Saturday, March 28, 2020

Apple : Samsung Galaxy S30: what we want to see

Apple : Samsung Galaxy S30: what we want to see

Samsung Galaxy S30: what we want to see

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 09:30 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy S20 hasn’t been out long at the time of writing, but already we’re dreaming of what Samsung will cook up for the Galaxy S30 range.

These are sure to be some of the most exciting phones of 2021, so hype is already building, and we’re even hearing the first very early rumors.

You’ll find those below, and we’ll be adding to this article any time there’s new information, so make sure to check back regularly if you want to stay up to date.

You’ll also find our wish list for the Samsung Galaxy S30 further down – these are the things that we most want from Samsung’s next Galaxy S phone, in order to make it as good as possible.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The successor to the Galaxy S20
  • When is it out? Probably February 2021
  • What will it cost? Likely upwards of $999 / £899 / AU$1,499

Samsung Galaxy S30 release date and price

Samsung always unveils its new Galaxy S models early in the year, and in recent years it has been announcing them in February, then selling them from March, so it’s very likely it will do the same with the Samsung Galaxy S30 range.

We can’t get much more specific than that, but recently the company has avoided MWC (a trade show which takes place at the end of February) and launched its phones earlier in the month, so that too is likely in 2021.

As for how much the Samsung Galaxy S30 range will cost, the phones will probably be at least as expensive as the Galaxy S20 range, likely meaning a starting price for the basic model of at least $999 / £899 / AU$1,499, with the Samsung Galaxy S30 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S30 Ultra likely costing even more.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 range is very expensive

Samsung Galaxy S30 leaks and news

At the time of writing the only real Samsung Galaxy S30 leak takes the form of a claim from a post on South Korean site Clien (via SamMobile) that Samsung is working on a 150MP camera for smartphones that can combine nine pixels into one, for 16MP shots that can take in a lot of light.

We would however take this claim with a serious side of salt – it’s very early for S30 rumors, the source doesn’t have a track record, and even if Samsung is working on that camera, that doesn’t guarantee that we’ll see it in the Galaxy S30 range.

Beyond that we can take some educated guesses about the Samsung Galaxy S30. For example, it will almost certainly be powered by whatever the top-end Snapdragon chipset is it at that point (likely the Snapdragon 875), with some regions instead getting the top-end Exynos chipset.

What we want to see

We don’t know much about the Samsung Galaxy S30 yet but we know what we want from it, with the following things being top of our list.

1. A more reasonable price

Samsung Galaxy S20

Hopefully the Galaxy S30 won't cost as much as the S20

There’s no getting around how expensive the Samsung Galaxy S20 range is. Even the basic model will set you back a lot, with prices rising compared to the previous year and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra almost creating a new category of ultra-premium phones.

The situation isn’t helped by the absence of a Samsung Galaxy S20e or Samsung Galaxy S20 Lite – though it’s possible one will arrive at some point.

In any case, we’d like to see either a cost reduction for 2021’s models or a Samsung Galaxy S30 Lite alongside the rest of the range. Or better yet, both.

2. 100x zoom across the range

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has some of the flashiest camera credentials we’ve seen on a smartphone, headlined by its 100x zoom.

So, for the Galaxy S30 range we’d like to see that feature move down to the more affordable models. But we’d also like to see it improved, as in its current form the quality isn’t great, making it more of a party trick than a feature you’ll actually be using a lot.

3. An in-screen camera

We've had enough of punch-holes

Samsung’s current flagships have camera cut-outs in the screen for the selfie camera, and we feel this is a rather inelegant solution, so for the Samsung Galaxy S30 we’d really like the camera to be built into the screen, just like the fingerprint scanner.

That would allow Samsung to deliver a truly all-screen design without having to resort to a pop-up camera (which takes up more internal space and is likely to be more vulnerable).

We’re not confident that we’ll see this – it will likely largely depend on whether the tech is good enough – but it would certainly be a standout feature.

4. A new look

The design of the Galaxy S range didn’t change much with 2020’s models, and other than switching a bezel for a punch-hole camera the design hasn’t changed a whole lot in years, so we’d say it’s time for Samsung to switch things up with the Galaxy S30 range.

One way to do that would be with an in-screen camera, as mentioned above, but one way or another we want the phones to look truly different to the Galaxy S20 range.

5. The same chipset everywhere

Not all Galaxy S20's are equal

One odd feature of the Samsung Galaxy S range is that the chipset differs depending on where you are in the world, with some regions getting Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon chipset of the time, and others getting Samsung’s top-end Exynos one.

The trouble is these chipsets are rarely equal. Whether in terms of performance or battery life, there’s usually a difference. How much of a difference can vary from year to year, and it’s not normally too massive, but there is always a weaker version of the phone.

So going forward we’d like to see Samsung use the same chipset in all regions.

6. 120Hz at QHD+

Another quirk of the Samsung Galaxy S20 range is that you can have a 120Hz refresh rate or a QHD+ screen resolution, but not both at the same time.

That’s rather restrictive, especially when plenty of other phones - such as the OnePlus 7T Pro and Google Pixel 4 XL – have at least a 90Hz refresh rate paired with QHD+, whereas on Samsung’s phones you have to drop right down to 60Hz.

There are rumors that Samsung might remove the restriction with a software update, but whether it does or not, it’s not a restriction we want to see on the Galaxy S30 range.

7. A slicker scanner

The in-screen scanner in the Samsung Galaxy S20 range isn’t bad, but it’s still not as fast or reliable as the best physical fingerprint scanners, so that’s another thing we’d like to see improved for the Samsung Galaxy S30.

We want it to work instantly, every time, while still being secure.

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Best gaming headset 2020: the best PS4 and Xbox One headsets this year

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 09:10 AM PDT

If you're looking for the best gaming headsets for PS4 and Xbox One, chances are you've not found yourself short of options. There are plenty of headsets out there, making it kind of easy to go wrong. That's why we've put together this guide to keep you on the right track, because with the right headset you can really enhance your gaming experience.

In order to get the best Xbox One or PS4 gaming headset, you'll need to consider a few factors that will help you establish what you need from your purchase.

First, you'll need to consider the kind of games you like to play. Games where you're settling in for multiple hours of play like MMOs will require comfort. Games with a more competitive element, like all of those Battle Royale titles that have been cropping up, will benefit from a headset with good surround sound to help you hear your enemies coming from every angle. 

Then there's where you're playing—noisy environments will require something with noise-cancelling capabilities to keep you entirely in the game and communication with your team clear.  If you can't surrender yourself to total immersion, however, an open-backed headset will make you contactable from the outside. 

Finally, of course, there's your budget. If price is no issue then you've got the whole market open to you and you'll just be looking to narrow down your options. For most, however, there's likely to be a price point you don't want to go above. There are plenty of headsets at lower price points that will offer you a high quality experience, it's finding them that's the trick. 

So, now that we've got you thinking about exactly what you need and want from your headset, we'll introduce you to our guide which covers the very best wireless, wired, high-end and budget examples currently on sale for PS4 and Xbox One. 

Overall best PlayStation 4 gaming headset

HyperX Cloud Revolver S


HyperX has developed a sizeable following among the pro-gaming community over the years. Its newest headset, the Cloud Revolver S, adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound to the blueprint offered by the hugely popular Cloud Revolver, without requiring you to take out a second mortgage.

Quite simply, the Cloud Revolver S sounds astonishingly good, especially at the price. You will marvel in particular at the dynamics of its sound: deep, rumbling bass and crisp, never shrieky treble that lets you hear every sound effect and totally immerses you in the ambience created by in-game music.

It's pretty well made, comfortable and classily finished, and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is the cherry on top, allowing you to pinpoint incoming enemies in first-person shooters – particularly if you explore the preset equalisation modes into which pro-gamers had lots of input. A truly high-end-sounding headset at a mid-range price.

Read the full review: HyperX Cloud Revolver S

Overall best Xbox One gaming headset 

Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament

Turtle Beach is the longest established specialist gaming headset manufacturer, with a fanatical following among pro-gamers – and when you unbox its top-of-the-range Elite Pro, you can see why. It simply oozes no-expense-spared design, and sports all manner of neat touches born from decades of pro-gaming experience.

But more importantly than that, it sounds spectacular, with huge bass and crystal-clear treble adding up to a sound which will allow you to get deeply immersed into whatever game you're playing. Comfort-wise, it's exemplary, with big, thick earpads that eliminate all ambient noise, and can be easily adjusted to fit all head-sizes. A neat feature lets you add spacing to the earpads to accommodate a pair of glasses.

On an Xbox One, we'd recommend teaming it up with piece of kit called the Tactical Audio Adapter, which clips into the Xbox One controller and operates as an amplifier, adding some of the extra sound-control features which come in a separate graphic equaliser-style box called the Tactical Audio Controller (which is pricey but adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound). 

Those features include Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing, which enhances the sound of incoming players' footsteps and is great for hardcore first-person shooter fans, and Dynamic Chat Boost, which keeps chat-levels audible even when background noise rises. Plus, it lets you independently adjust game and chat volumes.

Add tank-like build-quality to the equation and you have a headset which has become something of a status symbol for those who take their gaming seriously.

Read the full review: Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament Headset.

Best wireless Xbox One gaming headset

Razer Nari Ultimate

There’s an old saying that states “a ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”, and Razer really has pushed the boat out with its Razer Nari Ultimate headset. 

The Razer Nari Ultimate is an interesting concept, and something that needs to be tried to be believed. Razer’s designed a strong pair of headphones, with a very out-there feature, making the Nari Ultimate the best Xbox One wireless headset on the market.

Check out our Razer Nari Ultimate review.

Best PlayStation 4 gaming headset for audio quality

SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is one of the best-sounding headsets you can buy. As such, it's doubly worth considering if you use your PlayStation 4 to watch films and listen to music as well as play games. 

Clarity and audio balance are much better than most of the other sets here. Both the Arctic Pro Wireless and GameDAC versions will work with a PlayStation 4 console, but the vanilla wired version is just for PC – so make sure you pick the right set before buying.

The GameDAC model has an outboard box with top quality Hi-Res audio converters. It needs to be wired-in though, so this may not be the best choice if you play a few meters away from your PS4. The wireless version may be a better choice.

All versions have LEDs around the cups. It may be made for audio perfectionists, but it's still a gamer headset.

Read the full review: SteelSeries Arctis Pro review.

Best wireless PlayStation 4 gaming headset

PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset

It might not look like much, but the PlayStation Platinum Wireless is a really solid headset with an exceptional level of audio quality. 

As well as being ludicrously simple to set up, the headset sounds great and is comfortable to wear to boot. 

The sound quality is balanced, offering a decent mix of low and high frequencies, and people on the other end of the line reported that its microphone delivered a decent level of audio quality. 

Our one reservation is regarding the headset's "3D Audio", which fell down slightly compared to what's offered by the competition; but this is made up for the headset's very reasonable price tag. 

Read the full review: PlayStation Platinum Wireless headset

Best budget PlayStation 4 gaming headset

Turtle Beach EarForce PX24

Being strapped for cash doesn’t necessarily mean having to settle for an inferior gaming headset, and Turtle Beach’s EarForce PX24 does a pretty decent job of embarrassing plenty of its more expensive rivals. Sure, it makes more extensive use of plastic than headsets which are twice the price, but it still looks and feels sufficiently robust, and its overall lightness renders it pretty comfortable for prolonged use.

