Sunday, May 31, 2020

Apple : How to watch Celebrity Family Feud and stream the new season online from anywhere

Apple : How to watch Celebrity Family Feud and stream the new season online from anywhere

How to watch Celebrity Family Feud and stream the new season online from anywhere

Posted: 31 May 2020 02:57 PM PDT

Will a makeover be in store for host Steve Harvey? Celebrity Family Feud returns with a showdown between two generations of Queer Eye cast members - read on to find out how to watch Celebrity Family Feud online and stream the show no matter where you are in the world.


The new season kicks off by pitting the original Queer Eye crew, led by Carson Kressley, against the latest cast members from Netflix's version of the show, captained by Bobby Berk. Needless to say, we're in for a hilarious one-hour episode! 

Joining Bobby in his team will be Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France and Wesley Hamilton. Facing them will be Carson's Queer Eye OG team, featuring Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia and Jai Rodriguez.

As ever, the show sees celebrities, along with their families and friends, go head-to-head in a contest to name the most popular responses to survey-type questions posed to 100 people to win money for a charity of their choice.

Alongside the Queer Eye special, the new season also promises a battle of the East Coast Reality Stars from “Jersey Shore” versus the West Coast Reality Stars from “The Hills.”

Future episodes are also set to see appearances from 2Chainz, Cedric The Entertainer, Big Boi, Kevin Nealon, Drew Carey and Drag Race star RuPaul. Read on to find out how to watch Celebrity Family Feud and stream every episode live no matter where you are in the world.

How to watch Celebrity Family Feud online in the US for free

  • AT&T Now: Has numerous plans, the cheapest being $65 p/m for over 40 channels, which includes ABC as well as HBO. As ABC is only available in select markets you should check to ensure you have access to the channel's live stream.
  • YouTube TV: $44.99 for over 70 channels. Episodes of Celebrity Family Feud can be watched On Demand and live, though double check ABC is available to stream in your area by entering your zip code.

How to watch Celebrity Family Feud from abroad

While anyone in the UK will find it easy to watch Celebrity Family Feud via ABC, folks elsewhere in the world may struggle to tune in to the new gameshow because of geo-blocking.

If this is the case, anyone from the US who's currently abroad could consider using a VPN. This nifty bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access all the content and services you already pay for back home - just from anywhere in the world.

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SpaceX launch: live stream, liftoff video replay, and what's happening now

Posted: 31 May 2020 11:47 AM PDT

3pm EDT SpaceX update: New SpaceX launch video and video replays have been added embedded via YouTube and Twitter below, so you can rewatch the highlights, from liftoff on the Dragon Endeavor to docking with the International Space Station. Next up is a post-arrival news conference at the Johnson Space Center at 3:15pm EDT.

1:47pm EDT update: The live stream video just showed the Dragon Endeavor crew being greeted by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, US Senator Ted Cruz, and US Representative Brian Babin on a video call from Mission Control in Houston, Texas.

1:30pm EDT update: The two NASA astronauts who went up on the SpaceX Dragon capsule yesterday have joined three other astronauts on the ISS (International Space Station): American Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. 

1pmEDT update: The hatch is now open (as of 1:02pm EDT on March 31), meaning the hatch between the SpaceX Dragon capsule and the ISS is open and the two NASA astronauts can float through the International Space Station.

The live stream continues below via a YouTube video, and it's happening after the two astronauts established pressure equalization in SpaceX Dragon capsule.

The SpaceX hatch is opening a little more than two hours after docking with the ISS. The SpaceX Dragon docking with the ISS was a success and happened autonomously, at first with a soft capture, then there were 12 latches around the docking ring that created a pressure-tight seal. An umbilical cord was then deployed to link the SpaceX Dragon and the ISS to share power and data – think of it has a giant USB-C cable in space.

It took a total of 19 hours for the SpaceX Dragon capsule to navigate to the ISS for docking on Sunday, following a successful SpaceX launch live stream. You can see a video replay of the liftoff below, along with four other can't-miss highlight videos.

SpaceX live stream video

Here's where you're able to watch the NASA astronauts float around in space board the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The live stream commentary has been brilliant, insightful and inspiring regarding the future of commercial space travel.

SpaceX video: see the NASA astronauts arrive at ISS

For the first time, NASA astronauts arrived at the International Space Station from a commercially-made spacecraft. Watch Doug and Bob join three other astronauts from the Dragon Endeavor (what they named their capsule after the launch).

SpaceX hatch opening video replay

The SpaceX hatch opened at 12:45pm EDT, a little more than two hours after the Dragon capsule first linked up with the ISS. NASA astronauts equalized the pressure between the two spacecrafts so that they could move to the ISS.

SpaceX docking with ISS video replay

You can see the ISS docking in this video below. It shows the SpaceX Dragon and ISS linking up in what's called a 'soft capture'. It happened autonomously, and then a set a 12 latches or hooks create a pressurized seal so that the two crafts orbit together.

This particular SpaceX video is of the more visually-pleasing soft capture (there's no good video vantage point for the more internalized hard capture with latches).

SpaceX toy dinosaur floating in zero gravity

You can't buy the "Ty Flippable Tremor The Aqua/Pink Sequin Dinosaur" on Amazon anymore. It's sold out after it was seen floating in space. The NASA astronauts took it onboard for their kids to see it experience zero gravity.

Best SpaceX video replays

All of the important SpaceX video replays are below, from launch to right now.

Both SpaceX and NASA are providing a bunch of footage – both live video and video replays – to capture this space mission. Here are the best videos to check out.

1. SpaceX launch video replay – see the liftoff again

Liftoff happened at 3:22pm EDT Saturday, and it was spectacular, especially after a nine-year hiatus for NASA launches on US soil. You can rewatch the launch again.

2. SpaceX Falcon 9 booster returns to Earth

Just beyond the T-0 countdown, we saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster return to Earth – and land successfully. Having a reusable rocket is a huge milestone for the future of space travel when it comes to cost.

Commentators on the SpaceX live stream compared the Space Shuttle era rockets falling into the ocean (and being scrapped) as throwing away an airplane engine every time a plane pulled into an airport gate. It's a great analogy to explain why what SpaceX pulled off on Saturday was a huge deal for space exploration.

3. Falcon 9 second stage separates from Dragon capsule

Here's some great footage of the Falcon 9 second stage rocket separating from the Dragon Capsule and falling back to Earth.

4. NASA astronauts' first video transmission

Right now, NASA astronauts are above Earth in the SpaceX-made Dragon capsule as you read this (they'll be up there for 19 hours), and they're wearing SpaceX-designed spacesuits. The US government's Space Shuttle program ended nine years ago and the private SpaceX has picked up where NASA left off. It's a giant step for space exploration.

5. Live views of the SpaceX Dragon orbiting the Earth

The SpaceX cameras were able to capture some amazing live views of Earth as the Dragon capsule orbited the planet on its way to dock with the ISS. Here's a short clip of exactly that. 

The first hours of Saturday's SpaceX livestream felt like deja vu if you watched the SpaceX live stream Wednesday. But unlike that first launch attempt, Saturday's launch countdown didn't stop at T-minus 17 minutes. Instead, history was made.

SpaceX launch video

It wasn't always clear that Saturday's launch would happen, even minutes before the launch window. "We are predicting a 50/50 shot of going this time," said NASA administrator NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at the top of the SpaceX live stream. "But given the fact that we are in late May – in Florida – we have to take every shot that we can get." They're glad that they did, despite the gloomy forecast.

Saturday's SpaceX Demo-2 mission was a delayed and a second attempt, but it was always going to be historic, as it's happening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's the first such launch on US soil in nearly a decade – since NASA retired the Space Shuttle nine years ago. It's also the first time that a SpaceX reusable spacecraft has sent NASA astronauts into space. It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.

It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.

The destination of this SpaceX launch is the International Space Station (ISS) for a one- to four-month duration for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, according to our friends over at Space.com.

SpaceX launch how to watch live stream

SpaceX launch – as it happened on Saturday, May 30

The official Demo-2 SpaceX launch time, Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT, so the times across the continental US were 2:22pm CDT / 1:22pm MDT / 12:22pm PDT.

The UK SpaceX launch time was 20:22 BST. In addition to tuning into the video live stream, you were able to go outside soon afterward and maybe catch a glimpse of the SpaceX-built spacecraft in the night sky at around 20:40 BST.

In Australia, it was already Sunday morning, with the new launch time occurring at 5:22am AEST.

SpaceX launch how to watch live stream

SpaceX launch weather concerns subsided

Up until the last few minutes of Saturday's SpaceX launch, weather was a concern. It wouldn't have been time, as we saw this play out on Wednesday: "The weather got us," admitted NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a somber 30-second Twitter video on Wednesday. "I know there was a lot of disappointment today."

Bridenstine went on to explain the reasoning behind what we all saw: the SpaceX launch was scrubbed just 17 minutes inside the launch window, with NASA hanging on until the last minutes in an effort to save its efforts. The weather didn't cooperate.

NASA has strict weather rules for clearing spacecraft launches and noted that three weather violations existed, including the chance of the craft triggering 'natural lightning'. If they would have been able to wait ten minutes beyond the countdown, they could have cleared those three violations, according to SpaceX and NASA officials.

Waiting even ten minutes wasn't an option, though. Both Saturday's successful launch and Wednesday's scrubbed launch had what's known as an 'instantaneous launch window', meaning due orbital mechanics a delay wasn't possible if the crew wanted to get to the International Space Station (ISS) on time and lock in accurately. Blame Newtown's law of universal gravity, if you'd like.

The good news is that everything technical with the SpaceX craft and NASA crew was 'go for liftoff' on both days when the hatch door successfully closed. Weather was the only concern, according to NASA during the live streams.

Even with all of the exceptional planning ahead of this SpaceX launch, NASA and SpaceX can't control the weather (not yet anyway). Florida, while normally sunny, does have frequent quick-moving thunderstorms (anyone who has ever visited nearby Disney World knows that), and that's what the crew faced Wednesday and most of Saturday until the final half-hour.

Another weather variable is the fact that the weather conditions need to be good everywhere this spacecraft might be. For example, if the crew had to abort anywhere along their ascent and come down, recovery crews would need to access the capsule, so it's more than just the immediate Florida launchpad that needs ideal weather.

What happened before the SpaceX launch

The live stream saw SpaceX founder Elon Musk visit suited-up astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and exchange a few words before liftoff time. Sadly, there was no audio during this portion of the live stream on Wednesday.

Musk then greeted US Vice President Mike Pence, who is there to watch the launch, while President Donald Trump joined soon after. Hurley and Behnken traveled to the launch site in a Tesla Model X (Tesla being another company Musk founded). Both the President and Vice President returned to see the launch Saturday. 

NASA continued to monitor the weather via data sensors around the launch site in an effort to get everything into 'the green position' on their maps. At the time, NASA said, "the weather is trending in the right direction," but as the countdown got to T-minus 17 minutes, favorability went the other direction.

This meant that the crew was seated in the capsule after crossing the crew access arm, and the crew arm had already retracted. Steam started to come off of the rocket before the launch was called off. It was that close to liftoff.

SpaceX launch time live stream

SpaceX spacecraft, SpaceX suits and NASA astronauts

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which sat atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff. It was situated on a launch pad at legendary Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Cape Canaveral. 

LC-39A was originally built for the Apollo missions and remodeled for the Space Shuttle program. Now it's home to the first space flight to send astronauts into space using a private aerospace company.

Hurley (the spacecraft commander) and Behnken (the joint operations commander) are NASA astronauts, engineers and both former members of US military (Hurley is a former marine, while Behnken was in the US Air Force).

The two-man NASA crew are not only be flying in a SpaceX-built spacecraft, but also outfitted in SpaceX pressurized suits, first shown off in 2017.

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You're overpaying for phone data during the outbreak

Posted: 31 May 2020 09:30 AM PDT

 

We’re certainly using our phones a bit differently while we shelter-in-place to ride out the outbreak – binging more media, chatting over video, and taking breaks from social media. But it took us a couple months to realize something else: since we’ve spent most of our time in our apartments and homes, we’re rarely out of Wi-Fi range, and our LTE data consumption has plummeted.

Which has led us to a new suggestion: perhaps it’s time to dial down your data cap and save some money on your monthly plan, at least for the foreseeable future. 

This advice isn’t for everyone: there are still plenty of you who are still leaving home often enough to keep your data plan right where it is, and are benefiting from US carriers relaxing late fees, UK carriers giving 10GB of extra data per month, or other such relief amid the outbreak.   

