sincity

It's hard to believe, but the Xbox One and PS4 are reaching their twilight years – new hardware is on the way and, if a report by analyst Lewis Ward of IDC is to be believed, we may have a little wait yet until we see it. Speaking to GamingBolt, Ward's research points to an E3 2020 reveal for both the PS5 and Xbox Two consoles – which chimes with reports that Sony will be skipping the big gaming show for 2019. What's coming next? Our predictions for Xbox Two vs PS5Instead, E3 2019 will be simply for "modest hardware refreshes" and "a slate of AAA exclusives. "If the plan is to give this assumed hardware refresh two years of runway before next-gen systems arrive, then 2020’s E3 is when Sony and Microsoft will be unveiling their new systems," said Ward. Unlikely PSP revivalGiven the success of the Nintendo Switch, many have wondered if Sony and Microsoft will take a leaf from Nintendo's design handbook and bring mobile play elements to their new machines. However, Ward believes that the new machines "won’t have built-in screens", and will retain "disc drives", eschewing the growing power of streaming services for what would appear a traditional home console set up. Ward of course doesn't speak for Sony or Microsoft, but his position in the industry gives a good indication of what we can expect. With dev kits now reported to be in the wild, Xbox Scarlett codenames circulating and major trade shows being skipped, you can be sure that the big names in gaming are planning to reveal something huge. PS4 vs Xbox One: which gaming console is better?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/mWVtYuhHE1M

The newly-announced Huawei Mate 20 X will be cooled by graphene film - a first for any phone - but what does that mean, exactly, and how might it work? According to the company, the phone features "a revolutionary Huawei super cool system that uses a combination of graphene film and vapor chamber to deliver outstanding cooling performance." "With the cooling system in place, the Kirin 980 based CPU and GPU embedded in Huawei Mate 20 X can remain at full throttle for an extended period of time and deliver the smoothest and most satisfying gaming experience to consumers. Graphene - a super thin, strong and conductive material formed from a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice - has been hailed as a super material and has a vast array of potential uses. It's far more conductive than copper and can readily conduct heat away from powerful phone components. What's particularly interesting is how Huawei might implement it together with a vapor chamber. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8J7hVEfPqVB7dnprxDiCw3.jpg Vapor chambers are heat sinks often used in laptops as an alternative to bulky heat pipes. They are flat, hermetically sealed units containing a small amount of liquid (which can be turned, tipped and tilted without any ill effects). As the liquid is heated, it is vaporized and condensed on the inside surfaces of the chamber. The condensed liquid is then drawn back into the pool by capillary forces. Graphene could work with a vapor chamber in various ways. Its conductivity means it would make an excellent 'wick', conducting heat into the unit. Copper is the most common choice for wicks at the moment, but graphene could prove far superior. Alternatively, the graphene could also be used to carry heat away from the outside of the chamber, enabling vapor to condense more quickly. This keeps devices like the Mate 20 X cool for longer periods, which results in smooth gaming and epic entertainment and is especially helpful with GPU Turbo 2.0 technology to accelerate your gaming experience. Huawei’s decision to use graphene for cooling could be a real game-changer - not just for phones, but also tablets and laptops, allowing for more compact, powerful designs. It’s another example that shows Huawei is innovating the industry. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/d7lS-qACWew

UPDATE: The hilarious new series Black Monday has been added to our list of the best TV shows to stream on Stan. Find out more about it on page 3! Anyone who's used the streaming service Stan knows that there's a veritable smorgasbord of great content available to stream at any given moment, which can make the decision of what to watch an overwhelming prospect. That's why we've created the TechRadar guide to the greatest TV shows on Stan right now (in no particular order). We'll keep this best TV show list constantly updated with the latest television series that you should be watching – and also explain why they're worth your time. The best TV shows on NetflixThe best movies on NetflixThe best movies on StanThe best TV shows on Foxtel NowGet Shortyhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rzpJB8uN8ERRQ3izZ4SqxK.jpg Somewhat different to the John Travolta-starring movie and Elmore Leonard-penned book the show is based on, Get Shorty still sticks to the same beats while bringing its own unique take to the source material, with a new cast of characters and a grittier Breaking Bad-inspired style and black sense of humour. Instead of Chilli Palmer, we get Miles Daly (Chris O'Dowd) a discontent criminal who wants out of his murderous lifestyle. Through work, he meets Rick Moreweather (Ray Romano), a washed-up producer who owes money to Daly's boss. Sensing the movie business might just be his ticket out, Daly teams up with Moreweather to devise a plan that will (hopefully) solve all their problems. Darkly funny and stylish, Get Shorty is a terrific show (once you get over your original idea of what Get Shorty is meant to be). Seasons on Stan: 1 Better Call Saulhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yWfhnzuENHk57MSLJY5zYg.jpg Due to the immense success of his previous show, Breaking Bad, creator Vince Gilligan was given the opportunity to create this prequel spin-off series set six years prior. The show follows the fan favourite character Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and the events of his life which led him to become the delightfully crooked lawyer we know as Saul Goodman. Similar in style and tone to Breaking Bad (though not quite as grim), Better Call Saul is a welcome continuation of a beloved franchise. Now in its fourth sesson, Better Call Saul is getting very close to the events of Breaking Bad, with characters like Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) appearing much more regularly. After the shock ending of the show's third season, it's clear that things are about to get very dark moving forward, and we personally can't wait to see Jimmy go off the rails. Seasons on Stan: 4 Condorhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e3nHGoEwouNJGizA2W6J4j.jpg Based on the classic Robert Redford-starring political thriller Three Days of the Condor (or alternatively, the original novel Six Days of the Condor), this TV reimagining brings the action to a modern day setting and sees CIA analyst Joe Turner (Max Irons) who stumbles into a secret plan that could threaten the lives of millions of people in the name of national security. Before long. everyone in his office is assassinated, and now Joe must keep hits wits about him if he has any chance at survival. Featuring William Hurt, Mira Sorvino and Brendan Fraser in supporting roles, Condor is a thrilling show that's not to be missed. Seasons on Stan: 1 Billionshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k8mFgWgMnrxS9jHbRsZeN7.jpg Exploring the high-stakes world of high finance and hedge-fund managers, Billions follows an epic battle between two New York City titans. U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) is on a mission to take down hedge-fund king Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), though the line between right and wrong is not as clearly defined as their roles would have you think. With terrific performances and exceptional writing, Billions is must-see prestige television at its finest. Seasons on Stan: 2 Friday Night Lightshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PF3egAy3jmybJc6CbybAzH.jpg Every once in a while, a television show will transcend the film or book it's based on to become something truly special. The TV adaptation of Friday Night Lights does both of these things. The series follows the lives of football players and coaching staff in a small Texas town. Kyle Chandler does the best work of his career as Coach Taylor, and he's ably supported by a rotating cast of young actors who will eventually go on to become big stars, such as Michael B. Jordan, Taylor Kitsch and Jesse Plemons. Even if you don't know a thing about American football, it's easy to get swept up in the lives of these characters, which is the sign of a truly great sports film or TV show, in our opinion. Friday Night Lights is now available to stream on Stan in its entirety. Seasons on Stan: 5 Romper Stomperhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XqiD2DxkHnQWDeuUSirkcU.jpg Based on the incendiary 1992 Australian movie of the same name, Romper Stomper brings the discussion around racism in Australia back to the forefront in this confronting and provocative Stan Original series. Turning its attention on white nationalism instead of neo-Nazis this time around, this slickly-produced series stars Lachy Hulme as the heinous leader of Patriot Blue, a racist anti-Muslim group. Hard-hitting and (unfortunately) ripped from the headlines, Romper Stomper is the kind of high-quality Australian drama that we don't get very often anymore. Seasons on Stan: 1 Breaking Badhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gQQfKzuFLQ4SKcCFKnHQKU.jpg One of the most successful and critically-acclaimed shows of all time, Breaking Bad follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high-school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. With death on the horizon, Walter assumes the alter-ego Heisenberg and puts his chemistry knowledge to use in the production of crystal meth, with help from his drug dealing ex-student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). How far will Walter go to provide for his family, and will they even be around when all is said and done? Truly, one of the most riveting television shows to ever hit the small screen, Breaking Bad is essential viewing. Seasons on Stan: 5 Justifiedhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9x3T7nhRAa33Gq78FQRPR5.jpg A western series set in the modern day, Justified sees tough-as-nails U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) return to his hometown of Kentucky to dole out some seriously old-school justice. He'll also have to deal with his old acquaintance Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), a petty criminal posing as a white supremacist who may or may not get a chance to turn his life around. Seriously good stuff. Seasons on Stan: 6 Sherlockhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RGgPbEa67pMAbqKAhHrAKV.jpg A fantastic reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, the series Sherlock brings world's most famous detective (played magnificently by Benedict Cumberbatch) to modern-day London where he solves crimes with his friend, Watson (Martin Freeman). Cumberbatch plays Sherlock with a borderline personality disorder, maybe even reaching into the realm of Asperger’s Syndrome. When combined with Watson's more grounded influence, the pair become an inseparable crime-solving duo. Exclusive to Stan, Sherlock is now in its fourth and final season, each consisting of three movie-length episodes. If you love these characters or British mystery shows in general, Sherlock is required viewing. Seasons on Stan: 4 Flesh and Bonehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BEkVJy3wZHXzf2rcYGRXCG.jpg Those who've seen the Oscar-winning film Black Swan know just how cutthroat the world of professional ballet can be, with the immense pressure placed on dancers and the constant backstabbing that takes place. Flesh and Bone explores similar territory, following an incredibly talented ballerina named Claire (Sarah Hay) who at first seems uptight and sexually repressed, but is actually hiding some seriously dark secrets some deep emotional problems. Created by Moira Walley-Beckett (producer of Breaking Bad) and with direction from David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), Flesh and Bone is a beautiful, tragic and shocking show that is worth your time. Seasons on Stan: 1 The Shieldhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AmJty9YX2GoP4aRjWqe8ZY.jpg A cop show with a difference, The Shield follows a tactical strike team headed by Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) that is as violent and corrupt as the street gangs it faces on a daily basis. Set in the fictional Los Angeles district of Farmington, Mackey and his crew (which includes Justified's Walton Goggins) must cover their tracks so that their ghastly exploits aren't discovered by detectives Claudette (CCH Pounder) and Dutch (Jay Karnes). Somewhat of a precursor to the show Sons of Anarchy, which also deals with gangs in a fictional Californian town, stars many of the same people and is also written by Kurt Sutter, The Shield is hard-hitting drama at its finest. Seasons on Stan: 7 Dawson's Creekhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wncaDCuksBfobdvmsWpLaj.jpg If you're in your early thirties, chances are that Dawson's Creek played a significant part in your high school years. Whether you identified with these impossibly good-looking and verbose supposed teenagers, or you just had the hots for Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Joey (Katie Holmes), Jen (Michelle Williams) or Pacey (Joshua Jackson), Dawson's Creek was surprisingly compelling viewing for a teenage melodrama. Relive your youth by watching Dawson's Creek in its entirety on Stan. Seasons on Stan: 6 This is England '86 and '88http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QKhwWaF2qyptRPT63qx4GS.jpg Following on from director Shane Meadows' semi-autobiographical masterpiece This is England (also available to stream on Stan), This is England '86 and '88 see all of the film's cast members return to continue their characters' stories in the longer format of television. With the whole skinhead scene left behind them, Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), Woody (Joseph Gilgun) and Lol (Vicky McLure) each try to find their place in the world, all to the backdrop of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Fans of the film will love these two follow-up shows, and if you haven't seen the movie they're based on, we highly recommend that, too. So far, only This is England '86 and '88 are available on Stan, though we expect that the third and final series, This is England '90, will eventually make its way to the service. Seasons on Stan: 2 Black Mondayhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sieDLQLBR2UPwMSYi2pgec.jpg If you love The Wolf of Wall Street, you're bound to love Black Monday, a new Showtime comedy series from creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Preacher). Set one year before Wall Street's catastrophic Black Monday event in 1987 (the worst fall since The Great Depression), this hilarious series recounts the events that led up to that fateful day. Starring Don Cheadle (Avengers: Infinity War) and Andrew Rannells (Girls), the show is a blisteringly funny takedown of 1980s excess and greed. Exclusive to Stan in Australia, each new episode will be fast-tracked to the service as it airs. Seasons on Stan: 1 Who is America?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/igz2miX2FFgSV4NEWaTQF8.jpg You would think that comedian Sacha Baron Cohen would be too famous at this point to dupe people into giving him ridiculous interview material, but somehow, the Borat / Ali G / Bruno creator has devised a new batch of characters that will cause his subjects to play directly into his hilariously devious hands. Who is America? aims its sights squarely on US politics, with Cohen interviewing the likes of Sarah Palin, Bernie Sanders and Dick Cheney, as well as a number of everyday Americans. His goal is the same as it's always been: to systematically reveal hypocrisy. Whether Cohen's new characters will be as successful as his previous creations is anyone's guess, but it's great to have him back and doing what he does best. As this is a Showtime production, Stan has the exclusive rights to it in Australia — that means you can expect new episodes to be fast-tracked as soon as they air overseas. Seasons on Stan: 1 Parks and Recreationhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QUHwncASYkFuXPTtq796UT.jpg An Amy Poehler-led comedy series that made stars out of Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza and Aziz Ansari, Parks and Recreation follows Leslie Knope (Poehler), an ambitious Parks Department worker who consistently tries to make her small town a better place. Unfortunately for her, she is usually impeded by her disinterested boss, Ron Swanson (Offerman), as well the usual governmental bureaucracy that stands in the way of change. Fans of shows like The Office and 30 Rock will love Parks and Recreation. Seasons on Stan: 7 Will & Gracehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BAxD73wXeFBQHDgVJgC6BJ.jpg A trailblazing series that fostered equality during its initial run, Will & Grace has returned in 2017 with the reunion that fans of the sitcom have been wanting for years. The show follows a gay lawyer named Will (Eric McCormack) and his straight interior decorator roommate Grace (Debra Messing) as they struggle to find love in New York. Along for the ride are Will's flamboyant friend, Jack (Sean Hayes), and Grace's well-off assistant, Karen (Megan Mullally). The new series beings the foursome directly into today's turbulent political climate with expectedly zany results. On top of being the exclusive Australian home of the new Will & Grace series, Stan also hosts all eight seasons of the original series, so fans will be able to binge their hearts out. Now, if we could only get a Friends reunion... Seasons on Stan: 9 The Other Guyhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eXVc32L8U7VcchmRfmPvd.jpg A refreshing Australian comedy/drama series, The Other Guy has more in common with the likes of Netflix's US series Master of None than just about any Australian show in recent memory. Starring comedian Matt Okine, The Other Guy tells dramatised versions of real relationship stories from Okine's own life – sometimes funny, other times heartbreaking, With terrific writing that focuses on character over punchlines, you should definitely give the Stan Original series The Other Guy a shot. Seasons on Stan: 1 I'm Dying Up Herehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3JxQnYUoTPDDdrtZYstuSh.jpg From Executive Producer Jim Carrey comes I'm Dying Up Here, a new dramedy series that follows a group of sardonic Los Angeles comedians in the '70s, all of which are hoping to get their big break, maybe even landing a couch spot on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Funny and quick-witted, yet sad and thoughtful, the show offers a glimpse into the struggle and dedication that goes into pursuing a career in stand-up comedy. As you'd expect from a Showtime series, the show does not shy away from the sex, drugs and hard-living lifestyles of its characters. Get on board this one early, because these kinds of shows have a tendency of not sticking around too long. Seasons on Stan: 1 Communityhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ncmNiKxAb2edu3iLN7geDK.jpg Following the exploits of a particularly low-rent community college, Community is a geeky, pop-culture obsessed delight. Community's homaging of all things movies, television and video games is spot on and incredibly realised, due to top notch direction, writing and performances. Best of all, the entire series is available on Stan, with new episodes appearing on the service as soon as they air in the United States. Seasons on Stan: 6 Friendshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3bdPnHevAyaUnG5z7hRpE4.jpg We all fell in love with Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Joey and Phoebe during the '90s, and now we can revisit every single one of their hilarious antics exclusively on Stan! Completely remastered in HD and presented in widescreen, this is the definitive way to watch all 10 seasons of Friends – quite frankly, the fact that we're able to watch a '90s sitcom in this kind of quality is astounding. We wish all our favourite shows from yesteryear were treated with this kind of loving attention. Seasons on Stan: 10 Seinfeldhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2sGbQMNx746UfD62vQPWRV.jpg Perhaps the greatest sitcom ever made, Seinfeld has finally made its way onto Stan in its entirety. Not only that, the "show about nothing" has been completely remastered, presented here in both widescreen and high definition – not bad for a sitcom from the early '90s! A revolutionary series that took a few seasons to initially catch on with audiences, Seinfeld follows a group eccentric and self-absorbed friends from New York who relentlessly pick apart the people they meet and the situations they happen to find themselves in – all in the observational style of comedy that made comedian and star Jerry Seinfeld famous in the first place . Featuring enough classic characters to give The Simpsons a run for its money, Seinfeld is required viewing for comedy fans. Seasons on Stan: 9 Angie Tribecahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aFbve9dFDkgqBsXpwHYVKR.jpg From creators Steve and Nancy Carell comes Angie Tribeca, a hilarious spoof comedy series that parodies modern cop procedural shows like CSI, Law and Order and NCIS with a nodding wink to Police Squad, The Naked Gun and Loaded Weapon 1. Rashida Jones is particularly fantastic as the titular detective, though the show is also filled with celebrity cameos, including Bill Murray and James Franco. Some may find the constant stream of goofy (and somewhat predictable) jokes a little overbearing, but if you long for the return of this kind of thing, you'll have an absolute blast with Angie Tribeca. Seasons on Stan: 3 The IT Crowdhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w3Qm2WrHMqjjjVN5zeEx2U.jpg It's safe to assume that if you're reading this website, you're quite tech-savvy, so you'd probably have an intimate knowledge of what it's like to deal with computer illiterate people. The IT Crowd understands this frustration in a way that only those who've actually lived it can – and it's absolutely bloody hilarious. The show follows the misadventures of tech support officers Jen (Katherine Parkinson), Roy (Chris O'Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade), both in the office and out in the real world – spurred on in part by their eccentric boss, Douglas Reynholm (Matt Berry). It's like a geeky, British version of Seinfeld. Seasons on Stan: 4 Key and Peelehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AWLuECJc6BfpTCuax4h7rh.jpg With a hilarious partnership that began on the old sketch comedy series Mad TV, bi-racial comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele shot to superstardom with their own Comedy Central series, Key and Peele. Tackling a range of issues including relationships, race and celebrity, Key and Peele will leave no stone unturned in their quest to make you laugh uncontrollably. Featuring brilliant impersonations, observations and characterisations, Key and Peele is essential viewing for fans of sketch comedy. Seasons on Stan: 5 Party Downhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9gspMQoVjBF6RmLEsterJ4.jpg Another show that was taken from us far too soon, Party Down is a comedy about group of out-of-work actors (and one hard science fiction writer) who are forced to take on jobs at a catering service. Each episode takes place at a different party, furthering the characters' relationships in the process. Featuring hilarious turns from Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Ken Marino and Jane Lynch, Party Down is most certainly the kind of show that deserves to be rediscovered on Stan. Seasons on Stan: 2 No Activityhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jRrvUKcxWW2tQPUrbYXmDC.jpg Taking a page out of Netflix's successful playbook, Stan opted to produce its own original series this year in No Activity, a hilarious improvisational cop show in which almost nothing at all happens. Patrick Brammall and Darren Gilshenan play two detectives on stakeout who pass the time with oddball observations and banter. That's pretty much the entire gist of the series, though there is an overarching story in there, too. Highly recommended, Stan's first original series is a wonderfully inventive and funny show. Seasons on Stan: 2 Spacedhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DpQoFJuGLJw59mLfB6jcnT.jpg Before they hit the big time with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright made a splash with Spaced, a hilarious comedy series about a man (Pegg) and woman (Jessica Hynes) who pretend to be a professional couple in order to get a good deal on a flat. Not only would they have to keep up the facade, but they'd also have to deal with their crazy new neighbours. Filled with geeky references and the kind of quick-fire humour that made Pegg, Frost and Wright famous, Spaced is a delightful series that many people of a certain age will immediately empathise with. Seasons on Stan: 2 Penny Dreadfulhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2MR6rMc2ByZqgcpKTMDhP9.jpg Cancelled as it may be, Penny Dreadful still provides us with three magnificent seasons of Victorian-era horror, fantasy and mystery. Seamlessly interweaving with classic literary horror characters, like Victor Frankenstein and Dorian Grey, Penny Dreadful is not afraid to go extremely dark and gruesome. The plot sees explorer Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and the powerful medium Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) recruit an American gunslinger (Josh Hartnett) in their quest to save Murray's daughter, who may have been taken by creatures of the night. A must-watch for horror fans. Seasons on Stan: 3 Wolf Creekhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gLfENrFgqTMLbYzC8nnpNd.jpg A few years ago, it would've been unthinkable to imagine that one of Australia's highest quality television shows would be small screen version of Wolf Creek, complete with the legendary John Jarratt returning to the character that made him an international star. But thanks to Stan, that's exactly what's happened, and now we've got a second season to sink our teeth into. The first season followed a woman whose family was murdered by the Outback serial killer Mick Taylor (Jarratt), leading to an epic game of cat and mouse between the two. Now, Mick is back, and this time he's set his deadly gaze on a bus full of tourists. Who will survive and what will be left of them? You'll have to watch to find out! Seasons on Stan: 2 Supernaturalhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GD6qFNNjkwabBFfzrHHa4n.jpg It's hard to argue with 12 seasons (and counting) and an enormously devoted fanbase – Supernatural is sometimes dark, sometimes fun and sometimes spooky fantasy show that follows the Winchester brothers as they travel around hunting demons, ghosts and creatures of all kinds. What's not to like? With its leading actors sharing an incredible chemistry that makes them come across as real brothers, Supernatural is the kind of show that fans of Buffy and Angel would totally get a kick out of. With so many episodes already available, Supernatural is the perfect binge-worthy show for fans of all things creepy and mysterious. Seasons on Stan: 12 Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreamshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KfqQgJEQhKyJn9mGXaLKTU.jpg An ambitious sci-fi anthology series, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams adapts ten of the famous author's short stories for the small screen. Even if his name is unfamiliar to you, chances are you've watched one of the many films adapted from Dick's classic works, such as Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly. Available exclusively through Stan in Australia, Electric Dreams tells a different story each episode, and has an incredible cast including Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard, Anna Paquin and Bryan Cranston, who also acts as executive producer. A thought-provoking series that tackles a number of important ethical and political issues, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams has all the makings of a new science fiction classic. Seasons on Stan: 1 Dexterhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qAPNPHgQ9nXHUwbAfLe4SG.jpg A show with an absolutely killer premise, Dexter is a police procedural with a twist – what if the Miami P.D.'s most talented forensics expert was also the most notorious serial killer in the city's history? Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) can't help but indulge in his murderous urges, which involve chopping people up and collecting their blood for his microscope slide collection. However, thanks to the tutelage of his cop adoptive father (James Remar), Dexter is able to focus his bloodlust on people who deserve it, in this case, murderers of innocent people. But how long can Dexter remain undetected within his department? And will his detective sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) find out about his horrendous hobby? The first four seasons of Dexter are absolutely magnificent, and while the show takes a bit of a dive after that, it remains required viewing at all times. Bloody good. Seasons on Stan: 8 Preacherhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nAxk8LHRcu3NT2UPXCCTqe.jpg From the surprising creative team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, more famous for writing comedies such as Pineapple Express and Superbad, comes Preacher, a violent adaption of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's classic comic series of the same name. Jesse (Dominic Cooper), a troubled Texas preacher with a criminal past, discovers that he has the power to speak as if channeling the voice of God, which in turn causes people to do whatever he says. Problem is, sometimes they take his words all too literally, often with gruesome consequences. To make matters worse, the arrival of an ex-girlfriend named Tulip (Ruth Negga) and a wise-cracking Irish vampire named Cassidy (Joe Gilgun) threaten to push Jesse back over the edge into darkness. A slow burn horror show with a dark sense of humour, Preacher is now in its second season, with new episodes fast-tracked from the US. Seasons on Stan: 2 Twin Peakshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vWCjpCgZ5seGZ2vd5TpWMF.jpg One of the most classic and mind-blowing television shows of all time, Twin Peaks redefined the general public's perception of what a television drama was supposed to be like. Creator David Lynch presented the world with a standard murder mystery scenario, which would go on to become more bizarre and out there with every episode. When popular high school student Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is found murdered, FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives in the town of Twin Peaks with two agendas – to find out who killed her, and to eat some damn fine cherry pie. Peppered with a range of eccentric characters, Twin Peaks is one-of-a-kind. Also, with the new Twin Peaks reboot currently streaming on Stan, now's as good a time as any to get yourself caught up. Seasons on Stan: 2 Twin Peaks: The Returnhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7N6YVhLS9JUxGHnZxmUaL9.jpg Sure, the original Twin Peaks series has been on this list for quite some time, so you may be asking yourself why the much-hyped series return would warrant its own entry. Those who have seen the 2017 version however, can certainly attest to this being an entirely different animal indeed. Darker and more twisted than before, the new Twin Peaks eschews the soap opera stylings of the '90s version in favour of something more akin to co-creator David Lynch's cinematic accomplishments. Prone to long stretches without dialogue and numerous trip-out sequences, this Twin Peaks recalls Lynch's own films Lost Highway, Inland Empire and even his feature-length debut, Eraserhead. Of course, Lynch has also stated that his polarising Twin Peaks follow-up, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, is the key to understanding this new series, so that may offer some insight into what this new show is attempting to do. Both the original TV series and its cinematic sequel are available to stream on Stan, so you may want to catch up on those before jumping straight into this mind-bending revival. The new Twin Peaks is bound to divide audiences once again, but the only way you'll only know which side you fall on is to take the plunge into this tenebrous abyss. Seasons on Stan: 1 iZombiehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9nguhNzSdixPsUY424bsDL.jpg This wild series from Rob Thomas, the man behind Veronica Mars, has an absolutely unique premise – after having been turned into a zombie, Olivia "Liv" Moore (get it? Live more?) takes on a job at a morgue. With no control over her hunger, Liv takes starts eating the brains of murder victims, only to discover that this gives her a look into the final moments of the victims' lives. Now, her boss is encouraging her to eat brains, so that she can use her new-found powers to solve crimes (see? I told you this crazy show was unique). Based on a Vertigo comic, iZombie is one of the coolest new shows of year. Best of all, each new episode of the show is fast-tracked on Stan, with Season 3 having just kicked off in all its ghoulish glory. Seasons on Stan: 4 Hannibalhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YfM9e9nmHvuS38eLN2ifjg.jpg Possibly the most gorgeously grotesque show on television (American Horror Story doesn't even come close), Hannibal follows the world's most famous cannibal psychiatrist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), as he attempts to evade discovery by his friends, FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and FBI director Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne). Fans of serial killer thrillers owe it to themselves to check out Hannibal, as the show manages to be even more horrifying than the Thomas Harris novels and films it's based on. It also happens to be the best-looking show currently on the air, with an operatic flair that puts most films to shame. Seasons on Stan: 3 11.22.63http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FJtKNB9T5PDqSFMEWzbBg4.jpg Based on the terrific Stephen King novel of the same name, 11.22.63 is the story of Jake (James Franco), a high school teacher who is tasked with travelling back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK, thus preventing the Vietnam War from ever happening. Jake arrives 3 years before that fateful day and he'll need all that time to unravel the mystery and make sure he takes out the right target. Produced by JJ Abrams and with heavy involvement from King, 11.22.63 is a riveting thriller that will have you counting the days between each fast-tracked episode. Seasons on Stan: 1 Ash vs Evil Deadhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VEpvNKbWFQmuMZC3fRXa7D.jpg If you're a devoted fan of the Evil Dead series of films, then Ash vs Evil Dead is enough to warrant a Stan subscription all on its own. Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the heroic jackass who keeps letting 'Deadite' demons into the world, only to have to violently dispatch them with his trusty boomstick and chainsaw hand. Director Sam Raimi also returns, directing the visually spectacular pilot and producing with his partner since the beginning, Robert Tapert. Just as hilarious and gory as the movies that preceded it, Ash vs Evil Dead does not disappoint in the slightest. Series on Stan: 3 The Flashhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2R6fMq9YikDNaW97U6B9SV.jpg The CW has done a terrific job with its DC Comics properties, kicking off its own small screen DC Universe with the popular series Arrow. In the five years since that series came to be, the North American network has brought a number of interconnected DC shows into its stable, including Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. However, we'd argue that the strongest show in its impressive lineup is The Flash – it absolutely nails the Scarlet Speedster in a way that even the upcoming big screen version of the character looks unable to top. We put this down to Grant Gustin's incredibly charming and likeable performance as the fastest man alive, as well as the terrific ensemble cast that joins him on his adventures every week. Funny, dramatic, action-packed and filled with terrific visual effects work, The Flash is the best DC Comics show currently on television. Seasons on Stan: 2 The Tudorshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/newtTkSNWx2jhrRVLgqRFF.jpg Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) and Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), The Tudors is a lavishly-produced drama that tells of the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII. You might be thinking "oh great, another costume drama", but The Tudors is far from your average period piece. Expect a story filled with sex, obsession, betrayal and political intrigue. Seasons on Stan: 4 The White Queenhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CTn9pf3q5KGtifMMdeDRoE.jpg Set during one of the most turbulent times in England's history, The White Queen follows three relentless women as they vie for the throne. To do this, they will scheme, manipulate and seduce anyone who will help them get to the top. With exquisite period detail and terrific performances (Rebecca Ferguson of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is exceptional as Queen Elizabeth), The White Queen is a must-watch for those interested in 15th Century England. Seasons on Stan: 1 Spartacushttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WcKgf7tKqM5uqY7xpMGZ7W.jpg Before he was the showrunner for Marvel's Daredevil, Steven DeKnight worked on the gratuitously violent and sexual series Spartacus. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's nothing more to the show than meat-headed beefcakes fighting and screwing in a 300-aping manner, but there's so much more going on – we follow Spartacus (the late Andy Whitfield and his replacement, Liam McIntyre) as he is taken into slavery and forced to do cruel and unimaginable things in the gladiatorial arena, just waiting for the day that he can finally get his revenge on slave-owners Batiatus (John Hannah) and Lucretia (Lucy Lawless). All of this culminates in one of the most satisfying season finales in recent memory. Be warned – this show is filled with grotesque violence and an immense amount of sex and nudity. It's like Game of Thrones times ten. Series on Stan: 4 Deadwoodhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A2FxZuvJpHmFw5LcHY2Pjf.jpg HBO's western series Deadwood was devastatingly cancelled before its time, but thankfully we can relive the show's harsh and brutal world on Stan in its entirety. Ex-lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant, clearly loving his status as a modern day western hero) arrives in the lawless town of Deadwood to start a hardware business and provide for his dead brother's family. Before long, the crime and corruption of this town, headed by bar owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), forces Bullock back into the life he tried so desperately to leave behind. Deadwood is an utterly fantastic show. Seasons on Stan: 3 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/dIq_62uzHa0

