Thursday, January 2, 2020

Apple : Australia vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch 3rd Test cricket 2020 from anywhere

Apple : Australia vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch 3rd Test cricket 2020 from anywhere

Australia vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch 3rd Test cricket 2020 from anywhere

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 01:09 PM PST

The series result may already be decided, but any cricket match between Australia and New Zealand is always worthy of note. The Aussies are fresh off two crushing victories that put them 2-0 up in the series and, with our Australia vs New Zealand live stream guide, you won't have to miss a sing ball or run of the 3rd Test.

The hosts thrashed the Black Caps by a massive 296 runs in the first match at Perth, largely thanks to Mitchel Starc's nine wickets and yet another century for Marnus Labuschagne. While Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyons were the star men with the ball at the MCG, after Travis Head had knocked a timely century on the first day.

The last time the two sides met in a Test series was back in February 2016 in New Zealand, when a 2-0 win saw the Aussies reclaim their world No.1 ranking. And with 120 World Test Championship points up for the series, it means there's 40 points up for grabs in each Test (with a draw worth 13) and both sides will be looking to gain ground on leaders India.

Follow the instructions below to watch all of the action where we'll tell you how to grab an Australia vs New Zealand live stream from pretty much anywhere on Earth.

Watch a cricket live stream when away from your country

If you're a cricket fan in Australia, New Zealand or the UK and you're looking to find out how to watch the action, we've got all the details about the broadcasters with the rights to show the Test series in your region below. 

If you're away from home country and looking to see the action you'll likely to find you won't be able to thanks to geo-blocking. Thankfully there's a way to alleviate that frustration. By using a VPN you'll be able to watch the game without having to resort to watching via an illegal feed from a dodgy website you've discovered on Reddit.

How to watch the Aussies in Australia for FREE

How to watch the Black Caps in New Zealand

How to stream Australia vs New Zealand live in the UK

How to watch Australia vs New Zealand play cricket in India

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iPhone 11 and 11 Pro deals US: get the best prices for January 2020

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 01:05 PM PST

The September 10 Apple Event unveiled the highly anticipated iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro smartphones. The latest iPhone is officially available to order today from all major carriers and retailers like Walmart and Best Buy. To help you wade through all the different plans, we've listed the best iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro prices and deals that are available in the US today.

The Apple iPhone 11 features a 6.1-inch LCD display, while the iPhone 11 Pro comes with a Super Retina XDR OLED display in either a 5.8-inch or 6.5-inch size. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro both have updated camera hardware with a Wide and new Ultra-Wide camera on the back of the iPhone 11 and Wide, Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro. The multi-camera system allows you to capture ultra-wide photos and videos, and even "zoom-out" after a photo is taken to see more of the captured image. The front-facing camera on all new models is now an upgraded 12MP TrueDepth camera that can capture wider angle and even slow-motion selfies.

The battery received an upgrade with Apple stating that the iPhone 11 provides a one hour longer battery life compared to the XR, the Pro offering four more hours of battery life when compared to the XS, and the Pro Max offering 5 hours more battery life compared to last year's XS Max. All the new phones feature the A13 Bionic chipset which Apple claims is the fastest processor ever in a smartphone.

The iPhone 11 comes in six new color choices which include black, white, yellow, purple, green, Product Red and the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max is available space gray, silver, and gold, as well as a new midnight green option.

The iPhone 11 has a starting price of $699 for the 64GB storage model which is actually $50 cheaper than the iPhone XR was on launch last year. The 64GB iPhone 11 Pro is priced at $999, and the 64GB iPhone 11 Pro Max is priced at $1,099, which is the same price as the XS and XS Max when they launched last year in the US.

iPhone 11 deals from US carriers:

iPhone 11 Pro deals from US carriers:

iPhone 11 Pro Max deals from US carriers:

The iPhone 11 Pro Max, the bigger version of the 11 Pro, is priced at $1,099 from carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon. Sprint is offering the Pro Max for $16.67 a month with an eligible trade-in and on a Sprint Flex 18-month lease, and Verizon is offering up to $450 off with select trade-in and Unlimited. While AT&T isn't offering a promotion on the Pro Max, but you can get the iPhone 11 for free when you trade in a qualifying phone.


Learn more about the newest iPhone with our hands on iPhone 11 review, iPhone 11 Pro review, and iPhone 11 Pro Max review.

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Google's AI system beats doctors in cancer test

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 12:36 PM PST

Google has revealed that it has developed an AI system with the ability to detect the presence of breast cancer more accurately than doctors.

The study, which was conducted in collaboration with colleagues at DeepMind, Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, Northwestern University and Royal Surrey County Hospital, was recently published in the scientific journal Nature.

By using tens of thousands of mammograms from women in the UK and the US, the program was trained to detect cancer and so far early research has shown that it can produce more accurate detection than human radiologists.

According to the study, Google's AI technology led to fewer false positives, where test results say someone has cancer when they don't, as well as false negatives, where existing cancer goes undetected. The program was able to reduce false positives by 5.7 percent for US subjects and 1.2 percent for UK subjects while also reducing false negatives by 9.4 percent for US subjects and 2.7 percent for UK subjects.

AI and healthcare

Despite having less information such as patient histories and prior mammograms to work with, Google's AI system was more accurate than human experts.

Director of the Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre and one of the authors of the study, Professor Ara Darzi was quite impressed with the system's results and explained to CNN Business how it could improve doctor's productivity, saying:

"This is one of those transformational discoveries you have in your hand, which could disrupt the way we deliver screening in terms of improving accuracy and productivity."

In the UK, two radiologists are needed to interpret each mammogram but the new AI system could eventually be used to replace the second reader according to Darzi, though the system is not yet at the point where it could replace humans entirely.

Via CNN

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The best VR headset 2020: which headset offers the best virtual reality experience?

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 11:44 AM PST

Welcome to our pick of the best VR headsets - a guide dedicated to helping you find the right headset for your budget, your room and, most importantly, your needs and desires when it comes to premium VR experiences. 

Why should you shell out on a VR headset at all? Well, as a form of entertainment, there's nothing quite like virtual reality (VR). The immersiveness of VR is unparalleled and, with the right setup and the best VR headset, it can really feel like you're walking into a different dimension. You can use  these portals into the virtual world to watch movies on a massive TV from the comfort of your swanky, upscale digital living room, venture into the furthest reaches of space with educational apps and games or hang out with friends in apps like Altspace VR. 

At the moment, there are four main players in terms of mainstream VR headsets - Oculus, PlayStation and HTC - plus Valve, which just released its first first-party headset called the Valve Index last year. 

Can't decide which one is right for you? Don't worry. We've tried them all, and can now offer definitive advice on each and every model - so, without further ado, read on for our pick of the best VR headsets for a range of devices and budgets.

There’s little doubt that the Valve Index is the next-generation VR headset people have been clamoring for: it has an ultra-crisp display that runs fairly well even with older GPUs, a wider field of view, a higher refresh rate and Valve’s 'knuckle' controllers, which can track the movement of every finger. 

Around the house, there’s no doubt the Valve Index will be our default VR headset going forward. It’s a significant upgrade to the HTC Vive, and runs much smoother than the Vive Pro, a powerful VR headset that really struggled to deliver on the promise of high-end, room-scale VR. 

And yet, while the Valve Index is the best VR headsets yet released, it’s brought some of VR’s most annoying aspects along for the ride: Setting it up can be painful, updates can cause connection issues, and you may find a new error the next time you go to use it. But, if you can look past those issues, this is a really good VR headset. Its higher-resolution screen and better refresh rate allowed us to use it for longer periods of time without discomfort, and the Index Controllers are a real step up from the ones that ship with the Vive.

It's expensive, yes, but for the gamers who want next-level VR, the Valve Index is the only way to go.

Read the full review: Valve Index

If you're sitting at home and have the equipment to run it, there's no better option than the Valve Index. But if you're the kind of person who doesn't want to be bound by cables or sunk by the debt of building a gaming PC and a $999 VR headset, the Oculus Quest is a stellar alternative.

Simply put, Oculus Quest signals a new age for virtual reality, one that doesn't need a smartphone or PC to run excellent experiences. It has an OLED display panel with 1440 x 1600 per eye resolution, and is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor.

Unlike other headsets that require additional equipment, external sensors or a lengthy set-up process, once the Quest is charged up you can be up-and-running within a few minutes thanks to an easy set-up within the Oculus mobile app. Even better, if you have Oculus games in your library already, some can even be played on the Oculus Quest - though, that's not always the case.

Oculus Quest isn't perfect, however – in addition to some minor light leakage through the bottom (right where your nose is), Oculus says you can expect the Quest to last 2 to 3 hours after a full charge, depending on whether you're watching media or playing games. That means you'll probably have to charge the Quest in between sessions - which can be a hassle if you forget. That said, for those looking for a standalone, it's the best option on our list.

Read the full review: Oculus Quest

PlayStation VR

There's no getting around the fact that in order to run either the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro or the Oculus Rift you need a pretty high-end gaming PC, which is not an insignificant investment for most people.

That's not the case with Sony's PlayStation VR, which requires little more than a PS4 console to run.

Considering the sizable difference in power between the PS4 and PC, the PlayStation VR is a surprisingly competent VR headset. Its refresh rate is responsive, and we've had no issues with the reliability of its head-tracking.

Thanks to Sony's backing, the collection of PlayStation VR games is also impressive. There were dozens available at launch, and many more have followed over its first year on sale.

Sony has addressed one of our biggest objections with the PlayStation VR – that its accessories are sold separately – by offering a variety of packs and bundles with devices like the PlayStation Camera included. However, PlayStation Move controllers, while included in some bundles, aren't in every one.

