Apple : How to watch Homeland: stream season 8 online from anywhere |
- How to watch Homeland: stream season 8 online from anywhere
- How to watch Killing Eve online: stream season 3 from anywhere
- How to watch Westworld online: stream season 3 from anywhere
- Apple Watch 5th anniversary: what we got right and – yes – what we got wrong
- American Idol 2020: watch live online from anywhere in the world
- Yakuza games in order: by release date, in chronological order and ranked
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| How to watch Homeland: stream season 8 online from anywhere Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:46 AM PDT Homeland has taken viewers on a globetrotting, head-spinning journey over the last decade. Consigned to past seasons are questions over the loyalties of Sergeant Nicolas Brody, so superbly portrayed by Damien Lewis in the first couple of seasons of the critically-acclaimed show. Now, clouds of doubt hang over the head of his once lover, CIA super-spook Carrie Mathison - or Claire Danes. Read on and learn how to watch Homeland season 8 and where to stream new episodes of the critically acclaimed show online as it nears its dramatic conclusion. Also still in the frame - and we should issue a minor spoiler alert for those who haven't watched Homeland before - is Mandy Patinkin's Saul Berenson and a very well cast Costa Ronin as Russian spy Yevgeny Gromov. He was ultimately behind Carrie's lengthy spell in a gulag at the end of the last season of Homeland - and many suspect he successfully turned her. Will we finally find out who's playing who in the next episode? The show is an adaptation of Gideon Raff's Prisoners of War, which first aired in Israel back in 2010, while Homeland itself has won numerous awards including Emmys and Golden Globes since its release in 2011. So once you've watched all the best Hulu shows and best Netflix movies, jump in and watch Homeland season 8 online or on TV - our guide will explain all the ways you can do this from anywhere in the world.
How to watch Homeland from outside your countryYou can watch Homeland season 8 in a number of countries around the world, but if you find yourself stuck abroad during these difficult times, you're likely to find that geo-blocking prohibits you from accessing your usual streaming services. There is a solution, however. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch Homeland online no matter where you are. This neat bit of kit changes your IP address so that you can stream all your favorite shows live or on demand, just like you would from the comfort of your sofa. How to watch Homeland FREE: season 8 streaming in the USHow to watch Homeland season 8 free online in the UKHow to watch Homeland season 8 for free online in AustraliaStream Homeland season 8 online and watch in CanadaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch Killing Eve online: stream season 3 from anywhere Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:43 AM PDT One of the most acclaimed TV shows in recent memory is back for another run right now, as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve returns for a third season. Stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are still firmly in the midst of their endless cat-and-mouse game - ready to jump right back in? Here's how to watch Killing Eve online and stream season 3 no matter where you are in the world, including the new episode airing this week in the US and UK. It's safe to say that Killing Eve was a big hit when it was first released, one that was praised for the way to cleverly moulded classic elements of suspense with quirky dark humour - the latter being one of Waller-Bridge's specialities. Prime example - when you see that an episode of a BAFTA-winning TV show is called 'Slowly Slowly Catchy Monkey', who else could it really be? Killing Eve season 3 reviews have been more mixed, but anyone who has gotten this far into the show will no doubt want to see what it's like for themselves - and given the current circumstances in many countries around the world, what's to stop you? In the US, it can still comfortably rival most of the best Hulu shows around - so follow our guide as we explain all the easiest ways to watch Killing Eve season 3 and stream the show online from anywhere in the world.
How to watch Killing Eve online from outside your countryThe coronavirus may have put old paradigms like holidays and work trips to bed temporarily, but the fact is international travel will one day resume in full - and you may even be stuck outside your country of origin, for whatever reason. If and when that's the case, you could be forgiven for wanting a taste of home comforts, especially now. If that means streaming the services you normally would, geo-blocking can prove to be a major obstacle - but fortunately there's an easy solution. Using a little handy trick, you can get around these pesky digital borders using a VPN. This will allow you to gain access to Killing Eve as it happens by changing your IP to your nation of residence. But which VPN is best for you? How to watch Killing Eve free online: stream season 3 in the UK
How to watch Killing Eve season 3 online in the USHow to watch Killing Eve online in AustraliaHow to watch Killing Eve online: stream seasons 1 and 2 for freeIf you're new to Killing Eve, then there are worse things to do during a global pandemic than watch the first two seasons of the hit show. Anyone in the UK or the US has it good, as the BBC show is available on a number of convenient streaming services. In the US, the best option for binging Killing Eve right now is Sling TV, whose affordable $30 a month Orange bundle gets you the full back catalogue for on-demand streaming plus all the new season 3 episodes. Another option is Hulu, which offers a FREE trial and seasons 1 and 2 of Killing Eve on-demand, but note that you'll need its higher-end Hulu + Live TV package, which normally costs $54.99 a month. Although BBC America does also offer its own option for a free season 2 Killing Eve stream - as does AMC to the best of our knowledge. In the UK, it's all gratis provided you hold a valid TV license in the country - in which case just tune into BBC iPlayer and watch Killing Eve seasons 1 and 2 for free online. If you're in Australia, you can watch Killing Eve season 1 on Stan - but beyond that you're looking at paying to buy the show via a platform like iTunes. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch Westworld online: stream season 3 from anywhere Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:37 AM PDT In the new season of Westworld, the hosts and the humans are arguably starting to become mirror images of one another. From each park all the way to the Valley Beyond, things only look set to get even more confusing - and we know you won't want to miss a single piece of the puzzle. Read on to find out how to watch Westworld online and stream season 3 online wherever you are in the world. Season 3 has dived back into the weird and wonderful world of that fateful theme park, with an eight episode roster unlike the usual ten we're used to receiving over the past two seasons. We won't spoil anything for you unless you need to catch up but we will say that we recently saw Bernard Lowe managed to survive an attack and saw him returning to Westworld. So if you just need reminding about how to watch Westworld season 3 online - or, indeed, any of the previous episodes - keep reading and we'll tell you your option from your corner of the globe. How to watch Westworld online from outside your countryIf you're trying to access a Westworld stream from outside your country (maybe on holiday or working overseas?) you might have some difficulty making it past the geo-blocking restrictions. HBO, Sky Atlantic and the rest aren't directly accessible from outside the US, but installing a VPN will allow you to watch Westworld online quickly and easily. A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that essentially blocks data about your computer from the websites that you visit for safety, so changing your IP address to one of a separate country is as easy as selecting from a drop down list. How to watch Westworld online in the US right nowHow to watch Westworld season 3 in the UK this weekHow to watch Westworld: stream online in CanadaHow to watch Westworld season 3 online in AustraliaWhere can I watch old episodes of Westworld?Get ready for the latest season by catching up on older episodes of Westworld online. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to binge the first two seasons, wherever you are in the world. US: HBO Now and HBO Go both offer previous episodes of Westworld for catching up, but you can also watch Season One and Two on DirecTV. UK: You'll be able to catch every previous episode of Westworld through a Now TV Entertainment Pass. That's especially handy if you're looking to watch season three at the same time. If you're a Sky TV subscriber, you can also watch the last two seasons of the show using Sky Go. Everywhere else: If you can't find on-demand access to old episodes of Westworld where you are, there's always a VPN. Simply switch your location to the US or UK, and you'll be able to binge the last few years of Westworld episodes using one of the services listed above. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple Watch 5th anniversary: what we got right and – yes – what we got wrong Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:10 AM PDT Update: We added more exclusive photos of the Apple Watch 1st generation launch event, as we look back at Apple's original iPhone-connected smartwatch. Enjoy the trip down memory lane. Time passes quickly, and that clichéd saying even applies to our state-of-the-art Apple Watch 5, which is accurate up to 50 milliseconds of the global time standard, according to Apple. It’s the 5th anniversary of the original Apple Watch, which launched Friday, April 24, 2015 to much hype, long lines, and limited quantities. I was there to interview the first people in line in the US and rush home to write an in-depth Apple Watch review. We nailed it when we called this iPhone-connected wrist hugger “Apple’s most personal gadget” in a review, jointly written by myself and TechRadar's Global Editor-in-Chief Gareth Beavis. We also forecasted more daring designs to come eventually, including a more stunning circular sequel to compete with Motorola’s then-critically acclaimed Moto 360 (2014). That still hasn't happened. In light of the Apple Watch turning five, we’ve gone back through our coverage to analyze what we got right, and what we got wrong about the 1st generation Apple Watch. We were there. Browse through the slideshow from the 2015 Apple Watch launch day, including photos of the first people to buy the Apple Watch in-person in the US. Nailed it: ‘Apple’s most personal gadget yet’
