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When it comes to mobile plans, those that come bundled with a handset tend to steal the limelight, but if you've already got a phone you're happy with, then SIM-only plans present an excellent opportunity to save some money. As the name implies, a SIM-only plan is any plan that doesn't bundle in a phone, whether it's on a 12-month contract or a no lock-in situation where you simply pay month-to-month, there is often a great deal of value to be found in these plans. To make it even easier for you, we've gone through each of the SIM-only providers available to Aussies right now and have hand-picked the best deals we've come across, whether they're big on data, low on cost, or an excellent middle-ground overall. Discover our picks for the best outright mobile phones on the planetEditor's pick: Best SIM-only plan under $25Editor's pick: Best SIM-only plans under $40Live-updated SIM-only deals: Plans under $40Editor's pick: Best premium SIM-only plansLive-updated SIM-only deals: Plans over $40Should I go SIM-only?If you a) want to save some money; don't want to be tied into a lengthy contract; c) already own a perfectly fine phone; or d) all of the above, then going SIM-only is well worth considering. In fact, you're probably in one of two situations if your thoughts are turning to a SIM-only mobile plan: You're coming to the end of your contract and your network is calling you a million times a day to get you to upgrade. Well if your phone is dying a death or you just fancy a change, head to our best mobile phones deal page to see what bargains are lurking, but otherwise going SIM only on your current phone is a no-brainer. You'll wind up paying much less than you are under contract, and you can stick to a rolling 30 day contract so that if your circumstances change, you can get out of the arrangement tout suite. It's time for a shiny new smartphone and you want to get the best value humanly possible. You'll have to find a few hundred bucks up front for the handset (be sure to check our SIM free comparison chart) but box clever and you'll end up paying less over the next 24 months (see below). Plus, if you're a commitment-phobe, most SIM-only plans don't require you to sign up for two years like you would with a normal contract.What SIM card size do I need?There are three sizes of SIM card that you can get for your phone, and the one you need will depend on your handset. It's been a while since the traditional, so-called standard SIM (15 x 25mm) has genuinely been the staple in new phones. Instead, any phone you've bought within the last five or so years is much more likely to require a micro (12 x 15mm) or nano (8.8 x 12.3mm) SIM – the iPhone 5 was Apple's first mobile with a nano SIM, while Samsung began using the smallest size in its Galaxy S6. Before you purchase your new SIM, double-check the manufacturer's website to see what size you require. And if you're simply not sure, most networks now simply send out a triple SIM, so you'll get one of each size. What contract length should I get?Unlike with a contract, there's a lot more flexibility available when it comes to how long your SIM-only plan will last. Two year commitments are virtually unheard of, with the norm being either one year or rolling one month contracts for ultimate flexibility. You can often get better prices if you tie yourself in for 12 months, especially on larger data tariffs. But sticking to one month at a time means that you can effectively hand pick a new plan to suit you every 30 days or so. How much data do I need?Because you can change your plan up more regularly than a normal, lengthier contract, it's less crucial to get this nailed from the start. But if you're thinking of grabbing a 12-monther or just put a personal pride on getting things right first time, then we'll help you pick out the sweet spot of data for you. Firstly, check your phone to see how much data you've been using to date, and whether you have the tendency to use more than your current allowance every month. Then, if you're still unsure, check out our guidance: 0-1GB Tiny amounts of data on SIM only plans could be a blessing or a curse. If you're putting it in a rarely used phone that will scarcely be away from wi-fi then you're quids in. But if you end up with one because your head's turned by the incredible price, then you could end up paying more if you continually go over your allowance.2-3GB For anybody who needs data for little more than the occasional Google Maps route planning, 2GB and 3GB plans come cheap and give you much more freedom to check the football scores and scroll Facebook away from the wi-fi without danger.4-8GB If you can't leave the house without having a music streaming service like Spotify pouring into your ears, then it might be worth paying for some extra GBs of data.10-16GB This is a significant amount of data and some networks offer it for a very appetising price. Whether streaming music, downloading podcasts, watching social media videos, or all three is your thing - you should be covered.20-30GB Only smartphone junkies that need regular (and hefty) data fixes need bother with this avalanche of GBs. You'll be able to rinse Netflix, Spotify and online games without too much fear of topping out.Do I need unlimited calls and texts?Call it practicality, call it greediness, call it what you want - it's human nature to want 'unlimited' anything if offered. But you should think genuinely about whether you really need it in a world where the likes of WhatsApp and Skype let you call and text for free over wi-fi or 4G. If you decide that a few thousand monthly minutes and texts should do you, then you could shave off some cash from your bill. The SIM-only plans on this page are checked regularly, so make sure you visit often if you want to get the most up-to-date information on the plans that are currently available! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/dao1tFf1VcE

Starting today, The Roku Channel, the company’s free, ad-supported streaming service, is coming to iOS via the free Roku app that normally acts as a remote for Roku TVs. The news was hidden among a press release announcing The Roku Channel’s new premium subscription options which allows users to add HBO, Starz, Showtime and/or others to the streaming service for an additional monthly fee each – though pricing hasn't been announced. The Roku Channel rolled out to Roku TVs in September 2017 and has been slowly growing thanks to the recent additions of 24-hour news networks like CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, CNN Go and others. It currently offers around 10,000 free, ad-supported movies and TV episodes. There were rumors of The Roku Channel coming to iOS and Android as early as early as 2017 when the company posted a job listing for an iOS developer and launched The Roku Channel as a standalone service online last year. That said, today is the first time you'll be able to watch The Roku Channel inside the main Roku app on iOS. Support for Android is slated to come in mid-February. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2fsK6xQL8S62rEqdjG8vYc.jpg Premium subs at less-than-premium prices While The Roku Channel certainly has a bevy of free content to choose from, the shows and movies aren’t exactly Netflix caliber... unless, of course, you add on one of the premium subscription packages. Premium subscription packages, which also begins rolling out today, will give users access to 25+ premium partners including Starz, Showtime and EPIX, with more partners expected to come further down the line. Each of these channels can be added to your Roku account for an as-yet undisclosed monthly fee, and Roku says that any user who signs up for EPIX, Showtime and Starz before March 31 will receive a 30-day free trial of those services. That said, while the additional channel options is certainly interesting as it allows streamers another avenue to get their Shameless or Homeland fix, users could just as easily tack those services onto their Hulu or Amazon Prime accounts or subscribe to Starz and Showtimes’s standalone services directly. Want to see what The Roku Channel has to offer without downloading another app? It's also streaming online. These are the best TVs of 2019 (so far)http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/JwNTd3TS_dg

Shortly after the last minor update fixed some annoying bugs, Apple started testing iOS 12.2 with a developer beta release last week – and now anyone can download the iOS 12.2 public beta today. So long as a user registered for Apple’s Beta Software Program, they can download the beta over the air on a compatible device. (Presumably, this just rules out older iPhones and iPads that wouldn’t have worked with iOS 12 anyway – we haven’t seen any evidence that any other devices won’t be compatible.) We’re still a ways off from the iOS 13 release date, and the beta of iOS 12.2 shouldn't be seen as an alternative. Users should back up their device before upgrading to a beta version of an iOS update. So what’s new in iOS 12.2? We haven’t found everything yet, but we’ll update when we have more. For now, expect UI improvements in certain first-party apps: exchanges in the ‘Last Transactions’ section of the Wallet app are easier to see, and you can now toggle Air Quality on in Maps, according to 9to5Mac. There are also richer Siri assets, like an in-line music player. There’s also initial support for AirPlay 2 TVs in the Home app for HomeKit, along with making the Control Center tile for Apple TV Remote work with AirPlay 2 TVs. Apple News is also expanding to Canadian users. Betas out for watchOS, tvOS and macOSOther public betas available today are macOS 10.14.4 and tvOS 12.2. The new macOS beta lets websites automatically use dark mode themes in Safari 12.1. A developer beta for watchOS 5.2 was released, but Apple typically doesn't launch public betas for its smartwatch software. Here are all of the iOS 12 featureshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/pBKrFg8sodo

In preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, the Japanese government has approved a law amendment that will allow government workers to hack into unsecured Internet of Things (IoT) devices as part of a national survey. The survey will be conducted by employees of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) under the supervision of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. By using default passwords and password dictionaries, NICT employees will attempt to log into the IoT devices of Japanese consumers in an effort to gauge their security or lack thereof. A list of insecure IoT devices that use default and simple passwords will be prepared and passed on to the authorities and ISPs so that they can alert consumers regarding how to properly secure these devices. The survey will begin next month when NICT plans to test the password security of more than 200m IoT devices starting with routers and web cams. Both consumer devices in citizens homes will be tested along with those on enterprise networks. Olympic securityThe Japanese government decided to carry out its unconventional survey as part of its plan to prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. The government fears that hackers could exploit insecure IoT devices to launch attacks against the Games' IT infrastructure just as Russian nation-state hackers deployed the Olympic Destroyer malware ahead of last year's Pyeongchang winter Olympics. However, the Japanese government's plan has been met with criticism as many have argued that it could deal with problem by simply sending out a security alert to all users. Even if its hacking attempts are successful, there is no guarantee that consumers would take the time to update the passwords on their IoT devices after the fact. Securing the IoT has long been a thorn in the side of the cybersecurity community and even if Japan's survey fails drastically, it will still help raise awareness of the issue and could lead consumers and businesses alike to beef up their own IoT security. Via ZDNet Interested in the Internet of Things? This is everything you need to know about the IoThttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Ds3X-Z9sGCE

