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Back when the original Surface Laptop launched back in 2017, it was a Windows 10 S-only device that didn’t make much sense in the tablet-focused Surface lineup. But, when the Surface Laptop 2 launched back in November, it refined the formula to become one of the best laptops. So, we want to know: what will the Surface Laptop 3 look like? Beyond the obvious stuff, like an upgrade to either Intel Whiskey Lake or Ice Lake processors, a higher screen resolution and the inclusion of Thunderbolt 3 would be the most obvious upgrades – that is, if Microsoft is willing to abandon its proprietary Surface connector. Now, obviously, we don’t have any solid information – or even rumors – about the Surface Laptop 3 yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t craft a sort of wish list of what we want to see in the third Surface Laptop. So, be sure to keep this page bookmarked, and we’ll update it with any Surface Laptop 3 rumors that come our way. Cut to the chase What is it? The next Surface Laptop When is it out? September 2019 at the earliest What will it cost? Likely around $999 (about £780, AU$1,385) http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mZ7cjHEsHMn7zxtgP8VAXR.jpg Surface Laptop 3 release date Unlike something like the Surface Pro 7, there have only been two Surface Laptop releases, and it’s a product line that’s been around for less than two years. So, we have less info to work from when guessing at a release window. The original Surface Laptop launched in June 2017, with the Surface Pro. But, the Surface Laptop 2 came much later in the year, launching in October 2018. It’s likely that we’ll see the Surface Laptop 3 show up some time in 2019, but it’s hard to predict when exactly we’ll see it. We could see Microsoft launch it during or before September, as it’s a popular laptop for students. However, if Microsoft does launch it then, it would have to use Intel Whiskey Lake processors instead of the next generation Ice Lake chips, and that may not be a substantial enough upgrade from the Kaby Lake Refresh parts in the Surface Laptop 2. This is all speculation, of course, so you should take it with salt. We’ll update this section as soon as we hear anything about the Surface Laptop 2 release date. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/opUFHmtqsmjMV4UZMyZaHg.jpg Surface Laptop 3 price The original Surface Laptop launched a $799 (around £560, AU$1,000), with an Intel Core m3 processor and Windows 10 S out of the box. But, the Surface Laptop 2 significantly raised the price of entry, charging users $999 (£979, AU$1,499). This higher price point did come with full-fat Ultrabook processors in every configuration, plus the full Windows 10 Home. We think Microsoft will continue to charge the same $999 (£979, AU$1,499) for the Surface Book 3, to keep it competitive with similar Ultrabooks, like the Dell XPS 13. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/24fRzAf67uH7nZEkDRJqRg.jpg What we want to see The Surface Laptop 2 already improved so much on the Surface Laptop, that it’s hard to think of what else Microsoft could do to make it even better. Still, we’ve come up with a few things we’d like to see in the Surface Laptop 3, using our tech expertise as a guiding hand. Faster processors The Surface Laptop 2 already vastly improved upon the CPUs on offer, moving from dual-core Kaby Lake chips to quad-core 8th-generation Kaby Lake Refresh processors. But, more speed is never a bad thing, and we’d love to see more power behind the Surface Laptop 3. There are technically faster Ultrabook-class processors out already, with Intel’s Whiskey Lake, but they provide such a small upgrade in performance, that it really isn’t worth upgrading. However, at CES 2019, Intel announced its 10nm Ice Lake processors, promising to increase performance two fold in certain workloads. While Intel’s performance claims should be taken with a grain of salt, the gains to performance and battery life that a 10nm process would afford are still exciting. Thunderbolt 3, please Now that Thunderbolt 3 is becoming more ubiquitous by the minute, Microsoft absolutely needs to include the technology in its next line of laptops. Now that there are so many monitors, external hard drives and other peripherals are using Thunderbolt 3, Microsoft needs to bring its port selection to the modern age – that Surface connection isn’t going to cut it for much longer. Fortunately, Microsoft has patented a new magnetic USB-C charger, that would have the best of both worlds. We just hope the technology is ready before the Surface Laptop 3 hits the streets. Freshen up the design The Surface Laptop 2 didn’t really change up the look and feel beyond adding a new black color option. And, while that isn’t really a complaint, we’d still like to see Microsoft offer a slimmer design. And, it’s not like Microsoft isn’t pursuing thinner designs. Microsoft has patented a thinner Type Cover, with a touchpad built right into the printed circuit board. This could lead to the Surface Pro 7 to have a smaller footprint overall, but we’d be interested to see if this design philosophy would carry over to other Surface devices. Thinner laptops are always in demand, so a thinner and lighter Surface Laptop 3 is definitely possible. Check out our list of the best Ultrabooks Image Credit: TechRadar http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/AWKpa1a_7Xw

Sony announced its financial earnings on Friday and despite some falling numbers elsewhere in the business, PS4 remains a strong seller for the company. To wit, Sony says it sold 91.8 million consoles in total with around 8.1 million of those sales happening in the last three months. This latest sales number is just slightly less than the total number of units shipped (94.2 million a the end of last quarter) and could represent an inflection point for the console, which sold 800,000 more units this time last year. Despite the slowing sales number, however, Sony execs are still happy with how the PS4 is getting along. “Hardware sales dropped to 8.1 million units in the quarter, but that’s meeting our expectations for a console entering its sixth year,” chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki said in the earnings briefing. The dawn of a new ageEven if Sony never sold another PS4, the console will have done better than the PS3 (83.8 million units sold), PSP (82 million units sold) and PS Vita (in between 10 and 15 million units sold). But, that being said, the PS4 still has a ways to go to overtake the original PlayStation (102.49 million units) and the highest-selling console ever made, the PS2, which sold over 155 million units in its lifetime. In spite of the console's so-far excellent sales performance, the headwinds are changing and new consoles are rumored to be on the horizon. To that end, we’ve heard rumors about Sony’s next console, which we've taken to calling the PS5, that’s supposed to make its debut sometime this year. Unlike in years past though, that unveiling won’t happen at E3, an event Sony has said it will forego this year. It's hard to know when the right time is to launch a new console, but with PS4 sales starting to slow, now is as good a time as any to consider what comes next for Sony's console business. These are the best PS4 gameshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Ofn1SvPpad8

A new Samsung Galaxy S10E photo has leaked, showing exactly what you'll get if you opt for the likely-cheaper Samsung phone instead of the flagship Galaxy S10. What are the big differences? It'll have two, not three, cameras on back – presumedly regular and telephoto lenses – and a single front-facing camera, not two like we've seen on the more premium Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. It still appears to have Samsung's new extra-expansive Infinity-O display, with space for a punch-hole camera in the top right corner of the screen. Samsung's looking to embed the front camera in the screen instead of resorting to a notch at the top. This latest leak backs up previously-seen sizing details for the Samsung Galaxy S10E's 5.8-inch display. That means the screen should (diagonally) reach the same length as the Galaxy S9, making the higher-tier 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 and 6.4-inch Galaxy S10 Plus roomier options. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u5ELWxbrKMTYur6auAMot6.jpg Leaked photo of the cheaper Samsung Galaxy S10E, front and back (Image Credit: winfuture) Samsung Galaxy S10E vs iPhone XR Galaxy phone prices have risen to rival those of Apple's iPhone in recent years, but Samsung has always offered better value. That seems to be happening again. The leaked Galaxy S10E specs include 128GB of internal storage and 6GB of RAM, which would be higher than the iPhone XR's 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. You can always upgrade Samsung's phone with a microSD card, something you can't do on any iPhone. Moreover, Samsung's lower-cost Galaxy S10 is set to retain a dual-lens camera, as we see from this official-looking photo and other leaks. The iPhone XR has a single-lens rear camera, leaving the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max as the only dual-lens options. This leaked Samsung Galaxy S10E photo backs up every rumor we've seen so far. We'll know how accurate it is on February 20 at Samsung's Unpacked launch event. Via Winfuture Best Samsung phone 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/lpu4wT6dzdU

The global smartphone market continues its decline as consumers hold onto their devices longer than ever before and new research from the the International Data Corporation (IDC) has revealed that 375.4m smartphones were shipped to customers during Q4 2018. These figures are down by 4.9 percent when compared to the same period in 2017 and this is now the fifth consecutive quarter of decline making 2018 the worst year ever for smartphone shipments. Only 1.4bn units were shipped throughout last year as global shipments dipped by 4.1 percent. The Chinese smartphone market experienced the worst slump, reporting a decline in shipment volume by 10 percent. China accounts for 30 percent of the world's smartphone consumption and while other markets declined in the past, the country was previously able to avoid falling victim to market saturation. Samsung retained its place as the top smartphone vendor by volume and the South Korean electronics manufacturer ended the holiday quarter with 70.4m total shipments marking a 5.5 percent decline from the same period last year when it shipped 74.5m devices. Apple also saw the volume of its iPhone shipments fall by 11.5 percent as customers failed to justify the high price of its latest models. Smartphone slumpThe program vice president of IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers team, Ryan Reith put the smartphone market's decline into context, saying: “Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now. Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, Korea, and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018. We believe several factors are at play here, including lengthening replacement cycles, increasing penetration levels in many large markets, political and economic uncertainty, and growing consumer frustration around continuously rising price points.” While Apple and Samsung's sales declined, China's top four smartphone brands, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, were able to grow their market share by 78 percent. Huawei's shipment volume was up 43.9 percent year-over-year, Oppo saw full-year growth of 1.3 percent and Xiaomi increased its shipments for 2018 by 32.3 percent. Declining smartphone sales will likely lead device manufacturers to experiment with new designs and the rollout of 5G in 2020 will certainly help boost sales as consumers upgrade their devices for improved network speeds. Via VentureBeat This is everything you need to know about 5Ghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8dRgS_srs-8

Getting started with WordPress website hosting doesn't have to be expensive, after all the 15-year old WordPress is free (and open source). Even the cheapest shared hosting plan usually comes with a one-click WordPress installer, allowing the greenest of blogging newbies to have their first post ready in less than 60 seconds (we tried it). Managing a blog over time is much more challenging, though. You'll need to find your own themes and plugins. And also keep them, and WordPress itself, up-to-date (although you can even get that done automatically). Blogs are often targeted by malware, so it's important you have some way to detect and remove any threats, and you'll want regular backups to help get a broken blog working again. There's a long list of hosting companies offering WordPress plans, but we've picked out five of the best to point you in the right direction. Whether you're a first-time user or a big business, there's something for you here, and with prices starting at around a pound per month, it's well worth taking the time to find out more. These are the best WordPress hosting services of 2019http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CtzJVHJD4pbio6KEwjog9L.jpg Budget WordPress hosting can have a lot of appeal, but it usually won't deliver the features, performance or reliability that high traffic sites need. If you're the demanding type, opting for a premium hosting plan will give you much better results. Bluehost has created its own VPS-based architecture to deliver optimum WordPress performance via NGINX, a custom PHP-FPM setup and intelligently allocated resources through KVM hypervisor. (If you're not a hosting geek, this just means Bluehost has taken the time to optimize the low-level setup of its platform for WordPress, rather than simply making do with a standard configuration.) The company doesn't waste time by pretending to offer ‘unlimited’ resources, and instead tells you exactly what you're going to get. For the WP Standard plan, this means 30GB storage, 1TB bandwidth, and key resources – 2GB RAM, two CPU cores – which are allocated to you, and not shared with anyone else. Premium features include SiteLock Pro to keep your website malware-free, SiteLock CDN to optimize performance, a dedicated IP, and the ability to manage multiple sites with the excellent ManageWP. This isn't cheap, with even the baseline Standard plan costing $19.99 (£15.20) a month for the initial term, rising to $39.99 (£28.60) afterwards. But you are getting a lot for your money, and if you're more interested in power than price, Bluehost has even more available. The top-of-the-range Ultimate plan, for instance, gives you four CPU cores, 8GB RAM, 240GB storage and a monster 4TB bandwidth. SiteLock Enterprise handles all your security and CDN needs, and there's a wildcard SSL thrown in. Ultimate costs $49.99 (£35.70) a month initially, $129.99 (£93) after that, but that's a fair price for this spec, and Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you feel the service doesn't deliver. There are also shared WordPress hosting plans available with fewer features and lower performance but they are cheaper, starting at $2.95 ($7.99 on renewal) per month. Furthermore, a managed hosting solution called WordPress Pro that has been optimized for WordPress websites is also available, with prices starting at $19.95 per month. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sPnvm8DbSJEBv43ydVCma.jpg Managed WordPress packages can often feel overpriced. Many hosts charge significant premiums for impressive sounding claims – optimized servers, malware scanning – that are difficult to evaluate or confirm. The UK-based Tsohost isn't interested in any of that, instead focusing on providing the core WordPress essentials at a very fair price. The baseline Startup plan gives you a free domain name, will migrate your existing site, includes Let's Encrypt SSL support and has no limits on bandwidth. You get daily backups and can restore any of the last 30 days with a click. There's 24/7 support via ticket and email, and phone and live chat is available from 7am to midnight. You get a hundred 200MB mailboxes, and the plan restricts you to 15GB storage and 100,000 page views a month. If that's enough for you, the plan costs ~$4.15(£3.16) a month paid annually, or ~$3.8(£2.92) if you pay for two years upfront. If that's just too underpowered, opting for the Business plan gets you 50GB of storage, 100x1GB mailboxes, and up to 500,000 page views over a maximum of eight websites. That's significantly more capable, yet still very reasonably priced at ~$11.50(£8.78) a month, ~$9.62(£7.33) a month paid annually or ~$8.65(£6.59) a month paid biennially. The ~$31.50(£23.98) a month (~$26.20 a month paid annually or ~$23.60 a month paid biennially) eCommerce plan supports 100GB storage, 1,000,000 page views and unlimited 10GB mailboxes. Tsohost doesn't offer all the frills and extras you'll get with some products. There's no talk of SiteLock malware protection, optimized WordPress add-ons or a custom CDN. But it's hard to complain at this price, and Tsohost is still delivering a capable service with more than enough power for smaller sites. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xGLYHP7xUxnuArgAP7Gb9K.jpg Most web hosts offer only a few WordPress plans, and even these might be set up to point you in a particular direction. You'll often see an underpowered plan, an overpriced one, and a special deal on the mid-range plan they really want you to buy. That makes it easy to decide, but it also limits your upgrade options if your site grows over time. InMotion Hosting is unusual in offering six WordPress plans, covering everything from small personal blogs to resellers and big business. Figuring out which is the best product for you will take a little more thought, but at least there's room to upgrade – or downgrade – if your circumstances change. Better still, InMotion hasn't artificially limited the low-end plans by removing key features. Even the baseline WP-1000S plan – which costs $6.99 (£5.3) a month initially (1-year plan), $9.99 (£7.70) on renewal – gives you 40GB storage, unlimited bandwidth and email addresses, preinstalled WordPress, SSL, backups, automatic updates, SiteLock security, cPanel site management, and extras like BoldGrid and WP-CLI. The only significant issue is InMotion's suggestion that the plan works best for blogs with up to 20,000 monthly visits, and even that won't be a problem for many smaller sites. Upgrading your plan gets you some extras – premium themes and plugin subscriptions, a dedicated IP address, support for hosting more sites – but it's mostly about giving you more resources. For example, the top-of-the-range WP-6000S plan supports 1,200,000 monthly visitors across up to 20 sites for $114.99 (£87.6) a month initially (1-year plan), $142.99 (£110) on renewal. There are cheaper deals around, but in previous reviews we've found InMotion to be reliable, professional and honest, and any price premium is likely to be worth paying. You don't have to take our word for it, though – an exceptional 90-day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of opportunity to find out for yourself. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kyxLVdxBkKB3EZpURSHkbd.jpg Web giant 1&1 IONOS seems to have a hosting product for every possible need, and WordPress is no exception. Novice users can try out its service for a nominal $1(£0.75) a month over the first six months ($9 or £6.90 afterwards), yet the plan still outperforms many competitors. The bundled 25GB of storage means you won't be running out of space in a hurry, for example. There are no bandwidth or visitor limits, and you can set up as many email accounts as you need. 1&1 IONOS offers the core WordPress management functions that you would expect: a setup wizard, preinstalled plugins, automatic updates and 24/7 support (including by telephone). Also, you get a personal consultant free of charge. All this is built on a capable platform – NGINX, PHP 7.2, OPcache, up to 2GB RAM guaranteed – to enhance your blog's performance. There's SSL included and even a free domain thrown in, which is ridiculously good value at this price. If you're a WordPress novice, it might be worth taking out the plan for an initial year, claiming your free domain and taking the time to learn how the blog works. When you time is up, renew if you're happy, or if you're not, use your knowledge and experience to find a better plan. 1&1 IONOS isn't just about newbies, though: there's value for more demanding users, too. In particular, the Pro plan gives you 5 managed Wordpress sites, 200GB SSD storage space, 50 databases (1GB max), and 500 email accounts. Bonus features include a CDN and SiteLock malware scanning, as well as RailGun content delivery network, and the price looks good at $1(£0.75) a month for the first six months, $15(£11.50) on renewal. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JRof6S6b9gND6wBDQTSSL8.jpg Choosing the best WordPress hosting package can seem like a complicated business, with a stack of low-level details and issues to consider. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you don't have special requirements then opting for a reliable web hosting company will get you capable mid-range products that can handle everything most users need. HostGator generally delivers powerful hosting plans for a fair price, and its managed WordPress range is no exception. Its Starter product may only cost $5.95 (£4.25) for three years, $9.95 (£7.10) afterwards, but you still get a free site migration, an SSL certificate, automatic malware detection and removal, unlimited email addresses and unmetered storage and bandwidth, and it can handle up to 100,000 visits a month. Ramping up to the high-end Business plan gets you more CPU power, support for up to three sites and 500,000 visits a month, yet still costs only $9.95 (£7.10) a month initially (first three years), $22.95 (£16.40) a month afterwards. Smart caching and a CDN are on hand to enhance your website's performance, 24/7 support helps keep your site up and running, and surprise bonus features include free domain privacy to protect from identity theft and reduce annoying spam. We've had good experiences with HostGator's service, but if you're not so lucky, there's a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. As with other hosting companies, this won't cover any domain registration fees, but it's still a better deal than you'll often find elsewhere. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides: WordPressCloud hostingE-commerceDedicated serverSmall businessWindowsManagedGreenBusinessColocationEmail hostingResellersVPSSharedCheapWebsite buildersBest website hostinghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/w0Cwmh5Z-y8