Data use (in GB) by month: March, April, and May

But we, working from home, found our cellular data use plummeting: one of our editors, who regularly used more than 14GB per month, saw their LTE data consumption drop down to just over 1GB. To be clear, everyone’s still downloading more data as they watch and video chat more – they’re just accessing it over their Wi-Fi instead of tapping into their data plan.

First up: check your data

Before you consider jumping ship on your reliable data plan, it's probably wise to check how much data you’ve used. Now that we’re a couple months into a new stay-at-home reality, you should have some idea how that’s changed your data consumption habits.

Most carriers or networks will have their own tools that help you visualize how much data you’ve used in the last pay period, which is typically broken up into monthly chunks. Log in to your carrier’s website or dedicated app and head to your account page, where a ‘usage’ section should outline what you’ve used thus far. 

Compare that to your previous period’s data usage by navigating to the appropriate section – for the US carrier Verizon, for instance, you can find this on the ‘My Usage’ page > ‘View previous usage’ > My Bill section, or you can find it in the My Verizon app by going to Data Hub > History > selecting which billing cycle you’d like to see. 

If your data use hasn’t changed much, that’s fine – but if it’s dropped while you’ve been relying on WiFi at home, read on for how to change your plan.

Switching your plan: easier than it sounds

For most carriers, switching data plans isn’t too difficult, and it’s broadly similar between providers: sign in to your account either online or in your carrier’s dedicated app, navigate to your account settings, and look for a way to manage your plan (with Verizon, it’s changed by going to My Verizon > clicking Manage plan; with T-Mobile, it’s changed by going to Account > choosing your plan > clicking ‘Manage my plan’). 

It’s possible that differences between carriers will make it more difficult to shift plans, though providers should let you swap to a new one without too much delay. If you’re still in contract, you may not be able to do so.

If it’ll save you money, and you’ll be sticking around Wi-Fi for the foreseeable future, it might be worth the effort to switch over. And if you don’t end up using much data at all, perhaps consider switching to a prepaid or metered plan, if that works for you. 

By the time things open back up and you transition away from home, it should be just as easy to ramp up your data cap, too. And by saving a little money in the meantime, maybe you can afford some of the weird tech stuff we’ve picked up to make our shelter-at-home lives just a little more comfortable.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 sales offer $110 price cuts at Best Buy

Posted: 31 May 2020 09:12 AM PDT

If you're after a powerful tablet for flexible work, streaming, or gaming, you'll want to check out the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 deals at Best Buy. While an iPad Pro will set you back closer to $900 right now, you'll find these cheap tablets up for just $549 at the cheapest end. 

That's the price of a 128GB Tab S6, but if you can stretch just a little further you can double your storage for just $619 this weekend. That's a $110 discount on the larger model, and a fantastic price cut on one of Samsung's most recent releases. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 combines a lightweight, slimline design with powerful octa-core processing and the flexibility of a more laptop-based design once a keyboard is attached. If you do opt for the cheaper model this weekend, you'll also be glad to know that you can always upgrade your capacity thanks to the microSD slot. 

We're rounding up these Samsung Galaxy Tab deals below, but you can also find more Samsung tablet prices and sales from around the web. Not in the US? You'll find the best Tab S6 prices in the UK and Australia further down the page. 

This week's Samsung Galaxy Tab deals at Best Buy

We're rounding up all the latest iPad and iPad Pro deals right here on TechRadar, in case you're thinking of switching it up with some Apple. Or, shop the best cheap Android tablet sales. 

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: release date, cast and what we know

Posted: 31 May 2020 08:00 AM PDT

Exploring strange new worlds, seeking new life and new civilisations, and boldly going where no one has gone before has been hardwired into Star Trek’s DNA since day one. Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard may have taken a more cynical – and serialized – view of the future, but recently announced spin-off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to get back to basics…

When (spoiler warning!) the crew of the USS Discovery warped into the distant future in the season 2 finale, Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and first officer Number One stayed behind in the 23rd century.

The trio were such a hit with fans, however, that they’re getting their own show, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a new series set on the USS Enterprise a decade before James T Kirk took control.

“When we said we heard the fans’ outpouring of love for Pike, Number One and Spock when they boarded Star Trek: Discovery last season, we meant it,” executive producer and franchise overlord Alex Kurtzman told StarTrek.com. “These iconic characters have a deep history in Star Trek’ canon, yet so much of their stories have yet to be told. The Enterprise, its crew and its fans are in for an extraordinary journey to new frontiers in the Star Trek universe.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds promises to be an exciting departure for Trek TV, so before the Enterprise fires up the dilithium crystals once more, we've set coordinates for the 23rd century to reveal what’s in store for Starfleet’s finest. Hit it!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds release date: what do we know?

The USS Enterprise has faced numerous foes in its distinguished lifetime, but few have been as problematic as the coronavirus. With lockdown restrictions bringing much of Hollywood to a halt, executive producer Akiva Goldsman admitted to Variety that he has “no idea” when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will go into production. And seeing as a shows as VFX-heavy as the Treks tend to require lengthy post-production, we’d be surprised if we see Strange New Worlds before the second half of 2021 – and that’s being optimistic.

Luckily, we have season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery and animated series Lower Decks lined up for this year, season 2 of Star Trek: Picard due to start shooting when Covid-19 restrictions lift, and a couple more shows in development. They include a Michelle Yeoh-starring Section 31 spin-off, plus a CG kids’ show for Nickelodeon. “The intention is to have something Star Trek on the air all the time, but not necessarily on top of each other,” Kurtzman told the Hollywood Reporter back in April 2019. In other words, it’s the best time to be a Trek fan since The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine ruled the galaxy in the 1990s.

Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, alongside Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A Star Trek: Discovery spin-off featuring the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and first officer Number One on the USS Enterprise, a decade before James T Kirk takes command.
  • Where can I see it? Like its Trek stablemates, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will air on CBS All Access in the US. International distribution is TBC – with Discovery streaming on Netflix outside the US and Picard on Amazon Prime Video, where it ultimately lands is anyone’s guess.
  • When can I watch it? Hopefully it won’t be too long, but the optimistic estimate is second half of 2021 at the earliest.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast

Having owned the bridge when seconded to Star Trek: Discovery’s second season, Anson Mount is back in the captain’s chair as Captain Christopher Pike. Meanwhile, after proving himself worthy of donning the pointy ears that once belonged to Leonard Nimoy, Ethan Peck returns as Spock. And Rebecca Romijn, who made a few guest appearances in Discovery, reprises her role as first officer/helmsperson Number One.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds trailer: watch the announcement video

It’s still early days, so there’s no trailer – though stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn have beamed in an announcement video:

The party line is very much that the show exists because of fan demand. “Without you this wouldn’t be happening,” says Peck, while Mount explains a bit about the tone of the series. “[It’s] a classic Star Trek show that deals with optimism and the future.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds story: what we know about this part of Trek history

Pike, Spock and Number One have been part of the Star Trek story even longer than James T Kirk – they were on board the Enterprise in original Star Trek pilot “The Cage”, unaired in the ’60s and set more than a decade before Kirk’s famous five-year mission. Jeffrey Hunter, Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett originated the three roles.

While we know that the trio have been together at least three years by the time Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kicks off and that a tragic fate awaits Pike – more on that later – most of their voyages remain undocumented. That means it’s prime storytelling territory.

“We’re going to try to harken back to some classical Trek values, to be optimistic, and to be more episodic,” executive producer Akiva Goldsman told Variety. “Obviously, we will take advantage of the serialized nature of character and story building. But I think our plots will be more closed-ended than you’ve seen in either Discovery or Picard.”

He also said that, “I think what we would want to do is keep the characters having moved through and recognizing the experiences they’ve had in previous episodes, but to be able to tell contained, episodic stories.”

This suggests that, while Strange New Worlds will feature an overall story arc, the show will get back to the story-of-the-week structure that defined the Original Series and much of the Next Generation era – a radical departure from the heavily serialized Discovery and Picard. Indeed, the ability to visit a huge galaxy of, well, strange new worlds, should allow the show to feel different from week to week – a versatile formula that’s a big reason for the franchise’s longevity.

Going on Mount’s performance in Discovery, Pike is the ideal captain for an optimistic mission of exploration. We can also expect to see a Spock more prone to displays of emotion than his Original Series counterpart – in “The Cage” Number One was the more buttoned-up, logical member of the crew, with her personality traits passing to the Vulcan when Star Trek went to series. And maybe we’ll finally get to find out if Number One has a surname – Discovery confirmed her first name is Una, but that’s all we know.

At this point in the Star Trek timeline, Kirk and other members of the original crew must be out there somewhere in the universe, so the smart money would be on a few headline-grabbing (recast) guest appearances – as the older members of the Original Series line-up, McCoy and Scotty would seem prime candidates. We’d also be very surprised if James Frain doesn’t reprise his Discovery role as Spock’s dad, Sarek.

And then there’s Pike’s tragic story…

When we meet him in Original Series two-parter “The Menagerie”, it’s revealed that he’s been left severely disabled by a radiation leak. In Discovery, he’s forced to endure a vision of that future. It’ll be intriguing to see how that knowledge preys on his mind, and how much it plays into the drama of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

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Google Stadia could soon be available on a lot more phones

Posted: 31 May 2020 06:30 AM PDT

Right now Google Stadia only works on a limited number of smartphones, including newer Pixel models, but that could be about to change. Code spotted in the latest Stadia app for Android suggests support for devices that haven't been "certified" is coming.

As discovered by 9to5Google, the change would mean you could at least give Stadia a go on any Android phone you like, even if it hasn't been specifically approved by Google. The new feature would likely be marked as experimental.

While Stadia also works on TVs and the Chromecast Ultra, as well as in Google Chrome on computers, letting more phones into the fold would undoubtedly add to the game streaming service's appeal – and probably get more subscribers on board.

Google Stadia remains a work in progress to some extent, with new features and new games rolling out regularly. A few weeks ago, for example, we saw support for wireless controllers added to Stadia on computers.

Coming soon... maybe

A more relaxed approach to which mobile devices can play Stadia isn't the only change spotted by 9to5Google, though it's worth bearing in mind that there's no guarantee that these hidden features will ever become official.

The latest app teardown reveals more hints of a "touch gamepad" so you can play on a phone without a separate controller – which would certainly make it easier to switch to your phone for a quick gaming session without any extra hardware.

There are also signs that Stadia's voice chat function is finally going to show up on Android, a potential upgrade that has been coming for quite some time now. Of course adding chat is a little more complicated on smaller devices.

Finally, the code mentions numerous promotions and sales events, so it looks as though Google is going to spend plenty of time advertising the platform in the coming months. One possible future feature is being able to play a game for free over a weekend.

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Vivo X50 series: Release date, price, news and rumours

Posted: 31 May 2020 04:44 AM PDT

Vivo’s premium flagship smartphones have always focused on their cameras. The X series flagship especially has always been one of the best devices when it comes to the camera. 

The company’s current X series lineup consists of X30 series and the X27 series in recent years. Their successor will be the Vivo X50, which has already been teased on Weibo. 

Vivo started teasing the device a couple of weeks ago. The primary focus of the device is the rear camera which is said to come with gimbal-like image stabilization. 

With just a  few days to the launch, both the devices are now listed on JD.com in China which reveals the design as well as the colour options. The e-commerce site has listed Vivo X50 Pro as well as Vivo X50, confirming two smartphones in the series. 

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Vivo’s next-gen camera-centric flagship smartphone
  • When will it come? June 1
  • What devices to expect? Vivo X50, X50 Pro, X50 Pro Plus

Vivo X50 Pro release date and price

Vivo has scheduled an event on June 1 in China where the company is expected to announce Vivo X50 and X50 Pro. As of now, there is no information about the India launch or availability.

The last Vivo X series device we saw in India is the Vivo X21 back in 2018. Since then the company has only brought a couple of flagship smartphones under the Nex series. 

We have also got exclusive news with regards to the Vivo X50 series. Vivo X50 will indeed be making its way to India, soon after the Chinese launch. It’s unclear which variant will be coming, but the teaser did suggest that it will be the Vivo X50 Pro. This will the first Vivo X series device after the Vivo X21 in 2018. 

Design and display

According to leaks, the Vivo X50 series will come in a matte glass finish at the rear with curved glass finish which also covers the front of the device. The Vivo X50 Pro is listed in two colour options: Liquid oxygen, which is blue and Black Mirror. The vanilla X50 is listed in three colours, Blue, Black, and Shallow.