Thanks to the Dyson V10 Cyclone, I feel like a Ghostbuster when I’m doing the vacuuming, while my Hotpoint dishwasher let’s me live the lie that fairies in white goods boxes do the majority of my other chores for me. But ironing shirts? That’s still a serious hassle. Creases are my enemy and they put my sartorial ambitions to shame every morning. Could anything help my unskilled hands to make my garments look like anything other than crumpled paper blowing in the wind? http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cnz4cymJ8zoRuXsBVZqrJ3.jpg Yes, there is: enter the Philips PerfectCare Elite Plus, the world’s first “smart” steam generator iron. I never thought I’d be willing to recommend a £520 (about $685 / AU$955) iron, but by dammit, I’m going to try. Steamy sensorsI’ve been living with the Philips PerfectCare Elite Plus for a few months now and, I dare say it, it’s made ironing fun. It’s a huge thing – being a steam-focused iron, it requires a water reservoir built into a base that's close to the size of a small microwave. But once you unclip the smooth-gliding iron and feel its near-industrial performance, you’ll be willing to let it take up a whole room in your home, rent free. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uLuh73yGGQUmS7TwvSJ4P3.jpg Somewhat attractive with its bronze and black finish, what makes the Philips PerfectCare Elite Plus special is the amount of sensors it’s decked out with. These sensors make nearly impossible for you to damage your clothes with it, and allows you to iron in or out creases with ease and precision. The iron uses just one setting, no matter what type of fabric you’re dragging it across, be that cotton or jeans, silk or polyester, pumping out steam as it moves automatically to help you avoid singeing your clothing. What’s particularly smart is the onboard motion sensor. If it notices a lack of movement, it’ll quickly halt the steam, cooling the underside of the iron and letting you leave it on your delicate clothes for as long as you want without moving or turning off the iron, safe in the knowledge it won’t burn through. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9YEtLyRhutY9zijbeaL4L3.jpg Smart suits, safe silksPhilips PerfectCare Elite Plus is also aware of the type of fabric it's working on, and will adjust its steam output accordingly. This sensor, which Philips calls the DynamicQ steam sensor, works by detecting the depth of a crease based on the speed with which you’re ironing across a surface. This all guarantees that you’ll be crease free in no time. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gbkDP9yEBidK7xt89STwK3.jpg If you’ve got super delicate garments that you don’t want to put any pressure on at all, or just need a quick freshen up for a lightly-scrunched t-shirt, the iron can also be used as a manual upright steamer for clothes hanging in place. In a nutshell, it’s super-safe, super-foolproof ironing, using the sort of technology – accelerometer and heat sensors and the like – that you’d never expect to trickle down into this sort of household good. It’s of course prohibitively expensive and exactly the sort of item you could build a side-hustle, second business around. The Philips PerfectCare Elite Plus is so quick and reliable, and so crease-inducing is that £520 (about $685 / AU$955) price tag. But if your all about a luxurious lifestyle and you’re too modest to get a butler to do the chores for you, this is one extravagance that will make your life for easier. Best smart home devices: from lighting to heating, speakers to plugshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/aaJf0LBMD4o

The latest forecast from Gartner has revealed that worldwide IT spending is projected to reach $3.76tn in 2019 which is up by 3.2 per cent from last year. The company's research vice president John-David Lovelock explained that IT spending is still set to increase despite growing concerns over Brexit and the ongoing trade war between the US and China, saying: “Despite uncertainty fuelled by recession rumours, Brexit, and trade wars and tariffs, the likely scenario for IT spending in 2019 is growth. However, there are a lot of dynamic changes happening in regards to which segments will be driving growth in the future. Spending is moving from saturated segments such as mobile phones, PCs and on-premises data centre infrastructure to cloud services and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. IoT devices, in particular, are starting to pick up the slack from devices. Where the devices segment is saturated, IoT is not.” Lovelock also noted that IT has become more than a platform that enables organisations to run their business and it is quickly becoming the engine that drives businesses forward. IT growthGartner's forecast highlights communication services as the top area that will see continued investment this year followed by IT services, devices, enterprise software and data centre systems. The shift to cloud has been a key driver of IT spending and enterprise software will continue to show strong signs of growth with worldwide software spending projected to grow by 8.5 percent in 2019 and 8.2 percent in 2020 to total $466bn. As consumers have begun to hold onto their smartphones longer, the mobile phone market dipped by 1.2 percent in 2018. Despite this slowdown, the devices segment is expected to grow by 1.6 percent in 2019 as smartphone makers look to differentiate their offerings from the competition with new technologies such as folding displays and in-display fingerprint readers. Gartner also believes the skills shortage is far from over as internal staff are falling behind as their organisations adopt new technologies to help drive digital business. This will likely remain the case as the skill requirements needed to work with AI, machine learning and data science continue to evolve and change faster than ever before. Interested in the Internet of Things? This is everything you need to know about the IoThttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/O5x-1WfaBhg

Philips TVs had a stellar 2018, boosting the company’s Ambilight line with quality LCDs and one of the best OLED televisions we’ve ever seen, the Philips OLED+ 903. Facing stiff competition this year from the Panasonic GZ2000 and LG’s barmy rollable TV, will Philips have enough to entice with its 2019 range as it looks to maintain its frontrunner position among the pack? With Philips having skipped out on CES 2018 in favor of its own international showcase, we’ve now seen a good chunk of what the company has planned for its range of 2019 TVs – or at least up until the summer schedule for its releases, after which it’ll be prepping an all-new flagship successor to the showstopping OLED+ 903 in time for IFA 2019 in the fall. Read on for all the details on Philips 2019 TV range so far. For the time being, there are no firm release dates or pricing information to share on the forthcoming Philips TV sets, so expect to see them land at some point around May. Philips also has more TVs due later this year – we'll be updating this post as soon as they're announced. Philips 2019 TV technologyWhile the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio have doubled down on third-party content support for this year’s TV range with newly-acquired compatibility with Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit smart home standards, Philips is focussing on core picture and audio quality for its 2019 range. While the majority of the company’s top-flight TVs will be running Android TV and have voice-control support for Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, it’s with the third-generation P5 Pro image processing engine where it’s making the biggest changes. Before we get to that though, some key specs to note: almost the entirety of Philips 2019 line-up supports all the major HDR formats (HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision), as well as having support for Dolby Atmos overhead surround standards (down-mixed for onboard speakers). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/baB946p2L2pSmvRARsCd5Q.jpg Philips' new P5 third generation processor will go beyond its predecessor in a number of key ways. The Perfect Natural Reality tool will improve skin tones, a revised Detail Enhancer will tweak its Detail meter to remove jaggy edges on over-processed SD upscaled imagery, an Improved Digital Noise Reduction system will ensure “mosquito” distortion won’t occur predominantly in detail-heavy footage – in other words, you’ll be able to see the trees for the wood. HDR quality will be improved too, ensuring that dark scenes are not only dark, but full of detail in the shadows, too. Likewise, you’ll see less color clipping in bright scenes – a summer’s sky will retain its blue hues, rather than being a washed out flash of white light. Philips has also worked on its first-party audio systems, boosting the mid-range and widening the soundstage for its 2019 models in order to better take advantage of new support for Dolby Atmos mixes. But its with the Philips 8804 LCD where you’re most likely to want to listen in – it’s taking a leaf out of last year’s Philips OLED+ 903 screen and including a Bowers and Wilkins soundbar. More on that later. Philips 2019 4K OLED TVsWhile we await a true successor to the Philips OLED+ 903, we’re looking forward to spending more time with the Philips OLED 854 and OLED 804 screens. Identical apart from stand differences (the 854 centrally mounted, the other with a pair of legs) these 4K screens will be available in 55 and 65-inch sizes. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ev5JJSmXM64i4ueD2TMj8Q.jpg They’re very similar to last year’s Philips OLED+ 903, except with one key omission – they lack the impressive Bowers and Wilkins sound system, opting for a Philips-own build instead. Running Android TV, working with Alexa and Google Assistant and with all four of their HDMI ports HDR-ready, these Ambilight screens will be ones to watch for those looking top-notch OLED visuals. For a deeper look at these screens, read our hands on: Philips OLED 804 / OLED 854 review. Philips 2019 4K LCD LED TVsThough OLED TVs have become Philips’ showstoppers, the majority of its range still consists of LCD TVs. Though LCD can lack the richness of a well-tuned OLED TV, they shouldn’t be sniffed at in their own right – Philips has done some stellar work not only in the picture stakes, but also with audio, thanks to a partnership with Bowers and Wilkins. First up then, the Philips 8804 – one of the most promising LCD screens we’ve seen in a while. It’s 4K visuals will be available in 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, and will have the full house of HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision support, as well as Dolby Atmos sound. It’s also the only screen revealed so far this year from Philips to include that show-stopping Bowers and Wilkins sound system again. For more info, read our hands on Philips 8804 TV review. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N76UMeQvGsB3JTmzgKM54Q.jpg If style is more important than sound quality, check out the Philips 9104. It’s another 4K LCD panel, but has been designed in conjunction with design house Georg Jensen, and has striking chrome finish aluminium feet. It too has standard HDR support covered but drops HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, only features Dolby Atmos audio passthrough, and will only come in a single 55-inch screen size. It has a three sided Ambilight though, so this may be one to check out for its aesthetic value. Next up is the TV Philips is pushing most heavily for this half of the year – the Philips 7304 Performance Series, which they’re nicknaming ‘The One’. Why? Because it’s ‘the one’ TV they think will suit most people, ticking lots spec boxes will aiming to come in at a mid-range price point. The Ambilight 4K LCD screen will come in a range of size – 43, to, 55, 58, 65 and 70-inches – has the full suite of HDR options and features Dolby Atmos. For more information, check out our Philips The One first look impressions. The Philips 7504 looks set to be a similar screen, coming in 50 and 55-inch screen sizes, trading a less striking stand for beefier 25W 2.1 built in speakers. The One only has two-channel 20W speakers. From here down the range of LCD Philips TVs, you lose access to the top-notch P5 image processing engine, instead being left with the Pixel Precise Ultra HD processing engine. They also run the SAPHI operating system, rather than the more versatile Android TV. So, the Philips 6814 will come in 43, 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, the 6704 in 43, 50, 55, 65 and 70 inches, and the 6504 in 43, 50, 58 and 65 inch sizes. The key differences here? The 6814 has a T-Bar centrally-mounted light finish stand with 3-sided Ambilight, while the 6704 has Ambilight, a dark frame finish and two feet supporting it. The 6504 looks pretty much the same as the 6704, but doesn’t have any Ambilight features. Philips 2019 HD TVsIt says a lot about the dominance of 4K TV now that, not only is there only a single non-4K TV in Philips range this year, but it’s not even 1080p – just a 24-inch HD-ready 1366x768 screen. The Philips 4304 has no smart features, no HDR, and only two HDMI port ports. This is very much one for the kitchen, or a “my first TV” for the kids’ bedrooms. Best TV 2019: which TV should you buy?Best soundbars 2019: what soundbar to go with it?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/u05UPC_aeeE