Tired of the feuding between Samsung and Apple? Well Huawei could be a great choice to replace them and now is a great time to get one. GiffGaff is offering up some of the cheapest SIM-free prices on top of the line Huawei devices so you don't have to pay through the roof to get one. The standout deals here are on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, P20 Pro and P20. Not only is GiffGaff offering some of the cheapest SIM-free prices on all of these phones but they are also chucking in Love2Shop vouchers - more on which below- of up to £60. These offers are available as long as stocks last (or until February 27). So if your heart is set on a cheap Huawei deal you can find all of the details down below. Not floating your boat? Then check out our best Huawei phone deals guide for all of your options on one of the breakout tech brands of last year. GiffGaff's cheap Huawei SIM-free offersWhat is Love2Shop?Love2Shop vouchers are accepted by roughly 90 different retailers. They act in the same way any other gift card would work in a shop but you can choose where to use it. You can choose from retailers including: Argos, Debenhams, Boots, FatFace and so many more. GiffGaff says that a code will be sent 21 days from the purchase of your Huawei device via e-mail and SMS which you can then use to redeem your voucher. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/DZVIh-Jp20M

Entries for the Mobile Industry Awards 2019, powered by TechRadar Pro, are open now. 20 categories for this year's awards can now be entered, covering all areas of the industry, across Distribution, B2B, Networks, Companies, People & Teams. Nominations are also open for this year’s Mobile Power 50, which ranks and recognises the industry’s most influential individuals, and Shop Idol, our UK-wide search for the nation's best mobile store salesperson. Now celebrating its 17th year, the Mobile Industry Awards 2019 looks to showcase the gold standard of excellence in the industry - from the boardroom to the grassroots. Categories now open for entry submissions:Full entry criteria and guidelines can be found here Best Managed Service ProviderBest Unified Comms DealerMost Innovative ProductBest Enterprise Service & SolutionsTechnology Incubator of the YearRecycling and Recommerce AwardMobile Distributor of the YearBusiness Growth AwardCSR Initiative of the YearBest MVNO Best MVNO PartnerBest Consumer Network Best Business Network 5G Network PioneerBest Repair ServiceBest Recycling ServiceBest Online RetailerBest SIM-Free RetailerBest High Street Retailer Best Manufacturer Field Marketing TeamPower 50The 2019 Mobile Power 50 is the definitive list of the most influential figures in the UK mobile industry during the past year. The list is compiled after in-depth interviews with key senior figures across the industry, from operators and retailers, to manufacturers and distributors - but we also want to hear from you. We are searching for individuals who have influence beyond their existing roles, in addition to imbuing their businesses with unique values, and those who we feel serve as an inspiration to the rest of the trade. Please join the debate on the Mobile Power 50 website, where you can nominate somebody who you feel serves as an inspiration to the rest of the trade. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg For all awards updates, visit the Mobile Industry Awards 2019 site - we look forward to seeing you on the June 6th 2019! If you have any questions or queries about how to attend or enter, get in touch at mark.fermor@futurenet.com http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/9ZYhzOcE79k

