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Over the last few years, Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup has consistently pumped out some of the best Windows tablets and 2-in-1 laptops we’ve seen. But, when the Surface Pro 6 launched with few substantial changes, we started wondering when we could expect more meaningful improvements on the Surface formula. Cue the Surface Pro 7, which we’re starting to see all kinds of patents for coming out of the woodwork that can change how we use Microsoft’s tablets. With Intel’s Ice Lake processors launching this year, and with the rumors of a new USB-C magnetic charger in the works at Microsoft, the Surface Pro 7 may end up being one of the best Surface devices yet. But, because nothing has been confirmed, keep in mind that this is all rumors and educated speculation. Regardless, we will keep this article updated with all the latest news and rumors alongside our wishes, so you have an idea of what to expect. Cut to the chaseWhat is it? The next Surface Pro tabletWhen is it out? Late 2019 at the earliestWhat will it cost? Probably around $899 (£879, AU$1,349) to start.http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XqTZX6i9umEmUAfSFzJCGF.jpg Surface Pro 7 release dateBecause the Surface Pro 6 essentially just came out, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the next one any time soon in 2019 much less this year at all. Both the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pro 6 launched in October 2015 and 2018, respectively, but the Surface Pro 2017 launched in June of that year. Now, it’s possible that the Surface Pro 7 will launch in October 2019, but the release cadence for Surface Pro devices seems to be approximately every 16 to 18 months. So, it’s possible that we won’t see the Surface Pro 7 until June 2020. It’s possible that we’ll see the Surface Pro 7 as early as October 2019, if Microsoft wants to target that annualized release, but we wouldn’t hold our breath. Don’t worry, though, we’ll update this article just as soon as we hear any word – official or otherwise – on the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 release date. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YXoDWMzoVCZULHjXQF3CCF.jpg Surface Pro 7 priceThe Surface Pro 6 launched at $899 (£879, AU$1,349) for the base model, but that marked an increase in price over the Surface Pro 2017, the base model of which was $799 (£799, AU$1,199). So, the pricing of the Surface Pro 7 could go one of two ways: another increase of $100, or it may just stay the same price – we doubt the price will drop again, though. If the price does go up by another $100, and start at $999 (about £770, AU$1,380), it’ll put the Surface Pro 7 in the same league as devices like the Dell XPS 13 and the HP Spectre x360 – not to mention the new iPad Pro. Much like anything else here, we won’t know the actual pricing of the Surface Pro 7 until Microsoft is ready to share it. But, we’ll update this article as soon as that happens. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zc99mXm6EWK2fNCeU3GGAF.jpg What we want to seeBecause the Surface Pro 7 is so far out right now, it’s hard to predict what exactly will be in the next Surface device. However, with all the patents that Microsoft has filed recently – though they’re by no means any kind of confirmation – we have come up with a wishlist of updates we’d like to see. Blazing Speed Back at CES 2019, Intel announced Ice Lake, the first 10nm Sunny Cove architecture for laptops. And, while we don’t have any kind of details about these processors or how they’ll perform, the smaller manufacturing process will inevitably lead to better performance and efficiency. If the Surface Pro 7 includes these new processors, you can expect much greater performance, while also getting improved battery life across the board. Thunderbolt 3, please Microsoft, for obvious reasons not worth getting into here, has been hesitant to implement Thunderbolt 3 into its Surface Products. And, while this was excusable in the early days, it’s getting harder to ignore with each Surface release. Luckily, we have reason to believe that Microsoft will launch the Surface Pro 7 with Thunderbolt 3 support, or at the very least basic USB-C charging. Microsoft has patented a new magnetic charger with a USB-C input that would function like the current Surface charger. We’re truly not sure whether Surface Pro 7 will support Thunderbolt 3, as it depends upon Microsoft’s willingness to trade its proprietary technology for Thunderbolt 3, which it must pay Intel to license. An improved Type Cover The Surface Pro 6’s Type Cover is already one of the best tablet keyboard accessories out there. It’s responsive, has plenty of feedback, and is made of pleasant materials. But, we haven’t seen any marked improvements to its since the Surface Pro 2017. We don’t think there’s any such thing as a perfect product, so we can’t wait to see how Microsoft improves on the formula next. And, we might have an idea of the next generation Type Cover will look like. Microsoft has patented a thinner Type Cover that should reduce the footprint of the device all around. It looks like Microsoft is planning on doing this by using a trackpad that’s built right into the printed circuit board. It would also use haptic feedback in the keys, to improve the tactile response of typing – which would be necessary on a thinner keyboard cover. It’s a bizarre move, but we’re nonetheless intrigued – if Microsoft can make the Type Cover slimmer without falling in the same trap as Apple’s Butterfly keyboards, it could change the game. These are the best Windows tablets at the start of 2019Image Credit: TechRadar http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/DzMi63XV1-I

Whenever you carry important data around with you on a USB stick or external hard drive, you're running the risk of other people getting hold of it, either through physically stealing the drives, or leaving it somewhere public. In this guide to the best secure drives of 2019, we look at the top data storage devices that will allow you carry private data around with you, safe in the knowledge that if the device itself becomes compromised, your data will remain safe. The best secure drives will use either software or hardware encryption (or best of all, a combination of both), to stop other people accessing and viewing your data. Many of the best secure drives on this list will have ways to prevent access, such as a physical keypad, and will also come with rugged, tamper-proof, cases that can further protect your files. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eyY7NFibZTmtR89GECtgXJ.jpg We don't often get Indiegogo projects on our list but we're making an exception for the EyeDisk, which hails itself as the first unhackable USB flash drive. The concept is pretty simple; use your iris as your password rather than cumbersome passwords, making it much more secure. It is compatible with Windows and Mac but not Linux and you will have to run an app every time you plug it in a client. There's no password to log though, just your iris to be scanned and this takes a few seconds to be registered. It's not as rugged as other secure drives on this list, but it managed some very decent numbers on CrystalDiskMark (130MBps transfer rate on read and 84MBps on write) which means that it won't keep you long. At the time of writing, you can only pre-order it via Indiegogo, the crowdfunding platform, and it is scheduled for delivery from March 2019. With a starting price of $59 plus shipping for the 32GB version and $99 for the 128GB, it is reasonably priced. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VdzZpG6n4oLzCDBm6BaZMS.jpg The D300S was announced by Kingston and is an updated version of the D300, launched in 2016, with the suffix S standing for Serialised. It appears to be a standard USB drive, but with a more robust design. However, it's the price that really stands out. There is a reason why the D300S carries such a premium according to Kingston. The drive uses custom hardware for encryption (FIPS 140-2 Level 3 256-bit) and decryption which eliminates vulnerabilities associated with any process done on the host system. That chip and the rest of the hardware is sealed in a tamper evident epoxy material that hardened when it dried. It's also waterproof up to 120cm, and can survive knocks and drops as well http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PWsiMBWNYFHaUujCqKrKz.jpg diskAshur's products are some of the best secure drives on the market, and the diskAshur Pro is the company's best external hard drive yet. The key selling point of the diskAshur Pro is its physical keypad that will only grant access to the data stored within upon entering a PIN number. Asides from the physical security (which extends to IP56 water and dust resistance and even a self-destruct feature), the diskAshur Pro also comes with some enviable encryption, sporting XTS-AES 256-bit real-time full disk hardware encryption and EDGE technology to offer even more levels of safety. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HBEHcVZyHnb4j9VzwTY4Jf.jpg If you need to have small amounts of sensitive data being carried around, then the 3NX could well be a life saver. It brings advanced data protection features to a mainstream market thanks to its attractive low price ($59 for the 2GB/4GB model) and $189 for the 128GB one. What you do get is some military grade, enterprise-level features like FIPS 140-2 level 3, real time hardware-based encryption, a platform-agnostic setup and a rugged extruded aluminum enclosure. The data is encrypted using an onboard 10-digit keypad and is powered by an onboard battery. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/meQqzwX9q7ouzLRcVzkLVe.jpg The ultra-rugged Aegis Secure Key 3Z is designed to keep the data safe for people who regularly work outdoors or on the road, with a rubber exterior, which is IP58 protective against dust and water, safeguards a rugged aluminium build inside and out, meaning that there is no easy way to break into this device. Meanwhile, it also features a physical keypad for keeping your data safe and secure. It's pricey, but well worth the investment. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/84yeihnStETHKWgyTzG8hS.jpg The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key comes with a full 10-key alphanumeric keypad with two function keys plus three status lights. It then slots into a hardened epoxy-potted rugged aluminum enclosure which makes it dust and waterproof; the device is also certified IP-58 and at 46g and 93mm long. It also features built-in hardware encryption (256-bit AES) which means that it is totally independent from the host client and OS-agnostic. No keyloggers and no BadUSB vulnerability. The Aegis Secure Key has received a FIPS 140-2 level 3 accreditation from NIST, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which oversees US government IT and computer security, which means this is one of the most secure drives you can buy. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rXo7saQ3M7Wzws6jHVPx5n.jpg The Kingston Ironkey D300 (IKD300/8GB) comes with software security that can make it a bit complicated and confusing to begin with (it will initially show up on your PC as a CD drive with 14.4MB capacity), but once you've configured it, which includes setting a password, you'll have a very secure drive. With its cap on, it is waterproof (up to 4ft) and dustproof and at 51g, feels solid. More importantly though, the more compelling protection happens inside the device itself. It is a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified device with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. There is a hardware cryptographic module inside the device itself which means that the encryption and decryption is done on the drive rather than on the host PC, with digitally signed firmware which makes the D300 immune to the notorious BadUSB exploit. Best USB flash drives of 2019: memory sticks for all your data storage needshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/RD7Nx_1N4lU

Account takeover-based (ATO) attacks now comprise 20 percent of all advanced email attacks according to new research from the email security and protection company Agari. The firm's recently published Q1 2018 Email Fraud & Identity Deception Trends report found that ATO attacks are rising in popularity among cybercriminals because they are more difficult to detect than traditional attacks and can bypass email filters since they are sent from a real sender's email account. Senior Director of Threat Research at Agari, Crane Hassold provided further insight on the treat posed by ATO attacks, saying: “Credential phishing was already a huge risk for organizations because of the potential for data breach, but now there is a new wave of account takeover attacks leveraging compromised accounts to commit additional fraud, which evade traditional email security controls. Business email compromise attacks are still very active, especially against C-suite targets.” Advanced email attacksAccording to Agari's Cyber Intelligence Division, brand impersonation remains the most common attack vector and this technique was used in 50 percent of advanced email attacks during Q4 2018 with cybercriminals impersonating Microsoft in 70 percent of these instances. Microsoft is often a target for credential phishing since attackers can use Office 365 accounts in subsequent ATO attacks. However, a different pattern was identified when it came to attacks against executive targets with 33 percent of advanced email attacks against C-level employees using display name deception to impersonate an individual. This tactic is also commonly used for business email compromise (BEC) attacks that frequently target an organisation's CFO. With the approach of tax season in the US, impersonation of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) surged in the fourth quarter. The IRS was impersonated in nearly one in ten attacks which is up from less than one percent in the third quarter. W-2 scams occur quite often in the runup to tax season, as cybercriminals utilise phishing emails and social engineering to obtain a business' W-2 files which contain a wealth of sensitive information such as social security numbers, salaries and other confidential data that is used to commit tax fraud or identity theft. Protect your devices from the latest threats with the best antivirushttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/aKSm_Unx4Rw

