Thursday, May 7, 2020

Apple : AMD Ryzen Pro CPU range takes the enterprise fight to Intel

Apple : AMD Ryzen Pro CPU range takes the enterprise fight to Intel


AMD Ryzen Pro CPU range takes the enterprise fight to Intel

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:47 PM PDT

After successfully launching its Ryzen Mobile 4000 series chips for consumer laptops, AMD has announced the launch of its updated Ryzen Pro CPU range.

These new processors have up to eight of the latest Zen 2 cores, up to Vega 7 computer graphics and are built using the latest TSMC 7nm process node technology.

Ryzen Pro is AMD's commercial platform that is specifically designed for company contracts, education deployments, medical use cases and for any other environment that requires the ability to easily manage devices across an entire workforce.

These processors have several features enabled that aren't turned on in AMD's consumer products and they also require additional validation at the manufacturing level. The company's Ryzen Pro CPUs also include AMD's Memory Guard which enables full encryption when a system is in hibernate mode to prevent potential attackers from accessing a user's data.

Ryzen Pro 4000 series

AMD plans to launch three Ryzen Pro 4000 series processors for mobile devices with a TDP of 15 W including a Ryzen 7 Pro, a Ryzen 5 Pro and a Ryzen 3 Pro .

These new CPUs contain a number of improvements over the previous generation Ryzen Pro 3000 series by increasing core counts across the stack and increasing the underlying microarchitecture all while using the same amount of power.

These improvements have made a difference in performance and AMD says that its Ryzen Pro 4000 series processors have 29 percent increased single threaded performance, 132 percent increased multithreaded performance and 13 percent increased graphics performance. When compared to similar products from Intel, AMD's new processors provide 32 percent better performance for digital content creation and productivity in benchmarks which try to emulate real world performance.

Senior vice president and general manager of AMD's client business unit,  Saeid Moshkelani provided further insight on the company's new Ryzen Pro 4000 series processors in a press release, saying:

“With the launch of AMD Ryzen PRO 4000 Series Mobile Processors, AMD once again defines the new standard for PC experiences – from high-end desktop computing to ultrathin and gaming notebooks, and now the modern business notebook. Built on the ground-breaking ‘Zen 2’ architecture and 7nm process technology, the AMD Ryzen for Business portfolio delivers advanced performance, reliable security features, impressive battery life and advanced manageability to significantly elevate the capabilities of the ultrathin notebook in any work environment.”

Via AnandTech

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Best Buy's Google Home sale cuts the price down to just $29

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:36 PM PDT

Best Buy is slashing the price on Google's best-selling smart home devices, which includes a fantastic deal on the first-generation Google Home smart speaker.

For a limited time, you can get the Google-Assistant powered speaker on sale for just $29.99. That's a massive $70 discount and the lowest price we've found for the Google Home smart speaker.

If you'd like a smart speaker with a screen, Best Buy also has the Google Nest Hub on sale for $79.99, and if you're looking for a bundle deal, you can get the Google Smart Light Starter Kit on sale for just $35.

All of the devices are powered by the Google Assistant so you can use your voice to ask questions, get the news, check the weather, and more. You can also play music from popular services like Spotify and YouTube music and control other compatible smart home devices completely hands-free.

The best Google Home deals:

Shop more Google Home devices with our list of the cheapest Google Home prices: the best Home Mini, Hub and Max deals.

You can also see the best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals.

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AMD Ryzen 3000 release date, news and rumors

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:16 PM PDT

With the AMD Ryzen 3000 chips finally hitting shelves, Team Red is on a fast track to the top of the processor game. The first generation Ryzen chips have changed the market for the better and the Ryzen 2nd-generation managed to double Intel’s sales in 2018, so there’s a lot riding on these 3rd-generation chips. And, they’ve certainly lived up to the hype, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

It’s all thanks to the 7-nanometer (nm) Zen 2 architecture that the AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs are bringing to the mainstream for the very first time, all while keeping the cost approachable to the mass consumer. These new AMD Ryzen processors have introduced, for example, up to 16-cores and 32-threads to the mainstream market in the Ryzen 9 3950X, which has broken world overclocking records when it came out. Not only that, but AMD could also be cooking up a couple budget-friendly processors, according to a recent leak.

With Intel having a lot of issues introducing 10nm Cannon Lake chips and its next HEDT lineup staying on 14nm, the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors certainly came at the right time and with exactly what consumers have been needing for quite a while. And, even with the Ryzen 4000 CPUs for laptops coming soon, these chips will be favored by gamers, content creators and regular users for a long time. For everything you need to know about Ryzen 3000, we put everything on this page. 

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? AMD’s 3rd generation of mainstream processors for laptops and desktops
  • When is it out? Out since July 7, 2019
  • What will it cost? Starting at $99 (about £79, AU$150)

AMD presenting the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation at CES 2019

AMD presenting the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation at CES 2019. (Image Credit: TechRadar)

AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation release date

The AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors, first announced at CES 2019, are out now. Many of them finally hit the streets on July 7. The Ryzen 9 3900 and Ryzen 5 3500X, on the other hand, both came out on October 8. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, the surprise reveal of E3 2019, came out later on November 25. 

AMD presenting the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation at CES 2019

AMD presenting the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation at CES 2019. (Image Credit: TechRadar)

AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation price

At AMD’s Computex 2019 keynote, Team Red showcased several processors from the Ryzen 5 3600 to the Ryzen 9 3900X. These CPUs offer seriously impressive options from the mid-range to the high-end. Curiously, there have been no announcements of any 7nm Zen 2 processors for the budget sector, but at least AMD launched new APUs in the Ryzen 3 3300G and Ryzen 5 3400G at $99 (£94, AU$144) and $149 (£139, AU$240), respectively.

  • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X: $749 (about £590, AU$1,080)
  • AMD Ryzen 9 3900X: $499 (about £390, AU$720)
  • AMD Ryzen 7 3800X: $399 (about £310, AU$580)
  • AMD Ryzen 7 3700X: $329 (about £260, AU$480)
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600X: $249 (about £200, AU$360)
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600: $199 (about £160, AU$290)
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3400G: $149 (£139, AU$240)
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3300X: $120 (about £100, AU$190)
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3300G: $99 (£94, AU$144)
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3100: $99 (about £79, AU$150)

AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation

The AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation delivers significant performance bumps, with power consumption taking a nosedive. (Image credit: TechRadar)

AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation specs

Now that the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation lineup has been released, we know exactly what’s inside these new 7nm processors for consumers. You should experience perceptible performance bumps, with power consumption taking a nosedive. Improvements all around.

