Apple : HackerOne pays up after data incident |
- HackerOne pays up after data incident
- Qualcomm's new sensor will let your phone scan two fingerprints at once
- Xbox Project Scarlett may have a cheaper, disc-less sibling with Project Lockhart
- Best phone for gaming 2019: the top 10 mobile game performers
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- Man United vs Tottenham live stream: how to watch today's Premier League football online from anywhere
- Snapdragon 865: phones list, specs and 5G capabilities
- Best colocation providers of 2019
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| HackerOne pays up after data incident Posted: 04 Dec 2019 01:23 PM PST The bug bounty platform HackerOne has paid a $20,000 bounty to an outside hacker after it accidentally gave them the ability to read and modify some of its customers bug reports. It all began when the outsider, who is a HackerOne community member with a proven track record of finding vulnerabilities, was communicating with one of the company's security analysts. The HackerOne analyst sent the user, who goes by the handle haxta4ok00, parts of a cURL command. However, the cURL command the analyst sent mistakenly included a valid session cookie which could be used by anyone who possessed it to read and even partially modify all of the data the analyst had access to.
Luckily HackerOne was able to quickly revoke the session cookie just two hours after haxta4ok00 first reported the breach. Exposed dataAt this time, HackerOne is not saying just how much data was exposed by the security analyst's mistake. In a recently published incident report though, the company said that all affected customers have already been notified privately. The report also revealed that the exposed data was limited to reports the security analyst had access to. However, the disclosure does not even provide any clues as to how many customers or how much data was affected. A day after the incident occurred, HackerOne cofounder Jobert Abma wrote to haxta4ok00, saying: “Something came up that we hadn’t asked you yet. We didn’t find it necessary for you to have opened all the reports and pages in order to validate you had access to the account. Would you mind explaining why you did so to us?” Haxta4ok00 responded to this question by saying that he opened all of the reports and pages in order to “show the impact” and did not intend any harm to either HackerOne or its customers. This explanation wasn't enough for Abma who replied, saying: “This became a bigger incident due to the amount of data that you accessed, not because it happened in the first place. Haxta4ok00 still received a bounty of $20,000 for his discovery while learning the valuable lesson that just because files have been accidentally made accessible to you, it doesn't mean you should open them.
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| Qualcomm's new sensor will let your phone scan two fingerprints at once Posted: 04 Dec 2019 12:53 PM PST Qualcomm has taken the wraps off its next-generation fingerprint scanner as it looks to make smartphones more secure than ever. The company unveiled 3D Sonic Max, the second generation of its in-display fingerprint sensor, at its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, highlighting the size and security benefits the new tool can bring. The new scanner, which should start appearing in smartphones next year, aims to take a major step forward ahead in biometric technology, not least in being able to scan two fingerprint at once for added security.
ScannerThat’s because 3D Sonic Max is 17 times bigger than the first generation sensor, which debuted in the Samsung Galaxy S10, measuring 20mm x 30mm versus the 4mm x 9mm in the older hardware. That particular sensor gained notoriety due to several issues, including a security flaw that meant users with a cheap screen protector were able to unlock a device using anyone’s fingerprints. This larger build will also make it easier to place a fingerprint for scanning, a bugbear for many smartphone users struggling to unlock their device on the move, as well as speeding up authentication to a matter of milliseconds. Qualcomm says the new scanner is able to capture a much clearer fingerprint image than the older generation sensor, giving it far greater security protection for mobile users. There’s no news yet on what devices will ship with the new 3D Sonic Max, but the service will ship with Qualcomm’s newly-announced Snapdragon 865 chipset, which is set to power most of the leading Android devices released in 2020.
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| Xbox Project Scarlett may have a cheaper, disc-less sibling with Project Lockhart Posted: 04 Dec 2019 12:35 PM PST Rumors have circulated for some time about a lower-cost next-gen Xbox console that would sit just below Project Scarlett, the high-end console Microsoft announced this past year at E3. But, so far, very few of those rumors were founded on anything substantial. Now, thanks to some great reporting by Kotaku’s Jason Shreier, we know that there is indeed a lower-specced console in the works from Microsoft that will still play all the next-gen games. Project Lockhart will be disc-less console - a trait that it will carry forward from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - but Kotaku's sources believe it will be substantially more powerful than Microsoft’s current disc-less box, and will come with both a solid-state hard drive and a faster CPU than any current game console. The report goes on to say that Microsoft told developers to shoot for a 1440p resolution and 60 frames-per-second frame rate with Project Lockhart and 4K/60 with Project Scarlett, and those same developers have likened the performance of the lower-end console to the PS4 Pro. So how much will Project Lockhart cost?That’s the million-dollar question at the moment. Developers weren’t told those key details or, if they were, they weren’t shared with Kotaku. For now, all we can say for sure is that it will sit beneath Project Scarlett - the Xbox One X equivalent for the next-generation of consoles - and that Project Lockhart will primarily see use as a digital gateway for both Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, and its Xbox Game Pass service. Will either Project Scarlett or Project Lockhart be more powerful than the PS5? Unfortunately we don’t have the answer to that and, according to devs who have first-hand experience with both, neither do they. Those questions, and many more, will likely be answered sometime in 2020 when both consoles get a proper unveiling and announcement - we hope - before E3 2020.
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| Best phone for gaming 2019: the top 10 mobile game performers Posted: 04 Dec 2019 12:31 PM PST The best gaming phones just keep getting better over time. There's more powerful hardware that can run games with ease, and dedicated gaming phones are designed with specific features that can handle some of the best titles Android and iOS have to offer. And yet, some of the best gaming phones are the same as the best phones all around, since their balance of performance and features make them a winner for just about anything. There are a few must-haves for any great gaming phone: a powerful chipset capable of running the best Android games or best iPhone games smoothly and launching them quickly; a great looking display with enough room to show the game with room for your fingers; and enough battery to keep you gaming for as long a session as you can muster. When you’re playing demanding games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, you don’t want any of these aspects to be lacking. We’ve taken all these aspects into account, as well as others like RAM size and storage space for games - which will come in handy when you download all 70-plus titles in Apple Arcade's library. The available app ecosystem also matters, which is one reason why Apple’s devices continue to have such a strong foothold here, even outside of its new premium gaming service. We also take into account unique features that can have a special impact on gaming. So, whether you want high specs AND 'gamer'-appealing perks like RGB lights or just a good phone that can double as a mobile gaming device, you no longer have to choose. We've examined all the options and chosen the best phones for gaming based on the factors above. You'll find our full list below. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the best gaming phone The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the bigger, better brother of Apple's newest flagship smartphone in a few key ways, but if you're picking either model for gaming, you might as well go with the best. The 6.5-inch screen on the iPhone 11 Pro Max is bigger than the one on its 5.8-inch sibling and its larger battery manages to stay working longer than the standard iPhone 11 Pro. Those perks will give you more of an edge than with the iPhone 11 Pro, but both benefit from this Apple phone generation's true advantage: the A13 Bionic processor. In our tests, it loaded up Clash Royale and PUBG even faster (vs the iPhone X), and speed is crucial in online gaming. All this in a Apple's sleek, modern look – though it's the most expensive mainstream phone on the market, even before including all the bells and whistles. Read our reviews: iPhone 11 Pro Max | iPhone 11 Pro A more-affordable flagship gaming phone The OnePlus 7 Pro is cheaper than the iPhones and Samsungs in this list, but still delivers the latest power under the hood with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset and the choice of up to 12GB of RAM. It means games load quickly and run smoothly, and the OnePlus 7 Pro is the firm's first phone with a QHD display, giving you an excellent pixel density for crisp graphics. On top of that sharp resolution is the huge size of the display, which offers 6.67 inches without any cameras or notches taking up space. Further improving the gaming experience is the 90Hz refresh rate of the display, which makes gaming and everyday use that much smoother. There's a sizable 4,000mAh battery too, which should keep you going during lengthy play sessions, and it all makes for a top-notch gaming phone. Read our review: OnePlus 7 Pro The Galaxy S10 Plus is an all-rounder, but is still a top gaming phone Don't be too surprised to see Samsung so high on the list. Its latest family of Galaxy S10 smartphones are the first to feature Qualcomm's powerful new Snapdragon 855 chipset, which quickly boosted them to the top of the pack in terms of sheer performance. But, it's not just the chipset that makes these excellent gaming phones. They have sharp Super AMOLED displays with support for high dynamic range, so you'll get excellent visuals in movies and games alike. The screen real estate is also expanded, so you have that much more game to look at. With these phones, you're getting both a killer phone and a powerful mobile gaming device in one. Better still, VR fans can still make use of the new phones with existing Gear VR headsets, according to The Verge. Letting you enjoy the immersive game medium on the phones' crisp displays. Read our review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus The Asus ROG Phone 2 is built for gamers The Asus ROG Phone 2 has almost all the features mobile gamers need, including a staggeringly large 6,000mAh battery (for extended gaming sessions), and a slick 120Hz AMOLED screen, in a large 6.59-inch size. Add to that truly top tier specs, with the combination of a Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, 12GB of RAM and masses of storage, and you can see why the Asus ROG Phone 2 makes our list. Being designed specifically for gamers, it also has features you won't find on most other phones, such as a clip-on fan, which is generously included in the box, and a range of other accessories (such as a gamepad), which you'll have to buy separately. There's also built-in software to help you tailor your gaming experience, through, for example, overclocking the already meaty CPU, and adjusting the fan speed. There are some issues with the Asus ROG Phone 2, but most of them don't affect gaming. It doesn't have wireless charging or water resistance for example, and the design is sure to be divisive. If all you want your phone for is gaming though, and you either like this design or don't much care, then the Asus ROG Phone 2 is hard to beat. Read our review: Asus ROG Phone 2 The Razer Phone 2 gaming phone The first Razer Phone was a solid first effort to bring the gamer-specific brand to a mobile device, but it had a few shortcomings that dropped it further down our list. The second version has addressed some and come out with a stronger device for it, though it's still aimed primarily at gamers. What does that mean? The camera and display aren't nearly as impressive as other phones that cost this much, so casual gamers might want to look elsewhere. But if you're more serious about mobile gaming and can afford it, this is a solid choice. Outwardly, the Razer Phone 2 hasn't changed much from its predecessor, though it's upgraded to the Snapdragon 845 chip and switched to a glass back for Qi wireless charging. It's also added a slick vapor chamber to cool the device as you game. At the end of the day, the phone's beefy chipset, 8GB RAM, great speakers, 120hz refresh rate screen and 4,000mAh battery, as well as extensive settings to tweak battery life and performance, make this a great choice for gaming. Read our review: Razer Phone 2 Huawei's P30 Pro may not be a phone on many people's radars, but it's an amazing Android phone from the Chinese manufacturers. Much of the attention the P30 Pro is getting comes from its impressive camera system, which has three rear cameras including one with a 5X zoom and a stunning dark mode. But, the Huawei P30 Pro has plenty to offer gamers as well. The Kirin 980 chipset inside is plenty powerful for the latest Android games, and 8GB of RAM can keep everything running smooth even when you're switching back and forth from gaming and other activities. The hefty 4,200mAh battery can ensure your gaming sessions aren't cut short. An improved heat pipe ad vapor cooling chamber inside the P30 Pro help it keep cool while gaming, so it can continue to play Fortnite, Real Racing 3, and PUBG without a hitch. Read our review: Huawei P30 Pro The Black Shark 2 is the second generation gaming phone from Chinese firm Xiaomi's gaming arm, and it builds well on its predecessor adding more power and a better screen into the mix. Combining a great camera, excellent internals and improved gaming credentials over the original, the Black Shark 2 is a triple threat that betters most of its gaming phone rivals. It's lumbered with a handful of instabilities and quirks, but even with those accounted for, the bang for buck it delivers is off the chart. The only thing to watch out for is its availability. It's not easy to find in some countries, such as US. Read our review: Black Shark 2 Apple's iPhone XR may lack some of the features from the iPhone XS and XS Max that make them true stunners, but it makes up for that with a lower price. And, while it may have a smaller screen, it's still offering 6.1 inches. Even though that lower price comes with caveats, like a simpler camera setup, the iPhone XR doesn't skimp on internals. It packs the same A12 Bionic chipset that's found in the more expensive models, and it will run iOS 12 and iOS 13 just the same as the other models. That means it can play all the same games, and it can run them just as smoothly (if not even smoother, since it has fewer pixels to push). The iPhone XR also has one of the best batteries in an iPhone that we've seen in some time. So, if you want to do plenty of gaming on iOS, the iPhone XR is a strong option. Read more: iPhone XR review The LG G8 may be a little underwhelming in terms of design, and if you don't find a deal, it can be too expensive to wisely choose over one of the other devices on this list. But, if you find a good price, it has enough to offer as a gaming phone. Inside, it's packing the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, which can deliver plenty of gaming performance. And, with a high-resolution, bright OLED display, your games are sure to look great. With a base storage of 128GB of RAM, you should have plenty of room on the LG G8 to store games alongside all your other apps and files. Read more: LG G8 ThinQ review Yes, we know the iPhone 8 Plus is verging on two years old right now. It doesn't have the same elegant design found in the iPhone X, XS, or XR. But, if you look past the design and 5.5-inch display, you're still getting some strong gaming credentials. For one thing, the age of the iPhone 8 Plus helps bring the price down. And, though the screen is the smallest on this list, it's still a 1080p resolution. Better still, the iPhone 8 Plus packs the A11 Bionic chipset that's also found in the iPhone X, and it runs on the latest version of iOS. That gives it access to plenty of games and the power to play them. The battery is also decent, and the 256GB storage option offers all the room you could need for a substantial mobile game collection. Read more: iPhone 8 Plus review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2019 12:03 PM PST Of all Amazon Prime Video's selection of Premier League matches, the Merseyside derby has to be the pick. We have full details below on how to watch the game for with our Liverpool vs Everton live stream guide - no matter where in the world you are. With Man City's challenge faltering in recent weeks, Liverpool appear to be waltzing to a long-awaited, first-ever Premier League title. Nevertheless, there's nothing like a derby against noisy neighbours to upset a good run. Everton's hugely underwhelming season thus far has put