First released in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 immediately cemented its place as one of the best JRPG titles around and introduced an entire genre to millions of gamers globally. Due to the success of Final Fantasy 7 over 20 years ago (and the pleads from die hard fans), Square Enix is releasing a remake. Not only because that seems to be the done thing these days but also because it’s something fans genuinely seemed to want – when the Final Fantasy 7 remake was announced as being in the works at E3 2015, the news was raced straight to our nostalgia organ like a chocobo released from the stables. The path to release hasn’t been smooth for this game, though. After two years in development we’re still not entirely sure when we’ll see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake released. With news and rumors still churning around the great wide web but official information still pretty thin on the ground, we’ve gathered up everything we know has been confirmed and all the rumors right here for your perusal. [update: Could the Final Fantasy 7 remake be heading to PS5? With no new release date information shared, and the game touted being massively ambitious, a new analyst report suggests it's possible.] Cut to the chaseWhat is it? A remake of the popular JRPG Final Fantasy 7 When can I play it? There’s no official release date just yet but we're hoping 2019What can I play it on? It’s been confirmed the game will come to PS4 first, but it may appear later on PC and Xbox One. Given the age of the PS4, and the ambitious nature of the game, a cross-gen title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question Final Fantasy 7 trailer and screenshotsThe first trailer for the game was released upon the remake's announcement at E3 2015. The trailer is largely cinematic and you can watch it for yourself below: A further trailer this time featuring gameplay was revealed at PSX in 2015: Square Enix has also released a number of screenshots from the game which we've collected together below. Final Fantasy 7 release dateThe Final Fantasy 7 remake has had something of a troubled development, so unsurprisingly we still don’t have a solid release date. It's also very possible that the the game will end up having several release dates, as Square Enix has confirmed the game's story would be told episodically. The game has been in the works since 2014 but there have been few significant official updates since the E3 2015 reveal. In this time, development of the game has moved from external developer CyberConnect2 to Square Enix’s in-house team. Overhauls like this can cause big delays to a game’s progress but according to Square Enix's Naoki Hamaguchi the decision was made out of a desire to maintain “control quality as well as keeping the schedule stable.” Things may be further along than we think, however. In an interview with Famitsu, the game's director (Tetsuya Nomura) said that some parts of Final Fantasy 7 such as cutscenes are further along in development than the now-released Kingdom Hearts 3. This gives us hope that we may see the first portion of the Final Fantasy 7 remake at some point in 2019 still. Maybe. Perhaps. Something we do know is that the game will be available to PlayStation 4 players “first” as was promised at its E3 reveal. Saying “first” suggests this isn’t an outright exclusive and that the game will eventually come to Xbox One and PC. However, there was no indication as to how long the agreed exclusivity period would be. The recent timed exclusive Rise of the Tomb Raider ran for 11 months on the Xbox One before coming to the PS4, while Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 was exclusive to PS4 for just three months. Given this variation it's hard to say how long FFVII's timed exclusivity might last. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/usaPofCs2E4PT6CgfdCKUQ.jpg Final Fantasy 7 news and rumorsCould the release date be a long way off? The highly-anticipated Final Fantasy 7 remake may not have a confirmed release date just yet but it seems like a safe bet to say that we’re probably not going to see it within the next year. In fact, according to a recent report from The Lifestream (via Destructoid) we might not see it for another five years. Reports of turbulence in the games development emerged around a year ago and if they're true it's likely that they slowed progress somewhat. A recent behind-closed doors conversation between producer Yoshinori Kitase and development lead Naoki Hamaguchi suggests the game could be as far away as 2023. The conversation apparently took place at a recent Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary celebration event and a translated transcription has been uploaded by a Lifestream user. The conversation doesn’t give much solid information in terms of release date or progress but Kitase and Hamaguchi say that they want the Final Fantasy VII Remake to have launched before Final Fantasy’s 35th anniversary in 2023. Now, even if this conversation did take place the transcription makes it hard to read any kind of tone from this. It could very well be a joke in reference to the long development process that they also say is now running "smoothly." With no official comment from Square Enix on the matter we say take this with a pinch of salt for now. It's highly likely that we'll hear more about the game's progress and maybe a potential release window during Square Enix's E3 presentation this year. It’s a reconstruction, not a shot-for-shot remake The Final Fantasy 7 remake will follow the original game’s narrative and feature the iconic characters and locations that fans love. Considering it’s so beloved there’s a lot of pressure on Square Enix to not stray too far from the original source material but according to director Tetsuya Nomura it won’t be a completely direct recreation. In an interview with Wired, Nomura said “We're not intending for this to become a one-to-one remake, or just the original Final Fantasy VII with better graphics.” Nomura has said that he wants the remake to "apply to the current era" and "the current generation of players." He added the caveat that he doesn't "want to change it so much that it's unrecognizable" but it has to be offering something "fresh and new." To accommodate modern consoles and gamers, changes will naturally have to be made to the game both in terms of gameplay, mechanics and perhaps even to some elements of the story. For starters, early trailers show a game more akin to Final Fantasy XV mechanically, with fixed viewpoints and static backdrops swapped out for full-3D terrain, and a turn-based battle system removed in favour of a real-time action-orientated one. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f5a54e5d2ccb35abf5ceddec4918d25f.jpg It’s episodic A significant way the remake is going to differ from the original game is that its story will be told episodically. This is a detail that was confirmed back in December 2015. The reasoning behind the decision, according to series producer Yoshinori Kitase is that “a proper HD remake” just wouldn’t fit into one instalment and maintain the “same feeling of density of the original.” “We've seen everyone's comments and reactions to the news that Final Fantasy 7 remake will be a multi-part series and many have speculated correctly as to the reason why we have made this decision,” he said, “If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake instalment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy 7. We knew none of you would have wanted that. “I hope that by explaining a little more about our design decisions that you can appreciate the size of this project and what we have planned for this remake. Going beyond the scale and depth of the world, narrative and gameplay from the original to deliver something that feels familiar yet new. As I said before, we like delivering surprises.” Each episode will apparently be its “own unique experience” but as yet we don’t know how many episodes there will be or how they’ll be structured in relation to the original story. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a4812381168606cfa3ad6cd7b8c3d0c0.jpg No more turn-based battles As mentioned above, a major element that’s changing from the original game is a move away from turn-based battles. In an interview with Famitsu, Nomura said that battles in the remake will be “action-based” rather than command-based. Nomura didn’t go into much more detail with regards to the game’s combat system but it’s widely expected that we’re going to see a formula more similar to Kingdom Hearts and FFXV. This would mean a more active and seamless style of battling involving party members whom the player will be able to switch between. Though the loss of turn-based combat will be mourned, a move towards a system like Kingdom Hearts will be more accessible to new players. A PS5 release? PS5 development kits are now said to be out in the wild, with Sony's first-party development teams working almost solely on titles for the as-yet-unannounced next-gen system. With the ambition on display here, could Square Enix be planning to shift Final Fantasy 7's remake to the next machine? For Sony, it'd be a system seller right out of the gates for the new console generation, and for the developers you'd imagine it'd offer more processing grunt and a little longer in terms of the development window. This is speculation at this point, but as the sun sets on the PS4, and titles like Final Fantasy 7's remake being no closer to even having a release date, it starts to seem like the looming next generation machines may be now what they're being aimed at. Find out more about Nomura's other big release - Kingdom Hearts 3http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/l-c17Htj-JE