I loved starting the review with this opening line, which paid tribute to the long-rumored ‘iWatch’ name, and segued into highlighting how intimate it was to don the then-brand-new Apple Watch. It was a novelty in 2015; a square-shaped iPod nano-like device was strapped to my wrist all day and became a gateway to being served important notifications, beamed from my pocketed iPhone (the still-rather-new iPhone 6). I could set the digital watch face (there were just ten faces at the time), and I was able to track my every move with unique-looking activity rings (which translated into ‘stop writing, start standing’). It felt personal. The original Apple Watch came in two sizes – like it does now, but the sizes were smaller than on the Apple Watch 5: 44mm and 38mm measured vertically. It was also customizable compared to other gadgets. Here are all of the original Apple Watch cases and bands, which we meticulously laid out ahead of the launch day. We wrote an in-depth guide, detailing the differences between them all. Every single Apple Watch case and strap combination available on launch day. This TechRadar-compiled graphic includes the extremely pricey and discontinued 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition you probably forgot about. With so many swappable strap types and colors, it only added to the distinctive charm of this brand new tech. The personalization trait has only become more true today: Apple packed additional health sensors into Apple Watch revisions. The Series 1 and Apple Watch 2, launched in 2016, and the Apple Watch 3, launched in 2017, detect low- and high heart-rates as well as irregular rhythms (Afib). The Apple Watch 4 in 2018 added fall detection and an ECG (Electrocardiography) feature. The Apple Watch – with reminders to stand up, move around, and simply take deep breaths when life gets a bit too crazy – continues to be Apple’s most personal gadget and a steady companion for iPhone users five years later. The Moto 360 (left) came out seven months before the Apple Watch (right). Circular smartwatches mirror that traditional watch look, but Apple's square-shaped design fits more on the screen. Rare miss: Needs to be circular
Apple didn’t create a circular Apple Watch in 2015 and, at the time, I was disappointed. Now, in 2020, and five similar-looking Apple Watch iterations later, I don’t care nearly as much. Things looked very different to me in 2015. In the seven months leading up to the Apple Watch, I was wearing the Moto 360 (2014), and it was simply stunning. Motorola’s forward-thinking circular take on the smartwatch idea made this third Android Wear watch an instant hit. The Apple Watch vs many of the early Android Wear watches I recall reviewing the first of two simultaneously launched Android Wear watches – Samsung Gear Live – while our now-Deputy Editor John McCann reviewed the LG G Watch. We, a dynamic duo in the early smartwatch days, both cited that these early watches sported incredibly boxy designs that impressed... absolutely no one. Motorola took the smartwatch idea in an exciting new circular direction, so it felt like the Apple Watch dialed things back. I stand by the fact that circular smartwatches look the part of a traditional watch better than a square watch with curved corners. But the functionality of a round touchscreen doesn’t always work well when you swipe – it feels like corners are cut, as I’ve experienced on other elegant-looking circular watches. Apple proved it didn’t have to mirror the classic watch look and, instead, invented a fashionable look of its own. Would I like to see the company rival the circular Samsung Galaxy Watch? Yes, but only if Apple’s UI worked on a circular watch just as well as it does right now. It's a notification hub, and we loved – and still love – that feature. Nailed it: beaming iPhone notifications to a watch is a 'wonderful convenience'
Apple nailed this perk from the beginning, and so did I when when I said beaming notifications to our wrist a ‘wonderful convenience’. Some people complained ‘this or that app’ wasn’t on the watch, but seeing notifications at a glance was – and remains – the best Apple Watch feature. OK, other smartwatches of the era did relay notifications, too, but Apple’s interface was refined, even in watchOS 1. Want proof? This was the stark contrast I saw in our review testing: Android Wear displayed at maximum of eight words of a text message (anything more was cut off) and usually the top of someone’s forehead in an outdated Hangouts profile picture (it's often not like the near-perfect demo photo about). Apple, meanwhile, used a slick animation dominated by the green Message icon and the person’s name (or their phone number if they weren’t in your contact list). That was it – at first. This information then automatically slid up to reveal almost the entire text message. The big green Messages icon and the person’s name flashing on the watch face were key to Apple claiming this win. Here was a typical scenario circa 2015: At dinner, I’d feel a vibration on my wrist while in a real-life conversation with someone, gently turn my wrist to quickly glance at the watch face, and immediately know two things: Green bubble icon? This is a text. Someone I didn’t need to talk to right away? I could instantly dismiss the text in my brain and get back to the real-life conversation. From day one, this felt leagues better than showing a portion of a text, someone’s name, and their broken photo all at once on a tiny watch face. Miss from others: 'Apple Watch battery can die after 3 hours' (but we nailed it)
I’m struggling to come up with another miss from our Apple Watch review, so I’m using this as a chance to highlight the most sensationalist launch window headlines, written by others, that I saw and tried to counter with actual explainers. It’s fit for modern times five years on, right? Something we didn’t do was run a headline like “Apple Watch battery can die after 3 hours”. That’s a real headline. And plenty of other sites that ran similar headlines. It’s technically true and makes for great clickbait – using the power-hungry phone call feature drained the battery in 3 hours (instead of 18 hours). But, in my five years of using an Apple Watch, I’ve never gone past 45 minutes on a call. I use the feature in smaller chunks, when cooking dinner or washing dishes. The Apple Watch dead in 3 hours? Yes, in theory, but don't believe the sensationalist headlines out there. The truth is, the original Apple Watch battery lasted ‘all day’ as Apple had promised and, at times, longer. If you kept a routine sleep schedule and didn’t push the heart rate monitor like a fitness guru, I saw a day-and-a-half of power. Things improved with the Apple Watch Series 2, 3, and 4, though I’ve found the Apple Watch 5 does die on me slightly faster than the Series 4 did when the always-on screen is enabled. There is something small I failed to put into the 1st gen Apple Watch review that I would have liked to let Apple know about. So if I could make an amendment – five years after the original review – here it is: I called the inductive charger ‘clever’ – and it is – but over the years, whenever I have forgotten my Watch charger on a trip, I always think, “It would’ve been better if its cable was a Lighting cable plugged into the disk-shaped inductive charger.” That way, I could buy an extra charging disk, leave it in a small pocket of my backpack at all times, and, if I ever forgot my main Apple Watch charger, I’d always have that extra disk to charge my Apple Watch via a Lighting cable. It’d be easier to store a small disk than the cable-tied inductive charger we have now, and it’d give me more cable length variety. Maybe Apple can do that with USB-C for the Apple Watch 6. Nailed it: Apple Watch's fitness aptitude had yet to be realized in 2015
Apple made a point to tout health and fitness tracking in the lead up to the Apple Watch launch – I recall Apple execs Jay Williams and Jay Blahnik taking ABC News behind the scenes at its secret lab. They had employees, all wearing Bane-like breathing masks to record vitals, running on treadmills and doing yoga. Apple was serious about fitness, but the first Watch left us wanting. “We’re just beginning,” said Williams in that 2015 ABC interview. “The impact on health could be profound.” That comment foreshadowed better fitness tracking in subsequent Apple Watch models. Those masked runners must have kept running in that secret lab. In our tests, we found the Apple Watch 3, with GPS built-in, to offer accurate distance readings on runs in which we also used a calibrated Garmin running watch. Likewise, the heart rate monitor became more precise in the Apple Watch 4 and 5 releases. Loud noise alerts and menstrual cycle tracking are some of the newest additions along with the aforementioned low/high heart-rate notifications, ECG and Afib alerts, and fall detection. Apple’s software can also take into account if you’re using a wheelchair – we don’t see this level of commitment to accessibility on many non-bespoke watches. Apple has come a long way since the original Watch, which, remember, wasn’t technically waterproof and lacked GPS entirely. We sat on it and gave the first Apple Watch a definitive 'good but work-in-progress' score – and we're still happy with it. Wrap-up: we gave it 3 1/2 stars – and got it right
The first Apple Watch held a lot of promise and, at the time, was considered the best smartwatch available. But, after much deliberation, we gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Looking back five years later, that was the right score. It was certainly a four-star idea, but we can’t review ‘promise’ or the concept of something that’s bound to be great in the long run. I gave the Samsung Galaxy Fold the same score for this very reason. It’s the best foldable phone I’ve tested and paves the way for a tremendous future. But that’s not what people are going to buy today. We could tell that the Apple Watch had room to grow, and it’s done just that. The Apple Watch 3 price drop puts it at an obtainable price for most people with all of the core features you’d want, while the Apple Watch 5 gives early adopters more perks that make it a four-star innovation.
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| American Idol 2020: watch live online from anywhere in the world Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:57 AM PDT Want to know how to watch American Idol 2020 live? We can't blame you. The hit TV show has previously unearthed stars like Grammy-winners Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson - plus some guy called Adam Lambert. We think you might have heard of him, too? With the 18th season of the hugely popular show now underway, the hope is that another epic new talent is being revealed right before our eyes. As such, we're sure you'll get hooked on this year's contest so we're here to tell you how to watch American Idol 2020 live from wherever you are in the world. Ryan Seacreast once again hosts the singing competition, and this year he's joined by a star-studded panel of judges featuring chart topper Katy Perry, all-around legend Lionel Ritchie, and country music icon Luke Bryan. Media personality Bobby Bones also returns in his role as mentor to the contestants. Read on to discover how to watch American Idol online live and as it happens from anywhere on the planet.
