Saturday, January 18, 2020

Apple : Asus reveals 5600 XT TUF X3 Gaming & ROG Strix graphics cards

Apple : Asus reveals 5600 XT TUF X3 Gaming & ROG Strix graphics cards

Asus reveals 5600 XT TUF X3 Gaming & ROG Strix graphics cards

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 01:41 PM PST

It seems that every time some releases a new graphics cards, small battles are waged between Nvidia and AMD. With AMD’s Radeon RX 5600 XT gearing up for its imminent release on January 21 and coming for Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, Nvidia naturally went on the defensive by dropping the price of its popular RTX 2060. And in response, AMD might possibly boost the clocks of the RX 5600 XT before it’s out in the wild.

With all this back and forth between the rivals, it’s easy to miss AMD’s AIB partners showcasing their RX 5600 XT designs ahead of the GPU’s official release date, starting with MSI and with Asus right on its heels.

Videocardz recently reported that the Taiwan-based manufacturer has finally revealed the designs and some specs for its two upcoming RX 5600 XT cards that will be joining its TUF Gaming and ROG Strix lines. And, while neither are particularly noteworthy design- and specs-wise, Asus fans awaiting the RX 5600 XT release might want to pay attention.

1080p gaming at good value

Asus’ TUF gaming line is more focused on providing great value to consumers, which really means great performance for an even better price. And, while Asus has yet to share the price on the Asus 5600 XT TUF X3 Gaming GPU, we’re pretty sure it will be friendlier to the budget-minded.

The Asus 5600 XT TUF X3 Gaming graphics card will boast 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a triple fan design and a base clock of 1620MHz in gaming mode, as well as feature three DP and one HDMI ports. It will also require one 8-pin connector.

Higher-tier 1080p gaming

Like its TUF Gaming counterpart, the Asus RX 5600 XT ROG Strix will also have the same VRAM, triple fan design, clock speeds and ports. The only difference, at least as far as the specs available right now, is that this model will feature dual power connectors (6+8pin).

Typically, the ROG Strix graphics cards are a bit more expensive than the TUF line – the Radeon RX 5700 XT ROG Strix, for example, is $40 (about £30, AU$58) more than the TUF version – so expect that to be the case with the RX 5600 XT cards as well.

Both the Asus 5600 XT TUF and the Asus RX 5600 XT ROG Strix cards are slated for release on January 21, 2020.

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Liverpool vs Manchester United live stream: how to watch Premier League football online from anywhere

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 10:30 AM PST

Having came close to ending Liverpool's unbeaten run when the two teams met back in October, Man Utd will be out to trip up the lead leaders once again on. Will the relentless Reds from Merseyside continue their lossless waltz to the title, or will their big rivals pick up an unexpected win? You can watch all the action as it happens, no matter where you are in the world, by following our Liverpool vs Manchester United live stream guide below.

As well as having to contend with a hostile atmosphere at Anfield, Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side will also have to make do without main striker Marcus Rashford who is ruled out with a back injury sustained in their mid-week FA Cup win over Wolves.

Jurgen Klopp will be looking for a more dominant display from his side on Sunday, having ridden their luck at times during their victory over Tottenham Hotspur in their last Premier match. Despite the fashion of the win, the victory saw them set a new record for the best start to a Premier League season with 61 points from 21 games.

After suffering an indifferent set of results over the Christmas period, United come into the clash having notched up two wins on the spin, with their cup victory over Wolves following a commanding 4-0 thrashing of Norwich last Saturday.

It's shaping up to be a fascinating encounter - check out our guide below on how to obtain a Liverpool vs Man United live stream, regardless of where you are in the world. And to find out how to watch the rest of the weekend's games and beyond, check out our guide on how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season. 

Use a VPN to watch Premier League football from outside your country

If you're abroad this weekend but still want to watch your home coverage, you'll need a VPN to do so. That's because your normal coverage will be geo-blocked. It's really easy to do and stops you having to tune in to some dodgy stream you've heard about on Reddit.

How to stream Liverpool vs Manchester United live in the UK 

How to watch Liverpool vs Man United: US live stream 

How to watch a Premier League live stream in Canada

How to live stream Liverpool vs Manchester United in Australia

How to watch Liverpool vs Man United: New Zealand live stream 

How to live stream Liverpool vs Man United in India

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What is AWS AppSync?

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 09:42 AM PST

Applications that rely on data in cloud storage do not need to stay current every minute of the day. Think of a social media app. The is “real-time” data such as a new post or a photo upload, but most of the data such as account information, user profile, and the place you went to high school do not need to update constantly. In a gaming app, there is a massive amount of real-time data such as your current location on a map (which is ever-changing), but your credit card number will likely stay the same month and month. To constantly update all data for a mobile or web app doesn’t make sense and only consumes uses unnecessary resources.

AWS AppSync is a way to synchronize the data used in a web or mobile app, allowing developers to choose which data should be synced in real-time.

AppSync relies on a GraphQL, which was originally developed by Facebook, for the data syncing. It’s intended to help developers who might need to pull data from different sources in the cloud, then perform functions within the app quickly and efficiently. It’s also highly secure so even though an app is syncing from multiple data sources, and developers are choosing which portions of an app can use real-time data or not, the data is still protected.

As mentioned, the application development service is intended for those who need to deal with massive amounts of real-time data and have that data sync to the application. Yet they also need the ability to decide which data does not need to sync in real-time. Developers can create complex queries that use a cloud database and aggregate the data or make complex decisions to analyze, process, or manipulate it from multiple sources.

The advantage here is that you can easily scale an application and use multiple Amazon services for your application, without being restricted by your IT infrastructure or where the data resides (and if you need to process all data in real-time).

Another advantage is that this can work with data that is offline for periods of time. In a gaming app, for example, the developer can sync real-time data but also coordinate what happens when the end-user continues to use the game and rack up a high score when he or she is no longer connected to the Internet. AppSync can them sync the offline data once the user makes a connection again without having to sync the entire data set. This reduces bandwidth requirements and speeds up data syncing for the web or mobile application.

Examples of using AWS Appsync

One example of using AWS AppSync is with a Big Data project. Often, with a research project at a large university, for example, the data sources are widely distributed. For a project analyzing new road construction, there might be data available related to material research in Zurich and environmental data from a lab in Munich, but the app development team is based in Chicago.

