Apple : Google Alerts accidentally circulating malware among users |
- Google Alerts accidentally circulating malware among users
- See the Motorola Edge Plus green screen issues that won’t make you envious
- Cheap 4K TV deal: this 58-inch Roku TV is on sale for $279.99 at Best Buy - today only!
- App Store and Apple Pay facing antitrust investigation
- GTA 6 news and rumors: when will Grand Theft Auto 6 be announced?
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| Google Alerts accidentally circulating malware among users Posted: 17 Jun 2020 02:23 PM PDT Fraudsters are using black SEO, Google Sites and spam pages to push fake data breach notifications impersonating big name companies in an effort to distribute malware and scams. As reported by BleepingComputer, Google Alerts help to spread these fake notifications as the service monitors search results looking for user-defined keywords. To spread their malware, the scammers either created pages or used compromised websites to combine the term data breach with well-known brands. The news outlet has seen fake breach notifications for many companies including EA, Dropbox, Hulu, PayPal, Target, Mjoang and more. However, what ties all of these companies together is the fact that they have all fallen victim to a data breach in the past.
If a user clicks on any of the links picked up by Google Alerts, they end up going to pages with fake giveaways, download offers for unwanted extensions and malware. The fraudsters have made it harder to detect their malicious behavior though by making it so that these pages don't directly reveal the true nature of their campaign. Instead, users may see a “page not found” error or a text-filled page created to promote a fake data breach. Ranking higher in search resultsBleepingComputer also discovered a hacked website containing a directory with around 2,000 text files which contain specific keywords in order to promote a topic in Google's search results. The information inside these blobs of text was copied from public sources and covers a wide variety of subjects. When a user searchers for a certain topic online, the scammer's results rank higher in search results and are more likely to be clicked on. In addition to using compromised websites, the scammers may also set up their own pages and in many cases they used a free tool from Google called Google Sites to do so. When a user clicks on a Google link for one of these fake pages, the link actually redirects them through multiple addresses before the final site is reached. The scammers also used fake Adobe Flash update notifications to spread their malware. These fake alerts popped up in both Google Chrome and in Mozilla Firefox. Fake giveaways were also used by the scammers to lure potential victims. To prevent falling victim to these scams, users should remain alert online, especially when clicking on links in search results, and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Via BleepingComputer This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| See the Motorola Edge Plus green screen issues that won’t make you envious Posted: 17 Jun 2020 02:19 PM PDT Motorola Edge Plus owners are taking to forums to voice concerns over display issues that have manifested after a recent software update in early June. Edge Plus users complained on Motorola forums that the edges of their screens became tinted a greenish gray. Other photos also showed darkened spots and even entire displays turned a green hue. Here's an example one user posted: Motorola rushed out a software fix, though some users reported that the issues persisted, even after replacing the phone (a forum admin recommended users swap out their Edge Plus devices if the greening didn’t go away in a day or two). If the software update (located in Settings > System Updates) doesn’t fix the issue, Motorola advises users to contact the Motorola Support Team for individual actions. For now, this seems like a limited problem, but given the forum thread is nine pages long at the time of this writing, it doesn’t seem like an exceedingly rare issue.
Flagship aches and pains2020 has been a bit of a year for green-tinting display issues. Back in April, both the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the OnePlus 8 Pro had issues with green lines or areas manifesting in their handsets. Both of those phones use Samsung displays, which could be a clue, although it’s unclear where Motorola is sourcing the waterfall-style curved screen it uses on the Motorola Edge Plus.
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| Cheap 4K TV deal: this 58-inch Roku TV is on sale for $279.99 at Best Buy - today only! Posted: 17 Jun 2020 12:09 PM PDT If you're on the hunt for a cheap 4K TV, then today is your lucky day. You can get this Westinghouse 58-inch 4K TV on sale for just $279.99 today only at Best Buy. That's a $70 discount and a fantastic price for a mid-size Roku TV. 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. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| App Store and Apple Pay facing antitrust investigation Posted: 17 Jun 2020 11:40 AM PDT EU antitrust regulators are currently investigating Apple over its App Store and its mobile payment system Apple Pay. According to the European Commission, its investigation will look into the iPhone maker's requirement of forcing app developers to sell to potential customers using its own in-app purchase system in the App Store as well as rules which prevent them from telling users about how cheaper products can be found elsewhere. In a press release, executive vice-president of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager explained that Apple has become a gatekeeper that can prevent apps and content from reaching its devices, saying:
“Mobile applications have fundamentally changed the way we access content. Apple sets the rules for the distribution of apps to users of iPhones and iPads. It appears that Apple obtained a “gatekeeper” role when it comes to the distribution of apps and content to users of Apple's popular devices. We need to ensure that Apple's rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers.” The probe into Apple comes after Spotify made a complaint last year in which it said the company was unfairly restricting rivals to its own music streaming service, Apple Music. Apple PayThe second case against Apple focuses on the terms and conditions regarding how Apple Pay should be used in the apps and websites of online merchants as well as its refusal to allow rival services to access its payment system. Regulators have raised concerns about the fact that Apple Pay is the only mobile payment service that is allowed to use the “tap and go” functionality on Apple's iPhones. As contactless payments have become increasingly popular during the pandemic, other services should be able to use this functionality to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 as businesses around the world reopen. In a statement though, Apple fired back at the European Commission and its investigation into the company, saying: “It’s disappointing the European Commission is advancing baseless complaints from a handful of companies who simply want a free ride, and don’t want to play by the same rules as everyone else. We don’t think that’s right — we want to maintain a level playing field where anyone with determination and a great idea can succeed.”
Via Reuters This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| GTA 6 news and rumors: when will Grand Theft Auto 6 be announced? Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:40 AM PDT Is GTA 6 in development? Although Rockstar Games hasn't officially confirmed that it's working on another instalment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, there are plenty of reports and rumors suggesting it's on the way. Believe it or not, it's been seven years since GTA 5 launched at the tail end of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generation of consoles. That's a long time ago, so we don't think it's impossible that GTA 6 is in the pipeline, especially after the remarkable and ongoing success of GTA 5. With the end of 2020 approaching, bringing with it the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X and the start of the next console generation, it feels like the right time to hope that Rockstar might have something to reveal sometime soon, even if any release date is likely to be a while away. Although we still don't have an official confirmation and details are thin on the ground, that hasn't stopped us gathering together the best pieces of gossip, rumor and fact for your perusing pleasure. Here's everything we know so far about GTA 6. [UPDATE: GTA 5 enhanced and expanded edition is coming to PS5 in 2021. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the chase
GTA 6 release date: when is GTA 6 coming out?Red Dead Redemption 2 has now been in the wild for nearly two years now and GTA 5 for nearly seven, which means we're hoping a GTA 6 announcement isn't far away – even though we're likely to be waiting a while to play it. Some rumors have suggested that we could see the next Grand Theft Auto announced this year, with a potential release in 2021. However, this seems highly unlikely. For a start, during the PS5 games reveal on June 11, Rockstar revealed its bringing an enhanced and expanded edition of GTA 5 to the next-gen console in 2021, suggesting that GTA 6 will be released sometime after that. In addition, Rockstar has been focused on getting Red Dead Online up and running - and GTA Online is still raking in the dough - which may have diverted attention, not to mention the delays potentially caused by Dan Houser's departure from Rockstar and the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. At the more conservative end of the scale, reputable industry analyst Michael Pachter predicts the game's actual release could be as far away as 2022. In an interview with Gaming Bolt, Pachter said that he thinks a 2020 announcement with a 2021 release would be the best case scenario, while a 2021 announcement with a 2022 release or later would be more likely. But the most solid GTA 6 release date hint comes from publisher Take-Two Interactive's marketing budget. Reported by VentureBeat, Take-Two's 10-K SEC filing (which lays out financial plans for the next five years) shows that the company expects to spend $89 million on marketing between April 2023, and the end of March 2024 - that's a huge spike and, as the report points out, more than half the marketing budget expected for any other fiscal year over the next decade. This has led industry analyst Jeff Cohen to predict that this spike is because GTA 6 is expected to release within this period. In a note to investors, included in VentureBeat's report, Cohen pointed out that previous marketing budgets have predicted the releases of other big releases from Take-Two Interactive, including Red Dead Redemption 2. If this prediction is correct then we would expect to see GTA 6 release sometime between April 2023 and March 2024. Originally this spike was expected to take place in the fiscal year 2023, however its been pushed back to 2024. If it is GTA 6 that has caused this spike, this would suggest that a delay has incurred - potentially due to Covid-19. Take-Two Interactive has already revealed it has 93 "full game releases" planned for the next five years. During an earnings call (via GamesRadar), Take-Two president Karl Slatoff said that this line-up is the strongest in the company's history. According to Slatoff, 63 of these games are "core gaming experiences", 17 will be "mid-core or arcade" and 13 are casual games. However, out of these 93 games, 21 will be exclusively mobile titles - with the other 72 landing on PC, consoles and streaming platforms. But, perhaps the most interesting stat from this meeting is that half of this games line-up are from existing IPs. This has suggested that we could see GTA 6 in that five-year window, with the highly-anticipated next GTA falling into that "core gaming experiences" category. So a release date sometime in 2023 would definitely fall into that window. This is all still speculation at the moment and this marketing budget increase could be due to another factor. Until Take-Two Interactive or Rockstar Games confirms GTA 6's official release window, or makes an official GTA 6 announcement, we can only speculate about when GTA 6 is coming. Hopefully we won't have much longer to wait.
GTA 6 trailer: when can I watch one?The thing about Rockstar Games is that it’s an incredibly secretive games publisher. No trailer is getting out of that studio unless someone seriously screws up. Just look at what Rockstar did with both GTA 5 and Red Read Redemption 2. It teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game. If there’s a GTA 6 trailer, you’ll know about it because the internet will explode – and we'll let you know too, of course. But we're not expecting one anytime soon. GTA 6 news and rumors: what do we know so far?Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Below we've collected all of the latest leaks and rumors that hint at when GTA 6 might be launched – and what we can expect from the new game. As always, take these details with a pinch of salt – some are old, some are from now deleted sources and others might just be keen fans getting carried away. GTA 5 enhanced editon GTA Online will also continue on PS5, with additional content that’s exclusive to Sony’s new console. A standalone version of GTA Online will also be made available for free, exclusively for PlayStation 5 players during the first three months. While this is welcome news for GTA 5 fans, it suggests we probably won't see GTA 6 release until sometime after mid-2021. GTA 6 release date might have just been discovered - and it's bad news This has led industry analyst Jeff Cohen to predict that this spike is because GTA 6 is expected to release within this period. In a note to investors, included in VentureBeat's report, Cohen pointed out that previous marketing budgets have predicted the releases of other big releases from Take-Two Interactive, including Red Dead Redemption 2. "We are not sure how much we should be reading into this shift, but we would note that this disclosure accurately predicted the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 prior to that game’s announcement," the note reads. "Management has spoken very confidently about the pipeline over the next five years and existing live services execution has been excellent. However, the timing of the next Grand Theft Auto remains top-of-mind for investors, particularly with the stock near all-time-highs." If this prediction is correct then we would expect to see GTA 6 release sometime between April 2023 and March 2024. Originally this spike was expected to take place in the fiscal year 2023, however its been pushed back to 2024. If it is GTA 6 that has caused this spike, this would suggest that a delay has incurred - potentially due to Covid-19. Take-Two Interactive has 93 games in the works During anearnings call (via GamesRadar), Take-Two president Karl Slatoff said that this line-up is the strongest in the company's history, but what can we expect? Well, according to Slatoff, 63 of these games are "core gaming experiences", 17 will be "mid-core or arcade" and 13 are casual games. However, out of these 93 games, 21 will be exclusively mobile titles - with the other 72 landing on PC, consoles and streaming platforms. But, perhaps the most interesting stat from this meeting is that half of this games line-up are from existing IPs. Suggesting we could be seeing GTA 6 in that five-year window, with the highly-anticipated next GTA falling into that "core gaming experiences" category. "This is a larger pipeline than we've had before, we've been talking about this for quite some time. Our expectation is that we'd like to keep up this velocity," Slatoff said. "It's really important for us to build scale, and this is one way that we're doing it. We need more at-bats." CEO Strauss Zelnick explained that the publisher plans to smooth out its financial results with "a handful or greater of new significant releases every year". And it looks like the company believes it may have some big successes in the pipeline. "With our strong catalog, with our live service offerings, and with our annual releases, we can have great strength, even in a light year, even though it's not our goal to have a light year, and then do even better in the year when we're able to launch a number of titles, which is our strategy, and even better than that if we're fortunate enough to have a blockbuster title. And we have some of those as well," Zelnick said. Story reportedly finished Chris ‘Liberty93’ from Rockstar Mag (a French fan site) claims the story for Grand Theft Auto 6 was wrapped up prior to the departure of Rockstar’s head writer, Dan Houser, and that the next GTA entry will still have the “soul” of a typical Rockstar game. Although a finished story might suggest a release date for GTA 6 is close, Chris did point out that many changes were made to Red Dead Redemption 2’s story during development, despite it being 'completed' way back in 2012. “They still made changes in late 2017, early 2018, and many little details were modified," Chris explained. GTA 5 voice actor calls for fans to stop believing 'leaks' GTA 5 voice actor for the character Michael de Santa, Ned Luke, has been getting questions about the series' next steps for a long time and he's taken to Instagram Stories (via GameSpot) with Franklin Clinton voice actor, Shawn Fonteno, to tell fans to stop believing "clickbait" rumors and leaks, saying "if you hear it from Rockstar, then you know." The video has since disappeared from Instagram but was posted to Twitter: Reports of early development The report goes on to say that this new instalment is planned to be a "moderately sized release" (so, probably still pretty big) which will be "expanded with regular updates over time". The hope is that this approach will lessen stress and crunch. It's worth noting, though, that the report emphasises that the game is still in the very early development stages so plans could quite easily change over time as the development process evolves. PS5 exclusive? The original poster also claimed that "Sony paid 'huge money' in order to secure a 1-month PS5 exclusive". It's possible GTA 6 will have PS5-exclusive launch content like Red Dead Redemption 2 did, but a one month timed exclusive release on PS5 seems a bit short. Rumored "Fall 2021" release date Website artwork The first piece of artwork is an android hugging a champagne bottle with the year 1998 on it (that's Rockstar's founding year) while the second is a red and blue logo with Rockstar's various slogans on it. Like we said, this isn't much at all but any changes Rockstar makes tend to grab the attention of fans hoping for some kind of new game announcement. After all, the announcement of Red Dead Redemption 2 was preceded by a Twitter logo change so it's not like subtlety like this would be off the cards. Or this could simply be Rockstar updating its website with some interesting new evergreen imagery—the fact that the images are generally relevant to Rockstar as a company and that they appear in the background of the site's menu suggests that they're not hugely important. Until any kind of official announcement is made we won't know for sure. Take-Two plays down AAA releases "Given that we're a company that depends on our creative teams to make as close to perfect products as possible," said Zelnick, "we have to be willing to live with the vagaries of product deliveries. And that means, sometimes, we will have thin frontline years." Dan Houser leaves Rockstar Houser, who has variously acted as writer, producer and voice actor at Rockstar, led Rockstar Games to become one of the biggest developers in the industry. It's currently unknown whether this will have an impact on GTA 6's development. CJ voice actor dismisses rumors This doesn't rule out the return of CJ as a character entirely (Rockstar could always cast someone else in the role) but it does confirm that Bellard isn't involved and doesn't intend to be if asked. Rockstar hasn't commented on rumors and we won't know anything certain about any cast for GTA 6 until it speaks out. Steven Ogg at Brazil Game Show Ogg's reasoning, rather than any kind of inside knowledge as far as we can tell, is that Rockstar games "take 7-8 years to make, do the math." Doing the math from GTA 5's 2013 release date would mean that GTA 6 could release in 2020 or 2021, right in time for the next generation of consoles. That seems very soon for a game we've seen very little about but, hey, it's not impossible. We'll be watching this space. Scouting areas in Florida The letter was to a Florida store asking permission for Rockstar Games to inspect the premises, presumably for use or inspiration in the forthcoming game – mentioning a location scout Leah Sokolowsky who hinted at a large digital media client in a podcast back in May 2019 (via Daily Star). Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Project Americas Regardless, it's still fun to get our imaginations going for what the future of the Grand Theft Auto franchise may hold. According to the Reddit poster behind the leak, the game, known as Project Americas, has been in production since 2015 though it was placed on ice while Red Dead Redemption 2 was the focus. GTA 6 could be expansive, set across multiple decades (1970s to 1980s) and locations (one of which is Vice City, another Liberty City and another is a fictional city based on Rio de Janeiro). The game will apparently deal with one playable protagonist named Ricardo and play through their story as a rising drug lord with heavy inspiration from Netflix's Narcos series. The story will be told through chapters, with a heavy emphasis on the visuals of changes in time as the story progresses. While there's no estimated release date given, the post says that the plan is to release the game for the next generation only. While it's unlikely that the whole report is true (even the poster says that the game's pre-alpha status means things are likely to change) that's not to say some elements are impossible. Certainly a next-gen only release seems entirely plausible. Before you get too excited,though, the post has already been debunked by Kotaku's Jason Schreier. Another rumor leak? According to the post, GTA 6 will allow players to travel between several big cities, including Liberty City and Vice City. The poster also claims you start off as a small-time drug runner before joining an infamous gang and kicking it with the big dogs. In addition, the post claims Rockstar is waiting to see how the new-generation consoles sell as GTA 6 wouldn't be able to be released on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One due to memory restrictions. The anonymous poster also claimed GTA 6 will feature both major cities along with a vast stretch of highways and Blaine County-like countryside in the middle of it all. Finally, the post claims that, despite the game being set in a timed era, there will be flashbacks between missions and Red Dead Redemption 2-type stranger dialogues that implement the greet/antagonise format. While location rumors seem to be leaking in abundance, the anonymous Pastebin post has been backed up by review on Glassdoor by a Rockstar Games QA tester, which has since been removed (via Dexerto). Alongside reading out Rockstar for its institutionalized crunch, the post leaves a cryptic message that sees the first letter of each sentence spelling out 'GTA6LSVCLC'. This may be pointing to the potential locations of Grand Theft Auto 6: Los Santos, Vice City, and Liberty City. Wonder what these locations would look like together as an actual map? Graphic designer RealityDesign posted a concept image on GTA Forums, showing what this map could potentially look like. Check it out below: Image credit: RealityDesign Job listings The Know report on Vice City The reason for this code name is apparently because players will be able to fly between the US and South America in the game, though the majority of the action will take place in the former. This in combination with the source's assertion that the game will largely be set in Vice City (the Rockstar version of Miami) suggests there could be a focus on drug running which would draw on the popularity of shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise's Made in America. Particularly if Rockstar holds on to that 80s setting. With no comment from Rockstar, these rumors remain nothing more than, well, rumors. But they do pose an interesting proposition that would seize upon the particular fondness many fans of the series have for Vice City. Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) GTA 6 is definitely coming and there are ideas “We don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas,” said Benzies in the interview. Okay, so it’s not much, but it’s certainly a snippet of solid information direct from the source. Benzies went on to talk about what kind of ideas get the creative juices flowing over at Rockstar. “We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do,” he added. “We’ll pick the right ones," Benzies said. “It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. That then defines the missions; you’re doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami. The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in.” We’re just pleased that Rockstar has so many ideas for what it wants to do with GTA 6. We just hope it sorts them into some kind of organised system and gets that game to us sharpish. GTA 6 map: where will GTA 6 be set?Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Although there haven’t been any concrete reports as yet, every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel is pointing towards GTA 6’s map being absolutely massive. We’re even not talking city-size massive, we’re talking potentially the entire of the United States massive. Some rumors are suggesting that GTA 6 may end up spanning the entirety of the US, with some kind of teleportation system that cuts down the journey time between cities. There are even some incredibly exciting rumours that Rockstar Games might have a ‘70s theme up its sleeve, so crack out those old bell-bottoms and disco balls. But there’s also another rumor that’s gathering strength, which would put GTA 6 a little closer to Rockstar Games’ British home – a London setting. The reports actually started with a comment from Rockstar Games’ co-founder Dan Houser: “At the moment, it feels like GTA’s DNA is contemporary-ish, American-ish, English-speaking-ish, because that’s what it has been… But that doesn’t necessarily limit it to those, that’s just what we’ve done so far.” Rockstar Games sources suggest that London is the only non-US location to be whispered as a potential GTA setting. For our money, we think a return to Vice City is on the cards, which would tie in to the rumors mentioned above. A recent report from The Know suggests that a return to Vice City in the 80s is actually in the works and that players will explore the rise in drugs at the time through the missions. In this rumored game, players will move between Vice City and South America, which would create a very interesting and entirely new kind of map. The GTA 3 trilogy was set across three locations, Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. This mirrored the original Grand Theft Auto Game, which was also set across the same three locations. The most recent Grand Theft Auto games, GTA 4 and GTA 5, have so far been set in Liberty City and San Andreas respectively, meaning that Vice City is the only location yet to be explored by the recent games. The only question now is whether Rockstar will be tempted to complete the set.
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| The best motherboard 2020: the top Intel and AMD motherboards we've seen Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:17 AM PDT When you’ve got the best motherboard under the hood, you’re ensuring that your hardware reaches its full potential as it utilizes and optimizes every inch of performance. It’ll even help you overclock better when you’re gaming. Simply, a motherboard serves as your PC’s foundation. They may not be as sexy as the best graphics cards or processors, but they’re one of the most crucial PC components in building computers. So, when you’re setting out to build the best PC you can muster with your budget, investing in one of the best motherboards is the only way to go. If you cheap out and settle for less, you might end up having to rebuild your entire PC from scratch. We gathered the best motherboards 2020 has to offer, each of which has been tested and reviewed by us, so you can find the ideal one for your setup. With Asus and MSI recently unveiling their new Intel Z490 motherboards for the newly-released Intel Comet Lake-S, now’s an even better time to invest. Coming to termsIf you’re unfamiliar with the best motherboards out there, use this list as a primer for your next build. Motherboards are available in a broad range of different form factors, the most common of which are ATX and Micro ATX. However, there are plenty of less common form factors including mini ITX and E-ATX. Don’t worry though, most of the best PC cases will support more than one form factor. Moreover, in our rundown of the best motherboards, we detailed the socket type that each mobo adheres to. The socket, for those not in the know, is the part on the motherboard that the CPU locks into. Typically, newer Intel processors use either LGA 1151 or 2066 while the latest AMD Ryzen architecture is designed for the AM4 chipset. Best motherboards of 2020 at a glance
When Coffee Lake Refresh CPUs hit the streets, Intel promised that they would be the best processors for gaming, and we knew that meant kitted out motherboards were on their way. Lo and behold comes the Z390 Aorus Gaming Pro Wifi – maybe one of the best motherboards from Intel right now. It’s packed with gaming-centric features like reinforced PCIe slots and enough RGB lighting to blind you. It’s hard to find a better motherboard, especially at this price point. When you’re shopping for PC hardware, overwhelmed by all the different features, components and requirements, you might be tempted to throw your hands up and just get the best you can possibly afford. In times like these, you can bet on the Asus ROG Maximus XI Code Z390 Gaming. It’s packed with every feature that Intel’s new Coffee Lake Refresh processors support and then some, with an RGB-lit shroud covering every corner of circuitry on this motherboard, making it one of the best motherboards you don’t have to think twice about choosing. Now that Coffee Lake Refresh has been available for a while, you’ll want to maximize all the power it has to offer. However, high-end motherboards can get really expensive real fast. If you’re looking for a budget option without many compromises, the Gigabyte Z390 should be at the top of your list of best motherboards to consider. It skips many of the bells and whistles like RGB lighting and built-in Wi-Fi but it does make up for these compromises by providing excellent value. You get all the essential features that Z390 has to offer for a great price. If you want to build a budget gaming system, the Gigabyte Z390 UD is probably the best motherboard for you. If you’re looking to get an edge on the competition, but you don’t have a lot of extra space on your desk, you’re going to need a Micro-ATX motherboard – more specifically, the MSI MPG Z390M Gaming Edge AC. What you’re getting here is a Micro-ATX motherboard with all the features a full-sized ATX one offers, but at a fraction of the price. Despite its smaller size, you still get dual M.2 slots, SLI and Crossfire support, and all the fiery performance that Intel Coffee Lake Refresh has to offer. If you’re looking for a smaller motherboard, you can’t afford to pass on the MSI MPG Z390M Gaming Edge MC. If you need the smallest possible motherboard available without compromising on key features of your CPU, you should look into the Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming. With this motherboard, you don’t need to compromise on features or power. You don’t even need to settle for a measly 32GB of RAM. Thanks to Asus’ double capacity memory compatibility – you can have up to 64GB of memory in the most miniscule motherboard you’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, like most Z390 boards, its price tag is not for the faint of heart, so prepare yourself to shell out some serious dough if you want the smallest of the best motherboards. With the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi, Gigabyte further illustrates its command of motherboard design. Rocking the new AMD X470 chipset, allowing full support of the new AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors, this may be the best motherboard if you’re looking to side with Team Red. What’s more, it supports Quad-GPU SLi and lightning fast RAM (up to 3,600 MHz) for peerless expandability, and thanks to its multi-zone RGB lighting, it looks good while kicking butt and taking names. For the longest time, AMD has been the reigning champion of budget builds, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Marketed exclusively to gamers, the MSI X470 Gaming Plus is loaded front to back with features like two PCIe M.2 slots and quick performance tweaking buttons to make sure you’re on the top of the leaderboard at all times. And, since it’s a gamer-focused motherboard, it comes with flashy RGB lighting that you can even easily customize from your smartphone. Best of all, it’s the best value of all the best motherboards. These days, small form-factor PCs are all the rage and with one of the best motherboards like the ASRock B450M-HDV on offer, we think that it’s going to stay that way. Now, while this one doesn't do SLI and only supports up to 32GB of RAM– it is a B450 unit, after all – it is still compelling due to its affordable price. Outside of these omissions, you still get a slot for a NVMe SSD and four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports around back. If you’re looking to build a solid budget gaming PC, the ASRock B450M-HDV is your best bet. Asus is out to prove that big things can and do come in small packages with the ROG Strix X470-I. Featuring the latest and greatest AMD chipset, everything in this tiny board is designed with excellent performance in mind. That extends down to the BIOS where you can find a stress test for overclocks before you even boot into Windows. This board also elevates beyond the constraints of the Mini-ITX form factor by including an M.2 Audio Combo riser, so that you can install your M.2 NVMe SSD without crowding out other components. The X-series processors are here, and they are spectacular. But if you want to take advantage of all they have to offer, you need an X-series motherboard. This ASRock X299 is an incredible choice with support for overclocked memory speeds up to 4400MHz(!!!) and 8 different slots for memory modules. It also supports up to 128GB of RAM. Add in an X-series processor and a good graphics card or 3, and this thing will absolutely tear apart anything you could possibly throw at it. If you’re seeking one of the best motherboards money can buy, this is it. If you want absolutely every feature you can get and budget is not an issue, the AsRock X399 Professional Gaming sTR4 may be the most ideal motherboard for you. Not only does this monster of a board support 4-way SLI configurations, but you can also pack this thing with up to 128GB of DDR4 memory. It even features a ton of flashy RGB lighting, so that people will be mesmerized by your rig. And, keep in mind that this mobo is compatible with Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Generation chips, so you might need to update the BIOS first. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| No, Zen 3-based AMD Ryzen 4000 processors haven't been delayed until 2021 Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:16 AM PDT AMD Ryzen 4000 desktop processors understandably have a lot of hype behind them, which is leading to a lot of rumors spilling out all over the internet – but not all of them are to be believed, especially when it goes so hard against what AMD itself is saying. Just yesterday, there was a rumor that came out from DigiTimes saying that AMD Ryzen 4000 would be delayed. On the surface that even makes a lot of sense – AMD is clearly the performance leader right now, and the newly-launched Intel Comet Lake-S processors have failed to topple the Zen 2 lineup, with the flagship Core i9-10900K barely making a dent.