UPDATE: James Bond has found a new streaming home on Stan! Read more about it on Page 7! As each streaming service's content library continues to grow, it's hard to keep track of the best movies these platforms have to offer. When it comes to the Australian streaming service Stan, there's an enormous amount of films of variable quality available to stream instantly. Our job is to sift through that huge catalogue and pick out the 'crème de la crème' for you. Don't have Stan? These are the best movies on Netflix: great films you can watch in Australia right nowTo make things as straightforward as possible, we've separated our choices into genres, so that you can jump straight to the type of movie you actually feel like watching. Curated by TechRadar editors and backed up with ratings from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, these films should offer something for everyone. We'll keep this list up to date with must-watch movies, so you can spend less time browsing and more time watching! Here are the best movies on Stan. TV shows more your thing? Here are the best TV shows to stream on StanNow that Stan has partnered with Disney, the service is the official streaming home of Marvel Studios content in Australia, meaning you can expect all the best superhero movies to land here at some point. These are the ones currently streaming on Stan. Black Pantherhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7TUQQnhLBGcgVbaicHZeAB.jpg A groundbreaking film for Marvel Studios in terms of ethnic representation, Black Panther gave audiences a superhero tentpole film with an almost entirely black cast that managed not only to break Hollywood boundaries, but also box office records – in fact, Black Panther is currently the highest-grossing standalone superhero movie of all time. T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), new king of Wakanda, finds himself challenged by an angry outsider (Michael B. Jordan) who claims to have a legitimate birthright to the throne. Now, he must stand up and become the king his nation deserves, not only for the good of his people, but for the good of the world. As thought-provoking as it is action-packed, Black Panther is a triumph from start to finish. IMDB Rating: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Thor: Ragnarokhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TgcGi7RvfBVZh7qK4Ygd2f.jpg One of the funniest and most entertaining Marvel movies to date, Thor: Ragnarok finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) ejected from Asgard after their once-banished evil sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) returns to take back the throne. Stuck on a junk planet on the other side of the universe, Thor coincidentally reunites with his Avenger buddy Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). With the help of their new friend Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), the group sets off a plan to return to Asgard and rescue their people from Hela's tyrannical rule. Bursting at the seams with energy and vibrant colour, Thor: Ragnarok is an unabashed space opera with its tongue firmly pressed against its cheek. You can thank director Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows) for that – watch out for his scene-stealing role as Korg, the imposing rock warrior with a hilariously gentle Kiwi accent. IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Spider-Man trilogyhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ckxeo7y36xWQiXWgE9Ljfn.jpg Spider-Man has been thrust back into the spotlight in a major way of late, with a recent appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, a fantastic PS4 video game and a terrific new CGI animated film all contributing to the character's timelessness. Because of this, now's the perfect time to revisit Sam Raimi's blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy, which starred Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. Though the films themselves vary in quality, they're still a lot of fun and hold up fairly well in a storytelling sense. Also, all three movies are available in 4K Ultra HD resolution on Stan, and they all look fantastic. IMDB Rating: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Need some kid-friendly content to entertain the family with? Stan has a number of great kids and family movies on offer that should keep everyone happy. These films are guaranteed to please the whole family. Red Doghttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HqENQq8j58kL26cHpX6hfM.jpg An Australian family favourite, Red Dog tells the heartwarming true story of a delightful pooch that united an entire community while roaming the Outback looking for his actual owner. The dog brings people together everywhere he goes – some people find love, others find themselves. Starring Josh Lucas and Rachael Taylor, Red Dog is a beautiful movie that the whole family will enjoy. Though the dog is red, this is a true-blue Aussie classic. IMDB Rating: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes 82% Speed Racerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bJGBfEBgHb9XfUzJYXDErn.jpg A movie that's way better than its reputation would suggest (the film was derided upon its initial release but has steadily grown a cult following), Speed Racer was clearly a passion project for the Wachowskis, directors of The Matrix. A tale of integrity, family and standing up to corruption, Speed Racer is much more than a sugary kids film (though it is that, too). Featuring some of the most mind-blowing and cartoony visuals of any live action film in existence, Speed Racer puts its pedal to the metal and achieves some deliriously psychedelic race sequences in the process. Sure, it'll still have its fair share of detractors who refuse to get behind its incredibly vibrant and overwhelming visuals, but give it a chance and you might just find it to be a sensational family film with a huge heart. IMDB Rating: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes 40% Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoolehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7pNB6zp3EcoBzeuUJxRi3d.jpg When one thinks of director Zack Snyder, the mind often goes to his violent action films, such as 300, Watchmen and Batman v Superman. But did you know he also directed an Australian animated kids film about warrior owls? While obviously lighter in tone than some of his other works, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is just as stylish as you'd expect from Zack Snyder, with his liberal use of slow-motion and speed-ramping giving the film that unmistakable Snyder look and feel. Featuring stunning animation and terrific voice performances from Aussie actors like Ryan Kwanten, Essie Davis, Abbie Cornish, Richard Roxburgh and Joel Edgerton, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a real hoot. IMDB Rating: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes 50% Happy Feethttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JEWKY2vFqRHNiqgHYZVGUN.jpg Another Australian animated kids film about birds, Happy Feet took the world by storm when it released in 2006. A delightful family film from director George Miller (Babe, Mad Max: Fury Road), Happy Feet follows a penguin named mumble whose lack of singing talent leads him to dance to find his mate. With an all-star cast featuring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Brittany Murphy, Happy Feet is guaranteed to make you tap your feet. IMDB Rating: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes 75% Where the Wild Things Arehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/R4ghZvK2ZE3bQkia98sps8.jpg Based on the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are is an awe-inspiring story of a young boy named Max (Max Records) who runs away from home after an argument with his mum (Cathertine Keener), only to end up on an island filled with creatures who name him as their king. Max instantly befriends a gentle giant named Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini) and while everything is going well for a while, things start to turn dark, leading Max to realise how much he misses home. Directed by Spike Jonze (Her, Being John Malkovich), Where the Wild Things Are is an artful family film that hits you right in the heart. IMDB Rating: 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 73% Feel like watching something that'll put a tingle in your spine? Well, look no further, because Stan has a large selection of horror films that should please even the most hardened gore-hound. These are some of the best. Carriehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oFa2dBYyyKWw3zLH3wTpr9.jpg There have been countless Stephen King film adaptations over the last few decades, but Carrie was the first (and arguably best). Sissy Spacek plays a tormented teenage girl who is pushed over the edge by her mean classmates and domineering mother – with incredibly violent results. A bloody classic. IMDB Rating: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93% The Descenthttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f4FPjX3CMqqp9tnMsKLtta.jpg Not one for claustrophobic types, The Descent follows a caving expedition that goes horribly wrong, leaving a group of women to fend for themselves against some truly terrifying cave-dwelling creatures. An absolute masterpiece of terror, The Descent is one of the best horror movies to come out of the UK. IMDB Rating: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Screamhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2PpMiZ8td2x69TXweiRdJZ.jpg The late, great horror director Wes Craven had a habit of making a game-changing fright flick at least once per decade. In the '70s, it was The Last House on the Left. In the '80s, he birthed the horror icon Freddy Kruger in A Nightmare on Elm Street. The kids of the '90s, however, had grown accustomed to the usual horror tropes, which is why Craven's self-aware slasher Scream became such a sensation. The characters in this knew they were in a horror film, which allowed the movie to exploit the genre's rules at every turn. IMDB Rating: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 79% Wolf Creekhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rrsD5r3bZ99Krp4gCqSyE3.jpg Loosely inspired by actual events, Wolf Creek gave birth to Australia's first real horror icon in Mick Taylor (John Jarratt), a sadistic bushman who enjoys nothing more than hunting and killing tourists in the middle of the Outback. Once you've watched this, check out its sequel, Wolf Creek 2, as well as the incredible Stan Original series. IMDB Rating: 6.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 53% Cabin in the Woodshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K5VTG2TTTUCiDskJRPqjEG.jpg Another self-aware horror movie in the vein of Scream, Cabin in the Woods acts as a meta-commentary of the horror genre and its audience. We've all seen countless horror films set in a cabin, each one featuring a different group of stock characters facing some form of horrific demise – we don't even seem to mind that only the threat itself ever really seems to change. The joke here is that there are actually people behind the scenes who are pulling the strings – it's all a matter of re-arranging the pieces to see what happens next. Starring Chris Hemsworth (before he was famous) and written by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers), Cabin in the Woods is both clever and scary. IMDB Rating: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 9.2 In the mood for a good tear-jerker? What about a serious, high-brow piece of cinema? The films below should do the trick. Here are our picks for the best dramas on Stan. Taxi Driverhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cdT5nmvUagLgpApSat2AJ.jpg Few films in the history of cinema are as powerful as Martin Scorsese's masterpiece, Taxi Driver. Made in the mid '70s, back when New York was a rougher, dirtier place, the film practically oozes a scuzzy, neon-bathed atmosphere all of its own. Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a troubled, lonely Vietnam vet who takes a gig driving a cab because he just can't sleep at night. Though he's disgusted with the Big Apple's sleazy, vice-filled ways, Travis can't seem to stay away from its seedier areas, picking up questionable fares in bad neighbourhoods and frequenting scummy porno theatres in an attempt to cure his insomnia. After a failed attempt to start a normal relationship with political campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), Travis meets a 12-year-old prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster) as she attempts to run away from her despicable pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel). With his revulsion pushed over the edge, Travis stocks up on firearms and channels his immense anger and hatred into a mission to save Iris from her tragic circumstances. Fantastically directed and acted, and featuring the late, great Bernard Hermann's haunting final score, Taxi Driver is a film that every lover of cinema needs to see. Best of all, you can stream Taxi Driver on Stan in glorious Ultra HD resolution. IMDB Rating: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Patriots Dayhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4rgbMyFNkRPYroxUjiPdc3.jpg A harrowing (and eventually) uplifting retelling of the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013 which killed three people and injured hundreds of others. Directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor), Patriots Day plays out like a procedural thriller that begins with the morning in question and follows through to the aftermath, including the ensuing manhunt that saw brave police officers and federal agents (played by Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon and John Goodman, among others) track down and confront the terrorists responsible. Emotionally devastating yet hopeful for the future, Patriots Day is a powerful film that's filled with heart, showing how the inhabitants of a city can come together to rise up against hatred. IMDB Rating: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 80% There Will Be Bloodhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DR3pdpju4wrAS73YVUsAxe.jpg A stunning commentary on the nature of greed and morality, Boogie Nights director Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood is a blistering examination of how easy it is for a soulless man to prosper in a morally bankrupt world, while those who attempt to sink to his level find only their own demise. Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Daniel Plainview, an unscrupulous prospector who will stop at nothing to achieve wealth and power as an oil magnate, even if that means wrenching away oil rights from people who don't know any better. On the other side of the coin is Paul Dano's character of Eli Sunday, a preacher whose family was swindled by Plainview for their oil rights. Though Sunday, as a man of God, attempts to take the moral high ground against Plainview, his soul is quickly corrupted by greed and a need to overpower his adversary, demonstrating how religion can be poisoned by capitalism. If you come into the film looking for a plot, you may find yourself disappointed. However, if you're after a story filled with big, overarching themes that explore the very essence of human nature, almost like a biblical parable, you might find There Will Be Blood to be a stone-cold masterpiece. IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 91% The Social Networkhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wBcuHvBHair2m5TaqJX3zH.jpg Based on true events, The Social Network gives us an insight into the crazy drama behind the formation of Facebook, in which founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is sued by his co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) for squeezing him out of the business, as well as the Winklevoss twins (both played by Armie Hammer), who claim that Zuckerberg stole their idea for the whole site. With sharp, elegant direction from David Fincher (Fight Club, Gone Girl), a cracking script from Aaron Sorkin (The Newsroom, Steve Jobs), and a classic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), The Social Network is one of the best films about the tech industry ever made. Needless to say, we certainly 'Like' this film. IMDB Rating: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 96% Good Will Huntinghttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gbjJucFrjXaRJnoTQ5FmF4.jpg Matt Damon and Ben Affleck became global megastars off the back of Good Will Hunting, each bagging an Oscar for writing the film's incredible screenplay. Damon plays Will, a troubled young man from the South Boston projects who is gifted with unparalleled intellect and a photographic memory. When his gift is discovered by a genius M.I.T. professor (Stellan Skarsgård), Will is sent to see a psychologist (Robin Williams) in an attempt to get his life back in order so that he can reach his full potential. A tear-jerking masterpiece. IMDB Rating: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Chopperhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DWFQCwxMWq9jj6UpMeNDhU.jpg Playing Australia's most notorious criminal, Eric Bana absolutely disappears into the role of Chopper Read. At the time, it was unthinkable that the TV funnyman could convince in such a dark and intense role, but his comedic edge, backed by the hulking frame he developed for the film, turned out to be a match made in heaven. Perhaps the best and most quotable Aussie true(ish) crime movie ever made. IMDB Rating: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Moonlighthttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q2PUiGi7TEPPSDFopPL2Zb.jpg Winner of the Best Picture award at the 2017 Oscars, Moonlight is a shattering chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and adulthood of a gay African-American male. Told in three segments, the lead role of Chiron is portrayed by three different actors, each facing the struggles of growing up in a poor neighbourhood in Miami. Burdened by drug-addicted mother, Chiron's only guidance comes from an unlikely source in local drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali in his Oscar winning role). Gripping and powerful, Moonlight is a triumph. IMDB Rating: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Animal Kingdomhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JVNkrA7rCXYhJH3qAukwAg.jpg After the death of his mum, Joshua (James Frecheville) is forced to live with his maternal grandmother (Jacki Weaver), the matriarch of a crime family that starts to fall apart after the after one of her sons is killed by police and the others kill a random cop in retaliation. Will Joshua fall into this cycle of violence, or will he resist it? Playing out like a Greek tragedy in the suburbs of Melbourne, Animal Kingdom is one of the most powerful Australian films of all time. IMDB Rating: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Raging Bullhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SyCjMGZzm3LbVgMzqRotK9.jpg Based on the life of real life boxing champ Ray LaMotta (Robert De Niro giving what is perhaps the most powerful performance of his career), Raging Bull explores a man gripped by insecurity – one who'd rather get his face bashed in than confront his own demons. Abusive to his wife (Cathy Moriarty) and violent towards his brother (Joe Pesci, also magnificent), LaMotta frequently attempts to pay for his sins in the ring, each gruelling fight feeling like a culmination of his troubles at home. De Niro famously packed on the kilos to portray an out of shape LaMotta past his prime, but that's arguably the least impressive aspect of this amazingly raw and ferocious performance. One of director Martin Scorsese's greatest achievements, Raging Bull is a gripping study of toxic masculinity. IMDB Rating: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Need a good laugh? Stan has a number of great comedies in its library, and these are some of our favourites. Here are the best comedies currently streaming on Stan. Goonhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6gqB256D2JnnjJbu35hk9e.jpg Perhaps the best ice hockey movie since Slap Shot, Goon follows Doug 'The Thug' Glatt (Seann William Scott), a loveable meathead with fists of steel who becomes the enforcer on a minor-league hockey team. An enforcer's role is to forcibly protect his teammates and have their backs when opposing players mess with them on the ice. That also means handing out beatings, something that Glatt is quite adept at doing. But when famously-ruthless enforcer Ross 'The Boss' Rhea returns from suspension (for seriously injuring the star player of Doug's team), he and Glatt are destined to throw down in a bout of on-ice fisticuffs for the ages where only one man will walk away. A sports comedy with Fight Club-level violence, Goon might be a bit much for the squeamish. That said, if you're well aware of how bloody ice hockey can be and think you can handle it, this is a seriously great sports movie. If you do like what you see, you might also want to hit up its sequel, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, which is also on Stan. IMDB Rating: 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 82% Ghostbustershttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/37XGhR5SEcFERDthYhjgAj.jpg When there's something strange in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters, that's who! Released in 1984, Ivan Reitman's spooky comedy achieved instant-classic status, thanks in part to a brilliant and hilarious script by stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. But it would be Bill Murray's burgeoning star-power and wise-ass demeanour that would bring the whole film, which is about ghost hunting scientists in New York City, together so perfectly. Equal-parts hair-raising and rib-tickling, Ghostbusters is a positively ghoulish movie that the whole family can enjoy. IMDB Rating: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Zoolanderhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MECcAozzErSNHAh5BGbYZD.jpg Though it wasn't immediately loved at release, Zoolander has grown over the years into an honest-to-goodness comedy classic. Ben Stiller is the titular beef-witted male model that is duped into a plot to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister. Owen Wilson plays Hansel, an up-and-coming rival to Zoolander. Though the two initially hate each other, they soon come together in an attempt to stop the evil plan that has been orchestrated by the truly ridiculous fashion designer, Mugatu (Will Ferrell). Backed with quotable lines and hilarious scenes, Zoolander is really, really, really, ridiculously funny. IMDB Rating: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Ace Ventura: Pet Detectivehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nURd3vyKZ6BvdaWGTubYEK.jpg Jim Carrey was an unstoppable force in the early nineties, and along with The Mark and Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective solidified him as the world's biggest comedy star. Carrey plays a ridiculously over-the-top private dick who specialises in animal-related cases. When the NFL's Miami Dolphins mascot is stolen, it's up to Ace to find out where it is and who was behind it. Cue a whole lot of hilarious tomfoolery! IMDB Rating: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 46% American Ultrahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yftLNdVAJyGR9Hf44oYEDM.jpg Like Pineapple Express meets The Bourne Identity, American Ultra is much better than it has any right to be. Jesse Eisenberg plays a stoner convenience store clerk who hears some specific words and is promptly activated into a CIA killing machine. In an effort to cover up this mess, the agency sends two agents (Topher Grace and Connie Britton) to neutralise the situation, but things don't fly as smoothly as they'd hoped. Playing opposite Kristen Stewart, Eisenberg does a decent job of playing an action hero. Funny and surprisingly violent and action packed, American Ultra is an underrated gem. IMDB Rating: 6.1 In Brugeshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KDdfqHgVFLH28bTcVGfKfU.jpg A hilariously dark comedy about hit men who must lay low in Belgium after a hit gone wrong, In Bruges is the type of movie that will have you laughing uncontrollably one minute, then crying the next. Writer/director Martin McDonagh (Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) delivers a witty script filled with sudden moments of brutal violence that will leave you speechless. IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 84% If you're a fan of muscular action films, you've come to the right place. Stan has a great selection of high-octane, testosterone-fuelled movies for adrenaline junkies. Here are our picks for best action movies on Stan. The entire James Bond collection http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gsY9M2zTozbSErTcCivGvn.jpg Yes, you read that correctly: all 24 Bond films are now available to stream exclusively on Stan. Best of all, each film is presented in glorious 4K quality, which is something that was previously unavailable outside of expensive iTunes purchases. Join Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig as they each take turns in the iconic role of MI6 agent and super spy, James Bond. Sure, not all of the 007 films are great (we're looking at you, Die Another Day), but they're always entertaining. And, thanks to the 4K visual upgrade, you may be more inclined to suffer through some of the lesser entries on the picture quality alone! Stream the Bond collection on Stan now The Expendableshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j637r9QkK4kNvgaxuipCVb.jpg The film that rounded up some of the greatest action movie stars of the '80s and '90s (along with a couple of newcomers), Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables will bring a huge smile to the face of anyone who grew up during this high-testosterone era. Joining Stallone are the likes of Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews and more. While the film itself is far from perfect, we can't help but get a kick out of seeing our heroes fighting alongside each other. IMDB Rating: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 42% Kill Billhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yw8A5FbyaMPzhpZjXZG8yE.jpg Quentin Tarantino's grand homage to exploitation cinema, Kill Bill sees star Uma Thurman go on a roaring rampage of revenge, killing everyone who was involved in her attempted assassination. Fresh out of a coma after several years, this former assassin will make her old associates pay, one-by-one, for ruining her life. And when that's done, she's taking her blood-drenched katana on a trip to meet Bill (David Carradine), her former boss and lover. Split into two pieces (both of which are now streaming on Stan), Kill Bill is a violent revenge masterpiece. IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 85% The Terminatorhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9cekBpL7yDMnPvFxATxm7i.jpg James Cameron made his career with this time travel-themed action thriller, which also worked to solidify Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the biggest stars on the planet. Arnold plays a Terminator – a cyborg killing machine that's sent back in time to kill a great military leader's mother (Linda Hamilton) before he's ever conceived. This mother's child will eventually be responsible for defeating the machines in the distant future. Thankfully, a human soldier (Michael Biehn) has also travelled back in time to protect her. Perfectly mixing action, sci-fi and horror, The Terminator is a white-knuckle experience from beginning to end. IMDB Rating: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 100% Mad Maxhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cfK4DsodimCJFfiCfexCnG.jpg Long before he reached Fury Road, Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) was a highway cop in a particularly rough part of Australia – his beat ravaged by murderous and borderline savage street cretins. When Max's family and partner are killed by a gang with a vendetta, he gets mad. Extremely mad. One of Australian cinema's most classic films, Mad Max is high-octane revenge thriller that boasts some of the greatest scenes of vehicular carnage ever committed to celluloid. Max would eventually end up in a post-apocalyptic future, but his humble origins should never be forgotten. IMDB Rating: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 90% The Nice Guyshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UKhCBrxMtfzodzWicUdFbV.jpg Shane Black, writer and director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, returns to the world of gumshoe detectives with The Nice Guys, a smart and funny mystery that establishes Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as a comedic match made in heaven. Set in the late '70s, Crowe's tough guy enforcer teams up with Gosling's bumbling private eye to solve the mystery of a dead porn star. Filled with hilarious one-liners and terrific action sequences, The Nice Guys is the kind of movie they really don't make anymore, which makes its very existence something of a miracle, wouldn't you say? IMDB Rating: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 92% We all like a good thriller, and Stan is chock-full of them. If you want a film that will have you on the edge of your seat, you've come to the right place. Below is a list of some of the best thrillers currently available on Stan. Panic Roomhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yqgsGufQbMGkY3DTow6myB.jpg Following his anarchist epic Fight Club, director David Fincher decided to make something more down to earth as his follow-up, and while Panic Room may seem like your typical home invasion thriller on paper, in this visionary auteur's hands, it's anything but. One of the more technically astounding thrillers you're ever likely to see, Fincher ratchets up the tension with his daring (and seemingly impossible) camera work, taking the audience through several stories of a New York brownstone with a swiftness and precision unseen at the time of its release. The film follows a newly-divorced mother (Jodie Foster) and her insulin-dependant daughter (a young Kristen Stewart) as they fight off a trio of home invaders. While the pair manages to reach the home's impenetrable panic room, a problem arises when it's revealed that the burglars are actually after the contents of said room. Suspenseful and smart, Panic Room is a must-watch thriller. IMDB Rating: 6.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 75% Nightcrawlerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/orCUfkSyvGNzofP3zyrKni.jpg Jake Gyllenhaal is incredibly creepy as Louis Bloom, a man who makes money by filming grisly crime footage and selling it to news stations in Los Angeles. Driven by greed and hubris, Louis starts blurring the line between observer and active participant, eventually instigating violent incidents in order to get the scoop. A cutting commentary on our modern news cycle obsession, Nightcrawler is a riveting thriller with terrific performances. IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Wake in Frighthttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ziCHgHJi69ozYb9khNZAw6.jpg An absolutely brilliant and confronting critique of Australian drinking culture and 'mateship', Canadian director Ted Kotchoff (First Blood) does not hold back at all when it comes to showing some of our country's uglier aspects with Wake in Fright. A school teacher finds himself trapped in an Outback mining town after losing all his money in a two-up game, leading him to go on a night of binge-drinking, fighting and kangaroo shooting with some unhinged locals. It's safe to say that he may never be the same again after this night... IMDB Rating: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 100% Léon: The Professionalhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CSZt5f5sUQWvt9eJpoaYSe.jpg French director Luc Besson has made several cult classic films (The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita, The Big Blue), but perhaps none is more beloved than Léon: The Professional. Notable for being Natalie Portman's first film, Léon tells the story of a lonely assassin (Jean Reno) who befriends a young girl after her whole family is killed by a crooked cop (Gary Oldman). Violent and thrilling, yet filled with warmth and heart, Léon: The Professional is bloody fantastic. IMDB Rating: 8.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 71% Science fiction films offer us visions of the future (well, from the perspective of the times in which they were made) that open our minds to the possibilities of what humankind might be capable of, in both the good and bad sense. These are some of the best sci-fi films on Stan. RoboCophttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8DJgAD2pBtmzbBJjVjyjXS.jpg With director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Chappie) announcing that he's bringing RoboCop back to cinemas with a direct sequel to the original 1987 film, now's as good a time as any to revisit this ultra-violent classic. A cutting satire of corporate greed in the '80s, Robocop is more than the sum of its parts. Brilliantly directed by Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Starship Troopers), the film sees a rookie cop viciously murdered by a group of criminals, only to be revived by a corporation and used as a robotic crime-fighting product. Pretty soon, his memories start to return, and it's only a matter of time before he tracks down his killers and discovers the real intents of his makers. IMDB Rating: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Blade Runnerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/frtLc5MPVfirg3X2nwFCF4.jpg Ridley Scott's thought-provoking cyberpunk masterpiece wasn't fully appreciated until a decade after its release, where it received a director's cut that addressed and excised some of the studio interference that plagued the theatrical version of the film. Harrison Ford plays Deckard, the titular Blade Runner. He's a cop of sorts whose job is to hunt down and eliminate rogue replicants, which are like artificial humans created as off-world slave labour. When a group of them decide they'd rather live, going on a killing spree in the process, Deckard sets out to take them down, but maybe this time it won't be so easy... IMDB Rating: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 90% The Matrixhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xPLyBQx5qPXbP5BD9xwWdR.jpg A science fiction classic, The Matrix is a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence packaged as an action-packed, visual effects spectacular. Inspired by martial arts films, anime and cyberpunk literature, The Matrix sees Neo (Keanu Reeves) discover that the world as we know it is an elaborate computer simulation that masks the real truth – Earth is a wasteland and humans are being kept alive in chambers to act as the batteries powering our new machine overlords. Whoa. IMDB Rating: 8.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 87% E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cVQ8N9MLP8oAWR6pRvzQ4J.jpg Steven Spielberg is known for making heart-warming, sentimental movies, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial might be the one that best embodies that. A classic family film about a lonely kid (Henry Thomas) who develops a bond with a friendly alien marooned on our planet, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is capable of melting even the coldest of hearts. IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 98% http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/zigS2HYNSWk

