Apple : Score a pair of Bose QuietControl 30 headphones and save AU$150 |
- Score a pair of Bose QuietControl 30 headphones and save AU$150
- How to watch the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 finale live online from anywhere tonight
- PS4 YouTube error code NP-37602-8 is causing sign-in issues – but a fix is coming
- Google unveils new system for measuring your website's quality
- How to watch Sonic the Hedgehog: stream the new movie online anywhere
- All new PS4 games have to work on PS5, orders Sony
- Best DDoS protection of 2020
- How to watch Billions season 5 online: stream new episodes anywhere for free
- How to watch Rick and Morty season 4 online: stream part 2's new episodes anywhere free
- Disney Plus: movies, shows, free trial, Hamilton and more explained
- How to watch Rick and Morty: stream every season online from anywhere
- Best VPS hosting providers of 2020
- Xbox Series X release date, specs, design and launch titles for the new Xbox
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- PS5 release date, specs, news and features for Sony’s PlayStation 5
- How to watch Downton Abbey online: stream every episode from anywhere
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| Score a pair of Bose QuietControl 30 headphones and save AU$150 Posted: 29 May 2020 03:00 PM PDT If bulky over-ear cans aren’t your thing but you still want a pair of quality noise-cancelling headphones, then look no further than the Bose QuietControl 30 that has been discounted by AU$150 through Amazon. The QuietControl 30s are wireless neckband-style buds that rival some of Bose’s full-sized QuietComfort headphones in terms of noise cancelling – an impressive feat for buds that are comparably dwarf in size. In our review, we found the buds’ audio quality to be satisfying, however, they aren’t the best-sounding headphones we’ve tried, which may put off some audiophiles. That said, these buds are best suited for runners who are looking for a set of headphones that will keep the bass pounding during their workout.
The neckband style may not be for everyone – some love it and some hate it, but it does offer a level of security knowing that your precious buds won’t escape your ears during any intense workout. Currently discounted by an impressive 34% through Amazon, you can grab the Bose QuietControl 30 headphones and save a massive AU$150. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 finale live online from anywhere tonight Posted: 29 May 2020 02:40 PM PDT A lip sync competition over Zoom? Given the times we live in, we'll sissy walk to anything that lets Mama Ru crown a new queen, squirrel friends! It might not be how anyone ever imagined it, but finalists Crystal Methyd, Jaida Essence Hall and Gigi Goode are all so fabulous, we know they'll make tonight's remote finale every bit as glamtacular as it could ever be. Sashay down the page to find out how to watch the RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 finale and stream it online tonight from anywhere in the world. Yes, tonight's finale is going to be virtual lip sync extravaganza - and there are some very special guests to expect, too. Chief among these is RuPaul season 11 winner Yvie Oddly, who will be on hand to pass the crown to the new queen - complete with $100,000 prize. There will also be Nina West to award $10,000 in cash to this year's Miss Congeniality, which recognizes the contestant considered to be the kindest in the current run. Of the contestants, Goode has to the favorite heading into tonight's finale, having won the most challenges throughout the season. Hall can't be discounted, though, as they've werked the highest of heels, most bombastic wigs, and fiercest makeup this year. Crystal Methyd is everyone's favorite underdog and everyone will be secretly rooting they slay the competition at the last. Yes, it's been an epic season 12 for RuPaul's Drag Race, so forget that the Covid-19 crisis means tonight's episode will be a remotely streamed affair. Instead, buckle up for another raucous finale and Viva La Ruvolution! Here's how to watch the RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 finale online, no matter where you find your glorious self right now.
How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race online from outside your countryIf you find yourself far from home when the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race drops – remember business trips and vacations? – don’t let geo-blocks get you down. If you’re in a country where this content isn’t available, you can install a VPN so you can watch season 12’s Drag Race finale online using whatever service you normally subscribe to and use at home. This piece of software changes your IP address, so you can access tonight's episode just like you would from the comfort of your own couch. How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race online in the US
Watch the Ru Paul's Drag Race finale online in Canada: free live stream detailsHow to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race online in the UKHow to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race online in AustraliaUse WOW Presents Plus to watch RuPaul's Drag Race and moreWOW Present Plus is the self-dubbed "official streamer of all things drag" and comes to us from World of Wonder, the production company behind RuPaul's Drag Race. As such, it has an impressive catalogue of RuPaul shows - including the latest season 12 episodes - available to stream all over the world including in markets like India, South Africa, the UAE and many other countries. A full list of what's available and where can be found here. It's a pretty niche offering but if drag shows are your thing, you'll find it also hosts the likes of UNHhhh, Untucked, and Transformations - all for the ultra-affordable price of just $3.99 a month. Best of all, there's a FREE 7-day trial on offer so you can shantay on over and check it out for yourself.
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| PS4 YouTube error code NP-37602-8 is causing sign-in issues – but a fix is coming Posted: 29 May 2020 02:24 PM PDT If you've tried to use the YouTube app on PS4 recently, you've probably noticed that you're being signed out, and that signing in again prompts an error code: NP-37602-8. Searching PlayStation Support when you get the error prompt yields no results, which is annoying, but now the issue is known to Sony and YouTube and they're looking into fixing it. YouTube tweeted out the following, which was retweeted by the Ask PlayStation help account. This hopefully means it'll be fixed in the near-future – keep an eye on the account for more updates. Can you fix the error code NP-37602-8?As noted by our friends at GamesRadar, there is no fix for this specific issue at present, but there is still a way you can watch YouTube on your PS4. You can simply cast YouTube to your PS4 from a linked device on the same Wi-Fi network, like a phone or tablet. All you have to do is open the YouTube app, click the cast icon then select your PS4. We've tested this solution and it indeed works as a temporary fix to the NP-37602-8 error code. Until a proper fix comes, that gives you the ability to watch YouTube on your TV through your account. Which YouTube video did we watch to test this fix out, you ask? Well, it was this funky remix of Le Cassette's Radio, because we never truly got over the synthwave movement. Look out for a proper fix in the coming days. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google unveils new system for measuring your website's quality Posted: 29 May 2020 01:27 PM PDT Google will soon judge websites based on how users perceive the experience of interacting with them as the company has developed a new ranking algorithm. The new update is called Google Page Experience and for site owners, it means that if the company thinks pages on your website have a poor user experience, they will soon rank lower than they do now in Google Search results. Thankfully though, the update is not expected to go live until sometime in 2021, so there is still time for users to get their websites ready. In a developer document on the page experience criteria, Google provides more details on the metrics that will soon be used to rank web pages in its search engine, saying:
“Page experience is a set of signals that measure how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page beyond its pure information value. It includes Core Web Vitals, which is a set of metrics that measure real-world user experience for loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of the page. It also includes existing Search signals: mobile-friendliness, safe-browsing, HTTPS, and intrusive interstitial guidelines.” Core Web VitalsPage experience consists of several existing Google search ranking factors including mobile-friendly update, Page Speed Update, the HTTPS ranking boost, the intrusive interstitials penalty and safe browsing penalty. However, the company has also refined its metrics concerning speed and usability under a set of real-world, user-centered metrics it calls Core Web Vitals. Core Web Vitals are used to give scores on aspects of web pages including load time, interactivity and the stability of content as it loads. The first of these metrics is Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and this measures loading performance. To provide visitors with a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when a page first starts loading. First Input Delay (FID) measures interactivity and pages should have a FID of less than 100 milliseconds while Cumulative Layout Shift (ClS) measures visual stability and pages should maintain a CLS of less than 0.1. Google's new ranking factors will be applied sometime in 2021 and the company has promised site owners that it will give them six-months notice before Google Page Experience goes live next year.
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| How to watch Sonic the Hedgehog: stream the new movie online anywhere Posted: 29 May 2020 12:03 PM PDT This live-action movie based on Sega's global blockbuster video game franchise was going great guns at the box office until the Covid-19 crisis forced cinema closures all over the world earlier this year. As a result, just mere weeks after hitting theatres, it got an early home streaming release - and it's still available for you to enjoy in your living room right now. Here's how to watch Sonic the Hedgehog online no matter where you are in the world - whether you want to buy or rent it, we've got all the details you need in our guide below. Having suffered wide derision when its first trailer was released, forcing the movie's animators to completely redesign the lead character, Sonic The Hedgehog went on to become one of 2020's biggest hits so far. The film follows the iconic video game hero who has served as mascot for the Japanese gaming brand Sega for the last 30 years. Embracing his life on Earth, the wise-cracking lightning-footed blue blur finds his world turned upside down when he knocks out an electrical power grid, sparking a battle between himself and Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Read on and we'll explain how to watch Sonic The Hedgehog online from anywhere.
How to watch Sonic The Hedgehog from outside your countryWhen a taste of home may be just what the doctor ordered, it's always nice to be able to tune in to your home streaming services - but this isn't always possible from abroad, due to annoying geo-blocking restrictions. Fortunately, there's a remedy. Downloading a VPN lets you to watch movies like Sonic The Hedgehog and much more no matter where you are in the world. This simple bit of software changes your IP address so that you can keep streaming movies and TV shows anywhere.
How to watch Sonic The Hedgehog: online streaming options in the USHow to watch Sonic The Hedgehog online: UK streaming optionsHow to watch Sonic The Hedgehog online in AustraliaHow to watch Sonic The Hedgehog online: stream the new 2020 movie in CanadaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| All new PS4 games have to work on PS5, orders Sony Posted: 29 May 2020 11:26 AM PDT Sony has told developers that any new PS4 games submitted for certification after July 13 will have to be PS5-compatible. Developer documentation released on a PlayStation internal partner website states that first-party developers submitting games past this date must ensure that the game will also run on the PS5, according Eurogamer. That means that any PS4 and PS4 Pro game submitted after this date will have to be 'forwards compatible'. In other words, they'll have to be able to play on the PS5 as well as the PS4. It's worth noting however, this applies to certification, not release date. So the likes of Ghost of Tsushima, releasing on July 17, won't be affected – although we do expect to see it land on PS5 as well as PS4.
Not just new gamesWhen submitting a PS4 game to Sony, developers will be presented with an option to confirm that the game is compatible with the PS5, according to the report. From July 13, this will have to be the case for any PS4 games. This option was apparently added in a new version of the PS4 software developer kit, released at the end of April. In order to be deemed PS5 compatible, the PS4 game's code must be able to run smoothly on the next-gen console while providing the same features and experience as it does on the PlayStation 4 console. While it's mandatory that PS4 games submitted after this date need to be PS5 compatible, Sony has "strongly recommended" that PS4 games released before July 13 receive patches or updates to make it so. Forwards compatibleSony isn't the only company thinking about forwards compatibility. The Xbox Series X's Smart Delivery feature will mean that if you buy one version of an Xbox game that supports Smart Delivery, you'll always have access to the best version of that game no matter which hardware you're playing it on. So if you buy Halo Infinite on Xbox One, then later play it on Xbox Series X, your one-time purchase gets you the versions of the game optimized for both Xbox consoles. Microsoft has committed to Smart Delivery on all of its exclusive Xbox Games Studios titles, and CD Projekt Red has committed to doing the same with Cyberpunk 2077. In addition, EA has said that certain games the company is launching this year on current-gen consoles “can be upgraded for free for the next generation" - but for a limited time only. With Sony hinting that we won't be able to play PS5 exclusives on PS4, at least we know we'll be able to bring some of our PS4 games into the next generation with us. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 29 May 2020 11:25 AM PDT In October 2016 DNS provider Dyn was hit by a major DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack by an army of IoT devices which had been hacked specially for the purpose. Over 14,000 domains using Dyn's services were overwhlemed and became unreachable including big names like Amazon, HBO, and PayPal. According to research by Cloudflare the average cost of infrastructure failure to businesses is $100,000 (£75,000) per hour. How then can you make sure that your organization doesn't fall victim to this kind of attack. In this guide you'll discover major infrastructure providers who have the necessary digital muscle to protect against attacks designed to flood your network capacity. You'll also discover which providers can offer protection against more sophisticated application (layer 7) attacks, which can be carried out without a huge number of hacked computers (sometimes known as a botnet).
Project Shield Project Shield is the creation of Jigsaw, an offshoot Google's parent company Alphabet. Development began several years ago under George Conard in the wake of attacks on election monitoring and human rights related websites in the Ukraine. Project Shield is able to filter potential malicious traffic by acting as a reverse proxy which sits between a website and the internet at large, filtering connection requests. If a connection seems to be from a legitimate visitor Project Shield permits the connection request. If a connection request is determined to be bad e.g. multiple connection attempts from the same IP address, then it is blocked. This system makes Project Shield extremely easy to implement simply by changing your servers DNS settings. Any power users reading may wonder how filtering traffic via a proxy will work with SSL. Fortunately, Jigsaw has thought of this and has put together a comprehensive tutorial to make sure secure connections to your site work seamlessly. Several other tutorials are also available in the support section. Currently Project Shield is only available for media, election monitoring and human rights related websites. The primary focus is also on small under resourced websites which cannot afford expensive hosting solutions to protect themselves for DDoS. If your organization doesn't match these requirements you may have to consider an alternative solution such as Cloudflare. Cloudflare Anyone who has used the Internet in the last few years will be familiar with Cloudflare as many major websites make use of its protection. Although Cloudflare is based in the US it maintains over 180 data centers around the world: an infrastructure to rival Google's. This maximizes your sites chances of staying online. Every Cloudflare user can choose to activate the 'I'm under attack' mode which can protect against even the most sophisticated of DoS attacks by presenting a Javascript challenge. As a matter of routine Cloudflare also acts as a reverse proxy sitting between visitors and your site host to filter traffic in much the same way as Jigsaw's Project Shield. In March 2019, Cloudflare introduced Spectrum for UDP, which provides DDoS protection and firewalling for unreliable protocols. Visitors making connection requests have to run a gauntlet of sophisticated filters including site reputation, whether their IP has been Blacklisted and if the HTTP header seems suspicious. HTTP requests are finger printed to protect against known Botnets. As an industry giant, Cloudflare can easily leverage its position by sharing intel across the 7+ million websites it manages. Cloudflare offers a free basic package which includes unmetered DDoS mitigation. For those who are willing to pay for a Cloudflare business subscription (prices start at $200 or £149 a month), more advanced protection is available such as custom SSL certificate uploads. AWS Shield AWS Shield protection is provided by the good people of Amazon web services. The 'Standard' tier is available to all AWS customers at no extra charge. This is ideal as many small businesses choose to host their websites with Amazon. AWS Shield Standard is available to all customers at no extra charge. It protects against more typical network (layer 3) and transport (layer 4) attacks when used Amazon's Cloud Front and Route 53 services. This should put off all but the most determined hackers. However, your bandwidth e.g. 15Gbp/s will still be limited by the size of you Amazon instance making it feasible for hackers to carry out a DoS attack if they have sufficient resources. Worse still you remain responsible for paying for the extra traffic to your instance. To mitigate this Amazon also offers AWS Shield Advanced. A Subscription include DDoS cost protection, which can save you from a huge spike in your monthly usage bill if you are the victim of an attack. AWS Shield Advanced can also deploy your ACL's (Access Control Lists) to the border of the AWS network itself giving you protection against even the largest of attacks. Advanced Subscribers also benefit from a round the clock DRT (DDoS response team) as well as detailed metrics on any attacks on your instances. The piece of mind afforded by AWS Shield Advanced is expensive however. You must be willing to subscribe for a minimum of one year for a price of $3,000 (£2,200) a month. This is in addition to data transfer usage costs which you can cover on a 'pay as you go' basis. Microsoft Azure Like Amazon, Microsoft offers the option to rent service space via their service Azure. All members benefit from basic DDoS protection. Features include always on traffic monitoring and real time mitigation of network (layer 3) attacks for any public IP addresses you use. This is the very same type of protection afforded to Microsoft's own online services and the entire resources of Azure's network can be used to absorb DDoS attacks. For organisations in need of more sophisticated protection Azure also offers a 'Standard' tier. This has been widely praised for being very easy to enable, requiring just a few clicks of your mouse. Crucially Azure does not require you to make any changes to your apps although the standard tier does offer protection against application (layer 7) DDoS attacks via the app gateway web app firewall. Azure monitor can show you real time metrics if an attack does take place. These are retained for 30 days and can be exported for further study if you wish. Azure constantly checks web traffic to your resources. If these exceed a pre-defined threshold, DDoS mitigation is automatically launched. This includes inspecting packets to make sure they aren't malformed or spoofed as well as using rate limiting. Standard protection is currently $2,944 (£2,204) per month plus data charges for up to 100 resources. Protection applies equally to all resources. In other words you cannot tailor DDoS mitigation for individual ones. Verisign DDoS Protection Update: Verisign's security services are transferred to Neustar, but the features and functionality mentioned in the review stayed relatively the same. Verisign is almost as old as the Internet itself. Since 1995 it has grown from a simple Certificate Authority to a major player in the Network Services industry. Verisign DDoS protection operates in the Cloud. Users can choose to redirect connection attempts with a simple change of their DNS (Domain Name Server) settings. Traffic is sent to Verisign for checking to prevent network attacks. Verisign analysis all traffic thoroughly before redirecting. As Verisign operates two of the thirteen global route name servers it should come as no surprise that the organization also maintains several dedicated DDoS "scrubbing centers". These analyze traffic and filter out bad connection requests. The combined infrastructure runs to almost 2TB/s and can block even the most overwhelming DDoS attacks. This is largely achieved via Athena, Verisign's threat mitigation platform. Athena is broadly divided into three elements. The 'Shield' filters network (layer 3) and transport (layer 4) attacks via DPI (Deep Packet Inspection), blacklists & whitelists and site reputation management. The Athena 'proxy' inspects HTTP headers for bad traffic during initial connection attempts. The 'proxy' and 'shield' are supported by Athena's 'load balancer' which helps to prevent application (layer 7) attacks. The customer portal displays detailed reports on traffic and allows you to configure your threat management, for example by creating connection blacklists. For users who are reluctant to deploy everything to the Cloud, Verisign also offers OpenHybrid which can be installed onsite. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons (Antoine Lamielle) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch Billions season 5 online: stream new episodes anywhere for free Posted: 29 May 2020 11:11 AM PDT Featuring superb performances from Hollywood A-listers Damien Lewis and Paul Giamatti, Billions was first released in 2016 and quickly established itself as one of the most popular shows on TV. Now, steaming along in its fifth season, there's never been a better time to dive head-first into the murky world of Axe Capital. Read on as we explain how to watch Billions season 5 online for free - stream every episode from anywhere in the world with the help of our guide. Billions season 5 is comprised of 12 hour-long episodes, the first seven of which will air on consecutive weekends on Showtime in the US and started May 3. Thereafter, the show will go a Covid-19 enforced hiatus, with the remaining five episodes set to air later in the year - making the mid-season finale June 7. Once again, the magnetic Lewis takes center stage as Bobby 'Axe' Axlerod, the talented but ruthless head honcho of Axe Capital. Keeping him on his toes is Giamatti's Chuck Rhoades, who begins the show as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and is hellbent on proving that Axe's hedge fund success isn't solely down to good judgement. The supporting cast is every bit as impressive, featuring the likes of Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons Of Anarchy), Malin Akerman (Watchmen) and Toby Leonard Moore (Daredevil, John Wick). Ready to get started? Read on to learn how to watch Billions season 5 online from anywhere - including for free.