While you have to be aware of the additional cost involved, depending on what bundle you opt for, recent price cuts have made the PlayStation VR even more affordable. It may not be the best VR headset, but the PSVR is certainly making a strong case to users.

Read the full review: PlayStation VR

Virtual reality has come on leaps and bounds since Oculus founder (and controversial VR poster boy) Palmer Luckey first introduced the world to the Oculus Rift back in 2012. Now owned by Facebook, the Oculus Rift S should represent the next leap forward for the company’s high-end, PC-based virtual reality experiences - but, unfortunately, it's more of a baby-step.

Like the Oculus Rift, the Rift S works in tandem with a PC to deliver virtual reality experiences. It connects to your PC over a USB 3.0 port and a DisplayPort connection, and is tethered to the machine by a lengthy cable that’s more than enough to accommodate the ‘room-scale’ experiences that Rift S is capable of delivering. It’s more limiting in terms of free movement than the superb wireless Oculus Quest, but the trade off here is that, by being powered by your PC, it’s capable of powering more detailed and dynamic experiences.

The good news for early adopters is that, to reduce frustration, Oculus is making the Rift S completely backwards compatible with the original Rift titles, and making the Rift forward compatible with the vast majority of games released for the Rift S and Oculus Quest with some minor exceptions.

 In many key respects, it betters the original Oculus Rift. It’s easier to set up, potentially more comfortable to wear, has a much more robust games library than it did at launch, and an improved resolution. But, unfortunately, Oculus has had to sacrifice greater audio and refresh rate to do that. 

Read the full review: Oculus Rift S

Samsung Gear VR

Samsung Gear VR has always been a respectable smartphone-powered VR headset, but now that it has a motion controller, it might be the best VR headset option for mobile users.

In addition to the new controller, the updated Gear VR is lighter and more streamlined than before, and features a USB-C connector that connects directly to a Samsung Galaxy phone.

Compatible phones, as expected, include the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, as well as the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus (if you have the latest Gear VR headset).

The included motion controller has hints of the HTC Vive controller design, with a touchpad and trigger button, which aren't bad things. It's with the controller that the Gear VR really comes into its own, allowing you to interact with the VR worlds in front of you in a way previously impossible without it.

Of course, being powered by a smartphone, the headset's performance is entirely tied to the phone you've slotted in, though in our experience this isn't a problem considering the power within Samsung's higher-end handsets. However, if you're using an older Galaxy phone, your experience could be noticeably affected.

Since Oculus launched the Oculus Go standalone headset, the question of where smartphone-powered devices like Gear VR fit in only becomes more relevant. But since the Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR share an app and game library, you can expect support for the Gear VR to continue for quite some time.

Read the full review: Samsung Gear VR

Which VR headset should you buy?

Honestly price and platform will make most of the decision for you - there aren't any headsets for console gamers besides PlayStation VR and, if you need a standalone headset, you're basically stuck with the Oculus Quest.

At the moment, the four best on the market – the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR – are unsurprisingly the most expensive of all the mainstream VR headset offerings, but there are some less expensive options if you'd rather dip your toes into VR before spending your entire pay check.

Each headset has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and if you're not aware of these before you buy, it could be a very costly mistake to make. But that's exactly why we put this guide together.

The problem with VR at this stage of the game isn't that there's too few VR headsets on the market or that there's not enough content, but that there are way too many to pick from, especially now that there are more and more headsets hitting the streets like the Oculus Quest, Valve Index and HTC's Vive Cosmos. 

With many offering different experiences, different hardware, different requirements and a lot of fantastic deals, it confuses matters even more.

The good news for those serious about getting the best VR headset experience is that the industry has made real strides in terms of making standalone headsets almost as powerful as their premium PC counterparts and, thanks to increased competition between the three big headset makers, have made most of their headsets much more affordable than they were three years ago. Translation? Choosing the best VR headset that’s right for you is now easier than ever.

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Sounding out the audio system in Volkswagen’s latest Golf

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 11:00 AM PST

The Volkswagen Golf has been a huge hit over the years, with 35 million and counting sold so far. It’s still mighty popular with new car buyers who prefer their motoring experience to have a no-nonsense Germanic edge.

While the new eighth-generation model doesn't look that much different to earlier incarnations externally, the interior that has gained a lot more appeal if you love your in-car audio. Volkswagen has teamed up with Harman/Kardon and has developed a brand new audio system specifically for the Golf Mk 8.

What you get here is a small battalion of 10 high-performance speakers, including a 160mm subwoofer that has been packed into a 10-5 litre sealed enclosure for added bass boost. Meanwhile, the music gets pumped out via a 480-watt amplifier.

Distribution of the sound works a treat thanks to one 80mm centre speaker in the dashboard, four 25mm tweeters in the A-pillars and rear doors along with twin dual voice-coil woofers in the front doors. A further two 168mm single voice-coil woofers are also positioned in the rear doors, and music delivery gets additional help from the Fraunhofer Sonamic Panorama.

Consistent listening

With more of us listening to music in our cars that might come from a variety of sources, such as smartphones, MP3 players or USB sticks the level of inconsistency can be annoying at best and, at worst, distracting as you try and adjust the audio quality coming from your speakers on the move.

The Fraunhofer Sonamic Panorama helps to balance out any aural inconsistencies and boost the overall dynamic range of your tunes. Add it all together and the Golf Mk 8 should deliver one of the best in-car vibes available. And, with four core sound settings: Pure, Chill Out, Live or Energy there’s something to suit all tastes.

The new audio system in the Mk 8 Golf was just one of a raft of new products unveiled at a recent Harman Behind the Sound event in Munich. And, while manufacturers are attempting to lower unwanted noise inside our cars, audio systems excepted of course which are going the other way in terms of volume, there are other areas of auto manufacturing that need to become noisier. Harman’s HALOsonic is one such solution, developed to produce sound for electric vehicles.

Audio engineers at Harman were tasked with developing a system to help improve pedestrian safety around electric and hybrid vehicles. The result is HALOsonic, which uses external Electronic Sound Synthesis (eESS) to produce sounds from speakers at the front and rear of vehicles.

Cleverly, the eESS is able to actively control the volume and characteristics of the audio signal in order to give unsuspecting pedestrians a much better idea of the vehicle speed and proximity.

The eESS works by dynamically gathering data from the electric motor in the vehicle along with controls in the car, such as the pedal position, RPM and speed. Inside the eESS controller there are two modules: a Harmonic Generator Module and a Residual Noise and Sound Models Module. The former generates engine harmonics to produce a ‘basic’ engine sound. Meanwhile, the latter module boosts that with a natural characteristic to make it that little more real. The sound is then transmitted to the front and rear speakers on the car.

While it’s slightly ironic that silent, or nearly silent vehicles are being gifted ‘noise’ the idea makes a lot of sense, particularly in light of recent EU legislation that requires EVs to have an audible alert. There’s a neat addition to the system as well, in that eESS is capable of creating custom-designed engine sounds. That means manufacturers can tweak and fine-tune the sound of their EV or hybrid vehicle so that it’s carefully suited to both the model and brand.

However, you can’t help but wonder how soon these systems will be modded by enthusiasts to make their humble little electric city hopper sound more like a supercar. And, perhaps, vice versa.

Tailored sound

We also rather liked the slightly cheesily-named Personi-Fi, which has been developed to cater for a wide variety of musical tastes. Personi-Fi has been created so that everyone can create their own tailor-made audio setup. Using a dedicated Personi-Fi app, car owners can capture their preferred audio arrangement, complete with finely honed favourite flourishes and keep them for whenever they’re needed. That’s good news for anyone who shares a car with someone who has different a different taste in music. However, there are also real benefits for people with specific hearing needs.

Finally, and something that is a supplement to Personi-Fi, is Harman’s Virtual Venues. This is another new innovation from the audio specialist that lets you recreate the listening experience you’d get from a favourite or notable music venue. Within the app, for example, there are options to select revered locations such as Sydney Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera in New York or the Royal Opera House in London. It’s not just opera venues mind as Virtual Venues also captures the essence of smaller venues, such as jazz clubs as well as outdoor arenas.

Harman says that painstaking research and the development of new algorithms has allowed it to capture the magic of these venues around the globe. And, as a result, that magic can now be enjoyed either in your car, through smart home speakers, soundbars and even your own headphones too. Nice.

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Clearance TV deals at Walmart: 4K TVs starting at just $190

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 10:56 AM PST

Walmart's clearance sale is happening right now, which means you can find record-low prices on last year's hottest items. It's a fantastic opportunity to score incredible discounts, which include clearance TV deals from top brands like Samsung, LG, Vizio, and more.

Walmart's top TV bargain is the Vizio 50-inch 4K TV that's on sale for just $288. That's a $70 discount and the best price we've found for the Ultra HD TV.

The Vizio TV allows you to watch all your favorite content directly from your smart TV with the ability to stream from Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more. The V-Series TV has Chromecast built-in, which allows you to stream thousands of apps from your phone or tablet directly to your TV.  Last but not least, the smart TV is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant, so you can use your voice to control your TV and other compatible smart home devices.

Shop more of Walmart's best clearance TV deals below and keep in mind, stocks are limited, so you should take advantage of these amazing discounts while you can.

The best clearance TV deals from Walmart:

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

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ProtonMail adds encrypted calendar to its mail service

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 10:27 AM PST

In an effort to provide consumers with more privacy-focused alternatives to Google's products, ProtonMail has added a new encrypted calendar to its email service.

