the best gaming mouse? Read the full review: Razer Naga Trinity Image Credit: TechRadar If you catch yourself rolling your eyes at some of the gaming mice out there in 2019 that sport ridiculous, over-the-top designs, then you should take a look at the HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB. Boasting extremely reliable Omron switches and entrancing RGB lighting – not to mention, an impressive 16,000 DPI sensor – you’re scoring the best gaming mouse for an outstanding price. Plus, it’ll fit right into any office, at least once you turn down the lighting effects to show off its more accessible design. Read the full review: HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB Image Credit: Corsair Most of the best gaming mice on the market are either too small or too light, or even a bit of both, leaving gamers with big hands with few options. To make matters worse, some of the big mice out there come loaded with gratuitous buttons and weird shapes that make them more like asylum-seekers from an alien robot planet. The Corsair Ironclaw is just the opposite. It’s an eye-catching mouse for big-hand users, with a design that won’t make you want to squirrel it away in your desk drawer every time company comes around. It’s quite tough as well, so it can handle quite a bit of heavy use, making it the best gaming mouse for you. Read the full review: Corsair Ironclaw RGB Image Credit: Michelle Rae Uy When you take stock of all its amazing features, it might shock you to learn that the Gigabyte Aorus M5 is only $69. This stunner is among the best gaming mouse of great value that we’ve tested this year. It’s also very customizable, not to mention boasts great ergonomics and fun RGB lighting. As far as features that will give you the gaming advantage, it boasts an adjustable weight distribution system, on-the-fly DPI adjustments and Omron switches tested for 50 million clicks, to start. If you’re looking for a mouse that gives you more bang for your buck, this is it. Read the full review: Gigabyte Aorus M5 How to choose the best gaming mouseWhile you’ll definitely find the best gaming mouse of your gaming dreams, doing so might take some time and effort. That’s expected; there’s a ton of complicated technical jargon that goes into the best gaming mice – terms like polling rates and DPI ratings that a regular buyer may not be familiar with. For the record, you’ll want a higher number of both, even though these two terms mean very different things. For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, when you come across the term DPI, that is shorthand for ‘dots per inch.’ The higher the number, the wider the range wherein you can specify how sensitive your mouse is. If you don’t have a lot of desk space available, but you still want accuracy and precision, then opt for the best gaming mouse with a higher DPI rating that can toggle to a lower DPI, in case you get a bigger desk. Meanwhile, a high polling rate means you’re getting faster response times. The polling rate is measured in hertz, and it usually ranges from around 125 to 1,000Hz. The latter means that your mouse’s position is reported to your computer 1,000 times per second. Other key gaming mouse factors you’ll want to keep in mind are ergonomics – particularly if you’re left-handed – and RGB lighting. Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article
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| How much RAM do you really need in your gaming PC? Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:26 AM PDT If you've been paying attention to the system requirements for PC games over the last year or so, you'll probably notice that a lot of them are asking for some pretty beefy specs. If you were to take these requirements' word for it, you'd believe that a $40,000 PC is necessary to play all the best PC games maxed out at 4K. Luckily, you don't need to follow these system requirements to the letter, as a lot of them are a bit overblown. However, the component that gets the most overblown hype in these system requirements is system memory, or RAM. We've started to notice that a lot of games – most recently Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – are recommending gamers to have 16GB of memory in their rigs. But, is that actually necessary? Well, luckily, we have some hardware lying around that we can see whether you truly need to cram a bunch of new RAM into your gaming PC. You don't actually need 16GB of RAM – yetTo test whether or not you actually need 16GB of RAM to get some gaming done, we shoved an 8GB kit of RAM – two 4GB sticks for dual-channel performance – into our test bench with an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and an RTX 2080 Ti just to remove any other bottleneck. Oh, and we ran all of our tests at 4K (3,840 x 2,160). We ran through the canned benchmarks in both Metro Exodus and Middle Earth: Shadow of War, two of the most demanding PC games around right now. And, it will probably shock you, but if you have 16GB you'll get slightly better frame rates, but not by much. In Metro Exodus at 4K and max settings (including ray tracing), we got an average of 36 frames per second (fps) with our 16GB system, whereas that number dropped down to 34 fps when we went down to 8GB. That's a 6% difference, so it's nothing to scoff at, but it probably isn't enough to ruin your experience. Even the 1% lows were within this 5-6% window, with the 16GB kit hitting a 24 fps low, while the 8GB kit bottomed out at 23 fps. The difference was even less pronounced in Middle Earth: Shadow of War. In that game, our 16GB PC got an average of 75 fps, whereas our 8GB system scored 74. This is such