Our existence as a species is, in all likelihood, limited. Whether the downfall of the human race begins as a result of a devastating asteroid impact, a natural pandemic, or an all-out nuclear war, we are facing a number of risks to our future, ranging from the vastly remote to the almost inevitable. Global catastrophic events like these would, of course, be devastating for our species. Even if nuclear war obliterates 99% of the human race however, the surviving 1% could feasibly recover, and even thrive years down the line, with no lasting damage to our species' potential. There are some events that there's no coming back from though. No possibility of rebuilding, no recovery for the human race. These catastrophic events are known as existential risks – in other words, circumstances that would cause human extinction or drastically reduce our potential as a species. It’s these existential risks that form the basis of the new 10-part podcast called ‘The End of The World with Josh Clark’ who you may already know as the host of the Stuff You Should Know podcast (which recently became the first podcast to be downloaded 1 billion times). The new podcast sees Clark examining the different ways the world as we know it could come to an abrupt end – including a super intelligent AI taking over the world. Over the course of his research into existential risk, Clark spoke to experts in existential risk and AI, including Swedish philosopher and founder of the Future of Humanity Institute Nick Bostrom, philosopher and co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association David Pearce, and Oxford University philosopher Sebastian Farquhar. We spoke to him about the new podcast, and why he, and experts in the field of existential risk, think humanity’s advances in artificial intelligence technology could ultimately lead to our doom. What is existential risk?Some might say that there are enormous risks facing humanity right now. Man-made climate change is a prime example, which, if left unchecked could be “horrible for humanity”, Clark tells us. “It could set us back to the Stone Age or earlier”. Even this doesn’t qualify as an existential risk, as Clark explains, "we could conceivably, over the course of tens of thousands of years, rebuild humanity, probably faster than the first time, because we would still have some or all of that accumulated knowledge we didn't have the first time we developed civilization." With an existential risk, that's not the case. As Clark puts it, "there are no do-overs. That's it for humanity." It was philosopher Nick Bostrom that first put forward the idea that existential risk should be taken seriously. In a scholarly article published in the Journal of Evolution and Technology, he defines an existential risk as "one where an adverse outcome would either annihilate Earth-originating intelligent life or permanently and drastically curtail its potential." “The idea that humans could accidentally wipe ourselves out is just fascinating.†Josh Clark Clark explains that, in this scenario "even if we continue on as a species, we would never be able to get back to [humanity's development] at that point in history." While it can feel somewhat overwhelming to consider the ways that we could bring about our own demise, it feels more accessible when put through the lens of Clark's End Of The World podcast series. When we asked him why he took on such a formidable subject matter, he told us that, “the idea that humans could accidentally wipe ourselves out is just fascinating.” And perhaps the most fascinating of all the potential existential risks facing humanity today, is the one posed by a super intelligent AI taking over the world. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P7xnALJfr2FLQU9mKyaKW3.jpeg The Anki Vector is a companion toy robot that uses AI to learn Credit: Anki The fundamentals of artificial intelligenceIn recent years, humanity has enjoyed a technological boom, with the advent of space travel, the birth of the internet, and huge leaps in the field of computing, changing the way we live immeasurably. As technology has become more advanced, a new type of existential risk has come to the fore: a super intelligent AI. Unravelling how artificial intelligence works is the first step in understanding how it could pose an existential risk to humanity. In the ‘Artificial Intelligence’ episode of the podcast, Clark starts by giving an example of a machine that is programmed to sort red balls from green balls. The technology that goes into a machine of this apparent simplicity is vastly more complicated than you would imagine. If programmed correctly, it can excel at sorting red balls from green balls, much like DeepBlue excels in the field of chess. As impressive as these machines are, however, they can only do one thing, and one thing only. Clarke explains that, “the goal of AI has never been to just build machines that can beat humans at chess”, instead, it is to “build a machine with general intelligence, like a human has." He continues, “to be good at chess and only chess is to be machine. To be good at chess, good at doing taxes, good at speaking Spanish, and good at picking out apple pie recipes, this begins to approach the ballpark of being human.” This is the key problem that early AI pioneers encountered in their research - how can the entirety of the human experience be taught to a machine? The answer lies in neural networks. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VV4KjXybF42vWZFwXYHpmS.jpg Sony's Aibo learns just like a real puppy thanks to AI Credit: Sony Advances in AIEarly artificial intelligence created machines that excelled at one thing, but the recent development of neural networks has allowed the technology to flourish. By 2006, the internet had become a huge force in developing neural networks, thanks to the huge data repositories of Google Images and YouTube videos, for example. It's this recent explosion of data access that has allowed the field of neural networks to fully take off, meaning that the artificially intelligent machine of today no longer needs a human to supervise its training – it can train itself by incorporating and analyzing new data. Sounds convenient right? Well, although artificial intelligence works far better thanks to neural nets, the danger is that we don’t fully understand how they work. Clarke explains that “we can’t see inside the thought process of our AI", which could make the people that use AI technology nervous. A 2017 article by Technology Review described the neural network as a kind of "black box" – in other words, data goes in, the machine’s action comes out, and we have little understanding of the processes in between. Furthermore, if the use of neural networks means that artificial intelligence can easily self improve, and become more intelligent without our input, what’s to stop them outpacing humans? As Clark says "[AI] can self improve, it can learn to code. The seeds for a super intelligent AI are being sown” – and this, according to the likes of Nick Bostrom, poses an existential risk to humanity. In his article on existential risk for the Journal of Evolution and Technology, he says "When we create the first super intelligent entity, we might make a mistake and give it goals that lead it to annihilate humankind, assuming its enormous intellectual advantage gives it the power to do so." http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5v3ceMsGaDqB9TQKScZtzP.jpg SoftBank Robotics' AI-powered Nao is currently up to its 5th version, with more than 10,000 sold around the world. Credit: SoftBank Robotics What are the risks posed by a super-intelligent AI? “Let an ultra-intelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man, however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultra-intelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an 'intelligence explosion,' and the intelligence of man would be left far behind.” This is a quote from British mathematician I. J. Good, and one Clark refers to throughout the podcast and in our conversation, as a way of explaining how a super-intelligent AI could come to exist. He gives the example of an increasingly intelligent machine that has the ability to write code – it would have the potential to write better versions of itself, with the rate of improvement increasingly exponentially as it becomes better at doing just that. As Clark explains, "eventually you have an AI that is capable of writing an algorithm that exceeds any human's capability of doing that. At that point we enter what Good called the 'intelligence explosion'...and at that point, we are toast." Benevolence is a human traitSo why does this pose an existential risk? Clark asks us to imagine "an AI we created that has become super intelligent beyond our control." He continues, "If we hadn't already programmed what AI theorists call 'friendliness' into the AI, we would have no reason to think it would act in our best interests." Right now, artificial intelligence is being used to recommend movies on Netflix, conjure up our social media feeds, and translating our speech via apps like Google Translate. So, imagine Google Translate became super intelligent thanks to the self improvement capabilities provided by neural networks. "There's not really any inherent danger from a translator becoming super intelligent, because it would be really great at what it does" says Clark, rather "the danger would come from if it decided it needs stuff that we (humans) want for its own purposes." Maybe the super intelligent translation AI decides, that in order to self improve, it needs to take up more network space, or to destroy the rainforests in order to build more servers. Clark explains, in creating this podcast, he looked into research from the likes of Bostrom, who believes we would then "enter into a resource conflict with the most intelligent being in the universe – and we would probably lose that conflict", a sentiment echoed by the likes of Stephen Hawking and Microsoft researcher Eric Horvitz. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/93P8y7xHxr2a475TRN2ggg.jpg A little girl meets a robot in Osaka, Japan. Credit: Andy Kelly via Unsplash In the journal article we mentioned previously, Bostrom provided a hypothetical scenario in which a super intelligent AI could pose an existential risk: "We tell [the AI] to solve a mathematical problem, and it complies by turning all the matter in the solar system into a giant calculating device, in the process killing the person who asked the question." So, the problem isn't that a super intelligent AI would be inherently evil – there is of course no such concept of good and evil in the world of machine learning. The problem is that an AI that can continually self improve to get better at what it is programmed to do wouldn't care if humans were unhappy with its methods of improving efficiency or accuracy. As Clarke puts it, the existential risk comes from "our failure to program friendliness into an AI that then goes on to become super intelligent." "A super-intelligent AI takes over the world and we become the chimpanzees of the 21st century."Josh Clarke Solutions to the AI problemSo what can be done? Clark admits that this is a "huge challenge", and the first step would be to "get researchers to admit that this is an actual real problem", explaining that many feel generalized intelligence is so far down the road that it's not worth planning for it being a threat. Secondly, we would need to "figure out how to program friendliness into AI", which will be an enormously difficult undertaking for AI researchers today and in the future. One problem that arises from teaching an AI morals and values, is deciding whose morals and values it should be taught – they are of course, not universal. Even if we can agree on a universal set of values to teach the AI, how would we go about explaining morality to a machine? Clark believes that humans generally "have a tendency not to get our point across very clearly" as it is. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/44Hbu8p9tGvRBWigGv6jHN.jpg Credit: Franck V via Unsplash Why should we bother planning for existential risk?If a super intelligent AI poses such a huge existential risk, why not just stop AI research in its tracks completely? Well, as much as it could represent the end of humanity, it could also be the "last invention we need ever make", as I. J. Good famously said. Clark tells us that, 'we're at a point in history, where we could create the greatest invention that humankind has ever [made], which is a super-intelligent AI that can take care of humans' every need for eternity. "The other fork in the road goes towards accidentally inventing a super-intelligent AI that takes over the world, and we become the chimpanzees of the 21st century." There's a lot we don't know about the route artificial intelligence will take, but Clark makes one thing clear: we absolutely need to begin taking the existential risk it poses seriously, otherwise we may just screw humanity out of ever achieving its true potential. Main image: Franck V via Unsplash The AI checklist: making artificial intelligence a realityhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/pt_vSyCeruw

After talking about its 28-core processor for what we feel like was forever, Intel is finally releasing the Xeon W-3175X. The new workstation processor packs 28-cores, 56-threads and a whopping $2,999 (about £2,280, AU$4,120) price tag. That’s quite the cost even compared to the most expensive HEDT chips, including the $1,979 (£1,919, AU$2,999) Intel Core i9-9980XE and $1,799 (£1,639, AU$2,679) AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Of course, this is a much hardier enterprise-level CPU designed to take on the biggest workloads, such as creating and rendering media, film editing and 3D graphics rendering. Not only will the Intel Xeon W-3175X do the work, it’ll work faster than other chips, thanks to its 3.1GHz base frequency, 4.3GHz single-core Turbo clock and 38.5MB of L3 cache. Likewise, this chip's supporting Intel C621 chipset is meant for production system builds. The chipset brings support for up to 68 PCIe lanes (44 PCie 3.0) and six-channel DDR4-2666 memory, which will allow users to pair this processor with up to a gargantuan 512GB of RAM. While we don’t have any plans to review this workstation processor, as it's outside of our scope of consumer-class components coverage, you can read all about how this processor performs from our friends at Anandtech and Tom’s Hardware. Here’s are the best processors designed for everyday computing and gaminghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/xZJBRLC1O-w

Asus has introduced three new additions to its ZenBook series in India, the ZenBook 13, ZenBook 14 and ZenBook 15. The three laptops are fairly lightweight and are targeted at users looking to upgrade to a very portable notebook which doesn't lack in performance. While it took Asus a couple of months to bring the new ZenBooks to India, now that they are, let's take a look at the specifications and prices. Asus ZenBook 13: specifications, priceClaiming to be the world's smallest 13-inch laptop, the Asus ZenBook 13 is 16.9 mm thin and features a 13.3-inch Full HD display with NanoEdge design that makes way for a 95% screen to body ratio due to fairly thin side and bottom bezels (2.8mm - 3.3mm). The display is optimized for wide-viewing up to 178-degrees and has a 100% sRGB color gamut. The ZenBook 13 is available in two variants- with Intel Core i7-8565U (8th gen) processor clocked at 1.8GHz and with 8th gen Intel Core i5-8265U processor. Backing up the graphics is the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 and discreet 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150 to boot. Users can choose between 8GB or 16GB RAM and SSD storage options that include 256GB, 512GB and tops out at 1TB. The notebook is said to last 14 hours on a single charge. Asus ZenBook 13 also features a digital NumberPad on the glass-covered touchpad. The base model of the ZenBook 13 starts at Rs 71,990 in Royal Blue, Icicle Silver color options. Asus ZenBook 14: specifications, price The Asus ZenBook 14 is 0.63-inches thin and weighs around 1.09kg. It features a 14-inch Full HD display with 92% screen to body ratio courtesy of 2.9mm and 3.3mm thin side and bottom bezels. The ZenBook 14 comes with Intel Core i7-8565U (8th gen) processor and Intel Core i5-8265U (8th gen) processor and based upon the variant you choose, the price starts at Rs 72,990. Like the ZenBook 13, the 14-inch version also has the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 and 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card. Asus claims that the ZenBook 14 is able to last for up to 13 hours on a single charge. Asus ZenBook 15: specifications, price The top-end variant in the ZenBook series, the ZenBook 15 has a big 15.6-inch Full HD display with upto 92% screen to body ratio. Asus is offering the ZenBook 15 with Intel Core i7-8565U (8th gen) processor and Intel Core i5-8265U (8th gen) processor. This is backed by the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 and 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150 discreet graphics card. There's an option to configure the RAM and storage options between 8GB/16GB and 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD storage. The price of Asus ZenBook 15 starts at Rs 1,39,990 and it comes in Royal Blue, Icicle Silver color options. Also Read: POCO F1 secures a "respectable" DxOMark score of 91 pointshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/cmct05xXXAY

With the NBN rollout expected to reach completion some time in 2020, Optus has announced it’s already planning an alternative high-speed internet option that uses its soon-to-be-available 5G technology. The Australian telco has revealed it will be launching 5G Home Broadband in certain suburbs in Australia and has set a way for users to register their interest. Although customers can already sign up for more info, the bulk of the 5G devices aren't scheduled for delivery until mid-2019, however Optus also states that “a limited number of customers may get a device sooner”. Best NBN & broadband plans in Australia comparedPlan detailsSo far, there is only one plan on offer, which will cost $70 per month on a 24-month contract and provide unlimited data at a minimum guaranteed speed of 50Mbps. If customers aren’t able to achieve this minimum speed, they can cancel the contract without any extra fees. This minimum speed guarantee is likely in response to the penalties that the ACCC dished out in regards to Retail Service Providers (RSPs) falsely advertising their NBN speeds. Optus has also announced some month-to-month plan options, but no further pricing details are available at this point. Considering Optus’ other plans of this nature, they will likely incur an upfront cost that includes the purchase of the 5G device. As far as pricing is concerned, this $70 plan costs the same as the 50Mbps NBN plan also offered by Optus, however the NBN plan doesn’t have anything in the way of speed guarantees and only offers typical busy period speeds of 40Mbps. Australian NBN users could be entitled to a refund – here’s how to checkLimited launchAt present, only customers living in certain suburbs are able to apply, with residents outside these areas being told to check back with Optus regularly to see if it’s become available in their region. NSWBidwillBlackettBonnyriggDaleys PointDharrukEmertonGlendenningKoolewongLethbridge ParkMinchinburyNiagara ParkPhegans BayRichmond LowlandsShalveySpringfieldSt Huberts IslandSt Johns ParkTascottTregearWarriewoodWarwick FarmWoy Woy BayYattalungaQLDAuchenflowerBellbird ParkBrookwaterBurpengaryCamiraClayfieldGailesGoodnaKallangurKenmoreKenmore HillsMacgregorNewmarketACTBartonCampbellDicksonFranklinHarrisonMitchellRussellWanniassaWeetangeraSAOld ReynellaReynella EastTrott ParkWABellevueCity BeachEden HillHendersonHiltonKiaraLockridgeMidlandMosman ParkOrange GroveSouth GuildfordWattleupWhite Gum ValleyThese select suburbs are only in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT at the moment, with other states and territories being told that “5G is not currently being rolled out” in their respective area and to "check back" later. The fastest NBN plans in Australiahttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/BQ49M85jlns