And in the areas that really matter – sound and configurability – the Ear Force PX24 is way better than it has any right to be at the price. While it doesn’t have the bass extension you'll find in a more premium headset, and its treble is a bit dry in comparison with other options at this price level, it still sounds remarkably good – and thanks to an amplifier which clips between the headset and the PS4 controller, you can boost the bass, engage Superhuman Hearing mode for first-person shooters, and even fiddle around with a virtual surround sound effect.

Finding such features, and very decent sound indeed, is a revelation for such a cheap headset. You could quibble about the EarForce PX24's slightly plasticky overall finish, but in our opinion, that's a small price to pay for a great headset at a decent cost.

Best budget Xbox One gaming headset

Corsair HS50

A high-quality, low-cost headset from Corsair, this wired option may be the best budget Xbox One gaming headset on the market. It may only feature stereo sound (instead of surround sound), but it's hardly a noticeable deficit. It produces dynamic sound, and the actual headphones are plush and comfortable. This hardly seems like the budget headset that it is.

Check out our full Corsair HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset review.

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The next Apple Watch could get Touch ID and sleep tracking

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 09:00 AM PDT

The Apple Watch 6 could be with us at some point this year, assuming the coronavirus outbreak doesn't push its launch back, and a new rumor hints at some of the features it might bring: Touch ID, sleep tracking, and blood oxygen level monitoring.

That's according to Israeli site The Verifier and YouTube channel iupdate, which aren't among the very best sources when it comes to Apple leaks – so treat these leaks with a little bit of skepticism for now.

It's worth noting that blood oxygen saturation monitoring has already been tipped for the next Apple Watch, as has the addition of sleep tracking – these features were spotted in early iOS 14 code and could well be on the way.

Touch ID on Apple's wearable would be a little more unexpected, but we have seen Apple patents exploring this idea. It's not clear yet whether any potential fingerprint reader would be built into the watch screen or the digital crown at the side.

Watch this space

The inside sources speaking to The Verifier and iupdate shared a few more tidbits as well: unsurprisingly, there's going to be no change in the shape of the Apple Watch for the foreseeable future, so we won't be seeing a circular model any time soon.

Meanwhile, the demands of watchOS 7 are likely to be too much for the Apple Watch Series 2. Apple likes to support products with software updates for five years, but the rumor is that the Series 2 is going to get dropped this time around and left on watchOS 6.

The only other bit of advance information we get from this leak is that watchOS 7 is going to be a "big upgrade" – so make of that what you will. Sleep tracking, blood oxygen monitoring and Touch ID would certainly qualify as big as far as we're concerned.

With health and fitness features such a major selling point for the Apple Watch series, it's certain that we'll see more and more of this type of functionality added as the years go by – it's just a question of how much will make the cut for the Apple Watch 6.

Via 9to5Mac

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Avoid The English Game on Netflix, even if you're desperate for Premier League football

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 09:00 AM PDT

In extraordinary, unprecedented circumstances, my strict Saturday routine is forcibly changed on March 14, 2020. Usually, at 3pm sharp, I’d be tuning in to follow the ups and – more often than not – downs of my club’s chase for promotion from the third tier of English football. Today, however, Portsmouth won’t host Accrington Stanley at Fratton Park. My afternoon is an open goal, as will will be the rest of them for the foreseeable future: football across the United Kingdom has been suspended due to the coronavirus.

After as little as two hours into my football-free time I anxiously twiddle my thumbs and, like many others, look for ways to fill the gap. FIFA and Football Manager are fun, but no replacement for the real thing. To give you an idea of how desperate people like me get for any kind of competition, Southampton FC played Manchester City on Twitter, at noughts and crosses. 

So Julian Fellowes’ The English Game arrived on Netflix at the best possible time. The drama from the writer best known for Downton Abbey traces the origins of football in the late 19th century. It ticks the only box I need in this trying time: it has football in it, at least an impression of it. But does it offer anything valuable for a sports fan in their time of need? 

Well, no. The English Game sees Fergus Suter (Kevin Guthrie) travel from their Glaswegian home to the Lancashire town of Darwen to play professional football and win the FA Cup, the oldest national football competition in the world, for the working man. The trouble is, in 1879, being paid to play is forbidden by competition rules, in this amateur-only sport devised by gentlemen in the playing fields of elite British public schools.

Its premise isn’t half bad and the familiar shouts from the sidelines, of 22 pairs of boots pounding the turf, are a reassuringly warm blanket at first. The clichés are comforting – “Let the ball do the work,” Suter implores his fellow Lancastrians in his first match – and captain of the Old Etonians, Arthur Kinnaird (Edward Holcroft) even looks a bit like Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud, if you squint.

But this is a world away from the sport I know, and that’s not because midfielders are ‘half-backs’ or that players swarm around the ball instead of occupying space, charging towards their target almost like a wedge formation. I didn’t previously know that teams with five or six forwards in this time could be defensive, but this isn’t football, whatever the century.

It’s hard to put into words how terrible The English Game’s on-pitch action is. I tried to suspend my disbelief, to forget that these are actors pretending to play football, but they sought to doggedly remind me of that fact at every opportunity. Obviously fake tackles and half-arsed attempts at saves are as heavy and laboured as the bright boiled leather ball with which they’re ‘playing’. “Jimmy would’ve got to that,” Fergie thinks to himself as he punts a ball directly into a hedge.

It’s somehow made worse by this weird, guttural chanting during matches. It also materialises during supposedly tense scenes off the pitch to indicate that we should be feeling something. Seriously, two football clubs tactically placing their crests inside a three-by-three grid is closer to the beautiful game than this.

Away from the field is hardly any better with wooden acting, lazy stereotypes of working Northerners from down t’mill pit against cold, corrupt elites, and one of the worst scripts I’ve ever endured on Netflix. “On the football field you’re a genius,” Fergie is told before a match, “away from it you’re a puzzle.” Suter plays football for money and then moves to another club for more money. What an enigma.

But the ridiculous melodrama of The English Game’s subplots are so bad they make me long for a return to the pitch. The actual football is almost entirely absent during the show’s middle episodes preoccupied with problematic class politics, affairs, and... actually the less said on that the better. 

At one stage Darwen players are shocked when its impoverished population pay to support them. But if “people need football,” as hirsute manager James Walsh (Craig Parkinson) explains, why is it relegated to the background as if it were an inconvenience? Then, occasionally, I’m reminded of what football is like in The English Game and regret my question.

Instead we follow relationships and character arcs that are somehow both under-developed and dwelled on for too long. After five minutes in Darwen, Suter has already made friends for life there, apparently, and the kindly Kinnaird almost immediately transforms from odious posho to saccharine saviour of the working man.

Admittedly there is something interesting buried beneath all the rubbish. It’s ham-fisted and heavy-handed, but the show is bookended by attempts to ask the vexed question of who football is for. Is it for the rich who play for fun, or the working poor that cobble together what little they have each week to support their adopted mercenary heroes?

It isn’t long before the gentlemen amateurs start to lose their grip on the pastime they invented as working class professionals threaten to beat them at their own game. The line “Football is a game, not a business,” may be intoned with trademark awkwardness and scenery chewing, but it’s hard not to reflect on the dark side and dominance of money in today’s game as clubs take ever greater risks to have a swipe at the English Premier League, and the lucrative TV money that entails.

While The English Game momentarily encourages football fans like me to reflect on the origins of the game and how it could’ve all been so different, it’s still just awful. Yet I binged it all in one go anyway, and I hate myself for it. On reflection, I’d sooner watch a game of tic-tac-toe on Twitter.

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

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 08:35 AM PDT

In order to get the best VR experience possible, you really need to get the best VR headset for you and your needs. For that reason, we've created this guide to help you find your perfect headset, in terms of your budget, the space you have and, most important, what you're expecting to get out of your dream VR experience.  

If you're wondering why you should bother getting a VR headset at all, we have to say there's nothing really quite like VR for entertainment at the moment. For sheer immersion, you can't beat virtual reality and your experience will only be enhanced when you have a set up that suits you. 

How you use your portal into another word is completely up to you, of course—maybe you want to watch movies in your very own virtual cinema (no annoying rustlers involved); maybe you'd like to dive headfirst into an incredible gaming adventure like Half Life: Alyx; or, possibly, you want to be social and hang out with your friends in apps like Altspace VR. You'll be surprised at the variety of what's possible with a single headset. 

Right now, there are four main players when it comes to mainstream VR headsets—Oculus, PlayStation, HTC and Valve, which released its own first-party headset called the Valve Index last year. 

Not sure 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 whole range of setups 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—and at the moment stock can be hard to come by—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 sizeable 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 and some will find it's the best for them at this moment in time. And if you're thinking about going PlayStation in the next generation, the PS5 is going to support PSVR too.

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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Sony PS5 controller release date, news and confirmed features

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 08:19 AM PDT

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

Having waited aeons for more official news on the PS5, Sony finally hosted a live stream event on March 18, which was available to watch on the PlayStation Blog - Sony's go-to spot for game announcements and stories about PlayStation-related news.

Unfortunately we're still waiting for an official reveal date for the next-gen Sony console – along with the first glimpse of the console's new controller, which is likely to be called the DualShock 5.

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

Despite adding some great new features, it looks like - when it comes to design - the PS5 controller may stay true to the DualShock 4, with some minor aesthetic adjustments. Here's what we're expecting to see when Sony finally lifts the lid on their new controller:

Cut to the chase

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

PS5 controller release date

The Sony PS5 controller will release alongside the PlayStation 5 during the "Holiday" 2020 period – so sometime between October and December. 

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

PS5 controller price

A price for the PS5 controller has not been confirmed yet, but with the PS4 controller retailing for around £40/$50/AUD$80, we expect the new controller to be just a bit more expensive – maybe around £60/$70/AUD$120. 

This is pure speculation at this point, based solely on the confirmed features and Sony's previous price strategy for controllers. We're hoping Sony will confirm the PS5 controller price in the coming months.

PS5 controller confirmed features

PS5 controller

We've already been told that the PS5 controller will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology. 

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

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

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

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

PS5 controller news and rumors

PS5 controller

Wireless charging?

A new patent suggests that wireless charging could be in the works for the DualShock 5. Found by Saqib Mansoor of SegmentNext, the patent shows a “Wireless charging adapter with game control keys for computer game controller,” and seems to show a “wireless charging adapter that can snap onto a computer game controller and can be inductively coupled to a charging base to wirelessly recharge a battery in the controller.”

The images that appear alongside the patent show what appears to be a DualShock controller with an attachment on its back that keeps the controller charged along with a charging mat, no annoying cables involved. 

Patents, however, as we all know, are no guarantee. Just because a patent has been published doesn't mean that Sony has any intention of pursuing the technology so this should be taken with a pinch of salt. 

It is interesting, however, that this technology appears to be an optional extra rather than included as standard—it suggests that if Sony did opt for wireless charging capabilities it could make them available separately and maybe even later than the console's launch. Keeping this capability separate would also likely keep the price of the base controller lower for those not all that interested in wireless charging. There's precedent for controller accessories, too, given the DualShock 4's recent back button attachment. 