However, we have seen AMD double down again and again that its Zen 3-based Ryzen 4000 processors will hit the streets before 2020 draws to an end. In fact, AMD has reached out to us yet again to tell us that it's still on track to launch the next-generation processors before the year is through. We still have no idea when AMD Ryzen 4000 processors will actually hit the streets, but with how insistent AMD has been that it's on track to launch Ryzen 4000 this year, it's pretty unlikely that we'll get hit with a major delay. But, who knows, unforeseen circumstances may arise and push the AMD Ryzen 4000 release date back into 2021. Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see what and when AMD is ready share. Until then, it looks like we'll just have to live with the minor Ryzen 3000XT refresh.
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| Amazon to use AI tech in its warehouses to enforce social distancing Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:16 AM PDT Amazon has launched a new AI-based tracking system at its offices and warehouses in an effort to enforce social distancing among employees. The new system, called Distance Assistant, uses cameras and monitors to highlight workers keeping a safe distance in green circles while those who are too close to one another are highlighted in red circles. Vice president and distinguished engineer at Amazon's robotics division, Brad Porter explained how the team came up with the idea in a blog post, saying:
“Given social distancing isn’t always natural, this team set out to use augmented reality to create a magic-mirror-like tool that helps associates see their physical distancing from others. Working backwards from a concept of immediate visual feedback, and inspired by existing examples like radar speed check signs, our 'Distance Assistant' provides employees with live feedback on social distancing via a 50 inch monitor, a camera, and a local computing device. The standalone unit uses machine learning models to differentiate people from their surroundings. Combined with depth sensors, it creates an accurate distance measurement between associates.” Distance AssistantAmazon has already set up Distance Assistant installations at a handful of its buildings though it plans to deploy hundreds more over the next few weeks. The company has also begun the process of open sourcing the software and AI behind its system so that other businesses and organizations can create their own Distance Assistant installations. While Amazon is currently using the system in its offices and warehouses, retail businesses beginning to open their stores to the public could also deploy it to help shoppers maintain social distancing. Accord to an internal memo seen by Reuters, Amazon is also testing a wearable device for workers that lights up and emits an audio alert when they are too close to each other. This device is currently being tested at a warehouse outside Seattle and if successful, could find its way into the company's facilities as well. Distance Assistant is a clever use of AI and machine learning that could end up being crucial to businesses trying to reopen as installing the system in their stores would show workers, customers and even insurers that they are actively monitoring and enforcing safe practices. Via Reuters This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best free blogging site of 2020 Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:04 AM PDT Free blogging sites have come a long way in recent years, and it’s now easier than ever to create a professional-looking blog to share a hobby with likeminded people, express your opinions, and establish an online presence. These free blogging sites are aimed at hobbyist bloggers – blogs are created and managed online, and hosted on the blogging platform’s own servers. If you want to create a self-hosted blog, the downloadable version of WordPress is an excellent option, with total flexibility, support for third-party plugins, and as much storage as your hosting plan allows. If you're interested in making a static website rather than an online journal, take a look at our guide to the best free website builders. Wix makes it dead easy to design and realize your blog, and you can do a lot more besides Wix has a range of paid-for subscription plans, but also a free offering, although it’s best to note upfront that this has some caveats. With the free product, your site will have Wix branding, and you’ll be limited to 500MB of data transfer per month, so it’s not for heavily trafficked sites. You also only get 500MB storage, too, so bear that in mind. You are, however, free to build a blog with an unlimited number of pages, and where Wix really shines is with its powerful blog functionality. The editor may be simple, but you get access to all the stuff you need – from image galleries through to videos and music – and there are a ton of ways to customize a post. There’s also a lot of flexibility in the way you can schedule posts, and neat touches like being able to set things up so that posts are automatically pushed to Facebook when they’re published. For instance, you have a feature called WiX Bookings, that allows customers to schedule appointments and classes right on your website. And what makes Wix truly compelling is on top of this, you get the run of the rest of what this website builder offers aside from blog support. That includes using Wix’s ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) editor to make building your site a snap even for novices, plus impressively diverse support for various different types of media, and quality customer support to boot (yes, even on the free plan). As of recently, Wix introduced Wix Turbo, which increases the speed and performance of websites considerably. When you consider what you’re getting for nothing, the bandwidth and data limits don’t seem like such a heavy set of shackles. And you can always upgrade at a later date if you want to break free of them in the longer run. Try it online: Wix Powerful and highly customizable, WordPress is a brilliant platform for blogs of any size, and bloggers of any level of experience. Creating your first blog is very straightforward, with a simple wizard that guides you through the process of choosing a name and suitable theme. You can leave it there and begin writing posts immediately, but the real fun lies in the more advanced editor, which lets you customize virtually every aspect of your blog’s appearance. Unlike some blogging sites, WordPress isn’t a drag-and-drop affair, and you’ll have to familiarize yourself with its system of menus. It’s well worth the effort, though, and enables you to create something truly personal. The editor also lets you create static pages – like a writer’s biography, for example. The post-writing interface is much like an ordinary desktop word processor (though some options are presented in a toolbar at the top, while others are in a menu at the side, which can be a little confusing at first). Again, time spent getting to know the interface is rewarded with advanced features like customizable social media sharing buttons, geotagging, and the ability to pick a custom style for individual posts. Sometimes you might want to create a photo gallery, for example, and other times a more text-focused style would be more appropriate. You can also view and edit the HTML source. As your blog grows, WordPress lets you track its stats, including page views, visitors, likes and comments over time. You can also see how readers reach your site, which content they viewed, and where they are in the world, so you can tailor your content accordingly. Your site is hosted on WordPress servers, with an address in the format yoursite.wordpress.com. Users of the free service don’t get email or live chat support, but the WordPress community forums are very active and questions are usually answered within a few minutes. Additionally, privacy protection for domains that are registered at WordPress.com is free. WordPress displays ads on free blogs, but provided you can live with that, it’s a top-notch solution for a free blogging site. Try it online: WordPress Blogger has been around for many years, but has kept up with current trends and technology, including responsive blog templates Blogger is another superb blogging platform. It’s not quite as powerful as WordPress, but more accessible for new users, which comes as no surprise when you learn that it’s owned by Google. Blogger offers an excellent selection of templates, all of which include mobile versions optimized for smaller screens – a very sensible addition with so many people accessing online content through smartphones. Blogger is also web responsive. Blogger’s post-editing tool is much like WordPress, but offers fewer options. As a result, its toolbars are less confusing – a trade-off between power and usability. One of Blogger’s best features is its integration with other Google apps and services. For example, it uses your Google Drive account to store images and other files for your blog. Google Drive gives you 15GB of space free, so Blogger is a good choice if you’re planning to share a lot of high-res photos. Spam comments are a big problem on blogs, so Blogger’s automatic spam filter can help save your sanity. You can monitor comments via Blogger’s dashboard, which also lets you see visitor stats. There are some handy visualizations here, including a world map to show the global distribution of your readers. Your blog will have an address in the format yoursite.blogger.com, and, like all Google services, will include ads. Support is available through the Blogger user forum, which is very active but has a strange layout that can be a little off-putting. In all other respects, Blogger is brilliant – one of the best free blogging sites if you prioritize ease of use over flexibility and are a fan of the Google ecosystem. Try it online: Blogger Weebly takes a modular approach to blog building, with a drag-and-drop editor that lets you choose which elements to add to your site, and where. Pick a basic template, then plonk various types of content onto the page, including social media links, text, images, maps, and sections of code. It’s a refreshingly simple way to build a blog that feels unique to you, but doesn’t require any messing about with menus. It’s worth noting, however, that certain content blocks can only be positioned in certain areas; it isn’t a total free-for-all. This makes sense – forcing you to stick within the confines of your chosen template stops the page looking messy – but you might find it limiting. Blog posts are made in the same way: drag text boxes, picture frames, buttons and page breaks into position, then click to edit them. One particularly nice feature is the ‘secret draft link’, which lets you preview your unpublished post, and even share it with others via email before releasing it into the wild. Weebly has some other interesting tricks up its sleeve too, including an area for pasting in Google Analytics tracking code (though it doesn’t offer analytics itself). You’re only given 500MB for uploaded content, so photographers might want to look elsewhere. Weebly puts an ad in your site’s footer, but it doesn’t obscure any of your content. Try it online: Weebly Penzu is a personal blogging tool that lets you create your own private diary Whereas the other free blogging sites are designed to get as many eyeballs on your posts as possible, Penzu is the equivalent of a locked diary stashed in a safe. Penzu is a journal platform that makes your posts private by default and locks them down with at least one password (even after you’re logged in, you need a second one to read or edit your posts). That’s because it’s designed for private thoughts and personal reflection. There are free apps for iOS and Android that enable you to update your Penzu diary anywhere, but the contents are for your eyes only. Penzu isn’t a tool for self-promotion, so although it’s far from ugly, it understandably focuses on function rather than looks. Custom colors and backgrounds come at a price – currently $20 (about £14, AU$25) per year. It’s a shame that 128-bit AES encryption is also limited to the paid-for version, and there’s a fair amount of pressure to upgrade. Extra options are often dangled under your nose then yanked away, but the core offering is a good one, and if you simply want a place to record your thoughts and practise writing, Penzu could be just what you need. Try it online: Penzu
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| Best monitor 2020: the top 10 monitors and displays we’ve reviewed Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:02 AM PDT The best monitor should complement that new PC you’ve just spent a lot of money on quite nicely. Computer displays are like windows to your PC’s soul, which means that nothing but the best can cut it especially if you’re gaming, doing content creation or devouring the latest blockbusters on HBO Max. These days, poor quality displays just aren’t good enough. Whether you’re doing graphically-intensive creative tasks like video editing, immersing yourself in the most demanding PC games, or simply staying in touch with friends and family via Zoom, the best monitor will enhance your computing experience. And, it’s going to be one of the wisest investments you’ll ever make. To help you find the ideal monitor for your needs, we found all the best monitors 2020 has to offer. Whether you need one that’s perfect for gaming, a display with ultrawide real estate or a USB-C monitor that make for a great secondary screen, you’ll find something on this list. We’ve even added our price comparison tool, so you can score the best deal. 3D designers particularly love the BenQ PD3200U. Now that the best PCs can handle 4K easier than ever before, the best 4K monitors are all over the place. That’s why BenQ released the PD3200U, a massive 32-inch Ultra HD display, as part of its Designer Monitor range. 3D designers particularly love this display, thanks to the factory-calibrated color accuracy and CAD/CAM mode. Marketed to creatives and professionals, BenQ has designed, seemingly by mistake, a panel that gamers will enjoy as well, making it one of the best monitors all-around – so long as they can find the space for it on their desks. Read the full review: BenQ PD3200U The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is one of the best monitors if you're wanting an ultra-wide display. Though the AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is a gaming monitor through and through, it’s one of the best monitors if you’re wanting an ultra-wide display. With its exceptional color support, strong contrast ratio incredibly speedy 120Hz refresh rate, everything you do on your PC will look better and feel faster. It’s on the more expensive side, but this ultra-wide monitor can significantly boost productivity, making it totally worth the hefty price. As long as you have the hardware to drive it, it’s one of the best monitors money can buy. Read the full review: AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ combines so many high-end features. If you’ve been searching for one of the best monitors, and you’re ready to just give up and buy the most expensive monitor you can find, you’re in luck. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ combines so many high-end features that it almost seems like too much. It doesn’t just feature a 4K UHD display at 144Hz, but it also rocks Nvidia G-Sync and HDR. This is simply the best monitor on the market, but it will also cost an arm and a leg. If you’re playing games, doing photo and video editing work, or even just general desktop work, you can’t go wrong with this monitor, as long as you have the cash to shell out. Read the full review: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ The Acer Predator X34 is a fantastic example of what an ultra-wide monitor can do. When you’re growing tired of the same old 16:9 aspect ratio, nothing hits the spot like a cinematic 21:9 display. It’s not the best for watching Netflix or YouTube, but the Acer Predator X34 is a fantastic example of what an ultra-wide monitor can do. Boasting an eye-catching aluminum bezel and polygonal stand that looks like a bird’s foot, this massive 34-inch monitor is a marvel to behold. More significantly, armed with Nvidia’s G-Sync tech, you won’t require V-Sync stressing out your graphics card. The Acer Predator X34 does all the heavy lifting for you. This is about as immersive as a gaming monitor can get, and one of the best monitors to buy this 2020. Read the full review: Acer Predator X34 The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC has a massive 3,840 x 1,600 resolution. Ultrawide monitors have been around for a while: they’ve constantly made it on folks’ the best monitors list for a few years now, in fact. These wide monitors are lifesavers when it comes to productivity, and they’re only increasing in popularity. The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC, however, takes it to the next level. Not only does this monitor have a massive 3,840 x 1,600 resolution, but with USB-C compatibility and a Qi wireless charger built into the base, it’s going to be a workplace companion you won’t want to live without. It’s a tad pricey, and doesn’t feature HDR, but that’s a worthy sacrifice, especially for professionals. Read the full review: Asus Designo Curve MX38VC The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K's build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. We don’t usually run into technology that’s so far ahead of the curve that we’re left dumbfounded, which is why the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K has impressed us even more. Finding one of the best monitors that can reach the raw gorgeousness this one can should be next to impossible. It’s not just the resolution, either. Dell went so far as to ensure that the build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K is aimed at professionals, obviously, so if that sounds like it’s made for you, it’s probably the best monitor you’ll ever find. Read the full review: Dell UltraSharp UP3218K
The BenQ EX3203R offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. If you’re looking for a first-rate 1440p monitor with HDR for multimedia and gaming, then the BenQ EX3203R might be the display for you. One of the best monitors this 2020, this one’s noteworthy as it offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. Sure, 32 inches might sound like a bit much for a monitor, but the 1800R curvature on this BenQ panel means that it’s easy to use, both for productivity, as well as for immersion in your games and media. Read the full review: BenQ EX203R
The Alienware 25 will all but eliminate screen tearing. If you’re on a tight budget, then this might break the bank – like any Alienware product would. Still, Dell’s 25-inch gaming monitor will all but eliminate screen tearing, and whether you’re using an AMD Radeon VII or an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, there’s a configuration for you. With G-Sync or FreeSync taking some of the heavy lifting off the GPU that would otherwise be spent on VSync, the Alienware 25’s 120Hz refresh rate might actually be reasonable. The 1ms response time? Well, that’s just the cherry on top. Read the full review: Alienware 25 The BenQ Zowie XL2540 gives up dazzling lighting effects for a ridiculous 240Hz refresh rate. It might seem farfetched, but the BenQ Zowie XL2540 is every bit the gaming monitor that the Asus Predator X34 is. While it may not appear like it from the outside looking in, it does its job incredibly well too, giving up dazzling lighting effects for a ridiculous 240Hz refresh rate and almost-instantaneous 1ms response time. There’s no G-Sync or FreeSync, as this monitor assumes you already have a rig that’s more than capable of eliminating screen tears without any help. Instead, this monitor keeps it simple by providing you with lots of visual presets, an “S Switch” control pod for managing those presets and a pair of adjustable light screens. Read the full review: BenQ Zowie XL2540 The MSI Optix MPG341CQR has a super-wide resolution, incredibly fast response time and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. If you’re searching for a gaming monitor with a super-wide 1440p resolution, incredibly fast response time of 1ms, a viewing angle of 178 degrees and a quick refresh rate, then the MSI Optix MPG341CQR is something you should consider. If not for those, then perhaps for the fact that MSI has decided to go with a VA panel, as opposed to IPS, giving it more contrast and punchier colors. A few bonuses are included, as well: snazzy “Mystic Light” RGD LEDs, USB-C connectivity, an integrated camera and a competitive price. Read the full review: MSI Optix MPG341CQR Gabe Carey, Bill Thomas and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article Image Credits: TechRadar This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Xbox Series X release date, specs, design and launch titles for the new Xbox Posted: 17 Jun 2020 09:54 AM PDT Xbox Series X is the new Xbox that is due for release in late 2020. So far we know when the next-gen Xbox will release, its official name, some of the games we'll be playing, as well as information on backwards compatibility, and how cross-gen game ownership will work under the new Smart Delivery feature. We also know that it will have a slightly redesigned controller that should be more accessible, and offer 1TB SSD upgrades from Seagate. From what we've seen so far, it looks like the Xbox Series X will sport a blockier style that's similar to that of a small gaming PC. More importantly, we now know what's inside the console, thanks to Microsoft giving us the Series X's full specs, and we can say for sure that the new Xbox is going to be an absolute powerhouse. But the Xbox Series X won't be the only next-generation hardware on offer from Microsoft. The company has confirmed that the next-generation family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within that family, which is likely to include a cheaper disc-drive free version as well. So what exactly has Microsoft got to offer with the new Xbox? And how will it compare to the PS5? Let's break down everything we know about the Xbox Series X. [UPDATE: Xbox Smart Delivery will carry your save data over to Xbox Series X – and back again. Read on to find out more.]
