Monday, June 8, 2020

Apple : The best 4th of July sales 2020: a guide to the best deals going on

Apple : The best 4th of July sales 2020: a guide to the best deals going on


The best 4th of July sales 2020: a guide to the best deals going on

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 01:32 PM PDT

The 4th of July is just around the corner, which means a long holiday weekend filled with family, friends, outdoor fun, and incredible deals from your favorite retailers. The 4th of July sale event typically includes huge discounts on everything from mattresses, appliances, and furniture to TVs and laptops from retailers like Home Depot, Best Buy, and Lowe's.

To help you sort through all the offers, we've rounded up the best 4th of July sales that are happening now. We've also hand-picked standout bargains from categories like home, electronics, and appliances. Our top sale picks include the latest model iPad on sale for $279, up to 40% off appliances, tools, and patio furniture at Home Depot, the Westinghouse 50-inch 4K TV on sale for just $229.99, and up to $399 worth of free accessories at Nectar.

See our full list of 4th of July sales below and make sure to bookmark this page as we'll be continuously updating it with the best bargains leading up the holiday event. Plus, with Amazon Prime Day still up in the air, this might be your last chance to score record-low prices on this year's hottest items.

The best 4th of July sales 2020:

Our best 4th of July sale picks:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Cheap 4K TV deal: Best Buy has this 50-inch Roku TV on sale for just $229.99

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 01:14 PM PDT

If you're in the market for a cheap 4K TV, then today is your lucky day. Right now, Best Buy has the Westinghouse 50-inch smart TV on sale for just $229.99. That's a $70 discount and an incredible price for a mid-size 4K TV.

The Westinghouse smart TV has the Roku TV experience built-in, which allows you to stream content from your favorite apps like Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and more. The Ultra HD TV also features a voice remote with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can use your voice to launch apps, search for titles, play music, and control compatible smart home devices. You'll also experience a premium viewing experience thanks to the 4K Ultra HD picture quality and Dolby Audio.

As we mentioned above, this is a fantastic deal for a mid-size 4K TV and the best price we've found for this particular model. Stock is limited, so you should snag this incredible bargain while you can.

4K TV deal of the day:

See more TV offers with our roundup of the best cheap TV deals and sales that are happening now.

Shop more offers with our list of the best 4th of July sales that are happening now.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

iPhone and Mac data encrypted in use by IBM toolkit

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 11:35 AM PDT

IBM has released new toolkits for macOS and iOS that will make it possible for developers to begin incorporating fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) into their apps and services.

While the company has released toolkits for Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems on GitHub, it also plans to make them available for Linux and Android soon.

FHE is a technology that allows data to be analyzed and used while still being encrypted. Senior research scientist at IBM Research, Flavio Bergamaschi provided further insight on FHE in a blog post announcing the new toolkits, saying:

“The common methods of storing and sharing sensitive data with colleagues and partners have weak links. Today, files are often encrypted in transit and at rest, but decrypted while in use. This provides hackers and insiders with repeated opportunities to exfiltrate unencrypted data. FHE plugs these holes. It allows the manipulation of data by permissioned parties while it remains encrypted, minimizing the time it exists in its most vulnerable state.”

Fully homomorphic encryption

In an interview with ZDNet, Bergamaschi explained that FHE is well-suited for use in heavily-regulated industries like finance and healthcare where businesses are trying to protect extremely sensitive data.

Implementing FHE will likely require organizations to rewrite parts of the business logic used in their programs but this will lead to impressive security gains where data is encrypted at all times, even when in use.

In order to prove FHE's value when it comes to secure outsourcing such as when outsourcing computation from the cloud, IBM completed a proof of concept with Brazil's Bradesco Bank which is the second-largest bank in South America. The goal of this undertaking was to use FHE to securely analyze customer data with the aim of predicting whether someone would require a loan within the next three months.

IBM security researchers used a large data set made up of 360,000 customer IDs with 546 different features each and put a homomorphic encryption layer between the data and the analysts. The results of the proof of concept proved that predictions made using FHE could be delivered with the same accuracy as they could without encryption.

While FHE was first discussed in the late 1970s, it has taken a long time for it to become fast enough for everyday usage. Now though that IBM has released its first set of FHE toolkits, expect developers and organizations to begin incorporating the technology into their software.

Via ZDNet

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best Windows hosting services of 2020

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 11:10 AM PDT

Most web hosting packages run on Linux servers, and it's easy to see why: the operating system is fast, reliable, secure and free, with an impressive software ecosystem that includes some of the best web applications around.

For all these benefits, Linux won't be the right setup for everyone. If your site is based on Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET or .NET, or you're intending to run Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server or some other Microsoft stack product, you'll need to choose a Windows plan.

Opting for Windows hosting doesn't restrict you to Microsoft products. Most plans offer one-click easy installation of popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, phpBB and more.

There's no cPanel, but something similar (like Plesk) will make it easy to view your website status, create email accounts, tweak settings and generally manage your plan.

Select a VPS or dedicated hosting plan and you'll also be able to use Remote Desktop to manage the server from its own desktop.

Windows hosting has some issues. You won't get the same choice of applications as with Linux. There's less help available for troubleshooting apps like WordPress on the Windows platform. There are Microsoft licence fees to pay, too, so it's a little more expensive than Linux plans.

Overall, though, if you need to take advantage of Microsoft technologies, Windows hosting can deliver a great service for a surprisingly low price. Read on for five top Windows hosting providers you might want to check out first.

  • If you want even more choices consult our list of the best web hosting providers

Windows hosting has a reputation for being costly, but 1&1 IONOS's shared Windows range shows it doesn't have to be that way.

Prices start at $1 (£1 for UK page) a month for the first year, $7.99 (£5 for UK page) afterwards, yet even the most basic plan is better specified than some of the Linux competition. You get 1 website, 100GB web space and unlimited  bandwidth, along with 25 email accounts with 2GB storage per account, plus daily backups, 24/7 phone and email support, a free domain and an SSL certificate thrown in.

Windows-specific features include five Microsoft SQL databases of up to 1GB each, ASP.NET 4.7, ASP.NET Ajax and MVC 3, 4 and 5. There's support for SQL import, SSI and dedicated app pools, and your plan will be running on Windows Server 2019 (many hosts are still using 2012).

Ramping up to the top-of-the-range Expert Windows plan gets 500 databases (1GB SSD), 500 email accounts, a dedicated IP, regular malware scanning and an integrated Cloudflare-based CDN. Again, this is good value at $1 (£1 for UK page) a month for the first six months, $14 (£7 for UK page) afterward.

These are shared plans and don't give you full control over the server, but more flexible VPS and dedicated plans are also available at very low prices, and opting for Windows instead of Linux will cost from an extra $14 (£10) a month.

Factor in the one-month trial and 1&1 IONOS could be a sensible choice for novices looking to try out Windows hosting with the minimum of risk.

A2 Hosting is a capable provider with a huge range of plans covering everything from basic shared products, managed WordPress and email hosting, to reseller plans, cloud VPS and dedicated servers.

A2's Windows offerings include a capable Swift plan priced at $5.88 (£4.5 for UK) a month initially, $11.99 (£9.27 for UK) on renewal. This is a shared product, but a good one, with unlimited websites, subdomains, email addresses, databases and more. Highlights include free site migration, SSD storage as standard, virus scanning, automatic backups, free Let's Encrypt SSL, Anycast DNS, and Cloudflare Free CDN for a claimed average of 200% faster page loads.

Your site will be hosted on Windows Server 2012, although you can choose Windows Server 2016. Windows Server 2016 debuted many new features – Nano Server, containers, ReFS, Linux Secure Boot support – but you won’t be using these capabilities on a shared hosting plan.

What you do get with the Swift plan is support for an array of current and legacy Microsoft products and standards: ASP.NET 2.x, 3.x and 4.x, classic ASP, .NET Core 2.2, ASP.NET MVC 4 or 5, IIS 8.5 and Silverlight 4 or 5. And if your needs are more cross-platform, there's PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.1 or 7.2 support, phpMyAdmin, and one-click installers for PrestaShop, WordPress, Drupal and more.

If shared hosting isn't enough, A2 also provides managed Windows VPS plans. These are well specified and priced fairly from $25 (£19.32 for UK) a month initially, $49.99 (£38.65 for UK) on renewal, which represents decent value for the features and support you get.


While there are plenty of low-cost shared Windows hosting packages around, they're not the best choice for everyone. We suspect that many users who need a Windows website will also require more speed and functionality than the average customer, and budget hosting may not be good enough.

Hostwinds' Windows VPS hosting offers no less than 10 plan configurations, making it much easier to find and purchase the precise level of service you need.

The baseline specification is impressive. Every plan offers free site migrations, SSD storage, and 1Gbps network connectivity (100Mbps is common with other plans). You also get the ability to use Windows Server 2008, 2012 or 2016, along with fast response times for any support issues (30 seconds for chat or phone, 5 minutes for tickets), and 99.999% uptime guaranteed overall.

The starter Tier 1 plan offers relatively limited resources, with one CPU core, 1GB RAM, 30GB disk space and 1TB traffic per month. But it's also good value at $9.89 (£7.6) a month for the first term, $10.99 (£8.4) on renewal. Those prices are for a monthly billing cycle, too – no lengthy contract required.

Upgrading to a higher tier gets you more power. The mid-range Tier 5 plan offers four CPU cores, 8GB RAM, 150GB disk space and 3TB bandwidth, for example, and is priced at $45.89 (£35.20) a month initially, $50.99 (£39.1) a month afterwards.

Optional extras are reasonably priced. You could add cloud backups for $1 (£0.70) a month, for instance, while spending $5 (£3.60) on basic server monitoring will see Hostwinds watch your system and automatically raise a support ticket if it goes down.

Put it all together and these seem well-designed hosting plans which are powerful, configurable, with excellent support and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. If basic Windows hosting isn't enough, Hostwinds could be worth a try.

Many web hosts provide some level of Windows support, but it's often limited to a specific set of products, such as dedicated servers. That could become an issue if you decide you'd like to upgrade or downgrade your hosting at a later date, so it makes sense to look for hosts that offer more flexibility.

HostGator has a range of Windows plans covering personal and business-friendly shared hosting, and ranging up to highly-specified dedicated servers with the power to run just about anything.