The Vivo X50 Pro is said to feature a curved 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with 2,376 x 1,080 resolution. The refresh rate here is 90Hz. The device also houses a small punch-hole cut-out over at the front, which carries the front-facing camera. 

Camera 

The spiel of the Vivo X50 Pro is its cameras. The X50 Pro is said to feature a 48MP Sony IMX598 camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, a periscopic 13MP lens with optical zoom capabilities, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. Over at the front, we might get a 32MP selfie shooter. 

The primary camera, which will be the debut of the Sony IMX598, has a “micro-cloud” mechanism for “gimbal-like” image stabilisation. Usually, OIS on smartphone cameras uses magnets to compensate for shakes up to 1-degree in four directions. However, Vivo’s implementation will come with dual ball suspension, magnetic frame, and protective cover, which might be an Anti-glare glass. The overall area is about 5x the average of a regular camera and 3.2x of a periscope camera. Something similar was seen on the Vivo Apex 2020 concept phone. 


Another post from a popular Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station also reveals the complete camera sensors. The device will sport 8MP Samsung S5K3L6 portrait lens, 8MP Hynix Hi846 ultra-wide camera, 13MP OmniVision OV08A10 telephoto.

The primary lens at the rear will have a wide aperture of f/1.6, while the telephoto lens is f/3.4. The cameras will cover the focal length range of 16mm to 135mm. This feature is officially confirmed by Vivo in the teaser video.

Battery 

The leaked image also hints the battery capacity of the Vivo X50 Pro. It’ll pack in a 4,315mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. There is no mention of the charging interface but, we can expect a Type-C port. We can also expect the device to juice up from 0-50% around 30 minutes of time. 

Performance and specs

Furthermore, more specifications of the device were leaked by a  Weibo user including the complete specs of the Pro version. Although the specs are mention in the Chinese, we can clearly note the key features which are mentioned in English. Additionally, the post also mentions the price.

Under the hood, the handset is likely to feature a midrange Snapdragon 765G chipset. Vivo’s last-gen X30 was powered by the Exynos 980 chipset. Looks like now Vivo is moving to Qualcomm and also they might be looking to keep the price under control with the use of a powerful midrange chip. The chipset also supports dual-mode 5G(SA/NSA).

The device is said to come in two configuration 8GB RAM with either 128GB or 256GB internal storage. Furthermore, the rumours also suggest that the device might come with NFC, a 3.5mm headphone jack and AK4377A audio chip.

Vivo X50 

Just like the Pro version, the vanilla Vivo X50 is also listed on the e-commerce site in China. It is also available for pre-order. The X50 listed on the site also comes with a punch-hole camera and quad-rear camera. Although, the image clearly suggests that the device will lack camera set-up like the X50 Pro. 

We expect most of the internals to be similar to the Pro version except for the camera department. 

Vivo X50 Pro Plus

According to a new rumour, Vivo will also launch X50 Pro Plus which will come with Snapdragon 865 SoC. It is said to feature same 6.56-inch FHD+ display with 120Hz high refresh rate. Further, it is also expected to feature the new 50MP Samsung GN1 primary sensor. And, the other three rear cameras will remain the same as the X50 Pro.  The battery, the front camera is also expected to be similar to the X50 Pro. The report also suggests, the X50 Pro Plus model to sport 44W fast charging. 


Pricing 

The X50 and X50 Pro the devices are now up for pre-order in China. Although the company has not announced the official pricing yet, rumours suggest the X50 Pro might be around CNY 3,998 (~Rs 32,000.). Although at this point we are not clear if the pricing is for the 128GB or 256GB storage variant. 

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Xiaomi starts teasing the Mi Notebook in India

Posted: 31 May 2020 04:05 AM PDT

Update (May 29): A new report suggests that it will be an entirely new model to launch in India.

Update (May 31): The Mi Notebook "1C" will launch in India on June 11, according to Ishan Agarwal.

At the start of 2020, Xiaomi had confirmed its plan to launch laptops in India. After months of silence, the company (and its officials) have finally started teasing the launch of its first laptop in India.

Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain just uploaded a teaser video on Twitter which shows him shut a laptop, followed by exclaiming “It’s time!”. He was quickly joined by other key people from the Mi team in sharing similar teasers. All of them used the same iconic matte grey laptop, clearly hinting at the long-due launch of Xiaomi laptops in India.

This certainly looks like a laptop from the house of Xiaomi. All the tweets also included #WhatsnextfromMi, which indicated that the laptops might come with Mi branding instead of Redmi. Further, to strengthen our point, the official Mi handle replied to a tweet saying “The hashtag says 'Mi'”, when a fan asked if it was the RedmiBook.  

In China, there are several Mi branded laptops such as Mi Notebook, Mi Notebook Pro, Mi Gaming Laptop, and  Mi Laptop Air. They come in a variety of sizes starting from a 12.5-inch Mi Laptop Air to a 15.6-inch Mi Notebook Pro. 

It is still unclear which series or laptop Xiaomi will bring to the Indian market. All the Mi NoteBook series and Air series laptops are powered by Intel core processors. If we were to guess, this will be the Mi Notebook 2019 with a 15.6-inch display in the Deep Grey finish. However, it could be a new variant of any of its other laptops too. 

However, Windows Central suggests that it will be an entirely new model that will launch in India, with powerful specifications. It is unlikely to be a budget laptop, with specs such as an i5 processor, a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, and capable graphics. 

As of now, Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned any date for the launch of its first laptop in India. We should hear more about the laptops in the coming days, as the launch shouldn’t be far now. It’s unclear as of now if the pricing will be as impressive as it was in China.

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Justice League Snyder Cut: release date, Darkseid, trailer and everything we know

Posted: 31 May 2020 04:00 AM PDT

The Justice League Snyder Cut is real, and it's coming to HBO Max in 2021. The film is a new version of 2017's pretty bad Justice League movie, finished by its original director Zack Snyder, who left the project during production at the time for personal reasons. Expect a vastly different and far longer film this time, possibly split into episodes. 

Originally intended as the DC Comics equivalent to Marvel's enormously successful Avengers films, Justice League was a follow-up to Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice that didn't feel like it was part of the same series of films. The Snyder Cut should correct this, but whether it'll be a great film or not is yet to be seen. Expect a fascinating finished result, though.

Here's what we know about the Justice League Snyder Cut so far, including its release date, budget, trailer and Darkseid's appearance in the movie. 

What is the the Snyder Cut of Justice League?

The Snyder Cut is a new version of 2017's Justice League movie, which is coming to the new streaming service HBO Max in 2021. It's the movie as envisioned by original director Zack Snyder, who left production halfway through to deal with a personal tragedy along with his wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder.

Avengers director Joss Whedon stepped in to help finish the film, which was ultimately a critical and commercial flop. Justice League was mocked extensively for its reshot scenes featuring Henry Cavill's CG'd upper lip, the result of him being forced to retain a mustache during reshoots to finish filming Mission Impossible: Fallout. 

Following Justice League's release, fans started petitioning to release the Snyder cut of the film, with actors Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck joining in on an extensive hashtag campaign. In December 2019, Snyder confirmed the cut was real in a post on social media network Vero. 

In early February 2020, a group of Warner executives went to Snyder's house to watch a cut of the movie, and to figure how much finishing it will cost, according to a THR interview with the director. Warner greenlit the project and announced it for HBO Max in May 2020, and the Snyders have begun the process of finishing the movie, which involves rehiring their original post-production crew. As well as being edited and scored differently, it's possible actors will return to record more dialogue. Extensive effects work will be required to finish the Snyder Cut, too. 

The Justice League Snyder Cut could be released on HBO Max as a nearly four hour-long movie, or as a series of episodes, based on that same report. Snyder believes that maybe a quarter of his work ended up in the final cut. Expect an entirely new movie at the end of it. 

The finished film should feel like a more suitable follow-up to Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman. "This movie was the culmination of a hero’s journey that all these characters went on," producer Deborah Snyder told THR. "And the idea was always to build them up to be the heroes people expected them to be." Hopefully, it'll make for a more satisfying viewing experience generally. 

The finished result of 2017's Justice League is likely a more complicated matter than being a single person's fault, though. In this interview with Holt McCallany, who briefly appears in Justice League as a criminal chased by Batman across Gotham's rooftops, he mentions his scene was re-edited at the behest of the studio and not director Joss Whedon. 

Justice League Snyder Cut release date: 2021 on HBO Max

The Justice League Snyder Cut release date is set for 2021 on HBO Max. There are no more specifics right now on that front. 

Justice League Snyder Cut: Darkseid first look revealed by Zack Snyder

The DC Comics villain Darkseid has been confirmed for the Snyder Cut of the film. Zack Snyder tweeted out a slightly blurry first look at the character above. 

Justice League Snyder Cut trailer: does one exist?

Not for this particular cut, no. The above trailer, though, which was released at San Diego Comic Con 2016 while Snyder was still filming Justice League, probably gives the best look at what the director and producing partner Deborah Snyder had in mind before they left the project. 

It's not as tonally wonky as the finished product, but it's still a lot lighter than Batman vs Superman was. The Barry Allen introduction scene above is one of the best parts of the original film. 

What is the Justice League Snyder Cut budget?

The Snyder Cut budget hasn't been confirmed, but it's upwards of $30 million. WarnerMedia's chairman Bob Greenblatt spoke to Vox's Recode Media podcast on the matter. "I'll just say I wish it was just $30 million, and stop there!"

Will the Justice League Snyder Cut be any good, though?

Zack Snyder's DC Comics movies have proved enormously divisive, but they're singular creations that stand apart from the Marvel movies. We're not convinced an amazing movie is waiting for us, here, but it can't be worse than the version of Justice League we have now. Besides, Snyder deserves his shot at finishing this film, given the circumstances that led to his original exit. 

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Intel Xe DG1 graphics card 3DMark leak again suggests AMD and Nvidia won’t be troubled

Posted: 31 May 2020 03:30 AM PDT

Intel’s Xe DG1 graphics card has been spotted in a 3DMark benchmark, or at least the rumor mill believes that result is for Intel’s first crack at a discrete GPU.

As ever, we shouldn’t read too much into this given that it is just speculation that this is DG1, although the source is a reliable one, the ever-present TUM_APISAK. But even if the leak is on the money, remember that this is an early sample GPU, and won’t reflect the exact performance Intel may achieve with the final product.

At any rate, the purported DG1 graphics cards scored 5,538 in 3DMark’s Fire Strike test (paired with an Intel Core i9-9900K processor) and hit a graphics score of 5,960.

That’s not a massively impressive result, but as we’ve already mentioned, it must be treated with caution. It’s in the ballpark of a graphics card as old as the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, albeit a bit faster than that veteran GPU (which scored 5,402 for graphics in a 3DMark result highlighted on Twitter).

As Wccftech, which spotted this, observes, it’s a fair way behind the GTX 1050 to pick out another example from Nvidia’s line-up – that previous-gen budget card is around 500 points to 800 points better than the DG1 depending on which 3DMark result you look at.

No cause for concern?

Anyhow, you get the idea – and as with a previous Geekbench result, which showed that the DG1 wasn’t much better than Nvidia’s low-end MX250, the overall vibe thus far is that Intel’s initial product is not going to be causing either AMD or Nvidia any sleepless nights.

That said, at least this new 3DMark leak shows the Intel GPU comfortably outdoing the likes of the MX350, by around a third in terms of that graphics score in fact.

Further remember that Intel’s first GPU is likely to be a testing the waters affair, and as we’ve previously heard via the rumor mill, it’s going to be a mobile part – in other words, a graphics card for laptops, not a GPU for a desktop PC. With further development, perhaps it could start to worry Intel’s rivals at least in the notebook arena – particularly when combined with the potential of Xe integrated graphics with Intel’s Tiger Lake mobile processors.

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Amazon is discontinuing its Echo Look fashion advice gadget

Posted: 31 May 2020 02:30 AM PDT

Here's another reminder that the gadgets you buy aren't necessarily going to be supported forever: Amazon has decided to discontinue its Echo Look smart speaker/camera device, and existing Looks will stop working on July 24.

As reported by Voicebot.ai, people who've bought an Echo Look should already have been notified about the move, and a lot of the functionality first offered by the device has since made its way into other Amazon apps and hardware.

If you've never heard of the Echo Look before, the smart camera worked together with your phone and some computer learning magic to give you an assessment of how good your outfits looked.

The device and its companion app could also help you keep track of what you wore when, and of course tapped into Amazon's various shopping services to help you pick out new outfits to suit you as and when needed.