a small difference that it's totally within the margin of error. But, that might be ending soonSo, users with 8GB of RAM should be fine in the near future, especially if you're not trying to play graphical powerhouses like Battlefield V or Metro Exodus at 4K. Hell, even when we were playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for 'work' we only noticed our rig using 7GB of system memory, and that was with several Chrome tabs open in the background. However, back when we were testing Borderlands 3 performance, we did notice that game chewing through system memory like it was so much bubble gum. That game, even with minimal tasks running in the background, will chew through 12GB of system memory, and that's even with an RTX 2080 Ti, which has 11GB of video memory available. Like most things, it's all going to boil down to which games you're trying to play and the quality settings you're willing to live with. Even if you're playing the latest and greatest AAA games, if you're willing to turn down some settings every now and then, you should be fine with 8GB of RAM for a while yet. If you're the kind of person to lose their mind whenever you can't run a game maxed out at 120 fps, you're going to want to pick up that 16GB RAM kit – but we suspect most people in this category have already done so. For most people, especially if you just want to play some Overwatch to escape from the horrors of your everyday life for a little while, 8GB is more than enough, and we wouldn't recommend spending that cash on a new RAM kit. But, even if you aren't comfortable with 8GB of RAM, and you want to upgrade to be safe, at least RAM is cheaper now than it has been in a few years, so now would be the time to upgrade. Who knows when it will be this cheap again? 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 |
| Multi-database and multi-cloud deployments are the new norm Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:19 AM PDT Companies around the world prefer to have multiple databases in multiple locations over multiple platforms, according to a report unveiled at the Percona Live 2019 event in Amsterdam. Respondents from over 85 countries participated in the survey, many of whom offer cloud and SaaS solutions to startups, growing businesses, and established enterprises. Over half of the respondents avoid the public cloud and opt for alternatives that allow for easy deployment and scaling While over half the respondents run up to 25 databases instances in production, some larger organisations even have over 10,000 instances. The report suggests that as the companies scale up operations, they need databases to interact with more and varied applications: “Each application may or may not play well with an existing database. This has led to database specialisation. The prevalence of database options is leading more companies to pick open source database technology based on the application use case.” Those who list vendor lock-in as a critical reason to adopt open source are on average 10% less likely to buy support from a vendor The survey doesn’t put a figure on the use of open source solutions as compared to the proprietary ones, but it does say that over 80% use more than one open source database. While, open source MySQL databases dominate in open source database adoption, the survey points out that PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL-compatible databases have shown an increase in adoption in the last few years. Surprisingly 43% run both MySQL and PostgreSQL, which are both mature relational databases that are often seen pitted against each other.
Most people rely on the out-of-the-box MySQL Community installs, with MariaDB in second and Percona in third Another surprising trend is that despite the number of options on offer, relational DBMS continue to dominate, with over 90% of the respondents using them. Interestingly, 73% choose to use both a relational database as well as a NoSQL purpose-built database. The survey claims that when it comes to NoSQL, MongoDB Community is the clear winner. But note that while the survey does track usage of other NoSQL databases as well, it doesn’t directly compare their adoption with MongoDB. Smaller companies are more likely to use Google than Microsoft, but larger companies prefer Microsoft to Google Cloud is a different storyThe survey points out an interesting trend; while most survey respondents are well-informed about using open source technology in the cloud, they often find themselves tied to cloud vendors with a single solution and large monthly costs. Over half the respondents avoid public clouds, which is dominated by AWS. The report goes on to point out that despite the popularity of containers and the advent of orchestration options like Kubernetes, there aren’t many who are using containers to run databases. In fact, the survey discovered that only a third actually put Kubernetes into production and an even smaller percentage use Kubernetes for databases. Another interesting highlight in the report is how changing the software license influences adoption criteria or behavior. Besides the report, Percona also plans to make the raw data available to allow anyone to look for different trends: “We want to provide the community with a way to get this data, and use it and to make all open source databases better,” says Matt Yonkovit Percona's Chief Experience Officer: “We want them to see like “oh, this is where this industry is going; here’s my target demographic; here’s the concerns; here’s what I should focus on, here’s what I should change my model to”. Those looking to learn more can download Percona's full report for free.