Despite the odd hiccup, over the last couple of years Apple has become a strong proponent of safeguarding user privacy. Facebook, it seems, didn’t get the memo. Immediately following the news that the social media giant paid users to install a “research” app that tracks and records phone and web activity, Apple revoked Facebook’s enterprise developer certificate. This countermand means Facebook’s internal iOS apps, including those used by employees for food and transportation, have been blocked. The Verge reports that beta versions of Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp have stopped working, and that “Facebook is treating this as a critical problem”. More than a slap on the wristThis isn’t the first time Facebook has done something underhanded. Hot on the heels of the Cambridge Analytica scandal came the news that Facebook’s Onavo Protect VPN app was collecting user data, something that has been against Apple’s guidelines since last year. Apple banned the app in June 2018 and, by August, it was removed from the App Store. Despite being warned, Facebook decided to circumvent the App Store to distribute the “Project Atlas” research app (as first reported by TechCrunch) by taking advantage of Apple’s Developer Enterprise Program which allows business partners to test and distribute apps to their own employees without any review from Apple. In a statement, the Cupertino firm said that the Program was designed “solely for the internal distribution of apps within an organization”. “Any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked, which is what we did in this case to protect our users and their data,” the tech giant added. Crippling effectThe internal versions of Facebook apps used by employees carry bits of code for updates or new features that aren’t available to the public. By revoking Facebook’s enterprise developer certificate, Apple has stopped these apps from even launching on employee handsets, thereby severely limiting Facebook’s ability to create new apps or update existing ones for iOS. Facebook is currently trying to negotiate with Apple to get the apps working on employee devices, but there seems to be some chatter about Apple completely removing Facebook-owned apps from the App Store. However, Facebook isn’t the only company guilty of violating Apple’s Developer Enterprise Program. TechCrunch found that Google’s ScreenWise Meter app is also guilty of doing the same. Google, however, has told TechCrunch that it will remove the app from the Program and disable it on iOS devices. How to delete Facebookhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/q6OjA2OXQCc

Some astronomical anomalies happen so fast that, by the time you look out your window, they’re already over. Such was the case on Wednesday when a mysterious error stopped Xbox One consoles from booting up properly, instead displaying a permanent black screen, or failing to log into Xbox Live for folks who managed to get past the startup screen. Reports started coming in Wednesday morning EST that gamers couldn’t get their Xbox One to properly boot up despite restarting the console multiple times and were reaching out to Xbox Support for solutions to the problem. Xbox Support acknowledged the issue around 1pm EST in a tweet and pointed concerned parties to the Xbox Live Status Page that allows you to see which services are operational in real time. Unfortunately, and somewhat comically, the status services page was down, too. By around 3:30pm EST Xbox Support had confirmed on Twitter that the issue had been resolved and gamers could get back online – though Xbox Support didn’t elaborate on what, exactly, caused the errors in the first place. (Major Nelson tweeted that it was a service update that needed to be rolled back.) A bad day for an outageWhile outages occur fairly regularly on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, this error was particularly bad as it completely prevented people from playing their games – both online and offline. The outage occurred just as America was going through a severe cold spell and gamers weren't all that happy that the error prevented them from partaking in some snow day gaming. In the end, despite the amazing memes and a few threats to join PlayStation Nation, all things were resolved and all battle stations are operational. These are the best Xbox One gameshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/JSSzREaaIaM

Microsoft just posted its second quarter 2019 financial results and almost everything across the board looks positive. The company reported revenue of $32.5 billion and net income of $8.4 billion, which are both sharp increases over the company’s $28.9 billion in revenue and $7.5 billion net income from last year. Since last year, Microsoft reports that its Surface revenue has grown by 39% and gaming by 8% with a total 64 million active Xbox Live users during the holidays. On top of that, Intelligent Cloud revenue went up by 20%. The only red spot on Microsoft’s earnings reports was a slip in revenue from Windows licenses. OEM Pro revenue went down by 5% this quarter and consumer licenses brought in 11% less revenue as well. Who's stealing Microsoft's business? The Chrome CaperThe software maker laid blame on continued pressure from the entry-level category, which we assume would be Chromebooks. Considering Microsoft just released the Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Studio 2 and Surface Headphones just last quarter, we imagine and hope Microsoft will introduce another affordable product like the Surface Go. There’s a definite hole in the company’s product family for a truly affordable laptop and it could be what it just needs to fix the biggest weakness of its latest financial report. Could Window Lite be Microsoft answer for Chrome OShttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Xrg-jdbv-8g

Apple's iPhone 11 will have a triple-lens rear camera, but it's the iPhone 12 that will include space-sensing laser-powered 3D snappers, according to a new report today. Everything about the 2019 iPhones, what we're calling the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max today, focuses on the rear cameras, as detailed in a scoop by Bloomberg. The triple-lens camera is said to add the ability to take wide-angle photos and videos, something that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and LG V40 can do, but not an iPhone. The iPhone 11 Max seems destined to get the triple-lens rear camera first, while the standard iPhone and iPhone XR may get the three-camera hardware "eventually." More camera tricks await, apparently. An increased pixel count may lead to software that can repair a video or photo if the intended subject gets cut out of the frame. Other iPhone 11 upgrades plannedLive Photos, first introduced with the iPhone 6S in 2015, could get its first upgrade in four years. Instead of capturing motion three seconds before and after a photo is taken, Apple's plans are said to be double this, bumping it up to six seconds. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QRbKGnRnHHkUH4EDeFpRFb.jpg Today's report weighs in on the on-again, off-again rumor that the iPhone 11 will include USB-C instead of the traditional Lightning connector. Apparently, Apple is testing some versions of this year's iPhone with a USB-C port. We've seen alleged iPhone 11 prototypes claiming that Lightning is staying put and others indicating that USB-C will be the new charging method. It sounds like Apple isn't even sure yet. No-brainer upgrades are said to be coming to Apple's processor, likely the A13 chip, and Face ID sensor. iPad Pro 2018, you may recall, got an upgraded Face ID camera. iPhone 12 with laser-powered 3D camera?It's never too early to begin talking about the 2020 iPhone, or what we're calling the iPhone 12 for now. It's destined to include some nifty new technology, too. Apple is said to be bringing its 3D camera technology to the rear-facing camera, but unlike the TrueDepth camera's dotmatrix projection technology, it'll use a laser scanner. The iPhone 12's laser-powered 3D snapper would be able to work up to 15 feet away, whereas a dotmatrix projection works at distances of 25 to 50cm, suitable for Face ID. Apple may have more ambitious augmented reality (AR) plans in 2020, with talk of more accurate depth perception and placement of virtual objects in today's report. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zmx77dQPzhtiJp8oNg7m2F.jpg Where will Apple's 3D laser camera land first?Apple's laser-powered 3D camera was destined for the iPhone 11, say Bloomberg's sources, but the tech was delayed. Expect a triple-lens camera this year sans lasers. However, we could see the idea in an iPad Pro a bit earlier than the iPhone 12. The report suggests that the next iPad Pro could debut in the early part of 2020. Apple tends to wait a little longer than a year to refresh its iPad Pro line. The iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 launched last November, so the timing on this rumor makes sense, and it means you shouldn't expect a new iPad Pro in 2019. Best iPad 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/EwFBSRPn0p0

Samsung’s next flagship phone, the Galaxy S10, has entered production, a source told The Investor. But reportedly, the first wave of these phones won’t include 5G-capable devices. The source claimed that Samsung started mass production of Galaxy S10 phones at its manufacturing lines in Korea on January 25 – but these are models running on 4G. That flips the previously-understood arrangement wherein those factories would produce the 5G variants, while facilities outside Korea would handle the 4G editions. “The 5G Galaxy S10 is still in the pipeline and will start being produced later during the first half,” the source told The Investor (presumably, the first half of 2019). A previous rumors alleged, Samsung’s 5G S10 would be released on March 29, but without any more concrete info on launch dates, it’s impossible to tell whether this represents a slipped delivery date or if it was the plan all along to roll the 5G model out later in the year. Anything else?The source affirmed a few other details we’ve heard so far, like in-screen fingerprint sensors across all three Galaxy S10 models, a triple-lens camera and a pre-installed screen protector. “All three S10 smartphones will house a fingerprint sensor beneath the screen allowing users to identify themselves in a more convenient manner than before,” the source told The Investor, countering a rumor we heard before that the cheapest model will have a side-mounted sensor. We’d heard rumors that two higher-end models, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, are expected to have an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to map prints in three dimensions, while the less-expensive third version will have an optical sensor to create 2D print images. We’ll have to wait for further Samsung S10 leaks to get a clearer picture of what’s coming in the new S10 phones – but we’ll see who was ultimately right when Samsung officially unveils the devices at its Unpacked launch event on February 20. Want to know everything we do about the Galaxy S10? Visit our hub for leaks and rumorshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/YcDZ_y4jnfU

