Apple : Ransomware operators are joining forces - here's what you need to know |
- Ransomware operators are joining forces - here's what you need to know
- iOS 13.5.5 leak: Apple Music and other services may get money-saving bundle
- The Sony WH-1000XM4 will offer audio upscaling and improved call quality
- Simplifying remote work with VR
- Sony WH-1000XM4: what we want to see from Sony’s new wireless headphones
- Cheap 4K TV deal: Best Buy has this 50-inch Roku TV on sale for just $269.99
- Cybercriminals use malware-laced CVs to steal banking credentials
- The Friends reunion on HBO Max could be a while away yet
- Google is making it easier to use security keys with iOS devices
- Best cloud storage of 2020 online
- Leaked Intel Rocket Lake-S benchmark hints at 4.3GHz boost clock
- New AirPods Pro-style TicPods ditch previous model's most promising feature
- The Witcher season 2: release date, cast, Vesemir and what we know
- Huawei P40 Pro with EMUI 10.1 is Android and then some
- Amazon just bought 12 new aircraft to speed up your Prime deliveries
- Apple sale: the Apple Watch 3 gets a massive $150 price cut at Verizon
- Nokia uses liquid cooling to slash 5G base station energy usage
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| Ransomware operators are joining forces - here's what you need to know Posted: 04 Jun 2020 01:40 PM PDT Ransomware operators have joined forces and they are now exchanging tactics, intelligence and extorting victims through a shared data leak platform. Back in November, the operators of the Maze ransomware released the unencrypted data of a victim after they refused to pay its ransom. Shortly after, the group launched a site called “Maze News” which it uses to shame unpaid victims by publicly releasing their stolen data. Other cybercriminals quickly followed suit and now thirteen active ransomware operations have begun to leak stolen data if their ransoms are not paid.
Maze NewsAs reported by BleepingComputer, the Maze group has now created their own cartel comprised of other ransomware operators with the aim of sharing resources and extorting their victims. The cyber intelligence firm KeLa told the news outlet that the group has added information and files for an international architectural firm to its Maze News site. However, this data was not obtained by the Maze ransomware group buy by another ransomware operation which targets enterprise businesses called LockBit. BleepingComputer decided to reach out to the operators of the Maze ransomware to learn more about this new collaboration. The group then confirmed that they are indeed working together with LockBit to share their experience and data leak platform, saying: "In a few days another group will emerge on our news website, we all see in this cooperation the way leading to mutual beneficial outcome, for both actor groups and companies. Even more, they use not only our platform to post the data of companies, but also our experience and reputation, building the beneficial and solid future. We treat other groups as our partners, not as our competitors. Organizational questions is behind every successful business." The Maze gang also revealed that another group will soon be joining its ransomware cartel soon. Ransomware was already a serious threat to businesses and the fact that these groups are now working together means that we will likely see them develop even more sophisticated attacks going forward.
Via BleepingComputer This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| iOS 13.5.5 leak: Apple Music and other services may get money-saving bundle Posted: 04 Jun 2020 01:30 PM PDT Apple may be preparing to bundle several of its services together – like Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, and more – into what could be a single subscription package, according to a new code leak from an upcoming version of iOS 13. Files appearing for the first time in the iOS 13.5.5 beta refer to a ‘bundle offer’ and ‘bundle subscription,’ according to 9to5Mac. These code snippets seem to refer to management subscription systems between Apple’s various services, suggesting a the bundle could be discounted. We’ve been hearing about the potential bundling of multiple Apple services since June 2018, but a Bloomberg report last November reignited the idea by revealing a potential deal with Apple News Plus content partners that would give them a smaller portion of revenue in the event the service was sold as a bundle. But if the tech giant wants Apple Music's content to be part of the deal, it's hit snags with the studios holding the rights to that content. The latest deal inked in March 2020 between Apple and major record labels didn’t include agreements to bundle Apple Music with any other services, per 9to5Mac. It’s unclear whether this will prevent combining the service in general or if it just keeps Apple from offering the service at a discounted price. Subsequent negotiations could have changed those conditions, of course.
The prospect of a bundle – and discountWe’ve been hearing about a bundle deal for awhile, but it’s taken both time for Apple’s various services to mature – Apple News Plus and Apple Arcade, for instance, both launched in March 2019 – and for the company to secure agreements with content providers. But the actual details of a bundle remain a mystery. Would it be every Apple service? Would there be an option to omit some while still getting a discount? How much money would the bundle save? For instance:
Thus, a bundled version could include some or all of Apple’s services at a discount – but it would only make sense for the tech giant to do so if it supported its ecosystem. Perhaps it will just allow one option to combine them all in the name of both simplicity and expanding the user base of the less popular services. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Sony WH-1000XM4 will offer audio upscaling and improved call quality Posted: 04 Jun 2020 12:50 PM PDT The highly-anticipated Sony WH-1000XM4 over-the-ear headphones haven't officially been announced, but we know everything about the new cans thanks to a leak from a retailer. Sony's next-gen noise-cancelling headphones were outed by a Walmart product listing with brand new features in tow. At the top of the list is something called “Edge-AI” to restore the detail lost in highly compressed audio files and Precise Voice Pickup that uses the headphones’ five microphones and advanced audio signal processing to improve call quality. In addition to those marquee features, Walmart’s page said the Sony WH-1000XM4 would have multipoint pairing, Bluetooth 5.0 and, of course, best-in-class adaptive noise cancellation. That said, they’ll still use 40mm drivers, offer about 30 hours of battery life and use a USB-C port for quick charging – the same as the WH-1000XM3. The listing had the Sony WH-1000XM4 price at $349, the same price as the current-generation Sony WH-1000XM3 cost right now. If that pricing stays the same across territories you’re looking at £349 and AU$419. Here's a screenshot of the product page via The Verge Why does everyone care so much about these headphones?If you’ve been following along in the tech world for the past two years, you’ve probably heard a lot about Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones – to the point, perhaps, where you’re not sure why everyone makes such a big fuss. The reason these headphones have gained such a huge following is that, not only do they rival Bose in their noise-cancellation prowess, but they offer better sound quality thanks to their support for Hi-Res Audio via their aptX HD and LDAC codecs. If the headphones get Hi-Res Audio upscaling, multipoint pairing and better call quality like the product page says, expect to hear even more about the WH-1000XM4 cans when Sony officially announces them later this year. Via The Verge, Android Police This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Simplifying remote work with VR Posted: 04 Jun 2020 12:30 PM PDT Businesses have quickly had to adapt to remote working as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to a huge increase in the number of organizations using video conferencing software and online collaboration tools. However, meeting with your coworkers just isn’t the same when everyone is staring at a screen. You lose the sense of human interaction and sharing a document on your screen pales in comparison to passing one around a conference room. To make up for the shortcomings of video conferencing, organizations have begun to explore the idea of holding meetings in VR. TechRadar Pro spoke with MeetinVR’s marketing manager Tomas Budrys about the company’s new VR collaboration tool and how it can help organizations simplify remote work.
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| Sony WH-1000XM4: what we want to see from Sony’s new wireless headphones Posted: 04 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT Expect to see the Sony WH-1000XM4 announced any day now. Last month an FCC filing from Sony revealed the model number of what could be a brand new pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and now Walmart published a product page for the headphones that lists every new spec and feature. Thanks to the listing we know that the headphones will offer something called “Edge-AI” that restores the detail lost in highly compressed audio files and Precise Voice Pickup that uses the headphones’ five microphones and advanced audio signal processing to improve call quality. In addition to those marquee features, Walmart’s page said the Sony WH-1000XM4 would have multipoint pairing, Bluetooth 5.0 and, of course, best-in-class adaptive noise cancellation. Their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones have been on top of our list of the best headphones since their release way back in August 2018 – and if Sony’s upcoming headphones can build on their success, we could be in for a real winner. Over 18 months on, and the world is ready for a new pair of noise-canceling headphones from Sony. Here's what we want to see. Cut to the chase
Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones release dateThe fact that Walmart has a product page with every detail on the headphones indicates that the WH-1000XM4 launch is imminent – likely to happen within the next month or two. Before now we only had the FCC filing, which didn’t give a firm indication of release date, but it was clear that the launch was coming. Whether the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the Sony WH-1000XM4 release date back or will create shortages is unknown, however.
Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones priceIf the Walmart page is anything to go by, expect to pay $349 / £300 / AU$499 at launch (as did their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM2). Recent leaks support this theory. According to The Walkman Blog, "Best Buy US had the Sony WH-1000XM4 up on their site a bit but pulled the listing down a few days ago" – but not before the publication posted screengrabs of the listing, revealing a price of $349.99. The Sony WH-1000XM3. Sony WH-1000XM4 leaks and rumorsWhat new features will we get with the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones? A recent leak based on a teardown of the Sony Connect APK (Android Application Package) suggests that they could be among the smartest headphones we've ever seen. According to Twitter user @justplayinghard, the Sony WH-1000XM4 will be able to connect to more than one device at once, allowing you to quickly switch between them – this appears to be limited to two devices, however. A 'Smart Talking' feature will reportedly allow Sony WH-1000XM4 detect a voice, they'll automatically enable ambient sound, allowing environmental noise to pass through the headphones so you can hear the conversation without removing your earcups. After a time of your choosing (Fast, Mid, Slow, or None), the noise cancellation will be restored. According to XDA Developers (which corroborated the leaks with its own teardown), "users will also be able to adjust the voice detection sensitivity from Auto (based on ambient sound), High, or Low in case users find that it activates too often (such as when the person speaking is close by) or too little (such as when you’re in a vehicle). You can toggle this setting either from within the app or from (likely) the NC/Ambient button on the headphones." The Sony WH-1000XM4 will also reportedly "be able to change some (if not all) headphone settings based on your location (set locations or your own) and uses [sic] Google Maps API for it". It looks like the audio quality will be improved, too. The Sony Connect app teardown revealed strings of code for something called 'DSEE Extreme'. The Sony WH-1000XM3 already use a feature called DSEE HX to upscale sound sources to higher quality – DSEE Extreme is likely an upgraded version of this technology. Photos of the cans were seemingly leaked by Twitter user Everton Favretto in an Anatel listing – Brazil's version of the FCC (via The Verge). The photos showed a near-identical design to the WH-1000XM3s – something that's been corroborated by the APK teardown, which has suggested that the headphones design won't change drastically, and that they'll come in black, white, and silver. though an accompanying user manual points to latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard (rather than Bluetooth 4.2) for better wireless connection at larger distances, as well as a reduced 2V power usage (down from 8V), which should make the cans more economical and aid battery life (now set at 40 hours instead of 36 hours). There's also mention of a 'speak to chat' feature which should let you use a wake word to speak to a voice assistant, rather than use a dedicated button. None of this is officially confirmed, though – and we have our own list of features we actually want to see when the headphones eventually release. The Sony WH-1000XM4 won't look very different to their predecessors (pictured). Sony WH-1000XM4: what we want to seeNoise cancellation on calls The noise cancellation offered by the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones is undoubtedly very good – the best, in fact. However, innovations in noise-canceling technology means that we could see an upgrade in the new Sony WH-1000XM4. The Sony WH-1000XM3 successfully fought off competition from Bose in 2019, Sony could take a leaf from its competitor's book and apply noise-cancellation to phone calls as well as music, just like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. These Bose headphones use an eight-microphone system; six of which enable traditional noise cancellation so you can hear your music uninterrupted. Two of these microphones are paired with two separate mics, which work together to isolate your voice and reject environmental noise during phone calls. This means that your voice sounds clearer to the person on the end of the line, with less background noise getting in the way of your conversation. When using the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, we found the call quality to be remarkably clear, even when walking on a busy London street. It's a big selling point of these Bose cans, so we wouldn't be surprised to see a similar microphone array in the new WH-1000XM4. Improved audio quality Again, the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones sound fantastic – but 18 months on, we'd be disappointed if the new cans didn't sound better than their predecessors. The current Sony cans use 40mm dome-type dynamic drivers, which do a great job of displacing air and creating a powerful sound – to improve this sound even further, Sony could opt to use a premium driver material like beryllium like the Focal Stellia headphones. Sony may also swap its copper-clad aluminum voice coils for ones made of pure copper, which are lighter, more malleable, and less susceptible to electromagnetic interference than their aluminum counterparts. Better connectivity The new Sony WH-1000XM4 could have better connectivity than previous models if Sony decides to use Qualcomm's latest Bluetooth codec, aptX Adaptive, which delivers lower latency, higher resolution wireless audio than its predecessors. Headphones using this codec, like the Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Headphones, operate with low latency when you're watching videos or playing games, avoiding that annoying lag between audio and visual that sometimes occurs over Bluetooth. This codec also allows for the delivery of Hi-Res Audio over a wireless connection, leading to better-sounding music. Should I buy the Sony WH-1000XM3?If you were thinking of buying the Sony WH-1000XM3, you may be put off by the idea of a new model taking their place in the near future. However, the current noise-cancelling Sony headphones could be a great option if you're looking to save money – since Black Friday, we've seen some great Sony WH-1000XM3 deals. In fact, they recently hit their lowest price ever at Walmart in the US, and we've seen similar price drops in the UK, too. Check out the best Sony WH-1000XM3 prices in your region below: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cheap 4K TV deal: Best Buy has this 50-inch Roku TV on sale for just $269.99 Posted: 04 Jun 2020 12:10 PM PDT If you're on the hunt for a cheap 4K TV deal, then you've come to the right place. Best Buy has the Westinghouse 50-inch smart TV on sale for just $269.99. That's a $30 discount and an incredible price for a mid-size 4K TV. The Westinghouse smart TV has the Roku TV experience built-in, which allows you to stream content from your favorite apps like Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and more. The Ultra HD TV also features a voice remote with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can use your voice to launch apps, search for titles, play music, and control compatible smart home devices. You'll also experience a premium viewing experience thanks to the 4K Ultra HD picture quality and Dolby Audio. 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 |
| Cybercriminals use malware-laced CVs to steal banking credentials Posted: 04 Jun 2020 11:30 AM PDT Security researchers have discovered malicious files masquerading as CVs online that lure victims into giving up their banking passwords and other financial information. According to Check Point, the malicious Microsoft Excel files were sent via email with subject lines such as “applying for a job” or “regarding job”. When victims open the attached files, they are asked to “enable content” and this allows for the ZLoader malware to be installed on their computers. This banking malware is designed to steal credentials and other private information from users of targeted financial institutions. The malware also has the ability to steal any passwords and cookies stored in victim's web browsers. Using this stolen information, cybercriminals can then connect to the victim's system and make illicit financial transactions from the banking user's legitimate device.
Check Point researchers have recently seen an increase in CV-themed scams in the US. During the past two months, the number of malicious files in CVs doubled with 1 out of 450 malicious files identified related to a CV file as cybercriminals try to exploit layoffs and remuneration schemes during the pandemic. Malicious medical leave formsIn addition to CVs containing malicious files, Check Point researchers also found an increase in malicious medical leave forms circulating online. The documents, which use names such as “COVID -19 FLMA Center.doc”, infect victims with the IcedID banking malware that targets banks, payment card providers, mobile service providers and e-commerce sites. The aim of this malware is to try and trick users into submitting their credentials on a fake page as well as their authorization details that can be used to compromise user accounts. These malicious files were sent via email with the subject line “The following is a new Employee Request Form for leave within the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)”. To lure victims into opening these forms, cybercriminals sent them from different sender domains like “medical-center.space”. Manager of data intelligence at Check Point, Omer Dembinsky provided further insight on the findings of the company's researchers, saying: “As unemployment rises, cyber criminals are hard at work. They are using CVs to gain precious information, especially as it relates to money and banking. I strongly urge anyone opening an email with a CV attached to think twice. It very well could be something you regret.”
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| The Friends reunion on HBO Max could be a while away yet Posted: 04 Jun 2020 10:23 AM PDT Streaming service HBO Max launched in the US in the middle of a global pandemic, which is a mixed blessing. Our time spent with streaming services is probably higher now than it's ever been – but it also means HBO Max launched without any killer originals to shout about. Once upon a time, the plan was to launch with a reunion of the sitcom Friends, featuring the entire cast of the show. But now, that special likely won't release until later this year. In a new interview, HBO Max's content head Sarah Aubrey commented on the Friends reunion special's status. When asked whether the cast were still worth the price given that the special didn't arrive at launch, Aubrey told THR: "We definitely think so. Of course, it would have been fun to have at launch, but I do not think it loses value whether they watch it next week or later in the year." How much later in the year, though? That part is unclear, but Aubrey doesn't sound optimistic about the once-touted filming date of August when asked about it by THR. "You're asking me to extrapolate what the conditions in LA are going to be in August, and that's a fool's errand." The film and TV industry has drafted up a White Paper on restarting production with careful health and safety guidelines, according to a report on Deadline, and shared that with the governors of California and New York. But an exact timeline for Hollywood getting back to work is still unclear. It sounds like fans of the '90s sitcom hit have a while to wait, yet. May we suggest streaming old episodes of Seinfeld instead? The background of the Friends reunionOne of HBO Max's biggest draws at launch was offering the complete 10 seasons of Friends to stream, and HBO Max's plan was to release a reunion special alongside that to get people excited about the service. The deal with the cast to make the reunion was finalized in late February 2020, around three months before the launch of the new streaming service. Shortly after the deal was made, though, Hollywood went into lockdown. Things have been on hold ever since over the health crisis. The reunion special won't be an in-universe episode of the show, though. Instead, it's 'unscripted', which means it'll likely take the form of a series of interviews on the Burbank set where the show was made.