The company's new ProtonCalendar is currently in beta and all paid ProtonMail users will now be able to access and use the new service that will be open to all users once it exits beta in 2020.

ProtonMail also launched its own VPN service back in 2017 called ProtonVPN as part of the company's ongoing mission to help users better protect their privacy online. In addition to ProtonCalendar, the company is also planning to launch its own cloud storage service and office software to provide consumers with a privacy-focused alternative to Google Drive and Google Docs.

CEO of ProtonMail, Andy Yen explained how the company is the polar opposite of Google in a statement, saying: 

“Our goal is to create and make widely accessible online products [that] serve users instead of exploiting them. Like ProtonMail, ProtonCalendar is engineered to put user privacy first, and in that respect we are the polar opposite of Google. With the launch of ProtonCalendar beta, we move one step closer to providing a full suite of services [that] can replace Google for users who want more control over their data.”

ProtonCalendar

ProtonCalendar is tied to a user's ProtonMail email account and the new service has a clean interface that allows users to view their calendar by month and day with color-coded event types.

The company's new offering will be familiar to users who have used Google or Microsoft's calendars before. However, ProtonMail had decided to put privacy at the heart of ProtonCalendar by encrypting event titles, descriptions, locations and participants so that neither the company nor third parties can view the contents of user's calendar entries.

Businesses or consumers that are interested in encrypted email will likely also be interested in other privacy-focused products which is why ProtonMail's decision to expand into calendars, VPNs, cloud storage and documents makes a great deal of sense.

If you're a paid ProtonMail user, you can try out ProtonCalendar for yourself now while free users will have to wait a bit longer to test out the company's new encrypted calendar service.

Via VentureBeat

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Pokémon Go updates: all the news and rumors for what's coming next

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 10:12 AM PST

Pokémon Go: the world's first augmented reality app to become a household name. Niantic's mobile AR game is still going strong two years after it first released, with a constant drip of events and updates keeping budding trainers glued to their phones and pounding the streets.

And while it hasn't managed to top the peak of its popularity in 2016, it's still going strong and finding plenty of new ways to improve its player experience.

So what's the latest news for Pokémon Go? As you'd expect, brand new features are being added all the time and community events are still going strong. Plus we have some more themed events and brand new Gen 5 Pokémon to catch!

But without further ado, here's our guide to all the latest Pokémon Go news and updates.

Pokémon Go news and Pokémon Go updates

  • What's new? Niantic has revealed its plans for January 2020

January 2020

Now that Pokémon Go's Holiday events have come and gone, Niantic is turning its attention to its 2020 plans. In a brand new blog post, the developer has gone into some more detail on what's coming up. 

Players can expect some more new Special Research around Team Rocket in January with more opportunities to defeat Giovanni and the chance to save the Legendary Shadow Moltres. 

There will also be some special Lapras encounters through the month. From now until February 1, Lapras that know the moves Ice Shard and Ice Beam will be available as Research Breakthrough encounters for the first time since 2018. 

From January 7 until February 4, Heatran will be available in five star Raids and there will be the possibility of encountering a Shiny Heatran. 

The blog post also suggests that brand new Unova Pokémon will appear in the world soon with more details to come.

What's the next Pokémon Go Event?

Adventure Sync Hatchathon

From January 2 until January 16, Pokémon Go players will be able to take part in another Adventure Sync Hatchathon. During this event, players will be able to get more Stardust, Rare Candies and a Unova Stone for walking a certain distance. Make sure you have plenty of eggs in incubators too because hatched Pokémon will be wearing party hats. 

When's the next Pokémon Go Community Day?

  • What date is the next Community Day? January 19
  • Who's the starring Pokémon? It's a mystery at the moment

The first Community Day of 2020 has been confirmed to be taking place on January 19. The time period is different depending on your hemisphere, so those in the northern hemisphere will take part between 11am and 2pm local time, while those in the southern hemisphere can jump in from 3pm to 6pm local time. 

At the moment, the Pokémon that will feature in the event has not been detailed but players can expect double catch Stardust, double catch XP and half hatch distance for eggs. 

Pokémon Go update: what's next?

GO Battle League

Niantic has announced that a new feature called GO Battle League will be coming to the game in early 2020. It will build on the current trainer battles system and will encourage players to get out and explore. According to Niantic, players will walk to earn entry into the Battle League. Once they're in they'll be able to battle players from around the world through an online matching system. Win and lose, they'll rise and fall in the ranks of the worldwide league. We'll keep updating with more information on Battle League as it's announced. 

Pokémon Go Plus deals

Want to buy yourself a Pokémon Go Plus wearable? Check some of today's best deals down below.

(Image credits: Niantic/Pokémon Company)

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons release date, news and features

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:55 AM PST

Nintendo has finally given Animal Crossing fans what they want. During a Nintendo Direct in September 2018, the company announced (via a short teaser trailer) that Animal Crossing is coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019.

Unfortunately, however, that news was overturned when Nintendo's Yoshiaki Koizumi announced that the game would be delayed until March 20, 2020 during the company's E3 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation. 

While the Nintendo Direct and Koizumi brought us some disappointing news at the show, they also brought us our first look at actual gameplay, plus some needed story details of what we're doing on the island and why.

Bringing Animal Crossing to the Switch will entice fans old and new, plus we think the game is a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Animal Crossing’s sandbox nature makes it ideally suited to long play sessions on your TV, as well as shorter on-the-go bursts on the Switch’s handheld mode. 

Here's what we know so far about Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

[Update: With only a few months until the release of Animal Crossing, Nintendo has kicked off 2020 with a new short trailer. Read on to see it for yourself.]

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The latest addition to the Animal Crossing series
  • When can I play it? March 20, 2020
  • What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons release date

Both a huge disappointment for fans and a huge relief for those working on the game, Nintendo recently announced that New Horizons will be available on March 20, 2020. We'll likely hear more about the game later this year, probably around September and October when Nintendo drops its next Nintendo Direct.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons trailers

Nintendo brought in 2020 with a brand new Animal Crossing trailer. It's a short video at only 30 seconds but naturally it's charming and fans will see some familiar excited faces in the crowd during the Nook presentation taking place. 

September 2019 brought a brand new gameplay trailer which gives us a better idea of what we can expect from life on the island between crafting, decorating and shopping. 

While it doesn't hold a lot of information, the game's first trailer was shown off back in September of 2018 – promising a late 2019 release date that we now know won't happen. Still, it serves as a nice introduction to the game and one of its most illustrious characters, Tom Nook.

The arguably much more important trailer came to us during E3 2019, when Nintendo dropped a slew of new details about the game. Based on the trailer we know that crafting will now play a major role in the game, and subtle tweaks like being able to place furniture anywhere on the island will really help make everyone's home base look different from one another – a huge step in the right direction for a franchise that can come off as a bit too vanilla. 

Check out the E3 2019 trailer below: 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons news and rumors

New screenshots

A handful of new images from Animal Crossing have emerged online and have been shared by GameXplain. These new images don't give much away in terms of gameplay but they do give a good insight into the more extensive range of customisation options players will have available to them when creating their New Horizons character. Players will be able to change hair, eyes, mouths, noses and outfits to create a character that suits them and you can see the images in the video gallery below.

Nook Miles

In a September 2019 gameplay trailer we got a look at Nook Miles, the game's new currency which will sit alongside Bells. You can earn Nook Miles by doing tasks around the island and you can then exchange them for things like recipes and items, though what the full range of things you can get with Nook Miles isn't confirmed just yet.

Multiplayer
In an interview with IGN, the Animal Crossing development team confirmed that there will be both local and online multiplayer elements in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In local multiplayer, up to four players will be able to play together on an island, each using a single Joy-Con. Players will all appear on one screen rather than a split-screen set up.

On online multiplayer, things get bigger as up to eight players will be able to play on the one island. As far as talking to one another goes, Animal Crossing will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch Online app.

Saves
Animal Crossing will support an autosave feature, meaning there's no longer any need to fear Mr. Resetti coming after you when you accidentally reset the game without saving.

Region Setting
A neat feature for Animal Crossing fans living in the southern hemisphere was revealed during the Nintendo E3 Treehouse livestream: region setting! Yes, in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players will be able to set the region they're living in, meaning that the seasons in-game will actually reflect those you're experiencing in real life. 

Crafting
We never thought we'd say this, but crafting will play a major role in the next Animal Crossing game. Shown off in the New Horizons trailer up above, we see the villager collecting sticks, woods and stones over to Tom Nook's crafting bench to create new items like axes and, assumedly, fishing poles. Without a shop setup on the island, we assume this is the way we'll get new furniture and tools in-game.

Farming
While it's not necessarily as in-depth as the farming system seen in Harvest Moon or the indie darling Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing does have a minor farming mechanic going on. In the trailer we can see the villager harvesting plant petals from around a tree, which we assume are either used as crafting materials or used to plant more flowers around the island. 

Expanding the home
One of the key gameplay mechanics in Animal Crossing is building up your abode – something we'll continue to see in New Horizons. First thing you'll have to do when you get to the island is setup your tent. Similar games in the franchise have started in this way, but it looks like you'll be keeping the tent for a longer period of time in New Horizons.

Officially announced
Nintendo officially announced Animal Crossing for the Switch during a Nintendo Direct in September, 2018. 

Nintendo’s trademark
In January 2018 it was revealed that Nintendo had applied for a new Animal Crossing trademark in Japan for a wide range of purposes, including software for a home video game machine, portable electronic game machine, and smartphone devices. Now, we already have the smartphone device application in the form of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but we’ve yet to see the portable and home game machines. A Nintendo Switch release will tick both of those boxes. 

