Apple : How to watch The Challenge online: stream Total Madness from anywhere |
- How to watch The Challenge online: stream Total Madness from anywhere
- Where to buy a printer: these retailers still have stock
- FCC will require phone carriers to authenticate calls by June 2021 to kill off robocalls
- AT&T TV: here's what you need to know about AT&T's live TV streaming service
- Zoom calls are not end-to-end encrypted, even though it says they are
- How can remote employees ensure they work effectively?
- Hurry! The Apple AirPods are down to their lowest price ever
- The Elder Scrolls 6: release date, news and rumors
- Best managed WordPress hosting 2020
- The best VPN for China 2020
- United Nations will host global meetings online through a partnership with Tencent
- Inside Tales from the Loop, the next big Amazon Prime sci-fi show
- Concerned about Zoom security? Here's how using a VPN can keep you more secure
- Disco Elysium: how cult heroes British Sea Power wrote its BAFTA-nominated score
- Cheap TV deals: the Samsung 50-inch 4K TV is on sale for $327.99
- Sling TV is offering you 14 days of free TV if you sign up right now
- Forget Surface Duo – Microsoft is mulling a triple-screen phone (kind of)
- Thousands of 3D printers are making face shields for NHS staff
- Remote working and health and safety
| How to watch The Challenge online: stream Total Madness from anywhere Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:58 PM PDT Now celebrating a decade and a half on air, The Challenge returns to TV screens this week, pitting 21 of the show's most notorious former contestants against seven newcomers plucked from the world of reality television. This landmark 35th season is subtitled Total Madness and MTV promises the current run will feature the most extreme challenges ever in the show's history. Ready for all of the action? Keep reading to find out how you can watch The Challenge: Total Madness online no matter where you are in the world. Host and BMX rider T. J. Lavin returns once more to helm proceedings, while this season’s competition features familiar faces from Ex on the Beach (US and UK), The Real World, Are You the One?, Geordie Shore, and So You Think You Can Dance. Yes, 90s kids...that really does read The Real World. Gone are the luxury mansions and lavish pools of past seasons, instead the cast this time find themselves isolated and living in a bunker which is somewhat appropriate for the times we currently find ourselves in. Veterans of past seasons returning for the 35th series include CT, Johnny 'Bananas' Devenanzio, Wes, Jenna, Tori and Nany, plus there's some new competitors that will be familiar to viewers of Survivor, Big Brother and Amazing Race. Ready to see who will win a share of the $1 million prize? Keep reading to find out how to watch The Challenge: Total Madness online from anywhere, and what to do if you find yourself stranded far from home.
Watch The Challenge: Total Madness online from outside your countryIf you find yourself away from home for business or on an extended vacation when the latest episode drops, don’t despair. You can still enjoy all the latest action from The Challenge. Utilising a VPN will let you stream Total Madness no matter where you’re watching from. This basic bit of software can change your IP address so you can access each episode live or on demand as episodes become available, just as if you were at home. How to watch The Challenge: Total Madness online in the US
Alternatively, you can buy no less than 20 seasons of Total Challenge from Amazon Prime Video, with last year's season 34 priced at $19.99 for all episodes in HD quality. Sadly, MTV doesn't play nice with Hulu - but between loads of amazing Hulu shows and the current FREE trial offer, it might be worth checking out as well. Because stockpiling content is every bit as important as stockpiling ammo, right? Remember that should you find yourself outside of the US during these unprecedented times for whatever reason, you can always use a VPN to access the streaming service you would normally use to watch Total Challenge and other shows - How to watch The Challenge: Total Madness online in CanadaHow to watch The Challenge: Total Madness online in AustraliaHow to watch The Challenge: Total Madness online in the UKThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Where to buy a printer: these retailers still have stock Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:32 PM PDT If you're anything like us, you rarely need to think about where to buy a printer because your office has one. However, now that so many people are working remotely, potentially without the critical IT infrastructure they're used to, you might be on the market for a printer of your very own. We're here to help. But because so many people are currently on the lookout for supplies for working from home, supply is a little bit short at the moment. Luckily, we here at TechRadar are pros at scavenging the web to find the best deals around, and we went ahead and did just that. So, whether you're looking for something that can keep up with your office printer or you just want something that can spit out some shipping labels every now and then we've got you covered.
Where to buy a printer in the USLearn more about what printer is best for you with our list of the best home printer 2020: the top printers for home use. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| FCC will require phone carriers to authenticate calls by June 2021 to kill off robocalls Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:24 PM PDT The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that all mobile carriers and phone companies must adopt the STIR/SHAKEN protocol by June 20, 2021. This regulatory requirement is aimed at combating robocalls, especially those that try to hide their phone numbers by allowing carriers to authenticate caller IDs. According to the FCC, widespread adoption of the STIR/SHAKEN protocol will make illegal spoofing less effective, help law enforcement agencies identify those behind these schemes and allow mobile carriers to identify spammers before they call people's phones.
The agency also estimates that fraudulent call schemes cost Americans approximately $10bn each year. STIR/SHAKEN protocolBack in 2018, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai started putting pressure on carriers to adopt the STIR/SHAKEN protocol. In a press release, Pai commented on how he and the American people are tired of receiving robocalls, saying: "American consumers are sick and tired of unwanted robocalls, this consumer among them. Caller ID authentication will be a significant step towards ending the scourge of spoofed robocalls. It's time for carriers to implement robust caller ID authentication." Last year Congress passed the TRACED Act which mandated the use of STIR/SHAKEN. However, the FCC's new regulatory requirement for mobile carriers and phone companies to support the protocol won't make robocalls disappear overnight. Carriers can't simply enable the protocol on their own as they also have to test that their implementation works with other networks. Additionally consumers must own a device capable of displaying the “Caller Verified” notification when they receive a call. Most modern smartphones already support this feature but some will need to be updated to do so.
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| AT&T TV: here's what you need to know about AT&T's live TV streaming service Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:45 PM PDT Back in early March, AT&T unleashed its new streaming service called AT&T TV that is set to rival the likes of YouTube TV, Sling TV and Hulu. Unlike the services already on the market, though, AT&T TV is both a streaming service and the name of the Android TV hardware that AT&T sells you with each subscription. The service allows you to stream more than 170 channels of TV with 40,000 on-demand titles and 500 hours of DVR storage space, making it probably the most robust live TV streaming service on the market. The internet-delivered streaming service is available now throughout the US to both non-AT&T and AT&T cable subscribers alike in multiple tiers, with pricing plans that start at $49.99 per month and rocket up to $130 per month for packages that include HBO, Cinemax and additional sports channels. So what's the catch? The first year of the service is heavily discounted with a big price bump after the first year is over... unless you commit upfront to a two-year contract. Should you cut the cord, and should you do so with AT&T's new streaming service? Here's everything you need to know about AT&T TV. AT&T TV 101: What is it? Can it replace cable?AT&T is a live TV streaming service from AT&T that can replace your cable package. It requires AT&T's Android TV-based player, but you don't necessarily need AT&T's internet package to subscribe to it. AT&T recommends a minimum of 8Mbps per stream for optimal viewing, which it says would pair nicely with its Internet 25 plan, but again, it's not absolutely necessary to get internet service from AT&T to use AT&T TV. Although it's competing against AT&T's other services like DirecTV Now and the upcoming HBO Max, AT&T TV will be the company’s flagship service – one that you can expect to see pretty highly publicized from here on out. (According to Variety, the service won’t be outright replacing DirecTV Now, AT&T’s previous streaming endeavor, but the latter won’t see much screen time.) The good news is that you’re welcome to stay with DirecTV Now – the upfront cost is more expensive, but there’s no price jump after the first year like with AT&T TV. How you see AT&T TV as a viable alternative to cable will depend on whether you see its introductory price as a reprieve from your costly cable bill or merely the oil used to lure the fly to the trap. In some ways, the low up-front cost and bundled hardware – capable of acting as a 4K streaming device for Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, Spotify and Pandora, plus built-in Google Assistant – make it a decent deal. That said, that deal isn't nearly as good at $135 per month for the Xtra package in its second year or, if you ever need a second box that costs $120... in fact, it's probably more expensive than traditional cable at that price. AT&T TV channels, prices and packagesLike your regular cable package, AT&T TV is divided into a number of packages that offer a different set of channels based on how much you pay. Right now, the service is divided into four plans (six if you count the HBO extras), but that's something that could change down the road as AT&T decides to cut packages or add more to match the needs of its users. AT&T Entertainment is the basic package that includes ESPN, TNT, Nick, Home & Garden and your local channels plus many, many more that we'll cover below. The plan currently costs $49.99 per month for the first two years of the contract, and then shoots up to $93 per month once that contract expires. AT&T Choice is better for sports fans as it includes a lot of the Fox Sports, NBC Sports and Travel and Cooking channels. The plan currently costs $54.99 per month for the first two years of the contract, and then shoots up to $110 per month once that contract expires. AT&T Xtra is going to look like the cable package you're used to seeing with pretty much all the channels you'd get on your cable package available without the cord. Specifically it adds a lot of the niche channels like MTV Classic, Golf Channel and Nat Geo Wild. The plan currently costs $64.99 per month for the first two years of the contract, and then shoots up to $124 per month once that contract expires. AT&T Ultimate is everything Xtra has plus the Starz network of channels. This plan currently costs $69.99 per month for the first two years of the contract, and then shoots up to $135 per month once that contract expires. AT&T Plus adds HBO to the mix. It starts at $110 per month and doesn't have a set price yet after that contract ends. AT&T Max is the ultimate streaming package and includes all the premium channels. It has HBO, Starz, Cinemax and all available sports channels. This one starts at $130 per month and doesn't have a set price yet after that contract ends. For the complete channel offerings, check out AT&T TV's website. AT&T TV vs YouTube TV and othersProbably the biggest question you'll have about AT&T TV is whether it's the best TV streaming service on the market... and while we'd love to give you a definitive answer, it's going to depend largely on what your monthly budget is, how many channels you feel you need and whether you want a dedicated box. If you compare AT&T TV to, say, YouTube TV, the latter is cheaper and doesn't require any sort of contract. That's great if you see yourself not being able to commit to the service long-term and just want something to watch for a few months. That being said, YouTube TV does have fewer channels than AT&T TV and it doesn't come with any dedicated hardware - which is nice for folks who don't have a streaming box in their home already. AT&T TV also has more flexibility in how many channels you can add to the service, with the option to include every premium TV channel and all the extra sports channels. We believe that YouTube TV is probably going to be the better fit for most people, but it's worth considering AT&T TV if you want the most channels and don't mind paying a hefty premium for them.