boss Marco Silva's job in doubt, but an against-the-odds win at Anfield tonight against their Merseyside rivals could get the Toffees board and faithful back on side. Jurgen Klopp's side currently stand eight points clear at the top of league, having had their league cut by three points following Man City's convincing 4-1 win at Burnley last night. They'll be keen to restore their huge points gap tonight against their great rivals at home, but will need to do so without talismanic keeper Alisson who was sent off in the Reds' win over Brighton, with former West Ham stopper Adrian set to once again deputise for the Brazilian. Everton come into tonight's game off another demoralising defeat, but they were somewhat unlucky against Leicester, having let in an agonising injury-time goal to lose 2-1. They did at least show signs of fight and will be desperate to save the manager from what currently looks like an inevitable sacking. There's nothing quite like a high-stakes Merseyside derby - watch all the drama unfold as it happens with our Liverpool vs Everton live stream guide below. To find out how to watch the rest of the season's games, check out our guide on how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season. Use a VPN to watch Premier League football from outside your countryIf you're abroad this weekend but still want to watch your home coverage, you'll need a VPN to do so. That's because your normal coverage will be geo-blocked. It's really easy to do and stops you having to tune in to some dodgy stream you've heard about on Reddit. How to stream Liverpool vs Everton live in the UK for free with AmazonHow to watch Liverpool vs Everton: US live streamHow to watch a Premier League live stream in CanadaHow to live stream the Merseyside derby in AustraliaHow to watch Liverpool vs Everton: New Zealand live streamHow to live stream Liverpool vs Everton in IndiaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2019 11:39 AM PST Jose Mourinho has thus far made a perfect start at new club Tottenham Hotspur but now faces his biggest challenge yet, returning to the scene of one of his most disappointing spells as a professional manager. Will Jose show the Reds what they're missing, or will Manchester United dish out a reality check to the buoyant Spurs? Don't miss a kick with our guide below to watching a live stream of Man United vs Tottenham, including all the info on how to watch the match on Amazon Prime Video. The Portuguese manager will likely be itching to prove a point as he prepares to face a struggling Manchester United side that hasn't noticeably improved since he left the club last year. Having laboured to a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, there's likely to be a tense atmosphere at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The pressure is mounting on United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with the availability of Mauricio Pochettino, Mourinho's predecessor at Spurs, looming large over the Norwegian's seemingly fragile tenure as Reds boss. United are currently sitting in ninth in the table where they are closer to the relegation places than the top four. With Wednesday's encounter against Spurs proceeding a weekend derby showdown with Man City, it looks like being a defining week for the club. Will Mourinho heap more misery on his former employers, or can Ole get his hands back on the wheel at Old Trafford? Watch all the action unfold as it happens with our Man United with Spurs live stream guide below, and to find out how to watch the rest of the season's games, check out our guide on how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season. Use a VPN to watch Premier League football from outside your countryIf you're abroad this weekend but still want to watch your home coverage, you'll need a VPN to do so. That's because your normal coverage will be geo-blocked. It's really easy to do and stops you having to tune in to some dodgy stream you've heard about on Reddit. How to stream Man United vs Tottenham live in the UK for free with AmazonHow to watch Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: US live streamHow to watch a Premier League live stream in CanadaHow to live stream Man United vs Tottenham in AustraliaHow to watch Man United vs Tottenham Hotspur: New Zealand live streamHow to live stream Man United vs Spurs in IndiaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Snapdragon 865: phones list, specs and 5G capabilities Posted: 04 Dec 2019 10:59 AM PST The Snapdragon 865 chipset is 'loaded with 5G,' according to Qualcomm, and it's ready to power the next round flagship-level Android smartphones starting in early 2020. It'll almost certainly be found at the heart of the Samsung Galaxy S11, Note 11, LG G9, OnePlus 8, Google Pixel 5 and so on, although the official Snapdragon 865 phones list will have to wait – likely until MWC 2020. Mid-range phones gunning for higher performance will likely pick the Snapdragon 765, also just introduced by Qualcomm, but top-tier Android phones will almost surely opt for the Snapdragon 865. Qualcomm's 5G-capable chipset, unveiled at its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii, foreshadows what to expect from your smartphone next year. It'll be in the majority of top-tier phones – everything except Huawei phones and Apple iPhones. But even iPhone owners should pay attention to the new Snapdragon 865 features. Qualcomm's roadmap often shapes where the mobile devices industry goes, and we know Qualcomm's modems are going to start being used in the 5G iPhone. Snapdragon 865 features are primary focused on expanding 5G speeds, doubling down on gaming performance, and improving photo and video quality on the many, many cameras employed by smartphones these days. Snapdragon 865 specsQualcomm is touting new architecture among its Snapdragon 865 specs, made up of a Kryo 585 CPU, Adreno 650 GPU, Spectra 480 ISP, Hexagon 698 processor and sensing hub. Its CPU can run up to 2.84GHz, according to Qualcomm, and the GPU is supposed to offer 20% faster graphics rendering. We'll be running Snapdragon 865 benchmark tests soon to confirm these numbers. The standout in the Snapdragon 865 specs sheet, however, is the 35% increase in the power efficiency for intense tasks, like gaming. As powerful as GPUs have become in smartphones, we know peak performance only lasts so long before throttling sets in. Qualcomm says it wants to go the distance with the new 865 chip. Snapdragon 865 has 5G, but without integrationThe Snapdragon 865 is driving 5G in two ways: it'll offer faster download speeds – up to 7.5Gbps – and be found in more smartphones you actually want in 2020. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 5G modem achieves these peak download speeds via mmWave and sub-6 standards, the backbone of 5G. But it also employs tricks like Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, which combines 5G and 4G spectrum for faster throughput. Upload speeds are also set to improve, reaching 3Gbps in ideal 5G conditions. That's something we really haven't seen from carriers in our 5G speed tests in the US, as the hype around uplink speeds has long trailed good download speed performance. Interestingly, the Snapdragon 865 is being coupled with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem as a separate chip. This means the modem isn't actually integrated into the mobile chipset, but you also won't be able to get a Snapdragon 865 phone without the 5G chip. They're a couple, so don't expect new 865 phones to be 4G-only. That's more of a concern for smartphone manufacturers, which have to account for the modem within the confines of their devices and find ways to power the modem separately. But these concerns could affect the size and battery consumption of the next smartphones. Snapdragon 865 is ready for 200MP photos, 8K videoBesides 5G, the most consumer-facing perks of the Snapdragon 865 chipset are the camera improvements. You'll notice an uptick in both photo and video quality. Specifically, the Qualcomm Spectra 480 Image Signal Processor boosts the megapixel count to 200MP. Note: it's really up to phone manufacturers to use these grandiose capabilities, so you may not actually see 200MP smartphones yet. For example, two years ago, we saw Samsung ditch HDR video capture when it was employed by the 845. This was reportedly done to keep parity with its Exynos chip, which didn't have HDR video capture capabilities and went into Galaxy S9 and Note 9 in some regions. The Galaxy S10 ended up being Samsung's first to capture HDR video. When it comes to video for phones poised to use the Snapdragon 865 chipset, we're going to see 8K resolution video, one billion shades of color and support for the HGL format and Dolby Vision captured in real time. Dolby Vision capture is going to be important simply because other phones out there right now have high-end screens that support seeing Dolby Vision. But capturing it is going to be limited to next year's Android phones – meaning your friends will see you amazing footage on their phone screens and have instant camera phone envy. Slow motion video can be fun, but in 2019 it's fairly limited – super slo mo modes at 960fps often cut out after ten seconds. That's going to change in 2020 with unlimited super slow motion video. You'll also see slo mo at 4K 120fps. Goodbye 720p video. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Tech Summit 2019 continues this week, so we'll have more coverage from the event and we'll continue to tell you what the Snapdragon 865 says about smartphones coming out over the course of next 12 months.
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| Best colocation providers of 2019 Posted: 04 Dec 2019 10:55 AM PST While it's initially cheaper to rent your own IT hardware and infrastructure in the short-term (think traditional web hosting), as your business needs grow there comes a point when it becomes more economical to buy your own server hardware. However, you then need a data center to host your equipment. This is where colocation services come into play, where racks and cabinets are leased to you, enabling you to set up your own server hardware in the heart of a data center. Making a decision on which provider to use is far from easy. If your business has mission-critical needs then you'll want to reduce latency. Additionally, you may need to look for hosting on the west coast for optimal Asian connections, east coast for European ones, or mid-state for the best general connectivity across the US. However, you need to ensure that the geographic siting works for you, by balancing a combination of network connectivity, resiliency, and disaster recovery considerations, as well as ease of access. The good news is that there are a wide range of options. There are a lot of data centers available, with good networks across the US, and the industry is highly competitive. That means pricing will tend to be very affordable according to your needs. All providers should be able to offer different cabinet sizes to suit you, plus different power configurations according to needs, on top of standard security and redundancy measures across the data center itself to protect client hardware and ensure it runs even in the event of a power outage. The question of which operation to pick might seem overwhelming, so here we'll feature some of the best in the industry. Some of these colocation services are provided directly by the data center, but others are companies that lease cabinets from them while offering additional support options for added value.
Image credit: Equinix Equinix boasts one of the biggest worldwide distributions, with over 200 data centers across 52 markets and 26 countries in 5 continents. This provider also offers 1,800+ network connections and an industry-leading uptime of over 99.9999%. In terms of choice, Equinix has plenty. You can configure and support your deployments according to power needs in cage, suite, or server cabinet solutions, or even colocate in pods that act as dedicated rooms. There are other options for mitigating risks for financial services companies, and a range of virtualization opportunities. Overall, the number of options could be potentially overwhelming, and as with many big service providers, small business customers may not feel they get the same personalized support that other SMB-focused colocation providers can offer. Image credit: Cyxtera Cyxtera boasts over 50 data centers across four continents, with the backbone of these being spread across the US. This impressive coverage is partly due to its purchase of CenturyLink's hardware assets, though CenturyLink still provides the network connections. In terms of options, Cyxtera offers plenty, as you'd expect from a big company. It also provides multiple levels of support and specifications according to individual business needs. It's also worth noting that the Cyxtera data centers are really nicely spread out across the US, which means that you should be able to minimize latency and lag issues across the country. A nice extra touch is that you can actually use your own cabinets if you'd rather not go with those provided, which could be important if you have a particularly customized server setup and configuration – though note that for security reasons Cyxtera technicians will need to install it. Overall, this is another major provider that should be able to deliver on the hardware support you need. Image credit: Tierpoint Tierpoint is another major provider, with over 40 data centers across the US. The central point to bear in mind here is that these tend to be in eastern states, which means in terms of connectivity they are ideally optimized for US and European operations, but latency issues may be a concern if connecting to Asia. There are plenty of options for colocating available, as might be expected. One particularly nice feature is a business continuity workspace, so that if you face a major task or recovery process, you can plug yourself into a private area while you try to get everything sorted out. Tierpoint also advertises migration services, to make any move to Tierpoint from another provider as seamless as possible. Tierpoint offers a standard range of options that mean it should be easy to accommodate and support you. This company is one of the major players so should be able to deliver, just keep an eye on a location that works best for you. Image credit: Iron Mountain Iron Mountain is one of the mid-range providers, having a string of 15 data centers across the backbone of America, running from coast-to-coast, along with a handful more in Europe and Asia. This presents a strong level of global connectivity alongside its network providers, even though it has fewer data centers than those providers we have covered above. However, Iron Mountain is an experienced and established company, and claims to host a large number of Fortune 1000 organizations. It puts a particular emphasis on compliance and reliability. Where Iron Mountain particularly distinguishes itself is in its colocation options: the company doesn't simply talk about cabinets, cages, or suites, but of building custom modular solutions across the floorspace of its data centers. Overall, while Iron Mountain may seem to offer less geographic options than the companies above, that doesn’t mean it won't deliver the highest standards. Image credit: Data Foundry Data Foundry is a major player in Texas, owning a handful of data centers across Austin and Houston. While this makes the company seem a little limited geographically, Texas has proven to be a strong center point for data operations across America. Using carrier-neutral data centers means that whichever US states your customers are in, you should be able to reach them with minimal lag or latency. A particular selling point Data Foundry advertises is that not only has the company custom-built its data centers itself, but that all technicians are company employees rather than contractors, which means you should expect all the expertise you need to already be onsite. The one caveat is to keep an eye on contract lengths, as you may want to avoid signing multi-year commitments if you find your IT needs change during the contract period. Image credit: Digital Realty Digital Realty is one of the biggest players when it comes to data centers, with a truly global presence through a mixture of partnerships. The company owns over a dozen data centers that serve the east and west coasts, as well as central regions such as Houston, Dallas, and Chicago. It also owns data centers in Europe, as well as having partnerships in South America, East Asia, and Australia. Connectivity is a particular strong point, geared towards supporting mission-critical applications for finance, healthcare, and even social media companies. While it offers the usual range of cabinets and cloud options, Digital Realty further makes an effort to ensure its data centers are as green as possible, winning various awards for the use of environmentally-friendly technology to minimize power and energy waste. Although Digital Realty positions itself as a global player, another strength is local support, so you don't have to feel overwhelmed if you're a small business looking for a solution. Image credit: CoreSite CoreSite is another significant player in the US market, with over a dozen data centers across America, especially on the seaboards, but also with some central locations in-between. This positions the company as especially optimized not just for the US market, but also Europe and Asia. While it offers standard colocation packages of cabinets, cages, and private suites, CoreSite also allows colocating companies to interconnect their hardware across multiple data centers, making them especially useful for cloud and network providers, as well as enterprises. Overall, CoreSite