Once upon a time, 4K TVs were just a pipe dream. Pie in the sky. A beautiful, but unrealistic dream for consumers, and a nightmare for content providers. However, for a small portion of us - those who binge on Netflix and Amazon Prime like it's our day job - it's a dream that's slowly becoming reality. Sure, we might not see massive adoption numbers (even newly formed 8K Association says global adoption of 4K is only sitting at 15%) but it's happening. Why then, if we've just barely adopted 4K, are TV manufacturers pushing for 8K? Does anyone actually want them? We spoke to industry analysts to find out. The case against 8K TVs No one out there is doubting TV manufacturers' ability to produce 8K screens. Samsung and Sharp may have been the first major brands to launch 8K TVs last summer, but CES 2019 saw LG, Sony and Panasonic follow suit with screens of their own, and Chinese brands such as ChangHong, Skyworth and TCL hot on their tails. The impetus for TV manufacturers to create bigger and better screens is clear: higher-powered screens cost more money to make and fetch a higher price. But is 8K any more than merely the latest attempt to persuade us all to buy a new TV we don't need? "8K to my mind will make less of an impact than the migration from 1080p to 4K made," says Werner Goertz, research director at analyst firm Gartner. "Samsung and LG has shown prototypes of 8K displays for a few years, and though they always have truly brilliant pictures when it comes to still images, it's lacking content, as was the case with 4K when it was originally launched." http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KoRQPKBgi9T9fEiG9AUng.jpg Without content – of which there is virtually no sign aside from an 8K satellite TV service called 8K A-PAB in Japan – are we really expected to buy an 8K screen? "The step from 4K to 8K in terms of content is an even bigger one than from 1080p to 4K," says Goertz. "In the absence of truly compelling content and use-cases for 8K, I think adoption will take longer ... Let's see if we can saturate 4K TVs first, then we'll talk." It would seem, according to some analysts, that 8K is a solution looking for a problem. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NdNjwg4UZ4C3AX4RoUbwWD.jpg AI upscaling and trickle-down tech TV manufacturers and industry groups like the 8K Association are well aware of the lack of content. They're certainly not blind to the problem at hand. That's why almost every brand showing an 8K TV is talking about upscaling technology, which is being promoted as a way to resolve the lack of 8K content - and, also, a great way of pushing the flagship picture processing tech, too. For an example of an 8K TV with all the latest conveniences look no further than the Samsung Q900 8K TV with Bixby AI, a combination of picture processing and Samsung’s own home-baked (and usually overlooked) voice control. Adding AI upscaling was a wise move - most of us watch a lot of content in less-than-HD quality on 4K TVs, so any premium 8K TV that upscales with ease will have a head-start on a rival 4K TV without the same tech onboard. Of course, consumers are only one small section of the TV consumption pie. Sharp’s 70-inch 8M-B70AU, unveiled at CES 2019, was talked-up for use in broadcast, sporting venues, surveillance, video post-production, medical training, museums, galleries and for graphic arts. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7ykaMPmyNM6noxdeShtVAP.jpg That last point may be surprising, but 8K as a technology is not for TVs as we know them. 8K is about two things; virtual reality headsets and video walls. When VR headsets get 8K chipsets, they will at last offer the kind of immersive experience required to make them worthy of their name. So what about video walls? It's now possible to make display panels – even flexible and bendable displays – just a few millimetres thick, and the advent of 8K panel fabrication in factories means that even most 4K TVs are cut from 8K panels. We're all already multitaskers when it comes to content, and if economies of scale can be met, an 8K video wall in a living room could find a use as a place to watch up to four streams of 4K – perhaps live TV, gaming, and a smart home hub screen or two. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3C8u4pysCpsAA8SebLrVT5.jpg The case for 8K TVsVideo walls might sound like the world of science fiction but, according to analysts, that's probably where TVs are heading. IHS Markit reported recently that global shipments of 60-inch+ TVs increased more than 40 percent in the third quarter of 2018. Analysts predict that trend to continue in the next few years and according to IHS data presented at the 8K Association's inaugural press conference at CES, 60-inch+ TVs could make up around 20% of the total TV sales by 2025 - a fair number of which will be 8K. As a result of this demand for bigger TVs, IHS Markit predicts that 430,000 8K TVs will be sold in 2019 and 3.6 million in 2020. That's a far cry from the number of 4K TVs that are expected to be sold in the next two years - but 3.6 million screens is nothing to sneeze at. So, does anyone want an 8K TV? Apparently yeah, we do. Looking for something a bit more... practical? These are the best TVs in 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/FntrQvS2-30

Super Bowl 2019 is now less than one week away, but that doesn't mean you don't have time to take advantage of all the fantastic TV sales that are going on right now. You can find Black Friday like prices on a variety of best-selling TVs from brands such as Sony, LG, Samsung and more. Our top Super Bowl TV deals include everything from a mid-size 49-inch TV to a massive 75-inch TV, with features and prices to fit any and all football viewing needs. A standout deal from Walmart is the Sceptre 55-inch 4K TV that's on sale for only $259.99. An excellent price for a 55-inch 4K UHD TV, the Sceptre U550CV-U features four HDMI ports which allow you to connect up to four devices so you can stream your favorite multimedia. Shop more of our Super Bowl 2019 TV deals below and make sure to check back as we will be updating and adding more deals as we get closer to the big game. Super Bowl TV deals:How to watch Super Bowl 2019 live streamIf you've missed your chance to check out the Super Bowl TV sales and prices have gone back up, there's no need to worry, we cover the latest cheap TV deals throughout the year. You can find more offers with these direct to retailer links below if you want to browse their full range. WalmartAmazonBest BuyNeweggB&H PhotoSam's Clubhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/cNdEsP0Gax8

Microsoft has warned users that in addition to ending support for Windows 7 in 2020, Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) will be phased out as well. IE10 was released back in 2012 and in 2016 the tech giant shifted its focus to supporting IE11 and Microsoft Edge letting users know that the previous version of its browser would no longer be supported. However, not every operating system was capable of running IE11 and its Edge browser only worked on Windows 10 as it was one of the key selling points of its new OS. Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 Embedded continued to run IE10 but that is set to change when Microsoft makes IE11 available for both operating systems later this year. End of supportWindows Embedded 8 Standard and Windows Server 2012 will remain supported until 2023 and enterprises will have to update their version of Internet Explorer before the company ends support for IE10 in 2020. In a post on its IT Pro blog, Microsoft explained its timeline for ending IE10 support to businesses, saying: “You will have until January 2020 to complete the transition from Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) to IE11. After this, we will not release any security or non-security updates, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content changes for IE10.” Enterprise users will be able to download IE11 through the Microsoft Update Catalog and the company highlighted the fact that upgrading to the latest version of Internet Explorer will make it easier to migrate to Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 or 2019 or Windows 10 IoT. Via The Register We've also highlighted the best web browsershttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/XJAqX8VK-0c

AMD is one of the few tech companies surging on Wall Street this past week, besting the likes of Intel and Apple with favorable earnings. The chipmaker's revenue of $1.42 billion (about £1.09bn, AU$1.97bn) for its fourth quarter means that it was up 6% year-over-year. Yes, it narrowly missed Wall Streets’ $1.44 billion (about £1.10bn, AU$2bn) estimates, its stock price is currently up more than $15 at the time of writing. It's more than just the latest quarter that's gone well for AMD. As for its annual 2018 financial results, it reported $6.48 billion (about £4.96bn, AU$9.01bn) in revenue and a net income of $337 million (about £258m, AU$468m). That's dramatically better than the total $5.3 billion (about £4.05bn, AU$7.37bn) in revenue and $33 million (about £25m, AU$46m) net income the company made last year. What's behind AMD's growth?AMD attributes its growth to a 50% increase in Ryzen desktop processor shipments and doubling enterprise-grade Epyc CPU shipments since the previous quarter. Looking toward 2019, AMD CEO Lisa Su shared her hopes to see a 30% increase in Ryzen desktop processor sales and a 50% increase in notebook processor sales – the latter of which seems to be a major focus with the introduction of 2nd Gen Ryzen Mobile processors. The golden childAnnual financial results time hasn’t been particularly kind to tech companies in 2018. Apple announced it was seeing a continuing slump with iPhone sales, with revenue for the smartphone falling 15%. Before Nvidia even announces its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 financial results on February 14, it lowered its fourth-quarter predictions by $500 million (about £382m, AU$695m). Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang cautioned “Q4 was an extraordinary, unusually turbulent and disappointing quarter.” So far, AMD seems like the only company not to cry wolf about “deteriorating macroeconomic conditions” and the slowing economy in China impacting its business. We're hoping the Radeon VII will kick off a new line of AMD graphics cards toohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Z-WVIirdt4A

We’re quite prepared to spend perhaps thousands of pounds on PCs, tablets or phones, and maybe a good chunk of money on a huge 4K eye-friendly monitor. But we may well be sat in front of all this expensive equipment in a £30/$30 desk chair. And while our eyes are being treated nicely by that monitor’s flicker-free or low blue light tech, our back probably won’t thank us in the long run for being hunched in a rickety old seat that would probably be more at home in the nearest skip than in our study or office. You’ve doubtless heard it before, but it’s definitely true that if you spend long hours at a desk in front of a computer, it’s well worth spending some money on a proper ergonomic office chair that ensures you maintain good posture while working (or indeed watching videos, online gaming, or whatever your PC poison happens to be). Some of the fancier chairs may be expensive, but they provide all manner of clever tricks and tweaks to make sure the seat is properly adjusted to your needs – such as a sliding seat pan, or movable armrests. A pricey chair will also generally be covered by the likes of a 12 or 15-year guarantee, so these manufacturers put their money where their mouths are in that respect. Although if you can’t afford one of the more expensive names, we have of course covered some cheaper yet still ergonomically solid options in this article. And rather than buying new, you could always get your Herman Miller or Humanscale chair much cheaper second-hand. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with buying a used chair and potentially saving yourself a packet, but the possible danger with second-hand is the product could be old and might be so well-worn that it no longer provides the same level of support for your back (and limbs). So we’d advise those in the market for a second-hand seat to actually check out the chair in person, if at all possible. Or at least buy from a trusted seller with some kind of solid return policy, otherwise you could be taking a substantial leap in the dark. Even with new chairs, if you can possibly get to a store where you can try them out and give them a ‘test sit’, that’s probably a good idea… We’ve also rounded up the best PC gaming chairshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BHzgTLbhA6JJaNjdKWeFJG.jpg Humanscale Freedom Humanscale makes some seriously nifty seats, and the Freedom is, for us, the pinnacle of that niftiness. It not only looks fabulous – particularly in the leather option – but the really clever bit is that the Freedom is designed to do away with any complex knobs or levers, adjusting itself automatically to fit the ideal ergonomics for your body. For example, when reclining the chair, it automatically adjusts the backrest resistance to the optimal level. The headrest (which is optional) also dynamically adjusts itself to the user, and the end result is a whole lot of comfortable sitting, without having to do any thinking about tension settings and so forth. There are, of course, some adjustable parameters, including the armrests which move in tandem (so they’re always at the same height as each other). This is not a chair for the faint of wallet, but bear in mind that the pricier models are the leather and polished aluminum offerings. Remember that there are versions with plain fabric and a graphite frame – they might not look as high-end, but they still provide the same superb sitting experience, often for a few hundred pounds less. Also note that this chair is backed by a 15-year warranty, which exceeds even Herman Miller’s confidence levels. You can buy the Humanscale Freedom at John Lewishttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8La6SskUNskhGKBnSKjioh.jpg Herman Miller Aeron Herman Miller is one the biggest name when it comes to ergonomic seating, and the Aeron is our favorite from the many chairs this vendor offers. It uses a mesh material for the back and seat, and has benefited from a redesign since the initial model, in which the chair kept its essential aesthetic but was improved in a number of ways. These enhancements included the overall frame being shifted forward to encourage what the designers describe as a more natural sitting posture, along with a new more streamlined tilt mechanism. The overall idea is the chair is more ‘lively’ and responsive to the user’s body, and it also offers more intuitive controls than the older Aeron. The mesh material allows for good airflow and also helps with keeping the body cool, or that’s certainly the design intention, although we have heard some folks moaning about the comfort level of the mesh. Ergonomic chairs aren’t supposed to be big padded things, though, as in fact great wads of cushioning aren’t conducive to correct posture. This is an expensive offering that comes fully assembled and offers a lengthy warranty at 12-years. You can buy the Aeron direct from Herman Millerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GWNchHoDF6LiWfr3FzAPYh.jpg IKEA Markus For those whose wallets are cowering at the price of some of the more expensive ergonomic chairs out there, IKEA’s Markus is doubtless a welcome spot of fiscal relief. Unsurprisingly, you don’t get much in the way of fancy adjustments, but this is a sturdy chair which is well liked by many people, and offers a comfortable upright sitting position, with a long back and integrated headrest. The back is made of a mesh material to let the air through and provide better breathability. There are some adjustments available to the user: you can adjust the seat for height, tilt, and the back can be locked in place, or it can be reclined. Other than that, this is a fairly basic chair, but well-made for the money – it costs a fraction of some of the higher-end seating options. An unexpected bonus in this price bracket (around the £150 mark – that’s about $190) is that the Markus comes with an impressive 10-year guarantee. You can buy the Markus at IKEAhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A2vpDXFwnG8UBYuKGnf8oh.jpg Steelcase Gesture Steelcase is another well-known name in the ergonomic chair world, and our recommended pick from this manufacturer is the Gesture. This is a smartly designed seat replete with a load of adjustments, including highly mobile armrests which you can position wherever they’re needed (so you can adjust them for width, pivot and so forth). That’s a major plus point when it comes to getting a chair that feels just right for you. The Gesture can be equipped with a headrest, too, although note that the base chair doesn’t come with an adjustment for lumbar support – if you require this, you’ll need to specify it as an option. The reason this feature is omitted by default is that Steelcase has designed the seat to automatically adjust its lumbar support to the user’s body and weight. However, you might want to test out the chair yourself and see if you might require the manual lumbar adjustment, as we have seen a few complaints online regarding the lack of this ability. Note that stock of these chairs is plentiful enough in the US, but can be thin on the ground in the UK, so you might have to look at second-hand options, bearing our aforementioned caveats in mind. Indeed, at the time of writing, we couldn’t spot any new stock for sale online, although Amazon has had the chairs available in the past, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the retail giant’s site. You can buy the Gesture direct from Steelcase in the UShttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZQu3f9U5ZS2sHAZHwgFvah.jpg Herman Miller SAYL If you want a more affordable option in the Herman Miller range – bearing in mind that affordable is a relative term here – then check out the SAYL, a lightweight and compact chair with a very novel design. Again, this has a mesh back, and not only does it use this material to help with breathability and keeping your body cool, but it’s actually frameless, and designed to adapt to the specific contours of your back. Essentially, the design of the back was inspired by the suspension bridge, and the idea is to allow you to move with freedom, while still supporting the spine. This is a chair you might well want to test out before you buy considering its rather unique aspects, but those who fall in love with the SAYL give it truly glowing reports. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s coming on for half the price of the likes of Herman Miller’s Aeron. You can buy the Herman Miller SAYL at Amazon or John LewisAlso consider6. Herman Miller Embody The Embody chair is a firm favorite with many, although it’s a pricey piece of equipment. Its narrow backrest and ‘pixelated support’ system is unique, and supposed to give the user the sense that they are ‘floating’ and perfectly balanced. Both the seat and backrest automatically adjust to all the micro-movements made by the person sitting in it. 7. Humanscale Diffrient World Another one from Humanscale, this is a lightweight and minimalist task chair which is designed to use the laws of physics and user’s bodyweight to adapt itself to the correct position for good posture. Diffrient World is a more affordable option than the Freedom chair which we covered above. 8. Kloeber Mera Klimastuhl This is a novel product which boasts something that no other ergonomic chair on the market offers: climate control. The Mera Klimastuhl has built-in heating pads (in the seat and backrest) to warm the occupant up if it’s cold in the office, and it also has a ventilation function to keep the user cool on a hot summer day. It’s also a well-designed ergonomic chair to boot. 9. ONGO Seat Here’s something a little different – this is a simple stool which is designed to promote core strength and good posture by sitting on it for short periods at a time. Note that ONGO isn’t supposed to be used as an all-day seat, but rather it’s something you can swap in for your normal desk chair for a little while, to help build those core muscles. It’s kind of like sitting on a Swiss ball (aka exercise ball) with the same strengthening effect, except it’s safer! Although you could try a Swiss ball if you’re very careful – it’s certainly cheaper (we draw the line at dragging your Space Hopper out of the attic, though). 10. HAG Capisco Puls 8010 The rather novel and minimalist looking HAG Capisco Puls chair is inspired by the posture of a horse rider, with an adjustable saddle seat that can be easily moved between low and high working positions. The seat depth and backrest height can be adjusted, as can the tilt resistance. Also note that the Puls variant is lighter than the base HAG Capisco chair. Top Image Credit: Humanscale These are the best Ultrabooks you can use at your deskhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/z98N337fqfY