Don't Look now

"When we introduced Echo Look three years ago, our goal was to train Alexa to become a style assistant as a novel way to apply AI and machine learning to fashion," Amazon said in an email to customers.

"Customers will still be able to enjoy style advice from Alexa through the Amazon Shopping app and other Alexa-enabled devices. We look forward to continuing to support our customers and their style needs with Alexa."

According to Android Central, at least some Echo Look owners are being given discount codes to get an Echo Show 5 for free, though that hasn't been confirmed by Amazon. The Echo Show devices can to some extent duplicate the functionality of the Echo Look.

While the Echo Look was hardly one of Amazon's biggest sellers, it's interesting to see the company abandoning an Alexa-enabled product even as it continues to get the smart assistant pushed into as many new devices as possible.

Via Engadget

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Need a live football fix? Watch live matches ahead of the Premier League's return

Posted: 31 May 2020 01:20 AM PDT

For football fans the past three months have been a strange, quiet time. What should have been another dramatic climax to an action-packed and VAR-influenced season was cut down in its prime back in early March.

While the English Premier League doesn't return until June 17, there's good news if you can't wait for Premier League football to restart.

You can treat your sporting soul to live games from around the world. Some of the top leagues are back playing right now, and you can even watch some of them live from the comfort of your home.

Germany – Bundesliga

Germany's top-flight league, The Bundesliga, is one of the best leagues in the world, with giants such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund on the fixture list and a host of world-class players. 

The German Bundesliga restarted on May 16, 2020 and its bumper fixture list has games running through to the new season end date of June 27, 2020.

What's more, it's possible to watch live Bundesliga games. In the UK, BT has the rights to German football, allowing you to watch every game that's left of this season live on TV if you subscribe to the BT Sport channels.

You don't need a TV to watch BT Sport – if you're a subscriber you can also use the BT Sport app to watch the action, and it can be cast to a compatible display.

South Korea – K-League 1

South Korea’s top-tier of football, K-League 1, was the first to kick-off post-pandemic, with its initial return match between Jeonbuk Motors and Suwon Bluewings being played on May 8, 2020 – and it was live streamed on Twitter and YouTube for the world to see.

The game gave us our first glimpse of top-flight football behind closed doors, with empty stands and the handful of coaches, officials and TV crews on the sidelines all wearing face masks.

Being able to catch more live K-League 1 games outside of Korea isn't quite so easy, but YouTube Channel Copa90 is handpicking a game each week to stream live.

Spain – La Liga

Spain's La Liga – featuring greats such as Barcelona and Real Madrid – is set to kick off a few days ahead of the English Premier League, which means you'll be able to warm yourself up with some Spanish football.

The competition has been given the green light by the Spanish government to resume from June 8, and the good news for Sky subscribers in the UK is it looks like you'll be able to watch the rest of the La Liga season for free.

According to reports, Sky TV customers will be able to to activate the Premier Sports channel for free throughout June. However, there is a catch. You'll want to remember to cancel the channel once the month is up, as from July, you'll be charged a monthly fee of £5.99 to keep the channel as part of your package.

England – Premier League

This is the league you're likely waiting for, and the good news is the wait is almost over. The English Premier League will restart on June 17, 2020 with two games taking place; Manchester City vs Arsenal and Aston Villa vs Sheffield United.

Of the 92 remaining Premier League fixtures for the 2019/2020 season, Sky has confirmed that it will show 64 of the games live, with 25 of those being made available on Sky Pick – a free-to-air channel available on Freeview. That means you won’t need a Sky Sports subscription to watch those 25 games – but you will need one if you want to catch all 64 live games it will be showing.

A further 20 games will be shown live by BT, but there's no word on whether any will be made free-to-air. That means you'll likely need a BT Sport subscription to watch these 20 games.

Another four games will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video, while the BBC has snapped up the final four fixtures, which will be available free-to-air, without any subscription required.

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The TCL 10 Pro isn't the best phone of 2020, but it's exciting nevertheless

Posted: 30 May 2020 10:00 PM PDT

The TCL 10 Pro isn’t the best smartphone in the world - and in fact, it didn’t even break into our main list of the top 15 phones you can buy right now - but nevertheless, I'm excited to see it on virtual shop shelves.

The TCL 10 Pro received three stars out of five from TechRadar, and we called it “not a bad phone” with a further (and more damning) clarification that “you can get so much more for the money, whether you’re minded towards Android or iOS.”

For clarity, I didn’t review the TCL 10 Pro for TechRadar so I haven’t used the handset extensively, but I’m excited because this phone shows there’s still space for new entrants in the mobile market.

Welcome to a new contender

That quote from our review is quite damning, right? But that doesn't mean we want TCL to give up. In fact, I want TCL to see that criticism (and it’s not just us, a lot of our rival tech publications seem to agree with our review of the phone) and run further with a sequel.

TCL entering the phone game with its own branding is an exciting move. Previously, the company has produced handsets through its sub brands of Alcatel and BlackBerry, both of which catered to a very different niche than TCL is trying to target with the 10 Pro.

BlackBerry handsets under TCL haven't thrived, but they've consistently offered a business-focused experience that you can't really get anywhere else. Alcatel on the other hand has been consistently producing some of the best affordable phones on the market.

With the TCL brand becoming more and more recognized in the TV market, it makes sense for the company to apply the name - and the methodology associated with it - to smartphones too.

That methodology involves offering a quality product, but making some necessary cuts to ensure it comes in at an affordable price, which is what it has tried to do with the TCL 10 Pro.

TCL 10 Pro

The rear cameras on the TCL 10 Pro

The TCL 10 Pro isn't looking to compete with the very top-end handsets for a lower price. This isn’t going to be the phone you consider instead of a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or iPhone 11 Pro Max, but it may be an alternative to a Samsung Galaxy A90 5G or even something like the OnePlus 8.

And while the TCL 10 Pro isn't entirely successful, with the experience of making that phone behind it, whatever comes next from TCL may be a true contender for the very best mid-range phone that money can buy.

No matter what, we now have another major manufacturer with a lot of money behind it - along with experience in the consumer tech market - going full throttle and developing 5G handsets for the mid-range mobile phone space. 

That's exciting, and while I won't be recommending the TCL 10 Pro itself to people, I'm excited to see what the company is capable of doing next.

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Samsung aims to kill server CPUs with this special new SSD

Posted: 30 May 2020 08:00 PM PDT

At this week's OCP Global Summit, Samsung disclosed more information about a new type of solid state drive (SSD) it's working on - one that only makes sense in a data center context, for now.

When it comes to flash memory, the most common configuration in data centers worldwide is JBOF (or just a bunch of flash), which uses NVMe SSD storage attached to PCIe switches, processors and NICs (network interface cards). There are two rather significant issues with this system, to do with the lack of scalability of the storage controller and limited bandwidth; a classic case of too many middlemen. 

EBOF - or Ethernet SSD Bunch of Flash, as Samsung puts it - aims to solve this issue by putting the Ethernet ports (two of them for redundancy) on the SSDs themselves.

These are not your usual Ethernet ports, however, as each supports a staggering 25Gbps - about 25x what most Gigabit interfaces can achieve. Unsurprisingly, that's only available in a standard SSD (i.e. 2.5-inch), rather than the smaller M2 form factors.

Samsung claims the E-SSD drive will achieve PCIe Gen4x4 performance, or about 1500K IOPS at 4K random read. What’s even more spectacular, though, is that the performance of the drive scales in an almost linear fashion.

Based on the chart provided by the company, 24 NVMe drives will be about 7.5x faster than a single NVMe drive, whereas the same number of NVMe-oF SSDs will be about 23x faster than a single drive. 

Removing the CPU, networking and other bottlenecks means lower latency, higher bandwidth, lower cost, better performance and potentially big TCO savings. Great news for data center operators, but not so great for everyone else in hardware procurement.

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UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns live stream and how to watch from anywhere

Posted: 30 May 2020 03:38 PM PDT

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has returned to the Octagon this month and before the next big card - UFC 250 in June - there's an early taste of the promotion's big return to Vegas at the Apex Center tonight. Here's how to live stream Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns and watch UFC online from anywhere today.

Tonight's headline bout pits 38-year-old American Tyron Woodley against 33-year-old Brazilian Gilbert Burns.

Woodley is a former All-American NCAA wrestler who's currently the #1 ranked welterweight in UFC. Fight Night marks the start of his comeback bid, as he'll be returning to the Octagon for the first time since losing the UFC Welterweight Title to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. He's no doubt hoping an decisive win will put him back in the title frame, as prior to the loss to Usman, he'd successfully defended the belt on three occasions.

Burns, on the other hand, is only #6 in the rankings - but he's currently enjoying a 5-fight winning streak that includes a 1st round knockout of former title contender Demian Maia at Fight Night Brasilia. Moreover, 14 of Durinho's 18 wins have come by knockout of submission. That kind of record should keep Woodley on his toes.

It's looking like a fascinating fight, so without further ado, here's how to live stream UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burn and watch the action online from anywhere on earth.

How to live stream UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns in the US

Live stream UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns in the UK 

How to watch a UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns live stream in Canada

How to live stream UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns in Australia

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Saturday, May 30, 2020

Apple : SpaceX launch video replay: how to rewatch Saturday's liftoff

Apple : SpaceX launch video replay: how to rewatch Saturday's liftoff

SpaceX launch video replay: how to rewatch Saturday's liftoff

Posted: 30 May 2020 01:42 PM PDT

Update: The SpaceX launch video replay and continued livestream videos are below via YouTube. We've also embedded the Falcon 9 booster separation and return video replay.

All of the important SpaceX video replays are below: liftoff happened at 3:22pm EDT and, beyond the T-0 countdown, we also saw the Falcon 9 rocket back to Earth (and land successfully). You can rewatch videos or tune into the live stream below.

How long is the SpaceX live stream? Well, it'll take US NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken 19 hours to get to dock with the International Space Station. The new spacecraft lifted off on Saturday, returning American NASA astronauts to space from US soil for the first time since 2011.

Watch the SpaceX launch replay:

Video replay for the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster return to Earth

Video replay of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket separating from the Dragon Capsule

Watch ongoing SpaceX launch live stream via YouTube:

Right now, NASA astronauts are above Earth in the SpaceX-made Dragon capsule as you read this, and they're wearing SpaceX-designed spacesuits. The US government's Space Shuttle program ended nine years ago and the private SpaceX has picked up where NASA left off. It's a giant step for space exploration.

The live stream commentary is brilliant, insightful and inspiring regarding the future of commercial space travel.

Here's a fantastic view from the SpaceX live video of the Dragon Crew fully separated and on the way to the International Space Station, at first rocketing, then boosting a key moments and finally floating their way to the ISS.

SpaceX launch video

Okay, yes, it felt like deja vu today if you were like us and watched the SpaceX live stream this past Wednesday. But unlike that first launch attempt, Saturday's launch countdown didn't stop at T-minus 17 minutes. Instead, history was made.

It wasn't always clear that today's launch would happen, even minutes before the launch window. "We are predicting a 50/50 shot of going this time," said NASA administrator NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at the top of the SpaceX live stream. "But given the fact that we are in late May – in Florida – we have to take every shot that we can get."

SpaceX and NASA officials were very glad to take that shot. You can see from SpaceX founder Elon Musk's most recent tweet, we're well underway, and there were plenty of cheers from the watch area surrounding the Florida launchpad.

Today's SpaceX Demo-2 mission was delayed and a second attempt, but it was always going to be historic, as it's happening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's the first such launch on US soil in nearly a decade – since NASA retired the Space Shuttle nine years ago. It's also the first time that a SpaceX reusable spacecraft has sent NASA astronauts into space. It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.

It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.

The destination of this SpaceX launch is the International Space Station (ISS) for a one- to four-month duration for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, according to our friends over at Space.com.

SpaceX launch how to watch live stream

SpaceX launch time happened on Saturday, May 30

The official Demo-2 SpaceX launch time was today, Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT, so the times across the continental US were 2:22pm CDT / 1:22pm MDT / 12:22pm PDT.

The UK SpaceX launch time was 20:22 BST. In addition to tuning into the video live stream, you were able to go outside soon afterward and maybe catch a glimpse of the SpaceX-built spacecraft in the night sky at around 20:40 BST.

In Australia, it was already Sunday morning, with the new launch time occurring at 5:22am AEST.

SpaceX launch how to watch live stream

SpaceX launch weather concerns subside

Up until the last few minutes of Saturday's SpaceX launch, weather was a concern. It wouldn't have been time, as we saw this play out on Wednesday: "The weather got us," admitted NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a somber 30-second Twitter video on Wednesday. "I know there was a lot of disappointment today."