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| Google is making it easier to use security keys with iOS devices Posted: 04 Jun 2020 10:05 AM PDT Security keys provide users with a physical way to secure their online accounts and now Google is making it even easier to use them on iOS devices. As the result of a new change that enables native support for W3C WebAuthn implementation for Google accounts on Apple devices, users with devices running iOS 13.3 and above will now be able to use the company's Titan Security Key to secure their work and personal accounts. Since Google's USB-A and Bluetooth Titan Security Keys both have NFC functionality, iPhone users will be able to tap the back of their devices to easily sign in to their online accounts. Lighting security keys such as the YubiKey 5Ci can also be used to secure iOS users' Google accounts and if you have a Lighting to USB Camera Adapter, you can even use any USB security key. Additionally, USB-C security keys can now be plugged directly into iOS devices that have a USB-C port such as the iPad Pro.
In order to manage your security keys, Google recommends that users install its Smart Lock app. The app also allows you to use your iPhone as an additional security key for your Google Account. Advanced Protection ProgramGoogle is also making it easier for iOS users to enroll in its Advanced Protection Program. The company highly recommends that users at a higher risk of targeted attacks such as politicians, journalists and activists enroll in the program to further protect their Google accounts. In fact, the Defending Digital Campaigns is currently offering free Titan Security Keys for those working for political committees in the US. By using a security key and enrolling in the Advanced Protection Program, you can rest easy knowing that your Google account will be safe from phishing and other online threats.
Via Engadget This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best cloud storage of 2020 online Posted: 04 Jun 2020 09:50 AM PDT For many businesses, online cloud storage solutions has come to replace traditional on-premise storage hardware. Instead of storing files and folders on a single server, cloud storage distributes data across someone else's infrastructure (data center, server, hard drive etc.) Ever since Amazon popularized storage online with S3 (Simple Storage Service), 13 years ago, Google data shows that interest for "Cloud Storage" alone has increased by 40x. Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the maximum amount of low-cost storage and bandwidth, while still keeping your data safe. This list represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they're right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash. And it's iDrive that leads the way thanks to how fast, thorough and easy to use it is. We've also featured:
Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego. Go straight to your desired option through the jump links below: Best online storage of 2020 at a glance:IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident. Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained. Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard. For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your linked devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. That applies to the newly introduced disk image backup feature. A business version exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup. Furthermore, IDrive Cloud, an enterprise-class cloud object storage is also available. While some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files with pCloud. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website. The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords. Note that it is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions. The latter come with 30 days trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are - as expected - limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package.
There are lots of things to like about Zoolz Cloud Backup for both personal use and business deployment. It offers an easy to follow interface with excellent web management options, and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage. This UK-based company leverages Amazon’s Glacier infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices far cheaper than the competition. With 20PB of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as ephemeral as some of its rivals. Swedish outfit Degoo is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market. With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day. It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents. It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in. With an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based Mega is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There's a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. The company also has business tailored plans. Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the source code to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities. Price: 50GB free. 400GB for $6 a month (£4.50, €4.99, around AU$7.50). 2TB for $12 a month (£9, €9.99, around AU$16). 8TB for $23 a month (£17, €19.99, around AU$30). 16TB for $35 a month (£26, €29.99, around AU$46). OneDrive is integrated into Windows 10's File Explorer. You don't have to download an additional app – it's there to use out of the box, which is obviously very convenient for those who have made the jump to Microsoft’s newest operating system. Microsoft's Photos app can also use OneDrive to sync pictures across all your devices. As of late March, Autodesk AutoCAD has been integrated with OneDrive which is good news for anyone using the software's drafting tools. In addition, you have a feature called Personal Vault, which gives you an added layer of protection. There's an app for Android and iOS devices, and there's even one in the App Store for Mac users (although it has received mixed reviews). Price: 5GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.50, around AU$2.9). 1TB for $7 a month (£5.99, around AU$11). Unlimited (as part of Onedrive for Business) for $10 a month (£7.99, around AU$14) If you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud, you'll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals iCloud prices are very reasonable. The Mac Finder app integrates iCloud Drive, where you can store any files you wish. Documents created in the iWork office suite are also saved to iCloud and can sync across your devices. Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the official client, and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website. Price: 5GB free. 50GB for $0.99 a month (£0.79, AU$1.49). 200GB for $2.99 (£2.24, AU$4). 2TB for $9.99 (£8, AU$13) Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. You can also store high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google's own office suite (now known as G Suite). Also, upgrading to paid Google Drive plans is now called Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region). Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn't very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily. Price: 15GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.59, around AU$2.50). 200GB for $2.99 a month (£2.35, around AU$4.10). 2TB for $9.99 a month (£8, around AU$13). 10TB for $99.99 a month (£74, around AU$130). 20TB for $199.99 a month (£148, around AU$260). 30TB for $299.99 a month (£236, around AU$426). NextCloud isn’t an online cloud storage provider itself, but offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer. If you've no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured NextCloud Box (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. Unfortunately, NextCloud Box is sold out but you can check out the alternatives on their website Price: Free to install and use. Self-hosting so storage costs vary. SpiderOak is part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers. The website claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there's no way to confirm this. The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can't upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees. Price: 21-day free trial. 150GB for $6 a month (around £4.5, AU$8.25). 400GB for $11 a month (around £8.4, AU$15). 2TB for $14 a month (around £10.7, AU$19.25). 5TB for $29 a month (around £22.1, AU$39.9) Best free cloud storageFree storage allowance: 15GB (expandable) If you're a Google user, you already benefit from Google Drive integration, such as the ability to save email attachments from Gmail. However, anyone can sign up for the free cloud storage, even if they don't have a Gmail address, by creating a new Google account. Google is also in a process of releasing Google One as a sort of substitution for Google Drive, although depending on your region it might not be available yet. With 15GB of space for new users, Google Drive is one of the more generous cloud offerings, and there are occasional ways to boost this capacity free of charge. The catch is that this Google storage space is also shared with a user’s other Google services including Gmail and Google Photos. Mobile apps are available to allow easy access for iOS and Android users, and Google’s Backup and Sync desktop app lets you synchronize files from your PC to the cloud. Google Drive also includes online office tools for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations which can makes sharing files with others effortless. Image credit: Microsoft Like Google Drive's appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services. There's neat integration with Outlook.com, for instance. It's also integrated with non-Microsoft services like AutoCAD. OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows 10, and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move. It's possible to share files with other people even if they aren't OneDrive users (complete with customizable permissions), and the ability to edit files online without downloading them is a welcome touch. Free storage allowance: 5GB Coming from Microsoft – a company with plenty of money to throw at the cloud – it's a little disappointing to find that OneDrive doesn’t include more space free of charge. Free users get a mere 5GB of storage, although it's relatively inexpensive to increase this to 50GB. If you have Office 365, you'll automatically get boosted to 1TB of space, but not everyone wants an Office subscription. Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) You might not recognize the name, but if you're looking for a decent chunk of cloud storage free of charge, pCloud could be just the ticket. To kick things off, you're given a fairly generous 10GB to play with, and there's a bandwidth allowance of 50GB of downlink traffic per month. While we're primarily interested in the free version of pCloud, note that you can upgrade to 500GB of space for a monthly plan of $4.99 (£3.70), or 2TB for $9.99 (£7.50) a month – both of which are great deals for storage. You also have annual and lifetime plans, which are a cheaper option in the long run. The initial 10GB free offering can also be expanded up to 20GB via an additional 4GB for completion of offers, as well as referrals that add 1GB each. It’s also worth noting that pCloud offers well-designed desktop and mobile apps that supplement the website for seamless integration into a user’s workflow. With no limit on file sizes, and simple sharing options, pCloud is a great way to send large files to friends and colleagues – it's even possible to share with people who aren't using the service themselves. Add in decent streaming options and a neat online interface, and pCloud is well worth a look. Free storage allowance: 2GB (expandable) Dropbox is a stalwart of the free cloud storage world, with a web interface that remains streamlined and easy-to-use. Despite its popularity, Dropbox actually has one of the least generous free packages for new users (just 2GB), but there are various ways to boost this space without paying, including inviting friends to join (you get 500MB per referral up to 16GB), completing the Getting Started guide (250MB) and contributing to the Dropbox forum (which elicits 1GB per 'Mighty Answer' provided). DropBox really comes into its own when you start delving into the service’s extra features. There's a great collaborative working tool called Dropbox Paper that acts as a group workspace, and – if you install the desktop app – you can back up photos automatically. The File Requests feature also allows you to request another user to upload a file to your Dropbox account. Additionally, a feature called Dropbox Rewind lets you restore folders or your entire account to a specific point in time. There are desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, and mobile apps including Android, iOS and even Kindle. This gives Dropbox broad appeal, as does the support for third-party apps and services. The web version of Dropbox lets you edit files without needing to download them, and really the only thing that counts against the cloud storage service is that most alternatives offer more space to free users. Image credit: MediaFire Free storage allowance: 10GB (expandable) MediaFire has been around for over a decade, and those years of experience really show. You're given 10GB of free space initially, but you can boost this by an extra 40GB through activities like referring friends and following MediaFire's social media accounts. Few people would disagree that 50GB of free cloud storage is impressive. Free accounts carry ads, but this is a small sacrifice to make. There's support for large files up to 20GB, and the sharing options are very impressive, even allowing sharing with non-users. The web-based interface is excellent too, and MediaFire offers mobile apps for convenient uploading and downloading on iOS and Android. These make it easy to access files you're storing in the cloud, and include convenient features such as automatic photo syncing. Best business cloud storageSpiderOak is a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service founded in 2007. The platform allows users to access, synchronize and share data using a cloud-based server. The company places a strong emphasis on data security and privacy. They offer a cloud storage, online backup and sharing service which they claim uses a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment. This means the client is the only one who can view all stored data. Not even SpiderOak themselves have access to your data. SpiderOak’s main focus is on privacy and security. As a result, the tool itself has a very basic design. This makes the admin console and all central device management very straightforward to use. They also include a handy drag and drop feature for organising files. From the centralized device management dashboard, users can access settings for all applications such as backup selection and sharing. The dashboard also allows users to manage their accounts, set group permissions and gain insight into usage. Prospective business clients will need to contact SpiderOak’s Sales Team directly to obtain a quote. 500 users minimum is required. Online commentators have observed that SpiderOak lacks many of the collaboration tools available from other cloud storage providers. Tresorit is a cloud storage provider based in Hungary and Switzerland. It was founded in 2011. The provider emphasizes enhanced security and data encryption for businesses and personal users alike. If you are concerned with ensuring that your stored data is kept safe online then Tresorit is the service for you. This provider allows you to keep control of your files through ‘zero-knowledge encryption’ meaning that only you and the chosen few you decide to share with can ever see your data. Your Tresorit account can also be secured by two-factor authentication login and you can choose where to keep company data with Data Residency Options. Furthermore, you also have features like Document Scanner which securely scans and uploads documents directly to Tresorit. Tresorit’s ‘Small Business’ Packages starts at $25 (£19.60) per month (or $20 monthly for the annual plan) for teams with 2-9 users. This includes 1000GB encrypted storage, secure access on up to 10 devices and synching of existing folder structure. Tresorit’s ‘Business’ plan begins at $30 (£23.30) per month (or $24 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with over 10 users. This comes with extras such as digital rights management, remote wipe and phone support. At the time of writing there is a 50% discount on "Business plan", so you can pay as low as $12 (£9.4) per month For Enterprise solutions, users will need to contact Tresorit directly. Extras included in this are personalized staff training, admin API and on-premises deployment. All tiers come with a 14-day free trial. The extra security offered by Tresorit makes it relatively expensive compared to other cloud backup solutions. However, most users will probably appreciate the greater piece of mind and extra features offered by Tresorit. Egnyte was founded in 2007. The company provides software for enterprise file synchronization and sharing. Egnyte allows businesses to store their data locally and online. All types of data can be stored in the cloud, whilst data of a more sensitive nature can be stored on servers on-premise. This makes for better security. Business teams can work how and where they want with an easy to use collaboration system through Egnyte’s content services platform. Egnyte integrates with popular industry applications such as Office 365 or Gmail. This allows both remote and internal employees to access all files with ease. Egnyte’s ‘Office’ plan starts at $8 (£6.21) per employee per month. This covers 5-25 employees, 5TB of storage and 10GB max file size. The ‘Business’ packages starts at $20 (£15.7) per employee per month. This includes 25-100 employees, 10TB online storage and 10GB max file size. In order to take advantage of their ‘Enterprise tier’, which includes over 100 employees, 25GB max file size and unlimited storage, you will need to contact Egnyte directly. Egnyte offer a 15-day free trial for all packages. Users have observed that some files, such as photos, can take a long time to load. Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage providers. It was founded in 2007. To date it is one of the simplest storage providers to use. Dropbox can be installed on most computers or devices and syncs easily between apps. The app can store almost any kind of file while never having any issues with compatibility. You can drag and drop files into the desktop app with ease. You can also share files with other users easily through links. These can be shared with users who don’t have a Dropbox account. Also, teams can make use out of Dropbox spaces, which transforms folders into collaborative workspaces. Furthermore, with Dropbox Transfer you can send up to 100 GB of files in just a few clicks. As Dropbox has been around for a long time it integrates with most other apps such as MS Office and Slack. All files and folders can be shared with other users even if they are not part of your account. These users will be limited to their own plan's storage limits. Dropbox Business can be connected to your personal account so you can access all your files in once place. Personal account feature "automatic camera upload" is now also available to Business accounts, as of November 2018. The dashboard is simple and easy to use. From here, admins can see how many team members they have as well as any pending invites. You can restrict sharing, and allow/block commenting as you see fit. The dashboard allows you to access settings and to monitor usage. Dropbox offers a 30-day free trial which asks for your payment details. Your plan will automatically upgrade after the trial at which point your card is charged. The ‘Standard’ plan starts at $12.50 (£9.71) per user per month starting at 3 users and includes 3TB storage. The ‘Advanced’ package begins at $20 (£15.70) per user per month with unlimited storage. In order to subscribe to the ‘Enterprise’ tier, users will need to contact Dropbox directly. Some users have commented on the lack of online editing tools.
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| Leaked Intel Rocket Lake-S benchmark hints at 4.3GHz boost clock Posted: 04 Jun 2020 09:35 AM PDT Intel's 10th-generation Comet Lake CPU lineup may have just made its debut, but a processor from the chipmaker's upcoming 11th-generation Rocket Lake-S lineup has already surfaced in benchmarks. The leaked benchmark, shared by Twitter tipster TUM_APISAK, suggests the top-end Rocket Lake-S CPU will 8-cores and 16-threads, in line with previous rumours that Intel wouldn't launch a 10-core variant. The processor, which is expected to bring an architecture change from Skylake for the first time in five years, is listed as having a base clock of 3.2GHz and boost clock of 4.3GHz, though given this is an early engineering sample, these figures are undoubtedly subject to change.
The Rocket Lake-S chip has also been put through its paces in the 3DMark Fire Strike and Time Spy tests. In the former, the CPU scored an overall score of 1746 points, with the graphics score coming in at 1895 and the physics score at 18989 for a combined score of 592 points. For Time Spy, the overall score comes in at 605, with a CPU score of 4963 points and a graphics score of 524. Rocket Lake-S rumorsThese scores are far from what you’d expect from a top-of-the-line Intel CPU; the Time Spy score puts the Rocket Lake-S in the same range as the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and Intel Core 17 7000K. However, that's no doubt because the CPU benchmarked is an early engineering sample. Though Rocket Lake will continue to be based on 14nm, it's expected that Intel's upcoming incoming Willow Cave architecture - which will also be used for Tiger Lake CPUs - will deliver decent IPC (instructions per clock) gains, with early rumors suggesting a boost of up to 25%. Intel's Rocket Lake-S chips are also rumored to work with the chipmaker's new Z490 motherboards, will boast PCIe 4.0 support and will benefit from the new Intel Xe graphics architecture. The early emergence of benchmark scores has some speculating that Intel’s 11th-gen CPUs could show as soon as late-2020, though given Comet Lake has only just arrived, this seems unlikely to us. And, a leaked roadmap has appeared, courtesy of VideoCardz, that further suggests that 2020 is going to come and go without an 11th Gen Rocket Lake launch. Though Intel has yet to confirm details, it's more likely a launch in the first half of 2021 is on the cards. Via Tom's Hardware This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New AirPods Pro-style TicPods ditch previous model's most promising feature Posted: 04 Jun 2020 09:27 AM PDT Mobvoi, the company best known for its TicWatch smartwatches, has announced its latest pair of true wireless earbuds, the TicPods ANC. The new wireless earbuds come with active noise-cancellation like the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3, but don't share the same high prices as these models, coming in at just $89.99 / £79.99 / AU$138.99.