Nike's been teasing a new evolution in basketball sneakers for a while, but now the world's largest shoe maker has unveiled 'the future of the game' with Nike Adapt BB – high-tech shoes which are not only self-lacing and app-controlled, but will also automatically adjust to the foot. “We picked basketball as the first sport for Nike Adapt intentionally because of the demands that athletes put on their shoes,” says Eric Avar, Nike VP Creative Director of Innovation in the company's announcement. He continued, “During a normal basketball game the athlete’s foot changes and the ability to quickly change your fit by loosening your shoe to increase blood flow and then tighten again for performance is a key element that we believe will improve the athlete’s experience." http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YJ4bceBGpRtXBYBXXMGFkY.jpg According to Nike, the Adapt BB uses a custom motor and tension-sensing gears to automatically adjust the snugness of each sneaker on a player's feet. Using the Nike Adapt app, players can also manually input different settings and tensile strength, with the laces capable of pulling 32 pounds of force, which Nike says is roughly equivalent to "that of a standard parachute cord". Nike's FitAdapt technology will also be receiving regular firmware updates which players can opt into, making Adapt BB the company's "first continually updated performance product" with a precision fit that will get better over time. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RvMuZ8beVrdgAXSTCUnwnE.jpg In keeping with the high-tech nature of the shoes, Nike Adapt BB will ship with a Qi wireless charging mat (pictured above) in the box, and wearers will also have full control of the LED lights in the shoes' soles, allowing them to change lighting colors on the fly. Nike Adapt BB will be available from Nike's online store from 10AM (EST) on February 17 and will be priced at $350 (around £272 / AU$486). Best fitness tracker 2019: the top 10 activity bands on the planethttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/UGv7EkF3WqA