Most of these products are distinctly short on limits and restrictions. The starter Personal plan may only support one website, but you're allowed unlimited subdomains, emails, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server databases, and unmetered bandwidth and disk space. It’s priced from $2.64 (£2) a month if you sign up for the three-year plan, $6.95 (£5.3) on renewal, which is cheaper than the equivalent Linux plans of some providers.

There is a potential downside in HostGator's relatively dated software: Windows Server 2008 R2, IIS 7.5, MSSQL Server 2008 R2 Web Edition, Access Databases 2007, 2010, ASP.NET up to 4.5, PHP 5.2.17 and PHP 5.3. This won't matter to everyone, but check your technical Windows requirements before you sign up.

HostGator's dedicated plans are a little more up-to-date, though still lagging behind some of the competition, with Windows Server 2012 R2, IIS 8.5, SQL Server 2014 Express, and ASP.NET from 2.0 up to 4.6. 

Headline prices are reasonable, with the Value Server plans starting from $89.98 (£70.8) a month, and occasional special deals as low as $79.99 (£57) for legacy servers. Be sure to carefully check the small print, though – you might have to sign up for three years to get these prices, and large introductory discounts mean that you could pay more than double on renewal.


Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end professional web hosting services, and its current range includes some very capable Windows products.

The company's Cloud VPS range hosts your web space across multiple devices to improve performance and scalability, delivering what Liquid Web claims is the "fastest managed VPS hosting on the planet". All plans include features that might be chargeable extras elsewhere – unlimited sites, Gigabit transfer, Cloudflare CDN, DDoS attack protection, US or EU hosting – and run Windows Server 2012 or 2016, yet you can still get a capable setup for $59 (£48) a month ($39 a month if you go annual).

Unusual touches include a choice of SQL Server versions. 2014 or 2016 Express come by default and you can add the Web Editions for $35 (£25) a month, but Standard and Enterprise editions are also available if you need them.

For even more control, you could opt for one of Liquid Web's Private Cloud Servers, although these are primarily made for organizations considering the price. These give you all the power of a Cloud Dedicated Server, but also allow for creating, managing and using custom VPS instances (separate virtual servers). You could set up a Windows VPS to run your ASP.NET site, for instance, but also create a Linux VPS instance to run WordPress, another for PrestaShop, maybe a third as a Windows development environment – it's up to you.

Private Cloud Servers prices start from $1599 (£1261) a month with no long-term contract requirements, and no leap in costs after an initial discount expires.

Liquid Web may charge a Windows license fee on top of that, but you'll only pay once per Cloud Server. This allows you to create as many Windows-based VPS instances as you need, at no extra cost.

Interestingly, if you remove all Windows instances then the license fee will no longer be charged, a handy money-saver for users who only need Windows support occasionally.

Whatever product you choose can be fully managed by Liquid Web's excellent support team, another company highlight. The firm doesn’t just promise to keep your site up and running, there’s a commitment with a 100% uptime SLA (service level agreement), a strong sign of confidence in its services that you rarely see elsewhere.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

CleanMyMac X makes your Mac as good as new.

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 10:59 AM PDT

Maintenance softwares are fantastic tools that allow you to keep your Mac device running efficiently, but using them isn’t always very convenient. Since most maintenance apps are specialized, I’ve often had to download several different ones to achieve system-wide benefits – and it can be a headache to try and get all of these running properly at once. 

Thankfully, though, I found an easier solution: CleanMyMac X. CleanMyMac X offers an all-in-one solution that optimizes your system’s storage, security, and speed, and it does so without requiring you to dig through complex and confusing settings menus. With just a few clicks, I’ve been able to use CleanMyMac X to make my Mac as good as new.

Cleanup: Free up space for what matters most

As someone who frequently downloads new files all the time, I’ve noticed that in recent years, file sizes have constantly been getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, it has been crucial for me to get the most out of my Mac’s storage, and CleanMyMac X helps me do that with its extensive cleanup system. This system scans my Mac and removes miscellaneous files and data that are hidden away or that I never end up accessing. For example, the cleanup program has removed old log files, language files, photo cache data, and more from my system. These files are useless to me, but they take up valuable space that I would much rather attribute to university projects or things I’m writing for work. With just a click or two, CleanMyMac X cleanup gives me the opportunity to do that.

Protection: Guard against online threats

Malware and spyware have been a threat to internet users since the dawn of the technology, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. As someone who browses a wide array of websites daily, I can attest to the importance of protecting yourself against intrusive computer viruses. 

CleanMyMac X comes with a state-of-the-art Malware Removal module that thoroughly scans your system for malware, spyware, adware, and other malicious programs that may be hiding in the shadows. After the scan is complete, you can then purge your Mac of any found threats. Aside from protecting you from the important information on your system becoming compromised, this also will boost the overall speed of your Mac considerably. And thanks to consistent and frequent updates, CleanMyMac X’s Malware Removal will always be one step ahead of cyberthreats. When I used it to clear my Mac, I noticed that the system itself would boot a lot faster, as would numerous apps that I use for work and recreation. 

This software also features a Privacy module that you can use to wipe out all traces of your activities system-wide in one fell swoop. This includes chat history, browsing history, cookies, downloads, recently accessed item lists and more. 

Speed: Your Mac will be faster than ever before

Keeping your Mac running as fast as possible is the best way to boost your productivity or improve your recreational experience, and CleanMyMac X’s Optimization system goes to great lengths to help reduce slowdowns. After performing a system scan myself, the module allowed me to remove or disable apps and programs that were either not responding properly or were using an excessive amount of resources. There’s a Maintenance widget, too, and I frequently use it to run maintenance scripts, free up system RAM, and repair disk permissions so that app errors get cleared up.

These optimization tricks take no time at all for CleanMyMac X to perform, and they’ve made a huge difference when it comes to my Mac’s speed and responsiveness.

Management: Keep tabs on everything

It can be tough to keep track of the countless files and programs that we keep on our computers. Fortunately, CleanMyMac X also comes with several useful management tools, and they’ve made staying organized a breeze for me. 

The Uninstaller module allows me to group my apps by developer, name, or size, and then I can uninstall apps I don’t need anymore with a single click. Unlike dragging apps into the Trash bin, this uninstaller will also remove background data as well. The Updater program, meanwhile, lets me scan all of my apps and informs me whenever an update is ready. I can then start downloading available updates within CleanMyMac X, which saves me a ton of time. Notably, it even lists the contents of the update for me so I don’t have to go hunting for patch notes. 

I also use this innovative application to review my system’s files with the Large & Old Files tab. Here, files are listed and grouped by type, size, and access date. This makes finding files I would otherwise struggle to pin down a simple and painless process. Lastly, there’s the Shredder tool, which is essentially a better Trash bin. All I have to do is drop whatever I want to permanently delete into Shredder and all traces of it, including background data that would normally be left behind, vanish.

CleanMyMac X is invaluable to me, and it will be to you, too

The value of CleanMyMac X cannot be understated. With just a few clicks, I’ve been able to free up space on my Mac, fight off malware and similar threats, improve my system’s speed and efficiency, and manage my apps and files. Whether you’re working on important projects at home, putting time in at the office, or simply using your Mac to have some fun, the benefits of this software will change the way you use your Mac. 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best dedicated server hosting providers of 2020

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 10:45 AM PDT

Opting for a dedicated server means that you get an entire server to yourself. There's no sharing of CPU time, RAM or bandwidth, which means your website stays responsive at all times.

Shared web hosting can appear to be amazing value, with feature-packed products available for just a few pounds every month. But the reality is often very different, and they're not always the bargains they seem.

Very low prices probably mean the host is cramming more customers onto each server, for instance. Performance will be poor as there aren't enough resources to go around, and the extra load could mean more server problems and downtime.

Dedicated hosting implies that you also get far more control over how the server is configured. You can add and remove software, install updates or tweak all settings, allowing you to optimize the server for your specific needs.

Best of all, dedicated hosting contracts often come with fast and knowledgeable support. The best providers will even monitor your server for issues, like failed services, and can often fix them before you've realized there was a problem.

This kind of power doesn't come cheap, and although there are some good signup deals around, you can easily spend $50-$140 a month and more on just a basic package.

With that kind of investment, it's important to make the right choice. In this article, we're going to highlight five top dedicated hosting providers who you might want to check out first.

Bluehost is a popular web hosting service with powerful and flexible plans, and their dedicated hosting plans follow the same principle. 

The pricing starts with the Standard plan which is priced at $73.99 (£61.85 for UK) per month for the first term, $119.99 (£98.64 for UK) per month afterward. The plans might be a bit more expensive compared to rivals but they sure don’t lack the features. For the Standard plan you get 4 cores at 2.3 GHz, 500GB of storage, 4GB RAM, 5TB bandwidth and 3 IP addresses. Free domain and SSL certificate are also included. 

In addition, there are plenty of advanced features too, like multi-server management, secure shell (SSH) access, custom-designed database manager and more. For users that want more, they have the option to upgrade to a faster CPU, more storage, more bandwidth and pretty much more of everything.

Some optional features are also available, so if you want domain privacy and protection, SiteLock or spam protection you can get those as well.

Bluehost is a capable hosting provider with 24/7 support so you can call for help any time you need it. If by any chance you’re not satisfied with the service, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Hostwinds is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range.

Its dedicated server range may start at just $79.50 (£60.6) a month, for instance – $106 (£76) on renewal – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere.

All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you're not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters.

Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That's considerably more flexible than providers like 1&1, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they're often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance).

There's more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 (£18.8) – we've seen charges of up to $50 (£35.70) elsewhere.

Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren't crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price.

German-based 1&1 (as October 2018 called 1&1 IONOS) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn't just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $45 a month for the first six months, then $65.

As you might imagine, 1&1 has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (1&1 updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there's also a setup fee of at least $50 (entry level plan doesn't have setup fee).

But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited 1&1 dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge.

Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 a month for management doesn't just mean 1&1 will look after server admin: you also get a website builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us.


Opting for dedicated rather than shared hosting will speed up your website in itself, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. A2 Hosting's managed server plans blend multiple tricks and technologies to try and ensure you see the best possible performance.

This starts with a powerful set of server components: OPcache and APC may speed up PHP processing by 50%. Memcached holds key MySQL data in RAM for faster retrieval, while mod_pagespeed uses multiple tricks to optimize site content. SPDY and HTTP/2 accelerate page loads even further, and support for technologies like edge side includes and websockets allow more fine-tuned optimizations of your site.