How to watch Billions from outside your countryIt may seem unlikely, but should you find yourself abroad during these difficult times, geo-blocking will almost certainly prohibit you from accessing the streaming services you would normally use (and pay for) at home. Fortunately, there's an easy solution. Downloading the best VPN will allow you to watch Billions season 5 online no matter where you are. This neat bit of kit changes your IP address so that you can watch all your favorite shows live or on-demand, just like you would from the comfort of your sofa.
How to watch Billions season 5 for FREE in the USHow to watch Billions season 5 online in the UK for FREEHow to watch Billions for free online in AustraliaWatch Billions season 5 online in Canada
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| How to watch Rick and Morty season 4 online: stream part 2's new episodes anywhere free Posted: 29 May 2020 10:57 AM PDT Rick and Morty devotees have been rewarded for their patience this year, having waited it out since before Christmas for definitive news of a new batch of episodes. They arrived in May and just as quickly neared the end of their run, so read on and we'll tell you how to watch Rick and Morty season 4 online for free - including where you can stream all of part 2 anywhere, including the new episode 10 Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri. Yes, the bizarre show has now returned to help us get through some equally bizarre times. The part 2 trailer promised us all the unpredictability and madcap adventures we've come to expect from the show, including manga-style superhero outfits, electrocutions, and light sabres. Perhaps the latter should have come as no surprise given that the first new episode of Rick and Morty season 4 - episode 6 'Never Ricking Morty' - was first released on May 3, just 24 hours before Star Wars Day 2020, in the United States. Now, we're into the final week of brand spanking new Rick and Morty season 4 episodes - with episode 10 being dubbed 'Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri'. Fans will no doubt sense something of a circular theme..l Created by Dan Harmon (of Community fame) and Justin Roiland, the show originated from a short parody of Back to the Future and first aired back in 2013. Since then, it graduated from its original cult status and grown to a show that counts the likes of Taika Waititi, Elon Musk and Liam Cunningham as some of its guest stars. Not bad going for a permanently sozzled mad scientist and his naive 14-year-old grandson, really? For anyone totally new to the show, those are the titular characters of Rick and Morty, respectively. Will the wait have been worth it? We reckon so - read on and discover how to watch Rick and Morty season 4 and stream every part 2 episode no matter where you are in the world right now.
How to watch Rick and Morty from outside your countryBelow we'll take yo through your Rick and Morty streaming options for various regions around the world, where you can see it for free in the likes of the US and UK. Those who already have a streaming service they use to watch Rick and Morty online may find themselves unable to access it when abroad, due to pesky geo-blocking restrictions. We know, we know - most people aren't going anywhere anytime soon right now. But 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 Rick and Morty no matter where you are. This simple bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access episodes on demand. Watch Rick and Morty season 4 in the US with Sling TVWe'll cut right to the chase because, like us, you've been waiting for part 2 of Rick and Morty season 4 for a while now. Your patience has paid off, however, as you can watch new episodes for less than ever courtesy of Sling TV and, more specifically, its Sling Orange package.This includes the Cartoon Network (and therefore Adult Swim in the evenings), costs just $20 a month for the first month. Alternatively, read on and we'll explain all the other ways you can watch Rick and Morty season 4 in the US and beyond.
Where else to watch Rick and Morty season 4, episode 6 in the USHow to watch Rick and Morty season 4 FREE in the UKHow to watch Rick and Morty in CanadaHow to watch Rick and Morty in AustraliaIs Rick and Morty on Netflix?In many countries, yes! For instance, Rick and Morty is one of the best Netflix UK shows around and - as we've just said - it's also available on Netflix Australia. But Rick and Morty season 4 hasn't yet dropped on the servicea nywhere - and we don't really expect it to until part 2 has finished airing on Adult Swim.
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| Disney Plus: movies, shows, free trial, Hamilton and more explained Posted: 29 May 2020 10:44 AM PDT Disney Plus (or Disney+) is the streaming service that's currently battling Netflix and Amazon Prime for subscription money. Disney Plus collects movies and TV shows from Disney animation, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and National Geographic into one handy service, as well as key content from 20th Century Fox like The Simpsons (which just had its aspect ratio fixed on Disney Plus after a long wait). Disney Plus is out now in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and other European countries. A Japanese launch is coming on June 11, and Latin American countries will get Disney Plus later in 2020. The Disney Plus rollout will take up to two years to complete after its initial November 2019 release date, and eventually it'll be available everywhere. Why is Disney Plus worth subscribing to? The big appeal here is its vast archive of movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, which encompasses many of the most popular movies ever made. They're all presented in 4K HDR for no extra cost, too. You pick a monthly or yearly subscription tier and that's it: you're ready to watch on the device of your choice. The other reason you'll want the Disney Plus streaming service is Disney Plus Originals. Starting with Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian, Disney has made a big commitment to creative TV series based on its most popular film franchises. That means that you'll soon see TV shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision, as well as more Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian season 2. In 2020, Disney has released movies on the service faster than expected to respond to the changes in our viewing habits, with Frozen 2 and Onward arriving early in the US. On July 3, the musical Hamilton will release on Disney Plus, brought forward from a 2021 theatrical release and available to stream at home, which is a major incentive to subscribe. Here's our comprehensive Disney Plus guide, including details on its free trial, price, movies, shows, bundles and the Verizon deal that gets you a year of Disney Plus for free.
How to sign up to Disney PlusIf you want to sign up for Disney Plus in the US, UK and Canada, you can sign up for Disney Plus here, or if you're in Australia or New Zealand, click here. There's a 7-day Disney Plus free trial if you want to check the offering out before committing to the service. Disney Plus FAQ
Disney Plus free trial: how to get oneA Disney Plus 7-day free trial is a good way to check out the entire offering of the service. Hey, you could watch every single episode of The Mandalorian in that time and marathon the Marvel movies before quitting, if you really wanted to. You'll need to enter your billing details to get a free Disney Plus trial, but it's easy to cancel before you're charged. You only get one free trial, so make it count. Here's how you cancel Disney Plus if you need it. Disney Plus price and bundle explainedThe Disney Plus price structure is mostly the same wherever you are, with monthly and yearly subscription tiers. Disney Plus costs $6.99 per month in the US, or $69.99 for a year's subscription. In the US, there's a $12.99 per month Disney Plus bundle with Hulu and ESPN+, which we'll explain below. In the UK, Disney Plus is £5.99 per month, or £59.99 per year. In Australia, Disney Plus is AU$8.99 per month or $89.99 per year. In Canada, it's $8.99 a month and $89.99 for a year. In New Zealand, it's NZ$100 per year or NZ$10 a month. For Disney Plus in India, for new users the Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan is Rs 399 per year and Disney+ Hotstar Premium at Rs 1,499 per year. Disney Plus, notably, is cheaper than Netflix, which is $10.99 per month for its Standard Plan, and $14.99 for its 4K-equipped Premium tier. With Disney Plus, the flat fee gets you 4K HDR streams, . So, about that Disney Plus bundle. It includes Disney Plus itself, Hulu (with ads) and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month. That's a great deal, with Hulu offering a wide range of adult-friendly shows and movies, while ESPN+ includes tons of sports content. This saves you around $5 per month, since Disney Plus costs $6.99 per month, Hulu costs $5.99 while ESPN+ is $4.99. Disney Plus app and devicesThese are the devices that are compatible with the Disney Plus app:
The Disney Plus app can be downloaded on almost any device, then, and you can watch it in web browsers on desktop, too. The Disney Plus app supports up to four simultaneous streams, ten registered devices and you can create seven profiles. Each profile can create its own Watch List. You can download as much Disney Plus content as you want to watch offline, as long as you sign in to the app online every 30 days. The app has different age ratings for content, and you can choose to create a Kids Profile to remove the more adult-friendly content on there (The Simpsons, for example). As well as having different content hubs for Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel and National Geographic, the Disney Plus app has curated content lists themed around different subjects. These hubs include the major franchises we just mentioned, but also themed sets of Simpsons episodes, or Disney divided into decades. It's a nice way to find something to watch that's not just driven by Netflix-style algorithms. Disney Plus movies: what's new in 2020 and 2021Frozen 2 is one of the more recent Disney Plus movies that are worth watching. Disney Plus has had a big 2020 so far, releasing movies like Frozen 2, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Pixar's Onward and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on the service in the US. Its next big original is June 12's Artemis Fowl, an adaptation of Eoin Colfer's book originally destined for cinemas. Not that you can really call it a movie, but the musical Hamilton arrives shortly after on July 3, and that'll be a huge deal. These are the major movies coming to Disney Plus in the US throughout 2020 and 2021 that we know about right now:
Older Disney Plus movies are the lifeblood of the service. You'll see many of them in our list of the best Disney Plus movies. You won't find adult movies on this streaming service, though, as all of the content on Disney Plus is family-friendly. Disney Plus includes pretty much every Disney animated movie you can remember from across the decades: Snow White, 101 Dalmations, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid. There's more or less parity in the library across different countries, though depending on where you are, some movies may be tied up in deals with other services and will arrive on Disney Plus later. We've listed the main examples of this above. Disney Plus also has an almost-complete archive of Pixar movies to watch, as well as every Star Wars movie (minus Solo in the US, for the time being), and that now includes 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. Every single Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is on Disney Plus, except those that are owned by other studios (the two Tom Holland Spider-Man movies and The Incredible Hulk). In addition, Disney Plus US is missing two Marvel movies: Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Infinity War, but that will soon be rectified. Existing original movies on Disney Plus include The Lady and the Tramp, Noelle and Timmy Failure. You can watch those now. You'll also find a number of movies from 20th Century Fox available to stream on Disney Plus, including James Cameron's Avatar, The Simpsons Movie, the Home Alone series and Cheaper by the Dozen. Disney Plus shows: original series and classic showsCurrent Disney Plus originals include Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars, which are by far the best reasons to subscribe. A recent series called Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian explores the making of the Baby Yoda-starring show. Other originals include the excellent documentary series The Imagineering Story, and kid-friendly shows like Diary of a Future President, Zenimation, High School Musical: The Series and the Pixar shorts series Forky Asks A Question. Disney Plus has a lot of non-fiction shows available to watch, like Shop Class, Marvel's Hero Project, The Big Fib, Disney Family Sundays and Disney Fairy Tale Weddings. As you might expect, a lot of its programming is targeted at families. In terms of classic shows, Disney Plus offers a lesser array of older series compared to its movie collection. What's here is mostly animated, like DuckTales, Recess, Gargoyles, Gummi Bears, Goof Troop, TaleSpin and several Marvel series, including the '90s X-Men and Spider-Man animated series. The big hitter, of course, is The Simpsons. There are 30 seasons to stream now, as well as The Simpsons Movie. You'll find some other live-action shows to enjoy, too, like Marvel's Runaways and Boy Meets World. But what about the future? The reason to be excited about the future of Disney Plus is its upcoming originals, a big-budget array of new Disney Plus shows that put the characters of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars to work. The highlights for most adult viewers will be the upcoming canonical Marvel Cinematic Universe shows featuring characters from the movies, as well as new live-action Star Wars shows focused on popular heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cassian Andor. Below is a selection of the best upcoming shows on Disney Plus. We've excluded most non-fiction shows or game shows from the list, because there are so many in the works, and what's below is the stuff you'll actually be interested in. Note that some of these dates may be affected by the current global pandemic, but it's accurate at the time of publication:
Disney Plus error codes: what the numbers meanCheck out our list of Disney Plus error codes for more on what the different numbers mean. If you're having issues with Disney Plus you can't seem to solve, try the Disney Plus help center for more. This is how you contact Disney Plus customer service, too, if you can't resolve an issue. You can call 888-905-7888 if you're based in the US. You can also tweet the Disney Plus help account. This email should help, as well: DisneyPlusHelp@Disney.com. Disney Plus Verizon deal: how you can get a year of Disney Plus for freeDisney Plus and Verizon are still offering a year of Disney Plus for new Fios and 5G Home customers (click here to see the deal). You can still take advantage of the offer even if you're subscribed to Disney Plus already, according to Verizon's FAQs. The Disney+ on us offer is only for new Fios and 5G Home customers. Business accounts are not eligible. Disney Plus gift subscriptions: get a year of Disney Plus for a friend or family memberDisney Plus Gift Subscriptions are available at the yearly $69.99 tier, and make an ideal last-minute gift. You can buy Disney+ Gift Subscriptions here. Right now, though, you can only get them in the US. Our verdict? Disney Plus is worth it, but mostly if you have kidsDisney Plus is slightly a more specialist offering than Netflix, aimed at fans of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars. It doesn't have the adult content or variety you'll find on other streaming services, but that's okay, because inevitably you'll find something you want to watch on here. The archive of Disney Plus content is amazing, and for Disney fans, that's reason enough to subscribe. If you've got children, too, the service is more of a no-brainer. The next year will be crucial for Disney Plus. Its initial offering of original shows has been solid, but slow, with many of its best series coming long after launch. In a few years, though, with a regular rotation of Star Wars and Marvel shows to enjoy every few months, subscribing is going to be essential.