Bridenstine went on to explain the reasoning behind what we all saw: the SpaceX launch was scrubbed just 17 minutes inside the launch window, with NASA hanging on until the last minutes in an effort to save its efforts. The weather didn't cooperate.

NASA has strict weather rules for clearing spacecraft launches and noted that three weather violations existed, including the chance of the craft triggering 'natural lightning'. If they would have been able to wait ten minutes beyond the countdown, they could have cleared those three violations, according to SpaceX and NASA officials.

Waiting even ten minutes wasn't an option, though. This launch was what's known as an 'instantaneous launch window', meaning due orbital mechanics a delay wasn't possible if the crew wanted to get to the International Space Station (ISS) on time and lock in accurately. Blame Newtown's law of universal gravity, if you'd like.

The good news is that everything technical with the SpaceX craft and NASA crew was 'go for liftoff' on Wednesday when the hatch door successfully closed. So as long as this weekend's weather cooperates and doesn't trigger NASA's risk calculations, the mission will happen on Saturday. Weather was the only concern, according to NASA during the live stream wrap-up.

Even with all of the exceptional planning ahead of this SpaceX launch, NASA and SpaceX can't control the weather (not yet anyway). Florida, while normally sunny, does have frequent quick-moving thunderstorms (anyone who has ever visited nearby Disney World knows that), and that's what the crew faced Wednesday.

The SpaceX launch live stream had constant chatter from operators discussing rain conditions. They waited until a few minutes before the countdown expired to scrub the mission, hoping to pull it off. They got to T-minus 17 minutes before making the final decision. Saturday, May 30 will be the next launch date for the SpaceX launch.

Another weather variable is the fact that the weather conditions need to be good everywhere this spacecraft might be. For example, if the crew had to abort anywhere along their ascent and come down, recovery crews would need to access the capsule, so it's more than just the immediate Florida launchpad that needs ideal weather.

SpaceX launch live stream May 30 astronauts

How to watch the SpaceX launch on Saturday

The official NASA and SpaceX YouTube accounts will be offering a live stream of the preparations, which they noted will feel like deja vu if you had already tuned in for the Wednesday launch.

We have the YouTube video embedded (at the top of the page) that is now¸ live. You won't have to travel very far. And don't worry, you don't have to tune into both the NASA and SpaceX live stream videos – they're offering the same content across the two live streams,

On Wednesday, we saw SpaceX founder Elon Musk visit suited-up astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and exchange a few words before liftoff time. Sadly, there was no audio during this portion of the live stream.

Musk then greeted US Vice President Mike Pence, who is there to watch the launch, while President Donald Trump joined soon after. Hurley and Behnken traveled to the launch site in a Tesla Model X (Tesla being another company Musk founded).

NASA continued to monitor the weather via data sensors around the launch site in an effort to get everything into 'the green position' on their maps. At the time, NASA said, "the weather is trending in the right direction," but as the countdown got to T-minus 17 minutes, favorability went the other direction.

This meant that the crew was seated in the capsule after crossing the crew access arm, and the crew arm had already retracted. Steam started to come off of the rocket before the launch was called off. It was that close to liftoff.

SpaceX launch time live stream

SpaceX spacecraft, SpaceX suits and NASA astronauts

Now that it's Saturday, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are back inside the small Dragon capsule, which sits atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It's situated on a launch pad at legendary Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Cape Canaveral. 

LC-39A was originally built for the Apollo missions and remodeled for the Space Shuttle program. Now it's home to the first space flight to send astronauts into space using a private aerospace company.

Hurley (the spacecraft commander) and Behnken (the joint operations commander) are NASA astronauts, engineers and both former members of US military (Hurley is a former marine, while Behnken was in the US Air Force).

The two-man NASA crew will not only be flying in a SpaceX-built spacecraft, but also outfitted in SpaceX pressurized suits, first shown off in 2017. They're back suited up again for Saturday's SpaceX launch.

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The Beats Solo 3 wireless reach their lowest price on Amazon ever in US and UK

Posted: 30 May 2020 09:25 AM PDT

The Beats Solo 3 wireless headphones are reaching their lowest price ever this weekend at Amazon, where you can pick them up for just $159 / £120 - a neat saving of $40 and £58 respectively.

These are sitting at great value right now with the real selling point of the Beats Solo 3 being their fantastic wireless functionality and stunning 12-hour battery life. With Apple's much-lauded W1 wireless chip under the hood, these wireless headphones are made to pair seamlessly with iOS devices, although Android users shouldn't feel left out as they're fully supported as well.

They also feature the signature Beats bass response, which ensures that all your favorite tunes' low ends are rendered in an appropriately thumping manner. Audiophiles may prefer the more balanced mid-range on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II's, but for those bass junkies out there, nothing quite does it like the Beats - and they're under half the price of the Bose right now.

If you're looking for something a little less bulky, and a little cheaper, then there's also a fantastic Beats deal on the PowerBeats3 wireless earphones for just $89.95 (was $199) - a massive saving of $110 overall, and a perfect addition for any lockdown workout routine.

Not in the UK or US? Check out the best Beats deals in your region below.

The best cheap Beats deals this weekend

While you're here, we recommend checking out our best Beats deals main page, where we're constantly on the hunt for all the best deals we can find. If you're looking for the Beats sister-line, then head on over to our best Apple AirPods deals page, where we're finding fantastic prices weekly on a whole array of deals. 

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SIM only deals: get six months of Disney Plus and 10GB of data for £10 a month

Posted: 30 May 2020 09:14 AM PDT

There are a lot of great cheap SIM only deals out there but a recent offer from O2 takes it a step further. On top of the excellent data to cost ratio, O2 is also throwing in a pretty tempting freebie.

For the first six months of your 18 month contract, O2 will throw in Disney Plus completely free. Considering that's a subscription that would normally cost £5.99, the £10 a month you're paying for this SIM is fantastic.

At that price, you're getting 10GB of data which would make this a pretty strong offer even if the subscription wasn't included. With Disney Plus you're getting access to Disney films, Marvel movies, Star Wars content and more.

You can find out more about both this O2 SIM only deal and Disney Plus below. 

O2 SIM only deals + Disney Plus:

What's Disney Plus like?

Disney Plus is the new hyped up streaming service and it couldn't have come at a better time. Included is most of the Marvel movies, the popular new Star Wars show 'The Mandalorian' and even all of the episodes of The Simpsons.

You can download and save episodes and have 4K HDR with Dolby Vision at your disposal. And if you've got kids to entertain, it is no surprise that Disney Plus comes stacked full of kids content.

Read our full Disney Plus review to find out more

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This weekend's best gaming laptop deals can save you up to $500

Posted: 30 May 2020 08:23 AM PDT

Still on the hunt for that lockdown gaming rig? Some first-rate cheap gaming laptop deals can be had this weekend from the likes of Dell, Amazon and Best Buy. 

Our pick of the bunch is this Asus ROG G531GT for $897 (was $999), which is currently enjoying a neat $100 discount. Without a doubt, the highlight here is the Core i7-9750H - an incredibly fast processor that you don't often see for under $1000, let alone $900. A GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD round out the rest of the components to offer one speedy competitor for the money. While a faster graphics card would be nice, having an Intel Core i7 makes this Asus great value overall.

Though, if you did want that faster graphics card, then consider this Dell G3 15 for $949.99 (was $1149). With this Dell, you can upgrade to a GTX 1660Ti, which is significantly faster, though you'll have to sacrifice that Core i7 for an i5. If you'd like to skip the compromise altogether then this Asus Zephrus for $1099 (was $1199) is a Ryzen 7 equipped beast that offers both a GTX 1660Ti and a top of the line processor to boot.

If you feel like really splashing out, then there's also this insane $500 saving to be had on an Alienware M15 R1 at Dell for $1,749.99 (was $2,249). With an RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, this is one powerful elite level machine that carries a hefty price tag to match.

Not in the US? Check out the best gaming laptop deals near you just below.

The best gaming deals this weekend

  • Amazon - gaming laptop deals for as little as $897
  • Dell - save up to $500 on a gaming laptop deal
  • Best Buy - gaming laptop deals starting at only $729
  • Want the best deals this year? check out Amazon Prime Day 2020

Want to see what else is around? Head over to our best gaming laptop deals page, where we're constantly on the hunt for the fastest and cheapest machines we can find. If you're simply looking for a laptop for streaming or browsing, then our cheap laptop deals page is another fantastic resource to check out.

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Thought the lockdown would lead to a spike in smart speaker sales? Think again

Posted: 30 May 2020 08:00 AM PDT

Since their inception, smart speakers have been touted as the new center of the home, providing us with music, supplying us with virtual PAs in the form of voice assistants, and acting as the control hub for the myriad smart home devices designed to make our lives easier. 

However, smart speaker sales are slowing down – and that’s in spite of the lockdown conditions that many people across the world are facing, forcing more and more of us to spend much of our time at home.

You might have expected that all that time at home would lead to more people looking to improve their home audio setups, set up or expand smart home systems, and stay in touch with family using smart displays like the Google Nest Hub and the Amazon Echo Show.

That’s not what the numbers suggest, though: according to research firm Strategy Analytics (via Voicebot.ai), 28 million smart speakers were sold globally in Q1 of 2020, down from a peak of 55.8 million in the preceding months. 

Usage is up, sales are way down

It’s not that people are using their existing smart speakers any less; on the contrary, a report by NPR and Edison found that 52% of people who have speakers equipped with voice assistants said they were using voice tech several times a day or nearly every day, compared to 46% before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Similarly, the survey found that “36% of adult smart speaker owners say they are using their device more to listen to music and entertainment”, while 35% of users are listening to more “news and information”. 

David Watkins, director of Strategy Analytics agrees that lockdown conditions could strengthen the relationship we have with our smart speakers. Explaining the market research firm’s findings, he said that “much opportunity lies ahead of course, but the current stay-at-home conditions present an opportunity for smart speaker vendors and voice assistant operators to reinforce the value proposition of voice-first experience”.

So, with smart speaker users clearly finding their devices more useful during the lockdown – we’ve all seen an increase in TV adverts extolling the virtues of making video calls with smart displays – why isn’t that translating to stronger sales? 

Google Duo

The Lenovo Smart Display (pictured) can be used to make Google Duo video calls with friends and family members.

A universal problem

Well, it’s a problem that’s affecting the wider tech industry, not just smart speaker manufacturers: people just aren’t buying devices in the numbers they were before the pandemic took hold and disrupted industries – and lives – the world over. 

Smartphone sales have also plummeted, dropping from 99.2 million in February 2019 to just 61.8 million in February 2020, as Asian factories shut down and shoppers became hesitant to visit brick-and-mortar stores to make purchases.

Strategy Analytics’ executive director Neil Mawston, says this was “the biggest-ever fall in history of the worldwide smartphone market”, adding that it’s been a period that “the smartphone industry will want to forget”. 

Smart speaker manufacturers will likely want to do the same. After all, they’ve seen their sales nearly cleaved in two in a matter of months – aside from production interruptions plaguing the industry, as with other products many of us are simply more cautious when it comes to making big purchases.

A silver lining?

It’s not all bad news, though. For some manufacturers, the lockdown has been an unexpected source of inspiration that could change the way smart speakers and voice assistants are designed in the future. 

Mark Spates, Google’s product lead for smart speakers, has admitted that, in some ways, the lockdown has been advantageous for the tech giant. 

“I think it’s enhanced the insight that we have on these devices, because now we’re spending 100% of our time with them,” he explained. 

“I would actually say some of the new features you’re going to start seeing is because we’ve been living with our products every single day, finding new use cases for them and actually questioning some things.”.

So, as a direct result of the lockdown, we could see better, smarter, easier-to-use Google Nest speakers in the near future – and that could be a boon to smart speaker sales, just when the industry needs it the most. 

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Apple Watch deals: the Series 3 is still available for one of it's lowest prices ever

Posted: 30 May 2020 08:00 AM PDT

There's still time to grab a cheap Apple Watch deal with this Apple Watch Series 3 for just $179 (was $199) at Amazon US right now.

Surprisingly, this already discounted cheap Apple Watch sale hasn't sold out yet since it was put up as part of the Amazon Memorial Day Apple sale. This is one of the cheapest Apple Watch prices we've seen yet since the Apple Watch 3 settled into it's new $199 retail asking price late last year and a great way to pick up a cheap Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch 3 may be a little older than the newer series 4 and 5, but it's still running on the latest iOS software and is so much more affordable right now. It's a little bulkier around the edges but if you're looking for a cheap Apple Watch that will still monitor heart rates, play tunes, and is water-resistant then this is a great option.