As well as this, the trademark also covers stuffed animals, game machine controllers, board games, playing cards, protective carrying cases, and trading card games, so it’s clear that Nintendo still has big plans for the series. 

It’s been a long time since the last mainline release 
The last mainline Animal Crossing release was New Leaf all the way back in 2012. That’s now seven years ago and, given before this the usual release gap for mainline titles was around three to five years, we’re inclined to say we’re due a new game.

What’s also interesting is that the Wii U never received a mainline title (no, Amiibo Festival absolutely does not count) despite the fact that many fans expected to see one. It’s possible that Nintendo started work on an Animal Crossing Wii U or settled on waiting to launch one for the Switch.

The success of previous releases
Previous DS and 3DS Animal Crossing releases have sold extremely well for Nintendo – both Wild World and New Leaf each surpassed 11 million sales. While there is the caveat that previous home console releases for GameCube and Wii haven’t done nearly as well, we’re inclined to say that the Switch will buck the trend here thanks to its hybrid nature, and Nintendo will have a hit on its hands. 

Given one of Nintendo’s most staunchly handheld titles, Pokemon, is now confirmed to be coming to the Switch, we don’t think it’s likely the company will keep Animal Crossing languishing on the 3DS for much longer. 

What we want to see from Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch

Wider, more dynamic, cast
We love our Animal Crossing neighbors, but there’s no denying that they can become somewhat samey. It's a problem that’s not helped by repetitive interactions. We’d love to see a new Animal Crossing introduce even more new faces to the neighborhood and perhaps include a few more ways to get to know them. Seeing more dialogue and more well-rounded personalities would make us very happy players.

More furniture 
Decorating in Animal Crossing is one of the biggest and best parts of the series (just look at Happy Home Designer for evidence of that). But, we’d like to see even more pieces of furniture appear in a new game. New styles and themes would be welcome, perhaps with more customization options.

Bigger spaces or more areas
With the power the Switch offers, we think we could get the biggest and most expansive Animal Crossing ever. Although we love that Animal Crossing is all about being in a small town, we also enjoyed the move towards a city vibe that came with New Leaf. In Animal Crossing on Switch we wouldn’t like to take this a lot further, but it’d be nice to see some new areas or districts in town that offered a few more amenities or places to visit.


More chances to craft your own story
Moving into the mayoral role was one of the best aspects of New Leaf, but we’d like to see something a little different in the next installment. Perhaps more choice in what role you play in the town. Pocketcamp allows players to take up the role of a holiday camp owner, so perhaps in a new mainline game we could see a few more career options. 

Of course, for those interested in continuing along the mayor route that would still be there, but it’d also be exciting to see shopkeeper or cafe owner paths open up. Creating your own designs or crafting furniture to sell to the locals, or collecting ingredients from your town and others to add some interesting flavors to your cafe menu – all of these sound like enjoyable pursuits in an Animal Crossing world. 

Mobile tie-in
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp was a welcome release after we hadn’t seen anything from the series in a while, but it doesn’t scratch the itch quite enough for us due to its shallowness. However, that doesn’t mean we’d like to see the mobile game abandoned entirely when a mainline release launches. 

It’d actually be nice if Nintendo managed to tie the mobile and console releases together in some way so that players can get more depth out of the mobile game, and give us another way to enjoy the console release. Whether that’s unlocking and transferring items, earning money or improving relationships, we’d just like a way to keep playing even on days where we can’t carry our Switch. Now that we've seen it's possible with Pokemon Let's Go, our hopes are even higher. 

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake release date, trailers, news and features

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:48 AM PST

First released in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 immediately cemented its place as one of the best JRPG titles around and introduced millions of gamers around the world to the genre. Now, due to the success of Final Fantasy 7 over 20 years ago (and the pleads from die hard fans), Square Enix is releasing a remake. 

Unfortunately, those high expectations have been both a blessing and a curse for the game as the path to release hasn’t been smooth. 

But now, four years after it was announced at E3 2015, we finally have a Final Fantasy 7 Remake release date: March 3, 2020. 

We've now seen the game a half-dozen times in trailers – and even got hands on time at Gamescom 2019 and E3 2019 – but, with news and rumors still churning around the great wide web, we’ve gathered up everything we know has been confirmed, what we've played and everything fans suspect right here for your perusal.

[Update: 2020 has kicked off with a significant Final Fantasy 7 leak. Read on to find out more.]

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A re-interpretation of the popular JRPG Final Fantasy 7 
  • When can I play it? March 3, 2020
  • What can I play it on? It’s been confirmed the game will come to PS4 first but this is a timed exclusive so it could come to other platforms in 2021. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailers

The first trailer for the game was released upon the remake's announcement at E3 2015. The trailer is largely cinematic and you can watch it for yourself below:

A further trailer (this time featuring gameplay) was revealed at PSX in 2015:

There's also the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer that was revealed during Sony's May 9 State of Play event this year. In it, we got a great look at what the action-heavy combat would look like (think Kingdom Hearts and you'll be on the right track) and one of the series most well-remembered protagonists, Aerith. 

Check it out below:

The most important trailer we have is the one that was unveiled at a Final Fantasy 7 concert held in Los Angeles, where the game's director, Tetsuya Nomura, unveiled Remake's official March 3, 2020 release date.

It's only a minute long but it's important.

Another Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer was released as part of Tokyo Game Show 2019 and showcased a first look at characters, summons, mini-games and more. Check it out below:

Naturally everyone wants an update on the hero of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Square Enix provided with a short trailer starring Cloud Strife on Twitter in November. 

The most recent trailer for Final Fantasy 7 appeared at The Game Awards 2019. The trailer shows snippets of combat and flashes of some of the game's iconic characters. It's a minute and a half you don't want to miss. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake release date

The Final Fantasy 7 remake has had something of a troubled development, which makes it all the more surprising that we'll be seeing the game as early as we are. 

The date Square Enix has given us is March 3, 2020 – but it's unclear if that's for all of the episodes (remember, FF7R is an episodic game with more than two Blu-rays worth of content) or if that's just the release date of episode one. The latter seems likely as development on episode 2 is still underway. 

For some, that date is much sooner than expected considering the game's recent setback, but others will likely say it's arriving later than they wanted. 

For what it's worth, the game has been in the works since 2014 but there have been few significant official updates since the E3 2015 reveal. In that time, development of the game has moved from external developer CyberConnect2 to Square Enix’s in-house team. Overhauls like this can cause big delays to a game’s progress but according to Square Enix's Naoki Hamaguchi the decision was made out of a desire to maintain “control quality as well as keeping the schedule stable.”

The good news is now that release date is set in stone and PS4 players will get to play then. Fans using other platforms could potentially see a release in 2021 which is when the game's period of exclusivity on PS4 apparently ends.

We're also expecting Final Fantasy 7 remake to be a cross-generation release, likely releasing on both PS5 and the next Xbox alongside current generation consoles.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Image credit: Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7 Remake news and rumors

Demo leak

It's only a few months until the release of the first part of Final Fantasy 7 but a recent leak has resulted in some serious spoilers emerging online. After rumors that a demo could coming to the PlayStation Store before released surfaced in December 2019, some users have managed to find the demo, download it and then upload the footage online. 

Even more significant than this is that files relating to the wider game have been found in the demo's code and now details of the game and changes that have been made from the original are leaking out. A rip of the game's soundtrack is even floating around out there. It's something of a disastrous start to the new year for the Square Enix team which had, before now, managed to keep much of Final Fantasy 7's specifics under wraps. 

Those hoping not to be spoiled before the game's release ought to be vigilant when searching online while those who just can't resist will find the leaked demo on YouTube. 

A demo coming soon?

There are reports that a Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo could be coming to the PlayStation Store soon. According to Gematsu, the tracker on Gamestat which follows everything uploaded to the PlayStation Store has added a cover for the demo. Square Enix is yet to confirm if there are plans to release a demo of the game and there's no information other than the cover available so, if there is a demo on the way, there's no way to know when it'll be available. Given the game launches in March 2020 it'll have to be in the next couple of months if it happens at all. We'll update here as soon as further information becomes available. 

Timed exclusivity

It seems that, as rumored, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be a timed exclusive for PS4. The North American box art for the game was posted to Twitter recently, with a banner stating that the game will be a timed exclusive until March 3 2021—a year after its first release. This isn't an outright confirmation that the game will be coming to other platforms but it does suggest it's a possibility. After all, Microsoft is adding a raft of the Final Fantasy games to its Game Pass service in 2020 which could be a precursor. 

Work is underway on part 2

We already know that Final Fantasy 7 is going to be released in at least two parts but we don't know how much of a gap there's going to be between the release of part 1 in March 2020 and part 2. 

At the very least, we do now know that development on part 2 is well underway. In a recent Square Enix blog, Tetsuya Nomura said "We’ve already begun working on the next one as well, but I’m confident that playing through this title will expand your expectations just like the world that extends beyond Midgar." From what Nomura has said with regards to the "density and volume" of part 1's Midgar, we may need a little space between releases to get through it all anyway. 

New Ghost look
On Halloween, the Final fantasy 7 Remake Twitter account tweeted a picture of Cloud running away from ghosts while also wishing fans a "Happy Halloween". The ghosts in the picture are, in fact, the redesigned version of Ghost enemies from the original game.

Check it out below:

Pre-orders available
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Deluxe Edition is available to pre-order now and contains a hardback art book featuring art, a mini-soundtrack CD, Summon Materia DLC (allowing players to summon Cactuar in game), and a Sephiroth steel book case. The Digital Deluxe Edition contains a digital art book, a digital mini-soundtrack selection, and Summon Materia DLC (allowing players to summon Carbuncle and Cactuar in game). 