Microsoft has given the release window of "Holiday 2020" - which means we'll likely see the Xbox Series X release worldwide between October and December this year. That's right, the new Xbox will release worldwide in this window, including in Japan where the Xbox brand has previously had poor sales. We're expecting the Xbox Series X to release sometime in November as, historically, that's when Microsoft has released its consoles. It's possible that the release date will be November 26, 2020 (AKA Thanksgiving in the US). An image stating the Xbox Series X is "coming Thanksgiving 2020" (shown above) appeared on a number of product pages around the world briefly before being reverted back to to the previously announced Holiday 2020 release window. A Microsoft spokesperson responded to TechRadar to clarify, saying: "An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020.” Despite concerns that the Xbox Series X will be delayed due to Covid-19, Microsoft is still citing the same release window and Xbox boss Phil Spencer told IGN: "We have nothing right now that says that we're not going to make the dates that we've been planning." However, we are expecting the Xbox Series X launch to be digital event as a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer that the company is adjusting its event calendar due to the pandemic, stating that: "For the remainder of 2020 we are embracing the opportunity to experiment with new platforms to provide our partners, customers and developers the highest quality, digital-first experiences."
Microsoft won't be pinned down on an Xbox Series X price point quite yet – unsurprisingly, given what a sore spot the price of the Xbox One was for fans. At launch, the original Xbox One cost a whopping $499 / £429 / AU$599, which was quickly reduced when Microsoft realized people weren't forking out. Microsoft has at the very least promised that it's learned from this pricing mistake, with Phil Spencer stating that this time "we will not be out of position on power or price.” That doesn't mean that the new Xbox will be cheap, mind you, it just means the price point will be better aligned with the console's power and the price points of the competition. After all, Jason Ronald, director of the Xbox platform, gave only a vague reassurance when speaking to Windows Central, saying that Microsoft knew "what reasonable price points are for a console and kind of what customers expect about that". Price will at least in part be determined by the cost of the components going into the console: Xbox Series X is going to be a lot more powerful than either the Xbox One S or Xbox One X, and that will likely mean we're looking at an even higher price tag on any bundles and Xbox Series X pre-orders. It could be a while before we get confirmation of the Xbox Series X price - possibly months. Historically we've seen both Microsoft and Sony reveal their console pricing around June or July, but this time things are a bit different. The hot topic of pricing has many on the edge of their seats, as we see just how powerful the PS5 and Xbox Series are, and wonder how expensive the technology will be. However, it does look like the Xbox Series X could be cheaper than the PS5. Sony Interactive Entertainment's president and CEO Jim Ryan has hinted that the PS5 might not have the 'lowest price' in battle against Xbox Series X In a wide-ranging interview with GamesIndustryBiz, Ryan addressed speculation around the PS5 cost. While not revealing the price, Ryan suggested the PS5 price could be a significant hit on gamers' savings, and certainly not committing to beating the Xbox Series X on price. Speaking on whether the potential for a Covid-19-related recession will affect sales of the PS5, a high-value gadget, Ryan said: "I think the best way that we can address this is by providing the best possible value proposition that we can. I don't necessarily mean lowest price. Value is a combination of many things. In our area it means games, it means number of games, depth of games, breadth of games, quality of games, price of games... all of these things and how they avail themselves of the feature set of the platform." It seems like we're currently in something of a standoff, with both companies waiting to see what the other will price its next-gen hardware at - possibly so they can undercut each other. It looks like Sony and Microsoft will be waiting until the last possible moment to set their pricing, with plenty of time before then to make adjustments. Still, enough time will need to be set aside before the consoles release between October and December for people to get those pre-orders in.
We now know what Xbox Series X looks like and what it's packing under the hood, and it's going to be an absolute beast of a console.The next Xbox's gaming PC design is pretty apt, considering the next-gen console's internal hardware is comparable to one - so make sure you check out our Xbox Series X spec analysis. Microsoft has finally revealed the Xbox Series X specifications in full, leaving no one in doubt about how powerful its next-generation games console will be. The folks over at Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry got a close look at the hardware, and alongside Microsoft have announced the hardware that will be powering the Xbox Series X. According to Digital Foundry, the specs confirm that the Xbox Series X will indeed be twice as powerful as the Xbox Once X… in practise. Digital Foundry saw an unoptimized version of Gears 5 running on the Xbox Series X running at the equivalent of ‘Ultra’ graphics settings on PC, and it comes with enhanced shadows and ray tracing. Where the cut scenes ran at 30FPS on the Xbox One X, Digital Foundry reported that on the Xbox Series X, it runs at a ‘flawless’ 60FPS. Also, this is an early port – on release we should see even better results. As expected, the Xbox Series X processor is built into a custom Project Scarlett SoC (System on Chip), which uses an enhanced version of TSMC’s 7nm process. That seven nanometers is important. The smaller the process, the more efficient the chip can be. That means it can provide more performance for less power. Making sure the chip inside a games console can perform well without using lots of power (and getting hot) is incredibly important. Based on the prototype hardware Digital Foundry seen, the Xbox Series X reportedly ships with a 315W power supply - delivered internally but the console is also equipped with parallel cooling architecture, allowing cool air in and letting that cool air stream through separate areas of the console. The processor is a customized AMD Zen 2 CPU with eight cores and 16 threads, with a peak speed of 3.8GHz, and a base speed of 3.6GHz. As Digital Foundry reveals, these frequencies aren’t completely locked, which suggests the Xbox Series X could adjust the power of the CPU based on workload and thermals. So, if you’re playing a game that needs a lot of processing power, the Xbox Series X can give its CPU a boost, and then slow it down when you don’t need it. Meanwhile, the GPU of the Xbox Series X is revealed as a custom design with 12 teraflops of compute performance, with 3328 shaders allocated to 52 compute units, and runs at a locked 1,825 MHz. Interestingly, there’s no boost clocks for the GPU. It will always run at that speed. It also uses AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, and offers ray tracing for photo-realistic lighting. What does this mean in the real world? It seems the Xbox Series X will have the graphical power acquirement to a gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card. So, a very capable device indeed, but maybe not able to compete with the most powerful gaming PCs. The Xbox Series X also gets 16GB of GDDR6 memory – an upgrade from the Xbox One X’s 12GB GDDR5. That won’t all be used in games, however. Games will get a total of 13.5GB – 10GB of GPU optimal memory and 3.5GB of standard memory, while the remaining 2.5GB is reserved for the operating system. The faster GDDR6 memory should also offer a big leap in performance. Match that with a super-fast NVMe SSD, and the Xbox Series X should feel very spritely when used. There’s still a lot of questions over what kind of performance we can expect from the Xbox Series X, but this is by far the best look at the hardware we’ve seen. But what else do we know about the Xbox Series X's specs? Well, Microsoft is aiming to get Xbox Series X games to run at 60 FPS in 4K, calling the challenge a "design goal". The console will support up to 120 FPS too. Despite 4K being the aim, Microsoft has said the Xbox Series X has 8K capability. Phil Spencer even changed his Twitter profile photo to (what appeared to be) a picture of the next-gen Xbox Series X's processor. It said 'Project Scarlett' on it, and was marked with '8K' (pictured above), suggesting Microsoft plans on doing more than simply talking the talk when it comes to 8K. The Xbox Series X will also feature Variable Rate Shading, which prioritizes effects on different in-game characters and objects for a "more stable frame rate and higher resolution", according to Microsoft. Not only will games look better, they could be bigger. In an interview with PCGamesN, Samsung revealed that it's talking with Microsoft and pushing the gaming behemoth to adopt ultrawide support for the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X will make good use of having an SSD – a 'Quick Resume' feature for the console will let you "almost instantly" continue with multiple games, without the need to sit through load screens. Microsoft also aims to improve latency through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). According to Microsoft, "ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode". While "VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing". These features aim to minimize lag and make gaming more responsive. However, don't expect video to do the Xbox Series X's power justice. Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes that it’s been challenging to demonstrate just how much of a leap Xbox Series X will be over Xbox One, as faster and more stable frame rates aren’t something that really comes across in videos. Speaking to ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-aime on his new podcast (thanks, GameSpot), Spencer lamented the fact that gamers might not appreciate the power of Xbox Series X just yet. "One of the things I've talked about publicly ... but it's hard to come across, is the way it feels to play games on a box where frame rates are higher, frame rates are more stable," Spencer explained. "The fluidity of it, showing that in video form, is just impossible. How do you show how something feels?" He went on to add: "We're getting to the point where the immersion feel that you get through fluidity and other things is now up to par with the visual capabilities that we have. How do you share that with people in this kind of world?" If you're less bothered about the specs and more concerned about whether you can still play physical games on the next Xbox, then you'll be pleased to know that Xbox Series X has a physical disc drive. Microsoft has also confirmed that all your current Xbox One accessories will work with Xbox Series X, including existing controllers and headsets. But we'd doubt that also includes the ill-fated Kinect motion tracker. That means that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will be forward compatible with Series X, but Microsoft is also launching a next-generation wireless controller to accompany the new console. But don't expect the Xbox Series X to launch with VR support as, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Microsoft is waiting until VR on Xbox becomes a "no brainer". However, right now, the company doesn't see the feature as "so important" on its next-gen hardware.
Xbox Series X has a completely different design to its predecessors. For a start, the next-gen console has an upright tower design - similar to that of a gaming PC. However, Microsoft has confirmed Series X can sit horizontally or vertically. From what we've seen in the Series X reveal trailer, the console is black with slightly indented cooling vents on the top (with what seems to be a green light inside). The Xbox logo sits small on the top left hand corner of the console and there's still a disc drive - which is placed vertically on the left hand side also. The Xbox Series X has the following ports: HDMI 2.1 output port, three USB 3.2 ports, one networking port, an expanded storage slot and a power input port. The console reportedly measures 15.1cm x 15.1cm x 30.1cm and weighs 4.45kg/9.8lbs. While these images have been circling for a while now, we still weren't entirely sure what that mystery port was - until now. Thurrott claims that sources "familiar with the company's plans" have identified the port as being for storage expansion. Microsoft hasn't confirmed it this is the case, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was seeing as external storage was supported with the Xbox One - but whether we see it included in the final Series X product is still uncertain. In addition to the console design, we also know what the new Xbox logo will look like. Spotted on Reddit by Windows Central, an official trademark listing for the Xbox Series X logo was filed on April 16, 2020, showing a very different look to what we've seen for Microsoft's consoles to date. The logo shows the word 'Series' in a vertical formation, next to a stylized 'X'. It's a more mature and minimalist design for Xbox, but it's somewhat simplistic and – in our opinion – looks more suited to a sports brand. According to the patent, this is the Xbox Series X logo we'll see on everything from the console itself to clothing, keychains, toys and even kitchen utensils. Although, we think Microsoft is just trying to cover all bases and it's unlikely we'll see an Xbox Series X spatula anytime soon. Microsoft is releasing an Xbox Series X controller to accompany its next generation console. The new Xbox Wireless Controller will apparently be more accessible to everyone, as Microsoft has made an effort to refine the size and shape. This shouldn't be too surprising to anyone that's been following the tech giant, as it's been making waves for accessibility in gaming for a while now with products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Along with enhanced accessibility, we'll also be getting a dedicated share button (finally) that will let you share screenshots and videos with your friends. Microsoft has also revealed that it is optimizing latency in the "player-to-console pipeline" starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, through a new feature called Dynamic Latency input. According to the company, this feature "synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed", making controls "more precise and responsive".