The 7nm Zen 2 architecture found in AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors allows AMD to bring TDP down to just 65W in the Ryzen 5 3600, for one. It also implements a considerable 15% improvement to IPC (instructions per clock) performance. This should see performance go up, resulting in some of the best processors for gaming.

With the Ryzen 5 3600X, AMD takes the performance of the budget-minded Ryzen 5 2600X to another level, increasing IPC (instructions per clock) performance and clock speed while keeping the same price point. 

Of course, if we can’t talk about AMD’s affordable releases without mentioning the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X, which delivers mid-range gaming performance for much cheaper, and its lower-specced sibling, the AMD Ryzen 3 3100. The Ryzen 3 3300X boasts double the amount of L3 cache over its predecessor and manages to be about 10-20% faster with its 4 cores, 8 threads and 4.3GHz in boost clock. The Ryzen 3 3100, on the other hand, has the same amount of L3 cache, as well as the same number of cores and threads. However, it has a boost clock of only 3.6GHz.

On the high-end, there’s the Ryzen 9 3950X, an absolute monster of a processor, with 16 cores and 32 threads and a boost clock of 4.7GHz. These specs are stunning in their own right, but what really takes it to the next level is that it manages to do it with a relatively low 105W TDP. 

Next to it is the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, and while it’s not as impressive as the 3950X – at least on paper – it still packs 12-cores and 24-threads of high-performance power. With boost clocks up to 4.6GHz, it’s an impressive amount of power for that 105W TDP, even if temperatures get a little high. And, for about the same price point, the Ryzen 9 3900X is between 25%-40% faster than the Intel Core i9-9900K in multi-threaded loads.

And there’s the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which boasts 8-core, 16-thread and a TDP of just 65W. Just like the Ryzen 9 3900X, it’s also an absolute beast when it comes to multi-threaded workloads.

As far as the rumored new wave of Ryzen 3000 processors, well, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900 would be a lower-powered version of the excellent AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, with a similar relationship between the Ryzen 7 3700 and the Ryzen 7 3700X. They apparently will have the same core and thread counts as their X counterparts, only with a 65W TDP.

However, AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation is more than just the mid-range and the top-end. If a new leak is to be trusted, we may be seeing an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and an AMD Ryzen 3 3300X, both of which would be 4-core, 8-thread entry-level 65W processors. 

We went ahead and listed out all the specs of the confirmed Ryzen 3000 processors below:

  • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X – 16-cores, 32-threads | 4.7GHz boost, 3.5GHz base | 105W
  • AMD Ryzen 9 3900X – 12-cores, 24-threads | 4.6GHz boost, 3.8GHz base | 105W 
  • AMD Ryzen 7 3800X – 8-cores, 16-threads | 4.5GHz boost, 3.9GHz base | 105W
  • AMD Ryzen 7 3700X – 8-cores, 16-threads | 4.4GHz boost, 3.6GHz base | 65W
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600X – 6-cores, 12-threads | 4.4GHz boost, 3.8GHz base | 95W
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600 – 6-cores, 12-threads | 4.2GHz boost, 3.6GHz base | 65W
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3300X – 4-cores, 8-threads | 4.3GHz boost, 3.5GHz base | 65W
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3400G – 4-cores, 8-threads | 4.2GHz boost, 3.7GHz base | 65W
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3100 – 4-cores, 8-threads | 3.6GHz boost, 3.5GHz base | 65W

At every level, AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation brings better performance and concurrently lowers power consumption over the previous generation. Of course, AMD boasted some benchmarks where it flexed on the competition, but that’s par for the course.

The X570 chipset also marks a generational improvement in computing. Along with the faster processors, the biggest improvement is the support for PCIe 4.0, exclusive to AMD. This new generation of PCIe brings faster graphics cards and SSDs to AMD’s platform. It delivers up to 51% faster SSD performance, along with 69% faster graphics performance – though that will be exclusive to AMD Navi graphics cards for now.

X570 also brings native support to four SuperSpeed USB ports, with a maximum bandwidth of 10Gbps. This will support both USB-A and USB-C connections, and while it’s not as fast as Thunderbolt 3, the native support should lead to wider adoption across desktop motherboards.

Ryzen isn’t just about desktop components. At E3 2019, Microsoft revealed that its follow up to the Xbox, Project Scarlett, will be powered by a custom SoC made of a Zen 2 processor and an AMD Navi GPU. Slated for a "Holiday 2020" release, Project Scarlett is rumored to be four times more powerful than the Xbox One X having the ability to run games at 120FPS and potentially 8K resolutions.

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Best cheap processors 2020: get the fastest clock speeds for your dollar

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:10 PM PDT

Processors are the most important component of any computer system, so it might not seem like the place to look for savings, but you'd be surprised. Some of the best cheap processors are still plenty fast for most users, while keeping an accessible price tag. 

Still,many of these chips come with necessary trade-offs, making it important to know what you're looking for before you invest in a cheap processor. So if you're looking for an all-in-one CPU for everyday use or a budget gaming processor so you can invest more into a discrete graphics card for gaming, we've picked some of the processors to fit whatever your needs.

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

It’s releases like the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X that really push gaming PCs forward. This processor may not technically beat the likes of Ryzen 9 3900X and the Intel Core i9-9900K, but its excellent performance, coupled with its affordability, brings downs the barrier to entry on heavy multi-threaded performance. Suddenly, people don’t have to break the bank to experience what it’s like to have top-end hardware powering their PCs. Is it a wonder that the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X has to be one of our favorite CPU releases in 2020?

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

If you're looking for a general-purpose CPU and you really don't want to spend a lot of money, you can hardly do better than the Intel Pentium Gold G5400. You might be surprised to hear the name "Pentium" nowadays with all the Core-branded chips on the market, but the Pentium brand still has some life left in it yet. 

While still only a dual-core processor, the Pentium Gold G5400 supports hyperthreading and a clock speed to rival the Core i3. For everyday home or office use, this processor is more than adequate and for the almost obscene price point, it's impossible not to recommend it as one of the best cheap processors.