A2 Hosting plans also include Cloudflare's free CDN and its Railgun Optimizer, which "compresses previously uncacheable web objects up to 99.6%" and may result in an average 200% performance increase. In reality you might not see anything like that – the boost will vary greatly, depending on your site – but it's still a technology worth having.

Elsewhere, performance-boosting add-ons include RAID 1 SSD storage of up to 2 x 1TB. An optional Turbo Boost feature costing from $35 a month replaces Apache with the LiteSpeed server, apparently bringing up to 20x faster page loads, and another add-on can cache the HTML contents of a page, then speedily reload it later without needing to run PHP. We were happy to see cPanel is thrown in, too (it's often a chargeable extra with other hosts).

These kind of professional features come at a cost, with even the most basic Sprint plan priced from around $99 a month. But if speed is your top priority then this company could be worth a try, especially as A2's ‘Anytime Money Back Guarantee’ will refund your fees if you cancel within 30 days of your order.


Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end business hosting products ranging from managed WordPress and WooComerce plans, to cloud VPS, dedicated servers and private clouds.

The company's dedicated offerings may look expensive, with a starting price of $199 a month (can be reduced to $140 a month if annual billing is chosen), but they're also far better specified than most of the budget competition.

Even the cheapest dedicated server includes two speedy 240GB SSD drives, for instance. There's also a 1TB SATA backup drive provided, making it easy and convenient to run regular backups.

The plan includes a dedicated IP. Support for Cloudflare CDN should boost your website speeds, and your server can be hosted in one of three data centers (Arizona, Michigan, or the Netherlands). Although, the special entry plans are only hosted in Michigan.

Most importantly, all dedicated servers are managed by Liquid Web's professional support team. They monitor system health, proactively respond to notifications (for example, they’ll restart a failed service), alongside taking care of installing and updating the operating system. If you have any difficulties, support is available 24/7/365, and the company guarantees a 59 second response time via phone or chat, 30 minutes via ticket and email.

Factor in the wide range of optional add-ons – load balancers, firewalls, VPN – and the range has more than enough power for almost any purpose. If you're managing a heavy-duty website, Liquid Web needs to be on your shortlist.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best cloud hosting services in 2020

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 10:20 AM PDT

Cloud hosting has changed the hosting industry for the better, allowing for increasing reliability and resilience for clients. 

Signing up for a simple web hosting package would usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: register your domain name, then choose this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores.

While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while.

Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) web hosting products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments.

There are also additional options for small business web hosting, such as environmentally-friendly green web hosting. Additionally, cloud hosting is scalable and can provide for a good alternative to needing a dedicated server with colocation provider, and there are options for managed web hosting services.

You can use cloud hosting for everything, from just hosting your emails, to replacing your business server. However, if you want a hands-on experience expect the virtual servers to be running Linux, not Windows.

Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself.

  • Want your company or services to be considered for this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.

Best cloud hosting - at a glance

  1. Micrososft Azure
  2. Hostgator
  3. Cloudways
  4. Clook
  5. DigitalOcean

If you're looking to move your business hosting into the cloud, one of the first places to consider is one of the big cloud computing platforms, such as Microsoft Azure.

This isn't a solution for small businesses looking to simply host a website, but it's a great place to go if you have additional computing needs as well and you want to bundle everything together into a single place. The advantage then is that you can move all your business data and apps into the cloud and run them from a single unified platform.

Additionally, by keeping to a single provider you can avoid all the complications of having to deal with cloud management for hybrid clouds and on-premises data. On top of this, Azure boasts more compliance and security certifications than any other cloud provider.

However, moving to a major cloud platform isn't for the faint-hearted, but if you have the IT skills in house, or if you can utilize third-party cloud support services, the move could make a lot of sense even for smaller businesses with a lot of data.

And for the larger small business up through medium to enterprise businesses, the move the a cloud platform like Azure may be a case of 'when' rather than 'if'.

If you only need to host a website rather than additional business data, then HostGator's cloud platform could be a more ideal choice. Unlike normal web hosting, Hostgator's cloud hosting platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more.

For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $3.13 (£2.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal.

If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $6.28 (£5.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month.

Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure.

But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away. 

Also, while prices go up after the initial discount promotion, they still remain extremely competitive.


At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, or simpler and more user-friendly products from hosts like Hostgator.

Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition.

It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations).

Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits.


Clook is one of the UK's leading independent webhosting providers, who offer Managed Cloud Servers among their various hosting services. 

Again, it's targeted at more basic web hosting needs, but if you're looking for this in the UK market then Clook is up there with the best.

Unlike many other web hosting providers who chase the lowest prices while cutting corners on service, Clook instead invest in some of the best support in the business. This does mean you pay more, but it also means you can enjoy piece of mind because if something goes wrong then you can be assured that Clook are already working hard to address it.

Additionally if you have additional support queries Clook are fast to respond, and rather than script-reading frontline support you're actually talking directly with people who have direct system administration experience of their server network. This avoids the frustration of running round in circles and instead means the job simply gets done.

Because this is a company run by sys admins, it also means that the hardware and network is very solid, and their managed cloud servers are no different. This is a managed service as well, which means you don't have to worry about a thing. While other providers might aim for high uptime, Clook ensures their customer actually enjoy it, resulting in a headache-free service. 

Overall, there are cheap hosting providers and complicated cloud platforms out there, but if you simply want rock-solid webhosting and are looking at the UK market then Clook is one of the best options you can go for.


DigitalOcean puts the cloud hosting focus on data as much as websites, providing a background of cloud computing services that make it the ideal place to host and run your own applications in the cloud.

While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system.

DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer.

For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space.

Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups.

There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure.

DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy.

If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 3,300+ at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

NAS devices targeted by ransomware attack

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 10:14 AM PDT

QNAP network-attached storage (NAS) devices are once again under attack as the operators of the eCh0raix ransomware have launched a new wave of attacks.

The eCh0raix ransomware was first deployed last July when its creators released the first version of their malware into the wild. Although its first ransomware ended up being decrypted, the group persisted and eventually deployed a new version that security researchers were unable to crack.

The eCh0raix ransomware group has also faced strong competition from IoT botnet operators as well as from other ransomware groups also targeting QNAP NAS devices such as Muhstik and QSnatch.

A recent security report from Taiwanese security researcher Henry Huang detailed three critical vulnerabilities that impact QNAP devices and the eCh0raix group has used these to launch a new series of attacks.

eCh0raix ransomware

As reported by BleepingComputer, the eCh0raix ransomware group has recently stepped up its operations and now a new influx of victims are reporting encrypted NAS data on the news outlet's forum.

The operators of the eCh0raix ransomware have been known to use both exploits and brute-force attacks against their victims. The group uses exploits to target vulnerabilities in QNAP devices that have not been patched and they then use brute-force attacks to guess users' admin passwords.

Although it has yet to be confirmed, the eCh0raix group could be using the recently disclosed QNAP vulnerabilities in their latest series of attacks. All three of these QNAP vulnerabilities are easy to exploit and automate and can also lead to the full takeover of attacked devices.

If you own a QNAP NAS device, it is highly recommended that you update your QNAP firmware as well any software that might be running on your device. QNAP device owners should also change their device password to one that is complex and unique to make it harder for the eCh0raix ransomware operators to brute-force it. Instructions on how to patch as well as update the passwords of your QNAP devices can be found here.

Via ZDNet

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

£259 Xbox One X deals are back this week at Currys - but probably not for long

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 09:45 AM PDT

Xbox One X deals and cheap bundles have been few and far between in recent weeks, so if you're in the mood to get your game on, we thoroughly recommend picking up this Xbox One X bundle at Currys for just £259 right now.

With many retailers currently running low on Xbox One X stocks, this is a pretty rare deal right here and possibly your last chance to pick up a cheap Xbox One X for a while. There are currently two bundles available now, with your choice of the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or the fantastic race-simulator Forza Horizon 4 - both for just £259.

The Xbox One X is the latest offering from Microsoft and currently the most powerful 4K console you can buy, rivaling the PS4 Pro and even some gaming PCs. If you've got a 4K TV just waiting for some action then we thoroughly recommend the Xbox One X as it's capable of upscaling all your favorites to eye-wateringly high levels of graphical fidelity.

Both these bundled games are great options as well being critically acclaimed fan favourites. Whether you prefer to don the robe and lightsaber or the helmet and racing wheel, you'll be served tens of hours of fun with these Xbox One X bundle deals.

Not in the UK? Check out the best Xbox One X deals near you below.

Xbox One X deals at Currys

For a more exhaustive list, check out our best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals page, where we're looking at both the UK and US. If you're looking for something a little cheaper, then our best Xbox One deals page is a great alternative if you're not too fussed about getting that 4K console action.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PS5 games reveal event has a new date – and it's happening this week

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 09:39 AM PDT

Sony’s highly anticipated PS5 gameplay reveal event will happen on Thursday, June 11 at 9 pm BST / 4pm EST / 1pm PST, at least according to a new advertisement.

The Twitch ad was discovered early in the morning Monday PST and was quickly circulated on Twitter before being confirmed in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

If you remember, Sony announced last week that it would postpone its PS5 reveal event to "allow more important voices to be heard" amid the ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

The event is expected to show us how games will run on PS5 with a number of new demonstrations from Sony's first-party and a few third-party developers, and according to the Twitch ad will be available to watch at PlayStation.com/PS5.

Tune in and turn on your sound

According to the updated post on the PlayStation Blog, the event will be broadcast in 1080p and 30 frames per second, despite the fact that some games are likely capable of running in 4K/30 or 1080p/60. 

The move, says Sony's Senior Director of Content Communications Sid Shuman, is to make devs' lives a bit easier while working from home and says the games will obviously look better when you play them on your PS5 and 4K TV at home.

Shuman also is recommending that gamers use headphones to listen to the broadcast, as there's "some cool audio work in the show, and it might be harder to appreciate if it’s pumped through your phone or laptop speakers". 

We'll of course be watching along and covering major announcements from the event, but we'll update this post if any more information leaks ahead of time.

  • Here are all the PS5 games we know about so far

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best 360 camera 2020: 10 cameras to capture everything

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 09:37 AM PDT

Trying to find the best 360 camera for you? Well, you've come to the right place. If, like Aerosmith, you don’t want to miss a thing, these cameras are exactly what you need: each of the models in this list is capable of capturing footage in full 360-degrees. 

Most work by using multiple camera modules – usually two wide-angle lenses back-to-back – to capture footage which can then be digitally combined into a fully spherical video or, more usefully, into a standard two-dimensional video weaved together from frames that you've chosen after the fact.

