Apple : How to watch General Election online in the UK or abroad for free: live stream the 2019 results |
- How to watch General Election online in the UK or abroad for free: live stream the 2019 results
- Cisco Silicon One wants to power the Internet of the future
- This Android tablet is a third the price of an iPad Air just before Christmas
- Hold up: one of the best gaming SSDs is nearly half off on Amazon
- Best portable printers of 2020
- Best Android phone 2019: which should you buy?
- Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested
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| How to watch General Election online in the UK or abroad for free: live stream the 2019 results Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:05 PM PST The voting is closed and now all that's left to do is to watch the UK General Election results come in. To make sure you can see the coverage your most interested in, we've explained all your options to watch the 2019 General Election online - regardless of where in the world you are. After a tumultuous political year of civil uproar, Brexit negotiations and complete discord in Parliament, it's time for a(nother) General Election. Despite the usual gap between General Elections being five years, it is just two years since we last experienced one - doesn't time fly! But of course, for anyone wanting to know the results as soon as they happen, you'll be wanting to watch the General Election online. With polls closing at 10pm, a number of news channels will be covering the election results, giving live commentary, exit polls, interviews and analysis of the event as it happens. No matter what kind of coverage you're looking for, read on to see how to watch the General Election online. And if you happen to be abroad or out of the country when it airs, you can see details on how to live stream it below.
Watch the General Election online for free in the UK:If you're trying to watch the General Election online then you have a few choices for where to go. A number of broadcast channels will be covering the results with special guests appearing on each one. We've listed your choices below. BBC: Joining Huw is Andrew Marr, Nick Robinson, Andrew Neil and a host of other well-known presenters. You can catch the action on BBC One from 9.55pm as it happens or use the app BBC iPlayer. ITV: Sky News: Channel 4: Channel 4 has a history of bringing in comedians for the show and aims for an alternative outlook on the events. For watching the Channel 4 coverage, your options are either Channel 4 on TV or the All4 app. The time to tune in for Channel 4 will be 9.55pm. TVPlayer.com: Watch the General Election online anywhere else in the world for free:Living abroad or away on holiday when the election is going on? If you try and watch footage, you will likely find that it is geo-blocked. However, there is still a way to watch it. While away, you can tune in and watch election coverage on any of the above news channels via a VPN. A VPN allows you to alter your IP address to make your laptop, mobile, tablet or even TV appear like they're back in the UK, allowing you to live stream the General Election coverage from abroad. Installing a VPN to watch the General Election online is simple: What is a General Election?A General Election is a vote that typically occurs once every five years. This vote determines a few things - which party will take lead of the government, who will become Prime Minister and which MPs will take charge in each constituency. There are currently 650 MPs in the UK parliament, who are split across a number of political parties, a General Election determines how much of a hold each of these parties has on local and national government. How does the General Election work?During any General Election, the UK's voting public is invited to select one MP from their local constituency. Each of these MPs then represents their local area while also holding a seat in the House of Commons. The UK uses a 'first past the post' voting system. This means that the MP that receives the most votes will take a constituency and a seat in parliament. However, the overall number of votes a party receives across the country doesn't count to anything and it is simply a count of how many MPs become elected. Any party can lose or gain seats and one party must gain a majority number of seats in an election or be forced to form a coalition with another party to make up the numbers. While most people are able to vote, there are a few exceptions. Anyone aged 18 or over can vote, as long as they are registered and a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland. Who is the favourite to win the General Election?While there is no definitive way to work out who will win the election, the current likely winner is the Conservatives. They have held leadership for a number of years and currently, almost all polls have them as the winning party, with some even suggesting they will manage to secure enough seats to win a majority in parliament. What were the results of the 2017 General Election?The 2017 General Election came out with some interesting results. While the Conservatives did win, they ended up losing their majority, leaving them needing a coalition government which they formed with the DUP. While the Conservatives lost seats, dropping from 330 to 317, Labour ended up securing the largest win of all of the parties, gaining a 30 seat increase. How often is the UK General Election?Typically, a General Election will occur once every five years to avoid a single party having power for too long. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. They can occur earlier than the above-mentioned five year period (like what we are experiencing right now). This can be due to a vote-of-no-confidence in the leading party, a motion approved by two-thirds of parliament or a proposal from the Prime Minister to rearrange the date. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cisco Silicon One wants to power the Internet of the future Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:53 PM PST Cisco has revealed new details concerning its 'Internet for the Future' strategy and the networking giant announced a multi-year plan which will see it build and invest in 5G technologies including silicon, optics and software. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins provided more details on the company's future plans in a blog post, saying: “Innovation requires focused investment, the right team and a culture that values imagination. We are dedicated to transforming the industry to build a new internet for the 5G era. Our latest solutions in silicon, optics and software represent the continued innovation we're driving that helps our customers stay ahead of the curve and create new, ground-breaking experiences for their customers and end users for decades to come.”
The company introduced its new networking silicon architecture called Cisco Silicon One and it also released its new Cisco 8000 Series carrier class routers which are built on the new silicon. Cisco Silicon OneCisco Silicon One is a new switching and routing applications specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which has been designed for the 5G internet era. The programmable networking chip has been designed to provide a number of improvements to performance, bandwidth, power efficiency, scalability and flexibility. According to Cisco, the Silicon One architecture will be the foundation of the company's routing product roadmap for the next decade and the company's long term goal is to help support future applications and services that will arrive once 5G has been widely adopted. Silicon One will integrate into Cisco's new 8000 series carrier class routers which have been designed specifically for the webscale companies and service providers that will operate 5G networks and build AI and IoT applications. The first Cisco Silicon One 'Q100' model has already surpassed the 10 Tbps routing milestone and in the near future the architecture is expected to reach 25 Tbps. Executive vice president and general manager of the networking and security business at Cisco, David Goeckeler explained how the company's 'Internet for the Future' strategy is the most ambitious development project it has ever undertaken, saying: “Pushing the boundaries of innovation to the next level — far beyond what we experience today — is critical for the future and we believe silicon, optics and software are the technology levers that will deliver this outcome. Cisco’s technology strategy is not about the next-generation of a single product area. We have spent the past several years investing in whole categories of independent technologies that we believe will converge in the future — and ultimately will allow us to solve the hardest problems on the verge of eroding the advancement of digital innovation. This strategy is delivering the most ambitious development project the company has ever achieved.” Via ZDNet This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Android tablet is a third the price of an iPad Air just before Christmas Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:42 PM PST The Lenovo Smart Tab P10 is an Android tablet with Alexa built in, and it can be yours for a lot cheaper - 50% off - thanks to this incredible deal that’s live right before the holidays. Half off saves you $175 on this tablet - a discount that got better while we wrote this article. Take that as a sign that this deal can change at any moment, so snag it soon. Aside from being a capable tablet, the signature feature of the P10 is its included Smart Speaker - a dock you can slide the device into for serious sound from a quartet of full-range Dolby Atmos speakers. Want to up your media binging game? This tablet-and-dock package is for you. The Tab P10 has roughly comparable specs to the non-Pro iPads in the world, so we’d recommend it so long as you’re not already smitten with iPadOS (the new iPad-specific iOS). Android may not be as tailored to tablet use, but at this discount, it’s worth the adjustment.
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| Hold up: one of the best gaming SSDs is nearly half off on Amazon Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:26 PM PST SSD storage is getting cheaper, there are still drives that come out and absolutely blow the competition out of the water - and still cost an arm and a leg at launch price. Yet one of these juicy SSDs, the WD Black SN750, can be yours for nearly half off at Amazon. Amazon is holding a sale for this hard drive just in time for the holidays, scoring you a 1TB WD Black SN750 for just $129 – a whopping $120 off the list price. If you're a PC gamer looking for a sick storage upgrade, this is 100% the one you need to go for. While it's not the fastest SSD we've ever tested – that honor goes to the Samsung 970 Pro – it gets really close. When it comes to sequential read speeds, it hits 3,459 MB/s, which is almost at the Samsung 970's 3,556 MB/s. However, because this SSD is designed with PC gaming in mind, the random read speeds – which reflect how PC game loading screens – blow the Samsung 970 Pro out of the water. Basically, if you're a PC gamer, and you just want the fastest loading times, the WD Black SN750 is probably the best SSD for you. It's usually a very expensive drive, but this Holiday deal makes it a no-brainer. Now might be the time to make that SSD upgrade you've been waiting for.
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| Best portable printers of 2020 Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:21 PM PST On this page you'll find the best portable printers that are perfect if you spend a lot of time travelling and you need to be able to print out documents and photos quickly and easily. Thanks to modern advancements, printers these days are more versatile than ever, with many boasting compact sizes and wireless connectivity, which makes them ideal candidates for our best portable printers buying guide. There’s also a class of portable printers that are battery-powered, allowing you to easily take them with you wherever you want to go. So read on, and we’ll show you all the best portable printers you can buy today – while our very own price comparison tool scours the internet for the top deals. Best portable printers at a glance:
Best portable printers:By using inkless thermal print technology, which relies on fewer moving parts, Brother has reduced this portable printer to the size of a small baguette. What’s more, the only consumable you need is the special thermal paper itself, making this pocket-sized device perfect for taking on the road, or carrying onto a plane. It comes with both power adapter and battery pack, so you can use it anywhere and while Wi-Fi is built in, you don’t need to rely on finding a network to connect with your device because it also offers Wi-Fi Direct and a mini USB port. It prints, quickly enough with the black and white pages emerging as sharp and detailed as any laser printer. Epson has managed to distill all of the elements of a colour inkjet printer into something small enough to fit in a briefcase and possibly even a handbag. It uses four smaller-than-usual ink cartridges to produce up to A4-size prints at a very crisp and colourful 5,760 x 1,440 dpi resolution. The plastic casing is textured for grip and when unfolded, it becomes the paper input tray which can hold up to twenty sheets of plain paper. The lithium-ion battery can be fast changed with the bundled charger, or by connecting the supplied USB cable to any powered USB port. It doesn’t print quickly and unsurprisingly there’s no auto duplex mode, but for mobile printing, this is excellent quality. Read the full review: Epson WorkForce WF-110 This inkjet printer is small enough to fit in a bag or large briefcase and comes with a battery pack as well as power cable so you can print colour documents on the road. You can connect to it via Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or USB and it supports AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Canon’s own Pixma Print for easy cloud operation. There’s no auto duplex mode, but in other respects, this miniature printer is uncompromising. It uses five ink cartridges to achieve superior colour fidelity when printing photos, for instance and at nine pages per minute, it’s not too slow at printing black and white pages either. HP has managed to shrink the inkjet printer to the size of a cigar box while adding a battery compartment. The result is a highly portable device that can turn out crisp colour documents at a rate of 10 per minute in mono, or 7 in colour. There’s no duplex mode, unsurprisingly, but it can handle envelopes and photo paper and photo paper of any size up to A4. With Wi-Fi Direct and a USB port available, you really can print from anywhere with this ingenious device. This small and stylish inkjet requires a power point as there’s no battery option, but in all other respects, it’s the perfect portable printer. Weighing just 6.5kg, it fits easily in a bag and the ‘X’ edition seen here includes a fabric cover to protect it in transit. It also acts as a mat to catch your printed paper. There’s no inbuilt scanner but the excellent companion app can harness your smartphone’s camera to grab, straighten and copy documents. It’ll print on envelopes or photo paper of any size up to A4 and turn out pages at reasonable rate of 11ppm. HP has dispensed with the USB port altogether because its wireless skills include everything from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to AirPrint and Google Cloud Print making it perhaps the most flexible device for cloud printing that we have come across. This (almost) pocket-sized printer is probably the easiest way to turn photos on your smartphone, or your Instax camera, into physical prints. Using an evolution of the technology used in Kodak’s instant cameras, Fijifilm’s inkless system sears the image onto square format photo paper. Neither the printer, nor the paper are cheap and the printer itself has few features other than Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, the photos it produces are colourful and accurate, if a little soft and pale. It has to be the most rewarding way to turn a great photo into a physical momento that can be passed around and stuck to the wall. Read the full review: Fujifilm Instax Share SP-3 Polaroid’s Zinc (zero ink) technology is used to great effect in this highly portable and well thought-out printer. It is slim enough to slip into a shoulder bag and weighs only 162g and most of that weight belongs to the 900mAh battery. The Polaroid photo paper is rather expensive and limits you to 2x3-inch prints but the results always look colourful, detailed and charmingly retro. And no, shaking does not make the image develop faster. The latest in HP’s portable photo printer line ditches ZINK for an inkjet-based system and prints on the slightly larger 10x15cm format. That makes the Studio, the Sprocket that won’t fit in your pocket, but also the one with the best image quality. The proprietary ink/paper packages are rather pricey, but the system yields vivid results and it is lots of fun to use. Up to three users can connect to it over Bluetooth and use the excellent companion app to print from. The app offers lots of templates and stock images with which to spice up your photos. HP Sprocket Plus turns out slightly larger prints than its Sprocket predecessor and its immediate rivals, while the device itself actually got thinner and lighter. By using Zink technology, you don’t need ink, but you are dependant on HP’s thermal photo paper which has a sticky backing and come in packs of ten. With the Sprocket app and a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone, you can print colourful and creative photos wherever you are. The lithium-ion battery is good for about 30 prints at over 300dpi resolution. Image Credit: Brother This portable printer could almost slide into a jacket pocket and yet it is capable of printing onto A4-sized paper. By using thermal imprinting, instead of impact printing which requires ink and many more moving parts, this battery-powered device requires no consumables other than the special thermal paper. What differentiates this model from most portable printers is the addition of MFi (Made For iPhone) making it easier to sync with Mac and iOS devices over Bluetooth. With a battery that lasts for 100 prints and no ink limitations, you really can print from anywhere with this rugged and highly portable device.