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| How to watch Rick and Morty: stream every season online from anywhere Posted: 29 May 2020 10:44 AM PDT Fans of Rick and Morty rejoiced earlier in the year when new episodes of the show were announced - such is the devoted nature of this particular madcap cartoon's following. Which is fair enough, given the long and often unpredictable gaps between seasons and even parts of seasons. Fortunately, when new episodes aren't forthcoming, every season of the show can be easily streamed online. Follow our guide as we explain how to watch Rick and Morty from anywhere in the world. The series originated from a short parody of Back to the Future and charts the misadventures of mad scientist Rick - a drunk with serious sociopathetic tendencies - and his well-meaning but slightly naive 14-year-old grandson, Morty. Created by Dan Harmon (of Community fame) and Justin Roiland, it first aired in 2013 and has since transcended mere cult status, with Rick and Morty season 4 so far featuring guest stars like Taika Waititi, Elon Musk and Liam Cunningham to name but a few. It was renewed for a further 70 episodes at the end of season 3, which at current pace would take it to at least a tenth season. So remember, when the wait for Rick and Morty season 5 starts this June, this same guide will help you re-watch all your favorite episodes no matter where you are! Yes, the show has at times drawn the ire of its devoted fans for its irregular release patterns - first of seasons, then of episodes. Season 4 took a hiatus BEFORE the coronavirus, for crying out loud! But when it came back, all was forgiven and the comically mismatched duo resumed their madcap exploits in 2020. With that in mind, here's where to stream every season of Rick and Morty online - including how to watch Rick and Morty season 4 from anywhere in the world.
Is Rick and Morty on Netflix?In many countries, yes! For instance, Rick and Morty is one of the best Netflix UK shows around and is also available on Netflix Australia. However, what Rick and Morty episodes you can watch on Netflix will vary by region, with details below on where you can stream older episodes where you are. We'd expect season 4 to move to the service once it finishes airing on Adult Swim. How to watch Rick and Morty from outside your countryThose who already have a streaming service they use to watch Rick and Morty online may find themselves unable to access it when abroad, due to pesky geo-blocking restrictions. We know, we know - most people aren't going anywhere anytime soon right now. But 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 Rick and Morty no matter where you are. This simple bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access episodes on demand. How to watch Rick and Morty in the USHow to watch Rick and Morty in the UKHow to watch Rick and Morty in AustraliaHow to watch Rick and Morty in Canada
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| Best VPS hosting providers of 2020 Posted: 29 May 2020 10:34 AM PDT Standard shared web hosting packages are cheap and user-friendly, but they're also slow, inflexible, and don't have the power or functionality that professional and business users often need. If you need more than a basic host but can't afford a dedicated server or don't want to deal with the complexity of these beasts, VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting could be a smart choice. Buying a VPS plan means that you get your very own virtual server environment. You have full control over the operating system, the extensions and apps you install, and all their settings. Each physical server will still host multiple VPS customers, but not as many as with shared hosting, and typically each VPS will be allocated a share of key resources – RAM, storage space, CPU cores – for their use alone. This can be easier to manage than you might think. Many VPS plans include standard tools like cPanel to help monitor and configure your site. Some hosts will manage the service for you, monitoring for problems like a crashed service, and fixing them as soon as they're detected. VPS prices and specs vary from a few dollars a month to hundreds, depending on your requirements. There's a lot of choice out there, but don't panic – our list of five best VPS providers will point you in the right direction.
Founded in 2004, Hostinger has been providing a quality hosting service for some time now and their VPS hosting is no different. You have plenty of choices here from the low-tier plan that has 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB of storage and 1000 GB bandwidth to high-tier plan where you get 8 CPU, 8 GB RAM, 160 GB of storage and 8000 GB bandwidth. Pricing is affordable too, especially if you commit to longer terms. The 1 CPU plan starts at $3.95 per month (if you choose the 4-year billing) and renews at $8.16 per month, while the 8 CPU plan starts at $29.95 per month (if you choose the 4-year billing) and renews at $65.56 per month. All plans have IPv6 support, a dedicated IP, 100 Mb/s Network and a few more additions. Linux users also have plenty of choices. Apart from the usual CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian, you can also choose Suse. Windows VPS hosting is available as well, with the plans being more pricier but also more powerful. If you encounter any problems, there’s a 24/7 live chat service to help you. Hostinger delivers a capable VPS hosting with a very tempting first term price, and with all plans being fully refundable, everyone can try out the service. Bluehost has been around for quite some time and always offered powerful plans for a variety of users, and their VPS range is no different. You have three plans to choose from, with the cheapest plan starting at $17.99 per month for the first term and $29.99 per month on renewal. That gets you 2 CPU cores (2x Xeon Gold 5220), 30GB SSD storage, 2 GB RAM, 1 TB bandwidth and one IP address. The top-tier plan called Ultimate, gives you 4 CPU cores (2x Xeon Gold 5222), 120GB SSD storage, 8 GB RAM, 3 TB bandwidth and two IP addresses, and it’s priced at $57.99 per month for the first term and $119.99 per month on renewal. All plans come with a free SSL certificate and a 1-year domain. You also get unlimited subdomains and email accounts, and cPanel is included too. Domain privacy and protection, and SiteLock are categorized as optional add-ons, so you’ll have to pay extra if you need them. Support is available 24/7 so if you encounter any difficulties you’ll be able to call them at any time of the day. All in all, Bluehost is a capable provider for both newbies and experienced users so they are definitely worth a try. InMotion is one of the more popular web hosting providers out there and it is no surprise that they're secured a spot here Check out a few VPS hosting providers and it's easy to be tempted with low headline rates, but don't be fooled – companies use a range of tricks to keep their charges down. The hardware specs of a starter product are often kept unrealistically low, for instance, to keep the price right down. Important items – backups, cPanel – may be expensive extras. And even then, the headline rate may only apply if you pay for two or three years upfront, increasing dramatically on renewal. InMotion Hosting is refreshingly different. Its baseline VPS-1000HA-S plan doesn't have the most eye-catching price at $24.99 per month over two years, but it's easy to see why the company asks this much. The product has a better specification – 4GB RAM, 75GB storage, 4TB bandwidth, 3 dedicated IPs – than some high-end plans from other providers, backups and a cPanel licence are included for free, and there's a 90-day money-back guarantee. There's an unusual feature in what InMotion calls "unlocked CPU cores". Rather than having access to one or two cores only, you're able to spread your processing load across all cores on the server, a major performance boost for tasks involving a lot of simultaneous processing. Welcome bonus touches include a feature called Launch Assist, which essentially means you get two hours of free time with one of InMotion's server administrators. Whether you need to change domain settings, configure cPanel, migrate WordPress or database files, they can help you get the job done. Put it all together and you're getting a very capable set of VPS hosting plans. If you'd prefer a package that comes with unexpected surprises, rather than hidden catches, we'd give InMotion a try. Some VPS hosts focus on first-time users, others go for big business, but Hostwinds does its best to appeal to everyone with no less than 10 different VPS hosting plans. The low-end Tier One plan looks a little underpowered to us, with just 1GB RAM, one CPU core, 30GB of disk space and 1TB traffic. But it's cheap at $4.49 per month, and you can extend it significantly without spending a huge amount (adding basic server monitoring and cloud backups costs an extra $6 a month for both). The more realistic Tier Four includes 6GB RAM, 100GB drive space, two CPU cores and 2TB of traffic. It's also significantly more expensive at $26.09 a month, but still competitive with other providers. Meanwhile the top-of-the-range Tier Ten product gets you 96GB RAM, 16 CPU cores, 750GB storage and 9TB of traffic for an initial $296.09 a month. You probably don't need anything like that, but this does show there's plenty of scope for upgrading your site over time. Every plan has some appealing configuration options. In particular, along with support for the usual Linux variants – CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian – you can choose Windows Server 2008, 2012 or 2016 for only a $5 a month premium. That's very good value, and if you're more familiar with Windows than Linux, it could save you from lots of management hassles later on. Liquid Web is a premium web hosting provider which has been offering top quality managed solutions for more than 20 years, and now handles 500,000 sites for more than 32,000 customers worldwide. The company doesn't try to beat the competition on price, instead focusing on delivering comprehensive products which will deliver quality results. The cheapest Liquid Web plan may cost $59 a month (you can reduce that to $39 a month by going annual), for instance, but that gets you 2GB RAM, 40GB storage, a very generous 10TB of bandwidth, and 100GB backup. There are lots of configuration options. Instead of just telling you that you're getting CentOS 7, Liquid Web allows you to select CentOS 6, Debian 8, Ubuntu 14.04 or 16.04, and often with multiple options of their own: cPanel, Plesk, CloudLinux and more. This is a managed product, too. Liquid Web fully supports the base operating system, and the support team will proactively restore failed services as soon as they're detected. Getting a managed VPS with other providers could cost you an extra $30 a month, or more. If your VPS still has issues, there's speedy 24x7x365 support from knowledgeable professionals who will do their best to solve your problems at speed. Liquid Web may not have the most appealing headline prices, but it's still cheaper than many others considering the features you get, and the excellent support will help keep your site running smoothly down the line.
You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Xbox Series X release date, specs, design and launch titles for the new Xbox Posted: 29 May 2020 10:17 AM PDT Xbox Series X is the new Xbox that is due for release in late 2020. So far we know when the next-gen Xbox will release, its official name, some of the games we'll be playing, as well as information on backwards compatibility, and how cross-gen game ownership will work under the new Smart Delivery feature. We also know that it will have a slightly redesigned controller that should be more accessible, and offer 1TB SSD upgrades from Seagate. From what we've seen so far, it looks like the Xbox Series X will sport a blockier style that's similar to that of a small gaming PC. More importantly, we now know what's inside the console, thanks to Microsoft giving us the Series X's full specs, and we can say for sure that the new Xbox is going to be an absolute powerhouse. But the Xbox Series X won't be the only next-generation hardware on offer from Microsoft. The company has confirmed that the next-generation family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within that family, which is likely to include a cheaper disc-drive free version as well. So what exactly has Microsoft got to offer with the new Xbox? And how will it compare to the PS5? Let's break down everything we know about the Xbox Series X. [Update: Xbox Series X backwards compatibility explained by Microsoft. Read on to find out more.]
Microsoft has given the release window of "Holiday 2020" - which means we'll likely see the Xbox Series X release between October and December this year. We're expecting a November release date as, historically, that's when Microsoft has released its consoles. It's possible that the release date will be November 26, 2020 (AKA Thanksgiving in the US). An image stating the Xbox Series X is "coming Thanksgiving 2020" (shown above) appeared on a number of product pages around the world briefly before being reverted back to to the previously announced Holiday 2020 release window. A Microsoft spokesperson responded to TechRadar to clarify, saying: "An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020.” Despite concerns that the Xbox Series X will be delayed due to Covid-19, Microsoft is still citing the same release window and Xbox boss Phil Spencer told IGN: "We have nothing right now that says that we're not going to make the dates that we've been planning." However, we are expecting the Xbox Series X launch to be digital event as a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer that the company is adjusting its event calendar due to the pandemic, stating that: "For the remainder of 2020 we are embracing the opportunity to experiment with new platforms to provide our partners, customers and developers the highest quality, digital-first experiences."
Microsoft won't be pinned down on an Xbox Series X price point quite yet – unsurprisingly, given what a sore spot the price of the Xbox One was for fans. At launch, the original Xbox One cost a whopping $499 / £429 / AU$599, which was quickly reduced when Microsoft realized people weren't forking out. Microsoft has at the very least promised that it's learned from this pricing mistake, with Phil Spencer stating that this time "we will not be out of position on power or price.” That doesn't mean that the new Xbox will be cheap, mind you, it just means the price point will be better aligned with the console's power and the price points of the competition. After all, Jason Ronald, director of the Xbox platform, gave only a vague reassurance when speaking to Windows Central, saying that Microsoft knew "what reasonable price points are for a console and kind of what customers expect about that". Price will at least in part be determined by the cost of the components going into the console: Xbox Series X is going to be a lot more powerful than either the Xbox One S or Xbox One X, and that will likely mean we're looking at an even higher price tag on any bundles and Xbox Series X pre-orders. It could be a while before we get confirmation of the Xbox Series X price - possibly months. Historically we've seen both Microsoft and Sony reveal their console pricing around June or July, but this time things are a bit different. The hot topic of pricing has many on the edge of their seats, as we see just how powerful the PS5 and Xbox Series are, and wonder how expensive the technology will be. It seems like we're currently in something of a standoff, with both companies waiting to see what the other will price its next-gen hardware at - possibly so they can undercut each other. It looks like Sony and Microsoft will be waiting until the last possible moment to set their pricing, with plenty of time before then to make adjustments. Still, enough time will need to be set aside before the consoles release between October and December for people to get those pre-orders in.