AMD Ryzen 3 3100

Budget-minded consumers who missed out on all the 3rd-generation Ryzen excitement will appreciate AMD’s latest attempt in the entry-level sphere. There’s no denying that the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is appealingly cheap, but it does so without compromising on performance. In fact, this chip delivers a performance that could almost rival that of processors double its price, without sucking up much power. And, it’s an excellent choice for budget gamers who are looking for something that can handle 1080p gaming.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 3100

When it comes to a general-use processor, the Intel Core i3 has always reigned supreme, and the Core i3-9100 is no exception. With integrated graphics and a base clock of 3.6 GHz (boostable to 4.2 GHz), this processor was built with the average office and home user in mind but has a little something for gamers and creatives thrown in. 

It doesn't throw in a whole lot, though. The Core i3-9100 is perfect for office tasks, web-browsing, and 1080p streaming video, but you won't get high-performance gaming from this processor. Heavy-duty video or audio editing will also struggle here, but if you're building a cheap computer for a parent or to help manage orders in an office, then the Intel Core i3-9100 is just about the best cheap processor you're going to find, hands down.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

If there's some slack in your budget for a gaming PC processor, then you need to look long and hard at the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X. Its six cores put out some of the best performance in the mid-range processor class that we've ever seen and its price puts it right on the line between the mid-range and the budget processor classes, which technically qualifies it for a spot on our list of the best cheap processors out there.

While Intel's Core i5-9600K might perform better in terms of single-core performance, Ryzen 5 3600X 12 processing threads doubles-up on Intel's competing chip, putting it far out in front of Intel for most tasks and then some. Multitasking is key nowadays, even for gaming, so AMD's Ryzen 5 3600X comes out ahead on the merits even before taking into account significantly lower price point. For the money, you're not going to find a better gaming CPU. 

Read our full review: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

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The Apple Watch Series 3 is on sale at Best Buy for only $179

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:10 PM PDT

If you've been waiting for the price of the Apple Watch 3 to drop, then today is your lucky day. Right now, Best Buy has the Apple Watch Series 3 on sale for only $179.99. That's a $100 discount and the lowest price we've seen for the smartwatch since Black Friday.

The Apple Watch 3 is packed with health and fitness-focused features while also keeping you connected. The smartwatch tracks activity, workouts, and calories burned and offers 24/7 heart rate monitoring. The swim-proof smartwatch will even notify you when an unusually high or low heart rate is detected and features a breathing app to help with everyday stress. The Series 3 watch provides an 18-hour battery life and includes basic smartwatch features such as the ability to make calls, send messages, and receive notifications.

As we've mentioned above, this is the lowest price we've found for the Apple Watch Series 3 and a fantastic deal for a feature-rich smartwatch. You probably won't see an offer like this until Amazon Prime Day, so you should take advantage now before it's too late. 

Shop more deals with our roundup of the best Memorial Day sales.

Discover more Apple watch sales with the best cheap Apple Watch prices and deals or just out our roundup of refurbished Apple Watch deals.

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Best processors 2020: the best CPUs for your PC from Intel and AMD

Posted: 07 May 2020 01:05 PM PDT

If you want a powerful PC, one of the best processors on the market is the way to go. The faster and more powerful your CPU is, the better your computer’s performance and power efficiency will be. And, you’ll certainly see and feel the difference, whether you’re only browsing the web and streaming movies after work or actually taking on processor-hungry tasks on a daily basis.

Lucky for you, now’s a great time to invest in a powerful processor. Thanks to the fiery competition between Intel and AMD, with AMD rolling out its Ryzen 3rd generation processors, and Intel releasing its Coffee Lake Refresh and Ice Lake chips, the CPU market is teeming with the best processors with the most competitive prices we’ve seen to date. You can hardly throw a stone without hitting an impressive processor that does the job and more. 

To help you find the best processor for your needs, we gathered the top CPUs 2020 has to offer. Whatever your budget is and however demanding your computing needs are, you’ll find something here that will suit you.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is currently the king of all mainstream processors.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X isn’t just AMD’s best mainstream processor right now; it’s also currently the king of all mainstream processors. With multi-threaded performance that destroys everything in its path to start, you won’t find a processor more impressive without stepping up to the HEDT market. Sure, there are some workloads where the Intel Core i9-9900K will still come out better, like with old games that are completely single threaded. However, thanks to this chip, the gap is definitely starting to narrow.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

Intel Core i9-9900KS

All of Intel Core i9-9900KS' eight cores can accelerate to 5.0GHz without the need for overclocking.

Inheriting the best high-end CPU spot from your predecessor isn’t always a good thing, especially when you’ve got big shoes to fill. Luckily for the Intel Core i9-9900KS, it manages to deliver impressive performance that earns it this spot in its own right. Not only does it offer a faster base clock than the Intel Core i9-9900K, but all its eight cores can accelerate to 5.0GHz without the need for overclocking. Though all that comes with a higher TDP and requires a very efficient cooling system, it’s still a pretty impressive upgrade. We only wish that Intel didn’t give it a price jump, as the Intel Core i9-9900K was already pricey enough.

Read the full review: Intel Core i9-9900KS

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X takes that budget-minded stage of performance to a new level.

With more threads than the Intel Core i5-9600K, this mid-range graphics card delivers impressive multi-threading performance. However, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X doesn’t just stop there: it takes that budget-minded stage of performance to a new level, with its increased IPC (instructions per clock) performance and a higher clock speed while staying at the same price point. It also stays competitive in even the most intense single-threaded applications.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

AMD Ryzen 3 3100

Budget-minded consumers who missed out on all the 3rd-generation Ryzen excitement the first time will appreciate AMD’s latest attempt in the entry-level sphere. There’s no denying that the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is appealingly cheap, but it does so without compromising on performance. In fact, this chip delivers a performance that could almost rival that of processors double its price, without sucking up much power. And, it’s an excellent choice for budget gamers who are looking for something that can handle 1080p gaming.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 3100

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

It’s releases like the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X that really push gaming PCs forward. This processor may not technically beat the likes of Ryzen 9 3900X and the Intel Core i9-9900K, but its excellent performance, coupled with its affordability, brings downs the barrier to entry on heavy multi-threaded performance. Suddenly, people don’t have to break the bank to experience what it’s like to have top-end hardware powering their PCs. Is it a wonder that the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is one of our favorite CPU releases in 2020?

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

AMD Ryzen 7 1800X

AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is better suited for VR workloads.

Initially the Intel Core i7-7700K’s biggest competition, the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X still holds its own today, despite having been succeeded by the Ryzen 7 2800X. Its high core count, when compared to its Intel rival, means that it's better suited for VR workloads. Now that it’s dropped considerably in price, it’s more affordable than ever. If you’re building a VR rig, do yourself a favor: save some cash without sacrificing too much on performance with the Ryzen 7 1800X. It’s undoubtedly one of the best processors for VR gaming.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 7 1800X

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a beast when it comes to multi-threaded workloads.