Heart rate and sweat sensors
The PS5 controller could tailor your gameplay based on your vital signs. That's according to a Sony patent (via Respawn First) which outlines a gamepad able to use biometric feedback to monitor players' heart rate and sweat levels, and then adjust gameplay based on its findings.

The patent's abstract describes a "biofeedback sensor attachment for a controller", that is made up of "one or more sensors" which gather types of biofeedback from players, such as heart rate and sweat secretion levels, with certain measurements potentially indicative of a player's emotional state. 

The information gathered would then aim to feedback the player's likely emotional state to the controller, and influence gameplay accordingly – although exactly how this would work hasn't been detailed.

Voice control
An unearthed Sony patent (published by WIPO and spotted by SegmentNext) describes "a controller device that is held by a user's hand, including a microphone, a tactile presentation device that presents a tactile sense to the user's hand, and a speaker.

"While the user is inputting voice from the microphone, the sound of the speaker is suppressed, and tactile presentation control by the tactile presentation device is performed."

What this means is we might be getting a controller that can accept voice commands through its built-in microphone, much like smart speakers such as Amazon' Echo range. Of course, this is just a patent which means these voice-controllable features may never actually come to the PS5 controller, but given how important voice tech is these days, it's one of the rumors we'd be willing to bet the most money on.

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

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

PS5 controller

It's possible that this was just a typo as the same information didn't appear on the UK version of the page. However, PlayStation has been quite vocal about embracing backwards compatibility for this generation, and they recently revealed that the PS5 will support "almost all" of the 100 most popular PS4 titles at launch. We won't know for sure, though, whether the DualShock4 will work on PS5. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PS5 DualShock controller patent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check it out below: 

PS5 controller

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

Cloud gaming controller
According to a patent published by the World Intellectual Property Organization in September 2019, Sony is developing a "controller device for user interactivity with a server of a cloud gaming system" (via Techtastic). 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Star Trek: Picard season 2: release date predictions, story, new cast members and everything we know

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 06:18 AM PDT

Star Trek: Picard season 2 was confirmed before the show even started airing. The first season of the new Trek show is over, and what a finale it was. This was a triumphant return for Star Trek's greatest captain, with a powerhouse performance by Patrick Stewart, and an intriguing, mystery-laden plot that expanded the Trek universe in some interesting, and shocking, ways. But what's in store for the second season? 

It's definitely happening, although details are thin on the ground at the moment, including the release date. But we do know a few things, and can guess some other parts from the finale of Picard. Here's everything we've gathered so far. 

Spoilers follow for season 1, but here's what we know about Star Trek: Picard season 2.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 release date: probably 2021

No official date has been set for season 2 of Star Trek: Picard yet, but the early renewal suggests a 2021 release. However, this may be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which is currently halting the production of all CBS shows. 

Based on how Star Trek: Discovery has been released with more than a year-long gap between seasons, it's likely we'll see Star Trek: Picard season 2 slightly later in 2021. 

Star Trek: Picard season 2 was confirmed before the show started

Even before the first episode of Star Trek: Picard aired on January 23, CBS All Access had announced its renewal for a second series. At the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, it was officially revealed that Patrick Stewart would be returning for another season. “The energy and excitement around the premiere of Picard has reached a magnitude greater than all of us could have hoped for," CBS said. “We’re thrilled to announce plans for a second season."

What will Star Trek: Picard season 2's story be?

At the end of the first season, Picard managed to stop a group of synthetics from summoning a race of mechanical 'higher beings' that would wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. We briefly saw these beings – giant centipede-like machines – but they were sucked back into a portal before they could reach our galaxy.

It seems unlikely that the threat of these creatures will be the focus of season 2, but we will almost certainly return to the fight against the synth-hating Romulan General Oh, who was moments away from declaring all-out war on the Federation. She backed down after a threat from Captain Riker and a powerful Federation fleet, but it's likely she'll be back for revenge on Starfleet, Picard, and the synths whose lives he helped save.

We also know that Picard lives to fight another day, having had his memories implanted into a new synthetic body. Although Alton Soong, who performed the procedure, makes it clear that his new body is identical to his old one, including its ability to age and die. But the brain abnormality that haunted him in season 1 is now gone.

Picard has a full, loyal crew now, including Jurati, Seven of Nine, Elnor, Rios, and Raffi — and a ship, the La Sirena – so he's more than ready to face whatever new adventures are thrown at him in Star Trek: Picard season 2.

There could also be a Star Trek: Picard season 3

Although CBS has yet to confirm it, and won't comment on rumours, the Hollywood Reporter claims sources have revealed that season 3 has been informally given the go ahead – and may be filmed back-to-back with season 2.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 will be more personal

According to co-creator Michael Chabon, the second season of Picard will have more time to spend fleshing out its characters. Speaking to Variety about the relationship between Dr. Jurati and Rios in season one, he said: "It’s about letting people’s identities emerge. I think we’ll have more time for that in the second season than we’ve had in the first season. We just had so many characters and so much story to tell in this first season, that a lot of the sort of more personal aspects of things – including again, like people’s families, and all that stuff – just all got sort of left [behind]."

Guinan will return in Star Trek: Picard season 2

During an appearance on American TV show The View, which is co-hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Stewart formally invited her to join the cast of season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, reprising her role as Guinan. “It was wonderful having you, and we cannot wait to have you with us again one more time," said Stewart. Guinan was a recurring, and fan favourite, character in Star Trek: The Next Generation – an enigmatic bartender on the USS Enterprise who became close friends with Picard. It's unclear what her role in Star Trek: Picard season 2 will be, but it'll likely be an important one.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 will see a showrunner change

According to an interview in Variety, Michael Chabon won't be as heavily involved in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard as he was in the first. He's shifting his attention to developing a TV series for Showtime based on his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. But he will continue to work on Picard season 2 as an executive producer, and give notes to the writers. "I’m still an executive producer on Picard," he told Variety. "I’m writing two episodes. I was there breaking the second season, all the way through. I was engaged, I think, to exactly the same degree as I was on the first season."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the co-creator of 2015's 12 Monkeys TV series, Terry Matalas, will join Star Trek: Picard season 2 as an executive producer. The source also suggests he was pulled from CBS's MacGyver reboot, as Picard is now a high priority for the studio. Matalas could take over as showrunner from Chabon. 

Star Trek: Picard is available to watch on CBS All Access in the US, Amazon Prime Video internationally.

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Best survival games: build, battle, loot, learn and live

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 06:10 AM PDT

It’s a wild world out there at the moment – grocery shopping has become a lawless pursuit of multipacks of toilet roll and pasta, and even stepping outside your door is an exercise in caution. It’s almost like we all need a little practice in how to survive in this brave new world.

Enter the best survival games! Designed to test your endurance, your ingenuity and, in many cases, your capacity for scares. Collecting resources, taking on – and hiding from – enemies, all while trying to protect your base of operations, they can be brutal, and brutally addictive.

Here’s our pick of the best survival games you should be playing.

The best survival games

Don’t Starve
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android)

From it’s lovely Tim Burton-esque art style to its deep and engrossing crafting system, Don’t Starve is like a nightmare as conducted by Roald Dahl. Exploring its creepy world is never jump-out-of-your-seat frightening, but you’ll be terrified if you lose all your progress being killed by a marauding spider thing. If you’re stuck indoors, consider picking up the Don’t Starve Together add-on too, which introduces four player co-operative play into the mix.

No Man’s Sky
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

There’s a part of us that feels that, after the release and subsequent polishing of No Man’s Sky, all other games should just go home. What’s the point in playing something else when No Man’s Sky offers an entire universe for you to explore? A phenomenal technical achievement, and sci-fi nerds dream, it’s also a great survival sim, as you’ve got to collect resources, craft new gear, upgrade ships and defend against a menagerie of environmental hazards and intergalactic nasties.

Ark: Survival Evolved
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android)

There’s never really been a good Jurassic Park game, and while it’s not officially licensed, Ark: Survival Evolved might be as good as we’ll get. Waking up on a deserted beach with just your wits and a loincloth, it’s up to you to find shelter, craft tools and weaponry and forge alliances with fellow players on an island teeming with giant aggressive dinosaur inhabitants. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and very unforgiving for newcomers, but getting to the point where you’ve tamed your own ferocious T-Rex still takes some beating.

Conan Exiles
(PC, PS4, Xbox One)

You know what survival games need even more of? Dongs! More dongs! And this time, with a dong-size slider in the character creation screen. Yep – build-your-own dong. And that’s before the game has even properly started. Obviously not one for the kids then, but this barbarian-themed survival game does Arnie proud with brutal combat, lush environments to explore and giant settlements to create. And massive dongs.

Minecraft
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android)

Perhaps the most famous survival game of them all – although for many that side of Minecraft has slid into obscurity. While many now dive into the friendly build modes, at the heart of Minecraft remains an engrossing survival adventure, seeing you collect resources, build a shelter, and heading into the heart of the Earth to take on the increasingly aggressive inhabitants while hunting for rare treasures.

Subnautica
(PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Taking the survival genre from terra firma to 20,000 leagues under the sea, Subnautica mixes sci-fi scares with underwater thrills. It’s one of the most polished survival games out there, with a unique world to explore and a great loop of resource gathering, enemy battling and base improvements.

DayZ
(PC, PS4, Xbox One)

The survival daddy in many respects, DayZ started life as a mod before blowing up in such a huge way that it became its own game. Based on military sim Arma 3, it adds that ol’ faithful of videogames, zombies, into the survival mix. However, it’s not the undead you need to be most afraid of, but other players – they roam the maps in makeshift gangs, preying on the weak and stealing your hard earned gear.

The Forest
(PC, PS4)

This one’s great for horror fans – it’s the most out-and-out scary on the list. As a survivor of plane crash landing in that titular forest, The Forest has you evading the wandering mutant cannibals lurking among the trees, while building a fortress up in the branches. A toughie, and most enjoyable with a gang of pals.

Terraria 
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android)

Like a 16-bit Minecraft, the pixel-art Terraria is one of the most popular survival games out there. Colorful and vast, Terraria lets you take on lots of monstrous foes, digging deep into endless caverns before returning to your home to construct gigantic bases to hone your skills in. It’s a great game, with a cutesy art style that belies its complexity.

Starbound
(PC)

Starbound has a very similar artstyle – and playstyle – to Terraria, but takes the endeavour up to the outer reaches of space. It has the same side-scrolling open world exploration, but has a bit more of a quest system than some of the more free-form entries into this list. A great one for Terraria fans.

Honourable Mention: Battle Royale Games
(Various)

From Fortnite to Apex Legends, you could make a good argument for including the battle royale genre as a whole to this list of survival games. PUBG was born from an Arma mod in the same way Day Z was, and from its success comes Fortnite, Apex Legends and the rest of the pretenders. From collecting your gear to aiming to be the last person standing and, in some cases, some quick fire shelter building too, the heritage is clear. 

