Apple : Google IO 2020: Despite cancellation, here's the Android 11, Google Pixel 4a and other news to expect |
- Google IO 2020: Despite cancellation, here's the Android 11, Google Pixel 4a and other news to expect
- Cisco offers free Webex licenses to deal with coronavirus
- Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream: how to watch the FA Cup 5th round right now
- Google IO 2020 has been canceled over coronavirus, though it might live on digitally
- Best Gaming TV 2020: the 5 best 4K TVs for gaming on Xbox One and PS4
- The next Samsung Buds could be workout-tracking fitness earbuds
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| Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:07 PM PST Google IO 2020 (the company’s annual developer conference) was still months away from its planned May 12-14 run, but Google cancelled it anyway out of concern over the coronavirus. What that means for all the news we expected to hear is uncertain - but the show might go on in a different way. On March 3, Google formally cancelled the physical event: On the official Google IO 2020 page, the company assured that everyone who bought tickets would get a full refund by March 13, 2020, and those who registered this year's show would be given the option next year to buy tickets for Google IO 2021. But that might not be the end for Google IO 2020: Google specifically cancelled the physical event, clarifying on its site that: "Over the coming weeks, we will explore other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with our developer community." This could mean the conference could still happen as an online-only event, which Google has already done for its Cloud Next event. They'll have to announced the news somehow - and there's tons of it headed our way. Whether in an online session or at a separate announcement, we’re expecting to see plenty that Android fans should be interested in – most notably the reveal of Android 11. There’s also a high chance that the Google Pixel 4a and Google Pixel 4a XL will be unveiled then, and we may even see the long-rumored Google Pixel Watch, among many other things. So in other words, Google IO isn’t just for developers. Below we’ve highlighted all the things that we know or expect we’re going to see then, along with some things that are longer shots but could well make an appearance. And we’ll be updating this article as more news and rumors pour in, so make sure to check back regularly. Android 11Android 11 is likely to be the biggest reveal during Google IO 2020 and we’re almost certain we’ll see it there, as Google tends to at least partially unveil its major Android updates at IO. That said, it probably won’t appear on phones until September or October, likely landing alongside the Google Pixel 5 range. Certain features also probably won’t be unveiled until after IO. So far we haven’t heard much about Android 11, but one thing we do know is coming is ‘Scoped Storage’, which changes the way apps access other files on your device, with a view to increasing speed and security. That’s not much to go on, but we should learn plenty more about Android 11 during IO 2020, and it’s likely that a developer beta will even be launched there. Google Pixel 4a / Pixel 4a XLWhile the Google Pixel 5 range probably won’t land until around October, there’s a high-chance that we’ll see the mid-range Google Pixel 4a and Google Pixel 4a XL during Google IO 2020, given that the Google Pixel 3a range was announced at Google IO 2019. You can think of these as more affordable alternatives to the main Pixel 4 handsets, though some sources reckon there won’t be an XL model, so we might only see one Pixel 4a. In any case, leaks suggest the 4a might actually have a fairly different design to the Pixel 4, with a punch-hole camera and a 3.5mm headphone port. It might also have 5G, which no current Pixel does. Not much else is known about the Google Pixel 4a yet, but it’s unlikely to have the Motion Sense feature from its pricier siblings, which to be honest is probably no great loss for most people. Wear OS updatesWear OS has felt a bit neglected, with no significant updates to the platform since the launch of Wear OS 2 in August 2018, but if Google is going to release a big new update then the software-focused IO is the obvious place for it to happen. We’re not actually expecting to see any big changes, as no such things have been rumored, so if you’re hoping for Wear OS 3 you’re probably going to be out of luck, but you never know. And it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the platform saw a smaller, more incremental update, though what it would include is anyone’s guess right now. At IO 2019, for reference, Google showed off the widget-like ‘Tiles’ feature. Google AssistantGoogle is always working on Assistant, and at IO 2019 it unveiled tech to make Google Assistant faster, along with a driving mode. For Google IO 2020 we’d expect more new features and improvements to be announced. Having said that, Google announced a whole bunch of new features – such as scheduled actions and a speed dial feature - at CES 2020 in January, so maybe some of them will be rolled out. Google SearchGoogle Search also got some love at IO 2019, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s further improved during Google IO 2020. We’re not sure yet what will change here, but for reference, Google added augmented reality (AR) images to search results at Google IO 2019. Other software updatesBeyond the things mentioned above, we’re likely to see updates and improvements to other key Google software, such as Maps and Duplex. Perhaps we’ll see Duplex more widely supported, while Maps may become more detailed or have other features added. That’s just speculation for now, but we’d be surprised if these or other key Google apps don’t get some sort of update. Google Pixel WatchWe’ve been hearing rumors about a Google Pixel Watch for years, and to be honest we don’t really expect it to land during Google IO 2020, but the company has shown off wearables from other companies in past years, so it’s possible. Right now we’re not entirely convinced the Pixel Watch even exists, and if it does, it may well not land until October alongside the Pixel 5 range, or maybe not even until next year. If it does land at Google IO 2020 though then we might also see a bigger Wear OS update than we’re expecting, as it would make sense for Google to launch its first smartwatch with exciting new software. New smart home devicesFrom speakers to screens to cameras, we could see a variety of new smart home devices during Google IO 2020. At IO 2019 we saw the Google Nest Hub Max smart display, but Google has its fingers in many smart home pies, including the Nest Hello doorbell, Google Nest Wi-Fi, and the Google Nest Mini speaker, plus smart thermostats, smoke alarms and more. So we may see new entries in any of these product lines, or maybe smart versions of other devices altogether. Google StadiaGoogle Stadia (the company’s game streaming service) is already here, but currently only ‘Stadia Pro’ is available – meaning you need a subscription to use the service, rather than just being able to buy the games. That will be changing at some point in 2020, so it’s possible that Google will use IO 2020 to launch the ‘free’ tier. There are also some promised features that are currently absent, such as ‘Crowd Play’, which will let you join a streamer’s game at the press of a button. So this or other features might launch at Google IO 2020. We might also see new exclusive games announced or launched for the platform. Perhaps most excitingly, we might see Stadia opened up to non-Pixel phones. We know this is happening at some point, and it’s one of the main selling points of the platform. Google Play PassGoogle Play Pass, like Google Stadia, is already here, but currently it’s only available in the US. We know it’s only a matter of time before it will launch elsewhere, so perhaps Google IO will be the venue where its reach is widened. We wouldn’t be surprised if Google also announces all sorts of new content for its Apple Arcade-like game and app subscription service. Augmented and virtual realityAR and VR have been very up and down over the last few years, but we wouldn’t be surprised if we see new developments in these fields during Google IO 2020. One obvious thing we might see is improvements to ARCore – the development kit Google created that allows AR experiences to be built for Android and other platforms. VR announcements are perhaps less likely, given Google has largely abandoned its VR headsets, but you never know. 5GWhile many 5G networks and the first 5G phones arrived in 2019, it’s during this year that we’re expecting 5G to really start getting big – 5G phones will likely become more affordable and 5G networks should start becoming much more widespread. As such, we’d expect the likes of Google to start looking at 5G too. The Pixel 4a above is rumored to come in a 5G flavor, but we might also see Google announce apps and software features that take advantage of the speed of 5G.
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| Cisco offers free Webex licenses to deal with coronavirus Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:29 PM PST In an effort to help out businesses affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak, Cisco has added additional features to its free Webex accounts and the company is also offering free 90-day business licenses. While some companies are requiring their employees to work remotely after traveling internationally, others such as Twitter have asked all employees to do so if possible. Remote working has seen increased adoption over the past few years but the coronavirus outbreak has led many organizations to accelerate their plans to offer employees the option to work from home. To help make the transition easier, Cisco has enhanced its free Webex accounts with additional features to make working remotely easier. Previously, free Cisco Webex accounts only allowed users to host meetings with up to 50 participants for 40 minutes.