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| Best Android phone 2019: which should you buy? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:17 PM PST The best Android phones sport slimmer bezels and introduce startling new design quirks. With more fantastic Android smartphones coming out, it's difficult to pick the best one to suit your needs, but we’ve had lots of hands-on time to list the best – and the rest. For now, Samsung is still holding strong thanks to its talent for blending features, high specs, and exciting design alongside some stunning cameras in its reigning S10 line. But given the advancements coming from competing Google Pixel phones, as well as Huawei's top-tier specs nipping at Samsung's heels, the roster of best Android smartphones will keep getting more interesting. The OnePlus 7 Pro is a scrappy and less costly contender, but it's tough to argue against the versatility of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. If you’re shopping for a new Android smartphone, be sure to check each of these handsets out, as you'll see some you might not have been aware of or taken seriously - but we can assure you they're all quality picks. You can also compare the list to our best phones and best unlocked phones to see how Android and iOS devices stack up. And, if you need mobile service to go with your phone, we can help you find the best unlimited data plan. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best Android phones on the market right now.
While the Samsung Galaxy S series has only made incremental improvements in recent years, the Galaxy S10 Plus makes a bit more of a substantial leap ahead with new features and an even sleeker look. While the other models in the series have their advantages, the S10 Plus is simply the best of the best – top specs, an expanded camera suite and some shiny new tricks. The Snapdragon 855 at the phone's core competes with the Apple A12 for the fastest chip you can get in phones, and the 8GB RAM makes browsing and gaming speedy. The baseline 128GB of storage is great, but you can also pick up the phone with 512GB – or even 1TB, if you pay for the premium ceramic-backed version (which boosts the RAM to 12GB). If that's not enough, storage can be boosted by 512GB via microSD, bumping potential storage to 1.5TB...whoever should need it. The phone has few drawbacks, with a huge 6.4-inch screen in the smallest frame we've seen thanks to a 93% screen-to-body ratio. The in-screen fingerprint sensor is cool, the ability to wirelessly charge other devices using the new Wireless PowerShare feature is even cooler, and we just love the clean look of the phone. Aces all around...if you're willing to pay the (very) high price. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Note: why is the Galaxy S10 Plus higher-ranked than the regular Galaxy S10? Two words: bigger battery. If you want a somewhat smaller version of the same phone, scroll down. The Samsung Galaxy S10e is essentially the iPhone XR for Android: flagship specs at a lower price, with a few features shaved off to cut costs. And yet, the S10e is less of a compromise. It retains an AMOLED display (the XR's is LCD), starts at 6GB of RAM and packs a second ultrawide rear camera to the XR's single wide lens. There are several things the S10e lacks compared to its pricier siblings, but nothing you'll terribly miss: its side-mounted sensor is still more reliable than the in-screen fingerprint sensor on the S10 and S10 Plus. The 2x telephoto lens on its bigger siblings isn't as useful as the ultrawide sensor it keeps. But most importantly, it's a cheaper, smaller phone in a sea of Android phones that are getting larger and pricier. The S10e is a more distinct alternative to the S10 Plus than the standard S10, which ends up being a middle child that doesn't quite earn its price hike from its budget flagship sibling. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10e The OnePlus 7 Pro is the pinnacle of the company's design ethos: top-tier specs and software at sub-flagship prices. While the latter is still true - and you can get the standard OnePlus 7 a little cheaper, if you want - the pricetag for the elite OnePlus 7 Pro is creeping closer to the competitors it had previously outvalued. But arguably, the upgrades from last year's OnePlus 6T are worth it. The new handset adds a third ultrawide camera (following the Samsung Galaxy S10 line and Huawei Mate 20 Pro before it), retains its in-display fingerprint sensor, and even bumps up the resolution to an impressive WQHD+ (1,440 x 3,120) for a sharper-than-ever picture. The OnePlus 7 Pro's real innovation is a seamless, no-notch display - made possible by a persicope 16MP selfie camera. It pops up when taking selfies, but also when unlocking the phone with facial recognition. It even auto-retracts when the phone's gyroscope detects it's been dropped, though we haven't tested how effective this is. All in all, the phone is a solid upgrade over its predecessor, though its extreme value over leading flagships has diminished somewhat. Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the most supreme this smartphone series has been, with a big gorgeous display, four rear cameras, and the same reliable S Pen stylus. Following the Samsung Galaxy S10's lead, the Note 10 Plus adds a 16MP ultrawide lens and a Time-of-Flight depth sensor. And the phonemaker has really leaned into the premium edge with the Plus, as it starts at 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Otherwise, not much will surprise you about this phone, which is okay: it's less thick, has a bigger screen, and is more stylish than ever. It's pricey yet powerful, with a bit more S Pen functionality. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus Note: the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are functionally the same smartphone, so we went with the larger version for its bigger battery. If you'd like the same stylus-paired flagship, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review. The Google PIxel 4 XL still takes incredible photos, but its curious features and disappointing battery life make this year's version a bit tougher to recommend. New Soli radar components and a return to a thick top bezel instead of a notch make this a more conservative, but still stylish, phone. The fingerprint sensor is gone, replaced by facial recognition unlocking that's not quite on par with Apple's Face ID - and not yet recognized by many banks, meaning the phone doesn't have biometric authentication for financial apps. The new Motion Sense lets you control audio and alarms via aerial hand gestures, but it's not used for much more than that - and works erratically to boot. Other new features are neat, like Live Caption and live transcribing in the Recorder app, though those features are coming to the Pixel 3 series. Still, the Pixel 4 XL is a great phone with a minimal design style compared to the flashier flagships out there, and with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and 6GB of RAM, it's powerful enough to get the job done. Just be prepared to recharge: the phone rarely lasts more than a day at full capacity, which is why we recommend the XL over the Pixel 4's pitiful 2,800mAh battery. Read more: Google Pixel 4 XL review Note: since the regular Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are virtually the same phone, we went with the larger one for its significantly better battery. But if you prioritize smaller phone size, check out our Google Pixel 4 review. The Samsung Galaxy S10 is an incredible phone – a true flagship that ticks all the boxes and even has a few new tricks that make it a bit more than just an incremental upgrade over the Galaxy S9. But with the addition of the 'budget flagship' S10e to the S10 line, the standard edition is a bit harder of a sell. Don't get us wrong, it's still a fantastic phone. Packing the latest Snapdragon 855 chip and doubling the RAM to 8GB makes the standard S10 a powerful device, and the baseline 128GB of storage is very welcome. The new in-screen fingerprint scanner is pretty cool, and the extra 2x optical telephoto and ultrawide lens are reasons alone to pick this over last year's Galaxy S9. The new Wireless PowerShare is very handy in a pinch to charge other devices. But for a noticeable price cut, you aren't missing much if you opt for the S10e; and on the other side, for a bit higher price, the S10 Plus offers a slightly larger screen, another selfie camera for portrait depth, and a higher spec ceiling. Thus, the standard S10 is likely for folks who want a flagship that's not too big, not too small, yet is powerful enough to last years of use. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Huawei's P series has always taken photography seriously, and the P30 Pro takes that to an extreme. Where other phones have struggled to fit more than a 3x optical zoom in ever-slimmer phones, Huawei circumvented that limit with a novel design: lay its lens stack along the phone's length and use a mirror to reflect it out the rear cover. Hence the "periscope" lens, which manages 5x optical zoom, a 10x digital zoom and a baffling 50x full digital zoom. The phone is no slouch in other departments, either, sporting Huawei's latest Kirin 980 chip to reach speeds on par with Apple and Samsung flagships. Respectable RAM and storage round out the phone's specs, but you'll pick up the P30 Pro for its astounding photo capabilities, which include impressive DSLR-level ISO, per Huawei's claims. Alas, Huawei phones aren't the easiest to get in the US – you'll have to pick them up wholesale from a retailer, since no carrier currently sells the company's devices and network support is limited. If not for that scarcity issue, this phone would likely rank higher in our list. But if sourcing your phone isn't much of an issue, the P30 Pro looks to be a great choice. Read our full review: Huawei P30 Pro Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro isn’t the easiest to get your hands on in the US, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive a phone. It’s the best we’ve ever seen from Huawei, and stacks up well against all other Android phones. It’s QHD display measures 6.39 inches and supports HDR10 for a great visual experience, as long as notches aren’t an issue There’s a fingerprint sensor embedded underneath the display as well. Inside, it’s offering impressive performance with Huawei’s own Kirin 980 chipset and 6GB or 8GB of RAM. It comes with plenty of storage and a large battery as well. The camera offering on the Mate 20 Pro is truly impressive, with a combination of three cameras on the back and a super-sharp 24MP selfie camera. The rear camera system combines a 40MP wide-angle sensor, an 8MP telephoto sensor, and a 20MP ultra-wide sensor. The result is an incredibly versatile snapper with AI backing it up. Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review Google’s Pixel 3 XL is a bit bigger and blockier than its smaller sibling, with sizable bezels that are less and less ignorable in 2019. The phone still has one of the best camera setups on the market, and it does that with just one rear sensor, two front-facing sensors, and a whole lot of software optimization, so credit where credit is due. The design of the Pixel 3 XL isn’t quite as dazzling as the other offerings on this list, but it’s passable. It boasts a 6.3-inch OLED screen, but has a glaring notch at the top. The dual front-facing speakers help make up for that unsightly notch. The internals are also competitive with the other flagship phones. And, with regular operating system updates guaranteed by Google, the Pixel 3 XL may have a longer life than some of the competition. Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review The recent LG G8 isn't the company's strongest offer in recent years. It launched with a design that wasn't keeping up with its contemporaries, yet it had a price that was just about as expensive. All the same, it comes with the latest Android experience and all the power that's offered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. That combination is enough to make it a worthwhile consideration as an Android phone. The screen may have a notch cut out of the top, but it's otherwise bright, sharp, and decently large. The cameras aren't top-class, but with a wide angle lens on one, they offer some handy versatility. If you can find the LG G8 at a discounted price, some of its detractors get easier to forgive. Read more: LG G8 ThinQ review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:05 PM PST Our best phones 2019 list has changed dramatically thanks to the new smartphones sliding in through the end of the year: the Galaxy Note 10 in August, iPhone 11 in September, and the Google Pixel 4 in October. That means it's smartphone shopping season. Picking up one of these top-tier handsets is an expensive investment, no matter if it comes from Samsung, Apple or Google. Some of these phone prices start at $1,000, so you'll want to take your decision seriously. But don't worry: we're here to guide you through the ins and outs of each...along with our professional opinion about where they rank compared to each other. Our idea of the best phone has a big screen, yet is easy to handle; packs a camera suite capable of replacing a point-and-shoot; and has enough processor power and battery to get work done while you're on the go. You won't find slow smartphones with anything less than all-day battery life on this list. Tomorrow's top smartphone? That'll probably be a 5G phone, like the Galaxy S10 5G, and then, eventually, a foldable phone with 5G, starting with the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold. But foldable phones are unproven, and 5G in the US isn't in enough cities around the country to recommend. Our list will remain practical. Why we have more than a No. 1 pick: We have a top pick, but not everyone looks for the same smartphone features. Some will demand iOS 13 and cling to Apple's iMessage, while others will want customizations and Google Assistant tools available in Android 10. Our phone reviews and best phone list reflect that diversity. Likewise, your contract with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile is a preference. The best phone for AT&T may not be available on-contract on Verizon, and vice-versa. While we've seen more unlocked phones in the US in 2019, not all are available for every carrier. We have to take that into account when recommending phones, and we favor those that are completely unlocked or available on most (if not all) the four major carriers. Our pick for best phone isn't just crowning the newest iPhone and calling it a day, though our list does have a lot of familiar names: Apple, Samsung, Google and LG, all in the top 15. Newer companies in the US like Huawei and OnePlus make the list, too, though their limited availability is noted. Best phone at a glance:
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone you can get for Android right now, if you're just going by specs. Naturally, as the first flagship of 2019, its new Snapdragon 855 processor is the big standout here with even better performance than the phones that closed out 2018. Add in a few cool new (but not essential) features, Samsung's stunning-as-ever display and design as well as top specs and you have a true flagship – for a true flagship price, of course, starting at $999. Screen: The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display is gorgeous, but that's not surprising. it's the same size as the Galaxy Note 9's screen, and far larger than the Galaxy S9 Plus' 6.2-inch display. The 'Infinity O' display ditches the notch for a punch-hole in the top right corner. Yes, it's twice as wide as the hole in the S10 and S10e, but how else will you fit in the extra selfie camera? This choice (and thin bezels) enable a stunning 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, which keeps the phone as slim as possible. Battery Life: The S10 Plus' 4,100mAh battery is Samsung's largest yet, just nudging past the Note 9's 4,000mAh and far beyond the 3,500mAh one in the Galaxy S9 Plus. While that didn't lead the new phone's battery life to outpace its predecessors, it still kept it going through the full day with 10%-30% to spare in our casual testing. This is, of course, with standard settings: bump up the resolution from Full HD+ to QHD+, brighten the display or keep it on longer, and the battery will drain faster. Camera: The S10 Plus has three cameras on the back: a 12MP regular lens, a 12MP optically zoomed telephoto lens, and a new 16MP ultra-wide lens. We found the photo quality to be a bit variable – perhaps due to the dual-aperture main lens – with good but not consistent low-light performance. It's not quite up to par with the Google Pixel 3's Night Vision mode, but it still outpaces most other phone cameras on the market. The two front-facing cameras allow depth for Portrait mode-style photos, which is worth the wider punch-hole gap in the display. Mini verdict: After some time with the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e, we can say for sure that the S10 Plus beats them out. It has the best specs, cameras and battery life of the whole set, and it's not too much more expensive than the other models. If you want a phone that will blow every other device out of the water in early 2019 – as well as its in-screen fingerprint sensor and reverse charging – this is your only real option. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review The iPhone 11 isn't technically superior to the iPhone 11 Pro series, but it's priced so well (for an iPhone) and has most of the key features you'll won't need much else from an Apple device. It takes the place of the iPhone XR with the same 6.1-inch screen, but a new dual-lens camera on back. Screen: The 6.1-inch screen fits in between the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max sizes, making it an appealing choice if you want a large screen, but not the biggest. While it doesn't have the perks of the OLED display on the Pro models, some people won't notice a difference unless you see all of the phones side-by-side. It's still a brilliant-looking phone, if you don't mind the notch. Battery life: This iPhone can delivery all-day battery life, and it's slightly better than the iPhone XR battery, which we thought was stellar last year. The iPhone 11 Pro does last a bit longer and comes with a fast charger in the box – the iPhone 11 does not. Camera: This is close to the best iPhone camera, with both a 12MP main camera and a new 12MP ultra-wide camera to cram more into the frame. It's missing the triple-lens camera on the Pro models, which adds in a telephoto lens, but you're getting the two essential cameras from that pairing, and it includes a long exposure night mode that will automatically bright up dark photos. Mini verdict: The best thing about this new iPhone is that it costs $699, cheaper than the XR at launch a year ago. Read more: iPhone 11 review. This is Samsung's most expensive non-foldable phone, and the big perk is that it comes with the handy S Pen that does new tricks. The screen is the most exquisite part of this really big phone, but you'll have to be able to handle its large size and equally big starting price. Screen: Can you handle a phone with a 6.8-inch display? If the answer is yes, then you'll really enjoy this big-and-tall curved Infinity Display. It's immersive and easy to ignore the small front-facing camera hole at the center-top of the screen. It's the best display we've seen on a big phone. Battery life: The Note 10 has a 4,300mAh battery, and we found that it goes a day and a half with normal use without a problem. Samsung has improved its underlying battery saving tech and it's also equipped its phone with a 25W fast charger in the box and, there's compatibility with 15W fast wireless charging now. Camera: This is where the Note 10 Plus shines, even if it isn't the best camera phone – it's the camera we had the most fun playing with. Some of that it thanks to the five cameras: four on the back and one on the front. You have the standard wide lens, the 123 degree field-of-view ultra-wide lens, and the 2x optical zoom telephoto lens. But we really liked the selfie camera here thanks to fun filters like Color Point that keep you in color but isolate the background in black-and-white. Mini verdict: The Note 10 is impressive and certainly impressively big. The S Pen is used for more than taking notes these days, and contains some tricks like trigger a remote camera shutter and a few new gesture controls. These won't sell you on the phone, though. They're nice-to-haves. What will tempt you is that immersive screen and great battery life. Read our in-depth: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the biggest phone Apple has created, and it's also the most high-spec'd phone from the company. It's expensive even by iPhone standards, but it features an all-screen, notch-toting, almost bezel-free design with masses of power under the hood. The big upgrades compared to the iPhone XS Max are the improved cameras and boosted power. Note: we only picked one of Apple's new top-tier flagships, as the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are virtually the same phone - but the latter is physically larger (6.5-inch screen vs. 5.8-inch on the 11 Pro) and has a higher-capacity battery, so the iPhone 11 Pro Max is our pick. If you like smaller phones, check out our iPhone 11 Pro review. Screen: The 6.5-inch OLED screen on the iPhone 11 Pro Max really grabbed our attention - it's fantastic for video streaming and gaming. Battery life: This is some of the best battery life we've ever experienced on an iPhone, with further optimizations within iOS and a larger cell inside the phone itself. It's still not game-changing, but it's better than other Apple handsets. Camera: The triple camera setup on the iPhone 11 Pro Max is fantastic. This is the first time Apple has implemented three rear cameras, and it offers a great experience. Plus, it can be fun to use. Mini verdict: If your hands are as big as your bank balance, the iPhone 11 Pro Max takes Apple's smartphone to a whole new level with an improved camera and more. Read our in-depth iPhone 11 Pro Max review The Samsung S10e is the littlest (and least pricey) sibling of the S10 line in both size and features. While it loses out on a few of the cutting-edge features like in-screen fingerprint scanner and a telephoto lens, its remaining arsenal of flagship specs, ultrawide camera and good interface make the S10e a standout at a discount. Plus, it's small enough to use one-handed. Screen: The 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is crisp and sharp, with enough bright colors and customization options to tweak to your liking. While it's nice that the budget flagship of the S10 line has an OLED screen (unlike the iPhone XR with its LCD display), it's not as high resolution as its bigger siblings, capping out at 1080 x 2280 pixels to the S10 and S10 Plus' 1440 x 3040 pixel maximum. Battery life: A 3,100mAh capacity isn't the biggest battery on the market, but it will see you through the day, and may last longer than you think thanks to the phone's smaller screen. You'll need to stretch it out if you plan to use Wireless PowerShare, the S10 line's new feature that lets you donate battery charge to another Qi-charging device. Don't worry, it won't drain yours to oblivion: the feature shuts down when your phone hits 30% battery. Camera: Considering the standard Galaxy S9 had a single lens, the S10e is a major upgrade with its two useful cameras. The first is the standard 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4 Dual Aperture lens found in the phone's predecessor (switching between the two in day/night shots), while the second is a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens that manages 123-degree field of view. While the phone misses the 2x telephoto of the other S10 phones, its ultrawide is far more useful. Mini verdict: The S10e is a fantastic little phone, perfect for anyone who wants to use their flagship phone one-handed – or just wants all the best specs at a lower price. While it's still more expensive than midrange phones or the current value champion, the OnePlus 6T, the S10e has more features and cutting-edge specs to push it beyond the competition. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10e review This is the best in phone value if you want an all-screen display and don't want to pay for the Samsung or Apple name. it's a bit cheaper than the Galaxy S10e, though not as affordable as last year's OnePlus 6T. It has almost everything except wireless charging, a microSD card slot and a perfect camera. Screen: This is the main draw. Thanks to a mechanical pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro has the best screen we've tested. No notch and punch-hole camera in sight, and it stretches from edge to edge. Even better, its 90Hz screen refresh rate gives it more fluid movement. Samsung's screen has been dethroned. Battery life: The OnePlus 6T has fairly good, but not great battery life thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. It'll get you through a whole day, but not much more than that. The real news is its Warp Charge 30 adapter that allows this phone to go from 0% to 100% in a little over an hour. It's very fast. Camera: The camera has always been the weakest part of the OnePlus lineup, but we've experienced better phones from the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's not going to top our best camera phones list, but the triple lens (regular, ultra-wide and telephoto) did a fine job in proper light. Nightscape mode has been improved, but begs for a tripod in mixed light (any lights in dark scene tend to smear). Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7 Pro has the wow factor missing from smartphones in 2019 thanks to what's on the screen (90Hz fluidity) and what's not (a camera notch). It looks the part of a flagship phone and acts more expensive than it really in part because of its top-shelf specs. As long as you don't want the best camera phone, this a solid option. Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review The Google Pixel 4 XL came out in October, bringing a long-awaited second camera lens, new radar technology with face unlock, and a better screen. While it's still one of our top smartphone cameras, the loss of the rear fingerprint sensor and middling new features like the erratic Face Unlock and aerial gesture control Motion Sense makes this Pixel iteration less of a generational leap than its predecessors. Screen: The Pixel 4 XL has the same 6.3-inch screen as the Pixel 3 XL, though it's been stretched to a 19:9 aspect ratio and its refresh rate has been upped to 90Hz for smoother app browsing and gaming. Last year's notch has been ditched for a return to a solid black bar. Colors are rich on the OLED display, and thanks to the dual front-facing speakers, it makes for a handy streaming device. Battery life: While the 3,700mAh capacity sounds like a lot, we found the battery lasted less than a day with even moderate use - any extreme GPS or photo sessions will drain it even faster. If you’re not taking a lot of photos, it may be easier to get a full day of battery, but with such a good camera, it may be tough to avoid. Camera: The Pixel 4 XL’s cameras are its best selling point. On back, the 12.2MP sensor paired with Google’s brilliant software optimization make for stunning photos in most situations, and the added 16MP telephoto enables respectable hybrid zoom clarity with its Super Res Zoom feature. Best of all, the Night Sight mode has been improved - and can even snap shots of the heavens with its Astrophotography function. Mini verdict: The Pixel 4 XL is powerful and its camera capability is still great, but its middling new features and compromises make it a bit less of a standout iteration. Still, with Google’s knack for photo optimization, this phone can almost sell itself with the camera alone. Read more: Google Pixel 4 XL review Image Credit: TechRadar Here in the US, Huawei phones are not as familiar to shoppers as Apple and Samsung's best phones. But, that doesn't mean they don't have as much to offer. From Hauwei's Mate line to it's P series, it is making some of the very best phones, and the P30 Pro is is a true champion from the Chinese manufacturer. Screen: The P30 Pro has a large, 6.47-inch display with only a thin chin bezel at the bottom of the screen and a teardrop notch at the top. It's a sharp OLED display, and though it doesn't have as high a resolution as some others, we'd be hard pressed to see the difference. Battery life: The Huawei P30 Pro turns up in the battery department with a 4,200mAh cell. That's easily enough for a whole day, and can pull through a day in a half comfortably or even two days with light use. There's enough power there that Huawei enabled reverse wireless charging to let the P30 Pro power other phones. Camera: While plenty about the P30 Pro is of flagship quality, the cameras are where it really stands out. Its suite of cameras make it among the very best camera phones in the world. It combines a high-resolution main camera, a camera with powerful zoom, an ultra-wide angle camera, and a time-of-flight sensor to handle depth. This makes it incredibly versatile, capable of taking better long-distance and low-light photos than most other phones. Mini verdict: If you're after a phone with great looks and a camera that's ready for just about anything, then the Huawei P30 Pro is an excellent option. It also offers a price that stays below a lot of its competition. However, availability concerns in the US hold it back a bit. Read more: Huawei P30 Pro review The bigger S10 Plus is by far Samsung's best phone, but the standard S10 backs almost all the same top-end features into a more compact form factor and slightly lower price tag. And yet, the S10e loses a few of those for even lower cost, putting the standard S10 in an awkward place. This middle child is a great phone, but it's overshadowed by both its siblings, which occupy more desired niches in the smartphone market. Screen: With a 6.1-inch display you're not exactly getting a small screen with the standard S10, but Samsung has reduced bezels even more over the S9, keeping the dimensions surprisingly compact. You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display, meaning there isn't one on the back for a seamless rear cover. Battery life: The battery in the S10 has grown versus the one in the S9, but with the increased screen size as well you're still looking at all-day battery life with a nightly charge. The S10 also has Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handset. Camera: Like the S10 Plus, the trio of cameras on the Galaxy S10 are among the best on the market, building on the excellent setup on the S9 series by offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. Mini verdict: The Samsung Galaxy S10 gets proper under-the-hood upgrades, two more lenses and fun new perks. You’ll like all of these powerful features, while your friends will like the new Wireless PowerShare perk – it helps them out more than you. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10 review Apple’s iPhone XR was a little bit late to launch after the iPhone XS and XS Max that launched a bit earlier. But thanks to its lower price point, it makes for a more affordable option than the XS models. For some, the powerful internals paired with the large screen and lower price will make for a compelling buy, especially thanks to the surprisingly good battery. Screen: The iPhone XR screen isn’t its strongest selling point, as it’s a notable downgrade. It’s resolution falls short of Full HD, and it’s not a battery-friendly OLED. Still, the Liquid Retina LCD display used still has good sharpness and brilliant colors.That said, the 6.1-inch display offers plenty of real estate. Battery life: Though this is the more affordable iPhone to come out in Apple’s latest batch, its battery life stands out. Thanks to the A12 Bionic and chipset and lower resolution, the battery performance is great, making it the first iPhone that could comfortably get through a whole day of use in our testing without us worrying about. Camera: While the other iPhones have dual rear cameras, the iPhone XR has just one sensor. For normal photo shooting, it does a great job though. The lack of a second camera also reduces the quality of Portrait Mode photos. But, the detractors came largely in comparison to other top cameras. Mini verdict: The iPhone XR has all the performance of its more expensive siblings on the inside. It’s camera and screen may not be as impressive, but where it truly dazzles is in the battery life. If you want an iPhone with a battery you won’t always worry about, the iPhone XR is it. Read more: iPhone XR review iPhone XS is a minor, but important upgrade over last year's completely redesign iPhone. It's noticeably faster and has an improved dual-lens camera to make it a better choice, if you're willing to pay the same launch price. No the look of the 5.8-inch new iPhone hasn't changed on the outside, but if you want a more one-hand-friendly size for a cutting-edge iPhone, this is the one to buy. Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED on this iPhone is big, but not a turn off for some people who literally can't handle the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (which we like a bit more in our big mitts). This phone size isn't too much bigger than your old 4.7-inch iPhone 7 or iPhone 6 thanks to its reduced bezel – though you'll miss the Touch ID home button. You'll forget about that when staring into the color-rich OLED that's dreamier than the old iPhone LCD. Battery life: The iPhone XS has about the same battery life as the iPhone X, so you'll get all-day battery life with normal use. Power users may struggle a bit without one of the best power banks, and although Apple says it has 30 minutes more battery life than the iPhone X, the smaller capacity and our tests show it's shy of that claim. Camera: This is where you'll see differences in the otherwise familiar-looking iPhone XS. Its dual-lens camera offers Smart HDR and optical image stabilization (OIS). It's not as vivid as the cameras on a Google Pixel 2 or Samsung Galaxy S9, but you'll get true-to-life photos that make the 2018 iPhone's a worthy upgrade. Mini verdict: Although still expensive, the iPhone XS is our best phone for someone who wants to use iOS 12 and doesn't want to spend even more money on the bigger iPhone XS Max. You have your limits, and that may be 5.8 inches and $1,000. Read more: iPhone XS review The Google Pixel 3 XL brings higher end internals and a notched screen to the latest iteration of Google’s larger phone. It’s got the same great cameras as its smaller sibling, but more screen and more battery. Unfortunately that also means a higher price. Screen: The Pixel 3 XL has a sizable 6.3-inch OLED screen with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. There’s HDR support and a sharp 1440 x 2960 resolution. The viewing experience is good, though this screen does have a rather chunky notch that may not be to everyone’s liking. Battery life: In our testing, we found the 3,430mAh battery to be plenty. Power users can get a full day, and average users are likely to find themselves getting a day and a half. Some of that battery performance is likely coming from good battery optimization within Android Pie. Fast charging and fast wireless charging just round out the offering. Camera: The Pixel 3 XL has the cameras to beat. Google knows how to make a good camera that far exceeds what the specs sheet says. It uses a 12.2MP rear sensor, but software optimization helps it outperform other smartphone cameras in just about all cases. The dual front-facing cameras also give selfie-lovers some extra versatility. Mini verdict: The Pixel 3 XL improves on the previous generations design, fitting more screen into roughly the same size. It also manages a battery life that should satisfy most. Best of all, the camera is better than anything else you’ll find (except the Pixel 3, which is just as good). Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is aging gracefully. It's cheaper and a bit less powerful than its Galaxy S10 Plus successor. But, it's still a big phone with an expansive screen, top-of-the-line camera and all-day battery life. This is still one of the best Samsung phones you can buy in the US if you have large enough hands for its massive size. Screen: Its 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display that really sells this phone, and not because it has more pixels than before (it doesn't) than last year's S8. It’s the futuristic-looking curved edges, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratio that make the screen pop. It's hard to go back to any other size once you hold this large, beautiful light beam in your hand. Battery life: Samsung's 3,500mAh battery is large enough to last all day and a little bit more. It's better than the normal-sized S9, though other phones out of China are maxing out at 5,000mAh these days. It's the one area this handsets seems adequate and not Plus-sized. Luckily, it support Samsung's very quick fast charging standard. Camera: Low-light scenarios are no match the the Galaxy S9 Plus dual-lens, dual-aperture. It does a fine job at amping up dark environments without adding noise that you'll see from other camera phone. It does smooth out textures in the process, but it's on par with, and at times better, than the Google Pixel 2. Mini verdict: The Galaxy S9 Plus is Samsung's answer to the iPhone X, but better in several ways. It too has stereo speakers, face unlock, AR Emoji and vertically stacked 12MP dual cameras. What's better? Its better low-light photos, 3.5mm headphone jack and larger 6.2-inch curved all-screen display – without a notch. No one else has this combination right now. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has shown some staying power, even as the Galaxy S10 line launched. It's intro price of $999 was staggering to see, but Samsung's best phones have a way of coming down in price within a few months of launch, and that helps make the Note 9 a bit of a steal. Screen: Samsung's 6.4-inch Infinity Display is slightly bigger (taller, but actually more narrow than the Note 8) and wraps around the sides for a nice curved look and feel. Samsung is anti-bezel and anti-notch. What you may not see at first is the extreme brightness of this display and the color reproduction. It's impressive when you see it in person. Battery life: The Note 9 has a 4,000mAh battery and is the key reason we like it over the S9 Plus. The capacity is 14.2% bigger than the S9 Plus and 33.3% bigger than the S9. It lasts all day with heavy use and deep into a day two with normal use. You can also charge over wireless easily, and fast charging boots in 17% battery in 15 mins. Camera: The Note 9 camera is impressive, just like the S9 Plus six month before it, and it has the added benefit of remotely capturing photos from up to 30 ft away via the Bluetooth S Pen. Samsung also added AI smarts to the camera that automatically adjusts the white balance and color based on the scene it detects. The camera does as well as the Google Pixel 2 in low-light (sometimes better, sometimes worse, but not by much in either direction), and the default camera app is robust (more so than Google's), yet remains streamlined and initiative. It does lack HDR video recording, seen on other Android phones from Sony and LG. Mini verdict: The Note 9 is bigger in all ways, including the price. It was one of the most expensive phones in the US when it launched, but that's not the case anymore. And, you're still getting a great camera and ample storage (and a microSD card slot) for your money. The battery is big, too. Samsung packs a lot into its all-day smartphone with a stylus. Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review The Moto G7 Power is our favorite from Motorola's budget G7 series because it fills a very particular niche: the biggest battery you can find this side of a 5G phone, and for much cheaper than a flagship. The 5,000mAh battery really is the standout feature here, which should last you days plural. Everything else isn't bad, with a Snapdragon 632 processor and 3 or 4GB. The 32GB baseline storage (64GB upgraded) isn't great, but it's expandable via microSD up to 1TB. In other words, aside from a decent but not spectacular 12MP camera, the phone has few obvious shortcomings at its price ($249 at launch in February 2019, but can be had for cheaper by now). Read our Moto G7 Power review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Facebook says it won't break end-to-end encryption Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:51 AM PST Ahead of an upcoming senate hearing on encryption, Facebook executives have sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr in which they said that the social media giant would not provide law enforcement with access to its encrypted messaging products. In the letter, written by WhatsApp head Will Cathcart and Messengerhead Stan Chudnovsky, the executives explained that by creating backdoor access into Facebook's products for law enforcement, the would also be giving cybercriminals and other bad actors a way to enter their systems, saying: “The ‘backdoor’ access you are demanding for law enforcement would be a gift to criminals, hackers and repressive regimes, creating a way for them to enter our systems and leaving every person on our platforms more vulnerable to real-life harm. People’s private messages would be less secure and the real winners would be anyone seeking to take advantage of that weakened security. That is not something we are prepared to do.”
End-to-end encryptionFacebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced earlier this year that the company would be bringing end-to-end encryption to both Messenger and WhatsApp to make both of the apps “faster, simpler, more private and more secure”. However, in October the Justice Department raised concerns about the company's encryption plans and suggested they would benefit criminals such as sex traffickers and pedophiles. Barr insisted that law enforcement should have access to company's systems in order to investigate these serious crimes, saying: “Companies should not deliberately design their systems to preclude any form of access to content even for preventing or investigating the most serious crimes”. The letter from Facebook executives was sent in response to Barr's inquiry in October and it arrived just before a Senate Judiciary hearing on encryption. During that hearing, Chairman Lindsey Graham said that while he appreciates that cybercriminals can't hack into his smartphone, he still believes encrypted devices and messaging apps create a “safe haven” for criminals. Facebook's director of messaging privacy Jay Sullivan then argued that American companies must lead when it comes to secure and encrypted messaging or foreign firms would take up the mantle. If this occurred, it would be even more difficult for US law enforcement officials to gain access to these services to conduct investigations. The war for encryption continues and expect this issue to be debated heavily as governments try to protect their citizens from criminals and other threats while continuing to take away their privacy online.
Via The Verge This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple Watch sale: the all-new Apple Watch 5 gets a price cut at Amazon. Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:29 AM PST Christmas is less than two weeks away, and if you're still looking for the perfect gift idea, then you've come to the right place. Right now at Amazon, you can find discounts on Apple's best-selling smartwatch. For a limited time, you can get the all-new Apple Watch 5 on sale for $385 when you apply an additional $20 discount at checkout. That's a $44 discount and the best price we've found for the smartwatch. Amazon also has the Apple Watch 5 with cellular on sale for $669. Apple Watch 5 deals:See more smartwatch offers with our roundup of the best Apple Watch 5 prices and deals and shop other models with the best cheap Apple Watch prices and sales. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus cases: how to protect your all-glass iPhone Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:24 AM PST Protecting your phone with a case has always been a smart plan, but it's more crucial now that phonemakers have switched to glass backs - which shatter just like glass front ones. The iPhone 8 was the first Apple smartphone to follow that trend, and it's awful when an accidental drop cracks either of your device's glass sides. Lucky for you, we've curated a list of cases to keep your iPhone 8 screens - and the phone itself - safe from scrapes and drops. While it's been succeeded by newer Apple phones, the venerable iPhone 8 remains a reliable device for a good price that could – and should – last you years... so long as you keep it safe from accidents. Just to be clear, we haven’t tested out these iPhone 8 cases and can't guarantee all will protect (or look cool) to the same degree. But the list includes many that come highly-rated by users, and some look pretty sharp. These are products that we haven't had in our test labs, but based on our experts' opinion and knowledge of the most reputable brands around, we think these are worth looking at. Our selections, ranked from cheapest to most expensive, take into account online reviews, brand reputation, product capability and unique features, to help you pick through the maze of choices available to you.
Best iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus cases at a glance
Best iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus casesThe Torras Slim Fit case is perfect for those who want a simple, inexpensive case that won't glitz up their iPhone 8. It won't have the multi-stage protection of an OtterBox, but buying one of these is certainly better than keeping your phone naked, and this is the next closest thing: aside from a 1mm lip around the camera, the Torras Slim Fit is only fractionally larger than the phone itself. This is the case for those who want a no-frills case that will fit in pockets and small bags. Get it for $11 (£8, AU$15) on Amazon here. JETech's iPhone 8 case is also its iPhone 7 case (it fits both), which tells you a lot about the design: it fits, it works, it's not complicated. This crystal-clear case should protect against basic drops, scratches and scuffs. In other words, don't expect phenomenal protection from this case, but it's an extremely functional choice for someone who doesn't want to spend much or just needs a quick fix before upgrading to a pricier case. You can get the JETech Case for under $8 (£6, AU$11) on Amazon here. Spigen releases Tough Armor cases for plenty of phones, and this iPhone 8 case is much like them: improved protection over basic cases for a bit higher price, but nowhere near as expensive as others in this list. The case has a flexible TPU body wrapped in a polycarbonate back, providing a little extra cushion between the ground and your phone than simple plastic cases. Plus, it's got a little kickstand if you enjoy watching media on your iPhone 8. The Spigen Tough Armor iPhone 8 case is just under $16 (£12, AU$22) and available on Amazon here. Matone's Crystal Clear case is a simple solution for protecting your iPhone 8 Plus. It's a basic, soft TPU bumper case that goes around the edges and back of the phone to absorb shock when dropped. It comes in four colors, but all of them are see-through, so you'll still be able to show off the full appearance of your phone. And, of course, with simplicity comes a low price tag. See this iPhone 8 Plus case at Amazon here. Looking for a simple protective cover that will help you grip your iPhone 8? This option from trusted case manufacturer Speck is basic, but does exactly what you need it to. It won't protect the screen of your phone, but the grip material at the back will help you keep hold of your phone when you really need to. Protection for your pricey iPhone 8 can come at a high cost, but it doesn’t have to. The X-Doria Defense Clear case costs less than most ruggedized cases. One understated feature this one boasts is that it tucks the iPhone 8’s screen under a bit of its lip so as to avoid scratching it on a table if you like to set your phone face down. This case is no frills, but if all you’re looking for is protection on the cheap, look no further. If you're looking for a case, but don't want to add any heft or thickness to the iPhone 8, this is the one you're after. MNML makes, you guessed it, cases with minimal aesthetic. They are cheap and come in a variety of colors. Better yet, they'll work on your iPhone 7 as well, should you have one laying around. Tech21 offers a great protective case here that will ensure the back or edges of your phone won't get scratched and will hopefully be able to take a bit of the brunt when you next drop your iPhone 8. There's no front to this case, so you may want to buy a screen protector, but this see through option may be a good idea if you want to be able to see your phone while it's protected. Apple makes its own official cases for the iPhone 8, and unsurprisingly they're worthy of inclusion in this list. This one is made from a silicone material that should feel comfortable in your hand. But perhaps the best element is the color choices on offer here. You have the choice of nine colors, including bright red, so you can make your phone look like the red iPhone 7. If style is your modus operandi, this leather case by Mujjo should fit your tastes nicely. In terms of its looks, it’s reminiscent of Apple’s own leather case, but it’s going for the much cheaper rate of about $38 (around £28, AU$47). It likely won’t be the most protective case, given that it doesn’t look to hug the camera unit closely, so it’s probably not the wisest choice for those who like to take their phone out in the elements. That said, if you biff, you’ll really be going down in style. This is another choice you can buy directly in the Apple Store when you grab your iPhone 8, but we really like the leather version of Apple's official case. Apart from the material it's made of, the design is very similar to the silicone version up above and it comes in a great variety of colors too including pink, brown and bright red. If protecting your phone is your number one priority when investing in a case, LifeProof’s signature offering looks to fit the bill with its colorful suite of cases. By hugging around the back and securely over the iPhone 8’s front, it protects its fragile glass build materials on every front. While the phone looks as much like an iPhone 6 as it does an 8 while covered, at least you’ll still be able to take advantage of all the new features, like wireless charging and the improved camera. The big downside is that this ruggedized case is nearly $100. Otterbox’s Defender Series of cases is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to ensure their iPhone 8 is safe from just about anything. This case offers multi-layer protection for the front, back and sides of the phone. An attachable clip can even help you keep it easily accessible without making it more prone to falls. Spigen’s Slim Armor CS is a handy case for the iPhone 8. It not only protects your phone with a two-layer combination of soft TPU and hard PC, but it also lets you store two card inside. Throw a credit card and license in there, and you’re set for a night on the town. Caseology's Parallax iPhone 8 case has a stylish design combining a soft shell with a 3D effect on the back and a hard shell for extra reinforcement. While it might cover up most of the iPhone 8's own design, the Parallax case's look is interesting enough that you might not even mind. Plus, there are plenty of color combinations to choose from. See the Caseology Parallax iPhone at Amazon here. Otterbox makes great cases, and the Strada series for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sticks to that trend. The case features mutli-layer protection for your phone. And, thanks to its folio style, it can protect your screen as well. It may be pricey, but it's a lot cheaper than a serious repair. It also has room for a credit card, so you can store one in your case if you don't like bringing your wallet everywhere. See the Otterbox Strada case for iPhone 8 at Amazon here.