If you’re looking for an easy, portable way to charge your laptop, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve sorted through dozens of chargers and gathered up the best portable laptop battery chargers on the market. Because, if you’re trying to get some work done on one of the best laptops while traveling, then one of the top portable laptop battery chargers is extremely important – and finding the right one for your own specific needs is even more important. You won’t have to worry about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere when you buy one of the best portable laptop chargers. With these convenient devices, you can make sure you can always get your work done – no matter where you are. You might also want to peruse our list of best business laptopshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XsgXYfZgc9xd4LoXe2GarQ.jpg With the Mophie Powerstation AC, high power output is the name of the game. This portable laptop battery charger is able to power a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the USB-C port is rated at 30W with a USB-PD label, meaning its one of the few batteries capable of fast charging an iPhone X or iPhone 8. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q7jdjPczKPTqE3fCeyPYLj.jpg If you have a newer laptop, and find yourself running out of juice throughout the day, the Omni 20 USB-C might be for you. Not only does it have an insanely high capacity, but it also allows charging of multiple USB-C devices simultaneously. So, if you’re working and you need to charge your Nintendo Switch and a mobile device, you go for it. Plus, the Omni 20 also serves as a USB hub, clearing out some extra storage space in your bag. This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Mophie Powerstation AC http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CA6eVgjo78HBPdnwYSJPg5.jpg The PowerAdd Pilot Pro2 doesn’t just come with 10 connectors that cover most of the laptops on the market today, but it’s backed by a two-year warranty. That means you can use the 23MAh/85Wh capacity without worry. The Pilot Pro2 is also light enough to carry around wherever you go, coming in under 560g. The only thing that holds it back is that it doesn’t have any USB-C connectors, so if you have a modern Ultrabook or MacBook, you may want to go elsewhere, otherwise you’ll have to carry a separate power supply to keep the battery charger backed up. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U4Fby5y9LptkM2ep9pwTa5.jpg As technology marches forward, new laptops need less power to function. This is especially ture for high-end laptops like the MacBook Pro, HP Elite x2, Huawei Matebook Pro X or the Dell XPS 13. For all of these devices, and more, USB-C is king – the RAVPower uses this revolutionary connector to deliver up to 30W of power, which should be plenty for the best Ultrabooks. You can recharge it using a 30W wall charger that can also be used to power compatible laptops – very handy, indeed. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3nArueapV8ccSFbyrHUKb5.jpg The MaxOak MacBook Charger is a perfect example of a laptop battery charger that goes the extra mile to make sure that it matches the expectations of its audience. This portable laptop charger has all the hallmarks of an Apple device, without the logo – but that’s what those Apple stickers are for – with a matching brushed aluminum finish. It’s the second most capacious portable laptop battery charger on this list, but its huge amount of juice comes with a catch – it carries so much power that at least one airline has outright banned it, so bear that in mind if you plan to use this charger while traveling. It’s also pretty heavy at almost 1kg and will cater to most MacBooks, but nothing else. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uUdTGJkTySURe3xauMfjX5.jpg This is the only charger in this list that targets Microsoft’s popular Surface range by offering the appropriate DC output voltage (12V and 15V). It comes with a generous five ports, four of which allow you to charge other 5V devices (that includes anything from other power banks to tablets and smartphones). What’s especially interesting about the Qi-infinity Upgraded Powerbank is the addition of fast-charging through Qualcomm’s Qi tech. You’ll be able to charge the new MacBook as well, but no traditional laptops that rely on a 19V DC output. Just keep in mind that its capacity of 35Ah may not be allowed on some airlines, similar to the MaxOak devices above and below. This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and australian readers, check out a fine alternative in the RAVPower RP-PB058 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9KJm4t8T39wrTfWp5Hhac5.jpg The K2 is the world’s second highest mountain and it is fitting – to some extent – that MaxOak named this battery after that lofty peak. After all, at 50Ah, this is the biggest battery on our list and one that is also the heaviest of the lot. It supports laptops up to 60W (3A, 20V) as well as fast-charging. Note that it takes up to eight hours to charge the battery and that can only be achieved via a proprietary charger. Sadly, it doesn’t carry a USB Type-C connector – which makes it useless for newer laptops – and you won’t be able to lug it around on the plane (as with the previous two peripherals, the massive capacity here may mean it’s banned on some flights). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RBYwLYSvWmhp5SCB8J9Aj5.jpg Sandberg's Powerbank is neither the cheapest nor the most powerful around. However, it does come with a couple of features that make it a rather enticing option. It outputs to a number of voltages (12V, 16V, 19V and 20V), automatically choosing the right one depending on the device which is connected. There are also two USB ports, and they’re hardwired to output 5V. You’ll also get 12 different charge tips, but if you have one of the best Ultrabooks that need a USB Type-C port for charging, you’ll be out of luck. It also features a premium brushed aluminum finish, with bright blue LED status lights that clearly indicate the amount of juice left, or how close the battery is to being charged. This product is only available in the UK and Australia at the time of this writing. US readers, check out a fine alternative in the MaxOak K2. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U4SifGsHGBwWK7LMYKUea5.jpg If you are looking for a versatile laptop charger, then do consider this RavPower offering. It is by far the most expensive model on our list, but this Reddot award winner carries a feature that no one has replicated till now. It has an AC output that can deliver up to 100W of power – yes, this could even power a TV if needed. Note that you will probably need an adaptor (there’s one bundled) because the power bank can only accommodate two-prong plugs. You will be able to take it on a commercial flight, but you will not be able to recharge it via USB. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/emFrvSuqJvB5szGYmTVZb5.jpg Dell sells the Power Companion with various battery capacities. It is more compact than the RAVPower models, and the unit looks like a Dell power brick that charges your laptop. When you're at your desk, you can daisy-chain to recharge the Power Companion and your Dell laptop by connecting your Dell charging brick to the Power Companion, and then connecting it to your notebook. Dell's Power Companion is a far sleeker battery pack if your office relies on Dell Inspiron, Latitude, XPS or Venue laptops and tablets, with the added benefit that it has extra USB ports should you need them. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/gySUU-yQ0tw

Samsung has officially introduced a 1TB embedded Universal Flash Storage (eUFS) – in other words, the first terabyte-sized native storage solution that’ll likely make its way to mainstream phones. Presumably, this will include the company’s upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship device, which will be unveiled in less than a month. More storage is obviously a good thing in consumer devices, and they’re often march-of-progress upgrades that top device makers tout when comparing new products to those from competitors. In phones, native storage is one of these spec flashpoints alongside processor speed and RAM. This new 1TB eUFS is the same package size (11.5mm x 13.0mm) as the previous 512GB version produced by Samsung, per a press release. It’s made of 16 stacked layers of Samsung’s 512-gigabit V-NAND flash memory and a new proprietary controller. “The 1TB eUFS is expected to play a critical role in bringing a more notebook-like user experience to the next generation of mobile devices,” said Cheol Choi, executive vice president of Memory Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics in the release. In other words, expect this to come to more than just Galaxy phones. More space is always betterObviously, more local storage is better for consumers. And Samsung’s new 1TB eUFS boasts 38% faster random read speed over its 512GB predecessor, while large files (like, say, a 5GB HD video) can be offloaded to an SSD 10 times faster than a microSD card. Faster speeds are better for transferring data and taking/storing new data, like from still photos or videos. With that kind of space, you could store 260 10-minute videos in 4K UHD – a lot more than the 13 4K UHD videos you could store on a phone packing a more basic 64GB of space, Samsung claimed in its press release. Lower-end phones routinely cut costs by minimizing storage space (64GB is the typical bottom, but the cheapest can go as low as 32GB). They typically offer the option to expand via microSD slot. Even the mighty iPhone XS starts at 64GB, yet it doesn’t have expandable storage. Instead, Apple offers its cloud service with a comically-small 5GB free tier and more storage for monthly subscriptions. So what phones will have a 1TB version?The 1TB Samsung eUFS is great...for higher-end phones. You probably won’t see this trickle down to mid range devices for a couple years. Given how few phones had a 512GB storage option, the 1TB will be, at least for 2019, the top-end storage choice for flagships from Samsung and other Android-powered phones. But just how many phones is up for speculation. Rumors suggest the Galaxy S10 will get a 1TB storage option, but only in the larger Galaxy S10 Plus – and only coupled with a staggering 12GB of RAM. That seems like a high-price prestige tier option, which we’ve previously seen in limited-run special editions of phones like last year’s Porsche Design Mate 20 RS (8GB RAM) and OnePlus 6T McLaren (10GB RAM). In other words, perhaps Samsung is working on its own elite version of its next smartphone. (Lamborghini Edition, anyone?) But we certainly haven’t heard that any other Android phones slated for this year will pack that much storage space. Yet. The best Samsung phone you can buy todayhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/VYAY-tdzPXQ