Now free accounts will allow users to host meetings with up to 100 participants for an unlimited amount of time. Additionally, Cisco is offering toll dial-in numbers to complement the existing VoIP capabilities of Webex. Webex licensesIn addition to enhancing its free Webex offering, Cisco has also decided to provide free 90-day Webex licenses to businesses through its partners and sales team. SVP and GM of the Team Collaboration group at Cisco, Sri Srinivasan explained how the company is working to help out businesses during this trying time in a blog post, saying: “We’re also proactively expanding our worldwide meeting capacity, scaling up further in the United States and Europe, working with non-governmental organizations to enable schools (among other use cases), while partnering closely with our customers who are rapidly scaling up their work from home efforts.” If you live in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, or Vietnam, you're eligible to sign up for a free Webex account in order to help you stay productive while working remotely during the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream: how to watch the FA Cup 5th round right now Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:13 PM PST Chelsea vs Liverpool live updates: it's now 2-0 to Chelsea in this FA Cup 5th round tie against Liverpool. The second-half is well underway and the Blues look comfortable following a goal from Willian in the 13th minute and a superb strike from Ross Barkley in the 64th. Can the Reds pull off a miracle? Or have Frank Lampard's Blues sealed the deal. Our original article and full details of how to watch a Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream today can be found below. Today's huge Chelsea vs Liverpool kick-off is now upon us and there's little to separate the two sides on paper. Jurgen Klopp's men saw their unbeaten league run end at the weekend, so the Reds will want to return to winning ways at Stamford Bridge in this crunch FA Cup 5th round tie - don't miss a goal, tackle, or controversial VAR challenge by watching all the action as it happens with our Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream guide. The Merseyside club have looked decidedly fallible in recent weeks, with Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Watford coming after narrow wins over relegation battlers Norwich and West Ham in the Premier League. Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid also got the better of Liverpool in the Champions League, so the pressure could finally be getting to the Reds as we reach the business end of the season. Hosts Chelsea have also been experiencing a sticky patch. The Blues played out a disappointing 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth over the weekend having been thrashed 3-0 by Bayern Munich mid-week in the Champions League. In fact, they've gone eight games without a clean sheet and have let in at least two goals in five of their last seven matches. With a raft of injuries, Blues boss Frank Lampard will be playing something of a second string out of necessity. Christian Pulisic, N’golo Kante, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Tammy Abraham all unavailable due to injury, so a number of Chelsea's starting XI won't be able to turn out as usual. In addition, Jorginho is suspended, so it will be interest to see how Chelsea's lineup takes shape. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has used the tournament thus far as an opportunity to rotate his squad and will likely do so again here, despite Sunday's shock result. Can Liverpool keep their treble bid on track, or will Lampard's Chelsea end another Red run? They did just that the last time the two sides met in the competition - the 2012 FA Cup final, which Chelsea won 2-1 thanks to a match-winning goal from club legend Didier Drogba. We'll talk you through the best ways to watch the FA Cup 5th round action in the UK and the rest of the world below, so you can ensure you can find a Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream that's reliable and easy to access. Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream: watch the FA Cup 5th round in the UK for free right nowWatch Chelsea vs Liverpool: live stream the FA Cup from outside your country right nowIn the US? Then keep scrolling, as we have your viewing options below...spoiler alert, you'll need an ESPN+ subscription. And footy fans in Canada and Australia can also see who's broadcasting today's big FA Cup 5th round match for them. But if you're abroad for the game and find that you can't watch your home coverage online because it is geo-blocked, we have a handy alternative to allow you to watch as if you were back on your couch back home. How to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool: live stream the FA Cup in the US
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| Google IO 2020 has been canceled over coronavirus, though it might live on digitally Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:57 PM PST Google IO 2020, which was slated to run from May 12-14, has been canceled over coronavirus concerns. The physical event, anyway, as it might live on in digital form. "Over the coming weeks, [Google] will explore other ways to evolve Google IO to best connect with our developer community" according to an official statement emailed to confirmed attendees, which tech expert Nate Harris tweeted (below): The Google Developers twitter account swiftly followed up with a tweet of its own confirming the cancellation of the physical event, and pointed to the official Google IO 2020 site which posted the same statement that was previously emailed out to attendees. To offset the commerce shortfall from the cancelled event, Google is reportedly pledging $1 million to local organizations in Mountain View, which will support small businesses and, curiously, also go toward efforts to increase STEM and computer science opportunities in Mountain View schools, according to TechCrunch. What's the digital alternative?While this means a physical event won't be held, Google IO 2020 could still go on as a digital conference - an emerging alternative as the threat of a spreading coronavirus has pushed events like MWC 2020 to cancel outright and GDC 2020 to be indefinitely postponed. Nvidia GTC 2020, for instance, will have all its panels and keynotes streamed digitally according to its original schedule. Heck, even Google's own Cloud Next switched to an online-only show, along with other enterprise events like Microsoft MVP and Adobe Summit. Rather than cancel, conferences are scrambling to go virtual. Whether Google opts to do the same with IO is unclear, as they've assured that anyone who purchased tickets will get a full refund by March 13, 2020, per the statement. Those who had registered for this year's show will be able to buy tickets for next year's Google IO 2021. As recently as February 28, Google confirmed to Verge executive editor Dieter Bohn that Google IO 2020 would still be held physically, and had been notifying ticket winners in the days leading up. But with more corporations pulling out of events over coronavirus concerns, it's possible Google saw the writing on the wall and chose to give attendees more notice for IO - before they did it anyway as the virus spreads. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best Gaming TV 2020: the 5 best 4K TVs for gaming on Xbox One and PS4 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:56 PM PST While we don't have every detail surrounding the PS5 and Xbox Series X, what we can say for sure is that they're going to look better on one of the best gaming TVs than a first-gen HD flatscreen - due to their native 4K support. Why should you be on the hunt for the best TVs for gaming? And what makes a TV better for gaming than, say, watching a movie? It all comes down to 4K resolution, High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, and lower input lag thanks to new Auto Low-Latency Modes and support for video sync technology like AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. If you plan on hooking up your PC to your TV, you'll want one or both of these technologies. If this is your first time buying a TV, we'll help walk you through all the key specs you need to know about and we'll recommend a few of our favorite TVs that we use at home as our primary screens for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Best TVs for gaming at a glanceEven more reasons to upgrade your gaming TVIf you're looking for one of the best TVs for gaming, it's important to find out what a TV actually needs to be able to do to unlock its full gaming potential. For starters, the most basic requirement is 4K. Resolution revolution: The Xbox One S outputs all of its games in 4K, which is achieved via surprisingly good built-in upscaling. The PS4 Pro outputs games in 4K too, using a mix of upscaling and in-game enhancement. The Xbox One X, meanwhile, has been designed with enough power to drive more games than ever before with native, game engine-integrated 4K support. Yes, you can still get non-4K Xbox One and PS4 consoles, and the Nintendo Switch isn’t interested in 4K either. And yes, non-4K games will have to be upscaled by a 4K TV, so won’t be totally ‘pure’. However, upscaling is remarkably good on the best 4K TVs now, and can be done without adding significant delay to the time it takes a TV to render pictures. 4K resolution can be transformative, especially on big screens. And basically 4K is just the way everything is going now (both in the gaming and video worlds), so not being set up for it with your new TV just doesn’t make sense. Change your range: Sitting right alongside 4K in today’s video world is high dynamic range (HDR) technology. This delivers pictures with a much wider light range than the standard dynamic range pictures we’ve been living with for decades in a bid to get the pictures we’re seeing on our screens looking closer to the way our eyes see the real world. The Xbox One S supports HDR on some of its games, and via some of its streaming apps. The same situation applies for both the PS4 and PS4 Pro, and naturally the Xbox One X will deliver HDR too. Most people would say that HDR done well delivers more impact than 4K, especially on small screens. The only problem is that HDR puts a lot of pressure on a TV, since it demands both much more brightness than SDR, and better contrast so that the extra brightness and deeper blacks can potentially share the screen simultaneously. In fact, HDR done badly can look worse than SDR done decently well; something to think about if you’re considering buying a very cheap TV. Let there be light! One of the most important elements of a good HDR performance is brightness. Many movies and games target 1000 nits or so for their brightest elements, so if you have a TV less bright than that it won’t unlock HDR’s full potential. Especially in a video game environment, where graphics can be more stark in contrast terms than ‘real life’ tends to be. It’s perfectly possible for TVs to deliver great HDR pictures without reaching 1000 nits and more of brightness. This is particularly true with OLED screens, for instance. But the darker a screen, the harder its processing is going to have to work to try and figure out how to resolve picture information in HDR areas above its capabilities. Lag? Lame! If you’re a really serious gamer - especially when it comes to reaction-based online games - you need to care about input lag: The time it takes for a particular TV to render image data received at its inputs. Obviously you’re looking for low numbers if you don’t want to be shot in the face by an opponent your TV hasn’t even shown yet! Again, manufacturers don’t tend to provide input lag figures in their provided specifications. However, we generally measure input lag on the TVs we test. Also, I’ve provided the input lag measurements for all of our recommended TVs. Roger that – over and out: Sound design has always played an integral part in a great gaming experience. It’s getting taken to another level these days, though, with the arrival of surround sound gaming. In fact, the Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles even support Dolby Atmos: Dolby’s most advanced sound system yet, which introduces a height channel and ‘object based’ precision to the soundstage. With impressively good timing, LG is about to roll out support for Dolby Atmos over HDMI to its 2017 OLED TVs (some of which ship with integrated sound bars) any moment now. Also, while integrated Atmos support isn’t found elsewhere yet, this year has seen a surge in TVs featuring really powerful sound systems. So unless you’re thinking of investing in an external sound system, it will certainly pay you to have sound as well as picture quality in mind when you buy your gaming TV. Things to pay attention to are whether speakers are facing forwards (as this will almost always give you a more direct, clean sound); rated power output; whether there’s a dedicated bass speaker (often found on a TV’s rear); built-in soundbars; and the number of individual speakers used.