The perfect vacuum cleaner can be hard to find. You need a device that ensures dust and dirt has no place to hide, one that'll fit with your home and your needs and one that's within your budget. We're here to help. We've been on a hunt to find the best of the best cleaners available right now. The vacuum cleaners we've found will leave your carpets looking clean, your floors looking dazzling and will hopefully take some of the stress out of the chore of cleaning your home. What's more, you might not have to spend as much as you think. We've put in a considerable amount of dust-busting hours to rate and review the vacuum cleaners listed below, so you know which is the best model to buy in 2019. The good news is that the best vacuum cleaners at the top of the tree are getting smarter, they're lighter, and they're also simpler to use with each passing year. What that means is that the best of the best cleaners of 2019 that we've collected together below really do impress. We can tell you first-hand that these vacuums suck - and we mean that in the best possible way. The best cordless vacuum cleaners and best robot vacuums around! You might notice that a lot of the leading vacuum cleaners in our list now feature a cordless design, waving goodbye to the massive cord that was always a tripping hazard anyway. After the success of the Cyclone V10 (included below), Dyson has even stopped making corded vacuums altogether. As well as new, cordless models, some of the top vacuum cleaners now have brains of their own: choose a robot vacuum cleaner and you don't have to lift a finger to take care of the vacuuming. You don't even have to be at home to set them off. So whether you're after a super lightweight, cordless vacuum or an advanced robo-cleaner here are the best vacuum cleaners TechRadar has used to date. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TAAeLXHJx9VybQFDJgQtpn.jpg Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Dyson's newest cordless vacuum cleaner is so good, the company is no longer making vacuums with cords. That's how confident Dyson is that the Cyclone V10 (and all the vacs that follow) will meet all your cleaning needs. Simply put, the Cyclone V10 is the best vacuum Dyson has ever made. The redefined cyclone technology produces more suction power than ever – reportedly 20% more than the previous V8 model – and we can testify to that from first hand experience. The V10 offers some crucial changes over older V models. The barrel is now front-facing, with all attachments connecting here directly, and the design has been tweaked for greater suction efficiency. According to Dyson, the V10 can also detect differences in altitude, air pressure and temperature, adjusting itself for maximum performance. Prices and models vary across regions, but you will pay more for the Cyclone V10's souped-up suction. And while the Cyclone V10 is more powerful than ever and boasts a more energy-dense battery than previous models, putting it on the highest setting will drain the battery in about five minutes. At the lowest setting, however, you'll get up to 60 minutes of use, and that should be plenty for your everyday needs. Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FdcRjMeHCnDE9Wb5DrchCS.jpg Shark IF250UK Don't want a Dyson vacuum cleaner? This Shark IF250UK is a cheaper and rather decent alternative to some of the top-end products from Dyson that sit in this list. It's another cordless cleaner that can run for 22 minutes from a single charge – but the best bit is there are two batteries in the box, so you can just hot swap out mid-clean and get 44 minutes in total. We really like the design of the Shark IF250UK, although it is a little on the heavy side. It comes with Shark's Flexology technology that means you can bend the cleaner at the mid-way point, so you can get those hard to reach places like under your sofa without needing to get crawl down on the floor. As we've said, it's not as lightweight as the Dyson listed above, but we still found it easy enough to carry, and portable enough for most people. This is certainly a powerful vacuum cleaner. If you're a pet owner, you can get a special edition with in-built pet cleaning features, but in an animal-free home we found the Shark IF250UK cleaned up easily when using its maximum suction mode. For a lower price than the Dyson V10, the Shark IF250UK is a very good pick for your next vacuum cleaner– it matches the competition for power and is as simple to use as you could want. Read the full Shark IF250UK review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zLdLnjAhpt6xzzsTUaynr8.jpg Dyson V8 Absolute Formerly the best cordless vacuum cleaner that money could buy, the Dyson V8 Absolute is still a top-of-the-line battery-powered cleaning machine, even as the Cyclone V10 has dethroned it from the very top rung of the ladder. It also remains a real joy to use. First, the design. With a removable extender pole and six different heads for different surfaces and use cases, the V8 Absolute is lightweight and easy to run around the house. With the suction motor in the pistol-grip handle area, you can also easily clip a head directly onto the main unit, turning the whole thing into a portable cleaner – one that's perfect for going up the stairs or decrumbing the car. A full charge will give you around 40 minutes of use, which is really impressive for a cordless cleaner, though mileage will vary once you start using on the motorized heads – or switch on the V8 Absolute’s MAX mode. You'll rarely need it though: for a handheld, this cleaner rivals upright vacuums for sheer dirt-sucking power. Its large bin will take in plenty of trash too before needing emptying, which is another convenience not often seen in a cordless. Best of all though, it is genuinely fun to use. The sci-fi aesthetic makes it one of the few "white goods" gadgets you'll happily leave on show in the house, with the transforming design as useful as it is clever. It's still worth a look even with the V10 now on the scene. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v6AfAMA4ahZwtmN8jvmXNf.jpg Gtech AirRam MK2 The Gtech AirRam MK2 blends the flexibility of a cordless vacuum with strong suction performance and ease of use, making it a great choice for those looking for a lightweight and highly manoeuvrable vac they can quickly whizz around the home. It's super-simple to setup out of the box, though the four-hour charge can be a hassle if you need a speedy clean and the AirRam MK2 simply isn't juiced. You could use it if plugged into the wall, but with such a short charging cable supplied that'd be wholly impractical. An hour on the charger will give you a short burst of vacuuming power to address a spillage, but if you're planning on doing a general clean you'll want a full charge, which gives you around 40 minutes of use (similar to the Dyson V8 Absolute). Meanwhile, Gtech's Airlock technology automatically adjusts the head for different flooring types, and suction is generally very good, without being the absolute best on offer. The collection bin may be a bit on the small side, but it's incredibly easy to empty and ensures you don’t get your hands dirty, with a removable cylinder featuring a sliding lever that pushes out all the collected dirt and dust. The vacuum cleaner is easy to carry up and down stairs, but with no hose or attachments you can't easily clean stairs or other hard-to-reach areas of your home with it. Its price tag makes it a more approachable option than the Dyson however, so if you're on a budget it's definitely worth considering. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cFkDE5VUFyTwHDruPf78Nj.jpg Dyson Light Ball Multi Floor If you want serious suction from your vacuum cleaner, Dyson is the market leader. Its cyclone technology has long been touted as the best sucker around, and on the Light Ball Multi Floor we can safely say it earns its reputation. With 90AW of suction power, the Dyson Light Ball Multi Floor tackles carpet, wood floors, laminate and more. Each pass hoovers up dust, hair and other particles stuck inside your carpets too, not just those sitting on top. We were surprised and impressed with the amount of stuff it picked up during the first few trips around our house – clearly our previous vacuum wasn’t doing the job as effectively. When the large bin fills up, it's just a simple one-button release from the body of the Light Ball, and then another one button press to dispense its contents into the bin – although with the large flag that opens at the bottom you'll need to angle the cylinder accordingly. As well as acting as a standard upright vacuum cleaner, the Light Ball also comes with a built-in hose and tools, allowing you to tackle hard to reach places, ceilings and stairs with relative ease. It's still a bit of a beast to carry up and down the stairs though, and at times the long 9.4m cord does get in the way, making you wish this was a cordless vacuum – but the trade off will be inferior suction. If you're in the market for a vacuum cleaner that will give your floors a seriously thorough clean, then the easy-to-use, highly maneuverable and surprisingly quiet Dyson Light Ball could be right up your street. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DtgGcB2ywBHDEs4kQDuaof.jpg Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum cleaner With AI smarts improving all the time and robotics increasingly accepted in the home, the sci-fi dream of having a little robot helper to potter about the house is fast becoming a reality. The Dyson 360 Eye is the vacuum cleaning company's first effort in the space, and makes a good account of itself. After a relatively painless app-powered set-up process, the camera-equipped Dyson 360 Eye is able to navigate your home, weaving around obstacles on a cleaning routine you again establish through the app. Considering its small size, the vacuum cleaner surprisingly capable at sucking up the rubbish in your home, and when the battery gets low and it's time for a recharge, the 360 Eye will intelligently return to its charging station without any prompting. It's a premium product, commanding a high asking price that's best used as a supplement to your usual cleaning rota rather than a replacement. With the 360 Eye doing the rounds once every day, you'll find that your home will need a "deep clean" vacuuming session by your own hand far less often. But there's still room for improvement – the tall clearance makes it difficult for the 360 Eye to fit under furniture, while a bigger bin would lessen the need to keep emptying it out, and a larger battery would give it a better chance of completing a whole-house sweep in one pass without a recharge session. The limitations of the wider product category taken into consideration, this is a solid luxury cleaning product regardless. Bear in mind though that Dyson just announced its successor, the 360 Heurist. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N25kNsY2nybL4WztxWeBJ3.jpg iRobot Roomba 980 robot vacuum cleaner Dyson’s not the only company working with robotics in the home space, and many rate iRobot and its Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner very highly, too. A low-clearance, dirt-sucking disc, it's intelligent enough to go about its business in your home without much prompting from its human owners. The Roomba 980 will intelligently map your home for problem spots, kicking into a high-power mode when carpets are identified, and weaving around chair legs and other potential obstacles. With a two-hour battery life, it manages a longer cleaning cycle than the Dyson before it heads back to its charging dock. Other smart features of the Roomba 980 include its battery-powered "Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers" which signal to the bot which areas to avoid if placed across a doorway, and more granular control over its cleaning procedures through the accompanying app. However, as good as it is the Roomba 980 has room for improvement, with its app not always terrible intuitive, and the robot itself sometimes getting bamboozled by cables. It's another pricey cleaning luxury, and making the choice between it and its Dyson rival is a tough one. But for those that can afford it, the Roomba 980 is another excellent cleaning convenience. Read our full iRobot Roomba 980 review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/R82Gwh5DofYF6oHvxoFx36.jpg Eufy RoboVac 11 You may not have heard of the name Eufy before, but this more affordable robot vacuum cleaner offers some fantastic value and it comes from the sister brand of Anker, which is the closest thing to a household name in the world of portable chargers. The RoboVac 11 has lots of cleaning settings available, including an automatic mode, maximum power, edge cleaning, single room cleaning or a mode that specifically focuses on one small area. The problem is, unlike the two vacuum cleaners above, you can't connect the RoboVac 11 to an app – and so you can't monitor the robot cleaner or set it off when you're not in the house. Instead it's all activated through a remote control that comes in the box with the RoboVac 11. You can set it up on a timer, so the cleaner will automatically head on its journey once a day, but it's not as useful as having an app to do it from anywhere in the world. There's also no mapping technology built-in, and instead the RoboVac 11 will just make its own way around your home until the battery runs out. It uses infrared sensors to avoid bumping into furniture in your home, but it can be quite frustrating if you're sitting and watching it work – it doesn't clean quite as efficiently as some other cleaners. With a 600 ml bin this will keep going for multiple cleans. We found the battery life to last around 90 minutes on the automatic mode, and a little bit less if you're using the maximum power suction. The Eufy may not be the most efficient or powerful robot vacuum cleaner on the market, but considering its super-low price point, it's impressive how much value for money you get with the RoboVac 11. Read our full Eufy RoboVac 11 review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KuXRSDKYe39w5waZPF2PkZ.jpg Neato Botvac Connected While not quite as familiar a name as Dyson or Roomba, with the Neato Botvac Connected, Neato has managed to create a vacuum cleaner that definitely gives the others a run for their money. At 10 cm tall, it comfortably manages to shuffle under most items of furniture, and uses laser guidance to map the room. It's very satisfying watching it figure out which items of furniture it can navigate under and around. A little frustratingly, it doesn’t seem to factor in the little protruding circle on top of the unit that houses the Neato logo, and so does occasionally get caught on items that it only just clears. You can control the Neato Botvac Connected using your phone, set up routines for when you want it to clean, and even pause it mid-clean. There are also convenient buttons on the unit itself: one for 'spot clean' that will do one room, or 'house clean' that will do your entire home before guiding itself safely back to its base station. At 700 ml, the bin size is bigger than both the Dyson 360 and the Roomba, but it's still small in comparison to a standard vacuum cleaner, and will need emptying mid-clean if you have a large (or particularly dirty) home. There is the option to have the Neato clean in either Eco or Turbo mode, which will give you quieter or deeper cleaning, depending on your preference. From the time that we have spent with it, the deeper cleaning mode provides a very thorough level of cleaning – although it invariably miss areas that require moving of obstacles, so you'll still need an occasional once-over with a hand-held vacuum cleaner too. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eaV3kfiKqe8HZw8guGnRxS.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kQUWouj3kfwTtvQccurEJP.jpg Shark ION Robot 750 Shark ION Robot 750 is $308 at AmazonWe've been testing the Shark ION Robot 750 robot vacuum for some time now, and it never ceases to impress us. The first thing we noticed is its design: this isn't a boring black puck, but rather a sleek machine with lovely accents and a mix of shiny and matte elements that make it stand out from the competition. As for performance, the Shark ION Robot 750 cleans like a dream. We were amazed that it picked up that much dirt in our home, and was even able to pick up larger pieces of debris that other robot vacuums simply brushed to the side. It has a great sense of its surroundings, rarely bumping into things or getting stuck, and it's fast too – you might be surprised to see it on the other side of your living room when you've turned your back for just a second. We wish the bin was a little bigger, as it fills up fairly quickly, but then again we have two dogs, so there's a lot of dirt, hair and other detritus to lap up. The battery life is long-lasting, and it's never run out on us during our testing. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M6eoMWCckYFnpJKM9WjSgB.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/APx6cpggE5d5KRriMbYoyN.jpg Shark IONFlex 2X DuoClean Shark IONFlex 2X DuoClean is $350 at AmazonThe Shark IONFlex 2X DuoClean is a beautiful beast: it's a lovely shade of metallic blue and shimmery black, and is so powerful, you may be a bit taken aback. We love how this vacuum can switch from hardwood floor cleaning to carpet with the push of a button. The detachable motor lets you use it as a handheld too, great for cleaning furniture. It comes with an assortment of attachments for different kinds of cleaning, such as a head specifically designed to clean fabric. It's a bit on the heavy side when you slide in the lithium-ion batteries, so you'll definitely get a workout when using this vacuum. That said, you'll be cleaning a lot of surface area because it moves so fast and efficiently. The bin is big enough, so you should have plenty of room to clean a large room or a few smaller ones before needing to dump it out. The biggest drawback with the IONFlex 2X DuoClean is the battery. It doesn't last long at all, probably close to 10 minutes or so, before you need to swap out another one. The good news is that the batteries are rechargeable – the bad news is that they take a lot longer than 10 minutes to recharge fully. That means you'll likely find that you've burned through two batteries quickly, then need to wait a few hours before both are back to full charge. You can use one after it's only charged for a short while, but don't expect it to last very long. Still, this cordless vacuum has a lot going for it, so it's well worth considering picking up as your next vacuum cleaner. The best smart home devices for 2018http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/0cIFHM6n1Nc

Getting hold of an email account is easy. Sign up with an ISP and you’ve got one account for starters. Creating an account with Google and other big names will get you more. Buy a decent web hosting package and you'll probably get enough email addresses to power a large business, all for no extra charge. Getting the right email account is more difficult, as there's a lot to consider. What are the spam filters like? How easy is it to keep your inbox organized? Can you access the account from other email clients? And what about using the service with a custom domain and address of your own (yourname@yourdomain.com)? Keep reading and we'll highlight some of the best email providers around. All have decent free services, perhaps with ads and some limits, but we'll also talk about their business-friendly commercial products which deliver the power, functionality and enterprise-level extras that demanding users need. The best email services of 2019 are :http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SeTHj2aKshQ92UwRGpu3XE.jpg First released back in 2004, Google's Gmail has become the market leader in free email services with more than a billion users across the globe. Gmail's stripped-back web interface is a highlight. Most of the screen is devoted to your inbox, with a minimum of toolbar and other clutter. Messages are neatly organized via conversations for easier viewing, and you can read and reply to emails with ease, even as a first-time user. There's plenty of power here. Messages can be automatically filtered into tabbed categories like Primary, Social and Promotions, helping you to focus on the content you need. Leading-edge spam blocking keeps your inbox free of junk, you can manage other accounts from the same interface (Outlook, Yahoo, any other IMAP or POP email), and there's 15GB storage for your inbox, Drive and photos. You can also access Gmail offline, although you'll need Google Chrome for that to work. Furthermore, there is a neat snooze feature that allows you to, well, snooze an email for a specified amount of time (it also automatically labels that email as important). Other features are more questionable. Instead of organizing messages into folders, for instance – a simple metaphor which just about every user understands – you must filter them using a custom labelling system. This works, and has some advantages, but isn't popular with all users. Still, Gmail is an excellent service overall, and a good first choice for your email provider. Google makes a paid business-oriented version of Gmail available in the shape of its G Suite product. This more professional product drops the ads and allows using a custom email address on your domain (yourname@yourcompany.tld). Business-oriented migration tools can import mail from Outlook, Exchange, Lotus and more. Storage space doubles to 30GB on the Basic plan, and you get unlimited group email addresses, 99.9% guaranteed uptime and 24/7 support. G Suite is Google's answer to Microsoft Office, so of course you also get apps for working with documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Shared calendars keep you better organized, there's video and voice conferencing for online meetings, and again, there’s 24/7 support to keep your system running smoothly. This more Office-like power makes for a more expensive product than the email-only competition, with prices starting at $5 (£3.60) a user for the simplest plan. You're getting a lot for your money, though, and if you'll use G Suite's features then it could be a smart choice. A 14-day free trial provides an easy way to help you find out. You can sign up for Gmail hereCheck out the best web hosting services for 2019http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GqeCXuJKRU4jcnxmZoXWdc.jpg Outlook's web interface follows the same familiar style as its desktop incarnation, and most other email clients: folders and organizational tools on the left, the contents of the current folder in the center, and a simple preview pane on the right (with adverts in the case of the free account). A toolbar gives you speedy access to common features, and right-clicking folders or messages shows you just about everything else. If you've ever used another email client, you'll figure out the key details in moments. Despite the apparent simplicity, there's a lot going on under the hood. The service automatically detects important emails and places them in a Focused Inbox, keeping any distractions out of sight. Events including flights and dinner reservations can automatically be added to your calendar. It's easy to share that calendar with other Outlook.com or Office 365 users, or you can save your events to a Family calendar that everyone can access. Excellent attachment support includes the ability to directly share OneDrive files as copies or links. You can also attach files directly from your Google Drive, Dropbox and Box accounts, and a chunky 15GB mailbox allows storing plenty of files from other people. This all worked just fine for us, but if you're unhappy with the service defaults, there's a chance they can be tweaked via Outlook.com's Settings dialog. This doesn't have quite as many options as Gmail, but they're well organized and give you plenty of control over layout, attachment rules, message handling and more. If that’s still not enough, Microsoft offers a bunch of app-based integrations to take the service further. You get built-in Skype support via the beta, and apps give you easier access to Evernote, PayPal, GIPHY, Yelp, Uber and more. Upgrading to Office 365 gets you an ad-free inbox, 50GB mail storage and a vast 1TB of OneDrive storage. Extras include offline working, professional message formatting tools, phone or chat-based support, file recovery from malicious attacks like ransomware and more. Oh, and the latest versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All this can be yours for the equivalent of $7 (£5) a month on the single user Office 365 Personal plan or you can pay 70$ (£52) for a year. You can sign up for Outlook herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f96pNDEKxZms44SuU8DjS6.jpg Yahoo Mail doesn't make the headlines so much, these days, but its latest version is a polished and professional service which stands up well against the top competition. The well-designed interface resembles Gmail, at least initially, with a large view of your inbox, one-click filters for common messages and content (Photos, Documents, Travel), and easy browsing of all the emails in a conversation. But you can also organize mails into custom folders, and the layout can be tweaked to display a message preview in a couple of clicks. Mobile users have some additional features like the option to unsubscribe to newsletters and such, without ever leaving the Yahoo Mail inbox. A powerful underlying engine can integrate with Facebook, supports sending SMS and text messages, is accessible via web, POP and (in some situations) IMAP, and can forward email to another address. Valuable extras include disposable email addresses to protect your privacy, and a mammoth 1TB of mailbox storage means you can keep just about everything you receive, for a very long time. Demanding users might find issues, over time. Mail organization can't quite match the flexibility of Gmail's labelling scheme, for instance, and there aren't nearly as many low-level tweaks, settings and options as you'll often see elsewhere. But overall, Yahoo Mail is an appealing service which needs to be on your email shortlist. As with other providers, Yahoo offers a Business Mail plan with more features. The highlight is an option to use the service with a custom domain (yourname@yourdomain.com), although there are other advantages, too. The service can import contacts from Facebook, Gmail, Outlook and more. You can view all your mailboxes on the same screen, and there are all the usual business-friendly productivity tools (multiple calendars, document handling, analytics and more). Prices start from $3.19 (£2.30) per mailbox per month, billed annually, and they drop as you add mailboxes – $1.59 (£1.15) for 5, $1.19 (£0.85) for 10, and for 20+ you'll need to contact them. There's even a free domain name included, and not just the initial registration: Yahoo will also renew it for as long as your subscription is active. You can sign up for Yahoo Mail herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kHLCaemXaykaAtZz7qWxYM.jpg Signing up with an email provider will often involve some privacy compromises. Yahoo Mail asks for your name and mobile number, for instance. Gmail and other services might scan your messages to carry out useful actions (such as adding events to calendars), and just about everyone serves you with ads. ProtonMail is a Swiss-based email service which focuses on privacy above all else. You can sign up anonymously, there's no logging of IP addresses, and all your emails are end-to-end encrypted, which means there's no way ProtonMail (or anyone else) can read their contents. Also, address verification (which allows you to be sure you are securely communicating with the right person) and full support for PGP email encryption is available. There are some significant limits. The free product has a tiny 500MB storage space, only supports sending 150 messages a day, and is distinctly short in terms of organizational tools (no folders, labels or smart filters). As the end-to-end encryption is specific to ProtonMail, it also ensures that you can't use the service with other email clients. Still, it seems a little unfair to complain about a service which is no-strings-attached free, and doesn't even show ads. In reality, ProtonMail is a specialist tool which is intended for use alongside services like Gmail – not to replace them – and overall it performs its core tasks very well. If you do need more, ProtonMail's $5 (you can choose to pay in USD, Euro and CHF) a month (or 48$ yearly) Plus account gives you 5GB storage, a 1,000 message-per-day allowance, custom domains (you@yourdomain.com) and support for folders, labels, filters as well as some addition features like contact groups. A further Business plan brings more storage, email addresses and a second custom domain, as well as adding a catch-all email address and multi-user support. It's priced from $8 per month per user (75$ yearly), which is reasonable if you need ProtonMail's security, although it's also notably more expensive than the business accounts of the big-name competition. You can sign up for ProtonMail herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/F7BFCHjZsmp9DUbNBQoUEd.jpg Zoho Workplace is a business-oriented email service which throws in an online office suite, document management, and a host of collaboration tools and other extras. Zoho's free plan supports up to 25 users (there's an extra 25 available if you can refer others to the service. Update: they are currently remodeling the referral program so this isn't available at the moment), each with 5GB of mailbox storage, and can be used with one domain of your own. These are features you'll normally only find in commercial products, and when you factor in the spreadsheet, word processor, presentation and other tools, it looks like a real bargain. The email service is easy-to-use, and provides a decent set of features to help organize your emails: folders, tags, filters, smart searches, and more. The free plan is still a little basic. It gives you web access only, for instance, and there's no support for email forwarding. Fortunately, the Zoho Standard plan fixes that. A mere $3 (£2.3) per user (paid annually) gets you IMAP and POP access, email forwarding, active sync, multiple domain hosting, domain aliases, 30GB storage, a 30MB attachment limit (up from 25MB with the free plan) and some major improvements elsewhere (the ability to send cloud files to non-Zoho users, for instance). You also have Lite plan which is a cheaper Standard plan ($1 per user) with less features, and a Professional ($6 per user) plan which adds more features. A number of these features are available elsewhere for free, of course, but businesses or anyone who will use the custom domain support or Office tools will find a lot to like here. Well worth a closer look. You can sign up for Zoho hereAlso check out our roundup of the best WordPress hosting providershttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/o9vh9k9hcvU