DuckDuckGo has touted itself as the search engine that puts privacy first, promising to never to track its users. In an effort to improve on this promise, the search engine has now partnered with Apple Maps for its location-based searches or address lookups. Previously, the search engine used data from an open-source mapping service called OpenStreetMap alongside information from MapBox. This combination, however, offered limited information and couldn’t keep up with the likes of Google. Now DuckDuckGo has integrated Apple’s MapKit JS framework to power map and address searches on both mobile and desktop. DuckDuckGo's policies align well with Apple’s stance on privacy and should give the service a fighting chance against the competition from Google. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L2BBhvYN8o3WGgWdf79HMm.png When looking up a particular address, businesses, or tourist attraction in an area, DuckDuckGo will now show a module with a small map box at the top of its search page. Clicking on the map will expand it, offering satellite views and a sidebar where necessary. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ByHXWpKM8ouveLsb7423t5.png DuckDuckGo promises that identifiable information like IP addresses will not be sent to Apple and all search information is discarded once closed by the user. This integration also makes DuckDuckGo the biggest user of Apple Maps, coming only months after the Cupertino firm opened the application up to third parties. Read more: iPhone XR reviewhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/5gnFSqlVoFM

Last month, Twitter updated its iOS app to bring back the reverse-chronological feed and, at the time, it promised that the same feature would soon be arriving on Android. That promise has been kept and Android users can now access this feature, something that was the norm three years ago. This means Android users can opt to see tweets that were posted most recently right up top on the Home timeline. Since the overhaul in 2016, Twitter’s feed employed algorithmic sorting that listed tweets (older or recent) that were deemed significant or trending first. The rest followed in the "in case you missed it" section. This newly-introduced mode – accessed via toggling the ‘sparkle’ button at the top of a user’s Home timeline in the app – ensures that all tweets shown are in chronological order, with the latest ones on top, and aren’t algorithmically suggested. While it may not seem all-too significant, the initial change to Twitter’s ‘smart’ feed was met with widespread backlash, spawning the hashtag #RIPTwitter. Commentators and avid users alike noted that the main appeal of Twitter is to be able to reliably keep up to the minute with breaking and unfolding news, and the algorithm hindered this. Now with both Android and iOS apps able to switch to the original mode, is Twitter in the clear? Twitter updates its iOS app to bring back the reverse-chronological feedhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/E5n7r4EPGOQ

What is a console without its games? As novel and versatile as the Nintendo Switch is as a piece of hardware, it's the software that makes it, and the last two years has seen a steady release of AAA blockbusters, indie darlings, and everything in-between come to the Switch eShop for gamers to enjoy. The likes of Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle all helped the Nintendo Switch make a statement in its first few months on sale, and the games selection has only got better since then. Most recently, Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee graced our Nintendo portable to bring us back to the schoolyard days, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate is due out any day now. All these first-party games are great, and if Nintendo used to have problems getting third-party titles on board, that's not the case anymore. From the open-world Skyrim and gore-fest Doom to smaller experimental titles like Little Nightmares and Owlboy, the Nintendo platform has blossomed to host a wide array of incredible games. But with so many great titles out there, how can you narrow down your options? Well, we've done our best to bring together the very best titles to have come to the Switch so far – all of which are available to download or buy right now. If you're not seeing a game that's grabbing your attention today, we're constantly trying the latest and greatest Nintendo Switch games, so do keep checking back for updates as we expand the list. Looking to enhance your experience? Check out our picks of the best Nintendo Switch accessoriesNot got the console yet? These are the best Nintendo Switch deals aroundWatch our review of the Nintendo Switch below! Want to know what the best Pokemon game is as well? Have you ever had one of those moment where you’ve done something really cool, and there was no-one around to see it? That’d be a bit like Nintendo’s 2012 release, New Super Mario Bros. U for the Wii U. The culmination of six years work which had kicked off with the New Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo DS in 2006, reimagining the classic 2D side-scrolling Mario titles, New Super Mario Bros. U was an under appreciated joy upon its release. This was simply by virtue of the Wii U console itself shifting so few units. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe resurrects an under-appreciated platforming star on Switch, bringing Nintendo’s signature charm, a scalable challenge based on the characters you play as, and sits up there with the best 2D Mario games ever released. Whether you pick it up on the Nintendo Switch or are inspired to dust off a Wii U console, it deserves to be played. If the idea of throwing around the ol' Pokeball gives you the warm and fuzzies, check out Pokemon Let's Go: Pikachu and Eevee. Basically a re-imagining of Pokemon Yellow Version, Pikachu and Eevee take you through the Kanto region on your quest to become the Pokemon Master. Eight gym leaders, four elite masters and dozens of members of Team Rocket stand in your way, but as long as you can keep the rock, paper, scissors-esque battling system in mind, these games are a light-hearted stroll down memory lane. That said, it's not the perfected version of the formula that Pokemon Stars could be when it releases in 2019, but for now it's hands down the best Pokemon game on the Nintendo Switch, and one that will easily keep us entertained for the next few months until we hear more Pokemon news at E3 2019. Fan of old-school 16-bit RPGs? Wish they could get a HD facelift without losing the pixel-perfect magic of the 90s era? Octopath Traveller may be the Nintendo Switch game you'd dreamed for a time machine for as a kid. Channeling the magic of the early Final Fantasy games (and published by Square Enix, naturally), it melds pixel art with polygonal environments, like a love letter to the role playing games of old. Picking up the story of one of 8 uniquely-talented adventurers, there's an epic world saving story to follow, a clever turn-based combat system to master and a great voice-acted script to enjoy too. Fantastic fun. While we're all waiting for a new Metroid Prime game to land on the Nintendo Switch, you can still get your side-scrolling Metroidvania fix with the superb Hollow Knight. You know the score – you're placed in the center of a sprawling map that slowly reveals its scale as you unlock new abilities to traverse increasingly difficult traps, and take on ever-more monstrous foes. Secrets sit around every corner, and the sense of satisfaction you get when you backtrack to a previously-inaccessible location once armed with the right skills is unsurpassed in all of gaming. Hollow Knight separates itself from other Metroidvania titles with its distinct art style (mysterious underground bug city? Count us in), and its nods to the Dark Souls series, with tough boss fights and the strangely aloof citizens of its subterranean setting. Easily one of the best Nintendo Switch games around. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a real gem in the Nintendo Switch game pile. A re-release of the well-received Wii U title, Captain Toad is an action puzzle game that puts you in the shoes of the Mushroom Kingdom's most lovable sidekick. While puzzles are a bit on the easier side for older 'kids' who might be playing (a term we'll use loosely here), pint-sized adventurers will have to use their noodle to collect items without running into the paths of enemies. It's good, clean, IQ-enhancing fun – which is the best kind of fun! Freshly-added to the Nintendo Switch line-up of games, if Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is just half as popular on the Switch as it was for the PS4 it's bound to do very, very well. Maybe it's everyone's current love of nostalgia from their earlier days? Whatever the case, the remaster of Crash Bandicoot is very likely to pull at your heart strings. It has everything you knew and loved from the original game, but enhanced and revamped, and there are plenty of new levels and adventures that have been added to make this a better experience than ever. Mario and his crew are some of the most talented fictional characters in the known universe. They can golf, they can compete at the Olympics, some of them are doctors, plumbers and princesses. And now they play tennis, too, in this excellent Nintendo Switch game. Mario Tennis Aces has been heralded as a combination of Super Smash Bros. and the old Mario Tennis games released on the Nintendo GameCube and N64. To that end, gameplay is lightning-quick and requires superb reflexes. The big changes this time around are the new super moves that cause rackets to break and balls to fly to nigh unreachable spots on the court. They add a new layer of strategy to the long-running Mario sport franchise and fun, too. Pick this one up at your earliest opportunity. Golden bananas, rickety minecarts and cranky kongs – the king of the gaming apes, Donkey Kong, is back! And it's already one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there. If you've previously been a Wii U owner, this may well feel like a very familiar adventure, as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is actually a remake of that system's simian-themed platformer. The Switch version is easily the definitive version of the game though, bringing not only with it the Switch's signature handheld play, but also a new 'Funky Mode' that lets you take control of Funky Kong, a returning character who is just that little bit faster and able to leap just that little bit further, making a very challenging platformer a tad easier for the smaller cheeky monkeys in your family. Star Allies is Kirby's debut on Switch – and it's a good one, even if it is largely your familiar Kirby fare. Fans of Kirby's previous adventures will recognize the colorful side-scrolling platformer gameplay and enemy absorbing powers, but there's a new mechanic which allows Kirby to throw hearts at enemies and recruit up to three of them to his side to be controlled by either AI or real-life friends. Though it's not the most engaging single-player game, and might not leave long-time fans as satisfied as they might have hoped, Star Allies is a co-op experience that shouldn't be missed, especially if you're looking for a game to play with your kids. Part software, part hardware, Nintendo Labo is a must-have for anyone who enjoys Nintendo's more quirky and play-focused ideas. Build your own cardboard toys, play games with them, explore how they work and reprogram them to do what you want. With Nintendo Labo the only real limit is your patience and imagination: build a fishing rod and catch a shark, build a piano and control a musical cat choir, built a robot and, well, become a robot. It's all possible with Labo. Nintendo Labo is certainly one of the more original and even educational releases we've seen in years and it can only be played on the Nintendo Switch. It's easily one of the best 'games' for the device. Not everyone would have had the chance to enjoy Bayonetta 2 when it was first released back in 2014, thanks to its Wii U exclusivity. Fortunately, it's now a Nintendo Switch game too, finally giving it the reach it deserves. Bayonetta 2 is an excellent game, with fast-paced and satisfying combat, jaw-dropping animations and frankly outstanding fashion choices. Even better, when you purchase a physical copy of Bayonetta 2, you'll also receive a free download code for the original game. More than anything, this is a great way to prepare for Bayonetta 3, which has been confirmed as being in development for the Switch. Super Mario Odyssey is Mario's first real outing on the Nintendo Switch and he makes his debut in style. Odyssey is a 3D sandbox adventure that sees Mario travel between a wide range of worlds to save Princess Peach from the nefarious and maritally-minded Bowser. Giving the old formula a bit of a refresh, this game sees the traditional Power Ups replaced with a new companion for Mario called Cappy. This sentient hat is Mario's weapon and friend and he can be used to possess enemies and objects to solve puzzles and defeat foes. In our full review for Super Mario Odyssey we called this game "one of Mario's finest adventures in recent memory" and recommend that you play it now – it's instantly one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there. If you decide to pick the game up for yourself, don't forget to check out our tips and tricks guide to help you get started. Even for a series like The Legend of Zelda which rarely puts a foot wrong, Breath of the Wild is an absolutely phenomenal game on the Nintendo Switch. While past Zelda games have stuck pretty closely to the formula established by Ocarina of Time (the series' 3D debut), Breath of the Wild throws much of the established wisdom away. Rather than having a pre-defined order you must use to approach each major mission, Breath of the Wild opens the entire map up to you almost immediately, allowing you to approach the game in whatever order you see fit. You can spend hours just climbing trees and brewing elixirs, or you can even head straight to the game’s final boss if you're feeling a little more confident. Away from Breath of the Wild's unique structure, it's the puzzles themselves that make the game feel the most satisfying. While previous games rigidly allow for a single solution to each puzzle, BotW's physics-based problem solving means that there are often multiple solutions to each challenge depending on how you combine your various skills. The result is a game that feels incredibly broad in scope, with so many little touches to discover that it’s hard not to fall in love with this long-running series all over again. Check out everything you need to know in our Breath of the Wild tips and tricks guideMario Kart 8 on the Wii U was already one of the best entries in the franchise, and the Nintendo Switch version is no different. At its core the game offers the same excellent racing as the Wii U original, but there are also a number of new additions for this version of the arcade racer. You've got the return of battle mode, new characters, all the previously released DLC tracks, and the ability to hold two special items at a time to add an extra layer of strategy to your racing. The new game is also a great way of playing the game in multiplayer. You can play online, in split-screen with up to four players, or link up to eight consoles together to play multiplayer wirelessly (where you can also play with up to two players per console). It's a versatile release, and well worth picking up for anyone who missed out on Mario Kart 8 the first time around. Get ahead of the competition with our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tips and tricksIf you want to satisfy your arcade racing itch then Fast RMX is the game for you, and is a fantastic fit for the Switch. With one part Wipeout and two parts F-Zero, the game has you racing futuristic hovercraft round a series of implausible tracks at breakneck speeds. Fast RMX's main gimmick is that at any point your craft has either an orange or a blue polarity, which match with speed power-ups that are spread around the track. By switching your polarity as you race, you can maximize the benefits these power-ups bring. It’s a neat feature, but it's overshadowed by how technically capable this game is. It looks fantastic whether you're playing it in portable or console mode, where it will run at a solid 60 frames-per-second. It might not have the charm of its Mario-themed competitor, but Fast RMX is a great game for anyone seeking fast-paced arcade racing thrills. Splatoon was the closest Nintendo has ever allowed itself to get to an online shooter, and it did so by fundamentally turning the genre on its head. That means no guns, no bullets, and ultimately no death. Instead, you play as characters with paint guns tasked with covering the map in your team's colors. You can kill (well, 'splat') your enemies, but you do so only in service of buying yourself time to paint more of the map without your opponents (and their painting) getting in the way. While Splatoon 2 is technically a sequel, in truth it's more of the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The original game was tightly designed and well-balanced, and while the sequel makes some minor tweaks to the gameplay, the same Nintendo charm is still present in spades. If you never played the original then Splatoon 2 is an easy game to recommend, but even if you did then it might be worth jumping in again to revisit it on Nintendo's portable system. For our money it's certainly one of the best Nintendo Switch games you can pick up. If you want to get ahead of the competition then our Splatoon 2 tips and tricks guide will help you do just that. If ever there was a game to show off how useful the new Joy-Con controllers can be it's SnipperClips. Best enjoyed in co-op mode, the game tasks you with cutting pieces out of your geometric-shaped partner in order to solve physics-based puzzles. Although the puzzles themselves deftly tread a fine line between approachability and challenge, the real joy in the game is the slapstick that results as you muddle your way through each level. You'll never conclusively beat a level; it will always feel as though you've barely scraped through, but the tension this creates makes for some fantastic fun. Bandai Namco's Little Nightmares is a big adventure on Nintendo Switch. First released on consoles and PC in 2017, this new take on the horror genre is a welcome addition to Nintendo's portable console. Players take up the role of a young girl called Six, who is trapped in the Maw, a terrifying place filled with monsters that are larger than life. Across a range of platforming levels, players must help Six overcome her small stature and escape the Maw. Little Nightmares is a game with a palpable atmosphere – the different levels and their respective monsters are grim and frightening, and we frequently found ourselves tense and holding our breath as we tried to get through a level. It's unusual to get such a thrill from such thoughtful and quiet gameplay. The Nintendo Switch release of the game is the Complete Edition, and contains all three DLC releases, the last of which was launched in February 2018. Anyone who loves classic point-and-click adventure stories such as Broken Sword and Monkey Island will certainly want to direct their attention towards this recent release from LucasArts veteran Ron Gilbert. Mechanically, the game works like the classics of the genre with lots of slow-paced obtuse puzzle solving and verb-list clicking. Even visually it's very similar to the games that have influenced it. If you're tired of playing the same classics on repeat, pick up Thimbleweed Park for your Nintendo Switch for an excellent new addition to the point-and-click genre. You'll travel back to 1987 for a neo-noir adventure that you won't want to leave. It's tough to know what genre to describe Arms as: at its core, the game is a fighting game where you attempt to land punches on your opponent using giant extendible arms. Punch-Out this is not. What first appeared to be a slightly gimmicky title made to show off the Nintendo Switch's motion-sensing controllers actually turned out to have a surprising amount of depth and strategy to it, leading to some frantic multiplayer battles. Nicely, the whole game can also be played with more traditional buttons rather than control schemes, so you don't have to get caught flailing your arms around on the bus when you play it as a portable game. Having trouble landing your punches? Check out our Arms tips and tricks guideOver twenty years after its original release it's hard to know what more can be written about one of the most influential fighting games of all time. It easily jumps int our list of the best Nintendo Switch games you can buy right now. Ultra Street Fighter 2 is essentially the same Street Fighter 2 that's been continuously re-released on every console under the sun. Technically this version is based on Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo from 1994, which added super and air combos to the base game, but unless you're a die-hard fan this likely won't mean too much to you. So don't go into this expecting a wildly different game from what you've played before. This is a traditional Street Fighter experience through and through, and the console's form-factor makes it perfect for quick multiplayer sessions. Overcooked was one of the breakout indie hits of 2016, and now it's come to the Nintendo Switch in fantastic style. There game is best played with a group of friends, which is perfect considering you always have at least two controllers with your Switch. But what do you actually do? In essence you play as a group of chefs trying desperately to cook meals without your customers getting angry or your kitchen catching on fire. With each person only able to do one thing at a time, and most meals requiring multiple stages of preparation, this forces you to split tasks up between you. The problem is that every task proceeds at a slightly different pace, meaning you're constantly having to change your plans to deal with problems as they arise. It's frantic, it's great with friends, and it's a perfect fit for the Switch – one of the best experiences we've enjoyed on the console. Shovel Knight is not a new game – it saw its first release way back in 2014 on the PC after it was funded on Kickstarter, and since then versions have appeared on everything from the Vita to the PS4, the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U. But that doesn’t make it any less of a great game on the Nintendo Switch, where its 2D side-scrolling is as tight and responsive as ever. Chances are you've played Shovel Knight on one system or another in previous years, but if you've yet to take the game on the go, or better yet if you’re looking to try its newest expansion pack, 'Specter of Torment', then the Switch is as good a place as any to satisfy your Shovel cravings. Another home console classic now given a new lease of life on Switch is LA Noire. It's unusual to see 18-rated games on Nintendo consoles, but it's nevertheless exciting that the Switch is building up a more mature library. Created by Rockstar, LA Noire is a 1940s detective title which puts players in the smart leather shoes of Cole Phelps. As Phelps, you'll dive into the seedy underbelly of LA, solving a variety of cases across the LAPD's Homicide, Vice and Arson divisions. Aside from letting you take a great game on the go, the Switch version of LA Noire has some neat features such as motion control support. This means you can pick up evidence at crime scenes and inspect it from every angle using the Joy-Con controllers. Read more of our thoughts on LA Noire for the Nintendo Switch. The legendary and hugely addictive dungeon-crawler finally come to the Switch. Sure, you've been able to play the game on PC, Xbox and Playstation for a good few years now – with over 30 million copies sold across all platforms, and a rumored Netflix TV series in the works – but this is the first time Blizzard's medieval fantasy RPG has gone portable. You pick one of seven distinct character classes and begin your wayward journey to take on the lord of terror himself, Diablo. Somehow accessible with satisfying depth to the gameplay, Diablo 3 strikes a perfect balance between hardcore and more casual gaming. The addictive loot system and character upgrades will keep you coming back again and again. And with the newly-added convenience of carrying about wherever you are, the Switch port makes a great case for grinding on the go. Whether you're new to the series or just want another Diablo fix, this is one of the best titles available on the Switch right now. This crossover has surprised a lot of people, us included. Though Nintendo's Mario and Ubisoft's Rabbid rabbits doesn't seem like a combination that should work it really does. This is a turn-based tactical game and it's incredibly fun to play thanks to gameplay that's satisfyingly complex and deep without being overly difficult – though the difficulty increases, it's in a gradual way that doesn't result in feelings of being overwhelmed. Mario Rabbids is also just a lovely game to look at – the level design is consistently fantastic and the world and its characters are adorable and colorful. Joining up with Mario lends Ubisoft's Rabbids a charm they've lacked until now, while Mario and co benefit from the partnership by gaining a bit more of a silly sense of humor which really benefits the Nintendo image. With this partnership, Nintendo has managed to secure another appealing exclusive for the Switch, and one of the top games for the console. Stardew Valley is one of those games that always felt like it was supposed to be on a Nintendo console, and we couldn't have been happier when it was released recently for the Switch. If you've ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with the premise of Stardew Valley: it's an addictive farming simulator which sees you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them. Stardew Valley isn't just one thing though, it's a whole bunch of things at once. You can engage in crafting, fishing, cooking and even exploring procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even take on monstrous enemies. However, do keep in mind your health and energy, as you'll need to make sure your character is in tip-top shape in order to avoid suffering from exhaustion – lose health and you lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attained. Stardew Valley will have you hooked for hours on end, for better or worse. (Better, definitely better.) Skyrim might be a game that's six years old, but the portability of the Nintendo Switch makes it feel fresh again. What was once an exclusively home console and PC experience can now be played on your commute and there's no denying that holding the wild world of Skyrim in the palm of your hand is exhilarating. For a touch of novelty, the game also supports the console's Joy-Con motion controls so you can swing your sword and draw your bow in real life. It's a whole new way to play. This is the full open world Skyrim experience for the Nintendo Switch, including all DLC, so we're very confident in declaring it one of the best Switch games right now. Read more about our thoughts on Skyrim's arrival on Switch. It's not often you get to put a free game on the Nintendo Switch list but Fortnite Battle Royale is giving us this chance. We'd be amazed if you hadn't heard of it, but Fortnite: Battle Royale is the free-to-play hit from Epic Games which throws you into an online Battle Royale where you must fight and build to be the last person standing. The game was announced and launched on the Nintendo eShop during E3 2018. If you've not had the chance to play the Battle Royale phenomenon, the Nintendo Switch offers one of the most convenient ways to do it – especially if you find a smartphone screen just a little bit too small to truly play at your best. And if you already have an account you can move seamlessly between your Nintendo Switch, smartphone, PC and Xbox console. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy, then you'll love this new version that's just landed on the Nintendo Switch. It's specially developed for the Switch (hence the 'Pocket Edition' in the title) and allows you to explore the world and characters from the fantasy franchise across ten different chapters that follow the story of Noctis, the crown prince of Lucis, on an adventure to his wedding to the Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae. And last in our list of the best Nintendo Switch games currently competing for your money, we have Super Mario Party. When it comes to casual co-op gaming there's not much better out there, and it shows the Switch game catalog continuing to grow and get stronger over time. This is the latest in a long line of Super Mario Party games of course, but the 3D board game mechanics remain tight and engaging, and the game hides plenty of secrets and surprises along the way for you to discover. Most importantly, it's enjoyable to play, and keeps you coming back. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/qIkG2apkApo