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| Zoom calls are not end-to-end encrypted, even though it says they are Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:03 PM PDT Zoom Video Communications has seen usage of its video conferencing service spike as a result of the coronavirus but a new report from The Intercept has shed light on the fact that its claim that its meetings have end-to-end encryption are not true. On its website and in a security-related white paper, the US-based video conferencing company boasts about end-to-end encryption. However, The Intercept discovered that the service actually uses transport encryption instead. Transport encryption is a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol which secures the connection between a user and the server they are connected to. TLS is also used to help secure connections between users and any website they visit with HTTPS protocol.
However, the main difference between transport encryption and end-to-end encryption is that while others won't be able to access your data, Zoom will still be able to. End-to-end encryptionIn a statement to The Intercept, a Zoom spokesperson revealed that the service is unable to provide end-to-end encryption at the moment, saying: “Currently, it is not possible to enable E2E encryption for Zoom video meetings. Zoom video meetings use a combination of TCP and UDP. TCP connections are made using TLS and UDP connections are encrypted with AES using a key negotiated over a TLS connection.” Basically the company clarified that its use of the phrase “end-to-end” in its white paper is in reference to the connection being encrypted between Zoom endpoints. This means that other people can't access the data shared during Zoom video calls but the company itself still can. Despite its recent surge in popularity, a number of privacy issues have come to light surrounding the service such as how its iOS app was found to be sending data to Facebook without explicit user consent. Thankfully Zoom recently removed the code that was sending data to the social network. Additionally a new report from Bleeping Computer revealed that it is possible for hackers to steal passwords through Zoom's Windows client.
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| How can remote employees ensure they work effectively? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:00 PM PDT In 2019, 50% of employees globally worked away from their office for at least two and a half days a week, and in the UK 70% of employees think flexible working makes a job more attractive. Whilst businesses have been making good headway towards flexible working, recent events may have meant that some businesses have had to pivot quickly to flexible working sooner than they would have planned for. In order for a more disparate workforce to work effectively, individuals must have the knowledge and skills to make the most of working outside of the traditional office environment, as well as the technology and tools in place to support them. There are four key areas for both remote workers and employers to consider:
Don't be afraid to 'over comminicate'When you aren’t in the office, there’s a risk of forgetting to keep team mates or managers in the loop. Rather than taking an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality, checking-in regularly and asking questions if anything is unclear is crucial. You could share to-do lists at the start of the day or have a mid-day team call to catch up on how the day is going, and work on a basis that it’s better to over communicate than forget to share what you are doing. Making good use of an instant messaging system is a good way to share a quick message, or better still, jump on a video call. As social creatures it’s important for us to see the expressions and emotions of those that we communicate with, and whether it’s reaching a decision or sharing a joke, doing either whilst seeing the reaction of a colleague will provide a big boost to a remote worker’s morale and mood. Maintain working relationshipsRegular communication is also a way to ensure the efforts of remote workers are acknowledged and rewarded when they aren’t physically in the office. Motivation and productivity levels can slip if team members are not encouraged and thanked for their efforts. It can also be harder to maintain close working relationships with co-workers from a remote location, so encourage employees to carve out time to let each other know they are available to help them if needed. Simply asking how a colleague’s day is going, or video-calling for a ‘digital coffee’ or informal meeting can massively help maintain connections between colleagues. And if the lack of face-to-face interaction feels like a barrier to relationship building, again our friend video calling can be a great way to catch up for an easy and informal chat. Know your techIdeally, you'd make sure that all employees are familiar with their tech as soon as flexible working patterns are put in place. If employees haven't been able to become familiar in time, it may be worth introducing them to 'power users' in the company - friendly and approachable colleagues that have been allocated as technology champions. These power users can answer any questions that they may be too shy to ask the IT department about, or show them nifty features that could be a huge productivity booster. It’s also worth checking that remote workers have everything they need to be as productive and comfortable as possible, such as having ergonomic peripherals. For example, a vertical mouse or keyboard with wrist padding can make computer users more comfortable, and ensure everyone is able to maintain the levels of productivity they would achieve from the office. This will differ from person to person - there isn't a ‘one size fits all’ set up, so take the time to understand what each employee needs. Make video calls effectiveVideo calling and conference calls are an important part of remote working, as they allow individuals to communicate in a way which most closely mimics face-to-face communication and supports collaborative working. As a result, everyone involved must know how to dial in, enable their camera and audio, frame themselves well with the camera at eye level and tidy surroundings, and put speakers on mute when not speaking. Otherwise, there is a risk of delayed meetings, confusion around participants and individuals talking over one another. To keep the meeting prompt and productive, it’s also important to ensure everyone has strong, stable internet connection to avoid streaming delays. It’s also good practice to circulate an agenda ahead of time and stick to it, and designate someone to chair the meeting to give the call structure, and minimise participants talking over each other. Finally, ensure participants give themselves extra time to make sure they have done all of the above before the meeting is due to begin. Delays to a call commencing can be frustrating for others and embarrassing for the culprit. Remote and flexible working options have the potential to be productive and effective for employees, and in the current situation have provided a lifeline to many service businesses in facilitating a continuity of their services. However, the above steps must be considered in order for this way of working to be effective. Ensuring that employees understand how to use and maximise the technology needed to collaborate, and keeping up communication when not working face-to-face are both important - otherwise, productivity and motivation may suffer. Anne Marie Ginn is Head of Video Collaboration EMEA at Logitech
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| Hurry! The Apple AirPods are down to their lowest price ever Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:52 AM PDT If you're looking to snag a discount on the Apple AirPods, then you've come to the right place.