In the past, syncing all of this data for an app, and also deciding which data is mission-critical and must be real-time in nature and which data can be stored long-term and not synced, was quite an undertaking. It often requires a combination of multiple cloud services and a way to sync all of the data sources manually. Yet, AWS AppSync provides one console so that developers can understand their API and what is happening with their data.

Another example of AWS AppSync in practical use is when developers are creating a smart home app, one that monitors home security and safety issues.

Sensors might be installed to detect water leaks, look for intruders, and monitor whether a window has opened suddenly in the middle of the night. The Internet of Things (or IoT) is a concept that has allowed developers to create rich applications that unify and unite these disparate sensors to present a clear picture of what is happening in the home.

As you can imagine, pulling and monitoring this sensor data is a Herculean task. There might be thousands or even millions of data requests from an app -- e.g., every time someone opens a door or when a sensor detects a moving object. In a connected home app, some of the data can be at rest and won’t need to sync. With AWS AppSync, a developer can decide how to sync that data and what happens to it in real-time within the app, not only for the dozens of sensors that might be installed in a smart home but for hundreds or thousands of customers.

In the end, it’s the flexibility this provides that is key for developers creating rich applications that use multiple data sets from wildly varying sources from all over the globe.

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How to make a Valentine's Day card the easy way with a photo card provider

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 09:00 AM PST

Chocolates, candy hearts and flowers - it's officially romance season and you know what that means.... Valentine's Day is coming!

And we know half of you are groaning and half of you are jumping up and down in excitement. And if you're feeling the pressure to impress, a customized Valentine's Day card could be just the ticket.

A photo card is the easiest and still very personal way of showing your loved one you care. Custom-made, inexpensive but equally unique. And if you're thinking this all sounds a bit too difficult or daunting, we're here to ease your fears and answer all your questions - from where to start, to how to get your photo card looking truly professional.

So keep reading so we can give you our top five top tips to consider when designing your dream Valentine's Day card.

And of course, if professionalism and good value are what you're looking for, consider selecting Mixbook. We consider it (and have for quite some time) as the best photo card provider.

And of course, if professionalism and good value are what you're looking for, consider selecting Mixbook. We consider it (and have for quite some time) as the best photo card provider.

Get the best - TechRadar's #1 photo book provider

1. Money, Money, Money 

We have to admit - Valentine's Day is not well timed as it's either (usually) two weeks before or two weeks after you get paid. But, fret not - photo cards in general are relatively inexpensive, which means you won't have to break the bank to declare your love. 

We recommend for you to first come up with a budget that you're comfortable with and then consider all the variables from the size of the card, to the type of paper to the number of cards you want printed. You could see that measly cost of $1.50 for one card transform into $61 for 30 cards (wow, how many Valentine's do you have!). 

And if you're on a strict budget, then your best best would be Simply to Impress, as its photo card prices are significantly lower than the competition all year long. You can get a Valentine's Day card for as little as $0.74.

One last thing would be to always have an eye-out for discount as these photo card providers usually have seasonal discounts.

2. Let's go back to the beginning

This gift is all about the romance so make sure you show it! Scroll through your old photos with your partner, have a think about all the memories you've made (and rejoice!). 

Take your time to pick your favorite photos (or photo) and what it represents to you. This concept also applies if you're sending out photo cards to family members to wish them a happy Valentine's Day.

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 the theme of your cards, both Snapfish and Mixbook have a wide range - from romance-themed to cards filled with puns. 

3. Love is in the air

Whether this is to send happy Valentine's wishes or simply a gift to your partner, the theme is love - so you need to make sure the photo card reflects that!

This is where for all the creative types - you can really run wild, whether it's a collage of photos or you're picking different colors and fonts, these photo book providers have an endless range of options. Mixbook even has photos with real foil (take your pick between gold or silver) which creates a very unique look.

If you really want to dial up the romance, Simply to Impress has heart-shaped cards in all different colors and sizes and it's having a sale! You'll have to hurry as this ends Monday, January 20.

Either way go over your smartphone albums, memories, even if they were quick snaps - remember to thoroughly search your social media (or/and theirs).

4. Timing is important

Let's be honest, timing is everything! No one likes to be kept waiting - so if you're under pressure, we recommend the earlier you start the better. 

Even if you get express shipping, dispatching your photo card(s) take time - they need to be printed and depending on the number you've ordered this could be a while.

Not to mention, even if you do select the fastest shipping option, there are always a few unpredictabilities that can happen. And there's nothing worse than spending ages curating the perfect photo card just to have it not arrive in time.

And it's important that you do it with care , 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. Sizing

Of course this depends on what you're looking for and what you want but you need to find the ideal size for the theme and type of photo you are sending out. 

Say you want to have a collage of photos neatly arranged with writing, you'd be looking at more of a 7x10 to make it fit.  

However, if you're only looking at adding one photo on it then a regular 5x7 would be fine.

In this respect, some photo card providers can have a work around the size or an added feature let's say. Simply To Impress has some really cool and original card shape and designs.

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Huawei P40 colors and design shown off in new unofficial renders

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:30 AM PST

We haven't heard too much in the way of rumors and leaks around the Huawei P40 phones up to this point, but that's started to change in the last couple of days – and now there are some unofficial renders to gawp at.

Courtesy of 91mobiles, which has a good track record as far as these sort of renders go, the images (supplied by a "reliable industry source") show the Huawei P40 and the Huawei P40 Pro in all their glory.

On both the P40 and the P40 Pro we've got oblong punch-hole cameras on the front of the phones and oblong camera arrays on the back, though the P40 Pro is expected to arrive with an extra camera lens – four lenses rather than three.

We also get a look at the colors the Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro are going to come in as well: the standard black, brush gold, silver frost, deep sea blue, and ice white (with a gradient finish).

Huawei P40 leak

Leaked Huawei P40 Pro renders.

From what we've heard so far, the Huawei P40 handsets are going to arrive sometime in March, running Huawei's own Kirin 990 chipset (with 5G support) and up to 12GB of RAM. The maximum storage capacity is said to be 512GB.

The main difference between the P40 and the P40 Pro, aside from the rear camera array, will be the display size – the standard P40 is tipped to have a 6.1-inch or 6.2-inch screen, while on the P40 Pro that could jump to anything up to 6.7 inches.

As it stands, the Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro phones won't come with the Google Play Store or any Google apps on board, as was the case with the Mate 30 Series. That could change though, and all these specs and renders are unofficial for the time being.

There's also been talk of a P40 Premium edition, complete with another render, in the last few days. It looks as though Huawei is once again going to be pushing the premium bar higher with its next round of flagship devices.