The best gaming TVs of 2020OK, now that the essential buying advice done and you're an AV expert, let’s now pick out our selection of the best gaming TVs you can currently buy, taking in a combination of price and sheer quality. Image Credit: Samsung While we'd really love to recommend Samsung's higher-end Q90R flagship QLED TV as the best gaming TV - it's really not a practical purchase for most gamers on a tighter budget. What we'd recommend instead is the Samsung Q70R QLED TV that has many of the Q90R's best features at a price more in line with what a gamer would be willing to pay for a new TV. That said, despite sitting lower down in the QLED line-up, the Q70R includes the same comprehensive smart platform, extensive connections, and cutting-edge features found further up the range. This isn’t the flashiest-looking TV that Samsung has ever made, but if your funds are limited the Q70 is a bright, bold and beautiful 4K QLED screen that’s worth checking out. Read the review: Samsung Q70R QLED TV Image Credit: LG While the LG B9 OLED doesn’t have nearly as much HDR-friendly brightness as Samsung's QLED lineup, it’s stunning when it comes to the other end of the brightness story, delivering gorgeously rich, deep black colours completely free of the sort of clouding issues that LCD TVs suffer with. Also, while OLED can’t yet go as measurably bright as LCD, the way the darkest pixel in an OLED picture can sit right next to the brightest with no contamination between the two gives the C9 OLED a lovely luminous quality that’s particularly effective during dark game settings. Gamers, meanwhile, will be delighted to hear that unlike its previous two predecessors, the B9 OLED no longer dims the picture down heavily when running in its low-latency HDR Game mode. It also supports 120fps gaming at HD resolutions, full 4:4:4 PC colour, and a superbly low input lag figure of under 20ms. Read the review: LG B9 OLED Image Credit: Sony The Sony X950G - called the Sony XG95 in the UK and X95G in Australia - hits the sweet spot between price and visual performance, offering just enough visual panache to warrant its mid-range price point. While other TVs seem to use their inordinate brightness without discrimination, making most content bright for the sake of brightness, the X950G saves its peak brightness levels for the most intense HDR scenes, making games like Spider-Man on the PS4 Pro look amazing. Short and sweet, it's a brilliant mid-priced 4K TVs that work nicely with Sony's consoles. Every one of the improvements Sony has introduced over and above last year’s already excellent X900F series – better processing, more brightness, slightly more backlight dimming zones, improved motion performance – delivers the goods, resulting in picture quality that humbles many more expensive TVs. Read the full review: Sony BRAVIA X950G / XG95 Image Credit: Samsung If your living room - and budget - can't handle a 65-inch TV, take a look at the truly spectacular RU8000 Series that was made for gamers. With crazy low input lag of around 6ms with Variable Refresh Rate, this is about as responsive as a TV can be. It's also great for sports, too, thanks to its above-average motion handling. So why is it lower on our list? It doesn't do the best job upscaling content and it has a lower peak brightness than Samsung's QLED Series, which can all make HDR-compatible games look truly breathtaking. That said, if you're sticking to FPS games or sports games like FIFA and Madden, this is probably the 4K gaming TV for you. Image Credit: LG If your gaming TV budget is limited and you haven't found anything on our list yet, LG's basic-but-good UM7300 Series will fill that space on the entertainment center without cleaning out your bank account. Like the Samsung RU8000 Series right above it, the LG UM7300 has an incredible response time of around 15ms as well as support for HDR10 (the HDR that the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro use). It's not going to make your 4K movie collection look great nor will it offer the most expansive smart platform on the market, but if you just need a barebones TV that can make your games look great, this one's for you. Budget Gaming TVs for Your RegionImage Credit: TCL If you have deep pockets and a checkbook filled with blank checks, we’d tell you to reach deep and shell out for only the best 4K TVs on the market – LG’s crazy-thin OLED W8 or Samsung’s ultra-bright Q9FN QLED. But that’s not always realistic: for the vast, vast majority of us, our budget to spend on a 4K UHD TV is limited to somewhere under $1,000 – and often it's even less than that. To that end, it’s absolutely fair to say that the TCL 6-Series is the best TV you can possibly get in this price range. Its performance per dollar is unmatched and its picture quality – despite a few minor flaws – will truly impress you. Said simply, if there’s a better value 4K TV on the market, we’ve yet to see it. Read the full review: TCL 6-Series (R615, R617) Image Credit: Panasonic With the TX-50GX800, Panasonic has taken the 4K HDR market by the scruff of the neck and given it a vigorous shake. It ushers in Dolby Vision HDR, once the preserve of high-end premium screens, into the mainstream, and doesn’t discriminate against rival dynamic metadata standard HDR10+ either. So what makes this set so great for gamers? Well, input lag measures just 10.2ms in the dedicated Game mode, for starters, and while it doesn't produce the brightest images on the planet, sport-loving gamers will appreciate the truly crisp images brought about the Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) processing engine. A little more buying advice for the road...If you want to learn more about shopping for gaming TVs, we've added a bit more info below. Read on to level up your AV knowledge skill! Bits and B.O.B.s: Connected to the HDR point, you might want to think about your gaming TV’s bit depth. The best HDR experience requires a 10-bit screen able to support 1024 values of each RGB colour - otherwise you will get an inferior colour performance, including, possibly, colour striping where you should see subtle blends. Most premium HDR TVs these days are 10-bit, but it’s far from a given at the relatively affordable end of the TV market. The Xbox One S and PS4 consoles automatically assess the bit-depth of your TV and select the optimum HDR video output accordingly. The Xbox One S even provides a description of your TV’s capabilities under 4K TV Details in its Advanced Video Settings menu. The Xbox One X will presumably do the same. To be clear, it’s entirely possible for an 8-bit TV to deliver a good HDR colour performance if they have a strong video processing engine. But 10-bit panels certainly have an immediate advantage. One other point to add here is that some TVs - including high-end Samsung models - actually support 12-bit colour management/processing, even though their panels are only natively 10-bit. The Xbox One S and presumably Xbox One X both provide Colour Depth boxes in their Video Fidelity settings that let you select the maximum bit performance for your particular TV. Colour purity: Another advanced setting but important thing to consider for the ultimate gaming visuals is chroma subsampling. This video compression term refers to a TV’s colour purity, and is usually written in such terms as 4:4:4 and 4:2:0. These numbers reveal how many pixels colour is sampled from in the top and bottom rows for every two rows of four pixels. So with 4:2:0, for instance, colour is being sampled from two pixels in the top row and no pixels in the bottom row. From this it follows that the bigger the numbers are, the purer the colour performance will be, as there’s less ‘guesstimating’ of what colours should look like. The problem is, full 4:4:4 colour support requires a lot of extra image data, and so cannot be handled by the HDMI connections or processing of all TVs. In truth, the differences in picture quality between 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 and even 4:2:0 aren’t usually enormous. They can be more pronounced with gaming graphics than video, though, so it’s worth trying to check what a TV you’re thinking of buying can support - even though it’s not information regularly carried in TV spec lists. The latest consoles are pretty good at detecting the optimum chroma subsampling a TV can support, automatically adjusting their outputs according. It’s something that can cause annoying ‘handshaking’ issues with some TVs, though, so both the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro now provide subsampling ‘limiter’ options in their video output menus (‘Enable 4:2:2’ on the Xbox One S, and 2160 YUV4:2:0 on the PS4 Pro). Frame rate handling: Now that the Xbox One X is almost here and promising native 4K resolution games running at 60 frames a second, make sure that whatever TV you buy has the latest specification HDMI sockets. If it doesn’t have at least one HDMI socket built to the v2.0a specification, it won’t be able to receive 4K resolution at anything higher than 30 frames a second. Fortunately far more of this year’s 4K TVs do feature HDMI 2.0a sockets than in previous years, but it’s still something that’s worth double checking - especially if you’re buying a particularly cheap TV. The new HDMI 2.1 standard will no doubt become the benchmark for high-end gaming in time, but we're yet to see it really rolled out across commercially-available sets.