Apple AirPod deals:Shop more offers with our roundup of the cheapest AirPod prices, sales, and deals that are also going on. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Elder Scrolls 6: release date, news and rumors Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:34 AM PDT Elder Scrolls fans all over the world were delighted when Bethesda's Todd Howard used the spotlight of E3 2018 to confirm that the studio is working on a new instalment in the series, currently known only as The Elder Scrolls 6. Since this initial announcement, we haven't heard much about the game. There was no appearance at E3 2019 and Bethesda has been quite clear that it won't be talking about it before it's ready to do so. But we're not going to let that stop us thinking about what the future holds for Elder Scrolls. Now that the question over whether or not the game will actually be happening has been answered, we're turning our minds to other questions like where it might be set and, more importantly, when we might finally get to play it. In our excitement, we've scoured the web to find and assess all the latest news and rumors about The Elder Scrolls 6 and collected it all here in this handy guide so that you can stay up to date. We'll be updating regularly as news comes in so make sure you keep checking back. [Update: It looks like Bethesda is missing out on a June streaming event, meaning no Elder Scrolls 6 news then. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the chase
Elder Scrolls 6 release date – when can I play it?We might as well get the bad news out of the way first – you’re not likely to be playing The Elder Scrolls 6 any time soon. The good news, however, is that it’s been confirmed you will be able to...eventually. The game was confirmed during Bethesda's E3 2018 conference but nothing more than a logo was given. We don't even have a subtitle or a release year. Todd Howard said that the game will be coming after Starfield, the company's next big IP. But given Starfield is coming in 2020 at the very earliest, Elder Scrolls 6 could still be years away. At the very least, we know this likely means the game will be released on the next generation PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. Elder Scrolls 6 trailer – when can I watch it?The only footage we have of Elder Scrolls 6 is a very short clip of the game's logo. Other than that, you might be waiting a while to see more. Here's the announcement trailer: Elder Scrolls 6 news and rumorsBethesda skipping E3 replacement stream E3 2020 has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with most developers and publishers announcing that they'll be replacing their stage presentations with online streams. Apart from Bethesda. Pete Hines used Twitter to say that the company will be skipping a June showcase altogether due to the challenges presented by the pandemic. This means of course, that if there was any Elder Scrolls 6 news in the works for E3 2020 (and that's a big if) fans will need to wait a little longer to hear about it. Hines has said that more will be revealed "in the coming months" so at the very least it seems that Bethesda isn't just going to drop off the map until E3 2021. Job Listings Some recent job listings for Bethesda Game Studios have led to rumors that work on Starfield could be wrapping up and that The Elder Scrolls 6 could be heading into full production soon. First spotted by a Reddit user, a job listing for Gameplay Programmers at the studio calls for "talented programmers to join our team that is pushing the bleeding-edge of RPG development for the PC and consoles". As part of the team they'll "Collaborate on the implementation of new gameplay features: player and characters’ behaviors, combat and powers mechanics, user interface, etc." While there's no mention of The Elder Scrolls in this listing, it does seem to be a recruitment call for something in its early stages, rather than a project that's been underway for a while like Starfield. Adding fuel to the fire, there's also a listing for a Video Editor on the Bethesda site which some have taken as a sign that work on Starfield is in its final stages and that the developer will soon be looking to create video marketing material such as trailers. Of course, at the moment all of this is just rumor given Bethesda has said nothing about the development state of either game but with the next generation fast approaching we hope to hear more information soon. Skyrim Grandma We already know that Skyrim Grandma, also known as Shirley Curry, will be coming to The Elder Scrolls 6 as an NPC. But it looks like she'll be brought into The Elder Scrolls V, her namesake game, first thanks to a new mod. The mod, due early this year, will make Shirley a follower in Skyrim with unique commentary and interactions and the plan is that down the line she'll have her very own quest. It'll even have Shirley's voice as she worked with the creators of the mod. You can get a look at the mod itself in its teaser trailer. The creators are aiming for an Xbox release for both the classic and special editions of Skyrim. Don't hold your breath for The Elder Scrolls 6 – Starfield is Bethesda's focus The news comes from an interview with Bethesda Game studios executive producer Tom Howard, speaking to IGN, who warned "I think everyone should be very patient" when asked about an Elder Scrolls release date. "The gap in between [Elder Scrolls games] is going to be long, It already is," continued Howard. "On one hand, I think it's good to miss things. I think that makes people come to it with really, really fresh eyes, and I think when they eventually—eventually—see the game and what we have in mind, they'll understand the gap more in terms of technology and what we want it to do." The Redfall trademark dispute has been resolved The resolution is reported (via Gamasutra) as being amicable and "mutually beneficial" for both parties but it remains confidential. If Redfall is to be a focus for The Elder Scrolls 6, which isn't confirmed, progress can now continue to the relief of anxious fans. Elder Scrolls 6 didn't appear at E3 2019 Photogrammetry technology will be used Skyrim Grandma will be making an appearance Elder Scrolls VI goes official Thanks to Todd Howard, we know Bethesda is working on two huge new titles simultaneously, though their developments are staggered. We now know that one of them is the Elder Scrolls 6. Having returned to Skyrim after some time away, Howard compared it to seeing an old friend from high school, adding that the time away had given him the chance to see Skyrim as a gamer for the first time. This, to us, would be the perfect time to start applying this new perspective to the next title in the series. At the very least we can say we know it won’t just be called Elder Scrolls 6. There’s going to be a colon and another word to round the title off if previous releases are anything to go by. Where will Elder Scrolls 6 be set?We’re willing to bet that like all the other games in the series The Elder Scrolls 6 is going to be set in the continent of Tamriel, the map of which is below. Previous games have taken us to Highrock, Hammerfell, Morrowind, Cyrodil, and Skyrim. Valenwood, Elsweyr and Black Marsh are the biggest places left to explore. Though there’s still much of Morrowind left to explore, we imagine much of that will be covered in the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online title. So, Valenwood, Elsweyr or Black Marsh. Which looks most likely? Rumors online are heavily pointing towards Black Marsh, the home of the world’s reptilian Argonian race. There isn’t actually any solid reason for this rumor, but its swampy marshlands and network of islands would make for an interesting geographic change for the series, though it’s a geography that would leave itself open to comparison with the Witcher 3. It’s probably the region of Tamriel that we know the least about so Bethesda would have plenty of room to be creative. That said, Elsweyr would also be an interesting geography change with its dry plains and harsh badlands that the Khajit call home. It would certainly be nice to find out more about the culture of either the Khajit or the Argonians so both of these extremely different settings have an understandable appeal to fans. There is, however, weight to a rumor that Elder Scrolls 6 could be set in Valenwood. Valenwood is the home of the Bosmer and it’s an area of Tamriel that Bethesda hasn’t explored much. The rumor that the game will be set here is based on a reported internal Bethesda memo from all the way back in 2014. In this memo, Bethesda employees were reportedly wanted against using the terms Fallout: Nuka World, Elder Scrolls VI or Project Greenheart. Though it was initially believed to be a fake, Fallout: Nuka World ended up being a big DLC release for Fallout 4 which gives slightly more weight to rumor that Project Greenheart is in fact the codename for the next Elder Scrolls title. The fact that Greenheart is a city in the verdant region of Valenwood makes this even more interesting. Forest and jungle settings are hard to get right in games and it’d be really interesting to see Bethesda get creative with the part of Tamriel that’s said to have rejected civilization and embraced the wilderness. It's hard to tell from the short E3 clip we have of the game but our first impression is that the game world looks a lot more like Valenwood or Elsweyr than Black Marsh. In an interview with Eurogamer, Todd Howard confirmed the team has settled on the location - but he won't tell us where yet. What features can we expect?Homebuilding It would be a feature that would actually fit in particularly well with the rumored Valenwood setting, if it involved the player adapting to the wilderness in the way the resident Bosmer have with their treetop cities. In a similar way the player used debris and junk to craft their settlement in Fallout, they could use their natural environment to do so in Elder Scrolls in a nice contrast. A whole new story Howard noted that Skyrim and Fallout 4 take slightly different approaches to stories, with Skyrim leaving things more open to the player’s vision and Fallout guiding them more firmly through a story Now he says the studio are looking how to “tell a better story in an open world.” He said “each of our games we've had successes and failures and if you ask us internally, we have new ideas that we want to explore in the future because we feel like we haven't really cracked it yet the way we think it could be.” Being aware of the differences between Skyrim and Fallout’s approaches to storytelling and the fact that both have positives and negatives suggests that the next Elder Scrolls title could strike some kind of balance between giving the player completely free reign and telling a story around their character. It’s hard to deny that The Witcher 3 has had a massive impact on what players expect in terms of including an engaging story in an open world game. Though we don’t in any way want Bethesda to just churn out a Witcher copy (we’re not sure it’d be possible anyway) it does put a certain amount of pressure on Bethesda when it comes to achieving high-quality environmental and quest-based story telling. Something we don’t expect to see, though, is multiplayer. Skyrim certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of multiplayer and it wouldn’t really make all that much sense to incorporate any online multiplayer gameplay with the Elder Scrolls Online still rolling along. Virtual reality What would we like to see?Well, something we’d like to see and fully expect to see is improved graphics and reduced bugginess. The remastered version of Skyrim showed just how far things have come visually since the game’s first release so we fully expect any title following on from it to be of that standard if not much higher, depending on how far away the game is. There’s actually a fairly good chance that the game could be created using an entirely new game engine – after it created an entirely new engine for Skyrim we don’t think it’s unlikely Bethesda will do the same for Elder Scrolls 6 and any Fallout sequels.