Cyber security can be a difficult investment to quantify. In a world where breaches have become near ubiquitous, how much security is enough? Unfortunately, for many mid-sized firms, the default setting is to do just enough to get by, investing ad hoc to tackle new threats when they appear. One-in-three business decision makers across Europe and APAC told NTT Security last year that they would rather pay a hacker’s ransom than invest in better cyber security — despite the size of the ransomware threat. Organisations must ditch this reactive, short-term approach to cyber security in favour of a more considered proactive risk-based strategy — that’s the way to drive long-term growth as we head through 2019. Mid-sized firms are often targeted in their own right, but also because hackers believe them to represent a potentially weak link that can be exploited to reach larger partners. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t35KoTdQU39bnro6Lj9iCZ.jpg A digital revolutionEverywhere you look today digital transformation is redefining the rules of business. Cloud and mobile platforms; rapid, DevOps-based application development; IT and OT convergence under the banner of the Internet of Things (IoT); and many other emerging technologies, are helping to fuel a new era of agility and innovation. Yet as more data goes online, and organisations increasingly come to rely on these systems to drive business growth, they also become more exposed to the risk of IT disruption and data theft. These threats have never been greater. According to NTT Security’s Global Threat Intelligence Report (GTIR) for 2018, ransomware was the leading malware type in EMEA, accounting for 29% and witnessing a 350% increase from a year previous. It’s not alone: spyware and keyloggers comprised 26% of global volumes, followed by trojans/droppers (25%) and viruses/worms (23%). Crypto-mining malware has since risen significantly, to become the number one threat by the end of 2018, according to one vendor. Meanwhile, Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks have netted criminals over $12.5 billion globally between October 2013 and May 2018. It’s perhaps no surprise that an estimated 43% of UK businesses claimed last year that they’d suffered a security breach or online attack over the previous 12 months. Under pressureAt the same time, mid-sized firms are under immense pressure to grow amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions. IT security skills shortages — which have reached nearly three million professionals globally and 142,000 in EMEA — continue to bite, alongside limited budgets. The threat from the digital supply chain is so great that last year the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was forced to issue advice for companies. The cumulative impact of increased threats, a larger digital attack surface, reactive investments in security and other challenges could be severe. Major regulatory fines are on the cards thanks to the GDPR and NIS Directive, the latter applying to many critical infrastructure sectors. The financial and reputational impact of remediation and clean-up, forensic investigations, legal bills, customer churn, and falling share prices following a serious incident should not be underestimated. Most business leaders responding to NTT Security’s Risk:Value 2018 report said they were concerned about the negative impact of a breach on customer confidence (56%), and brand reputation (52%), with economic impact cited by 40%. In reality, all three are very much interlinked. Perhaps even more importantly, without a proactive, strategic approach to cyber security, organisations can’t provide the secure foundations on which to build effective digital transformation initiatives. Changing the cultureWe should be seriously concerned that only half of global business leaders would prefer to invest in information security than reactively pay-off a ransomware author. Cyber security is still clearly not being thought of in strategic enough terms. Why? Partly because of a lack of leadership. We found confusion over who is responsible for security: 22% of business leader respondents said it was the CIO, versus 20% for the CEO and 19% choosing the CISO. This is matched by a lack of visibility and awareness. Nearly half (47%) said that they had not been affected by data breaches — a worryingly high figure given how hard it is to prove this with any certainty. Perhaps as a result of this over-confidence, there’s been little change in preparedness levels. The proportion of firms with an information security policy in place jumped just one percentage point from 2017 (56%) to 2018 (57%). We need to change this mindset from the top down. Reactive security can lead to serious gaps in protection, and fails to support the long-term strategic growth vision of a company. According to KPMG: “The question shouldn’t be ‘how much of my IT budget are we spending on cyber?’. The question should be ‘how much of my business change or innovation budget are we spending on cyber security?’.” No silver bulletThere’s no silver bullet for security. It requires a long-term, risk-centric approach based on best practices including multi-layered protection at the endpoint, network, cloud/on-premises servers and email/web gateways. Security awareness programmes are key to turning your employees into a strong first line of defence, as are regular vulnerability and pen tests to spot and address security gaps. Incident detection and response is another crucial component, enabling IT to get on the front foot to spot and block attacks before they can impact the organisation, and use intelligence to proactively improve cyber defences for the future. It’s concerning that the number of firms with an incident response program in place rose from 48% in 2017 to just 49% last year. Many will find all of this difficult with limited in-house resources, which is when outsourcing to a third-party expert becomes an attractive option. As we head through 2019, organisations keen to drive value through proactive cyber security may find they need to enlist the help of a managed service provider. Azeem Aleem, VP Consulting at NTT Security Also check out the best antivirus to keep your systems protected from the latest threatshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/9FuRoT4uZNA