We now know what Xbox Series X looks like and what it's packing under the hood, and it's going to be an absolute beast of a console.The next Xbox's gaming PC design is pretty apt, considering the next-gen console's internal hardware is comparable to one - so make sure you check out our Xbox Series X spec analysis. Microsoft has finally revealed the Xbox Series X specifications in full, leaving no one in doubt about how powerful its next-generation games console will be. The folks over at Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry got a close look at the hardware, and alongside Microsoft have announced the hardware that will be powering the Xbox Series X. According to Digital Foundry, the specs confirm that the Xbox Series X will indeed be twice as powerful as the Xbox Once X… in practise. Digital Foundry saw an unoptimized version of Gears 5 running on the Xbox Series X running at the equivalent of ‘Ultra’ graphics settings on PC, and it comes with enhanced shadows and ray tracing. Where the cut scenes ran at 30FPS on the Xbox One X, Digital Foundry reported that on the Xbox Series X, it runs at a ‘flawless’ 60FPS. Also, this is an early port – on release we should see even better results. As expected, the Xbox Series X processor is built into a custom Project Scarlett SoC (System on Chip), which uses an enhanced version of TSMC’s 7nm process. That seven nanometers is important. The smaller the process, the more efficient the chip can be. That means it can provide more performance for less power. Making sure the chip inside a games console can perform well without using lots of power (and getting hot) is incredibly important. Based on the prototype hardware Digital Foundry seen, the Xbox Series X reportedly ships with a 315W power supply - delivered internally but the console is also equipped with parallel cooling architecture, allowing cool air in and letting that cool air stream through separate areas of the console. The processor is a customized AMD Zen 2 CPU with eight cores and 16 threads, with a peak speed of 3.8GHz, and a base speed of 3.6GHz. As Digital Foundry reveals, these frequencies aren’t completely locked, which suggests the Xbox Series X could adjust the power of the CPU based on workload and thermals. So, if you’re playing a game that needs a lot of processing power, the Xbox Series X can give its CPU a boost, and then slow it down when you don’t need it. Meanwhile, the GPU of the Xbox Series X is revealed as a custom design with 12 teraflops of compute performance, with 3328 shaders allocated to 52 compute units, and runs at a locked 1,825 MHz. Interestingly, there’s no boost clocks for the GPU. It will always run at that speed. It also uses AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, and offers ray tracing for photo-realistic lighting. What does this mean in the real world? It seems the Xbox Series X will have the graphical power acquirement to a gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card. So, a very capable device indeed, but maybe not able to compete with the most powerful gaming PCs. The Xbox Series X also gets 16GB of GDDR6 memory – an upgrade from the Xbox One X’s 12GB GDDR5. That won’t all be used in games, however. Games will get a total of 13.5GB – 10GB of GPU optimal memory and 3.5GB of standard memory, while the remaining 2.5GB is reserved for the operating system. The faster GDDR6 memory should also offer a big leap in performance. Match that with a super-fast NVMe SSD, and the Xbox Series X should feel very spritely when used. There’s still a lot of questions over what kind of performance we can expect from the Xbox Series X, but this is by far the best look at the hardware we’ve seen. But what else do we know about the Xbox Series X's specs? Well, Microsoft is aiming to get Xbox Series X games to run at 60 FPS in 4K, calling the challenge a "design goal". The console will support up to 120 FPS too. Despite 4K being the aim, Microsoft has said the Xbox Series X has 8K capability. Phil Spencer even changed his Twitter profile photo to (what appeared to be) a picture of the next-gen Xbox Series X's processor. It said 'Project Scarlett' on it, and was marked with '8K' (pictured above), suggesting Microsoft plans on doing more than simply talking the talk when it comes to 8K. The Xbox Series X will also feature Variable Rate Shading, which prioritizes effects on different in-game characters and objects for a "more stable frame rate and higher resolution", according to Microsoft. Not only will games look better, they could be bigger. In an interview with PCGamesN, Samsung revealed that it's talking with Microsoft and pushing the gaming behemoth to adopt ultrawide support for the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X will make good use of having an SSD – a 'Quick Resume' feature for the console will let you "almost instantly" continue with multiple games, without the need to sit through load screens. Microsoft also aims to improve latency through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). According to Microsoft, "ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode". While "VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing". These features aim to minimize lag and make gaming more responsive. However, don't expect video to do the Xbox Series X's power justice. Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes that it’s been challenging to demonstrate just how much of a leap Xbox Series X will be over Xbox One, as faster and more stable frame rates aren’t something that really comes across in videos. Speaking to ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-aime on his new podcast (thanks, GameSpot), Spencer lamented the fact that gamers might not appreciate the power of Xbox Series X just yet. "One of the things I've talked about publicly ... but it's hard to come across, is the way it feels to play games on a box where frame rates are higher, frame rates are more stable," Spencer explained. "The fluidity of it, showing that in video form, is just impossible. How do you show how something feels?" He went on to add: "We're getting to the point where the immersion feel that you get through fluidity and other things is now up to par with the visual capabilities that we have. How do you share that with people in this kind of world?" If you're less bothered about the specs and more concerned about whether you can still play physical games on the next Xbox, then you'll be pleased to know that Xbox Series X has a physical disc drive. Microsoft has also confirmed that all your current Xbox One accessories will work with Xbox Series X, including existing controllers and headsets. But we'd doubt that also includes the ill-fated Kinect motion tracker. That means that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will be forward compatible with Series X, but Microsoft is also launching a next-generation wireless controller to accompany the new console. But don't expect the Xbox Series X to launch with VR support as, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Microsoft is waiting until VR on Xbox becomes a "no brainer". However, right now, the company doesn't see the feature as "so important" on its next-gen hardware.
Xbox Series X has a completely different design to its predecessors. For a start, the next-gen console has an upright tower design - similar to that of a gaming PC. However, Microsoft has confirmed Series X can sit horizontally or vertically. From what we've seen in the Series X reveal trailer, the console is black with slightly indented cooling vents on the top (with what seems to be a green light inside). The Xbox logo sits small on the top left hand corner of the console and there's still a disc drive - which is placed vertically on the left hand side also. The Xbox Series X has the following ports: HDMI 2.1 output port, three USB 3.2 ports, one networking port, an expanded storage slot and a power input port. The console reportedly measures 15.1cm x 15.1cm x 30.1cm and weighs 4.45kg/9.8lbs. While these images have been circling for a while now, we still weren't entirely sure what that mystery port was - until now. Thurrott claims that sources "familiar with the company's plans" have identified the port as being for storage expansion. Microsoft hasn't confirmed it this is the case, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was seeing as external storage was supported with the Xbox One - but whether we see it included in the final Series X product is still uncertain. In addition to the console design, we also know what the new Xbox logo will look like. Spotted on Reddit by Windows Central, an official trademark listing for the Xbox Series X logo was filed on April 16, 2020, showing a very different look to what we've seen for Microsoft's consoles to date. The logo shows the word 'Series' in a vertical formation, next to a stylized 'X'. It's a more mature and minimalist design for Xbox, but it's somewhat simplistic and – in our opinion – looks more suited to a sports brand. According to the patent, this is the Xbox Series X logo we'll see on everything from the console itself to clothing, keychains, toys and even kitchen utensils. Although, we think Microsoft is just trying to cover all bases and it's unlikely we'll see an Xbox Series X spatula anytime soon. Microsoft is releasing an Xbox Series X controller to accompany its next generation console. The new Xbox Wireless Controller will apparently be more accessible to everyone, as Microsoft has made an effort to refine the size and shape. This shouldn't be too surprising to anyone that's been following the tech giant, as it's been making waves for accessibility in gaming for a while now with products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Along with enhanced accessibility, we'll also be getting a dedicated share button (finally) that will let you share screenshots and videos with your friends. Microsoft has also revealed that it is optimizing latency in the "player-to-console pipeline" starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, through a new feature called Dynamic Latency input. According to the company, this feature "synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed", making controls "more precise and responsive".
We got our best look yet at the upcoming Xbox Series X games lineup during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, with Microsoft revealing a roster of third-party games coming to the new Xbox including Dirt 5, Scorn Madden 21 and more. We also got to see gameplay for Assassin's Creed Valhalla for the first time. All of the games shown are optimized for the Xbox Series X (and will therefore make the most of its powerful specs). But what else do we know about Xbox Series X games so far? During the Xbox Series X's official reveal, Phil Spencer said Series X games will be "more lifelike, immersive and surprising" and that the Xbox Series X will "lead us into the future of gaming". He also stated that 15 Xbox Game Studios are building a huge next-generation library that includes Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga and Halo Infinite. Not a Halo fan? Don't worry, Xbox Series X will be capable of four generations of backwards compatibility - with the feature available from launch. That means the Series X will be able to play existing Xbox One games, including backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. Not only that, but these games will "play better than ever before" thanks to Microsoft's new HDR reconstruction technique and the Xbox Series X's Quick Resume feature - without requiring additional work from developers. In addition, the Xbox Series X's powerful specs will enable select backwards-compatible titles to run at higher resolutions or double the frame rate. Not only is Microsoft doubling down on backwards compatibility, but the company is also introducing a new system called Smart Delivery to the Series X that, in some respects, could be seen as forwards compatibility. During the May 7 reveal, Microsoft revealed just some of the games which will make use of this feature. With the Xbox Series X, Smart Delivery will seemingly ensure that you have the right version of a game, no matter which Xbox console you’ve bought it on. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will make use of Smart Delivery and will offer those who own Cyberpunk on Xbox One the ability to upgrade to the Xbox Series X version for free. In addition, the company has revealed that, while Cyberpunk will be available on Xbox Series X "from the get-go", a "proper, full-blown next-gen" version of the game will come at a later date. This is apparently the upgrade the developer was referring to. In addition, Microsoft will avoid siloing by taking a cross-generation approach to its first-party games. Talking to Stevivor, Phil Spencer said Microsoft wants to create a console that utilizes Xbox Play Anywhere so you can move seamlessly between devices: "Our goal for our first-party games is that your entitlements will be cross-generation and your Achievements will move effectively with your save game because that’s where they stand.” In addition to the Xbox Series X games announced at the gameplay reveal, we already have confirmation of a number of other third-party games making their way to the Xbox Series X including a remake of THQ Nordic's cult classic Gothic, Battlefield 6, Gollum, WRC 9, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Outriders will land on Xbox Series X. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Gods and Monsters and Assassin's Creed Valhalla are coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X - with a new Far Cry also rumored to be coming to the platforms. Ubisoft has even said it could delay these games if the next-gen consoles miss their launch window. We also know Rainbow Six Siege will be available on Xbox Series X and PS5 from launch. We're also expecting Microsoft's game-streaming service Project xCloud to be out of public testing by the time Xbox Series X releases (with a launch date slated for this year) so we should hopefully be able to enjoy Series X games on-the-go. For those who aren't quite sold on upgrading to Series X quite yet, but still want to check out the best upcoming games, Microsoft has stated that there won't be Xbox Series X exclusive games for at least a year and, for the foreseeable future, new games are planned to work across the Xbox family of devices. That means you'll still be able to play them on Xbox One.
We knew what the Xbox Series X will look like, a few of the features on offer, and a good deal about specs the next Xbox is boasting. But May 7 was when we first saw Xbox Series X gameplay revealed. According to Microsoft, this event would see us fans getting a first look at next-gen gameplay, trailers and sneak peeks from Xbox's third-party partners, an update on how devs are utilizing the Xbox Series X and, finally, confirmation of the Xbox Series X games that will use Smart Delivery. With no look at the console itself, or its interface features, this was all about third-party titles – and ultimately we felt it was a little underwhelming, with no standout titles to shout about. However, this May 7 event is only the start of Microsoft's next-gen reveal plans. According to the company, this event will kick off Xbox 20/20, a stream which will take place each month throughout the rest of the year in the lead-up to the launch of the next-gen console. "Starting with the May 7 episode of Inside Xbox, we will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it 'Xbox 20/20'," Jerret West, CVP of gaming marketing at Xbox wrote on Xbox Wire. "These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for us to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month will bring something different." Microsoft has already confirmed we'll be seeing more of Xbox Series X first-party games at Xbox 20/20 in July, including Halo Infinite. We expect that these streams will entirely replace the Xbox's presence at E3 2020, which Microsoft was confirmed to be attending until it was cancelled – given the circumstances right now, a remote event makes a lot of sense. The Xbox Series X will not be the only new Xbox in Microsoft's next-generation lineup. While we were all pretty excited when Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox at the Game Awards 2019, it appears that the upcoming console's name isn't quite what we thought - and it will belong to a family. While we assumed that the new Xbox is called 'Xbox Series X', Microsoft has clarified that, in fact, the family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within the family. This clarification from Microsoft serves to further fuel rumors that another new Xbox console is on the way. Rumors have circulated for some time about a lower-cost next-gen Xbox console that would sit just below the high-end Xbox Series X - codenamed 'Project Lockhart'. Project Lockhart will allegedly be disc-less console - a trait that it will carry forward from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - but Kotaku's sources believe it will be substantially more powerful than Microsoft’s current disc-less box, and will come with both a solid-state hard drive and a faster CPU than any current game console. The report goes on to say that Microsoft told developers to shoot for a 1440p resolution and 60 frames-per-second frame rate with Project Lockhart and 4K/60 with Xbox Series X, and those same developers have likened the performance of the lower-end console to the PS4 Pro.
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| How to watch One Tree Hill online: stream every episode from anywhere Posted: 29 May 2020 10:16 AM PDT More angsty and testosterone-fuelled than Dawson’s Creek, the other popular teen drama based in North Carolina - One Tree Hill - charted the lives and loves of Nathan and Lucas: two half-brothers from very different backgrounds, whose divergent worlds collide through a joint passion for shooting hoops. Follow their journey from adolescence to adulthood as we detail how to watch One Tree Hill online from the very beginning. Lucas and Nathan Scott have little in common except their surname. Lucas – played by Teen Choice Award winner Chad Michael Murray – is the sensitive, brooding one, raised by his mom and uncle after his father, Dan, abandoned them. Meanwhile, Dan’s other child Nathan (Haunting of Hill House actor James Lafferty) is brash, privileged, and self-assured. He’s also the High School basketball team’s star player. So, when the equally talented Lucas shows his promise on the court, Nathan prepares to lose everything he’s taken for granted – including his girlfriend. One Tree Hill, which ran for nine seasons, avoided irrelevance by jumping forward in time to explore the protagonists’ young adult lives, while including some individually devastating episodes (“With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept,” for example). It may have suffered from Lucas and Peyton’s departure in Season 7, but otherwise the show offered entertainingly outlandish plots, characters you could invest in emotionally, and enough love triangles to flummox Pythagoras. Rivalry. Romance. Drama. Enjoy it all over again as we explain how to watch One Tree Hill online from anywhere in the world.
How to watch One Tree Hill online from outside your home countryIf you find yourself outside your normal country of residence and try to access regional streaming services, the chances are geo-blocking restrictions will prevent that – leaving you unable to watch One Tree Hill’s emotional turmoil online. Luckily, there’s an easy way to rectify this. Downloading the best VPN will enable you to watch One Tree Hill online no matter where you’re streaming from. This essential piece of software changes your IP address so that you can watch all your favorite shows live or on demand, just as if you were watching from home.
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| PS5 release date, specs, news and features for Sony’s PlayStation 5 Posted: 29 May 2020 10:05 AM PDT The PS5 (or PlayStation 5) is the next-generation PlayStation, with a release date planned for late 2020. Although Sony has remained tight-lipped about its new console, it has drip-fed us a few juicy details on what we can expect from its next-gen offering, and we now know we'll finally hear about the PS5 games line-up on June 4. We've already had our first look at the DualSense PS5 controller, which boasts some impressive-sounding features such as haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and a built-in mic. But what is arguably most interesting about the DualSense controller is its radically different look and space-age black-and-white color scheme, which suggests the PS5 design will look something similar – and will be a big departure from its predecessors. Just as important as the DualSense Controller are the PS5 specs discussed at Sony's March reveal event. Lead system architect Mark Cerny provided us with a deep dive into the PS5's system architecture, revealing the technical inner workings of the PS5. We'll cover them in more detail down below, but for now know that the PS5 is rocking an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz, 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a custom RDNA 2 AMD GPU that puts out 10.28 TFLOPs of processing power. In terms of features, we know the next-gen console will have ray-tracing, a super-fast SSD, a built-in 4K Blu-ray player and will be backwards compatible with a huge swathe of the PS4's game catalogue. Heck, it might even have voice assistant capabilities to tell you how long it will take to beat levels. So far, the PS5 is living up to the hype. Want all the juicy details? Here's everything we know about the PS5 so far – and what we hope will be revealed the closer we get to launch. [Update: PS5 games reveal event confirmed for June 4. Read on to find out more.]
After much rumor and speculation, Sony has confirmed it's hosting a PS5 games reveal event on June 4. The PS5 game reveal event will be an hour-long presentation, called the 'Future of Gaming', and will give us our first look at the PlayStation 5's game line-up. The presentation will air on June 4 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm BST (or on June 5 at 6am AEST). Fans will be able to watch via Twitch, YouTube or the official PS5 website. We've been expecting that Sony will host another PS5 reveal event sometime in the near future, but we weren't quite sure when. In a corporate strategy meeting earlier this month, Sony president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida stated that we will be seeing the "compelling" PS5 games line-up "soon", leaving many to speculate about a potential PS5 games reveal event date. Bloomberg recently reported that a PS5 reveal event was planned for June 3, but did add the caveat that plans could change, given the current circumstances. While VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb, who spoke to sources under the condition of anonymity, uncovered Sony's plans to host big PS5 showcase sometime in the first two weeks of June – suggesting a (what we now know to be correct) date of June 4. It seems this event will only focus on PS5 games, with Grubb claiming the showcase will include both first-party titles and third-party titles from Sony’s trusted partners. So don't expect any hardware. God of War (Image Credit: SIE) Sony has officially confirmed that the PS5 will release "in time for Holiday 2020", so likely some time between October and December 2020 - putting it in direct competition with the Xbox Series X, which is releasing in the same window. A leak has suggested that the release date will be November 20, 2020 but that's yet to be confirmed. However, this date would be in the right window, as we're predicting the PS5 will release in November, 2020. November is historically when we've seen PlayStation's launch and it would leave time before Christmas to get those orders in. AMD, the tech giant that’s been commissioned to make the processor and graphics chips in both the PS5 and Xbox Series X next-gen consoles, is “ramping up production” to prepare for their respective launches, AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su confirmed in early May 2020. This timing too is also suggestive of a November launch window. Sony has frustrated some fans with the way it's drip fed information regarding the PS5. Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki seemingly isn't worried about the competition, though, and is confident the PS5 will beat the Xbox Series X in sales. Despite rumors, a Sony has confirmed the PS5's release date has not been delayed by Covid-19 so we should still see the next-gen console release in late 2020 - even if we're not sure exactly when that will be. We're expecting to find out the PlayStation 5's official release date in the coming months, having not been revealed at the March 18 technical talk.