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My smartphone was stolen, but Google’s Find My Device helped me get it back

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST

When I was walking down the bustling metropolitan battlefield of London’s Oxford Street after work one day, texting away on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 I was meant to be testing, I watched as a passing cyclist grabbed the phone from my hand and sped off into the night.

By the time my brain twigged I’d been robbed, the bike bandit was much further down the road, and any hope of pursuit was gone. My handset had been pinched in broad daylight – or, at least, the never-ending light of London’s busiest street – and there was nothing I could do about it.

The story doesn’t end there, though. I'd reordered a SIM card, hoping everything on my lost phone was backed up, and resigned myself to finding a new handset – but thanks to a pinch of luck, some kind humans, and Google’s Find My Device app, the phone was back in my hands in two short days. Here’s how.

Initial attempts to reclaim my device

Some people’s first instinct after being robbed might be to contact the police – I was decidedly less optimistic, as I decided they’d have better things to do than chase a pedalling pilferer. (It's also pretty hard to phone the cops when your phone has just been stolen.)

Instead, I retreated to the nearest Wetherspoon – a UK chain of pubs, and a common abode for lost or weary souls – that was, co-incidentally where I was meant to be meeting some friends anyway.

I was lucky enough to be carrying another test phone, the Black Shark 2 Pro, and while this didn’t have a SIM card so was pretty useless out and about, the free Wi-Fi available at the Wetherspoon pub gave it a lease of life. I could download apps to message the people I was to meet, although WhatsApp was still out of action – annoyingly, it’s tethered to a phone number, and the handset with that contact information was presumably half a world away at this point.

Where are you, Mi Note 10?

I also downloaded a Google app I had used before – Find My Device. It lets you locate other devices signed into the same account as you, as well as set off an alarm on it, erase your information on the device, and leave a message for anyone who finds the device (useful if your handset is lost, not as much if it’s stolen, unless you want to leave pleading messages to the thief).

To my surprise, when I searched for the location of my missing Xiaomi phone, it was only 10 minutes walk from my position, roughly halfway between the point of the crime and my cosy pub. While the location circle was quite wide, I could clearly see it right by the Oxford Street Samsung Store, and it didn’t seem to be moving.

Could the cycling criminal have dumped the phone, realising the phone wasn’t available in the UK yet and was therefore potentially worthless? Or could he or she still be in the area, ready to snatch another smartphone from an unsuspecting victim’s hands? Since the location area was pretty wide, and the phone was potentially still with a criminal, I knew there wasn’t much chance I’d find it in the area. But I had to check.

Suffice to say, I couldn’t find the phone. I patrolled the street a few times, checked the outsides of shops to see if someone had picked it up and placed it on a nearby ledge. Nothing. Later I returned with a friend who called my phone, and I used Find My Device to set off the alarm, but we couldn’t hear or see it. The phone was lost.

A little backstory

This wasn’t the first time I had try to use Find My Device, and the previous time hadn’t been successful either. Some time prior I’d lost a handset in a foreign country, and despite the best efforts of Find My Device and a collection of colleagues calling it and helping me track it, the phone was never returned.

I therefore had the idea that perhaps Find My Device was more a consolation prize,  just to make you feel you were doing something to help, than an actual tool you could use to reclaim a phone. I was hesitant to download it to reclaim my Xiaomi Mi Note 10, but you always want to feel like you’re doing something to help.

I've got a fair few review units I could track...

This sentiment has been echoed by others I’ve spoken to, both tech journalists and not, as not many people consider using, or even know about, Google’s Find My Device. But what happened next is enough reason to reconsider that.

Bringing it home

The next morning, I’d given up hope of reclaiming the stolen phone – I’d ordered a new SIM card, downloaded all my lifestyle apps onto the Black Shark 2 Pro, and had sent messages round on social media announcing my temporary blackout while the new SIM came.

I logged onto Google Find My Device, ready to take the nuclear option and erase all my data on the Xiaomi phone. After all, I had personal data, contactless payment information and probably the best mushroom burger recipe ever saved on the handset – I couldn’t let this all fall into the wrong hands.

I was hesitant though, and instead of selecting ‘Erase Device’ I pressed ‘Secure Device’, which lets you lock the device, but also leave a message and phone number for whoever finds the phone. I knew this was a stretch, but if the phone was static because it had been dumped, perhaps someone else could find it? I left a short message and my mum’s phone number, more to make myself feel good, rather than out of any hope.

Goodnight, sweet prince

Then, a few hours later, I got a message from my mum. It was a confused message, and in hindsight, I probably should have let her know I left her phone number as my lock screen. The message was simply a screenshot, of a text conversation with an unsaved number, informing me that someone had found my phone and was getting in touch to return it.

As I later found out, my robber had seemingly chosen to wear trousers with small pockets that day, because as they sped off with their newfound loot, they put my phone in their pocket – and it had promptly fallen straight back out onto the pavement. My phone’s saviour picked it up and tried to return it, thinking it belonged to the cyclist, but hadn’t been able to catch up. Instead, they had returned it for safekeeping to their place of work – which is where Find My Device had been telling me it was all along.

When I decided to put my mum’s phone number as the contact number, the guardian angel saw it, sent a text off, and the rest is history. 

Unfortunately, the drop from the robber’s pocket must have been a hard one, because the screen of the phone was almost unusable, and I was very impressed the person who found it could even see the phone number on it. Still, I managed to retrieve my SIM card, and got to enjoy the bragging rights of someone who retrieved a robbed possession.

The biggest gain, though, was knowledge of how useful Google’s Find My Device app actually is: thanks to its various tools, I could locate my phone, as well as leave a message on it that eventually got it back in my hands.

So if you, like me, have dismissed this app out of hand, for whatever reason, bear in mind it’s still worth giving it a chance if your phone is lost or stolen – you might just be able to reclaim what you thought was lost for good.

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Sky's January sale offers discounts up to £300 on fibre broadband and TV deals

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:11 AM PST

When it comes to broadband and TV deals, for many the first name that will come to mind is Sky. But while it is a company that dominates the world of internet and TV packages, it often comes with a hefty price tag.

And yet, as part of its January sales, we've seen Sky slash its prices across a select few packages making the ISP temporarily far more affordable for anyone looking to get their hands on it.

The even better news is that Sky has cut its prices on both fibre broadband only deals and Sky TV and broadband deals. That means you can secure a bargain no matter what you're looking for.