That said, there are plenty of differences between them. Features to consider include automatic stitching (which saves you the hassle of manually aligning multiple captures), image stabilization, live-streaming and resolution, which in some cases goes up to 8K (see the Kandao QooCam 8K below). It’s worth remembering, though, that even a relatively high resolution won’t necessarily result in detailed images: because pixels are stretched over a 360-degree frame, the small part you’re viewing might well be less than Full HD.

Also look at cropping functionality, which allows you to extract a standard ‘flat’ video from the 360-degree footage you’ve captured. This means you can shoot everything that’s going on and select your area of focus when you're back home – particularly useful for fast-moving and unpredictable subjects, such as safari animals of extreme sports enthusiasts.

The relevance of other features, such as GPS, Wi-Fi and slow-mo modes, will depend on what and how you like to record. Helpfully, we’ve accounted for all of this in our list of the best 360 cameras. Some are the latest and greatest models, while others are a little older but priced very competitively. And don’t forget that our widgets always display the latest and best deals too.

Best 360 cameras 2020 at a glance:

  1. Insta360 One X
  2. GoPro Max
  3. Kandao QooCam 8K
  4. Insta360 Evo
  5. Insta360 One R
  6. HumanEye Vuze XR
  7. GoPro Fusion
  8. Insta360 One
  9. Ricoh Theta V
  10. Garmin Virb 360

Best 360 camera 2020:

Producing great video is about two things; capturing all of the action, and slick editing. What if you could do both with an action camera and an app? With dual fisheye lenses and some unique time and perspective-manipulation special effects, the One X is our current pick for the title of best 360 camera.

What we love about the One X isn't its 360 tricks at all, but how easy it is to produce a great-looking regular widescreen video. Kudos in particular to the silky smooth image stabilization, which all goes to make it a tempting proposition for semi-pro videographers looking for some unique special effects on-the-fly. 

If you're looking to shoot immersive videos of sporting escapades or outdoor adventures, then the GoPro Max is the best 360 camera option around. Unlike the Insta360 One X, it's waterproof down to five meters without needing a case, and the editing workflow is slick and simple. If you want to turn your 360-degree video into a traditional 2D film – which is one of the main benefits of 360 cams – the app's OverCapture software lets you do this easily, as long as your happy with the final footage being in Full HD. The Max also amps up many of the features seen on the GoPro Hero 8 Black, including superior HyperSmooth stabilization and 360-degree TimeWarp sequences. The slightly sub-par 2D video footage (which is the result of it being converted from a fish-eye images) means the Max falls short of being the ultimate GoPro for both 360 and standard footage. But it's a fantastic option for anyone who wants to shoot action sequences in every direction without the hassle of deciding where to point their action camera, then edit it together quickly later.

Kandao QooCam 8K

Numbers never tell the whole story, but 8K is a seriously impressive figure in a consumer 360 camera's spec sheet. Qoocam’s 360 heavyweight outguns all of the competition on resolution, with a pair of 20MP CMOS sensors that work together to capture 8K footage at 30fps and 4K video at up to 200fps. 

Not only can it create VR-grade video out of the box, but it’s also the first non-pro model from which 360 footage can be cropped down to widescreen format without a big drop in resolution. It packs impressive SuperSteady image stabilization, too, as well as a class-leading 2.4-inch OLED touchscreen for easy control and framing. For both stills and video, dynamic range is excellent, as is color and contrast. 

Downsides? There are limited video modes and the partner app is pretty basic, though there’s a handy express mode which downscales footage for mobile editing. There’s also no escaping the relative heft of the Qoocam 8K, or its lack of waterproofing. All the same, provided you can stomach its price tag, its video quality is unrivaled in the 360 market. Once you try 8K, there’s no going back.

Insta360 Evo

It might not have the elegant, pocket-friendly design of Insta360’s One X, but the Evo is a more flexible form of 360-degree camera. One minute it can function as a standard 360-degree camera with back-to-back fisheye lenses capturing everything around it in decent 5.7K resolution. The next moment, thanks to its hinged design, both lenses will be sitting side by side facing the same direction, allowing them to capture 3D VR content with a 180-degree field-of-view. You’ll really need an Oculus or similar VR headset to appreciate the latter, however – and for most people the One X probably makes more sense.

Insta360 One R

The headline feature of the Insta360 One R is its modular design. Comprised of three blocks – battery, controls and camera – the lens section can be switched to suit your situation. Besides a 1-inch sensor module, the dual-lens element is seriously exciting: capable of capturing 360-degree footage in 5.7K at 30fps, it transforms the Insta360 One R from action cam to capable 360 cam. Stabilization is excellent, as is the stitching, with only a slight flutter if your crop covers the border between sources. Like the GoPro Max, sharpness drops at the edge of each lens, but results in bright conditions are good, with decent detail and limited noise. The same can’t be said in low light, where software processing issues arise, with lots of juddering and blurred frames. Editing 360-degree video means selecting and dragging one of five fields of view in the app, which is slightly limiting but ultimately quick, while optional subject-tracking delivers a professional look with minimal effort. It's not quite as slick as the GoPro Max, but it's cheaper, offers a unique modular approach and delivers solid 360-degree footage. With a few software fixes, the Insta360 One R could be a real 360 success.

HumanEyes Vuze XR

Thanks to its pop-out lenses, the Vuze XR is able to record both 360-degree and 3D VR videos. It’s a clever design and physically well implemented here thanks to the solidity of the hinge mechanism and springs. With the option to shoot video at 5.7K resolution, the camera’s image quality isn’t bad either. Unfortunately, the limited mobile app’s lack of editing features and the slightly janky nature of the desktop app make doing anything with your footage and photos more of a chore than it should be – and while the Vuze XR may have been the first camera to offer this two-pronged approach, it’s outperformed by the slightly slicker Insta360 Evo that followed closely in its wake.

GoPro’s highly innovative camera has enjoyed a significant price drop since its launch, making it worth considering if you can't stretch to the newer GoPro Max. The Fusion can capture 360-degree video in 5.2K resolution at 30fps (or 3K at 60fps) which is great, but its real trick was the introduction of the OverCapture mode. Like the GoPro Max and Insta360 One X, this lets you film in 360 degrees then create a standard 16:9 video from the footage. Add GPS, a compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3D audio, and compatibility with existing GoPro mounts, and the waterproof (to a depth of 5m) Fusion is a powerful camera for the price. The newer GoPro Max brings a front-facing screen, a more compact design, six microphones (rather than four) and better image stabilization. The Fusion's last software update was also over a year ago, if these issues don't bother you then it's definitely worth considering if you need a waterproof 360-degree camera.

No one in their right mind thinks 360° video is going to take over from regular video. Why else would the Insta360 One include FreeCapture, a mode that allows users to film in 360° before transforming the results into a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio? It's a little like the feature on the similarly 4K-capable GoPro Fusion, although that's where the comparison pretty much ends. A reliable 4K 360° camera for video and stills, the Insta360 One proffers another advanced tool in the shape of Bullet Time, a fast frame-rate slow-mo mode that, rather bizarrely, requires users to wave the camera rapidly around them on… a piece of string. It's odd, but effective – the slow-mo effect you can add this footage looks like something out of The Matrix. It comes with a tripod thread for remote shooting, too. 

It was Ricoh that put 360° video creation into the mainstream with its Theta S a few years ago, but for all the brilliance of its form factor, it produced barely 25 minutes of rather soft video on one charge. The souped-up follow-up looks the same, but is capable of 4K video recording, 4K live streaming, and even records 360° spatial audio thanks to its four microphones – and for 80 minutes. Android-based and Qualcomm Snapdragon 625-powered, the Theta V vastly increases the ISO and has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so can be operated remotely via an app. Thankfully, it retains the standard tripod thread its forbear had. 

It might be known mostly for its sat navs and sports watches, but Garmin has produced a whopping-good 360 camera. The feature that catches the eye on the VIRB 360 is its ability to capture in maximum 5.7K resolution, and there's a very simple reason for that awkward figure: 4K doesn't cover a 360 landscape well. Better yet, you can now stitch 5.7K footage using Garmin's free VIRB Edit software. Its four microphones produce wraparound sound, too, while waterproofing, GPS, a gyroscope and an accelerometer give it a notable Garmin feel (it collects data about your adventures as you go, which you can overlay onto your 360 videos).

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PS5 games: all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 09:37 AM PDT

PS5 games are nearly here. Sure, you may not be able to play them yet, but with a confirmed release window for the next-gen PlayStation console – at the end of 2020 – and specifications for the PS5 starting to drop, it's no surprise to see developers start announcing titles for the hardware. On June 11 2020, too, it's looking like we'll see PS5 games revealed publicly for the first time. 

So far we've only had confirmation of third-party PS5 games, including Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. But, when it comes to Sony's first-party titles, we're largely in the dark. Although we are expecting the likes of The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima to be cross-gen games, we can only speculate about what PS5 launch titles and exclusives are in the works.

We saw 13 games introduced at the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal and, while some will be heading to the PS5, others are explicitly Xbox exclusives. After the event, it was confirmed that Dirt 5, Chorus, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and Scarlet Nexus are definitely headed to PS5, while other titles shown are less certain.

We can't say exactly which games will be PS5 launch titles yet, then, but Sony's gameplay reveal event is just around the corner. Until then, we've gathered together this handy guide to all the PS5 games that have been confirmed so far – and some that we expect to see.

Confirmed PS5 games

Fortnite

Fortnite

Fortnite was confirmed for PS5 in May 2020. It'll arrive at launch, and players can expect some kind of visual upgrade for the game. In mid-2021, the game will be migrated to Unreal Engine 5, too. 

Warframe

Warframe

Leyou Technology, parent company of Warframe developer Digital Extremes, has revealed that its free-to-play online sci-fi shooter Warframe will be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

In an earnings report by Leyou Technology, the company stated that it's "preparing to expand Warframe to more platforms, such as the next-generation consoles and other devices".

However, there's no indication of when Warframe will land on PS5 or Xbox Series X.

Gothic

Gothic

After gauging interest with a playable teaser, developer THQ Nordic has confirmed that it's going to remake its 2001 cult classic and bring it to PS5. 

Nordic is planning to "stay as faithfully as possible to the original experience" and modernise gameplay mechanics but it's also promised fans that it'll be playing close attention to player feedback from the playable teaser; already the developer has said that it's hearing calls for a "grittier and less colourful world". 