How to watch American Idol online from outside your countryAs its name might suggest, American Idol is...well, an American show. But fear not, it's easy to watch American Idol live in 2020 even if you're out of the country and there isn't local TV coverage. The solution is to download a VPN, which allows you to get around pesky geo-blocking restrictions and watch American Idol online from pretty much anywhere. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a simple (and completely legal) bit of software kit that changes your IP address so that you can access episodes of shows like American Idol live or on demand, as they become available - just like you would if you were at home. How to watch American Idol 2020 online for free in the US
Watch American Idol 2020 online in Canada: free live stream detailsHow to watch American Idol 2020: live online stream guide for the UKHow to watch American Idol season 18: Live stream American Idol 2020 onlineEqually bad news, Aussie mates - Foxtel dropped the rights to air the popular talent show Down Under after season 17, so we don't know of any way to watch American Idol in Australia live. Or rather, the only method that comes to mind is using a VPN as discussed above. So it would be a case of signing up for and logging in to a service that shows it elsewhere (e.g. Hulu, Netflix, etc) and then using a VPN to virtually relocate yoru IP address to that country so you can watch as if you were there. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yakuza games in order: by release date, in chronological order and ranked Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:00 AM PDT There’s never been a better time to play the Yakuza games. The series made its Western debut way back in 2006, and was previously exclusive to Sony's platforms for a number of years. That all changed recently, though, as Yakuza’s unique brand of action-adventure is now available on a host of platforms, including Steam and Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. The Yakuza games revolve around the steely protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, who you follow in a journey through the heart of Japan's seedy underworld. You'll experience what life is like as a hard-nosed Yakuza, and although there's plenty of moolah to be made (and people to shake down), it isn't all work and no play. There's a staggering amount of recreational activities on offer, from singing karaoke, eating at restaurants and playing Sega's classics in the arcades – you'll even end up running a cabaret club. Combat is a mainstay, as you might expect in a world where disputes are often settled violently. You'll brawl with all sorts of shady lowlifes, delivering devastating combos and bone-crushing 'heat' moves that will make even the most hardened player wince a bit. Yakuza is definitely a mature series at heart, but it can also be downright hilarious. It's surprising how it manages to strike such a fine balance between being absolutely brutal and totally bonkers at the same time. That makes it hard to define, too. Yakuza is often called the "Japanese Grand Theft Auto," but that doesn't really do it justice. It's a mish-mash of so many systems and different mechanics – from RPG progression to rhythm-based mini-games – and it's much more story-focused than Rockstar's GTA. It also meshes everything together so wonderfully that it truly feels like there's nothing quite like it. With Yakuza: Like a Dragon on the horizon, which will be the seventh mainline entry in the series, we'll show you how to play the Yakuza games in order, how they rank with critics, and list every Yakuza game released to date. Ready to prove your devotion? It's time to hit the streets of Kamurocho and find out what it means to be a Yakuza... How to play the Yakuza games in order: chronological orderEven if you’re familiar with Sega’s long-running series, the Yakuza timeline can be a little confusing. To play the games in chronological order, you’ll need to start with Yakuza 0, where a young, fresh-faced Kazuma Kiryu is beginning to make his mark. Next up is Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 (excellent remakes of Yakuza and Yakuza 2), and then… well, it’s pretty self-explanatory from there. Here’s how to play them all in chronological order:
How to play the Yakuza games in order: release date and platformWant to play the Yakuza games in order of release? Well, you’ll need to dust off your old PlayStation 2 to play the first game in all its standard-definition glory. However, we’d advise against that, as you can play Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 instead, which are modern remakes of the first two games. It should also save you a trip to the attic.
Yakuza games on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC: more coming in 2020One of the biggest surprises at Microsoft’s X019 event was the announcement that the Yakuza series was finally coming to Xbox, and even more importantly, Xbox Game Pass. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, here are the games you can download right now.
Best Yakuza games rankedWhile reviews of any game are entirely subjective, we’ve listed the best Yakuza games based on their Metacritic rating. We would strongly recommend playing Yakuza 0 first if you’re new to the series, though, as it's the most accomplished version of the game and it serves as a great introduction. It’s also the highest-rated game according to critics, alongside Yakuza Kiwami 2.
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| Ahead of the game: the weird Nintendo tech that time forgot Posted: 26 Apr 2020 09:00 AM PDT Unlike other big companies dominating the gaming market, Nintendo came from humble beginnings. Starting out as a card factory and toy maker, the company has always tried new, interesting and unique things when it comes to gaming innovation. Without Nintendo’s out-of-the-box ideas, the company may have never come into such massive successes such as the Wii or the DS. The House of Mario has always played by its own rules, even if those rules were to make sure your wrist strap was secured and tightly fastened. But, with all its successes has also come many a failure, and a plethora of just downright weird ideas. So we've rounded up five of Nintendo's weirdest gaming peripherals for your perusal - and amusement.
SatellaviewIt’s taken a long time for Nintendo to find its feet when it comes to online gaming, but it was actually one of the first companies to dabble with it. If you were a rich kid in Japan in 1995, then you’re probably more than familiar with the Satellaview. The Satellaview seen Nintendo partnering up with broadcasting company St. Giga and, through the use of satellite broadcasting, the peripheral allowed kids to access games, magazines and other forms of media on their SNES’. The Satellaview itself was an attachment for the SNES (Super Famicom in Japan) and allowed the console to connect to a BS tuner (BS being the unfortunate branding they decided to go with). The BS tuner was a satellite subscription service provided by St. Giga and was also needed to play the Satellaview. But with the Satellaview costing roughly $150, and a subscription for the BS tuner being $54 a month, most people's dreams of owning a Satellaview was light years away. Talk about BS. However, the Satellaview was a pretty cool idea. Along with the many games that were available to play on the peripheral, there were also timed broadcasts which allowed access to special editions of certain games. For example, BS Zelda saw the option to replace Link with an avatar character, had voice acting and an orchestral score. All of this content was a lot of data at the time for the SNES and broadcasting allowed these big files to be shared - something which was very ahead of its time. As a lot of the content was broadcasted, a lot of Satellaview content is now lost to time. But Nintendo fans have managed to find some remnants of this content and have uploaded it online, but a lot of it hasn't stood the test of time and is probably rotting away at Nintendo’s headquarters somewhere. Learn with Pokémon: Typing AdventureWhat better way to get kids to learn an important life skill such as typing but by infusing it with what they already love: Pokemon! And Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure did exactly that. The DS game came packaged with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard which connected to the game cartridge and required kids to correctly type a Pokémon's name in order to capture it. There were 403 different Pokémon available to capture, with the game taking roughly two hours to complete. At first glance the idea of combining education and Pokémon seems like a logical fit to teach young people a necessary skill, until you realize 'Rayquaza' and 'Spoink' probably aren’t words kids will likely run into in life. The game only saw release in Japan and PAL regions; while the keyboard typically came in white, with a black version being a Japan-only exclusive. The keys on the keyboard were changed to adapt to each country’s own configuration respectively and had capabilities to connect to other Bluetooth devices, with the home button working with the Nintendo Wii. Even though Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure was obscure, it still managed to sell well. Wii Vitality Sensor & N64 Bio SensorNintendo’s Wii Vitality sensor was announced in 2009: the era of Wii Fit. It was a time when the success of motion controls was arguably at an all-time high and Nintendo was gradually changing its marketing to focus on families. The Wii Vitality Sensor was a unique add-on which measured your heart rate. However, this device died before much was even known about it. President of Nintendo at the time, Satoru Iwata, announced that the product would be discontinued in 2013, claiming that the reason for this was due to the product not working as well as the company had hoped. But this wasn’t Nintendo’s first crack at a heart rate sensor. In 1998, Japan had Tetris 64, which came with a heart rate monitor that dangled off of your earlobe and into the controller - adding a whole new meaning to the word game 'accessory'. This peripheral was called the N64 Bio Sensor and measured your heart rate, making the game trickier with abnormal shaped blocks appearing the more stressed a player was. As heart rate monitors go, none of these peripherals were popular enough to have Nintendo fans' hearts racing, so Nintendo soon pulled the plug on this accessory. Tetris 64 was the only game to use the N64 Bio Sensor. E-ReaderLike the Satellaview, the e-Reader was another peripheral designed to let players access extra content from Nintendo games - as well as new content entirely. But his time it was done, not through satellite broadcasting, but through swiping cards. The e-Reader was an attachment for the Game Boy Advance and, when swiped with certain cards, worked with games such as Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Super Mario Advance 4 and even Animal Crossing (when used on a GameCube). Cards were bought separately in packs and used specialized codes imprinted on them to store data. There was even a set of Pokemon trading cards which were compatible with the e-Reader and, when swiped, unlocked mini-games, music, a Pokédex-like page for your cards and sometimes even extra attacks for your Pokémon cards. More great features of the e-Reader included a real-life Mario Party board game with mini-games being playable on the Gameboy Advance, as well as the ability to unlock rare items, town tunes and send letters to certain villagers on the GameCube’s Animal Crossing. There was even compatibility with Pokemon Colosseum and F-Zero: Legend of Falcon. The e-Reader did well in Japan, lasting from 2001 to 2008. Outside of Japan, people seemed less keen on the idea and it was seen as a failure. The e-reader ran from 2002 to 2004 in Northern America, seen a short one year availability period in Australia and was due to come to Europe at some point - but that never happened. Nintendo has always had unorthodox methods in giving fans more content but, for now, it may be safe to say that DLC is the way forward. Robot Operating Buddy (R.O.B.)Most Nintendo fans will be familiar with R.O.B: the Wall-e esque character from Super Smash Bros. But R.O.B. wasn't born from the Super Smash Bros. series, instead it's inspired by a gaming peripheral from the beginning of the NES’ life. R.O.B. was a battery-operated Robot which, with NES controller in hand, would operate as a 'player 2' to aid in everyone’s popular NES games, Gyromite and Stack Up. These were two-player games in which R.O.B could interact with - meaning you didn't need a real-life actual player to play with you. R.O.B.'s timely invention came about due to the infamous 'Video Game Crash' of 1983. Due to games not doing so well during that period, Nintendo prompted to market the NES as the Nintendo Entertainment System - rather than a video games console. This helped to avoid any references to games and, alongside R.O.B which came with the system, helped distinguish the hardware from gaming. The NES and R.O.B. bundle was released to critical success. After the crash, R.O.B was long forgotten about, but the robot buddy has been hailed as a savior, scapegoat and a Trojan horse. His legacy lives on in the many cameo appearances he’s made in Star Tropics, F-Zero GX, Kirby’s Dreamland 3, the Wario Ware series, Pikmin 2, Super Mario Maker and as playable characters in the well known Mario Kart DS and the Super Smash Bros series. Gone but never forgotten.
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| Motorola Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S20 vs iPhone 11: which flagship is best for you? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 08:00 AM PDT With the launch of the Motorola Edge, the company once known for its budget handsets re-introduced itself as a competitor to companies at other price points too. What could this mean for brands putting out mid-range and premium smartphones? Two smartphones that might feel the Motorola Edge's presence on the market more than most are the Samsung Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11, the newest flagships from two of the top dogs making smartphones right now, Samsung and Apple.