Just want internet? Sky is currently offering a major discount on its Superfast Fibre plan with speeds averaging 59Mb for just £25 a month. That puts this on the cheaper end of fibre plans with these kind of average speeds

Want some TV as well? Throw Sky's Entertainment TV package in there and the price only goes up to £37 a month. That's a £17 a month discount (or, in other words, £306!) on a package that gets you Superfast Fibre, Sky Entertainment and Sky Talk Anytime.

We've laid out all of the details of Sky's price drops down below so you can choose the offer that works best for you. Or, if you would rather speak to someone about these deals, call 0800-014-2334 to speak to an adviser. 

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Best Buy laptop deals: save big on Dell, HP, and Acer

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:02 AM PST

Best Buy has unleashed its laptop deals this weekend, and there is plenty to be saved on cheap Chromebooks and fully-fledged laptop powerhouses alike. We've gathered our top picks for your own perusal right here, featuring everything from a 14-inch, 128GB SSD HP laptop for just $199 all the way through to the 12GB of RAM and 256GB SSD machine you can grab for just $549. 

There's something for everyone in Best Buy's laptop deals this weekend. If you're just looking for a cheap laptop to see you through schoolwork or light web browsing and emails, you'll find a range of deals offering prices under $300. Or, those looking to take on a bit more computing power can save up to $200 on larger powerhouses. 

Whatever you're looking for, you'll find SSD's aplenty and even the latest generation of Intel's processors among these laptop deals, so we'll let you dive straight into the goods.

In the UK? You can find all the latest laptop sales we've gathered from across the web right here. 

Best Buy laptop deals available now

If there's nothing in these deals that suits you just right, why not check out our roundup of the best laptop sales around. Or, if you're after something to get your game on, we've collected all the latest gaming laptop prices going cheap. If you're looking for luxury at a great price, check out the latest refurbished MacBook deals.  

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Best Buy TV deals: Super Bowl savings from Samsung, LG, TCL, and more

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:00 AM PST

If you're looking for the best Super Bowl TV deals, then look no further than Best Buy's game day TV sale. You can score Black Friday like prices on a range of TVs from top brands like Samsung, LG, Toshiba, and more. You can even save an additional 15% off on the TCL 5, 6, and 8 Series TVs at checkout when you apply the coupon code TCLDOLBY1.

Our favorite game-day TV deal is the LG 65-inch Smart 4K TV that's on sale for $479.99. That's a $120 discount and the best price we've found for the Ultra HD TV.

The 65-inch TV delivers a premium viewing experience thanks to the 4K Ultra HD picture quality that results in bright, bold colors and deep contrast. The smart TV features webOS, which allows you to seamlessly stream your favorite movies and TV shows from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more. The LG TV also works with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so you can use your voice to control your TV and other smart home devices.

Shop more of Best Buy's best game day TV deals below that include a range of different sizes and features. These discounts are limited-time offers, so you should act fast before they're gone.

Best Buy TV deals:

See more TV offers with our roundup of the best cheap TV deals and sales that are happening now.

Super Bowl 2020 live stream: how to watch the game online for free and without commercials.

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5G weekly efficiency updates are expected in the beginning, says Verizon

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:00 AM PST

By the end of 2019, Verizon 5G had launched service in 31 cities across the US. As the network expands in 2020, more customers will experience the promised 1Gbps speeds - but there are other benefits to 5G.

In a meeting room deep in the Sands Convention Center at CES 2020, Verizon consumer wireless group CEO Ronan Dunne explained to TechRadar how the network’s properties will allow the carrier to upgrade it far more often than its 4G network.

“In an LTE world, you were having two drops of software per annum,” Dunne said. “In the 5G network, we’re seeing software drops on a weekly basis. We’re seeing new functionality, new capabilities, new enhancements to the efficiency of the radius and the spectrum. So the curve of innovation post-deployment is actually much much faster than it was in the 4G world.”

  • Phones, computers, TVs, robots: here's all the great tech we saw at CES 2020
  • There are plenty of 5G phones on sale right now - but which are the best?
  • Verizon isn't the only 5G game in town - all we know about T-Mobile 5G's plans

In short: Verizon’s 5G network will improve at a faster rate than 4G, at least in terms of software. But that could make it more nimble, adapting to new technologies or strategies. 

Verizon will, of course, continue to build out its infrastructure. The carrier’s 5G network reached 31 cities by the end of 2019, though Dunne wouldn’t say how many the company is planning to expand to in 2020. 

It’s not just city-by-city expansion, either: while Verizon 5G was initially built on top of the carrier’s existing 4G network, the next step is to build out its own fully virtualized 5G network core. In essence: lower-priority data like authentication will be on the 4G network, while the upcoming 5G core will be dedicated to big-data exchanges.

Speedy software updates won’t just be limited to mobile 5G, either - because Verizon’s also improving its 5G Home in 2020, too.

5G out there - and in the home

While Verizon has been touting 5G Home - essentially using cell towers to beam 5G to customers’ homes as an alternative to wired home internet - the company hasn’t said much about it’s wider availability beyond currently offering it in select cities, including Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Houston, and now Chicago. 

In our chat, Dunne confirmed that the Qualcomm CPE chip at the heart of 5G Home has been delayed, but they expect to see it arrive by the middle of 2020. Once that happens, Verizon will have an extra push for 5G Home in the second half of the year.

We saw Verizon 5G Home at a demonstration for its launch in Chicago and, while the speeds we saw of 147.2 Mbps speeds were nominally better than typical home internet, we came away with questions about its capability in real-world deployments. Would trees or other signal occlusions between tower and customer homes limit those speeds? Or would the signal decline over distance from the signal emitter?

5G Home has a lot of potential for its simplified installation (no more laying cable) and its potential for more streamlined improvements (over-the-air upgrades instead of replacing old cable with better new lines). Until we see it perform in real-world conditions, we’ll be excited about its possibilities but wary of complications.

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AMD’s RX 5600 XT gets a speed boost to answer Nvidia’s big RTX 2060 price cut

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 05:39 AM PST

We’ve previously observed that the GPU wars seem to be heating up at the start of 2020, and AMD is reportedly boosting the clocks of the RX 5600 XT ahead of its imminent release, as a counter-attack against Nvidia’s recent price drop of the RTX 2060, which would seem to indicate that the battle lines are being well and truly drawn.

Following news that Nvidia had dropped the price of the RTX 2060 down to $299 (and £275 in the UK), around a 15% cut, we theorized that AMD might need to look at adjusting the price of the Radeon RX 5600 XT – which is about to come out on January 21 – because otherwise it looks a shaky value proposition compared to the 2060.