The single-threaded performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X admittedly still falls behind Intel, but what matters most in video editing and rendering is how a chip does with multi-threaded workloads. If you’re building a computer that can handle your video editing demands, this chip is an absolute beast and our top pick for video editing. That’s not all: this AMD chip offers impressive performance and a Wraith Spire cooler at a very affordable price.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

Intel Core i9-9980XE

Intel Core i9-9980XE absolutely destroys all its competitors.

Are you the kind of user that demands world-class performance, and money is no object? The Intel Core i9-9980XE is among the best processors for you. With 18-cores and 36-threads, it absolutely destroys all its competitors on the market right now, if just barely. Multi-threaded applications and workstation-class projects are going to breeze by with this chip. However, if that steep price tag makes you do a double take, then you might want to look somewhere else.

Read the full review: Intel Core i9-9980XE

Intel Pentium G4560

Intel Pentium G4560 shows us what low-end CPUs have been missing for a long time.

If you choose the Intel Pentium G4560 over a Core i3 chip, you might not even notice the slight loss of performance, as you’ll be too busy counting all the money you saved. As the first Pentium chip in a long time to boast hyper-threading, the G4560 shows us what low-end CPUs have been missing for a long time. In benchmarks, it proves that it’s easily adjacent to the pricier Intel Core i3-7100.

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G changed everything for mainstream PC users.

One of the only things that was missing in AMD’s Ryzen processors when they blew up was the integrated graphics support. But then, the Ryzen 5 2400G hit the streets and changed everything for mainstream PC users. With excellent AMD Vega graphics, it’s a fantastic APU most ideal for anyone looking to build a home theater PC. In addition, now that AMD has slashed the price, you can get your 4K action for cheaper than ever.

Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 

Michelle Rae Uy also contributed to this article.

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GitHub launches Codespaces for in-browser coding

Posted: 07 May 2020 12:43 PM PDT

GitHub recently held its virtual GitHub Satellite event where the Microsoft-owned company announced several new features for its developer platform including Codespaces which allows customers to write code from within their browser.

GitHub Codespaces provides developers with a full cloud-hosted development environment which is based on Microsoft's VS Code editor. It shares a number of similarities with Microsoft's recently rebranded Visual Studio Code Online that is now called Visual Studio Codespaces.

In a blog post, SVP of product at GitHub, Shanku Hiyogi explained how Codespaces will make it easier for developers to contribute code to communities, saying:

“Contributing code to a community can be hard. Every repository has its own way of configuring a dev environment, which often requires dozens of steps before you can write any code. Even worse, sometimes the environment of two projects you are working on conflict with one another. Codespaces gives you a fully-featured, cloud-hosted dev environment that spins up in seconds, directly within GitHub, so you can start contributing to a project right away.” 

GitHub Codespaces is currently in beta and interested developers can sign up for access now. The company hasn't revealed pricing details for the new feature yet but according to Niyogi, it will have a similar pricing model to GitHub Actions which charges for computationally intensive tasks such as builds.

GitHub Discussions and code scanning

In addition to Codespaces, GitHub also announced another new feature called GitHub Discussions which will add discussion forums to projects so that developers can discuss their work.

Issues and pull requests previously allowed developers to discuss their code in a linear format but Discussions will allow for unstructured threaded conversations. The new feature can even be used for Q&As and according to GitHub, they can also be used to maintain FAQs and other documents. Discussions is currently in beta for open source communities but the feature will be made available for other projects soon.

To improve security, GitHub also announced two new features called code scanning and secret scanning. Code scanning, which is free for open source projects, can check users' code for potential security vulnerabilities and is powered by CodeQL. Secret scanning, which is available for private repositories, watches private repositories for known secret formats and identifies developers if any are found.

Finally, GitHub announced the launch of Private Instances for its enterprise customers. Private Instances provide a number of benefits including enhanced security, compliance and policy features along with bring-your-own-key encryption, backup archiving and compliance with regional data sovereignty requirements.

Via TechCrunch

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Xbox Series X game trailers: all the videos from the next-gen gameplay reveal

Posted: 07 May 2020 12:30 PM PDT

The first dozen Xbox Series X game trailers premiered during Microsoft's live stream and gave us insight into its console's capabilities. The event was our chance to see Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 and a new Yakuza game running on the forthcoming new Xbox.

Some heavy-hitters were noticeably absent, and Xbox Games Studios head Matt Booty noted that first-party games would be revealed in July. In other words, we have to wait to see that Halo Infinite trailer, even though it's the most anticipated Xbox Series X game. 

Instead, the first stream focused on games from Microsoft’s third-party partners. The headliner was the viking-themed Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, but most of the Xbox Series X games shown off were original titles – not sequels or from known franchises. 

Unveiling a list of unknowns wasn’t quite what viewers were expecting, and likely won’t build the kind of hype that showing off new Halo, Gears, or Forza footage would have, it’s a relief to see Microsoft’s partnerships paying off with a diverse lineup of Xbox Series X games.

  • 5 things you may have missed from the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal
  •  Xbox Series X games: every exclusive and cross-gen game announced so far
  • The best reactions to the Xbox Series X's underwhelming gameplay reveal event

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

While last to be shown, the biggest game shown on the stream was certainly Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Norse altars, the aurora borealis, and longships, oh my! While we didn’t see any gameplay, this Xbox Series X game trailer showed off some exciting moments that we’re sure will make sense in context of the game. It’s a bit of a disappointing tease, but the YouTube video’s description revealed more about the game: RPG mechanics, political gameplay, raiding, and settlement expansion augment the signature Assassin’s Creed hack-and-slash gameplay.

Bright Memory Infinite

The first game we saw had us wondering if we were beholding a new Crysis with its intricate graphics and shooter gameplay. But Bright Memory Infinite is apparently a new title Microsoft claims was created by a single Chinese developer. We’re eager to see more of this exciting, slightly baffling game after its intro showed off a futuristic cyber warrior gunning down Roman-looking soldiers in a courtyard before climbing in a DeLorean for a car chase.

Dirt 5

Dirt 5, the next in the rally-themed racing franchise, looks like it lives up to its predecessors with track and off-road driving, according to its Xbox Series X game trailer. From what we gather, players will be able to tweak their vehicle down to the size of tires for better cornering and performance.