If you would rather pick up the 1st Class Edition, you'll get all the Deluxe Edition content, the Carbuncle Summon Materia DLC, as well as a Play Arts Kai Cloud Strife and Hardy Daytona box set.

Those who pre-order any version of the game will also receive the Chocobo Chick Summon Materia DLC at launch. Those who pre-order any digital edition from the PlayStation Store will also receive the Cloud & Sephiroth Dynamic Theme for the PS4.

Mini-games
It looks like FF7 Remake will feature mini-games that involve button bashing tasks for  exercise training and darts. Those are just what we've seen so far.

Those Xbox One rumors
After the Xbox Germany Facebook account posted a video which suggested that the Final Fantasy 7 remake would be coming to Xbox One on March 3 2020, the same date it will hit PS4, fans were left with some pressing questions. 

However, Square Enix confirmed in a statement to IGN that Final Fantasy 7 will only release on PS4 on March 3, 2020 and that there are “no plans for other platforms”. Whether this means there are no plans for other platforms just on March 3 or whether there are no plans for other platforms for good is unconfirmed but so far it seems like the game will be a PS4 exclusive. Microsoft has deemed the Facebook video which was quickly removed an “internal mistake”. 

Preview
We got hands on with Final Fantasy 7 Remake at E3 2019 and were extremely impressed by what we saw. Remake brags seamless, Advent Children-tier cinematics and fluid, real-time combat. While the game is centered on the same story, characters and enemies, everything has been amped up to make for a modern gaming experience. Characters have new abilities and there's a few new cutscenes thrown in to add to the narrative, but essentially Remake is a game which is equally accessible to fans and newbies alike.

Midgar
The only FF7 Remake setting we have seen is the dark, steampunk city of Midgar. In order to increase Midgar's gothic atmosphere, Square Enix used lighting, coloring and effects to vary the iconic location while also including "surprises around every corner".

Cast change
Technology has come on leaps and bounds since Final Fantasy 7 was released, therefore it's no surprise that Square Enix is harnessing motion capture to enhance Remake's characters - adding more expression and therefore making the title more immersive. The Remake also has a new voice actor cast,  however developer plans to keep the original cast for other Final Fantasy games that include Final Fantasy 7's characters. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Image credit: Square Enix

Deeper into story and characters
Square Enix has explained during a behind-closed-doors E3 2019 presentation of Remake that while the title is a "reimagining" of FF7, it aims to dig deeper into the game's story and characters - making it the equivalent of a standalone Final Fantasy game in its own right. 

Tactical Mode
Final Fantasy 7 Remake includes Tactical Mode which is essentially a Matrix-style slow motion mode that that gives you time to select your next action and aims to please those who prefer turn-based combat.

FF7 Remake is based around core values
Square Enix has assured us that Final fantasy 7 Remake is based around three core values: innovation, pushing boundaries and surprising players. In that light, the developer is approaching Remake like a new game in an effort to create new exciting experiences for a new generation. However, many of the game's original development team are continuing to oversee the title, in order to keep its heart.

E3 2019 news - Two Discs and new ATB system
At E3 2019 we learned that there are more than two Blu-ray discs worth of content planned for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. We also got an in-depth look at the combat mechanics of the game – including the new ATB system. The main takeaway is that switching between characters in the real-time battle system can be done by pressing a single button, and you'll need your entire party to beat tougher bosses. 

So what's worth pointing out here is that the sedentary turn-based combat you may remember from the original has been replaced with a FF15-style approach that allows you to control the characters and move them around the battlefield. You'll still have some familiar options in combat - like Limit Breaks - but expect combat to be a bit more engaging this time around.

During E3 2019 we also learned that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not only episodic, but actually requires two Blu-ray discs to hold all the content. The first disc, released on March 3, 2020, will actually only take place in Midgar - that futuristic city you've seen so much of in the trailers. 

Nomura admits an announcement was premature
Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura has admitted that both Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy 7 remake were announced too early.

"I am well aware of the fact that we announced it too early," Nomura told Italian gaming mag Multiplayer (translated by Kingdom Hearts Insider) . "But even in the industry, word was beginning to spread that we were working on the game, so we just decided not to keep it more secret and officially reveal it."

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Image credit: Square Enix

It’s a reconstruction, not a shot-for-shot remake 
The Final Fantasy 7 remake will follow the original game’s narrative and feature the iconic characters and locations that fans love. 

Considering it’s so beloved there’s a lot of pressure on Square Enix to not stray too far from the original source material but according to director Tetsuya Nomura it won’t be a completely direct recreation. In an interview with Wired, Nomura said “We're not intending for this to become a one-to-one remake, or just the original Final Fantasy VII with better graphics.”

Nomura has said that he wants the remake to "apply to the current era" and "the current generation of players." He added the caveat that he doesn't "want to change it so much that it's unrecognizable" but it has to be offering something "fresh and new." 

To accommodate modern consoles and gamers, changes will naturally have to be made to the game both in terms of gameplay, mechanics and perhaps even to some elements of the story. For starters, early trailers show a game more akin to Final Fantasy XV mechanically, with fixed viewpoints and static backdrops swapped out for full-3D terrain, and a turn-based battle system removed in favour of a real-time action-orientated one.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Image credit: Square Enix

It’s episodic
A significant way the remake is going to differ from the original game is that its story will be told episodically. This is a detail that was confirmed back in December 2015. 

The reasoning behind the decision, according to series producer Yoshinori Kitase is that “a proper HD remake” just wouldn’t fit into one instalment and maintain the “same feeling of density of the original.”

“We've seen everyone's comments and reactions to the news that Final Fantasy 7 remake will be a multi-part series and many have speculated correctly as to the reason why we have made this decision,” he said, “If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake instalment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy 7. We knew none of you would have wanted that.

“I hope that by explaining a little more about our design decisions that you can appreciate the size of this project and what we have planned for this remake. Going beyond the scale and depth of the world, narrative and gameplay from the original to deliver something that feels familiar yet new. As I said before, we like delivering surprises.”

Each episode will apparently be its “own unique experience” but as yet we don’t know how many episodes there will be or how they’ll be structured in relation to the original story. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Image credit: Square Enix

No more turn-based battles 
As mentioned above, a major element that’s changing from the original game is a move away from turn-based battles. 

In an interview with Famitsu, Nomura said that battles in the remake will be “action-based” rather than command-based. Nomura didn’t go into much more detail with regards to the game’s combat system but it’s widely expected that we’re going to see a formula more similar to Kingdom Hearts and FFXV. 

This would mean a more active and seamless style of battling involving party members whom the player will be able to switch between. 

Though the loss of turn-based combat will be mourned, a move towards a system like Kingdom Hearts will be more accessible to new players. 

A PS5 release?
PS5 development kits are now said to be out in the wild, with Sony's first-party development teams working almost solely on titles for the as-yet-unannounced next-gen system. With the ambition on display here, could Square Enix be planning to shift Final Fantasy 7's remake to the next machine? 

For Sony, it'd be a system seller right out of the gates for the new console generation, and for the developers you'd imagine it'd offer more processing grunt and a little longer in terms of the development window. This is speculation at this point, but as the sun sets on the PS4, and titles like Final Fantasy 7's remake being no closer to even having a release date, it starts to seem like the looming next generation machines may be now what they're being aimed at.

(Image credits: Square Enix)

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Let these Razer gaming deals set you up for 2020 in style: cheap Razer keyboards, mice, and laptops

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:38 AM PST

There's nothing better than reinvigorating your setup for the new year with some fantastic Razer gaming deals. Whether you're after a brand new gaming mouse deal, or a cheap gaming laptop to see you through 2020, Amazon has your back with a wide range of cheap PC accessories as well as fully-fledged gaming laptops to get you started.

Quite a few of these items are at their lowest prices ever this week, including this sporty little Razer Huntsman Elite gaming keyboard for just £137 and the simple Razer DeathAdder Essential mouse available at £29.49. 

These Razer gaming deals can set you up with a brand new stock of cheap PC gaming accessories for less, perfect for checking out all the games 2020 has in store for us in style. We've rounded up some of our highlights below, but you can always shop more Razer gaming deals at Amazon. 

Today's best Razer gaming keyboard deals

Today's best Razer gaming mouse and controller deals

Today's best Razer gaming laptop deals

Hungry for more? Why not check out our favourite gaming laptop deals from around the web. We're also counting down the best cheap gaming mice to find you the best price right here on TechRadar. 

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The best smart speakers 2020: which one should you buy?

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:32 AM PST

The best smart speakers are our hardest working gadgets; they play music, help us control our smart home devices, and come with virtual assistants ready to answer our every question. 

These voice assistants, which include Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, have taken our homes by storm. That's because they can do so much – they can answer almost any question, play music, tell you the news and control your smart home devices (like your Philips Hue bulbs or smart locks).

Among the most well-known smart speaker are the Amazon Echo and Google Nest (née Google Home) ranges of products – and a new fleet of products from both companies, including the Amazon Echo Studio and the Google Nest Mini, are set to shake up the smart home world.

So if you need help finding your next personal assistant, take a look at our guide below and find the smart speaker that suits your current setup, your budget and the aesthetics of your home – each of the speakers are hand-picked by our editors, and while each have pros/cons, all of them are great in their own way. 

The best smart speakers 2020

sonos one


Sonos’ debut Alexa speaker is a cleanly-designed, feature-rich and great-sounding device that brings together the best of both ecosystems. You’ve got the ever-improving Alexa on the one hand, and on the other you’ve got Sonos with its own multi-room smarts and mostly unrivalled sound performance.