You’ve probably seen the term Chromebook mentioned on the internet, and you might be wondering what they are, and how they differ from regular laptops. In this guide we’ll explain what a Chromebook is, list the pros and cons of the devices, and help you decide whether or not a Chromebook is right for you. If you’re after in-depth buying advice on specific models, check out our Should I Buy a Chromebook? and Best Chromebook guides. What is a Chromebook?Let’s begin with a quick overview of what a Chromebook is. Essentially, Chromebooks are light and cheap laptops that run Google’s ChromeOS operating system. Most laptops run Windows 10 as their operating system, unless you have a MacBook, which uses macOS. ChromeOS is a lightweight OS, which means it’s not as fully featured as Windows 10 or macOS. In fact, when ChromeOS was first released in 2011 it was extremely barebones, and you needed an internet connection to use apps such as Google Docs. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sLiQ9yUqGcDHkHjNLsW7ce.jpg ChromeOS has evolved since then, so you can now install apps – including Android apps – and use it without an internet connection, but it’s still more limited than Windows 10 and macOS. However, that's one of the reasons why Chromebooks are so appealing to many users. Because ChromeOS is a lightweight operating system, it doesn’t need powerful components to run, and it can use hardware that Windows 10 or macOS would struggle to run on. This enables Chromebooks to be much more affordable than other laptops. It also means Chromebooks have impressively long battery lives, easily lasting a whole work day on a single charge. The first Chromebooks were released by Samsung and Acer in May 2011. While we sometimes refer to the devices as ‘Google Chromebooks’, a number of major laptop manufacturers make Chromebooks, with the likes of Dell, HP and Asus joining Samsung and Acer. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a9xKmgx72vnucUnKmTApef.jpg Of course, Google has released its own Chromebooks over the years as well. Interestingly, while most Chromebooks are affordable alternatives to Windows and Mac laptops, Google’s Chromebooks, like the Google Pixelbook, are premium devices that show that a Chromebook can be as powerful, and as beautifully designed, as any MacBook or Windows laptop. What software can a Google Chromebook run?Because Chromebooks run ChromeOS, you can’t simply install and run Windows or Mac programs. Instead, you use Chrome apps, or online apps that you can run through the Chrome browser, such as Google Docs. There’s a decent selection of Chrome apps, and using online apps like Google Docs means you don’t need to mess around installing apps, which means many Chromebooks only need small hard drives – which again helps to keep their price low. Chromebooks are now also able to run Android apps, giving Chromebook users access to thousands of apps through the Google Play Store. Most modern applications have a version for Android devices, which means Chromebooks can run a huge range of software, from office suites like Microsoft Office to photo editors and even games. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eb584d466dc409ddc35990b2fa7dc0df.jpg Chromebooks can also run Linux applications, further bolstering the productivity benefits of the devices. Compatible Chromebooks can now use programs that were created for Linux, the open source desktop operating system. While ChromeOS used to be seen as a limited operating system, the scope of the software you can now run on a Chromebook is truly impressive. ChromeOS is also a lot less prone to viruses and malware compared to Windows 10; malicious users are more likely to attack Windows 10 devices due to their popularity. Using cloud-based services on a Chromebook also limits the number of files you download and install, and ChromeOS is automatically updated with the latest security patches to keep you safe and secure. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gQoiKXfnbHnZVH99Zkw8kK.jpg Chromebooks and educationBecause of the affordability, long battery life and security of Chromebooks, they've become increasingly popular in the education sector. They're ideal laptops for students, as they come with pretty much all the software they would need, including word processors and presentation programs. The use of cloud services such as Google Docs also allows for online collaboration between students and teachers, and several manufacturers have made Chromebooks that are specially designed for students, with durable bodies that can survive being tossed into a backpack and carried around all day. The Chrome Education License also enables schools to provide Chromebooks to students and easily manage the devices centrally, ensuring that only approved apps are installed. Parental controls can also ensure that students are kept safe from inappropriate online content. So, to answer to the question 'What is a Google Chromebook?' Essentially, they're affordable laptops with simple designs, that can surprise you with how flexible and adept they are for many day-to-day tasks. AMD processors are coming to a Chromebook near youhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Cx3-mhXz8w4

Apple has launched a lineup of new battery-packed phone cases for the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, as spotted by 9to5Mac. For anyone who has suffering from short battery life on the newest iPhones, these cases are a convenient way to extend device uptime without needing to carry around a battery and cable. The new Apple Smart Battery Cases cost $129 (around £100, AU$179) across all three phone models. You can pick one up in either black or white. Apple claims each case is capable of offering the following extensions on each phone's battery life: iPhone XS - 33 hours talk time, 21 hours internet use, 25 hours video playbackiPhone XS Max - 37 hours talk time, 20 hours internet use, 25 hours video playbackiPhone XR - 39 hours talk time, 22 hours internet use, 27 hours video playback.Apart from the convenient addition of power to the iPhones, they also protect the phone by covering up the back glass completely, with a simple cutout for the cameras. The silicone material fits snugly and is easy to slip on the phone, with a microfiber lining on the inside and a soft-touch exterior. Since the cases are official Apple products, they should seamlessly integrate with your iPhone. Apple notes the phones will display an intelligent battery status while the cases are in use, so you know how much life is left. Each case also supports Qi wireless charging, fast charging with USB-PD chargers, and connectivity with accessories that use the Lightning Connector. Pre-orders for the Smart Battery Cases are open now, with delivery starting Friday, January 18 on the two iPhone XS models and later in the month for the iPhone XR model. Not a fan of battery cases? Check our list of the top power banks for alternativeshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/sAAKbpPn77Q

The Polk Command Bar turned heads last summer, squeezing Amazon's Alexa assistant into a soundbar that appeared to have an Echo Dot embedded inside it. Today it's getting even closer to the Amazon device family by introducing a new feature that's a first of its kind for soundbars. Polk has today announced that the Command Bar will be getting support for Amazon's multi-room music (MRM) ecosystem, allowing it to work alongside Echo speakers to bring synced audio right across a home where other MRM-enabled devices hang out. Being a third-party soundbar, it's the first of its kind to offer any such functionality. One-stop barThere's lots going on with the Polk Command Bar to make it worth considering over other, less intelligent soundbars. As well as full Alexa integration that lets you ask Alexa the answers to questions, control smart home units, set timers, play music and more, the Polk Command Bar also has a notch built in to house a Fire TV Stick, with a dedicated HDMI port allowing you to talk to Amazon's streaming dongle. 4K-capable with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10, it also comes with a wireless 6.5-inch subwoofer, while the bar itself makes use of two 1.25 x 3.25 full-range drivers and two 1-inch tweeters. It's available now, priced $299.95 / £249. The best smart speakers: which should you buy?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/L-nrFGhRhAQ

Photo credit: Valeo Sometimes, a simple tech demo shows so much promise it’s hard to know where to begin. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the French firm Valeo held a demo with an operator in one room, seated in front of three monitors and a driving wheel. He controlled a vehicle in a parking lot just outside a window. It was like driving a remote control car... with a real car. Equipped with what a rep called partial autonomous controls, the proof of concept was mostly about how a hotel valet might drive your car to a parking spot or perhaps someone would learn how to drive a car without any real danger, at least to themselves (but possibly to the car). Yet, I couldn't help but envision a future when this type of remote control driving was not only an occasional diversion for fun – say, driving a Chevy Corvette on a race track at high speeds – but helped a car traffic control center assist self-driving cars, jumping in if the weather causes too many problems for the on board sensors. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2fJ7GuCFTKXG4NxYZhWqvD.jpg Photo credit: Valeo Sadly, Valeo's reps didn't let me drive the car remotely. They mentioned something about liabilities and insurance issues. I get that. Having a journalist driving a $50,000 test car in front of a few monitors probably doesn’t make sense, especially at CES. I first started talking about a car control center about 10 years ago. It would operate in a similar way to an air traffic control center in that human operators would keep track of all autonomous cars, helping with traffic flow patterns. They might decide to adjust the speed of all cars, based on an algorithm that says a certain speed will avoid traffic delays. Of course, mishaps will happen, so these operators could also assume control of cars at will. Driverless funIn the demo, a 2018 VW Atlas moved around in a circle in an area about the size of a small parking garage. The remote driver was able to pull forward, then maneuver into a parking spot. Of course, everything the driver sees is replicated to the remote operator. You can see behind the car, to the side – and the autonomous tech and collision avoidance is still active. Another rep mentioned how the demo wasn't ready for everyday drivers to attempt. It takes some training and practice to learn the controls, and obviously one wrong move could lead to a serious accident, even on a closed course. My thoughts raced quickly to all of the things you could do to help passengers in the future, and to entertain yourself. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZzVe7iiyFjjx8gpCao5sUM.jpg Photo credit: Valeo For that race track concept, imagine driving at insane speeds on a track with protected barriers – trying to beat the top 'score' with a BMW M5 around a track. It’s what you might call the best video game ever. And this is where things get interesting. Could this be a launchpad for even more entertainment – remote controls for monster trucks, boats, trucks, forklifts, and anything else that could become a driverless vehicle with all of the technology we can muster? Of course, the autonomous controls are important. At a stage where physical vehicles drive themselves, remote operation will become essential as a back-up. I liked how the demo showcased the future of driving, when most cars (likely by about 2040 or 2050) won’t have a steering wheel or a gas pedal. It felt like a step forward. Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. All the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/KYP-S5ECuO0

Long after Siri, Cortana, Alexa, Bixby and a half-dozen others, Pandora has finally announced a new 'voice assistant' helper called Voice Mode for its iOS and Android apps that will begin rolling out to devices starting today. Voice Mode, which is really a set of specified voice commands rather than a robust assistant in the vein of Siri or Alexa, can be activated by saying “Hey Pandora” while the app is open. It's only available to a million or so users (a percentage of the iOS and Android userbase), which Pandora will monitor and fix issues before rolling the feature out over the next few months, according to TechCrunch. Powered by SoundHound's Houndify Voice AI platform, Voice Mode is designed to play a specific artist, album, radio station or playlist when asked to, but it can also be used to match your mood when you give it commands like “play music for relaxing” or “play workout music”. This request is then personalized by Pandora's algorithm and you'll then hear a personalized result that's tailored to your music tastes... sometimes. In our short time playing around with the app, results were hit or miss. Some requests went smoothly (asking “Hey Pandora, who is this?” was a useful feature when we weren’t right next to our phone) while others - like “Hey Pandora, give this song a thumbs up” - didn’t really work as intended. Don't worry, Siri, you're safe for now. Putting the 'personal' back in personal assistantsWhat separates Pandora’s Voice Mode apart from the other umpteen competing helpers already on the market is that it will return personalized results. Ask it to play new music, for example, and it will play new music that it knows you’ll like, rather than feeding you the same new music playlist it feeds everyone else. If you've been using Pandora's app to listen to podcasts, you'll even be able to apply the service's patented personalization algorithm to get its assistant to recommend new podcasts based on what you've already heard. Rolling Voice Mode out to iOS and Android is really just the first step for Pandora’s 'virtual helper' – it could really come into its own if Pandora decides to deploy it on smart speakers sometime down the road. If you want to check out the Pandora personal assistant for yourself, download the Pandora app and press the search icon in the top right-hand corner. Source: Medium These were the best new speakers we saw at CES 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/NXMUYBtuKkE