Remember that the 5600 XT was aimed to take out the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, but with that RTX 2060 price cut, the AMD card is hardly much cheaper than the 2060 (and maybe not cheaper at all if GPU makers offer discounts on the latter, as EVGA did when it launched a new model recently).

However, according to a report from Videocardz, AMD’s response isn’t to drop pricing, but rather to pep up the performance of the RX 5600 XT just before its launch.

How will this be achieved? AMD has allegedly released a new BIOS to GPU makers, allowing for the increase of the TBP (Total Board Power) from 150W to 160W, meaning that it’s possible to ramp up the clock speeds of the 5600 XT, gaining substantially better performance.

So Sapphire’s RX 5600 XT Pulse graphics card is now clocked at 1,615MHz (game clock) and 1,750MHz (boost clock) according to the manufacturer’s site, whereas previously the card was revealed with 1,560MHz and 1,620MHz clocks respectively, to give you an idea of the jump here.

What’s also really interesting is that the memory clock is now listed as 14Gbps, and again that has been increased from 12Gbps. All other core specs remain the same, incidentally.

Significant shift

Guru 3D further reports ‘significant changes’ to the 5600 XT’s firmware, which are designed to benefit OC (overclocked) models of the RX 5600 XT, like the aforementioned Sapphire product.

As both Nvidia and AMD readjust the cards in the middle of their line-ups, of course there are other ramifications, and as we’ve previously mentioned in the case of the RTX 2060 price reduction, it brings into question the pricing and relative value of the top-end GTX Turing products like the 1660 Ti.

AMD’s alleged boosting of the power of the RX 5600 XT raises a similar question in terms of whether this might put the incoming GPU too close to the performance of the RX 5700 for comfort.

Certainly there are some arguing that this could be the case, although there are counterarguments, naturally. The RX 5700 does offer 8GB of video RAM, and has a fatter 256-bit memory bus, compared to 6GB and 192-bit for the 5600 XT.

Naturally the exact pricing of the new 5600 XT boards will also be a vital consideration, in terms of exactly where manufacturers like Sapphire might pitch the asking price of their higher-end overclocked models.

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What we want to see from Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST

Another year, another Star Wars spin-off reportedly in the works. The rumor currently doing the rounds is regarding the Thor: Ragnorok and Hunt for the Wilderpeople director, Taika Waititi, who is apparently being courted to helm a new Star Wars movie spin-off in the near future (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Waititi has been involved with Star Wars in the past, having voiced the bounty hunter IG-11 droid for The Mandalorian on Disney Plus, and even directed the last episode of the series, so we could certainly see Disney having reason to court him for the role.

If the rumor has weight, we’re already feeling excited – if apprehensive.

There’s no doubt in our minds that a Taika Waititi Star Wars movie would be a brilliant night at the cinema, but Disney’s reputation for controlling the tone and creative flavor of its biggest franchises has caused problems in the past.

Multiple directors, including Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Colin Trevorrow, have departed Star Wars projects over ‘creative differences’ – which is usually industry speak for ‘Disney hiring you for your name recognition, but not letting you direct the movie your own way’.

However, given our complicated love for Star Wars (as true love always is) and our admiration for Taika Waititi’s directing ability over the years – from hilarious music videos and off-beat New Zealand comedies to massive franchise blockbusters – we’ve brought together everything we’re hoping would come from such a collaboration.

Taika Waititi as the droid IG-11 in The Mandalorian

1. A refresh for the series

Thor: Ragnarok was a real breath of fresh air for the series, given that its preceding films (Thor and Thor: The Dark World) are consistently ranked as some of the worst movies in the MCU. 

After the closure of a saga with some universally acknowledged low points (the prequels) and some highly divisive ones (The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker), it’s time for a reset that lays out a new tone for the series, without the baggage of plot points, characters, lineages, and otherwise dragging it down from previous creative visions.

While we’d love to see a movie dedicated to Broom Boy, it’s probably just as well we don’t linger in the world and timeline of the last few films.

2. Some (more) New Zealand actors

Temuera Morrison voiced Jango Fett and his clones, but is it too much to ask to get some more Kiwi accents in the Star Wars franchise? There’s precedent for this in Waititi’s repertoire, having voiced the rock-man Korg in Thor: Ragnorok, and we think it’s a great opportunity to let some other comedic New Zealand talent shine in a blockbuster project such as this. Julian Dennison, who starred in the excellent Hunt for the Wilderpeople, wouldn’t go amiss as… a stormtrooper in training? A hapless rebel? Palpatine’s clone? It’s your movie, Waititi.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

3. A self-contained story

As the past few years has shown, keeping the tone of a trilogy consistent isn’t Lucasfilm’s strong point. 2016’s Rogue One spin-off was a brilliant war movie, with a firm ending and the confidence to offer its own take on the Star Wars universe. All we ask is that Waititi gets to bring his own flavor to the film and not get wrapped in three movies worth of muddled plotting he won’t end up seeing through.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One! One movie! Was that so hard?

4. Musical comedy

Waititi’s early-career collaborations with New Zealand comedy music duo Flight of the Conchords are a perfect blend of absurd, satirical folk pop. A cantina band performance in the same style, or just an appearance of Bret McKenzie or Jemaine Clement (who played Vlad the Impaler in Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows) would make this one movie to remember. 

The duo's brilliant track Bowie's in Space should serve as all the audition they need for the galactic anthem we're looking for. It won’t happen – but we can dream, can’t we?

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Skip the upfront bills with these 100GB of data iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro deals

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 03:45 AM PST

No one likes getting hit with a big upfront bill when they sign up for their new mobile phone deal. That's why for many, phone contracts with no upfront costs will be the ideal option.

And if you've been searching high and low for some top mobile phone deals that shred those starting costs, a recent sale from Mobile Phones Direct will be perfect for you.

With big data offers on Apple's iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, the best of Apple is covered here. And depending on how determined you are to get the cheapest price, there is also a range of cashback plans on offer.

However, as is usually the case with cashback offers, you will be paying massive monthly bills to make up for the cashback. You can head straight to Mobile Phones Direct to see all of these cashback deals or head below to see the free upfront plans mentioned above.

So what's so good about the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro?

iPhone 11:

The iPhone 11 is the cheapest of Apple's latest trio and yet, really isn't much of a downgrade. You still get Apple's new incredibly fast CPU, a 6.1-inch screen, IP68 rating and even a 3046mAh battery, enough to keep you going all the way through the day on one charge.