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| Best managed WordPress hosting 2020 Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:38 AM PDT As a content management system, WordPress offers one of the easiest and quickest ways to set up your own blog or website. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can select from one of hundreds of templates, as well as create interactive content such as contact forms. The usefulness of WordPress has not been lost on web hosting providers. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the very best vendors on the market today who offer managed WordPress hosting. This is a great way to avoid the time and trouble of hosting your content from scratch as they take the trouble of creating and maintaining your website away from you. Don't underestimate the importance of managing an online property. Between SEO, admin, content and social marketing, there's more than enough work for a small business.
WP Engine WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital platform. It hosts excellent uptime, WordPress specific security and unlimited monthly transfers. WP Engine includes many great tools needed for web hosting. These range from automated backups to 24/7 support (phone support on Growth and Scale packages). You can use WP Engine’s ‘actionable intelligence’ to gain insight into the performance of your pages, content and applications. WP Engine has four different price plans. All include free migration and free page performance. If you pay for a year’s subscription upfront, you get three months free. Prices start off at $30 per month ($25 per month if you choose annual billing) which includes a 60-day risk free guarantee. WP Engine also has a ‘Custom’ tier for larger businesses that want a plan more tailored for their individual needs. Some users have asked for a mid-range pricing option between the $30 and $115 tiers with the most expensive tier, Scale, costing $290 per month and offering support for up to 15 sites. GoDaddy Pro GoDaddy Pro is part of GoDaddy Inc, founded in 1997. It offers users a more robust, wider range of tools for developers and businesses. While it doesn't mention WordPress in the opening few introductory phrases, GDP is actually wholly focused on WordPress installs. GoDaddy Pro offers client management tools and advanced support. This solution allows developers to add multiple clients and manages their accounts from one single dashboard. GoDaddy gives users access to a management dashboard. From here all products and clients can be viewed. The dashboard can alert the user via SMS and email to any issues the client may have. As GoDaddy Pro has been designed to make developer’s lives easier, the platform is user-friendly and everything is at your fingertips via the dashboard. Access to the dashboard is free and includes reporting and basic maintenance for as many WordPress sites as needed. Paid services include cloud backups, migration, uptime monitoring and automated security checks. These can be purchased as add-ons to your free plan. Users have noted that bandwidth monitoring is not included. Bluehost Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group. It was founded in 2003. It’s part of a web hosting family that includes HostMonster, FastDomain and iPage. Bluehost tries to make the daunting task of starting a new web site easy. It offers plenty of options to those new to web hosting while still offering tools for the more experienced user. All new subscribers can set up a WordPress site with a single click of their mouse. Also, newbies can rely on Blue Spark, a specialized service that helps new users with everything WordPress related. Bluehost are currently offering all their WordPress plans at a reduced rate. Prices start at $2.75 (£2.2) a month for a single WordPress site complete with 50GB of website space. The ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ packages are on offer for $5.45 (£4.4) per month. These both include unlimited WordPress sites and unlimited website space. The ‘Premium’ package includes domain privacy and SiteBackup Pro. Furthermore, WP Pro plans are available, which bring additional improvements and features with prices starting at $17.95. More inexperienced users have reported that the dashboard can be difficult to navigate if you do not know all the terminology. WordPress VIP WordPress VIP is a fully managed cloud platform. Users of VIP have access to expert guidance, code review and around the clock support. Users get their own Git repository and ZenDesk account. Once your code is ready, you send it to the VIP team. Experts at VIP go through each line of code in your repository. This can take 4-6 weeks. If any issues are found, they’re raised on GitHub. Once these have been removed the code is transferred to your project and you are online. VIP adhere to strict coding standards. One of the main attractions of VIP, is their ‘always on’ support. VIP engineers watch for any issues that may arise and fix them proactively on behalf of the client. Once rectified, a report will be sent to you explaining what occurred. Users will need to contact VIP directly in order to get a quote. Some users have reported delays with setting up and building sites. SiteGround SiteGround was founded in 2004. It provides shared hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated servers. SiteGround lets you choose from one of their four data centers on which to host your website. These are based in the US, Amsterdam, Singapore and the UK. SiteGround offers users CloudFlare CDN, free SSL certificates and daily backups of their website’s data. All of their shared hosting plans include managed WordPress. The platform’s customer support includes live chat as well as a phone in option. All support services are available 24/7. The ‘StartUp’ plan begins at $11.95 (£9.28) per month ($0.33 for initial payment) which includes one website, 10GB web space and is suitable for 10,000 visits monthly. The ‘GrowBig’ plan for $19.95 (£15.47) monthly ($5.95 for initial payment) allows for multiple websites, 20GB of web space and is suitable for 25,000 visits. SiteGround’s ‘GoGeek’ plan starts at $34.95 (£27.08) per month ($11.95 for initial payment) which includes 30GB of web space and is suitable for 100,000 visits monthly. SiteGround do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money back guarantee. Some users reported issues with being automatically logged out when signing in on multiple devices. DreamHost DreamHost is owned by New Dream Network, LLC which was founded in 1996. It’s both a web hosting provider and a domain name registrar. DreamHost’s ‘Shared Starter’ plan starts at $2.59 (£2) per month. This includes a shared hosting server, 1 WordPress website, unlimited traffic, 1-click SSL certificate, fast SSD storage, 24/7 support and an upgrade to add email. The ‘DreamPress’ (the managed WP plan) package starts at $16.95 (£12.8). This includes all of what the ‘Shared Starter’ plan has to offer along with 30GB SSD storage, JetPack free preinstalled, daily backups and a few other things. All of DreamHost’s hosting solutions are a fully managed service. Inexperienced users have reported issues with getting started. InMotion InMotion Hosting is an employee-owned and -operated domain name and web hosting company founded in 2001. InMotion offers dedicated, shared, virtual private server and WordPress hosting along with several Ecommerce tools. Their WordPress hosting plans start off at $5.99 (£4.8) per month (for the initial payment and for the 1-year plan) and include one website, 40GB SSD storage and is suitable for 20,000 visitors a month. InMotion have six price plans available and all of them offer unlimited data transfers. Besides having numerous price plans for each of their hosting options, InMotion have numerous free add-ons, free ecommerce tools and unlimited emails. While they do not have a free trial, they do include a 90-day money back guarantee. Some users have complained that InMotion is not as competitively priced as other hosting providers. HostGator HostGator was founded in 2002. It provides shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting. HostGator’s Website Builder comes with a handy drag and drop feature. The builder includes a wide range of themes. Some of the features are pre-built to help make the process easier and faster. HostGator claims that load times for WordPress sites are up to 2.5 times faster when compared to its own shared hosting due to the superior server architecture of its managed WordPress hosting. The utility offers a WordPress Cloud Interface where you can manage backups, access all your email accounts and other hosting options. You can also allocate server bandwidth from here. HostGator offer three WordPress cloud hosting plans. The ‘Starter’ plan is currently priced from $5.95 per month for 1 site, 100,000 visits per month, 1GB free backups and a free SSL certificate. The ‘Standard’ plan is on offer from $7.95 per month for 2 sites, 200,000 visits per month, 2GB backups and a free SSL certificate. HostGator’s ‘Business’ plan is also on offer at $9.95 per month. This includes 3 sites, 500,000 visits, 3GB backups and a free SSL certificate. However, do note that the prices quoted are based on multi-year subscriptions. According to online commentators, the purchase price for additional domains can be quite steep. 1&1 IONOS 1&1 (called 1&1 IONOS since October 2018) is owned by German company, United Internet. It was founded in 1988. It offers domain registration, cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers. 1&1 boasts excellent customer support and easy to use web creation tools. More inexperienced users might find this provider more suitable to their needs. 1&1’s ‘Basic’ packages starts at $1 (£1 for UK) per month for the first 12 months and then $9 (£6 for UK) per month thereafter. This includes 1 WordPress project, 25GB SSD storage, unlimited visitors and managed WordPress. Upon registration you are offered a domain name free for 12 months. This is only valid upon purchase of any of their plans. Users that sign up for the ‘Business’ plan receive 2 WordPress projects, 100GB SSD storage and unlimited visitors. This plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) per month for the first 12 months and then $11 (£8 for UK) per month thereafter. The ‘Pro’ plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) for the first 12 months and then $15 (£11 for UK). It includes 5 WordPress projects and 200GB SSD storage, as well as SiteLock malware protection and RailGun CDN. Online commentators have complained about long periods of downtime. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:30 AM PDT It's no wonder that VPNs are so popular in China - while the 'Great Firewall of China' is starting to look less imposing than it once was, there's still massive blocking in place for residents of (and visitors to) China. Yep, the the aggressive state blocking of certain websites by the China government has eased somewhat in recent months. But if you've had to travel to the country in the last few years - either for work or leisure - you'll be well aware of how tight the state continues to keeps its internet. That's why getting the best VPN has become invaluable for residents and visitors to obtain access to restricted online content. The use of a Virtual Private Network has become a more and more commonly used method for expats and those in academic circles in China to get around the state's very strict policies regarding online content. So if you're looking to access a restricted website then downloading a VPN in China is a solid solution. Of course the country isn't happy about the use of VPN software, enacting a ban last year - although it remains unclear how (or indeed, whether) users will be punished for using an ‘unauthorized’ software. But many VPN providers are continuing to sell to people within China and we’ve picked out five top-notch efforts for your use.