You want to make your home smarter, but where do you begin? Well, if you want to try out some smart home products but you're worried they might not be for you - or might cost a small fortune - then the best way to try out the latest connected tech for size is by purchasing a smart speaker. Most smart speakers on the market right now are affordable, they're fun to play with and, even if you decide you don't want to talk to a robotic voice 24/7, they can still work as run-of-the-mill music speakers or help you to carry out some simple tasks. What we're saying is, there's very little to lose. It may seem like the world is slowly filling up with smart speakers, but there are three top brands: Amazon, Google and Apple. You will find there are other smart speakers on the market not made by those three tech giants, but nearly all of them incorporate their tech into their products. For example, the Sonos One is, obviously, made by Sonos. But it has Amazon Alexa integration built-in, that's Amazon's AI voice assistant. For the purpose of this guide, we'll only be taking a look at Amazon, Google and Apple products. But it's worth bearing in mind that if you don't find what you're looking for here, you can cast the net a bit wider if you like. Let's start by taking a quick look at what's on offer. Google has a range of different sized speakers to choose from. Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo range is the most popular and varied, helped by being forever splashed across the internet's biggest retailer. And right now, Apple makes just one smart speaker, the HomePod. It’s not cheap and may not be as smart as Amazon's Echo range during some of our testing, but it sounds divine and is the one to pick if you’re worried about privacy or your personal data being thrown around like casino chips. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CmgYxY6xVnsfGWmdHmxo6W.jpg But hold up. Let's not dive too far into what's on offer without a quick lesson in smart speakers first. So smart speakers are a home for voice assistants. Just like Siri on your iPhone or Google Assistant on your Android, you can (almost) treat these assistants like a person. That means you can ask your smart speaker to play a specific song, quiz it about a bit of pop culture trivia, set an alarm, or get it to carry out tasks by 'talking' to other smart home products you have, and it will. it may be embarrassing to start talking to your phone in public, but the same social pressures don't exist in the home where you can be as weird as you like with your new robot pal. So which one should you buy? Here's the lowdown on what the three big tech giants have to offer. Let's find out which is right for you. HardwareHow big a speaker do you want? Google and Amazon offer plenty of choices. Small, affordable, puck-shaped speakers like the Home Mini and Echo Dot let you try out digital assistants without spending too much. But you wouldn’t use them as a hifi because the sound quality just isn't up to scratch in such a small form factor. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/beTAk2pn97JPhxReeFi6Ba.jpg Amazon Echo Dot£49.99 / $49.99 It’s small, it’s affordable and kinda cute. The recently revamped 3rd generation version of the Dot has a small, fabric design that's bound to fit in in any home. It also has easy set-up and integration, as well as great call quality. It doesn't have good audio, but it's a great place to start - especially if you have limited room and limited budget. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PcUArqKBjkxsRpWD62g3vD.jpg Amazon Echo (2nd gen)$99.99 / £89.99 As ever, Amazon has nailed the mass-market angle with the Echo. It’s significantly cheaper than the Home or HomePod. Sound quality doesn’t match the best, but it does make podcasts and music radically more enjoyable than the Dot. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/X5ZzKUXVra2yJ5QtLL5u8Y.jpg Fire TV Cube$119 (UK TBC) The Fire TV Cube is Amazon's latest branching-out of smart speaker tech. This is a smart speaker, but also a set-top box. And as it has an IR blaster it'll turn your TV on and off too. If you care about movies more than music, this could be the right digital assistant speaker for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/miU9dJkyzMthyqdGw5ZhJi.jpg Amazon Echo Plus$149.99 / £139.99 Taller than the standard Echo, this more expensive model also sounds better. It also has a Zigbee interface built-in, letting it work better with some smart home gear including Philips Hue lights. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GqMpwgpCEy2ebcGv7CwGhW.jpg Amazon Echo Spot$129.99 / £99.99 This is what we imagined a smart home interface might look like years ago. It’s a digital porthole with a 2.5in screen. The Spot is a good fit for a bedside table. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hnYhvgdHfcyDuy3fWSMUGY.jpg Amazon Echo Show$229 / £199.99 There’s a much bigger screen-equipped assistant too, the Show. It’s not cute like the Spot, but has a much larger 7-inch screen. You can video chat with people using the front camera. It suits the kitchen, or perhaps a house's entry hallway. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6u89ch9Lx7ceNxy3XRMYkk.jpg Google Home Mini$49 / £39 Probably the best-looking small smart speaker, the Home Mini is the budget option from Google’s range. It comes in Chalk (grey), charcoal and Coral (a reddish pink), and sounds better than the Eco Dot. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YMPKaEzvdDJwt3REyHubE5.jpg Google Home$129 / £129 The original Google smart speaker. Home has an unusual but stylish look and a touch surface on top to let you control volume and music playback. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/59XdqLN2A3Pj7dDkmj6H6n.jpg Google Home Max$399 The big daddy of smart speakers, the Home Max looks like a wireless hifi rather than the kind of speaker that blends into the background. That said, the look is still neutral. It’s only the size you need to consider. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fWYmRae4duWc8sMMrt7PVU.jpg Apple HomePod$349 / £319 A 360-degree grille suggests how the HomePod works. There are tweeters firing out from all sides, letting you put the speaker in the middle of a room. An LED array on top displays Siri animations, which looks neat. Size Comparisonhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FPTbKrCziKMrYRM6WDZpbP.jpg This is a roughly accurate look at the relative stature of all these smart speakers. The part that might surprise here is the Google Home’s size. It’s relatively small. Only two of these products really demand some planning of your rooms, the Echo Show and Google Home Max. As the others have an “upright” design, their footprints aren't all that large. The Echo Dot is the smallest of the lot, although the Home Mini is only slightly bigger. Sound QualityWhich sounds the best? There’s predictably a rise in quality as the size increases. However, there are some interesting points to note in each class. Let’s put them in bullet point form to keep this clear. The Google Home Mini sounds a lot better than the Echo Dot, which is thin and reedy. Music sounds bad through a Dot, passable through a Home Mini.Amazon’s Echo Spot also sounds better than the Dot, despite being fairly small. Google’s Home is bass-heavy. It has worse clarity than the Echo (2nd Gen) and Echo Plus. So if you’re limited to around $100/£100, the Amazon Echo may be the best choice.The Echo Plus sound is more dynamic than the standard Echo, as you’d expect.Surprisingly, the Echo Show sounds better than the Echo Plus and Echo.Amazon’s Echo Plus does not stack up well next to the Home Max or HomePod. They are several leagues ahead, justifying their higher prices. The Home Max is the loudest speaker, with much greater volume on tap than the HomePod. Apple’s HomePod provides 360-degree sound. The Home Max has conventional front-loaded drivers so you need to be more careful about placement.The Home Max has better bass depth. The Apple HomePod has great clarity, and the sound quality of the Max and HomePod are generally comparable. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iXweW4TBXDGqw8syCHetwH.jpg The Amazon Echo Spot is the company's budget, screen-equipped Echo.FeaturesWhich speaker is more intelligent?When it first launched, Alexa's functionality was fairly basic, limited to mundane conversations like asking about the weather or the time. As Amazon continued to develop the software, however, Alexa gained the ability to talk about calendars, sports and what we should have for dinner. We're not quite living in a Star Trek-esque future, where the device will understand your every command, but Alexa is advanced enough to understand multiple phrasings of the same question, for example. Amazon has a strong track record for the past two years, sure, but it's going up against Google, a company that's had a strong track record in information parsing for the last two decades Google's impressive search abilities means the speaker has a lot of information at its disposal. Google Home can, for example, correctly guess a song that's described in the vaguest of terms. Interacting with Google Assistant has the most natural feel. It understands your commands better than Alexa. You don’t have to be so careful about how you word your sentences. HomePod’s Siri is the least intelligent of the three. While the voice recognition works, the commands it’ll react to successfully are quite limited. Think of HomePod as a great-sounding wireless speaker that also has some smarts and you'll be happier. Some major software updates, however, have seen it gradually catching up to the smart functionality of the competition – meaning it can now make and receive calls via your iPhone contact book. A HomePod OS update in September is also adding new lyric search options, a way to 'ping' your lost phone in the house, and a wider range of Siri languages. Music and Video playback Each of these speakers is linked to its maker’s music service. The HomePod has Apple Music. Echo devices have Amazon Music. Google Home speakers have Google Play Music. However, only Apple is truly restrictive. Echo and Home speakers let you ask for tracks from Spotify, for example, but HomePod’s Siri only takes requests from Apple Music. You can use Spotify with a HomePod but you’ll have to do this the “old school” way, selecting the HomePod as the source from in the Spotify app rather using voice commands. You’re then using AirPlay, not the voice control you paid $350 for. Subscribing to Apple Music is almost a must for HomePod owners, and it costs $9.99/£9.99 a month. While there's some parity between which software the other smart speakers can access, video content differs much more. Only Amazon has devices equipped with screens. Google has blocked YouTube, though, so you’re largely restricted to Amazon Video, the Netflix-a-like service. Both Google and Amazon's devices allow you to play content on an external TV. Google achieves this through integration with its Chromecast lineup, while Amazon has added this functionality through its Fire TV. If you have a Chromecast Audio then you can simply ask Google Home to play music through the speakers it's connected to. Meanwhile the Echo is limited to playing music on its own speaker, and the Echo Dot can only be connected to a single speaker at a time through either Bluetooth or a wired 3.5mm connection. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M4VgRdPApszMrCAqEqGwMS.jpg In theory this should give the Google Home the edge, but in practice its Google Cast functionality could be better. Once you’ve got it casting to a speaker it won’t remember that this is the case and it will default to playing music out of its own speaker unless you specifically tell it to continue to cast the next song. Google Home does however have the advantage of integrating with Chromecast for video. You can easily play shows from Netflix, YouTube and other supported apps using just your voice, however again in practice this could be better since you’re unable to specify particular episodes and it will default to picking up where you left off. Not bad when you’re marathoning a series, but less than ideal if you’re just dipping in. Productivity Google Home integrates with a number of Google's other services, from planning routes using Google Maps to translating using Google Translate. It will also draw from your Google Calendar, which is a handy feature. However again, while there’s potential here, Google Home doesn’t make nearly enough use of this functionality. You can get basic directions by car on Google maps, but it can’t handle public transport and definitely doesn't do email. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqbGaS8M9LFMrfiNWFoT75.jpg The new Amazon Echo is available with a number of different finishes.Meanwhile, Amazon has an ever-growing list of compatible "Skills" apps including Domino's Pizza, Just Eat in the UK and Uber, allowing you to either have your pizza delivered or request a ride over to the store to pick it up yourself. Support is good, but these apps feel like they add fun side-functionality rather than core productivity services. HomePod doesn’t have any third-party skills, so it’s limited to interactions based on your Apple calendar, local traffic and other piecemeal bits. Smart Home Of course, music and services are just two parts of the smart speaker equation. If you're buying a Home, Echo or HomePod, you're also looking for a smart assistant to help control the burgeoning field of smart appliances making their way into homes. In this area, Amazon's Echo Plus has a distinct advantage. It has a Zigbee hub built in, which means that for many smart home products you no longer have to have a separate piece of hardware plugged into your router. However, this functionality comes with the caveat that functionality will be limited when using the built-in hub. Philips Hue lightbulbs, for example, can be turned on and off, but their more advanced color-changing abilities will still require a dedicated Hue hub. That said, it's not like Google, owner of Nest, is hurting in the home automation department. Google Nest, for obvious reasons, is also integrated into Home's functionality. As for Apple, it started its HomeKit program ages ago which means many devices are ready to go. However, there are thousands of third-party devices that will work with all three smart speakers. Amazon Alexa supports the highest number of smart home devices, but the best idea is to check whether the smart home gear you own, or are considering, supports these systems. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/39f038f331c847c0075fc380fdd74273.jpg Shopping A newer feature for both the Amazon Echo and Google Home is the ability to shop from the comfort of your couch via voice commands. Let's start first with the more established e-tailer. Amazon offers daily and weekly specials via the "Alexa, what are today's deals?" command. When used, the speaker will rattle off a list of products available to purchase and the price of each. At any point, you can stop the speaker and say, "Alexa, purchase <insert product name>" and Alexa will confirm your order. If you want to see all the deals in one spot, however, you can also check out the Alexa Deals page on Amazon's website. Because Google doesn't own a massive online retail store like Amazon does, Google Home has partnered up in the US with Walmart and other retailers to offer a voice shopping catalogue of its own. It's all part of Google's Express platform, that allows you to quickly order products from a number of other retailers like Kohl's, Target, CostCo, Whole Foods and Ulta. Walmart will be the biggest retailer to join Google Express's ranks. HomePod doesn’t let you buy items with a voice command. Some may find this reassuring rather than an issue. However, you can ask Siri to add items to a shopping list. You can then check it on your phone when at the supermarket. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rYLRNQ6ETfPmoYQdmYyUmk.jpg Multiple UsersBoth Google Home and Amazon Echo support multiple users, which is important if you don't want to be subjected to your other half's calendar when you ask your speaker what you're up to today. However, the way the two speakers handle multiple accounts is slightly different. With the Amazon Echo you'll have to manually switch between user accounts by saying "Alexa, switch accounts", or "Alexa, switch to Jon's profile." Google Home is slightly more clever, and will recognise different users by the sound of their voice alone. You'll need to train the speaker to recognise each person's voice by saying "OK Google" and "Hey Google" a few times, but after that point you shouldn't have to worry about accidentally getting traffic information for someone else in your household. HomePod doesn’t support multiple users yet. It’s linked to one iCloud account, so becomes that person’s speaker. And Siri will react to whoever talks to it. Again, HomePod is the most restrictive choice. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nYdk9wMo4gKTr6unrUT4iX.jpg The Google Home Mini is the budget entry in Google's lineup. PrivacyPart of Siri’s limited smarts is down to its approach to privacy. Google and Amazon use data collection to learn about you. Apple uses a purer form of artificial intelligence, making it harder to create the illusion Siri knows what you want every time you open your mouth. Google and Amazon also log the data from any requests made and link them to your online accounts. This data can then be used to tailor the ads you see on websites, which also happens when you search for something on Google.com or amazon.com. HomePod doesn’t do this. Your Siri data is encrypted and randomised, and isn’t actually even linked to your Apple account. If privacy is a worry, the HomePod is a great choice. Compatibility You can use an Echo or Google Home speaker with any recent phone. iOS or Android? It doesn’t matter, either will work fine. This isn’t the case with a HomePod. You have to have an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to get it working. Apple’s official line is you’ll need an “iPhone 5s or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air or later, iPad mini 2 or later, or iPod touch (6th generation) running iOS 11.2.5 or later.” VerdictIf you want to try out a smart speaker without spending much, the Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are your two choices. And Google’s is the better-sounding of the two despite the fact the Dot has had a revamp recently to make it the best-looking. Those who want a smart speaker to act as their main hifi should consider either the Apple HomePod or Google Home Max. They sound far better than the other smart speakers. How about in-between? The Amazon Echo (2nd Gen) offers a great compromise between price and sound quality, and Amazon Alexa offers lots of smart home features to play around with thanks to its Skills system. Amazon’s smart speakers with screens are great for, say, the kitchen. However, they are also hugely held back by the politics involved, as you can’t use YouTube or Netflix on them. Make sure you adjust your expectations before buying. Do you prefer your music analog? Check out our list of the best turntables.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ZVjRw5ZtsBk

We may have just been given our first official glimpse of the Huawei foldable phone. The Chinese phone manufacturer has sent out invites to its MWC 2019 press conference with a side profile of what appears to be a foldable device. We already know Huawei will announce a folding phone at MWC, after Huawei CEO Richard Yu confirmed just that last week. The picture of the phone on the invite doesn't give a huge amount away, but the screen clearly wraps around a hinge, allowing the device to be folded in half, providing a phone-sized handset with display on both sides. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N6ZN4AzPqDymHutAiabsrg.jpg Is this our first look at Huawei's foldable smartphone? Image credit: Huawei A world firstYu has also claimed that the device Huawei announces at the show on February 24 will be the world's first 5G phone with foldable screen. We also know that the yet-unnamed foldable phone will pack Huawei's new Balong 5000 modem, which will deliver its 5G capabilities, but little else has been leaked about the handset so far. TechRadar will be reporting live from MWC 2019 to bring you all the latest from Huawei, including everything you need to know about its first foldable phone. All the phones you can expect to see at MWC 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/6HEQqav7MKM

This weekend is the start of rugby union’s Six Nations championship. The annual contest between Europe’s six leading rugby nations is one of the most-watched sporting events of the year, with many supporters looking forward to away trips to some of Europe’s most famous capital cities. Although the quality of rugby and the result are the most important factors in determining the visitor experience, sports fans are becoming increasingly demanding when it comes to connectivity in the stadium. They want to be able to share pictures and posts on social media, but increasingly they want to be able to watch video clips of incidents they might have missed earlier in the game. In the UK, all matches are shown live on the BBC and ITV, meaning they’re easily available to view. How to watch a Six Nations live stream online from anywhereSix Nations mobileOf course, to mobile users in general, video is of increasing importance. OpenSignal has created a video experience metric that measures the average time it takes from pressing play to load a video. This figure is dependent on network characteristics such as download and upload speeds, as well as latency. And in a crowded stadium, the experience can also be impacted. Ireland, the current Six Nations champions, would also be the winners should the tournament be decided on mobile experience. It takes 3.1 seconds to load a video in Dublin, compared to 3.5 seconds in Rome and 3.6 seconds in Edinburgh. Paris is fourth with 3.8 seconds, London fifth on 3.9 seconds and Cardiff last with 4.3 seconds. However, OpenSignal also tested the capital cities of the 15 other leading European rugby countries and found that Dublin only ranked ninth, with the remaining Six Nations cities making up the bottom five. While this is hardly an exhaustive sample size, it does demonstrate the varying level of service across Europe. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oUfw72SNCcZkzTU2YEqRAa.jpg Mobile sports experienceIt’s easy to dismiss the ability to watch video content in a stadium as irrelevant, given that most people want to watch the rugby, but sports organisations increasingly see digital content as a way of engaging and attracting new fans. Even before the arrival of 4G networks and the wide availability of smartphones, Arsenal offered matchgoing fans the ability to watch highlights on their Sony PSP handheld video games console using a private network. In 2019, improved Wi-Fi networks and mobile coverage are seen as a priority for venue owners, who also want to be able to generate new revenue streams by better understanding their customers. Examples of this are personalised offers, or location-specific information. You guarantee this weekend's Superbowl in Atlanta will break connectivity records among spectators. At the recent Leaders Meet Innovation event in London, some organisations and broadcasters were talking about how new mobile technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) can help achieve these aims. And the advent of 5G, which offers faster speeds, greater capacity, and lower latency, will make it easier to deliver more consistent experiences to sports fans in the stadium. Many rugby fans will shrug their shoulders and focus on the game – which is the most important thing after all – but there is one way to win over sceptics. Mobile payments at the bar and the possibility of at-seat ordering in the future means it’s easier and quicker to get a pint in your hand. Here are the best iPhone deals for January 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Ny6FWkIjppM

Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy in 2019. Commuting well and truly sucks - but it doesn't have to. Sure, trains, buses, or even walking down a busy street can be awfully noisy, but there are tools to help block out the noise and help you reach audio nirvana. The best tools in the anti-sound arsenal are noise-cancelling headphones, with some of the best models from audio manufacturers like Sony, Bose and Sennheiser. Put a pair on and say goodbye to the days of suffering from honking traffic, crying babies, and noisy conversations. These wonders of the modern era totally tune out any unwanted sounds, while simultaneously making your music sound even better than a pair of in-ear earbuds. They're just as vital as your laptop, TV or mobile phone and to help you pick out a pair of headphones that deliver all of the above in spades, we've put together a list of the top 10 noise-cancelling headphones, listed below and ranked by their price-to-performance ratio. Can't decide which headphones to buy? Check out our guide video below: What are the best noise-cancelling headphones?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tdbYLfwJ3U5eSREdqfV8oZ.jpg The Sony WH-1000XM3 are the best noise-cancelling headphones in the world two years running. Sure, they might be a small refinement of last year's excellent WH-1000XM2, but subtle tweaks like using USB-C instead of microUSB and adding padding along the bridge help make Sony's award-winning cans even better. So why does everyone love the WH-1000XM3 so much? Well, it's exceptionally good at cancelling outside noise. Put a pair on while vacuuming and you'll barely hear the motor running. For music lovers, the Sony WH-1000XM3 features aptX HD and Sony LDAC, two of the best ways to listen to Hi-Res music from your phone without a wire. Finally, all of Sony's flagship headphones offer both Google Assistant and, starting in 2019, Alexa support, making them not only the best noise-cancelling cans on the market but some of the smartest, too. Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM3 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yFwW5pTwL3ot83qNGZohrj.jpg If you can find a pair, the Sony WH-1000XM2 are still some of the best noise-cancelling headphones around: They sound great, deftly wield noise cancellation technology and cost just as much as a pair of Bose QC35s. They might have a slightly shorter battery life than Bose’s flagship over-ear headphones, but Sony’s WH-1000XM2 outclass the QC35 in terms of performance and feature-set. You’d want to pick these Sony headphones over the Bose because not only do they provide the same level of awesome noise-cancellation, but they have three neat tricks that Bose just doesn't have on its headphones: One is an ambient noise mode that only lets in mid-to-high frequency tones (announcements over a loudspeaker, for instance) and another being Quick Attention mode that allows you to let in all outside noise without taking off the headphones. (The latter is perfect when giving a drink order on a plane or speaking to a coworker for a brief moment before diving back into your work.) The last trick Sony has up its sleeve is the LDAC codec. Alongside the widely adopted aptX HD standard, LDAC enables Hi-Res Audio playback using the 1000XM2. Great-sounding, feature-packed and just as affordable as the competition? The Sony WH-1000XM2 are a solid all-around pick for noise-cancelling cans. Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM2 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7yBy7bzzHXD37rmy7qKoD6.jpg Coming in at the number two spot is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II - a nearly identical product to the already-excellent Bose QuietComfort 35 but updated for 2018 with Google Assistant. This means you still get the class-leading noise cancellation Bose is known for, good sound quality and incredible comfort, plus a convenient assistant to answer any inquiries you might have while traveling. Taken as a whole, the Bose QC35 II NC is an excellent headphone for travelers and commuters. Bose has found a good balance of features that will satisfy most mainstream listeners. While we don't love them as much as the better-sounding Sony WH-1000XM2, they're still top of the class for noise cancellation. Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 35 II http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e5gMLgK4J46kN43ycpFQX.jpg The PXC 550's greatest strength is their sound. Other wireless noise-cancelling headphones might offer a better user interface or better noise-cancellation technology, but ultimately none of the above match up to the sound quality of these Sennheisers. However, that said, there are a couple of irritations that prevent us from being able to fully and unreservedly recommend them, such as unresponsive touch controls. These annoyances aren't quite deal-breakers, but there are definitely other noise-cancelling headphones out there that don't suffer from the same issues. Read the full review: Sennheiser PXC 550 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/255d481c3f2bfd636fd653107e6949c3.jpg Philips presents a more elegant noise-cancelling solution with its NC1. These on-ear headphones aren't wireless like our top pick, but that's hardly a reason to knock them. Coming in at $299/£195, the NC1 are a compact set that's high on comfort and battery life. You get a lot for the money here. In the box comes the headphones, a hard case for storage and the headphones rock a rechargeable battery that provides noise cancellation for close to 30 hours. But best of all, the sound performance is extremely well balanced and warm. (A quite note for our Australian readers: Philips sadly no longer sells the NC1's down under, so you'll need to import a pair if you're keen.) Read the full review: Philips Fidelio NC1 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/042de4edf0666d3f338b0a2dcfb3ed85.jpg A few years ago, the Bose QuietComfort 25 are the best noise-cancelling headphones we've ever used. The lows, mids and highs came through clear as day, never stepping over each other. Music of all sorts sounded predictably incredible. With the noise-cancellation turned on, we never felt further immersed and concentrated than when we let the QC25 engulf our ears. But that was a few years ago and time has moved on since. Bose has released not just one sequel to these headphones, but two: the QC35 and QC35 II with Google Assistant built in, both of which we'd recommend above the QC25. But, it's not all bad. If you don't mind using the older, wired headphones, the QC25s are a finely-tuned set of cans that provide over 35 hours of very good noise-cancelling performance with one AAA battery. Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 25 [update: These headphones also come in a wireless version - check out our review of of the Bose QuietComfort 35. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YooLQW43d62EBYTAohk9JD.jpg Bowers and Wilkins are a little late to the noise-cancellation game, but their first foray impresses. The PX Wireless aren't just a great sounding pair of headphones, they've also got a number of other interesting tricks up their sleeve. They'll turn on and off automatically depending on whether you're wearing them or not, and they also feature the future-proof USB-C charging standard. In our opinion their only downside is the sound quality, which we felt lacks the depth of the flagship headphones from Bose and Sony. That said, if you've been a fan of the look of B&W's headphones in the past then the PX Wireless are certainly worth a listen. Read the full review: Bowers and Wilkins PX Wireless http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4a8yHQheRW4QHr4ynDW6r.jpg If you prefer on-ear noise-cancellation, then the AKG N60NC Wireless are a great pair of headphones. At their mid-range price point the headphones offer fantastic value for money, with great sound quality and a level of noise-cancellation performance that's on a level with the much more premium entries on this list. These are a fantastically compact pair of headphones, and offer a very complete package for the price. Read the full review: AKG N60NC Wireless http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P2XXtXpV2AbEFuA4pVggTQ.jpg With noise-cancelling tech just as effective as that in headphones from rival Bose, and with a more musical sonic ability, the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC are a definite contender for the noise-cancelling crown. More affordable and easy to travel with, these lightweight headphones are a great value all-rounder, whether for flights, commuter trains or busy offices. Design-wise, the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNCs seem a more slimmed-down, lighter and more focused effort than the bulky and expensive alternatives from Bose and Sony; and crucially, the HD 4.50 BTNCs are just as good with audio, and almost as good on noise-canceling. Whether you're after noise canceling for long-haul ravel, for the commute, or just to stay more productive in a noisy office, the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNCs are worth considering. Read the full review: Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QfG5WbRJXCBFovBthSQMEE.jpg With the second generation Plantronics BackBeat Pro, Plantronics went back to the drawing board to fix many of the issues owners complained about the original. The BackBeat Pro 2, therefore, manage to keep all the great things about the original and improved upon its shortcomings, like its bulk and weight. In terms of value, the BackBeat Pro 2 are basically a steal. With the BackBeat Pro 2, you’re getting a travel headphone with incredible battery life, supreme comfort, the ability to pair two device as once and, most importantly, good sound quality for the cost. If you don’t want to drop $350 (£290, AU$500) on the Bose QuietComfort 35 or $400 (£330 or AU$700) on Sony’s flagship MDR-1000X, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 should be on the top of your shopping list. Read the full review: Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fXZCXQnd3cPxs6GhaBivxj.jpg Overall, Microsoft’s Surface headphones are surprisingly good, with a stunningly warm sound, and generous bass frequencies, which means your music will sound great whether you’re listening to subby hip-hop or acoustic singer-songwriters. One criticism of this warm sound is that it can take some of the attack away from lower-mid frequencies, which some users may find a bit underwhelming. However, if sharp trebles and mids tend to give you listening fatigue, these could be the perfect headphones for you. The calling card of these headphones is the active noise cancellation, which we felt worked really well, and we loved how easy it was to control this using the inbuilt dials on each housing. Although we were initially unconvinced by the high price (particularly when you can buy quality cans from heritage audio brands for less), the features work so seamlessly that it feels justified. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y2HJrLEs93HfS3c6sB9TdP.png If you haven't found something quite to your liking so far, we have one last option for you to look at – the all-new Nura Nuraphone over-ear/in-ear hybrid. Their form factor means you’ve not only got an earbud sitting at the entrance of your ear canal, but also an over-ear cushion sitting over your entire ear. This effectively means you’ve got two physical barriers meaning that the noise from the outside world can’t get to your ears. While more traditional over-ear headphones do a better job offering useful features at a reasonable price, the Nuraphone will appeal to the more experimental audio crowd looking to be on the bleeding-edge of the next big thing. Read our full review: Nuraphone Headphones We have exhaustive guides to the best headphones on the market buy today including the best on-ear headphones, the best in-ear headphones and the best over-ear headphones.Want to go wire-free? Check out our guide to the best wireless headphones.Looking for some headphones you can take in the pool or on a run? Check out our guide to the best swimming headphones and best running headphones.[update: Looking forward to CES 2019? Here's what you can expect from the annual tech-stravaganza.]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/OzQBswDbwLg

UPDATE: The introductory offer for Amazon Prime in Australia has expired. Starting February 1, the membership cost is $6.99 for existing and new customers. For the latter, there is a 30-day trial period, with all the free perks included. Scroll down to find out more about Amazon Prime. Although Amazon launched locally in Australia in December 2017, the online retail giant’s famous Prime subscription service – already well-established in other markets like the US and the UK – took a little longer to arrive. It finally made landfall Down Under some six months later in June 2018, and brings with it a range of savings and benefits for Aussie shoppers for a flat monthly fee of $6.99. So what’s included? In a nutshell, if you sign up for Amazon Prime in Australia, you’ll get: Free two-day delivery on domestic purchasesFree standard delivery on orders over $49 made from the ‘global’ section (ie. international purchases)Access to Prime Video, Prime Reading and Twitch PrimeEarly access to discounts and dealsBig savings on Amazon Prime Dayhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qiGYKbFQN9GtgeFrCLHMA3.jpg What is Amazon Prime?The main appeal for Amazon’s Prime service is that it offers members fast and free delivery on many purchases, plus access to some of the company’s streaming services. Prime members also get exclusive early access to select deals and offers, and get to participate in a members-only annual sale called Prime Day. In the US, Amazon Prime offers free shipping on millions of items, same-day delivery (or even two-hour delivery in some cases) and access to its video and music streaming services, unlimited ebooks and audiobooks, and unlimited photo storage. However, to get all the goods and services Amazon promises in its Prime package American customers pay US$12.99 a month (US$119 a year). In Australia, unfortunately, there are some caveats to what Prime members get, but it also costs us less – half of what the US pays, to be precise. How much does the Prime service cost in Australia?In Australia, Amazon Prime subscriptions cost $6.99 a month, or $59 per year. As is customary with all of Amazon’s subscription services, there’s a 30-day free trial on offer. If you aren’t happy with the Prime service, you’ll need to manually cancel your membership before the 30-day trial ends or you will be charged the full monthly fee the following month. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GcBio8PnRHcmbJF8s2vz8c.jpg What do Australian Prime members get?Amazon has brought the promise of free delivery for its Aussie Prime members, but it’s limited to domestic purchases only. If you buy something from an Australian third-party merchant selling goods on Amazon Australia, you won’t be charged for delivery, not matter how small or large your final order costs. The caveat here, though, is that the product needs to carry the “Prime Eligible” label. If that’s not visible, speedy or delivery is not an option even if you are a Prime member. However, if the order is over $49, it automatically qualifies for Amazon’s free standard delivery policy. Also worth noting is that, in Australia, Prime’s free delivery service isn’t the 'same day' one that's offered in the US. Locally, it’s a two-day delivery promise – something that's most likely due to Amazon having only one Australian fulfilment centre located in Melbourne. We’re hoping that might change to a one-day delivery promise, since the company’s second fulfilment centre in Sydney is now open. On international items bought from the new 'global' area of the store, only purchases over $49 will be eligible for free delivery, but again, it needs to carry the “Prime Eligible” label to qualify. Prime members also get exclusive early access to Lightning Deals (Amazon’s limited-time deals that vanish within hours of going live). Alongside those shopping benefits, there’s a number of complementary digital-media subscriptions that are included for free with Prime: Other Amazon services in AustraliaWhile Prime members in the US get additional perks, like access to free grocery and restaurant deliveries and a free subscription to the Washington Post (which Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also owns), the Australian Prime service is limited to just the aforementioned options. However, Amazon’s repertoire in Australia still extends beyond those Prime offerings. There’s a smattering of other services that the company runs locally, although you’ll need to sign up for them individually, paying either a monthly or annual fee for each. Here’s what those locally-available Amazon subscription services entail: While Amazon Prime has its perks, you don't have to be a member to avail low prices on products being sold on the online marketplace. If you're after savings on cool gadgets and gizmos, we handpick some excellent bargains to be had on tech in our Best Amazon Deals and Sales page. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/PGLta4udp9Y