Read our full iPhone 11 review

iPhone 11 Pro:

Yes, it's one of Apple's most expensive devices available but it is clear to see why. Pumping out top of the line specs, any major Apple fan will be pulled in.

Whether its the market's fastest CPU, the 3045mAh battery, the stunning Super Retina XDR OLED display (very high definition in normal language) or the triple camera set-up, the iPhone 11 Pro really is top of the line.

Read our full iPhone 11 Pro review

Read more:

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Could 2020 be the year laptops change for good?

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 03:00 AM PST

The humble laptop has been around for 40 years, but in that time not much has changed. The basic form factor of a clamshell device that opens up to show a display on the top half, and a keyboard on the bottom, can be seen as far back as 1981 with the Osborne 1, which many people consider to be the first laptop.

While the fact that the essential form factor of the laptop hasn’t changed in over four decades is a testament to just how good the initial design of the laptop is, don’t you think it’s time for a change?

Laptop makers obviously do, as it looks like 2020 will see an influx of new foldable laptops that are made of a single screen, or two screens joined together by a hinge.

Photo of Osborne 1

Not much has changed in laptop design (except size, weight and power)

Now, you’re probably correctly thinking that all laptops are foldable anyway – but this new generation of laptops will be doing something genuinely different, and something we’ve only seen so far in smartphones – as they’ll be made up of a single foldable screen.

We’ve already seen a few of those at CES 2020, which was held in Las Vegas at the beginning of January. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold was there, giving us perhaps our best look at what the future of laptops could be.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is made of a single 13.3-inch OLED display which can be used as a tablet, or folded into a traditional laptop, with half the screen acting as a keyboard.

Could this be the future of laptop design?

Meanwhile, the Dell Concept Duet is an early prototype that was also shown off at CES 2020, but which takes a slightly different tack, being made up of two seperate screens joined by a hinge – similar to Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Neo.

With big names like Lenovo, Dell and Microsoft working on foldable laptops, it’s clear that this new form factor could be making a big splash.

However, these companies need to be careful. While the original laptop design nailed it, if companies rush out a product with a new form factor that’s riddled with problems, it could kill the foldable laptop concept before it’s really even begun.

Laptop makers were surely watching Samsung’s travails with its Galaxy Fold smartphone, an innovative foldable device that many feel was launched too early, and suffered from well publicized problems that lead to Samsung postponing the launch, and combined with the huge price tag, is likely to have led to its disappointing sales.

No one will want to go through what Samsung did, and this caution is probably why even though Microsoft announced the Surface Neo in October 2019, we won’t see it until the end of 2020.

As Anisha Bhatia, senior device analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, points out, “Folding displays are still in the experimentation stage. Both manufacturers and carriers alike are figuring out specific use cases for foldable displays that best fit their overall strategy – whether they aim to market a media device or a productivity tool or a two-in-one product.”

The Samsung Galaxy Fold showed the potential – and problems – of foldable tech

Do we really need foldable laptops?

But do we really need foldable laptops made up of one or two screens? As I mentioned earlier, the reason why laptops have hardly changed over the years is because they work so well.

Anyone who has used a touchscreen keyboard, which these new devices will use, will know that they just can’t compare to physical keyboards – especially when typing for long periods of time.

There’s also the fact that the Galaxy Fold’s infamous issues will have put off potential customers. And like foldable smartphones, foldable laptops will likely cost a lot more than traditional laptops. Manufacturers will need to work hard to prove to consumers that these new laptops are worth the extra expense, rather than simply being pricey gimmicks.

Microsoft sees the potential in a new laptop form factor

But there’s obviously potential with these new form factors, and with the likes of Dell and Microsoft investing in foldable laptops, it’s clear that laptop makers think there’s enough people who are bored of traditional designs and want something new, something exciting, no matter what the cost.

“Most of the folding screens, whether in a phone, laptop, or smart speaker, are still niche concept devices, not to mention expensive,” continues Bhatia. “They represent an evolving trend, especially in a maturing and stagnating wireless industry which hasn’t seen true hardware innovation since Apple’s first iPhone in 2007.”

‘Stagnating’ might be a harsh way of putting it, but it’s pretty accurate. Customers may be getting bored of the same old devices that only add incremental updates, rather than revolutionary changes, and manufacturers are keen to come up with a bold new design that will change the game and get customers excited again.

Can foldable laptops do that? Maybe. But whatever happens, 2020 could be one of the most exciting years for laptops in a long time.

  •  These are the best laptops you can buy right now in 2020 

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AMD confirms ‘Nvidia killer’ graphics card will be out in 2020

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:36 AM PST

AMD’s chief executive has confirmed that a high-end Navi graphics card will be released this year.

In a video interview entitled ‘The Bring Up’ posted on YouTube by AMD (see below), Lisa Su noted that people were wondering about Big Navi – said high-end GPU, which has previously been referred to as the ‘Nvidia killer’ in terms of how it will take on the top-end RTX cards.

The CEO then said: “I can say you’re going to see Big Navi in 2020.”

This is the first concrete confirmation we’ve had that AMD will definitely be unleashing its big graphics firepower this year, although rumors have always pointed to this, and indeed comments that Su made in a recent roundtable Q&A session at CES 2020.

At CES, the CEO stressed how important a top-end GPU was to AMD, and said that “you should expect that we will have a high-end Navi, although I don’t usually comment on unannounced products”.

The hint was certainly that this GPU would arrive in 2020, but she didn’t actually say that. So at least now we have a confirmation, even if that really isn’t a surprise to anyone who’s been following AMD’s rumored progress in the graphics card arena lately.

Battle of the flagships

There has been no shortage of speculation around all this, including that the high-end graphics card could be 30% faster than Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Ti (if the unknown GPU which is the subject of that leak is indeed Big Navi, and that’s a fairly sizeable if).

Of course, AMD needs to move quickly enough with the release to make sure it isn’t competing against the RTX 3080 Ti (which might be up to 50% faster than its Turing predecessor, so the rumor mill reckons – although that might be just with ray tracing).

Nvidia’s next-gen Ampere GPUs are expected to launch in the latter half of 2020, in case you were wondering.

Another potential sign that we might see the high-end Navi graphics cards sooner rather than later is that an EEC filing has just been made for the Radeon RX 5950XT. And a GPU with the same name has been filed previously (back in June 2019), indicating that the 5950XT could be the flagship model for 2020. As ever, we need to take such speculation with a good degree of caution, though.