Death Stranding Sony hasn't officially confirmed a PS5 price yet and, according to the company, that's because it hasn't actually decided how much the next-gen console will cost. In a quarterly earnings call (via Spiel Times), Sony's chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki revealed the company still hasn't nailed down the PS5 price. "What is not very clear or visible is because we are competing in the space, so it’s very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time, and depending upon the price level, we may have to determine the promotion that we are going to deploy and how much costs we are prepared to pay," Totoki explained. “It’s a balancing act it’s very difficult to say anything concrete at this point of time," Totoki said. But we do know that Sony is aiming for "the best balance so that we will be profitable in the life, during the life of this product." While Sony may not have a price nailed down, there have been rumors about how much the PS5 could cost. While the latest PS5 price leaks are wild – and can't be trusted - some predictions seem a bit more feasible (even if they're not reliable). One rumor has suggested that the console will cost $499 in North America when it launches. Naturally this should be treated with skepticism, but it would be welcome news if the console did launch at this price, as it's only $100 more than the launch price of the PS4 and PS4 Pro. We think this could be the most likely price for the console, however, that could be wishful thinking. A recent report by Bloomberg claims that Sony will not be making as many PlayStation 5 consoles for launch as it did for the PS4's launch back in 2013, despite no delay to production or on sale date being expected. According to the report, Sony is simply anticipating less demand. This is likely due to what is expected to be a higher asking price for the PS5 than the PS4 launched with. The PS5 is expected to really push the boat out in terms of high-end components, and as such will be met with a higher price tag. Microsoft’s plans for the Xbox Series X are key here, and Sony could well decide to sell the hardware at a slight loss to stay competitive with the other console. The PS4 benefited from a lower cost than the Xbox One, and Sony likely won’t be keen to reverse that for this generation. We hope. However, speaking on an episode of Geoff Keighley’s Bonus Round (via PushSquare), industry analyst Michael Pachter suggested that it could be Microsoft that considers taking a significant loss on the Xbox Series X to undercut the PS5's price. We can only speculate about whether this will happen. But, while we can expect that the PS5's price will be in line with the technology it uses, Sony will also have to be aware of its competition. It's unlikely, with the Xbox Series X, that Microsoft will repeat the mistake it made by launching the Xbox One at a prohibitively high price point, so Sony will have to ensure that it doesn't make a similar mistake by making the PS5 too expensive. It could be a while before we get confirmation of the PS5 price - possibly months. Historically we've seen both companies reveal their console pricing around June or July, but this time things are a bit different. The hot topic of pricing has many on the edge of their seats, as we see just how powerful the PS5 and Xbox Series are, and wonder how expensive the technology will be. It seems like we're currently in something of a standoff, with both companies waiting to see what the other will price its next-gen hardware at - possibly so they can undercut each other. It looks like Sony and Microsoft will be waiting until the last possible moment to set their pricing, with plenty of time before then to make adjustments. Still, enough time will need to be set aside before the consoles release between October and December for people to get those pre-orders in.
Ghost of Tsushima (Image Credit: SuckerPunch)
Sony finally lifted the hood on the PlayStation 5 during its first official PS5 reveal event, giving us a better idea of the specs the next-gen console will offer. But what do we think? What's interesting so far is Sony's commitment to custom silicon, with a full focus on raising gaming capabilities to the next level, without alienating developers now comfortable with developing on the PS4. Custom hardware in the PS3 proved to be a difficult element for devs to get their heads around, but the PS5 aims to be as developer-friendly as possible.
The importance of the SSD SSDs don’t just load faster, but allow for bigger open worlds, theoretically. Developers don’t need to make games with smaller worlds due to the limitations of mechanical hard drives, while SSDs will also allow system memory to be used more effectively. SSDs have more bandwidth, so data can be loaded from the SSD when it’s needed, rather than heaps of potentially needless data being loaded into RAM. In pure gameplay terms that means that games will suffer less from texture pop-in, while load times will be hugely reduced when using a game's fast-travel option. Booting up from standby should be generally much faster, too. You'll also have more control over how you install and remove games, meaning you could just install a game's multiplayer mode rather than the full block of data. This will allow for launch of direct gameplay, allowing players to jump straight into aspects of different games (such as match-making, continue save game etc) without having to boot up the full game. As for expandable storage, Sony appears to be allowing for off-the-shelf NVMe PC drives, rather than proprietary storage systems that Xbox will primarily be relying on. However, there aren't many drives on the market right now that use the PCIe 4.0 interface required – they need to be capable of at least a 5.5GB/s transfer speed. "NVMe PC drives will work in PlayStation 5," said Cerny. "The only problem is that PC technology is significantly behind PS5. It'll take some time for the newer, PCIe 4.0-based drives with the bandwidth required to match Sony's spec to hit the market." PS4 games on the PS5 will work just fine if saved to a regular HDD, however, so you won't need to tap into that precious SSD space unnecessarily. When asked about the PlayStation 5’s speed compared to its current-gen console at a corporate strategy meeting, Sony made the bullish claim that PS5 will “revolutionize the game experience for users” in an official Sony document. Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida added that the PS5’s custom-built SSDwill enable processing speeds that dwarf those found on PlayStation 4. “In order to further enhance the sense of immersion in games, we expect to improve not just the resolution, but the speed of games,” the Sony document reads. “For example, through a custom-designed high-speed SSD, we plan to realize game data processing speeds that are approximately 100 times faster than PS4. Game load times should be much shorter, and players should be able to move through immense game worlds in almost an instant.” A custom processor and GPU – what that means for backwards compatibility Move over to the GPU, and you're looking at the AMD RDNA 2 GPU, itself customized. It makes use of 36 compute units capped at 2.23GHz. A compute performance peak of 10.28TF was stated. What's smart is that the combination makes it simple for the PS5 to easily handle PS4 backwards compatibility – through GPU architecture rather than hours of coding. Almost all of the top 100 PS4 games will be fully compatible at launch. PS4 games will be supported natively on the GPU silicon, but here the GPU seems to be emulating PS4 and PS4 Pro graphics chips, which is a strange solution, and not as interesting as Xbox Series X's method, which will also be capable of upscaling previous Xbox generation games and adding HDR to previously HDR-less titles. Tempest 3D audio tech The example Cerny used described it in terms of rainfall. Today, the sound of rain in a game is a single audio track, but the PS5 would theoretically be capable of letting you hear individual raindrops, in relation to where the player character is. "Where we ended up is a unit with roughly the same SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) power and bandwidth as all eight Jaguar cores in the PS4 combined," said Cerny. The amount of attention Sony is heaping on its Tempest Audio Engine suggests it may be the secret weapon in the PlayStation 5 arsenal. At a corporate strategy meeting for Sony, a slideshow called the PlayStation 5 an "evolution of sound". "By installing a customized 3D audio processing unit in PS5, we have made it possible to deliver diverse and sophisticated 3D audio experiences," the slide read. "Players can experience sound that moves in from front to behind, above to below, and all around them." "If we were to use the same algorithms as PSVR, that's enough for something like five thousand sound sources – but of course we want to use more complex algorithms, and we don't need anything like that number of sounds." Perhaps best of all is the way you'll get to experience this – even a lowly pair of headphones at launch will be able to take advantage of the sense of presence and directionality Sony is promising here, with the company also committing to later support multi-speaker surround systems with the tech. But this is an ongoing project for Sony. To accurately model surround data positioning, Sony needs to create a Head-related Transfer Function, or HRFT, map. Essentially, that's a distinct algorithm that works best if the system knows the precise shape of your ears. "Maybe you'll be sending us a photo of your ear, and we'll use a neural network to pick the closest HRTF in our library," Cerny teased. "Maybe you'll be sending us a video of your ears and your head, and we'll make a 3D model of them and synthesize the HRTF. Maybe you'll play an audio game to tune your HRTF, we'll be subtly changing it as you play, and home in on the HRTF that gives you the highest score, meaning that it matches you the best. "This is a journey we'll all be taking together over the next few years. Ultimately, we're committed to enabling everyone to experience that next level of realism."
There's still been no official PS5 design reveal, but the reveal of the DualSense PS5 controller has given us a fairly good idea of what we can expect the next-gen console to look like (we've even created our own PS5 render, which you can see above, based on what we know so far). While we're mostly dealing with speculation, we can assume that the PS5 console's design will match (or at least be similar to) that of its controller. To date, PlayStation controllers have always matched their console counterparts – it would be odd for this not to be the case. And, what's immediately striking about the DualSense controller is its new design; and, in particular, its two-tone white and black color scheme. This suggests that we could see a two-tone white and black PlayStation 5 console, similar to the controller, with the console itself boasting a primarily white design with black lining or sections. Not only is the DualSense controller's color scheme different from what we've seen in previous PlayStation gamepads, but its overall shape and design is also a huge departure. Sony has gone futuristic with the DualSense's design. And, while we know that the PS5 won't look anything like the dev kits we've seen so far, the alien-futuristic design may be in the right vein. The controller is white (as we've discussed) but looks pretty simple and sleek. With a boomerang-like rounded shape, no definition in the button colors, and a blue light on either side of the touchpad, it looks like Sony is aiming for a minimalistic, futuristic design for the PS5. As we pointed out with the color scheme, PlayStation controllers often match their counterpart consoles, so we can expect a similar minimalist design for the PS5 – likely with blue lighting, slightly rounded edges and little definition when it comes to buttons and ports. PS5 design render However, all of this is mere speculation and we won't know for sure until Sony official unveils the PS5 design. We're expecting Sony to host another PS5 reveal around June or July to reveal the console's price and design - similarly to how it did with the PS4. While we may not know exactly what the PS5 will look like, Sony did reveal the PS5's official logo at CES 2020. It's essentially just the PlayStation 4 logo with a '5' replacing the '4'.
The PS5 will come with a new gamepad, one that Sony is dubbing the DualSense PS5 controller, not the DualShock 5, like you'd expect. Also a departure is the black-and-white color scheme that is bold – and likely to be divisive. That's the confirmed design in the picture above. The two-tone PS5 controller color scheme extends to the four face buttons, which still consist of Triangle, Circle, Square and Cross (or X), but they're devoid of color. There is a pop of color around the side of the central touchpad, as the PS4 Lightbar has moved from the top of the gamepad on the PS5. The PS5 controller includes haptic feedback in the L2 and R2 shoulder buttons that are going to be adaptive. Sony explains that these adaptive triggers are important to let players feel the tension of their actions, like drawing a bow to shoot an arrow. This will let developers program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. The DualSense will include a microphone inside of the controller, allowing gamers to ditch their headset to communicate with friends. And the 'Share' button is dead. Long live the 'Create' button. That's what Sony is calling the the button that's in the same spot and still intended for gameplay content to share with the world. Sony is teasing more details about this button ahead of the console launch.
We will finally get our first look at Sony's "compelling" PS5 games line-up on June 4, with announcements expected from both first and third-party developers. But what do we know about PS5 games so far? Well, for a start, we know that an "overwhelming majority" of the more than 4,000 PS4 games available will also be playable on the PS5, including PSVR games, through backwards compatibility. While "almost all" of the top 100 PS4 games will be playable on the PS5 at launch, this backwards compatibility library may be extended through regular system updates. Not only will we see backwards compatibility with PS4 games, but expect any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2 - to be cross-gen titles. In addition, any new first-party PS4 games submitted to Sony for certification after July 13 have to be PS5 compatible - essentially making them forwards-compatible titles. We've also heard enough chatter around a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel and new God of War game to assume we'll be seeing both land on the PS5 console. But what about third-party titles? We've had confirmation that Gearbox's new IP Godfall is coming exclusively to PS5, as is a title from Bluepoint Studios that's rumored to be a Demon's Souls remake. We will also see a remake of THQ Nordic's cult classic Gothic, Gollum, WRC 9, Battlefield 6, Dying Light 2 and Outriders land on PS5. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Gods and Monsters and Assassin's Creed Valhalla are all coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 - with a new Far Cry also rumored to be coming to the platforms. We also know Rainbow Six Siege will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X from launch. However, Ubisoft has said that it could delay these games if the next-gen consoles don't make their launch window. It's likely that we'll see the likes of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, too. While this is a good start, we're expecting plenty more third-party games to be announced on June 4 - as well as confirmation on some of the PS5's first-party games and launch titles. But if you're holding out hope that any of Sony's PS5 exclusives that are revealed during the showcase will come to the PS4 too, you might be disappointed. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment's president and CEO Jim Ryan seemed to shoot down the possibility of PS5-exclusives games coming to PS4 in the future. "We have always said that we believe in generations," Ryan said. "We believe that when you go to all the trouble of creating a next-gen console, that it should include features and benefits that the previous generation does not include. And that, in our view, people should make games that can make the most of those features. "We do believe in generations, and whether it's the DualSense controller, whether it's the 3D audio, whether it's the multiple ways that the SSD can be used... we are thinking that it is time to give the PlayStation community something new, something different, that can really only be enjoyed on PS5." Sony has also confirmed that the PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games in an effort to focus on "serious gamers". We've also seen a little of what the PS5 is capable of in Epic's Unreal Engine 5 reveal. This tech demo is running on PS5:
Rumors have cropped up suggesting that Sony will double down by launching the PlayStation 5 Pro at the same time as its base-model PS5. Spotted by Wccftech, noted Japanese games journalist Zenji Nishikawa made the claim in a video on his YouTube channel, and while that kind of thing wouldn't normally be considered a rock-solid lead, Nishikawa has been proven correct in the past with his predictions about the PS4 Pro and Switch Lite. According to Nishikawa, the PS5 Pro will cost around $100-$150 more than the basic PS5 console. The report states that Sony is taking this approach because it has "acknowledged the interest in a high-end model and wants to give players what they want right from the beginning of the generation". NeoGaf user FXVeteran (via TweakTown) has since added fuel to the fire by claiming Sony plans to release two PlayStation 5 models at the same time: a PS5 Pro and a PS5, with the PS5 Pro being "top of the line" to compete with the Xbox Series X's potential iteratively more powerful versions. While a PlayStation 5 Pro is likely on the cards, we don't think it'll release at the same time as the regular PS5. In our opinion, it's more likely that Sony will wait around three years (2023) before giving the console an upgrade - usually this happens mid-cycle and the PS5 lifecycle is estimated to be around six to seven years.