This folio-style wallet is great for anyone who doesn't want to bring their wallet along with their phone. Its faux-leather looks nice (in photos, at least), comes in multiple colors and has three pockets for cards or cash. It may be a bit cumbersome for frequent texters, but it will keep your phone's front screen a bit more protected from damage. Pick up this iPhone 8 faux-leather wallet case on Amazon here for $19 (£15, AU$26). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:10 AM PST What can you expect from the best hard drives? While they won’t beat the best SSDs in any speed tests, there’s a reason they’re still around. And those reasons come down to two things: price and space. Not only are they more affordable, but the best hard drives also give you that extra space needed to back everything up, especially for data-heavy users. There are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for the best hard drive for your needs. Are you trying to get some more storage for your PS4 or Xbox One? If that’s the case, an ideal option might be a 2.5-inch drive or possibly an external hard drive. Alternately, you might have one of the best gaming PCs but no room for your bulging library of half played games. You should take a look at a 7,200 RPM 3.5-inch drive, as that could be one of the best hard drives for your needs. This might be a lot to wrap your head around, particularly if you’re new to shopping for internal components, such as hard drives. We’ve cut out some of the guesswork for you and collected the best hard drives we’ve come across below. Seagate BarraCuda drives offer a great gigabyte-per-dollar ratio and speed benefits to top it off. (Image Credit: Seagate) It’s almost impossible to talk about hard drives without mentioning Seagate’s BarraCuda lineup – it’s a force to be reckoned with. And, it’s not hard to see why, Seagate BarraCuda drives offer a great gigabyte-per-dollar ratio and speed benefits to top it off. The 2TB model hits a sweet spot by balancing high performance and affordability. Since this drive combines 7,200rpm platters and high density data, computers outfitted with this drive will be able to read data extraordinarily fast. The Toshiba X300 is a high-capacity, high-performance champ worth taking a look at. (Image Credit: Toshiba) Even if its laptops aren’t as popular as they used to be, Toshiba is still a huge name in computing, and has a lot to offer. When it comes to the best hard drives, the Toshiba X300 is a high-capacity, high-performance champ worth taking a look at. The X300 drives boast great gigabyte-to-dollar value without sacrificing on performance. These drives all spin at 7,200 rpm and include 128MB of cache for higher speeds. The only downside is the warranty only lasts two years, which feels short for a drive meant to store so much important data. Kick it old school with one of the best hard drives with the WD VelociRaptor. (Image Credit: Western Digital) When it comes to PC gaming, it’s better to be fast than capacious. So, if you’ve been resisting the allure of an SSD, and looking to kick it old school with one of the best hard drives, the WD VelociRaptor should be up your alley. Not only does this drive have a whopping 10,000 rpm spin speed, but you’re going to want to pay attention to it. With capacities up to 1TB, the VelociRaptor drives are ready to store large game libraries, and the super fast platters will help your games launch and load quickly. The WD Blue is a viable pick for almost any type of PC build that's sticking to a budget. (Image Credit: Western Digital) Western Digital offers a solid bargain with its line of WD Blue hard drives. With a wide variety of storage options from a small 500GB to a capacious 6TB, the WD Blue is a viable pick for almost any type of PC build that’s sticking to a budget. The best value comes from the larger drives – they’ll give you much more storage per dollar spent. And, if you’re looking for a bit more speed, there are also 7,200rpm models available that don’t come with too much of a price hike. The SeaGate FireCuda is the best hybrid hard drive on the market. (Image Credit: Seagate) SSDs are incredibly popular, and it’s not hard to see why. But, if you need a lot of fast storage, and you don’t have a vault of cash, hybrid hard drives are a great option. The SeaGate FireCuda is the best hybrid hard drive on the market. It can fit up to 2TB of data, and then its 8GB of solid state cache storage learns which data you use most, so that you can access it quickly. That speed boost is even sweeter when you consider that this drive spins at 7,200rpm. With a 5-year warranty and an approachable price tag, it’s easy to see why this is one of the best hard drives you can buy today. Seagate IronWolf NAS drives come at a premium (Image Credit: Seagate) It’s a little unfortunate that the Seagate IronWolf NAS drives come at a premium, but they aren’t priced much more expensively than a standard hard drive at their capacity. However, their native NAS optimization makes that premium totally worth it. These drives are capable of running at a fast 7,200rpm spin rate 24/7 without having to worry about drive failure. Really, if you have one of the best NAS devices for your business or home, the Seagate IronWolf NAS really is your best bet. Seagate's 2.5-inch FireCuda hybrid drive strikes a nice balance. (Image Credit: Seagate) Upgrading the storage in a laptop can be tough, since the hard drives are much smaller. There aren’t a lot of impressive 2.5-inch hard drives, as anything fast comes with a serious markup, but Seagate’s 2.5-inch FireCuda hybrid drive strikes a nice balance. It offers an easy way to add loads of storage to a laptop while also giving it a speed boost thanks to 8GB of flash storage. A five-year warranty on the drive will also help ensure it lasts a long time. he WD My Book strikes an amazing balance of storage and price. (Image Credit: Western Digital) Game consoles hard drives fill up fast with massive libraries. And, like laptops, the upgrade path for 2.5-inch hard drives isn’t all that great, but that’s where an external drive comes in. The WD My Book strikes an amazing balance of storage and price, offering enough room for massive game libraries. Running on USB 3.0, it may not be quite as fast as an internal drive upgrade, but it will run games and offer more storage at a cheaper rate. The G-Technology G-Drive offers huge amounts of storage but thanks to Thunderbolt 3 compatibility. (Image Credit: G-Technology) A lot of people seem to think that the best hard drives are ancient and dead technology in 2019. However, with devices like the G-Technology G-Drive, you can show the naysayers in your life that spinning disks have their own place in the future. Not only does this external hard drive offer huge amounts of storage – up to 10 TB – but thanks to Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, it can even charge your laptop while you work. If you have a MacBook Pro, it’s hard to think of a better work companion. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:08 AM PST The best gaming mouse pad is much more than just a glorified mouse pad with a logo on it. And while just a few years ago, that might have been true, now you can expect a few extra bells and whistles with the best gaming mouse pads. Features such as RGB lighting and wireless charging are perfect additions for the demanding gamer and their wants or needs. When you start looking for the best gaming mouse pad, like most peripherals these days, it will be obvious how many options you truly have. And like most peripherals, that means that there’s one that will fit your needs whatever they may be. Maybe you want one to match the RGB lightshow of the rest of your rig, or something with as little friction as possible to help with pinpoint accuracy. Regardless, you’ll find one that’s perfect for you in our top picks for best gaming mouse pads below. Corsair MM600 features a low-friction surface that will boost your response times in-game. (Image Credit: Corsair) The Corsair MM600 isn’t interested in distracting you with brightly colored lights like the MM800. Instead, it offers a great deal more versatility than its higher priced sibling. This double sided mouse pad stays secure in place with rubber stoppers on each corner so that your mouse moves – not your mouse pad. The MM600 is also made of aluminum, and features a low-friction surface that will boost your response times in-game. SteelSeries QcK helps deliver extremely precise mouse control and a smooth glide. (Image Credit: SteelSeries) Existing solely as a budget mousepad, the SteelSeries QcK does exactly what you want out of a mousepad and nothing more. The QcK’s surface material has a high thread count for extremely precise mouse control and a smooth glide. At the same time, its rubber base helps prevent it from sliding around your desk while you’re gaming. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and there’s even a higher end version with RGB lighting – the SteelSeries QcK Prism. Cooler Master MP510 is made of a durable Cordura fabric that won't fray, stain or even absorb liquid. (Image Credit: Cooler Master) There are a lot of mouse pads out there that we love in theory, but just won’t fit our desk – either too big or entirely too small. However, the Cooler Master MP510 looks to get on top of this problem by offering 4 different sizes, from a small pad that’ll fit any desk to a giant mouse pad that will take up even the largest desk. It’s made of a durable Cordura fabric that won’t fray, stain or even absorb liquid. So, you won't have to panic when you inevitably spill your drink – except for all your other peripherals, we guess. Razer Sphex v2 is durable and optimised for laser or optical gaming mouse control. (Image Credit: Razer) Sure, everyone loves RGB lighting, but what if you’re looking for an unobtrusive, seamless desk surface? Well, the ultra thin – less than half a millimeter in height – Razer Sphex v2 is the mouse pad for you. Despite its thin profile, the polycarbonate surface is durable and optimised for laser or optical gaming mouse control. We picked the regular size, but if you have a smaller desk, there’s a Small size variant as well. Roccat Hiro+ helps increase your gaming accuracy and speed.(Image Credit: Roccat) The top of the Hiro+ is covered in a vulcanized silicone surface with a 3D structure to help increase your gaming accuracy and speed. The base has a non-slip surface for steady mouse control, and the edges have been rounded for a smoother profile. Its surface is also coated to protect from water and grime, and makes for easy cleaning. Corsair MM1000 Qi features Qi charging. (Image Credit: Corsair) Most people think that the best gaming mouse pads are just glorified tablecloths that you move your mouse on top of. Well, until the Corsair MM1000 Qi hit the market, that was almost right. Not only is this thing one of the best gaming mouse pads, but it also features Qi charging. Launching alongside the Corsair Dark Core RGB SE, which itself features Qi compatibility, the MM1000 Qi isn’t just Corsair’s answer to the Logitech PowerPlay, it takes mouse pads to the next level. Razer Goliathus Chroma boasts Razer's RGB implementation. (Image Credit: Razer) Let’s say you have a ton of RGB-bedecked peripherals, a keyboard, a mouse and maybe even a headset. You can’t just leave your mouse pad out of the RGB party, so you should keep an eye out for the Razer Goliathus Chroma. This illuminated mouse pad takes Razer’s expert RGB implementation and throws it into a soft gaming mouse pad that’ll let you score those headshots, and do it in style. Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris boasts Corsair's RGB implementation and uses a low-friction finish. (Image Credit: Corsair) You simply can’t go out looking for the best mouse mat for gaming in 2019 without considering RGB. All the hottest gaming peripherals right now boast about how they can light your desk up like a Christmas tree, and the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris is no different. On top of Corsair’s always-fantastic RGB implementation, the MM800 uses a low-friction finish that’ll allow for quick and precise tracking across its surface. And if the lighting wasn’t enough, the MM800 uses Corsair’s special CUE2 interface to sync its lighting with your other peripherals and even your PC through RGB share. It’s even available in two materials: cloth and a micro-texture surface. Asus ROG Scabbard has a non-slip ROG red rubber base and low-friction Sheath woven surface. (Image Credit: Asus) More of a ‘desk pad’ than a gaming mouse pad, the Asus ROG Scabbard is absolutely massive. It can hold your laptop or keyboard and mouse, along with any other accessories you have lying around. It has a non-slip ROG red rubber base and low-friction Sheath woven surface for maximum mouse control. Asus has even temperature tested the ROG scabbard down to -30°C – but we wouldn’t recommend gaming in sub-zero conditions, even if you’re really into overclocking. Image Credit: MSI Are other mouse pads just too soft for your gaming setup? Well, if so, you’re in luck – the MSI Thunderstorm gaming mouse pad is all metal. To be precise, this gaming mouse pad is made of an anodized, hairline-surfaced aluminum material with rubber stoppers. This textured surface is optimized for mouse control and speed, while its L shape allows it to be situated close to the keyboard. And, if that metal surface is just too real for you, you can flip it over for a micro-textured surface and the comfort of cloth. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:04 AM PST The amount of great Android tablets is going down, and there are fewer choices now than a few years back, when every major tech company had slates popping up with Google's operating system. That's because the Android tablet market has slowed down, and there are fewer launches for non-Apple slates, but because new products aren't being rushed out, quality has improved as a result. If you're in the market for the best Android tablet, therefore, there are fewer options, but the available options are often very impressive. Some Android tablets have 10-inch screens, others 7, some land somewhere in between and a handful even push the boundaries past 10 inches. There are also big differences in battery life, processing power, RAM and even the software each slate is running. And even once you know what specs you're after there are plenty of not-so-great options, so to help you avoid buying a dud we've put together this list of the best Android tablets around. They cover a range of options and we've included a rundown of the specs, the pros and the cons, so you can see at a glance what's right for you. You want the very best Android tablet and you're not worried about how much you'll be spending? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is undeniably the best product you'll find with a plethora of cutting-edge features. It comes with an S Pen stylus in the box that you can use to take notes, draw and much more on the tablet's display. You can also buy a smart keyboard to make it an experience that is close to a laptop. The 10.5-inch AMOLED display on the Galaxy Tab S6 is one of the highlights with an impressive resolution of 1600 x 2560. This tablet also comes with two cameras on the rear too, so you can get better photography than on other slates. It's not the perfect device - there isn't a 3.5mm headphone jack and the user interface has its own quirks - but if you're desperate for an Android tablet, this is the very best you'll be able to buy right now. Image Credit: Asus Nope, that's not an iPad you can see just above. That's the Asus ZenPad 3S 10 - and it's our second favourite Android tablet you're able to buy right now. There's decent power inside this slate as well as a super bright and beautiful display to look at on the front. The battery life and build quality aren't the best on the market, but considering the lower price point than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 above, we'd recommend picking this up if you're looking for something a touch cheaper. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 was once our best Android tablet, but now it has been bumped down by the Galaxy Tab S6, among other things. It's not exactly cheap - although its price has dropped significantly in recent months - but it comes packing a whole host of features to ensure you're getting plenty of bang for your buck. Unlike Apple's iPad Pro range, the Galaxy Tab S4 comes with Samsung's S Pen stylus included in the box, while under the hood you get the powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset alongside 6GB of RAM ensuring Android runs super-smoothly on screen. That's only half the story though. Pair the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with a keyboard and mouse and it'll transfer from Android into a desktop-like experience as it attempts to replace your laptop as well as your tablet. The desktop aspect of the tablet is limited, but still useful. In short, the Galaxy Tab S4 is one of the most versatile Android tablets around. The Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 is a strong Android slate and the combination of its small size and metal shell makes it a real alternative to the iPad Mini. This has more than just good looks though, as the MediaPad M5 8.4 also has impressive stereo speakers, and coupled with its sharp 1600 x 2560 screen that ensures it lives up to its name as a media machine. It’s less good for gaming, and there’s no 3.5mm headphone port – so you probably will be relying on those internal speakers a lot, but if you want a very portable slate that’s great for movies and music then the Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 is a top option. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is packed full of media-focused features and sports a unique, distinctive design. There's a built in stand to take the heft off your hands, while the integrated projector means you can enjoy big screen entertainment away from your TV, though the screen is sharp enough that you won't always feel the need to use a projector anyway. All that tech does make it less portable than most tablets on this list and the UI could be better, but it's a fairly unique option. Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 may have been replaced by the Galaxy Tab S4 and Tab S6, but it's still a top tablet and one that's now more affordable. This tablet ranks among the best Android slates thanks to a powerful processor and an excellent display that's prepped to show you HDR content. There's an S-Pen stylus in the box and you'll also have the option of buying a keyboard, but that will cost you extra. Image Credit: Samsung The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 may now be quite old, but there are still reasons to buy it - and that main reason is its price. Out of all the Samsung tablets featured on this list, the Galaxy Tab S2 is by far the cheapest now and it offers a web and video friendly experience with its 4:3 high resolution display. You can pick the Tab S2 up in 8-inch and 9.7-inch variants - that's likely designed to challenge Apple's iPad and iPad mini ranges - with the smaller option being the most portable and cheapest. The Amazon Fire HD 10 is essentially built for Amazon Prime members, since its big 10.1-inch 1200 x 1920 screen is a great way to consume the films, TV shows and even ebooks it gives you access to. And the Amazon-centric interface used – which won’t appeal to everyone – ensure you’re never far from Amazon Prime content. That’s not to say you shouldn’t buy the Amazon Fire HD 10 if you’re not an Amazon Prime member. This is a durable, affordable slate with reasonable specs for the money, so it’s also a strong choice for anyone on a tight budget. But some of the options above in this list will likely be a better fit if money is no object. The Amazon Fire HD 8 is among the best of the retail giant's tablets, as while it's in many ways lower end than the similar HD 10, the smaller screen makes it more portable. It also delivers surprisingly strong gaming performance, with a decent amount of power for the money. The speakers aren’t great and the cameras are awful, but tablets aren’t for taking photos and you can always use headphones. What you do get is solid if not spectacular performance, and tight integration with Amazon’s other services through Fire OS, all at a price that’s well below most of the non-Amazon branded competition. Tablets don’t get any cheaper than this – well, functional ones don’t anyway. The incredibly low price and sturdy design make the Amazon Fire 7 a great choice to give to a kid – in fact, Amazon’s even built a (slightly pricier) version specifically for children. But even for a grown audience the Amazon Fire 7 far exceeds expectations, with a fairly bright 7-inch screen, acceptable speakers, solid battery life and even reasonable performance, with a snappy interface and the ability to run most games. The last gen Fire 7 was remarkably similar to this latest product, but this comes with the choice of 16GB or 32GB of storage and there are some improvements to the front camera too. Fire OS won’t suit everyone and this isn’t a tablet that impresses once you take the price out of the equation, but for what the Amazon Fire costs it would almost be rude not to buy it. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:59 AM PST Investing in one of the best PC cases when you’re building your own PC might be an afterthought, especially when you’re consumed with getting the best processors and the best graphics cards, as well as the right storage and RAM. And, you’re not alone – many people spend so much time and money on the inside that they don’t pay much attention to the packaging. However, it is a great idea to put more effort in getting the best PC case for those PC components you painstakingly hand-picked. After all, picking the best housing for them will have an impact not just on how your rig looks on the outside, but also how long it will last as well. This is especially true if you want a truly badass gaming rig. If you’re building one that will rival some of the best gaming PCs out there, for example, you’ll need one that helps keep those components cool. That’s because heat is the mortal enemy of all PC components, and having a reliable PC case that can boost airflow is vital. In addition, if you want to future-proof your rig, you should consider something that has extra room for future expansion. And, of course, if keeping it looking cool is just as important, then you might want one if a glass side panel, so you can showcase all that RGB lighting on your components. Whatever it is you need for your PC case, whether you’re on a budget or ready to blow money, this list should narrow down your choices. The Corsair Obsidian 1000D will keep your system cool, no matter how extreme it is.. (Image Credit: Corsair) If you’re going to do it, do it big – if the Corsair Obsidian 1000D had a slogan, that would be it. Packed front to back with a whopping 18 fan mounts and enough room for four 480mm radiators, this massive PC case will keep your system cool, no matter how extreme it is. What’s more, the Corsair Obsidian 1000D is a dual-system case, so you can build two separate computers here. Just think about it – a gaming PC and a streaming rig in the same chassis. The Fractal Design Meshify-C has a unique style. (Image Credit: Fractal Design) It is extremely rare to see any PC case that even vaguely resembles the Fractal Design Meshify-C. Given that the front of the case is entirely made of a mesh material sectioned off into an array of polygonal shapes, the Meshify-C has a unique style – without compromising on function. With two fans pre-installed, cooling is (forgive us) a breeze, even if the Meshify-C is held back by a number of obstacles. The Nanoxia Deep Silence 4 is quiet as a mouse. (Image Credit: Nanoxia) As its name suggests, the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4 has the sole purpose of being quiet as a mouse. This silence-focused case is a well-balanced Micro ATX chassis that’s affordably priced, without sacrificing room for expansion. That’s right you can fit even the biggest, most powerful graphics cards in the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4. The fact that you will never hear it go above 30 decibels is just icing on the very taciturn cake. NZXT H200i integrates a ton of the same features as its Micro ATX and mid-tower equivalents. (Image Credit: NZXT) Every single day mini-ITX gets more popular, and closer to toppling Micro ATX. And, it makes sense – why not spring for a small computer that can get just as much work done as a full tower? NZXT’s new H-series case line manages to integrate a ton of the same features as its Micro ATX and mid-tower equivalents, with mesmerizing, built-in and smart device-controlled RGB lighting and an adaptive noise sensor that sees improvement only by way of the Grid+ V3 fan controller. Phanteks Evolv Shift X is flexible to the point that it looks natural placed under a TV as it does on a desk. (Image Credit: Phanteks) When you first look at the Phanteks Evolv Shift X, it looks more like a sound bar than one of the best PC cases, but this helps it vanish into any living area or studio setup. It’s flexible to the point that it looks natural placed under a TV as it does on a desk, next to one of the best gaming monitors. It may only be compatible with a Mini-ITX motherboard, but the Phanteks Evolv Shift X offers tons of space for components and liquid cooling loops. If this case is a little large for your preference, you can get the smaller Phanteks Evolv Shift for easier management. The metallic and blue LED-lit face of the Fractal Design Define R5 is simple, yet elegant. (Image Credit: Fractal Design) Fractal Design wins again with the Define R5, yet another mid-tower case with a gorgeous aesthetic. The metallic and blue LED-lit face of this case is simple, yet elegant, and is accompanied by noise dampening materials throughout its interior. In spite of the detachable ModuVent panels and drive trays not being toolessly accessible, it’s incredibly easy to build a system inside of the Fractal Design Define R5, plus it’s not as expense as you’d expect from a PC case with such a pretentious name, either. The Cooler Master H500P Mesh's beautiful RGB-packed case has plenty of room for airflow. (Image Credit: Cooler Master) Cooler Master is kind of known for, well, cooling things – and the Cooler Master H500P Mesh is evidence of how it got there. This beautiful RGB-packed case has plenty of room for airflow, even accommodating up to 360mm radiators on the top and front for when you really want to take your cooling to the next level. Add on top of that the RGB lighting and tempered glass side panel and you have the potential to build something beautiful with this case. Go for it. Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-04 Tempered Glass has a deceptively large amount of space for future expansion. (Image Credit: Corsair) If you’re looking to save a few bucks, while still getting one of the best PC cases, look no further than the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-04 Tempered Glass. Not only does it have plenty of space for airflow, it also has a deceptively large amount of space for future expansion, meaning that even at this low price point, you won’t have to worry about fitting a full-sized graphics card. And, when you’re done building, the tempered glass side panel will allow you to show off your handiwork. The Antec Cube is without a doubt the best PC case for Razer fans. (Image Credit: Antec) The Antec Cube is without a doubt the best PC case for you Razer fans out there. While Razer hasn’t made its own desktop PC (not yet, anyway), you can build a Mini-ITX gaming PC, pretending it’s a razer product. You see, Antec partnered with Razer to bring its signature green-infused flare to the Cube, a small form-factor chassis. Complete with a deceptively high amount of space for future expansion, the Antec Cube is also compact enough to travel with. The Phanteks Evolv X squeezes dual-system compatibility in a mid-tower. (Image Credit: Phantex) Who says dual-system builds have to be in a hulking full-tower case? The Phanteks Evolv X takes dual-system compatibility and squeezes it into a mid-tower. Even with that second Mini-ITX motherboard installed, there’s plenty of room for E-ATX motherboards and power supplies, and ample cooling. It is pricey for a mid-tower case, but with all this functionality, it kind of has to be. It’s thanks to all of these high-end features that the Phanteks Evolv X is one of the best PC cases around today. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:55 AM PST What’s cooler than being cool? That’s right, keeping your PC components ice cold. Before you go out to find more exciting components like the best graphics cards to soup up your rig, you have to seriously consider picking out the best CPU cooler first, as you’ll need it to build the best gaming PC you can. After all, keeping your CPU at a low temperature will increase your computer’s performance, not to mention, longevity. The best CPU coolers will come in every shape, size and even price point, but finding the perfect cooler for your build depends on your processor, your budget and your overclocking demands. Luckily, even if you’re trying to save some cash, you can still pick up one of the best CPU coolers, as many air coolers are extremely cheap these days. If you’ve got the cash, on the other hand, you also have the option to splurge on a high-end liquid cooler, taking your cooling performance to the next level. Regardless of what kind of CPU cooler you need, we’ll help you find the most ideal one. We gathered some of the best CPU coolers on the market, using our PC component expertise. And, because we’ve tested these coolers ourselves, you know these heat dissipators will be worth your money. Plus, with our price comparison tool, you’ll know you’re getting a killer deal every time. Image Credit: Noctua The Noctua NH-D15 is one of the best CPU coolers you can buy simply because it performs just as well as – if not better – than some liquid coolers, while costing a fraction of the price. You might not be too familiar with Noctua’s name, as they’re relatively small in the CPU cooler world, but its business is revolves around designing coolers, so you know that when you buy one of their products, you’re getting a product by people who really know their craft. On top of delivering a fantastic cooling performance, the NH-D15 is nearly silent as well. Cooler Master’s Hyper 212 CPU RGB cooler is back with a vengeance, and sporting a sleek gun-metal black brushed aluminum finish to boot. It’s not only jet black look that’s upping this CPU cooler’s cool factor – though it does help what with that aluminum top cover and nickel plated jet black fins to complete the look. It’s also easily one of the best CPU coolers on the market with its stacked fin array that ensures least airflow resistance, four heat pipes that boast Direct Contact Technology to better battle the heat, and a wide speed range for fine-tuning cooling performance and silent operation. Image Credit: Noctua Noctua is an Austrian manufacturer that does one thing, and one thing only: make the best CPU coolers and fans. What this means is that even though the Noctua NH-L9 is tiny, it is still more than capable of insane cooling with no compromises. This is a fantastic cooler for anyone with a smaller build, or even if you’re using a ton of large components, and you’re not comfortable with liquid cooling. Image Credit: Corsair Corsair has enjoyed a position at the top of the liquid cooling game for a while now, and the H100i Pro continues the trend. Not only is this thing obviously strapped in RGB lighting, but it also boasts impressive cooling performance, thanks to Corsair’s unique and powerful fans, which you can control through the iCue software. All these combined, and you’ve got among the few best CPU coolers that not only performs well, but that is also completely customizable. With the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240P Mirage in your gaming rig, you won’t only end up playing for hours on end without worrying about thermal throttling or overheating. You might just an hour or so admiring your CPU, especially if you have one of those glass-window cases, as this CPU cooler is indeed hypnotically pretty. It’s mostly thanks to its transparent pump design that lets you see the impeller spinning while bathed in different RGB lighting, like a colorful spinning wheel at a funhouse. Performance-wise, it definitely deserves a spot in our best CPU coolers list, with its PPS+ glass fiber housing and nozzle that provides temperature and liquid resistance, EPDM rubber O-Ring that helps eliminate liquid emission, and a low-resistance radiator that increases flow rate, heat exchange efficiency and cooling performance. Image Credit: NZXT If you’re running one of the best processors, and you want to push it to the limit, you’ll need one of the best CPU coolers for overclocking, like the NZXT