Via Wccftech

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New leak reveals almost everything about the Samsung Galaxy S20

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:30 AM PST

We've seen plenty of leaked information around the Samsung Galaxy S20 (previously the Galaxy S11) this week, and to top it all off we now have what looks like (almost) full spec sheets for the S20, the S20 Plus, and the S20 Ultra phones.

Courtesy of tipster Ishan Agarwal and MySmartPrice, the leaks don't leave many gaps, so look away now if you still want to be surprised when the phones launch on February 11 (assuming these specs are accurate, of course).

All three phones – or at least the 5G variants – use an AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 3,200 x 1,440 pixel resolution and  120Hz refresh rate, and come with Android 10 on board. IP68 waterproofing and 128GB of storage is common across all three models too.

The S20, S0 Plus and S20 Ultra all come with an Exynos 990 chipset running the show as per this leaked spec sheet, though we're expecting the Snapdragon 865 to be the processor that Samsung uses in some parts of the world. RAM isn't mentioned here, but is expected to be 12GB and up.

Each phone uses a different display size – a 6.2-inch screen on the S20, a 6.7-inch screen on the S20 Plus, and a 6.9-inch screen on the S20 Ultra. The battery sizes vary too: 4,000mAh, 4,500mAh and 5,000mAh respectively.

Camera-wise, we've got a 64MP+12MP+12MP rear camera on the S20 with 3x optical zoom, the same spec on the S20 Plus with an additional time-of-flight depth sensor, and a 108MP+48MP+12MP rear camera on the S20 Ultra, with a ToF sensor and 10x optical zoom.

That matches some previous leaks but contradicts rumors that had suggested the S20 phones would top out with a 5x optical zoom. As with any unofficial leak, we won't know for certain if they're right until the phones are actually launched, and it's possible the non-5G models will vary somewhat.

The big day is February 11, when Samsung is going to be showing off the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S20 Plus and the Galaxy S20 Ultra off to the world. TechRadar will be on the ground at the event of course, and we'll bring you all the news as it happens.

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Valve says Left 4 Dead 3 is 'absolutely not' in development

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:19 AM PST

Following a recent spate of rumors that another Left 4 Dead game is in the works, Valve has stepped forward and said that this is “absolutely not” the case. 

In a full statement to IGN the studio confirmed “we are absolutely not working on anything L4D related now, and haven’t for years.”

There have been reports of another entry in the Left 4 Dead series hobbling around from as far back as 2013 but rumors really started to pick up again in recent months, particularly on the Valve News Network YouTube channel, which is possibly part of why Valve has decided to speak up now. 

Leaving it for dead

Another big reason is likely to be HTC president Alvin Wang Graylin, who only added fuel to the fire this month when he shared slides from a presentation on VR to Twitter which mentioned Left 4 Dead 3 and Half-Life: Alyx driving “consumer and AAA studio interest” in VR in 2020.

This is not to say another Left 4 Dead game was never on the cards; in its statement Valve admitted that it did “briefly explore some Left 4 Dead next gen opportunities a few years ago.”

But Valve rounded up its statement by saying “It’s clear some people are having fun creating misinformation to spin up the community and other outlets. Unfortunately, for now a new L4D game is not something we’re working on.”

It’s not all doom and gloom, though—those looking for another Valve title still have Half-Life: Alyx to look forward to on VR headsets later this year.

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Sort your internet this weekend with one of these five excellent broadband deals

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 01:54 AM PST

In the expansive list of the most exciting things you could be doing this weekend - climbing a mountain, sky-diving, catching a much hyped UFC 246 live stream - we imagine sorting your next broadband deal ranks far far down the list.

But if it is something you need to get done, we have two good pieces of news for you. Firstly, the market is chock full of bargain internet plans, to the point where there's almost too much choice. Second, we've done all of the searching for you.

That means you can skip the price comparisons, the reviews and 50 internet tabs likely littering your laptop right now as we've listed the absolute top five broadband deals below.

All five are on the big names you know, offering market-leading prices, cashback or a reward for your investments. All you have to do is choose the one that works best for your needs.

The 5 best broadband deals available right now:

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Sony PS5 controller release date, news and confirmed features

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 12:53 AM PST

Looking for the latest news on the PS5 controller? Then look no further. Sony has officially announced the next-generation PlayStation 5 will land at the end of 2020 - along with a brand new PS5 controller to complement it.

Although we don't know what its official name will be (or what it will look like), we do know that the PS5 controller will have a big focus on player immersion and feedback. This means shaking up the typical PlayStation controller formula with new features, and even doing away with the DualShock 4's classic rumble technology.  

Despite adding some great new features, it looks like - when it comes to design - the PS5 controller may stay true to the DualShock 4, with some minor aesthetic adjustments. 

While we're hoping to hear more about the PS5 and its controller in the coming months, we know for sure that we won't get any more details at E3 2020 as Sony has confirmed it won't be attending again this year.

We've gathered everything we know so far about the PS5 controller right here for your perusal, including confirmed features, the latest news and the juiciest rumors.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Sony's next-generation PlayStation 5 controller
  • When is it available? Late 2020 (to coincide with the release of the PS5)
  • How much will it cost? TBC

PS5 controller release date

The Sony PS5 controller will release alongside the PlayStation 5 at the end of 2020 – sometime between October and December. 

We're expecting that the PS5 controller, like the DualShock 4 before it, will work not only on the PlayStation 5 but also with PC.

PS5 controller price

A price for the PS5 controller has not been confirmed yet, but with the PS4 controller retailing for around £40/$50, we expect the new controller to be just a bit more expensive – maybe around £60/$70. 

This is pure speculation at this point, based solely on the confirmed features and Sony's previous price strategy for controllers.

PS5 controller confirmed features

PS5 controller

The PS5 controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. 

While rumble technology seen the PS4 controller vibrating intensely during particular in-game events, it wasn't particularly fine-tuned to the player's experience. Haptic feedback simulates touch, meaning the controller will output vibrations or movements to replicate a real-life touch experience. This aims to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player's immersion. 

The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately.

In an interview with Business Insider Japan (translated by Gematsu), SIE CEO Jim Ryan said:

“3D audio and the haptic feedback support of the controller are also things that, when you try them, you will be surprised at how big a change they are. Even just playing the racing game Gran Turismo Sport with a PlayStation 5 controller is a completely different experience. While it runs well with the previous controller, there is no going back after you experience the detailed road surface via haptic control and play using the adaptive triggers."