There's also a new feature in the mix that promises to change the game: AirPlay 2. With it, the Sonos One can talk to Siri and form a multi-room pairing with the Apple HomePod.

It now also supports Google Assistant making it the most versatile speaker on the list.

If you like the Sonos range but you've felt a little underwhelmed by its designs to date, then you'll be happy to find out the brand has launched a new range of in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor speakers, the Sonos Architectural line.

apple homepod


The highly-anticipated Apple HomePod finally entered the smart speaker battle for your bookshelf in early 2018. 

The obvious benefit of an Apple HomePod over an Echo or Google Home device is that it'll play nice with your other Apple products. So if you're a die-hard Apple fan the HomePod may be a no-brainer. 

But it's worth asking the same question you should always be asking yourself when you want to splurge on a new Apple product: how much of a premium should you pay for owning a device that fits only seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem?

When we reviewed the device we were torn because we were really reviewing two things at once: how the HomePod weighs up as a premium speaker and how it fares as a smart home hub.

In the former category, the HomePod is excellent, as it boasts incredible sound and a very intuitive set-up. But in the latter, Siri is only middling in its implementation, and the fact that you're not able to break out of the Apple ecosystem for many key functions also rankles.

Apple is said to be working on the Apple HomePod 2, or a cheaper, more compact HomePod Mini, rumored to launch at some point in 2020 – we're halfway through now and we're still waiting. Fingers crossed it'll be worth it.

amazon echo 2019


The humble Amazon Echo has entered millions of homes already – and with good reason. It's an affordable entry point for those beginning their smart home, with audio capable enough to handle news, podcasts, music, or whatever you might be using your AI voice servant for.

That's especially true with the new 2019 Amazon Echo,  a third-generation model that bumps up the audio further with the drivers used in the 2018 Echo Plus – though without the latter's Zibgee compatability.

It even looks like an Echo Plus, and it may be confusing to tell them apart if you have one of each in your home – but the 2019 refresh of the standard Echo raises the baseline for the whole range. At $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149, it's still cheaper than the Plus, or the Apple HomePod, despite the boost to sound quality.

With softer fabric looks than the more industrial earlier models, Alexa seems more at home in a living room than ever – while new AI capabilities have introduced voice profile features and more variation when it comes to changing voice speed.

We don't think you should be using it to replace your hifi – you might want the newly-announced Echo Studio for that – but at the same time it's a really great place to start if you want to try out what the smart home life is like.

Google Home

Image Credit: Google

For starters, you might never appreciate just how much music is on YouTube without buying a Google Home. We’re not saying Google Home is capable of playing any song you can think of, but after dredging the depths of the ’90s we still couldn’t find a tune Google Home couldn’t track down and start playing.

While Google Home excels as a DJ, it’s also a surprisingly intelligent smart home hub. It already hooks into some of the largest platforms now available by including Nest, Philips and Samsung’s SmartThings, and given a few months that number will grow even more.

But we're torn when it comes to recommending the Google Home. In some ways it's disappointing and doesn't live up to be the coveted center of the smart home Google has marketed it as. 

That's because it's just not there yet. It’s a little too rigid in its language comprehension, its list of smart home devices is growing but still a bit underwhelming, and, perhaps the biggest disappointment of all, it doesn’t have many of Google’s core services built into it.

It has the potential to develop to compete with Amazon's Echo in the future, but for now the Google Home is simply a smart novelty with access to YouTube Music, built-in Google Cast and the ability to save you a trip to the light switch. 

Over the past year, the Google Home has received a number of notable updates, including the fact you can now use the device to make calls to landlines in the UK. Google Assistant has also been updated to included bilingual capabilities, Continued Conversation and Multiple Actions. A more recent update has also brought Google Assistant to Nest Security alarm systems.

[Update: There's a new model on the block; the Google Nest Mini is taking over the mantel as the tech giant's entry level smart speaker. As soon as we review the new speaker, we'll be sure to update this list, but for now, check out our Google Nest Mini vs Google Home Mini comparison.]

pure discovR


The Amazon Echo range is still the market leader for smart speakers – in terms of sales, at least – but for all their hands-free convenience, they’re not speakers you’d look to if you want genuinely high-quality sound.

The Pure DiscovR manages to bundle top-class audio with all of Alexa’s smarts, and the intuitive touch controls to make using it by hand or voice a real pleasure. The ability to save voice commands as presets is invaluable, and something the rest of the smart speaker market could learn from.

The arresting design helps too. The rounded cube shape, and raised speaker – which can be compressed down into the casing to mute Alexa's microphone – feels hugely innovative in a crowded market, while the flashing colors around the LED rim make for much more of a light display than the Echo's meek blue.

You won't get your hands on this in the US, though. The Pure DiscovR is exclusively sold through John Lewis in the UK, with plans to roll out to Europe later in 2019. The speaker is available in either graphite and silver finishes – listed at John Lewis as black or white.

If you’re on the lookout for a quality smart speaker that delivers on voice control, sound quality, and an innovative design – and with an eye firmly on user privacy – the Pure DiscovR is exactly what you need.

The best smart speakers with a screen 2020

Google home hub


With the recent onslaught of smart display devices from the big tech companies, there's more choice than ever if you want a screen included with your smart speaker.

The Google Home Hub is one of the latest crop of smart displays, and it certainly gives its closest rival, the Amazon Echo Show a run for its money, with intuitive voice control and well designed first party apps.

That being said, this is not a speaker for audiophiles - it works well enough to play music in the background while you do chores or read, but it doesn't pack big enough of a sonic punch to serve as your main speaker for listening to music. 

Where the Google Home Hub does excel, is as a control centre for your digital home, supporting over 5000 smart devices from 400 companies - plus, at around $80/£80 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Show (the difference in Australia is a whopping AU$150), it's pretty good value for money too. 

Amazon Echo Show


The updated Echo Show is a step in the right direction, with better design, a clearer screen, and superior sound, but it has limited support for third-party streaming services.

The touchscreen is 1280 x 720 px - so it won't blow you away up close, but it looks fine from a distance. It also features adaptive brightness, although the screen isn't the main way you interact with the Echo Show - it's optimized for voice activation via Amazon Alexa, and it's great for using while you potter about the kitchen.

Its not the cheapest smart display on the market, however, it adds value by combining devices you already have and ones you could buy at a lower price elsewhere – just look at the Amazon Echo Dot, for example. 

Put everything together though, and the new Show is a marked improvement on the original version, and if you're keen on watching cooking tutorials or listening to music as you cook, it deserves a spot on your kitchen counter.

echo spot


In our opinion, the Amazon Echo Spot is the best-designed Alexa device Amazon has ever created – it’s a gadget you’d happily have in your bedroom, on your desk, in your kitchen, and pretty much anywhere else.

The Spot is versatile – it doesn’t have a chameleon-like ability to adapt to the room you put it in, but this is certainly not just a smart alarm clock, something Amazon has been very clear about. 

It does everything the Echo Show does, but it all feels better in this smaller form factor. The design is great – it's available in black and white – and we can easily see the Spot being used in the bedroom, kitchen or even on a desk. In fact, you may want it in all of these places.

That's the thing with the Amazon Echo Spot: much like other Echo devices, Amazon wants you to have a multitude of them in your home so you always have access to video chat no matter where you are. 

Essentially, it wants the Echo Spot to replace the Echo Dot. The Amazon Echo Spot is a little more expensive than the new Echo, though, and in turn much more expensive than an Echo Dot.

This is because of the addition of the screen. While we still haven't seen that killer Skill for the screen, it does enhance the look of the Spot and opens up the possibilities for it being much more than just a smart speaker.

We’re just hoping that Amazon’s Skills become much more video-friendly – once this happens, the Amazon Echo Spot will become an absolute must-have.

Best smart speakers FAQ: quick questions answered

What can smart speakers do? Smart speakers can do lots of things. First up they're speakers in their own right, from the fantastic-sounding Apple HomePod through to the simpler Amazon Echo Dot. 

But they also have lots of special features thanks to the smart voice assistants that are built-in. These smart assistants are voice-activated, which means you can literally ask them to do a range of things, including playing music, answering questions and controlling other smart home devices. And that's just the beginning. 

Which voice assistant is best? On the whole that's subjective. Some people have always liked Apple products the best and stay loyal to Siri. Others really like Alexa after snapping up an Echo as soon as the smart speaker was first launched. 

The general consensus seems to be that Google Assistant is, largely, the most accurate voice assistant. If you've got a lot of Apple products, of course Siri is the best and for overall compatibility, you're best opting for Alexa. But they're not hard and fast rules. 

Is Alexa better than Google? For starters, the choice might depend on which speaker you like the look of the most. Sure Amazon's Echo range is very similar to the Google Home, but the Show, Spot and Dot look quite different. 

When it comes to the smart assistants within the speakers, they're both extremely capable. Amazon's Alexa has many, many Skills, which set it apart from the rest. But Google has been a leader in the AI game for a long time now, well before the smart speaker market emerged. 

Is there a monthly fee for Alexa? No. You don't need anything other than the free Alexa app. However, you will get plenty of perks if you're an Amazon Prime member. 

What could be coming soon?

Those are all of the best smart speakers on the market right now, but with the huge success of these voice-activated smart home assistants, this selection is likely to be just the beginning. 

Right now a number of other companies, including some of the biggest names in tech, are also working on their own smart home audio products. Whether they shake-up the market or turn out to be a load of hot air remains to be seen.