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| Top Amazon-recommended products have major security risks Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:09 AM PDT Amazon is putting consumers at risk by listing and recommending cameras with security flaws that leave their owners exposed to hackers and snoopers according to a new Which? investigation. The consumer association carried out extensive tests on six wireless cameras and found serious security flaws despite the fact that these devices have thousands of positive reviews and were even able to earn a coveted “Amazon's Choice” recommendation. To make matters worse, many of these devices are marketed as being suitable for use as baby monitors. The investigation found a number of issues including weak passwords and strangers being able to remotely control these cameras to spy on users and access their unencrypted data.
Which? Was first alerted to these problems by industry experts and comments in Amazon reviews including a rather shocking one from a father who said he had “chills down his spine” after hearing a mysterious voice coming from a camera next to his child's crib after it was apparently hacked. Connected camera security issuesWhich? carried out lab tests on four cameras suspected of having security issues: the Victure 1080p, Vstarcam C7837WIP, ieGeek 1080p and the Sricam 720p. It was quite simple for the testers to gain root access to the Victure 1080p which would enable a hacker to take complete control of the camera and view footage captured from the device as they pleased. The Vstarcam C7837 had a default username that was set to the basic 'admin' as well as an easily guessable default password. The ieGeek 1080p and Sricam 720p cameras both use the same app and because of this, both devices share the same security flaw. Which? found that WiFi passwords were sent unencrypted over the internet when a user entered them on both devices. This would enable an attacker to access the user's home WiFi network to see what users are doing on the web and even gain access to data stored on other devices in their home. Some of the cameras the consumer association looked into even had their passwords and usernames written clearly on the side of the product and users frequently uploaded pictures of them alongside reviews. This opens up users of these devices to potential attacks regardless of whether or not the posted the picture as once the information is out there, hackers can easily use it to their advantage. Which? has asked Amazon to remove these products from its store but when the group reached out to the e-commerce giant, the company declined to comment.
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| The best mouse of 2019: 10 top computer mice compared Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:07 AM PDT There’s nothing quite like using the best mouse to get around your desktop, even if laptop and tablet manufacturers might try and convince you otherwise. No matter whether you’re on Windows 10 or macOS Mojave, a trackpad or touchscreen just doesn't offer the same level of control and functionality as the best mouse – or any mouse, for that matter. For one, the best mouse won’t be limited to a tiny space on your laptop chassis, and is thus much more accurate. Picking up the best mouse on the market will make an older mouse seem like a relic of some bygone age. But, before you go online to purchase the best mouse, there are a couple things you need to consider. Are you thinking about going for a wireless mouse or would a wired one be more appropriate? Are you just looking for one of the best gaming mice or do you want one that's best for productivity? Whatever you’re looking for, the best mouse can make your entire computing experience better. Every best mouse on this list is packed with important features that can only be found in high-end peripherals. Luckily, we've included our exclusive price comparison tool so you can find the best deals. Let’s dive into our best mouse list, so you'll find one that's most ideal for you. And, with Black Friday 2019 quickly approaching, there will be great deals on all the best mice. Best mouse 2019 at a glance
Image credit: TechRadar The Logitech MX Master 2S is expensive, but don’t let that price tag scare you away. This is the best mouse 2019 has to offer, particularly for productivity and creative tasks. While most mice in this price tag appeal to gamers with ridiculous button setups and edgy designs, this mouse is created for productivity alone. Trust us, you may not think you need a high-end wireless mouse for your day to day office work, but once you get your hands on the Logitech MX Master 2S, you’ll never want to go back. Read the full review: Logitech MX Master 2S Image credit: Logitech A much improved version of the Logitech MX Anywhere 2, the compact MX Anywhere 2S is easy to underestimate due to its small size. Yet, give it a chance, and it’ll show you just exactly how powerful, versatile and efficient it is. The best mouse for productivity – as well as productivity on the go – this is one’s feature-rich, offering seamless workflow as it allows you to easily switch between computers, track flawlessly and get a full day’s charge in just 3 minutes of charging. And that’s just to start.