Development is still in the very early stages, though, and we shouldn't expect to see it in 2020. 

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft has confirmed that the next chapter in the Assassin's Creed series is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla sees players take on the role of Viking raider Eivor, who leads their clan from their native home of Norway to the the shores of Dark Ages England - with a hope of settling for good. But resistance from the Saxons won't exactly make it easy.

This new Assassin's Creed game leans more into RPG elements, allowing players to build and management settlements, raid towns for resources, form alliances and even customize their character. 

We got our first look at Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, with Ubisoft releasing a new trailer for the upcoming game - but it was a bit of a disappointment.

Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft has confirmed to Windows Central that it's planning for its online tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, to be available on PS5 from launch day (whenever that launch day may be). In order to avoid forcing early next-gen adopters from having to leave their Siege friends behind, Ubisoft has also said that the game will support cross-generational multiplayer, so PS5 owners will still be able to play with their PS4 friends. 

Outriders

Outriders

People Can Fly has confirmed that its upcoming co-op shooter Outriders will land on both PS5 and Xbox Series X in "Holiday 2020" (AKA between October and December this year) - the same release window that we have for both next-gen consoles.

We don't know a huge amount about Outriders just yet, but the developer has described it as "a co-op RPG shooter for a new generation set in an original, dark and desperate sci-fi universe".

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Gollum

Announced in March 2019, Daedalic's Gollum game has now been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

The developer confirmed to Edge, that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be a "stunning next-gen adventure". Previously Daedlic confirmed Gollum will release in 2021 for PC and "all relevant console platforms at that time". Whether the game will be cross-generation (releasing on PS4 and Xbox One also) is still unconfirmed however.

But what will the game actually be about? Gollum is an action-adventure which focuses on the ring-obsessed creature. According to Daedalic, the narrative-driven game"tells Gollum's story from a perspective never seen before ... while staying true to the legendary books."

Godfall

Godfall

Announced at the Game Awards 2019, Godfall is an action RPG from Gearbox that kind of looks like Destiny with swords and shiny hardware. We don't know exactly what the gameplay is going to look like, but it can be said that Gearbox popularized the "looter shooter" with its Borderlands franchise, so we imagine that the gameplay loop will be just as satisfying. 

But, because Gearbox hasn't really made a hack and slash before, we'll just have to wait and see what the actual gameplay will look like and whether the slashing will be as satisfying as Borderlands' shooting. 

We don't have a specific release date, but we do know that Godfall will be coming to PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store "Holiday 2020". 

New Bluepoint Studios game

PS5 games

The announcement of a new Bluepoint game was the first time a company came out into the open and said that it is indeed developing a title for Sony's next-generation console.

Bluepoint Studios is the team best known for ports of classic games, having put out the incredibly well received Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and astonishing Shadow of the Colossus remaster.

Talk early in 2019 pointed to the studio's next project being yet another re-imagining of a classic game, and with rumors swirling around a Demon's Souls remake happening (an IP owned by Sony unlike the rest of the Bandai Namco franchise), it's looking like a relatively good guess that'll be the company's next title.

Watch Dogs: Legion 

Watch Dogs: Legion

First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year. 

This delay did, however, make it more likely that Watch Dogs Legion will launch on the PS5 platform. And it will,as the news was officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot at the end of 2019.

Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6

Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is coming to Xbox Series X and PS5 in 2021. 

Speaking to GameSpot, EA said that Battlefield 6 will be "targeting new innovation that will be enabled by next-gen platforms". We're still largely in the dark about what Battlefield 6 is about, and whether it'll also be available on current-gen consoles, but we can't wait to find out more.

Gods and Monsters

Gods and Monsters

Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for PS4 at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year. 

We could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021 and have now had official confirmation that it'll be coming to the PS5. 

Rainbow Six Quarantine

Rainbow Six Quarantine

Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year. 

So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the PS5 launch. And, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, it's one of a number of games that's been officially confirmed for the next-gen console.

WRC 9

WRC 9

It's been officially confirmed that the latest version of the FIA World Rally Championship will officially hit Xbox Series X and PS5. The racing title will release in September 2020 for PC, Switch, Xbox One and PS4, but will also release on next-gen consoles. 

“The introduction of new-generation gaming consoles is a wonderfully exciting step and we’re delighted WRC 9 will be the first rally game to become available to gamers on such platforms,” WRC Promoter managing director Oliver Ciesla said.

According to the game's website, WRC 9 will feature rallies in Kenya, New Zealand and Japan from the 2020 WRC calendar, alongside over 400km of roads from all 13 scheduled rounds of the 2020 season.

WRC 10 and WRC 11 have also been confirmed.

Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2


During an interview with Wccftech at E3 2019, developer Techland confirmed Dying Light 2 is set for next-gen consoles. 

"Techland always has an eye on the latest new toys!" Techland's chief technology officer, Pawel Rohleder, said. "To be more specific - yes, the plan since the beginning of production has been to make Dying Light 2 a cross-generation title."

Dirt 5

Dirt 5

The racing franchise returns with Dirt 5 (stylized DiRT 5), which was introduced during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal video and shortly thereafter confirmed to be coming to PS5 (and PS4, actually). 

Dirt 5 will surely showcase off-road racing in worldwide locations like previous games in the series. While we don't know much about the new title, we do know that the top dogs in male voice acting, Nolan North and Troy Baker, will both lend their talents to the game.

Chorvs

Chorvs

Chorvs is another game introduced during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal video, but its official YouTube trailer confirmed it's also coming to PS5 (and PS4). 

The futuristic starfighter shooting game follows Nara as she pilots her sentient ship Forsaken to destroy the cult she once belonged to. Wild! Its visuals evoke the moody red lighting of Control, but the combat feels a lot like Everspace and other arcade-style space shooters.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 had already been announced for current consoles, but a new trailer was unveiled during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal event indicating it was coming to that console. When that official trailer hit YouTube, we leanred it's coming to PS5 as well.

Players take the role of a vampire in the World of Darkness, where undead like yourselves have the capability to entrance, hunt, and gruesomely kill humans. Plots, schemes, and action will change the balance of power in a shifting world. Neat!

Scarlet Nexus

Scarlet Nexus

The anime-styled hack-and-slash Scarlet Nexus was first revealed during the first Xbox Series X gameplay reveal video in May, but publisher Bandai Namco quickly announced the game would be coming to PS5 as well (and PS4, for that matter). 

The futuristic action game follows a humanity besieged by mutants (that look like flower planters with legs, sure) who can only be fought with psychic powers. In other words, the best part of Control in a stylized anime setting. Bandai Namco confirmed this is the first in a new franchise (likely subject to its success) that's being created by talent from the Tales Of series.

Rumored PS5 games

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077

Image credit: CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red has been reticent to say whether or not its upcoming title will be releasing on PS5. But we do know Cyberpunk 2077 will be releasing on Xbox Series X.

Despite no official confirmation, CD Projekt seems to suggest, during an earnings call, that Cyberpunk 2077 will be coming to PS5 – we can't see why it wouldn't – but that the company is waiting for Sony to make the announcement first. 

“There’s no official announcement coming from PlayStation so we really can’t confirm or deny anything,” Nowakowski said. “It’s PlayStation that first needs to address these issues and then we’re happy to make a comment, but we can’t jump the gun ahead of them.”

The company has also confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will still release in September and will be available on Xbox Series X "from the get-go", with an enhanced, next-gen version being released at a later date. 

If CD Projekt Red is planning to release an upgraded version of Cyberpunk 2077 for next-gen consoles, and is planning to release on PS5, then Sony would likely need a feature similar to Smart Delivery to implement this – as it appears this patch is more than a simple update, and is instead a full-blown upgrade.

We can only speculate, but it would explain why Sony has held off confirming that the game is coming, perhaps until it itself reveals a forwards-compatibility feature.

Death Stranding 

Death Stranding

Image credit: Kojima Productions

Hideo Kojima and Sony have been pretty tight-lipped about whether we will be seeing Death Stranding as a PS5 game. 

Death Stranding has already launched on the PS4 but in an interview with Wired, Sony's Mark Cerny hinted that we could be seeing the allusive title on PS5 too.

When asked by Wired about the transition from PS4 to next generation, and how Death Stranding will fit into this process, Cerny gave a "pregnant pause" and a glib smile before a spokesperson interjected that game would be released for PS4. 

It's not exactly a confirmation but Cerny's response has definitely fuelled speculation that Death Stranding will be a cross-generation release.

Ghost of Tsushima 

Ghost of Tsushima


SuckerPunch's historical open world adventure will take players back to Feudal Japan, and now we have a much clearer picture of when that will happen. At the Game Awards 2019, SuckerPunch revealed that Ghost of Tsushima will be hitting the streets on July 17, 2020, which means the wait is very nearly over. 

That means that the game will arrive ahead of the PS5, but given how beautiful the graphics have been so far, we wouldn't be surprised if it launches on Sony's new console. Still, we haven't heard word one from Sony about whether Ghost of Tsushima will be a PS5 game.

The Last of Us: Part 2

PS5 games

Image credit: Naughty Dog

The The Last of Us: Part 2 was due to release on May 29, 2020; however, the game has been delayed until June 19, 2020.

We think it's a safe assumption that any Sony exclusives coming in 2020 (or that were due in 2020) will likely be cross-generation titles.

It would seem slightly odd for Sony to release one of its most eagerly anticipated sequels for just the PS4 at the end of the console's life cycle. So we think it's a safe bet to assume Joel and Ellie will make their way to the PS5, instantly becoming one of the best PS5 games.

Starfield 

Starfield

Image credit: Bethesda

Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP for 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space.

Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become a PS5 game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next generation consoles.

The Elder Scrolls 6 

The Elder Scrolls 6

Image credit: Bethesda

As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works. 

Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next generation consoles. 

Grand Theft Auto 6 

GTA 6

Image credit: Rockstar Games

Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here - mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new installation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while. 

Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 a PS5 game.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

PS5 games

Image credit: Square Enix

Again, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be a PS5 game but has released exclusively for PS4 - with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future .

Given the age of the PS4, and the ambitious nature of the game, Final Fantasy Remake on PS5 doesn't seem to be out of the question. Expect Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 to land on Sony's next-gen platform too.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2

Horizon Zero Dawn 2

Now, it's worth noting this title hasn't been officially confirmed nevermind being confirmed for PS5. 