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| How to watch Downton Abbey online: stream every episode from anywhere Posted: 29 May 2020 09:49 AM PDT TV phenomenon Downton Abbey spanned six seasons, numerous specials, and a 2019 movie: enchanting audiences worldwide with its sumptuous re-creation of early 20th century England and the interpersonal affairs of the aristocratic Crawley family and their household staff. It’s well-crafted comfort television, and you can watch Downton Abbey online wherever you’re streaming from. Created and co-written by Julian Fellowes, the series focused on the Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between the years 1912 and 1926, with each season depicting momentous historical events and their repercussions for the Crawley Household: including the outbreak of World War 1, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the Irish War of Independence. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern head up the cast as the Earl and Countess of Grantham respectively, who, only having three daughters, are desperate for a male heir to inherit Downton. Distant cousin Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) becomes next in line to the estate, developing a tentative romantic relationship with the Earl’s daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery), while Maggie Smith delights as the haughty Dowager Countess – always poised with a witty putdown or a withering look. An extensive roster of domestic staff keeps Downton’s home fires burning, which includes Lady’s maid Miss O’Brien, footman Thomas Barrow, new valet Mr Bates, and the Earl’s butler Carson. So, Anglophiles assemble for one of the most critically acclaimed English-language TV shows of the 21st century. Brew that tea and butter those scones as we detail how to watch Downton Abbey online from wherever you are in the world.
How to watch Downton Abbey online from outside your home countryIf you find yourself outside your normal country of residence and try to access your usual streaming service, the chances are geo-blocking restrictions will prevent that - leaving you unable to watch Downton Abbey online. Luckily, the solution is simple. Downloading the best VPN will allow you to watch Downton Abbey online no matter where you are. This invaluable bit of software alters your IP address so that you can watch all your favorite shows live or on demand, just as if you were back at home lounging on the sofa.
How to watch Downton Abbey online in the US for FREEHow to watch Downton Abbey for free online in the UKHow to watch Downton Abbey online in Canada for freeHow to watch Downton Abbey online for free in AustraliaHow to watch Downton Abbey the film online from anywhereIf the conclusion of the series left you bereaved, then the recent movie will have proved a welcome balm. Released in the US on September 20 2019, the film reunited us with the Crawley family a few years after the events of Season 6. It’s 1927 and King George V and his wife Mary descend on Downton Abbey during a tour of Yorkshire. The household draws together for this momentous event: coming to blows with royal aides, foiling an assassination attempt, and falling in love. Read below to see where to watch the Downton Abbey movie online, depending on your location: USA – HBO Go with a cable subscription; HBO Now or Amazon Prime Video UK – There are no streaming options, but you can purchase the film from Amazon Video, Chili, or Apple iTunes. Australia – Foxtel Now or Amazon Prime Video, both of which offer free trials. Canada – Crave. Trial Crave with the Movies + HBO add-on for 30-days free, which will let you view the Downton Abbey movie and more. Thereafter this subscription costs CDN$19.98 a month (plus tax). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best free games 2020: the top free games to download on PC Posted: 29 May 2020 09:44 AM PDT The best free games for PC are designed to offer hours of entertainment, free of charge. And, if you need an escape from the stresses of daily life or something to kill time with without having to pay, these are the perfect outlet. You’ll find quite a few excellent free games to match your gaming sensibilities. There are cost-free best PC games, of course, and there are premium indie titles that you can get for zilch through the Epic Games Store app. If you want to spend some quality time with friends, there are cool co-op PC games as well. The best free games even include some hugely-popular titles – from Steam and GOG to even (brace yourself) EA’s Origin client. There’s a deluge of these titles to choose from, so we gathered all the best free games of 2020 should start you off on the right foot. We covered a wide range of genres and styles as well – from free-to-play Battle Royale games like Fortnite to online CCGs like Hearthstone. These will be the best and cheapest form of entertainment you’ve ever indulged in on your lazy day off yet. Linux, Windows or Mac - which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below: Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article Idle Big Devil from Hong Kong Spark Software may still be in Early Access, but the idle RPG game has already gotten a lot of raving reviews from Steam gamers. While it is an idle game, which lets you progress through the game without much interaction, there’s a lot of stuff to do while you wait so it never gets boring. You also get a ton of free currency in the initial play, giving new players a chance to progress quickly. In this game, you’re appointed by the king as the lord of killing the Undead and creatures possessed by evil spirits. You do so with the aid of a total of five heroes whom you recruit yourself throughout the course of the game. As you travel the continent, you can participate in different events that allow you to collect loot, as well as complete daily tasks that reward you with prizes. You can also gather resources to power up your heroes and upgrade your castle. Idle Big Devil does get a bit complicated and harder as you progress, and you will get to a point where you have to decide whether to spend money or endure a slower progression in the game. However, this game can be completely free to play, if you choose not to spend money. 1. Fortnite Battle RoyaleThe Battle Royale is huge right now, and Epic Games has refined it to perfection with Fortnite Battle Royale. Originally designed as a kind of add-on for Fortnite, Battle Royale blew up in a way that nobody expected, fast becoming among the best free games 2020 has to offer. Fortnite Battle Royale is entirely based on a simple scenario: you’re dropped in a map with 99 other players in a free-for-all melee, and the last one left standing at the end wins. Because of its meteoric success, Epic Games is working hard to steadily integrate new game modes and fresh features. Take Playground mode, for example – it drops you in the map and lets you build up structures for a set amount of time before the floodgates open and the carnage begins. What’s particularly cool is that with Fortnite, you can actually play with your friends, regardless of which platform they’re on. Whether you’re on PC, Xbox One, iOS, Android or PS4, you’ll be able to match up against millions of other players from all these different platforms. 2. Dota 2The Dota universe may have evolved from a WarCraft 3 mod, but Dota 2 is very much its own entity, and holds its own as one of the best free games of 2020. This top-down arena battler is very dynamic, drawing in multimillion-dollar prize funds for serious tournament players. Yet, it’s not just for the most hardcore gamers. A brief tutorial now shows you how to play, with the Steam Community offering guides to the original MOBA. Don't expect a warm welcome or an easy learning curve from its complex gameplay mechanics. However, bring a few friends, and Dota 2 will have you hooked on one of the biggest crazes in PC history. 3. Planetside 2Two years prior to Destiny, we had Planetside 2, an all-out, epic first-person battle that’s so unbelievable, you’ll want to pinch yourself each time you boot it up just to remind yourself that a game this incredible is completely free. There are in-game purchases, naturally. However, you can still dive into the largest battlefield in gaming and still have a remarkable time with your starter equipment. There's simply nothing as thrilling as taking part in a mass assault on an enemy base and coming out on top, or existing in a world where an enemy convoy might materialize on the horizon at any second. Planetside 2 is proof that 'free' doesn't mean prosaic. 4. Path of ExilePath of Exile is a free dungeon crawler that might remind you of Diablo III, and it’s rather different than most of the best free games available in 2020. It’s not just about fragging real-life people until they scream at you in shrill pubescent tones through their Skype headsets. Path of Exile takes its time, more than your standard multiplayer game. But, give it a chance, and you’ll find yourself obsessed. There are hidden mechanics and features to discover after playing for hours, as well as a huge skill tree to slowly progress through. It really is the best free game for former Diablo addicts. Even basic loot can be of use since there's always the possibility to enhance even the simplest weapon with magic. If you’re bored with the grind of Diablo III, it's a good one to check out. 5. League of LegendsPick your champion and charge into battle in this trailblazing free-to-play title from the folks that brought you the Warcraft III mod, Dota. League of Legends’ automated matchmaking, sundry cast of characters and exquisite maps have made it a multiplayer behemoth over these last few years, and one of the best free games 2020 has that will absolutely stand the test of time. It’s an aggressive gameplay experience to be sure, but one that rewards great teamwork and careful tactics. There is a bit of a learning curve as well, but you’ll be taken on a thrilling ride shortly after pressing play. Like Dota 2, League of Legends attracts many high-end players, and the top tournaments offer prize pools of over $1 million. The wacky world of esports, eh? 6. Hearthstone: Heroes of WarcraftEver played Magic the Gathering? Hearthstone is Blizzard’s attempt at building an online version of it, for free. As a typical Blizzard offering, this one’s truly impressive. It’s instantly enticing, lacking the terrifying learning curve you would expect from an online fantasy card game. Hearthstone plays fast, has a very casual visual approach and benefits from a basic rule set, all of which add up to a very accessible card battler that offers you plenty of fun – especially if you’re a World of WarCraft fan. Not that it's not challenging as well, especially if you go against an opponent that plays their cards right, which is why it gets our vote for one of the best free games to date. 7. Star Wars: The Old RepublicTaking the Star Wars MMORPG mantle after Star Wars Galaxies ended its run (may it rest in peace), Star Wars: The Old Republic was not intended to be free at release. However, it has since, like so many MMORPGs before it, adopted the free to play model. If you want to satisfy your inner Sith, this is the best way to do that for free. Subscriptions are on hand for more in-game potential and end-game content, but in true best free games fashion, all the story missions are still accessible for free – it just might take a bit longer now. It’s worth your time just to experience the Star Wars universe from different sets of eyes, like the hyper-professional Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter. If you want to go with the dull option and just have a generic Jedi Knight, though – you can totally do that as well. 8. Forza Motorsport 6 ApexWhen Xbox head Phil Spencer said he was going to bring the console's best franchises to the PC, he wasn't joking. Among these notable games is Forza Motorsport. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex in particular brought a complete Forza Motorsport game to PC gamers for the first time – before Forza Horizon 3 arrived in 2016. It’s not quite the full-fledged experience you get from full entries to the series. However, Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is the best free game that we could have asked for from Microsoft’s long-standing racing series. Shunned by petrol-heads and embraced by gamers, Forza Motorsport may seem like an arcade-y offshoot of its biggest rival on PlayStation, but it consistently looks and feels incredible, which is reason enough to add it to our best free games 2020 list. 9. DauntlessDauntless is a household name at this point, after becoming an overnight success on PC, thanks to Monster Hunter World. It offers a remarkably similar experience that’s free and easier on your PC. Drifting away from the clear environmentalist focus of Monster Hunter: World, where you’re trying to preserve the habitats, Dauntless simplifies things a little, just tasking you with slaying behemoths to protect a human colony. The gameplay itself is much more straightforward as well, free of some of the more obtuse gameplay systems that you either love or hate in the Monster Hunter series. The core DNA of the series, however, is there – hunt monsters, craft gear, hunt more monsters, making it one of the best free games to have right now. 10. World of TanksWorld of Tanks is a different kind of MMO, as you may have already guessed from the title. Team-based, massively multiplayer action with a wide array of war machines to drive into battle awaits, with new players able to jump into the fray right away. The upgrade system lets you personalize, while being surrounded by an entire army at all times to remind you that loners won’t make it on the battlefield. But be forewarned: get sucked in, and you may find yourself spending a hefty sum on great big chunks of virtual metal. Some premium tanks go for just a few dollars, while others require a bit more coin. You can see where maker Wargaming is earning some money from World of Tanks enthusiasts. Still, this doesn’t stop it from being one of the best free games right now. 11. Heroes of the StormIt was only a matter of time before Blizzard joined the fray in the MoBA phenomenon, and with Heroes of the Storm, we’re only left asking: what took it so long? It’s an astonishingly approachable esports title, sitting somewhere between League of Legends and DOTA 2 in terms of complexity, but with the added bonus of playing characters you know and love. You read that right: the roster is made up entirely of Blizzard characters from across its library of classic games. If you’ve ever wondered who would win in a fight between Thrall and Kerrigan, Heroes of the Storm can show you how that fight plays out on the battlefield. Blizzard knocked it out of the park here, making it one of the best free games that keeps getting better by the day. 12. EverquestIts future was briefly in question after the sale of Sony's online entertainment division in February 2015, but Everquest is back with a vengeance, swaggering with new expansion packs and continued support by Daybreak Game Company. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s made our best free games 2020 list. The first of its kind to commercially succeed with a 3D game engine, Everquest was released in 1999 as an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) and has since been documented as one of the most important games in the medium's history. Featuring steadily released expansion packs (quite massive in scale, at least early on) with vast new areas, races and classes, Everquest brings to the table just about everything you could want or need from an MMO. Plus, it's notably better at handling co-op than its alternatives. 13. RiftInitially hailed as the game that would finally depose World of Warcraft, Rift had its moment – and is still going strong depending on who you ask. It brought innovation to a genre that was evolving very slowly, letting you change your class whenever the urge compelled you. The whole game is focused on separating giant boss battles and events that inhabit entire zones. It’s ambitious, thrilling, and monumental with dozens of interdimensional rifts that keeps things exciting and unique from other MMOs. And, even after Rift went free to play, Trion has stayed on top of things, bringing out regular expansions for everyone to enjoy. Plus, you can ride a landshark. 14. RunescapeRunescape is one of the largest free-to-play MMOs available, and now is a good time for a deeper look. In 2013, it entered its third reboot – this is actually 'Runescape 3', although just jumping in now, you may not even realize that it has been around in one form or another for more than 10 years. Despite the overhaul, it's definitely not the sparkliest MMO in the world, but hanging onto this many players shows it's doing something right. The big change introduced in Runescape 3 that made it appear a lot more updated was the ability to see much further. In Runescape 2, the horizon quickly gave way to fog… not so now. You can download the game for free or run it in your browser using Java, making it much more convenient than most other online role-players of this enormous scale. 15. MaplestoryIf you’ve grown tired of the dark fantasy aesthetic of most MMORPGs, you’ll love Maplestory’s creative and inspired flair. Described by Nexon as the original 2D side-scrolling MMO, Maplestory takes the classic Dungeons and Dragons-inspired genre, and makes it kawaii. The lighter tone and customization of Maplestory makes it feel more like Harvest Moon than World of Warcraft or Rift. And, it has more emphasis on improving aesthetics than many other MMOs, letting players a lot more personalization over how their characters look. Maplestory even has in-game weddings and dinosaurs that play guitar. Really, the only thing missing from Maplestory is an Oasis-inspired soundtrack. 16. WarframeIf you're into third-person co-operative shooters, Warframe may be one of the best free games available. Players take control of members of the Tenno, an ancient race warring against enemies such as the Grineer, the Corpus, the Infested and the Sentients. Your Tenno soldier uses a Crysis-style Warframe armor equipped with guns or melee weapons to fight back. Better looking than your usual free-to-play shooter, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Warframe's player-vs-enemy raids – so much so that some gamers see it as, "The Destiny that never was.” High praise all around. 17. SmiteGods from every pantheon come together in Smite to duke it out in a free Dota/MOBA inspired clash. Even though Smite is pretty overt with its influences – it comes from the same developer that brought us the FPS smash Tribes Ascend, it’s still a completely different beast. The camera is behind the characters this time, which lets you a more direct connection to the action than simply ordering your lord around with a mouse. However, the idea will either be familiar if you've played its inspirations, or a way to get a feel for the style, if you haven't. Gods include Zeus, Thor, Kali, Artemis and... Cupid? Well, at least he has his own bow… 18. Lord of the Rings OnlineThere are so many MMOs that have been released or re-released as free-to-play games. However, Lord of the Rings Online is one of those titles that most deserves another look. It’s already an incredible game in its own right, but it’s also one of the more mature MMOs on the market. Ultimately, you’ll have to pay to unlock adventure packs. However, there’s no subscription fee and no up-front cost, making it one of the best free games 2020 wants you to check out. If you missed it at launch, or even if you quit playing since then, it’s time to give it another chance. 19. The Awesome Adventures of Captain SpiritLife is Strange and its sequel are one of the best modern adventure games on PC. Lucky for us, there’s now a free way to experience this spectacular series. Unveiled back at E3 2018, the Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit puts you in the shoes of 9-year-old Chris as he, and his alter ego, Captain Spirit, go on a grand adventure. It’s a free-to-play single player adventure game without any kind of monetization – simply a nice prelude into Life is Strange 2. Just don’t go in anticipating the longest gameplay experience in the world, as you’ll likely finish it in just a couple of hours. That still doesn’t stop it from being one of the best free games, however. 20. Eve OnlineIn 2003, Icelandic developer CCP Games unleashed Eve Online, an immersive and in-depth “sci-fi experience” that would ultimately grab the attention of well over 500,000 players. Eve Online is unlike any game in its category due to the vast range of activities to participate in as well as its (appropriately) out of this world in-game economy. Unfortunately, the Eve Online player base has been shrinking since 2013. It shouldn’t be surprising that as time goes on, fewer and fewer gamers are interested in paying a subscription fee for a glorified space sim with a steep learning curve. However, since the Ascension Update, released back in November 2016, Eve Online has gone free to play – at least to some extent. The new ‘alpha clones’ system featured in Eve Online is like the “unlimited free trial” feature in World of Warcraft. You can still engage with other players in piracy, manufacturing, trading, mining, exploration and combat, but there are limitations such as certain skills that are off limits. If you don’t want to limit your access to some of the game’s most lumbering ships, you can always opt for the Omega subscription. Otherwise, the game won’t cost a penny, which is why it makes for one of the best free games to grace the gaming world. 