Photo credit: Joe Miller IBM Watson isn't known as a consumer-grade bot that works like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It’s really meant to showcase the massive supercomputing prowess of the famous tech icon (and play Jeopardy). Yet, at a recent demo at the CES 2019 convention in Las Vegas, the powerful 'super assistant' proved helpful in an autonomous shuttle that did not have a steering wheel, brakes, or a gas pedal. It’s proof that self-driving transportation will be powered, at least in part, by your voice. No manual neededThe demo took place in a parking lot and involved a company called Via, together with Comet and Aurrigo – showing not just how a shuttle might work but how you could request one as well. (Aurrigo operates autonomous shuttles in highly controlled settings like a college campus, but IBM Watson is not currently available in the shuttles.) The idea is that, when someone jumps into one of these pods, they probably won’t know anything about how to run a touchscreen or even start the vehicle. They might be unfamiliar with how any of it works. Photo credit: Joe Miller In my test, the small enclosed space (about 100 feet in a parking lot) was meant to show how a shuttle might respond to voice commands about a destination, like New York or London. An operator on board activated the shuttle and used a safety switch to provide the power, but I spoke to Watson myself by saying “Hello Watson” and stating my destination. I instructed the bot where to go, then asked about the weather. (I noticed the bot does not respond to any variations like Hey Watson or just Watson.) Almost immediately, the bot released the brakes and silently powered up the electric motor. Away we went, driving about 5mph. The pods can speed along at up to 25mph but of course this was a highly contained demo. Reaching the destination about 75 feet away, the pod slowed down and came to stop right on cue. I asked Watson to take us to London next. It was all fairly seamless even though we all know level four self-driving vehicles like this without operator controls won’t become a reality in uncontrolled settings for some time. Most of them drive along concrete barriers today. Deep conversationA super powerful bot could be quite useful in the future, when we won’t be preoccupied with driving and paying attention to traffic. If the bot can engage with us at a much higher level, we will be more productive. I’d like to be able to ask the bot to discuss a complex topic with me, or to let me dictate an entire article (correcting my mistakes and making grammar suggestions), and even help the kids with algebra. Alexa and the Assistant are not quite there, but if Watson actually becomes an automotive assistant, it might help us adjust to the idea that we’re mostly along for the ride. And, it helps us feel more relaxed. It was a curious feeling in the self-driving shuttle knowing that a much more powerful bot than Alexa was controlling the ride. Photo credit: Joe Miller Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. All the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/iKAio5-DAbI

After the rumors earlier today, Sony has officially taken the wraps off its new mid-range Alpha A6400 APS-C mirrorless camera. As the name suggests, the A6400 is not a direct replacement for the Alpha A6500, but instead replaces the Alpha A6300, with the aging Alpha A5100 and A6000 remaining in Sony's mirrorless line-up. The Alpha A6400 features a 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor with a front-end LSI, which combined with the same BIONZ X image processor that the Alpha A9, A7R III and A7 III enjoys, it sees the A6400 deliver an ISO sensitivity up to 102,400 and processing speeds 1.8x faster than the A6300. Sony also believes that the color reproduction has also be greatly improved. With the Alpha A6400, Sony's claiming the world's fastest autofocus at just 0.02 sec, while for the first time on an Alpha camera, Sony is introducing Real-Time Eye AF with AI-based subject recognition. This promises to be even more accurate than Sony's current Eye AF system, which now features a right or left eye priority setting in the menu. Not only that, but the A6400 also gets Real-Tim AF Tracking with AI-based subject recognition. Another first for an Alpha camera and more on that when we get it. Focusing is based around a 425-point phase-detect system that's supplemented by a further 425 contrast-detect AF points, with 84% coverage of the frame. To partner this advanced AF system, the A6400 can shoot at up to 11fps with both AF and AE (the buffer is 116 JPEG shots). Should you want silent shooting, this can be achieved at 8fps. Made for vloggingAs you can see from the photos, the body of the Alpha A6400 follows a similar form factor to other A6000-series cameras, with a relatively large handgrip and a reasonable amount of body-mounted controls. It does differ slightly though, with the addition of a flip-out 3.0-inch touchscreen display that rotates outwards 180-degrees. This is going to be a big draw we believe for vloggers when you factor in that the A6400 can also shoot 4K video (using 6K oversampling) at 100Mbps. On top of this, there's also S-log3 and S-log2 support for post production, as well as 4K HDR (HLG) recording. The A6400 also has a microphone jack and is compatible with XLR adapters also, while if you want, 4K video can be transferred directly to your smartphone thanks to the new Imaging Edge Mobile app. The Alpha A6400 also features a high-resolution XGA OLED electronic viewfinder, while the magnesium alloy body covers are sealed against dust and moisture. The Sony Alpha A6400 will available from early February and will be priced at $900 /£950 body only, £1,000 with a 16-50mm power-zoom kit lens or £1,300 with the 18-135mm lens. US and Australian pricing still to be confirmed. Best mirrorless camera: 10 top models to suit every budgethttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/9f94KXCo2Is

We're into prime shopping territory now and that means this is a great time to get a cheap 4K TV deal! So if you're ready for the world of Ultra HD take a look at the highlights of the best TV sale prices below. We've thoroughly searched through the early sales to bring you the best offers on the net. So whether you're looking for an XL 4K TV to serve as the focal point of your home theater system, a modestly sized set for the bedroom or kitchen, or an entry level TV for the kids, you're sure to find something that meets your specifications and budget. You will find all of our carefully curated deals below. We've divided them into three different size categories immediately after our pick for the best cheap TV deal of the week. These days you really don't have to pay much more to get a Ultra HD 4K set instead of an older-style HD one. If you're after the hottest tech in TV though, you may want to take a look at the cheapest OLED TV prices. Whether you want a small TV with a price tag to match or something to show all the colours of the rainbow (and a few million more) with HDR, we've found plenty of options. Read on to find the TV you want at a great price! http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cXddweFzCzW4ShAruhge9n.jpeg TechRadar's cheap TV deal of the weekCheap TV deals (40-49 inch)Cheap TV deals (50-59 inch):Cheap TV deals (60-85 inch):More cheap TV sales:Not found the right cheap TV for you today? Or maybe you'd prefer to directly browse the TVs at your favourite retailers instead of our highlights of the best cheap TV deals? We're updating this page on a regular basis, so you may have better look another day. If you want to take a look for yourself now though, here are the direct links to a the full collection of TV deals at multiple stores. AmazonWalmarteBayJetTiger DirectP.C. Richard & SonNeweggSamsungB&H Photo and Videohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/lPY9NIrg7yE

Blockchain appears to be gaining traction in the banking sector with HSBC announcing that it has settled $250bn worth of forex trades using the technology in the last year. In a statement, the bank revealed that it has settled over three million forex trades and made over 150,000 payments using blockchain since February. HSBC did no provide any data on forex trades settled using traditional processes though it did say that those settled by blockchain represented a “small” proportion of its business overall. The finance industry has previously been reluctant to adopt blockchain but this new data may be enough to convince those who are hesitant about implementing the emerging technology. From investment to implementationBanks and other financial institutions have invested heavily in blockchain with hopes that it could help simplify their operations and cut costs in processes from settlements to payments. However, few banks have moved from the testing stage to implementation of the technology in large-scale projects citing high costs, uncertainty over regulation and the risk of disruption to their existing systems as the reasons they have not moved forward. According to HSBC, blockchain technology has allowed it to automate manual processes and has reduced its reliance on external technology. In a statement to the Financial Times, the banks head of forex and commodities Richard Bibbey explained how its FX Everywhere project is helping to increase the efficiency of transactions, saying: “HSBC . . . conduct thousands of foreign exchange transactions within the bank, across multiple balance sheets, in dozens of countries. FX Everywhere uses distributed ledger technology to drastically increase the efficiency of these internal flows.” Via Reuters Interested in blockchain? This is everything you need to know about blockchainhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/pm6tgS2DwIM

While you won't catch Apple selling the iPhone X now that the company has unveiled the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but you can still buy the previous model at a lower cost elsewhere. It's still a pricey device, though, and nobody likes it when their high-end phone's fancy screen (or glass back) cracks from a bad drop. The best way to keep your phone in one piece is to wrap it in an affordable case that could save you hundreds in repair costs. Whether you want a rugged iPhone X case to protect the phone from any (and every) misadventure or just a basic plastic sheath to add a bit of armor while still showing off the device's slick looks, there’s a case out there for you. Here are our top picks, spanning from affordable, simple protection to complex cases that will make it a lot harder accidentally harm your fancy iPhone X. Here, you can check out the best iPhone 8 cases or iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max caseshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uTaEUAR9XxLfd3cikLnPwH.jpg Torras ultra-thin caseThe Torras ultra-thin case is exactly what it sounds like: barely a layer between the phone and the environment. While that's not nearly the protection a heftier, multi-material case would offer, this one is better than nothing – and it keeps your phone slim so you can slip it into a pocket or a small bag. The case has a small lip around the phone blister – which should fit both iPhone X and iPhone XS sizes. You can pick one up for $10 on Amazon here. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yf7XVwgHq6FbLDefvWcqGA.jpg Swarovski jeweled caseAs the newer iPhone XS phases out the old iPhone X, so are the latter's cases nudged out the door with discounts. Just so with this Swarovski-brand case, which - sadly - doesn't include real crystals, but it does have a shiny jeweled back to give that impression. You can snag one of these for $59 (£45, AU$81) for a sweet 29% off the list price (and the semi-camoflauged color is even a bit cheaper) on Best Buy's website. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yNixubhyHDCvZYRp7ReUwG.jpg Under Armour Handle-It CaseNeed a case for running? Athletics clothing company Under Armour has a specialty case with two elastic bands to slip through your hand to ensure you don't drop your iPhone X. Even if you do, the tough rubber-looking exterior and padding inner lining offer protection from bumps, drops and scrapes. You can pick one up for $39 on Best Buy's website. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hgXCcZfUE2XCK36uQ26WoZ.jpg LOHASIC iPhone X leather slim caseFor those of you who want a classy leather look without a full folio-style front cover, this case is for you. It comes in multiple colors over a metallic gold or black frame. Given its low cost, this probably isn't the highest-quality leather case you could pick up, but it's a nice look for a bargain price. Pick up the LOHASIC iPhone X slim leather case for $16 (£12, AU$22) on Amazon here. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gs9pysRF8WDkMRkGtGqHAc.jpg Olixar Ultra-Thin Gel CaseThis is one of the cheapest iPhone X cases on the market right now and it should protect your phone from the odd scratch. We don't think it'll be able to do much to protect your device if you drop it though and the gel material probably won't feel as comfortable on your palms as the glass that's on the back of the iPhone X. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YRo9wCRgfE74WQkuPyM9ZS.jpg TOZO Ultra Thin Hard CaseTOZO claims this is the world’s thinnest hard-shell case for the iPhone X and while we can’t be sure whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly very slim at just 0.35mm thick. That makes it a great choice if you don’t want to add any bulk to your fancy new phone, especially given the low price of this case, which should make it all the more appealing if your bank balance is hurting after buying the iPhone X itself. However, while it will offer some protection against scrapes, we’re not confident that a case this thin will do much to protect your phone from drops. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9X4T8v4eT2PVZhAqT7x4ZS.jpg JETech Protective Case with KickstandWith the JETech Protective Case you’re getting a lot of case for not very much money at all. It’s a black TPU case – so far so basic, but it has a carbon fiber design, giving it a bit of flair, and a textured frame for extra grip. This JETech case also has a built-in metal kickstand, so you can prop your iPhone X up for hands-free viewing, while air cushion technology gives you more drop defense than you might expect. Ultimately it’s a fairly plain case, and you can get more protection elsewhere, but it looks to strike a good balance between features and price. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7PXDRJRgA5i3VrUbCUspYS.jpg Spigen Ultra Hybrid CaseSometimes the simplest option is the best option, and the Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone X case is certainly simple. It’s available in a range of colors, but they all include a transparent back, so you can see your iPhone X in full while keeping it protected. It’s just a simple polycarbonate hard case, but it’s slim, has pronounced button covers so the buttons are easy to find and press, large cut-outs that can fit most cables, and it’s made from a non-slip material, so you’re less likely to drop your phone. If you do still drop it though the case sports air cushioned corners, which should help keep your iPhone X in one piece. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dbbUtLQTCxjU4ZFFGDBGbS.jpg ESR Marble Pattern CoverMost of the options we’ve covered so far have been fairly plain, but the ESR Marble Pattern cover really stands out, with a marble design in black, blue, grey or white. Beneath the surface it’s a thin and light TPU case, and there’s nothing clever going on here, so you’re only getting basic protection, but it includes a smooth, anti-scratch and anti-fingerprint finish, raised lips to protect the screen and camera, and a low price tag. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bsDU6b2WcRrYPGjjusjYtA.jpg Spigen Neo HybridThe Spigen Neo Hybrid case offers a combination of hard and soft protection to keep you iPhone X safe from nicks and falls. And, it does all that with a slick design, combining grippy PU plastic with a herringbone pattern and hard PC with a metallic paint job. It offers design and protection both at an affordable price. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nstigDMaPDhaL26wtR9U8E.jpg Totallee Thin iPhone X CaseThis one may be one of the best looking cases we've seen for the iPhone X so far and the super thin design means the case shouldn't make your phone much bulgier in your pocket. It's uncertain how protective that vertical camera cut-out will be, but here you'll get the choice of a variety of colors including a bold blue and green. Those aren't colors you can buy the new iPhone X in. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fJLLJBH6okY8YCnS84kVWf.jpg Tech21 Evo TacticalUnlike the choice above, the Tech21 Evo Tactical won't protect the screen of your iPhone X, but you can always buy a screen protector to ensure you don't scratch up that 5.8-inch bezel-less display. The design of this case should help protect it from drops too, plus you can also use wireless charging without having to peel the case off your phone. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EJgexLqp3TX6yshLLh7dcS.jpg X-Doria Defense Lux iPhone X CaseCombining style and protection, the X-Doria Defense Lux case has an anodized aluminum frame with built-in air pockets to absorb shock. In fact, the case exceeds military drop test standards, so it should keep your iPhone X safer than most, but it also looks good, not just thanks to the aforementioned metal frame, but also because of the back, which comes in a choice of ballistic nylon, black leather, carbon fiber or wood. That’s an interesting selection of materials, each of which will give the X-Doria Defense Lux case a quite different appearance to most other iPhone X covers. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RPAWsT4SnoBhAiunbTmVpZ.jpg Incipio Esquire Slim caseWe get it, you don't want to use a case. But if you're tossing the idea around, you might want to try the Esquire Slim case, which is one of the most low-profile options we've found so far. The fabric yields a very soft, cotton-like feel and slides into the pocket easily. It covers each of the iPhone X's corners, but leaves the buttons exposed for ease of use. Despite its high-quality design, this one comes surprisingly cheap. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Yrahx4oXNCKUE7XyWuErbS.jpg Urban Armor Gear Feather-Light Rugged CaseYou might understandably want to put protection first when buying an iPhone X case, and if so the Urban Armor Gear Feather-Light Rugged Case should make for a good option. It combines a hard outer shell with a soft, impact-resistant core, plus skid pads on the back, which add up to a case that can meet military drop test standards. It also sports a visually striking – albeit rather rugged – design, and as the name suggests it’s surprisingly light, thanks to a honeycomb structure which also aids its drop protection. Wireless charging and contactless payments also work through the case, so you’re not losing any functionality. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kRvCUZZUoiMGQzk4fszzfY.jpg Otterbox Strada caseThe Strada series is perhaps one of Otterbox's classiest case sets yet. The Strada iPhone X case features all-around protection thanks to a multi-layer design and a folio cover for the screen. It's built to absorb shock from falls and protect against scratches and scrapes. Meanwhile, a leather exterior gives it a premium look to compliment the iPhone X, even if it is covering up most of the phone's design. Plus, a card holder will let you keep a credit card with your phone. See the Otterbox Strada iPhone X case at Amazon here. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EnD6a4bGWM2F3ak9HXhRnG.jpg Speck Presidio Grip caseIt may not be the prettiest case, but the Speck Presidio Grip case offers protection for your iPhone X on the back and sides, while a raised edge can help keep the screen from hitting the floor. On top of protecting your iPhone X from falls, the Presidio Grip case will also help you avoid the falls in the first place. It has rubberized grips that will give you a better hold on your phone so it doesn't slip out of your hand. See the Speck Presidio Grip iPhone X case at Amazon here. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/97RZyACWMYHcRqLD7LEhnZ.jpg Incase Facet caseThis case features a design that strikes a nice balance between a soft, silicon case and a hard case. Unlike other cases, this one doesn't have button cutouts or pronounced areas, but they are noted for easy navigation. This results in a low-profile option that has a slick ripple design on its back and a felt material on the inside to prevent scratches. Available in several colors, this one could be good for those who are looking for a rubbery-feeling case that isn't too loud visually. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XNYAMNK2NLxWBgfabUr6QT.jpg Moshi StealthCover for iPhone XThis case is slim once again, but it's made of metal and has a magnetic clasp on the side to ensure your phone screen won't easily get scratched up. It also has a military-grade drop protection certificate, so you can be certain this case will protect your iPhone X the time you inevitably drop it. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ruDsRLL3E8q2PYRV2RigWS.jpg OtterBox Statement Series Case for iPhone XThe OtterBox Statement Series Case at once wants to show your phone off and show itself off, as you can tell from the back, which is mostly transparent but has a large section of colored leather at the bottom. This gives the case a far more distinctive, high-end look than your average transparent case, and being from OtterBox you can trust that it’s well-built. In fact, it’s passed over 24 tests lasting more than 238 hours to ensure it offers maximum protection. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kSya52rdmtr928Qknwj9aS.jpg iPhone X Leather Folio CaseThis official Apple case is perhaps unsurprisingly one of the most expensive, but it goes some way to justifying the price tag, as it’s crafted from French leather, and unlike the Ullu case above it covers the front of the phone as well as the back, with a wallet-like design. That means you get more protection and Apple’s also made use of the flap on the front by adding a couple of slots, which you can use to hold cash and cards. The case will also wake your iPhone X up when you open it, and put it to sleep when closed, and it doesn’t prevent the phone from being wirelessly charged. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/TAwXzXLf6RE