Kraken X72. Not only does it pack a gigantic radiator, but its high fan speeds ensure that cooling performance is top-notch all the time. It also features addressable RGB and an infinite mirror design that looks amazing in any case. To top it all off, the NZXT Kraken X72 is backed by a 6-year warranty. Image Credit: Cooler Master There isn’t a single component that can’t be improved through RGB, and Cooler Master is well aware – jumping on the RGB bandwagon with the MasterLIquid ML 120R RGB. What’s more, it integrates some of the first addressable LEDs seen on a liquid cooler. This all-in-one liquid cooling solution isn’t just about aesthetics – it features an oxidation free pump and an efficient radiator. This means that not only will it last longer – but it’ll keep your CPU cooler, and all without giving up too much case real estate, which is why it’s made our best CPU coolers list. Image Credit: Arctic For less than 70 big ones, the Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 is a deal you can’t pass up if you’re on the prowl for a liquid cooler that won’t break the bank. While it lacks the bells and whistles of pricier, more extravagant liquid coolers, like the NZXT Kraken, the Arctic Liquid cooler is enough to get you by, not to mention it’s still a massive step up from the classic fan and heatsink pairing. So, while you can’t expect RGB lighting or software – or even hardware-based fan control, the 120mm variant of the Arctic Liquid Freezer makes our best CPU coolers list as it will keep your system refrigerated at a (mostly) quiet volume. Image Credit: Corsair Even if your budget will allow you to really go all-out on a serious liquid cooling solutions, if you have a smaller PC case, you’ll likely not have enough space. That’s where something like the Corsair Hydro H5 SF comes into play. Even on the smallest PC cases, you’re able to use this CPU cooler to keep your CPU chilled, even if you have some beastly overclocks happening. Plus, because it’s a closed loop, you don’t even need to worry about maintenance. Set it up, and let it do its thing – you won’t be disappointed. Image Credit: NoFan Rounding out our best CPU coolers list is the NoFan CR-95C. You’ve probably never heard of NoFan – unless you’re already neck deep into the rabbit hole that is silent PC assembly. The South Korean component company specializes in helping enthusiasts reach that 0dBA silent sweet spot. In doing so, of course, will severely limit your set-up in terms of power, with its CR-95C fanless solution being limited in compatibility to processors whose TDP fall below 95W. Still, the NoFan CR-95C is worth a shot if you want to build a low-power computer that completely blends into the background. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:55 AM PST It has been a long time since the release of the iPhone 7 in 2016, and a lot has changed in smartphone design since that point. But at a new low price, the handset remains a great value option for anyone who wants iOS functionality at a discount. Being an older handset gives it another benefit: an enormous variety of cases have come on the market since its release, helped by the fact that iPhone 8 cases will fit the device too for the most part given that they share so much design-wise. Whether you're hunting around for something to style your phone up, to customize it a little, or to encase it in solid protective layers, there are plenty of options at every price point. Read on for our pick of the best iPhone 7 cases currently on the market. These are products that we haven't had in our test labs, but based on our experts' opinion and knowledge of the most reputable brands around, we think these are worth looking at. Our selections, ranked with newer additions at the top, take into account online reviews, brand reputation, product capability, or unique features, to help you pick through the maze of choices available to you. Image credit: Apple Above many things, the iPhone 7 is a slim beast – that’s part of its appeal. It is a small handset, and therefore a blessing for those with smaller hands. Bulky cases can detract from this, but the official Apple Silicone Case is pleasingly slim. Boasting a grippy material which also improves resistance to scratches, shocks and falls, and available in a variety of color choices, this is an attractive no-fuss option for those looking for simple protection and decent looks. It’s available directly from Apple. Image credit: Syncwire Taking the idea of no-fuss to its logical conclusion, we enter the large and sometimes dangerous land of the ultra-budget phone case. Mostly these are chunky plastic affairs that hold onto the various oils of the human hand with gusto, but there are nonetheless some worth considering if price is your main concern. The Syncwire UltraRock is solid, dependable and will offer reasonable protection from scuffs, scrapes and drops - but don’t expect more than that. It’s available from Amazon. Image credit: OtterBox Sometimes simple cuts it - when nothing more is needed than protection, there are many phone cases which fit the bill. But sometimes a little more is needed, sometimes you might want something that’s a little left-field, and the Universe by OtterBox is just that. Offering protection and decent looks, it also features a mad, swappable module system. A battery, a card reader, camera parts and more can be added to augment the iPhone experience. This is one for those looking for something different in their life. You can buy it direct from OtterBox. Image credit: Jimmycase Options for those who like to bundle their cards and cash with their smartphone in a case tend to be mostly of one persuasion - the foldable wallet case. While these are practical, they have trade-offs in terms of the relatively cumbersome rear, however there are certain options which keep a slim profile as well as providing practical storage. The endlessly customizable Jimmycase wallet case is one such example. With space for cash and cards on the rear, it also provides protection from drops, shocks and falls and looks good doing so. It’s available directly from Jimmycase. Image credit: Wrappers Wrappers, a small company based in the UK, has been making bespoke fabric pouches and cases for Apple devices for over a decade. This option from the firm is an Alcantara pouch in a fetching shade of lilac, which will offer nice protection from scratches and scrapes. We particularly like the choice of fabric, recently evoked by Microsoft with its Surface line, which is soft, and which offers a nice premium feel. It’s available from Wrappers UK. Image credit: Kilponen It is well known that, of the many qualities of the iPhone 7, its battery life is not one. While most will be able to stretch the device to last through a day of usage, there are many who will not. The battery case is a life-saver in such situations, and this option from Kilponen is a good choice for many. Though bulky, it makes up for this with a battery capacity roughly three times that of the iPhone, in theory tripling battery life, and all for a very small outlay. This is available from Amazon. Image credit: Lastu There is something about wood, good honest grain - the smell and the feel are difficult to match. Only a few phone case makers have chosen to use this material in their designs, and few have managed to use it as well as Lastu. This Finnish manufacturer offers custom designs, your choice of finish (we particularly like the unique Kelo) and good thick rubber absorbers for proper protection. This is available directly from Lastu. Image credit: Vesel For some, the need for wood goes beyond a look on the back of a case, it must instead be the prime material of the case. Vesel, with its wood series, crafts a unique frame for iPhones which provides protection without adding significant bulk. Boasting a precision finish, a strong 7000 series metal skeleton, and rugged good looks, this is a great choice for those after something unique and for whom money is not an issue. It’s available directly from Vesel. Image credit: Torras Torras has put out a phone case that's just slightly bigger than the iPhone 7 itself, which is perfect for the person who wants a simple, no-nonsense look for their phone. There's even a little 1mm raised lip around the camera lens to protect it from errant drops. It's obvious that this won't protect your phone as well as, say, an Otterbox, but for those who want to wrap their device in simple elegance, the Torras Slim Fit case will do the trick. Pick one up on Amazon here. Image credit: Spigen Spigen's Tough Armor series aims to provide solid protection at a low price. Its flexible TPU body envelops the phone, while a polycarbonate plate layers protection on the back. The latter even has a built-in kickstand if you like watching media on your phone. The Spigen Tough Armor [2nd Generation] iPhone 7/8 case is available on Amazon here. Image credit: Baisrke For all you marble lovers, here's the phone case for you. Baisrke has an inexpensive case that comes in several colors and hues accentuating white, black and pearlescent marble. The case itself is made of a soft rubber silicone, so don't expect much protection from serious drops. But if you can't live without this look, you can grab the Baisrke marble case on Amazon here. Image credit: Caseology The Caseology iPhone 7 Parallax case has a neat design and attractive burgundy-on-gold look for those who want to dress up their phone a little differently than their peers. It's got multiple layers to help protect your phone from drops from plenty of angles. It's decent protection and good looks at an affordable price – perfect for your less-expensive iPhone 7. Pick up the Caseology Parallax case on Amazon here. Image credit: Dockem Most people would probably rather keep their phone unadorned by a case, particularly when their phone is as stylish as the iPhone 7. That’s why a sleeve can be a good option, as it keeps your iPhone protected while it’s in your bag or pocket, but shows it off in full when you’re using your phone. This Dockem sleeve also stands out thanks to its attractive faux-leather design and its low price tag, though of course, like any other sleeve it won’t protect your phone while you’re using it, so this isn’t one for the clumsy. Image credit: Ranvoo Your iPhone 7 might be metal, but most cases aren’t, which means you’re inevitably left covering it in cheaper plastic, or pricey but still different leather. There are some exceptions though, such as this Ranvoo bumper, which although plastic on the inside has a layer of aluminum on the outside, and it comes in all the same colors as the iPhone 7 itself. As it’s just a bumper rather than a full case the back of your phone is left uncovered and the bumper itself is almost invisible – unless you choose a color that contrasts your phone, rather than matches it. The skeletal nature of the bumper means it’s not the most protective thing around, but the edges are raised, so even if your phone hits the ground on the front or back it should remain safe as long as the surface it collides with is flat. Image credit: Uprosa The construction of Uprosa's cases is entirely pedestrian, as they're simply made of flexible plastic. However, their designs are something else. Uprosa's case graphics come from images submitted by researchers and science students, whose job it is to look at stuff under microscopes, so the images you see on these cases are shots taken using microscope photography. Here's the description of the 'flamingo' design seen in the image: "The same chemical (citric acid) that makes a lemon tart forms colliding pink oceanic waves through the lens of a microscope." Brian Cox would approve. Image credit: Griffin A case is always a balancing act between making your phone look as it should and keeping it protected. The Griffin Survivor Clear has a shot at gaming the system, with clear walls and built-up bumpers designed to take the force of any impacts while keeping the look intact. Sure, you can tell there's a case on your iPhone, no denying it, but at least you can see the color of aluminum you chose underneath. Griffin says the shell has 6H hardness, which is as hard as some tempered glass, and provides great scratch resistance. The case can also take drops of 1.2m, and as it doesn't cost a bomb you shouldn't feel too bad about replacing the Survivor should an unfortunate incident occur. Better than a bashed-up iPhone, right? Image credit: Belkin Here's an iPhone 7 case for a particular niche: the runner. It's a neoprene armband case that lets you take your phone out for a jog without a) holding the thing or b) having it move around in your pocket. Unless you go on fairly long runs where taking a phone is a good idea anyway, the best reason to get a Sport-Fit is to use your phone as a GPS tracking tool, using an app like RunKeeper. The combination effectively turns your phone into the equivalent of a fully featured GPS sport watch. The case can also hold a debit/credit card, meaning you only need to find somewhere to stash your keys. And earrings, perhaps? Image credit: MNML If you're looking for a case, but don't want to add any heft or thickness to the iPhone 7, this is the one you're after. MNML makes, you guessed it, cases with minimal aesthetic. They are cheap and come in a variety of colors. Better yet, they'll work on an iPhone 8 as well, should you have one laying around or plan to buy one. Image credit: UAG Let's stop messing around, it's time for a case that looks tough as nails. The UAG Trooper is a light-but-hardy case that also doubles as a wallet, as its back flips open to reveal a compartment in which you can store four cards. It has rubbery sides and uses hard polycarbonate for that lid on the back. The Trooper adds a fair bit of bulk to the iPhone 7, but not a great deal of weight. For a higher-end feel, the Monarch-series UAG cases use bonus metal and leather, although there's no card slot. Image credit: OtterBox We've been using OtterBox Defender cases on and off for years now: they're veterans of the scene. While they add bulk to your phone, their aim is to offer complete protection that'll leave your handset looking fresh 12 months down the line, and for a reasonable price too. They use a rubber inner cover, a hard plastic outer and an inbuilt screen protector, only leaving the Apple logo and camera on the back somewhat exposed to the elements. While the iPhone 7 is already waterproof, there are port protectors too. These will stop any muck clogging up your ports, perfect if you really do treat your phone a bit rough. Image credit: Tech21 Back in the old days, Tech21 cases used to have orange blobs peppered throughout, as a way to show off the fancy shock-absorbing material the company uses. The Tech21 Evo Elite, though, is a case that color-matches the classic iPhone shades on its sides, with a transparent back to retain as much of that iPhone flavor as possible. Inside there's still some of Tech21's magic FlexShock material, which is what absorbs the force of impact to stop your phone from getting damaged. Image credit: Spigen Spigen's Slim Armor CS case for the iPhone 7 is a popular one, and the numerous color options for the hard shell can help it match the color of your iPhone. It features a soft and hard shell for extra protection for your phone. And, a hidden credit card case will let you carry up to two cards in case you don't like dragging your wallet or purse everywhere. See the Spigen Slim Armor CS case for iPhone 7 at Amazon here. Image credit: OtterBox If you want a case that doesn't sacrifice the premium look of your iPhone 7, then the Otterbox Strada case is a good pick. It combines Otterbox's multi-later protection into a folio-style case with a leather exterior. The case can hold a credit card, and thanks to the folio design, the screen of your iPhone 7 will get extra protection from falls. See the Otterbox Stada for iPhone 7 at Amazon here. Image credit: Apple One of just a couple of problems with the iPhone 7 is that its battery life isn't great. If you don't fancy carrying around an external battery pack 24/7, this case can help. It's an official Apple accessory that shoehorns a 2,365mAh battery into a smooth silicone case, roughly doubling the iPhone 7's stamina in real terms. The downside is that it gives your iPhone a humpback, the battery unit sticking out from the casing. There's also a 'lip' at the bottom that further spoils the phone's lines. Battery cases aren't for everyone, but this one is smarter than most, with clever management of when the phone is powered by its own battery and that of the case.