Honor's newest venture into the phone market - the Honor View 20 - has landed in the Middle East. The launch event in Burj Khalifa revealed the pricing and configuration for the UAE market. The Honor View 20 has seriously caught our attention. It starts with the immense 48MP main camera and its pin-hole screen main it stand out from competing products. Although the phone isn't ever going to compete with the priciest devices on the market such as the Huawei Mate 20 Pro or iPhone XS, it still has a bright LCD display, a power processor and packs a pretty decent 4,000mAh battery. That means you won't be dealing with a phone dying every few hours or performance issues. Honor is only launching the higher capacity version in the UAE which comes equipped with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Pricing for it has been set at AED 2,399 which is the highest we've seen for an Honor phone at launch. Honor is also releasing the Honor Watch Magic for AED 699 along with the Huawei Band 4 for AED 199, both of which will be available soon. Read TechRadar's Honor View 20 review http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/lCEQzCBbwhU

In an effort to expand the capabilities of its cloud storage platform, Dropbox has announced that it has acquired the electronic signature startup Hellosign for $230m in cash. The acquisition expands the company's technical abilities while also allowing it to better compete with Adobe and DocuSign in the electronic signatures space as well as with Apple, Google and Microsoft. Dropbox, which went public last year, has managed to exceed analyst estimates in each of its first three quarterly earnings reports though it stock price has not grown significantly since its IPO last March. HelloSign allows users to sign documents digitally and request signatures from others. The company's technology, which can be embedded in third party software, is currently available in products from Google, Salesforce and Dropbox. HelloSign also offers tools for faxing documents digitally and managing the flow of paperwork but according to its COO Whitney Bouck, its signature tool is the most popular. eSignature capabilitiesDropbox's Co-Founder and CEO Drew Houston explained the reasoning behind its decision to purchase HelloSign in a statement, saying: “With over an exabyte of data on our platform, millions of people already use Dropbox as a place to collaborate on their most important content. We’re thrilled to welcome HelloSign’s talented team to Dropbox and add their capabilities to our product suite. HelloSign has built a thriving business focused on eSignature and document workflow products that their users love. Together, we can deliver an even better experience to Dropbox users, simplify their workflows, and expand the market we serve.” For the time being, HelloSign will operate as an independent business with its CEO Joseph Walla reporting directly to Dropbox's SVP of engineering Quentin Clark. Dropbox's sales team will focus on drumming up more business for HelloSign while Dropbox will continue to work with other electronic signature providers. Via CNBC We've also highlighted the best cloud storagehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/j1bKBEcM5L4

Not content with completely transforming the music industry, Apple apparently wants to do the same for the gaming world with a new streaming service. According to anonymous sources speaking with Cheddar, Apple’s service would require a single fee for access to a selection of games distributed over a streaming internet connection. Apple had reportedly begun discussing plans for the service in private with game developers in the second half of 2018, even partnering with them as a publisher in the endeavor. This would likely be to avoid sharing licensing with other publishers and maximize profits. Of course, the subscription cost is currently unknown, nor are the types of games being considered for offer, and the service is apparently still so early in development that Apple could easily walk away from the project. Apple has declined to comment on Cheddar’s report. Apple finding its next Moby DickHaving redefined the world of digital music with iTunes at the turn of the century, and now being a major player in streaming music with Apple Music, this company is no stranger to successful digital services. In fact, with hardware sales generally souring at the time of writing, taking another bite out of the digital storefront might be what sees it through an especially rough patch financially. It’s well known by now that the App Store is Apple’s largest and most reliable revenue generator, so of course Apple is looking for new ways to optimize that model. What will this mean for us, the general consumers? Well, we could be looking at yet another monthly fee for the sake of simplicity and extra features in our iPhone, iPad and perhaps even Mac games down the line. Whether Apple will target mainstream mobile gamers, dedicated hardcore gamers, or both, is what we’re most interested in seeing with this development. These are the best Macs the world overhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/s2v2ONHjJf8