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Half-Life 3: release date, news and rumors for Valve's elusive beast

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 05:14 AM PDT

On 10th October 2007, Valve released Half-Life 2: Episode 2, the continuation of Gordon Freeman’s story as he and his friends fought to free the human race from the oppression of the alien Combine. The ending provided very little in the way of closure, setting up a number of plot points for Half-Life 3. But 13 years later a sequel has still never arrived. 

2020's Half-Life: Alyx, a prequel exclusively for virtual reality, marked the first kick in the franchise for a long time. But it's not a full sequel in the way that fans were hoping for and we're still waiting for a new Half-Life game with a 3 in the title. Fortunately, in a recent interview, Valve's Robin Walker said that the franchise still has a future, stating: "we absolutely see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it."

While this isn't a confirmation of definite plans for Half-Life 3, it's enough to give fans renewed hope that this long-dormant series is going to continue in one form or another. Here's everything we know of and hope for in another fully-fledged Half-Life game. 

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The long-awaited, and long-absent, continuation of the Half-Life saga
  • When can I play it? With nothing officially announced it won't be anytime soon

Half-Life 3 or Episode 3? Where has it been?

Back when Valve announced Half Life 2 would be getting episodic sequels, it revealed that there were plans to release three of them over the course of the following few years. They would together form what was essentially a third Half Life game. The idea was that development on an episode wouldn’t take as long as a full sequel, so fans could continue Gordon Freeman’s adventure sooner - albeit in smaller quantities.

Half Life 2: Episode 3 was never released, and over time people eventually just started referring to it as Half-Life 3 - assuming that Valve was working on a fully-fledged sequel rather than a brand new episode. 

In a 2020 interview with IGN, Valve explained why Half-Life 3 never emerged as its own release or a shorter episode. 

After a difficult six-year period which saw Valve developing Half-Life 2 and its Source game engine concurrently, level designer Dario Casali said that the team didn't want to repeat this, stating that “I think our main take away from that is ‘get some stable technology and then build a game on top of it." 

Instead, the team decided to work on smaller, episodic releases, with Episode 1 releasing in 2006 followed by the infamous Episode 2 in 2007. When it came to Episode 3, however, Casali explained that “We found ourselves creeping ever forward toward ‘Well, let's just keeping putting more and more, and more, and more stuff in this game because we want to make it as good as we can, and then we realized these episodes are turning more into sequels.” 

So, why didn't Half-Life episode 3 emerge as a fully-fledged Half-Life 3 sequel as many thought it would? Well, there are two primary reasons. The first is that the team didn't want to work on another Source engine alongside game development again and needed to work on Source 2 before creating another sequel. 

The other reason that goes hand-in-hand with this is explained in another IGN interview with Valve's co-founder Gabe Newell who said that “Half-Life games are supposed to solve interesting problems“ and that the studio doesn't just want to release Half-Life games in order to "make the quarterly numbers." When it comes to a new Half-Life game, then, Casali says that Valve is “looking for what is going to make that next big impact.” Making a big impact would, therefore, require an exciting new technology or a new engine.

Of course, Source 2 wasn't announced until 2015 when Dota 2 was released. And the following five years have been taken up with the VR-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx.

Which takes us to the present day, 13 years after Half-Life 2: episode 2, with no idea what the future holds for the series. 

Half-Life 3 release date—will it ever be made?

It's amazing that after the series had lain dormant for so long, Half-Life fans were still scrambling for another release. While 2020's VR title Half-Life: Alyx was a prequel rather than the full sequel that many were hoping for, it has rekindled some hope and marked the end of a drought. 

In an interview with GameInformer, Valve's Robin Walker said that Alyx is "not the end" for the franchise while writer Eric Wolpaw said in an interview with PCGamer that he's "ready to sign up for the next one". 

So, at the very least we know the series isn't retiring but we still don't know whether its next release will be Half-Life 3, another VR title related to Half-Life Alyx or something else completely fresh in the same universe. Hopefully we won't have to wait quite as long to find out. 

Will it be in VR?

Half-Life: Alyx is a VR-exclusive release and has quickly become a "watershed moment" for the platform, showing its true potential.

If another Half-Life title was to be released, then, would it be on VR? Well, that remains unclear and Valve remains non-committal. In an interview with PCGamer Dario Casali said “At this point, we don't really know what [another Half-Life game] would be—we don't know if it's going to be another VR title. We don't know if it's going to be a non VR title."

With the release of Half-Life: Alyx being so recent (though the game seems to be going down very well) the team is biding its time: “The best thing we can do at this point is to gauge the response to this product. How are people able to enjoy it? How many people can we get into the VR platform? [Are] people saying that VR is now this essential part of Half-Life? We really don't know those answers until we put the game out and we start listening.”

Certainly, at the moment, VR is a more limited platform in terms of its user base and if a fully-fledged Half-Life 3 were to be released it's possible Valve would want to make it available to as wide and audience as possible. This all remains speculation, however, and we won't know for sure what the future holds for the series until Valve confirms its intentions. 

What Valve has told us before 

So, although Valve never released its third episode or a sequel, some information has spilled out over the years. How much of it is still relevant is unclear, but Gabe Newell did confirm that players would retain control of action hero physicist Gordon Freeman. The end of Half-Life: Alyx certainly suggests that this will still be true of the next release. Newell later stated that Gordon would go unchanged in Episode 3, as it was then known, so he would “largely remain an arm and a crowbar”. Newell also confirmed that he will never speak, since his companions are a “more fruitful avenue to explore”.

Doug Lombardi, Valve’s VP of marketing, also confirmed that the story would not return to City 17, and that the developers had put a lot of work into "creating a natural progress of topography and climate".

Newell also confirmed that Episode 3, as it was then known, would finish the story arc that began in Half Life 2. While he spoke of the possibility of a fourth episodic instalment, he confirmed that it would be stand-alone and developed outside of Valve. It was later revealed to have been in development at Dishonored developers Arkane Studios and titled Return to Ravenholme. Unfortunately it was cancelled.

Former franchise writer Marc Laidlaw also confirmed to PC Gamer that Episode 3 wouldn’t have had a definite conclusion, much like Half Life and Half Life 2. The plot summary that he later released appeared to confirm this. 

Instead the game would keep things open so that a new team could eventually develop sequels. Laidlaw also claimed to have “no idea” if the game would ever get released or not.

In August 2017, longtime Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw posted a short story titled 'Epistle 3' on his personal blog. 

Although the writer referred to the post as a 'fanfic' it's pretty clear that the post is a thinly veiled plot summary of what would have been Half-Life 2: Episode 3, albeit with most of the name's changed and everyone's gender's reversed. 

If you'd like to read the post with the name's and gender's corrected then you can do so on GitHub, where someone has transcribed the whole short story. 

Although it's worth reading the post in its entirety, it appears the plot of the game would have followed Gordon and Alyx as they journeyed to the Borealis, which would have been found to be phasing in and out of existence. After a protracted fight they would have eventually have rigged the ship to travel to the heart of the Combine empire and explode, thus freeing the human race from their enslavement. 

Like previous Half-Life games, Gordon would have been left in limbo, saved from the explosion by the Vortigaunts. 

Leaked Concept Art

Despite the fact that Valve has seldom spoken about Half-Life 3, let alone released gameplay material, we have had a fair bit of concept art hit the net over the past 13 years. While it’s not quite the same as in-game renders of a trailer, it’s still something. Normally it might give us some hints at what to expect, but given the amount of time since the art first surface, the nature of the game is likely to have drastically changed.

The first pieces arrived online in 2007 and 2008, showcasing some of the possible settings:

Some more concept art arrived in 2012, and if legit shows off a wide variety of environments the players can explore.Valve has yet to comment on its validity, and since it’s usually quite quick to dismiss fakes this has led some to speculate that this is the real deal.

Counter Strike co-creator Minh Lee has also admitted to seeing some concept art himself. 

"I don't think I can talk about that, to be honest," he said. "I think it's kind of public knowledge that people know that it is being worked on. And so if I were to say that, yeah, I've seen some images, like some concept art of it, that wouldn't be big news to be honest. I guess I could say that I did see something that looked kinda like in the Half-Life universe.

And I mean it wouldn't surprise anyone if I said they're doing it, they're working on it, yeah. So to go out on a limb I'd say I did some concept art for Half-Life 3."

March 2008 also saw the release of what appears to be Alyx Vance concept art on the Picasa page belonging to Valve illustrator Andrea Wicklund. The images were quickly removed, but not before being saved and redistributed elsewhere.

Reddit AMA

In January 2017 Gabe Newell went onto Reddit to take part in an AMA (Ask Me Anything), which fans naturally used to ask some questions about the future of the Half Life/Portal universe. He did answer a few of them, though he didn’t reveal a whole lot.

Half-Life 3 remains unconfirmed

So, now that the Half-Life series has returned to, er, life fans are once again hoping to see a confirmation for that elusive third title. 

From what we've learned of the franchise's development history, though, it's clear that we won't hear about it or see it unless it's just right. Valve doesn’t really need to make a new Half Life game to be successful. Steam is one of the most popular digital storefronts in PC gaming, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2 attract millions of players who in turn purchase in-game items with real cash. That's not to mention VR successes.

But still, now that Half-Life: Alyx is breathing its first breaths, maybe we will see Half-Life 3 in some form or another some day. Certainly, the studio is clearly keen to continue releasing games in the series and we'll be updating this page as soon as some kind of official confirmation is released. 

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These are the five top SIM only deals this weekend: Three, EE, Smarty and more

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 05:00 AM PDT

If you've had it on your to-do list for months to finally get a new SIM plan, make this the weekend you finally invest the time and find the best SIM only deals currently on the market for you.

And while it can normally be a long and arduous affair trying to compare all of the different options, with tabs lining up along your computer, we're here to help try and speed up the process.

Below, we've picked out the top five SIM plans currently available in the UK. With everything from the best EE plan through to the UK's cheapest option and some all-round great pricing, you'll be able to find something that fits what you need.

  • Still looking for a new phone? Check our best SIM-free phone price guide

Our top 5 best SIM only deals this week:

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Apple launches Covid-19 screening tool so you can see if you need testing

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 05:00 AM PDT

Apple has launched a new Covid-19 screening website and iOS app, in partnership with the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

You can use either the site or the app to figure out if you need to be tested for Covid-19 or if you should get in touch with the emergency services. While the contact information and links are geared towards US users, anyone can make use of the tool.

You'll be asked about your current symptoms, any health issues you're living with, and where you've traveled to and from in the last few weeks. Once that's done, you'll be guided towards the most appropriate next steps, like getting tested.

Even if it's unlikely that you've been affected by the new coronavirus, the site and app will still offer up information about how to protect yourself – practising social distancing, washing your hands, and so on. Even if you're pretty sure you don't have Covid-19, it's well worth checking out.

Get the info you need

"The tools do not require a sign-in or association with a user's Apple ID, and users' individual responses will not be sent to Apple or any government organization," Apple points out in its official announcement.

We saw the foundations for this new tool being added to Siri last weekend – if you ask Apple's digital assistant about the new coronavirus or the Covid-19 disease then you get directed to the same information and resources.

You've now got an abundance of options if you need some authoritative, reliable information about the global pandemic we're living through. Google's online coronavirus hub is now online, with links to official health agencies in the US.