Sony has had huge success with its PS4 exclusives, particularly post-apocalyptic RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best-selling games on the PS4, selling over 10 million copies and cementing itself as a must-have title. So it would make perfect sense for Guerrilla Games to develop a sequel, right?

It seems that is exactly what's happening. While neither Sony nor Guerrilla Games have announced a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is in the works, one of the game's voice actors spilled the beans earlier this year and essentially confirmed a sequel is on the way. But with no release date in sight, it looks likely that Horizon Zero Dawn will land on PS5.

God of War 2 

God of War 2

Much like Horizon Zero Dawn 2, God of War 2 hasn't officially been confirmed to be in the works. 

It's only been a year since the critically acclaimed (and our Game of the Year 2018 winner) God of War reboot launched exclusively on PlayStation 4, but we're already looking to the future.

Despite Sony remaining tight-lipped on the subject, the success of God of War means a sequel is probably on the way (perhaps another God of War 2?). In addition, Sony Santa Monica has posted job listings for a number of roles across its teams - with one listing clearly citing the God of War reboot. 

At this point, it's most likely that God of War 2 will come to PS5 than the PS4.

Gran Turismo 

Gran Turismo

There are rumors abound that the next Gran Turismo title will be a part of the PS5's launch lineup. While nothing has been confirmed, it does seem likely that a Gran Turismo game will appear on the console at some point as it's PlayStation's landmark racing series. 

Wired has reported that developer Polyphony Digital has Gran Turismo Sport running on a PS5 devkit while an even more recent leak has suggested that Gran Turismo 7 will release on November 20 as a launch title for the console. 

We don't know for sure when a Gran Turismo title will appear on PS5, or what form it will take, but we think it's likely it will happen at some point. 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

AMD dominates Intel in CPU sales - at least according to one retailer

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 09:17 AM PDT

Intel's newly-released Comet Lake processors are failing to make a dent in sales of AMD CPUs, according to Mindfactory. 

New sales data released by the German retailer and spotted by Hexus shows that in the week of June 1 to June 7, it sold 5,270 AMD processors, compared to just 770 Intel CPUs. 

That sees Team Red outselling its biggest rival by 82% to just 13%, and taking home the lion's share of the revenue; AMD revenues at the Mindfactory came in at €1,106,065 (about $1,248,970, £983,950, AU$1,785,630) (81%), compared to just €246,605 (about $278,490, £219,400, AU$398,120) (18%) from Intel.

The best-selling CPU was the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 with some 1,710 units shifted, followed by the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and two-year-old Ryzen 5 2600, with some 970 and 700 sold, respectively.

Though Intel’s newly-released Comet Lake CPUs appear in Mindfactory’s data for the first time, the processors are doing little to challenge AMD's dominance. The Intel Core i7-10700K, for example, sold just 50 units during the seven-day period, while the Intel Core i5-10600K sold a mere 40 units. 

Team Blue's most popular processor was the Intel Core i7-9700K, which racked up a slightly more respectful sales tally of 170 units. We reached out to Intel for comment about these sales figures, and will update this article if we hear back. 

Future gazing

While these figures are to be taken with a pinch of salt, they suggest that Intel's 10th-generation Comet Lake series has failed to make much of an impact on the market, particularly among PC enthusiasts. 

Intel will no doubt be hoping that its upcoming 11th-generation Rocket Lake series, which will be based on its upcoming Willow Lake architecture, will do more to shake AMD's dominance, at least in the German market.

However, AMD is also gearing up to release its Ryzen 4000 desktop CPUs, which will reportedly be headed up by 16-core successor to the Ryzen 9 3950X.

While Willow Cave will continue to be based on 14nm, AMD's Zen 3-based Ryzen 4000 CPUs will use TSMC’s 7nm process and are expected to offer a major performance boost compared to the current Zen 2-based Ryzen 3000 processors. 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Where to buy a webcam: these retailers still have stock

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:55 AM PDT

When you have to work from home, the capability to have an effective video conference is extremely important. And, while a lot of folks may have laptops that have a built-in camera, the best webcam can boost video quality so much that they're essential for anyone having regular video calls. 

However, now that the Covid-19 crisis has driven so many people to work from home, supply is running out. Understandably, a lot of people are scrambling to get their hands on a solid webcam so they can keep doing their jobs, even if they have to be remote. 

If you're scrambling to get your hands on a solid webcam, however, don't worry – they're definitely still out there, even if they're not quite as easy to find. 

Luckily, we here at TechRadar are online shopping pros, and we've found the retailers that still have solid webcams on sale and gathered them all up down below. Just keep in mind that because webcams are moving so fast, there are certain models that may sell out super quickly.  

In the UK? We’ve just added some webcams for the UK market as well. Stock is moving really quickly right now, so make sure you jump on what's available now. Check out our best webcams piece also to see the current range and find out which are still in stock in your areas.

Where to buy a webcam in the US

We scoured the web to find the webcams that still have stock available to buy right now. Because the nature of online shopping, however, we'll likely see some of these sell out in the meantime. Some of these webcams are on backorder right now, but if you do buy one that's affected you should still be able to get it in about a week. 

Where to buy a webcam in the UK

Stock is currently an issue for webcams in the UK right now with many of the big retailers such as Amazon, Curry's and Argos selling out quickly while people adjust to their new working from home situation. We've still found some cheap webcams that are still available, so don't worry if you're still looking - we can help your search.

See more webcam offers with our roundup of the best cheap webcams and see the best webcams 2020: top picks for working from home.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best managed WordPress hosting of 2020

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:44 AM PDT

As a content management system, WordPress offers one of the easiest and quickest ways to set up your own blog or website. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can select from one of hundreds of templates, as well as create interactive content such as contact forms.

The usefulness of WordPress has not been lost on web hosting providers. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the very best vendors on the market today who offer managed WordPress hosting. This is a great way to avoid the time and trouble of hosting your content from scratch as they take the trouble of creating and maintaining your website away from you. Don't underestimate the importance of managing an online property. Between SEO, admin, content and social marketing, there's more than enough work for a small business.

WP Engine

WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital platform. It hosts excellent uptime, WordPress specific security and unlimited monthly transfers.

WP Engine includes many great tools needed for web hosting. These range from automated backups to 24/7 support (phone support on Growth and Scale packages). 

You can use WP Engine’s ‘actionable intelligence’ to gain insight into the performance of your pages, content and applications.

WP Engine has four different price plans. All include free migration and free page performance. If you pay for a year’s subscription upfront, you get three months free.

Prices start off at $30 per month ($20 per month if you choose annual billing) which includes a 60-day risk free guarantee. WP Engine also has a ‘Custom’ tier for larger businesses that want a plan more tailored for their individual needs.

Some users have asked for a mid-range pricing option between the $30 and $115 tiers with the most expensive tier, Scale, costing $290 per month and offering support for up to 15 sites. 

GoDaddy Pro

GoDaddy Pro is part of GoDaddy Inc, founded in 1997. It offers users a more robust, wider range of tools for developers and businesses. While it doesn't mention WordPress in the opening few introductory phrases, GDP is actually wholly focused on WordPress installs.

GoDaddy Pro offers client management tools and advanced support. This solution allows developers to add multiple clients and manages their accounts from one single dashboard. 

GoDaddy gives users access to a management dashboard. From here all products and clients can be viewed. The dashboard can alert the user via SMS and email to any issues the client may have.

As GoDaddy Pro has been designed to make developer’s lives easier, the platform is user-friendly and everything is at your fingertips via the dashboard.

Access to the dashboard is free and includes reporting and basic maintenance for as many WordPress sites as needed. Paid services include cloud backups, migration, uptime monitoring and automated security checks. These can be purchased as add-ons to your free plan.

Users have noted that bandwidth monitoring is not included.

Bluehost

Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group. It was founded in 2003. It’s part of a web hosting family that includes HostMonster, FastDomain and iPage.

Bluehost tries to make the daunting task of starting a new web site easy. It offers plenty of options to those new to web hosting while still offering tools for the more experienced user.

All new subscribers can set up a WordPress site with a single click of their mouse. Also, newbies can rely on Blue Spark, a specialized service that helps new users with everything WordPress related. 

Bluehost are currently offering all their WordPress plans at a reduced rate. Prices start at $2.75 (£2.2) a month for a single WordPress site complete with 50GB of website space. The ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ packages are on offer for $5.45 (£4.4) per month. These both include unlimited WordPress sites and unlimited website space. The ‘Premium’ package includes domain privacy and SiteBackup Pro. Furthermore, WP Pro plans are available, which bring additional improvements and features with prices starting at $17.95.

More inexperienced users have reported that the dashboard can be difficult to navigate if you do not know all the terminology.

WordPress VIP

WordPress VIP is a fully managed cloud platform. Users of VIP have access to expert guidance, code review and around the clock support.

Users get their own Git repository and ZenDesk account. Once your code is ready, you send it to the VIP team. Experts at VIP go through each line of code in your repository. This can take 4-6 weeks. If any issues are found, they’re raised on GitHub. Once these have been removed the code is transferred to your project and you are online. VIP adhere to strict coding standards.

One of the main attractions of VIP, is their ‘always on’ support. VIP engineers watch for any issues that may arise and fix them proactively on behalf of the client. Once rectified, a report will be sent to you explaining what occurred.

Users will need to contact VIP directly in order to get a quote.

Some users have reported delays with setting up and building sites.

SiteGround

SiteGround was founded in 2004. It provides shared hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated servers.

SiteGround lets you choose from one of their four data centers on which to host your website. These are based in the US, Amsterdam, Singapore and the UK.

SiteGround offers users CloudFlare CDN, free SSL certificates and daily backups of their website’s data. All of their shared hosting plans include managed WordPress.

The platform’s customer support includes live chat as well as a phone in option. All support services are available 24/7.

The ‘StartUp’ plan begins at $11.95 (£9.28) per month ($3.95 for initial payment) which includes one website, 10GB web space and is suitable for 10,000 visits monthly. The ‘GrowBig’ plan for $19.95 (£15.47) monthly ($5.95 for initial payment) allows for multiple websites, 20GB of web space and is suitable for 25,000 visits. SiteGround’s ‘GoGeek’ plan starts at $34.95 (£27.08) per month ($11.95 for initial payment) which includes 40GB of web space and is suitable for 100,000 visits monthly. SiteGround do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money back guarantee.

Some users reported issues with being automatically logged out when signing in on multiple devices.

DreamHost

DreamHost is owned by New Dream Network, LLC which was founded in 1996. It’s both a web hosting provider and a domain name registrar.