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| The next Samsung Buds could be workout-tracking fitness earbuds Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:38 PM PST Samsung’s next earbuds might be tuned for fitness - and, if this early report is to be believed, called ‘Bean.’ Whether that’s a codename or a working name is unclear, but it seems these ‘Bean’ earbuds will also be able to track workouts and have their own fitness coach feature. That’s according to an alleged trademark request Samsung filed in Europe, which was spotted by LetsGoDigital and uploaded here. Here’s the trademark’s description: “Samsung Bean trademark description: Wearable wireless earsets primarily comprised of an MP3 player; wireless earsets incorporating a sensor for detecting whether the earset is on or off; wireless earsets incorporating software for providing a fitness guide; wireless earsets incorporating software for measuring distance, speed, time, changes in heart rate, activity level, calories burned; earphones.” Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus... Plus?If we were to speculate, this looks like it could be a successor to the 2018 Samsung Gear IconX sports earbuds. In addition to a very pre-Samsung Galaxy Buds design, the IconX were IP67 water- and dust-resistant and packed 4GB of onboard storage - something the ‘Bean’ might also include, if that’s what ‘an MP3 player’ in the trademark description is referring to. That said, they could borrow some design specs from the Galaxy Buds Plus - like the better battery life and dual-driver woofer/tweeter combo. The Gear IconX’s shorter 5-hour battery life didn’t impress us, but given the 11-hour playtime in the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, which just arrived alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 phone series, we’re more optimistic about the performance of these ‘Bean’ fitness earbuds. Everything else - from design to compatibility to fitness features - is anybody’s guess as we wait to see if this trademark results in a real product. Via PhoneArena
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| Apple may have a 14-inch MacBook Pro coming later this year, Kuo suggests Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:03 PM PST Apple has done away with the 15-inch MacBook Pro in favor of the bigger MacBook Pro 16-inch, and now it seems likely Apple will do the same screen stretching for its smaller model by introducing a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro. This prediction comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, 9to5Mac reports. Apple's MacBook Pro 16-inch wasn't a fundamental redesign of the 15-inch model, but did bring the design into the modern era of thin-bezels. It's natural that Apple would make the same move with its smaller model, and Kuo anticiaptes the update to come out this year. The 14-inch MacBook Pro may still be waiting, though, as earlier rumors have suggested a revised 13-inch MacBook Pro is still on its way. That model would get the scissor switch keyboard of the 16-inch model and put Apple's troubled butterfly key switches to rest. Presumably, the ensuing 14-inch MacBook Pro would then get the same, improved keyboard. That would be great news for MacBook Pro users, as the keyboard on the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the best we've experienced on the family of laptops.
Other improvements and familyKuo didn't mention a specific release window for the new MacBook Pro, but he doesn't believe it will be the only product launching. Rather, the 14-inch MacBook Pro will be part of a suite of new Apple products that will feature mini-LED dispay technology. In addition to 14-inch MacBook Pro, Kuo suggests a revised 16-inch MacBook Pro, a new iMac Pro, and three new iPad from Pro to Mini. All six devices are expected to have mini-LED displays. The new display technology has the potential to increase the color gamut, contrast ratio, dynamic range, and power efficiency of Apple's displays. For portable devices, that's a valuable improvement, and it could come alongside thinner panels. It's not just visuals that are expected to improve with the next iterations of the MacBook Pro. Leaked benchmarks have also shown the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 10th-Gen Intel Ice Lake processors. Those benchmarks came from a leaker who also spotted the MacBook Pro 16-inch in advance of its release. And, if the next revision of the 13-inch MacBook Pro gets Ice Lake processors, it's a solid bet any 14-inch version would as well. That is, unless Apple Macs switch to AMD. Kuo doesn't expect the recent outbreak of the Corona Virus will impact Apple's ability to deliver these new products in 2020, either.
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| The Fisker Ocean has a solar roof that provides 1,000 miles of future-proof power Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:57 AM PST No one quite knows what the future holds. In light of the coronavirus outbreak, climate change, and fears about stock market plunges and economic downturns, there are serious questions about the power grid, whether gas prices can remain stable, and the global economy. I happen to think many of these claims are overblown. The flu season – both the common flu and a serious contagion like coronavirus – tends to dissipate around March and April as people start breathing fresh air and opening up their windows. Markets tend to stabilize over time, even if the current dips seem shocking and unpredictable. In terms of automotive technology, all signs point to new innovations that will help us break free from the economic cycles that we’ve known for decades. While the threats are real and should be taken seriously, there is also a view that innovative new technologies can at least help mitigate against what is happening in global economies and with fuel prices. One recent example of this is the upcoming Fisker Ocean all-electric luxury sport-utility vehicle. A brilliantly-styled and sporty full-sized transport, the Ocean lasts about 300 miles on a charge – which is quite impressive considering you can pack in the entire family. What impressed me most about the vehicle has to do with the roof. Fisker recently announced that the solar roof is capable of generating about 1,000 extra miles per year, all without having to connect to any power source other than the sun. While a few companies like Toyota have experimented with solar charging using the roof, it’s been underwhelming. Their efforts were only capable of providing a little extra cooling and isn’t related to adding range. With the Ocean, the solar roof extends from the front all the way to the back (instead of only a small section for solar cells). And, it directly provides power to the electric motor. It’s true that 1,000 miles added per year only adds 83 miles per month, but it’s still impressive – from my calculations, it means adding perhaps 10-15 miles per charge. (This depends on how often you charge, how you drive, and the total range you obtain from the battery.) Cleaner milesI can only imagine how this might work in the future. The Fisker Ocean uses recycled materials and is one of the most environmentally-friendly vehicles around – it debuted recently and there is now video footage that shows the car on the open road. My eyes caught a glimpse of the solar roof as well, which is optional on the Ocean (how much it adds to the cost is not clear). As you drive, the solar panels collect energy that is relayed to the battery. Modern cars have been dependent on fossil fuels for decades. When you do purchase an electric car, there’s still a trade-off because your EV charger at home or at a public place still has to generate the power somehow. With solar, the energy collection is slow, but at least there is some carbon offset. When you collect energy from the solar roof, there is a more 'pure' transfer of power, not just an offset in how the power is collected and distributed. That’s the real future of driving -- being able to collect energy and use it on the vehicle you’re driving simultaneously. Fisker has also claimed that hardware will evolve over time, stating in the car’s press release: “As the technology evolves, Fisker will feature integrated hardware solutions for better energy yields and more free, clean miles per year.” We can’t wait. On The Road is TechRadar's regular look at the futuristic tech in today's hottest cars. John Brandon, a journalist who's been writing about cars for 12 years, puts a new car and its cutting-edge tech through the paces every week. One goal: To find out which new technologies will lead us to fully self-driving cars. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| e-Crime is the top threat businesses are facing Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:05 AM PST New research from CrowdStrike has revealed that ransomware remained the top threat targeting businesses last year followed by banking trojans and malware downloaders. The cybersecurity firm's 2020 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report found that financially motivated cybercrime activity occurred on a nearly continuous basis last year. CrowdStrike observed an uptick in the number of ransomware incidents, advancements in the tactics being used by cybercriminals and increasing ransom demands from eCrime actors. These cybercriminals have also begun conducting data exfiltration with the aim of weaponizing sensitive data through threats of leaking either embarrassing or proprietary information.
Nation-state adversaries were also quite active throughout 2019 and they targeted a wide range of industries. CrowdStrike's report found that the telecommunications industry was targeted with increased frequency by threat actors such as China and North Korea. CrowdStrike Intelligence believes that China and other nations have an interest in targeting this sector in order to steal intellectual property and competitive intelligence. eCrimeAccording to the report, the trend toward malware-free tactics also accelerated last year with malware-free attacks surpassing the volume of malware attacks. In 2019, 51 percent of attacks used malware-free techniques compared to 40 percent in 2018 and this underscores the need for businesses to move beyond traditional antivirus solutions. When it came to ransomware attacks, the industries targeted include local governments and municipalities, academic institutions, the technology sector, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services and media companies. To combat threats from sophisticated nation-state and eCrime adversaries, CrowdStrike recommends that businesses adopt the 1-10-60 rule. Essentially what this means is that organizations should be able to detect intrusions in under one minute, investigate in 10 minutes and contain and eliminate the adversary in 60 minutes. Organizations that meet this benchmark are much more likely to eradicate threats before they can spread from their initial entry point. Vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike, Adam Meyers provided further insight on the findings of the firm's report, saying: "2019 brought an onslaught of new techniques from nation-state actors and an increasingly complex eCrime underground filled with brazen tactics and massive increases in targeted ransomware demands. As such, modern security teams must employ technologies to detect, investigate and remediate incidents faster with swift preemptive countermeasures, such as threat intelligence, and follow the 1-10-60 rule."
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| Kubernetes is not a silver bullet Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:00 AM PST For DevOps engineers, Kubernetes is the greatest thing since sliced bread: “It's an amazing tool that can solve most of your needs,” reiterates Ihor Dvoretskyi, Developer Advocate at the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), “but it doesn't solve everything.” Speaking to TechRadar Pro at the Kubernetes Forum in Delhi, India, about the pitfalls of the orchestration tool that’s taken the world by storm, Ihor says that lack of due diligence is one of the major mistakes that people make while adopting cloud native technologies like Kubernetes. “It may happen that for your specific environment, for specific purposes and for your specific infrastructure, for example, it's not exactly what you would require.” Ihor is quick to add that Kubernetes is not just a solid and monolithic technology, it's highly customisable, and flexible enough to be adopted to various needs: “There's an extremely high chance that if you are evaluating Kubernetes for your purposes it will be useful for you. But again, please start to evaluate it from a technical standpoint and not just because someone told you that some people are using Kubernetes and you should go with it as well.”