We got our best look yet at the upcoming Xbox Series X games lineup during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, with Microsoft revealing a roster of third-party games coming to the new Xbox including Dirt 5, Scorn Madden 21 and more. We also got to see gameplay for Assassin's Creed Valhalla for the first time. All of the games shown are optimized for the Xbox Series X (and will therefore make the most of its powerful specs). But what else do we know about Xbox Series X games so far? During the Xbox Series X's official reveal, Phil Spencer said Series X games will be "more lifelike, immersive and surprising" and that the Xbox Series X will "lead us into the future of gaming". He also stated that 15 Xbox Game Studios are building a huge next-generation library that includes Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga and Halo Infinite. Not a Halo fan? Don't worry, Xbox Series X will be capable of four generations of backwards compatibility - with the feature available from launch. That means the Series X will be able to play existing Xbox One games like Destiny 2 as well as backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. Not only that, but these games will "play better than ever before" thanks to Microsoft's new HDR reconstruction technique and the Xbox Series X's Quick Resume feature - without requiring additional work from developers. In addition, the Xbox Series X's powerful specs will enable select backwards-compatible titles to run at higher resolutions or double the frame rate. Not only is Microsoft doubling down on backwards compatibility, but the company is also introducing a new system called Smart Delivery to the Series X that, in some respects, could be seen as forwards compatibility. With the Xbox Series X, Smart Delivery will seemingly ensure that you have the right version of a game, no matter which Xbox console you’ve bought it on, allowing users to upgrade compatible games to next-gen versions for free through the program. Not only that but save data will be able to be carried backwards and forwards between the Xbox Series X and Xbox One, allowing players to pick up and play on both current-gen and next-gen consoles. That means they can enjoy the faster speeds and smoother gameplay of the Series X in their living room, and then finish the same level of Halo Infinite on the Xbox One stashed in their bedroom later on. We already know some of the games which will utilize this feature, including Cyberpunk 2077., In addition, Microsoft will avoid siloing by taking a cross-generation approach to its first-party games. Talking to Stevivor, Phil Spencer said Microsoft wants to create a console that utilizes Xbox Play Anywhere so you can move seamlessly between devices: "Our goal for our first-party games is that your entitlements will be cross-generation and your Achievements will move effectively with your save game because that’s where they stand.” In addition to the Xbox Series X games announced at the gameplay reveal, we already have confirmation of a number of other third-party games making their way to the Xbox Series X including a remake of THQ Nordic's cult classic Gothic, Battlefield 6, Gollum, WRC 9, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Outriders will land on Xbox Series X. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Gods and Monsters and Assassin's Creed Valhalla are coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X - with a new Far Cry also rumored to be coming to the platforms. Ubisoft has even said it could delay these games if the next-gen consoles miss their launch window. We also know Rainbow Six Siege will be available on Xbox Series X and PS5 from launch. We're also expecting Microsoft's game-streaming service Project xCloud to be out of public testing by the time Xbox Series X releases (with a launch date slated for this year) so we should hopefully be able to enjoy Series X games on-the-go. For those who aren't quite sold on upgrading to Series X quite yet, but still want to check out the best upcoming games, Microsoft has stated that there won't be Xbox Series X exclusive games for at least a year and, for the foreseeable future, new games are planned to work across the Xbox family of devices. That means you'll still be able to play them on Xbox One.
We knew what the Xbox Series X will look like, a few of the features on offer, and a good deal about specs the next Xbox is boasting. But May 7 was when we first saw Xbox Series X gameplay revealed. According to Microsoft, this event would see us fans getting a first look at next-gen gameplay, trailers and sneak peeks from Xbox's third-party partners, an update on how devs are utilizing the Xbox Series X and, finally, confirmation of the Xbox Series X games that will use Smart Delivery. With no look at the console itself, or its interface features, this was all about third-party titles – and ultimately we felt it was a little underwhelming, with no standout titles to shout about. However, this May 7 event is only the start of Microsoft's next-gen reveal plans. According to the company, this event will kick off Xbox 20/20, a stream which will take place each month throughout the rest of the year in the lead-up to the launch of the next-gen console. "Starting with the May 7 episode of Inside Xbox, we will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it 'Xbox 20/20'," Jerret West, CVP of gaming marketing at Xbox wrote on Xbox Wire. "These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for us to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month will bring something different." Microsoft has already confirmed we'll be seeing more of Xbox Series X first-party games at Xbox 20/20 in July, including Halo Infinite. We expect that these streams will entirely replace the Xbox's presence at E3 2020, which Microsoft was confirmed to be attending until it was cancelled – given the circumstances right now, a remote event makes a lot of sense. The Xbox Series X will not be the only new Xbox in Microsoft's next-generation lineup. While we were all pretty excited when Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox at the Game Awards 2019, it appears that the upcoming console's name isn't quite what we thought - and it will belong to a family. While we assumed that the new Xbox is called 'Xbox Series X', Microsoft has clarified that, in fact, the family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within the family. This clarification from Microsoft serves to further fuel rumors that another new Xbox console is on the way. Rumors have circulated for some time about a lower-cost next-gen Xbox console that would sit just below the high-end Xbox Series X - codenamed 'Project Lockhart'. Project Lockhart will allegedly be disc-less console - a trait that it will carry forward from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - but Kotaku's sources believe it will be substantially more powerful than Microsoft’s current disc-less box, and will come with both a solid-state hard drive and a faster CPU than any current game console. The report goes on to say that Microsoft told developers to shoot for a 1440p resolution and 60 frames-per-second frame rate with Project Lockhart and 4K/60 with Xbox Series X, and those same developers have likened the performance of the lower-end console to the PS4 Pro.
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| Best free website builder 2020 Posted: 17 Jun 2020 09:48 AM PDT Creating a website used to be the domain (geddit?) of professional designers and coders, but thanks to free website builder applications, these days it's something anyone can tackle. The problem is that there are so many website creation applications and services vying for attention that it can be difficult to know which one to opt for – this is where we can help. We've collated the very best free website builders available, including a mixture of offline software and online tools. It's usually quicker, easier and more efficient to create and edit a site entirely online with a WYSIWYG editor, but if you want complete control over every aspect of your site's design and web hosting, you'll need a desktop-based free website builder. So whether you're looking to create a site for your business, a new blog, or you just fancy creating an online presence for yourself, here are the best free website builder services to help you out.
Wix makes it very easy to design a website, while giving experts plenty of power to customize elements if they need it Wix is a big-name website builder which offers a free plan, enabling you to have the run of this service without having to put your hand in your pocket. And you benefit from one of the most impressive website editors in the business. This editor can be run in ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) mode, which has a very basic interface to keep everything really simple and user-friendly. This is great for beginners, as you can create a basic site without even remotely breaking a sweat (a range of attractive templates are provided, as well). Those who want to get more involved with tweaking the design of their website can step up to the full Wix editor, which boasts powerful functionality, and the ability to really hone your website and get it looking just as you want. Visual previews of page elements make it easy to pick what you need for any particular part of a web page, too. Wix is so polished that putting together your site using the editor feels more like using a native application rather than a website builder, and it also sports excellent support for a diverse range of media, and quality customer support as well, even on the free plan. In addition, Wix Turbo was recently released which improves the performance and speed of all Wix websites. Powerful blogging functionality rounds things off nicely, and you’re getting a truly high quality offering with the free version of this website builder. Constant Contact provides an intelligent website builder and ecommerce store platform, both of which are free to use. Setting up a website is easy using drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to set up a design simply and easily, and insert the features you need. Settings are automatically optimized for mobile platforms and SEO, and there is a free image library with over 50,000 images included as part of the package. The ecommerce platform allows for online payments through Paypal, Mollie, or Stripe. There are order and inventory features that automatically updates inventory with orders, and sends an email alert when items become out-of-stock. While the basic level website is free, there are paid plans which add more features. Additionally, there is also a paid email marketing option available to allow you to reach new customers. Overall, Constant Contact does a good job of setting up the basics. The free plan is a great way to set up your website, but if you want to publish a website, you'll need to pay. If you want to create a website as quickly as possible, look no further than Weebly. It's so easy to use, you'll have a great-looking site online in mere minutes Weebly offers you two ways to build your website. Both involve creating it online, and both are as quick and painless as possible. The simplest option is to use the basic editor builder which will guide you through a series of questions before automatically creating a site for you. There is scope for customization, but the focus here is really on fast results for anyone who is terrified of designing websites. A more hands-on approach is available if you decide to use the standard Editor. There are literally hundreds of stylish templates to choose from – and, yes, they are genuinely impressive – which you can tweak and tailor to your needs using a beautiful WYSIWYG editor. Despite being a cloud-based website builder, Weebly gives you a great degree of control over the look of your site and placement of page elements. You can also liven it up using additional features such as a newsletter and live chat. This power and flexibility make Weebly a top-notch website builder. WordPress is the tool of choice for many blog owners. It takes a little getting used to, but once you've mastered it, you'll love its flexibility Causing a slight degree of confusion, there are actually two different versions of WordPress. The more complex variant can be downloaded from wordpress.org, and you will need to upload it to your own web space and install it using the automated online installer. You can then customize the templates and use add-ons to make the site your own. This is the route many bloggers go down, but there is a simpler option for people who don’t want the hassle of fiddling about with scripts and getting dirty with hardcore editing. The hosted version of WordPress lets you create your own site on wordpress.com. You can create everything from a blog or photo site, to a fully fledged online store, and there are a number of templates to choose from. Additionally, Mailchimp users have a benefit of adding a Mailchimp block, which can grow your mailing list among other things. Whether you're creating a static site, or a blog-style site with regularly updated content, the online editor is a joy to use and allows just about anyone to create an impressive, professional-looking site. The only downside is the limited range of plugins and templates compared with the desktop website builder. WebSite X5 makes building a website on your desktop easy, with good-looking templates and an intuitive site builder Incomedia WebSite X5 received an overhaul in April 2019 with new templates, an updated interface, new paid versions and more. The main thing to note is that the service now has a free version for everyone (note that the free version for TechRadar readers is still available to download). There are two paid versions, Evo and Pro, priced at €29.95 ($27.5) and €69.95 ($64.3) respectively. This is a one time purchase and naturally, both versions come with additional and improved features compared to the free one. There is also a demo version of both paid versions that you can try out. Unlike WordPress and Wix, WebSite X5 is a desktop website builder, which means you can work on your site offline and have more freedom to make your website look exactly the way you want. There's a range of ready-made templates to choose from, or you can create your own design from scratch. Next, build up your site map, showing the hierarchy of your pages and how they connect to one another – a feature you won't find in most web-based site builder apps. There is also e-commerce support with features like product search page and optimized checkout. Once that's done, you're ready to start building your pages using Website X5's simple drag-and-drop interface, which includes tools for editing both rich text and photos. If you don't want to be tied down to an online site builder, WebSite X5 is the tool for you. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor isn't a WYSIWYG website builder, but it provides a live preview of your site as you create it CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is one of a dying breed of web building programs that don't use a CMS (content management system). While not in the same league as the likes of Adobe Dreamweaver, Free HTML Editor packs quite a professional punch. With split screen code/preview views, it's possible to see the effect the changes you make have straight away. To help you get started quickly, there are a number of templates built into the program, and there are some very nice features such as tag and code suggestions as you type. For absolute beginners, the program might seem a little overwhelming to start with, but it's worth sticking with – assuming you have some HTML knowledge. There is one slight issue; a number of features, such as spell-checking and code optimization, are only included in the paid-for version of the program. If you've used WordPress before, you might be interested in the power of Joomla. It's not as easy to use though, so beginners are better off sticking with a simpler option like Wix Joomla is a well-known name in the CMS world. It may not be as popular as WordPress, but it offers the same two options: build a site using the web app at launch.joomla.org and have it hosted on the company's servers, or download the software from joomla.org and host it yourself. If you choose the latter option, you'll notice that the interface is much less approachable than WordPress. It's not completely impenetrable, but there are lots of menus and options to work through and it doesn't feel quite as polished as WordPress. Joomla's online website builder is nearly as complex, but doesn't involve the same setup process, making it a better option for beginners. Its key selling point is a huge collection of themes and extensions, which provide endless ways to customize the way your site looks and works. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Thor: Love and Thunder: cast, release date, trailer, plot and what we know Posted: 17 Jun 2020 09:40 AM PDT Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth Thor movie, to be directed by Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi. It's got a release date of 2022, and sees Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as the God of Thunder for the ninth time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's significant in other ways, because it features Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster, but this time as the Thor-powered version of the character. The movie was announced at San Diego Comic Con 2019, along with the official logo, which you can see above. Filming on Thor: Love and Thunder was originally set to begin in August 2020, but it's unclear how that's been affected by subsequent world events. The Thor: Love and Thunder release date has been moved to 2022, from an earlier date of 2021, as the entire MCU film slate got pushed back. Here's everything we know about Thor: Love and Thunder so far, including its release date, cast, when you're likely to see a trailer and more.