Scorn

The haunting horror game Scorn was first revealed back in 2017, but it’s set to be an Xbox Series X-exclusive, apparently (at least for awhile, as it also has a Steam page). While we didn’t glean much from the vivid and grotesque Xbox Series X game trailer, we do know this heavily H. R. Giger-influenced game is a shooter with very organic, squicky guns and gore. Yum.

Chorus

Chorus (styled Chorvs) from Deep Silver and Fishlabs puts players in the shoes of a spaceship pilot with a lot going on, and we’re betting she shoots her way out of some conspiracy. With Everspace-style starfighter combat and some spooky astral chicanery straight out of Control, we’re looking forward to this lovely, weird synthesis.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

Hope you weren’t sitting down to eat. This Xbox Series X game trailer for the eagerly-anticipated vampire lifestyle sequel Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 opens with what looks like a monstrous scene of a serial killing with bodies strung up and faces carved up into smiling rictus (we weren’t kidding!) as a presumed villain dances to Danke Shoen. That sets the stage for the game’s dark world of vampires preying on humans, and it looks like players will get access to a bevy of supernatural abilities as they plumb the depths of The Masquerade.

Call of the Sea

On a much lighter note, Call of the Sea by Out of the Blue and Raw Fury sets the players in the shoes of an adventurer searching an island paradise for her missing husband – though below lurks mystery and seemingly occult menace (with a hint of Lovecraftian horrors). 

The Ascent

Blade Runner fans, take notice: The Ascent by Neon Giant and Curved Digital is an RPG set in a cyberpunk future ruled by megacorporation The Ascent Group. Unlike the much-hyped Cyberpunk 2077, The Ascent looks like a cross between a tactics game and a twin-stick shooter with its isometric perspective. We’re looking forward to learning more about the game, but we’re already excited by its gritty neon atmosphere.

The Medium

The Medium by Bloober Team looks like another tough-to-categorize game in the vein of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. We didn’t get much from this trailer, but it looks to follow the titular Medium uncovering a mystery that extends from this world into the ethereal beyond. That’s what we’re sensing, anyhow. You’d need ESP to pluck real answers from this Xbox Series X game trailer.

Scarlet Nexus

Bandai Namco’s Scarlet Nexus looks like a latter-day Bandai Namco game: a hack-and-slash set in a futuristic city-crossing world where anime-styled heroes use psychic powers to thrash evil flower planters with legs. Yeah.

Second Extinction

Dinosaurs! Guns! Survival! Big landscapes! Second Extinction by Systemic Reaction looks, quite simply, dope. It’s a first-person shooter where you and a squad blow away hordes of dinos, large and small, to ‘retake Earth.’ Sign us up.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

The next game in the storied Yakuza franchise, Sega’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon looks to star new hero Ichiban Kasuga as a dutiful yakuza grunt who endured a prison term in service to his criminal family...who betrays him after his release. Expect the usual brawls, street drama, and maybe some familiar faces, though the antics look dialed up to ridiculous degrees (someone literally fires a space laser at our boy Ichi) – which is saying something for a franchise known for its wild turns.

  • The biggest Xbox Series X rival: PS5

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You can officially use your X570 or B550 board with upcoming AMD Ryzen 4000 processors

Posted: 07 May 2020 11:40 AM PDT

When the AM4 platform was unveiled in 2016, AMD committed to support it with future processor launches until 2020. And, well, 2020 is here and it looks like AMD isn't going to stop supporting the socket any time soon. 

In a blog post today, AMD confirmed that AMD Zen 3-based processors in the Ryzen 4000 lineup will officially support X570 and B550 motherboards. However, the news isn't quite as rosy as you may expect. 

X570 and B550 are going to be the only legacy AM4 chipsets that will support AMD Ryzen 4000 processors when they release later this year. That means if you're rocking an X470 board from 2018,  you're going to have to upgrade if you want one of the 7nm+ processors. 

AMD cites the limitations of the flash memory chips on the best motherboards, which store all the BIOS and Microcode updates necessary to support new processors as they come out. There's only so much space, and especially X370 boards now support way more processors than pretty much any other board in a long time. 

As for whether or not AMD will retire the AM4 socket any time soon, Team Red left that open. It said that it "will depend on the schedule of industry I/O technologies." Essentially, if there are shiny new bits of tech that AMD has to support on its motherboards, it will have to update the socket in order to maximize compatibility. 

Still, at least your expensive X570 board will let you upgrade your CPU this year – hopefully that continues for a couple of years. 

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Cheap tablet deals at Best Buy: get the Amazon Fire tablet on sale for $39.99

Posted: 07 May 2020 11:23 AM PDT

If you're looking for a cheap tablet deal, then you're in luck. Best Buy's Mother's Day sale is happening right now and includes price cuts on Amazon's best-selling Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers. The retailer is also offering free next-day delivery on all Fire tablets and Kindle purchases.

The deals include the all-new Kindle e-reader on sale for $64.99 and a $35 price cut on the 2018 Kindle Paperwhite. If you're looking for a cheap tablet deal, Best Buy has the Fire 7 on sale for just $39.99, and you can save $40 on the All-New Fire HD 10.

Keep in mind, Mother's Day is this Sunday, and to receive free next-day delivery, you must place your order before 2 PM EST. Depending on your location, Best Buy is also offering curbside pickup. This means you can select the 'Use Curbside Pickup' option when ordering online, and when you drive up, Best Buy will bring your items to your car.

Tablet and e-reader deals at Best Buy:

Not in the US? check out our full range of prices just down below.

If you're interested in other Amazon E-reader and tablet deals, check out our roundup of the best Kindle sale prices and deals, and our best cheap Amazon Fire deals.

See more offers with our roundup of the best online flower delivery services for Mother's Day.

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How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online from anywhere

Posted: 07 May 2020 11:21 AM PDT

John Logan's much-loved gothic series, Penny Dreadful, is back on TV - but with a new and game-changing LA setting. All the pitch-black horror you've come to expect from the series is still there, though, so read on to find out how to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online for free - stream every new episode from anywhere with the help of our guide.


The original three seasons of the British-American co-production drew upon 19th-century British and Irish gothic characters such as Dorian Gray, Dracula and Frankenstein, starring Eva Green, Reeve Carney and Timothy Dalton.

After a four year break, the show is now back with this spin-off that dispenses with Victorian-era London, and heads to west coast America in the 1930s, drawing on Mexican folklore and the social tension of the times as its main inspirations.