Fabian Wosar makes a living ruining ransomware gangs’ days, and he has the hate-mail to prove it. “At one point, I managed to annoy a ransomware author so much that they literally renamed their ransomware in my name,” he says. “So they renamed their ransomware to ‘fabiansomware’, which is kind of really bizarre.” Wosar is the head of research at IT security company Emsisoft, whose free ransomware decryption tools have been downloaded over a million times (1,144,351, to be exact, not including downloads from mirror sites). With the average ransomware writer demanding $522 (about £400, AU$750) to restore victims’ files, that’s a potential $597,351,222 (about £455,000,000, AU$833,000,000) kept out of the pockets of ransomware authors. Not bad for a 40-person company without an office. “Emsisoft started out as a very, very small company with only two employees,” says Wosar. “When you try to get into the antivirus and antimalware field and you only have two people, there’s no way you can compete based on manpower with the big houses like Symantec and Kaspersky or Bitdefender, which all have thousands of employees. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KBrbkBR5Mny2CRvFJz5vf7.jpg Not all the comments Wosar receives are insults; some ransomware authors are impressed “It was very evident from the very beginning that we just have to be more agile, that we need to make sure that all our internal processes have a lot less overhead and we also had to be a lot smarter about how we put our limited resources to good use. And this business mindset that was originally born as kind of a necessity soon became the core philosophy behind all our products. Emsisoft has grown steadily over the last 15 years, with no outside investment. It’s still a lot smaller than many of its rivals, but that hasn’t stopped it competing with the security software giants. “We started out very much as a very home user focused company,” Wosar says, “but we started moving into the business market in recent years, with growing success and we came to realise that home users and enterprises often have vastly different requirements and needs. Most traditional companies solve that by just throwing more resources at it, and often splitting the product line, having different products for different clienteles, but that’s something that we simply can’t do. "So our philosophy of keeping things lean we now focus on making all these advanced enterprise-level protection features not only available to home users, but also to make them approachable and useful to them so they can actually understand them and know what is happening, and putting the user into power by making them a lot more accessible, which will become a lot more eminent with a couple of upcoming products that we are going to release in 2019 that I can’t tell much about. But that’s out focus now, just giving the power to the man.” A brief history of ransomwareWosar’s interest in security began when he was just 11. “I got infected by a virus called Tequila in the good old DOS days, and I just got kind of drawn in,” he says. He first became interested in ransomware in 2012, when BleepingComputer founder Lawrence Abrams asked if he could help some forum users who’d fallen victim to the ACCDFISA (Anti Cyber Crime Department of Federal Internet Security Agency) virus – one of the first examples of file-encrypting ransomware. “Ransomware first became big in the form of screen lockers,” Wosar explains. “Essentially you’re browsing the internet and suddenly a screen pops up locking your entire screen, telling you the FBI or GCHQ just saw you doing something naughty. Now you have to go to your local store and pick up a Paysafecard and type in the code to unlock your system. Because obviously the state would take Paysafecard, right?” That is always kind of interesting, when people get so angry that they want to insult me so badly that they actually end up making their ransomware less secure in the processFabian Wosar, Emsisoft It soon became common knowledge that screen lockers were relatively easy to remove (just restart the computer in Safe Mode and remove the infection), so the people behind them turned to file encryption instead. This is a much bigger issue, and one that Wosar has dedicated years to tackling – much to the annoyance of the criminals. Wosar receives regular insults, and often finds them within the ransomware itself, which can have unintended consequences. “There’s a certain kind of encryption called a block cipher that operates on blocks of data,” Wosar says. “When you think about it, if you don’t change your encryption from block to block, then even if you only have an encrypted file, you could at least tell which parts of the file contain identical data because the encrypted blocks will stay the same as they were before. So if you have large parts that only contain zero bytes, for example, you could still see those parts.” Wosar shares an example that’s well-known in the security community: an image of Tux the penguin, which has been encrypted using a simple block cipher, but is still clearly legible. To get around that problem, you need a block mode. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ACFmZHML4B3LbvABwAN4JP.jpg When an image is encrypted with a simple block cipher, parts can still be legible “You can think of block mode as an extra step that you do to make the same block inside a file look different each time you encrypt it,” says Wosar, “and in order to do that, you start out with something that’s called an initialisation vector, or an IV. For this ransomware, they used an IV that contained data from memory that was just random. They didn’t put any specific data into the IV – they just took something random from memory, and whatever was in that memory before, that became the IV. Now when they added the insults, they actually put the insult into the IV. That means the IV was always the same after that, which reduced the security of their ransomware. “So that is always kind of interesting, when people get so angry that they want to insult me so badly that they actually end up making their ransomware less secure in the process. So that’s kind of funny.” Threats to home usersRansomware writers are starting to learn that targeting home users isn’t particularly lucrative – partly because many don’t have the money to pay, and partly because they simply don’t care about the data that’s been encrypted. “Most of the focus nowadays is on your mobile phone,” says Wosar, “and if you have a mobile phone, chances are it’s getting backed up to the cloud as well – to Google Photos or iCloud. If all your pictures on your system are encrypted, you can just download, so that’s not a big issue.” Faced with home users who can’t or won’t pay, ransomware writers have begun to branch out. “If ransomware often finds itself on a system that is particularly powerful, or that has a very good graphics card for example, they often opt into not encrypting the files, but dropping something that is called a cryptominer onto the system,” Wosar says. “A cryptominer will then start mining cryptocurrency in the background, and trying to download that. “Another trend that's often seem with ransomware or malware in general is the introduction of cryptojackers, which are essentially little trojans or malware that looks on your system for cryptocurrency wallets and steal it. Financial malware is also still an issue for home users, trying to steal your banking credentials for example, or your PayPal credentials, in order for someone to then just access your bank account and steal all your money. If ransomware often finds itself on a system that is particularly powerful, or that has a very good graphics card for example, they often opt into not encrypting the filesFabian Wosar, Emsisoft In addition to ransomware, Wosar says home users should also be aware of bots, which hijack your system and make it part of a remote-operated network called a botnet. “You can think of that as a collective of systems that are under the control of a single entity, which is usually called the bot herder, and they can make your system do whatever they want, pretty much. In a lot of cases, though, these kinds of botnets are being used to distribute spam campaigns like send millions of spam emails. "They can be used to launch DDOS attacks, so your system starts attacking other systems and trying to take them down. And in a lot of causes these kinds of botnets, build the basis of new ransomware campaigns , where ransomware crime groups pay botnet herders to upload the ransomware onto all their victims’ computers and just run it there and encrypt all the data.” Potentially unwanted programs, or PUPs, are another big issue for home users. These are extra programs that come bundled with free software installers and often hook into your web browser with search bars and icons, and might change your homepage and default search engine. Wosar notes that they aren’t technically illegal, because there’s often a way to avoid them while installing the software you wanted, Windows has taught us to simply click ‘Next’, ‘Next’, ‘Next’ without really paying attention. Threats to businessesIt’s a different story for business users, who still face a serious threat from ransomware. “Ransomware campaigns there work a lot different than for home users,” says Wosar. “For home users, ransomware campaigns are either part of big spam campaigns where the malware has just been sent to hundreds and thousands of users, and [the writers] just hope that someone is gullible enough to open the attachment and then run whatever was attached to the email. “For businesses, ransomware is often targeted. That means people try to attack your company in particular. They will look for weak spots in your defences when it comes to internet-facing services, for example. Usually, that is done through insecure remote control features, like RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) for example.” Small businesses without their own IT departments often outsource it to other companies, which install remote control software on their clients’ servers. This means they don’t have to send out a technician every time a client needs help, but often the remote access points are poorly secured. Weak passwords, standard user accounts, accounts with more rights than necessary, and unpatched software are all serious risks. For businesses, ransomware is often targeted. That means people try to attack your company in particular. They will look for weak spots in your defencesFabian Wosar, Emsisoft “These ransomware gangs seek out poorly secured remote access points in services in particular, and once they enter the server they will try to pivot from there onto other systems in the local network,” Wosar says. “And if that isn’t successful they will just start encrypting the entire server.” Ransoms are also typically a lot higher for businesses because the ransomware writers (often rightly) assume they have more money. Potentially, it’s much more lucrative than targeting home users. “Businesses also always have to deal with APTs – advanced, persistent threats from often state-sponsored groups that try to steal company secrets in particular and gain all kinds of other advantages and insights,” says Wosar. “I don’t think we will see a lot of big APTs being revealed in the coming years – mostly because a lot of these big campaigns got revealed over the last few years. APTs will continue to be a threat for businesses, but they will try to fly a lot more under the radar with even more targeted attacks and smaller campaigns in order to make sure that all their tools and specialized malware don’t leak. The other big threat to businesses is spear phishing – a version of phishing that’s highly targeted at a specific business, and even a specific individual, using harvested data to make the attack more believable. “A classic example is people mimicking the CEO of a company and sending out emails to the accounting staff asking them to transfer money to pay fictitious invoices,” says Wosar. “But these kinds of attacks also work when it comes to infiltrating companies and getting a company owner to run malware on their system. One common method therefore example is to hide malware inside applications. You want to recruit new staff and have some job offers out there, and people send in their applications with malware hidden inside. “These types of attacks are more prevalent for businesses these days and those are probably the ones businesses want to watch out for the most.” How to protect your files“Backups, backups, backups,” says Wosar. “Antivirus software (and even Windows as an operating system) has come a long way when it comes to detecting and preventing ransomware attacks, so it’s a very useful form of defence, but backups are useful not only for ransomware, but they also help you in all kinds of other situations. For example, what if your hard disk fails?” When backing up your files, Wosar cites the three, two, one rule. You should have three copies of your data, which should be stored on two different devices, on two types of storage, and one of those should be off-site. For a home user, that might mean having your photo collection on your PC’s internal hard drive, then making a scheduled backup to an external hard disk, and syncing those backups to a service like Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive. “Keeping your systems up to date is very important, especially as a business, and especially on the systems that can be reached from the internet directly,” Wosar says. “WannaCry, for example, was a very popular ransomware family that used publicly available exploits to exploit systems, and servers in particularly that were accessible from the internet. People didn’t install the patch, so they became infected within literally within minutes of being connected to the internet.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/trdWz5VzcnVrVYGJ9jAaYP.jpg By not installing the necessary security patch, businesses left themselves vulnerable to WannaCry If you use a company to manage your IT systems remotely, it’s important to reduce the attack surface as much as possible. Make sure there are proper password policies in place, and ensure passwords are long, complex, and not being re-used on different sites. “At the very least, switch from the default port from the default RDP port to a different one so your system doesn’t automatically light up in a simple port scan, advertising to the outside that this server is using RDP,” says Wosar. “When it comes to these outsourcing scenarios, often it’s simply not necessary for RDP to be available to the entire internet. Ideally, it should only be accessible to the outsourcing company that you asked to take care of your systems, so take advantage of firewall rules to limit accesses to your servers and to the remote access points in particular, to lock that down as much as humanly possible. How to decrypt your filesIf your files are encrypted, the most important thing is not to remove the ransomware executable file – no matter how unintuitive that sounds. It’s fine to disable it by quarantining it, and disabling the autorun references so it doesn’t start automatically, but don’t get rid of it altogether. “The first step of trying to figure out whether or not your files can be decrypted without paying the ransom is looking into the ransomware executable to find out exactly what it did to your files,” says Wosar. “And that becomes so, so much more difficult when people remove the infection, because then you have to try to find the one ransomware files out of the millions upon millions of ransomware files out there that encrypted your data, which makes the whole process a lot more difficult.” If you don’t have a backup of your original files, he recommends making one of the encrypted ones – however strange that sounds. “We did have quite a few cases where, once the ransomware campaign shut down, the ransomware authors released the keys for free. So if you don’t need access to your files right away, or if you are in the situation where it would be nice to get your files back, but it’s also not that important to you that you would be willing to spend money on getting them back, to just keep the encrypted files around in your backups.” You might also be able to decrypt your files is law enforcement are able to seize the criminals’ servers, as has happened several times in the past. The first step of trying to figure out whether or not your files can be decrypted without paying the ransom is looking into the ransomware executable to find out exactly what it did to your filesFabian Wosar, Emsisoft If you’ve been hit by ransomware, you might discover that there are several companies around that claim to be able to restore encrypted data, whatever the infection. However, they aren’t always what they seem, and many work as a kind of middle-man, taking your money and handing it to the ransomware writers. Wosar doesn’t have a problem with these companies if they’re very transparent about what they’re doing – essentially taking out the potentially tricky step of obtaining Bitcoin to pay the ransom and handling the decryption. “I don’t mind if they are open about that,” he says, “but a lot of people aren’t, and a lot of people pay those companies a shit-ton of money, thinking, ‘Oh, but at least the ransomware author doesn’t get the money’ but in reality they do. You just paid the ransom and some extra for the data recovery company. “You also have to keep in mind that these ransomware campaign owners actually offer kind of an affiliate program to these data recovery companies. So if you convince your customers to pay the ransomware, [the authors] only take 60% of the thing and you take the other 40% and you can either hand that down to make your service look more legit by asking for less than the ransomware author did, or just take it as a bonus – it’s a profit for you.” Wosar has even been approached by authors asking if he could ignore their ransomware campaign in exchange for a share of the profits, or suggesting he tell victims there’s no alternative but to pay, and offering him an affiliate link. Victims are even offered discounts if they leave positive testimonials on support forums like BleepingComputer, assuring other users they they’ll get their files back if they pay. Emsisoft has released free decryption software for many common types of ransomware (together with details to help you identify the type you've been infected by), plus a step-by-step guide for removing it safely. If there's no decryptor available for your infection, Emsisoft's forums offer a free ransomware first-aid service (even if you're not an Emsisoft customer). Check out this post for the procedure you need to follow. The best internet security suites 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/MUuJ9_6zlYM