is a solid provider backed up by excellent network hardware and IT infrastructure, with a good spread of locations and an impressive range of colocation options. Image credit: Flexential Flexential was formed in 2017 through the merger of both Peak 10 and Viawest, both of which were already established providers. The result is a network of 41 data centers across the US, with the caveat being that most are in mid-state locations. Also, these tend to be small data centers rather than regional behemoths, meaning that while Flexential has a good geographic spread, it may not be the best choice if you have mission-critical applications connecting to Europe and Asia. That's also a strength, though. While a number of data centers offer to monitor and manage your hardware, Flexential is one of those companies where you can realistically do so yourself without living on the eastern or western seaboards. However, not all of Flexential's data centers are available for colocation, so you'd need to check availability first. Otherwise, Flexential is a company that will particularly appeal to smaller and mid-range companies, and could be a very good place to grow, especially if you don't plan on needing a large volume of server hardware in the short-term. Image credit: CDNetworks CDNetworks is a global network provider with over a dozen data centers, of which more than half are located in eastern Asia. While it does have US data centers, both of these are in California, again making these optimized for Asian connections. That doesn't mean to say that CDNetworks would not be useful for US companies looking to reach US customers, but rather that it has a global reach with a focus on Asian markets. Of course, even if you wanted to reach the latter from the US, it might be difficult to be hands-on with server hardware without incurring significant costs. However, CDNetworks offers managed solutions so that you can delegate these IT tasks directly to the company. This has pluses and minuses in that it should help reduce costs, at least in the short-term, especially for smaller and mid-sized companies. However, it does also mean that you have less direct control over your servers. Overall, CDNetworks offers good connectivity globally, but you're probably going to get the most out of this provider if you're aiming for Asian markets in particular, and are happy to delegate a lot of your IT management. Image credit: DataBank DataBank offers colocation from 19 data centers situated across nine US states, making it a particularly attractive provider for colocation services between the seaboards. Even better, it provides managed solutions so you can delegate your IT management to DataBank's own technicians. As mentioned previously, this comes with positives and negatives, and you'll need to balance them in terms of ease-of-use versus less control over your hardware management. The latter, of course, may make DataBank particularly attractive if your business is too small to have an expert IT team. Even if you do have one, the data center locations are among the most accessible of the companies featured here. As expected, DataBank offers a range of options, not least in terms of cabinets, cages, and custom suites, as well as cloud options. With good connectivity across the US, this could make DataBank an especially attractive colocation provider. UK colocation hosting optionsImage credit: Netcetera Netcetera is an experienced web host that has been providing data center solutions for more than 20 years to businesses all around the world. The company's Isle of Man-based data center may not be the most convenient place to colocate your server, but it does provide reliable power, high security, and support to handle reboots, upgrades, backups, restores and other essential maintenance tasks. As a surprise green bonus, a carbon offsetting scheme means Netcetera's data center is 100% carbon-neutral. Colocation prices start at just £49 per month for a single server with 1U to 5U and 0.5 amp power. Network uplink is 1Gbps with 10TB bandwidth – you also get 5 IP addresses, setup is free, and, in a very generous move, there's unlimited Remote Hands support. Netcetera also offers quarter, half and full rack plans priced from £195, £375 and £645 per month. Bandwidth is a chargeable extra, but this does allow you to define more precisely what you'll need, a flexible approach which could save you money overall. Image credit: Netwise Hosting Founded in 2005, Netwise Hosting is an experienced provider with its own data center in central London, and partner centres in Docklands, Manchester, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam and Stockholm. Colocation plans start at just £49 a month. This only gets you a minimal 1U of space, 0.5 amps conditioned power and a single IP address, but your data transfer allowance is reasonable at a monthly 1TB. Netwise Hosting clearly believes in choice, because that's just the start. You also get 2U and 4U plans, as well as quarter, half or full rack space (all lockable for extra security), and multi-rack options are available if you need them. There are plenty of advanced options here. Are you using MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) to connect your systems, for instance? Netwise Hosting can support L2 and L3. The company also provides a very complete set of colocation services, including migrating your server from another location, racking equipment for you, managing systems or providing 24/7 support. If you're unsure about the options, the website has a Colocation Calculator where you're able to choose the plans and features you need, and get a price right away. Image credit: Zen Zen Internet is best known as one of the UK's first ISPs, having been providing web access to the masses since 1995. But the company uses its networking expertise to support other services, too, including colocation in its Greater Manchester data center. Simple shared rack plans were priced from £59 a month, with 1U of rack space, 0.5 amps of power, and your choice of a data transfer allowance or an allocation of fixed bandwidth allowance. Now, you pay a monthly cost based on how much space, power and bandwidth you require and you'll need to get in touch with them for further information. Still, you are covered by a generous service level agreement which guarantees 100% power availability, 99.999% for network and 99.97% HVAC (heat, ventilation and air conditioning), with a one hour 'at rack' guarantee in the event of any problems. If any issues crop up, Zen's Remote Hands support service can check status indicators, reset or reboot your hardware, replace circuit patch leads and patch panel connections, and even change hot-swappable components, if you've provided spares. You get up to a generous five Remote Hands sessions a month, each lasting up to one hour – some hosts might restrict you to a single session of just 30 minutes. Image credit: Claranet Claranet is a top European provider with more than 20 years’ experience in delivering managed IT services to businesses around the world. The company manages multiple data centers, with five available for colocation. Your London options are Global Switch London East, Telecity Harbour Exchange Square and Telecity Sovereign House, and there are also centres in Hoddesdon (Hertfordshire) and Manchester. Claranet doesn't try to compete with others for the lowest advertised price (in fact, it doesn't advertise a price at all – you have to contact the company and ask for a quote). There are no almost useless 1U plans, for instance: you must choose a quarter, half or full rack. As of late, the colocation page redirects to Hybrid Cloud section, so there might be some changes for colocation services. Still, there's plenty to like here. Cabinets are all lockable to keep your hardware secure. Flexible power options ensure you get exactly what you need. You're able to access your server 24/7. There are flexible contracts available from a minimum of 30 days, with some benefits if you opt for longer terms (you get free installation if you sign up for three years). Well worth a look if you'd prefer to colocate with a big-name provider. Image credit: Fast2host Colocation is often marketed as a high-end hosting solution for big corporations only, but the reality is very different. Even the smallest business can benefit from the extra speed and control you might get with a colocation plan, and if you choose the right provider, low prices and contracts as short as a month allow almost anyone to try the service out. Fast2host won't be the most convenient colocation host for everyone. It only has a single data center in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Customers with lesser plans (1U-3U) don't get 24/7 access to their hardware, and standard Remote Hands support is limited to a miserly 45 minutes a month (30 minutes for 1U-3U), even for full rack plans. On the plus side, Fast2host offers real value, especially with the starter plans. 1U of rack space gets you 0.8 amps of power, rather than the 0.5 amps typically provided elsewhere. The data transfer allowance is a generous 1.2TB a month. ICMP and HTTP monitoring, often an optional extra with other providers, comes for free here. A 100% SLA on power and 99.99% SLA on network availability will be good enough for most users, yet all this can be yours from as little as £45 a month. If you need more, Fast2host's website makes it very easy to explore your options. There's no bulky comparison tables, and the company doesn't force you to contact them to get a quote: just click a plan (1U-5U, quarter, half or full rack), then you can instantly view the details and place your order in a couple of clicks. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Firefox is almost ready to launch its new VPN Posted: 04 Dec 2019 10:47 AM PST After revealing that it would launch its own VPN service earlier this year, Mozilla has announced that its Firefox Private Network is now undergoing an extended beta after several months of testing as part of the Firefox Test Pilot program. However, the beta is currently only available to users in the US that wish to try out the service and the free version will be limited to browser-level protection in Firefox. By installing Mozilla's free lightweight browser extension, users can secure their web browsing while using Firefox but there is a catch.
The company's VPN service is only free for up to 12 hours a month and those who sign up get 12 one-hour passes to test it out for themselves but you will need a Firefox account to use the extension. Device-level VPNIn addition to its free browser extension for Firefox Private Network, Mozilla is also currently working on a device-level VPN service that won't require Firefox to run. Instead the service will provide Windows 10 devices with full protection for just $4.99 per month for a limited time during the beta. The company also has plans to expand the service to other platforms including Android, iOS, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS. The standalone version of Firefox Private Network will allow users to choose from servers in over 30 countries and they'll even have the ability to connect up to five devices. Interested users can sign up for the waitlist for the paid version of Firefox Private Network now or if they wish to test out the service right away, they can download the free browser extension and begin using it today.
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| Android apps are apparently now more secure than ever Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST Google's push for broader adoption of the HTTPS standard is paying off and now 80 percent of all Android apps are encrypting their traffic by default. In a blog post, the search giant said that four out of five Android apps in the Google Play Store are encrypting their network traffic using HTTPS which means that the data sent to and from these apps cannot be intercepted or read by third-parties. Google also expects the number of apps using HTTPS to grow in the coming years as the result of a series of measures the company began rolling out in 2016 such as warnings in IDE tools and the Google Play developer dashboard.
This is one area in which Google has been able to outperform Apple as the iPhone maker has had difficulty getting its app developers to use HTTPS. In fact, according to one report published in June, only a third of iOS apps are using ATS to encrypt their network traffic. HTTPS adoptionIn addition to getting Android app developers to use HTTPS, Google has also been successful at getting websites to adopt the new standard as opposed to using HTTP which is vulnerable to SQL injections as well as cross site scripting (XSS). The company's Transparency Report even shows that HTTPS usage in Google Chrome is now somewhere between 85 and 95 percent depending on the platform. For instance, 89 percent of all websites loaded inside Chrome on Android are now loaded via HTTPS, while on Chrome for Windows, this number is 84 percent. Mozilla has made similar progress and back in September, it revealed that over 80 percent of all web pages loaded in Firefox are now loaded via HTTPS.
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| The best smart speakers 2019: which one should you buy? Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:27 AM PST The best smart speakers are our hardest working gadgets; they play music, help us control our smart home devices, and come with virtual assistants ready to answer our every question. These voice assistants, which include Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, have taken our homes by storm. That's because they can do so much – they can answer almost any question, play music, tell you the news and control your smart home devices (like your Philips Hue bulbs or smart locks). Among the most well-known smart speaker are the Amazon Echo and Google Nest (née Google Home) ranges of products – and a new fleet of products from both companies, including the Amazon Echo Studio and the Google Nest Mini, are set to shake up the smart home world. So if you need help finding your next personal assistant, take a look at our guide below and find the smart speaker that suits your current setup, your budget and the aesthetics of your home – each of the speakers are hand-picked by our editors, and while each have pros/cons, all of them are great in their own way. The best smart speakers 2019Sonos’ debut Alexa speaker is a cleanly-designed, feature-rich and great-sounding device that brings together the best of both ecosystems. You’ve got the ever-improving Alexa on the one hand, and on the other you’ve got Sonos with its own multi-room smarts and mostly unrivalled sound performance. There's also a new feature in the mix that promises to change the game: AirPlay 2. With it, the Sonos One can talk to Siri and form a multi-room pairing with the Apple HomePod, making it the most versatile speaker on the list. If there's anything holding the Sonos One back from greatness it's the fact that Google Assistant is still MIA after the update was postponed in November 2018 and is still nowhere to be seen nearly halfway through 2019. If Google Assistant support hits at some point this year (we hope), the Sonos One promises to become the market leader in smart home speakers. If you like the Sonos range but you've felt a little underwhelmed by its designs to date, then you'll be happy to find out the brand has launched a new range of in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor speakers, the Sonos Architectural line.
The highly-anticipated Apple HomePod finally entered the smart speaker battle for your bookshelf in early 2018. The obvious benefit of an Apple HomePod over an Echo or Google Home device is that it'll play nice with your other Apple products. So if you're a die-hard Apple fan the HomePod may be a no-brainer. But it's worth asking the same question you should always be asking yourself when you want to splurge on a new Apple product: how much of a premium should you pay for owning a device that fits only seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem? When we reviewed the device we were torn because we were really reviewing two things at once: how the HomePod weighs up as a premium speaker and how it fares as a smart home hub. Apple is said to be working on the Apple HomePod 2, or a cheaper, more compact HomePod Mini, rumored to launch at some point in 2019 – we're halfway through now and we're still waiting. Fingers crossed it'll be worth it.
The humble Amazon Echo has entered millions of homes already – and with good reason. It's an affordable entry point for those beginning their smart home, with audio capable enough to handle news, podcasts, music, or whatever you might be using your AI voice servant for. That's especially true with the new 2019 Amazon Echo, a third-generation model that bumps up the audio further with the drivers used in the 2018 Echo Plus – though without the latter's Zibgee compatability. It even looks like an Echo Plus, and it may be confusing to tell them apart if you have one of each in your home – but the 2019 refresh of the standard Echo raises the baseline for the whole range. At $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149, it's still cheaper than the Plus, or the Apple HomePod, despite the boost to sound quality. With softer fabric looks than the more industrial earlier models, Alexa seems more at home in a living room than ever – while new AI capabilities have introduced voice profile features and more variation when it comes to changing voice speed. We don't think you should be using it to replace your hifi – you might want the newly-announced Echo Studio for that – but at the same time it's a really great place to start if you want to try out what the smart home life is like.