A button on the back of each bud allows you to toggle between three different noise-cancellation models, including Quiet Mode, Sound-Passthrough Mode, and ANC-off Mode. Like the AirPods Pro, these earbuds come with silicone eartips, which Mobvoi says "seal off your ears from ambient noise even if you are not using ANC function". Each earbud can be used independently of one and other, and Mobvoi says that the TicPods ANC will "automatically connect to your device, if previously paired, by using Bluetooth 5.0, the latest version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard". Battery life isn't great, judging by the specs. Mobvoi says that you'll get four-and-a-half hours of continuous music playback with ANC on, and five hours with it switched off. That on-board life is about the same as the AirPods Pro, but the charging case only offers a further 10 hours of juice – Apple's charging case offers double this amount. Strangely, Mobvoi hasn't offered much information on the kind of audio quality we can expect from the TicPods ANC. Hopefully the new wireless earbuds offer an improvement upon the TicPods 2 Pro, which despite having an exceptionally wide soundstage, really lacked in warmth and richness, particularly in the mid and bass frequencies. Where are the TicPods ANC smart features?Somewhat disappointingly though, the TicPods ANC don't some of the most promising features of its predecessors, the TicPods Pro, including Mobvoi's own artificial intelligence technologies TicHear and TicMotion. TicHear allows you to control your audio playback with your voice, without needing to use a wake word to summon your voice assistant of choice, whether that's Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. We found that this feature worked really well when we tested the TicPods 2 Pro – less successful however, was TicMotion. This feature allows you to control voice calls by moving your head, thanks to built-in motion sensors – that means you can nod your head to accept a call, or shake to decline. But when trying to accept phone calls using these gestures, we found the tech frequently didn’t work – even so, we're disappointed that Mobvoi hasn't developed this feature further, as it could really differentiate its earbuds from the competition.
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| The Witcher season 2: release date, cast, Vesemir and what we know Posted: 04 Jun 2020 09:17 AM PDT The Witcher season 2 is in the works on Netflix, continuing the stories of Geralt of Rivia, Ciri and Yennefer. In the next season of the fantasy series based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski, expect more monster hunting and world-shifting political machinations. The Witcher season 1 was a massive success on Netflix, and one of the best Netflix shows of recent years. The Witcher season 2 release date will be 2021, though no more specifics have been announced on that front yet. If the first season's confusing timeframe jumps weren't to your tastes, The Witcher season 2 will be told in a much more linear fashion, making it easier to follow the stories of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer. The Witcher season 2 began filming in early 2020, but production is currently on hold for obvious reasons. That said, a recent news item points towards a timeframe in 2021 for the second season's release – read on for more. Here's everything we know about The Witcher season 2's release date, cast, new characters, story, trailer and more.
The Witcher season 2 release date: August 2021?The Witcher 2 season release date will be in 2021, but an official date hasn't been revealed by Netflix yet – and won't be for a long time. On the subject of release dates, Lauren S. Hissrich said in a Reddit AMA that "We don't yet have a target launch date for season 2, past 2021." Still, we may now be able to narrow it down, based on intel from Redanian Intelligence. Still, the reason we could expect The Witcher season 2 release date to be August 2021 is based on a report by Platige Image, a special effects company behind season 1 and 2. The report from April 27 said its work on all eight episodes of The Witcher season 2 is due July 2021. Their work for season 1 was due November 2019, and the show launched a month later. Still, that could change based on this year's events. Filming for The Witcher season 2 started in February 2020 in London, Scotland, and parts of Eastern Europe, but it was put on hold as ex-Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju tested positive for Covid-19 – he's now recovered, thankfully. Production hasn't restarted yet, though it's possible filming could begin again in late summer. So expect The Witcher season 2 release date in 2021, even if the exact timing is murky. The Witcher season 2 cast: new and returning cast members, including VesemirHenry Cavill (Geralt), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) are all set to return for The Witcher season 2. The full cast for the show has now been revealed by Netflix, in fact. Three new witchers are apparently joining the cast: Lambert, played by Paul Bullion, and Coën, played by Yasen Atour (Netflix only announced that both had joined the cast, while Redanian Intelligence reported they're witchers). This has created the expectation that The Witcher season 2 will take us to Kaer Morhen, where witchers are trained. Could we see Ciri completing her training here, too? In May 2020, Redanian Intelligence rumored the third new witcher coming in The Witcher season 2: Hemrik, played by Joel Adrian. Killing Eve's Kim Bodnia plays witcher trainer, Vesemir and Kristofer Hivju – best known as Game of Thrones' Tormund Giantsbane – will play Nivellen. Other new castings include Mecia Simson as Francesca, Thue Ersted Rasmussen as Eskel, Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia and Agnes Bjorn as Vereena. Deadline reports that Carmel Laniado has joined the cast as a young character called Violet for at least three episodes. Returning characters from season one include – thank the heavens – Jaskier (Joey Batey) and Triss (Anna Shaffer). Eamon Farren will be back as Cahir, too. Other familiar faces from season one will include Tissaia (MyAnna Buring), Filavandrel (Tom Canton), Stregobor (Lars Mikkelson), Artorius (Terence Maynard), Sabrina (Therica Wilson Read), Murta (Lilly Cooper), Yarpen Zigrin (Jeremy Crawford) and Istredd (Royce Pierreson). That wraps up The Witcher season 2 cast we know about so far. Characters from The Witcher games look like they're destined for The Witcher season 2, too. Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia, introduced in the game Thronebreaker: The Witcher tales, is reportedly part of the second season. The Witcher season 2 will have entirely different directors to season one, and Netflix has confirmed who they are:
The Witcher season 2 trailer: is there one yet?Sadly not. Since filming is still relatively early, don't expect Netflix to release a trailer until 2021. The Witcher season 2 story: what we know, and what happens in the booksA big talking point of The Witcher season 1 was how it told stories in multiple places and across a non-linear timeline (though the now-released official Witcher map and Witcher timeline really help) resulting in a multi-tale anthology of sorts. In an interview with Vulture, Hissrich said that while she believes she didn't give the audience too much credit – "the audience is incredibly smart" – she had "misunderstood what everyone was looking for in their entertainment". She said "I love to be challenged when I'm watching TV," but conceded that that wasn't the case for everyone. However, season one's climax brought all the separate threads together nicely, priming The Witcher season 2 for a simpler plot. Hissrich has confirmed that Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer exist in the same timeline now, so their stories will be told simultaneously. "That’s where we ended season one. That’s absolutely where we will pick up in season two. The stories will be told in a much more linear fashion. They won’t all be one story. It’s not like all three are together and happy all the time. But, I do want to employ some different ways to look at time series-wide." That doesn't mean we won't see any of the episodic Geralt monster-hunting adventures that we loved in season 1. Hissrich will be mining "different short stories" for The Witcher season 2, and suggests the chance of flashback scenes. Ciri will be "center stage" in season 2, apparently. In the books, Ciri's story makes up the central plot of 'the saga'. The saga covers five books, starting with Blood of Elves, and centers on Ciri, her importance as a magical royal with Elven heritage, her relationship with Geralt, her ongoing efforts to survive, and how all this shapes events on The Continent. The setup for this has already begun, as the very start of Blood of Elves is covered in season 1 by the siege, the downfall of Cintra, and Ciri's subsequent escape. Elsewhere, expect to see more of life under Nilfgaardian rule in season 2, as tensions between humans and non-humans rise. The grand location of Kaer Morhen should appear prominently in The Witcher season 2 as well. This is the ancestral home and stronghold of the witchers, and Geralt is required to take Ciri to the fortress for protection and training. Here, he takes closer guardianship of Ciri, becoming a father figure. With the appearance of a mysterious, powerful wizard - also pursuing Ciri – some more war, prophecies, dark magic and, of course, monster hunting, in mind, season 2 begins to sound promising. In terms of story specifics, Redania Intelligence claims that another short story from The Last Wish will appear. This short story, A Grain of Truth, features Geralt meeting the cursed man, Nivellen (who we now know is played by Hivju), who has been turned into a beast. Asked by Pure Fandom for a teaser on season 2, Hissrich had this to say: "Without spoilers, I will say that there’s a crop of new monsters, a new cost to magic, and new and unexpected pairings of our favorite characters." Expect to see more from magical villainess Fringilla, too. When asked by Vulture, Hissrich confirmed that "you will absolutely get more Fringillla [...] we're digging deeper into her past and how she ended up at Nilfgaard, who she is as a person, and how she and Yennefer ended up on such different paths." In other words, expect more metal mind-control earworms. Ugh. Check out an image from The Witcher season 2 set above. Other changes are coming next year, too. The wrinkly Nilfgaardian armor, which some fans on the internet didn't like, will be changed in season 2 as well. Hissrich told Flickering Myth's Writer Experience podcast that, "the Nilfgaard armor will be totally different. You have that opportunity [in season two] to go back and course correct if you want to. The Witcher season 2 will be accompanied by a Witcher animated movieIn addition to The Witcher season 2, an anime-style Witcher movie has been announced for Netflix called The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. No release date has been set for that one yet, but we expect it before season 2 arrives. It'll be written by Beau DeMayo (who scripted episode 3 of The Witcher season one), and it focuses on Vesemir, Geralt's mentor. He'll be familiar to anyone who knows the games and the books. It'll be animated by Studio Mir, which was behind the acclaimed Legend of Korra series. The story will take us "back to a new threat facing the Continent." Now we know Kim Bodnia is playing Vesemir in The Witcher season 2, our prediction is he'll voice him here too. An official synopsis was added to Netflix for Nightmare of the Wolf, which was later pulled. "Long before mentoring Geralt, Vesemir begins his own journey as a witcher after the mysterious Delgan claims him through the Law of Surprise." The Witcher season 3 looks likely, tooThe Witcher could run on Netflix for a long time. Hissrich claims to have thought out ideas for a massive seven seasons. And we're pretty certain there's enough source material left for that to be viable. We've got the entirety of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer's stories to play out. It takes them across The Continent to a rich variety of locations, and introduces us to some of the best fantasy characters around. Ciri's development is a great basis for future tales in The Witcher universe that combine themes of family and love, and mystery and magic. The Witcher feels like it's here to stay on NetflixThe first season of The Witcher shrugged off the idea that it was just here to replace Game of Thrones. It confidently told stories in its own way and presented a fantasy world that has already captures people's imaginations. And, while we are unlikely to see much spillover from the games - they are not really canon according to Sapkowski but rather a "free adaptation containing elements of [his] work" - we know fans will enjoy various subtle references to the series, as they did in season 1. Hissrich and company aren't in the business of rushing this out. Hissrich said that the series would need time: "We don't want to rush the product. That doesn't benefit anyone." If it's as good as season 1, it'll be worth the wait. If it'll help pass the time until season 2, you can listen to the official version of 'Toss a Coin to your Witcher' on Spotify.