Buying the best security camera for your business is one of the most important purchases you can make. Getting the best security camera to keep an eye on your business or office gives you peace of mind, and can keep potential thieves at bay. Plus, if the worst does happen and your business is broken into, you will have evidence that will help you claim on your insurance, and even hopefully get your stolen items back. The best business security cameras are now extremely versatile and easy to set up. The best office security cameras for your business will include smart, connected, cameras that can simply join your Wi-Fi network in your building in order to relay footage right to your phone, no matter where you are in the world, with no need for a networked video recorder, while any motion-triggered recordings can be saved in the cloud, or locally on a microSD card. By using a smartphone as your interface, many new features are made possible. For instance, you can draw areas of active motion sensitivity within the camera’s field of view to limit the number of alerts that arrive on your phone, and some of these cameras have object recognition and can tell the difference between a person and an animal, or a car. The most significant thing that these new IP cameras have in common is their accessibility. None of our top 10 selection require a professional installation and they all come with slick companion apps that make protecting your property easy and, if we’re honest, kind of fun. Here’s how you can turn an old laptop into a CCTV camerahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7J73LbDDxtBYAiTpFGNXUc.jpg Netatmo’s sophisticated outdoor camera cum security light is expensive, but it has a lot to offer. As well as carrying out 24-hour surveillance in Full HD, it also acts as a security light whenever motion is detected. What’s more, it can differentiate between the movement of a car, a person, or an animal, so that your alerts are more specific. The distinctive design will either look stylish or incongruous depending on your property and exactly where it’s installed, but regardless of any issues with aesthetics, the Presence will certainly make itself felt, and hopefully make potential burglars think twice. Read the full review: Netatmo Presence http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Juf6jtUFU7Dns9vPcbGfXB.jpg Nest’s stylish camera is backed up by the slickest companion app we’ve come across, while its Nest Aware service, which stores up to 30-days of footage in the cloud, is the most reliable and accessible around. The only problem is that it’s also the most expensive and without paying for a subscription, you cannot access all of the camera’s features. The camera itself is very well specified, and for some folks, its integration with other Nest products, like the brand’s smart thermostat, is what will give this device an extra edge over the competition. Read the full review: Nest Cam Outdoor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LKvyCxMQ3a5uhbHBEqQsC.jpg If you’re looking for a quick and easy option for surveying your office, then this all-seeing eyeball is an appealing solution. It’s not the cheapest option, especially as it works best with a paid monthly subscription, but Circle’s intuitive companion app makes it very simple to set up and stay secure. The compact, swivelling form factor makes sense, especially with its magnetic base and built-in battery for truly wireless installation. For larger businesses, however, we’d recommend a camera that can integrate more readily with existing systems like HomeKit, or SmartThings, or at least other Logitech cameras, as the Circle works best on its own. Read the full review: Logi Circle http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XnLQ5ZfzwUcr9sBG4L6QTU.jpg With its smart, solid and compact design, the Arlo Q has instant appeal as a discrete security camera. And it’s backed up by the user-friendly Arlo app that enables you to access key features, like the push notification settings, with a minimum of fuss. Our experience with getting the camera online didn’t go well and our Wi-Fi network struggled to stream its 1080p live view, but your mileage may well vary, and you might not find any such stumbling blocks. In which case, the overall usability of this product, combined with its relatively robust build quality and the generous seven-day free cloud storage plan, make this a good way to start protecting your property. Read the full review: Netgear Arlo Q http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AZQJWHQTd2z62bkK3JYxEZ.jpg The Ezviz Mini Plus is a discrete and diminutive IP camera that’s simple to install and easy-to-use. And while it looks like an entry-level model, it’s actually the model up from the Ezviz Mini and offers 1080p resolution, adjustable motion sensitivity and a microSD card slot. It’s really only missing motion zone adjustment and object recognition. The picture quality has poor contrast, but high detail with reasonable night vision. However, it’s a pity there’s no internal battery and no integration with Nest, SmartThings, or HomeKit. Read the full review: Hikvision Ezviz Mini Plus http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AXz3g2GRZ4bJZU4tFbCnZZ.jpg For outdoor, around-the-clock sentry duty, a tough dome camera like this is a safe bet, especially when it’s supplied by one of the big hitters of the security industry. You won’t find any of the fancy features you get with the new IP camera crowd – things like object recognition and motion zone detection – and the app looks downright basic compared to that of Nest or Netatmo. But this camera is built to last and it hits a remarkably competitive price point too. Read the full review: Foscam F19853EP You can buy the Foscam F19853EP herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/X3UQ8Jz4yDzCfRfTu2Nbo3.jpg We found this logical fusion of smart light and IP camera to be an exceedingly convenient solution to a basic security problem. Simply screwing it in place of the pendant light in our reception area gave us not just a controllable energy-efficient smart light, but 24-hour surveillance with an all-around view. The price is realistic too, but we cannot fully recommend this version with so many obvious omissions and design flaws. The lack of an IFTTT channel is trivial, but the omission of motion activation for the LED is more serious, and will be a deal-breaker for many. We’ll be very surprised if there isn’t a revised model in the pipeline that addresses all of these issues. Read the full review: Sengled Snap You can buy the Sengled Snap herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aQTqofrfZFbN2kQ7DQsV5H.jpg With its appealing design, microSD storage slot and the surprise bonus of an audio out jack, this little camera is a cut above the most basic IP cameras. The 1080p video quality is up to scratch too, capturing video clips that show fairly crisp images. While it is easy to set up, it’s not the most user-friendly design we’ve tested, but it does offer enough flexibility to suit many commercial and domestic situations. The fact that it’s backed by a major brand, and boasts good integration with products like SmartThings, Google alerts, and Picasa is also reassuring. For a fairly modest outlay, this security camera delivers a reliable performance – provided you use the Ethernet cable, because Wi-Fi connectivity can be flaky – and a good set of features. Read the full review: Samsung SmartCam SNH-P6410NB http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LJCFZGGbyHRUfgANm3CxSU.jpg This little IP camera offers a simple and cost-effective springboard into the surveillance game, as it comes complete with local storage on a microSD card and a free app that makes it easy to monitor your property remotely. And by recording a wide 180-degree view whenever its motion sensor or mic are triggered, the DCS-2530L does its job quite well. The plastic construction does feel a little vulnerable, however, and app support is decidedly less sophisticated than the competition, so we would advise spending just a little more if you’re serious about surveillance. Read the full review: D-Link DCS-2530L http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HCjkLpuiGWAQhN3FDfqfG9.jpg As a holistic smart home solution, Panasonic’s system has lots of appeal for homes and businesses. The far-reaching DECT system has advantages over less secure Wi-Fi IP cameras, and the growing family of sensors Panasonic is offering gives you some confidence about buying into its smart home dream. However, the cameras themselves are too limited in their picture and sound quality to compare well with the current competition, while the app doesn’t offer the same slick features of the latest IP cameras from Nest, Netatmo and others towards the top of this list. We’d recommend waiting for the inevitable mark II models. Read the full review: Panasonic KX-HN6002EW http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/bn2ToD5lT7E

Welcome to our pick of the best portable SSDs of 2019. In this guide we look at the most dependable portable SSDs that combine speed, storage space and portability to ensure that you can safely keep all of your important files with you on your travels. The best portable SSD for your needs will come with bags of capacity, so you won't run out when storing your important files, such as photographs, while also making use of the inherent speed benefits of using solid state disks. So, when looking to buy the best portable SSD, you'll want to consider how much storage space it has. Around 500GB should be enough for many people, but if you want to store lots of large files, such as uncompressed videos, photos or music, then you should consider 1TB or higher of storage space. You'll also want to consider what type of connection the portable SSD has. Older connections, such as USB 2.0, will cause a bottleneck, as the connection cannot transfer files as fast as the SSD can read and write. The best portable SSDs, then, will come with a more modern connection for faster SSDs. At least USB 3.1, or the newer USB Type-C connection. Of course, you'll need to make sure that your laptop or computer also supports these connections. So, read on to find out what our picks are of the best portable SSDs money can buy in 2019. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z9b79bGsddCAitdZ47cboV.jpg Samsung is a company that has made some brilliant portable SSDs, and you'll see a number of its devices on this list, however the Samsung Portable SSD T5 is our pick of the best portable SSD of 2018. It builds on the brilliant design and performance of its predecessor, the Samsung T3 SSD (also on this best portable SSD list), but brings it up to date with an incredibly fast USB Type-C connection that ekes out every last drop of performance from the solid state drive inside. Of course, it's also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 if your PC doesn't have USB Type-C. It's expensive, but it's well worth the cash. Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pDJLZwmBh8Gh2XRPT5nak3.jpg Seagate is a well-known brand when it comes to storage, and it's brought its impressive experience to the portable SSD market with the brilliant Seagate Fast SSD. This is an impressively slim external SSD, at only 9mm thick with a footprint of 94 x 79mm. Best of all, it's affordable – with prices likely to drop – and it’s an excellent performer, relatively small, plus it has a nice design and a three-year warranty. Well worth considering if you're looking for a the best portable SSD for a low price. Read the full review: Seagate Fast SSD 500GB http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Cz3a8kn7YxcYLWncZJDHq8.jpg If you want speed above all else, and money is (almost) no object, than the Samsung X5 Portable SSD is the best portable SSD for you. It comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connection that takes full advantage of the super-fast speeds of the brilliant Samsung 970 Evo NVMe SSD that comes inside. However, that pure dedication to speed comes at some expense. First, there's the financial expense, as this is a pricey external SSD. It's also larger and bulkier than the Samsung T3 or Samsung T5, which are also on this list. The device is fairly heavy at 150g, triple the weight of the Samsung T5, and at 116 x 60 x 18mm, it can best be described as portable rather than miniature. However, when it comes to performance, the Samsung X5 Portable SSD is definitely the portable SSD to go for. Read the full review: Samsung X5 Portable SSD http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rshLfpHjbVvd2J84DiEJJL.jpg The Samsung Portable SSD T5 is one of the best performing portable SSDs money can buy, capable of reaching speeds up to 550 MB/sec, making the most of the USB 3.1 specification. It plugs directly into PCs and Macs with either a newer USB-C port or USB-A, is roughly the size of a matchbox and being a flash storage device, contains no moving parts, so can survive being dropped. Samsung has made some of our favorite external hard drives over the years, and the Samsung Portable SSD T5 continues its proud tradition of making brilliantly-designed external drives that perform brilliantly. It's got loads of storage space – up to 2TB – but it is a bit on the expensive side. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/auo3MsVa3VK8EDyzbvYzte.jpg Storage giant Western Digital is no stranger when it comes to storage gear aimed specifically at pro photographers, and with the WD My Passport Wireless SSD it has created another brilliant device that photographers (or even regular users) will love. It joins WD's growing stable of wireless hard drives, which allow you to view and move files via a Wi-Fi connection, rather than with a cable, which is handy. However, over Wi-Fi, you're not utilising the full speed of the SSD. It also connects via USB 3.0, which offers very good speeds, but not quite as fast as USB Type-C or Thunderbolt. But the flexibility and durability of the WD My Passport Wireless SSD is certainly tempting, plus it comes with a built-in SD card reader, making it one of the best portable SSDs for photographers. Read the full review: WD My Passport Wireless SSD http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cZZzaAMvkwyvUMwksfj6xE.jpg The Adata SD700 will suit those looking for a rugged storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It offers good speeds, and it's IP68 rated, which means you can carry it around with you without worrying about it getting damaged. It comes in capacities up to 1TB, so you don't have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD. However, it doesn't come with the new USB Type-C connection, which means speeds aren't quite as fast as they could be. Want an internal SSD? Check out our collection of the best SSDs of 2018http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/lgSMIWblYX4