The Samsung Galaxy S20, launched in February 2020, is one of the best Android smartphones available, with 5G connectivity, a top-tier Samsung screen and a cutting-edge chipset. Before that we saw the iPhone 11 in September 2019, which proved very popular with its stylish design, great cameras and more affordable price compared to some other iPhones. To help you decide which phone is best value, and which is best for you, this comparison will put them head-to-head in all the areas that really matter in a handset. Motorola Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S20 vs iPhone 11 price and availabilityMotorola Edge The Motorola Edge undercuts the Samsung and Apple phones at £579 / €599 (roughly $650, AU$1,020). If you're looking for the most affordable phone, then this is the one for you. The priciest of these phones is the Samsung Galaxy S20, which will set you back $999 / £899 / AU$1,499. That's for a 5G model, but if you want a 4G-only device there's one in certain regions for £799 / AU$1,349 (roughly $1,000). Between those sits the iPhone 11, though that actually has a few different prices depending on the storage version you opt for. It will set you back $699 / £729 / AU$1,199 for 64GB of storage, then $749 / £779 / AU$1,279 for 128GB of storage and $849 / £879 / AU$1,449 for 256GB. Whatever option you pick, it's more affordable than the S20 but pricier than the Edge. It's worth pointing out that while the Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11 are available in most regions right now, the Motorola Edge is only going to reach the UK in May and the US sometime after that. Design and displayThe Motorola Edge is the biggest of the three phones - its 161.6 x 71.1 x 9.3mm dimensions make it longer and thicker than the Samsung Galaxy S20's 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm or the iPhone 11's 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, although the latter is evidently a little wider. Samsung Galaxy S20 The Samsung Galaxy S20 is actually the lightest though at 163g, whereas the Motorola Edge comes in at 188g and the iPhone 11 is 194g. The fact that the Motorola Edge is in the middle there is curious given that while the Samsung and Apple phones have glass fronts and backs and metal frames, the Edge's back is actually made of plastic, which is typically lighter. The iPhone 11 has a Lightning port for charging and data transfer, but you get USB-C on the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Motorola Edge. The latter phone is the only one to have a 3.5mm headphone jack though, so fans of wired headphones might prefer it. It's worth noting also that the Samsung Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11 are IP68 rated for water resistance - a rating not shared by the Motorola Edge. Now on to the displays - the iPhone 11 has the smallest, at 6.1 inches diagonally, and it's also the most low-res at 828 x 1792 pixels. The biggest display is on the Motorola Edge, at 6.7 inches, but with a 1080 x 2340 resolution it's not the most high-res. That award goes to the Samsung Galaxy S20 with its 6.2-inch screen and 1440 x 3200 resolution. The screens aren't all the same aspect ratio - the iPhone 11 and Motorola Edge both have a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung Galaxy S20 is longer at 20:9. The latter two phones have their displays broken up by punch-hole cut-outs, the S20's in the top-center, and the Edge's in the top-left, while the iPhone 11 has a rather large notch. The iPhone 11 has a flat screen with fairly large bezels, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Motorola Edge both have curved screens. While the S20's display is lightly tapered at the edges, the Motorola Edge has a screen that drops almost 90 degrees around the edges, so it's really living up to that name. iPhone 11 Finally, if you're a fan of high display refresh rates, you'll prefer the Samsung Galaxy S20 with its 120Hz screen. That's followed by the Motorola Edge at 90Hz and then the iPhone 11 at a 'standard' 60Hz. CamerasThe iPhone 11 has two rear cameras, specifically a 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide one. Round the front there's also a 12MP snapper used for taking selfies. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has more cameras - there's a 12MP main, 64MP telephoto (for 3x optical zoom) and 12MP ultra-wide snapper, with a 10MP selfie-cam on the front. There's even more shooters on the Motorola Edge - it has a 64MP main, 8MP telephoto (2x optical zoom), 16MP ultra-wide and Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera on the back, with a 25MP front camera. So the Motorola Edge has the most high-res main camera, but the Samsung Galaxy S20 has the better zoom potential. However resolution isn't the only key feature of a camera, and both Samsung and Apple use large sensors on their cameras which can be just as useful for taking great pictures. Motorola Edge In addition, post-processing software is important for optimizing pictures taken, and while Apple and Samsung have proven software, we've only seen Motorola smartphones take okay pictures in the past, due to the brand's other recent phones all being mid-range or lower. We'll need to test the Edge thoroughly to see how it competes. Specs and featuresThe iPhone 11 has Apple's A13 Bionic chipset, which is generally regarded as the most powerful smartphone chipset available at the time of writing, and is the same as you'll find in the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has the Snapdragon 865 chipset if you're in North America or certain other parts of the world, but the slightly inferior Exynos 990 processor in Europe and Asia. The Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets are the best available from Qualcomm and Samsung respectively, so while they won't quite reach Apple's A13, they'll come very close. Finally, the Motorola Edge has the Snapdragon 765G chipset, which is a decent mid-range processor, optimized particularly for gaming (hence the 'G' in the name), although it's the weakest of the bunch here. The Motorola Edge additionally has 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That storage is the same as in the Samsung handset but the RAM there is 8GB. The Apple device has the most variation in storage with 64GB, 128GB or even 256GB of space, but only ever 4GB of RAM. Samsung Galaxy S20 The Motorola and Samsung phones both run Android 10, and while the latter has Samsung's One UI laid over the top, the former has a nearly stock version of Android, with the only difference being 'MyUX' which lets you customize the design of the user interface. The iPhone 11, meanwhile, has iOS 13, which you'll only find on Apple phones. The iPhone 11 is the only phone of these three that can't take a microSD card for expanded storage, though. In terms of battery capacity the Motorola Edge wins with a 4,500mAh power pack, although its larger screen might see that power drained quicker. Then the Samsung Galaxy S20 has a 4,000mAh battery and the iPhone 11 comes last with a 3,110mAh pack. The Motorola Edge doesn't have wireless charging though, so it's limited to 18W fast charging. The iPhone 11 has that as well as wireless charging, and the Samsung Galaxy S20 has 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, and 9W reverse wireless charging, so you can use it as a power pack to juice up other devices. An important accessibility feature some may care about is that the iPhone 11 uses Face ID for security, but the Motorola Edge and Samsung Galaxy S20 both rely primarily on in-screen fingerprint sensors. They also have facial recognition, but it's less secure than Apple's implementation. Some may prefer using their face to their hands to unlock their phone, others prefer fingerprint, and it's mainly down to preference. iPhone 11 TakeawayThe Motorola Edge certainly undercuts its competitors here, with a price that's noticeably below the iPhone 11 or Samsung Galaxy S20, but it's a less powerful phone as a result. Saying that, its large screen may make it appealing to some. The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a premium Android smartphone with a top-end chipset, Samsung's proven screen technology, and cameras that are both great and versatile. If you're not working with a particularly limited budget, it may be a better phone for you. However if you're an Apple fan you'll likely prefer the iPhone 11 with its iOS operating system and Apple software tricks, and it's not the priciest device in this line-up either, which is something you can rarely say about comparison guides with Apple products in them. All in all the best phone of these three depends largely on your budget, and which features you prefer in a new smartphone. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Android's Live Caption feature could be coming to phone calls as well Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:30 AM PDT If you're running Android 10 on one of the newer handsets by Google, OnePlus or Samsung, then you might have access to Live Caption – the built-in live transcription feature. Now that feature looks like it's coming to phone calls as well. As spotted by XDA Developers, the most recent Android 11 developer preview includes references to switching on Live Caption for a phone call, and the upgrade may well stay in place for the final version of the OS. Live Caption essentially puts subtitles on videos and audio in real time whenever speech is detected. It leverages Google's AI to display on screen what's being said – ideal for those who have hearing difficulties or who are trapped inside quiet spaces.
If the feature rolled out to phone calls as well, you'd be able to see what the person on the other end of the line was saying, even if you couldn't hear it. Google's language recognition tools are pretty good nowadays, so you should get an accurate transcription. When will it arrive?Of course enabling Live Caption on phone calls would mean the spoken content of a conversation would have to be monitored. Based on the code in Android 11, the caller at the other end gets a notification that Live Caption has been turned on. This is a technology Google is very keen on: the Recorder app on newer PIxel phones can transcribe spoken audio from lectures, interviews and so on, while it looks as though the Google Phone app will soon be able to record calls as well. As always though with features in developer previews and betas, it's not necessarily definite that this extra Live Caption utility is going to make it all the way to the final version of Android 11. Google hasn't set an official date for the rolling out of the mobile OS update, though we are expecting it around August or September, most likely on Pixel phones first. Before then, look out for a public beta test that anyone can get involved with. Via 9to5Google This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 10 future Netflix shows you didn't know it was making Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:00 AM PDT Netflix is making so many new movies and shows at any given time that it's hard to keep track. That's not a bad thing. In fact, it means that every time a new title surprises you by launching on the streaming service out of nowhere, it's one more thing you can potentially add to your watch list. While the world of TV and film production is currently at a halt for the most part, save for animated series and projects shot in countries that aren't as badly affected by the global health crisis, Netflix has plenty in the works for the coming years. Below is just a handful of the projects that the streaming service has in production. We picked these out because we think they're worth having on your radar, either because of their stars, behind-the-scenes talent or interesting source material.