Thor: Love and Thunder release dateThe Thor: Love and Thunder release date is February 11, 2022. It was originally set for November 5, 2021, but like so many movies, it was pushed back by our current world situation. Thor: Love and Thunder cast
Only Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and Natalie Portman have been officially cast in Thor: God and Thunder, but several reports from reputable outlets reveal that former Batman Christian Bale will feature as the villain in this film. This was seemingly confirmed by Thompson in an interview. Portman will reprise her role of Jane Foster for the first time since Thor: The Dark World in 2013, a gap of nine years when the film finally gets here. She'll be playing the Thor Goddess of Thunder version of the character introduced by Marvel Comics in 2014. It's expected that director Taika Waititi will play Korg again, having reprised his Thor: Ragnarok role in Avengers: Endgame as the god's Fortnite buddy. Speculation is rife over who Christian Bale is playing: Marvel villain Dario Agger, also known as The Minotaur, feels like a possible candidate. That's because he features as a main villain in the Thor: Goddess of Thunder run of comics, and the character is well within Bale's wheelhouse (he's basically American Psycho's Patrick Bateman as an energy billionaire, who can also turn into a monster). People have also pointed towards the character Beta Ray Bill as a possibility. Will Tom Hiddleston's Loki turn up in Thor: Love and Thunder? Loki died in the main MCU timeline, but we know the Avengers-era Loki in Endgame managed to escape capture, which will be the subject of the upcoming Loki series on Disney Plus. It's plausible, then, that Hiddleston could make another appearance. Idris Elba has expressed an interest in reprising his role as Asgardian gatekeeper Heimdall, but we expect he's long gone after his death in Avengers: Infinity War. Thor: Love and Thunder trailer: expect a first look next yearThere is no Thor: Love and Thunder trailer yet, and we wouldn't expect to see one until summer 2021 at the earliest. Thor: Love and Thunder plot: what we know about the movie's storyThe cover to 2015's The Mighty Thor 1, published by Marvel Comics. We expect Thor: Love and Thunder to address the way we left the God of Thunder at the end of Avengers: Endgame – that is, overweight, and palling up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. This movie will be released before Guardians Vol. 3, so we expect that plot point to be touched upon here. Valkyrie was left as the ruler of New Asgard, a seaside village on Earth, so it'll be interesting to see how their stories link up again. Love and Thunder will be inspired by the Thor comics of Marvel all-star writer Jason Aaron. In that comic, Odinson loses the ability to lift Mjolnir, and Jane Foster takes on the role of Thor, while simultaneously battling cancer in her human hours. "When we were shooting Ragnarok I was reading one storyline by Jason Aaron, The Mighty Thor," Waititi said on-stage at San Diego Comic Con 2020. "And for those of you who know that storyline, it's incredible, it's full of emotion, love and thunder, and it introduces, for the first time, female Thor. So, for us there's only one person who could play that role. Only one." Natalie Portman was introduced on-stage during the event, wielding Mjolnir, confirming she's back to play the character. Like how Thor: Ragnarok superficially referenced the Planet Hulk storyline from Marvel's comics, though, we'd be surprised if the film was a literal adaptation of that series. Instead, we expect elements to be lifted from the comics, but for the plot to be largely original. Waititi has previously described the film as "so over the top now in the very best way," after writing four or five drafts. "It makes Ragnarok seem like a really run of the mill, very safe film…this new film feels like we asked a bunch of 10 year-olds what should be in a movie and just said yes to everything." Waititi also indicated that the overweight Thor stuff had been done already, so it's likely Hemsworth will be in godly shape again this time around. Nothing specific has been said about Christian Bale's role in the movie, yet. More Thor makes a lot of senseIt's curious that Thor is the only solo series to get four movies in the MCU so far, but Ragnarok was something of a soft reset for the character. Waititi left behind the bland gods and prophecies and made a weird sci-fi comedy with some of the DNA of his other, earlier movies. And the return of Portman here has so much potential to show us new sides of the MCU. It's no wonder Waititi's directing a Star Wars movie after Thor: Love and Thunder. He just makes great, fun movies.
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| Best website builder of 2020: Wix, Squarespace, Hostgator, Weebly and more tested and rated Posted: 17 Jun 2020 09:30 AM PDT If you're looking to get online fast, welcome to our choice of the best website builder options of 2020. Website builders have been around for many years, but a new generation now make excellent use of new technologies like responsive and mobile platforms to offer an even better service. The best website builder software allows businesses and individuals to build anything from a single-page site to a professional online store, without the need for any HTML or design experience whatsoever. Whether you're a sole trader or a multinational corporation, just about every business needs an online presence – in other words, a website. A growing number are adding bells and whistles like an email list or form facility, domain name registration and much more. While most cost money, there are also some free website builders available, though they tend to have more limited functionality than ones developed for business use. Additionally, there are website builders that cater specifically for musicians, photographers, and online art portfolios. But here, we'll give you a rundown of the best website builder choices currently available.
More experienced users can customize and fine-tune the design to suit their own needs, or perhaps install a more traditional web design package that allows them to build the perfect site from scratch. There are free options, but these often have major restrictions, including limits on the size of the site and the lack of any ability to use your own domain. Fortunately, the commercial options are very reasonably priced, from around £5/$5 to £10/$10 a month, with hosting included. To help you decide which option is best for your needs, we’ve picked out the cream of the crop: these are the five top best website builder services in the world right now. A popular web hosting choice, Hostgator also has some great website builder capabilities. The Starter plan starts at $3.84 (£3.25) per month for a two-year plan (With our "TECHRADAR" code, you'll pay $3.46 per month). This will get you unmetered storage and bandwidth, unlimited pages, 1-year free domain and hosting, free SSL certificate, $200 ad vouchers and a few other things. The top tier plan will also grant you eCommerce functionality. You’ll have the simple and powerful drag and drop builder at your disposal so you can quickly and easily build your website and you can choose around 30 fully customizable mobile-friendly themes to help you with the website building. Hostgator also gives you analytical tools so you can always check how well your website is performing. Additionally, you’ll have access to live feeds from Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. All the features work very well and the website builder itself is very simple to operate so even the most non-tech savvy users will have no problem with it. Unfortunately, if you want to create a blog, the features there are lacking when compared to the competition. There is no option to schedule posts and the only comments you can post are the Facebook comments. Still, if you want a simple blog it will be good enough, although more demanding users probably won’t be satisfied. The support is great and it’s available 24/7 with telephone, live chat, or email. Although, to get the best support you’ll need to purchase something other than the Starter plan. All in all, Hostgator’s website builder is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to start making a website and they are quite capable hosting provider too. Wix has more than 100 million registered users Wix is one of the most popular online website creators, offering a range of plans and products. The free version has Wix branding, limited storage space (500MB) and bandwidth, but move up to the most popular plan (unlimited) and there’s no Wix ads. You get unlimited bandwidth (hence its name) and 10GB storage, along with a free domain, Google Ad vouchers and much more. The e-commerce plans start with the "Business Basic" plan with a price of $17 (£13.30) per month. An excellent collection of 500 plus templates gets the design process off to a quick start. The drag-and-drop editor gives you all kinds of tools and features to explore – an image editor, video backgrounds, animations, social buttons, an integrated site blog – and just about everything can be tweaked, tuned and restyled. Furthermore, as of recently, Wix introduced Wix Turbo, which increases the speed and performance of websites substantially. All the core editing functions are really smartly designed, and operate more like a native app than your average website builder. Wix does have some weaknesses, with tech support seeming a little sluggish and limited in some respects. But there’s no denying that the superb editor and range of top-notch templates make it easy for web building novices to create something impressive. Another capable provider, Squarespace’s website builder offers a plethora of features with some gorgeous looking templates. The service is a bit pricey with the cheapest Personal plan is priced at $12 (£10) a month, paid annually. To be fair, you do get a lot of features like SSL security, unlimited bandwidth and storage, SEO features, intelligent image optimization, image and video galleries, performance boosting CDN support, professional web store, a powerful blogging platform, and several others. One of the first things to catch your eye are the templates. They are beautifully designed and easily accessible, as you can switch them at will if you decide later that you don’t like a particular template. The website editor itself is very minimalistic and kinda bland looking, but don’t let that fool you, as there are a bunch of options and features available here. This is because they are only shown when you put your mouse cursor over its individual elements. This will take some time to get used to, but once you do, you’ll appreciate all the features you get. If you encounter any issues Squarespace offers good support and their support team is quite knowledgeable. Apart from their support pages that have FAQs, guides, video tutorials and other support like articles, there is a live chat available on workdays from 4 am to 8 pm EST, and email support is available 24/7. Weebly is one of the few website builders that offer a free hosting tier. Weebly is another big name in the website building world which offers a powerful editor and capable set of features. There’s a free plan, which like Wix limits space to 500MB and imposes ads on your site. However, if you move up to the Professional plan – at $12 (£9.5) a month – the ads and storage limit are dropped, plus you get a free domain, and even support for a web store containing up to 25 products. The supercharged Business plan lets you create sites with unlimited web store products and high-end store features like product reviews and discount coupons, retailing at $25 (£19) a month. The service offers hundreds of professionally-designed web templates, covering just about any site type. The drag-and-drop editor is neatly designed, although you don’t get full control over where you can position elements on the page, and the interface can seem a little cluttered. A further niggle is that there is no global Undo feature. Like Wix, we found tech support was a little wobbly in terms of sluggish responses, but Weebly offers a host of powerful features, some very stylish templates, and easy access to free images for your site is another definite boon. 1&1 IONOS is one of the biggest web hosting companies in the world There’s a lot to like here in terms of a powerful drag-and-drop editor bristling with professional features and highly customizable templates, but at the outset, let’s make it clear that this isn’t the cheapest service around. There’s no free plan (or indeed trial – although there is a 30-day money-back guarantee), and the most basic plan is priced at $5 a month (£5 for UK) (first month is free). That gives you unlimited pages and web space, a simple integrated blog, limited SEO settings, plus website backup and restore, so it’s a touch pricey for what you get. That said, 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite offers a wide range of responsive templates, and an editor which provides loads of potential adjustments and tweaks, all with plenty of visual feedback and context-sensitive menus to help streamline the whole process. What’s clever here is that the top-level stuff is easy to use and understand for beginners, yet expert users can dive more deeply into the menus to really play around and customize elements. You also get your own personal consultant free of charge. Other highly useful features include the ability to point to your old website in order to import media content from there straight into your new site. This could be a huge timesaver for some. There also an e-commerce plan starting at $20 per month. Also considerAs we’ve seen, many a website builder pitch themselves towards novices and making life easy for the less site-savvy out there, but what about experts who want powerful low-level control? Those are the users Voog has in mind. So you don’t get many templates here, for example, and there’s the bare minimum of media support – but what you do get is a compact drag-and-drop editor which does its best to stay out of your way. There are weaknesses here, and the interface is somewhat clunky in respects – and it’s another which lacks a global Undo function – but it has some real power you can drill down into. For example, clicking a text box gives you the option to use bullet-point lists, insert tables or videos, or even edit the HTML source to customize effects. Voog also lets multiple users easily collaborate on a site project, and if you’re after nifty, unusual features like these, you won’t see them elsewhere. The entry-level Standard plan is priced at $8.80 (£7.10) per month (billed annually) and gives you 5GB storage, and all the core features you’ll need, including SSL security (although it’s limited to 30 pages). If you know what you’re doing in terms of website design, and want some true power and customization capabilities, there is a 30-day trial you can check out (no credit card details needed). Jimdo is a somewhat quirky website builder targeted largely at novice users, but it’s well worth your attention for a number of reasons, not the least of which is a free plan which boasts more than the average offering. Yes, there are the usual limitations including adverts, a 500MB storage limit, no custom domain, and very limited SEO. But there are a few features you won't get in other free plans, like a password protected area, for example. The site editor itself is simple and consistent, even if it’s somewhat unconventional in terms of its design. Also, the editor doesn’t have as many functions and features as some rivals. For example, there aren’t that many templates, and the widgets on offer aren’t as plentiful as you might find elsewhere – plus there’s no global Undo (although Jimdo isn’t alone in this respect). Another neat touch is a good web knowledgebase which means help is generally close at hand when it comes to troubleshooting. Overall, this is a compelling product, that is well worth giving a whirl. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| The latest Apple sale offers free AirPods when you pick up an iPad or MacBook deal Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:42 AM PDT The Apple back to school sale has just gone live this week, offering a free pair of AirPods with a wide selection of iPad and MacBook deals, giving you the chance to get $159 worth of free earbud goodness. Promotions are fairly rare from Apple, and it's especially good when you consider that the current fleet of MacBooks and iPads contain some brand spanking new releases. These MacBook Pro 13's and iPad Pro 11's, for example, are barely over a month old and are quite simply some of the best ultrabooks and premium tablets you can buy right now. The free AirPods themselves are the standard Apple AirPods - not the AirPod Pro's or the wireless charger variant, although it's still a fantastic offer when you consider that they retail for $159 by themselves. If you choose, however, you can upgrade to the Pro's or wireless charger version and pay a small upcharge - you'll still be saving $159 in total. We've rounded up the eligible iPad and MacBook deals just down below so you can check them out yourself. All of these are available right now and have free delivery. If you choose an iPad deal you're also eligible for a free custom engraving, which is a nice little bonus that's only available via the official Apple store. Apple sale: free AirPods with every iPad and MacBook