The best China VPN 2020 - Get 3 months free with an annual plan ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPNs in China, and it’s a go-to provider for many because it deftly navigates around the Great Firewall. Express' wide array of server locations is a big plus, with Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan-based servers being especially relevant in this case. ExpressVPN offers consistent and reliable performance, with smart dedicated apps for most devices including routers. For any trouble that might occur, there’s round-the-clock live chat and email support available from China (the website is not blocked). This provider actively monitors its network for China accessibility and ensures that its software stays ahead of the censors’ efforts to block connections. Under the hood, ExpressVPN uses obfuscation protocols and advanced technology to provide the best possible experience for users in China. The 30-day money-back guarantee at least gives you some fall-back, and the year-long plan provides the best value for money. The packages available are: NordVPN has dedicated an entire team to the pursuit of getting around website blocking in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and, yes, China. It actively monitors connectivity and then works to carry out any necessary actions to bypass any new blocks. It's that kind of commitment to bypassing the Great Firewall that makes Nord such an attractive option. It has obfuscated servers in nearby territories such as Japan and Hong Kong, with its Double VPN feature for further anonymity still available in Taiwan. Those local servers should mean more stability and speed when you're logging in from China. Live chat support isn't as available as with some other VPNs, but query submissions online are answered pretty quickly. Handy if you run in to any problems. And if you're still a bit unsure about whether NordVPN is right for you, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. Largely thanks to its great value price points and user-friendly interface, British Virgin Islands-based Surfshark has really risen up our rankings of late. And it has certainly improved its Firewall of China fighting credentials, too. Like any good VPN these days, Surfshark has loads of servers - over 1,000, in fact - making it a great choice for making a location change to an IP address somewhere else on the world. And if that sounds like something that would be complicated to do, fear not...Surfshark is among the best around for keeping things simple and straightforward, with easy-to-follow buttons ans instructions like its 'Quick connect' function. If privacy and security while in China are your major concerns, then Surfshark lives up to that requirement, too. It includes OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2 security protocols, AES-256 encryption, and a kill switch in place in case your connection fails. There's also a private DNS and a double VPN hop for additional security. Despite the low pricing, Surfshark makes its service available to unlimited simultaneously connected devices. Very impressive value. One of the main advantages of VyprVPN is its proprietary Chameleon security protocol which can help bypass VPN blocking, scrambling OpenVPN packet metadata to ensure it’s safe from the tendrils of deep packet inspection. VyprVPN is a tier-1 VPN network, which means the outfit owns all of its servers. There are enough of them to ensure good performance (14 are located in Asia), along with solid support for mobile operating systems, and 24/7 live chat for troubleshooting. The much-praised Chameleon protocol is excluded from the basic plan, which offers three simultaneous connections. On top of that, it is expensive, and there is no refund, but you do have a 30-day money back guarantee. Despite the cost, what’s on offer here could well be worth paying for – your best bet is the annual Premium plan to make sure you get the benefit from Chameleon, and save the most money. The packages available are: In VPN circles, Hotspot Shield is probably best known for its market-leading free version. But it's clearly been putting in the hard yards to improve its premium version, too, and it has managed to get around all the blocking attempts in China. It may sound like something out of an 80s action film, but Hotspot's 'Catapult Hydra' protocol is one of its MVP features and helps the service perform at an extraordinary speed - even when we tested some of the farthest out server locations. Handy if you're in China but are looking to connect back to the US, UK or pretty much anywhere else it has a server location. How to choose the best VPN for ChinaDealing with this level of censorship of the net is far from easy, but some VPNs are willing to tackle the problem, having proven methods of maintaining uptime in a difficult online climate. Obviously you need to look for a capable provider in this respect, and pick out a reliable VPN, too. Choosing one with high quality customer support is also important, for when downtime does rear its ugly head. And obviously the number and range of available servers (particularly those in Asia) will help you obtain a better, faster connection. Tight security and privacy is, as ever, a primary consideration as well. Note: China’s official ban on VPNs came into effect on March 31 2018, but at the time of writing, we haven’t received notice from any VPN providers acknowledging that their offerings will be affected.
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| United Nations will host global meetings online through a partnership with Tencent Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:08 AM PDT The United Nations (UN) has announced that it will use software from China's Tencent to host online conversations ahead of its 75th anniversary. The intergovernmental organization will use the international version of Tencent Meeting, VooV Meeting along with WeChat Work and Tencent Artificial Intelligence Simultaneous Interpretation to host “thousands of online conversations” now that it can no longer due so in person as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Special adviser to the secretary-general on the preparations for the commemoration of the United Nations' 75th anniversary, Fabrizio Hochschild explained how Tencent's tools will allow it to reach a wider audience as well as young people, saying:
"We are grateful to Tencent for their generous support to the UN75 initiative. Their dialogue tools and videoconferencing services will greatly enhance our capacity to reach out to more people across the globe. Tencent's technology and global outreach is particularly important to reach young people. As one of the world's largest tech companies, Tencent's support for the UN75 campaign sets an important example." Tencent partnershipThe UN plans to use Tencent's technology to reach out to millions of people in order to find out what they think the world will look like in 25 years. It also wants to know what role they think international cooperation should play in solving global challenges such as climate change and pandemics. Tencent Meeting launched last December but it has already gained over 10m daily active users. The international version of the software, VooV Meeting is currently available in over 100 countries and regions. In a press release announcing its partnership with the UN, President of Tencent, Martin Lau explained that it will help bring the global community closer together, saying: “Global collaboration not only plays a vital role in human well-being and our future, but is also the key to fighting the current global pandemic. Tencent is honored to participate and facilitate UN75 global conversations. We will spare no effort in providing technical solutions to support online meetings and idea exchanges for the UN, with the aim of bringing the global village even closer together and overcoming global threats through extensive dialogue and cooperation.”