Right startIhor credits Kuberenetes’ flexibility to the decisions the project took in its early days, specifically packing the basic but fundamental functionality in a core, leaving enough scope for people to extend it. He points to the container runtime interface, container storage interface, container network interface or customers resource definitions as examples: “So with all these items, you still receive the same basic set of APIs for any kind of Kubernetes deployment in the world, but it can be customised to your needs.” Moving forward, Ihor says that the primary focus for the project is stability. Back in the days the project had lots of alpha features that served as a good showcase but at the same time hindered adoption at the enterprise level. The focus now, reaffirms Ihor, is to make sure that most of the functionality in Kubernetes is consumable by all kinds of users in any kind of environment. Despite the fact that Kubernetes has a vibrant community, Ihor, who in many aspects is the eyes and ears of the CNCF, says that strengthening the community is one of the major goals for the Kubernetes project. He underlines his statement by pointing to various good open source projects with a solid code base that offered amazing functionality but failed to build a solid community around them, which had an adverse effect on their adoption. Become boringIhor’s mandate extends to projects beyond the list of graduated and incubated projects at the CNCF. He points to the KubeFlow project as an example that he’d been tracking for the last couple of years: “I even had some conversations with some people around two years ago and we made the prediction that machine learning is the next future for all even for the Kuberenetes as a platform for new workloads.” Talking long-term, Ihor says he wants the five-year old project to become the plumbing of distributed systems and be omnipresent like Linux: “The general direction of Kubernetes is just to be everywhere and to become the default solution for running containerised workloads.”
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| Unlimited data SIM only deals: Three has the competition licked at the moment Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:05 AM PST It frequently feels like Three just really likes sitting upon the unlimited data SIM throne. Every time something else steps up, Three is there ready to drop prices and regain its title. And now it seems to be taking it a step further, now offering two separate market-leading unlimited data SIM only deals. The first offers you that unlimited cap at a price of just £18 a month, the second comes in at £22. Reading that, you would instantly assume the £18 option is the way to go, right? Well Three has a trick up its digital sleeve, offering half-price bills on its £22 a month plan. That means for half of your contract, you pay just £11 each month. Whichever plan you choose, Three seems to be sitting comfortably with the best SIM only deals. However, one other retailer - Smarty Mobile - has some pretty strong competition. You can see both Three's plans and the best of Smarty below.
Three's unlimited data SIM only deals:What can Smarty Mobile offer?Smarty Mobile is more expensive than Three when it comes to unlimited data, costing £20 a month. So why would you go for it instead? Simple, It runs on 1-month rolling contracts. Smarty will only cost a few quid more each month but gives you the freedom to back out at any time. And if £20 seems like a lot, it also offers some great prices on 30GB and 50GB plans.
Why go with Three?If you haven't already been won over by these amazing offers from Three then you'll be excited to hear that the network doesn't shy away from offering up some extra incentives as well. Whether that be free exclusive prizes or extra roaming. You can see all of best parts of a Three SIM only deal or Three mobile deals down below.
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| You can now get an £80 pre-paid credit card with BT's best fibre broadband deals Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:03 AM PST Good news - BT has brought back its stonking £80 Reward Card offer when you sign up for its best value fibre broadband deal. After a couple of weeks where BT removed the offer from its site, one of our favourite broadband deals of them all has come roaring back. So what does this offer look like? For only a tenner upfront and a monthly tariff of £28.99, you can get BT Superfast Fibre broadband - an introductory offer for new customers that saves you £168 over the regular price (usual price is £36.99/pm). BT advertises the plan with average speeds of 50Mb, which is more than enough for most bandwidth-hogging households. And then, on top of that, BT will even throw in a £80 Mastercard. If this highly-popular ISP is on your shortlist for your next fibre broadband deal, this will be the option to go for. However, operating on a 24 month contract, this won't be for everyone. If the contract length feels off-putting but you still want those fibre speeds, consult our guide to the best fibre broadband deals from the most competitive providers on the market.
BT's brand new broadband deals in full:What is a BT Reward Card?The Reward Card that BT sends out is a pre-paid credit card that you can use anywhere that accepts Mastercard. In short, that's around a million shops, cafes and restaurants around the world, so you shouldn't find it difficult to find places to spend, spend, spend. It's an old-fashioned chip and pin card, rather than contactless. But do make sure that you claim your Reward Card within three months of installation, otherwise you'll lose out on all that cash. Today's best broadband dealsThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| WhatsApp dark mode is finally here for everyone Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:01 AM PST WhatsApp dark mode is rolling out now for all Android and iOS users. After many months of speculation, hidden hints and beta testing, the new design is at last appearing on the screens of users around the world. “Dark mode for WhatsApp offers a fresh look on a familiar experience,” the company said in a blog post. “It’s designed to reduce eye strain in low light environments. And we hope it helps prevent those awkward moments where your phone lights up the room.”
Files in earlier beta releases suggested that the app might be getting two slightly different dark modes, possibly including one with an all-block background designed with OLED screens in mind, but the launch offers just one dark design. WhatsApp says its designers had two main priorities in mind when creating the inew interface – readability and information hierarchy – and spent time researching and testing to get them right. This meant choosing shades that would minimize eye fatigue, and were close to the system defaults on iPhone and Android. The team also made careful use of color and other design elements to make different elements stand out. I've come to talk with you again...To announce the launch, WhatsApp's parent company Facebook released a rather tongue-in-cheek video of users flinching in horror from bright screens, soundtracked by a rare, unreleased version of The Sound of Silence by Paul Simon, which you can watch below. The rollout is beginning on March 3 and will continue over the following days, so don’t be alarmed if you can’t see the option just yet. When you do receive it, enabling it is easy for both iOS and Android: simply tap ‘Settings’ followed by ‘Chats’ and use the switch to toggle the option on. If you’re using Android 10 or iOS 13, the app can also be set to respect your system settings. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best cheap TV sales and 4K TV deals in the UK in March 2020 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:51 AM PST Cheap 4K TV deals are becoming more and more popular, so there's never been a better time to shop for next-gen cheap TVs. You'll find a massive range of 4K TV deals on offer this week, with prices on some of our favourite models dropping even further as we roll into March. We've spotted some particularly stunning Philips Ambilight models on offer right now, starting at just £399, plus some particularly large models seeing lower prices, like the 70-inch Sharp 4K TV deal coming in at £599. We sort our cheap TV treasure by size, so you can head straight to the best dimensions for you where you'll find each set organised by price to keep that budget in check. 43-inch models start at just £269 this week, with the cheapest 50-inch display coming in at £299, and 60-85-inch TV deals starting at £429. Overall, we're seeing some stunning cheap 4K TV deals in this week's round-up. These cheap TVs are offering the latest in display technology, with awe-inspiring HDR and streamlined upscaling processing to make everything shine. We've got you covered if you're looking for TV deals in the US too. We've found fantastic prices on high-quality TV deals spanning a range of sizes, so you can find cheap TVs whether you're after a brand new display for your living room, kitchen, bedroom, or... bathroom? To be honest, at these prices you can put that 4K display wherever you damn well please, so sit back, relax and let us do the heavy lifting. We keep our eye on the latest TV deals throughout the year, so we're poised to find you the best price whenever the need to replace your old TV arises. We're fully behind the 4K TV movement too as a competitive market has seen prices reach affordable levels much quicker than when HD tellies first came around. One look at the prices below and you'll see what we mean. So much so, we've stopped covering the older standard HD TVs now seeing as Ultra HD TV deals are so cheap today. Finding you the best cheap TV dealWe've split our carefully curated 4K TV deals into different size categories immediately after our pick for cheap TV deal of the week. Whatever your budget, we're sure we can find something for you. Note: all of our selected TV sales highlights are for 4K/Ultra HD TVs and include a built-in freeview tuner as standard. Pretty much every deal comes with Smart TV functionality built-in along with HDR technology. If they don't, we'll clearly mention it. The best cheap TV deals you can buy todayExtra retailer cheap 4K TV sales links:Not found the right cheap TV for you today? Or maybe you'd prefer to directly browse the offers at your favourite retailers instead of our highlights of the best cheap TV deals? We're updating this page on a regular basis, so you may have better luck another day. If you want to take a look for yourself now though, here are the direct links to a the full collection of TV sales at multiple stores. More large screen 4K TV salesIf you're after more seriously large TV deals, we should warn you, they don't come cheap. However, if you want to see some more large screen TV deals -we're talking about 65 to 85-inch TVs- we'd recommend heading over to John Lewis, Currys and Amazon as they seem to stock more models than most UK retailers. If you'd like a headstart on some of the very finest TVs money can buy, be sure to take a look at our