If you're in the UK, there's also a fantastic offer to be had with this Apple Watch Series 3 for £199 at John Lewis. Not only is it a good price for an Apple watch, but you're also getting John Lewis's two-year warranty included and the option to trade in your old Apple Watch for up to £120 - which makes this potentially a really cheap buy.

Not in the US or UK? check out the best Apple Watch deals just below

The best Apple Watch deals in the US and UK

If you're looking for the whole range, then our Apple Watch deals article looks at every generation of smartwatch and compares all the best retailers near you. If you'd like to see what other brands are on offer, then our best smartwatch deals page is the best place on the web for smartwatch model and price comparison.

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India blocks File transfer service WeTransfer - here's what we know

Posted: 30 May 2020 07:58 AM PDT

Popular file transfer service WeTransfer went off the radar for many across India today with reports coming in later in the evening that it has been blocked by the federal government. Responding to user complaints on social media, the company confirmed the block. 

Early reports suggested that the Department of Telecommunications issued an order blocking the Netherland-based company's file transfer service that is used to send large files (of up to 2GB for the free version) across the world using the cloud-based service. 

A partial blockage

As we write this, while some internet providers such as Reliance Jio and Idea-Vodafone have blocked access to WeTransfer, others such as ACT Fibernet continue to allow sharing of files across two email IDs, a fact that was checked by us before writing this piece. 

The reason proffered by the federal government for taking this decision appears vague as the media reports merely say that it was done in the public interest and national security. It is unclear what specifically led to this decision at this precise moment. 

Social media outrage

Earlier today, users took to social media asking what had happened to the service with some tweeting that the service was not working for them in specific areas. While we tried accessing the service via Ideas-Vodafone, we got the message "You are not authorised to access this webpage as per DoT compliance." 

On its part WeTransfer responded claiming that their service had been blocked in India and that the team was currently investigating the issue. "We hope to have more details soon. In the meantime, the best workaround is to use a VPN service to access our site," it said. 

Ban only for two webpages?

A report in the Mumbai Mirror claimed that the DoT order was passed close to two weeks ago where two specific webpages of WeTransfer was to be banned. The reasons related to a precondition in the unified license that applies to all internet service providers. Though, now how the entire service got banned today is still something that's not clear. 

In fact, the timing of the move appears to be intriguing as with several companies getting their staff to work from home, file transferring and sharing had assumed added importance during the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, even the federal government has been actively using WeTransfer for sharing press statements with the media.  

While there is concern related to how an entire service got blocked without clarity over the reasons behind it, enterprises may not be overly worried about transferring files as there's Google Drive and DropBox that can easily do the same task. 

Not the first time though

WeTransfer is not the only file transfer service to have been banned by the government of India. In 2011, the now defunct service MegaUpload too faced the ire of the administration after it was found that miscreants were uploading latest movies onto their server at the height of the cinema piracy episode in the country. 

In 2014, a court in Delhi ordered the closure of several file sharing services including Google Docs, Rapidshare and Sendspace following complaints filed by Sony network, the official broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup over illegal uploads of matches by similar miscreants. 

It appears as though a similar fate has befallen WeTransfer due to some isolated misdemeanours of a few of its users. 

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You can now hire Uber drivers by the hour in select US cities

Posted: 30 May 2020 07:30 AM PDT

Uber has announced it's giving users in selected US cities the option to hire drivers by the hour, so you can get a feel for what it's like having your own personal chauffeur on call.

The new feature will set you back $50 (about £41/AU$75) per hour, with a variable add-on fee if you cover a lot of miles. Passengers will be matched with a vehicle that fits the Uber Comfort guidelines, with more headroom and legroom.

Uber Hourly is going live on Tuesday, June 2, in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Tacoma, Tampa Bay, and Washington DC, with a wider roll out planned eventually.

"We built this feature for riders that anticipate needing additional flexibility when taking care of essential tasks, and for drivers so that they could access an additional earning opportunity," says Uber in a blog post.

Safety first

Apparently the hourly option has already been attested in cities across Australia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, so presumably it will eventually make its way to most or all of Uber's markets. As yet there's no word on pricing internationally.

Uber will be hoping to ramp up ride numbers as countries across the world emerge from self-isolation and lockdown, and has been putting new safety measures in place to protect drivers and passengers.

Both drivers and passengers are being asked to wear face masks or covers, while passengers are also requested to sit in the back seat and to keep the windows open. The maximum number of suggested passengers for an UberX ride is now three rather than four.

Uber says it has been providing face masks and sanitizing kits for drivers, and will continue to do so over the coming months.

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Patience is a virtue: 5 things I want to buy during Amazon Prime Day 2020

Posted: 30 May 2020 07:30 AM PDT

Even if the Amazon Prime Day 2020 date is postponed, the deals will be here before you know it. With countless sales across a range of products in a little over three months from now, I’ve found it hard not to second guess my purchasing decisions recently. Should I buy it now or wait for Amazon Prime Day? 

Inevitably, after shaking my head at the mere idea of waiting, I quickly succumb to the silly “I need it now” mantra that’s largely responsible for all the superfluous tech that fills my home (hello, five pairs of over-ear headphones). 

But there are some items that I still haven’t bought that I’m banking on getting a big discount, if I can show a little patience and self-restraint… From a super-fast solid state drive to a pair of wireless earbuds, here are five things I’m holding off buying until the rumored Amazon Prime Day date in September.

1. Western Digital Black 1TB NVMe Internal Gaming SSD

Western Digital Black NVMe SSD

For productivity and gaming, nothing beats a solid state NVMe drive. Standard SSDs are great, but they usually have read speeds of around 500 MB/s. A top-tier NVMe drive, however, can deliver read speeds of around 3,500 MB/s. Now that’s fast. Once you’ve experienced how quickly video games can load on an NVMe drive, it’s hard to go back to anything else. The problem is, though, the drives are still very expensive, particularly if you’re looking for anything above 500GB of storage. Here’s hoping Amazon Prime Day 2020 can help me snag a Western Digital Black 1TB NVMe drive on the cheap, then.

2. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite

The Amazon Kindle is still the king of ereaders, but my 5th generation Paperwhite model is starting to show its age. It doesn’t help that my partner has the latest the Kindle Paperwhite (its one of our best Kindle picks) and is an avid reader, which means I’m reminded of its superiority over my model every night. The 5th generation Paperwhite isn’t obsolete by any means, but the Kindle’s e-ink display has come a long way, and makes my older model look rather pixelated and blurry in comparison. It would be a luxury purchase for sure, but the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is almost guaranteed to go on sale during Amazon Prime Day.

3. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12-month subscription

Xbox Game Pass is a phenomenal service that offers truly incredible value, especially if you can save on a yearly subscription. Amazon usually has some great offers on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, and as a PC and Xbox gamer, if any appear during Amazon Prime Day 2020 I won’t be able to stop myself from snapping up another 12 months. Call it prior preparation for the launch of Halo Infinite and Xbox Series X.

4. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

One tech trend which I haven’t got on board with yet are wireless earbuds, but that could change depending on what deals pop up in September. As an Android user, Apple AirPods aren’t an option, so I’ve got my eye on the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds. With noise-canceling, support for Hi-Res Audio (I’m a Tidal subscriber so this is a plus), there could be a real bargain to be had if these premium buds go on sale.  

5. Logitech Brio Stream Webcam

With more people using video conferencing and communicating over webcam than ever before, this product might be hard to get hold of, especially if it goes on sale during Amazon Prime Day. The Logitech Brio Stream Webcam has everything you could ever want from a webcam: 4K video quality, 60fps and HDR technology to make you look your best in any illumination. As someone who is getting more invested in live-streaming on Twitch, this webcam would make a fine replacement for my Logitech C920.

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Nintendo Switch hidden gems: 6 underrated Switch games you need to play

Posted: 30 May 2020 07:00 AM PDT

There are plenty of fantastic Nintendo Switch games out there, but it's fair to say that some titles hog the limelight more than others. (That's right, Mario and Zelda, we're talking about you.) This sometimes means that wonderful (but smaller) Switch games get lost in the Nintendo eShop and never truly get the recognition they deserve.

Well, here at TechRadar, we've decided to shine a light on these games. We've put together a list of great Switch games that you may never have heard of – but that you definitely should play. 

So get your wishlist ready, as these are the top Nintendo Switch hidden gems (AKA the most underrated Switch games) available right now.

1. Dungeon of the Endless

Dungeon of the Endless

This recent port of a six-year-old rogue-like game, technically set in the same universe as PC strategy game Endless Space, is a perfect multiplayer dungeon crawler with gorgeous 2D visuals. You pick a character with a specialty, descend ever deeper into the dungeon and fend off waves of enemies. An unexpected good action game that's well worth checking out on Switch. 

2. Overland

Overland

Overland is a curious Nintendo Switch game, if just for its unrelenting bleakness – as you attempt to travel across post-apocalyptic America in search of some remnants of civilization, with plenty of pitfalls, monsters, and permadeath getting in your way. But beneath the dour setting is also a smart and varied strategy game, with procedurally generated levels (and characters) that feel eerily familiar each time over, and the confidence to take its narrative to the only possible conclusion.

3. Bad North

Bad North

Sure, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla may be close to launching, but why go big when you can go North? This beautifully-animated Switch game puts you in charge of an army of Viking warriors, beset on all sides – and we mean all sides – by invaders you have to deflect from your island home. The real-time strategy is based on simple mechanics, but which can quickly get taxing if you aren’t paying close attention to the layout of the islands themselves, which are effectively 3D puzzles for you to figure out how best to defend. 

Watching approaching boats from the mist, with the slow thud of drums in the distance, is as satisfying no matter how many times you experience it too.

4. Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition

Do the words Lovecraftian-seafaring-text-adventure-roguelike take your fancy? If your answer is “no” then you’re going to have to walk the plank, as you’ll be missing out on one of the Nintendo Switch’s most unique games.

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition is an excellent port of the hit indie PC game, which casts you as the captain of a steampunk ship amidst in the gothic tides of a collapsed London, now submerged in a cavernous, waterlogged underworld.

You’ll take part in ship-to-ship combat, exploring a randomised map while evading sea monsters and the ever-increasing demands of your loot-hungry, easily terrified crewmates. The real joy here though is in the first-class writing

This download-only Nintendo Switch title also includes the Zubmariner DLC pack, which lets you dive the depths of the game’s murky waters. A game to truly lose yourself in.

5. Ape Out

Ape Out

Enjoy frenetic jazz, bright colors and rhythm-based violence? The Ape Out may be for you. This top-down, single-player beat-em-up is sure to be unlike anything else you’ve ever played. Players take on the role of a gorilla frantically trying to escape from gun-wielding humans through a series of mazes - each one different than the last. 

Kill the humans in your way, and use others as shields, as you make your way through the labyrinths to victory. Oh, and the whole thing is scored by chaotic, all-percussion jazz music. The further you get, the more chaotic the music becomes. Ape Out is truly a feast for the eyes and ears.

6. Oxenfree

Oxenfree

Oxenfree is a great Switch choice for those who love classic point-and-click adventures. You play as Alex, an angsty teenager who goes on a weekend trip to a military island with her friends and step-brother. But, unwittingly, the teens open up a supernatural rift on the island, causing things to go a bit awry. 

Oxenfree is largely choice-based, with players being presented with a variety of dialogue options that range from classic-teenage moody to optimistic, while bigger choices impact how the game plays out. What results is a supernatural thriller combined with a coming-of-age tale – and a Switch game you absolutely have to play.

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Americans are wary about contact tracing apps

Posted: 30 May 2020 06:00 AM PDT

New research from ExpressVPN has revealed that while many Americans distrust contact tracing apps, they are still willing to use them for the greater good during the global pandemic.

The VPN provider surveyed 1,200 American adults to find that 75 percent of respondents believe that contact tracing apps violate a person's privacy and 77 percent think these apps put them are at risk of long term mass surveillance.

However, Americans do realize that these uncertain times require complex, out-of-the-box solutions. Despite the potential loss of privacy as a result of contact tracing apps, 59 percent of those surveyed did indicate a willingness to forgo some of their rights for the sake of public health.