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| Inside Tales from the Loop, the next big Amazon Prime sci-fi show Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:00 AM PDT Tales from the Loop gives the 'TV is an art form' argument a whole new dimension. By virtue of its unusual source material, the Amazon Prime original series, debuting April 3, is looking to offer something new to the television medium. "I think what's so hard in TV is finding a mood and a world that's worth watching," showrunner Nathaniel Halpern says. "This has that in spades. There's an aesthetic that's so wonderful, and a lot of people have been mesmerized by its unique world." The unique world that Halpern speaks of is Swedist artist Simon Stålenhag's original work (check out his art here). In 2013, a series of digital paintings created by Stålenhag went viral. After taking photographs of his rural homeland, Stålenhag created retro-futuristic art that blended everyday life with science fiction elements – images that instilled a sense of wonder, trepidation, curiosity, and existentialism in those who viewed them. Those same paintings formed the backbone of Tales from the Loop, a 2015-published art book of Stålenhag's illustrations and short stories, written by the artist, that fleshed out his '80s-inspired world. For Halpern, who was exposed to Stålenhag's work by The Batman director Matt Reeves, having the opportunity to adapt a series of digital paintings into a TV show was one he couldn't pass up. "I was really taken with the aesthetic that Simon had created," he says. "That wonderful marriage of the ordinary and extraordinary and, more than anything, I felt there was a wonderful sense of emotion. The images he created are very poignant. I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to adapt it from one visual medium to another, and be inspired by paintings to create stories." Tales from the Loop tells the story of a rural American town, and its inhabitants, who live above 'The Loop'. A particle accelerator machine that explores and unlocks the mysteries of the universe, 'The Loop' makes the impossible seem plausible, and acts as a steer to the everyday lives – and poignant human stories – of those who live alongside it. As the first ever TV series to be adapted from digital paintings, Tales from the Loop is a pioneer in a sense. No other studio has attempted to build a show from this type of content before. It would be impossible, then, to produce a show that captures the essence of Stålenhag's work without involving the man himself. "Simon was a wonderful collaborator throughout," Halpern says. "In some ways, the heavy lifting was done in terms of a world already being there. There were several elements, though, that I invented and I asked him, 'What does this look like in your aesthetic?' and he very generously designed those things. Our visual effects team would then build them, so it was wonderful to have him there as a resource and artist." Bringing stationary pictures to life – and developing eight, one-hour long episodes based on them – seems like a daunting prospect. Ensuring that the audience couldn't guess how episodes would play out – a problem Halpern refers to as the "I get it" moment – to support the sense of wonder within Stålenhag's world was one of the first obstacles to overcome. Above: art by Simon Stålenhag. "Maintaining the feeling of Simon's work was the most important factor," Halpern says. "When you look at individual paintings, each one has a different sci-fi structure or element to it in a rather ordinary setting. I love how it's accepted as being normal, but you can run the risk of it becoming too normal. With some shows, if there's a heightened quality, you become used to it and it becomes mundane. You know what the feeling is in terms of possibility. With this structure, I was thinking 'How can I reset the wonder in every episode?'" While that wonder comes from the show's sci-fi elements, it's the episodic personal stories that ground Tales from the Loop in reality. Instead of fleshing out Stålenhag's short stories, though, Halpern wrote original narratives that were heavily inspired by specific paintings from the Tales from the Loop artbook, as well as its follow-up Things in the Flood. "What I took was the central premise," he says. "I took a single painting and used that as inspiration. What do I see here? What is the context? Who is that person, and what's the story? I'd start from there and inevitably a story would grow. Every episode has its own sci-fi concept that plays out within the aesthetic and setting of this town. It's a serialized TV program but it plays like an anthology where each episode has its own closed ending. But, if you're watching the whole season, you get a tapestry of the town and the people who live there." In order to replicate Stålenhag's art style, the right VFX studio needed to work on the show. Justice wouldn't have been done to his visually striking alternate reality world if its earthly, everyday-inspired sci-fi aesthetic wasn't intricately recreated. Enter Rodeo FX, the Canadian-founded VFX studio whose recent work has included blockbuster films such as Pokemon Detective Pikachu and Aquaman. "They were fantastic," Halpern says. "It was interesting as, when you look at Simon's work, his robots and buildings aren't treated as you usually see them. They aren't flashy, shiny toys. They're broken down, and I always make the analogy of looking at a broken down tractor in a field. It was wonderful talking to Rodeo to instil that sense of discipline to treat it like it's ordinary. It's exciting because it's sci-fi, but we treat it like it's no different than farm equipment. As a result, I think we did a nice match to Simon's work that has a unique quality that you don't see in other places." To help the show's cast, including Jonathan Pryce and Rebecca Hall, become immersed in Stålenhag's fictional world, practical effects were also utilized. Legacy Effects, whose work includes numerous MCU movies, were tasked with bringing Tales from the Loop's mechanical elements to life. "They built robots and bionic arms – it was impressive what they did," Halpern says. "It brought a real sense of reality to the world when we were shooting it, especially for the performers. It was a hope of mine that you feel like you can drive to this town and not want it to seem so otherworldly. It's fantastical but you also recognize enough of this that you think ‘This place could exist', even though it's impossible." Tales from the Loop will be released amid turbulent times. The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed the way that we work, socialize, and live. As news outlets discuss the current health crisis on an endless cycle, people are experiencing anxiety and fear in waves right now. As a show based on hope and human connection, Halpern hopes that Tales from the Loop can provide comfort to viewers who feel overwhelmed and provide them with a form of escape. "I personally find the show to have that hard-earned hope without it being sentimental which, for me, is very impactful," he says. "I take a great deal of comfort when I see something like this when I think ‘That's how that feels, I know that' and there's an element of empathy. It certainly doesn't shy away from life being hard, but the stories – for the most part – say there's always an element of hope. I hope the audience takes comfort from the show and what I was aspiring with it from a thematic point of view." 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| Concerned about Zoom security? Here's how using a VPN can keep you more secure Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:47 AM PDT Over the last few weeks, Zoom has gone from useful video calling app to an absolute household name. User numbers have grown exponentially, as Covid-19 lockdown has inspired the public to find new and creative ways to enjoy human contact in digital form - so why would a VPN help? Zoom's quickly inflated userbase (the app has been downloaded more than 50 million times on Google Play store alone) has also brought greater scrutiny over the service and now questions are being raised over its privacy practices, vulnerability to hijackers and apparent lack of true end-to-end encryption. In a time when we're using our computers and phones to share more data with each other than ever before, that's a potentially worrying development. As well as helping with streaming Netflix from abroad, using WhatsApp in China and a multitude of other functions, the most important function of a VPN (or Virtual Private Network) is to keep you and your data safe while you're online. Read more:
How VPNs can keep you safer onlineVery simply, VPN providers reroute all of your internet traffic through their own secure servers. As well as keeping you anonymous and giving you the ability to change your IP address to a location pretty much anywhere in the world, VPN services also end-to-end encrypt all all of the data sent via that traffic. The encryption part is critical, as it means that if a cybercriminal or hacker did manage to access any information exchanged - say while using public Wi-Fi, downloading torrents or, yes, on a Zoom call - it would be completely unintelligible. It's this lack of true end-to-end encryption for which Zoom is currently coming under fire (as reported by the Intercept). And because VPNs can be applied to your home computer, laptop, mobile - even your router - it means that a single VPN subscription can cover a whole household of online devices. What is the best VPN for Zoom?The main facets that make the best VPN for Zoom are security, speed and simplicity to use. Watertight security is an obvious one, especially if you're using Zoom for sensitive business calls. While choosing a VPN with fast connection speeds will ensure that you get as little lag and drop-off as possible during your calls. And because Zoom is now being used by ordinary families across the globe, we admire any VPN that's easy to download and operate - even for people who aren't that skilled with technology. ExpressVPN tops our list of favorite VPNs at the moment and is the one we'd recommend. It ticks all of the above boxes - it uses a variety of the world's strongest security protocols and a strict no-logging policy, boasts some of the fastest connection speeds we've tested, even to far away servers, and is a doddle to use. Plus, it has excellent 24/7 customer service that is generally helpful if you find yourself struggling with any aspect of the VPN. You can effectively try ExpressVPN for free by taking advantage of its 30-day money back guarantee. And if you sign up for a year, you currently get 49% off and three months extra absolutely free.
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| Disco Elysium: how cult heroes British Sea Power wrote its BAFTA-nominated score Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:42 AM PDT British Sea Power has long sat on the vanguard of British rock’s alternative scene, coming up through the noughties ‘New Rock Revolution’ that made household names of The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys. However, while other bands sang of New York city cops or looking good on the dancefloor, British Sea Power were writing songs about the collapsing Antarctic ice shelf Larsen-B, Scapa Flow and the diverse, imbibable joys of EU internationalism. Literate without being humorless, experimental without forgetting the power of a pop hook, British Sea Power’s shimmering, stabbing guitars and lilting melodies have led to a musical career that’s seen them feeling as comfortable on the cavernous stages of the Glastonbury festival as rescoring 1934’s fictional proto-documentary Man of Aran. That their orbit would eventually end up on a collision course with Robert Kurvitz, lead designer and writer at ZA/UM, the developers of Disco Elysium, the most ambitious CRPG in decades, seems almost fated. ‘Noises and moods’Centring around an amnesiac, alcoholic cop on a murder case in a fictional post-Soviet territory, Kurvitz wrote more than a million words to bring the truly unique gaming world of Disco Elysium to life, one where the demons in your head (and at the bottom of a bottle) are more outlandish and threatening than those you would stare down the barrel at in lesser games.