Best Bluetooth Speakers Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the bluetooth speakers you can buy in 2019. Bluetooth speakers are often associated with days at the beach, nights out by the bonfire and long weekends away in the woods, but that doesn't mean you won't need them to say, DJ a tailgate party or take with you on the slopes. Summer doesn't have a monopoly on music, after all. To help you track down the best Bluetooth portable speaker for every occasion we've put together a guide to the best speakers on the market, based on our comprehensive reviews and our knowledge of the speaker space. Stick with us and you'll be able to bring an amped-up version of your music anywhere and everywhere. Concerned you might have to spend a fortune on a fantastic speaker? Absolutely not. Instead, there are many options for great speakers that’ll cost you as much as your weekly trip to the grocery store. In fact, the only problem you’ve got to face when you’re choosing a new speaker is that there’s so many great ones to choose from, it can be overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you. Here are some of our favorite, portable, audio companions that’ll let you pump out the tunes whether you’re in the garden, at the beach, on the slopes, camping, cooking or anywhere in-between. How to pick out the best Bluetooth speakerWe're glad you're here, but not the big question is: how do you find the right Bluetooth speaker? It may seem like the choice is endless, but there are plenty with unique selling points that'll suit your needs. Some are rugged. Some are stylish. Some are weatherproof and some aren't fit for the outdoors. If you're having trouble figuring out which speaker might be best for you, start by picturing where you're going to use it and find a speaker that matches that setting: If you're a beach person, water- and dust-proofing are key. If you're a party person, you might want the ability to connect two speakers together or a speaker with multi-point pairing that allows multiple devices to connect at a time. Battery life and sound quality are paramount for all speakers, and we've our best to take these in the utmost consideration when creating our list. That said, here are 10 of our favorite Bluetooth wireless speakers, ranked by their price-to-performance ratio, that will surely work for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2HDpCP2po4CCGsXf8AH2s5.jpg UE Boom 2 While we weren't as impressed with the UE Boom 3 as we were with its predecessor, this is still the best Bluetooth speaker money can buy in 2019. This is a speaker that can get loud and not distort at higher volumes; be light enough to carry on a camping trip but remain durable enough to tumble in a bag unprotected. It's both water- and dust-proof, and now has a one-touch mix button that lets you pull up your favorite playlists without ever picking up your phone. There are certainly more detailed speakers out there (see: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin down below), but at a price that's relatively affordable to all, the UE Boom 3 hits all the right notes for the third year in a row. Read the full review: UE Boom 3 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V9vXV9PhUYWAHYEqv5pcZH.jpg Fugoo Style The Bose SoundLink Revolve is an excellent sound speaker for folks looking for true 360-degree sound. It’s great for sharing music during a party or for moving around the room without losing audio fidelity. However, the Bose SoundLink Mini II sounds slightly better and is slightly cheaper to boot. On the debit side, it’s also not fully dust or waterproof so you’ll want to think twice before bringing the Revolve to the beach. For half the price, the Wonderboom is a great speaker that is completely dust and waterproof and while it can’t match the audio fidelity or features of the Bose, it's still great for on-the-go listening. If bass is your game, the JBL Charge 3 is an excellent fully waterproof speaker that sounds great, but is big and heavy along with it. Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Revolve http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Jd4nJRCbu3HFUkuneoheVN.jpg JBL Charge 3 As a package, the JBL Charge 3 offers a compelling set of features and excellent sound quality to boot. It punches well above its weight, playing loudly and distortion-free. The Charge line of speakers have been on our shortlist of recommendations for a long time thanks to the way they combine great sound quality with the ability to charge your devices over USB. The latest iteration maintains JBL's dominance in the portable Bluetooth speaker market. Read the full review: JBL Charge 3 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f9fce59cc4c510af829d8a5e523309f9.jpg Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless The new Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is a beautiful piece of design. It's a solid, reassuringly weighty wireless speaker delivering on all the B&W audio heritage which the British audio maestro has been building up throughout its lifetime: The sound is clear and natural, delivering room-filling audio with seriously punchy mid-range, and dynamic, controlled bass. Its price might put a bit of a damper on your wallet, but if you have audiophile tastes that extend into the portable speaker space, the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is the only speaker you should be considering. Read the full review: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ci3so3mu7WkPevmZLVHCFX.jpg Bose SoundLink Mini II The Bose SoundLink Mini II is relatively ancient, having been released in June 2015. However, writing off the SoundLink Mini II because of its age would be a mistake, as it remains one of the best sounding wireless speakers. That said, it punches way above what its size would suggest, producing deep bass, sparkling highs and a lush midrange. While most wireless speakers sound OK, the Mini II proves that small speakers don’t need to compromise on sound, and other Bose conveniences like a charging pad. Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Mini II http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/253R69wGAFNdDiAYA9hDjB.jpg Anker Soundcore Flare Anker has a history of making excellent budget wireless speakers. While we weren’t entirely impressed with the Anker SoundCore 2’s sound, we couldn’t be too mad since the speaker was so affordable. So what happens if you can stretch your budget? For around $20 more you get the Anker Soundcore Flare, an excellent waterproof Bluetooth speaker that can stand toe-to-toe with the competition. The Soundcore Flare is an amazing value in the sub-$100 wireless speaker segment. Competitors like the UE Wonderboom (listed above) give the Flare a run for its money in terms of build quality but we give the Flare the slight edge with sound quality. We recommend the Flare for anyone looking for a wireless speaker that can do it all without breaking the bank. Read the full review: Anker Soundcore Flare http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4gyrBgazHn9VWNRc69tc38.jpg UE Wonderboom When someone asks us for a recommendation for a waterproof speaker, the UE Roll 2 was always on the top of our list. We loved the Roll 2’s unique form factor, 50-foot wireless range and, obviously, it sounded good, too. Where it was lacking was in the bass department. Logitech, UE’s parent company, has fixed the Roll 2’s lack of bass by creating the appropriately named UE Wonderboom. In our eyes, the UE Wonderboom bests the Roll 2 in just about every way –except for the Roll 2’s handy bungee cord. Still, ignoring that, if you’re looking for one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers on the market today, it’s hard to do better than the UE Wonderboom. Read the full review: UE Wonderboom http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UT9JBqVkQXo7uvjBSAeXR6.jpg Bang and Olufsen Beoplay P2 B&O created a hit with the Beoplay P2. It’s a well-designed speaker that’s extremely easy to use, has a well-built companion app, and it sounds great. On top of that, the speaker is ultra-portable without compromising on much bass content. Sure, you could get something a little bigger (and stereo) for the same price, but at this size the sound quality justifies the price. The smart gestures are a nice touch too, although we wouldn’t buy the device solely for that reason. Read the full review: B&O Beoplay P2 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZBayRiP5MCbR8N4BM3brBV.jpg Marshall Kilburn Marshall’s Kilburn II is a fantastic update to its bestselling predecessor, with a stunning retro amp-inspired design and a well-rounded sound. While the bass can be a little muddy at times, it’s excellent for playing guitar music, and its portability means the Kilburn II is great for taking on the road - although it is fairly heavy. It's rugged design stands out from other Bluetooth speakers on the market, and rock fans will like its heritage design - but if you're all about the minimalist look, the Kilburn II probably isn't for you Read the full review: Marshall Kilburn II review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dY24xjQFeMkpdzBFZCDVJX.jpg Denon Envaya (DSB-250BT) The newest speaker in the Denon Envaya line is one of the first speakers to absolutely blow us away in 2018. It offers powerful, room-filling sound that will sound great to most ears, plus comes with an IP67 rating, make it both dust and waterproof. It's also built like a tank, making it one of the most durable speakers we've ever laid our hands on. Despite a nearly flawless performance, the Envaya isn't perfect: While sound quaity is full, powerful and rich, it doesn’t have the treble bite some like and the buttons located along the side can feel stiff and difficult to operate. These are ultimately minor complaints, however, and the Denon Envaya remains a great Bluetooth speaker – easily one of the best you can buy this year. Read the full review: Denon Envaya (DSB-250BT) Need something to listen to? Check out our collection of the best podcastshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/TRppJJREVrw

Apple has purposely broken Google's internal iOS apps for improper use and privacy concerns, reportedly affecting its pre-release beta and employee-only apps software. Revoking Google's enterprise certificate comes one day after Apple did the same to Facebook. Both companies misused their developer certification, which is supposed to be for internal-only apps for employees, to make consumer-accessible ones that collected user data. That's a no-no, according to Apple's rules. But it wasn't specifically the user data collection that sparked Apple's ire. Instead, it was using the certification - which should only be used to create employee apps - to quietly make a consumer-accessible app, which circumvents Apple's standard review process. Google voluntarily shuttered its own app in question, Screenwise Meter, yesterday after press attention and publicly apologized. Like Facebook’s app, Screenwise monitored how folks used their iPhones. And while it seems like Google’s app had less access than Facebook’s, it still broke Apple’s policy regarding its enterprise certificate: “Any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked.” Apple’s move today to revoke Google’s certificate has blocked its use of early versions of Google Maps, Hangouts, Gmail and other pre-release beta apps, according to The Verge. A serious, but likely temporary blockConsidering how important testing apps is to both Facebook and now Google, it’s likely the companies are rushing to fix their strained relationship with Apple – not to mention access to their iOS testing systems. Google is already in talks with Apple, notes Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier, and iMore's Rene Ritchie confirms that Apple is in talks with Google. Facebook seems to have already negotiated to restore their certificate and reactivate their internal app library. Empty listConcerned about security? Check out our list of the best VPNshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/pjdnEnpsLTA

As we head into the weekend, we've rounded up this week's top deals from Amazon, which include a variety of best-selling tech gadgets. The highlighted deals include the most recent Apple iPad for $279.99, $10 off Amazon's Choice 4K Fire TV Stick, and the Cowin noise-canceling headphones for only $49.99. Amazon's best deal this week is the popular Instant Pot Duo Plus, on sale for $79.99. That's a whopping $50 discount and the best price we've seen for this multi-use pressure cooker. The 6Qt pressure cooker replaces nine kitchen appliances in one and prepares dishes 70% faster. The popular pressure cooker can whip up a variety of recipes and foods that include everything from rice and eggs to cakes and yogurt. You can even ask Alexa for guided cooking and 750+ recipes. Other Amazon top deals: Shop the best Super Bowl 2019 TV deals this weekhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ffkNBF5SyWE

For a while, the best 4K monitors were the golden ideal of computing, but these days, its available for basically anyone. Which is good, because these days everything is designed for ultra high definition displays, from operating systems to the best PC games. And, just like all the best monitors out there, they’re designed to provide users with a beautifully immersive – or productive – experience. With the new wave of affordable 4K monitors recently hitting the market, considerably cheaper than 4K TVs, they’re naturally all the rage right now. If you’re one of the many currently in the market for a 4K monitor to meet your PC gaming needs while still keeping within budget, we’re here to help you find the right one. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nGLYEHKX73kLQFa4jNR5Mo.jpg Dell’s P2715Q has often been name-dropped as one of the best 4K monitors in the market. With its sharpness, vivid colors, and ultra high resolution, it delivers excellent image quality for an affordable price no less. It also affords a range of features that rival its more expensive competitors. One such feature is its ergonomic stand for adjustable height and a screen you can pivot to your heart’s content. There’s also its 60Hz refresh rate as well as its gamut of ports. P2715Q is a strong contender for professionals and gamers alike. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/stcGL8hXWtkK8WYMi3NjNo.jpeg LG UltraFine 4K might feel like David in a sea of Goliaths. Yet this monitor still screams Apple when it comes to functionality. The setup process is incredibly easy there’s not even a power button—you just plug the power adapter and then connect to your MacBook with the a single USB-C cable, which is for power, data, and display. It’s not without limitations, namely the absence of a Thunderbolt 3 port. However, it’s configured P3 color space renders a wider gamut of colors than other displays. Its small screen size coupled with Ultra-HD gives you extreme sharpness without sacrificing your deskspace. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6PKXxaaPEv4zWSFz5YRW3.jpg Monoprice isn’t the most revered on the market, the brand makes some of the most affordable panels in the market. Its Ultra Slim Aluminum monitor, for one, is praised for is sleek, ultra thin bezel design and ultra wide viewing angles at 178°. Though limited in features – there are no built-in speakers, for example – its IPS panel allows for super sharp image display, the FreeSync technology reduces screen tearing, and the brand’s Pixel Perfect Guarantee gives it a vibrant color performance. Additionally, it supports more connectivity than its better-known competitors with the two DisplayPorts and two HDMI ports. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xjv8jkUSRErHUt8LffQzLo.jpg Those looking for a 4K monitor with crisp image quality and G-Sync’s smoothing, anti-tearing technology will certainly benefit from the Asus ROG PG27AQ. That is, if you’re willing to spend $900. It does have more than enough makings of a gaming panel: Asus’ Flicker-Free technology, a five-way joystick for on-screen display settings, a button for its built-in GamePlus technology, an ergonomic (LED-lit) stand, and six display modes. Still, for that price, you’re certainly allowed to expect more bounce for your once including a higher refresh rate and access to more image quality adjustments. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RctRWE3RLxp5osq7fQsDKn.jpg While 4K monitors are becoming more and more common, even without particularly powerful hardware, we still run into the kind of monitor that changes everything. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is one of these. Asus has managed to craft a 4K gaming monitor with HDR and the kind of color support you see in professional displays – and render that all at 144Hz with G-Sync no less. There are only a few monitors out there that packs as many features as this Asus screen, and that’s why it’s one of the best 4K monitors. But, keep in mind, you’re going to have to pay for something this advanced – and we mean pay. Read the full review: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yi3ooFsG6FmvQ5NjBuhCMo.jpg If you’re looking for a 4K monitor for gaming, ViewSonic’s XG2700-4K is the perfect fit. It is not without quirks: the screen brightness could be higher, the red on black trim is an acquired taste, and it has no built-in speakers. On the other hand, you get amazing picture quality, quick response time, accurate color performance, multiple ports, and a versatile stand for multiple viewing angle options. Its most notable feature is AMD FreeSync to prevent tearing and ensure that your games are running smoothly. Of course, the picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes are also helpful because who doesn’t multitask nowadays. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TnnXYJNk7xwRemp8cRhQMo.jpg Though IPS monitors offer better viewing angles and color reproduction, a TN monitor is better for competitive gaming with much faster response time, higher refresh rates, and affordability. This is how AOC’s U2879VF has a 1ms response time and a refresh rate of 144Hz all for a low, low price. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows however. If you can forgive the restricted viewing angles, the occasional flickering at 144Hz, the absence of a USB port, and the ho-hum color performance, this AMD FreeSync-enabled monitor is for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FnyeYgDAU3ohkd9j5uVPhY.jpg If you have an absolute beast of a gaming computer – think two Nvidia RTX 2080 Tis in SLI – and you need a monitor that can keep up, you might want to take a look at the Acer Predator X27. Not only is it a 27-inch 4K monitor with HDR, but it also has a refresh rate of a whopping 144 Hz. If you have the horsepower, you can play games in 4K competitively without losing an edge to the person playing in 1080p. But, as you may expect from a spec sheet like this, it’s very expensive – but if you need the tech, it’s definitely there. Read the full review: Acer Predator X27 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MLvtW3jrv62JJHES8jmaYo.jpg You’ll need a bigger desk with 43UD79-B’s hefty, 42-inch screen. Unfortunately this bigger than life screen might also be darker around the edges and a sluggish refresh rage. However, this 4K monitor’s other features will more than make up for its flaws. The screen split software, for one, allows for a range of screen configurations. This, coupled with its four HDMI inputs, a DisplayPort 1.2a port, and a USC-C port, will let you effortlessly run multiple devices at once. Along with its true IPS screen, color-rich display, and FreeSync compatibility, you might just be getting a bargain. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L27X2tDzcsjRh5d3yEhyKo.jpg Don’t let BenQ’s PD3200U’s 32-inch screen intimidate you. Although this might be the most expensive monitor here, it might just be the ticket if you’re looking for something very functional and you’ve got the dough to match. Due to its ultra-high resolution, the large screen size actually works to your advantage. It’s also fully adjustable so that you can swivel, tilt, and rotate the screen with very little effort. This one’s intended more for professionals with its CAD/CAM mode, 4ms response time, and KVM switch features. However, gamers will certainly appreciate its other features, if not its ho-hum, boxy design. Read the full review: BenQ PD3200U Looking for a more great gaming monitor? Check out our list for the best http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/D7wAUVO-M14