We first discovered a (currently untitled) Harry Potter RPG was in the works when Redditor VapeThis Bro leaked footage of the game, claiming he was shown it as part of market research. Although the footage was quickly removed by Warner Bros, it was up long enough for fans to identify Hogwarts, various creatures and a character creator (via Eurogamer). We've gathered all the news and rumors about the leaked Harry Potter RPG in this handy guide. Here's everything you need to know. Cut to the chaseWhat is it? A RPG title based on the Harry potter franchiseWhen can I play it? TBCWhat can I play it on? We're hoping PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC Harry Potter RPG release dateCurrently we don't know when we'll see the unannounced Harry Potter RPG, but we're hoping it will be in late 2019. Harry Potter RPG rumorshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gRCxfXGRgpFMUStkv5iqn4.jpg Harry Potter Magic Awakened BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba tweeted about his knowledge of the project, revealing the mysterious RPG may be called Harry Potter Magic Awakened. However, other titles including Magic Forever are in the mix. He also hinted other Harry Potter titles could be on the way. Dark or light According to a description with accompanied the leaked footage, you will be able to choose from eight character classes and align yourself with either good or evil. Not developed by Rocksteady Following the leaked footage, fans speculated the project may be in development by British studio Rocksteady Games - who are also owned by Warner Bros. However a source in Rocksteady confirmed to Eurogamer that this is not the case. What would we like to see?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C2vc79Nuycbk4SzvkzcEZX.jpg Classes A lot of Harry Potter fans (including ourselves) just want to role-play as a Hogwarts student - warts and all. That means attending classes with the quirky professors and aiming to ace your OWLS. However, this game doesn't look like it'll be that, instead focusing on adventure. A brand new story Although not all fans will agree, it would be be nice to move away from the characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron and instead focus on brand new characters with a different story. Currently we don't know if Harry and pals will play a part in the RPG or what size of role that will be. Houses A Hogwarts experience is not legit until you're sorted into your house by the sorting hat. It would be a real oversight not to include this, and hopefully your house will affect how the story unfolds. An interactive, open-world Hogwarts We're reaching a bit, but a living and breathing Hogwarts to explore would be bliss. It would essentially allow fans to inhabit the world they've read about and watched in the films. The best RPGs to play on PC todayhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ls-ICHUvbJg

Only a few years after the nostalgia-driven AR frenzy that was Pokemon Go, Niantic has announced it’s going to cast an incendio charm on the world with an AR Harry Potter game. Not too much is known about the game at the moment, but Niantic has confirmed that it’s working in partnership with Warner Bros Interactive and WB Games to bring the Harry Potter world to life. Understandably, there’s a lot of excitement around Wizards Unite. Like Ron at the Hogwarts feasts, we’re gorging ourselves on every bit of information we can get our hands on. To keep you abreast of the latest announcements, we’ve put together this article which will be updated with any breaking news. We’ve also added our own wishes for what features will appear in the game because we couldn’t really help ourselves. Got some ideas of your own? Don’t hesitate to contact us on Twitter to tell us about them! Cut to the chaseWhat is it? A mobile AR Harry Potter game in the vein of Pokemon Go When can I play it? 2019What can I play it on? It’s definitely a mobile game and likely to be Android and iOS compatible just like Pokemon Go Harry Potter Wizards Unite release dateNiantic has confirmed Harry Potter Wizards Unite will release in 2019. How to enlistYou can enlist for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite now through the game's official website. Simply fill in your date of birth and email address, and the Ministry promises to keep you updated on the "unfolding calamity". What we know so farhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kFWkDskQfYfGrfp4yfdfW8.jpg Story The game's official website gives us a details of the overarching narrative: "Please resist the urge to panic. Traces of magic are appearing across the Muggle world without warning and in a rather chaotic manner. We worry it is only a matter of time before even the most incurious Muggles catch wind of it. We call on all witches and wizards to help contain the Calamity or risk the worst of times since You Know Who. Brush up on your spells, get your wand ready, and enlist immediately." Niantic is involved In an announcement on its official site, Niantic Labs confirmed that it’s behind Wizards Unite. As a result, the game will make full use of Niantic’s AR platform which we’ve seen in action before in Pokemon Go and Ingress. Naturally, the game is likely to be heavily inspired by Niantic’s previous releases but in its announcement for the game, the developer promised that it would “pioneer all new technology and gameplay mechanics” too. It’ll be part of a bigger release pool from the newly established Portkey games This isn’t, however, a solo project for Niantic. Warner Bros will also be involved and the company has announced that it’s creating an entirely new publishing label called Portkey Games which will also work on the game. Wizards Unite will be but one of many Harry Potter-related games Portkey Games will be releasing in the coming years. According to a blog post on Pottermore, there will be a collection of console and mobile games set in the wizarding world released and Wizards Unite will be the first of these. It’s not clear whether all of these games will be standalone titles or whether they’ll all come together to make some kind of mobile and console crossover ecosystem where players are able to live a wizarding life over multiple platforms and games There will be Ingress and Pokemon Go-inspired gameplay Well, this is an obvious one since Niantic is involved, but like Pokemon Go this game will encourage you to explore the real world and uncover secrets through the camera of your phone. To keep track of where you are in the world there’s like to be location tracking and a similar map layout. Cast spells, battle creatures and discover artifacts We’ve only had some basic hints about what will be possible in the game from Pottermore and Niantic and we don’t actually have any idea about how it’ll be implemented. Both sides of the development team have, however, confirmed that the game will involve discovering and fighting magical creatures and meeting characters from the Harry Potter universe. We imagine these characters and creatures will be intractable in the similar manner to Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Players will also be able to be able to learn and cast spells, team up with others to take down powerful enemies, discover mysterious artifacts, and build up a wizarding career. So that’s what we know, and it seems likely that’s all we’re going to know until 2018 when Pottermore has promised that more information will be announced. What we want to seehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TRB5khr5tewRJm6t2rXzo7.jpg In light of this lack of information, we’ve naturally allowed our minds to wander. There’s a lot we want to see from Wizards Unite. It’s actually worth noting that a game was crowdfunded back in 2015 called Maguss that actually came fairly close to what we would have expected a Harry Potter AR game. As a result, a lot of what we want from Niantic’s venture is inspired by this. Collect potion ingredients in the real world to make potions in the app Wandering along woodland trails, around parks and near ponds would make for a great opportunity to collect potion ingredients. Whether you’d have to hold your phone up to see and pick them or you’d simply be able to tap them to collect via an on-screen map Pottermore-inspired quizzes Pokemon Go had the yellow, red and blue teams so it makes sense that Harry Potter AR would make use of the Hogwarts houses. There’s an opportunity for a Pottermore-style quiz here. Taking that one step further, this would be a great way to establish a players’ wand and Patronus form. It may actually be an interesting approach to allow players to link their Wizards Unite accounts to their Pottermore accounts. Use a phone like a wand It’s a Wiimote-style accident waiting to happen but we’d love the option to wave our phones in certain patterns to cast spells. Purchasable external wand like the Pokemon Go Plus Okay, this one is perhaps something of a stretch. But if we could have some kind of Bluetooth-connected wand that allowed us to duel with our friends and learn spells without having to have our phones in front of our faces and a battery-draining app open we'd be very happy indeed. We're also willing to bet people would be much more prepared to carry a Harry Potter wand replica on their person than they would be to strap the Pokemon Go Plus to their wrist. Duels We’re fully expecting a duel system to be involved in Wizards Unite. It’s a great way to get some competitive spirit into the game and dueling clubs would be a great way to emulate the gym system that's currently in Pokemon Go. How exactly it would work we're not entirely sure but it would make to create designated areas where players can meet locally and take part in duels where they're able to use spells they've either learned through grinding or purchased through inevitable microtransactions. Hidden locations One of the best things about the Harry Potter universe is that it's embedded in our own and this is something that works incredibly well with AR technology. The ability to hold your phone up to see hidden entrances, or to transform completely ordinary locations into something more magical is an exciting prospect and it'd certainly encourage us to explore our local area. These are some of the best AR apps you can use right nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/7my2686e7tM

Folks that had relegated and their sweeping, mopping and vacuuming to iRobot’s Roomba and Braava robots a long time ago are likely squealing at the announcement of iRobot’s Terra. This is iRobot’s first-ever robot lawn mower, joining a growing army of competitors from the likes of LG, Worx and more. However, the company touts that it brings 17 years of automated robotics experience to a product that’s been in development for a decade, the company told TechCrunch. The Terra uses iRobot’s Imprint smart mapping technology found in its latest Roomba vacuums – paired with an array of smart beacons – to navigate lawns the way a human would, creating a tidy pattern of cut lines across your lawn. Of course, this lawn mower has no bag on the end, but rather is a mulching lawn mower that leaves clippings behind it, and takes two hours to charge. Also like the latest Roomba models, the Terra will automatically return to its charging dock when it runs low on battery and will resume the task once charged. The Terra robot mower was designed for ruggedness, able to resist water and other elements while navigating uneven terrain. This is especially convenient considering you can control every aspect of the Terra from the iRobot app, even starting a mowing job from behind your windows. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4QHUpmgEBAZd4sf9amebw9.jpg A careful launch from iRobotThe folks at iRobot are revealing neither the pricing nor the availability of its gadget beyond that it will first launch in Germany as a normal product and in the US in a beta program in 2019. iRobot has yet to detail what this beta program will look like for hopeful US owners. So, why such a staggered release? The company tells TechCrunch that it looks to tweak the mowing system over this time, likely so that it can enjoy a release in its most important market with as few issues as possible. This is good, then, as we have some questions, like how will spotty Wi-Fi signals be managed, and what about anti-theft measures? Stay tuned for updates on iRobot's Terra beta test, as we know we will – we’re too lazy not to. We’ve been hands-on with iRobot Roomba i7+http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/OfnSpIDC5p4