Vice president of ExpressVPN, Harold Li provided further insight on the survey's findings in a blog post, saying:

“It’s clear that most Americans are invested in the public-health benefits of using contact-tracing technology. However, privacy concerns continue to weigh heavily, and it’s clear that governments and tech companies need to place clear limits and safeguards on contact-tracing efforts,”

Contact tracing apps

Google and Apple have developed a contact tracing API which use Bluetooth and GPS data to provide a low-cost solution to find out who those infected with Covid-19 have come into contact with. Contact tracing is not a new idea and in the past, it has been done manually but this requires a lot more work as well as time.

Singapore, South Korea, Iceland and Israel are all currently using contact tracing apps to fight the spread of Covid-19 while Australia and the UK are in the process of creating localized versions of these apps for their residents.

However, states such as New York, California and Massachusetts have eschewed contact tracing apps and have instead decided to take an analog approach. These states have hired tens of thousands of people to act as manual contact tracers and doctors and public health officials across the US are urging the federal government to follow suit. They argue that manual contact tracing has been practiced for decades and the current situation is too dire to use an untested tech-based approach.

Over half (54%) of ExpressVPN survey respondents expressed willingness to voluntarily download a contact tracing app, though concerns about potential data misuse are still high. Of those surveyed, 84 percent believe the government could overstep its boundaries with the data and 79 percent believe that tech giants could as well.

Contact tracing will soon be coming to your iPhone or Android smartphone. In fact, Apple's latest iOS 13.5 update includes a new feature called Exposure Notifications that contains the API needed for contact tracing apps to function. The update also makes it easier to use Apple's Face ID when wearing a face mask so that users don't have to remove them to unlock their phones.

  • Protect your privacy online with the best VPN services

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What's next for WhatsApp: new features and tools on the horizon

Posted: 30 May 2020 06:00 AM PDT

It’s been a busy few months for WhatsApp. In February, the app’s long-awaited dark mode arrived, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek video soundtracked by a rare recording of Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence. It was no mean feat – creating a new look for an app used by 1.5 billion took months of work, and the fanfare was justified – but the developers soon had a far bigger challenge on their hands: the coronavirus crisis.

With physical contact banned throughout much of the world, developers had to move fast to keep up with the demands of millions of users depending on its services to keep in touch. Features like animated stickers were seemingly pushed to the back burner, and video calls came to the fore.

"Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen that the use of voice and video calls has increased substantially on WhatsApp,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told TechRadar.

“We expanded voice and video calling to eight participants in order to help bigger families and groups of friends stay connected at this difficult time, safe in the knowledge that their private calls are protected by end to end encryption."

Messenger Rooms

WhatsApp’s video chat service will get a further boost very soon with the integration of Facebook’s  newly released Messenger Rooms. As its name suggests, Rooms was first launched as part of Facebook Messenger, but the company is integrating it into other apps and products too, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Portal devices.

Rooms differs from WhatsApp’s video chats in a number of ways, allowing up to 50 people to pop in and out of a conversation in an ad-hoc way. Rather than scheduling a meeting at a specific time, as you would in Zoom or Google Meet, you can simply open a room and friends can drop in if they happen to be around – more like a lounge than a boardroom or a phone call.

Tiffany Dohzen, product manager for Messenger Rooms, told TechRadar about her experience making the new app, and what sets it apart from tools like Zoom, Skype and Google Meet. She explained that while Facebook had been exploring ways to expand further into video chat for some time, the coronavirus pandemic was what really kickstarted development.

8-person video chat in WhatsApp

Up to eight people can now join a standard WhatsApp video chat

“The idea of rooms as a product came around once we realised the accelerating needs for a product where you can spontaneously join and have hangouts really in the last few months,” she said.

“Some of the cool things, beyond just video calls, are a lot of safety controls. We put huge value on not just making sure Rooms was fun, but also really safe. The creator can lock the room, kick someone out if they are misbehaving, and if you’ve blocked someone on Facebook they can’t join the Room.

“We’ve also added lots of collaborative features, cool effects on the mobile apps, and new ones like lighting and backgrounds. The backgrounds are really cool. Some are animated, you can move them around.” 

Links to Messenger Rooms have already been spotted in WhatsApp beta releases for iPhone and Android, and although we don’t yet know when it will be fully integrated, the teams are wasting no time.

Messenger Rooms

Messenger Rooms on the desktop

As Dohzen explains, the Messenger Rooms team themselves are using the tool to keep in touch on a daily basis, which has resulted in faster development than might have been possible in ‘normal’ times.

“It’s early days,” she explained. “We want to adapt and respond to what people need. We’re really excited that in a time when people are working remotely we were able to launch a product remotely using the product itself.

“It’s really rare that you get to use a product like this [every day] because you need it. We ended up getting it to a place of polish much faster than if we hadn’t been using it remotely. Seeing it evolve into different use cases and feeling that we have that universal access – everyone can use it for free without worrying about time limits.”

Stickers, encrypted backups and more

So what else is on the way? The previously mentioned animated stickers haven’t been spotted since April, when they were found by the ever-vigilant writers at WABetaInfo, but they seem to be well into development might still appear later this year once things have settled down into a ‘new normal’.

New automatic download rules look like another very handy addition. If and when these are implemented, they would prevent frequently forwarded images, videos and documents from being downloaded automatically, saving your phone’s precious storage space.

Business users are likely to get some attention as well, as encrypted backups and QR codes have both appeared in a recent beta. Once implemented, this would allow iPhone users to choose whether their backups are encrypted on iCloud, and set a password that would be required for the backups to be recovered. Businesses would also be able to share their contact details with customers via a scanned code displayed on-screen.

However, with the continued demand for video conferencing and chat tools, it looks like Messenger Rooms shortcuts will be the next big feature to arrive in WhatsApp.

“Right now it’s rolled out worldwide through Messenger,” explained Dohzen, “Messenger on the desktop or apps. We’re working on launching it from WhatsApp and Instagram – those are already in testing. That’s the biggest. And it will be coming to portal – the ability to create a room from your Portal, [which has] a bigger screen – bur we don’t have a date specifically for it yet.”

We’ll keep you posted as soon as we do.

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Virgin's broadband and TV deals are great value this weekend and with no setup fee

Posted: 30 May 2020 05:33 AM PDT

Spending your weekend scouring the web for the perfect broadband and TV deals to upgrade to? There is a lot of choice out there from the likes of Sky, BT and more but two offers especially stand out at the moment - and they both come from Virgin.

The cheaper of these two offers is Virgin's Big Bundle. It offers speeds averaging 108Mb, over 110 channels, inclusive weekend calls and the ability to pause live TV. All of that comes in at just £29.99 a month and, for this weekend only, you don't even need to pay any fees upfront.

That's great for those on a budget but for those who want something a bit more feature packed - that's where Virgin's Bigger Bundle steps in. This package is a...well, bigger version of the Big Bundle, offering a host of additional channels.

Your speeds are the same, the weekend calls are the same but when it comes to TV there is a major bump up. You're getting in excess of 220 channels including BT Sport in 4K Ultra HD and a number of top Sky channels in HD.

We've listed both of these offers below so you can choose the one that best fits your needs. It is worth nothing however that the upfront costs will go back up to £35 on Sunday at 11.59pm so you'll get an extra saving if you get there in time.

Is Virgin fibre broadband available in my area?

Approximately 60% of UK households can get superfast Virgin broadband. It's quite simple to find out of you're part of this percentage - head over to our dedicated Virgin broadband deals page, enter your postcode where indicated (at the top of the page) and if deals show as available then you're good to go.

If no results are returned, then head to our best broadband deals page instead and do exactly the same thing to see whether you can get superfast fibre broadband with another provider, such as BT Fibre broadband.

Existing Virgin Media broadband customers

Sorry, the Virgin website states that these limited time offers are for new customers only. However, there's no harm in trying to get a slice of the pie, so if you're already a Virgin broadband customer we suggest you get in touch with customer services before trying to place an order.

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Space Force on Netflix isn't funny enough

Posted: 30 May 2020 05:00 AM PDT

After The Good Place, it feels like we've seen a spike of 'big idea' comedies that look a lot more expensive than traditional sitcoms. In 2020 we've had HBO's space station-based Avenue 5, which kicked off with such a disappointing opening episode that I didn't continue with it, and Amazon Prime's Upload, set in a digital afterlife where niceties are bought with microtransactions. 

In Netflix's Space Force, which shares Upload's creator, Greg Daniels, General Mark Naird (Steve Carell) is put in charge of the titular new armed forces branch. Can America successfully conquer the stars?

Things aren't as straightforward at Space Force as Naird hoped. A science versus military tension exists at the heart of this branch, with Dr Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich) pushing back on the branch's more aggressive ambitions. The existence of Space Force itself and how much it costs is under scrutiny. And Naird himself is forced to move his family across the country for his new job, which creates tension with his daughter Erin (Diana Silvers). 

Reaching for the stars

The Space Force concept is so big that it sometimes feels like it gets in the way of the show being what it really is: a workplace sitcom. A few of the episode plots feel like they could be from earlier seasons of The Office, if you remove the space context. Take the fifth episode, which is themed around war games, with Space Force competing against the air force in a series of team-building exercises for bragging rights. This plot is in most '90s sitcoms in some form, except here the budget is a lot higher and you've got John Malkovich in the cast.

As a parody of the American military, Space Force isn't as rich for jokes or satire as I hoped, probably because its real life counterpart seems just as outlandish. Even when the main Space Force idea drives the story, like in episode two where Naird and his team of scientists try to instruct a chimpanzee to repair a satellite, it's just hard work to watch. Jokes about space chimps just seem very out-of-date, even with Space Force's expensive-looking CG simian. 

It just doesn't find enough to do with its main idea, and laughs are fairly thin on the ground. 

That said, Space Force is breezy enough viewing, and my investment in the characters slowly increased over the course of the episodes. It's just not as funny as I hoped it would be given the caliber of the show's talent. And maybe after a couple of months in lockdown where streaming is one of a limited selection of hobbies, my expectations might've been slightly too high.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy, but the reason Daniels' past creations (Parks and Rec, The Office, King of the Hill) resonated is that they brought humor out of the mundane. Maybe Space Force can be a good vehicle for jokes, but here there just aren't enough good ones. The episode length, which frequently exceeds 30 minutes, makes the show feel languid, too. I wonder if the same episodes forced into a traditional 20 minutes might improve the pace of the show, and result in a higher rate of jokes per minute. 

Space Force's ensemble is the best thing about it. Carell, also a co-creator, is a major get for Netflix, and alongside him and Malkovich you have Friends' Lisa Kudrow and Parks and Rec's Ben Schwartz. You'll see many more familiar US sitcom regulars, too. The series also features the final TV performance by actor Fred Willard, and he is a treat to watch here.

Netflix US will lose The Office at the end of 2020 and gain Seinfeld in 2021. Old comedy is still important to the world's most popular streaming service, and Space Force is a valiant attempt to give subscribers a newer offering to get excited about. It's just not as funny as it should be. 

Like The Office, maybe Space Force will take a second season to really hit its stride. 

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Android 11 release date, beta, features and what we know about the next OS update

Posted: 30 May 2020 04:13 AM PDT

It's going to be a while before you can use Android 11 on your phones, as it's only set to start rolling out towards the end of 2020, but we already know a few features it might bring since the company has released a few developer previews already.

Developer previews are version of the operating system released ahead of time so app developers can see all the new features, but inevitably these features end up getting leaked online, so we have a good glimpse at Google's upcoming operating system update.

The official reveal of Android 11 was going to happen on June 3, but that date has now been pushed back. Typically it would have landed at Google IO 2020 in May, but that event got canceled.

The 2020 Android update is set to be called Android 11 – that’s not speculation, but fact, since Google has confirmed the name itself. This follows, because with Android 10 Google pledged to follow a numerical system of operating system organisation.

That means while Android 9 was Android Pie, Android 10 wasn’t Android Quiche, and Android 11 won’t be Android Rhubarb and Custard (sadly) or Android Rocky Road - but it will be packed with updates and, likely, a few long-awaited features.

We've already started hearing rumors and news surrounding the upcoming Android operating system. Here we’ll collect everything we know about Android 11.

Update: We're still not sure when the Android 11 public beta will arrive.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The newest Android operating system
  • When is it out? Likely September 2020, at least on Pixel phones
  • How much will it cost? Android 11 will be available for free

Android 11 release date

Google tends to unveil some of the features of its newest operating system at Google IO in May, before releasing the OS for Pixel phones with an Android 11 release date of sometime in September – in 2019, for example, it debuted on the Pixel 4. 

We know that Google IO 2020 isn't happening in 2020 thanks to coronavirus concerns. Having originally booked an replacement online event for June 3, Google has now decided that isn't happening either.