21. Apex LegendsTo say that Battle Royale games are popular in 2020 would be a massive understatement. However, the level of success that Apex Legends has reached so quickly after launch speaks volumes. It’s certainly earned its spot on this list as one of the best free games. Not only is the game itself incredible, bringing unique mechanics from the awesome Titanfall games to a Battle Royale, but the game itself has reached over a stunning 25 million players after a week. Apex Legends places 60 players in the middle of a gigantic map, armed with a bunch of unique abilities that make both combat and traversal awfully addicting. It’s not exactly the chaos of 100 player battle royale titles like Fortnite or PUBG, but it feels balanced. If somehow you haven’t joined the Apex Legends bandwagon yet, you’re sorely missing out. 22. HawkenHawken is a game about mechs. Not just any mechs, but fast mechs. These aren’t your average slow, lumbering tanks of MechWarrior Online. These are more in line with the Exoskeletons of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Of course, being a free-to-play game, expect to spend some money for upgrades to your starter mech. However, economic players can still get a taste for Hawken without spending a dime. Plus, attach an Oculus Rift, and you can see first-hand what VR games have in store for you. Admit it, you've always wanted to know what it feels like to power a mech for yourself since Pacific Rim came out. 23. Let It DieMuch like Dark Souls – though perhaps not quite as good and elegant, Let It Die is a free-to-play game of PlayStation 4 fans who have a taste for gore, brutality and absurdity in their preferred games. Let Is Die is weird, narrated by a skateboarding grim reaper and features flimsy weapons that break often and Christmas decor in places around the mysterious and ever-changing tower it’s set in. But, it’s also better than expected, great actually for a free game. And, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get to the top of the Tower of Barbs, unleashing bloody carnage as you go. 24. The Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallAs we wait eagerly on news about The Elder Scrolls VI, you should take the time to give the classic The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall a try. This 1990s RPG is a precursor to the iconic ones that came after, and is a bit of a classic in its own right. Its game world is many times the size of any of its sequels – indeed it’s the size of a continent, and is absolutely filled with atmosphere. It might look a little rough around the edges by today’s standards, but it’s worth diving into if you’re an Elder Scrolls fan. It's available direct from Bethesda. The publisher started offering it for free to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the game. As if we don't feel old enough already. 25. Starcraft IIAmong the most popular games to ever hit the PC/Mac landscape is Starcraft II, a competitive real-time strategy game whose Wings of Liberty installment is just one of three parts of the campaign. At one time, it was massive in South Korea, but the scene fizzled out a bit when MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 hit the scene. Maybe that’s why Blizzard decided to transform Starcraft II to the free-to-play business model. As a result of its engrossing strategy game mechanics, combined with creatively designed environments and a gripping narrative that can only a video game can tell, Starcraft II is one of the most widely enjoyed eSports in the entire world, not to mention one of the best free games. Of course, being a Blizzard game, you’ll need a Battle.net account to access it. Other than that, both the campaign and the multiplayer are free to enjoy. Only certain characters need your prized coin. 26. Destiny 2Though not exactly an open world game, Destiny 2 does follow a similar concept, letting players traipse around freely and going to different locations to pick up quests or just exploring aimlessly. This online multiplayer fps lets you start or join missions, run into your friends, follow around other players, or simply stick to doing whatever it is you feel like, eliminating the bad guys you encounter. The graphics are pretty good as well; there’s no doubt that this is a AAA-level game that’s only free as it takes advantage of microtransactions. And, the campaign is better this time around. 27. Team Fortress 2It may be an old vet in gaming terms, but nothing offers such crazy fun as Team Fortress 2. Unlike most shooters of its age, players in this game are still there to have a good time instead of spitting insults at newcomers. And, there's no shortage of cool toys to have fun with. Infinitely silly and incredibly fresh, it's still one of the shooter genre's kings, free-to-play or not. Of course, it makes sense to add it to our best free games 2020 list. As you might have guessed, there are some micro-transactions included. You can buy additional items, often used to personalize your character. You can even create your own. It's fun, and gets you even more involved in TF2. Those cheeky devils at Valve obviously know what they're doing. 28. Yu-Gi-Oh Duel LinksIf you grew up in the ‘90s, you probably have a lot of memories of playing Yu-Gi-Oh, or maybe even watching the anime. Well, an injection of nostalgia is waiting for you in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links, and it’s free to boot? In Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links, you won’t just have access to the titular card game competitively online. You’ll also get to play against AI opponents voiced by actors from the anime. There are a lot of microtransactions here – you can buy new cards – but it’s a CCG in 2020, so there’s no real way around that. Be prepared to spend some cash. 29. Gwent: The Witcher Card GameCommand an army of Witchers, sorcerers, knights and even monsters, and lead them to an epic battle, using what else but the cards you’re dealt with. This is a card game, after all. Originally a game inside The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Gwent has evolved into a standalone spinoff of the wildly popular fantasy game. You play against other players online in rounds, and to win each round, you need to gain more points than your opponent. The player that wins two out of three rounds comes out the victor. Originally, Gwent was only available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. However, iOS users can now partake. 30. DC Universe OnlineWhile it's yet another free-to-play MMO on this list, DC Universe Online places characters like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and more into a massive (and shared) public world. Choose whether you want to be a member of the Hero or Villain faction, then personalize your character. Soon, you'll be thrust out into the world of DC Universe Online at the hands of Daybreak Game Company. After some initial training, the game assigns you a position, either a member of the Justice League or The Society, depending on your choice of hero or villain. Unlike other MMOs on this list and outside it, DC Universe Online is meant to be much more interactive while also keeping traditional MMORPG elements such as leveling, raiding, inventories and post-game progression. It's also easy using real-world currency too, which is why it has our best free games vote. 31. PaladinsIt’s not difficult to see why Paladins gets a lot of grief because its similarities to Overwatch. At the same time, the team-based shooter is also decidedly different from that of Blizzard’s. Abilities are upgraded based on a collectible card system, and can entirely change the way each character plays. What’s more, unlike Overwatch, Paladins is completely free-to-play. While cosmetic items are available to buy using real-world currency, everything else can be unlocked just by playing. For instance, you’ll start Paladins with a single deck of basic cards, and from there, unlock more dramatically impactful decks. Regardless of how you choose to play Paladins, you’ll get XP as you go. As long as you’re completing the daily quests and achievements featured in the game, you’ll be compensated with Radiant Chests and Gold, which can then be used to purchase more cards, costumes and weapon skins to make your characters more unique and skillful on the battlefield. 32. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 LiteYou may be familiar with FIFA already, but Pro Evolution Soccer – or PES – is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time, not to mention one of the best free games 2020 has on offer. It doesn’t have all the flair (or licensing) of its EA Sports rival, but some would argue that it’s the better soccer game series, not to mention one of the better sports series overall. Much like the PES Lites before it, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Lite is the more stripped down version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, and it’s heavily focusing on Konami’s fantasy football mode. It gives you unrestricted access of myClub mode, in fact. However, you also have access to offline exhibition matches, skill training and 1v1 or Co-op competitions. 33. Pokemon GoWhen it was first released, Pokemon Go took the world by storm. Not just the gaming world, mind you, but the rest of the population that had to deal with teens and grown folks filling the streets in the hunt for those elusive legendary Pokemon. After all, nothing was more exciting that catching a Pokemon in the actual wild. Unfortunately for Niantic, the frenzy died down, and considerably too, as the game got a bit monotonous. Still, a lot can be said about a game that had practically everyone, even non-Pokemon players, clocking in a lot of steps just to catch and train non-existing creatures. Pokemon Go is actually loads of fun; now, it just needs to get to its next evolution. 34. NeverwinterAs a free MMO, Neverwinter sets the bar high for itself as it's based on perhaps the most iconic role-playing game of all-time, Dungeons & Dragons. Like everything else in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, the game is set in the Forgotten Realms, specifically, as the name suggests, in Neverwinter. Touting eight character classes with groups of up to five players supported, Neverwinter is based on the fourth-edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. However, the rules are somewhat different, as it allows players to heal their allies in addition to allowing for the use of special abilities in combat after racking up enough action points. 35. Doki Doki Literature ClubAn ostensibly charming visual novel on the surface, Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that’s best experienced blindly. It comes from Dan Salvato, a game developer most known for his work in the Super Smash Bros. Melee modding community, who says he developed Doki Doki Literature Club because of his indifference towards anime. It’s ironic, considering that the main character in Doki Doki Literature Club is consumed by anime and manga, and has minimal experience with the writings of more prestigious authors. As absorbing as the trio of female supporting characters appear to be in Doki Doki Literature Club, we would advise against getting too attached to them. Without spoiling the story, the first thing you see when you boot up Doki Doki Literature Club is a content warning, indicating that those with severe anxiety should consider NOT playing. It’s not entirely unfounded, as you’re certain to learn the hard way that Doki Doki Literature Club is more horror than generic fan service. 36. Puzzle Pirates: Dark SeasFor nearly 15 years now, Puzzle Pirates has been a household name for kids with unfettered access to the computer labs at school. It’s a massive, totally free-to-play multiplayer online role-playing game – among the best free games, in fact – originally created by the Sega-owned Three Rings Design. The objective is to join a crew and eventually become a captain by completing puzzles alongside other players. Puzzle Pirates: Dark Seas, on the other hand, is the Steam-exclusive version of Puzzle Pirates that includes an entirely new ocean known as Obsidian. Dark Seas introduces factions and player-versus-player (PvP) combat in a way unique to the Steam release of Puzzle Pirates. It also comes from a different developer, a nonprofit called Grey Havens, which was established by several former members of Three Rings Design. Before the advent of Dark Seas, you could only get the multiplayer portion of Puzzle Pirates on Steam. Now, the single-player mode can be downloaded and installed from Valve’s client as well. 37. Phantom DustDespite its development cycle being a disaster, the Phantom Dust remaster still succeeded. A new IP in the form of a Japanese budget card game for the original Xbox, it seemed too good to be true when Microsoft announced back at E3 2014 that a complete remake was in the works… and, as it turns out, it was. The remake was shelved in 2016, but Microsoft still wanted to revive the cult classic one-off. And turns out, the company did so with a remaster, instead of a remake. Luckily, the new version of Phantom Dust for Windows 10 (and Xbox One, for console-goers) is free to play unless you opt to purchase some of the in-game “multiplayer cards”. 38. Dwarf FortressInspiring the creation of Minecraft was no small feat for 2D sandbox game Dwarf Fortress. Dubbed a construction and management simulator, Dwarf Fortress took simple text-based graphics and turned it into a reasonably modern, 2006 piece of software. It’s often deemed a cult classic, thanks to its open-ended nature, and serves as one of the most iconic examples of a procedurally generated roguelike. This means Dwarf Fortress both randomizes its environments and makes the game's permadeath system a much harder problem to avoid. This led to the unofficial motto for the game "Losing is fun," which was either ironic or an accurate description of what happens in the game. Hard to say either way. One thing's for sure. If you’d like to play an important part of gaming history, Dwarf Fortress is a solid start. It was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City back in 2013. Can't say that for a lot of free-to-play games, making this one of the best free games 2020 has on offer. 39. Fable FortuneSurviving a troubled development cycle, Fable Fortune is the collectible card game that you undoubtedly expected to never see the light of day. Either that, or you’ve never even heard of it. We can’t blame you. The team behind the Fable franchise – the illustrious group of individuals at Lionhead Studios – closed their doors two years ago. In the time following Lionhead’s closure, its parent company, Microsoft, licensed off Fable Fortune to a group of former Lionhead developers at a new company called Flaming Fowl Studios. It was there that Fable Fortune found private funding in spite of a failed Kickstarter campaign. The end result is a moderately competitive card game that’s absolutely free to play. Skeptics will be quick to compare Fable Fortune to Hearthstone. But other than the fact that they both make our best free games list, the two games differ quite a bit due to Fable Fortune’s more complex set of hero powers, less randomness and a morality system that rewards a grasp of its ‘good’ and ‘evil’ points. Fallout Shelter doesn't feel that much different on PC, and that's a good thing. (Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks) 40. Fallout ShelterIf you prefer the property management systems of Fallout 4 rather than the great majority of the role-playing game's content, Fallout Shelter is an excellent place to start. Up until recently, the simulation game was only on the mobile Android and iOS platforms. However, with the introduction of Quests in version 1.6 of Fallout Shelter, Bethesda Softworks also decided to port the game to PC by way of the Bethesda.net client. All in all, Fallout Shelter doesn't feel that much different on PC, and that's a good thing. Mouse controls work well in lieu of a touchscreen, graphics look good even for low-end hardware and with windowed mode enabled by default, it's easy to find yourself caring after your vault residents during your downtime at work. With an unquestionably manageable price point (free), however with micro-purchases on hand, Fallout Shelter could very well become the next Solitaire in your office or at school. 41. BrawlhallaHave you been missing out on the action, just watching all your friends play Super Smash Bros Ultimate, because you don’t have a Nintendo Switch? Well, with Brawlhalla you’re in luck. Brawlhalla is a 2-8 player 2D brawler that pulls quite a bit of inspiration from Nintendo’s classic franchise. And, it pulls it off. It’s an exceedingly fun way to pass a few hours. With an esports league, you can rest assured that you'll always have people to throw down against. It might not quite be the same as playing some Smash on a friend’s couch, but it’s close enough to be worth your time. That’s why Brawlhalla makes it to our list of best free games. 42. BattlebornCEO and president of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford will tell you differently, but Battleborn is free-to-play. Officially branded as a “free trial” on Steam, there isn’t much to separate this hero shooter from other free-to-play games on the market. You can play for as long as you want using six of the game’s 30 characters, rotated weekly to shake things up. Battleborn originally hit the market in May 2016, the same month as Overwatch. The main distinction is that Battleborn is influenced by MOBA games. Overwatch, on the other hand, is a more traditional PvP shooter with an eccentric cast of characters. Battleborn also has a single-player campaign, which can be purchased using real-world currency. 43. The Elder Scrolls: LegendsThere appears to be this never-ending arms race developers are caught in to put out the next Hearthstone. That is, an incredibly popular collectible card game (CCG) that’s “easy to learn but challenging to master.” Those are the words, verbatim, publisher Bethesda Softworks is using to describe The Elder Scrolls: Legends. A CCG that takes inspiration from the lore of the firm’s beloved RPG franchise, The Elder Scrolls: Legends distinguishes itself from the likes of competing virtual card games such as Hearthstone and The Witcher 3’s Gwent by using a two-lane system that keeps players on their toes when it comes to devising strategies. And, if you simply want more Skyrim, you’ll be pleased to learn that the Heroes of Skyrim expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Legends packs in 150 additional cards, some of which are familiar faces like Aela the Huntress, J’Zargo and Delphine. It’s no doubt this one’s earned its spot on our best free games list. 44. RobocraftWhether you loved or hated World of Tanks, you’ll be delighted to learn that Robocraft, a worthy addition to our list of best free games, is what you get when you take traditional vehicle combat and twist it into something completely new. From independent developer and publisher Freejam, Robocraft allows you to commandeer jet cars (not jets and cars, but jet cars), tanks, flying warships, helicopters and drones. In doing so, you’ll spend a lot of your time engaging in combat with other players online. Like a vehicle-based Fortnite, you’ll also play with different combinations of 250 preset blocks using a simple crafting interface, letting you equip the vehicle of your choosing with the weapons of your choosing as well. Likewise, Robocraft lets you create or join clans with up to 50 members. Within those clans, you can invite friends to ‘parties’ and play cooperatively in an effort to beat other teams. When everything is said and done, and you’re happy with your creations, you can showcase them at the virtualized Community Robot Factory to get likes and shares. 45. Total War Battles: KingdomReal-time Strategy (RTS) games don't get much grander than those in the Total War series, and the latest entrant, Battles KINGDOM, is free-to-play. Available to play on iOS and Android, as well as PC, you can pick up where you left off even when you're not at your main battle station. Total War Battles: Kingdom is set at the turn of the 10th Century and combines army management with kingdom building to deliver a bite-sized RTS game you can dive into and play anywhere, anytime. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best cameras for vlogging 2020: 10 great choices for YouTubers Posted: 29 May 2020 09:44 AM PDT Searching for the best vlogging camera you can buy? There are a few factors to bear in mind. You’ll want something that’s portable enough to carry all day, powerful enough to reliably capture high-quality footage, and a model that's equipped with a few key features that guarantee good results. Think external mic inputs, articulating screens and great connectivity. If you’re not sure where to start, you’re in luck: our buying guide details the very best vlogging cameras you can buy right now, with something to suit almost every requirement and budget. From 4K compacts to feature-packed mirrorless cameras, we’ve tested each of the models below to ensure they tick all the boxes for vloggers. When picking the right vlogging camera for you, it’s worth thinking about your style of shooting. If you like to create quick, on-the-go recordings, something pocketable will be perfect, while a mirrorless or DSLR camera will be more suitable if you want greater creative choice or higher quality production. Alternatively, try something rugged if action brings you views, or a model with image stabilization if you like to walk as you talk. Our top overall pick right now is the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III. It’s lightweight, feature-packed and offers pretty much every feature most vloggers could want. But that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect camera for everyone. The Sony ZV-1, for example, is our favorite compact vlogging option, and could be the better choice if you want something you can take everywhere. We’ve included the best of the latest models, as well as a few older ones that represent excellent value, so you should be able to find exactly the right camera for you. Best vlogging cameras 2020 at a glance:
Best vlogging cameras in 2020:Don’t be fooled by the retro shell: the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a top-spec vlogging camera, offering the ultimate combo of solid image quality, lightweight build and a comprehensive feature set. The hand-grip could be bigger, but the polycarbonate construction shaves 50g off the weight of its metal-bodied predecessor, making it a camera you can comfortably hold all day. The 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor – shared with the pro-grade E-M1 Mark II – delivers reliable continuous tracking thanks to on-chip phase detection autofocus, while handheld footage is usually super smooth, courtesy of class-leading image stabilization. The option to shoot Cinema 4K at 24fps and a 237Mbps bit-rate is seriously impressive, while regular 4K footage at 30fps is routinely excellent, with lovely color rendition and good detail. Full HD at up to 120fps completes a comprehensive video offering. The vari-angle touchscreen makes framing a cinch, too, while the healthy Olympus lens catalogue opens up plenty of creative avenues. There’s no headphone jack, which will irk some videographers, but that sought-after external microphone port is there. Sure, it’s a bit expensive, but as a complete vlogging package it’s tough to beat.