Image Credit: Google For starters, you might never appreciate just how much music is on YouTube without buying a Google Home. We’re not saying Google Home is capable of playing any song you can think of, but after dredging the depths of the ’90s we still couldn’t find a tune Google Home couldn’t track down and start playing. While Google Home excels as a DJ, it’s also a surprisingly intelligent smart home hub. It already hooks into some of the largest platforms now available by including Nest, Philips and Samsung’s SmartThings, and given a few months that number will grow even more. But we're torn when it comes to recommending the Google Home. In some ways it's disappointing and doesn't live up to be the coveted center of the smart home Google has marketed it as. That's because it's just not there yet. It’s a little too rigid in its language comprehension, its list of smart home devices is growing but still a bit underwhelming, and, perhaps the biggest disappointment of all, it doesn’t have many of Google’s core services built into it. It has the potential to develop to compete with Amazon's Echo in the future, but for now the Google Home is simply a smart novelty with access to YouTube Music, built-in Google Cast and the ability to save you a trip to the light switch. Over the past year, the Google Home has received a number of notable updates, including the fact you can now use the device to make calls to landlines in the UK. Google Assistant has also been updated to included bilingual capabilities, Continued Conversation and Multiple Actions. A more recent update has also brought Google Assistant to Nest Security alarm systems. [Update: There's a new model on the block; the Google Nest Mini is taking over the mantel as the tech giant's entry level smart speaker. As soon as we review the new speaker, we'll be sure to update this list, but for now, check out our Google Nest Mini vs Google Home Mini comparison.]
The Amazon Echo range is still the market leader for smart speakers – in terms of sales, at least – but for all their hands-free convenience, they’re not speakers you’d look to if you want genuinely high-quality sound. The Pure DiscovR manages to bundle top-class audio with all of Alexa’s smarts, and the intuitive touch controls to make using it by hand or voice a real pleasure. The ability to save voice commands as presets is invaluable, and something the rest of the smart speaker market could learn from. The arresting design helps too. The rounded cube shape, and raised speaker – which can be compressed down into the casing to mute Alexa's microphone – feels hugely innovative in a crowded market, while the flashing colors around the LED rim make for much more of a light display than the Echo's meek blue. You won't get your hands on this in the US, though. The Pure DiscovR is exclusively sold through John Lewis in the UK, with plans to roll out to Europe later in 2019. The speaker is available in either graphite and silver finishes – listed at John Lewis as black or white. If you’re on the lookout for a quality smart speaker that delivers on voice control, sound quality, and an innovative design – and with an eye firmly on user privacy – the Pure DiscovR is exactly what you need.
The best smart speakers with a screen 2019With the recent onslaught of smart display devices from the big tech companies, there's more choice than ever if you want a screen included with your smart speaker. The Google Home Hub is one of the latest crop of smart displays, and it certainly gives its closest rival, the Amazon Echo Show a run for its money, with intuitive voice control and well designed first party apps. That being said, this is not a speaker for audiophiles - it works well enough to play music in the background while you do chores or read, but it doesn't pack big enough of a sonic punch to serve as your main speaker for listening to music. Where the Google Home Hub does excel, is as a control centre for your digital home, supporting over 5000 smart devices from 400 companies - plus, at around $80/£80 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Show (the difference in Australia is a whopping AU$150), it's pretty good value for money too.
The updated Echo Show is a step in the right direction, with better design, a clearer screen, and superior sound, but it has limited support for third-party streaming services. The touchscreen is 1280 x 720 px - so it won't blow you away up close, but it looks fine from a distance. It also features adaptive brightness, although the screen isn't the main way you interact with the Echo Show - it's optimized for voice activation via Amazon Alexa, and it's great for using while you potter about the kitchen. Its not the cheapest smart display on the market, however, it adds value by combining devices you already have and ones you could buy at a lower price elsewhere – just look at the Amazon Echo Dot, for example. Put everything together though, and the new Show is a marked improvement on the original version, and if you're keen on watching cooking tutorials or listening to music as you cook, it deserves a spot on your kitchen counter. [Update: The Amazon Echo Show 5 is now available to preorder – this diminutive third-gen smart display is less than half the price of the current second-gen Echo Show model, and will start shipping in June and July. Check out our Amazon Echo Show 5 release date, news, and rumors article for everything you need to know.]
In our opinion, the Amazon Echo Spot is the best-designed Alexa device Amazon has ever created – it’s a gadget you’d happily have in your bedroom, on your desk, in your kitchen, and pretty much anywhere else. The Spot is versatile – it doesn’t have a chameleon-like ability to adapt to the room you put it in, but this is certainly not just a smart alarm clock, something Amazon has been very clear about. It does everything the Echo Show does, but it all feels better in this smaller form factor. The design is great – it's available in black and white – and we can easily see the Spot being used in the bedroom, kitchen or even on a desk. In fact, you may want it in all of these places. That's the thing with the Amazon Echo Spot: much like other Echo devices, Amazon wants you to have a multitude of them in your home so you always have access to video chat no matter where you are. Essentially, it wants the Echo Spot to replace the Echo Dot. The Amazon Echo Spot is a little more expensive than the new Echo, though, and in turn much more expensive than an Echo Dot. This is because of the addition of the screen. While we still haven't seen that killer Skill for the screen, it does enhance the look of the Spot and opens up the possibilities for it being much more than just a smart speaker. We’re just hoping that Amazon’s Skills become much more video-friendly – once this happens, the Amazon Echo Spot will become an absolute must-have.
Best smart speakers FAQ: quick questions answeredWhat can smart speakers do? Smart speakers can do lots of things. First up they're speakers in their own right, from the fantastic-sounding Apple HomePod through to the simpler Amazon Echo Dot. But they also have lots of special features thanks to the smart voice assistants that are built-in. These smart assistants are voice-activated, which means you can literally ask them to do a range of things, including playing music, answering questions and controlling other smart home devices. And that's just the beginning. Which voice assistant is best? On the whole that's subjective. Some people have always liked Apple products the best and stay loyal to Siri. Others really like Alexa after snapping up an Echo as soon as the smart speaker was first launched. The general consensus seems to be that Google Assistant is, largely, the most accurate voice assistant. If you've got a lot of Apple products, of course Siri is the best and for overall compatibility, you're best opting for Alexa. But they're not hard and fast rules. Is Alexa better than Google? For starters, the choice might depend on which speaker you like the look of the most. Sure Amazon's Echo range is very similar to the Google Home, but the Show, Spot and Dot look quite different. When it comes to the smart assistants within the speakers, they're both extremely capable. Amazon's Alexa has many, many Skills, which set it apart from the rest. But Google has been a leader in the AI game for a long time now, well before the smart speaker market emerged. Is there a monthly fee for Alexa? No. You don't need anything other than the free Alexa app. However, you will get plenty of perks if you're an Amazon Prime member. What could be coming soon?Those are all of the best smart speakers on the market right now, but with the huge success of these voice-activated smart home assistants, this selection is likely to be just the beginning. Right now a number of other companies, including some of the biggest names in tech, are also working on their own smart home audio products. Whether they shake-up the market or turn out to be a load of hot air remains to be seen. But in the meantime, here are just a few of the highly-anticipated upcoming releases and rumors circulating right now: Image credit: Spotify Spotify smart speaker There are loads of speakers on the market that already allow you to connect your Spotify account. But that doesn't mean the popular streaming service can't make its own product to compete with the biggest names in tech. Rumors suggest Spotify has been working on its own voice search interface, but it hasn't yet lifted the lid on a speaker that could compete with the likes of the Amazon Echo or Google Home. That hasn't stopped us from dreaming up what a Spotify smart speaker might look, sound and behave like. Read our Spotify speaker wish-list: what we want to see in a Spotify smart speaker. Image credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker This is now official, though details are still scarce – Samsung showed off the Galaxy Home smart speaker at its Unpacked 2018 event, promising high-quality audio alongside some integrated AI smarts provided by Bixby. As yet we don't know a price or release date, though we're assuming it will work with Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Home has been rather stop-start since the Bixby-controlled smart speaker was first announced in August 2018 – but now we might have a release date to look forward to. Sort of... Speaking to the Korea Herald, Kim Hyun-suk, one of Samsung's co-CEOs and the President of the Consumer Electronics division, said that the company is aiming for a "mid-second half of the year" launch. Fingers crossed we get this speaker before 2019 is out. Find out more: what we expect from the Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker. Everything is a smart speaker Maybe the future isn't about which smart speaker you should buy after all, but will be much more focused on integrating voice-activated smart assistants into other products. Earlier this year at CES 2019, lots of manufacturers were boasting of voice assistant integration; Alexa and Google Assistant found their way into cars, bathroom mirrors, and even smoke alarms. Amazon itself has launched a number of connected devices, included the Echo Wall Clock, Echo Glow, and Echo Frames. While that may sound a little gimmicky, it actually solves one of the major niggling points of the smart home: you want to have access to your voice assistant in every room but don’t really want to fill your home with speakers.
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| Disney Plus: our verdict, exclusive shows, 2020 movies and how to sign up Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:18 AM PST Disney Plus - or Disney+, as it's officially know - is Disney's new video streaming service. In a landscape currently occupied by Netflix and Amazon Prime, this service is Disney-specific, as the name implies. If you love Disney, it's the destination to be. The service launched last month in the US, Canada, Netherlands and Australia. Disney had 10 million sign-ups in week one, showing people want the service. UK readers will have to wait until next year to get it, along with the rest of the world. The purpose of this service is simple and exciting: this is where you watch classic Disney animated movies, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and even 20th Century Fox content (The Simpsons, for example). Disney Plus has landed with The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda, arguably the year's biggest pop culture icon. Still, a lot of its best original content feels far away. Keep scrolling for more on what we think about Disney Plus, and whether you should sign up in time for the holidays. Over time, Disney Plus will have original content from Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar, putting it in a good position to take on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple Plus. Baby Yoda and The Mandalorian, then, are just the beginning. Below, we'll explain how to sign up to Disney Plus, how much it costs, and what we think of the streaming service. How to sign up to Disney PlusIf you're in the US, Canada or the Netherlands, you can sign up for Disney Plus here, or if you're in Australia or New Zealand, click here. No matter where you live, there's a 7-day trial that'll let you see if the service is right for you. You can also sign up to a bundle (US-only) that includes ESPN+ and Hulu's Basic package for $12.99 a month, which saves $5 on subscribing to the services individually. ESPN+, of course, is for the sports plan in your life. Hulu, meanwhile, hosts a lot of shows from other networks, like South Park and Rick and Morty, as well as having its own originals like The Handmaid's Tale. While Disney Plus is family-friendly, adult-oriented content can be found on Hulu. Disney Plus will keep adding more content over time, so keep that in mind if the service doesn't appeal to you right now.
Disney Plus: our verdictWe've published our Disney Plus review, and we're positive about the service. It's not as comprehensive as its competitors like Netflix, but having this selection of blockbuster movies in one place is very enticing. While not every Disney movie has made the leap yet, it's arrived with a pretty great selection, and we're seeing that selection improve all the time. It really helps that The Mandalorian has arrived on day one, to give people an idea of how much Disney is willing to spend on original content. But a lot of its best shows, like the Marvel series coming to Disney Plus, feel a little far away. That's the only note of caution we have on the streaming service right now. Even if not everything from the Disney back catalogue is pure gold, especially when you get to the straight-to-VHS movies of the '90s, but that's to be expected with a platform of this breadth. Find out what we thought of the app and the movie selection in our Disney Plus review. Disney Plus movies coming in late 2019 and 2020The page for Coco displays the release date on Disney Plus. While Disney Plus has launched with a whole payload of movies, many more are coming after release, right into 2021. When you search for an existing Disney film on the service, it'll tell you what date it's expected to arrive on the service. You won't find recent theatrical movies like Toy Story 4, the live-action Aladdin or The Lion King films with release dates, but you'll find plenty that do have them. Here are some highlights: Coco (November 29), Thor: Ragnarok (December 5), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (25 December), Black Panther (March 4), A Wrinkle in Time (25 March, 2020), National Treasure (30 April, 2020), John Carter (May 2, 2020), Solo: A Star Wars Story (July 9, 2020), Avengers: Infinity War (June 25 2020), Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 29, 2020), The Incredibles 2 (July 30, 2020), 2015's Cinderella movie (September 1 2020), Christopher Robin (September 25, 2020), the live-action Beauty and the Beast (October 1, 2020), Maleficent (October 1, 2020) and Tomorrowland (September 1, 2021). For Toy Story 4, Aladdin, or The Lion King, expect those to be used as major incentives to sign up not long after they arrive on DVD and Blu-ray. They'll help keep sign-ups going – so it makes sense we wouldn't hear about all of them at once. For December 2019, Disney released the following video of what to expect this month. There's nothing too surprising in there, but this is likely to be how Disney Plus rolls out such info updates in future: Disney Plus app links: start streaming on your deviceAs you can see, Disney Plus has launched on pretty much every major platform. Disney confirmed the list of platforms that will support Disney Plus sometime before launch. It includes Apple TV, Roku streaming devices, Google Chromecast, iOS and Android, PS4 and Xbox One – as well as the Android TV platform that supports Nvidia Shield TV, Sony TVs, and Hisense TVs. Amazon's Fire TV is also supported at launch, following a late deal between Disney and the retail giant. Search the app on your preferred device if it's not linked in the box to the right, and you should find it. A while back, we heard about a planned Disney Plus app for Nintendo Switch – but at launch, no such app exists. The Simpsons has a big problem on Disney PlusUnfortunately, earlier, pre-HD (i.e. best) episodes of The Simpsons are being cropped in on Disney Plus to make them fit a widescreen aspect ratio, therefore removing some of the excellent background jokes the animated sitcom is famous for. See above for one notable example, but generally speaking, it's a bit disappointing there isn't currently an option to revert to the original 4:3 aspect ratio. The audio commentaries for every episode that came with the DVDs haven't made the cut on Disney Plus either, which seems like a missed opportunity. Especially when many Disney classics do have behind-the-scenes material. About a week after launch, Disney clarified that the original aspect ratio will be available in 2020 for seasons 1-19 and part of 20. This shows Disney is listening to criticism, which is encouraging. Disney Plus had outages on day oneThe Disney Plus Help account on Twitter received its fair share of complaints about login issues across various platforms on day one, and Disney responded to the outages officially, explaining that it's "working quickly to resolve any current issues." It explained that the service has "exceeded our highest expectations", suggesting there's a lot of demand for the service. The error message on the app reads: "There seems to be an error connecting to the Disney+ service. Please try again later if the issue persists." Variety also reported that customers are complaining about the wait times via the customer service helpline. Since then, though, reports on Downdetector have dropped significantly on Disney Plus, so hopefully those were just launch day teething issues. Disney Plus FAQ: quick questions answered
Here's what the Disney Plus interface looks like. Disney Plus release date: US and Canada can get it nowThe Disney Plus streaming service launched in the early hours of November 12, hours before its official launch time of 6AM ET. If you're in the US, Canada or the Netherlands, you can sign up. Its launch in Australia and New Zealand is just hours away. Disney Plus will arrive in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain on March 31, 2020. So if you were excited about The Mandalorian, you've got an annoyingly long wait... Disney will eventually bring the service to the entire world, but rolled out over a two-year period. You could be waiting a while depending on where you live. Disney Plus price and bundles explainedThe Disney Plus price is $6.99 per month (that's about £6 / $10), or $69.99 per year in the US. The price is then $8.99 for both Canada and Australia (or $89.99 per year), while in New Zealand it's $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. In the Netherlands, the price is €6.99 per month, or €69.99 per year. We've created a comprehensive guide on the Disney Plus price tiers, to help you compare it to its rival streaming services. You can also get Disney Plus with ESPN+ and Hulu in a bundle for a nice $12.99 per month. And Verizon customers in the US are lucky: if you're signed up to its 5G unlimited wireless, Fios home internet or 4G LTE plans, you get a year of Disney Plus for absolutely free. Expect more on the Disney Plus UK price and the price for other countries as Disney keeps rolling the service out. All of this means the service is cheaper in the US than Netflix, for now at least. "I can say that our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is. That is in part reflective of the fact that it will have substantially less volume," said Robert Iger, Disney's chairman and CEO. "It'll have a lot of high quality [content], because of the brands and the franchises that will be on it that we've talked about. But it'll simply launch with less volume, and the price will reflect that." Iger also suggested that the price could rise gradually over time as the service grows, which wouldn't be a massive surprise. This is exactly what has happened with Netflix as its investment in original content has escalated over the last few years.