Inventing AnnaYou might remember this widely-circulated and fascinating New York Magazine article about a woman pretending to be an heiress, who infiltrated the wealthy social circles of New York City and committed grand larceny. Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is adapting the article for Netflix, and this limited series will star Julia Garner and Veep's Anna Chlumsky. Midnight MassMidnight Mass is about an island community that's disrupted by the coming of a priest, whose appearance marks the island's residents experiencing both miracles and omens. If it's hard to get a grasp of why that's exciting, consider that it's a new genre series from The Haunting of Hill House team of Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy. Zach Gilford, Hamish Linklater, Rahul Kohli and Henry Thomas are among its attractive cast. One PieceYou've probably already heard about Netflix's adaptation of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop, which will star John Cho, but you might've missed the fact that it's making a live-action version of the extremely popular pirate manga One Piece, too. Creator Eiichiro Oda will play a part in the 10-part series' creation. Hopefully it'll be better received than Netflix's Death Note adaptation, which got mostly negative reviews. Jupiter's LegacyJupiter's Legacy was co-created by master artist Frank Quitely. In 2017, Netflix bought Mark Millar's publishing line Millarworld, including the rights to his creator-owned comic books. The thinking, we assume, was that if Disney's going make its own Marvel series, why not just buy your own version of Marvel? One of five projects announced as part of the deal is this series, which is about multiple generations of superheroes, and how the present day children of '30s golden age heroes deal with their legacy. The pilot is directed by IT's Andy Muschietti, and the cast features Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb. It's likely to be the first Netflix project based on one of Millar's works to see the light of day, since it finished filming back in January. American JesusThe second TV series based on a work by Millar (as well as artist Peter Gross), American Jesus is about the supposed return of Christ in the form of a young man, who can perform many of the miracles associated with the son of god. Water into wine? No problem. This is a multilingual show that'll be presented in English and Spanish. Pieces of HerKarin Slaughter's 2018 novel is about a woman called Laura who's spent 30 years in hiding, until a terrible incident surfaces some unwanted truths about her past to her daughter. As mentioned above, Toni Collette will star in this Netflix drama along with Bella Heathcote, which was due to shoot in March 2020 but has since been delayed for obvious reasons. White StorkTom Hiddleston stars as an up-and-coming politician in this drama, whose ambitions are about to be derailed by secrets from his past that are uncovered in a vetting process, just before he runs for parliament. As well as White Stork, Hiddleston, of course, is also starring in the Loki spin-off on Disney Plus. MulliganThis is a 20-episode animated series from 30 Rock writers Tina Fey, Sam Means and Robert Carlock. Mulligan is about Earth's survivors starting civilization again after an alien race destroys everything, an idea that should be amazing in these creators' hands. It was only announced in March 2020, so you might have a long wait for this one yet. Netflix could always do with more adult animated series after the demise of Bojack Horseman and Tuca and Bertie (though it still has Matt Groening's Disenchantment). StatelessThis Australian immigration dentention center drama, co-starring and co-created by Cate Blanchett, is inspired by a true story of a resident who ended up trapped in one of these places. Check out the trailer for this six-part series above, which also stars Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale) and Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad). It's not actually a Netflix production, but the streaming service is distributing the show outside of Australia. The SandmanOkay, you probably did hear that Netflix is adapting Neil Gaiman's acclaimed Vertigo comic for the small screen. If you're not familiar with the comic, though, it's less likely you'll know why this is exciting. Sandman is about Morpheus, or the Lords of Dreams, basically the personification of the concept of dreaming. It's a bizarre, fantastical and engrossing series set in the DC Universe, and its long run means there are plenty of potential stories to be told, here. David S Goyer (the Dark Knight movies, Man of Steel) and Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman) are working with Gaiman on the adaptation. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Dell's XPS 13 laptop gets a massive $527 price cut Posted: 26 Apr 2020 06:59 AM PDT Upgrade your machine and save money with Dell's XPS 13 laptop that's currently on sale for $1,299.99. That's a whopping $527 discount and the lowest price we've found for the powerful 4K touch screen laptop. The Dell XPS 13 laptop features a 13.3-inch 4K touch screen display and packs 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor. The powerful laptop received an upgraded battery life of up to 21 hours, and the new 2.25mm webcam is now placed above the display. Perfect for students and travel, the lightweight XPS 13 is Dell's smallest 13-inch laptop and weighs just 2.7 pounds. See more laptop sales with the best cheap laptop deals: prices start at just $129 today. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The iPhone SE is great, but it just makes me want an iPhone SE Plus that bit more Posted: 26 Apr 2020 06:00 AM PDT I’ve spent a lot of the last few weeks reporting on the iPhone SE from Apple, and while it’s a comfort to see the company embrace its cheapest iPhone ever, there’s one thing I'm desperate for; a bigger screen. The new iPhone SE sports the same 4.7-inch screen size that we saw the company use from the iPhone 6 through to the iPhone 8. There's certainly a market for that screen size - Apple wouldn't be making this device if there wasn't - but I want a mixture of affordability and a bigger display. That may eventually happen, with leaks suggesting an iPhone SE Plus is in the works. Jon Prosser - a tech analyst who has been consistently right with Apple leaks for the past few months - has hinted that it’s likely there’s iPhone SE Plus news coming soon. That said, another trusted analyst has suggested we may not see the iPhone SE Plus for a long time. Ming-Chi Kuo's latest report suggests it may even be pushed back into the second half of 2021. That's a long time to wait, especially for those looking to upgrade their phones from devices that are two to four years old. If the 2021 release date is true, it's a pity for anyone who wants an affordable iPhone. That's especially the case if you're someone who wants a larger phone that sports all the benefits of iOS. There are still options if you’re after an affordable iPhone with a larger display, but the iPhone SE Plus is almost certain to beat them in specs, and perhaps even value. First up, you have the choice of the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus. This is a difficult phone to recommend anyone purchases in 2020, as the specs are starting to look a bit dated - it was unveiled in 2017 - and the price is still relatively high considering that. The iPhone XR is another option. This was Apple’s slightly more affordable model from 2018. It features a 6.1-inch display, but again offers a slightly lower spec than what we’d expect from a potential iPhone SE Plus. The iPhone SE sports a top-end A13 Bionic chipset, which essentially allows it to have similar power to an iPhone 11. If an iPhone SE Plus was real, it would likely feature the same chipset and therefore be more powerful than both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone XR. The iPhone XR You may think having a larger screen will drive up the price of the device, but Apple may be able to keep the cost of the device under $500 even with a larger display. The iPhone 11 Pro (the company's most recent 5.8-inch phone) launched at $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,749, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max (its 6.5-inch sibling) cost $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899. That's a $100 / £100 / AU$150 price difference. Those two phones don't differ much, apart from their size and the battery used to power them. I'd expect it to be a similar price difference (or perhaps even less) for an iPhone SE Plus, and if that's the case we'd still see it start at just under $500. Will it happen?So will there be an iPhone SE Plus? The rumors suggest it's a device that the company has in development, but it would be a little out of character for Apple to later unveil an iPhone SE Plus having already launched a new iPhone SE. It may be that the original plan was to have two devices, but production was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. If that's the case, Apple may have shelved the idea of the larger phone. My dream of a larger affordable iPhone may be all but dead; only time will tell. All in all, it’s great to see Apple is back to embracing the affordable end of the market again. I just want to have more affordable options than just the one small device, and an iPhone SE Plus would be the perfect way to achieve that.
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| Best card games 2020: our pick of the top card games for adults Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:00 AM PDT There’s simply nothing quite like playing a card game with friends. The feeling of building a deck, or having to trust in the randomness that a pile of cards can generate, is one that no other style of game can match. Card games have universal appeal too; some of the best card games for adults don’t even have to be full of smutty humor to be enjoyable, and that means that you can enjoy them no matter what age you are, or who you’re playing with. So we've collated this little selection of some of the best card games around, that will see you building dungeons, fighting monsters and even betraying your friends. MunchkinMunchkin is undoubtedly some of the most fun you can have with a bit of cardboard; assuming you’re neither a toddler nor a cat. It’s a bit like Dungeons and Dragons, in that your aim is to get stronger, fight your way through monsters, and come out the other side victorious. The main aim of Munchkin is to get to level 10 and, to do so, you have to beat monsters. Easy enough, right? Well, it’s made that much more difficult by the other players trying to stop you from succeeding. Alliances will be formed, friendships will develop complicated new layers, and you’ll all start to wonder why you keep letting the same person win each time. Bears vs BabiesLet’s be honest, we’ve all wondered who would win in a fight between bears and babies, and this game finally gives us the chance to find out. Your aim is to build up an army of monstrous hideously mutated bears to take down the evil baby menace. The person who takes down the most babies is the winner. It’s a fairly straight-forward game, but it’s one of the best card games because its simplicity makes it one of the best choices for newcomers to the genre. Boss MonsterEverything about Boss Monster is reminiscent of a classic video game - and we love it for that. Boss Monster sees you playing as a villain and building your own dungeons. You have to try and attract adventurers into your dungeon and trick them into dying to win. You can, of course, mess with your friends by stealing their heroes and messing up their game plans, but don’t be surprised if they do the same to you as a result. Joking HazardThe aim of Joking Hazard is to get your friends to laugh. That’s it, nice and easy. The tools you use to try and do this are images from Cyanide & Happiness (not family-friendly), and it will, more often than not, lead to incredibly strange jokes that don’t make any sense - but are still hilarious. It’s an incredibly funny game and one that’s sure to have you and your friends laughing so hard it hurts. That’s all anybody can ask for from one of the best card games for adults, more pain. Marvel ChampionsSuperheroes are a big deal. Even if you’ve lost interest in this genre of media, not everybody has, and that’s what makes this a good choice for any household with teenagers in it. The aim here is to build a deck that lets you take down the evil villains of the Marvel universe, and you get to do it all while playing as its greatest heroes. Marvel Champions is full of wonderful nods to long time fans, and you’ll love it. Just keep in mind it takes a little longer to get into than many of the other games on this list. Bucket of DoomThis is the only game on this list that comes in a cool plastic bucket. The aim of Bucket of Doom is to build a convincing escape plan based on the item cards that you have. That means you might be trying to escape from an army of flowerpot-men using only an apron and a pair of tights. It’s one of the more inventive ones on the list, and it’s incredibly good fun. Game of PhonesThis is an excellent choice for students or any other adults who have to share the same space. Each card will have a prompt of some sort on it, and each prompt will relate to your smartphone. You all have to try and complete the prompt as quickly as possible and also try and make your friends laugh. It’s good fun but can also reveal a lot about your friends’ Google history. Exploding KittensCats can be a little bit dangerous. Everyone who owns one knows that they’re prone to absurdly random fits of excitement and energy, often occurring at 4am as you’re trying to sleep. Well, did you also know that they can explode? That’s basically the premise of one of the best card games around, Exploding Kittens. Your aim is to trick another player into drawing an exploding kitten so that they lose. It’s a very simple premise, and it’s also one of the easiest card games to get through on this list thanks to its short playtime. Weird Things Humans Search ForAnother one for the online generation. Which, at present at least, is every generation. It’s a bit like Family Fortunes, but with internet search auto-complete. You’ve got to try and get as many points as possible by guessing the strange things that people have searched for online. It’s both very funny and a little bit upsetting, but hey, all the best things in life are like that. GloomGloom is all about messing around with a Victorian family. The whole point is to make your family as sad as possible before they reach the endpoint of their life. It’s a very mean game and not one we recommend replicating in real life. The trouble is, all of the other players will be trying to make your family happier, so you need to try and balance their misery with offsetting the potential joy your real-life friends are causing them. This combination of dark humor and unique setting make it one of the best card games for adults available. UnoUno is one of the best card games for a reason. It’s easy to learn, easy to play, and the scars it leaves will be etched into your soul for the rest of time. All you have to do is empty your hand, and you’ll win the game. That’s all. Unfortunately, your former friends and traitorous family will likely impede your victory as often as they can. Just remember we warned you about this when you get hit by that reversal.