While you're here, why not check out our dedicated best Apple MacBook sale prices and deals article, where you'll see a detailed comparison of all the current models you can buy. Likewise, if you'd like to see the best iPad deals available right now, we're also aiming to cover ever base there as well. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Foldable iPhone: what we want to see Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:40 AM PDT We’ve been hearing rumors for years that Apple has been working on a foldable iPhone, and so far, that’s all they are: rumors. But enough have cropped up to suggest design elements and features that may come to the final device. How long Apple has been working on a foldable phone is unclear, but the tech giant infamously keeps its projects under wraps until it’s ready to reveal them. Likewise, Apple has typically taken its time releasing its own take on new devices, so we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the iPhone 12 come out later in 2020 before a foldable iPhone. But getting a foldable phone with a level of Apple polish sure is enticing. Only a few of the devices have been widely released, and phonemakers haven’t ironed out some of the bigger issues, like display durability and battery life. There’s the old sentiment that the age of the smartphone didn’t truly arrive until the first iPhone came out in 2007 – and while that oversimplifies phone evolution, it also speaks to how much Apple’s product designs influence types of devices. For better or worse, there’s a reason we have widespread facial recognition but far fewer headphone jacks, for instance. But the resulting Apple product will very likely be the most refined version of a foldable we’ve yet seen. Here’s everything we’ve heard – which, right now, isn’t much – and what we’d like to see in a foldable iPhone. Cut to the chase
Foldable iPhone release date and priceSadly, we haven’t heard anything remotely close to an idea of when the device will be coming out, much less a solid foldable iPhone release date. Heck, we’ve only heard rumors about patents and leaks, like this one from Jon Prosser, that talk about a ‘current prototype,’ suggesting that Apple may not have even finalized a design. Prosser went on to confirm that the tech giant was working on a foldable, but implied that it wouldn’t be coming this year. We may be a ways off from a commercially-available foldable iPhone – but given how well the company keeps its new designs under wraps, the device could be farther along than we suspect. We also don't know how much this is set to cost when it does land, but considering a lot of foldable phones costs well over the $1000 / £1000 / AU$2000 you should expect it to be a high price to pay. Foldable iPhone leaks and rumorsAt this point, foldable iPhone rumors fall broadly into two camps: one which suggests the device will have a true folding display, and the other suggesting two distinct screens separated by a hinge. Several designs were revealed in a patent dump back in February 2019, some with a large display on the inside of folding sections with a single hinge, while another had two hinges for a hypothetical three displays that fold in on themselves in a Z-shaped formation. Other patents, like the one discovered in March 2020, reveal Apple could be working on a foldable with two distinct displays separated by a hinge. While the patented design suggests the tech giant would attempt to minimize the bezel between the screens as much as possible, it would still be more noticeable than a truly folding long display. That’s what leaker Jon Prosser suggested on Twitter: Apple’s current foldable iPhone design has two separate display panels on a hinge. While it’s purportedly just a ‘current prototype’ and not a final design, it’s described as having rounded edges like the current iPhone 11, unlike the alleged squared-off edges we’re anticipating in the upcoming iPhone 12. There’s also no notch for front-facing cameras: the sensors checking Face ID will be housed in a ‘tiny forehead’ on the outer display, according to Prosser. And that’s all we’ve heard about the design, which is far from presenting a cohesive image of a foldable phone design. Foldable iPhone: five things we’d like to see1. Top-tier camerasFoldables bridge the gap between phones and tablets, but the ones we’ve seen released, like the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate Xs, have packed the best cameras featured on those brands’ other flagship phones. While there’s no reason to guess Apple wouldn’t do the same, the tech giant hasn’t bothered to upgrade the cameras on its iPads in generations. Given the iPhone SE 2020 didn’t seem to improve on the lens of its predecessor, the iPhone 8, we could see Apple save costs by opting to give its foldable iPhone a single camera instead of the full suite seen in the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. 2. Apple Pencil supportOne way Apple could surpass other foldables: introduce Apple Pencil support. While we expected Samsung to introduce stylus integration with its foldables, rumors have gone back and forth over whether the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 will pack an S Pen stylus (seen in the Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Note 10). Given how the Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the newest iPad Pro tablets, we’d love to see how Apple’s styluses could be integrated with its foldable iPhone. 3. The old Apple polishYes, we'll say it: even though the first round of foldables have been impressive for simply pulling off folding screens, they’ve come with design weaknesses, from hinge issues to cracking screens. We’d love to see a design that makes everything move smoothly and stand up to punishment. Not that Apple’s lineup is unimpeachable, as crackable iPhone displays, malfunctioning butterfly keyboards, and battery-throttling on older iPhones have shown. But in looks and function, at least, Apple has maintained a reputation for sleek and functional design. 4. iPadOS integrationWhen iPadOS split off from iOS, we got excited for the possibilities of a new operating system forking off to truly take advantage of iPad screen real estate. Thus far, we’ve been pretty pleased with the multitasking features that let us pull up multiple apps at the same time, which we’ve found personally handy in writing in Google docs while looking up stuff in Safari, for instance.. We’d love to see a version of the OS in the foldable iPhone for the same reasons, though of course, there’s a lot of unknowns. Will the device’s display be large enough to properly handle the iPadOS controls? If it expands to 7.9 inches, the size of the iPad Mini’s screen, it conceivably could be able to, but until we know what the foldable will look like, it’s unclear how good a fit iPadOS will be. 5. Battery lifeFoldable phones like the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X have had respectable battery life for first-generation devices, but we’d like more in Apple’s take on foldable phones. iPhones in general aren’t known for lasting longer than a day, and flagships from Samsung and Huawei pack larger-capacity (in sheer milliamp Hours) batteries that seem to take them past the one-day mark handily. We’d like Apple to use the extra device space to keep its own foldable last longer than the competition.
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| Mobile signal blackspots could soon be a thing of the past Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:36 AM PDT A village in the Welsh Valleys has become the first location in the UK to be connected to 4G through the £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. A deal agreed between the four major mobile operators (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) and government was agreed earlier this year and will see operators share masts in areas of the country that don’t have access to all four networks. Operators will invest £530 million to open up and share their infrastructure, and pay each other a fee for access. The government will then provide up to £500 million to build new masts in ‘total not spots’ where there is no 4G coverage from any operator. The aim is to reach 95 per cent of the UK landmass by 2025.
Shared Rural Network 4GVodafone is the first operator to take advantage of the project and has connected Devauden, located in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to its 4G service. “Everyone should have mobile coverage, and everyone should have the benefit of a choice of networks,” said Nick Jeffery, Vodafone UK CEO “It is great that the industry has come together to improve coverage across the UK, and I’m proud that we’re leading the way. Our engineering team has done a great job in getting our coverage on to this site, despite the limitations of lockdown.” “The ability to be connected wherever you are is becoming increasingly important, no more so than under the current circumstances,” added Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters. “To have the first site sharing deal in the UK under the Shared Rural Network initiative in rural Wales is fantastic. People living in and around Devauden will now have greater choice about which provider they choose and it will help support local businesses.” The SRN agreement ends the spectre of a national roaming network and overly-restrictive coverage obligation requirements imposed on 5G spectrum licences. However the commitments are subject to oversight from Ofcom, which will have the power to issue fines of up to 10 per cent of an operator’s gross revenue if they fail to meet their targets.
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| Best PSVR games 2020: the PlayStation VR games you need to play Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:35 AM PDT Looking for the best PSVR games to play right now? Then you've come to the right place. The PSVR, or PlayStation VR if we're being formal, is Sony's virtual reality headset for its PS4 console - and is without a doubt one of the best VR headsets around. There are plenty of reasons to choose PSVR over other excellent VR systems such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift S, particularly if you're only just getting started in the virtual reality space. Being powered by the PS4, the PSVR doesn't require a high-performing gaming PC, making it an ideal entry-point for those who want to plug in and experience the immersive wonder of high-quality VR gaming without worrying about spec barriers or costly upgrades. Of course, a VR headset is only as good as the games you can play on it. Fortunately, PlayStation VR has a lot to offer, from the best VR games available on multiple platforms, to truly groundbreaking exclusives. With so much on offer it can be hard to know where to start, which is why we've put together this list of the best PSVR games you can play in 2020. Here you'll find hidden gems, like Moss and Statik, as well as big-budget adventures like Skyrim VR and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. But new PlayStation VR games are being released all the time, keeping up the momentum until the launch of the PS5 and PSVR 2, so make sure you check back regularly to see if anything's grabbed our attention enough to earn a place among our picks of the best PSVR games.
Astro Bot: Rescue MissionDeveloper: Japan Studio Does it require Move controllers? No If you own a PlayStation VR headset (which, if you're reading this, we're guessing you probably do) stop what you're doing, head over to your PS4, and buy Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. If the PSVR was awaiting a killer title, it now unarguably has one. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission isn't just a great VR platformer, it's a great platforming game full stop. Full of the kind of inventiveness we've come to only expect from Nintendo's Mario series, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission plays with the VR format with such wild imagination, it makes other efforts look lazy. Weaving levels all around the player, and using scale to both disarm and delight your expectations, it's quite unlike anything you'll have ever played before. Arizona SunshineDeveloper: Vertigo Games Does it require Move controllers? No, but recommended Resident Evil 7 isn’t the only great VR zombie game, as Arizona Sunshine has proved by mixing a bit of humor with a whole lot of zombies. The game throws players into the arid Southwest of the United States, an area overrun with zombies. It’s lonely out there, but there’s hope on the horizon of other humans that haven’t been infected. Arizona Sunshine will pit you against a variety of zombies, some tougher than others, with a host of weapons to help put them down. The campaign can be played in co-op, and there’s also a multiplayer Horde mode. An essential PSVR game for fans of the undead. BattlezoneDeveloper: Rebellion Does it require Move controllers? No Chances are, the original Battlezone might have passed you by if you're under 40 – Atari's 1980 arcade game doesn't quite hold the same iconic status as Pong. However, it's generally considered to be the very first VR game, which is why British developer Rebellion bought the rights from Atari so that it could remake it for modern VR headsets. The result is one of the best VR experiences we've had to date. The gameplay is fun (think a futuristic take on World of Tanks), but it's the striking-but-simple graphics that are the key to the overall enjoyment. There’s two main modes here – offline campaign and online multiplayer. While we didn’t have time to try it with a bunch of buddies online, the offline campaign mode feels pretty well fleshed out. There’s quite a number of tanks to pick from and unlock and while gameplay can err on the repetitive side, it’s enough to lock you in for a few hours at a time. While a lot of VR games try to go as realistic as possible, Battlezone's Tron-like game world is incredibly absorbing, and better yet it’s one of the few titles on the platform you'll be able to enjoy alongside your friends thanks to the game's inclusion of co-operative play. Beat SaberDeveloper: Beat Games Does it require Move controllers? Yes You can't talk about great PSVR games without mentioning Beat Saber, the successor to the rhythm game crown and probably the best entry in the genre since Guitar Hero. Now, that might sound like high praise, but Beat Saber is seriously the best thing to happen to VR, well, ever. As its name suggests, Beat Saber is about using sabers to slash blocks to the beat of the music. The catch is that the blocks come at you pretty fast, and there are walls of dissonance that you need to duck under or dodge. While other games on our list might have you move at a slower pace by exploring a new land or using your powers of deduction to solve a mystery, Beat Saber is a high intensity affair—it's about as good as any cardio workout we've ever done, and is perfect for people want to get that 30 minutes of exercise in per day without leaving the house. Blood & TruthDeveloper: Sony London Studio Does it require Move controllers? Yes After rocking the PlayStation VR launch with VR Worlds and its standout cockney-shooting gallery mode The Heist, Sony London Studio is following it up with a full-length dive into London's underworld. In Blood and Truth you play as a former special forces operative exploring the murky world of London's criminal elite on a mission to save his family. Taking its cues from big-budget action movies, it wants to make you feel like the hero of your own film. Sony London Studio again nails its VR gunplay, but it's the little details that make the game shine. As good looking as any game that's yet hit the PSVR headset, Sony London Studio offers an intuitive world where partaking action movie tropes (like shooting at the feet of a tight-lipped informant unwilling to spill the beans), are rewarded just as you'd expect them to be. If you've got a PlayStation VR headset then this is one of the best PSVR games you can get. Borderlands 2 VRDeveloper: Gearbox Does it require Move controllers? No First person shooting meets Diablo-style loot hunting in the Borderlands games, and the superb Borderlands 2 VR now brings virtual reality action into the mix, too. Sci-fi treasure hunters in a Mad Max world, Borderlands 2 in VR takes the frantic action of the original games to a whole other level by putting you right into the center of its colorfully violent world. You'll collect countless unique weapons, battle waves of bizarre foes and explore a land as mad as its shooting action is varied. What could have been a nauseating puke-fest in virtual reality has actually been adapted with aplomb here. Whether you're playing with a DualShock controller or Move wands, the game offers ample options to make the game suit your comfort level, from full locomotion through to teleportation and peripheral vision hazing. A lengthy adventure that's well worth a look, even if you've mastered it on a flatscreen previously. FarpointDeveloper: SIEA/Impulse Gear Does it require Move controllers? No, but it's better with the PS VR Aim add-on Like sci-fi? Love shooters? Laugh in the face of super-gross giant space spiders? Then PlayStation VR's Farpoint is for you. The PSVR exclusive sees you shooting your way through alien environments in glorious VR, and makes use of Sony's gun controller to let you realistically aim at your extra-terrestrial foes. You can dodge and duck behind cover to avoid incoming fire, and while the game follows a fairly linear path, you're free to explore the levels at your leisure. Despite giving you free control over the movement of your character, Farpoint somehow manages to avoid the motion sickness issues that have plagued similar titles. We had a blast with Farpoint. Though short at six-or-so hours of single player story mode to complete, its multiplayer mode gives it some extra replayability, as does the pinpoint-accuracy of its visceral gunplay. For more on the game, read our Farpoint verdict here. Gran Turismo SportDeveloper: Polyphony Digital Does it require Move controllers? No, but getting a racing wheel elevates the experience. It's the daddy of racing sims, so it's fitting that Gran Turismo Sport, the franchise's first foray on the PS4, should embrace that most immersive of console peripherals – the PlayStation VR headset. You'll get in the cockpit of a huge selection of beautifully realised vehicles, each modelled exactly as they appear in real life, before taking them out onto the circuit for head-to-head races. A side-helping to the brilliant main Gran Turismo Sport game, the VR mode has still been obviously meticulously crafted, with a discreet in-game HUD, useful mirrors and some fine-stitched racing gloves sitting over your digital hands. It makes an already drool-worthy racer extra tempting, and is a must-have for PSVR owners. I Expect You To DieDeveloper: Schell Games LLC Does it require