Image credit: TechRadar While it seems like all of our peripherals are either being fitted with unnecessary lighting or morphed into odd shapes, there are still some mice out there that you can take seriously from looks alone. The Microsoft Classic Intellimouse, for example, touts a classic design and appealing white lighting, and it is a breath of fresh air. It also beefs up the sensor, allowing users to ramp up the DPI to 3,200. It’s not wireless, and it’s hardly made for gaming, but if you’re in the market for a mouse that’ll help you get all your work done, the Microsoft Classic Intellimouse may be the best mouse for you. Read the full review: Microsoft Classic IntelliMouse Image credit: Anker Don’t let its odd design and annoying tongue twister moniker fool you. The Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical mouse is only off putting until you get your hands on it. From the moment you start using this mouse, you’ll know it’s the best mouse for you. Sure, it’s built a little more cheaply than other ergonomic mice. But look at it this way: it’s an affordable way to prevent RSI. Image credit: Apple When Apple isn’t busy making very expensive phones and even more expensive PC powerhouses like the new Mac Pro 2019, it’s hard at work crafting one of the strangest yet most effective mice we’ve ever laid our hands on. If you find yourself doing a double take when looking at the specs, as there are no buttons on the Magic Mouse 2. This mouse is completely controlled by gestures, giving it all the benefits of a trackpad, as well as a mouse. Image credit: TechRadar If you’re looking for an extremely comfortable mouse that will make your work day a little less rigorous, you’ll need the best mouse that’s ergonomically-focused like the Logitech MX Vertical. It’s a great example of what these mice are capable of. As the name suggests, it’s a vertical mouse, but it actually feels a lot more natural in your hand that you would think. Plus, it helps reduce the amount of stress you have to exert on your wrist and hand muscles. As an added bonus, there’s a handy little button at the top that lets you seamlessly swap between different computers for an even more seamless productivity process. Read the full review: Logitech MX Vertical Image credit: TechRadar The third trackball mouse Logitech has put out since 2008, the MX Ergo Wireless is an anomaly in an industry that is otherwise crowded with optical laser mice. As such, it certainly charms those who haven’t quite moved on to the gesture-based desktop trackpads of the present. With the option to lay it flat or use it at a 20-degree angle, this mouse is uniquely satisfying, and the best mouse if you’re looking for versatility. Read the full review: Logitech MX Ergo Wireless Image credit: TechRadar If you’re looking for something that’s seen and not heard, then this is the best mouse for you. Because the Logitech M330 Silent Plus is so compact and silent, it’s the perfect mouse for using on an airplane tray next to a sleeping neighbor or at a cafe. Just slip it into your laptop bag when you’re ready to go, and weighing less than a quarter of a pound, you won’t even notice the added bulk. Image credit: Microsoft Sure, the Microsoft Surface Precision Mouse that came out late last year is tempting, but sometimes you just need a cheap, reliable mouse that you can throw in your laptop bag without worry. That’s one of the things the Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 is great for. This may be the best mouse for anyone looking for an inexpensive pointing device that they can rely one – it’s one of the most dependable wireless mice you can buy today, and it’s from a brand you can trust. Image credit: Razer Razer products aren’t for everyone. Specifically, they appeal to an audience that enjoys the svelte industrial design of an Apple gadget, but with a gamer-centric slant. That’s especially the case with the DeathAdder Chroma, a mouse that comes with 16.8 million LED-backlit color options out of the box, along with a hyper-accurate 10,000 DPI sensor. Read the full review: Razer DeathAdder Chroma Michelle Rae Uy, Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas has also contributed to this article Image Credits: TechRadar This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best cheap laptop deals in October 2019: prices start at just $94 Posted: 01 Oct 2019 11:00 AM PDT If you're in the market for a cheap laptop deal, now's a great time to find a good price, regardless of whether you're shopping for work, school, or home. To make finding the machine that's right for you easier, we’ve collected the cheapest prices and best deals of the week in addition to a selection of some of our perpetual cheap laptop favorites. This week features an assortment of workhorses, versatile machines, and basic configurations perfect for students. We know that shopping for a new laptop can be an often arduous task of comparing storage, memory, processing power and features, but our guide below will help you find the best laptop deals and get the most for your money. From huge names like Dell, Asus and Lenovo to lesser known brands, you’re sure to come away happy with these bargains. If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited checking out our selection of cheap gaming laptop deals, as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mind. We've also rounded up a fine collection of cheap laptop offers in the UK too. Plus, with Black Friday 2019 on the horizon, now's an excellent time to go bargain hunting for the laptop of your dreams. Who knows? You might stumble upon a great holiday gift in the process. The best cheap laptops at a glance