For a long time, the Canon G7 X Mark III was our favorite compact vlogging camera, but it's just been knocked off its perch by the excellent Sony ZV-1. By combining all of the best bits of Sony's RX100 series (for example, the RX100 VII's microphone port and autofocus, plus the RX100 V's bright 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens) the ZV-1 really nails what most vloggers and YouTubers want from a small vlogging camera. Sony's latest Real-time tracking and Eye AF are the best around and the ZV-1 also has a huge amount of depth for a compact camera, including a built-in ND filter and profiles like S-Log2 for those who want to embrace color grading. We still think the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III's stabilization and image quality are better still, but you won't find a finer pocket vlogging camera than the Sony ZV-1.
Long popular with vloggers, Canon’s G7X range has kicked it up a notch with the Mark III. There’s a very capable 20.1 megapixel one-inch sensor, but now it’s also equipped with uncropped 4K video recording, along with something that's been requested many times – a microphone socket. This means you can elevate the sound above and beyond the internal mic’s offering, if you want to. Even better, the G7X III can stream directly to YouTube – which is, right now, an advantage over the Sony ZV-1 – so you can live vlog whatever’s happening around you, without having to downgrade to using your smartphone. USB charging is another great feature which means you can give it power bursts on the go – particularly prudent if you’ve been shooting a lot of 4K video. The G7X Mark III's contrast detection-only AF and more limited tilting screen mean it's been nudged down this list by the Sony ZV-1, but it's also more affordable and is still well worth considering if you need a pocket vlogging rocket.
Sony’s Alpha cameras have long been popular with vloggers, and the A6400 is no exception. 4K is a given, while support for S-log3 and S-log2 should please post-producers. There’s 4K HDR (HLG) for instant playback and Sony’s Imaging Edge Mobile app makes it possible to transfer video to your smartphone. Front-on framing is straightforward, too, thanks to a flip-up 16:9 touchscreen, while the A6400’s advanced autofocus system serves up superb subject tracking. Port options, though, will put some vloggers off: as with the 6300 before it, there’s a microphone input but no headphone socket on the A6400. Many won’t monitor audio as they record, but it’s worth noting if interviews are your thing. There’s no in-body image stabilization either, and many of Sony’s prime lenses don’t feature it – not a problem if you use a tripod or go for that handheld aesthetic.
Canon really is the king of vlogging cameras, with several making our list thanks to a fantastic range of features and options. The Canon EOS Mark II is the latest iteration of its M series of compact system cameras, and is small and light enough to be a great travel companion. However, in its miniature body, it’s housing the same high-resolution 32.5 megapixel sensor as the 90D DSLR (see below). With Dual Pixel CMOS AF and uncropped 4K video recording, it’s one you could use to kick your vlogs up a gear. There’s also a microphone input socket, plus a screen that faces all the way forward for perfect framing.
Inheriting the flagship G9’s sensor, Panasonic has packed a heck of a lot of features into this mid-range offering. For video lovers, you get 4K video recording, plus microphone and headphone sockets for perfect sound. There’s tonnes of lenses that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds system, so there’s something for every job, while the 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens which you can buy it with as part of a kit as a great all-rounder for lots of different shooting scenarios. A fully-articulating touchscreen is ideal for presenting to camera, while there’s also advanced video features such as V-Log recording, too.
Sony’s mirrorless Alpha range is a popular one with vloggers and the entry-level A6000 remains a stellar choice for beginners. Now, five years after its launch, there’s a successor – and the A6100 brings plenty of new tricks to the table for would-be YouTubers. 4K is the headline arrival, with 30fps 100Mbps footage taken from the full sensor width, with no pixel binning. There’s Full HD, too, including slow-mo at up to 120fps. Despite its compact proportions, the a6100 trumps its more expensive a6400 sibling by offering that most sought-after of features, an external microphone port, as well as a hot-shoe on top. The display remains flip-up rather than fully articulating, but it’s now touch-sensitive – albeit with limited functionality – which makes framing and focusing easier, especially as 4K footage neatly fills the 16:9 display. An autofocus system shared with the a6600 also delivers reliably excellent continuous tracking, which is ideal for action-packed vlogs. The lack of in-body image stabilization for video is a shame (see the Sony A6600 for that), as is the absence of a neutral color profile, but the A6100 is ultimately an impressive all-rounder with features that belie its entry-level billing.
Although on paper it feels like an incremental upgrade, but this flagship model - which has long been the shorthand for action cameras in general - has a lot to appeal to adventure lovers. There’s improved stabilization, a new microphone and a more streamlined app that makes actually recording and outputting your video a much happier and more pleasant experience. It’s not something that will appeal to everyone as an all rounder, but if your idea of vlogging includes trekking up mountains, diving under water or biking across uneven terrain, it’s probably the one that makes the most sense.
If you need to shoot in 4K, then the Canon EOS M50 is best avoided due to mandatory 1.6x crop when shooting in this mode. But if you're making the switch from a smartphone and don't mind shooting in 1080p, then its a fine choice. Equipped with a 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor, the M50 was Canon’s first camera to ship with the DIGIC 8 processor – and its first mirrorless camera that could shoot 4K footage at up to 24fps. The downside is that crop in 4K, which means you’ll have a narrow field of view even when you’re filming at a wide focal length – tricky if you’re recording with an outstretched arm. You don’t get any of the specialized video profiles found on more expensive models, either, but the point of the M50 is that it’s compact and accessible. With a microphone input, vari-angle touchscreen and range of connectivity options in the mix, the M50 is still a stellar starter cam for budding vloggers.
DSLR releases are getting further and further apart during the reign of the mirrorless, but Canon’s release of the 90D shows that they’re not quite dead yet. Although primarily pitched as a stills camera, it has some useful vlogging-type features, including uncropped 4K video recording, mic input and an articulating touchscreen that faces forward for framing. You’ll also be tapping into Canon’s extensive range of lenses and accessories too, so you can be as creative as you want.
Most of the cameras in this list are essentially stills cameras with some added video functionality. The DJI Osmo Pocket is a great option for those who are only interested in the video side of things - think of it more like an alternative to go a GoPro. This dinky little camera is teeny tiny, but it still records video at 4K/30fps, with a range of optional accessories giving you the tools to be as creative as you want. You’ll probably want to invest in a microphone for it for the best sound quality, but otherwise the quality of video, as well as useful features such as face tracking, make it a great tool for vloggers.
What video quality should you be looking for?Whatever type of camera you go for, considering video quality will likely be top of your list. At the absolute minimum you’ll be looking to shoot in Full HD (1080p), while 4K is becoming increasingly common. Although the higher resolution format will take up more space on your hard drive, it should future-proof your captures a little more than Full HD. Other specifications to pay attention to include built-in WiFi for sharing your vlogs on the move, a fully articulating or tilting monitor for helping to frame your face, a built-in microphone socket for enhancing sound quality. We’ve picked out eight top cameras of various shapes, sizes and attributes to suit different styles of vlogging – as well as highlighting some that will fit into your all-round stills and video shooting requirements.
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| The new Raspberry Pi has double the RAM of previous models Posted: 29 May 2020 09:39 AM PDT The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched an updated version of the Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB of RAM after releasing the latest model of the pocket-sized computer last June. While the device was initially available with either 1GB, 2GB or 4GB of RAM, even at that time the company was imagining the possibility of an 8GB Raspberry Pi 4 as the BCM2711 chip it uses supports up to 16GB of LPDDR4 SDRAM. Unfortunately an 8GB LPDDR4 package didn't exist in a form the Raspberry Pi Foundation could use in 2019 but its partners at Micron released one earlier this year which made the updated version possible. According to the company, the additional memory boost should be useful for power users that want to compile large pieces of software, run heavy server workloads or just have more browser tabs open at once.
The Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB is almost identical to last year's model except for the fact that the power supply components on the board have been moved around to supply the slightly higher peak currents required by the new memory package. A new switcher has also been added next to the device's USB-C power connector. Raspberry Pi OSThe Raspberry Pi Foundation has also released an early beta of its own 64-bit operating system image built against the Debian arm64 port so that users can take advantage of the RAM increase in its updated Raspberry Pi. The 64-bit version of its operating system contains the same set of applications and the same desktop environment found in its regular 32-bit image. While users can install either the 32-bit or 64-bit version, the 64-bit version will allow them to leverage all 8GB of ram and the 32-bit version can be run on every Raspberry Pi device ever released. If you want to use a 64-bit operating system and aren't interested in running beta software, Ubuntu and Gentoo both offer 64-bit operating systems for the Raspberry Pi 4. In order to make its operating system easier for new users to find, the company has also decided to give it a new name, Raspberry Pi OS. The Raspberry Pi Foundation believes that the new name will help users feel more confident when using its computers and software. An update to the Raspberry Pi Desktop for all of the company's operating system images is now available as well as the beta of the 64-bit version.
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| Best Windows tablets 2020: all of the top Windows tablets reviewed Posted: 29 May 2020 09:35 AM PDT The best Windows tablets are giving Apple’s popular iPads a serious run for their money, and they’re only getting better every year. These days, they boast enough power in their svelte form for more than just casual gaming, social media and productivity. They can handle creative work like 3D design as well, making them cheaper and more portable laptop alternatives. In fact, many of the best Windows tablets boast enough power in their thin and light form to rival the best 2-in-1 laptops out there. And, these devices have you covered, whether you’re looking to play PUBG Mobile, write emails and type up work documents or edit your photos. Naturally, true to their tablet form, they are also perfect for media consumption, web surfing and staying in touch with loved ones. Take a look at the best Windows tablets we’ve handpicked for 2020. We’ve reviewed quite a few of them, including the most recent releases, so we know which ones top the list in terms of performance, design and features. Whichever one you end up choosing, you’re guaranteed to get a quality device. Best Windows tablets at a glance
Microsoft Surface Go is thin, light, portable, elegant and affordable. The Microsoft Surface Go meets that large demand for a budget Surface device, while also being among the best Windows tablets for anyone who wants to do a bit of work on the go. It’s thin, light, portable and elegant like its more expensive cousins, but it has a price tag that’s a bit more affordable for regular users, thanks to Microsoft packing in everything they could in a device with a reasonable price tag. If you’re a student, or just someone who wants to consume some media while traveling, including playing some of the best laptop games on an airplane, then you can’t go wrong with the Microsoft Surface Go. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet offers great value all around. Touted by Lenovo as ‘an IT admin’s dream,’ the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet indeed offers many of the makings of such a device. That includes dual Thunderbolt ports for faster data transfers, Windows Hello login via fingerprint reader, and the optional IR camera for a more secure login and Microsoft AutoPilot readiness. And, that’s without mentioning the SSD and battery that are field serviceable so that you can get a certified technician to come to you if you need parts replaced. But that’s not all; it’s also got a light and sleek chassis, and it comes with the ThinkPad Pen Pro, which means it’s great value all around. Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet The Acer Switch 5 is the perfect solution for students and professionals who don't want to buy into the Surface trend. The Acer Switch used to be a more affordable alternative to the Surface Pro. These days, the Acer Switch 5 will cost you just as much, but that’s also for comparable specs except perhaps an older processor. Price increase aside, this tablet is still one of the best Windows tablets – not to mention, best performing – out there, and it’s the perfect solution for students and professionals who don’t want to buy into the Surface trend. Read the full review: Acer Switch 5 The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has received impressive gains in power. The seventh iteration of Microsoft’s award-winning product may not be the generational leap many Microsoft tablets have been waiting for, but it offers some improvements from its predecessor. This 2-in-1 tablet aimed at pros has received impressive gains in power, making it more capable than ever as a laptop alternative. Also, it now boasts a USB-C port and Wifi 6 connectivity. And, of course, it offers that same level of portability that many Windows tablet users crave. The best part is that it has a few configurations, which means you can choose how much power and storage space to get depending on how much you need. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 It's second stunning screen that's the biggest selling point of the Lenovo Yoga Book C930. The Lenovo Yoga Book C930 is a truly innovative 2-in-1 laptop, with a second E Ink display that moonlights as a keyboard, a pad for making notes and drawing and a traditional E Ink reader for viewing documents. It's perhaps this second stunning screen that's the biggest selling point of the Lenovo Yoga Book C930. That fact that it's thin and light makes it an excellent tablet as well. If you're looking for a laptop that doubles as a tablet and a drawing pad, this one's an ace in our book. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book C930 Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article Images credit: TechRadar
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