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| Huawei P40 Pro with EMUI 10.1 is Android and then some Posted: 04 Jun 2020 08:42 AM PDT The Huawei P40 Pro is the ultimate camera phone; a cutting edge speedster, whether 3D gaming or streaming shows over lightning-fast, 5G mobile data; and it's a stunningly designed, premium glass and metal marvel. The true brilliance of the P40-series and new Huawei phones shines through when you fire up the software though. Built on Android, EMUI 10.1, Huawei's rich interface runs Android apps, and is packed with more features than traditional Android smartphones. Despite the fact Huawei isn't working with Google in the same way anymore, EMUI 10.1 is still pretty slick. To really understand all the facts about Huawei, and how to get the most of your new Huawei device, it makes sense we explore the P40 Pro and EMUI 10.1 together. First things first - the P40 ProInspired by water, the P40 Pro's Quad-Curve Overflow Display spills over all four sides of the phone. When you pick it up and your thumb swipes in over the edge of the screen, everything feels seamless - no corners; just smooth, rich, curvaceous glass and metal. Speaking of smooth, the Pro's 90 Hz high-refresh-rate OLED screen glides, so your scrolls and swipes feel instantaneous. In turn, using it is both a visual and tactile treat. Thanks to its Kirin 990 5G chipset, Huawei's flagship packs power, advanced AI capability and speedy 5G network speeds; and as for its camera, simply put, it's best in class. Apps and servicesGetting apps from your old phone to your new one is a breeze. It all starts with Huawei's Phone Clone software, which copies almost all your apps to your new P40 Pro, whether you're coming from an Android device or an iPhone. This also takes care of contacts, photos, music and more, speeding up the setup process so you can focus on getting on with life. Once set up, you'll have most of your apps on board, but when you need more, there are a handful of easy, comprehensive ways to get new apps onto your P40 Pro. The first is Huawei's app store, the AppGallery. It features favourites like Amazon Shopping, Deliveroo, Microsoft Office, Snapchat, TikTok, Tinder, Zoom and many, many more. AppGallery also manages updates and is your main destination for games. Next, Petal Search - Find Apps is a new tool from Huawei that acts as a gateway to a million apps. Smarter than your average app finder, it scours the web and multiple app sources, so you can quickly, easily install apps like Facebook and WhatsApp to name a few in moments - even if you won’t find them in the AppGallery. Petal Search also doubles up as a comprehensive search engine for everything from news to images and more. Available as a standalone app, preinstalled on new Huawei phones, or downloadable from the AppGallery, it can also be used as a handy widget, so you can access a world of apps from your home screen. What about Google services like Gmail, Maps and YouTube? These won't copy over with Phone Clone, and aren't available in the AppGallery. However, you can easily use these as web apps, which can act like traditional apps - all accessible through shortcuts on your home screen. Creating web app shortcuts is simple - just open up the Browser, navigate to youtube.com, for example, hit the three dots in the top right and select 'Add to home screen'. Once done, you'll see a shortcut to the service, complete with the Maps, or YouTube logo, so you can access any service as you would a traditional app. APKs and App StoresBeing an Android phone, you can also install APK files on Huawei phones and tablets. APK app files are the Android equivalent of .exe files on Windows computers, or .dng files on Macs. Simply open them, and they install in moments. EMUI 10.1 highlightsEMUI 10.1 is loaded with features designed to make your life easier. Take the Muti-Window dock; just slide in from either side of the screen to access it. Next, drag an app into view to launch a split-screen working, so you can use two apps at once. Richer than standard multi-tasking, with EMUI 10.1, you can drag and drop images, text or even files across two different apps, taking full advantage of the P40 Pro's ample power and screen. Want to quickly do something in another app without leaving the one you’re in? The Multi-Window dock can also fire up a floating window, for desktop-like efficiency on your phone. To activate it, simply tap an app in the dock, and a pop-up window appears - intuitive, efficient and seamless. Huawei share and moreThe benefits of EMUI 10.1 over stock Android also extend to ways Huawei phones, tablets and laptops communicate with one another. Huawei Share, for example, supports fast sending and receiving of files without a cable or an internet connection - and if you have a Huawei MateBook, you can take connectivity to a whole new level. With your MateBook and P40 Pro switched on, tap a contact point on your laptop with the back of your phone to control your phone on your MateBook, wirelessly. The ultimate in efficiency, you can do everything you need to across two devices with just one screen. This incredible multi-screen experience even lets you drag and drop files from phone to computer, share your clipboard across devices and send photos taken on your phone in moments. In turn, whatever you need to do, whether it takes DSLR-grade photos on your phone, use Gmail, surf the web, watch YouTube, power through high-octane 3D games, stream over 5G, or work seamlessly across your smartphone, laptop and tablet, you can with the P40 Pro and EMUI 10.1. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Amazon just bought 12 new aircraft to speed up your Prime deliveries Posted: 04 Jun 2020 08:22 AM PDT Your Amazon Prime deliveries could soon get even speedier after the company revealed a major expansion to its logistics network. The Amazon Air arm of the business has acquired 12 new cargo aircraft as it looks to deal with the increased demand for deliveries during the global pandemic. The converted Boeing 767-300 cargo planes, leased from the Air Transport Services Group, will be put into service soon, with one aircraft set to go into service this month, and the rest of the new additions starting in 2021.
Amazon Air“Amazon Air is critical to ensuring fast delivery for our customers – both in the current environment we are facing, and beyond,” Sarah Rhoads, Vice President of Amazon Global Air said in a statement. “During a time when so many of our customers rely on us to get what they need without leaving their homes, expanding our dedicated air network ensures we have the capacity to deliver what our customers want: great selection, low prices and fast shipping speeds.” The move brings the Amazon Air fleet to 80 aircraft in total, with the craft not only delivering consumer goods, but business products too. This has recently included transporting essential PPE supplies for Amazon employees, frontline health workers and relief organisations across the U.S. The company added that it was also expanding the Amazon Air ground network, with a new regional hub opening in Florida later this summer, and a further facility at San Bernardino International Airport opening next year. Launched in 2016, Amazon Air already has operations out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It will also look to open a new central Amazon Air Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021.
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| Apple sale: the Apple Watch 3 gets a massive $150 price cut at Verizon Posted: 04 Jun 2020 07:55 AM PDT Starting today, Verizon is offering a massive $150 discount on the best-selling Apple Watch 3 with your iPhone purchase. That brings the cost down to $149.99, which is the lowest price we've seen for the Series 3 smartwatch. To snag this fantastic deal, you must add the Apple Watch and iPhone with monthly device payments to your cart. After you activate the watch or smartphone on a new line of service, your promo credit will be applied to your account for over 24 months. Verizon's iPhone selection includes everything from the all-new iPhone SE to older budget models like the iPhone 7. You can see all of Verizon's iPhone offers here. Apple Watch deal:Discover more Apple sales with the best iPhone 11 and 11 Pro deals, the best cheap Apple Watch prices and deals, and the best iPhone SE deals. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nokia uses liquid cooling to slash 5G base station energy usage Posted: 04 Jun 2020 07:40 AM PDT Nokia and Finnish operator Elisa say liquid cooling has reduced 5G base station energy costs by 30 per cent and slashed CO2 emissions by 80 per cent. The deployment in Helsinki claims to be a world first and is cited by Nokia as an example of how the technology can help mobile operators reduce their operating expenses and achieve sustainability targets. Around 90 per cent of energy consumed by base stations are converted to waste heat but the ability to re-use that heat results in significant reductions in emissions.