As you would expect, the coronavirus outbreak is having a huge impact on the world of tech. We're seeing events canceled and launches delayed, and it's going to be some months yet before everything is able to get back to normal.

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Food delivery: which online grocery delivery services have slots this weekend?

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 04:57 AM PDT

Update 28/03/20: There are currently no food delivery slots available, as far as our research shows. However, we saw a few food delivery slots yesterday at Tesco and Sainsbury's in some regions, so do check your local area. Alternatively, a number of meal delivery services are still operating - details below.

Online food delivery services are currently under strain. There's been a huge surge in demand, following the government's strict advice for everyone to stay at home to help combat the spread of coronavirus. 

With more people working from home or in self-isolation, it hasn't been easy to book an online grocery delivery in recent weeks. But we're assessing the situation daily, and we'll tell you which supermarkets are offering food delivery slots as soon as they open.

5 top meal delivery services still taking orders

The good news is that supermarkets have been working around the clock to speed up the supply chain, and we look forward to seeing the situation resolved soon.

In the meantime, we've taken a look at how the major supermarkets are dealing with this increased demand. We'll be constantly updating this page, but it looks like it'll be mid-April before new food delivery slots are opened up. You'll find full details below. 

Please remember to use all food delivery services responsibly. Only order what you need to preserve stocks for others who might be in need. 

Grocery delivery: our process

We signed up to all the major supermarkets below, and created a shopping basket full of popular goods. We then compared four different locations to provide a sense of what stock is available in each area and whether delivery slots are currently offered. 

Your situation may differ, but the locations we covered were: London, Leeds, Portsmouth and Bath. Here's the latest on which supermarkets are offering online grocery delivery today...

Tesco

Next delivery slot: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)

Update (28/03/20): While our research showed a couple of Tesco food delivery slots popped up yesterday for March 30 and April 3, we're now not seeing any in the areas we're testing. Nevertheless, we're hopeful that yesterday development offers some evidence that availability is starting to improve.

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis has reached out to customers in a new message this week: "We know that it's difficult right now to get a delivery slot for online shopping. We are at full capacity for the next few weeks and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so that we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable."

Tesco has a decent selection of food items online, but getting hold of them at the moment can be tricky. Most brands are in stock, but eggs, hand soap, pasta, milk and bread are the exception, with some items sold out. 

According to Tesco, new slots are offered up at 23:30 each day:

How to sign up for an account 

Enter a valid email address and password, and confirm whether you have a Clubcard or not. You’ll receive one automatically upon registering if you don't. Fill in your personal details, including your phone number and UK Postcode. You can then select if you’d like to receive offers and vouchers from Tesco or not. 

Benefits and perks

Online shoppers can collect Clubcard points and Tesco has begun price matching Aldi on both its own-brand and branded products. A Delivery Saver pass is also available for regular customers, and comes with the added benefit of priority delivery slots during the busy Christmas and Easter periods. 

Coronavirus measures and policies

Customers who shop online are encouraged to shop in-store where possible to help free up delivery slots for the elderly customers and those who are self-isolating. 

Due to increased demand, Tesco isn’t accepting any new Delivery Saver customers right now either. A restriction of only three items per customer on every product line is in place, and multi-buy promotions have also been removed.

Asda

Next delivery slot: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)

Update (28/03/20): Asda will still let you register as new online customer, but online delivery slots are not available up until April 11. Click and collect slots are also unavailable. 

Similar to Ocado, Asda has now implemented a queue system to deal with the high volumes of traffic its website is receiving. There's no estimate as to where you are in the queue, though, or how long you'll have to wait. Items such as pasta, hand soap and toilet roll are also in high demand. 

In an email to customers, Asda CEO Roger Burnley has shared some information regarding how the company is working to deliver online shopping: "We're providing our drivers with hand sanitiser and gloves, and making as many online shopping slots available as we can. We're encouraging those that are able to safely shop in person to do so - this allows us to deliver to the highly vunerable."

Roger Burnely went on to add "If you are self-isolating or have additional needs, please advise us in the 'other information' section when placing your order."

How to sign up for an account

Registering is quick and easy with Asda (it says as much on its website), simply enter your email, a password and then enter your delivery postcode and you’re good to go. You can choose whether to receive exclusive offers and the latest info from Asda too if you’d like. 

Benefits and perks

Competitively priced and with a Delivery Pass available, Asda online shoppers can save up to £80 and £100 by choosing a 6-month or 12-month pass. Offers are clearly highlighted on the Asda website, so you’re never likely to miss a cracking deal. 

Coronavirus measures and policies

Customers are limited to a three item maximum on all food, toiletries and cleaning products when ordering online.

When placing an online delivery order, anyone who is self-isolating is advised to fill in the ‘Other information’ section to advise where their order should be left, i.e. on the doorstep.

Ocado

Ocado

Next delivery date: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)

Update (28/03/20): No more slots are available, according to Ocado's website. The company is also bringing order cut-off times forward, so customers are encouraged to complete their order in one session to avoid disappointment later. If you visit the Ocado website you’ll be placed in a virtual queue, which can take up to four hours (the brand has paused the app due to high demand). 

In an email to existing customers on 25 March, Ocado Retail CEO Melanie Smith has said that "no matter how hard we work, we will not have enough capacity to serve the unprecedented levels of demand".

She went on to say that "new delivery slots will be released every day for the coming week, as and when we have capacity". 

Iit's currently unclear whether Ocado are allowing new customers. If you do not have a delivery booked already, Ocado's website notes that there is "limited availability over the next few days".

How to sign up for an account

You can sign up to Ocado using a Facebook and PayPal account, or simply fill in your details such as your email address and postcode to register.Tick the box if you’d like to opt out of Ocado’s offers, vouchers and gifts before you hit ‘Register’.

Benefits and perks 

New customers can enjoy three months free delivery with Smart Pass, and Ocado also offers one-hour delivery windows. 

Coronavirus measures and policies

Ocado had to temporarily suspend its service due to high demand, but is now its back online. Customers can only book one delivery slot every seven days to free up more slots for other customers.

Some products are limited to one or two per order, and a small number of bulky items have been removed from sale to make more room in each delivery van. The company has shared how stockpiling has affected its service during the coronavirus outbreak.

Morrisons

Morrisons

Next delivery slot: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)


The Morrisons website has recovered after being down for a few days, but there are still no delivery slots available at this time. There is also a very small selection of pasta. 

How to sign up for an account

To sign up for a Morrisons online account, firstly enter your postcode to check if Morrisons deliver in your area. Once you’re given the all clear, enter your details and a password to register. You can also receive tailored offers, coupons and communications from Morrisons.

Benefits and perks

You can use a Facebook account to sign in, and Morrisons Quick Shop fills your trolley with the top things you might be wanting to buy with a single click. A Delivery Pass is also available with regular choices for those looking to do their weekly shop online. 

Coronavirus measures and policies 

Orders must be finalised 48 hours before delivery. Morrisons are working on introducing a number of measures to help reduce the amount of substitutes and missing items that some customers are encountering with their online food shops:

Sainsbury's

Next delivery slot: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)

Unless you’re already registered as a Sainsbury’s online customer, Sainsbury’s has paused all new online registrations. 

Update (27/03/20): If you have an existing account, food delivery slots are now showing for March 28 and March 29. The amount available will vary depending on your area, put it's a positive sign that Sainsbury's are beginning to cope with the unprecedented demand. The company offers a click & collect service but this is still unavailable. 

In a message to customers, Sainsbury's Chief Executive Mike Coupe has provided more insight into how the company is delivering to the elderly or vulnerable: "Many of you have written to me to tell me you are elderly or vulnerable and are struggling to book online delivery slots. We are doing our absolute best to offer online delivery slots to elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers. These customers have priority over all slots."

Sainsbury's revealed that their customer Careline has had "one year's worth of contacts in two weeks".

Mike Coupe went on to add, "I apologise to our regular online customers, who I know are feeling very frustrated at not being able to book slots. Please bear with us and I hope you can understand why we feel the need to prioritise elderly and vulnerable customers at the moment."

How to sign up for an account

Due to the huge increase in online orders, new registrations have been paused for the time being. To sign up for a Sainsbury’s online account, enter your email address and fill in your details on the following page. Once you’ve finished, you can start shopping. 

Benefits and perks

You can collect and spend Nectar Points with each online food shop. A Delivery Pass is also available, which can help you save up to £156 per year.

Coronavirus measures and policies

Elderly customers and those deemed as vulnerable will be offered priority delivery slots.

Waitrose

Waitrose

Next delivery slot: none currently available (last updated 28/03/20)


Waitrose is still accepting new customer registrations - however, all delivery and click & collect slots are unfortunately unavailable right now. You can still amend or cancel existing orders, though. 

It doesn't look like many will open up in the near future either, as the brand isn't confirming any new slots at the moment - but that could well just be a lack of communication to the social media team:

How to sign up for an account

Signing up to Waitrose is simple - just fill in your details, such as your address and contact number, then click ‘next’ and you can start shopping straight away.

Benefits and perks

Waitrose has a number of attractive introductory offers, including a £30 saving on your first three online grocery shops. The website also includes hundreds of recipes and lists the ingredients so you can quickly add them to your basket. 

Coronavirus measures and policies

The company has paused its online voucher codes along with any offer incentives until further notice. Some products have are restricted for a limited time, with customers only allowed to buy a maximum of two packets of toilet roll and three of any specific grocery item. 

Entertainment products are also no longer available to order online for the foreseeable future. Substitutions for online orders cannot be returned to your driver if they have been handled, and drivers will not enter homes. 

All online deliveries will be bagged as well to make them easier to collect quickly.

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Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: the showdown

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 04:00 AM PDT

In late 2019 and early 2020, the three biggest smartphone makers put out phones that would rightly be classed as 'super-premium' handsets; Apple, Samsung and Huawei now all have luxury handsets packed full of top-end specs and impressive features.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max was the first, launched by Apple in September 2019 to top its iPhone 11 range. Although it has specs pretty similar to the iPhone 11 Pro, a few tweaks including a bigger screen make it Apple's top-end device.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra came next, topping the Galaxy S20 series of phones released in February 2020. It's even more premium than the Galaxy S20 Plus, with a huge display and some seriously impressive camera specs.

Finally, there's the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, the top-end model of the Huawei P40 series, which takes the best features of the P40 Pro and builds on them, especially in terms of camera specs.

So how do these handsets stack up, which one is best for you, and which one is the best overall? We'll run you through them so you can work that out for yourself.

Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max price and availability

The iPhone 11 Pro Max

If you're a US phone fan, you're going to have to rule out buying the Huawei P40 Pro Plus because Huawei phones generally don't come to the country, and we wouldn't expect that to be any different with this device.

Outside the US, the phone will cost €1,399 (approximately $1,500 / £1,300 / AU$2,500). For now we don't have exact pricing in different regions, but this Euro price suggests it will be pretty pricey.

The other two phones come in a variety of storage options and prices, but the storage they have in common is 512GB of storage, and depending on your region one or the other is more expensive.