Subsequent betas will land in July and then August, followed by the finished release probably in September.

After that, different smartphone brands will have their devices eligible for the update slowly over time. The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro were the first non-Google smartphones which came with Android 10 in the box, but it could be a different company for Android 11.

Not all smartphone manufacturers upgrade immediately, however, and it’ll likely be some time in 2021 that all smartphones that can upgrade, have had the upgrade made available.

Android 11 features

Android

The main Android 11 information we know of comes from the first Android 11 Developer Preview which was unveiled to software developers in mid-February 2020, and it details a few new features of the upcoming operating system. Not all the features are shown, just the ones useful for developers, but it's an intriguing first look.

An important Android 11 feature seems to be how apps can now find out if you're on 5G, continuing a feature which lets apps distinguish whether you're on 4G or Wi-Fi connection. This would optimize content and performance for however you're connected, likely stopping you draining loads of data unnecessarily.

Additionally, it seems that the notification bar in Android 11 will have its own messaging tab, so notifications from ongoing conversations, or from other apps, will be divided to let you ignore some if you want.

Some smartphones let you schedule a night shield, so that past a certain time blue light from the screen is reduced. Well, it seems Android 11 will have a similar function but with dark mode, so you can schedule when dark mode is enabled. Hopefully that also means dark mode will be rolled out to far more

An Android 11 feature that will please the security-minded is changed app permissions. Typically, for an app to use your camera, access your contacts, or anything else like that, you need to grant it permission. It seems in Android 11 you can choose to give permission 'Just this once', so you know exactly when the app is accessing other parts of your phone.

Google Pixel 3a XL

As an extension of this, it seems that the option to give an app location settings access will only be available 'just this once', so you won't be able to give an app carte blanche to check where you are all the time. This will stop apps like Facebook checking where you are all the time.

If you often have trouble lining up your smartphone on its wireless charging pad, it seems Android 11 might come with a fix for that. It'll show you an error message when your phone is poorly aligned, so you know you need to shift the device to get the full charge.

Another feature that some people might love? Now, when you're connected to Bluetooth headphones and you turn on Airplane mode, the Bluetooth won't disconnect from everything. This'll save some people a lot of annoying hassle.

Before the developer preview, Google also confirmed an Android 11 feature called ‘Scoped Storage’, which was initially meant to be available in Android 10, but Google pushed it back due to complaints from Android developers.

Scoped Storage is a new way of organizing what information and files your apps can read – in short, it makes memory read speeds much quicker, improves your security, and stops you needing to give every new app permissions.

Google Pixel 4

The third Android 11 developer preview also showed us some more features that might be coming in the future smartphone update.

The most important new change is that you can now dismiss all notifications, including those you previously couldn't like Bluetooth alerts, charging reminders and more. This is sure to clean up lots of clutter for some people.

The Recents menu is seeing some changes too including an undo button for if you accidentally close an app you didn't mean to, a screenshot button so you can capture a screenshot without actually opening the app, and more.

Some buttons are having their sizes tweaked, so you don't accidentally miss them, and the 'Volume' menu is getting changed to 'Sound' for some reason.

Also there's an option to hotspot your phone via ethernet cable, not Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, for if you have the right cable to do so.

What we want to see in Android 11

These are the improvements we'd like to see in Android 11, that we still don't have in the latest build of Google's operating system.

1. A new NFC file-sharing alternative

With Android 10 came the removal of Android Beam, which let phones share files over NFC. All you had to do was tap phones together to share files, but it's gone now.

It'd be useful to have some easy-to-use alternative that lets you share photos, videos, music, or other files just by pressing the phones against each other – at the moment it can be quite a hassle to use a specific app to do so, and Apple's Airdrop is a useful feature that has no equivalent in Android.

2. Improved dark mode

Dark mode isn't for everyone, but those who use it love it – or they want to, at least, but in Android 10 it has a lot of problems.

Firstly, not that many apps have their own dark modes, not even all Google apps, so using your smartphone with dark mode on can often see you jumping straight from dark apps to light ones, and back again.

Secondly, on apps that do have dark mode some text isn't color-swapped, and can remain invisible – this actually happens on Google search, so you can't see suggested results.

For dark mode to be useful on Android smartphones, it needs to actually be usable for most apps, instead of just an optional toggle here and there.

3.  Extended chat 'bubbles'

One of the new features of Android 10 was the introduction of chat 'bubbles', similar to Facebook Messenger, laid over the top of other apps, that let you see all your conversations over several apps all in one easy-to-access format.

Not all apps are compatible though, and while some of those that you use to message people, there are many that aren't, with only the main text app Messages, and Google Hangouts, compatible. That means if you want to have conversations over various apps, for the most part you're still going to be using those apps.

It'd be really useful if more apps became compatible – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, and perhaps even dating apps! Then, it'd be incredibly easy to keep on top of your various conversations across all the different apps that fill up your phone. 

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Android 11 reveal delayed as Google pushes back its big event

Posted: 30 May 2020 03:30 AM PDT

We had been looking forward to hearing a lot more about Android 11 this coming Wednesday, June 3 – and maybe trying it out – but Google has now decided to push back the launch of the public beta.

That's according to a tweet from the official Android Developers account, which says: "We are excited to tell you more about Android 11, but now is not the time to celebrate."

It's not explicitly stated, but it would appear the ongoing unrest and protests in the US, sparked by the death of George Floyd, are the reason behind the move. Google will apparently be "back with more on Android 11, soon".

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That leaves us with no official launch date for the Android 11 public beta, though a developer preview has been available since February. It remains to be seen whether the full release of Android 11 will still launch as planned in the third quarter of 2020.

The Android 11 schedule

Google traditionally uses its IO developer conference in May to tell us all about the latest version of Android. Given the global pandemic that we're all living through, the 2020 edition got moved online and then canceled completely.

Nevertheless, we were expecting the roll out of Android 11 to happen more or less on the same schedule as previous editions of the mobile OS (in fact, the developer preview launched earlier than normal).

The developer preview is usually followed by a public beta that anyone can test – which was due to appear on June 3 – and then Google tends to push out the finished version of the software a few months later, before the annual launch of its Pixel phones.

World events have put that schedule in doubt, so we're still waiting for a proper unveiling of Android 11 (though we do know a little bit about what's coming). As soon as Google announces a new date for the Android 11 public beta, we'll let you know.

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Fibre broadband deals: TalkTalk is a top choice with an £80 voucher and low bills

Posted: 30 May 2020 02:44 AM PDT

With everyone spending more time at home, fibre broadband deals have become more of a necessity, giving you the speeds to stream in HD, game and fight off buffering in a large household. But if you're looking to upgrade, which plan should you go for?

Right now, TalkTalk is looking like the best value option of all the broadband deals out there. Go with its cheaper fibre plan and you'll get speeds averaging 38Mb and only have to pay £23.50 a month, there's not even any upfront costs.

Then the cherry on top of this broadband shaped cake - an £80 voucher to use at Amazon, M&S, Tesco or as a Mastercard. That's going to be one of the cheapest options out there, rivalling the usual cheap internet winner - Plusnet.

You can see this promotion below but keep in mind that it will be coming to an end on June 3 so you don't have a huge amount of time to grab it.

TalkTalk's great value cheap broadband deal:

What other broadband deals are there?

There are two fibre broadband deals that best compete with this offer right now - Vodafone and Plusnet. Go with Vodafone and you're getting speeds averaging 63Mb at a price of £22.95.

That means you're getting roughly double the speeds that TalkTalk has above but you're tied into a 24 month contract and you don't get the voucher that TalkTalk is giving out.

Plusnet on the other hand is offering similar speeds and pricing with 36Mb averages at a cost of £22.99. Like TalkTalk there is a reward card (a Mastercard in this case) with a value of £75.

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Massive Hisense 4K TV deals offer lowest prices yet this weekend

Posted: 30 May 2020 01:57 AM PDT

Hisense 4K TV deals are seeing new price lows at Argos this weekend, with the exclusive Roku-based display on offer for as little as £299 right now. That means you can secure a cheap 4K TV for even less right now, and pick up a size above what we usually see at this price. 

These sales begin at 50-inches right now, so you're getting far more screen real estate for your cash on top of a cheaper price point. For just a little change more, you can, however, upgrade to the 55-inch model at a reduced price of just £329. Once you move past 55-inches, prices start to climb, but you can still grab yourself a massive 65-inch 4K TV for under £450 this weekend. 

Hisense are well known for producing cheap 4K TVs with some fantastic display properties hidden in that low price tag. You're picking up all the usual features of a 4K TV in 2020 - Ultra-HD resolution with HDR and a powerful sound system, just at a much more budget-friendly price point. If these models aren't shaping up right now, however, you can always take a look at the latest cheap TV deals from around the web. 

Not in the UK? We're rounding up all the latest 4K TV deals in the US and Australia further down the page. 

Cheap 4K TV deals 

Looking for something a bit more premium? Check out the best OLED TV prices and deals from around the web. Or, if you want to kit out your new display, take a look at the latest Fire TV stick deals and sales. 

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Call of Duty: Warzone finally has the mode everyone’s been asking for

Posted: 30 May 2020 01:50 AM PDT

After weeks of pleading, Infinity Ward has finally added duos mode to Call of Duty: Warzone battle royale—and it’s available to play now on all platforms. 

The news was announced in a tweet from the official Infinity Ward account, which confirmed that, thanks to the new playlist update, Warzone now has solos, duos, trios, quads and plunder quads all at once. That still leaves plenty of choice for those who can't settle on just one battlefield buddy. 

In a blog post that gives a little more detail, Activision explained that the new duos mode will see players drop into the Battle Royale’s Verdansk map paired up with either a friend or with another random player. Overall, the mode plays in much the same manner as Warzone’s trios and quads, but naturally a smaller team increases the pressure because everyone has to pull their weight if they want to survive and win:

It takes two

“Duos is quite possibly the ultimate test of friendship and teamwork; with only one other teammate to rely on, you’ll have to coordinate your strategies, make good callouts, and most importantly, hit your shots if your fellow Operator’s life is at stake.”

The other good news is that it looks like the mode could be sticking around for a while as Infinity Ward hasn’t given an indication of when, or if, it’ll be disappearing. 

Players tired of fighting in a trio with a stranger or in an incomplete trio have been requesting a duos mode since Warzone Battle Royale’s launch. Although Infinity Ward had previously promised it was coming and even briefly added duos to Plunder mode, the developer also said (via VGC) it had to iron out some bugs and find “the right time” to launch. 

The right time has come shortly before the launch of Modern Warfare and Warzone’s Season 4 on June 3. Although we’re not entirely sure what changes the new season will bring just yet, a recent trailer has hinted Captain Price could be stepping into the Warzone as a new operator.

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This extraordinary 12GB for £8/pm SIM only deal from Three ends soon

Posted: 30 May 2020 12:30 AM PDT

Three doesn't often do 'flash sales'. But when it does, it really makes them count. And the network's current blink-and-you-miss-it SIM only deal is no exception.

As long as you grab it by June 1, Three is offering a SIM only tariff that will give you 12GB of data a month with unlimited calls and texts for a mere £8 per month!

- Click here to sign up to this SIMO deal on the Three website

That is genuinely outstanding value. 12GB each month is enough for hours of Spotify streaming, the odd Netflix or YouTube video and downloading plenty of podcasts, all without having to hold back on the usual social media scrolling and Google Map exploring.

Frankly. Three SIM only deals have the market cornered at the moment, and if you still think that 12GB won't quite be enough for your streaming and downloading habits then there may be an even better option for you. Three is currently also offering its unlimited data SIM plan for an unheard of £16 per month - a traiff exclusive to TechRadar readers only!

  • Need a phone to combine with your SIMO? Check out our best SIM-free phones guide

Why go with a Three SIM only deal?

If you haven't already been won over by this amazing offer from Three then you'll be excited to hear that the network doesn't shy away from offering up some extra incentives as well.

Whether that be free exclusive prizes or extra roaming. Here are some of the main benefits currently on offer by going with a Three mobile deal:

- Personal Hotspot: Use your data to tether your laptop so you and use your phone like your own mobile broadband router

- Go Roam: Roaming abilities in 71 worldwide countries at no extra cost

- Control your spending: Features that allow you to block calls and texts to certain numbers that might otherwise run up extra costs on your bill

- Data flexibility: Add extra data to your tariff at anytime, even halfway through a month

- Travel Swagger: Get travel upgrades with Easyjet with bag drop and early boarding (well...it's nice  in theory!)

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