New episodes of The Clone Wars are coming to Disney Plus. Disney Plus has 4K HDR streamsDisney Plus streams to up to four devices simultaneously in 4K resolution and HDR (high dynamic range) at no extra cost – with up to seven user profiles on the platform. Not all content is available in 4K / HDR, of course, and naturally you'll still need a 4K TV to watch the content that is. But since all of the original Star Wars films have launched on the service in 4K with Dolby Vision, that bodes well for future films that make the leap to Disney Plus. Netflix, on the other hand, has a premium tier that grants access to 4K / HDR streams. The all-in-one nature of the subscription is appealing by comparison. Disney Plus supports both Dolby Atmos as well as Dolby Vision, making it a fantastic choice for movie lovers. Star Wars on Disney Plus features another change to Han/Greedo shootoutThe version of Star Wars found on Disney Plus is apparently based on the 2011 Blu-ray release, but fans have noticed another bizarre change to the infamous Han/Greedo encounter. Another frame of Greedo saying the non-existent word “Maclunkey!” has been added (via Film Stories), shortly before a new visual explosion obscures the characters from view. It's an odd change, to say the least, but hey, we've gotten used to it from the original Star Wars trilogy. At least we can laugh about it. Disney Plus: Marvel TV shows and movies16 movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have launched with Disney Plus in the US, with more planned down the line. You can also look forward to exclusive new Marvel TV shows featuring your favorite superheroes, as the MCU officially extends to TV shows for the first time. One report suggested these shows will have budgets of $25 million an episode. A first look at these shows is available on Disney Plus right now, in a special called Expanding the Universe. The first of these MCU shows will be Falcon and The Winter Soldier (starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan), coming in Q3 / Fall 2020, around a year after Disney Plus goes live. It'll be six episodes long, and will feature the return of Civil War's Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl). The numerous fans of Tom Hiddleston will be happy to hear that next in the new Marvel line-up will be the Loki TV show, a six-episode miniseries starring the trickster god. We also know from San Diego Comic-Con that the series will kick off after Loki's sudden escape in Avengers: Endgame, via the Tesseract. No doubt he'll get into plenty of mischief as a result. 2021 will also see WandaVision, a spin-off following Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) that will tie into the events of the Doctor Strange sequel – and a Hawkeye TV show, with Jeremy Renner reprising the role, and mentoring a new iteration of Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. It's Hawkeye's time to shine! Marvel's head of television, Jeph Loeb, did say there'll be more "street-level heroes" coming to the Disney Plus service too, with Marvel TV shows set to replace or expand on the likes of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders – all of which were cancelled on Netflix (via Deadline). Since then, however, Loeb's upcoming exit has been reported (via THR), and Kevin Feige now oversees the TV division that was previously separate from the rest of Marvel Studios. So we're not sure where that leaves those characters. Interestingly, there's also going to be a Marvel TV show that puts a different spin on the MCU. Called Marvel's What If...?, the animated series is based on a comics series where reality played out a little differently for our favorite superheroes and villains. Like how would Agent Peggy Carter have fared if she'd taken the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers? Many Marvel actors will be reprising their roles for this anthology show, making it much more than just a weird curio. At Disney's D23 Expo in late August, now-Marvel CCO Kevin Feige announced three new series – She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel – that would all debut on the service, too, vastly expanding the MCU by introducing all-new characters. Even with those coming, there are plenty of Marvel spin-offs we still want to see make the jump to the small screen. When it comes to older MCU movies, we can expect those to be pulled from Netflix as soon as contracts run out before being moved across to Disney Plus when it launches. In an earnings call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger clarified that 2019's Captain Marvel would be the first Disney movie exclusive to the service – and on November 6, it was confirmed that Avengers Endgame will be launching on November 12 when the service goes live, too, moving from a previous December date. Shortly before launch, too, Disney announced eight more Marvel movies on Disney Plus, including The Avengers. Disney Plus: Star Wars TV shows and filmsYou may remember that Disney bought Star Wars back in 2012, meaning it now has the rights to the entire library of movies, as well as the ability to make original programming set in that universe. Expect plenty of Star Wars films and TV shows on Disney Plus as a result. Every movie from Episodes I-VII will arrive on day one, with later films and spin-offs arriving in 2020. The first episode of The Mandalorian is now live, a show created by Jon Favreau (the director of Iron Man and The Jungle Book). It stars a Boba Fett-resembling character continuing the legacy of the bounty hunter, and the trailers sure make it look like full-fat Star Wars. This show has a rumored budget of $15 million per episode, and you can certainly tell from the level of effects on display. It's not the only new Star Wars episodic content confirmed for Disney Plus, either. Rogue One's Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) will also get his own prequel TV series exploring his life before the events of the 2016 film. Even if Disney's CEO thinks there are too many Star Wars movies coming out, the TV schedule is only getting more packed. Also officially confirmed is an Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series, with Ewan McGregor to reprise his role from the prequel movies, and a seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. But you can check out exactly what films and TV series are hitting the service in our Disney Plus Star Wars guide. Disney Plus: The Simpsons and Fox contentDisney's acquisition of Fox was a very, very big deal – especially for Disney Plus. Fox own the rights to a huge amount of classic television, including The Simpsons, which means every episode from the first 30 seasons of the show has come to the service (minus the season three episode 'Stark Raving Dad' for reasons that'll be obvious to fans). Fox used to hold the keys to the X-Men franchise, putting big restrictions on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (such as the word 'mutant' never being used onscreen). The merger now means those characters can appear in the MCU, along with the Fantastic Four. They're likely to be saved for movies rather than TV shows, but either way, one day you're likely to see MCU projects based on both coming to Disney Plus. Disney Plus will also be getting a selection of animated '90s cartoon classics, like X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. The big Fox movie arriving on day one for Disney Plus is James Cameron's Avatar. Fox movies like The Princess Bride and The Sound of Music will follow. You can expect a reboot of Home Alone coming down the pipe, too, which we were all definitely asking for. Disney's live-action remake of Mulan (2020) will be coming to Disney Plus too. Other Disney Plus movies, shows, and exclusivesMarvel and Star Wars might be the highlights, but the Disney Plus originals extend far beyond superheroes and space. A gigantic selection of additional new shows and TV series are in the works, including a new Monsters Inc. project called Monsters at Work (coming in 2020), while from launch you can enjoy a fresh mockumentary take on the evergreen High School Musical series that, brace yourself, is called High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. An original Christmas film called Noelle also arrived with Disney Plus at launch, starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader. For classic Disney lovers there's a live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp, while '90s animation fans will eventually get a new live-action Mulan that will hit both theaters and the streaming service. Deadline suggests that projects based on Don Quixote, Sword and the Stone, and 3 Men and a Baby are in the works, along with other projects titled The Paper Magician, Togo, and Timmy Failure. A game show called The Big Fib was also ordered in November 2019. If you're more interested in Disney's many decades of animated movies, however, the company says it will include every flick that's ever been locked away in the Vault. That may include some of the first, harder-to-find Mickey Mouse pictures. Younger kids will have plenty to watch, with programming from Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD. Disney Plus will also be a home for DisneyNature documentaries, including Dolphin Reef – narrated by actress Natalie Portman. Disney Nature works both in documentary films and animation, and will also be bringing animated feature Penguins to the Disney Plus service. A documentary series called The World According to Jeff Goldblum will also start when the series arrives. It's pretty much what you'd expect it to be from the title. All of Disney Plus's original shows will roll out on a weekly basis, unlike services like Netflix and Amazon where every episode tends to drop at once. Will Disney Plus have classic Disney movies?Heck yes. It's been confirmed that every Disney film ever made is destined for the service, so everything from Snow White to Frozen 2 should be available on Disney Plus at some point after launch. What will Disney Plus be missing?The Disney streaming service won't have content from outside of the Disney ecosystem, as far as we know. The reason you see such a vast range of content on Hulu and Netflix is because they have a big web of licensing deals with external studios. Disney Plus is a more focused offering. But, of course, Disney has plenty of content to draw from, especially with a slow drip of Fox movies and shows to come. It's also worth noting that there won't be any R-rated or adult-oriented content on the service. Expect mature-oriented Fox films to go to Hulu instead, according to a report from Deadline. Even though Disney now owns Fox, for example, that doesn't mean you'll start seeing Deadpool swearing on Disney Plus. There's talk however of a PG-13 take on Deadpool 2's X-Force for the platform (via ComicBook). Sorry, Deadpool, but you're too adult for Disney Plus. It's pretty obvious, but the Marvel TV original series on Netflix won't be crossing over to the new Disney Plus service – as far as we know. That means the likes of Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones won't be rebooted on Disney Plus in their current iterations. They've all been axed anyway, but we can't see them leaving Netflix any time soon. It's possible you'll see them return some day, but maybe it's better to leave that era of the characters behind. What you will see on Disney Plus, though, is the dreadful Inhumans series from 2017. That arrives on Day One. What's next for Disney Plus?We've got a long wait until some of the bigger Marvel shows start arriving in 2020, and some of the other Star Wars spin-offs feel even further away. But over time, as the service builds momentum, it'll likely grow in the same way Netflix has, with a steady stream of originals from the different content pillars. The Mandalorian and Forky Asks a Question are just the start, then, and that back catalogue of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar films should just keep growing with time.
Original reporting by Andrew Hayward. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pre-order the Baby Yoda Funko Pop for just $8 today Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:16 AM PST It's been circulating the internet since it first appeared on our screens in The Mandalorian, and now you can pre-order the baby Yoda Funko Pop for just $8 at Walmart. That's right, soon you'll be able to gaze into those adorable little eyes any time you like - in real life! Though it's not actually baby Yoda, the internet has imploded after this tiny little alien started gazing into our souls with those big black eyes on The Mandalorian. The Disney Plus show has stormed its way into meme culture and back again, with the obvious results being this baby Yoda Funko Pop heading to store shelves in May 2020. If you can't wait that long, you can take your first steps into a new world of cuteness just by pre-ordering the baby Yoda Funko Pop today for $8. That's the price of the smaller version, but you can also pick up a 10" figure for $29.96. Still not seen The Mandalorian? Where have you been? You'll have to catch up quick but thankfully we've got all the latest Disney Plus news and prices you could ever need. You can even get started right now with a free trial. Pre-order your Baby Yoda Funko Pop todayStill need to start The Mandalorian? Get involved with all the Disney Plus subscription information you need to jump straight into the action. Or, simply go back to the roots and watch all the Star Wars movies in order to prepare for the big day you unwrap your very own baby Yoda. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| EE's mega 60GB for just £20/pm SIM only deal is still going strong after Black Friday Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:04 AM PST EE is that network that everyone seems to want to be on and as the UK's fastest 4G network, we can understand why. The one problem is that along with being the network with super-powered speeds, it also tends to carry the highest price tag. And with Black Friday a distant figure in our rear-view mirror, EE's big data SIMO seems to be staying put, giving you some extra time to get your hands on it. With the exception of Three Mobile's unbeatable unlimited data plan for just £18 a month, you will struggle to find a SIMO like this right now, especially with EE's superfast 4G speeds. Below, you will find everything you need to know about this EE offer. Or, to compare it what else is currently available, take a quick trip over to our SIM only deals guide.