guides for the best 55-inch TV or if you're going large we've got the best 65-inch TV models covered too. How to tell if cheap TVs are worth itIt's easy to get lost in the price tag of cheap TVs, but it's worth remembering that you'll get what you pay for in display quality (barring a particularly awesome flash sale). That means a 4K TV offering you the world for under £200 is rarely going to be living up to expectation. On the other hand, even displays costing between £200 and £400 are often considered to be cheap TVs, so you'll want to make sure you're getting your money's worth with your new setup. That's where these TV deals come in handy - you can easily get features well above your price range included in your new cheap TV if you know when and where to deal hunt. Nowadays, you'll want to be picking up a 4K TV if you're looking to spend within this price range. Straight HD and HD-ready TV deals are still kicking around some retailers and, for the price you're paying for the previous wave of technology, you could well be picking up a 4K display instead. As the price scale rises, you'll be picking up higher pixel density, better colour differentiation, deeper dynamic range, and better upscaling from pricier units. It's worth checking out the various display specifications to make sure your cheap TV matches up to what others are offering at that particular price point. Or, you could let us do all of that for you with the 4K TV deals listed here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fitbit sale: the Fitbit Versa gets a $55 price cut at Walmart Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:31 AM PST Get in shape and save money with Fitbit's best-selling activity trackers that are currently on sale. Right now, you can get the Fitbit Versa on sale for $144 at Walmart. That's a $55 price cut and the best price we've found for the popular smartwatch. You can also get the Fitbit Alta HR on sale for $77 and the Charge 3 on sale for $119. Fitbit deals:You can find more Fitbit Versa offers with the best Fitbit Versa prices and sales that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AirPods Pro Lite: how can Apple cut the cost of its premium true wireless earbuds? Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:30 AM PST Apple is rumored to be launching a number of new headphones in 2020, including the first-ever pair of Apple over-ear headphones and the new Beats Powerbeats 4 – but the most interesting of Apple’s rumored new products are the AirPods Pro Lite. They’re said to be an entry-level version of the AirPods Pro, the brand’s most premium true wireless earbuds, which feature active noise cancellation and better sound than their predecessors, the 2019 Apple AirPods. These rumors have been circling ever since a report from DigiTimes claimed that the AirPods Pro Lite will launch in the first half of 2020, and it’s been speculated that they’ll be cheaper than the original AirPods Pro. But, if the 2019 AirPods are the brand’s current entry-level true wireless earbuds, where will the new AirPods Pro Lite fit into the picture? And can Apple truly offer a less-premium version of the Pros without losing the features that differentiate them from the original AirPods? What does 'Lite' even mean?The 2019 Apple AirPods are the most popular true wireless earbuds on the planet – and for good reason, with their no-frills minimalist Apple design, easy connectivity, and decent audio quality. They certainly aren’t the best true wireless earbuds you can buy (that honor goes to the Sony WF-1000XM3), but they might be the most accessible to the non-audiophiles among us – and they aren’t too pricey, either. When the AirPods Pro launched in late 2019, they brought premium features to the popular Apple earbuds, including an upgraded fit and active noise cancelation, a feature we’re seeing increasingly in true wireless earbuds in 2020. With those premium features came a premium price, with the AirPods Pro costing $249 / £249 / AU$399; that’s considerably more expensive than their predecessors, which start at $159 / £159 / AU$249. If the AirPods Pro Lite really are an entry-level version of the AirPods Pro, we’d expect them to be significantly cheaper than their pricey siblings. It’s entirely possible that the name AirPods Pro Lite is more literal than we thought; it could be that Lite refers entirely to the design, and that they’re simply a smaller version of the AirPods Pro, with a look that eschews the long ear stems which the AirPods popularized. There could be no change to the price at all. We don’t think that’s super-likely, though. Just take a look at other naming conventions in the world of tech; for example, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a cheaper and less high-spec version of the original Nintendo Switch. Other examples include the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and the Huawei P30 Lite, both cheaper, less premium versions of flagship smartphones. In the example of the Nintendo Switch Lite, the handheld games console retained its most important features (i.e, it can still play all the same games as the original Switch), offered a more portable design, but lost the ability to be played on a big screen or the convenience of detachable Joy-Con controllers. Why bother doing this? Well, it allowed Nintendo to attract customers who couldn’t afford the original Switch, which means more people buying their games, paying for their subscription service, and buying into the Nintendo ecosystem. Attracting more customersThe same strategy could benefit Apple immensely – but only if the brand can offer the AirPods Pro Lite at a lower price without losing the original Pro’s best feature, active noise cancelation. This was a true upgrade over the original AirPods, and signaled a shift in the true wireless earbuds market that means we can now expect to see features previously reserved for premium over-ear headphones in cordless models. We don’t see much point in Apple launching a new version of these earbuds without ANC, and we also think that the AirPods Pro Lite will probably sport a similar design to the current model. If Apple wants to give them a lower price, it doesn’t make sense for the company to spend lots of money making differently-shaped parts in its factories. Otherwise, Apple could keep costs down by using cheaper materials – though the largely plastic design of the AirPods Pro doesn’t really leave much wiggle room. Instead, we think it’s more likely that Apple will get rid of a non-essential premium feature: the Wireless Charging Case. Apple could offer two different price points as it does with the regular AirPods – this could knock about $40 / £40 off the price of the AirPods Pro based on the difference between paying for the AirPods with the standard charging case and the Wireless Charging Case. Of all the possibilities, we think this is the most likely, though we’ll have to wait and see. At this stage, we don’t even know whether the Apple AirPods Pro Lite truly exist – but if they do, a lower price without sacrificing too many of the things that we loved about the AirPods Pro could help Apple to continue to dominate the true wireless market in 2020. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nokia Time To Die: Bond-themed Nokia phone teased for March 19 launch Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:20 AM PST Because MWC 2020 was cancelled, loads of phone companies have been hosting replacement events to launch their new smartphones, and now we know when Nokia is set to show off its new phones. According to the 'save the date' sent around by the company, which you can see above, the product launch will happen on March 19 at 4pm GMT (11am ET, 8am PT). TechRadar has been invited to an event in London, and it seems other press outlets have too, but we're not sure if this is the global launch or just a European event, so there could be others around the world at the same time.
We were expecting to see the Nokia 10 launch at MWC as well as a few mid-range and/or budget devices, and there could be a clue confirming such phones in the invite: a recent leaked render for the former (although that refers to the Nokia 9.2, which could be the Nokia 10 – we're not sure as to the nomenclature just yet) showed a circular camera bump, which looks a lot like the white circle at the top of the invite. However, that white circle, the only distinguishing feature in an otherwise-minimalist flyer, could point to something else entirely... Is it the new Bond phone?Bond fans will be familiar with the 'gun barrel' opening sequence, which features a series of animated white circles, one of which becomes the barrel of a gun trained on Bond – Bond then spins round and dispatches the would-be assassin. In a tweet, Sarvikas both linked the Nokia phone save-the-date with the iconic Bond intro, and also (almost) named the upcoming 007 movie No Time To Die, tweeting 'No time to wait'. So it's certain that the Nokia event will feature something related to James Bond, or the upcoming film. So what could this mystery Bond tie-in be? Could it be a phone with 007 branding, along the lines of other movie tie-in devices (like the OPPO F11 Pro Marvels Avengers Limited Edition), or a device full of Bond-like gadgets? Or perhaps a new rugged device, hardy for a spy in the field, or an appropriately elegant flip-phone? Right now, we don't know. We'll find out come March 19, when the Nokia event takes place. TechRadar will be on the ground reporting on all the announcements, so stay tuned to find out all about the new Nokia phones. A note of caution though: on the same day Nokia sent around its invite, both Redmi and Realme cancelled phone launches due to coronavirus concerns, so it remains to be seen if Nokia's event will actually go ahead. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: which is best for you? Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:10 AM PST When it comes to smartphones, chances are you fall into one of two camps: fans of the Apple iPhone’s iOS operating system or those dedicated to the Android OS used by Samsung (among others). However, in the world of true wireless earbuds, these distinctions aren’t quite as clear, and you may well be considering buying a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds, even if you have an iPhone – and vice versa. The release of the Apple AirPods (2019) earlier this year, which come with an optional wireless charging case, makes it even more difficult to choose which is the best true wireless earbud model for you – and that's without even considering Apple's most recent buds, the Apple AirPods Pro. There are also some new Samsung true wireless earbuds on the market; the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus come with a bigger battery life than their predecessors, but don't sport active noise cancellation like the AirPods Pro. If you’re not sure how to choose between the Apple AirPods (2019) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds, you’ve come to the right place; we've examined the pros and cons of both true wireless earbuds to help you decide which ones will suit you best.