City of Angels revolves around a grisly murder that shocks pre-WW2 LA , with Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and his partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) tasked with solving the crime.

The show co-stars stars Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer as a demonic force who is set to battle Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Lorenza Izzo as Santa Muerte, 

The Victorian-era Penny Dreadful Was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of recent years, so expectations are high for this La La Land reboot. Keep reading to find out how to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online wherever you are.

Watch Penny Dreadful online from outside your country

If you find yourself away from home abroad during the lockdown and want to watch thIs dark new drama, then make sure not to let geo-blocks ruin your fun. 

If you’re in a country where your domestic TV service isn’t available, utilizing the best VPN will allow you to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online no matter where you’re situated. This simple piece of software changes your IP address, so you can access each episode live or catch-up with the series, just as if you were at home.

How to watch Penny Dreadful online for FREE in the US 

How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online in the UK 

How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online in Canada

How to watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels online in Australia

Where can I watch old episodes of Penny Dreadful?

If you're a bit behind on the show, the good news is that the first three seasons are are available on a number of on demand services.

US: Hulu subscribers get access to all three previous seasons on demand. If you're new to the show, Netflix also has access to the first three seasons available on demand.

Canada: As with City of Angels, Crave is the place to head to if you want to watch the preceding three seasons set in Victorian London, which has all previous episodes available on demand for subscribers.

UK: All past episodes are available in the UK via Sky’s no-strings-attached streaming service Now TV, which is currently offering a free 7-day trial.

Everywhere else: If you can't find on-demand access to old Penny Dreadful episodes where you are, there's always a VPN. Simply switch your location back to your country of origin, and you'll be able to binge the last three seasons of Penny Dreadful using your favorite service just as you would back home. 

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The best reactions to the Xbox Series X's underwhelming gameplay reveal event

Posted: 07 May 2020 11:00 AM PDT

It's easy to see what Microsoft is trying to do in staggering its Xbox Series X gameplay reveal events across the next several months, in an uncertain year with most major gaming conferences cancelled. With that in mind, though, the May 2020 reveal of Xbox Series X gameplay still felt like an anticlimax. 

It wasn't helped that the promised first look at Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay didn't really look like gameplay - plus the trailer was extremely short. Hence why, at the time of writing, that Assassin's Creed trailer has many more downvotes than upvotes on YouTube

This was a little disappointing, but there's still a long way to go in the next-gen console reveals. Microsoft's first-party heavy hitters are being revealed in July, and that's what'll get prospective buyers of this hardware excited. 

This does give Sony the opportunity to create a more concentrated and exciting first PS5 games reveal in the meantime, though, and a great opportunity to blow this particular event out of the water. Sony's own plans for a formal PS5 reveal are still unknown. 

In the meantime, here are the best reactions to the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal event, ranging from questions about what the word 'gameplay' means to people making fun of a game called Chorvs.

That Assassin's Creed trailer has left all of us questioning whether the definition of 'gameplay' changed without us hearing about it. 

Some believed what was revealed in this stream could've just waited for a full showcase when Microsoft was ready.

Some of the frustration comes from Microsoft framing it as a gameplay reveal event then under-delivering.

There was a lot of footage of Microsoft folks talking to the camera, though this is largely in line with the format of Inside Xbox. 

Games man Geoff Keighley took a poll. Click to see the not-so-positive results. 

Yakuza's very wholesome fanbase seemed delighted that the cult favorite PlayStation series will launch its next instalment on Xbox Series X, however. 

Racing fans, too, seem pretty pumped about Codemasters' Dirt 5, one of the new announcements in the gameplay reveal.

In terms of the other games, people couldn't believe someone named a game 'Chorvs'. Turns out it's meant to be called Chorus, but the trailer managed not to tell that story. Computer games, huh?

Seriously, a lot of people on Twitter are dubious about Microsoft's definition of 'gameplay'.

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How to watch Normal People: stream the new show online from anywhere

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:55 AM PDT

By now, it's safe to say that Sally Rooney's Normal People is a strong candidate for TV hit of the year. The transition of her 2018 must-read novel to a 12-part series produced by Hulu and BBC Three has been something to behold, especially for the cynics - but then with critically-acclaimed Irish indie director Lenny Abrahamson (Garage, Frank) at the helm, what else would you expect? Don't miss another moment of the drama - how to watch Normal People online and stream every episode right away wherever you are in the world.

The show follows the tumultuous relationship between Irish teenagers Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who attend the same secondary school - or high school - in County Sligo, and later spend their university years together at Trinity College Dublin. 

Things are far from straightforward between them, though, as Marianne comes from a wealthy family who Connell's mother cleans for - and the two also blossom socially at different times. Connell is a big shot Gaelic football star at high school but becomes a fish out of water at university. Marianne, on the other hand, finds her feet at precisely the same time.

We won't give too much away, but it's safe to say that first the book and now the TV show put the insecurities of young people under the microscope in an illuminating way, sparking conversations about a number of important issues including depression, suicide and abuse - please bear this in mind before watching.

An instant entry into the best Hulu shows this May, read on as we explain all the easiest ways to watch Normal People online for free - stream the show in Ireland, the UK, US, Australia and many more countries by following our guide.

How to watch Normal People online from abroad

The coronavirus has stalled holidays and postponed work trips indefinitely, but international travel will resume one day - and you may even be stuck outside your country of origin, for whatever reason. If and when that's the case, you could be forgiven for wanting a taste of home comforts, especially during these difficult times.

If that means using the streaming services you normally would, geo-blocking can prove to be a major obstacle - but fortunately there's an easy solution. It's called a VPN and it's a handy trick that lets you get around digital borders and will allow you to watch Normal People by changing your IP address to your nation of residence. But which VPN is best for you? 

How to watch Normal People online

How to watch Normal People online in the US for free

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How to watch Normal People for free online in the UK

How to watch Normal People in Ireland

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How to watch Normal People online in Australia

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Cisco Webex phishing attack wants to steal your logins

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:49 AM PDT

Cybercriminals have launched a new series of phishing attacks which attempt to steal the account credentials of Cisco Webex users by utilizing fake certificate error warnings.

Just as other video conferencing software has seen a huge uptick in usage by remote workers during the pandemic, so to has Cisco's video and team collaboration solution.

So far the campaign, which uses graphics and formatting taken from legitimate Cisco emails to impersonate the company, has already sent out phishing emails to up to 5,000 Webex users according to the email security firm Abnormal Security.