In the battle for the best SIM only deals, Three has held the crown for quite a while now. But Virgin Mobile has just swooped on and taken the title temporarily with an absolutely incredible limited time offer. Virgin has topped Three's 100GB of data for £20 offer by chucking on another 20GB of data on top. Yes, that means you can now get 120GB of data for that price. To give you an idea of just how much that is, its enough to watch roughly four hours of SD Netflix every single day each month (not that we would necessarily advise that). We can quite happily tell you that you will not get a better big data SIMO deal anywhere else in the UK right now - but it will only be available until the end of the month. You can see this offer in all its glory down below and we fully advise grabbing one before it goes - these kind of deals don't come around everyday. The brilliant Virgin Mobile SIM only deal in full:Why go for a Virgin Mobile SIM only deal?Virgin Mobile proudly claims on its website that it has a faster average 4G speed than O2, Vodafone and Three and a 99% 4G coverage. On top of that the provider offers spending caps and data rollover although we're not entirely sure how much you'll need that when you have 120GB of data to use each month. Select from our list of best SIM only deals in the UK todayhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/yG49sjEzsjU

You may have visited Pandora before, but never quite like with Borderlands 2 VR. The full sci-fi shooting loot-em-up returns with VR headtracking and motion support on PlayStation VR, and lands as one of the best shooters on Sony's virtual reality platform. Read on for the full details. Roughly two years on from its launch, the PlayStation VR for the PS4 and PS4 Pro remains the best-selling virtual reality headset on the market. And for good reason – Sony has committed to putting excellent, high-quality games out on the system, and has done so on hardware that puts entry price at just as an important standing as performance. After all, if people can't afford virtual reality, how will they be able to play the games in the first place? And as the PlayStation VR has proved to be such a mainstream hit, it should come as no surprise that developers have been busy building great games for users to try out. We're collecting the very best PlayStation VR games right here for your convenience. To date we’ve seen a lot of the best VR games, including those not originally intended for the Sony console, get reconfigured for the PSVR. On top of that, the PSVR has been getting its own range of exclusive gaming titles. We expect more and more great games will be landing on the platform over the next few months, so keep everything crossed that you can. Looking for PSVR deals on Cyber Monday?Once you've picked up a shiny new headset (and hopefully some awesome Move controllers), it can be difficult to pick the best PlayStation VR games out from the increasingly large pile of current titles. We’re here to help with our recommendations of some of the best PSVR games around at the moment (and the ones we’re most excited about landing soon), and our picks cover a wide range of genres and playing styles. We’re always on the lookout for brand new PSVR games, so be sure to keep checking back for our latest picks of what’s new and what’s worth it. We’ll also make sure you know when there’s an upcoming game that looks too good to miss, so you can get your hands on it as soon as it's been released. So whether you want to know what it feels like to be Batman or want to travel to a war-torn alien planet, or even face mortal dread with the most engrossing Resident Evil experience around, there’s something for you in VR. Here’s a detailed look at the best PlayStation VR games for 2018 (so far). Developer: Gearbox Price: $49.99, £39.99 Does it require Move controllers? No First person shooting meets Diablo-style loot hunting in the Borderlands games, and the superb Borderlands 2 VR now brings virtual reality action into the mix, too. Sci-fi treasure hunters in a Mad Max world, Borderlands 2 in VR takes the frantic action of the original games to a whole other level by putting you right into the center of its colorfully violent world. You'll collect countless unique weapons, battle waves of bizarre foes and explore a land as mad as its shooting action is varied. What could have been a nauseating puke-fest in virtual reality has actually been adapted with aplomb here. Whether you're playing with a DualShock controller or Move wands, the game offers ample options to make the game suit your comfort level, from full locomotion through to teleportation and peripheral vision hazing. A lengthy adventure that's well worth a look, even if you've mastered it on a flatscreen previously. Developer: Japan Studio Price: $39.99, £24.99 Does it require Move controllers? No If you own a PlayStation VR headset (which, if you're reading this, we're guessing you probably do) stop what you're doing, head over to your PS4, and buy Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. If the PlayStation VR was awaiting a killer title, it now unarguably has one. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission isn't just a great VR platformer, it's a great platforming game full stop. Full of the kind of inventiveness we've come to only expect from Nintendo's Mario series, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission plays with the VR format with such wild imagination, it makes other efforts look lazy. Weaving levels all around the player, and using scale to both disarm and delight your expectations, it's quite unlike anything you'll have ever played before. It's hard to put the Tetris Effect experience into words. Essentially you play regular games of Tetris, except that the environments you're playing in change. Each level has its own distinct flavor - with music and visuals tailored to its theme. For example, you can play an underwater level and you will hear soothing underwater noises, while sparkling, whales float around your head. It's a psychedelic and hypnotic experience, and one that everyone should have the privilege to play. Developer: Vertigo Games Price: $39.99, £32.99 Does it require Move controllers? No, but recommended Resident Evil 7 isn’t the only great VR zombie game, as Arizona Sunshine has proved by mixing a bit of humor with a whole lot of zombies. The game throws players into the arid Southwest of the United States, an area overrun with zombies. It’s lonely out there, but there’s hope on the horizon of other humans that haven’t been infected. Arizona sunshine offers a variety of zombies, some tougher than others, and a host of weapons to help put them down. The campaign can be played in co-op, and there’s also a multiplayer Horde mode. An essential PSVR game for fans of the undead. See Arizona Sunshine at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Schell Games LLC Price: £19.99, $24.99 Does it require Move controllers?: No, but with so many things you can interact with, the Move controllers will offer a lot of extra freedom. The fantastic I Expect You to Die will have you feeling like a classy Cold War-era spy, like James Bond as played by Sean Connery or Roger Moore, not Daniel Craig. The game puts you into the role of a special agent tasked with getting yourself out of exceedingly sticky situations, all without moving from your seat. It makes excellent use of VR, as you can pick up and play with objects all over your environment, whether or not doing so actually helps you complete your objective. There are several levels (with the potential of the developer adding more later, as has already been done), and each sets you in a unique environment that plays out much like an escape room. You’re faced with a series of puzzles, and your actions will determine whether you live or die. The puzzles are great, and many can be solved multiple ways, lending the game some replayability. This is also a fun one to watch your friends try, as you’ll enjoy the shock on their faces when they encounter traps, such as a cabinet full of hand grenades. See I Expect You to Die at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Ployarc Price: $30, £25 Will it require Move controllers? No A family-friendly VR adventure, Moss offers the immersion of a virtual reality experience with the fun of a platformer and sense of wonder of a Zelda game. Developed by a team made up in part of former Bungie employees, you'll direct an intrepid, sword-wielding rodent through forests and ruins, guiding her through enemy filled rooms while taking direct control of environmental elements to solve puzzles. It's the perfect use of VR from a third-person perspective, giving you dual control over a hero avatar and as an omnipotent influence on her surroundings. It makes great use of perspective too, with a 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids' look at a world from a mouse's scale. Definitely one to play on your PlayStation VR. See Moss at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Survios Price: £19.99, $29.99 Does it require Move controllers?: Yes Some people might have an impression of VR players slowly sinking into their couch as their virtual body flourishes and their real world body withers away. That couldn’t be further from the truth for players of Sprint Vector. This game is like Mario Kart meets Jet Set Radio, as players are thrust into a cartoonish world where they have to race against other players on sci-fi roller blades. The key to the movement is players swinging their real-world arms back and forth in a running motion. No motion in the real world means no motion in the game. And, to get going fast, you really need to hustle. This game is as much a workout as any game from the Wii generation, so don’t be surprised if you break a sweat and get a bit of cardio in playing Sprint Vector on your PSVR. But it’s not just a work. It’s also fun, as a goofy announcer keeps everything lighthearted even while racers try sabotaging one another with a handy arsenal of weapons. See Sprint Vector at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: SUPERHOT Team Price: £19.99, $24.99 Does it require Move controllers?: Yes, though a non-VR version of the game is also available and truly excellent. It’s always a delight when a game developer takes a tried-and-true genre and introduces a new gameplay mechanic that flips it on its head. That was the case when SUPERHOT was released, as the first-person shooter was slowed way, way down. In the game, time only moves when the player moves, and that can make for some fantastic Matrix-esque moments. All of that gameplay has translated excellently into virtual reality with SUPERHOT VR. You’re plopped right into the middle of truly precarious situations, such as standing empty-handed before three enemies with shotguns who have you dead-to-rights, with only your wits and time on your side. While the story only takes a couple hours to play through, there’s plenty of replayability in SUPERHOT VR, as you can try to play through different ways, or take on challenge modes. It’s also a great VR party game, as players can swap in and out to show off their moves. Pick it up for your PlayStation VR today. See SUPERHOT VR at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Red Storm Entertainment Price: £39.99, $49.99 Does it require Move controllers?: No – Star Trek: Bridge Crew can actually be played fully outside of VR by those who do not have PSVR or occasionally want to stay in the real world, but the most immersive experience is naturally had in VR. Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts Star Trek fans right where they’ve always wanted to be: on the bridge of a Federation starship, or even in the captain’s seat. But it doesn’t put you there alone. This is actually a multiplayer, cross-platform game. Players on PSVR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive can all play together, and as we've said, even non-VR players can join in. Each player has a role to play, specifically Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineer. A crew of four can take on the story mission of finding a new home world for the Vulcan population, or procedurally generated missions can offer endless playability. If you want to explore space with a few friends but can’t wait for Elon Musk to make it happen, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a great alternative. As a bonus, the game is often on sale, so you may not have to pay full price. See Star Trek: Bridge Crew at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Bethesda Game Studios Price: £49.99, $49.99 Does it require Move controllers? No. DualShock controllers give a more comfortable, familiar control system for what's quite a complex game, but Move motion controllers let you swing a sword, and there's no arguing that that's not cool. You've played Skyrim, right? The benchmark for open world gaming for so long, it's been hard to ignore, a cultural phenomenon of sorts. The RPG has now been reworked for Sony's PSVR headset, and, while not perfect, it's well worth experiencing. There's nothing quite like the scale of Skyrim in VR, with 100s of hours of RPG gaming letting you explore a huge map filled with secrets, quests and dragons to fell. Whether standing at the foot of a mountain or going toe-to-toe with a troll, the presence VR adds to the world is superb. Even if you've played through the game multiple times, it's still something quite special to actually be standing in Solitude, or climbing the steps of Bleak Falls Barrow with your own two feet. However, while the world remains superb, the transition to VR hasn't been perfect. Move-controller sword swinging feels clumsy, menu navigation is a chore, locomotion can be tricky to master and many visual compromises have been made to meet the demands of VR visuals. For anyone that's played a more recent remaster of Skyrim, it'll feel a bit more rough and ready than you're used to. Leave your expectations at the door though, and it's a unique return to Bethesda's still-excellent core game, with some new bells and whistles thrown in. See The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Polyphony Digital Price: £44.99, $69.99 Does it require Move controllers? No, but getting a racing wheel elevates the experience. It's the daddy of racing sims, so it's fitting that Gran Turismo Sport, the franchise's first foray on the PS4, should embrace that most immersive of console peripherals – the PlayStation VR headset. You'll get in the cockpit of a huge selection of beautifully realised vehicles, each modelled exactly as they appear in real life, before taking them out onto the circuit for head-to-head races. A side-helping to the brilliant main Gran Turismo Sport game, the VR mode has still been obviously meticulously crafted, with a discreet in-game HUD, useful mirrors and some fine-stitched racing gloves sitting over your digital hands. It makes an already drool-worthy racer extra tempting, and is a must-have for PSVR owners. See Gran Turismo Sport at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: SIEA/Impulse Gear Price: £49.99, $49.99 / £74.99, $79.99 with PS VR Aim Does it require Move controllers? No, but it's better with the PS VR Aim add-on. Like sci-fi? Love shooters? Laugh in the face of super-gross giant space spiders? Then PlayStation VR's Farpoint is for you. The PSVR exclusive sees you shooting your way through alien environments in glorious VR, and makes use of Sony's new gun controller to let you realistically aim at your extra-terrestrial foes. You can dodge and duck behind cover to avoid incoming fire, and while the game follows a fairly linear path, you're free to explore the levels at your leisure. Despite giving you free control over the movement of your character, Farpoint somehow manages to avoid the motion sickness issues that have plagued similar titles. We had a blast with Farpoint. Though short at six-or-so hours of single player story mode to complete, its multiplayer mode gives it some extra replayability, as does the pinpoint-accuracy of its visceral gunplay. For more on the game, read our Farpoint verdict here. See Farpoint at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Capcom Price: $60/£50 Does it require Move controllers? No. Resident Evil 7 is a bit of an anomaly on this list: the next entry in the long-running horror series takes the experience into first person for the first time, but, more impressively, can be played in its 18 hour entirety in VR. This means that the game is one of the longest PlayStation VR experiences available right now, but you'll need a lot of courage to make it through the game this way, since by all accounts Resident Evil 7 is one scary game – especially in virtual reality. However, if you're able to stomach the scares you'll be rewarded with one of the finest horror games of this generation, and a true return to form for the Resident Evil series. See Resident Evil 7 at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Criterion / DICE Price: Free (if you own Battlefront) Does it require Move controllers? No. It may only last 20 minutes, but what a fantastic third of an hour it is. Star Wars Battlefront's X-Wing VR mission, even as an extended tech demo, is a perfect example of what VR is capable of. Putting you right in the cockpit of a lovingly modelled X-Wing fighter, it transports you directly into a key element of the Star Wars universe. Handling like a dream as you dart between asteroids and take on a fleet of Tie Fighters, and you'll get all the feels when John Williams' iconic score begins to swell. Put this near the top of your shortlist for the best PlayStation VR games. See Star Wars: Battlefront at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Tarsier Studios Price: $19.99/£15.99 Does it require Move controllers? No. Statik, by Little Nightmare developers Tarsier Studios, is one of the cleverest VR games out there. It sounds simple enough. Each level sees you play as a research participant who wakes up with their hands trapped inside various different contraptions. Each button on the controller seems to do something on the device, but it's never really clear what. You'll have to experiment with trial and error to escape from each of these contraptions, and the puzzles get fiendishly difficult. But what's really impressive is how the game plays into the constraints of the PlayStation VR when used with a DualShock controller. It's camera isn't good at tracking over large distances, so the game has you sitting in a chair. The fact that you're using a controller makes you feel as though your hands really are trapped inside a box, even if you can move your hands freely in the real world. Statik is a game that's great at showing off the simpler pleasures of VR, and it's easy to get completely absorbed in its puzzles. See Statik at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Monstars + Enhance Games Price: $30/£25 Does it require Move controllers? No. Who’d have guessed that a 15 year old Dreamcast game would turn out to be one of the killer apps for Sony’s PlayStation VR headset? The second time that the classic shooter has been updated, Rez Infinite adds VR head tracking into the mix, putting you at the center of its Tron-like wireframe soundscapes. It’s always been a game that lets you “get in the zoneâ€, but with VR head tracking, Rez Infinite becomes almost hypnotic. With an ace, pulsing trance soundtrack that builds to a thumping crescendo as you shoot down polygonal enemies, you find yourself fully immersed in the futuristic landscape as it zips past your floating avatar. With an insane sense of speed and spot on head-tracking enemy targeting, it’s easy to completely lose track of reality whilst playing Rez Infinite, and it’ll be hard to stop yourself dancing along to the grooves your shots produce. Packing in all the additional content of the earlier HD re-release of Rez, it’s still a relatively short VR experience at just around an hour long. But, like a good album, it’s something you’ll want to dive into again and again. Just be careful that you don’t do a “Jeff Bridges in Tron†and find yourself so hooked that you’ll never want to leave. See Rez Infinite at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Rocksteady Studios Price: $20/£16 Does it require Move controllers? Yes. Batman: Arkham VR is probably the best introduction to PlayStation VR as a platform. While there isn’t a ton of gameplay in the traditional sense, it’s an amazing visual showcase that demonstrates the power of the platform. The opening sequence of the game draws you into in by leading you from the top floor of Wayne Manor down to the basement wherein you suit up as the Batman for the first time. What you’re paying for here are the vistas and the incredible level of immersion as you solve crimes throughout Gotham and come face-to-horrifying-face with Batman’s greatest adversaries. There’s few things scarier than looking the Joker in his beady bright green eyes or standing mere inches away from Killer Croc, and Batman: Arkham VR is one of the only experiences in the world that offer just that. See Batman: Arkham VR at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: London Studio Price: $40/£30 Does it require Move controllers? Yes. There’s a vast majority of gamers out there who are going to get PlayStation VR Worlds without ever heading to the store to pick it up. Sony’s decision to include it in the PlayStation VR Launch Day Bundle was, in many ways, one of the most brilliant decisions the company made with its VR headset. On the disc you’ll find a number of short, self-contained experiences that demo polished game ideas that could one day be expanded into full titles. The standout titles include Danger Ball, The London Heist and Scavengers Odyssey, but the remaining games – Ocean Descent and VR Luge – aren’t all that bad, either. There’s a reason Sony picked PlayStation VR Worlds to be packaged with every Launch Day bundle – it’s probably the best title to use to ease friends and family into virtual reality, rather than tossing them into the deep-end with a game like Thumper. The demos here can be a bit overwhelming at times – I’m looking in your direction, VR Luge – but if they’re feeling the motion sickness you can always bring them back to something like Danger Ball or Ocean Descent to get them back on their feet. See PlayStation VR Worlds at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Rebellion Price: $50/£50 Does it require Move controllers? No. Chances are, the original Battlezone might have passed you by if you're under 40 – Atari's 1980 arcade game doesn't quite hold the same iconic status as Pong. However, it's generally considered to be the very first VR game, which is why British developer Rebellion bought the rights from Atari so that it could remake it for modern VR headsets. The result is one of the best VR experiences we've had to date. The gameplay is fun (think a futuristic take on World of Tanks), but it's the striking-but-simple graphics that are the key to the overall enjoyment. There’s two main modes here – offline campaign and online multiplayer. While we didn’t have time to try it with a bunch of buddies online, the offline campaign mode feels pretty well fleshed out. There’s quite a number of tanks to pick from and unlock and while gameplay can err on the repetitive side, it’s enough to lock you in for a few hours at a time. While a lot of VR games try to go as realistic as possible, Battlezone's Tron-like game world is incredibly absorbing, and better yet it’s one of the few titles on the platform you'll be able to enjoy alongside your friends thanks to the game's inclusion of co-operative play. See Battlezone at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Sony Price: Free Does it require Move controllers? No. Even the coldest of hearts will be melted by The Playroom. The game’s cast is comprised of little robots who are tossed into peculiar, fun and even Mario-esque situations for your amusement. If I’m being totally honest, the whole game looks and plays like a Mario Party game and is perfect for larger crowds. In one mini-game, the player with the VR headset is a monster, while four players using a TV and DualShock 4 controllers try to avoid the debris he throws at them. In another, one player wearing the headset is tasked with sucking up ghosts from a haunted house while players outside of virtual reality locate the spectres and shout directions on where to shoot. There are also toybox demos where you just look into a miniature house and observe the droids as they go to the gym, go swimming, watch TV and so forth. But honestly the best part of Sony’s The Playroom VR is its price – it’s free to download, which makes it one of the best bargains anywhere on the PlayStation Store. See The Playroom VR at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: kokoromi Price: $30 Does it require Move controllers? No. SUPERHYPERCUBE is a legitimately fun game, like not “by VR’s standards” fun, but real honest fun. The goal here is to rotate blocks to get them to fit through an opening of a certain size and shape. Sneak the piece through and you’re rewarded with another block that will then create the next puzzle a bit harder. If you can’t, the blocks that can’t fit through the opening jettison off your cube and you start from square one. Where SUPERHYPERCUBE went right is that it didn’t try to do anything complex – like Tetris, Candy Crush and Breakout! the idea here is simple: don’t mess up. But the simple idea is enhanced by the perspective provided by VR – by allowing you to look at your floating cube from every angle you appreciate the times you solve the puzzle and simply laugh when it doesn’t work out. The only things SUPERHYPERCUBE is missing are a killer soundtrack and a few more modes to pad out the solve-it-or-start-over gameplay. A mode where you start with a cube comprised of 40 blocks or shaped like various mundane objects would’ve gone a long way to making it feel like a more complete, robust experience. Still, all that aside, it’s worth picking up. See SUPERHYPERCUBE at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Uber Entertainment Price: $20/£15 Does it require Move controllers? Yes. If you’ve been looking for PlayStation VR’s sleeper hit, Wayward Sky is it. An isometric puzzle game that’s aimed at younger gamers, Wayward Sky has you solving puzzles to reunite a young female pilot with her father. At times heartfelt and funny, other times heart-achingly sad, Wayward Sky is a rather emotional journey. Setting emotions aside for a minute, the game may not do the best of jobs leveraging virtual reality’s new perspective, but the few times it does – usually when operating a piece of machinery – are effective at making you feel more immersed. That said, it can be tough to tell who the game is targeting. While kids would make the most sense given the game’s lighter atmosphere and sometimes overly simple puzzle mechanics, Sony doesn’t recommend children under the age of 12 use its virtual reality headset. So unless you’re willing to fly in the face of Sony’s warning – or embark on the journey yourself while a little one watches along on the TV – you might need to skip past this patch of sky. See Wayward Sky at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Steel Crate Games Price: $15/£12 Does it require Move controllers? No. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes doesn’t sound like much fun on paper. While one person puts on a headset to look at an overly detailed bomb in a nondescript room, the other player uses the TV screen to read a dense direction manual on how which wires to cut and buttons to push to make sure you get to the next level. But underneath its seemingly boring exterior lies a tremendously fun exercise in teamwork, communication and sometimes sheer dumb luck as you make last-minute decisions to stop a bomb from going off. Levels that start off easy – usually with two or three puzzles to solve and a few minutes to solve them – have a tendency to escalate quickly. Part of the game’s charm is that whenever you start feeling good about your skills as either a decoder or disarmer, something else comes up that ruins your day. In that way it’s fun trying to stay calm under pressure and getting a laugh when it all, inevitably, blows up in your face. See Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Drool Price: $20/£16 Does it require Move controllers? No. Never have the words “Rhythm Hell” been a more apt description for a game. Thumper pushes you by sending wave after wave of obstacles your way that require button combinations set to a certain beat. If the flashing lightshow isn’t enough, the game’s aesthetics and boss battles are like something set out of Dante’s Inferno: hellish visages of what life in the afterlife might look like for all the naughtiest gamers. While the music in Thumper is never totally recognizable, it’s instantly catchy causing you to bob your head to the beat and curse loudly when the game sets aside all care for your emotions and just throws everything and the kitchen sink at you all at once. Thumper is, admittedly, a bit on the intense side visually – so it’s probably not the best thing to show off to mom and dad or little ones. But if you’ve gone through Rez Infinite and you’re looking for a musically inspired hellscape, Thumper should be the next game on your list. See Thumper at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Supermassive Games Price: $20/£15 Does it require Move controllers? Yes. One of our favorite aspects of PlayStation VR is just how many different genres of games it has. DriveClub in VR will satiate racing game fans' need for speed, while GNOG will put fans of puzzle games face-to-face with a dozens of colorful enigmas to solve. Unlike either of those, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood joins Resident Evil 7 in being one of PlayStation VR's first forays into the horror genre, one that straps you into a carnival-esque rollercoaster and sends you hurtling through of funhouse of horrors. While the controls are fairly limited – basically shoot anything and everything that moves – the real "fun" to be had in Rush of Blood comes from tumbling from one jump scare to the next with a deathgrip on both the controller and your bladder. Trust me kids, nothing is scarier than almost peeing your pants in a room full of your friends. See Until Dawn: Rush of Blood at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Double Fine Productions Price: $20/£15 Does it require Move controllers? No. If you're looking for a laugh while play testing your new PSVR, check out Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, a game written by the weird, twisted mind of Tim Schafer. While we've always loved the stuff Schafer has done, Rhombus of Ruin takes his writing to a new dimension. (Get it? Fine. We're not funny.) What you'll find here behind the clever jokes and Schafer's lovably strange humor is a straightforward puzzle game that can be played in just over an hour. The puzzles aren't exactly mind melting, and the experience might be a bit too short for the price of entry, but if you can't wait another minute for Psychonauts 2 or want a more laid-back experience while you're still learning the ropes of virtual reality, this is a trip to the inner psyche worth taking. See Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin at the PlayStation StoreDeveloper: Sony London Studio Release window: 2018 Will it require Move controllers? Yes. After rocking the PlayStation VR launch with VR Worlds and its standout cockney-shooting gallery mode The Heist, Sony London Studio is following it up with a full-length dive into London's underworld. In Blood and Truth you'll play as a former special forces operative exploring the murky world of London's criminal elite on a mission to save his family. Taking its cues from big-budget action movies, it wants to make you feel like the hero of your own film. From the demo we've seen so far, Sony London Studio again nails its VR gunplay, but it's the little details that look set to make the game shine. As good looking as any game that's yet hit the PlayStation VR headset, Sony London Studio offers an intuitive world where partaking action movie tropes (like shooting at the feet of a tight-lipped informant unwilling to spill the beans), are rewarded just as you'd expect them to be. If you've got a PSVR headset, we think it should be top of your wishlist. See Blood and Truth at the PlayStation siteDeveloper: Owlchemy Labs Release window: 2018 Will it require Move controllers? Most likely. Fans of Job Simulator have a new game to look forward to in Vacation Simulator. It’s looking to be more of the same humor, paired with quirky gameplay as you try your best to participate in a vacation. We don’t have many details on the game yet, other than a brief look at it here, and that it should release in 2018 on multiple VR platforms. As long as Owlchemy Labs keeps doing their thing, we have no doubt Vacation Simulator will be a fun little romp in VR. See Vacation Simulator hereDeveloper: Bandai Namco Studio / Project Aces Release window: 2018 Will it require Move controllers? Likely not. Being in a cockpit is one of the most natural settings for VR, and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown drops players in the cockpits of a fighter jet for some extreme dog-fighting. The Ace Combat series has had a fairly consistent track record of coming out with compelling dog-fighting games, and the upcoming title will hopefully prove that little has changed. It’s unclear just how much gameplay will actually be in VR, as Ace Combat 7 won’t be a strictly-VR game. But, a package that comes with a complete game and offers a special VR mode on top is a good package in our eyes. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is slated for release in 2018 on PlayStation VR. See Ace Combat 7 at the PlayStation sitehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8J85Hfd2mAo