DreamHost’s ‘Shared Starter’ plan starts at $2.59 (£2) per month. This includes a shared hosting server, 1 WordPress website, unlimited traffic, 1-click SSL certificate, fast SSD storage, 24/7 support and an upgrade to add email.

The ‘DreamPress’ (the managed WP plan) package starts at $16.95 (£12.8). This includes all of what the ‘Shared Starter’ plan has to offer along with 30GB SSD storage, JetPack free preinstalled, daily backups and a few other things.

All of DreamHost’s hosting solutions are a fully managed service.

Inexperienced users have reported issues with getting started. 

InMotion

InMotion Hosting is an employee-owned and -operated domain name and web hosting company founded in 2001.

InMotion offers dedicated, shared, virtual private server and WordPress hosting along with several Ecommerce tools. 

Their WordPress hosting plans start off at $5.99 (£4.8) per month (for the initial payment and for the 1-year plan) and include one website, 50GB SSD storage and is suitable for 20,000 visitors a month. InMotion have three price plans available and all of them offer unlimited data transfers.

Besides having numerous price plans for each of their hosting options, InMotion have numerous free add-ons, free ecommerce tools and unlimited emails. While they do not have a free trial, they do include a 90-day money back guarantee.

Some users have complained that InMotion is not as competitively priced as other hosting providers.

HostGator

HostGator was founded in 2002. It provides shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting.

HostGator’s Website Builder comes with a handy drag and drop feature. The builder includes a wide range of themes. Some of the features are pre-built to help make the process easier and faster.

HostGator claims that load times for WordPress sites are up to 2.5 times faster when compared to its own shared hosting due to the superior server architecture of its managed WordPress hosting.

The utility offers a WordPress Cloud Interface where you can manage backups, access all your email accounts and other hosting options. You can also allocate server bandwidth from here.

HostGator offer three WordPress cloud hosting plans. The ‘Starter’ plan is currently priced from $5.95 per month for 1 site, 100,000 visits per month, 1GB free backups and a free SSL certificate. The ‘Standard’ plan is on offer from $7.95 per month for 2 sites, 200,000 visits per month, 2GB backups and a free SSL certificate. 

HostGator’s ‘Business’ plan is also on offer at $9.95 per month. This includes 3 sites, 500,000 visits, 3GB backups and a free SSL certificate. However, do note that the prices quoted are based on multi-year subscriptions.

According to online commentators, the purchase price for additional domains can be quite steep.

1&1 IONOS

1&1 (called 1&1 IONOS since October 2018) is owned by German company, United Internet. It was founded in 1988. It offers domain registration, cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers.

1&1 boasts excellent customer support and easy to use web creation tools. More inexperienced users might find this provider more suitable to their needs.

1&1’s packages start at $3 (£2 for UK) per month, renews at the same price. This includes 1 WordPress project, 25GB SSD storage, unlimited visitors and managed WordPress. Upon registration, you are offered a domain name free for 12 months. This is only valid upon purchase of any of their plans.

Users that sign up for the ‘Business’ plan receive 2 WordPress projects, 100GB SSD storage and unlimited visitors. This plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) for the first month and then $7 (£7 for UK) per month thereafter. 

The ‘Unlimited’ has a price of $18 (£18 for UK) per month with renewal being the same. It includes unlimited projects and unlimited SSD storage, unlimited databases and email accounts, as well as SiteLock malware protection and RailGun CDN.

Online commentators have complained about long periods of downtime. 

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best cheap Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in June 2020 - where to buy the 4k Xbox

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:41 AM PDT

Cheap Xbox One X deals are landing this week, especially in the UK, where you can pick up an Xbox One X bundle for just £259 at Currys. If you're in the US, you'll unfortunately find stocks are running increasingly low this week. You can still pick up an Xbox One X bundle at Newegg or Amazon, but only if they're refurbished or else you're looking at significantly marked-up prices. Our hunt for the perfect Xbox One X deal continues daily so make sure you bookmark this page and revisit if you don't want to miss the next restock.

Those you visiting from the UK should act quickly if you want to bag yourself an Xbox One X deal this week as we've got some for just £259 at Currys. These are sold out everywhere else right now, and it's unlikely this sales price will crop up again for a while so definitely jump on these while you still can.

Gamers looking for the most powerful console ever made to date have been keen to pick up Xbox One X deals since release but there was a high cost to pay in the early days. You'll find all the latest Xbox One X bundles available here, with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the Gears of War collection, and Forza Horizon 4 leading the pack in discounts. 

If you're after something a little cheaper, you can head over to the latest Xbox One S bundle deals.

If you're after information on the latest Australian deals, head over to our Australian page.

The best Xbox One X deals

US Xbox One X bundle stock has all but run dry this week after Microsoft's previous sale wiped out most retailer stock. Right now the cheapest Xbox One X bundle is this  Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundle at Newegg for $469.95 which isn't a particularly good offer as you're not saving any cash over buying a console and game separately.

Because of this, we'd probably recommend holding off on a purchase until the normal $399 bundle offers come back into stock at Microsoft, Amazon, and other big retailers. Below we've rounded up a list of the best retailers to keep an eye on for when stock returns back to normal.

  • Microsoft: currently out of stock, but as you'd expect, they tend to get their stock replenished quicker than other retailers.
  • Amazon: has some renewed Xbox One X deals in stock starting at $384.
  • Adorama: currently only controllers available in stock.
  • B&H Photo: Xbox One X deals currently on backorder. 
  • Newegg: Still has Xbox One X bundles in stock, but for inflated prices.

UK Xbox One X bundles are running really low this week outside of Currys, where stock has just returned with a £90 off discount. We'd recommend jumping on these quick if you're ready to commit as they're probably going to sell out soon. If you're too late, we've also included some links just below to the main retailers which are waiting for stocks to replenish.


  • Amazon: currently has stock, beginning at £399
  • Currys: has the Star Wars and Forza bundles in stock for £259
  • Microsoft: all out of Xbox One X stock currently, although they tend to replenish at a faster rate than most retailers.
  • John Lewis: no Xbox One X stock currently available.
  • Argos: Has a few bundles available at £449, but stock varies on region.
  • Very: no Xbox One X stock currently available.
  • Ao.com: still has a few Xbox One X bundles available, but at a marked up price.

If you're after more games for your Xbox One X, then why not check out our Xbox Game Pass deals page. There's also plenty of savings to be had on online play as well with our top picks of the best Xbox Live Gold sales

What is the Xbox One X price?

The Xbox One X MSRP is $499 in the US and the UK RRP currently sits at £449. So sure, it looks like UK gamers are paying considerable more as the direct currency conversion would have it at £390. On the plus side, retailers are starting to cut prices and we're seeing games bundled in too. So you should never pay those costs for the console alone today.

Why should I buy an Xbox One X?

Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a more powerful version over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV.

The Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and there are no games released exclusively for the Xbox One X, so there's certainly no reason to throw away your older Xbox One.

The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem acting as true jaw-droppers in the graphics department.

Where can I buy an Xbox One X?

Most of the usual big name retailers are stocking the Xbox One X. Prices are much better than they were at launch now too. 

Keep an eye on the highlighted Xbox One X bundles above and our comparison chart, which we'll keep up to date on the latest prices for the Xbox One X on its own. So feel free to bookmark us and check in again soon to see if we've found the deal that's right for you.

What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money?

The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for around $220/£200 or less. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 prices, deals and bundles pages.

Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now.

4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. We've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too in the UK, and also a collection of US TV deals.

How big is the hard drive in the Xbox One X?

For now, the only option available is the 1TB option, that's 1000GB of storage. There are no official plans for larger versions.. 

With some 4K-friendly update patches to games coming in at over 100GB, we certainly wouldn't hold out for a cheaper 500GB Xbox One X, as it'd be a bit pointless to be honest. 

We think gamers are going to fill up the 1TB Xbox One pretty soon. Thankfully the Xbox One X is compatible with external hard drives using USB 3.0. So if you need some extra storage, check out our list of the best external hard drives.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The PC Gaming Show will feature over 50 games – tune in on June 13

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:37 AM PDT

The PC Gaming Show will broadcast from Los Angeles on June 13, and is set to include a massive lineup of more than 50 games. 

It’s set to be the biggest show in the event’s six-year history, with plenty of exclusive trailers, interviews and exciting reveals – you won’t want to miss it. You can tune-in at 11am PT / 7pm BST on June 13 via Twitch or YouTube

The PC Gaming Show will include an exclusive interview with Rocketwerkz founder Dean Hall about his next project; a first-look at Surgeon Simulator 2 from Bossa Studios; and a brand new trailer from New Blood Interactive. There will also be a special surprise for Torchlight 3 fans, as well as several new trailers from Humble Games. Expect a lot more surprises, too. 

Here are some of the studios who are participating:

  • 2K Games (Mafia: Definitive Edition)
  • Amazon Games (New World)
  • Atlus
  • Battlestate Games (Escape From Tarkov)
  • Bossa Studios (Surgeon Simulator 2)
  • Brace Yourself Games
  • Coffee Stain Studios
  • DONTNOD
  • Funcom
  • FJRD
  • Frontier Developments
  • Glumberland (Ooblets)
  • Humble Games
  • New Blood Interactive
  • Merge Games
  • Modus Games
  • Mythical
  • Perfect World (Torchlight 3, Remnant: From the Ashes)
  • The Wandering Band
  • Rebellion
  • Red Sails Team
  • Rocketwerkz
  • ROCKFISH Games (Everspace 2)
  • SEGA
  • Tripwire Interactive
  • WolfEye Studios (Weird West)
  • XSEED Games
  • Yaza Games
  • ...and more surprise announcements

Game on

“With this year’s PC Gaming Show, we still wanted to deliver on the spectacle and level of production that gamers expect from gaming press conferences,” says Evan Lahti, Global Editor-in-Chief at PC Gamer, a subsidiary of Future PLC. “We’re not going to just show people a two-hour Zoom call with some video games in it. We want this to be a unique and fun moment for PC gaming.”

Although the Los Angeles theater where the show usually takes place won’t be open, this year’s event will mix live and pre-recorded elements to showcase the most exciting games being made on PC. Viewers across all platforms will also see selected comments that will be placed into the broadcast live via Hovercast, a cross-platform interactivity platform, so make sure you share your thoughts. 