EE's big data SIM only deal:What other SIM only deals are available right now?As mentioned above, one deal EE will have difficulty beating comes from Three. Offering an unlimited data cap for just £18 a month, Three currently has the market beat. Or, on the cheaper side, Smarty Mobile is rocking a 45GB data plan at a price of just £15 a month. And with this deal, you'll be on a 1-month rolling contract meaning you can stay for as long as you want and leave when you like. Just want something cheap and cheerful? iD Mobile's 2GB of data for £6 option could be ideal. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Walmart's Cyber Monday sale continues: here are the 10 best deals still available Posted: 04 Dec 2019 08:59 AM PST While Black Friday and Cyber Monday might officially be over, you can still find fantastic deals on best-selling items at Walmart. The retail giant has just launched its Cyber Week sale, which includes massive discounts on TVs, laptops, appliances, toys, and more. To help you find the top offers, we've rounded up the best Cyber Monday deals that are still available. Walmart's top bargains include a feature-rich LG 60-inch 4K Smart TV on sale for $398, the Xbox One S All Digital Edition bundle on sale for $189, and the popular Instant Pot Duo 6 on sale for just $49. You can also find discounts on best-selling vacuums like the Dyson V7 cordless on sale for $179 and the iRobot Roomba 670 Robot Vacuum down to a record low price of $197. TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals that are still available, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cyberpunk 2077 release date, price, trailers, gameplay and news Posted: 04 Dec 2019 08:55 AM PST Cyberpunk 2077 will be hacking into our digital lives in only a few months – but the more teasers, trailers, and gameplay we get to see, the less sure we can wait that long before CD Projekt Red's massive dystopian RPG actually comes to our screens. Landing on Xbox One, PC, and PS4, Cyberpunk 2077 looks set to be a vast open-world game, draped in dizzying neon colors and futuristic gadgetry, and packed with more branching storylines than you could shake a high-tech drone at. In both an extended trailer and in our hands-off demo at E3 2019, we saw a bit more of the metropolis of the future, where body modification has become an obsession, and you play a mysterious outlaw in the sleazy underbelly of the city. Here's all the news, trailers, and announcements we've had on Cyberpunk 2077 so far. Or, if you can't take the anticipation ahead of the game's 2020 release, check out our thoughts on the Cyberpunk RED tabletop role-playing game instead. UPDATE: An art and lore book for Cyberpunk 2077 has appeared on Amazon and given us a better look at the game's map layout. Read on to find out more! Cut to the chase
What is Cyberpunk 2077?Cyberpunk 2077 is a neon cyberpunk game that has The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red moving from a gritty, high fantasy world to an equally gritty, science fiction world metropolis. It's based off the pen-and-paper RPG of the same name, but plays a hell of a lot like The Matrix game we've always wanted. We caught our first peek at the game behind closed doors at E3 2018 – you can check out what we saw in the 48-minute walkthrough video below (in the trailers section). Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that looks vastly different from its developer's The Witcher series, with towering neon skyscrapers, bionic enhancements and a focus on vertical movement rather than wide open plains. It's also all in first-person. At E3 2019 we learned a lot more about the plot of the game, which features the one and only Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays a character named Johnny Silverhand who's embedded in a biochip that's placed in the main character's brain. In order to unlock the secrets to the biochip, what basically becomes the main thread of the game, Silverhand will guide you to Alt Cunningham, the most legendary net runner of all-time. The only problem? She’s dead. But her consciousness lives on the web and you’ll need to do whatever it takes to track her down – including, but not limited to, befriending or eliminating leaders of the biggest gangs in Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 trailersThe latest Cyberpunk 2077 trailer is a 15-minute deep dive into the game's lore, world, and gameplay. If you don't mind spoiling some of the visual treats in store – including what it's like to actually step into cyberspace – check out the video here. E3 2019 gave us an incredibly slick trailer, with a look at some new characters, weapon-play – including Keanu Reeves, who will be playing the rock star Johnny Silverhand. Get your fix in the trailer below. In March 2019, we got yet another video, this time of the development team gearing up for the E3 2019 showcase event. Those hoping for a 2019 release may want to start to brace themselves however – though the game remains without a release date, the suggestion of the video below is that development is still in full swing, and a release date may be some time away yet: After a veritable truckload of hype, CD Projekt Red released 48 minutes of gameplay footage, based on the demo journalists saw at E3 2018. In it, you'll see what gunplay looks like, character creation and backstory assignment, plus how you'll upgrade yourself via cybernetic enhancements. You'll meet some of the characters in Cyberpunk's seedy crime circuit and explore the city on foot and in vehicles. (Quick warning: the trailer contains nudity, violence and swearing.) We were treated to a Cyberpunk 2077 trailer during E3 2018 which you can watch below:
Cyberpunk 2077 release date: April 16, 2020In the game’s first official teaser trailer, it was stated that the game will be coming “when it’s ready,” but now we have an official release date: April 16, 2020, care of the E3 2019 trailer. This is despite an investor call in early 2016 that suggested that Cyberpunk 2077 would be released before June 2019. It was also said in this call that CD Projekt Red is planning to release two new triple A RPGs before 2021. It was later clarified in forums that Cyberpunk 2077 would be the first of these games to arrive and work on the second would not start before Cyberpunk 2077 was finished. Image Credit: CD Projekt Red Considering The Witcher 3 took around three and a half years to develop, a 2019 release didn't seem unmanageable for the studio. But the scale of the development, as well as rumors of the game being a cross-gen Xbox Two and PS5 title, it makes sense that the game has taken longer than initially anticipated. Cyberpunk 2077 news and featuresGame map An official art and lore book for Cyberpunk 2077 has appeared on Amazon and its cover gives us a look at part of the game's map of Night City. The map shown on the cover isn't massive but it is dense and it looks like it doesn't cover the whole game world—cutting off at the edges suggests that exploration will extend beyond the city walls, correlating with earlier interviews with Pawel Sasko which revealed an external area known as the Badlands will be explorable. Not only that, the fact that we've previously had a glimpse at a city metro map makes us think Night City will be about exploring vertically as well as horizontally. Reddit Q&A reveals more details More has revealed more about the depth of Cyberpunk 2077 in a recent Reddit Q&A in which a user has recounted information from their attendance at a Q&A day with CD Projekt Red in Poland. According to the poster, the game's day and night cycle will have an impact on quests; at certain times of day, for example, a location may be more or less guarded which could impact your likelihood of success. Weather, though, won't have an impact quite so severe although in-game characters will react to it. The game's crime system has been revealed as being similarly dynamic— so police won't jump on you for a small crime like, say, assault on a particular individual. But they will "absolutely try to fry your ass" for more extreme things like causing harm to large groups of people with a gun or vehicle. Quests in the game will be wide-ranging, branching and evolving, even impacting one another. And the game won't necessarily end with the completion of the main story; you can opt to keep playing. Replayability is said to be higher with this game than The Witcher 3. As far as customization goes, the developer has acknowledged that players are interested in car customization but has asked for more patience before saying anything with regards to any plans, while, interestingly, there won't be an option to buy a new apartment. Instead V's apartment will evolve and change depending on the paths that players take when playing the game and it'll feature options within it for customization and expression though what they are has not been confirmed. Post-launch content We're still a long way away from any kind of post-launch content for Cyberpunk 2077 but fans have been thinking about how CD Projekt Red may consider monetising it. Well, the studio doesn't seem to have locked down any definite path just yet but it is being considered and the most likely scenario appears to be that the game will follow in the post-launch content footsteps of The Witcher 3. In an interview with GameSpot at PAX Australia, the head of CDPR's Krakow office, John Mamais said “I think it’s a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it’s very profitable, though. It’s probably a hard decision for the guy that runs the business to decide if we should do it or not. But if everyone hates it, why would we do something like that and lose the goodwill of our customers?” As far as Mamais is concerned, the Witcher 3's model which saw free DLC launched with big paid expansions was "a good model" which "worked pretty well." As a result, Mamais added "I don’t see why we wouldn’t try to replicate that model with Cyberpunk 2077. We’re not talking about that yet, but it seems like that would be the smart way to go.” Photo mode? Let's face it, we all want to take pictures of Night City and there have been hints that this may be possible when the game launches. The developer told fans previously that there were plans to include a photo mode in the game and a recent video posted to Twitter has suggested that may still be the case. The video shows a scene of the Night City skyline while the symbol of a camera shows briefly. The hashtags on the tweet itself read Capture Cyberpunk and Photos From Night City. This makes a photo mode seem very likely and given it's a feature found in most big budget games these days that may not be entirely surprising. However, the game's first person perspective may present some challenges if CD Projekt Red wishes to allow players to take pictures which will include their fully-customised avatars. No Reeves romance for you We know, you're devastated. We all are. But it's now been confirmed that Keanu Reeves is not a character you'll be able to romance during Cyberpunk 2077 (via PCGamer). What about multiplayer? After repeatedly stating that multiplayer elements were in R&D but saying nothing more, CD Projekt Red has confirmed on Twitter that it's definitely in the works. So far, the plan appears to be to release the game in April as a single-player experience and then follow this up with various single DLCs that will be free to download and play, after which players will begin to be invited for "some multiplayer action." Multiplayer is, then, slightly down the road but it is coming. Character creation will be gender fluid Jonkers said that "you don’t choose your gender anymore. You don’t choose, ‘I want to be a female or male character’ you now choose a body type. Because we want you to feel free to create any character you want." GTA-style radio Coming to Stadia Spin-off card game “The game thrusts players into the dark alleyways of Night City, where ruthless gangs clash with corporations in an endless war for money, power, and control. “In Cyberpunk 2077: Afterlife, players become Fixers, the data brokers and masterminds in Night City that recruit cyberpunks, equip them with gear, and send them out on missions. But nothing's free in Night City. Players need to balance between what they want and what they can actually afford. Using an innovative drafting mechanic and special dashboard, players must decide which cards they want to buy, and which to sacrifice for funds in order to purchase new ones. Each successful mission raises the player's Street Cred, with mission survivors becoming Veterans, imparting their knowledge and experience to newer recruits. In this chrome-infused world, Street Cred is the only currency that truly matters.” Hardcore mode that says goodbye to UI In an interview with Wccftech, CD Projekt Red’s Alvin Liu discussed hardcore mode, revealing that it will get rid of the game’s UI to provide a “real challenge” for players. That means there’ll be no markers or indicators telling you where things are or what level of enemy you’re going up against. It’s real immersion in Night City and the desert beyond with the potential for real frustration. Of course, it’s not just the hardcore players that are being catered to in Cyberpunk 2077; Liu revealed that there will also be modes for those who are less experienced with first person games and shooters and wish to enjoy a more laidback experience. “If you want to play more casually for the story and maybe you’re not experienced with shooters, which was a real big concern for us. We want to tell a story and maybe you’re a big fan of The Witcher and you’re not comfortable playing a shooter, we have settings available for that.” Liu explains that as well as settings for less experienced players, there will also be weapons. The smart gun, for example, will help players to aim. Though it comes at the cost of the smart gun being a weaker and slower weapon. It will, however, be a good start for those looking to get to grips with the aiming system. For those unfamiliar with first person games, there’s also going to be a Field of View slider. Making more of the game world visible through the eyes of the avatar should alleviate that sense of tunnel vision that comes from trading third person view for first person and the potential for nausea this can cause some players. Environmental hazards In an interview with Wccftech, UI director Alan Liu revealed Cyberpunk 2077 will feature dynamic weather such as acid rain and other environmental hazards. Settings available for those uncomfortable with FPS Cyberpunk 2077 will look just as good on console as PC "Actually no, we have a very custom engine, the RED Engine," Liu responded. "And actually, we’re targeting consoles as first-class platforms and it looks amazing there. So obviously, if you spent, you know, $2,000 building your PC rig, it’s going to look better on that. But the graphics are quite amazing for what you’re going to get from Cyberpunk 2077 on consoles and low-end PCs." Could we see a movie adaptation in the future? "I can’t really say anything on that," Pondsmith told VGC in response to whether he is optioning the Cyberpunk movie rights. "But with Keanu Reeves being tied up in things, it’s become much more of a possibility." "At this point we are teaching people about this new kind of cyberpunk. My favorite film is Blade Runner, but I recognise inherently that it’s a cerebral film and 2049 was even more cerebral. A cerebral film is not necessarily going to allow other people to enter that space and understand it, but at the same time you don’t want to do it totally action." Keanu Reeves' band gets its first single There may or may not be three games in development Take your pick of protagonists There will be romance There will be no morality system There's more than Night City Multiple Endings New Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay shown at E3 2019, but not playable Inside Pacifica, two gangs – The Animals and The Voodoo Boys – are fighting for supremacy. In order to meet Bridgitte, the head of the Voodoo Boys, you'll have to first deal with her lieutenant Placide, who wants you to infiltrate The Animals' hideout. Your goal, at least you're told, is to find a high-tech van that's monitoring all the network traffic in Pacifica. To get to this van, you'll have to make your way past The Animals' crew. The reason they're called The Animals, it turns out, is because they take a drug that enhances their muscle mass. To get through them you'll either need to fight your way through – a risky proposition – or sneak your way into the hideout. Image Credit: CD Projekt Red Customization: perks, skills and attributes The choices are vast, and while they're not completely limitless, CD Projekt Red doesn’t want to confine you to a single play style or set path. The reasoning behind that, it seems, is to better mirror the game’s source material – a 30-year-old tabletop role playing game called Cyberpunk (however, there was also a later edition called Cyberpunk 2020). Behind all of the hacking and gunplay lies a fairly complex RPG – the perks screen we saw during our demo had more than 20 perks to choose from and level up. These perks impact how your character plays, but can also impact what choices you have in conversations with the world’s NPCs. Image Credit: CD Projekt Red Vampire Bloodlines and Deus Ex were inspirations for the game Tomaskiewicz said that games such as Deus Ex, Vampire Bloodlines and Elder Scrolls had influenced him in his work on Cyberpunk 2077's quests. He cites the original Deus Ex as a particular influence and praises the ways in which it gives players the freedom to complete missions in multiple ways. This suggests we can expect a great deal of freedom and complexity and non-linearity in Cyberpunk 2077’s missions as well as in the protagonist you'll be using to cause havoc in the game world which is something quite different from the tight gameplay-loop found in The Witcher. CD Projekt Red is working on two AAA titles – both to be released by 2021 This release window was reaffirmed on the official CD Projekt Red forums, with moderator Donata Popławska confirming the studio