Nokia 5G coolingOn top of that, liquid-cooled sites require no maintenance and can be 50 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than standard units. Base station components could also last longer when compared to conventional deployments. The issue of base station operating expenses and maintenance requirements will be amplified in the 5G era because operators will have to densify their networks with greater numbers of base stations and microinfrastructure like small cells. Such densification is necessary if operators are able to fulfil the capacity and ultra-low latency requirements of revolutionary 5G use cases such as Artificial Intelligence applications. Higher costs could affect 5G investments by operators, ultimately impacting consumers and businesses. “Nokia was first to introduce a liquid-cooled base station with the 2G, 3G and 4G base stations with Elisa in Finland,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia. “Now we have demonstrated the world’s first liquid-cooled AirScale 5G base station in commercial operations, making liquid cooling a reality for all network generations. This innovative solution supports operators in their quest to be more environmentally responsible while allowing them to achieve significant cost savings.” Nokia says it has delivered zero-emission products to more than 150 customers and is committed to reducing emissions by 41 per cent by 2030. It notes that in 2019, customer base stations that have been modernised consumed 46 per cent less energy than sites that hadn’t been upgraded. The company is positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for 5G, capable of providing kit for the radio, transport and core layers of next generation networks. It is especially pushing its ‘AirScale’ platform (and features like dual connectivity) as a way for operators to maximise their spectrum assets. Nokia says procuring equipment, software and services from a single vendor can reduce total cost of ownership by more than 20 per cent and reduce time to market by at least 30 per cent when compared to a multi-vendor strategy. However, the high cost of developing 5G technology and intense competition in the sector has resulted in the firm cutting its financial outlooks and pausing dividends in recent times. This has led to speculation that Nokia was exploring a merger or possible sale of assets, while reports have suggested the company was preparing to guard itself against any hostile takeover attempt.
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| Best photo editor 2020: 10 options to kickstart your creativity Posted: 04 Jun 2020 07:38 AM PDT If you're hunting for the best photo editor software of 2020 - you've come to the right place. Photo editors have become increasingly common, especially on mobile devices for the basic editing of photos. However, if you're a design professional you'll need the best photo editor software, which means something far more advanced than most general users will normally use. There are a number of professional photo editing suites available, and Photoshop has long been seen as the market leader. However, while Photoshop offers a comprehensive set of tools for photo manipulation, it doesn't offer other features such as cataloging your image library of feed your creative ideas, which other packages may offer. Additionally, Photoshop is no longer so much of a standalone tool kit but part of a wider creative cloud offering bundled with other Adobe products as well. Meanwhile, competitors have created alternatives that can deliver better tools, better organisation, better inspiration or just better value. Our list of the best photo editor choices are not in any particular order, since each program has its own strengths, so make sure you keep going to the end of the list, because there’s something here for everyone. However, we don't think you'll stop with just the best photo editor, but will also need other software tools and hardware to help you. So you might also want to check out the following guides too: In the meantime, here are the best photo editor options we think are currently available. Best photo editor 2020 - at a glancePhotoshop is still the go-to image-editing tool for artists, illustrators and designers. Photoshop’s layering, masking and retouching tools are still the standard by which all others are judged, but it’s designed for painstaking work on single images, or multi-layer composites, rather than quick day-to-day editing. However, rather than a standalone platform, these days it's available through the Adobe Cloud photography plan, which offers Lightroom as an additional option. Both work well together, with Photoshop handling complex layers-based image manipulation while Lightroom takes care of takes care of organizing and enhancing your photos. Adobe's Photography Plan offers great tools with good value and takes some beating. For many, though, the idea of paying a subscription to use software is just too much to swallow, which is why we’re going to move swiftly on to the rest of our list. Capture One Pro covers almost exactly the same territory as Adobe Lightroom Classic, offering cataloging tools, seamless raw processing, manual image enhancement tools alongside preset effects and a non-destructive workflow that means you can revisit your adjustments at any time. Its raw conversions are sharper and less noisy than Adobe’s, but it doesn’t support such a wide range of camera raw formats or as large a number of lens correction profiles. It doesn’t have Adobe’s mobile apps and online synchronization options either, but it does offer professional-grade ‘tethering’ tools for studio photographers capturing images via a computer. Capture One Pro also has a better system for applying local adjustments, using adjustment layers and masks. It’s expensive, but very, very good. Serif built its reputation off the back of low-cost Windows versions of professional graphics tools, but with its new Affinity line it’s shaken off its budget past for good. Affinity Photo might have a budget price, but it’s a full-on, full-powered Photoshop rival for professionals, that can even teach its Adobe equivalent a trick or two. Its layering, masking and retouching tools are as powerful as Photoshop’s, its filter effects can be applied ‘live’ and its HDR tone mapping and workspace tools are excellent. Like Photoshop, though, it’s focused solely on in-depth, technical image manipulation. It doesn’t have its own browsing and cataloguing tools and it doesn’t do instant preset effects. Affinity Photo will bring the tools, but you have to bring the vision. Exposure X5 offers blends old analog 'looks' with contemporary photo enhancement tools. It has a large catalog of antique and modern film effects that simulate fading, cross processing, grain, light leaks, vignetting, borders and a whole range of traditional films and processing techniques. These are all built using tools that can also be used for regular image enhancements, including curves, color adjustments and more. But while it offers adjustment layers for ’stacking’ and blending corrections, you can’t combine images. What you do get, though, is a fast and effective folder-browsing system for organizing your photos with all the power of filtering and keyword searches without the fuss of importing them into a catalog. Luminar takes an interesting approach to photo editing, offering a collection of preset effects organised into categories for those who just want to apply an instant ‘look’. These are made using a collection of filters which you can combine at will to create presets of your own. It also introduces the idea of custom workspaces which you can set up for specific image types, like Black and White or Portraits. The raw conversions don’t quite match the quality of the big three – Adobe Capture One, DxO – but they do the job and they’re backed up by some great editing tools. Luminar supports both adjustment layers and image layers, so you can create Photoshop-style composite images. The big news is that Luminar offers image cataloging tools via Libraries and fully non-destructive editing so that you can go back and change any edit, any time. ON1 Photo RAW started out as ON1 Perfect Suite and has quickly evolved into a more modern, integrated program rather than a collection of plug-ins. It can still work as a plug-in for Lightroom and Photoshop, where you can browse the huge library of preset effects and manual adjustment filters to create ‘looks’ that the host programs can’t, but ON1 Photo RAW also works as a standalone program, complete with its own image browsing/cataloging tools. In fact, this could be the only photo editing tool you’ll ever need – though the interface text is quite small and the raw conversions don’t match the quality you get from Capture One and DxO PhotoLab. For power, value and spectacle, though, ON1 Photo RAW is terrific, and recent versions have added AI-powered image masking and cutouts. DxO Optics Pro, famous for its lab-derived lens correction profiles and awesome raw conversions, has evolved. DxO previously bought the Google Nik Collection and integrated the control point adjustment tools to bring out PhotoLab. The big difference between PhotoLab and Optics Pro is that you can now apply powerful localized adjustments to your images. PhotoLab doesn’t have its own cataloging tools, though it does have a basic folder browser, and to get the full benefit of its raw tools, perspective corrections (DxO ViewPoint) and film ‘looks’ (DxO FilmPack) you need to pay extra. It doesn’t support Fujifilm X-Trans files, either. PhotoLab’s raw conversions and lens corrections are, however, quite sublime.There is also a 'PhotoLibrary' feature with an autofill search tool, but this feature still feels fairly limited.
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| 5G in the UK: everything you need to know Posted: 04 Jun 2020 07:22 AM PDT 5G in the UK is here! Or, at least, it is in certain places, and we know when it will be in many, many more, which is half the battle. The 5G networks in the UK are launching in a very staggered manner, as some have been available since May 2019, while we're still waiting for others to roll out. Even with the networks that have launched, their 5G offerings aren't available nationwide, and on top of that most phones don't support 5G yet, so most people can't take advantage of the new, super-speedy connectivity yet. Thankfully we've got all the information you need to ensure a smooth transition onto the 5G superhighway. So grab your phone, buckle up and prepare to merge into the fast lane.