The attackers try to lure in users by inducing a sense of urgency in their phishing emails that are designed to closely resemble the automated SSL certificate error alerts that the company sends out to its customers.

Cisco Webex phishing attack

The phishing emails used in the campaign warn unsuspecting users that they need to verify their accounts as they are blocked by the administrator as a result of Webex Meeting SSL certificate errors. Users are then asked to click on an embedded “Log in” hyperlink in the message and sign in in order to unlock their accounts.

Abnormal Security provided more details on the link contained in the campaign's phishing emails in an advisory, saying:

“The email includes a SendGrid link that redirects to a WebEx Cisco phishing credentials site hosted at “https://app-login-webex.com/”. The domain of this webpage has been recently registered by a registrar in the Czech Republic, and is not affiliated with Webex or Cisco more broadly. Attackers likely control this website and use it to steal user credential information.”

Once the attackers have obtained a user's Cisco Webex credentials, they could use this compromised account to launch additional attacks within their organization or even target external partners. This attack is particularly dangerous due to how well the phishing campaign has managed to clone Cisco's official emails in order to trick users into giving up their credentials.

Via BleepingComputer

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Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch in stock at Currys, but move fast

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:39 AM PDT

This Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch is in stock at Currys, but with such stock shortages over the past couple of months, you'll need to move fast to bag yours. Nintendo Switch bundle deals have made themselves scarce over the last few weeks due to unprecedented demand swallowing any remaining consoles sitting on shelves. If you missed out on the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch bundle at launch because of this rise in demand, there's a ray of hope out there however. 

That's right, you can now order a special edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch for £329 right now, or with a 12 month Nintendo Online membership for £342.01 at Currys. That means if you can move fast enough you can guarantee yourself the gorgeous new design on the month's hottest console just in time for the long weekend.

That's fantastic news if you've been missing those Nintendo Switch deals, and this bundle even offers the latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons title included with the console itself. Move fast, though, these units won't last long. 

Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch bundle deals

Nintendo Switch out of stock? Check out these Switch Lite deals

We're keeping you informed of where to buy a Nintendo Switch with every shipment of new stock that comes in, but you can also keep an eye on the best Nintendo Switch deals for the latest updates as well. 

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How to watch Upload online: stream the new Greg Daniels comedy from anywhere

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:34 AM PDT

Given his background, it's obvious why people have gotten excited about Greg Daniels's latest project, Upload. The setting is decidedly less suburban than that of, say, The Simpsons - one of the big names on his CV - but the results are nevertheless impressive. Follow our guide as we explain how to watch Upload online and stream every episode from anywhere in the world.

Daniels was also heavily involved in other hit sit-coms, including The Office and King of the Hill - and if you've put some time aside recently to watch Parks and Rec, you'll also likely have seen his name in the credits. All of which is to say, Upload is as sure-fire an investment of your time as these things can be.

The Amazon Original is set in the near future of 2033, where "humans are able to 'upload' themselves into their preferred choice of afterlife." Having been involved in a near-fatal car accident, app developer Nathan (played by The Flash star Robbie Amell) has to make the decision between major surgery and dying normally later in life - or having his consciousness “uploaded” into a virtual afterlife. 

He opts for the latter and is greeted by customer support representative Nora (Andy Also) in his digital version of heaven. The series follows the two as Nathan grows accustomed to life away from his loved ones, and the fact that his virtual-reality afterlife isn't the utopia he had hoped for.

Offering up a satirical view of the future, it looks set be a hit with tech heads and fans of Black Mirror - read on and we'll show you how to watch Upload online and stream every episode of the show from anywhere right now.

How to watch Upload for FREE on Amazon Prime Video 

How to watch Upload from outside your country

Upload is set to be released at a time when people are desperate for something new to watch. If you're looking to get stuck in but find yourself stuck abroad in the lockdown in a country where Amazon Prime Video isn't available, you might worry that you'll be unable to watch show using your normal streaming service, due to frustrating geo-blocking restrictions.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch Upload online no matter where you are, by changing your IP address to one in another location.

Can I watch Upload for free?

Yes and no. 

In the truest sense, it's a negative, as you need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch Upload which costs money.

However, if you want to see the glass as half-full, one of the best things about Amazon Prime is that your subscription covers absolutely everything the streaming platform has to offer, plus all of Prime's other benefits such as premium delivery services and Amazon Music - all for $12.99 per month or $119 for the year in the US and £7.99 per month or £79 for the year in the UK. 

And as we've said, you can take advantage of a FREE Amazon Prime trial to see if its extensive entertainment catalogue and other benefits pack enough of a punch to merit your hard earned money in the long run.

5 more shows every Upload fan should check out - and where to watch them

Black Mirror: With its satirical look at how how technology manipulates our behaviour, Charlie Brooker's modern, dark satirical take on the Twilight Zone anthology style series appears to have been a major influence on Upload.

  • Watch in the US: Stream seasons 1-5 on Netflix
  • Watch in the UK: Stream seasons 1-5 on Netflix 

Mr Robot: One of the best techy dramas of recent years, the four season show put Rami Malek on the map before his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. The show follows Elliot, a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and as a vigilante hacker by night,.


Better Call Saul: If Ozark is the spiritual successor to Breaking Bad, then chances are you'll love its prequel, Better Call Saul. Charting the early career of crooked lawyer Saul Goodman (née Jimmy McGill) , it's also the work of Vince Gilligan and has no less than five seasons to it's name, so there's plenty of binge-watching potential here.

  • Watch in the US: Buy seasons 1-5 on Fadango Now, stream seasons 1-4 on Netflix, or stream new episodes for free via AMC
  • Watch in the UK: Stream all seasons on Netflix or buy from Amazon Prime Video

Devs: Created by The Beach writer Alex Garland, this science fiction thriller focuses on a young software engineer who works for a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company who suspects foul play after her boyfriend Sergei's apparent suicide.

Fargo: Noah Hawley’s riff on the Coen brothers' classic 1996 movie features more tales of Minnesotans gone bad and features a superb cast across all three of its self-contained seasons: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor, Colin Hanks and Ted Danson are just some of the stars to feature. 

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Fending off cyberattacks while working remotely on a global scale

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:30 AM PDT

Businesses around the world have quickly had to adapt to remote working during the pandemic. This transition took some companies by surprise while other had already allowed some of their employees to work remotely and were more prepared. If the challenges of working from home weren’t enough, cybercriminals saw an opportunity to launch cyberattacks against vulnerable organizations during this trying time.