PS5 controller news and rumors

PS5 controller

Backwards compatibility leak?

There have been a few rumors of backwards compatibility with regards to the DualShock 5 and although we don't have any confirmation as yet there may have been a leak.

First spotted by GamesRadar, a new model comparison page listed by PlayStation France for the Sony PS4 and PS4 Pro appeared to list both consoles as being compatible with the DualShock 4 and DualShock 5 controllers, or “DS4 / DS5”. A screenshot of the listing was captured and uploaded to Resetera.

It's possible that this was just a typo as the same information didn't appear on the UK version of the page. However, PlayStation has been quite vocal about embracing backwards compatibility for this generation and extending that from its software to its official peripherals would make sense. We won't know for sure, though, until an official confirmation or denial is released. 

Is this the PS5 controller? We don't think so
We've seen a few leaked images of the PS5 dev kit so far, but the latest comes from a cleaner who posted images of the PS5 and a controller sitting at someone's desk (via GamesRadar).  

Despite the cleaner asking people not to share the images, they obviously made their way to Reddit where posters began speculating, not only about the kit itself, but about the controller attached and whether it could be the PS5 controller. We don't think it is the controller, though, and here's why.

The leaked images are very similar to those that we've seen before. The dev kit looks the same, a bulky V-shape with a disc drive in the front and a small screen. What we already know about the PS5 dev kits is that the final model is very unlikely to look like that. As the leaker pointed out in these photos, this is prototype 1. So the final model will look different to that, just in case you worried that thing would end up underneath your TV. 

What's potentially more interesting is that these images give us a much closer look at the controller attached - which some are speculating to be the PS5 controller. But there are plenty of signs that this isn't the case.

For one, the controller looks exactly like the current Sony DualShock 4 controller (minus the branding). Now, based on leaked patents, we think the PS5 controller will look very similar to the DualShock 4. However, if these leaked patents are to be believed, there's a lot of key details missing from the controller hooked up to this dev kit.

The PS5 controller is expected to have a chunkier design, larger touchpad, back buttons, a built-in microphone and smaller sticks. This controller doesn't have that. The PS5 controller is also meant to lack the lightbar, but we can't exactly see if that's the case here. 

While the gamepad in these images doesn't seem to be the PS5 controller, then, there is some good news. If the PS5 dev kit is being tested with a DualShock 4 controller then it suggests that the next-gen console could support backwards compatibility for PS4 accessories.

That would make sense, seeing as Sony has already said PSVR will work with the PS5 and rivals Microsoft have announced this feature for Xbox Series X. It would also be welcome news as it means we won't have to upgrade all the PS4 controllers we have at home right now - hopefully, anyway. 

Back buttons?
A patent spotted by LetsGoDigital shows a DualShock controller with four new buttons around the back of the device – possibly to act as back buttons to match the capabilities of Xbox One gamepads.

The design shows two larger buttons that can be moved up and down, and two smaller buttons that can be pressed (and that can detect the pressure of a press). There seems to be some scope for adjusting the positioning of the buttons to suit the size of your hands.

As for how these buttons are going to be used, the patent doesn't go into too much detail: except to say that they'll be used to control video game characters, so no surprises there.

PS5 DualShock controller patent

This is a patent focused on utility rather than design, so the finished product might not look like the drawing above. Also, as with every patent, the fact that it's filed doesn't necessarily mean Sony will go through with it.

What makes us think that these could be back buttons is that the sketches look similar to Sony's newly unveiled Back Button Attachment for existing DualShock 4 controllers. Perhaps the DualShock 5 won't need any attachment.

Leaked images
We may have got our first look at the upcoming PS5 controller, thanks to yet another leaked Sony patent.

Published by the Japanese patent office (via VGC), the Sony Interactive Entertainment patent lays out designs for a new controller that looks very similar to the DualShock 4.

Compared the the DualShock 4, the new controller design has some key differences. For a start, the potential PS5 controller seems to have a slightly chunkier design, built-in microphone, larger triggers, no light bar and smaller sticks. It also seems the DualShock 4's micro USB port has been replaced by a smaller USB-C port, which is placed on the top rather than the bottom of the controller.

The lack of light bar does make us question how the PS5 would track the controller via when it comes to PSVR and PS Camera games. Usually this is done via the PS Camera, so we're hoping the console will have a different means of tracking the controller otherwise compatibility will suffer. Unless, of course, Sony is gearing up to move solely onto PSVR 2. However, this doesn't seem likely as Sony has promised the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PSVR.

It also looks like the stereo headset jack and extension port at the bottom of the headset has been replaced by two larger circular ports. We think these will still be for plugging in headsets, but the two jacks could be headphone and microphone slots respectively, to increase compatibility with headsets. There's also a rectangular design that seems to wrap around the headset, which is potentially for compatibility with a charging dock. Again, this is all speculation on our part. 

Check it out below: 

PS5 controller

The design we've seen lines up with nearly everything we know about the PS5 controller so far. We already know the controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology.

Another patent suggests back buttons of some sort are coming to the controller for the PS5 as well. These may well match the official Back Button Attachment that Sony sells for current DualShock 4 devices. 

Cloud gaming controller?
According to a patent published by the World Intellectual Property Organization in September, and filed for back in May, Sony is developing a "controller device for user interactivity with a server of a cloud gaming system" (via Techtastic). 

In other words, a cloud gaming controller that works like a normal gamepad but has the benefit of connecting directly to WiFi - improving input efficiency and potentially unlocking next-level functions.

"The controller device communicates directly to an access device for connection to a network that connects the controller device to the server without connecting to a client device", the patent states. "Wherein the server receives and processes the inputs to render gameplay video that is transmitted over the network for rendering to a display device that is local to the controller device."

While it's possible this technology may be being developed for the PS5, and could be key in the PS5 controller, it's more likely we'll see it used for Sony's game streaming subscription service PlayStation Now.

Last year, Sony slashed the subscription price for PS Now to take on Xbox Games Pass, but it could be this is actually part of a longer term plan to improve and invest in PS Now so it's in the position next-generation to take on upcoming game streaming services such as Google Stadia. 

Sony confirm PS5 controller
The PS5 will come with its own controller, according to Sony.The PS5 controller (we don't know the official name yet) will include haptic feedback (to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology) and adaptive triggers.

PS5 release date
Sony has officially confirmed the PS5 will release "Holiday 2020", aka between October and December 2020. 

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