is sticking to its original roadmap. "As far as the strategy of the CD Projekt Capital Group for 2016-2021 is concerned, its plans to release the second AAA game by 2021 remain unchanged," the moderator wrote (translated via Resetera user Antiax). However, Popławska did not expand on what the second AAA title to be released in this time frame could be. "We are currently focusing on the production and promotion of Cyberpunk, so we do not want to comment on further projects," they continued. Lady Gaga could be making an appearance? In addition ActuGaming claims the collaboration will be officially announced at E3 2019, with Gaga rumored to be making an appearance at the gaming convention. Last year Gaga tweeted a strange mix of letters and numbers, which the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account replied to with "Of course! Of course we will!", suggesting the A Star is Born actress would be involved with the game in some way or another. E3 2018 confirmed features It's a first person RPG set in a huge open world known as Night City – a metropolis split into six districts, each offering a different environment to explore. During the demo we only saw a small part of one of them. Players can create their own character called V and embark on their journey to crawl up from the criminal underbelly. This is a dark game and though The Witcher series is mature, this takes it to a new level. As you'd expect, the game lets you augment your body using various bits of tech – illegal or otherwise – and you can use drugs to enhance your combat, or a kind of digital brain-hack called 'Braindance'. We know weapons are wide ranging and seriously creative, with smart guns and bullets as well as terrifying Mantis Blades for melee. There are no loading screens in Cyberpunk 2077 and the story and side quests are branching and numerous, and your choices genuinely impact the outcome. You can read more about how impressed were were by what we saw. E3 2018 secret message In the message CD Projekt first apologises for "staying silent longer than we planned" but following the release of The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine the developer wanted to wait until it had "something meaningful and substantial" to show. It goes on to say that the vision for Cyberpunk is "an alternative version of the future where America is in pieces, megacorporations control all aspects of civilized life, and gangs rule the rest." This game will, CD Projekt says, be a "true single player, story-driven RPG" where you'll be able to create your own character. At the moment the developer isn't ready to confirm any kind of release date and asks for more patience. It also says it has "no bloody clue" about how big the game is but does say it's "seriously big." Image Credit: CD Projekt Red It could be on the next generation of consoles Given the game's current timeline, it's possible it could launch on current systems in April (PS4, Xbox One) and then next-gen systems (PlayStation 5, Xbox Two) later in the year. It will be on Steam It’s going to be bigger than The Witcher 3 In fact, he said that The Witcher 3 was being treated as a learning experience and that they could do better. To do better, the studio has doubled in size with studio head Adam Badowski saying that after The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 needs to be “even better, even bigger, even more revolutionary” than what had originally been planned. Image Credit: CD Projekt Red You’ll be travelling on more advanced tech than boats and horses Don’t expect horses and basic boats here – a job listing for a Senior Vehicle Artist for the studio said they’d be expected to work on “incredibly complex vehicles, planes, bikes, robots and mechanics.“ There may be multiplayer The company president said in March 2018 that these elements are not on the table right now, so it's possible that they'll be introduced after the game's release in a sort of online world like GTA Online. There will be online Whether or not the online elements will feed into the multiplayer is unclear. But there won't be microtransactions It appears that while many studios are feeling the need to move to a service model to ensure their titles make money, CD Projekt is staying committed to the story-driven single player experience with Cyberpunk 2077, one which served them very well with The Witcher. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What is Infrastructure-as-a-Service? Everything you need to know Posted: 04 Dec 2019 08:50 AM PST Not every company has a vast IT operation. This might involve a data center with business servers, network switches and equipment, storage -- and the related IT service management staff needed to run it. Yet, with the emergence of cloud computing for storage and web-based software, the concept of outsourcing the computing power itself to the cloud became viable. Known as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (or IaaS), the idea is to move most of the complexity of IT involving servers, storage and networking and move that out to the cloud where it is managed by a third party. In essence, IaaS gives you access to a data center in the cloud, although there are some important things to know about how this actually works. History if IaaSBefore diving into the key components of Infrastructure-as-a-Service, it’s important to understand how the concept even developed. Cloud computing became more viable once Internet speeds increased, host providers started addressing security concerns, and businesses started relying on web-based apps (known as Software-as-a-Service or SaaS). A next evolutionary step called Platform-as-a-Service (or PaaS) involves the hardware and operating systems needed to run corporate apps or customer-facing apps; companies can focus on the applications and not the hardware (patches, security, updates, and maintenance). Infrastructure-as-a-Service expands on both of these models. Typically, this means the entire IT operation is cloud-based, including the software, servers, networks, and storage. Let’s cover each of those, and also explain what is not part of Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Key components of IaaSKnowing the key components of Infrastructure-as-a-Service is important, especially since there are still aspects that are managed by your company and not the cloud provider. As mentioned, IaaS typically involves three key components: the servers, network, and storage. As with most web-based apps, Infrastructure-as-a-Service almost always involves hosted software. This can be the business apps used to run your company, the email clients, the office productivity apps, and just about anything you can think of to run your business. However, it might not include the in-house software you develop and host. For servers, the cloud provider is tasked with all of the maintenance, updates, endpoint security, and management related to keeping the cloud running at optimal levels. You can trust that the infrastructure management you run on the remote cloud servers is maintained properly. For companies with on-premise data centers, you know that it often requires a full staff of operators to install servers, keep them updated, and fix any problems. Storage is another key component and the classic (original) definition of cloud computing. Most companies first realized the benefits of the cloud when they started using web-based apps and started relying on cloud storage, which means more “elastic” file storage that can expand and contract to meet your demands and company growth strategies. To end-user sin your company, cloud storage appears to be infinite and always expanding. Infrastructure-as-a-Service also involves network monitoring and management, and can also expand and change as needed for your company. This can involve all of the network security features you might need, the network management and throttling, and maintenance. It’s important to know that Infrastructure-as-a-Service does not alleviate all possible IT work from the equation. What is often left to the company to manage involves any custom, in-house software development and also the business computers, printers, and mobile devices such as smartphones, that attach to the cloud and benefit from Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Often, there is a middleware component as well, especially if you also use an internal data center and need to make connections to the Infrastructure-as-a-Service provider or between custom apps. Benefits of IaaSAs you can imagine, the key benefit here is reduced complexity. The cloud hosting provider is most of the complexity to manage and update servers, maintain network topologies, and to make sure the storage is always available and archived. As a company moves from SaaS only, the PaaS used with custom apps, up to IaaS as a more complete solution, the benefits also increase in terms of dealing with less and less complexity. Another benefit has to do with security. Many companies are dealing with security issues on a continual basis -- security on servers, networks, within storage archives, and even with end-users. With Infrastructure-as-a-Service, the security issues move from the data center out to the end-user, and IT staff will typically shift to a support role for end-users where they can assist with problems but also educate employees about proper security protocols. Another shift is that the IT employees become partners with the host provider and their role tends to be more about on-premise support. This often alleviates staff to focus on strategy, partnering with the provider to orchestrate cloud services, and develop long-term plans for IT operations, without the typical micro-management duties involved with servers, networks, and storage. In the end, Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a way to outsource complexity and refocus on internal needs, employee support, and in-house development and infrastructure duties.
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| Animal Crossing: New Horizons release date, news and features Posted: 04 Dec 2019 08:33 AM PST Nintendo has finally given Animal Crossing fans what they want. During a Nintendo Direct in September 2018, the company announced (via a short teaser trailer) that Animal Crossing is coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019. Unfortunately, however, that news was overturned when Nintendo's Yoshiaki Koizumi announced that the game would be delayed until March 20, 2020 during the company's E3 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation. While the Nintendo Direct and Koizumi brought us some disappointing news at the show, they also brought us our first look at actual gameplay, plus some needed story details of what we're doing on the island and why. Bringing Animal Crossing to the Switch will entice fans old and new, plus we think the game is a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Animal Crossing’s sandbox nature makes it ideally suited to long play sessions on your TV, as well as shorter on-the-go bursts on the Switch’s handheld mode. Here's what we know so far about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. [Update: Some new screenshots have given us a better idea of new features. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the chase
Animal Crossing: New Horizons release dateBoth a huge disappointment for fans and a huge relief for those working on the game, Nintendo recently announced that New Horizons will be available on March 20, 2020. We'll likely hear more about the game later this year, probably around September and October when Nintendo drops its next Nintendo Direct. Animal Crossing: New Horizons trailersSeptember 2019 brought a brand new gameplay trailer which gives us a better idea of what we can expect from life on the island between crafting, decorating and shopping. While it doesn't hold a lot of information, the game's first trailer was shown off back in September of 2018 – promising a late 2019 release date that we now know won't happen. Still, it serves as a nice introduction to the game and one of its most illustrious characters, Tom Nook. The arguably much more important trailer came to us during E3 2019, when Nintendo dropped a slew of new details about the game. Based on the trailer we know that crafting will now play a major role in the game, and subtle tweaks like being able to place furniture anywhere on the island will really help make everyone's home base look different from one another – a huge step in the right direction for a franchise that can come off as a bit too vanilla. Check out the E3 2019 trailer below: Animal Crossing: New Horizons news and rumorsNew screenshots Some new screenshots have emerged from a Nintendo Latin America event and given us another look at some potential series firsts in New Horizons. The screenshots (via NintendoLife) show characters in Latin American dress and, significantly, show characters with different nose and face shapes. This could mean that players can customise nose and face shapes for the first time. Nook Miles In a September 2019 gameplay trailer we got a look at Nook Miles, the game's new currency which will sit alongside Bells. You can earn Nook Miles by doing tasks around the island and you can then exchange them for things like recipes and items, though what the full range of things you can get with Nook Miles isn't confirmed just yet. Multiplayer On online multiplayer, things get bigger as up to eight players will be able to play on the one island. As far as talking to one another goes, Animal Crossing will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch Online app. Saves Region Setting Crafting Farming Expanding the home Officially announced Nintendo’s trademark As well as this, the trademark also covers stuffed animals, game machine controllers, board games, playing cards, protective carrying cases, and trading card games, so it’s clear that Nintendo still has big plans for the series. It’s been a long time since the last mainline release What’s also interesting is that the Wii U never received a mainline title (no, Amiibo Festival absolutely does not count) despite the fact that many fans expected to see one. It’s possible that Nintendo started work on an Animal Crossing Wii U or settled on waiting to launch one for the Switch. The success of previous releases Given one of Nintendo’s most staunchly handheld titles, Pokemon, is now confirmed to be coming to the Switch, we don’t think it’s likely the company will keep Animal Crossing languishing on the 3DS for much longer. What we want to see from Animal Crossing: New HorizonsWider, more dynamic, cast More furniture Bigger spaces or more areas More chances to craft your own story Of course, for those interested in continuing along the mayor route that would still be there, but it’d also be exciting to see shopkeeper or cafe owner paths open up. Creating your own designs or crafting furniture to sell to the locals, or collecting ingredients from your town and others to add some interesting flavors to your cafe menu – all of these sound like enjoyable pursuits in an Animal Crossing world. Mobile tie-in It’d actually be nice if Nintendo managed to tie the mobile and console releases together in some way so that players can get more depth out of the mobile game, and give us another way to enjoy the console release. Whether that’s unlocking and transferring items, earning money or improving relationships, we’d just like a way to keep playing even on days where we can’t carry our Switch. Now that we've seen it's possible with Pokemon Let's Go, our hopes are even higher. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best cloud storage of 2019 online: free, paid and business options Posted: 04 Dec 2019 08:32 AM PST Businesses and consumers are increasingly reliant on cloud based storage solutions instead of in-house, on-premise local storage hardware. Your files are stored in the cloud, which is a simplified view of what is essentially someone else's infrastructure (data center, server, hard drive, connectivity etc). Ever since Amazon popularised storage online with S3 (Simple Storage Service), 13 years ago, Google data shows that interest for "Cloud Storage" alone has increased by 40x over the past decade. So much so that people less frequently refer to it as "online storage". Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the maximum amount of low-cost storage and bandwidth, while still keeping your data safe. This list represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they're right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash. And it's iDrive that leads the way thanks to how fast, thorough and easy to use it is. And it's an added bonus that its Cyber Monday sale pricing is still going strong (for a limited time only): Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego. Go straight to your desired option through the jump links below: Best cloud storage of 2019 at a glance:
IDrive secures servers, desktop system and mobile devices with equal aplomb (Image credit: IDrive) IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident. Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained. Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard. For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your linked devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. That applies to the newly introduced disk image backup feature. A business version exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup. Furthermore, IDrive Cloud, an enterprise-class cloud object storage is also available. pCloud delivers an affordable Cloud storage facility with a selection of apps (Image credit: pCloud) While some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files with pCloud. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website. The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords. Note that it is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions. The latter come with 30 days trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are - as expected - limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package.