This variant of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra costs $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,249 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max comes in at $1,449 / £1,499 / AU$2,499, so in the US the Galaxy phone is pricier, but elsewhere the iPhone is. Generally, though, they're about even.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra also comes in a 128GB version at $1,399 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, while you can get the iPhone 11 Pro Max in 64GB and 256GB for $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899 and $1,249 / £1,299  / AU$2,149 respectively. Therefore the iPhone can also be the cheapest if you don't mind that low storage size.

Design and display

If you know iPhones you know the iPhone 11 Pro Max design, as they don't change that much - there's a rather big notch and thick bezel on the front, but the back is pretty plain, other than an Apple logo.

This back has a matte glass design, which feels smooth and premium in the hand, and you can get it in green, gray, gold or silver versions. The iPhone is a big handset as despite being the smallest in terms of screen size, it isn't in terms of actual body size, with dimensions of 158 x 77.8 x 8.1mm and a weight of 226g.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the biggest phone, with dimensions of 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm but only a 220g weight. 

On the front this phone has rather slim bezels, a curved screen, and a punch-hole cut-out in the top center for the front-facing camera, then around the back there's a huge camera bump to house the myriad lenses.

In between those two phones is the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, which is 158.2 x 72.6 x 9mm, and has the same 226g weight as the iPhone.

The Huawei phone has a similar front to the Samsung phone in that it has a curved screen, nearly no bezels, and a cut-out front camera, but this cut-out is much bigger than the S20 Ultra's as it has two lenses, and it's also on the left of the device rather than the center.

On the back there's a camera bump to the top left which isn't as big as the S20 Ultra's, but is still pretty large.

While the Huawei P40 Pro Plus and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra have a USB-C port, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is dragging its heels with Apple's own Lightning port.

In terms of displays, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch 1242 x 2688 OLED screen, slightly smaller than the Huawei P40 Pro Plus' 6.58-inch 1200 x 2640 OLED panel and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra's 6.9-inch 1440 x 3200 Dynamic AMOLED display.

If you can get over its large size, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has the highest resolution and best display of the three, and its 120Hz refresh rate helps with that. The Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 90Hz screen but the iPhone is stuck on the 'standard' 60Hz.

Huawei P40 Pro Plus

Huawei P40 Pro Plus

Camera and battery life

Cameras are the true testing ground of these premium handsets.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra leads the pack, at least on paper, with a 108MP f/1.8 main, 48MP f/3.5 periscope (for 4x optical, 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom), 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, and 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera.

Then, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 50MP f/1.9 main, 8MP f/4.4 periscope (for 10x optical zoom), 8MP f/2.4 telephoto (for 3x optical zoom), 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide, and 3D ToF camera. Combined this phone's two zoom lenses allow for 100x digital zoom.

Finally, the iPhone 11 has three 12MP snappers, specifically a f/1.8 main, f/2.0 telephoto (for 2x optical zoom), and f/2.4 ultra-wide. On paper this phone looks the worst, but there's a lot more to camera capabilities than hardware.

Each phone has its own post-processing software that uses AI to tweak photos, which also enables specific modes on each like portrait and night shooting. 

For example, while the iPhone only has 12MP sensors so won't take as high-res pictures, the Galaxy S20's 108MP snapper doesn't work as well in low-light situations as the iPhone's dedicated night mode, so one is not clearly better than the other and it's hard to make sweeping statements.

We also haven't tested the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, so it's hard to say which camera is 'better' right now, but check out our list of the best camera phones to see which of the phones we've tested we think is best at any given time.

As for the front-facing cameras, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 32MP one (paired with a depth sensor), the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 40MP one, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 12MP one.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

In terms of battery sizes, the iPhone 11 Pro Max comes last with a 3,969mAh power pack, lower than the Huawei P40 Pro Plus' 4,200mAh and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra's 5,000mAh batteries. Due to the latter phone's large size, though, it might burn through battery quite quickly.

The Samsung phone is also the fastest charger here, with 45W, which is faster than the Huawei's 40W or the iPhone's measly 18W. For wireless charging though, Huawei wins, as its phone also has 40W speeds for that, while the Galaxy only has 15W, and Apple hasn't announced the iPhone's wireless charging speed.

The Huawei and Samsung phones also have wireless power sharing, which lets you charge up other devices wirelessly on the handset. The P40 Pro Plus supports this at 27W while the Galaxy S20 Ultra only manages 9W.

Specs and features

Both the Huawei P40 Pro Plus and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra run Android 10 and have a 5G modem to give them the next generation of connectivity.

The P40 Pro Plus is powered by a Kirin 990 chipset and the S20 Ultra uses either a Snapdragon 865 or an Exynos 990 (depending on where you are in the world).

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is an iOS device on iOS 13, and it uses Apple's A13 Bionic chipset, which seems to beat most Snapdragon scores in benchmark tests, despite it being a little older. It isn't a 5G phone though. 

RAM isn't as good on the iPhone though, at only 4GB, compared to 8GB in the Huawei phone and either 12GB or 16GB in Samsung's handset.

There are perks to both iOS and Android, and fans of one rarely change to the other, but there's something worth remembering: the Huawei P40 Pro Plus doesn't have Google Apps, including the Play Store. So you're going to be stuck with the relatively few apps Huawei offers in its AppGallery.

Takeaway

It's hard to say which phone is 'best', because it comes down to what you're looking for in a handset. This is especially true when comparing the different operating systems, as people tend to be dedicated fans or naysayers; an iOS user might find Android a poor experience and vice versa.

Each phone has its benefits: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a great screen, while the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has impressive camera hardware (at least on paper - we haven't fully tested it yet) and the iPhone 11 Pro Max's camera software is fantastic.

So depending on what you're looking for in a handset, each of these may or may not scratch your itch. Well, that's unless you're looking for a phone that isn't eye-wideningly expensive, but then you shouldn't be looking at big-name flagships.

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Breath of the Wild 2 release date, news and trailers for the next Zelda game

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 03:59 AM PDT

Dust off your climbing boots and paraglider, gamers: Nintendo has confirmed that a The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel is in development, with a breathtaking trailer pointing to a darker turn for the next mainline Zelda game. 

Nintendo dropped the bombshell at the end of its E3 2019 presentation, confirming our suspicions after the Japanese publisher appeared to be hiring for a 3D level designer in 2018. However, we've been kept in the dark regarding an official release date.

But what will Breath of the Wild 2 do differently from the first game, and when will we finally get our hands on it?

Breath of the Wild was a masterclass in open-world game design, breathing a huge gust of fresh air into the Zelda franchise while somehow retaining everything that made the series special. Widely considered one of the best games of 2017 – if not all time – it's no surprise Nintendo is working on a direct sequel.

Nintendo hasn't given us a whole bunch to go on, but we've gathered up everything we know so far about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 below for your perusal.

[Update: Nintendo's latest mini Direct didn't bring any information on Breath of the Wild 2 but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill. Read on to find out more.]

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The upcoming sequel to 2017's open-world Zelda game
  • What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
  • When can I play it? 2020 at the earliest, but likely later than that

Breath of the Wild 2 release date

Nintendo hasn't shared much information other than the trailer and a few sparse comments – run through below – but the trailer did close off with a line stating the Breath of the Wild sequel was "in development". We certainly don't think we'll see the game being released in the coming months.

Last year, leaker Sabi (via wccftech) suggested that Breath of the Wild 2 is due for release in 2020, but warned that, "Zelda release dates are historically delayed, internally or publicly".

And it seems they were right, as the leaker has since claimed that Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed, likely into 2021. 

While it's always worth taking rumors with a big pinch of salt, Sabi is a pretty reliable leaker. The Twitter user leaked most of the big announcements from E3 2019 before they happened – reportedly even earning himself a cease and desist order from Nintendo.

Breath of the Wild 2 trailers

We got our first glimpse of BOTW 2 at E3 2019, with this spooky trailer that shows Zelda and Link exploring an underground chamber – with some mysterious runes, glowing hands, and a brand-new haircut that has set the internet on fire. Suffice to say: we're excited.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 trailer is just 82 seconds long and there's no dialogue whatsoever – but there are some clues to be gathered from it.

It features a torch-carrying Link and Zelda traversing a dark dungeon beneath Hyrule (no big surprise there). Spirit-like tendrils creep around the musty tomb they're exploring, with the pair riding a large elephant-like beast. Something shocks the pair, and then we cut to what appears to be the resurrection of some long-dead (and creepy looking) warrior. Could this be the return of Ganondorf?

The video then cuts to a long shot of Hyrule Field, with Hyrule Castle in the distance. There's a tremor, the castle is smothered with dust... and that's the end.

The clip finishes with a message that reads: "The sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is in development."

We wouldn't usually expect so much animation to be done so early in development, but it probably helps that Nintendo already has the in-game engine from Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild 2 news and rumors

Breath of the Wild 2

Could Zelda have a bigger role this time around? (Image Credit: Nintendo)

Rumors spreading

It's been a long time since anything solid on Breath of the Wild 2 has been announced and, as ever, in the absence of solid news rumors tend to creep in. 

The latest rumor has come from Tyler McVicker. Known primarily for his YouTube channel dedicated to Valve rumors, McVicker has recently announced he's setting up a Nintendo news channel and on a recent stream (around the 11 minute mark) teased some unconfirmed information (via NintendoLife) on the Zelda sequel. 

According to McVicker, Breath of the Wild 2 will take players back to the same Hyrule layout but introduce new things like "miasma"-like corruption and dungeons to add depth and detail to the map, taking inspiration from Red Dead Redemption 2 and another unnamed game. 

Anything said about Breath of the Wild 2 that hasn't come from Nintendo itself should naturally be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

A 2020 release date? It may be delayed
Last year, leaker Sabi (via wccftech) suggested that Breath of the Wild 2 is due for release in 2020, but warned that, "Zelda release dates are historically delayed, internally or publicly".

And it seems they were right, as the leaker has since claimed that Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed, likely into 2021.

Monolith recruitment
The development of Breath of the Wild 2 is rolling along and updates are very thin on the ground at the moment. But according to a report by Video Games Chronicle, the game's co-developer Monolith Soft is looking to expand its team with adverts for a character modeler, concept art designer, map modeler and scenario planner for a new Zelda game. 

Hiring extra hands for the development of such a highly-anticipated game can't be a bad thing and suggests that the teams are working hard on getting the game ready for whatever the as-yet-unrevealed release date is. 

Behind the scenes
Nintendo is attempting to entice developers on its careers site with images that show how the development team put together the E3 trailer for Breath of the Wild 2. The images don't give much away but it's interesting to look at for fans invested in the development process. 

We haven't seen much from the game since this trailer but some are hoping that we'll get an update sometime soon.

More hiring calls
There hasn’t been much information around Breath of the Wild 2 since it was confirmed so naturally fans have been clamoring for a hint of where the game might be in its development. 

One hint comes from a Nintendo Japan tweet regarding some job listings for a “scenario planner” and a “level designer” for the game. The fact that such core roles are still being filled suggests that the game is still in the fairly early stages of development and isn’t likely to be a 2020 release. We can’t know for certain, of course, until Nintendo confirms an exact release date but we’re inclined to say later rather than sooner. 