The Honor View 20 is one of the world's newest flagship phones and yet it has already become a battleground for retailers trying to land the best deal. The newest offer? A Currys/PC World voucher when you buy the device on contract from Carphone Warehouse. This deal - which is an EXCLUSIVE to TechRadar readers - earns you a voucher worth £25 to spend at Currys when you sign up via the link in bold below. That's on top of the FREE Honor Watch Magic (worth £179.99) that Carphone Warehouse is also offering at the moment - that's a lot of value for money on a brand new handset that's already really reasonably priced and for which we have a lot of love - you can read our Honor View 20 review. Click here to take advantage of this EXCLUSIVE gift card offer Carphone has tariffs from the likes of O2 and Vodafone with plenty of options on monthly costs, data and upfront fees. Perfect to combine with that Curry's voucher to get yourself a great deal. But don't hang around if you like the sound of this exclusive promotion as Carphone Warehouse is applying an end date of February 19. Find your perfect Honor View 20 deal...no matter the retailerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg How to claim your Currys/PC World gift card:http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg Or check out all of today's best mobile phone dealshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Vo905FRcJYo

Shares in Nvidia have dropped sharply following the company declaring that it expects to make far less in fiscal Q4 revenue than was previously estimated, with the blame for some of the shortfall being laid at the door of its new RTX (Turing) graphics cards. Nvidia’s previous forecast for its fourth quarter revenue – the quarter running up until the end of this month, January – had stood at $2.7 billion (around £2.1 billion, AU$3.8 billion) and has now been lowered to $2.2 billion (around £1.7 billion, AU$3.1 billion). Lopping off $500 million off predictions is a big drop off, and one which has sent the firm’s stock tumbling by 15% at the time of writing. As spotted by MarketWatch, in a press statement, Nvidia said that both gaming and data center revenue didn’t perform as well as expected either. And on the gaming front, the company admitted that “certain high-end GPUs” from its new Turing range of graphics cards hadn’t sold as many units as anticipated. Nvidia said that Turing GPUs deliver a “revolutionary leap in performance and innovation with real-time ray tracing and AI”, but qualified that with the observation that some folks may be waiting until prices fall – and for ray tracing support to become more widespread in games – before buying an RTX graphics card. Cost is indeed a thorny issue for many, no doubt, when you consider the steep asking price on the higher-end RTX models. For example, the Founders Edition of the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comes with a price tag of $1,199 (£1,099, AU$1,899), and even the plain RTX 2080 will relieve your wallet of $799 (£749, AU$1,199). The latter is considerably more than the previous-generation GTX 1080 which started at $549 (£469, AU$925), although even that could hardly be described as affordable. China fragilityNvidia also observed that “deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, particularly in China, impacted consumer demand for Nvidia gaming GPUs.” So negative overarching economic forces also played a part in the picture, with China singled out as a particular area of weakness for sales – which is interesting as Intel also blamed a slowdown in China as one of the major reasons why the chip giant underperformed in its recent Q4 financial results. Furthermore, earlier this month, Apple pointed the finger at economic frailty in the Chinese market in a warning that iPhone sales would be weaker than expected. It would seem, then, that China is having a measurable negative impact across the tech industry at large right now. Those more cynical might suggest that the country’s hardware market seems like a convenient scapegoat. On the data center front, Nvidia noted that a number of deals which were expected to close in the previous forecast, didn’t actually come to fruition in their anticipated time frame. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, commented: “Q4 was an extraordinary, unusually turbulent, and disappointing quarter.” These are the best graphics cards you can buy in 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/6gft3ClCAFI

Intel recently expanded its Coffee Lake Refresh processor lineup with integrated graphics-lacking F-series chips, and it seems to have plans for new low-power chips as well. A mysterious Intel Core i9-9900T has appeared on Yahoo Auctions, and it seems to be a cut-down, 35W version of the original, 95W Intel Core i9-9900K. According to specifications shared on the listing, the Intel Core i9-9900T will still feature identical 8-core and 16-thread as the original CPU, but with severely cut down clock speeds. Whereas the original Intel Core i9-9900K started at a 3.6GHz base clock and maxed out at 5.0GHz on one to two cores, the 9900T will supposedly run between 1.7GHz and 3.8GHz. Bringing Core i9 power to all-in-one PCs?While it isn’t surprising that Intel would introduce low-power versions of its existing chips, we would be surprised if the chipmaker would roll out T-series version of its Core i9 part, and with these major downgrades in frequency as well. T-series CPUs are often reserved for all-in-one and miniature PC systems. So, perhaps by limiting the 9900T by so much, Intel wants to say it has a Core i9 part in such a compact PC without running into the same overheating issues as the Core i9-powered MacBook Pro. Of course, before the chipmaker can make any claims, these T-series processors have to be officially announced. We’ll be on the lookout for such an announcement or any new CPU developments, so stay tuned. AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors are just around the bendVia Hexus http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/31XvYsgpw4Y

Smartphones have long evolved from being just calling and texting machines, it’s where most of us consume digital entertainment and get things done. According to AdColony, 60% of UAE smartphone users watch online videos on their phones daily and almost half prefer watching movies on their phones. Add to the fact how most users are increasingly replacing desktops with their smartphones for work-related tasks and small bouts of gaming and it becomes clear why most people these days opt for phones with larger displays. When it comes to phone screens, size really does matter. Choosing a screen that’s just one inch larger than your current device makes all the difference and will result in a much better mobile experience whether you're viewing content or playing games. While there are many phones with larger screens, there’s always some kind of compromise involved such as middling battery life or overheating while running demanding apps resulting in performance dips. Manufacturers have yet to bring their A game to supersized devices and Huawei decided to lead that with its latest Mate 20 X which makes no such compromises. Super-sized with no compromiseThe Mate 20 X offers tremendous amount of power and stamina on a larger screen than most max-sized phones making it perfect for being productive, viewing content or having an intensive gaming session. It comes packing a 7.2-inch Full HD display, a blazing fast and power-efficient Kirin 980 processor, 6GB RAM and a hefty 5,000 mAh battery that keeps going. As for the camera, it’s the same excellent versatile setup found on the Mate 20 Pro which our viewers voted as their favorite camera phone for 2018. There’s also a revolutionary cooling system on board, which uses graphene film and vapor chamber to ensure the phone dissipates heats efficiently while maintaining high performance. This is especially useful when you turn on GPU Turbo 2.0, Huawei’s key performance enhancing feature that pushes the Mate 20 X’s hardware to get accelerated performance while reducing battery consumption. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8J7hVEfPqVB7dnprxDiCw3.jpg This is great news for mobile gamers who can enjoy extended hours of gaming on the highest graphics settings with smoother frame rates. The audio on the Mate 20 X is also excellent with two well-placed speaker grilles on the top and bottom that emit high quality stereo sound. That combined with a large screen and powerful GPU performance give users a completely immersive and premium mobile experience. And yes, it also has a 3.5mm jack for plugging your favorite pair of headphones if you want to enjoy gaming discreetly. One concern with most max-sized and gaming-centric phones is the middling battery life. Most large phones rely on a battery capacities below 4,000mAh to power screens as large as 6.5-inches and they usually fail by not being able to provide even one full day’s worth of moderate usage. But with the Mate 20 X’s massive 5,000 mAh battery, users can kick that habit and never worry about running out of juice. Apart from the sizable battery that’s more than enough to power the 7.2-inch screen of the Mate 20 X, the phone is also equipped with an extremely power efficient chipset and battery optimization software that gives users almost two days of battery life. Power users can keep on gaming and watching content without battery anxiety and the phone will still outlast them between recharges. It is clear that Huawei’s focus on consumer needs and innovation has resulted in another brilliant offering from the tech giant. The supersized Huawei Mate 20 X offers the best-in-class tech with no compromises at an unbeatable value making it a standout device for an immersive multimedia experience. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/FSjA7OFjnsM