Image credit: Zoolz There are lots of things to like about Zoolz Cloud Backup for both personal use and business deployment. It offers an easy to follow interface with excellent web management options, and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage. This UK-based company leverages Amazon’s Glacier infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices far cheaper than the competition. With 20PB of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as ephemeral as some of its rivals. Image credit: Degoo Swedish outfit Degoo is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market. With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day. It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents. It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in. Image credit: Mega With an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based Mega is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There's a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. The company also has business tailored plans. Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the source code to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities. Price: 50GB free. 200GB for $6 a month (£4.50, €4.99, around AU$7.50). 1TB for $12 a month (£9, €9.99, around AU$16). 4TB for $23 a month (£17, €19.99, around AU$30). 8TB for $35 a month (£26, €29.99, around AU$46). Image credit: Microsoft OneDrive is integrated into Windows 10's File Explorer. You don't have to download an additional app – it's there to use out of the box, which is obviously very convenient for those who have made the jump to Microsoft’s newest operating system. Microsoft's Photos app can also use OneDrive to sync pictures across all your devices. As of late March, Autodesk AutoCAD has been integrated with OneDrive which is good news for anyone using the software's drafting tools. In addition, you have a feature called Personal Vault, which gives you an added layer of protection. There's an app for Android and iOS devices, and there's even one in the App Store for Mac users (although it has received mixed reviews). Price: 5GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.50, around AU$2.9). 1TB for $7 a month (£5.99, around AU$11). Unlimited (as part of Onedrive for Business) for $10 a month (£7.99, around AU$14) Image credit: Apple If you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud, you'll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals iCloud prices are very reasonable. The Mac Finder app integrates iCloud Drive, where you can store any files you wish. Documents created in the iWork office suite are also saved to iCloud and can sync across your devices. Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the official client, and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website. Price: 5GB free. 50GB for $0.99 a month (£0.79, AU$1.49). 200GB for $2.99 (£2.24, AU$4). 2TB for $9.99 (£8, AU$13) Image credit: Google Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. You can also store high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google's own office suite (now known as G Suite). Also, upgrading to paid Google Drive plans is now called Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region). Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn't very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily. Price: 15GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.59, around AU$2.50). 200GB for $2.99 a month (£2.35, around AU$4.10). 2TB for $9.99 a month (£8, around AU$13). 10TB for $99.99 a month (£74, around AU$130). 20TB for $199.99 a month (£148, around AU$260). 30TB for $299.99 a month (£236, around AU$426). Image credit: Box Box's website currently seems to be pushing its Business plans as clicking ‘sign up’ takes you to the pricing page where for $15 per user (£11, around AU$19) you can benefit from advanced collaboration options and unlimited storage. But there is a 10GB free option, too. As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. It's also integrated with G-Suite, which means Docs, Sheets and Slides are automatically saved and managed in Box. Additionally, like OneDrive, it's also been integrated with AutoCAD. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows, plus there's also an official Android client. Price: 10GB free. 100GB for around $10 a month (£7.50, around AU$13) Image credit: NextCloud NextCloud isn’t an online cloud storage provider itself, but offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer. If you've no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured NextCloud Box (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. Unfortunately, NextCloud Box is sold out but you can check out the alternatives on their website Price: Free to install and use. Self-hosting so storage costs vary. Image credit: SpiderOak SpiderOak is part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers. The website claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there's no way to confirm this. The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can't upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees. Price: 21-day free trial. 150GB for $6 a month (around £4.5, AU$8.25). 400GB for $11 a month (around £8.4, AU$15). 2TB for $14 a month (around £10.7, AU$19.25). 5TB for $29 a month (around £22.1, AU$39.9) Best free cloud storageImage credit: Google Free storage allowance: 15GB (expandable) If you're a Google user, you already benefit from Google Drive integration, such as the ability to save email attachments from Gmail. However, anyone can sign up for the free cloud storage, even if they don't have a Gmail address, by creating a new Google account. Google is also in a process of releasing Google One as a sort of substitution for Google Drive, although depending on your region it might not be available yet. With 15GB of space for new users, Google Drive is one of the more generous cloud offerings, and there are occasional ways to boost this capacity free of charge. The catch is that this Google storage space is also shared with a user’s other Google services including Gmail and Google Photos. Mobile apps are available to allow easy access for iOS and Android users, and Google’s Backup and Sync desktop app lets you synchronize files from your PC to the cloud. Google Drive also includes online office tools for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations which can makes sharing files with others effortless. Image credit: pCloud Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) You might not recognize the name, but if you're looking for a decent chunk of cloud storage free of charge, pCloud could be just the ticket. To kick things off, you're given a fairly generous 10GB to play with, and there's a bandwidth allowance of 50GB of downlink traffic per month. While we're primarily interested in the free version of pCloud, note that you can upgrade to 500GB of space for a monthly plan of $4.99 (£3.70), or 2TB for $9.99 (£7.50) a month – both of which are great deals for storage. You also have annual and lifetime plans, which are a cheaper option in the long run. The initial 10GB free offering can also be expanded up to 20GB via an additional 4GB for completion of offers, as well as referrals that add 1GB each. It’s also worth noting that pCloud offers well-designed desktop and mobile apps that supplement the website for seamless integration into a user’s workflow. With no limit on file sizes, and simple sharing options, pCloud is a great way to send large files to friends and colleagues – it's even possible to share with people who aren't using the service themselves. Add in decent streaming options and a neat online interface, and pCloud is well worth a look. Image credit: Microsoft Free storage allowance: 5GB Coming from Microsoft – a company with plenty of money to throw at the cloud – it's a little disappointing to find that OneDrive doesn’t include more space free of charge. Free users get a mere 5GB of storage, although it's relatively inexpensive to increase this to 50GB. If you have Office 365, you'll automatically get boosted to 1TB of space, but not everyone wants an Office subscription. Like Google Drive's appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services. There's neat integration with Outlook.com, for instance. It's also integrated with non-Microsoft services like AutoCAD. OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows 10, and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move. It's possible to share files with other people even if they aren't OneDrive users (complete with customizable permissions), and the ability to edit files online without downloading them is a welcome touch. Image credit: Dropbox Free storage allowance: 2GB (expandable) Dropbox is a stalwart of the free cloud storage world, with a web interface that remains streamlined and easy-to-use. Despite its popularity, Dropbox actually has one of the least generous free packages for new users (just 2GB), but there are various ways to boost this space without paying, including inviting friends to join (you get 500MB per referral up to 16GB), completing the Getting Started guide (250MB) and contributing to the Dropbox forum (which elicits 1GB per 'Mighty Answer' provided). DropBox really comes into its own when you start delving into the service’s extra features. There's a great collaborative working tool called Dropbox Paper that acts as a group workspace, and – if you install the desktop app – you can back up photos automatically. The File Requests feature also allows you to request another user to upload a file to your Dropbox account. Additionally, a feature called Dropbox Rewind lets you restore folders or your entire account to a specific point in time. There are desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, and mobile apps including Android, iOS and even Kindle. This gives Dropbox broad appeal, as does the support for third-party apps and services. The web version of Dropbox lets you edit files without needing to download them, and really the only thing that counts against the cloud storage service is that most alternatives offer more space to free users. Image credit: MediaFire Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) MediaFire has been around for over a decade, and those years of experience really show. You're given 10GB of free space initially, but you can boost this by an extra 40GB through activities like referring friends and following MediaFire's social media accounts. Few people would disagree that 50GB of free cloud storage is impressive. Free accounts carry ads, but this is a small sacrifice to make. There's support for large files up to 20GB, and the sharing options are very impressive, even allowing sharing with non-users. The web-based interface is excellent too, and MediaFire offers mobile apps for convenient uploading and downloading on iOS and Android. These make it easy to access files you're storing in the cloud, and include convenient features such as automatic photo syncing. Best business cloud storageImage credit: SpiderOak SpiderOak is a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service founded in 2007. The platform allows users to access, synchronize and share data using a cloud-based server. The company places a strong emphasis on data security and privacy. They offer a cloud storage, online backup and sharing service which they claim uses a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment. This means the client is the only one who can view all stored data. Not even SpiderOak themselves have access to your data. SpiderOak’s main focus is on privacy and security. As a result, the tool itself has a very basic design. This makes the admin console and all central device management very straightforward to use. They also include a handy drag and drop feature for organising files. From the centralized device management dashboard, users can access settings for all applications such as backup selection and sharing. The dashboard also allows users to manage their accounts, set group permissions and gain insight into usage. Prospective business clients will need to contact SpiderOak’s Sales Team directly to obtain a quote. 500 users minimum is required. Online commentators have observed that SpiderOak lacks many of the collaboration tools available from other cloud storage providers. Image credit: Tresorit Tresorit is a cloud storage provider based in Hungary and Switzerland. It was founded in 2011. The provider emphasizes enhanced security and data encryption for businesses and personal users alike. If you are concerned with ensuring that your stored data is kept safe online then Tresorit is the service for you. This provider allows you to keep control of your files through ‘zero-knowledge encryption’ meaning that only you and the chosen few you decide to share with can ever see your data. Your Tresorit account can also be secured by two-factor authentication login and you can choose where to keep company data with Data Residency Options. Furthermore, you also have features like Document Scanner which securely scans and uploads documents directly to Tresorit. Tresorit’s ‘Small Business’ Packages starts at $25 (£19.60) per month (or $20 monthly for the annual plan) for teams with 2-9 users. This includes 1000GB encrypted storage, secure access on up to 10 devices and synching of existing folder structure. Tresorit’s ‘Business’ plan begins at $30 (£23.30) per month (or $24 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with over 10 users. This comes with extras such as digital rights management, remote wipe and phone support. At the time of writing there is a 50% discount on "Business plan", so you can pay as low as $12 (£9.4) per month The ‘Enterprise’ tier weighs in at $34 (£26.65) per month (or $27 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with more than 100 users. Extras included in this are personalized staff training, admin API and on-premises deployment. In order to sign up for this plan, users need to contact Tresorit directly. All tiers come with a 14-day free trial. The extra security offered by Tresorit makes it relatively expensive compared to other cloud backup solutions. However most users will probably appreciate the greater piece of mind and extra features offered by Tresorit. Image credit: Egnyte Egnyte was founded in 2007. The company provides software for enterprise file synchronization and sharing. Egnyte allows businesses to store their data locally and online. All types of data can be stored in the cloud, whilst data of a more sensitive nature can be stored on servers on-premise. This makes for better security. Business teams can work how and where they want with an easy to use collaboration system through Egnyte’s content services platform. Egnyte integrates with popular industry applications such as Office 365 or Gmail. This allows both remote and internal employees to access all files with ease. Egnyte’s ‘Office’ plan starts at $8 (£6.21) per employee per month. This covers 5-25 employees, 5TB of storage and 10GB max file size. The ‘Business’ packages starts at $20 (£15.7) per employee per month. This includes 25-100 employees, 10TB online storage and 10GB max file size. In order to take advantage of their ‘Enterprise tier’, which includes over 100 employees, 25GB max file size and unlimited storage, you will need to contact Egnyte directly. Egnyte offer a 15-day free trial for all packages. Users have observed that some files, such as photos, can take a long time to load. Image credit: Dropbox Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage providers. It was founded in 2007. To date it is one of the simplest storage providers to use. Dropbox can be installed on most computers or devices and syncs easily between apps. The app can store almost any kind of file while never having any issues with compatibility. You can drag and drop files into the desktop app with ease. You can also share files with other users easily through links. These can be shared with users who don’t have a Dropbox account. Also, teams can make use out of Dropbox spaces, which transforms folders into collaborative workspaces. Furthermore, with Dropbox Transfer you can send up to 100 GB of files in just a few clicks. As Dropbox has been around for a long time it integrates with most other apps such as MS Office and Slack. All files and folders can be shared with other users even if they are not part of your account. These users will be limited to their own plan's storage limits. Dropbox Business can be connected to your personal account so you can access all your files in once place. Personal account feature "automatic camera upload" is now also available to Business accounts, as of November 2018. The dashboard is simple and easy to use. From here, admins can see how many team members they have as well as any pending invites. You can restrict sharing, and allow/block commenting as you see fit. The dashboard allows you to access settings and to monitor usage. Dropbox offers a 30-day free trial which asks for your payment details. Your plan will automatically upgrade after the trial at which point your card is charged. The ‘Standard’ plan starts at $12.50 (£9.71) per user per month starting at 3 users and includes 3TB storage. The ‘Advanced’ package begins at $20 (£15.70) per user per month with unlimited storage. In order to subscribe to the ‘Enterprise’ tier, users will need to contact Dropbox directly. Some users have commented on the lack of online editing tools. Image credit: Box Box is a cloud content management and file sharing service for businesses. It was founded in 2005. Box offers strong management capabilities and security features. The interface is made for ease of use and is simple to navigate. The dashboard allows access to settings, files and folders. Admins can manage all users, monitors activity and control sharing. As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows. There's also an official Android client. Box offers a 14-day free trial for all packages. Their ‘Starter’ plan is priced at $5 (£3.88) per user per month. This includes 100GB secure storage, 2GB file upload with a maximum of 10 users. The ‘Business’ plan starts at $15 (£11.80) per user per month which includes unlimited storage, 5GB file upload and no maximum number of users. The ‘Business Plus’ package is $25 (£19.60) per user per month and comes with unlimited storage, 5GB file upload and unlimited external collaborators. In order to subscribe to Box’s ‘Enterprise’ plan, users will have to contact them directly for a quote. If you choose to share files external users are limited to read-only access.
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