But in the meantime, here are just a few of the highly-anticipated upcoming releases and rumors circulating right now:

Image of the spotify logo

Image credit: Spotify

Spotify smart speaker

There are loads of speakers on the market that already allow you to connect your Spotify account. But that doesn't mean the popular streaming service can't make its own product to compete with the biggest names in tech.

Rumors suggest Spotify has been working on its own voice search interface, but it hasn't yet lifted the lid on a speaker that could compete with the likes of the Amazon Echo or Google Home. 

That hasn't stopped us from dreaming up what a Spotify smart speaker might look, sound and behave like. 

Read our Spotify speaker wish-list: what we want to see in a Spotify smart speaker. 

samsung speaker

Image credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker

This is now official, though details are still scarce – Samsung showed off the Galaxy Home smart speaker at its Unpacked 2018 event, promising high-quality audio alongside some integrated AI smarts provided by Bixby.

As yet we don't know a price or release date, though we're assuming it will work with Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem. 

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Home has been rather stop-start since the Bixby-controlled smart speaker was first announced in August 2018.

Speaking to the Korea Herald, Kim Hyun-suk, one of Samsung's co-CEOs and the President of the Consumer Electronics division, said that the company is aiming for a "mid-second half of the year" launch. Of course, it never materialized – and we're still waiting in 2020. 

Find out more: what we expect from the Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker.

Everything is a smart speaker

Maybe the future isn't about which smart speaker you should buy after all, but will be much more focused on integrating voice-activated smart assistants into other products. 

Earlier this year at CES 2019, lots of manufacturers were boasting of voice assistant integration; Alexa and Google Assistant found their way into cars, bathroom mirrors, and even smoke alarms. 

Amazon itself has launched a number of connected devices, included the Echo Wall Clock, Echo Glow, and Echo Frames.

While that may sound a little gimmicky, it actually solves one of the major niggling points of the smart home: you want to have access to your voice assistant in every room but don’t really want to fill your home with speakers.

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Xiaomi will invest $7bn in 5G, AI and IoT over the next five years

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:32 AM PST

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi plans to invest over 50 billion yuan ($7.18bn) in AI and fifth generation internet technologies over the next five years to help it remain competitive in the growing sector.

The announcement was made on the firm's social media account by Xiaomi chief executive Lei Jun but he did not provide any specific details on how the company will invest the funds.

In his post, Lei explained that Xiaomi needs to further capitalize on its work in the field of artificial intelligence of things (AIoT), saying: 

“We need to turn our continuous advantage we have in AIoT and intelligent life into absolute victory in intelligent full scene, and completely cement our king status in the smart era.”

All in AIoT

Xiaomi's new plan to invest further in AIoT echoes a pledge the company made last year to invest 10 billion yuan  ($1.43bn) over five years as part of its “All in AIoT” strategy.

The company's affordable smartphones led to its initial success but its product range has now expanded to include a number of internet-enabled products under its MIJIA sub brand such as smart TVs and even rice cookers.

In its home country of China, Xiaomi is facing increased competition from its rival Huawei which was able to capture 42 percent of the country's smartphone market in the third quarter. To combat this, Lei revealed in October that Xiaomi is planning to launch more than 10 5G smartphone models this year.

Via Reuters

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Score super low bills on iPhone 11, Samsung S10 and more with Tesco's January sale

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:30 AM PST

Whether it's forcing yourself into the gym, attempting months of healthy eating or trying to save money, New Year's resolutions are hard. But if yours falls into the final of those three, we might have found an offer to help you kick-start the new decade on a budget.

Taking some of the world's best smartphones and bringing the prices way down, Tesco Mobile is helping the UK get on budget with their phone contracts. With everything from the Samsung Galaxy S10 to the iPhone 11, there's a whole lot of choice available.

And, considering prices are starting from around the £10 a month mark, you really can go low on your costs right now.

Head to Tesco Mobile to take advantage of these deals 

However, in order to get the bills this low, there is a bit of a compromise you'll need to make: you'll be tied in to a 36-month contract. For the commitment-phobes not ready for that pretty hefty contract, we completely understand...it's a long time! You can find the best alternatives with our best mobile phone deals.

However, for those looking to go as cheap as they can on their phone, you can find out more about these Tesco Mobile offers below.

These Tesco Mobile phone deals in full:

How does a 36-month contract work?

Tesco Mobile is often able to offer some of the cheapest mobile phone deals around, but this is mainly due to its 36 month contracts. At its base, this is just exactly what it sounds like - a three year plan. 

But, while some might find a 36 month contract to be a bit heavy on commitment, for others it will be perfect. You'll get the same cheap bills for three years and when your contract ends, you can upgrade, go somewhere else for your phone or keep the phone and just pay for your data allowance which only cost you a few quid a month.

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Samsung TVs could ditch the bezel for an 'infinite' display – just like its smartphones

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:20 AM PST

Samsung is looking to shake up its TV range with an outside-the-box design philosophy that could see the manufacturer use a practically-invisible TV frame to maximize the impact of its QLED displays.

The casing around the edge of the screen, or just the section of the screen that can't display images, is referred to as the 'bezel'; hence why the rumored set is being called a Zero Bezel TV. The leaked image was spotted by German tech outlet 4Kfilme.


We've seen this before, of course – notably with Samsung's range of Galaxy Edge smartphones, which made use of an 'infinite' display that curved over the edge of the casing for an expansive (if fragile) screen.

The TV display likely won't have a curved edge to the screen, though; we expect it will simply be a bezel so thin that a regular four or five feet viewing distance renders it invisible. We expect the name to something closer to 'Glass', 'Infinite' or 'Zero', rather than citing the bezel in the branding too – though the formal model numbers are said to be Q900T and Q950T.

The reports come via Sammobile, which cites South Korean sources saying that the TV has been internally approved for manufacture, and will enter mass production in February 2020, in a 65-inch size and possibly larger.

A Samsung employee reportedly told the site that, “Unlike other so-called ‘zero-bezel’ products that actually still had bezels, this product really doesn’t have a bezel. Samsung has become the first in the world to realize such an extreme design.” This is apparently down to Samsung managing to fuse the panel and casing of the television together.

Zero confirmation

Rumors are rumors, of course, but it would fit with what we've seen from Samsung before. LG, too, has experimented with the casing and form of its premium TVs, with an LG E9 OLED set that features an all-glass display, and really does help to make the pictures onscreen seem bigger and more impactful, without a firm edge hemming the images in – even if it can't get rid of the bezel entirely.

A bezel-less set would also be a neat counterpoint to the Samsung Frame TV, which features a hugely thick bezel for a premium picture-frame design – and varying the scale and visibility of the bezel across Samsung's 2020 range will continue to cater to different tastes.

CES 2020 is imminent, kicking off January 7, and there'll no doubt be some notable sets from all the major TV brands competing for our attention. Make sure you check back with TechRadar to see what Samsung does – and doesn't – end up showing off at the event.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets. 

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Best laptops for kids 2020: the top laptops for kids in elementary school and beyond

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:08 AM PST

Is now the right time to upgrade your child’s tablet to the best laptop for kids? You’ve come to the right spot, as we here at TechRadar gathered all the best ones we could find in 2020 to make your laptop shopping a tad easier. And, much like with all our buying guides, we handpicked each one to make sure they meet a set of requirements.

The best laptop for kids will usually take the form of a rugged laptop, something that will survive a few bumps while in the backpack or even a drop. They might also take the form of an affordable tablet, whether that one of the best laptops alternatives out there or a 2-in-1 hybrid laptop that's powerful enough for school and entertainment. If you’re looking for one for a younger kid or for a child who isn’t used to a Windows or macOS environment, you'd want something that’s incredibly secure or maybe simple enough to use – the best Chromebooks can tick both those things off the requirements’ list. And of course, the best laptops for kids must also be affordable, as you don’t want to get them something premium and pricey only to have it destroyed, stolen or even replaced later on.

These are our top picks for the best laptops for kids, all of which we tested and reviewed ourselves. With this list, we’ll go through all the devices with rugged frames, rigid parental controls and budget-friendly price tags. You should be able to find the best laptop for kids that your own kids will love.

Best laptop for kids at a glance:

  1. Google Pixelbook Go
  2. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1
  3. Acer Chromebook Spin 11
  4. Acer Chromebook 15
  5. Asus Transformer Mini T102HA
  6. MacBook Air

Google Pixelbook Go

Google Pixelbook Go ticks off all the requirements of the best laptop for kids and then some.

The best laptop for kids must be secure, simple to use and can outlast them past naptime. Google Pixelbook Go ticks off all those requirements and then some, with its astounding battery life and Chrome OS environment. Google rounds those out with an incredible keyboard and a 1080p webcam. This is the Google Pixelbook of your dreams, minus that steep price tag. And, while the kids might enjoy watching their favorite cartoons and playing casual games on that sharp display, you’ll also love using this for that occasional work email you have to squeeze in between spending time with them.

Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go

Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 2-in-1

If your kid needs a very affordable laptop to get some schoolwork done, get the Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1.

A Chromebook make for the best laptop for kids because it’s practically mistake proof, and the Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 is a fine example of that. Drop it, and it’s fine. Download any malicious software? Well, you can’t! It’s one of the most secure environments for your kids to use a computer, made better by parental controls that you can set yourself. If your kid needs a very affordable laptop to get some schoolwork done, you won’t want to miss out on this excellent device. It even transforms into a tablet for a bit of light gaming post schoolwork.

Read the full review: Dell Chromebook Inspiron 11 3181 2-in-1

Acer Chromebook Spin 11

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 is the laptop to get the kids if you want something that won't break the first time it gets dropped.