The next Nintendo Switch console may not be the new and improved version that many are clamoring for, but rather a shrinking or condensing of the current platform. That’s the latest from Japanese news outlet Nikkei, translated via Nintendo Everything. The outlet reports, citing sources both from hardware partners and game developers, that the console will be both ‘miniaturized’ to emphasize ‘portability’ and will “cut features” to become more affordable. It’s unknown specifically which features Nintendo plans to cut from this version of the Switch console, but there’s incentive for the company to make such a move. While just about everything is on the up for Nintendo financially, it's technically well short of its original goal of 20 million consoles sold in the fiscal year 2018 with a recent recasting down to 17 million. A more financially approachable console would certainly help drive more sales given the console’s popularity may be at odds a bit with its relatively un-Nintendo price. What does a stripped-down Switch look like?Sadly, with a cheaper Switch comes a Switch that’s thinner on the bone. Though Nikkei’s source have been quiet on the details, there are a few more obvious places where Nintendo can cut some fat. Nintendo could end up axing the docking features for this version, if it’s managed to integrate the display inputs into the USB-C interface and is willing to take the performance hit to a 720p maximum resolution. (The Nintendo Switch dock allows the console extra headroom to run games at 1080p resolution.) Of course, this feature could get stripped altogether regardless, though that would seriously betray the spirit of the console without some sort of spin-off rebranding. Most other features, including wireless communication, are pretty essential to the console, so here’s to hoping Nintendo wouldn’t need to slash off much more. But, if Nintendo was able to make the console more kid-friendly in terms of ruggedization as well, this Nintendo Switch version could be a hit. Better Nintendo Switch Online for dedicated fansWithin the same report, Nikkei has reported on a related rumor that Nintendo wants to launch an enhanced and pricier version of is Nintendo Switch Online service for “game enthusiasts willing to pay more,” Nintendo Everything translates. However, this issue of price in the translation has been disputed online, according to Ars Technica, specifically about whether the new and improved service will cost more or just become available as an update. Regardless, it’s unknown what Nintendo may think its hardcore fans need from the Switch Online service. Of course, we’re here to say “voice chat within the damn console, please?” These are the best Nintendo Switch games right nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/oZ2IlAHhM6M

The best all-in-one PCs, unlike conventional PCs, are desktop PCs with displays built-in. You’ll often find a mix of laptop and desktop components in an all-in-one PC, and while that does make it harder to dig in and upgrade to one of the best processors, there are definitely some advantages. One of the core advantages of the best all-in-one PCs is that they take up much less desk space than the best PCs usually do – as you don’t need to set aside room for a tower, a monitor and all the other assorted peripherals. Plus, there’s less of a mess of cables for people to trip over. This makes the best all-in-one PCs excellent choices for offices that want to maintain a sleek and professional look. It's no coincidence that all-in-one PCs are favored by professionals in the creative industry, especially the Surface Studio 2. On the flipside, the best all-in-one PCs are often the most affordable desktops that give users plenty of power and a decent screen paired together into one package. Below are the best all-in-ones PCs handpicked and regularly updated in traditional TechRadar fashion. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HoGCBzimGQmuUcKbYd4xCh.jpg Back when the original Surface Studio hit the streets, it was a game changer for artists and content creators alike. And, even in 2019, the sequel still stands in a league of its own. The Surface Studio 2 doesn’t just feature the same gorgeous display and unique functionality, but it also ups the power significantly, making it a much more future-proof device. It’s still extraordinarily expensive, but if your use case is right for the Surface Studio 2, then, it’s hard to think of a better all-in-one PC. Read the full review: Surface Studio 2 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TGnepMJpdWqMhcChLmArMA.jpg The iMac Pro, more than any other computer on this list, is aimed squarely at professionals – and it has the hardware to back it up. Packed with up to an 18-core Intel Xeon processor and up to 128GB of RAM, there isn’t a single thing you could throw at the iMac Pro to slow it down. And, while it is, without a doubt, outrageously expensive – it doesn’t really matter. If you’re the type of person that needs this level of power (you know who you are) then the price is absolutely justified. Read the full review: iMac Pro http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gSTvhgvYkrUtSkkNzAq3EY.jpg Resting atop an articulating stand, the Dell XPS 27 AIO comprises of a massive 4K Ultra HD touchscreen display with a whopping sextet of ear-numbing speakers. Not only is it attractive, but it’s also top-notch when it comes to delivering powerful specs. Whether you’re making your own beats or vibing out to someone else’s; watching films or editing them yourself, the Dell XPS 27 should be at the top of your list when shopping around for a new PC. Read the full review: Dell XPS 27 AIO http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KqCMnzyBUqSyvPcNQzsCM7.jpg Not to be shown up by the 5K iMac or new Dell XPS AIO, HP has its own unique take on the all-in-one desktop. Though it also has all its components stored in its base like the Surface Studio, the HP Envy Curved All-in-One also adds in a booming speaker bar. Add in the ultra-wide curved screen and this is one of the best and most immersive PC for enjoying movies. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4c1f81bc46625fac312dc83a96beaadf.jpg While Apple's iMac with Retina 5K display is one of the most impressive all-in-ones around, its price places it out of the reach of most people. However, if you're up for the expense there's no greater MacOS machine than this -- that is until the iMac Pro arrives. It comes with Apple's sharpest 27-inch 5K Retina display. Excellent build quality and hardy specs, also makes it a PC built to last, and a fine option for productivity work, watching movies or light gaming. Read the full review: Apple iMac with 5K Retina display The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is like an all-in-one you can take on the gohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/l7SCtP4z8-I

Forget all of the Samsung Galaxy S10 leaks based on concepts and schematics, and take a look at what appears to be the first 'official' Galaxy S10 Plus photo. It's said to be Samsung's Galaxy S10 Plus press render, one that backs up all of the major rumors we've heard previously, according to the leakers at 91mobiles. The front and back of the new phone represent a radical change from last year's S9 and S9 Plus. There's less bezel, more screen, new cameras, and a punch "don't call it a notch" hole. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kVmWjFafYkWdj2gTZnNqXj.jpg Alleged Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus press render, front and back (Image Credit: 91mobiles) Big screen, lots of camerasThe S10 Plus is said to have large, curved 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display, the same size as the Galaxy Note 9 screen. The one on the Note 10 might be even bigger come August when it's expected to arrive. How? The front-facing camera – or in this case two front-facing cameras – are in a screen cut-out in the top right corner. In December, we saw Samsung's 5G phone prototype, or with what is likely an unfinished version of this idea. Samsung S10's expansive screen size in a small body is achieved by maximizing the screen-to-body ratio, without a need for the thinned-out top bezel to include room for the selfie cameras. So the actual phone shouldn't be much bigger than last year's handsets. Today's Galaxy S10 Plus photo leaks also clearly show the triple-lens rear camera on the back of the phone and doesn't show a rear fingerprint sensor. That's because we expect Samsung to use an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor embedded in the glass. When it comes to the trio of cameras, we're anticipating a regular, telephoto and new wide-angle lens with special effects. The iPhone 11 is rumored to have a similar setup. Of course, Apple isn't expected to launch its new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max until September, and the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus, Galaxy Lite and foldable Samsung Galaxy X are supposed to at the company's Unpacked event on February 20. We'll be in San Francisco and London, reporting on the big Samsung launch event in person. Act surprised when it looks exactly like it does in this newly leaked photo. This may change after Unpacked, but here's our current best Samsung phones listhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/jCeEpw4h9O0

Think Apple’s lower-than-expected iPhone revenue was worrisome? Multiple market research reports assert that global smartphone shipments had a full-year decline for the first time in 2018. Q4 2018 was the fifth straight quarter of declining smartphone shipments, rising to a 7% reduction in the latest quarter, according to Counterpoint Research’s report. It tagged the year-long decline in 2018 at 4%, dropping from 1.56 billion units shipped in 2017 to 1.49 billion this past year. Other market research firms claimed similar reductions between 4% and 6%. “Consumers held on to their devices longer due to the absence of groundbreaking innovations and higher prices of devices being offered by the OEMs,” Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, noted in a press release announcing the report. This was the first year the highest-end devices broke the $999 highwater mark set by the iPhone X in 2017. Flagship phones crept up in price across the board, too. There are other reasons consumers held on to old phones, like continued security updates and OS upgrades to older devices. But some wounds were self-inflicted: Apple openly noted that its cheap battery replacement program (itself an apology for intentionally slowing older iOS devices) contributed to fewer iPhones sold than anticipated. And as Pathak said, the smartphone industry didn’t make great innovations in the last year. Manufacturers still tried to push sales with extra features like improved AI, triple-lens cameras (LG V40, Huawei Mate 20), full-screen displays, in-screen fingerprint scanners (OnePlus 6T) and other additions – but none drove sales as a must-have tech development. Other market research firms offered additional reasons for the downturn in their reports: Strategy Analytics also cited economic headwinds, while IHS noted political effects on sales, like the US-China trade dispute driving a patriotic fervor in the latter country for citizens to buy smartphones from Chinese manufacturers (Huawei, Xiaomi, etc). Lower smartphone shipments, shifting market share Aside from noting the reasons behind the shipment decline, the reports (from Counterpoint Research, Strategy Analytics and IHS) cited other changes from 2017 to 2018 - namely, market share. Samsung remains at the top with 19% of all smartphones shipped across the world, though its 318 million units shipped in 2017 dropped 8% to 291 million. Apple retains second place per these reports with 14% share and 206 million units sold, though third-place Huawei briefly claimed that spot last fall – but the real story is that Huawei rose from 10% market share in 2017 with 153 million units shipped to vie with Apple in 2018 at 14% market share by shipping 205 million units. Xiaomi at fourth in global market share (8%) upped their units shipped from 96 million to 121 million, a 26% increase. Oppo (120 million shipped) and vivo (102 million shipped) didn’t change their rankings at 8% and 7%, respectively. LG reportedly shipped fewer phones - from 55.9 million in 2017 to 41.2 million in 2018, a 26% reduction. LIkewise, Lenovo dropped from 49.9 million units in 2017 to 38.3 million last year, a 23% decline. Motorola stayed fairly consistent, shipping 39 million units over 2017’s 38 million. TCL-Alcatel dropped from 21 million phones shipped in 2017 down to 17 million last year, an 18% reduction. The big surprise at the lower end of the market share pie: HMD Global’s Nokia line shipped 15 million units last year, up from 5 million in 2017. The rest of the phones shipped saw a trend-reflected 22% drop in units shipped, from 429 million in 2017 to 336 million last year. Thus, the winners this year were those who retained their shipment numbers despite a less friendly consumer base. So...what about 2019? As always, it’s impossible to predict what will happen in 2019. But it’s hard to ignore that aforementioned contributing factors to last year’s lower shipments are still going strong - namely, lack of innovation. TechRadar went to CES and saw some promising phones, but no groundbreaking tech – and we’re including the Royole FlexPai, the first working foldable phone that you’ll have to pay dearly to own. Other manufacturers could prove us wrong on the concept, especially if they’ve developed something actually flat and neat, like Xiaomi’s alleged folding phone. Other developments coming this year aren’t exactly showstoppers: punch hole cameras and other notch-avoiding schemes, in-screen fingerprint sensors and incremental upgrades on phone specs. Perhaps something exciting will be revealed at MWC 2019 next month. Or perhaps other global developments will make markets more receptive - like a thawing between US and China, though that seems less likely after the US Department of Justice officially charged Huawei on 23 criminal counts. Numbers aside, folks are still buying phones - including you. Check out our list of the best smartphones on the markethttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/84s0gvmWoo0

Earlier this month, Have I Been Pwned's Troy Hunt brought attention to the largest ever online data dump containing 12,000 separate files and over 87GB of data containing 773m unique email addresses and 22m unique passwords. Hunt referred to the wealth of personal data he found on MEGA as Collection #1 and now Collection #2-5 has appeared online containing 2.2bn unique usernames and passwords along with 845GB of data and over 25bn records. Collection #2-5 contains almost three times as many unique records as Collection #1 and Phosphorous.io's founder Chris Rouland explained to Wired that more than 130 people are making the data available to download online. So far the data has been downloaded 1,000 times which means that the personal details Collection #2-5 contains will likely remain online indefinitely. Collection #2-5While the site Have I Been Pwned was a useful resource in discovering if your credentials had been leaked in Collection#1, the site has not yet been updated with the information from Collection #2-5. Instead users curious to know if their details have been leaked in the latest collection should check out Hasso Plattner's Info Leak Checker which contains details from 8bn accounts spanning 810 leaks. Much of the stolen information contained in Collection #2-5 is from previous data breaches that affected Yahoo, LinkedIn and Dropbox. However, these details could be utilized by hackers to launch credential stuffing attacks to compromise other accounts that use the same login details. Via Wired Worried about your credentials being exposed? Protect your passwords with the best password manager and secure your devices online with the best VPNhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/uTjPBQmHF3M

UK SMEs feel positive about the economy and their strategies for the future despite facing a host of challenges in 2019 according to a new study from American Express conducted by Oxford Economics. The research, which is conducted annually among senior executives and decision-makers in SMEs across 15 countries, shows that UK SMES are remaining resilient even when faced with old and new business challenges. Of those surveyed, over two thirds (64%) forecast policy, legal and regulatory changes as the greatest threat to SMEs in 2019 followed by economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit and trade relationships. Cyber and data security is an emerging treat to UK businesses and 31 percent ranked it in their top three external business threats this year compared to only 11 percent last year. Revenue growth may be the most important long-term objective for UK SMEs but organisations have scaled down their profit projections for the year ahead showing they're more realistic about what they can achieve given the current climate. Continued growthSMEs plan to focus on productivity in 2019 with businesses predicting that increased productivity and operational efficiency will have the greatest impact on their financial performance over the next three years. To help realise these goals, UK SMEs plan to implement cost-saving programs (66%) and improve management decision making (59%) going forward. Organisations are also leveraging their small business advantages to drive growth and 60 percent believe they are now more likely to be a disruptor as opposed to being disrupted. This belief is reflected in their appetite for risk with 70 percent of UK SMEs saying they are willing to take big risks to gain big rewards. Executive Vice President of Global Commercial Services International at American Express, Jose Carvalho provided further insight on the findings of the study, saying: “Despite operating in turbulent times, and facing fresh challenges for the year ahead, the optimism and focused resilience shown by the country’s SMEs is encouraging. Our research shows that they are single minded in their approach to growth and 85% are assured about the strategies they have in place to meet their objectives. Although confident, our SMEs are far from complacent. They’re realistic in their attitudes towards revenue growth – and must now invest in improving cost savings and decision making to meet their productivity goals.” We've also highlighted the best small business softwarehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/3TLW6ISWk3Y