“Robert came to see us in the UK when we were on tour,” recalls guitarist Martin Noble. “He was a fan of the band and described noises and moods that were in our albums as a sort of starter palate. He said the game was going to be incredible and groundbreaking. He showed us some art work and described the world of the game in detail. Usually when people say something like this you think they may be a big-headed blagger. With Robert, you kind of knew that if he was the man behind it then it would be incredible.” British Sea Power (L-R, Jan 'Yan' Scott Wilkinson, Hamilton Wilkinson, Matthew Wood, Abi Fry, Phil Sumner, Martin Noble) “He flew all the way from Estonia and spilled his head on us,” adds bass guitar and vocalist Hamilton Wilkinson. “Something about Frodo, and a bag of gold. He bought me a coffee and I thought 'that's nice.'” Displaying “a more comprehensive knowledge of our albums than we had ourselves”, says singer-guitarist Yan Wilkinson (“he also did some very entertaining English accents”), British Sea Power jumped onboard with a development team more interested in Dadaism and Fluxus than killstreaks and microtransactions. Six months after the game’s release, British Sea Power and ZA/UM are now on the eve of a BAFTA Games Award ceremony in which Disco Elysium has earned multiple nominations – including one for its soundtrack. It was a match made in heaven – British Sea Power’s instrumentals weaving from the melancholic to the menacing, a perfect partner for the painterly palette of Disco Elysium’s art, and the slow creep of a fictional mind on the fringes of sanity. ‘A joy in less freedom’Though British Sea Power had soundtracked a film before, the process was quite different for Disco Elysium and the gaming medium the band found themselves working with. “With films you have to work more on timing,” says violinist and vocalist Abi Fry, “whereas with the game it's more about creating specific moods that can go on indefinitely and don't drive you completely mad.” Noble agrees. “If a film gets re-edited then you have to re-edit the song. As games are more freeform, so we can be too,” he says. “It's more about setting the right mood than supporting or narrating the action. Just creating a kind of ambience and sonic expanse,” says Yan, or “living in another person’s mind instead of your own for a while,” adds Hamilton. Although working on film has obvious transferable knowledge and skills, writing music for a game is hardly anything like putting an album together.
“It’s a very different thing,” says Yan. “In some ways it is easier as there is less thinking and more intuition involved. Lyrics and vocals, which are quite challenging, aren’t necessary. There is also a strong definite direction which I enjoy for a change. A joy in less freedom. I like working with different atmospheres and just dwelling in them.” Noble agrees. “You don’t really need to create infectious melodies, or mega hooks, or work on intros, verses and choruses, etcetera. It’s more about moods, scenes. You can be quite meditative and repetitive while shifting around with subtle variety.” ‘Like a painting’For the band, inspiration came naturally. There’s a natural synergy between the band’s style and the game’s eccentricity. Getting in the right mood, “wasn’t such a stretch,” says Yan. “Not too much method acting needed. The visuals also play such a big important role in the game. Very beautiful, kind of like a painting. So I wanted to fit in with that as well as suit the characters.” Kurvitz, being a big fan of the band, had littered the game with reference points to British Sea Power’s work, too.
“I think there is crossover between the BSP world and Roberts’,” says Noble. “We originally sent Robert a load of unused demo tracks that we had lying around. Robert found that some of it would be perfect for the game. There are actually loads of little BSP related things in the game - the name of some streets and buildings have BSP references that only a hardcore BSP fan would appreciate.” Science fiction books like 'Roadside Picnic' brought inspiration, and a live performance of the soundtracks to ‘Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture’ & ‘Dear Esther’ proved illuminating (Noble is friends with Jessica Curry, who composed those games’ soundtracks). “I'm a big fan of Angelo Badlamenti and his work with David Lynch,” notes Yan. “I also was influenced early on by the way Lynch uses sound in such a physical way. It's more common now but it wouldn't be without him. I am a big film fan and always find scores fascinating. Vyacheslav Oychinnikov was great with Tarkovsky and I was always incredibly impressed how Stanley Kubrick used music. Amazing.” But for the most part, British Sea Power found an easy rhythm with Kurvitz’s world. “Each composition had a character and strong story idea so the headspace was easy to find,” says Fry. And life on the road as a touring band can have its own amnesiac quality. “Not knowing who you are while stumbling around a strange world looking for clues is a familiar lifestyle to British Sea Power’s everyday dream, so it was a doddle for us,” jokes Hamilton. Outrun x The Petshop BoysHaving made one of the more evocative game soundtracks in recent memory, you may be surprised to find that British Sea Power don’t particularly class themselves as avid gamers. Though Fry admits to “growing up on BBC Micro Games: Castle Quest, Frak, Chuckie Egg and Granny's Garden,” and that the band “lost a year or two of our lives to Mario Kart when we were recording the Valhalla Dancehall album,” British Sea Power’s core gaming memories, fittingly, seem to be around re-soundtracking games in their youth. “I think games can benefit from a focused, brave and at times avant garde approach that films do from music,” says Yan. “I remember making tapes to play with ZX Spectrum games as a kid with my brother. I wasn’t a big fan of The Petshop Boys then but West End Girls was perfect for driving along to in Outrun, as was the Beverly Hills Cop theme.” Fry still has a soft spot for the Double Dragon NES soundtrack, though. There’s a chance that British Sea Power could return to the game soundtrack world. “We love it. We’re hoping ZA/UM do another game and invite us back,” says Noble, also hinting that of the soundtrack “one or two [tracks] might make it onto the new BSP album in a different guise, and we hope to be able to play the soundtrack live at some point.” So, what do British Sea Power make of the finished Disco Elysium experience? “I love the depth and the boldness of it. The visual side is incredibly beautiful too,” says Yan. “I've never played a game like this before and think it’s absolutely amazing,” says Fry, echoing the sentiments of many who’ve touched the surface of Disco Elysium. “I played about 30 minutes with my nephew. I only scratched the surface really, but the painting is exquisite, the dialogue is really twisted and far out and the score is really rather excellent!” says Noble. As for getting through the entire game, which Kurvitz reckons would take some 120 hours to see all it has to offer? Maybe one day, says Yan. “I used to say at 70 I would enjoy gaming and heroin. But right now I’ve only just found time to start reading and painting more again.”
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| Cheap TV deals: the Samsung 50-inch 4K TV is on sale for $327.99 Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:39 AM PDT If you're stuck indoors and looking for a cheap TV deal to keep you entertained, then you're in luck. Dell is discounting several top brand TVs which include the best-selling Samsung 50-inch 4K TV on sale for just $327.99. That's a $100+ discount, and the best price found we've found for mid-size TV. The Samsung 50-inch TV features smart capabilities, so you can stream your favorite movies and TV shows all in one place using the Samsung universal remote. You can also download the SmartThings app and stream content from your phone to the big screen. You'll enjoy a stunning picture with bright, bold colors and life-like images thanks to PurColor technology and 4K resolution. The mid-size TV will also look good in your home thanks to the stylish, slim design. Cheap TV deals:Shop more TV offers with our roundup of the best cheap TV deals and sales that are happening now. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sling TV is offering you 14 days of free TV if you sign up right now Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:39 AM PDT Sling TV has just gone and made social distancing at home a lot easier. The TV streaming service is currently offering 14 days FREE of Sling TV Blue. This isn't a free trial and there's no commitments, contracts or payment details required - you can simply get 14 days free access to its Sling TV Blue service without paying a penny. You just need to head straight to the Sling TV website to take advantage of this limited time offer Sling TV Blue gives you access to over 45 live channels, free cloud DVR, over 50,000 on-demand titles, and allows simultaneous viewing on three screens. The Blue plan is ideal for anyone needing more news and kids orientated channels, some of which include Fox, NBC, USA, Bravo, TBS, FX, Syfy, Bloomberg TV, Fox News, Headline News and MSNBC. So ideal for anybody without cable or has recently cut the cord. Sound good to you? Hurry on over to Sling and sign-up, as this deal ends on Sunday, April 5. And the offers don't stop there, as Sling TV is also giving a $10 discount on all of its plans, and offering a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months.
Is Sling TV any good?It's definitely got TechRadar's approval! We love the fact that it allows you to customize your favorite channels on the app, and it's on-demand programming along with movies that you can rent is pretty handy. Not to mention that you can watch it on any device that can stream the app - this includes your tablet, phone, laptop, smart TV etc. What we also find it quite refreshing that there are no sneaky fees or long-term contracts - you just pay a flat fee for the this TV streaming service. Want to find out more? Make sure you check out our Sling TV review. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Forget Surface Duo – Microsoft is mulling a triple-screen phone (kind of) Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:31 AM PDT Microsoft could be working on a phone which takes the Surface Duo (pictured above) concept a little further, adding a third screen into the mix – although that extra display will be a very small affair which is present on the hinge of the device. This potential new piece of hardware is documented in a patent filed by Microsoft which was spotted at Free Patents Online [PDF] (by Windows Latest), which describes a device having a ‘screen region’ on the hinge.