All the DLC that never was
In an interview with Kotaku, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said there were originally plans for more DLC content for BOTW, after The Champion's Ballad and Master Trials add-ons that came in 2017.

"Initially we were thinking of just DLC ideas," says Anouma. "But then we had a lot of ideas and we said, 'This is too many ideas, let’s just make one new game and start from scratch.'"

A darker turn for the series
All we really know at this point is how little we know. But boy are there rumors. The unexpected trailer has already sparked a huge amount of speculation, hopes and hot takes on what the next mainline Zelda title might include.

We've heard from Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma that the game is going to have a darker tone than Breath of the Wild, and will even be "a little bit darker" than Majora's Mask (via IGN).

The trailer certainly supports this, with what looks like Ganondorf's corpse being resurrected by a disembodied hand, and seemingly imagery from 2006's Twilight Princess, which saw Hyrule turned into a bleak shadow realm – largely in response to the far cheerier and cartoonish The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Breath of the Wild 2

A Gerudo corpse, possibly Ganon, is grabbed by a mysterious force (Image Credit: Nintendo)

The Twilight realm
The glowing blue hand in the trailer is the biggest clue that we'll be seeing more of the Twili – shadow people descended from Hylians who tried to take the power of the Triforce for themselves. The hand is wrapped in twisting shapes reminiscent of Twilight architecture, while the swirling magic could remind some of the portals that let Twili invade Hyrule in the 2006 game.

We know that BOTW's dev team originally toyed with the idea of an alien invasion, and seeing shadow creatures teleport out of the sky could well have been what they have planned this time around.

A clue in the audio
Showing just how far some Zelda fans will go, reddit user u/ReroFunk (via Inverse)  pieced together a pretty convincing theory regarding Twilight Princess villain Zant, a Twili who served Ganondorf in the game. If you listen to the trailer's audio in reverse, there are certain notes that seem to echo the music played during your final encounter with Zant – who, while defeated, is adamant he'll return through the power of his "god".

u/ReroFunk also suggests we could see the demon king Demise return for the next Zelda game. Demise was the final boss in Skyward Sword, and revealed to be the original form of Ganondorf. The below still from the Zelda trailer also looks a lot like Demise when you think about it.

Breath of the Wild 2

Ganon, Demise, or something else entirely? (Image Credit: Nintendo)

Lots of dungeons (and an extended map)
Rumors about the Breath of the Wild sequel suggest that we could be in for a treat in the form of a new map that's not like anything we've seen from Zelda before. What's more, a couple of new job listings suggest that Nintendo is looking for people to work on designing some dungeons and hidden bosses for the game – so far, so exciting.

Zelda's turn in the spotlight?
One of the favorite fan theories doing the rounds regards the Hyrule princess herself. She's shown in the trailer with a practical short haircut, and is dressed in a manner pretty similar to Link's own adventurer's gear – leading some to think she may be a playable character.

Zelda's devs have seemed pretty dismissive of the idea of a female Link in the past – sadly – but we may in this game see sections playing as Zelda, or at least with her playing a more active role in the story.

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Windows 10 has a nasty bug that might affect people working from home

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:34 AM PDT

Windows 10 has a new bug which is affecting the internet connectivity of some users, and in some cases is keeping major apps – like Office 365 – from getting online, thereby making life very difficult for those people trying to use these applications to work from home under lockdown during the outbreak of Covid-19.

The problem can affect those using Windows 10 May 2019 Update, or November 2019 Update, and is caused by Microsoft’s KB4535996 cumulative update (which is an optional update deployed late February).

The bug may prevent Office 365, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams – and other software besides, including Microsoft’s web browsers – from connecting to the internet, with obvious issues therein for those working from home using these apps in these troubled times.

Microsoft notes that any software which uses WinHTTP or WinInet might (and note that use of the word might – the problem isn’t guaranteed to manifest) experience issues reaching the internet.

The caveat is that many of those affected by this issue are using a VPN, and these are the folks most likely to be hit by the gremlin. But of course those working from home, and having to log on to remote systems and work with sensitive business data, are those most likely to be using a VPN for the better security it provides.

Apparently the problem can happen when either connecting to, or disconnecting from, a VPN.

Microsoft explains: “Devices using a manual or auto-configured proxy, especially with a virtual private network (VPN), might show limited or no internet connection status in the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) in the notification area.

“This might happen when connected or disconnected to a VPN or after changing state between the two.”

Fix imminent?

In terms of a fix, Microsoft is prioritizing this as you might imagine, rushing a patch out the door before the usual scheduled monthly release, and it should be available in early April we are told.

Meantime, the more positive news is that there is a very easy potential workaround, and that’s simply to reboot your machine. This may or may not work, but at least it’s not a difficult thing to do.

On the other hand, if you have to keep doing it throughout the working day, that could obviously be pretty frustrating, and you’ll potentially be wasting a fair amount of time looking at the boot screen or the desktop loading up. And of course this isn’t a guaranteed solution – although at least it’s a low-effort mitigation.

The update that Microsoft has acknowledged as the origin of the problem, KB4535996, applied a number of fixes including a solution for a problem where the Windows search box doesn’t render properly, and it also improved battery performance for laptops in Modern Standby mode.

Sadly, as too often seems to be the case with Microsoft’s cumulative updates for Windows 10 these days, it gave with one hand, and took with another, introducing this fresh net connectivity bugbear.

The timing of the emergence of this Windows 10 flaw is obviously problematic, but with any luck those who are suffering at the hands of this bug will get a solution perhaps as soon as next week, depending on exactly how early in April Microsoft is targeting for a resolution.

Via ZDNet

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Disney Plus UK: how to sign up, movies, app links, Sky Q and more explained

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:29 AM PDT

Disney Plus has finally released in the UK, and for a pretty reasonable £5.99 per month, you can get streaming on the device of your choice. 

With Disney Plus, you can watch all the Star Wars, Disney, Marvel and The Simpsons you can handle. Think of it as being like Netflix, but focused specifically on Disney-related and Disney-owned content, like Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more. Here's the full list of Disney Plus UK movies and TV shows available from launch, which will help you figure out if you want the service. 


The launch line-up is pretty good, even compared to the existing libraries in the US and Australia. Now we're getting stuck into the app, too, we can see it retains the Disney US feature of explaining when content is coming to the service in the future. That's how we know Frozen 2 will be on Disney Plus UK on July 17 2020, for example. We're less sure about Onward, which is out on April 3 in the US. 

If you were hoping you'd get to watch every episode of Star Wars show The Mandalorian at launch in the UK, episodes have only started to 'roll out'. Still, you've now got three episodes of this excellent show to enjoy. And let's not underestimate how awesome it is to have 30 seasons of The Simpsons available to stream.

Subscribe here, at monthly or yearly tiers:

Below, we'll talk you through everything we know about Disney Plus post-launch, including the price, compatible devices, free trial, shows, movies and more. You can also click here for our first impressions of Disney Plus UK.

Disney Plus UK release date: it's live!

Disney Plus is now live in the UK! You can start watching it now. 


How to sign up to Disney Plus

All you have to do is head to the Disney Plus website, create an account and enter your billing details to get started. With your login details to hand, you'll then want to download Disney Plus onto the device of your choice, say a smartphone, smart TV, games console or tablet. Scroll down for a list of compatible devices. 

Not sure you want it yet? Head here to grab a 7-day free trial of Disney Plus. It's easy to cancel if you don't want to commit (here's how you cancel Disney Plus). 

Disney Plus app links: how to download Disney Plus

Below, we've added app links we've found so far for the UK launch, and we'll add more as they appear.

Disney Plus: UK price and subscription tiers explained

Disney Plus costs £59.99 for an annual subscription, or £5.99 per month. These are the two available tiers, and you can cancel at any time. Unlike in the US, where it's bundled in with ESPN and Hulu, in the UK Disney Plus is a standalone service. 

Either tier gets you four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads with a maximum of 10 devices and the option to create seven profiles. 

In the US, you can gift a year of Disney Plus either digitally or in the form of physical cards, but no such option has been announced for the UK yet.

Disney Plus supports 4K and HDR streams

Disney Plus indeed supports 4K and HDR. When you're in the app, head over to the 'details' tab of a given movie or show and you'll see a section that says 'available in the following formats', which will explain if the content in question features 4K Ultra HD and HDR. 

You now have every Star Wars movie to watch in 4K with HDR. Enjoy!

Disney Plus UK: compatible devices and apps

Disney Plus has launched on pretty much any device you can name in the UK, including mobile devices, games consoles, streaming media devices and smart TVs. You can take Disney Plus shows on the go, too, downloading as many movies and shows as you can fit on your device, as long as you have an active subscription and connect to the internet every 30 days.  

Disney Plus UK has launched on LG TVs, Sky Q, Apple TV, Roku streaming devices, Android (5.0 and later), iOS (11.0 and later), PS4, Xbox One, LG WebOS smart TVs, Samsung Tizen smart TVs, Google Chromecast and Amazon's Fire range of streaming devices. 

One notable exception is the Nintendo Switch, which is still pretty poor at supporting streaming services. 

Phillips' Android-based smart TVs support Disney Plus too. Your Samsung TV may be able to get Disney Plus, as well. Read our guide and discover if your TV can support it.

Disney Plus UK: shows and movies, including The Simpsons 

Click to see the full list of Disney Plus UK movies and shows at launch, and see what you can stream right now. Every Star Wars movie minus The Rise of Skywalker is on there, as well as a near-complete list of Pixar movies and Marvel movies. You've also got 2019's Aladdin and The Lion King movies on day one. Frozen 2, which just launched in the US, doesn't arrive until 17 July in the UK according to the app. 

Looking for recommendations? Check out our list of the best Disney Plus TV shows and best Disney Plus movies. Star Wars series The Mandalorian is the clear highlight of Disney Plus originals. Episodes are rolling out weekly, and the first two are available now. 

In the UK, all new episodes of original shows on Disney Plus will be released at 8am each Friday. Expect one new episode for each Disney Plus original show per week, except The Clone Wars, which will get two episodes per week until the show catches up with the US. 

Other originals include the live-action Lady and the Tramp, High School Musical: The Series, Encore!, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Togo, Diary of a Future President, Forky Asks a Question and The Imagineering Story at launch, too. Expect one episode for each original at launch. 

Disney Plus: future shows and movies

In the future, Disney Plus is getting plenty of big exclusive shows. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things, new shows include The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (August), WandaVision (November), Loki (2021), Hawkeye (2021) and animated show What If?. Further off, expect TV shows based on Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk. Unlike Marvel's Netflix shows, too, these will canonically be part of the MCU, and feature actors crossing over between the movies and these TV series.

Lucasfilm has a second season of The Mandalorian coming in October 2020, then further off it's making shows featuring Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Diego Luna's Cassian Andor from Rogue One. 

It's likely you can expect recent Disney-associated movies like Pixar's Onward, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on there before the end of 2020. In the US, Onward arrives early on April 3. Hopefully we'll see it in the UK before long. 

Disney Plus has launched with Sky Q and Now TV is coming at a later date

Disney Plus has made a deal with Sky to host Disney Plus on its Sky Q platform at launch. That means you can watch Disney Plus as well as your other Sky content – it'll just be added to your Sky bill. According to Pocket Lint, full integration into the Sky Q platform won't come until April, but you can watch Disney Plus through an app on your Sky Q box.