The Road to WrestleMania begins tonight with the WWE’s first big pay-per-view event of the year - the 2019 Royal Rumble. And you're in the right place if you're unsure of how to watch where you live. For the second year in a row, the event will include both a men’s and women’s Royal Rumble where 30 participants enter the ring and the last person standing earns a chance to challenge either world champion at WrestleMania 35 this April. While the battle royales are certainly the main draw of Royal Rumble, there are also a number of championship matches on the card for tonight’s event. In the kickoff show, Buddy Murphy, Kalisto, Akira Towaza and Hideo Itami will meet in the ring for a Fatal 4-Way bout and Shinsuke Nakamura will have a chance to earn back the US title from Rusev. Sasha Banks will take on Ronda Rousey in the Raw Women’s Championship and AJ Styles will go up against Daniel Bryan in the WWE Championship. Brock Lesnar will also defend his title from Finn Balor in the Universal Championship. The 30-Woman Royal Rumble will be next followed by the main event, the Men’s Royal Rumble. Whether you’re a big time WWE fan or just looking to get back into the sport/soap opera, we’ll show you how to watch a Royal Rumble live stream online from anywhere in the world so that you don’t miss a minute of tonight’s grapple action. NFL fan? Check out our guide on how to live stream Super Bowl LIIILive stream WWE Royal Rumble from anywhere in the worldScroll down if you're reading this in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan or India -we've described your watching options in more detail down there. But if you're unlucky enough to be in a country where the only way to catch the Royal Rumble is via some dodgy, illegal stream you've found on Reddit, then we have a top tip to get a much better way to watch. Live stream on the WWE Network (for FREE!)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x4WvmjGdnEUCFeqhMUrnWo.jpg How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: USA streamIf you’re watching from the United States, then subscribing to the WWE network is your best bet as it is the most cost effective way to watch. Other pay-per-view providers including Dish, Spectrum and Xfinity are showing Royal Rumble 2019 but they cost upwards of $40. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jgvvohCEmS99W9XuRfJMSo.jpg How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: Canada streamAs is the case in the WWE’s home country, the WWE Network is also the cheapest, most convenient place to watch Royal Rumble 2019 in Canada. However, you could choose to go with Rogers, Shaw or BellMTS but expect to pay similar prices to PPV providers in the US. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B9XNGCRYNHKJzN5zVfTMje.jpg How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: UK streamhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D39crXd3gob7KPsE3LAFUo.jpg How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: Australia streamhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/22eTAn9EdQaFVqiHidLqc3.png How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: Japan streamJapanese fans eager to see Shinsuke Nakamura try to beat Rusev in the United States Championship match or Asuka defend her title against Becky Lynch can catch all the action live on the WWE Network. Royal Rumble 2019 will start at 9am on Monday morning in Japan. Alternatively, DMM.com, J:Com and Sukachan are all listed as offering PPV options. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WWQ7UGT97CVJAVBcELPxRQ.jpg How to watch Royal Rumble 2019: India streamMain image courtesy of wwe.com http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ebGZgkd4qVX7mUuvz3WNkH.jpg http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/7x_ZmcIfHkU

Super Bowl LIII may still be a week away but the NFL has one more game to tide you over until then. The league’s coaches, players and fans have voted to decide which players from the AFC and NFC will compete in the this year's all-star game, and with our advice you can get a Pro Bowl 2019 live stream regardless of where in the world you live. The game will be held at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida for the third year in a row after the NFL decided to move it from Hawaii. This has worked out well for the AFC who have used the home field advantage to win the past two Pro Bowls. The AFC all-stars will be coached by Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers with quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson leading the team. The NFC all-stars will have Jason Garrett from the Dallas Cowboys as their coach with quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mitchell Trubisky. The Pro Bowl is not only a special event for the NFL but it gives players and coaches, often from rival teams, the chance to play together and take a different approach than they normally would on the field. If you’re an NFL fan that’s been following the action all season or just looking to watch the league's all-stars go head-to-head on the field, then we have you covered. Keep reading and we’ll show you how to watch the 2019 Pro Bowl online from anywhere in the world. Also check out how to live stream Super Bowl LIII so you're ready for next Sunday's big gameHow to watch the 2019 Pro Bowl online from anywhere in the worldIf you live in the US or UK and want to know how to catch the 2019 Pro Bowl, then keep scrolling and we’ll tell you your best live stream and viewing options. But if there are absolutely no ways to watch in your country - or if a coverage blackout is stopping you from watching in the US - then we can suggest a clever alternative (and no, it doesn’t involve finding some dodgy feed on Reddit). Using a VPN - or Virtual Private Network - you can change the IP address to one in a different state or country which does have the stream so that you can watch the 2019 Pro Bowl from anywhere in the world. The process is very straightforward... http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x4WvmjGdnEUCFeqhMUrnWo.jpg How to watch the 2019 Pro Bowl in the USIf you have a cable subscription that includes ESPN, the network will be showing the game starting at 3pm local time in Orlando (so 12pm PT). ABC will also stream the Pro Bowl live from its site and on its ABC app for iOS and Android. However, you will have to sign in using the account details from your cable provider. Can I watch on the NFL Game Pass?Unfortunately NFL Game Pass subscribers will not be able to watch the Pro Bowl live as it happens. However, if you happen to miss the game or just want to re-watch it later, you can watch a full replay of the 2019 Pro Bowl on NFL Game Pass. Other ways to watch the Pro Bowl online Playstation Vue $44.99 per month - Playstation Vue is one option to watch the NFL Pro Bowl and its basic Access package offers over 45 channels including ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2. The service provides top-notch streaming quality as well as unlimited cloud DVR storage so you’ll never miss a game. A 5-day trial to Playstation Vue is also available to help you get started and most of the popular streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast are supported. YouTubeTV $40 per month - YouTubeTV gives you access to ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but just like with Hulu with Live TV, there is no NFL Network. Hulu with Live TV $40 per month - Hulu with Live TV includes ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but does not come with NFL Network. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B9XNGCRYNHKJzN5zVfTMje.jpg How to watch the 2019 Pro Bowl in the UKhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ebGZgkd4qVX7mUuvz3WNkH.jpg Main image courtesy of nfl.com/probowl http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/sILKo6OqmIA

The code for the latest iOS 12.2 beta is the gift that keeps on giving: after being found to contain hints about new iPads and iPod Touches, now the software has revealed images for Apple's upcoming magazine subscription service – something we've been hearing rumors about since the company acquired Netflix-for-magazines service Texture last year. A number of screenshots were dug out of the iOS 12.2 beta code by 9to5Mac, and show what look like landing pages for the new service. Apparently it's only open to "Apple internal users" for now, but a wider roll out could be close. The name of the service looks likely to be Apple News Magazines, and as you would expect it's going to connect directly to your iTunes Store account, once it goes live. Numerous mentions of a "bundle subscription" suggest that magazines will be just part of a bigger content offering, which might include Apple's long-rumored TV show platform. Subscriptions for allBased on what we've already heard from unofficial sources, Apple News Magazines will include access to top-tier magazines on a variety of topics, as well as respected newspapers including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Pay one flat monthly fee, and get access to everything. At this stage it's likely that Apple's still ironing out the details. If the service doesn't appear publicly before then, it should be ready by the time that iOS 13 is announced – and that should be at the Apple WWDC conference for developers around the start of June. With the iPhone sales juggernaut finally showing signs of slowing down, Apple needs other ways to make money, and subscription services for magazines, television shows, music and more might be the answer. With these images appearing in the latest iOS code, it seems a launch might be happening sooner rather than later. Apple's $1 billion bet on original TV shows may begin as soon as March 2019Header image: 9to5Mac http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/sAs2jwTlvoE

Looks like it's the season for renders of the upcoming LG G8 ThinQ phone: not long after we saw some unofficial designs of the handset from 91Mobiles, we've now got a new image to pore over as we count down the days to the handset's launch. This time it's the usually reliable team at XDA Developers that have offered up a rendering of what the LG G8 ThinQ is going to look like. The design doesn't differ too much from the earlier renders, which is to say it looks to be along the same lines as the LG G7 ThinQ as far as the appearance of the smartphone goes. One of the innovations tipped to be coming to the LG G8 later this year is Sound on Display technology, where screen vibrations are used instead of a speaker. That should free up some notch space, but here the display notch looks the same size as last year. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yEHTjxFhvp88N6QXg2zTTk.jpg LG G8 render (credit: XDA Developers) It's worth bearing in mind that Head of LG Electronics global corporate communications Ken Hong has already dismissed the earlier renders as "speculative" and "not real", so take these pictures with a grain or two of salt for the time being. That said, these sources tend to be reliable when it comes to leaks about upcoming phones. XDA Developers says an "anonymous source" provided the design templates for the rendering, although no new details of the phone's internals are provided. The phone is being tipped to come with more advanced facial recognition, though. We'll know for sure when LG officially unveils the LG G8 ThinQ, and that should be at the MWC 2019 show at the end of February. Before then we're going to see what Samsung has been doing with the Galaxy line at its own event on February 20. Here's everything we know about the LG G8 ThinQ phone so farhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/WwBn7lVq2Gg