So, as mentioned, the basic concept is a dual-screen device which folds via a hinge mechanism, with the third display on the hinge, being capable of displaying all sorts of information depending on the state of the device. For example, if the dual-screen device is closed, notifications or missed calls could be displayed on the outside of the hinge (perhaps using specifically colored patterns to indicate these things at a glance). Or if both main displays are folded back-to-back, or in tent mode, the hinge could display info relevant to another app running on the screen which can’t be seen by the user in that configuration. One potential operation describes having separate apps running on the first and second main displays, with a gesture to the third (hinge) display facilitating switching between playing the audio of the first and second apps. And if the user has the dual-screen device open, using both main displays together, the third hinge-based screen could simply be employed as part of one single continuous display. So if you’re looking at a photo, for instance, that image will run across the first, second and third screens to form a full picture. Obviously the third mini-display could also be used to reduce any interface clutter on one of the main screens, by hosting commonly used UI buttons, to get them out of the way. It could also display the name of a movie currently playing, or a song name if audio is playing, and so forth. Intelligent tricksEssentially, all manner of tricks might be possible with this small third display on the hinge, in terms of it detecting the current configuration of the device, and intelligently lending relevant support or information to the user based on what they are actually doing at the time. Whether Microsoft will actually ever make a dual-screen device with a third screen embedded in the hinge is anyone’s guess, though. Just because research and development has been exploring the idea doesn’t mean that any such piece of hardware will ever make it past the drawing board, testing or prototype stages. Still, it’s always interesting to see what might be in the pipeline from Microsoft, and the company is clearly still looking at ways to make mobile computing more innovative beyond the likes of Surface Duo.
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| Thousands of 3D printers are making face shields for NHS staff Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:25 AM PDT The 3D printer community is banding together in a cooperative effort to produce and distribute face shields which are much needed by NHS staff (and others) due to the Covid-19 outbreak. There is a well-known shortage of such medical shields, of course, and the organisation called 3DCrowd UK aims to address this by asking folks around the UK who own 3D printers to join in with the production of parts for PPE (personal protective equipment).
Volunteers are signing up across the country to help print face shields – if you have a 3D printer, you can sign up yourself by heading here – with delivery and distribution of the equipment being covered by a GoFundMe campaign (which has just exceeded its target goal of £40,000). So those without a 3D printer can still contribute funds to delivery costs, and you can contact 3DCrowd UK via the aforementioned website to offer to help in other ways, if you’d like to get involved without 3D printing. The BBC reports that 3D printing volunteers are given instructions on how to produce headbands for the face shields. Some 2,300 folks are currently volunteering, with 80,000 medical shields in the initial production batch. The face shields can be requested by NHS hospitals, GP practices, or care organisations which are short of them, and thus far, some 186,000 units have been requested (in the past week). Government validationThe BBC notes that these face shields haven’t received formal approval from the UK government, which hasn’t yet commented on 3DCrowd UK’s drive to mass-produce these masks from a grassroots level. However, 3DCrowd UK’s Gen Ashley told the BBC that the shields have been approved in the Czech Republic, where we have already seen 3D printing outfit Prusa design and produce a medical shield (with the firm expecting to eventually be able to make 4,000 of these daily just on its own). Prusa is already looking ahead and planning to print other items of PPE such as protective goggles. The 3D printing company also issued a note of caution – which some others have echoed – when it comes to the potential production of more complex equipment like respirators, which are also desperately needed to treat those suffering badly with coronavirus who are having difficulty breathing. While that ambition is obviously a highly commendable one, Prusa observes that the designs currently available need to be more thoroughly tested to ensure they provide the necessary protection, particularly around the quality of the filter and seal. Those interested in Prusa’s activities in fighting coronavirus should take a look at our full and illuminating interview with founder Josef Prusa. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Remote working and health and safety Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:04 AM PDT We’re living in a whole new world. As many employees have shifted to a home office and are under stay-at-home orders, there are legal questions about who is responsible for employee health and safety. In many ways, now that most of us are stuck at home working remotely due to the corona virus pandemic, the concept of personal health and safety for employees has come into focus. Some of the answers to the legal questions may surprise you. Employers may even need to explore a new paradigm shift -- there are many new legal ramifications. The legal issues surrounding work-from-home can be thorny, in fact. As attorney Louis Chodoff from the law firm Ballard Spahr explained to TechRadar.com, employers may now need to have employees send photos of their home office or even send someone out to do an inspection. In the U.S., OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does not require these inspections, but the employer is still ultimately responsible for their workers. If the employee does not make an effort to create a safe and healthy home office environment, the employers may not be liable -- but this varies by country and by business category. “Employers are still responsible for the health and safety of their remote employees,” says Chodoff. “It’s just more challenging for the employer because obviously the employee’s home is not a controlled workplace like the office would be. OSHA still holds employers responsible for safe working conditions regardless of the work location." Legal issues for a home officeThat said, employees do share the burden in ensuring their own health and safety. They need to make sure they are working in a safe environment. While an employer might provide healthcare benefits, the employee is really the one who has to arrange their health insurance coverage if not already done so through the employer's HR services. That was always true even when employees were at the office, at least when it comes to health insurance. As an employer, you do assume certain liabilities for the events that occur at the corporate office, and you may offer discounts on health insurance. From a legal standpoint, employees also have to pay for their own medical billing, find ways to stay healthy (say, walking each day or working out), and promote their own personal safety. Employers should know that, from a legal standpoint, there is some liability for the actual home office where someone works, although there might be a few sticking points. “The employee may not be able to recover workers’ compensation if the employee created the hazard that caused the injury or the injury was caused by the employee’s own misconduct,” says Chodoff. Even then, it’s still thorny. What is considered a home office? If an employee is on a laptop in the kitchen and they use a knife to open a FedEx box and make a mistake, it might not be something that’s covered by worker’s comp. The employee was not in the home office. Another issue is related to homeowner’s insurance. A home office is considered part of the home. Whatever happens -- flooding when a pipe bursts or tripping over a toy and breaking a leg -- would likely be covered by the homeowner and their insurance, not by the company itself. “Employers can try to protect themselves by requiring the remote employees to show that their homeowner's insurance covers any damage to a company-issued laptop, printer or any other equipment,” says Chodoff. Then there are issues related to family members. If an employee drops a company-owned laptop, the employer would need to arrange for the repair. It’s unclear what happens if a spouse drops the laptop, or if the employee uses an old power strip that is outdated (and causes a fire because the employee was negligent). How to address the concernsAttorney and legal expert Charley Moore, the founder and CEO of Rocket Lawyer, tells TechRadar.com that employees may be more liable in some cases, due to their own negligence. “Employees are typically responsible for maintaining any equipment, like desks or printers, that they provide for themselves and are not owned by the company,” he says. What will ultimately help, he says, is a contract with employees that spells out every detail -- what is covered, what is not covered, and who is responsible for what in the home. “Employees are covered under relevant state laws concerning workers compensation for any injury incurred while performing official work duties at home,” he says. “Employers should include in any telecommuting agreement the expected work hours of its employees, which are typically in line with the expected work hours for employees at their primary business location.” As with any legal issue, clarity with employees is critical. Both legal experts tell TechRadar.com that it is important to discuss all of these topics with employees and that it should be clear what is expected while employees are “at work,” even in a home office. And, having a signed contract will help with any disputes that arise, detailing who is responsible for company-owned equipment, what happens if the employee is injured, and how the employee is responsible. One example of how employers could spell this out has to do with where the employee works. Similar to how independent contractors need to specify in their taxes where they actually work by square footage area, an employee might need to show where they work. This could include one area of the house that is meant only for work, meets all safety standards, and is covered by worker’s compensation insurance if anything bad happens there. However, it should all provide clarity on what is covered and not covered outside of that space. An employer might require, for example, that a company-issued laptop should not leave the workspace during the lockdown phase of the pandemic. If the employee uses it on the sofa at night to watch Netflix, that would not be covered because it wasn’t a work scenario. “An employer can require that the employee set up a dedicated work area in their home and require that only work can be done in that dedicated work area,” says Chodoff.
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