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| Best iPhone X cases: how to wrap and protect your all-screen iPhone Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:46 AM PST The best iPhone X cases are crucial for using Apple's still-speedy flagship iPhone – not only do they protect your $899 / £899 smartphone, but they come with a range of extra features like credit card holders or portable battery charges. The iPhone X is bit of a fragile device, since no matter how attractive its metal and glass sandwich is, the handset is still metal and glass. Metal bends and chips, glass shatters and breaks - and it's one of the slipperiest materials known to man. That's why it's important to opt for a case to protect your prized iPhone, because you don't want to replace you Apple device every time you drop it. Even years after the phone launched, there are still plenty of high-quality iPhone X cases available, and they run the full gamut for protection, fashion and value. Here are our top picks. These are products that we haven't had in our test labs, but based on our experts' opinion and knowledge of the most reputable brands around, we think these are worth looking at. Our selections, ranked from cheapest to most expensive, take into account online reviews, brand reputation, product capability and unique features, to help you pick through the maze of choices available to you. Best iPhone X cases at a glance:
Image Credit: Torras The Torras ultra-thin case is exactly what it sounds like: barely a layer between the phone and the environment. While that's not nearly the protection a heftier, multi-material case would offer, this one is better than nothing – and it keeps your phone slim so you can slip it into a pocket or a small bag. The case has a small lip around the phone blister – which should fit both iPhone X and iPhone XS sizes. Image Credit: Lastucase With the iPhone X, Apple really upped the design stakes, producing something almost jewel-like in the process. What better way to protect it then, with a case that provide robust protection along with a particular Scandinavian cool? Featuring a tough black rubber lip to absorb the shock from falls, along with a choice of wooden back (we particularly like ‘Kelo’) and various other customization options, the Lastucase is for those who want to stand out from the crowd. Image Credit: JETech Sometimes, beyond form, function or anything else, price is the key differentiator. Across the wide variety of options available through Amazon, many are functionally the same, however the JETech case stands out. Firstly at just shy of £5, it is cheaper than many rivals - and with its thick design it should be capable of absorbing all but the most nasty of accidents. This is one for those who haven’t a great deal of cash to splash (perhaps a by-product of buying an iPhone) but who need protection nonetheless. Image Credit: Noreve For many, no material screams luxury quite like leather - ethical concerns aside. Shoes, coats and bags can all be had - so why not a phone case? French leather crafters Noreve have the answer. Customizable in various colors, this iPhone case offers protection from scratches and minor falls while looking every inch a decadent option in the process. Personalization options abound, meaning the potential cost can be anything in excess of 60 euros, but for some this will be well worth the money. Image Credit: LOHASIC For those of you who want a classy leather look without a full folio-style front cover, this case is for you. It comes in multiple colors over a metallic gold or black frame. Given its low cost, this probably isn't the highest-quality leather case you could pick up, but it's a nice look for a bargain price. Image Credit: Olixar This is one of the cheapest iPhone X cases on the market right now and it should protect your phone from the odd scratch. We don't think it'll be able to do much to protect your device if you drop it though and the gel material probably won't feel as comfortable on your palms as the glass that's on the back of the iPhone X. Image Credit: Tozo TOZO claims this is the world’s thinnest hard-shell case for the iPhone X and while we can’t be sure whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly very slim at just 0.35mm thick. That makes it a great choice if you don’t want to add any bulk to your fancy new phone, especially given the low price of this case, which should make it all the more appealing if your bank balance is hurting after buying the iPhone X itself. However, while it will offer some protection against scrapes, we’re not confident that a case this thin will do much to protect your phone from drops. Image Credit: Spigen Sometimes the simplest option is the best option, and the Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone X case is certainly simple. It’s available in a range of colors, but they all include a transparent back, so you can see your iPhone X in full while keeping it protected. It’s just a simple polycarbonate hard case, but it’s slim, has pronounced button covers so the buttons are easy to find and press, large cut-outs that can fit most cables, and it’s made from a non-slip material, so you’re less likely to drop your phone. If you do still drop it though the case sports air cushioned corners, which should help keep your iPhone X in one piece. Image Credit: Mophie It is a given that with a case comes added bulk, but that isn’t always a disadvantage. The Mophie Juice Pack Air crams a 1750mAh battery into its relatively svelte dimensions, providing a longer life for your precious iDevice as well as well as protection from the world. Claiming to provide an overall battery life of 30 hours, this is one for the frequent travelers, and as a nice bonus offers Qi wireless charging in order to top up easily. Image Credit: ESR Most of the options we’ve covered so far have been fairly plain, but the ESR Marble Pattern cover really stands out, with a marble design in black, blue, grey or white. Beneath the surface it’s a thin and light TPU case, and there’s nothing clever going on here, so you’re only getting basic protection, but it includes a smooth, anti-scratch and anti-fingerprint finish, raised lips to protect the screen and camera, and a low price tag. Image Credit: Spigen The Spigen Neo Hybrid case offers a combination of hard and soft protection to keep you iPhone X safe from nicks and falls. And, it does all that with a slick design, combining grippy PU plastic with a herringbone pattern and hard PC with a metallic paint job. It offers design and protection both at an affordable price. Image Credit: Totallee This one may be one of the best looking cases we've seen for the iPhone X so far and the super thin design means the case shouldn't make your phone much bulgier in your pocket. It's uncertain how protective that vertical camera cut-out will be, but here you'll get the choice of a variety of colors including a bold blue and green. Those aren't colors you can buy the new iPhone X in. Image Credit: Tech21 Unlike the choice above, the Tech21 Evo Tactical won't protect the screen of your iPhone X, but you can always buy a screen protector to ensure you don't scratch up that 5.8-inch bezel-less display. The design of this case should help protect it from drops too, plus you can also use wireless charging without having to peel the case off your phone. Image Credit: X-Doria Combining style and protection, the X-Doria Defense Lux case has an anodized aluminum frame with built-in air pockets to absorb shock. In fact, the case exceeds military drop test standards, so it should keep your iPhone X safer than most, but it also looks good, not just thanks to the aforementioned metal frame, but also because of the back, which comes in a choice of ballistic nylon, black leather, carbon fiber or wood. That’s an interesting selection of materials, each of which will give the X-Doria Defense Lux case a quite different appearance to most other iPhone X covers. Image Credit: Incipio We get it, you don't want to use a case. But if you're tossing the idea around, you might want to try the Esquire Slim case, which is one of the most low-profile options we've found so far. The fabric yields a very soft, cotton-like feel and slides into the pocket easily. It covers each of the iPhone X's corners, but leaves the buttons exposed for ease of use. Despite its high-quality design, this one comes surprisingly cheap. Image Credit: Urban Armor You might understandably want to put protection first when buying an iPhone X case, and if so the Urban Armor Gear Feather-Light Rugged Case should make for a good option. It combines a hard outer shell with a soft, impact-resistant core, plus skid pads on the back, which add up to a case that can meet military drop test standards. It also sports a visually striking – albeit rather rugged – design, and as the name suggests it’s surprisingly light, thanks to a honeycomb structure which also aids its drop protection. Wireless charging and contactless payments also work through the case, so you’re not losing any functionality. Image Credit: OtterBox The Strada series is perhaps one of OtterBox's classiest case sets yet. The Strada iPhone X case features all-around protection thanks to a multi-layer design and a folio cover for the screen. It's built to absorb shock from falls and protect against scratches and scrapes. Meanwhile, a leather exterior gives it a premium look to compliment the iPhone X, even if it is covering up most of the phone's design. Plus, a card holder will let you keep a credit card with your phone. Image Credit: Speck It may not be the prettiest case, but the Speck Presidio Grip case offers protection for your iPhone X on the back and sides, while a raised edge can help keep the screen from hitting the floor. On top of protecting your iPhone X from falls, the Presidio Grip case will also help you avoid the falls in the first place. It has rubberized grips that will give you a better hold on your phone so it doesn't slip out of your hand. Image Credit: Incase This case features a design that strikes a nice balance between a soft, silicon case and a hard case. Unlike other cases, this one doesn't have button cutouts or pronounced areas, but they are noted for easy navigation. This results in a low-profile option that has a slick ripple design on its back and a felt material on the inside to prevent scratches. Available in several colors, this one could be good for those who are looking for a rubbery-feeling case that isn't too loud visually. Image Credit: Moshi This case is slim once again, but it's made of metal and has a magnetic clasp on the side to ensure your phone screen won't easily get scratched up. It also has a military-grade drop protection certificate, so you can be certain this case will protect your iPhone X the time you inevitably drop it. Image Credit: OtterBox The OtterBox Statement Series Case at once wants to show your phone off and show itself off, as you can tell from the back, which is mostly transparent but has a large section of colored leather at the bottom. This gives the case a far more distinctive, high-end look than your average transparent case, and being from OtterBox you can trust that it’s well-built. In fact, it’s passed over 24 tests lasting more than 238 hours to ensure it offers maximum protection. Image Credit: Apple This official Apple case is perhaps unsurprisingly one of the most expensive, but it goes some way to justifying the price tag, as it’s crafted from French leather, and unlike the Ullu case above it covers the front of the phone as well as the back, with a wallet-like design. That means you get more protection and Apple’s also made use of the flap on the front by adding a couple of slots, which you can use to hold cash and cards. The case will also wake your iPhone X up when you open it, and put it to sleep when closed, and it doesn’t prevent the phone from being wirelessly charged.
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| Best Buy appliance sale: price cuts from Instant Pot, KitchenAid, Keurig, and more Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:55 AM PST Best Buy's '12 Days of Deals' sale is happening now, with new discounts every day on best-selling gift ideas. Today's sale is 'Gifts for Foodies', which includes massive discounts from top brands including Instant Pot, KitchenAid and Keurig. Best Buy's top deal is the Instant Pot Viva pressure cooker, which is now half price at just $59.99 – that's the lowest price we've found for the six-quart pressure cooker. The pressure cooker would make an excellent gift for anyone on your list – or, at this price, you could just treat yourself. Best Buy's 'Gifts for Foodies' sale ends today, so you should take advantage of these amazing deals before it's too late. Best Buy's best kitchen appliance deals:Shop more appliance offers with the best Instant Pot deals and the best cheap Air Fryer sales that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Want to make your perfect Christmas photo card? Here's five tips that will help Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:51 AM PST With Christmas fast approaching, photo cards are becoming increasingly popular - custom-made, inexpensive and less time consuming than a photo book, but equally unique and significant. Now, creating the perfect photo card may sound like a daunting task, particularly when you just take a look at the finished product. They look like they've been curated by professionals and the high quality prints can be intimidating. Well fear not, that's all done by the software you select - all you have to do is the fun part! And we're here to give you five top tips to consider when designing your dream photo card. And of course, if professionalism is what you're looking for, consider selecting Mixbook as your weapon of choice. We rank it extremely highly for plenty of reasons, but the impeccable photo quality is definitely a top one. Need more options? Check out our best photo card guide, it has all the top providers for your photo services. Anyway, as promised here are five key things to consider prior to the creation of your photo book masterpiece.
Get the best - TechRadar's #1 photo book provider1. Money talksLet's talk about money, whilst photo cards are relatively quite a lot cheaper than photo books they can still cost quite a few dollars, especially if you're printing in abundance. Work out a budget that you're comfortable with and consider all the variables from the size of the card, to the type of paper (Mixbook has real foil photo cards!) to the number of cards you want printed. You could see that measly cost of $3.49 for one card transform into $90 for 30 cards. And if you're on a strict budget, then your best best would be Simply to Impress its photo card prices are significantly lower than the competition all year long. And make sure to look for discounts! For example we know that both Mixbook and Snapfish have got seasonal discounts going on (but this won't be for long) . 2. Fantastic and thematicThis is the fun (not daunting, we promise!) part. Here you get to decide exactly what your photo card is going to be about. Is it a thank you card, a Christmas card, a graduation card, a baby card - are you going to send this out to your family and friends? There's plenty to consider so take your time, fine-tooth comb it and come to your ideal photo card. If you're looking for diversity in your themes, Simply to Impress has Hannukah cards, and Shutterfly has cards in Spanish. 3. All we want is photosPhotos, photos, photos. They come in all shapes and sizes and what might be ideal for one occasion may not be for the other. If you're going with a family themed Christmas photo card say, you can have one large photo or a collage of smaller photos? Either way select your photos carefully depending on size and theme - one may best suited than the other. Go over your smartphone albums, even if they were quick snaps - thoroughly search your social media and family albums. You could even digitalize the latter, all you're going to need is the best photo editor around. 4. Timing is everything!No one likes to be late or to be kept waiting, and if the photo cards you need printing have a time stamp - then the earlier you start the better. Even some of the fastest photo book providers need time, the photos not only need to be sent to you but they also need to be printed, and depending on how many you've purchased - this could take a while. Not to mention that the shipping and production can have a few unpredictabilities and there's nothing worse than spending ages curating the perfect photo card just to have it not arrive in time. Ultimately you won't want to rush the photo card otherwise it won't be your exact vision, but if you are time pressured we do know that Mixbook has an express option that (at an additional cost) can get you your photo card in three business days. 5. Size, size, sizeAlthough photo cards are fairly small, that doesn't mean that size isn't important. You may want to consider what size is ideal for the theme and type of photo card you are sending out. For instance, if it's a thank you card and you've only got one photo on it, a regular 5x7 would be fine. But if it's a save the date card, or you're sending a custom one to a loved one that has a collage of images - then it may be better to select a bigger option, such as the 7x10 would be better, and so on - you get the picture. In this respect, some photo card providers can have a work around the size or an added feature let's say. Snapfish for instance allows you to shape the card, not just to square or round but they have the option of scalloped or elegant corners too.
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| Get 40% off a Now TV Sky Cinema Pass in this Christmas deal Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:49 AM PST Christmas means one thing: sitting in front of the television with the people you love (well, hopefully) after eating an uncomfortable amount of roast potatoes, and watching films into the wee hours. Now TV's Sky Cinema Pass, which offers a whole host of movies past and present for streaming on demand, has had its price cut in time for this holiday period. You can get six months of movies for £42.99, a big saving on the usual £11.99 per month price. Now TV points out that the Sky Cinema Pass is the only contract-free way to stream Die Hard this Christmas (cue interminable discussions about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie), so that's one incentive to sign up. But Sky Cinema also has a host of other Christmas offerings, like Scrooged and It's a Wonderful Life, both of which made our list of the best Christmas movies, not to mention a lot of other movies that have nothing to do with the festive period. Here's the deal: Note that once those six months are up, you'll have to pay the standard £11.99 per month fee to keep accessing Sky's range of movies on Now TV. But if you really must stream Die Hard during this holiday period – and you left the DVD in your loft, or something – this is one way to do it. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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