The Apple AirPods (2019) (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: overviewThere’s no denying that the original Apple AirPods paved the way for true wireless earbuds to become mainstream, and despite being released in 2016, they were still among the best true wireless buds you could buy in 2019 – that is, until the new AirPods (2019) came along. Apple says that the updated buds offer "faster connect times, more talk time, and the convenience of hands-free Siri." It's debatable how much has actually changed since the originals were released, and they certainly aren't the rumored AirPods 2 we were hoping for – we're not expected them to be released until at least 2020 now. The Samsung Galaxy Buds on the other hand were released in February, and as such, are not quite a ubiquitous as the AirPods. Still, they represent a size-able improvement from Samsung’s previous true wireless buds, the Gear IconX. Released alongside the new Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy Buds are optimized to work with these handsets, much like the Apple AirPods (2019) are optimized for iPhone, linking strongly to dedicated Siri or Bixby features, for instance – however, both sets of true wireless buds can be used with any smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Buds (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: price and availabilityThe new Apple AirPods (2019) cost $159/£159/AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199/£199/AU$319 with the new Wireless Charging Case bundled in. This is the same price as the originals, which are no longer being sold by Apple, but should be available from third-party retailers while stocks last. It's worth keeping an eye out for AirPods deals if you're not interested in the new wireless charging case or marginally faster pairing times, as we've seen some decent reductions since the updated models came out. You can also purchase the wireless charging case separately for $79 / £79 / AU$129, which is good news if you have the original AirPods but want to upgrade your case to one that supports wireless charging, although you might feel it’s a high price to pay for some added convenience. Samsung don't charge you any extra for this convenience, as the Galaxy Buds' wireless charging case comes as standard. The Samsung Galaxy Buds slightly undercut the price of the AirPods (2019) at $149 (£139 / AU$249). So, unless you opt for the AirPods (2019) with the wireless charging case, there’s not a lot in it when it comes to price, and comparing the two probably won’t help you make a decision (unless you really care about that $10 difference.) You can get some of the best true wireless earbuds for less of course; the Optoma NuForce BE Free5 wireless earbuds show just how accessible truly wireless headphones are today, costing $100 (about £75, AU$134). The Apple AirPods (2019) (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: designThe Apple AirPods (2019) have a very distinctive style, which you will probably either love or hate, essentially taking the classic EarPod design cutting the cables, leaving the stem of the bud to hang out of the ear. It’s interesting that Apple hasn’t changed the design of the earbuds themselves in 2019; after all, those stem-like protrusions were widely mocked upon their original release in 2016, and they don't do the headphones any favors in 2019. Like their predecessors, the AirPods (2019) draw battery from a pillbox-like charging case, which features a small LED light on the front, which allows you to check the charge status of the buds. True to that rigid Apple design, you won’t find the convenience of replaceable silicone eartips, and although they felt relatively snug when we tested them, we’d think twice before wearing them while working out. Like we say, it's a 'love it or hate it' kind of design, and if you are a fan of Apple's clean aesthetic, you'll probably like the AirPods (2019). The Samsung Galaxy Buds on the other hand, have a more ‘classic’ true wireless earbud design (if such a thing exists), with all the tech built into their pearlescent housing, unlike the AirPods (2019), which pack all their tech into the stems. Overall the Samsung Galaxy Buds are quite dainty, and feel pretty secure thanks to the inclusion of rubber wingtips. In our opinion, they are the more aesthetically pleasing of the two models, but it really comes down to personal taste. Both earbuds have touch controls, which means you can summon your phone’s respective voice assistant (the AirPods can summon Siri on iPhones, while the Galaxy Buds summon Bixby on compatible Samsung phones), play/pause your music, and answer and end calls. The Samsung Galaxy Buds (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: featuresConnectivity has always been a bit of a sticking point when it comes to true wireless earbuds, but both the Apple AirPods (2019)and the Samsung Galaxy Buds pair seamlessly – as long as you’re using a smartphone in the same family. The AirPods (2019) pair even more quickly than their predecessors, thanks to a newly-designed H1 chip which Apple has built specifically for the headphones. If you’re using an iPhone, an option to pair the AirPods (2019) will appear on your phone screen as soon as you open the charging case, as well as the battery status of the AirPods and the charging case. While the Galaxy Buds generally connect very well to Samsung phones, their connectivity seems to vary between different users; multiple writers on the TechRadar team tested the buds, and while some experienced no connection dropouts, others experienced them regularly. Most of the issues with connectivity seems to have been addressed by a software update sent out by Samsung, but as with most true wireless buds, you may experience connection dropouts if you are using them nearby other Bluetooth devices. While Apple AirPods don’t come with their own app, the Samsung Galaxy Buds have the Galaxy Wearables app, which allows you to change the EQ settings, and turn on features like ‘ambient sound’. This lets some environmental noise pass through the earbuds – handy if you’re cycling or running and need to be aware of traffic. This app is only available on Android phones so if you want features like this and you have an iPhone, you’re going to be disappointed – aside from easier connectivity, this could be another reason to stick to the AirPods if you have an iPhone, and vice versa if you have a Android phone. The Apple AirPods (2019) (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: battery lifeThe Apple AirPods contain five hours of battery life in the buds themselves, and the charging case offers a further 20 hours of power on top of that. Apple also says that the second-generation model offers “3 hours of talk-time from a single charge”, up from the two hours provided by the originals. The Samsung Galaxy Buds at least beat the AirPods (2019) in this regard, with six hours built into the buds themselves – but the charging case only provides an additional seven hours of battery – a measly amount compared to the AirPods' 20. If you have the original AirPods, you can still buy the case separately and enjoy the benefits of wireless charging. Of course, if you get the AirPods 2 with the wireless charging case, it will cost you around $40 more than if you bought them with the standard charging case. Samsung puts no such premium on its own wireless charging case, which comes with the Galaxy Buds at no extra cost. Both wireless charging cases can be used with a Qi-compatible charging mat, but the Samsung Galaxy Buds have another trick up their sleeve: if you have the Galaxy S10 phone, you can set up two-way wireless charging and place your headphones on the rear of the device to get them charged up as well. It’s smart, and we found it to work seamlessly. The Samsung Galaxy Buds' charging case (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: audio performanceTrue wireless earbuds get a bad rap when it comes to audio performance, but they are getting better all the time – and the AirPods (2019) and Galaxy Buds are good examples of this. In terms of audio quality, the AirPods (2019) have a lively, powerful presentation, although they can sound slightly harsh when it comes to higher-frequency sounds, and they aren’t the bassiest earbuds on the market. If you’re a true bass-head, you might prefer the Galaxy Buds, which have a warmer, and generally more bass-heavy soundstage. Neither of these buds will offer the same kind of audio prowess that a really good pair of over-ear headphones will, but you do get the freedom of wireless connectivity in exchange for a slightly less powerful sound. The Apple AirPods (2019) (Image credit: TechRadar) Apple AirPods (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: verdictIt’s difficult to give a definitive answer to the question of which is the better true wireless earbud. Both the Apple AirPods (2019) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds have plenty of good (and less good) features, and at roughly the same price, there’s not a lot in it. Rather than focussing too much on the hardware (unless you really dislike the hanging stem look of the AirPods), it’s probably best to ask yourself “which ecosystem is best for me?” If you have an iPhone or an iPad, it’s likely that the AirPods (2019) will suit you better than the Galaxy Buds, with hands-free access to Siri and fast connectivity. Likewise, if you consider yourself a Samsung fan, the extra features afforded by the Galaxy Wearables App means that the Galaxy Buds are probably the smarter choice. That’s not to say you can’t use either model with any smartphone you want – you absolutely can, you just might find the buds don’t connect quite as well as if you use them with a device in the same ecosystem. It’s also worth noting that there are lots of other brands making true wireless earbuds these days that may suit you better than either offerings from Apple or Samsung. In fact, one of our favorite pairs of true wireless earbuds are the RHA TrueConnect True Wireless Earbuds, which are the same price as the Galaxy Buds, and offer a balanced, detailed sound, and a reliable Bluetooth connection. You could also spend a little more on our top true wireless earbuds for 2020, the Sony WF-1000XM3 if you want premium features like noise cancellation included with your buds.