The best cheap laptop deal of the weekMore top cheap laptop deals of the weekWhere to find the best laptop deals in the US:We've compared prices on some of our favourite cheap laptops and run through the details on why we recommend them further down this page. But if you'd like to browse the latest laptop deals directly from your favorite retailers we've included a list of the most-recommended stores directly below. The best cheap laptops of 2019Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to a MacBook Pro from a couple of years back, that is, if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? Among the best Acer laptops right now, it's roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine. Read the full review: Acer Swift 3 This convertible laptop has always been about function over form. For one minuscule transaction, you’re getting a tablet equipped with an included keyboard and even a fingerprint scanner for more secure logins. Along with reliable performance and a magnesium-alloy chassis, it’s built to last – not to mention, one of the best Asus laptops you can buy when you're on the budget. Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA While it may be outclassed by the Pixelbook and the Samsung Chromebook in terms of sheer power, the Acer Chromebook 15 can still pack a wallop while providing battery life that is frankly out of this world. It’s rare that a laptop can truly provide all-day battery, but in our independent battery tests, Acer’s Chromebook lasted an astonishing 17 hours – on top of providing enough power to get your work done online. If you’re looking for a 15-inch Chromebook that will give you the most bang for your buck, look no further. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 If you're looking for a Lenovo laptop, the Lenovo Yoga Book, and the Windows 10 version of it in particular, is the sort of futuristic fodder you would find in an episode of Black Mirror. It has a keyboard that doubles as a Wacom touch panel and, best of all, it’s cheap as hell. Now, of course, that comes with the caveat of a weak Intel Atom processor, but the rest of the Lenovo Yoga Book should go down in the history books. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14 Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need:
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| Top Tech Conferences: The ultimate B2B tech events and show guide for 2019 Posted: 01 Oct 2019 10:40 AM PDT For information about adding your event to this list and featured listing opportunities please contact mike.moore@futurenet.com. Love it or loathe it, events and conferences are often where wheelers and dealers in the world of technology meet to decide on the future of the industry. Ironically, technology itself has accelerate the demise of some massive tech events (like CeBit) but the result is that the remaining ones are more focused, alive and bustling than ever before. TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal have joined forces with the tech B2B PR industry to curate a list of national and international technology events, conferences and happenings. Gitex 2019October 6th-10th, 2019 Join attendees from 120+ countries and global media outlets in unpacking the big conversations and latest solutions around AI, blockchain, robotics, cloud and other mega trends. Why attend? GITEX takes you on a multi-sensory experience of Future Urbanism across 21 halls with 4,000 exhibitors across 24 sectors. World Congress on Information Technology 2019October 6th - 9th, Yerevan The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) is one of the largest & most prestigious ICT events in the world. It features discussions related to the evolution of the Digital Age. Why attend? A one-of-a-kind event to attend and shape the conversation around our Digital Future and discuss the outcomes that the information and communications technologies have in our lives. Digital Transformation Expo Europe 2019October 9th-10th, London Digital Transformation EXPO Europe connects IT leaders, security specialists and data specialists with the solutions and services to evolve their digital transformation plans. Why attend? Find out what works and what doesn’t by being in the same event space as 16,000 of your industry peers from across enterprise IT, cyber security and new tech. World Summit AIOctober 9th-10th, Amsterdam The world’s leading and largest AI summit gathers the global AI ecosystem of Enterprise, BigTech, Startups, Investors and Science to tackle head-on the most burning AI issues and set the global AI agenda. Why attend? 15,000+ people from 160+ countries worldwide attending 50+ cutting-edge AI business, science, tech and networking events hosted by world leading AI experts. IoT Solutions World CongressOctober 29th - 31st, Barcelona The IoT Solutions World Congress is dedicated exclusively to joining IoT providers with industry in order to help the latter increase productivity via this disruptive technology. Why attend? The IoT Solutions World Congress is committed to bringing together the best minds in the industry to discuss hot topics in the IoT business. Big Data LDN 2019November 13th-14th, London Big Data LDN is a free to attend conference and exhibition where delegates discuss the big questions and share ideas with forward-thinking peers and leading members of the Data community. Hear from 130 expert speakers in 8 technical and business-led conference tracks, including real world use-cases and discuss your business requirements with 100 leading technology vendors and consultants. Why attend? Big Data LDN (London) will host leading, global data and analytics experts, ready to arm you with the tools to deliver your most effective data-driven strategy. Running Remote 2020April 20th-21st, Austin Running Remote is carefully curated to teach you next-level, actionable strategies and tactics you can utilize the very next day to manage and grow your distributed team. Why attend? The conference will provide education and tools that founders & professionals need to succeed in the future of work. This is a gathering of leaders who will share everything they’ve learnt running a remote first organisation. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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