Fitbit is mostly known for fitness trackers, but it also offers devices that are more or less full smartwatches, such as the Fitbit Versa. The Apple Watch 4 meanwhile is mostly thought of as a smartwatch, but it also has an enviable number of fitness features. With that in mind it’s not unlikely that you might be choosing between the two. Of course, the Versa and the Apple Watch 4 do have many differences, not least their price. But if you want a smart fitness tracker or a smartwatch with real health and fitness skills and aren’t sure which to pick you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put these two wearables head to head, comparing their key similarities and differences, so that you can make an informed choice as to which – if either – to buy. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 displayhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rQZfQaEiuei32zxbC6uSJP.jpg The Apple Watch 4's screen comes in two sizes Both the Apple Watch 4 and Fitbit Versa have a fairly square screen, but the Apple Watch 4’s is bigger, at a choice of 40mm or 44mm, while the Fitbit Versa’s comes in at 34mm. You’ll note also that this means you get a choice in sizing for the Apple Watch 4, which is absent on the Fitbit Versa, and the extra size generally doesn’t hurt when it comes to interacting with the screen, but some people will want a more compact device, like the Versa. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y2Ufc8LUTcNAWoxQTf7e6S.jpg The Versa's screen is more rounded than the Apple Watch 4's The corners of the Versa’s screen are slightly more rounded than the Apple Watch 4’s and the bezels are slightly larger, but both devices have color screens and both are bright, reaching up to 1,000 nits. It’s worth noting though that the Apple Watch 4’s display is higher resolution, coming in at either 324 x 394 (if you get the 40mm model) or 368 x 448 (if you opt for the 44mm), while the Fitbit Versa is 300 x 300. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 designhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pKbyuoPrgFwtRTWzQLidAP.jpg The Apple Watch 4 has a stylish build While you don’t have any choice in the size of the Fitbit Versa’s screen, you do get both a small and large strap included with it, so as with the Apple Watch 4 this is suitable for all wrist sizes. The Versa’s strap is a basic, plastic one ideal for working out in, but there are classier straps sold separately, and there’s also a ‘Special Edition’ version of the watch which comes with a woven strap. The Apple Watch 4 meanwhile comes with a choice of different straps, such as silicone or a Milanese loop, but some push the price up. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yiJXTz8YgvzjgyHd58jbSm.jpg The Fitbit Versa can look a bit cheap As for the body of the watch, the Versa is clad in anodized aluminum, which is lightweight, making it comfortable to wear, but can feel cheap. The Apple Watch 4 on the other hand can be bought in stainless steel or aluminum and it looks and feels like a classier, more expensive device. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 fitnesshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PrpZumBFWqdHuovmxutasm.jpg The Versa has lots of tracking tools If you’re reading this then fitness features are probably a major factor for you. Fortunately, both watches excel in this area. The Fitbit Versa is water-resistant to 50 meters and can track your swims, including the likes of laps and duration. It also has over 15 other exercise modes, such as running, cycling and weights. There’s a heart rate monitor here too, plus sleep tracking, guided breathing exercises and general daily activity tracking, including steps, active minutes, calories burned and more. The Versa is even smart enough to tell when you’ve paused during a run and to automatically start and stop tracking it as appropriate. The one major omission to its fitness arsenal is GPS. However, it does offer connected GPS, so it can still track you just as long as you bring your phone out with you as well. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9rZL2wKvXVS4SM3WHJkqkN.jpg There's no shortage of fitness features on the Apple Watch 4 either The Apple Watch 4 is also water-resistant to 50 meters and capable of tracking swims. Plus it has a heart rate monitor, GPS, automatic exercise detection, and the ability to track numerous types of exercises, such as running, cycling, yoga and strength training. If you’re in the US, there’s also access to an electrocardiogram (ECG). So there’s a lot of crossover between these two devices when it comes to fitness, but if GPS is important to you then the Apple Watch 4 probably has the edge. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 battery and featureshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aiBwGg2YHjUiAmpf6EqDCP.jpg The Apple Watch 4 can go around 2 days between charges The Fitbit Versa claims to offer over 4 days of life on a single charge. In practice our review found that it lasted roughly 3-4 days. The Apple Watch 4 meanwhile supposedly offers 18 hours of life, but in our review we found it could sometimes stretch to two days. So Apple seems to have underestimated the life of its watch while Fitbit seems to have overestimated, yet the Fitbit Versa still lasts longer overall. These estimates do depend on how you use the devices though. Regularly use GPS on the Apple Watch 4 for example and the life will be significantly less. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ecUUWv3oVAnL75Yk6F9qZm.jpg You can make contactless payments on both watches As for features, other than the ones we’ve covered, highlights of the Fitbit Versa include smartphone notifications, such as texts, calls and calendar events, as well as NFC for contactless payments through Fitbit Pay. It also sports customizable watch faces, space for music, and a well-designed app. The Apple Watch 4 also supports contactless payments, music and smartphone notifications. There’s less choice in faces but some amount of customization there too. There are, however, more apps available for the Apple Watch 4, which is a big point in its favor. There’s optionally also an LTE version of the Apple Watch 4, if you don’t want to be reliant on Wi-Fi or a connection to a phone. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 OS and powerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hyFrK92eH7ovZxQ3JFw72L.jpg The Apple Watch 4 runs watchOS 5 The Fitbit Versa runs Fitbit OS, which puts a focus on fitness, letting you see your stats at a glance, but as noted above, also offers a lot of customization. The Apple Watch 4 meanwhile runs watchOS 5 and has some handy navigation options like a Digital Crown, which can be both pushed and rotated. You can also add complications (essentially widgets) of your choice to the watch face. Fitbit hasn’t revealed the exact specs of the Versa, but we know that the Apple Watch 4 has a dual-core Apple S4 chipset and 16GB of storage. It’s likely the more powerful device, but in our review we found the Fitbit Versa was plenty responsive enough. Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch 4 pricehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5xfAJ7hgPrdtxUhTXTAm28.jpg Fitbit's wearable is a lot cheaper than Apple's The Fitbit Versa starts at $199.95 / £199.99 / AU$299.95, rising to $229.95 / £219.99 / AU$349.95 if you want the Special Edition version, which comes with a nicer woven strap (as well as a standard Classic Band), and is available in different colors. You can often find it for less than the prices set out above though, so be sure to shop around. The Apple Watch 4 is far pricier starting at $399 / £399 / AU$599 for the smallest model without LTE, and rising to $429 / £429 / AU$649 for the larger model. If you want cellular connectivity, you’ll pay at least $499 / £499 / AU$749 for the small model and $529 / £529 / AU$799 for the large one, and the price goes up depending on which strap you opt for. In other words then, the Apple Watch 4 costs at least around twice as much as the Fitbit Versa and potentially a lot more than that. TakeawayThe cost is likely to be the biggest factor for a lot of people here, as Apple’s watch costs at least twice as much as Fitbit’s. You do get more for your money though, most notably GPS and a more premium design, but other things too, such as an ECG (though only in the US). The Fitbit Versa wins out on battery life, and lack of GPS aside is probably the smarter choice if you mostly want a fitness-focused device, but the Apple Watch 4 is a top all-round smartwatch. Apple Watch 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Watchhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/mSoKJ1H45aM

The minute that Roger Federer crashed out of the 2019 Australian Open, the writing was really on the wall for a Novak Djokovic vs Rafa Nadal men's final. The top two players in world tennis are looking to add to their astonishing haul of Grand Slams and we've compiled this handy guide for watching the 2019 Australian Open final on TV or by live stream online, no matter where you are in the world. You can even watch it for FREE in some areas. Although it's a hard one to call, Djokovic will be the bookies favorite heading into Sunday's final. Since returning to form in 2018, he's been utterly formidable and a win in Melbourne will be his third consecutive major win. His semi-final match was a destruction job of Frenchman Lucas Pouille, which followed a walkover win against the injured Kei Nishikori. He'll be fresh and confident of winning his seventh Australian Open - the most of any male player in the history of the game. But don't count out the awesome Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard hasn't yet dropped a set in a 2019 Australian Open campaign that has included wins over Tomáš Berdych and Federer's young vanquisher Stefanos Tsitsipas. Although he's always looked more confident on clay, Nadal did win here in 2009 and will be characteristically desperate to take home yet another trophy. So will it be a repeat of the 2012 final where Novak won in five sets? Or can Nadal get his own back? Whatever happens, it's sure to be an exciting crescendo to the tournament so make sure you're tuned into a Djokovic vs Nadal live stream by following one of the options below. See also: there isn't long to wait - see how to watch a FREE Super Bowl LIII live streamLive stream the Djokovic vs Nadal Australian Open final from anywhere in the worldFor your tennis watching options in the Australia, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, we have more details below - just scroll down the page. Check out our guide to the best VPN 2019http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D39crXd3gob7KPsE3LAFUo.jpg How to live stream the Australian Open tennis for FREE in Australiahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x4WvmjGdnEUCFeqhMUrnWo.jpg How to watch the Australian Open 2019: US live streamhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B9XNGCRYNHKJzN5zVfTMje.jpg How to live stream the Australian Open in the UKhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jgvvohCEmS99W9XuRfJMSo.jpg The best way to stream the Australian Open 2019 in Canadahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kZWNrTtXZs7Ep2c7452KSo.jpg How to watch Djokovic vs Nadal in New Zealand http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ebGZgkd4qVX7mUuvz3WNkH.jpg Image courtesy of ausopen.com http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/SOkuEilPKY8