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| Posted: 26 Apr 2020 04:10 AM PDT Windows 10 is now showing adverts within the search box which are attempting to persuade people to switch to Microsoft Edge, in yet another move to promote the revamped browser which runs the risk of starting to irritate people – given how prevalent these ads are seemingly becoming. If you’re running Windows 10 and you click on the search box now, odds are you’ll see an advert in the panel that pops up, as spotted by Windows Latest – this is certainly the case on our PC.
These promo messages contain much the same text as the ones we’ve just seen appearing in Outlook.com, Microsoft’s webmail service. On our Windows 10 PC, the search box advert was urging us to get the Edge browser as it was ‘built to bring you the best of the web’. And in just the same way as the ads served to Outlook.com users, it’s fortunately an easy matter to get rid of them. Simply click on the ‘X’ to close it, and you will be bothered by these messages no longer. That said, there is certainly an argument that you shouldn’t be bothered by them in the first place – or at least not in so many places across Windows. An ad too far?Microsoft has already implemented these kind of ads with the Start menu in Windows 10, where it was planting suggestions to Firefox users that they should switch to Microsoft Edge, and as mentioned, we’ve seen ads in Outlook.com most recently – and now the search bar. What’s next: File Explorer? (That isn’t without precedent: a few years back, we saw ads for OneDrive appear in the beating heart of the interface of Windows 10). Of course, if Windows 10 users feel that Microsoft is starting to flood them with adverts for the new Edge, then no matter how good the revamped Chromium-based version of the web browser is – and it’s received some pretty positive feedback thus far – the danger is that folks will push back, and sentiment could turn against Edge. In other words, the adverts could have the opposite than intended effect, particularly if this starts to remind Windows 10 users of Microsoft’s behavior in the past, not just with the aforementioned OneDrive adverts, but with the general massive – and undoubtedly intrusive – push to get Windows 7 or 8 users to upgrade in the first year after Windows 10 was released. We’ll just have to see if more ads for Edge start popping up elsewhere in Windows 10, but Microsoft needs to tread with caution, for sure.
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| 7 PS4 games worth buying before the PSN Spring Sale ends Posted: 26 Apr 2020 04:00 AM PDT If you're a PS4 player stuck indoors during these very boring times, you've probably noticed that Sony has been running a Spring sale for the past few weeks. As tempting as it is to look at your pile of shame and decide not to buy something, there are a few deals worth checking out before the sale ends on April 29. Here are our picks in the PS4 Spring Sale, with prices for both the US and UK versions of the PlayStation Store. Editions may differ depending on where you are.
Overcooked 2Spring sale price: $14.99 / £11.99 If you're vaguely aware of couch-friendly multiplayer games, you've probably heard that Overcooked is the co-op game of choice. You team up with other players and try to run a restaurant kitchen efficiently, fulfilling orders as they come down from customers. It's not as simple as putting the meals together by combining various ingredients correctly, though, since the themed environments around you soon start moving, or changing. If you're the stressed-out type, this is a game to avoid, but it's great fun to share Overcooked with a friend or family member. Assassin's Creed OdysseySpring sale price: $19.99 / £19.99 (Deluxe Edition) At the end of 2018, our spare time suffered the shock of both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin's Creed Odyssey dropping within a few months of each other. That means it's possible you didn't get time for this, the longest of all the modern Assassin's Creed games, and the first that can truly be called an RPG (in the modern BioWare sense of the term, anyway). Set in Ancient Greece, you play as a male or female character who's suffered a great betrayal at the hands of their family, exploring an enormous world and making big choices at key moments of the story. Expect to invest tens of hours in this one. Watch Dogs 2Spring sale price: $12.49 / £19.99 (Gold Edition) One of the cheeriest open world games of the generation, the lighthearted Watch Dogs sequel took players to San Francisco for more hacking and shooting, this time without the dour story and a much prettier environment. The sunny setting and tone of the game is what makes Watch Dogs 2 worth playing, plus you can enjoy exploring the open world with another player in co-op if you wish. Only the gold edition is available in the sale to UK players, which is why it's a little more expensive, but it does come with DLC. Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceSpring sale price: $38.99 / £38.99 Hand-to-hand action game Sekiro is tough, but despite its reputation, it's actually not the hardest title of Dark Souls creator From Software's back catalogue. In fact, it's among the easiest to understand for new players. It's a combat game of knowing when to block, and when to move in for the perfect counter attack, with none of the complicated equipment and RPG stuff seen in Bloodborne. Learning it is tough, but once you grasp the basics, you'll love taking apart groups of enemies at a time. This sale price isn't amazing, but the game hasn't received deep discounts yet, and it's well worth playing before the generation ends. Marvel's Spider-ManSpring sale price: $19.99 / £12.49 Spider-Man is one of the defining games of the PlayStation 4. It brings a thrilling enemy-packed story, fantastic fighting mechanics and a bustling New York City all into one game for the very first time. For the price you see above, this is a steal for one of the best games on PS4 for the last few years, plus the DLC packs for the game are also on sale if you want extra hours of play. Now, go get it just so you can spend the next few weeks collecting backpacks around NYC. The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimSpring sale price: $13.99 / £15.99 Some would say Skyrim is the best game ever made, and it's certainly one of the easiest games to lose tens of hours in. The ‘Special Edition’ of the game is a remastered version with improved graphics, all three DLC packs and mod support, and that adds plenty of value to an already-impressive game. Even if you own Skyrim on a last-gen console, this deal might be worth picking up if you feel more at home in the fantastical land of Tamriel than you do in your apartment during lockdown. Kingdom Hearts: All-in-One PackageSpring sale price: $29.99 / £26.99 Never played Kingdom Hearts before? Then, now is the perfect opportunity. Kingdom Hearts is a bit like Final Fantasy with Disney characters - a wonderfully charming action-adventure for the whole family, even if it gets unnecessarily convoluted in later entries. The Kingdom Hearts All-In-One Package has had its price slashed by 70%, meaning you can pick up the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts 3 all for the price of one game. Playing the series from start to finish is perfect escapism and will keep you occupied for hours. And, for this Spring Sale price, it’s an absolute bargain.
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| Aladdin launches unified marketplace for telecommunications services in UAE Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:37 AM PDT We have a marketplace for everything on earth but not for telecom services but even that has come true in the UAE. Aladdin has launched a unified marketplace for mobile phone broadband and voice plans from Etisalat, du and Virgin Mobile, SIMs and smartphone devices, both postpaid and prepaid, in the UAE. Customers can move from postpaid to prepaid, upgrade or downgrade their postpaid plans, mobile number portability or buy a new line. The digital platform is designed to help customers discover, compare and make decisions about mobile devices and broadband plans offered by the telecom providers in the UAE. “Only 20% of mobile customers believe they are on the best plan and 75% of customers believe they can save a significant amount by switching operators. Our objective is to simplify the customer buying experience,” Subhra Das, Founder and CEO of Aladdin.Life, said. Moreover, he said that studies show that customers are crying for an effortless buying experience, they find it difficult to keep track of frequent price changes and customers want digital tools to customise their plans. Osman Sultan, former CEO of EITC, the parent company of du, and Virgin Mobile and currently the Chairman of Aladdin.life, said the platform is a reimagination of the entire buying experience in the telco industry and one that is focused to help customers make informed decisions. “The platform supports the efforts of digital transformation in the UAE by creating an ecosystem system that helps the cooperation and partnership and between all parties and maximises value for each of them starting with customers,” he said. Das said that 65% of people in the US research before they buy it online while in the UAE, it is about 90%. In the UAE, he said that 7% of the device sales happen on e-commerce platforms while 93% happen at physical retailers. However, he said that the market does not have the content to search and that is why Aladdin has come out with a tool for customers to search and make a decision. Saving opportunitiesThe Genie Search matches a user’s current mobile usage pattern with hundreds of available price plans to instantly identify more value or more saving opportunities while the Bazaar Search, for new or existing customers, features the largest collection of consumer mobile plans and add-ons in the UAE market, with online and online to offline shopping. Aladdin gets a commission by diverting the traffic to the operators and authorised resellers but the platform does not allow to make payments. With the current economic downturn due to Covid-19, Das said that there will be two changes. “One is that customers are going to move from conspicuous to more conscious consumption habits while there will be a new reassessment of needs and budgets. Some people have to reduce their spend and some may have to reduce their budgets. Some will move from postpaid to prepaid and some will move from prepaid to postpaid,” he said. “The other is that physical trade has been impacted due to the pandemic. Majority of the telecom business relies on physical trade. What we are trying to do is to divert the online traffic to the physical stores to help the physical resellers,” he said. Das said that the next plan is to enter into the small- and medium-sized businesses and looking to expand into Saudi Arabia and Egypt this year. “We are working the operators for home services such as internet and voice calls and later with media services,” he said.