When your kids have finally graduated to a proper laptop for writing up papers for class, but you still want to get them something that won’t break the first time it gets dropped, then the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 might just be the laptop for you. It’s powerful enough to get through the kids’ daily schoolwork, and it’s a 2-in-1 so they can flip its comfortable keyboard around to turn it into tablet mode for playing Android games or watching their favorite shows in their downtime. The display is a bit dim, and it’s unlikely to blow you away as far as performance, but it’s cheap, solid and reliable. What more can you ask for from the best laptop for kids?

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 11 

Acer Chromebook 15

The robust Acer Chromebook 15 will see your kids through more demanding projects.

When your kids approach double-digit years, they’re going to need something a bit more robust to support them through more demanding projects, as well as sharper streaming. Acer’s latest 15-inch Chromebook is, therefore, the best laptop for kids – or yours, at least – bringing serious sophistication to your kids’ computing experience and needs, from its design to its great features like a full HD display, fast USB 3.0 connections and an HDR webcam. Keep in mind that this laptop is ideal for adolescents, as you’re swapping its lack of kid-proof features for a larger size, a more luxurious experience and a great price tag.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA is the perfect laptop for kids to get used to a classic computer configuration.

If your kid wants a tablet, but you want them to get used to a classic computer configuration, the Asus Transformer Mini is the perfect compromise. This tablet brings plenty of power and ports to the table – not to mention, a fingerprint sensor, stylus and keyboard cover – all in the box. That’s a lot of value for a budget price. Rounding it out is the 11 hours of battery life, so they can get through all their schoolwork and squeeze in some Netflix before bed. If your kids are just too used to tablets to unceremoniously jump to a traditional laptop, this is the one of the best Asus laptops for that transition.

Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

  • This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Lenovo IdeaPad 120S 

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is still among the best laptop for kids who love the macOS environment.

The 2015 MacBook Air might not be the newest kid on the block, but it’s still among the best laptop for kids who love the macOS environment – unlike the 2018 model. We know that parents aren’t made of cash, but it’s the cheapest Apple laptop out there, and the 2015 MacBook Air is available at bargain prices, especially in third-party websites. It also has excellent battery life, an operating system that’s smooth and easy to navigate, and a form factor that’s light and thin. The best Macs are famous for outlasting Windows laptops – and this one might just last your kid throughout high school and possibly even college.

Read the full review: MacBook Air 

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Best Kindle 2020: which Amazon ereader should you buy?

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 08:40 AM PST

If you're looking for the best Kindle or ereader, you've landed on the right page: in 2020 the best Kindles usually are the best ereaders in general, as Amazon has the market on lockdown.

There are a few non-Kindle ereaders that are worth considering, like the Kobo Forma or the Kobo Clara HD, but in general, Amazon makes all the best ereaders.

While most other TechRadar buying guides rank their products with the best at the front, this list is just ranked by price order, as the different Kindle lines all aim at different budgets – a lot of this list comes down to how much you're willing to spend.

There are three different types of product on offer for three different types of budget, and we'll talk you through each of them below. We've also reviewed the Kids Edition Kindle, but because that's for a very limited audience we've decided to exclude it from this list for now.

We're letting you judge for yourself exactly what you'll need – instead, this is just a list of the highlights you should consider.

Best Kindle


The entry-level Amazon Kindle is the best Kindle you can by right now, with a great balance of features and price.

Launched in March 2019, its new feature was the inclusion of a back-light which now means Amazon's entire Kindle line come with illumination.

You still get the benefits of the previous model, with an adequate (and now back-lit) touchscreen display, long lasting battery and plenty of space for all your digital tomes, plus an intuitive interface, that makes navigating your books a breeze.

It's slim and light, so even though you could essentially be carrying an entire library with you it won't even feel as weighty as a single paperback.

Why should I buy it? Because you want a bargain and can live without waterproofing, the latest design and a higher resolution display.

Read the full Amazon Kindle review

Best Kindle


Amazon updated the Kindle Paperwhite back in 2018 to add several features from the Voyage and Oasis lines, including IPX8-rated waterproofing and support for Audible audiobooks. 

The screen is still fantastic with a beautiful 6-inch HD display with 300ppi pixel density and 8GB of storage, meaning you can keep thousands of books on one device.

The Kindle Paperwhite is almost the closest you can get to real paper while getting all the benefits of an ereader. You have access to Amazon's huge library of books and you can even use the Kindle Unlimited rental service on the Paperwhite.

There's a built-in light and you're not going to get any screen glare when reading it in bright sunlight. The battery isn't as good as the last version as it only lasts between four and six weeks, but that said it's still a very good amount of time to get reading your ebooks.

Why should I buy it? If you're looking for one of the best screen experiences on an ereader and you want to be able to read in bright sunlight, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is your choice.

Read the full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review

If you want the most premium ereader experience available right now, then the newest Amazon Kindle Oasis is what you're looking for – as long as you can stomach the equally high-end price.

The 2019 Kindle Oasis comes with new features like a warm light you can turn on to reduce eye strain, a more lightweight design, and improved back-lighting, to make it a more useful device to read on (although some may consider the upgrade a little small).

It also comes with all the distinct features of the Kindle Oasis range – it's got a large, high-quality display, a 'ridge' design that gives makes the ereader easy to hold at a range of angles, and it comes with plenty of storage space to save as many books as you need.

So if you're looking for an unrivaled ereader, this is the device to consider.

Why should I buy it? If you're willing to splash on the best Amazon Kindle ereader with all the latest bells and whistles in terms of tech, this is the device to consider.

Read the full review: Amazon Kindle Oasis 

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The best new year sales of 2019: deals from Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy & more

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 08:37 AM PST

As we celebrate the new year retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy are having massive sales to ring in 2020. You can find record-low prices on a number of best-selling items which include TVs, laptops, appliances, smartwatches, and more.

To help you sort through all the offers, we've rounded up the very best new year sales below. Our top bargains include the Fitbit Alta HR on sale for $98, the Apple AirPods Pro on sale for $234.98, the Vizio 50-inch 4K  Smart TV on sale for $288, and the all-new Apple iPad on sale for $279.99. You can also find discounts on appliances like the Magic Bullet blender on sale for just $19.92, and the Instant Pot DUO60 on sale for $79.

Shop more of the best new year sales below – and make sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be continuously updating it with all the top deals in the new year.

Last-minute deals quick links

The best new year sales around the web

  • Amazon - New year deals on Amazon devices, appliances, tech & more
  • Best Buy - Top deals on TVs, laptops, appliances, and more
  • eBay - Save on new deals every day
  • Lenovo - End of year savings on laptops, tablets, monitors and more
  • Dell - Save up to $400 on computers and electronics
  • Mixbook - Up to 40% off everything
  • Newegg -  Year-end clearance
  • Sears - Save up to 70% sitewide
  • Microsoft - Countdown sale
  • Home Depot - Up to 30% off storage solutions, appliances, decor & more
  • Lowe's - Up to 40% off appliances
  • Shopbop - Up to 75% off with code TREAT
  • Victoria's Secret - Semi-Annual sale, up to 70% off
  • Kohl's - After-Christmas clearance
  • Belk - Up to 80% off clearance
  • American Eagle - 50% off clearance
  • Bloomingdale's - After-Christmas sale, save up to 75% off
  • Target - Save up to 70% off clearance

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Plusnet's new cheap broadband deal effectively costs just £12.83 a month

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 07:50 AM PST

Christmas is out of the way, the new year has dawned and what other way is there to celebrate a brand new decade other than getting a new broadband deal.

But before you explode with excitement at the prospect of a new internet plan, you have to choose which one to go for. And with its brand new position as the UK's cheapest broadband deal by a long way, Plusnet is looking like an obvious choice.

Thanks to the addition of £50 in cashback on top of its already cheap offer, Plusnet's ADSL plan now costs an effective £12.83 a month!

With speeds averaging 10Mb, you will be slightly limited in what you can do, making this the ideal plan for people just needing emails, general internet searches and basic streaming. But there's no getting away from the fact that this is ridiculously cheap for home internet.

We've listed everything you need to know about the UK's cheapest broadband plan below. However, if the speeds are a major deal breaker for you, see what the best fibre broadband deals around look like.

This cheap Plusnet broadband deal in full:

What other broadband deals are available right now?

Not a fan of the Plusnet broadband deal above? Not to worry, there are a number of other great options if you're willing to spend a bit more.

Vodafone's Superfast fibre 2 plan seems like the obvious choice for anyone needing fibre, coming in at just £23 a month. That's the same cost as Vodafone's cheaper fibre plan, effectively getting you a free boost to your speeds.

Or, if you're looking for something from BT, it's Fibre Essential plan will be the way to go right now. It offers speeds averaging 36Mb at a price of just £24.99 - a cost below what we usually see from BT.

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Apple sale at Best Buy: new year deals on iPad, MacBooks, Apple Watch and more

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 07:37 AM PST

Start off the new year with a discounted Apple device from Best Buy. The retailer's Apple Event sale is happening now and includes price cuts on several best-selling Apple products like iPads, MacBooks, AirPods, smartwatches, and more.

Best Buy's top Apple deals include the latest model iPad on sale for $279, a $200 discount on the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, and the 2019 Apple AirPods with Charging Case on sale for $144.59. You can also find bargains on Apple's smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 4 with cellular on sale for $379, and the all-new Apple Watch Series 5 on sale for $384.

Shop more of Best Buy's top discounts below and keep in mind, these are limited-time offers, so you should take advantage now before it's too late.

Apple deals:

Shop more Apple deals with our roundup of the best cheap Apple Watch prices and the best iPad deals.

You can also see more of the best cheap MacBook sale prices and deals that are happening now.

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