Tencent Games has collaborated with Capcom on their latest title, the Resident Evil 2. As a result of this tie-up, PUBG Mobile will be lurking with Zombies and the Bosses from Resident Evil 2. On Friday, PUBG Mobile 0.11.0 beta update went live with a special event mode, Zombie: Survive Till Dawn. As this is a beta update seeding to testers, there are seemingly no bots, but once in the zombie mode, enemy players would hardly be your concern. What happened?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Cv3D9MR2DsDXgKEjX9GwY4.jpg As a result of an outbreak due to biochemical viruses, Erangel is full of zombies. 60 Players infiltrate the city full of these creatures from the world of Resident Evil 2. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AJp87qvt6nQfeZ9kN64rY7.jpg The Raccoon Police Department (RPD) has specifically been created as the spawning place as a part of the collaboration bringing in more elements from the Resident Evil world to the game. The Zombies of PUBG Mobilehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SgB8QLJt8HVVvyKj5kfJ8D.jpg The streets are not safe anymore as a swarm of zombies is now prowling the streets, some of them deadly enough to spit venom while some explode covering players in venom thereby losing health. This is the general category of zombies you will get to see the most during the gameplay which re-spawn endlessly. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K66Pr2sw4VCatt2kXK7RZH.jpg Then there's the second wave consisting of Licker, a rather horrific looking creature with his brain exposed and G, a parasite looking organism. During the gameplay, players will be notified of Tyrant, the boss spawning on the map and its location as well. Players can then head to the area to kill Tyrant and increase their zombie kills. Zombie-killing weapons: Minigun and Flamethrowerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DLcYQtuYKe4mJ92KHgEP43.jpg PUBG Mobile is not one to put their players at a disadvantage and as a result, has also added three new weapons to the special event. These are the kind of zombie killing weapons one hoped for in the game and Tencent Games delivered. The M134 Minigun is a rotary machine gun holding 200 shots of 7.62mm bullet in one cartridge and has a heavy rate of fire. Its rate of fire is similar if not more than that of the M249 light machine gun, but it is not known yet. The other exciting weapon of choice when dealing with zombies is the flamethrower which is powered by gas bottles that can be collected from the dead zombies. Classic weapon to finish these creatures in our opinion. There's a new combat knife which serves well during close encounters with zombies during gameplay. PUBG Mobile zombie mode gameplay stylehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ycuPxbBxhArgaTXTBnobNA.jpg The special event mode consists of 60 players parachuting down to Erangel which is plagued with zombies. The aim here is to survive two full nights as it is when the zombie onslaught begins while still eliminating players and rushing inside the safe zone. During the day, zombies will re-spawn at a specific location and will roam around it. If a player gets around 40m close to a zombie, chances are they will come after them. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RCRWHXxVrgGGQFSjL6CN2H.jpg However, as the sun sets, the zombies are out for blood and sense the players around them. They can unlock the door so there's no hiding in those houses either. The only option left here is just to defend yourself till dawn and keep on dealing with these creatures. The whole environment is just spooky and pure zombie-apocalyptic as it comes. The addition of new weapons in the form of M134 Minigun, Flamethrower and a combat knife just makes for an enjoyable zombie slaughter. Eleminating zombies and other creatures will reward you with points and often leave behind supplies like ammo, and health pack. The bigger zombie you kill, the higher loot you get as there are no air drops in this event. The big boss, Tyrant is equivalent to two airdrops worth of loot, that is if you manage to kill it. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MXbEFBvSLeCsNBc2EHsHoM.jpg The zombie mode does not allow any other team formation except squads which is great because it takes the might of a collective team to defend themselves during the night and if battling it out with the Tyrant. Another thing to keep in mind is that opposing teams can easily determine your location if you're busy slaying down zombies and it's a game over if they spot and shoot you first. Of course, we reverse engineered the thing and attacked a squad while they were busy dealing with zombies! All in all, the zombie mode on PUBG Mobile feels very natural and enjoyable to play. It is a bit different than the regular battle royale modes, a bit more fast-moving at that, but it makes for a really great mobile experience something that is unmatched in the mobile gaming market at present. Also Read: PUBG Mobile 0.11.0 beta brings Resident Evil 2 zombies to an exciting battle royale modehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Y_DucStFPpQ

Super Bowl 2019 is now just one week away, and that means you still 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 Vizio 65-inch 4K Smart TV that's on sale for $898. That's a whopping $500 price drop and the best price we've seen for this Vizio P-Series UHD TV. 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/J09Prnf-yMA

If newly unearthed code in iOS 12.2 is to be believed, Apple has quite the hardware roadmap for 2019: new iPad models are apparently on the way (maybe including a new iPad Mini model), and we might even see a new iPod Touch as well. A lot of this is still speculation, and trying to fit what iOS 12.2 says with earlier rumors, but what we know for sure (via Steve Troughton-Smith) is that the code makes reference to four iPads that don't seem to match any current models. The "iPod9,1" reference is the one that might point to a new iPod Touch. Interestingly, none of these listed models appear to support Face ID – that suggests that the old Touch ID design might be in line for one last hurrah in 2019, before Apple moves all its devices over to the new face recognition system. Apple's forgotten devicesAdd in some regulatory filings that appeared earlier in the day, and it seems a good bet that Apple does indeed have a new batch of iPads on the way. The iPad Mini is long overdue a refresh, but Apple's entry-level 9.7-inch iPad is less than a year old. If Touch ID is going to stay in place, it's likely that these will be lower cost iPads that don't trouble the iPad Pros (most recently refreshed last October). When it comes to the new iPad Mini, we've already seen leaked images that suggest the iPad Mini 5 is going to look a lot like the iPad Mini 4 – though hopefully with upgraded internals. As for the iPod Touch, it's been four years since Apple launched a new model – it could be one way the company is looking to make up for slowing sales of the iPhone. Expect more rumors and leaks to appear in the coming months. iOS 12.1.3 update fixes irritating bugs on iPhone and iPadhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/_lapNstEat8

Games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Dance Revolution are way behind us, but developers haven’t stopped experimenting with rhythm games. Long gone are the days of watching Activision and Harmonix trying to improve on the design of their plastic instruments or looking for the best exclusivity deal (Aerosmith? What were they thinking?) almost on a yearly basis, becoming pieces of nostalgia meant only for occasional parties. In Japan, games like DJMax Respect and Taiko no Tatsujin are a huge success in home consoles, whilst Bang Dream!, The Idolmaster, and Love Live (the latter published by Bandai Namco) have the upper hand in mobile devices, earning millions through microtransactions thanks to gacha systems. Luckily, most of them have arrived in this side of the world, and their longevity is proof that there are still people who love the rhythm game genre and are waiting for the next musical iteration. But the majority of rhythm games end up being just that, iterations of the classic railroad UI where notes approach the screen at varying paces. Instead, it’s in the indie games scene that the genre has been thriving, fighting for recognition and building communities around them for years. Audiosurf, Beat Hazard, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Thumper, and the recent Beat Saber have proved that there was a potential for experimentation all along, and it’s thanks to independent studios risking themselves chasing a unique ideas that they’ve managed to come together and blessed the rhythm games genre with a resurgence. In the wake of this resurgence, the need for improvements and variety with the genre has increased even further, with studios working hard to intertwine rhythm in new genres, asking themselves questions such as whether or not staying on beat should be mandatory, and how they can work towards accessibility to prevent newcomers to feel intimidated or unable to play entirely. Beats and bobshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/njq96oJv5xe29MgHXq5Gqk.jpg Just Shapes & Beats is a minimalistic co-op bullet hell in which all enemies and obstacles that are thrown at players are built entirely by the music. For developer Simon 'Lachhh’ LaChance, condensing all the information on the screen while focusing on keeping the game simple and easy to learn was the main challenge. “I didn't want the player to shoot at all,” LaChance explained to TechRadar. “Removing (that) aspect actually gives more liberties on the level design, and also makes you feel even more vulnerable. “You have only one thing to do: avoid. If you can teach the rules of the game by saying ‘avoid pink’, that makes it very accessible.” To LaChance, tapping on the beats has been done a bit too much already, and whilst he understands the interest of echoing the design of Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution, he didn’t want to go that way. “A lot of people cannot play that kind of game because they lack rhythm,” LaChance continued. “I always think: ‘can I play this game with my 5 year old boy?’. Having to tap on the beat did not fit in that rule.” Spinning plateshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z7fe9pqsticaXFnrByyrm5.jpg Spin Rhythm lives up to its name by presenting a colored wheel that you have to rotate in order to match notes and follow the rhythm of each song, with a particular twist that involves hardware equipment such as DJ gear. It started out as a puzzle game initially and, according to the developer, integrating a rhythm element was kind of an accident. “When the concept changed camera angles to be more like your typical ‘note track’ rhythm game, the idea to sync with music popped up, and there was no looking back,” developer Super Entertainment told us. The wheel mechanic allowed them to present the game on PC, consoles, and mobile devices almost equally, ranging from using a mouse, a Wacom or motion controls, but working with different audiences is the biggest challenge. “Hardcore PC and console players might look at mobile games as too casual, and mobile players will drop a game that requires too much learning or isn't instantly rewarding,” the developer explained. Stick ‘em uphttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vw9xo4CUL8wMDXHQbaHKMa.jpg Drastic Games has been experimenting with rhythm in a twin-stick shooter game, Soundfall, which influences from roguelike titles such as Enter The Gungeon but introduces dungeons that are procedurally generated based upon the music. Whilst staying on beat in Soundfall grants players a number of abilities like unlimited dodge or higher damage, it’s not mandatory. “It didn't give players the right sense of feedback, it was very punishing”, Drastic Games co-founder Julian Trutmann told TechRadar. “We ended up with an optional approach: if you want to be offbeat, no big deal, but as designers, we should be giving you something even cooler if you get on the beat.” The community is a big part of Soundfall. The studio is looking forward to seeing how they could experiment with speedrunning or even custom songs in the future, and accessibility is also a big part of the experience, working on feedback through the gamepad’s rumble. “We should be able to build a product that even if you can't hear it, you should be able to play it,” fellow co-founder Nick Cooper added. Groove is in the hearthttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LptgQB2hV4LDmS86af2fiD.jpg Sayonara Wild Hearts introduced itself to the world as a “pop album video game” during last year’s The Game Awards 2018 conference. Under development by Simogo and Annapurna Interactive as publisher, the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive showcases motorcycles, a massive three-headed wolf, and women gangs like the ‘Dancing Devils’ or the ‘Stereo Lovers’. “Every song in Sayonara Wild Hearts is a level. Whilst some elements follow the rhythm, the game itself is not precisely rhythm-based,” Simogo co-founder Simon Flesser told us. “Levels are designed to follow the flow of custom written pop soundtrack. For example, in a boss level when an explosive chorus starts, there are equally explosive visuals and happenings on the screen to match.” At its core, the gameplay is always a semi-on-rails level that flows with the song, and there are winks and homages to the many gaming influences that inspired the idea for Simogo. The game is meant to play and feel like the arcade era, using just a couple of buttons and focusing on the game’s retro magic. All these elements are packed in a vibrant and colorful experience influenced by tarot arcana, arcade games and, of course, music. “I think the beautiful thing about games as a medium is that it can be so many things, both new and old,” Flesser added. ”I’m happy for all these things to co-exist, and also for them to keep influencing each other.” The best VR games: the top VR games on mobile, consoles and PChttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/-FSiTGOdFmw