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| Facebook takes on Zoom with 50-way video calls in Messenger Rooms Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:30 AM PDT Video calling software is hugely popular at the moment, for obvious reasons, with Zoom the main beneficiary. Now Facebook wants more of the video calling market, and has introduced a new tool called Messenger Rooms. As Facebook explains in a blog post, Messenger Rooms isn't a separate app but rather a feature that can be launched from the existing Facebook or Messenger apps. Importantly in the battle for eyeballs with Zoom, other people can join a Messenger Rooms chat without a Facebook account, and there's support for up to 50 participants. And you can play around with virtual backgrounds too, Zoom-style.
"Host celebrations, gather a book club or just hang out on the couch with friends," Facebook suggests. "You don’t need to call someone and hope it’s a good time or check everyone’s calendar first." All about the video chatFacebook says it'll soon be adding Messenger Rooms integration to Instagram, WhatsApp, and the Portal video caller too, so you'll be able to jump into a video chat from whatever app or device you happen to be on. This follows on from the unified Windows and macOS Messenger app that Facebook launched last month. The social network is seeing more and more traffic across its various apps and wants to make sure getting connected is as simple as possible. In another nod to how we're all using video chat much more nowadays, Facebook has also reinstated the Live With feature for livestream broadcasts, where two people can join in on one livestream. The feature was cut in November as it didn't add enough "value", according to Facebook at the time. The roll out of Messenger Rooms – which Facebook says will happen in the coming weeks – gives you yet another way of keeping in touch with friends and family while we're all shut up and separated indoors. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Motorola Edge Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus vs iPhone 11 Pro Max Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:00 AM PDT While rumors led us to expect a proper flagship from Motorola, we didn’t anticipate that the Motorola Edge Plus would be so full-featured and impressive. The Motorola Edge Plus is Moto’s first flagship smartphone in nearly half a decade, and with that it deserves a proper comparison to top-tier handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and iPhone 11 Pro Max. We set out to compare the Motorola Edge Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus vs iPhone Pro Max to see how the biggest phones of 2020 size up against each other. There are a few obvious differences: the Edge Plus and the S20 Plus both run Android, have waterfall display edges, and are 5G phones, whereas the iPhone 11 Pro Max runs iOS, has a flat display, and doesn’t support 5G. The other differences are more granular, from shape, display, and cameras, to battery recharging capabilities. We’ll go through them all below, divvied up by section. Just to be clear: there are other phones that could compare favorably to the Motorola Edge Plus, like the OnePlus 8 Pro, but we focused on both Samsung and Apple flagships as more easily-available comparative models. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus Motorola Edge Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus vs iPhone 11 Pro Max release date and priceThe Motorola Edge Plus will cost $999 (around £812 / AU$1,581) when it’s released on May 14 in the US. It will exclusively be available through Verizon in the US, with a global release in select countries: it will be coming to Canada and a handful of EU countries, but not the UK. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus launched in March 2020, and is available now starting at $1,199 / £999 / AU$1,649 for 128GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. To upgrade to 512GB of storage, expect to pay $1,299 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 – and Australian consumers only will be able to pick up a 4G version with 8GB of RAM for AU$1,499. The iPhone 11 Pro Max launched in September 2019, and is available starting at $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899 for the 64GB model. You can upgrade that to 256GB for 1,249 / £1,299 / AU$2,149, or go all the way up to 512GB of storage for $1,449 / £1,499 / AU$2,499. DesignAll three phones in this comparison have a similar level of flagship polish: glass OLED displays and glass rears sandwiching metal frames (aluminum for the Motorola and Samsung phones, stainless steel or the iPhone). The phones fall into two design camps: the Android 10 handsets have waterfall edges with curved displays, while the iOS 13-packing iPhone has a flat screen and rounded edges. The Motorola Edge Plus is a shade smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S20 at 161mm tall and 71mm wide, but it feels bigger thanks to its 9.6mm thickness (for comparison: the Galaxy S20 Plus is 7.8mm thick; the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 8.1mm). Its rear cameras are vertically aligned in a block on the left side. Otherwise, the Edge Plus has a lock button on the right side and a volume rocker above it – placed uncomfortably high, in our opinion. But there’s no arguing with the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge of the phone. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is the largest yet lightest of the phones, with a lock button on the right side and volume rocker above it. Notably missing: a Bixby button. The rear camera block is quite a block – a rectangle with a quartet of lenses, sensors, and a flash. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the smallest of the bunch, and yet still the heaviest at 226g. It also has the largest notch, carving out a wide chunk of the top of the display compared to the punch-holes in the Edge Plus and Galaxy S20 Plus. DisplayThe Motorola Edge Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED display, which is narrow with a 21:9 ratio. Its FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) resolution is lower than the others, but it’s just perfectly fine if you’re playing games and binging Netflix. Its maximum 90Hz refresh rate makes navigating apps and browsing the internet a smoother experience. The punch-hole enclosing its selfie camera is in the top-left of the display. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus has the sharpest display of the bunch, with a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a WQHD+ (3200 x 1440 pixels) resolution. Its 20:9 ratio is a bit more squat than the Edge Plus. The S20 Plus can bump its refresh rate up to a maximum of 120Hz, which is even smoother than the Edge Plus, though it can only do that if you dip the resolution down to FHD (2400 x 1080). Its punch-hole is in the top center of the screen. The iPhone 11 Pro Max packs a 6.5-inch OLED display, and while it’s not as sharp as the others here, its 2688x1242 resolution is sharper than that on the Edge Plus. Its 19.5:9 ratio makes it a bit wider than the others on this list – and truth be told, it makes the phone harder to use one-handed than the others on this list. CamerasTo put it bluntly, all three phones have the same trio of rear cameras: main, ultrawide, and telephoto, plus a front-facing selfie camera. The Motorola Edge Plus has a trio of rear cameras topped by a 108MP main shooter, which is capable of ‘pixel binning’ to double its effective pixel size from 0.8 microns to 1.6 microns, letting in more light. Combined with a 3x optical 8MP telephoto camera and 16MP ultrawide camera, as well as a time-of-flight sensor for depth, the Edge Plus has an impressive array. Its 25MP front-facing camera has the highest megapixel count of the three phones here. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, on the other hand, has a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera, but the star of the show is the 64MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. It’s capable of up to 30x digital zoom, which is blurry at the extreme but has remarkable sharpness at 10x or even 20x. The other big S20 Plus feature: 8K 24fps video. Its 10MP selfie camera works fine, though it’s not as sharp as the others. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has the lowest megapixel count with a 12MP main camera, 12MP 2x optical telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide camera. While its software makes the difference and keeps the phone toward the top of our best cameraphones list, there are still limitations, maxing out at 10x optical zoom. The dual 12MP front-facing cameras work well, especially for portrait selfies. Performance and batteryAll three phones have top-tier specs, so none will feel underpowered. The difference mostly lies in onboard storage. The Motorola Edge Plus packs a Snapdragon 865 chipset and 12GB of RAM alongside 256GB of storage. That’s the only model it comes in, though it should suit most consumers – and for its one-size-suits-all pricetag, it comes in cheaper than other other phones on its list for its storage and RAM complement. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus packs a Snapdragon 865 in the US and an Exynos 990 in the UK, with 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 512GB of storage. That can be expanded up to 1TB via microSD. The iPhone 11 Pro Max packs an A13 Bionic chipset and 4GB of RAM. Its storage selections aren’t so generous: the starting 64GB is pretty inadequate by today’s standards, so it’ll cost extra to get up to 256GB or 512GB. Battery-wise, these three phones all last over a day, though we’ve found the Android-powered handsets last a bit longer. All support wireless charging, though the Edge Plus and Galaxy S20 also do reverse wireless charging, too. The Motorola Edge Plus packs the biggest by capacity with a 5,000mAh battery, though its 15W maximum USB-C charging is a bit disappointing. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus has a 4,500mAh capacity, coming with a 25W USB-C charger in-box but can support an optional 45W charger, too. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 3,969mAh battery and charges up to 18W on its in-box Lightning charger. ConclusionAll three handsets are large-sized powerhouses, and accordingly, have the highest pricetags for phones with the exception of foldable phones. None are necessarily superior to the other, but in certain categories, one might have the edge over another (sorry, we couldn’t resist). For instance, the Motorola Edge Plus is the most affordable of the bunch, and is 5G-capable, too. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus has the best display. The iPhone 11 Pro Max takes the best depth photos for your portrait shots. But you’ll likely be happy with any of these phones if you’re paying for this level of premium device. Hopefully after sifting through this guide, you’ve found enough differences to decide which features you want and which you can’t live without.