I want 5G right nowIf you're not interested in the nitty gritty and already have your heart set on a 5G phone and plan, we've collected the best 5G deals in the UK for you. EE was the first network to launch 5G in the UK on May 30, 2019, Vodafone 5G went live on July 3 and O2 followed up with an October 17, 2019 5G launch in the UK. We've also seen 5G launches from BT Mobile on October 11, 2019 and Sky Mobile on January 16, 2020. Then in February, Three was the last of the major networks to bring out its 5G offering. Whichever network you opt for you will need a new 5G phone and in most cases a new 5G contract to take advantage of it, as well as needing to live or work in an area that has 5G coverage. 5G on EEImage Credit: EE
EE 5G locations EE has now rolled out its 5G UK coverage to 80 towns and cities. EE's 5G cities so far are: London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast, Manchester, Cardiff, Bath, Bristol, Chelmsford, Coventry, Leicester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Lichfield, Lisburn, Newcastle, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield, Stirling Sunderland, Wakefield and Wolverhampton. And the towns with 5G from EE are: Ashton-under-Lyne, Birkenhead, Borehamwood , Bury, Bransholme, Castlereagh, Chatham, Cheshunt, Chesterfield, Clevedon, Clifton (Notts), Clydebank, Dartford, Dinnington, Dudley, Grays, Gillingham, Guildford, Hamilton, Hoddesdon, Harlow, Huddersfield, Inchinnan, Kimberley, Kingston-upon-Thames, Loughborough, Loughton, Maidstone, Milnrow, Motherwell, Newton-le-Willows, Northampton, North Shields, Oldham, Paisley, Potters Bar, Rochdale, Rochester, Romford, Rotherham, Rugeley (West Midlands), Solihull, Southend-on-Sea, South Shields, Staines-upon-Thames, Stevenage, Sutton Coldfield, Swadlincote , Sydenham, Walsall, Waltham Cross, Watford, West Bromwich, Westhoughton and Weybridge. However, EE's 5G coverage does not reach all areas of every city. We've tested it out in London, and found that it's not consistent. In areas where 5G is available though, we're consistently getting speeds of around 200Mbps (versus around 15-20Mbps on 4G devices). EE 5G devices EE has 12 5G smartphones for you to choose from at the moment. The cheapest option is the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G, while the priciest - by quite a distance - is the foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G. There are premium flagship phones which aren't as eye-wateringly expensive as the Fold, including the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and LG V50 ThinQ 5G. EE 5G speeds We got our hands on the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G on launch day and have been testing out the speed of EE's shiny new network. While top speeds of over 1Gbps are quoted, in reality we've seen speeds more consistently around the 200-400Mbps threshold - still comfortably faster than average 4G speeds. The fastest 5G speed we've managed to achieve in London is 550Mbps, and in that location we downloaded an hour long, 1GB, high quality video from Amazon Prime in 43 seconds. 5G on VodafoneImage Credit: Vodafone
Vodafone 5G locations Vodafone 5G is now live in 37 locations; Ambleside, Bebington, Belfast, Bishopbriggs, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Bristol and Gatwick Airport, Cardiff, Cheadle and Gately, Droylsden, Eccles, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guildford, Horwich, Huyton-with-Roby, Isle of Scilly, Kingswood, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Llandudno, London, Manchester, Mangotsfield, Newbury, Paisley, Penarth, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Prestwich, Reading, Rochdale, Salford, Solihull, Southampton, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Stretford, Wallasey, Warrington and Wolverhampton. Vodafone has also promised to bring 5G to a further locations including Blackpool and Bournemouth. It had previously said 5G would be available in these places by the end of 2019, but we're still waiting for confirmation it has been deployed. Vodafone 5G devices So far, Vodafone has 11 5G smartphones on offer, with the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy Fold, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Samsung Galaxy A90 5G and Huawei P40 Pro all available to buy now. 5G on Three UKImage Credit: Three UK
Three UK 5G locations Three's 5G network is now live in; Aberdeen, Abingdon-on-Thames, Aldershot, Aldridge, Balloch, Barrow-in-Furness, Basildon, Bath, Bedford, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Blackpool, Borehamwood, Bradford, Brighton, Brookmans Park, Cannock, Cardiff / Caerdydd, Chatham, Clayton-le-Woods, Coventry, Crawley, Cullingworth, Derby, Doncaster, Dundee, Glasgow, Gorebridge, Grays, Grimsby, Guildford, Heanor, Hedge End, Hemel Hempstead, Huddersfield, Inchinnan, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Leyland, Liverpool, London, Lower Stondon, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Motherwell, Neston, Newquay, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Peterborough, Plymouth, Preston, Reading, Redcar, Royston, Sheffield, Slough, St Albans, Stevenage, Swadlincote, Swindon, Telford, Westhoughton, Wickford and Wigan. There are a few notable locations missing from the map, like Edinburgh or Norwich, but it's likely Three will continue to roll out its 5G coverage over the course of 2020 and beyond. Three also claims it aims to provide 5G coverage to 80% of its network traffic in three years. Three UK 5G devices Three's 5G collection includes the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, Huawei Mate Xs, Huawei P40 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy A90 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. Three UK 5G cost Three plans offer 5G at no extra cost. Of course, 5G handsets are expensive in their very nature, with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, starting at £53 per month at the time of writing. 5G on O2Image Credit: O2
O2 5G locations O2's 5G network is live in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Chatham, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Lisburn, Liverpool, London, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, North Shields, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Slough, South Shields and Stoke. It also said it plans to spread its 5G network to 50 locations by summer 2020, which would include Milton Keynes and Brighton. O2 5G devices O2 currently offers the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Galaxy A90 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G and the Oppo Reno 5G in its 5G handset lineup. 5G on Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile 5G locations Sky Mobile initially launched its 5G service (which piggybacks on the O2 network) in 21 locations. The Sky Mobile 5G locations are; London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Leeds, Slough, Leicester, Lisburn, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford, Sheffield, Coventry, Nottingham, Norwich, Bristol, Derby, Stoke. Sky Mobile 5G devices Sky Mobile currently ranges the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Samsung Galaxy A90 5G and the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G. 5G on BT
BT 5G locations BT 5G is using EE's network, so it will be available where EE's 5G coverage is. Currently BT's site says it offers 5G in 20 towns and cities, but with EE 5G now available in 50 we'd expect BT to be the same. BT 5G devices BT's 5G phone lineup includes the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Huawei Mate 20 X 5G and Oppo Reno 5G. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| World's first 8K AVR could future-proof your home cinema setup – and it's not too pricey Posted: 04 Jun 2020 07:22 AM PDT Is your home cinema setup ready for an 8K TV? Even if you're planning to buy an 8K TV in the very near future, but one of Denon's new AVRs (Audio/Video Receiver) could be a great purchase if you want to future-proof your home cinema system. The new models – which are the world's first 8K-ready AV receivers – come with a range of configurations and prices, and they aren't as expensive as you may expect.
The cheapest of the new 8K AVRs is the Denon AVR-X2700H, which costs $849 / £599 (about AU$1,220) – though you could spend up to $2,499 / £2,299 for the flagship model, the AVR-X6700H. Pricing is still to be confirmed in Australia, and we'll be sure to update this article as soon as we have it. $850 / £600 is a lot of money to part with in any situation, but for the industry's first AVR capable of 8K upscaling? We're pleasantly surprised by that price, and judging by the specs, you get an awful lot for your money, including multi-room support, voice assistant compatibility, and support for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos. Gaming-readyDenon says that "8K is an exciting update and the new X-Series AVRs offer a suite of new features that home theatre enthusiasts, music lovers and gamers can implement straight away". To prepare for the adoption of 8K TVs in the home, all of the new Denon AVRs come with a dedicated 8K HDMI input, HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR support, and a new HDMI feature called Quick Media Switching, which "allows a source to instantly switch the resolution or frame rate to eliminate screen blackout". There's also support for HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and Dolby Vision, and the AVRs can also "upscale existing HD and 4K content to 8K so more people can experience the power of 8K resolution". Gamers haven't been forgotten, either. Denon says that 4K/120Hz pass through and Variable Refresh Rate can "reduce frame tearing and improve overall precision", while an Auto Low Latency Mode reduces lag. What about the sound?It's not just about the picture, of course. eArc support means that the X-Series AVRs can deliver "uncompressed and object-based audio from the TV to the receiver via a single HDMI cable". That means if you have Dolby Atmos speakers or a DTS:X-enabled soundbar, you'll be able to experience these 3D sound formats for immersive audio. You shouldn't have to tinker around with the settings too much to achieve this. Denon says that "TVs play video directly from TV apps at best available picture quality – either 4K or 8K – while the receiver identifies the best available surround format for decoding". If you already have HEOS-compatible speakers at home, like the Denon Home 150, you'll be able to stream music in multi-room groups. There's support for a range of streaming platforms, including Spotify, Amazon Music HD, and TIDAL, while the inclusion of both Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2 means you can stream Apple Music, too. If that's not enough for you, the new Denon AVRs also work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, for hands-free control. Denon says that you can use Amazon Alexa "for a variety of commands, including switching inputs for different media players", while the Google Assistant and Siri functionality is limited to adjusting the volume and music playback controls. So, even if you're not quite ready to deck out your home with an 8K TV, there are plenty of compelling features that could make one of the new Denon AVRs a great addition to your home cinema – here's hoping Denon can deliver on all of its promises. If it can, the entry-level Denon AVR-X2700H could easily earn a top spot on our list of the best AV receivers of 2020. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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