Finally, Intel returns to the PC Gaming Show and will debut a custom PC build, which is themed on one of this year’s featured games. One lucky fan will also have a chance to win the monster gaming rig at a later date.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

iPadOS 14 update release date, features, leaks and supported devices

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:26 AM PDT

We’re hearing plenty about iOS 14 – the next version of Apple’s software designed for iPhones, but alongside that we’re also expecting iPadOS 14 to land this year. That’s Apple’s software designed for iPads, and it’s likely to be similar but different to iOS 14, with more of a focus on the unique advantages of tablets.

As such, we can look at the many iOS 14 leaks and rumors to get a good idea of some of the iPadOS 14 features and changes, and beyond that some things specifically related to iPadOS 14 have leaked too.

You’ll find all of that below, along with the latest information on when iPadOS 14 is likely to launch, and which devices it’s likely to be compatible with.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The next big iPad software update
  • When is it out? Probably September
  • What will it cost? Nothing!

iPadOS 14 release date

iPadOS 14 will probably land at roughly the same time as iOS 14, which itself is expected to land alongside the iPhone 12 range.

Normally Apple releases new iPhones like clockwork in September, but numerous reports have suggested the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic may cause a delay, which in turn could mean a delay in the launch of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

How long the delay will be is less clear, but we’d be very surprised if iPadOS 14 didn’t land this year, and there’s still a fair chance it will launch in September.

For reference, iPadOS 13 was available from September 24 of last year, so if there aren’t any delays then around September 24 this year is likely when you’ll be able to get iPadOS 14 – but that’s a big if.

iPadOS 14 compatibility

There’s no news yet on which iPads will support iPadOS 14, but we can speculate that the majority of those that have the current OS (iPadOS 13) will, with perhaps the oldest of those models such as the iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4, and maybe the original iPad Pro 12.9 from 2015, not getting it.

However, when it comes to iOS 14 we’ve heard that it might come to every iPhone that currently supports iOS 13, and given that iPadOS 14 is likely to be similar it’s possible that Apple will do the same for that – not culling any models from compatibility.

iPadOS 14 news and leaks

So far, most leaks and rumors refer to iOS 14 rather than iPadOS 14, but in many cases the features and updates will be the same. There are however a few iPadOS-specific leaks. You’ll find both below, split into categories.

iPadOS 14 Apple Pencil

On the subject of leaks specific to iPadOS, 9to5Mac has learned that iPadOS 14 might include full support for Apple Pencil input on websites, meaning you’d be able to use all its abilities – tapping, scrolling, drawing, and markup, from a web browser.

This information came from an early build of iOS 14, but with no Apple Pencil for iPhone yet, this is surely an iPad feature.

Elsewhere, MacRumors has obtained information suggesting that the Apple Pencil will be able to convert handwritten text into typed text.

iPadOS 14 interface

Widgets could become far more prominent with iPadOS 14, as early iOS 14 code suggests that you might be able to put them on the home screen, rather than just a side panel. And while this leak refers to the iPhone, it’s a feature that would arguably be even more useful on the big screen of an iPad – and bring it a step closer to Android.

Wallpapers might also become more customizable, with options for dynamic, flat, or gradient ones found in the code.

iPadOS 14 apps

One aspect of apps that could change is the ability to set your own defaults. So for example rather than Safari opening when you tap on a web link, you could set it so Chrome would. This claim comes from Bloomberg, which adds that Apple is simply discussing this possibility, so don’t count on it happening.

You might also be able to use apps without installing them. A new feature called Clips has been spotted in iOS 14 code, and this would let you, for example, watch a YouTube video without downloading YouTube.

Yelp, DoorDash, OpenTable, and PS4 Second Screen were also mentioned in the code, and it’s thought that you’d be able to use this feature either by tapping on a link for an app you don’t have, or scanning a relevant QR code. Of course, to get full functionality you’d still need to install the app.

Elsewhere meanwhile evidence has been found of a translator being built into the next version of Safari, so web pages can automatically be translated.

The Messages app could also get a big boost, with new features like the option to retract messages, mark messages as unread even when you’ve read them, see typing indicators, and tag people’s names in group chats, all being tested according to MacRumors.

There might also be a new augmented reality app, which, according to 9to5Mac, would allow users to hold their iPad or iPhone up and get more information about the world around them as viewed through the camera, with a particular focus seemingly being on getting product information in stores.

iPadOS 14 Siri

Apple tends to update Siri with each new version of its mobile and tablet operating systems, and we’d expect iPadOS 14 will be no exception.

We haven’t heard much about how it might be updated, but one possibility, according to MacRumors, is the ability for developers to make their own custom voice synthesizers for it, which might enable additional languages to be supported without Apple programming them, and may even allow for new, custom Siri voices.

iPadOS 14 health and fitness

Health and fitness isn’t typically a big part of the iPad experience, but we have heard – via MacRumors - that Apple might be working on a new app called ‘Fit’ or ‘Fitness’, which would offer guided workout videos that could be viewed on your iPad (or iPhone or Apple TV), while an Apple Watch component could track your progress through each workout.

iPadOS 14 other features

One other thing we’ve heard about iOS 14 is that it might bring system-wide support for mouse cursors.

iPadOS 13 already has mouse support, but currently you have to enable it in accessibility settings, and it doesn’t feature all the mouse abilities you get on Mac, such as mouse cursor designs that can change based on what is being hovered over. With iPadOS 14, according to 9to5Mac, you’ll get the full desktop experience, at least on the mouse front.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best iPhone 7 deals and prices in June 2020

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:24 AM PDT

iPhone 7 deals have fallen behind very quickly in Apple's collection of devices. Yes, they aren't as powerful, big or fancy looking as some of the other iPhones but they are definitely one of the cheapest. 

The release of Apple's iPhone 11 and its two more powerful models was a big reminder of the costly nature of Apple and just another reason the iPhone 7 could be the ideal phone for you.

Even now that iPhone SE deals are readily available, the iPhone 7 provides low prices you just can't get anywhere else. But of course, that super low price tag does come with a drop in specs.

But despite its age the iPhone 7 still rocks many of the specs we have come to expect from Apple. A mid-size battery, strong processor and the much loved iOS features Apple has made famous.

When it comes to choosing the tariff for you there is still a surprisingly large range of iPhone 7 deals. Big data remains affordable and brilliant cheap contracts under £20 are readily available.

On this page you'll find all of the best iPhone 7 deals you can get right now. Whether you're looking for unlimited data, a free phone or any other type of tariff, you can use our comparison chart below to choose the cheapest option out there. Scroll down to find the best deal for you.

And if you find yourself feeling like something just a little bit more powerful would be the best decision for you, consult our guide to the best mobile phone deals to see what else is out there right now.

The best iPhone 7 deal right now:

Trading in your old phone for money off the iPhone 7:

The iPhone 7 might be an extremely cheap iPhone but you can always save more money. one way to do that is by trading in your old phone. There is a plethora of sites that can do this but one of the best ones is Sellmymobile.

 It compares different recycling sites, listing their TrustPilot scores, how long it will take for you to get paid, how you send your phone and of course, how much you'll get.

In terms of what you can earn, taking the Samsung Galaxy S8 as an example, you can get up to £126 for a working device or £32 for a completely broken device. Or if you have an iPhone 8, you could earn up to £183.

How do I sell my phone? Use our guide to find out more

Head to Sellmymobile.com to see how much you can get for your old phone

The Apple iPhone 7 might now have fallen behind, becoming one of Apple's older devices and yet, the specs till hold up. The battery might not be market leading but for the price you pay for iPhone 7 deals, the water resistance, impressive camera and strong processor are a perfect combination.

Read TechRadar's full iPhone 7 review


Can iPhone 7 deals keep up with Apple's later releases?

Released way back in 2016, the iPhone 7 has a good few years behind it. With that in mind it is clearly no longer Apple's latest and greatest release. If you want the fancy camera specs, massive batteries, big screens and all that comes with new releases, iPhone 11 deals will be the way to go.

The exact area where the iPhone 7 really shines is as a very cheap iPhone. It offers some decent specs while holding on to the IOS features that many will be here for.

What other cheap iPhones are out there?

While iPhone 7 deals seem to be the most popular choice for people trying to land a cheap iPhone, there are a few other popular iPhones, now at lowered prices:

- iPhone 8 deals
- iPhone 7 Plus deals
- iPhone SE deals

Will the iPhone 7 get discontinued?

Despite the handset's age, iPhone 7 deals seem to be holding out well with a lot of retailers continuing to hold stock. While Apple itself no longer sells the iPhone 7, this is no surprise as Apple tends to remove handsets from their website pretty quickly.

The iPhone 7 should hold out for a while before its discontinued.

Is the iPhone 7 still a good phone?

By 2020's standards...not so much. With a range of impressive new smartphones out there, the iPhone 7 has fallen back a few years. However, iPhone 7 deals are all about affordability, considering the extremely low bills available, you are saving money by not getting 2020 specs.

You still get a good camera, decent battery, powerful processor and all of the essential features you would need from a phone.

Read more:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

MacBook Pro deals offer big savings in the latest sales

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 08:09 AM PDT

MacBook Pro deals are seeing a resurgence in the UK this week, offering some fantastic discounts on luxury laptops at Currys. With 2020 models firmly on the shelves, the moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived, and the 2019 MacBook Pro sales have begun. 

Last year's offerings still bring powerful specs into the mix, and offer all the Touch Bar goodness you could ask for. While there's no keyboard update on these models, you're picking up a cheap MacBook at a fantastic price this week. If you're keeping costs as low as possible, you'll be happy to know that this 13-inch 128GB MacBook Pro is down from £1,299 to £1,059 at Currys, but you can also find a stunning £300 discount on the 256GB model as well. 

Or, if you're looking for more screen and bigger power, the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro deals are offering even more savings. You can save £230 on this 512GB model, or go all out with a £102 saving on this 1TB MacBook Pro. 

MacBook Pro sales have traditionally pitched these prices a little higher, so the latest discounts offer up a fantastic opportunity to grab a premium laptop for less. If the deals below aren't quite cutting it, though, you can always check out the best MacBook Pro deals and prices of the month. 

Not in the UK? We're rounding up all the latest MacBook Pro sales in the US and Australia further down the page.

The latest MacBook Pro deals

More MacBook deals

We're tracking all the best MacBook deals and sales right here on TechRadar, but if you're looking for something a little lighter why not check out the latest MacBook Air prices. Or, if you're not quite set on those Apple price tags, take a look at the best cheap laptop deals we've found this week. 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

No comments:

Post a Comment