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| Why a DJI Mavic Air 2 launch during a global lockdown wouldn't be as silly as it sounds Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:00 AM PDT The DJI Mavic Air 2 is almost ready for take-off, according the latest leaks and rumors. But why might DJI be releasing a drone during a global pandemic that is keeping many of us at home, let alone able to head out with a new drone? The idea isn't quite as counter-intuitive as it seems, according to industry analysts. Recent leaks suggest the DJI Mavic Air 2 will be a mid-range drone that succeeds the original Mavic Air from 2018, and could well be launched at DJI's event on April 27 at 9:30pm EDT / 2:30am BST / 11:30am AEST. But why doesn't DJI simply postpone the announcement to take place at a more drone-friendly time? Partly because it needs the boost now, according to one analyst. "DJI is eager to get its latest design out into the public," says William Stofega, Analyst at IDC. "It has suffered somewhat due to the U.S-China trade dispute, with some models being pulled from their online store. There is nothing like a new product announcement to bring attention to a company’s products," he added. Another possible reason is some hot new competition from rivals. "Nobody knows exactly how long Covid-19 will be with us and a drone that is not on the market cannot be sold. So why wait?' said Lukas Schroth, Senior Market Analyst at Drone Industry Insights. "Another reason may be the remake of Skydio’s first drone, which is now also targeting the commercial market and was launched at the end of last year: the Skydio 2," he added. Right now, Skydio is only shipping its drones within the US and Canada, but "hopes to expand to other countries soon", according to its website. This makes it a big enough rival to push DJI into clearing the Mavic Air 2 for take-off, according to Lukas Schroth. "In its price and weight class, the Skydio 2 is currently looking for its peers and, despite Covid-19, sells very well. Since we expect a competitive model for the Skydio 2, why should DJI now wait for the market launch?" he said.
A possible image of the DJI Mavic Air 2 from a recent DroneDJ leak Cleared for take-offIt's not just market and economic gusts that are pushing DJI towards sticking to its Mavic Air 2 launch plan, either. While it might seem like a strange time to launch a product that is synonymous with travel photography and video, it's not impossible to fly drones right now within our pandemic-related restrictions.
"Consumer drones tend to sell best during the summer time and this launch was most likely on the product release schedule well before the pandemic hit,' said Kevin Sartori, co-founder of drone software provider Auterion. "While there are stay-at-home restrictions in many parts of the world, hobbyists are still able to fly their drones over their properties within line of sight, unless they reside in areas of restricted airspace," he observed. Restrictions are naturally much tighter for those who don't own a large amount of private land, while police in some countries have conversely seen drone laws relaxed to help them enforce social distancing rules. The UK's CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), for example, recently issued new guidelines that allow police officers to fly closer to members of the public than usual and at higher altitudes too. The DJI Mavic Air 2, though, is unlikely to be the kind of drone used for these more dystopian measures. Instead, it's shaping up to be another beginner-friendly model for hobbyists who fancy adding a new dimension to their photos and filmmaking. In this sense, it could well end up being a model that many people stick on their watchlist rather than in their basket, at least while today's global restrictions remain. A new flight path?But what does the likely DJI Mavic Air 2 launch tell us about DJI, and drones in general, in 2020? One slightly curious aspect of DJI's launch event on 27 April is its start time. The event kicks off at 9.30pm EDT / 2.30am BST / 11.30am AEST, which is unusual for DJI. For example, its Mavic Mini launch started at 9.00am EDT / 1.00pm GMT / 11.00pm AEST. Could this suggest that events like the US Department of the Interior's decision to ground its entire drone fleet for national security reasons are having an effect on DJI's consumer launches? IDC analyst William Stofega doesn't think so. "I don’t think the U.S. criticisms will hinder the launch of their new drone. DJI released a study and designed a fix to prevent the transmission of data outside of its intended recipients. Still, it is difficult to say if a security risk does exist or has already been exploited,' he said. The bigger factor behind the Mavic Air 2's potential launch is that DJI is still so dominant in the drones space it doesn't need to stick to traditional launch timings. "The bottom line is that the company has no real competitors, and their designs, manufacturing processes, and technology are first class,' William Stofega added. "DJI’s purchase of Hasselblad cameras gives it a capability that its competitors can’t match. It also owns the drone market with almost 75% share, which gives the company tremendous leverage in pricing," he concluded. Flying highSo there we have it – while it might feel like a strange time to launch a new consumer drone, with many countries in lockdown due to the global pandemic, analysts believe that DJI's dominance, plus a little bit of spicy competition from the likes of Skydio, are the reasons behind it apparently pushing ahead with what appears to be a Mavic Air 2 launch on April 27. Of course, this is also great news for tech fans looking for a bit of gadget distraction during these unsettling times. We'll be bringing you all of the official news from DJI's launch, but in the meantime you can indulge yourself in our DJI Mavic Air 2: release date, news and features round-up.
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| 5 Disney movies that desperately need a sequel on Disney Plus Posted: 26 Apr 2020 01:00 AM PDT Disney has an interesting relationship with movie sequels. While it often makes business sense for the company to pursue a follow-up film with the number ‘2’ in front of it, these titles have historically been seen as of secondary importance – often going straight to VHS, or DVD, whatever the ‘dump’ technology of that day might be. That means there are plenty of Disney fans who have yet to experience the sequel stories of Hercules, The Little Mermaid, or Cinderella’s Jack Jack (he falls in love!) – which we won’t accept in a time when the Disney Plus streaming service offers a way to simultaneously reach a massive global audience of Disney aficionados. Disney Plus is a slick portal for navigating decades worth of Disney movies and shows – not to mention Marvel TV shows and Star Wars films – and is the natural place to see some of our favorite Disney characters go through new trials and tribulations. (Happy endings don’t last in real life either, ok?) With that in mind, we’ve brought together five Disney movies that have yet to get a sequel, and are ripe for either a second feature film or tie-in series for the Disney Plus platform. More than anything else, in a time of indoors-living, as more and more films are skipping cinemas and going straight-to-stream, these are the Disney films we wish we could watch back-to-back with a worthy sequel. 1. Moana (2016)I am Moana. Thanks to Lin Manuel-Miranda’s heart-stirring lyrics, a gorgeously 3D-animated world, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson playing a loveable (if selfish) scamp of a demigod, Moana is one of the best Disney movies of recent years. Disney is reportedly in talks to make a sequel, but with nothing confirmed, we’re still having to cross our fingers until Moana 2 gets the green light. What makes Moana so perfect for a sequel, though, is where the first film leaves off – with her island tribe travelling out across the water to search shores anew. There’s plenty of potential for ocean-driven narratives, whether that’s the trials of constant transit, the struggle to keep a sense of community on the seas, or possibly a search for the parents that abandoned Maui (Dwayne Johnson) in the first place. More songs from the creator of Hamilton are a necessity – and more gods and goddesses from Polynesian mythology wouldn’t go amiss either. 2. Zootropolis (2016)With Zootropolis releasing in the same year as Moana, this was the first time Walt Disney Animation Studios had put out two feature films in the same year since the release of Treasure Planet and Lilo & Stitch in 2002. Called Zootopia in the UK, this Disney movie imagines an animal society where prey and predator live peacefully side-by-side. Cheetahs and bison, lions and sheep, have put aside their ‘historical’ differences to create a working society – that is, until predators start going beserk and reverting to feral states. It’s up to a newly-minted police office – the first bunny to join the Zootropolis force – to figure out the mystery with the help of a suave conman fox. Despite touching on such heady topics as workplace discrimination, biological essentialism, and societal division, it’s still a breezy and enjoyable film – helped by brilliant animation and a cameo role by Shakira as a popstar gazelle. 3. Tangled (2010)This 2020 Disney adventure reimagines the story of Rapunzel to great effect. The animation is excellent, despite it now being a decade old, with boundary-pushing CGI techniques bringing its world to life in vivid detail. It’s helped by some quirky touches, like Rapunzel’s chameleon companion – and the charmingly vain love interest, voiced by Shazam!’s Zachary Levi. It’s a lighter story then some of the more moving Disney films out there, with spontaneously singing taverns and thuggish twins toeing the line between cut-out stereotypes and loving tribute to the fairy tale tradition. As an exploration of gaslighting, though, it’s surprisingly progressive – and there’s plenty of stories to be told now that Rapunzel is truly free and out in the world. 4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)Yes, this is a Disney movie. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion classic from Tim Burton, the quirky mind who brought us Beetlejuice and (more recently) the live-action Dumbo reboot. It follows a demotivated skeleton living in Halloween town, and trying to put excitement into affairs by… putting himself in charge of Christmas instead. Cue plenty of spooks and ghouls, unforgettable songs, and a kidnapping of Santa Claus himself. Is it a Christmas movie? A Halloween movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas has had us arguing the finer points of the two genres for decades now – but the main reason for a sequel is how the initial film hinted at several other worlds beyond its own, one for each major holiday. If there was any way to get a St Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving crossover movie, this would be the way to do it. Or maybe just more of Jack Skellington: at this point, we’ll take anything. 5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?Who can forget this movie? Blending live-action with 2D animation techniques, it did the unthinkable, showing off a wide cast of beloved Looney Tunes characters alongside real-life actors – including Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd – and pulling off the combination with aplomb. It follows a private investigator, played by the late Bob Hoskins – yes, from that wonderfully bad Super Mario Bros. movie – looking into a murder in 1940s Brooklyn. Except, of course, that this version of Brooklyn is one where humans and cartoon characters (‘toons’) live side by side, like some kind of weird, cross-dimensional Zootropolis. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is unnerving, heartwarming, and a visual delight – with some breathtakingly good twists – and over 20 years later, it’s overdue a follow-up.
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