To better understand how businesses have dealt with this massive increase in cyberattacks and scams while working remotely, TechRadar Pro spoke with vice president of products at ManageEngine, Rajesh Ganesan.

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Microsoft just made its first big mistake with the Xbox Series X

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:23 AM PDT

Look, it’s hard to debut a new console without having a massive reveal event. It’s something Sony has constantly been struggling with and now Microsoft is too - its monumental first look event that promised Xbox Series X gameplay in spades was a disaster.

That sounds harsh and overly critical about a third-party launch event, but I say that with the utmost love for the system: until now, I felt like Microsoft was building up the Xbox Series X as the gamer’s dream console with ray tracing, solid state drives, 60 frame-per-second gameplay as a standard and lightning-fast loading times. 

What transpired instead was a cavalcade of trailers from newer developers that, in many ways, didn't look like they were pushing the hardware to its limit.

And its first look event was supposed to be a culmination of all that work, I had thought, with marquee games from its most trusted partners like CD Projekt Red, Activision and EA. That's what you'd expect from a third-party showcase, right?

Instead what we saw was vague new IP that feels scarily similar to vaporware we’ve seen at E3’s past and pre-canned cinematics from Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

I hate to say it, but I think Microsoft just made its first big mistake with the Xbox Series X. 

Xbox Series X gameplay reveal: what happened?  

The mistake in question revolves around the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal that Microsoft announced in early May and took place over a scant 30 minutes on May 7. 

On every social channel Microsoft made it sound like this would be the moment gamers had been waiting for – our first deep dive into the games Microsoft had been curating for Xbox Series X. Exciting! I thought.

What transpired instead was a cavalcade of trailers from newer developers that, in many ways, didn’t look like they were pushing the hardware to its limit. Even the one headline game, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, missed the mark when it focused almost exclusively on story exposition in its 2-minute ‘gameplay’ trailer instead of... you know, cutting-edge gameplay. 

There were some standouts among the new games shown like Bright Memory Infinite, an extremely fast-paced first-person shooter that takes the gameplay of Bulletstorm and matches it with the near-future setting of a Black Ops game, and Call of the Sea, an exploration game set on an idyllic island, but for every good trailer there were two disappointing or, worse, cringe-worthy trailers for a bland new thriller or twin-stick shooter.

There’s value in showing new IP, obviously, as it shows that you’re partnering with new and varied game studios to produce tons of games for niche audiences, something that Microsoft and the Xbox team have struggled with in the past. But because that wasn’t interspersed with flagship titles or familiar franchises, it reflected poorly on Microsoft’s fledgling console.

This is a golden opportunity for the PS5

When Sony made the faux pas of unveiling a logo at CES or calling the banners of its fanboys for Mark Cerny’s deep dive into the PS5’s architecture, we were quick to call Sony out for its mistakes. “Sony’s rumored PS5 announcement at CES 2020 was a dud” was a headline we actually wrote back in January.

Teasing gamers with a dripfeed of announcements may work for minute, but very quickly that excitement will turn to resentment.

But until now, Microsoft was making all the right moves with the Xbox Series X by unveiling the hardware and controllers with unparalleled authority and confidence.

 On the other hand, until now, Microsoft was making all the right moves with the Xbox Series X by unveiling the hardware and controllers with unparalleled authority and confidence. It might be that those were flukes from Microsoft’s marketing team - but, until today, it seemed like Microsoft had really honed into what gamers wanted.

The problem with a misstep like this, at least if you’re on Microsoft’s marketing team, is that it presents an opportunity for Sony to win gamers back if it can move fast: we’ve heard rumors that Sony will have a showcase of its own either in late May or early June, and if it uses that showcase for games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or Horizon Zero Dawn 2, Microsoft will be in serious trouble.

And don’t forget that, as unimpressive as today’s showcase was, all of those games will likely be available on PS5, too. They’re all third-party after all.

The silver lining is that Microsoft says it will have another first-look event in July - this time with the first-party Xbox Studios titles like Halo Infinite – so there’s another chance to right the ship. 

Here’s hoping the first-party games look a lot better than these third-party games.

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How to watch The Blacklist online: stream every episode from anywhere

Posted: 07 May 2020 10:18 AM PDT

One of the longest running crime thrillers on TV has just entered its seventh season. The award-winning drama follows the exploits of former US navy intelligence officer  Raymond "Red" Reddington, played with aplomb by James Spader. At the start of the show, Red is a wanted criminal who cuts a deal with the FBI to try and help bring other villains to justice -  in exchange for his continued freedom, of course. Read on to find out how to watch The Blacklist season 7 online from anywhere, including for free where possible.

After decades on the run, Red voluntarily turns himself in to the law and bargains with the FBI for immunity from prosecution - in return for informing on a host of baddies from his secret list of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Read on to learn more about The Blacklist and how to watch it - but be aware that minor spoilers are below.

Season 7 of The Blacklist picks up from the cliffhanger season 6 finale which saw Red kidnapped in Paris by double agent Katarina Rostov. Lost in hostile territory having let his guard down and unsure who to trust, there's now a desperate race on to find the FBI's most infamous informant.

The new series sees Megan Boone return as FBI agent Elizabeth Keen, alongside fellow regulars Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, and Harry Lennix. 

Promising a boat load of conspiracy and intrigue-packed action, here's how to watch The Blacklist season 7 online and stream all the latest episodes no matter where you are in the world.

Is The Blacklist on Netflix?

It's good news for Netflix subscribers in the US and Canada looking to catch up with the show, as the first six seasons of the show are available to stream on Netflix - with season 7 set to follow at a later date. 

Things are even better for fans of the show Down Under as episodes from the all-new season 7 are available right now on Netflix Australia.

There's no suck luck for Netflix UK subscribers, but read on to find out how to watch the show in your region.

How to watch The Blacklist from outside your country

Those who already have a streaming service they use to watch The Blacklist online may find themselves unable to access it when abroad, due to pesky geo-blocking restrictions. While we're aware that most people aren't going anywhere in the immediate future, global travel will one day resume and, god forbid, you may even be stuck abroad.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution to geo-blocking. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch The Blacklist no matter where you are. This simple bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access episodes on demand just like you would at home.

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Watch The Blacklist season 7 online for FREE in the US

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How to watch The Blacklist online in the UK for FREE

How to watch The Blacklist in Australia

How to watch The Blacklist for FREE online in Canada

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