Move controllers? No, but with so many things you can interact with, the Move controllers will offer a lot of extra freedom The fantastic I Expect You to Die will have you feeling like a classy Cold War-era spy, like James Bond as played by Sean Connery or Roger Moore, not Daniel Craig. The game puts you into the role of a special agent tasked with getting yourself out of exceedingly sticky situations, all without moving from your seat. It makes excellent use of VR, as you can pick up and play with objects all over your environment, whether or not doing so actually helps you complete your objective. There are several levels (with the potential of the developer adding more later, as has already been done), and each sets you in a unique environment that plays out much like an escape room. You’re faced with a series of puzzles, and your actions will determine whether you live or die. The puzzles are great, and many can be solved multiple ways, lending the game some replayability. This is also a fun one to watch your friends try, as you’ll enjoy the shock on their faces when they encounter traps, such as a cabinet full of hand grenades. Keep Talking and Nobody ExplodesDeveloper: Steel Crate Games Does it require Move controllers? No Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes doesn’t sound like much fun on paper. While one person puts on a headset to look at an overly detailed bomb in a nondescript room, the other player uses the TV screen to read a dense direction manual on how which wires to cut and buttons to push to make sure you get to the next level. But underneath its seemingly boring exterior lies a tremendously fun exercise in teamwork, communication and sometimes sheer dumb luck as you make last-minute decisions to stop a bomb from going off. Levels that start off easy – usually with two or three puzzles to solve and a few minutes to solve them – have a tendency to escalate quickly. Part of the game’s charm is that whenever you start feeling good about your skills as either a decoder or disarmer, something else comes up that ruins your day. In that way it’s fun trying to stay calm under pressure and getting a laugh when it all, inevitably, blows up in your face. MossDeveloper: Polyarc Will it require Move controllers? No A family-friendly VR adventure, Moss offers the immersion of a virtual reality experience with the fun of a platformer and sense of wonder of a Zelda game. Developed by a team made up in part of former Bungie employees, you'll direct an intrepid, sword-wielding rodent through forests and ruins, guiding her through enemy filled rooms while taking direct control of environmental elements to solve puzzles. It's the perfect use of VR from a third-person perspective, giving you dual control over a hero avatar and as an omnipotent influence on her surroundings. It makes great use of perspective too, with a 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids' look at a world from a mouse's scale. Definitely deserving of its place on our best PSVR games list. No Man's Sky VRDeveloper: Hello Games Does it require Move controllers? No No Man's Sky has been available for a few years now, but its most recent Beyond update added No Man's Sky VR - which from the name is likely pretty self-explanatory. This isn't some virtual reality focused addendum to the existing game though - this is the entirety of No Man's Sky playable in VR, and is compatible with existing saves made before the update too. That means you can go from a planet's surface, into your ship, to the Nexus and back again all within VR. You'll also be able to interact with non-VR players on your chosen platform. Excitingly, controls have been tweaked too. You can play with a controller, or use a PlayStation Move controller as your ship's throttle. It changes the game entirely. Resident Evil 7Developer: Capcom Does it require Move controllers? No Resident Evil 7 is a bit of an anomaly on this list: this entry in the long-running horror series takes the experience into first-person for the first time, but, more impressively, can be played in its 18 hour entirety in VR. This means that the game is one of the longest PSVR experiences available right now, but you'll need a lot of courage to make it through the game this way, since by all accounts Resident Evil 7 is one scary game – especially in virtual reality. However, if you're able to stomach the scares you'll be rewarded with one of the finest horror games of this generation, and a true return to form for the Resident Evil series. Rez InfiniteDeveloper: Monstars + Enhance Games Does it require Move controllers? No Who’d have guessed that a 15 year old Dreamcast game would turn out to be one of the killer apps for Sony’s PlayStation VR headset? The second time that the classic shooter has been updated, Rez Infinite adds VR head tracking into the mix, putting you at the center of its Tron-like wireframe soundscapes. It’s always been a game that lets you “get in the zone”, but with VR head tracking, Rez Infinite becomes almost hypnotic. With an ace, pulsing trance soundtrack that builds to a thumping crescendo as you shoot down polygonal enemies, you find yourself fully immersed in the futuristic landscape as it zips past your floating avatar. With an insane sense of speed and spot on head-tracking enemy targeting, it’s easy to completely lose track of reality whilst playing Rez Infinite, and it’ll be hard to stop yourself dancing along to the grooves your shots produce. Packing in all the additional content of the earlier HD re-release of Rez, it’s still a relatively short VR experience at just around an hour long. But, like a good album, it’s something you’ll want to dive into again and again. Just be careful that you don’t do a “Jeff Bridges in Tron” and find yourself so hooked that you’ll never want to leave. Sprint VectorDeveloper: Survios Does it require Move controllers? Yes Some people might have an impression of VR players slowly sinking into their couch as their virtual body flourishes and their real world body withers away. That couldn’t be further from the truth for players of Sprint Vector. This game is like Mario Kart meets Jet Set Radio, as players are thrust into a cartoonish world where they have to race against other players on sci-fi roller blades. The key to the movement is players swinging their real-world arms back and forth in a running motion. No motion in the real world means no motion in the game. And, to get going fast, you really need to hustle. This game is as much a workout as any game from the Wii generation, so don’t be surprised if you break a sweat and get a bit of cardio in playing Sprint Vector on your PSVR. But it’s not just a work. It’s also fun, as a goofy announcer keeps everything lighthearted even while racers try sabotaging one another with a handy arsenal of weapons. Stardust OdysseyDeveloper: Agharta Studio Does it require Move controllers? Yes It can be hard to strike the balance between a fast-paced motion game and one that makes you sick, especially when you're talking about space flight sims. But Stardust Odyssey from Agharta Studios manages to do it. Blending magic and technology, Stardust Odyssey puts you in the pilot seat of a magic vessel and tasks you with stopping a powerful evil from taking over the universe... even though you technically trigger the series of events that puts that evil out there, but that's beside the point. With elements of stealth and RPG elements you'll have to upgrade your ship and its arsenal of magical armaments if you want to survive to see the next level. If you like your sci-fi with a dash of magic and deviously fun controls, this is a PSVR game for you. Star Trek: Bridge CrewDeveloper: Red Storm Entertainment Does it require Move controllers? No – Star Trek: Bridge Crew can actually be played fully outside of VR by those who do not have PSVR or occasionally want to stay in the real world, but the most immersive experience is naturally had in VR. Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts Star Trek fans right where they’ve always wanted to be: on the bridge of a Federation starship, or even in the captain’s seat. But it doesn’t put you there alone. This is actually a multiplayer, cross-platform game. Players on PSVR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive can all play together, and as we've said, even non-VR players can join in. Each player has a role to play, specifically Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineer. A crew of four can take on the story mission of finding a new home world for the Vulcan population, or procedurally generated missions can offer endless playability. If you want to explore space with a few friends but can’t wait for Elon Musk to make it happen, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a great alternative. As a bonus, the game is often on sale, so you may not have to pay full price. Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing VR MissionDeveloper: Criterion / DICE Does it require Move controllers? No. It may only last 20 minutes, but what a fantastic third of an hour it is. Star Wars Battlefront's X-Wing VR mission, even as an extended tech demo, is a perfect example of what VR is capable of. Putting you right in the cockpit of a lovingly modelled X-Wing fighter, it transports you directly into a key element of the Star Wars universe. Handling like a dream as you dart between asteroids and take on a fleet of Tie Fighters, and you'll get all the feels when John Williams' iconic score begins to swell. Put this near the top of your shortlist for the best PlayStation VR games. StatikDeveloper: Tarsier Studios Does it require Move controllers? No. Statik, by Little Nightmare developers Tarsier Studios, is one of the cleverest VR games out there. It sounds simple enough. Each level sees you play as a research participant who wakes up with their hands trapped inside various different contraptions. Each button on the controller seems to do something on the device, but it's never really clear what. You'll have to experiment with trial and error to escape from each of these contraptions, and the puzzles get fiendishly difficult. But what's really impressive is how the game plays into the constraints of the PlayStation VR when used with a DualShock controller. It's camera isn't good at tracking over large distances, so the game has you sitting in a chair. The fact that you're using a controller makes you feel as though your hands really are trapped inside a box, even if you can move your hands freely in the real world. Statik is a game that's great at showing off the simpler pleasures of VR, and it's easy to get completely absorbed in its puzzles. SUPERHOT VRDeveloper: SUPERHOT Team Does it require Move controllers? Yes, though a non-VR version of the game is also available and truly excellent. It’s always a delight when a game developer takes a tried-and-true genre and introduces a new gameplay mechanic that flips it on its head. That was the case when SUPERHOT was released, as the first-person shooter was slowed way, way down. In the game, time only moves when the player moves, and that can make for some fantastic Matrix-esque moments. All of that gameplay has translated excellently into virtual reality with SUPERHOT VR. You’re plopped right into the middle of truly precarious situations, such as standing empty-handed before three enemies with shotguns who have you dead-to-rights, with only your wits and time on your side. While the story only takes a couple hours to play through, there’s plenty of replayability in SUPERHOT VR, as you can try to play through different ways, or take on challenge modes. It’s also a great VR party game, as players can swap in and out to show off their moves. Pick it up for your PlayStation VR today. Tetris EffectDeveloper: Monstars Inc. and Resonair Does it require Move controllers? No. It's hard to put the Tetris Effect experience into words. Essentially you play regular games of Tetris, except that the environments you're playing in change. Each level has its own distinct flavor - with music and visuals tailored to its theme. For example, you can play an underwater level and you will hear soothing underwater noises, while sparkling, whales float around your head. It's a psychedelic and hypnotic experience, and one that everyone should have the privilege to play. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VRDeveloper: Bethesda Game Studios Does it require Move controllers? No. DualShock controllers give a more comfortable, familiar control system for what's quite a complex game, but Move motion controllers let you swing a sword, and there's no arguing that that's not cool. You've played Skyrim, right? The benchmark for open world gaming for so long, it's been hard to ignore, a cultural phenomenon of sorts. The RPG has now been reworked for Sony's PSVR headset, and, while not perfect, it's well worth experiencing. There's nothing quite like the scale of Skyrim in VR, with 100s of hours of RPG gaming letting you explore a huge map filled with secrets, quests and dragons to fell. Whether standing at the foot of a mountain or going toe-to-toe with a troll, the presence VR adds to the world is superb. Even if you've played through the game multiple times, it's still something quite special to actually be standing in Solitude, or climbing the steps of Bleak Falls Barrow with your own two feet. However, while the world remains superb, the transition to VR hasn't been perfect. Move-controller sword swinging feels clumsy, menu navigation is a chore, locomotion can be tricky to master and many visual compromises have been made to meet the demands of VR visuals. For anyone that's played a more recent remaster of Skyrim, it'll feel a bit more rough and ready than you're used to. Leave your expectations at the door though, and it's a unique return to Bethesda's still-excellent core game, with some new bells and whistles thrown in. ThumperDeveloper: Drool Does it require Move controllers? No. Never have the words “Rhythm Hell” been a more apt description for a game. Thumper pushes you by sending wave after wave of obstacles your way that require button combinations set to a certain beat. If the flashing lightshow isn’t enough, the game’s aesthetics and boss battles are like something set out of Dante’s Inferno: hellish visages of what life in the afterlife might look like for all the naughtiest gamers. While the music in Thumper is never totally recognizable, it’s instantly catchy causing you to bob your head to the beat and curse loudly when the game sets aside all care for your emotions and just throws everything and the kitchen sink at you all at once. Thumper is, admittedly, a bit on the intense side visually – so it’s probably not the best thing to show off to mom and dad or little ones. But if you’ve gone through Rez Infinite and you’re looking for a musically inspired hellscape, Thumper should be the next game on your list. WandsDeveloper: Cortopia Does it require Move controllers? No (but it obviously works better with them) The latest addition to our PSVR games list is Wands. This first-person VR game is all about fantastical and magical duels with, you guessed it, awesome wands that are capable of casting spells. The aim of the game is to have a number of magic-wielding showdowns with opponents that are one-on-one duels. There are a range of wands to choose from, as well as a selection of battle arenas. So it's like a magical beat-em-up that, thanks to the VR element, allows you to really feel what it's like to wield otherworldly power. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Forget Prime Day, Amazon's Summer Sale is here with deals on the Echo, Kindle, Fire TV Stick, more Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:35 AM PDT While Amazon's biggest 2020 sale event, Prime Day, is still up in the air, the retail giant has surprised us with a secret summer sale that includes price cuts on Amazon's best-selling devices. Amazon's Summer Sale is happening in the US and UK and includes fantastic deals on streaming devices, tablets, smart speakers, security cameras, and more. You can also shop more deals with our roundup of Father's Day sales 2020 and see the best 4th of July sales that are happening now. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google is bringing Windows and Microsoft Office to Chrome OS Posted: 17 Jun 2020 08:31 AM PDT Chrome OS devices could soon get full support for some of Microsoft's most popular programs thanks to a new partnership revealed by Google . The online giant has teamed up with virtualisation experts Parallels, well-known for their expertise in helping Mac users run Windows installs, in order to enable much the same functions on Chrome OS devices. The new offerings, which include the full Microsoft Office suite should begin rolling out later this year, with Parallels saying a Fall 2020 date is in the calendar.
Windows on ChromeOSThe partnership will bring full Windows apps to Chrome enterprise devices such as laptops and Chromebooks, helping benefit enterprise workers both working at home and in the office. But it will also help businesses looking to consolidate their various legacy software use, especially across workers using Windows, Mac and now ChromeOS devices. Microsoft has sunk huge amounts of investment into making its software ideal for collaboration and productivity, especially with many employees forecast to continue working from home even when lockdowns across the world come to an end. Google will be hoping the announcement makes ChromeOS a more appealing choice for businesses of all sizes. Existing low-cost Chromebook devices have proved incredibly popular across the education sector, with schools and universities alike benefiting from low prices and solid hardware specs. "Remote work is a new reality, making efficiency, connectivity, speed, reliability, security and undisrupted access essential elements of a successful organization," Parallels wrote in a blog post announcing the news. "At this key moment, our two organizations have formed a landmark partnership to equip enterprises with solutions that optimize their businesses and teams to meet the evolving challenges of modern work environments.
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