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| The best cheap PlayStation VR bundles, prices and deals in March 2020 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:08 AM PST These PlayStation VR bundle prices are offering a fantastic way to save on your virtual reality system this week. PSVR already offers a cheap introduction to virtual reality, but you can spend even less thanks to these PlayStation VR bundles offering everything you need to get started with Sony's system. Our best PSVR deal this week comes in the form of a $279.99 five-game mega bundle that also offers up the PS4 camera necessary for tracking movement. You'll also find this PlayStation VR bundle in the UK, with an excellent £299 price tag no less. What's more, we're even seeing select bundles in the US offering PlayStation Move controllers included - a must-have if you're going to play more action-driven games. UK shoppers can also find discounted Move controllers this week as well. These cheap PlayStation VR deals are fantastic if you're curious about trying some of the latest virtual reality offerings without breaking the bank on a high-end PC. Originally $399/£350 at launch for the headset alone, the new pricing structure generally starts at just $299/£299. This includes the headset and also the camera and a game, usually the excellent minigame collection, VR Worlds. We've been seeing some very tempting discounts in recent months too, so now's the time to seek out your mega bundle on the cheap. The PS5 will retain all of Sony's PlayStation VR functionality, so prepare for that PS5 price by grabbing your PSVR bundles while they're still cheap. We've been searching for the best PlayStation VR price all week and rounded up our best findings right here. If you're in the UK and you don't find any bundles offering these motion controllers included, there are some unique discounts on them individually right now that you might want to take a look at. You'll still find these bundles fairly cheap - a good shout if you're thinking of hitting those PS5 pre-orders early. Below you'll find our guide to the best cheap PlayStation VR prices out there for the headset along with bundle options that often include the camera or games too. We'll let you know which ones are the best value for money. This cheap PlayStation VR bundle deals page can also help you prepare by picking up the other kit you'll need to enjoy the best PlayStation VR experience. You'll want to pick up the PS4 camera as you need it for the PlayStation VR headset to work - thankfully it's included in the vast majority of bundles now. You could also grab a couple of PS Move motion controllers, as some VR games support them. You can also use these items with a small number of Move-based PS4 games like SportsFriends or Just Dance. If you're looking for the ultimate upgrade, check out our PS4 Pro deals. PlayStation VR pricesThe grid below will be regularly updated with the latest PlayStation VR prices for the headset from different retailers. After seemingly endless stock shortages originally, units seem to be back in stock at most stores. Which is fantastic news with more games to enjoy than ever. PlayStation VR bundles (USA)PlayStation VR bundles (UK)PlayStation VR game dealsKeep an eye on this handy chart below as we'll update it with the latest prices for a wide range of PlayStation VR games. To compare prices on individual titles, click the 'View all deals' button at the bottom of the chart. PS4 camera dealsIt's crucial you buy a PS4 camera along with your VR headset if it's not already in the bundle, otherwise, it will not work. Don't pay more than the standard £45/$60 for the camera though. Sony released an updated, rounder (see image above) model with a built-in TV-mount and there are deals included in the chart below. The older PS4 camera is also compatible with PlayStation VR. If there's nothing tempting below, maybe try for a new/preowned unit via eBay? PlayStation Move controller dealsThe PlayStation Move motion controllers are very much an optional purchase as not every game supports them. Many that do, also have options to use the standard DualShock 4 PS4 controller instead. Move wands aren't as readily available as the cameras at the moment, but there are deals to be found if you shop around -or let us do it via that magical box below. some of the more expensive results are actually for twin packs. We'd advise a little caution if you're considering preowned units, as the lack of use in recent years may have dulled the charge capacity of the battery compared to new controllers. If you want to try your luck (and probably save a fair amount), here are some handy links for eBay. DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment pricesSony have just released the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment, a small device that clips onto the back of your controller and adds two extra mappable buttons for extra control configurations. The device has so far been wildly popular, especially in the US, so stock is always temporary at the moment. If you see a price you like below, grab it before it's too late. We'll update these PSVR prices on a regular basis and add any bundles that may appear featuring the headset, camera, controllers or games. Need an extra standard controller? Check out the best DualShock 4 deals. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best Now TV pass offers, boxes, smart sticks and deals in March 2020 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:04 AM PST If you're looking for the best Now TV offers (pass related or not) then you're in luck as that just so happens to be our speciality here at TechRadar. We constantly analyse and search through all the offers to find the cheapest and best Now TV deals. And you can rest assured, as we regularly update this page - we will always have the best and latest offers for you, especially as we compare the current deals directly from the website and retailers around the UK, to get you the best prices and deals. The best bit? We've got the best Now TV offers on everything - including passes, voucher deals for new and existing clients, boxes, the Now TV Smart Box 4K and the Now TV Stick (both of which come with a voice-remote control). But don't worry if you don't want these gadgets, you don't need a Now TV Smart Stick or box as you can get the Now TV app on plenty of devices including smart TVs, tablets, or even on your PS4/Xbox One. And of course, if you also are looking for broadband with your TV, the streaming service also has some tempting Now TV and broadband deals. Ready to find the best Now TV offer for you? Just keep scrolling.
Now TV pass offersYou can go directly to Now TV to check out the latest pass offers...or we can tell you about the best ones right here! And the good news is, you probably already have a device which is very capable of running the Now TV app (tablets, gaming consoles, Smart TV etc), so once you select your Now TV pass offer you're set to go! Now don't be disheartened if you don't happen to have a device, because we've also listed for you further down this page how you can get a cheap Now TV Smart Box or Now TV Stick and which are the current best deals on both devices. The only bad news we have to deliver is that these offers are usually for new members only, but you can often find other discounts by picking up Now TV passes from other retailers instead. Now TV Smart BoxesThe Now TV Smart Box 4K is ideal for anyone who wants access to a wide range of apps, which includes Netflix, YouTube, and all the UK TV catch-up services. It's easy set-up and reasonable pricing which include the voice remote make it an easy choice. However, it is important to note that you'll only be able to stream Netflix along with Sky Sports Pass channels and select Entertainment and Cinema pass channels in 4K, as the rest of the services such as BBC iPlayer is limited to HD. And currently, Now TV is only selling the smart stick, it seems they are focusing more on promoting the device as it's much smaller and easier to transport yet still has the same functions as the Now TV smart box. So, basically you won't be able to purchase the Now TV smart box from the website - but you will be able to get it from other retailers, you've got a few options below. If you don't want the Now TV smart box, the good news is you probably already have a device which is very capable of running the Now TV app (tablets, gaming consoles, Smart TV etc), so once you select your Now TV pass offer you're set to go. And if you don't have a device, why not get a Now TV smart stick instead? Now TV BoostFinally, after two years of waiting - you can now watch Now TV content in HD (at an added cost). If you pay an extra £3 a month, you get access to the streaming platform's bolt-on Now TV Boost, which you can add to your Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports or Kids Pass. However, this is only available on Sky Sports channels, Entertainment except Fox and Gold, all Sky Cinema channels and all kids channels except for Cartoonito and Nickelodeon. So Hayu isn't included in there. Not to mention, Now TV's mobile app isn't included in the list of supported devices. So you'll be stuck with plain old 720p - so it's not great value for money. Now TV Smart Stick dealsThis is by far the cheapest hardware option for the Now TV family, not only is it quite affordable but it is excellent value for money. Most purchase options from our price comparison chart now include a Now TV Entertainment or Cinema pass too to get you going. It's extremely similar to the Amazon Fire TV Stick, but a fair bit cheaper - simply plug it into an HDMI slot on your TV and get streaming. The added bonus is that it comes with a remote control that supports voice-commands and search too! Now TV pass dealsIf you’ve already got a Now TV box, gaming console or another device that can stream the service (such as a Roku player or a Chromecast) then all you need is a Now TV pass to get subscribed to the various streaming packages offered on the service. There are currently four passes available for Now TV; Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Kids and Sky Sports. These are available for subscription periods as short as one day (for Sky Sports), or as long as one month. Ironically, the cheapest way of getting your hands on cheap passes is often to get them bundled in with a Now TV box, but you can also find cheap Now TV passes available. Below, we have compiled a selection of the best deals around for each pass below. Now TV entertainment pass offersThe Now TV Entertainment pass gets you access to Sky Atlantic shows like Chernobyl, Tin Star, Catherine the Great, Watchmen and more. With this pass you also get access to Sky Living, Sky 1, FOX, Comedy Central, MTV and many more - so you can watch all the movies and shows available on these channels. It costs £8.99 a month, but this pass gets you fresh content to watch on a regular basis across multiple genres and you won't find the same programs on the likes of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. Below you can see our favorite Now TV Entertainment pass deals from a few retailers. Now TV Sky Cinema pass (aka Sky Movies pass) offersIf you're more interested in film than television, then the Now TV Sky Cinema pass is the subscription for you. With this you'll get access to an immense amount of films, as well as the added bonus that Sky Cinema has a new premiere every day! Make sure to check the Now TV website for offers, our current number one pick is below - and don't forget that we have our comparison chart below that always shows the latest and best Now TV Sky Cinema pass deals (so make sure you keep an eye on this page!) Now TV Sky Sports pass dealsSky's sporting selections are all represented and available via a Now TV Sky Sports pass, which also has the added benefit of not needing a lengthy and expensive contract commitment. With the Sky's Sports Pass you get access to all 11 Sky Sports channels including: Sky Sports News, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Arena, Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football (for Football League, La Liga and more), Sky Sports Mix, and Sky Sports Racing. This pass is usually £33.99 a month but if this seems a bit too expensive you can always get a mobile month pass for £5.99 (although you'll only get five Sky Sports channels). And the mobile pass isn't your only option - if you're just looking to watch one event or you just want to try it out then the day pass at £9.99 or the one week pass for £14.99 might be the one for you. At the moment, Now TV isn't doing any Sky Sports Pass deals but it's not all terrible news, you can still get some pass deals in the comparison chart below. Now TV kids passAt just £3.99 a month, the Kids pass is one of the cheapest of the Now TV subscriptions, and as such, it takes some beating. It features a range of shows such as Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants and plenty more, making it ideal for the little ones. The best news? If you're unsure if you want to get it or not it does offer a seven-day free trial, it has no contract but it does have a rolling monthly membership. As things stand, the cheapest way to get the subscription is to buy it from Now TV directly at the link below. Sign up: for just £3.99 a month Now TV Hayu passIf reality TV is your thing then a mere £3.99 a month Hayu pass is ridiculously hot value for all the reality TV fans out there. We're talking Project Runway, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, all of the Real Housewives saga, The Simple Life and much more! So if you're looking for your reality TV fix this pass is the way to go. Sign up: for just £3.99 a month
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