Disney Plus will be available on Now TV in the coming months, too. 

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Best free photography courses, apps and YouTube channels for lockdown learning

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:00 AM PDT

Today's age of lockdowns and self-isolation might not be great for travel snapping, but it is the perfect opportunity for beginners to learn how to shoot – so we've rounded up the best free photography courses, apps and YouTube channels to help you do just that.

With many educators and developers recognizing that there are millions of potential photographers stuck at home, there's been something of a surge in free courses and downloads. Whether you use a smartphone or DSLR, these could be the perfect way to give yourself a little photographic firmware upgrade over the next few months.

Some of these free offers are based on extended free trials, so you'll simply need to set yourself a reminder to avoid being charged down the line. But many are simply free photography courses or YouTube channels that we've long rated as a great way to boost your camera knowhow. All you've needed was enough spare time at home to give them a good crack...

Best free photography courses

These free photography courses will level up your photographic skills no matter where you're starting from...

Digital Photography Exposed

Best free photography courses

This free, 12-part course from Harvard University might be a few years old now, but it's long been one of our top recommendations for beginners (or intermediates) who are looking to get a solid grounding in the photographic fundamentals.

It starts at the very beginning with how digital cameras work, but then quickly moves through lenses, histograms and image artifacts. There are project ideas too, and while you might be five years too late to submit entries, they're good exercises to follow and many can be done at home.

Go to the Digital Photography Exposed course   

Creative Live

Best free photography courses

While Creative Live does offer some fairly pricey paid-for classes, which you can rewatch whenever you like, there are also free, live broadcasts that are on 24-hours a day.

This does mean it's a slight case of pot luck, but at the time of writing there were interesting classes on portrait photography and Photoshop layer tips scheduled. All you need to do is sign up for a free account and RSVP to the class you want to tune into. While you're there, you can also dip into other free classes in music and art.

Go to Creative Live's On Air Today classes 

Professional Photographers of America

Best free photography courses

The Professional Photographers of America hit the headlines this week by announcing that its catalogue of over one thousand online photography courses will be free for the next two weeks, ending on 4 April.

As their name suggests, a lot of the courses are aimed at pro photographers and cover exciting subjects like navigating contract cancellations. But there are few educational gems for aspiring snappers, like an introduction to Capture One and some Lightroom tutorials.

Go to the Professional Photographers of America's free courses 

Best free photography software

Looking to boost your photo editing skills? These recent offers are a great way to dip your toes into image tinkering waters...

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo

One of the more popular alternatives to Adobe's Photoshop, Affinity Photo has announced a lengthy 90-day free trial of its desktop software for Mac and Windows.

That gives you a generous window to get familiar with the photo editing app, which we once described as "a fabulous program that really does rival the best professional and enthusiast-level image-editing packages on the market", to see if it's for you.

And if you do decide it's the editing program for you, there's also a 50% off deal on the Mac, Windows and iPad versions of Affinity Photo, which brings it down to impulse buy pricing. Unlike Adobe creative Cloud, there's no subscription needed either.

Go to Affinity Photo's free 90-day trial

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud

Shortly after Adobe announced that is was providing free home Creative Cloud access for students, a broader offer for all CC customers emerged – one that could get you two months of its desktop apps for free.

To get the offer you need to be an existing Creative Cloud subscriber and follow the cancellation process at the link below, but it could land you some big savings of up to $105 / £99 / AU$155.

It's not the first time Adobe has run this cancellation offer, but for those who were considering cancelling to make some savings in tough times, it's a welcome bonus that could give you the opportunity to delve deeper into apps like Lightroom and Photoshop.

Find out how to get two months of Adobe Creative Cloud for free 

Apple Final Cut Pro X

Apple Final Cut Pro X

If you're looking to brush up on your video editing skills then it's well worth checking out Apple's new extended trial for Final Cut Pro X, which has recently been boosted from 30 days to an impressive 90 days.

This premium software retails for $299 / £299 / AU$499.99 and is ideal if you feel like you've outgrown the more basic iMovie than comes installed on most Macs. While that price tag sounds hefty, it's great value considering the editing tools and AI-driven skills Final Cut Pro X brings to the table.

Read our full review of Apple Final Cut Pro X

Best photography YouTube channels

Looking for some video-based photography inspiration? These YouTube channels will inspire you to level up your skills...

Sean Tucker

Best photography YouTube channels

Sometimes it's good to take a step back and look at why you want to get into photography, rather than the specifics of how – and there's no better YouTube channel for doing that than Sean Tucker's polished, thoughtful channel.

While he does offer some excellent technique guidance on subjects like shooting in manual or taking great headshots, some of the more enlightening episodes – whether you're a beginner or photographic veteran – are on topics like discovering your own style, finding time to shoot when you're busy, and overcoming creative block.

Subscribe to Sean Tucker's YouTube channel 

Mango Street

Best photography YouTube channels

If you've got a specific photography question, particularly if it relates to editing or processing your shots, then the chances are good that Mango Street has an insightful video covering it.

Produced by Los Angeles-based couple Rachel Gulotta and Daniel Inskeep, the prolific channel carries the tagline "photography tutorials that don't waste your time" and covers everything from underwater portraits to mastering Lightroom Classic.

Subscribe to Mango Street's YouTube channel

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What is MasterClass? Get online classes from celebrity experts

Posted: 28 Mar 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Using online classes or courses to learn can be one of the best things to do when you're trapped indoors, and MasterClass is perhaps one of the most-well known and best places to learn online.

MasterClass is a repository of video classes taught by a range of well-known experts, from people who are top in the field and having been working for a long time. You may as well learn to write bestsellers from someone who literally has, after all!

So to help you get your head around MasterClass before you sink money into it (yes, unlike some other online classes it isn't free), we've come up with this guide to help you understand the website.

How much does MasterClass cost?

MasterClass can cost quite a bit if you keep the membership, as it's $15 / £15 (roughly AU$30) per month or $180 / £180 (roughly AU$320) for an annual membership.

However if you only want access to a single class, that'll cost you $90 / £85 (roughly AU$170). That's around half the price of the annual pass, so if you see yourself using multiple courses per year the annual pass is best.

At time of writing there's an offer on, so if you buy an annual membership someone else gets one for free (although hopefully they'll give you half the price you paid to even it out!). You can find this offer on the MasterClass website here. This offer is perfect for people trapped indoors and looking for something to do.

How to MasterClass courses work?

Each course offered is broken down into bite-sized classes – which means all of them are short, but there are plenty of them.

Annie Leibovitz's 'Photography' class, for example, consists of 15 12-minute lessons, while Neil Degrasse Tyson's 'Scientific Thinking and Communication' class has 13 12-minute classes. These lessons include workbooks as well.

You can watch MasterClass lessons on your computer as well as your Android or iOS phone or tablet – and even Amazon Fire TV streaming devices and Apple TV.

Some MasterClass courses might actually be better on TV, so if you don't have an Amazon or Apple-enabled device check out some you could use here:

What MasterClass courses are offered, and who teaches them?

There are plenty of different courses in MasterClass in a range of topics, and we'll group them as such below. It's worth pointing out that there are sometimes classes on the same topic, but different people teach them, likely offering different insights.

Prospective cooks or bakers will find general classes like 'Cooking' to more specific skills like 'Texas-Style BBQ' and 'French Pastry Fundamentals', from the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck. 

Aspiring films stars are spoiled for choice: Werner Hertzog, Jodie Foster and Martin Scorsese teach 'Filmmaking', Helen Mirren, Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson teach 'Acting', David Lynch teaches 'Creativity and Film' and there are even more to choose from.

Plenty of writers have classes here in different skills, with Margaret Atwood, Aaron Sorkin, Neil Gaiman, David Mamet, David Sedaris and Joyce Carol Oats all teaching courses in their speciality.

Musicians are also here too, with Herbie Hancock teaching 'Jazz,' Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman teaching film scoring courses, Tom Morello teaching guitar, deadmau5 teaching 'Electronic Music Production' and Usher teaching 'The Art of Performance'. Also, Judd Apatow and Steve Martin teach 'Comedy'.

There are several other categories with big-name stars teaching classes: Serena Williams hosts the 'Tennis' course, Bob Iger teaches 'Business Strategy and Leadership' Bob Woodward helms 'Investigate Journalism', Annie Leibovitz teaches 'Photography' and Chris Hadfield is in charge of 'Space Exploration'. 

You can see a full list of all the classes here.


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This is the most convincing Apple iMac clone we’ve seen yet

Posted: 27 Mar 2020 09:00 PM PDT

After a few excellent iPad imitators and Macbook Air wannabes, we’ve managed to track down the best Apple iMac clone we’ve seen to date. 

The Onda B220 is a Windows all-in-one computer  that looks exceptionally similar to Apple's machine - the sort of PC you’d see at a dentist’s front desk or an office reception. 

At 370 USD (roughly 300 GBP/660 AUD) excluding delivery, it's about two-thirds cheaper than its illustrious inspiration in the US and closer to 75% in the UK, where the iMac is on sale for 1,049 GBP.

Like the 21.5-inch iMac, it has a full HD display with a signature black frame and large bezel, with Onda branding rather than an Apple logo. There’s even the iconic aluminum stand with a hole in the back.

Unfortunately, the similarities stop there. While the cheapest iMac has a Core i5 CPU (the 7360U), the B220 only has an Intel Celeron J1900, which is about 4x slower  based on PerformanceTest benchmark results.

The iMac's Iris Plus Graphics 640 graphics module should also trounce the under-powered Intel HD Graphics found on the J1900. Further, Onda’s machine has half the system memory and a 128GB SSD, compared to Apple’s 1TB hard disk drive.

Perhaps the B220's only saving grace is the plethora of connections available. Its ports include a VGA, an HDMI, an Ethernet and four USBs (but sadly no memory card reader).

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Best practices for a 1:1 implementation

Posted: 27 Mar 2020 06:35 PM PDT

Using technology in the classroom can make the entire educational process more immersive and successful for both teachers and students. However, sometimes not all the conditions are met for it to bring true results, which is why educators propose that:

  • All stakeholders (students included) are invited to voice their opinions and concerns, 
  • A clear plan is created for the establishment of an engaging learning environment, 
  • Appropriate professional development is introduced for teachers 
  • A network infrastructure is built which would be strong enough to support a 1:1 implementation 
  • New mobile devices are integrated with other systems on the network, including projectors, printers, and scanners 
  • A steady multi-year funding stream is secured for these purposes 

In terms of delivering educational content, a projector is still the most practical and affordable method for large screens. Not only does it increase student engagement and create more immersive experiences, but it also results in more effective learning of new material.

Newer interactive projectors by Casio, a Japan-based multinational consumer electronics manufacturing company, aim to support both students and teachers in the collaborative classroom. 

In addition to providing flexible content delivery, these projectors can increase interaction and promote student engagement. The more engaged and immersed students are, the more they will learn. That said, to truly make the most out of implementing these newer technologies in the classroom, there needs to be a system of meaningful, ongoing professional development in place for teachers so they can learn how to improve instruction.

Download the whitepaper below to find out more.

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