Have you ever had one of those moment where you’ve done something really cool, and there was no-one around to see it? A 3-pointer from the halfway line, for instance? That’d be a bit like Nintendo’s 2012 release, New Super Mario Bros. U for the Wii U. The culmination of six years work which had kicked off with the New Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo DS in 2006, reimagining the classic 2D side-scrolling Mario titles, New Super Mario Bros. U was an under appreciated joy upon its release. This was simply by virtue of the Wii U console itself shifting so few units. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DvrQWEuSW7DwFaTbj3d88K.jpg Fast-forward to 2019 however, and the transforming Nintendo Switch is the must-have console on the block. And with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe proving that there’s a large audience for Wii U remasters on the new hardware, here we are at the start of the year with a remaster that, for many, will be a brand new Mario title in the shape of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. And gee, are we thankful for it. Return to the Mushroom KingdomSo, first off – what hasn’t changed with New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (which we’ll be calling U Deluxe from here here on in to save our keyboards from wearing out). U Deluxe remains a 2D side-scrolling platformer in the classic Mario vein, but with characters and backgrounds modelled in the now-familiar 3D Mario style. Mario (and friends – each level can be played with four players simultaneously) has an expanded moveset in keeping with his free-roaming adventures, which includes letting him spin jump and butt slam, while there’s a Flying Squirrel suit power up for tackling tougher enemies, jumps and hunting down secrets. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vzi3T5fRWPh8nydx9ZdxDK.jpg The game also re-introduced the classic Mario overworld map, which allowed you to unlock secret levels and paths to a final confrontation with Bowser by exploring each stage meticulously. It was a tough challenge (something that’s been addressed by the remake), and a manic one at that – competing against the intricate and tricky stages, as well as the bumbling efforts of your couch-bound pals, made for a thrilling single-player ride and a laugh-a-minute multiplayer session. While the sense of discovery never matched the zenith seen in Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo, we’d argue it’s one of the top three side-scrolling Mario’s ever, after Super Mario Bros 3. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wuqEuzdMPjtjvxT7H7Ms6K.jpg What's new, bros?So then – what has changed? For starters, the console itself. For many remasters this wouldn’t mean much more than the opportunity to bump up texture quality and ramp up the resolution. And while U Deluxe does this with aplomb (with the game now running at 1080p when the Switch is docked, compared to the dynamic resolution of the original) the nature of the Nintendo Switch means that the game can now for the first time be enjoyed as an on-the-go handheld title. This is doubly significant as the game includes as part of its price New Super Luigi U, which was originally sold as a DLC pack. Here the focus switches to green-garbed Luigi, whose moveset is floatier and slippier, as he takes on challenge levels. With the timer for these reworked levels set to just 100 seconds, they’re perfect for bite-sized runs while on a commute. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t2prnNUczQyozv5KY4qyEK.jpg The biggest change really sits with the characters themselves. You’ve still got Luigi, Mario, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad, as well as the easy-to-play Nabbit, who’s control precision makes it designed for beginners. But in addition is an all new character called Toadette. She too is easy to play just like Nabbit, with stickier feet, directional swimming control and floatier jumps, but comes with her own unique powerup, the Super Crown. This unlocks Peachette, who can float in the air and double jump, again making tough levels easier to beat. There’s been a casualty in the conversion though, and that’s access to the quirky Miiverse that shipped with the Wii U. This chat-lite system, letting you doodle thoughts, pictures and level tips for other players to see, is gone as the Switch doesn’t support the cross-title system feature. It was a fun diversion (and one that archivists will certainly cry over). But from a gameplay perspective as opposed to a social one, you’re not missing out. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Et4R7inQVofmEcz8tv8q6K.jpg Verdict: Play itIf you already enjoyed New Super Mario Bros. U the first time around, there’s going to be little here to tempt you to lay down your cash again, other than a desire to take the game on the go with you. It’s a more complete package with the Luigi levels added and resolution bumped, but the additional content is quality-of-life oriented, rather than padding an already sizeable campaign. Likewise, if you’re only going to play one Super Mario game on the Switch (which would be a very sad mistake indeed) you should go with Super Mario Odyssey, which truly represents everything great about the Nintendo Switch, and is one of the finest games Nintendo has ever made. Those concessions aside (and especially if you’re a newcomer to the game), New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe resurrects an under-appreciated platforming star. It’s got Nintendo’s signature charm throughout, a scalable challenge based on the characters you play as, and sits up there with the best 2D Mario games ever released. Whether you pick it up on the Nintendo Switch or are inspired to dust off a Wii U console, it deserves to be played. Best Nintendo Switch games: does Mario make the cut?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/UZV3RwpYhL4

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is getting an upgrade. As of today, anyone who orders the £39.99 Fire TV Stick from Amazon will get a beefed up Alexa voice remote bundled in – all at no extra cost. Amazon's Fire TV sticks function as online streaming devices, allowing you to browse a wide array of streaming services, internet apps, and social media platforms like YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Music or Amazon Prime Video. The next-gen Alexa voice remote, which is priced at £29.99 individually, builds on the previous remote with additional volume controls, as well as individual mute and power buttons. The new remote is also compatible with other AV equipment connected through your TV – meaning you can turn speakers on and off, or alter the volume on your hi-fi setup through the same remote you control your Fire TV device and Alexa assistant with. This range is on fireWe first saw the new remote in 2018, when it started shipping with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K – though it will now be packed in with the cheaper HD-capable model too. It will start shipping to UK customers on January 23. If you don't fancy upgrading to a whole new model just for the remote, though, you can buy the new Alexa voice remote by itself for £29.99. It's currently compatible with the Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV (3rd Gen). The best Amazon Fire TV deals, prices and sales available right nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/3Lb5SrB4zwE

The new iPad Pro 11 is getting a rare discount for a limited time. B&H Photo has slashed the price of the popular Apple tablet down to $1,479.99. That's a $70 discount and the best price we've seen for this popular tablet with 1TB of storage. The iPad Pro features an advanced 11-inch Liquid Retina display that goes edge to edge for a more expansive screen. The iPad Pro has also replaced the home button with a 7MP front-facing camera with Face ID so you can securely unlock your tablet, log in to apps, and more with just a glance. The most impressive feature of this particular tablet is the storage capacity that this iPad offers. The Apple iPad Pro features 1TB of storage which is the highest capacity offered by a tablet. Having 1TB of flash storage is great for professionals or users that want to store a lot of videos and photos. The iPad Pro also features up to ten hours of battery life. Shop more of our iPad deals below that you can buy right now. Apple iPad Deals:http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/KbuG9BumATw

What is blockchain?Like much of the technology world, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin still rely on some form of database that are able to track large volumes of transactions and keep them secure. The solution used by many of the world’s largest digital currencies is the blockchain. First implemented in 2009, the technology consists of 'blocks' that hold batches of timestamped transactions, with each block linked to the previous one through cryptography, thus forming a chain. As the world becomes ever more smarter and inter-connected, cryptocurrencies have become an increasingly attractive proposition for growing markets that may not have traditional banking infrastructure. Several developing third-world nations have implemented blockchain-based national currencies, and the technology is also used by several major charity projects to help those without bank accounts. However blockchain also offers the possibility of creating a fraud-proof system for transacting exchanges. This therefore gives it huge potential for use outside of the digital currency sphere, helping attract interest not just among traditional financial institutions, but in areas as diverse as manufacturing, food production and many more. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hzZAVwcTkVQ3TZKBg932QQ.jpg Blockchain - the latest news15/01 - World's first blockchain smartphone store opens in London - Sirin Labs opens London store to showcase Finney smartphone... 30/11 - Huawei rolls out global blockchain - Cloud-based blockchain service is available worldwide... 29/11 - Amazon reveals its own blockchain platform - E-commerce giant announces managed ledger database and managed blockchain service... 26/10 - Royal Mint shutters plans for gold-based blockchain - RMG tokens will not be launching at this time... 24/10 - Accenture wants to tie blockchains together - New service can connect two or more blockchains together in attempt to solve interoperability problems... 23/10 - HTC Exodus blockchain smartphone launches today - Blockchain-powered Exodus 1 device is available from today for cryptocurrency fans... 18/10 - Blockchain can “revolutionise” UK business - Capgemini study highlights benefits blockchain can bring to supply chains around the world... 10/10 - Ofcom investigates how Blockchain can be used to distribute phone numbers - Ofcom hopes to create a more efficient database for the UK... 10/10 - A look at the vital role blockchain is playing in banking the unbanked - Blockchain is helping to bring inclusive finance to the world's deprived communities... 09/10 - How blockchain will herald a new era of security for your business operations - Will blockchain play a pivotal role in the future of Internet security? 09/10 - Lack of collaboration hindering European blockchain adoption - European businesses see the potential of blockchain but are unwilling to collaborate... 28/09 - Blockchain breakthroughs – just how much can the tech do? - We take a look at some of the most interesting blockchain use cases around today... 20/09 - The impact of blockchain - Which industries are set to benefit the most from this emerging technology? 20/09 - HTC Exodus: The blockchain phone that could change the internet as we know it - We speak to HTC's Phil Chen about why its blockchain phone could be a new dawn for the internet... 10/09 - Understanding the power of Blockchain infused with AI - What could the marriage of AI and blockchain produce? 14/08 - Half of Brits say they don't trust blockchain - Many Brits say they are baffled by blockchain, and wouldn't trust companies that use it... 09/08 - Blockchain is not the answer to your security troubles, Google boss says - Project Zero chief also calls for more collaboration in security industry... 06/08 - Blockchain and IP: building the blocks to a better future - Why blockchain could be the key to transform the IP industry... 30/07 - IBM bets big on blockchain app store - LedgerConnect system set to push blockchain services further than before... 25/07 - Blockchain company Tron buys BitTorrent - File sharers can rest easy... 24/07 - Google bets on blockchain for cloud - Google Cloud Platform now supports key backbone of blockchain technology... 18/07 - Mastercard targets major blockchain breakthrough - Card provider looks to patent technology aimed at making blockchain payments simpler and faster... 12/07 - Finney is the world's first $1,000 blockchain phone - Blockchain-powered Finney phone revealed by Sirin Labs ahead of launch... 11/07 - HTC Exodus: everything you need to know about the blockchain phone - HTC is launching a blockchain-powered phone, here's all the top facts... 10/07 - HTC reveals more on its blockchain phone - HTC Exodus will get early access later this year... 04/07 - MP calls for UK government to get behind blockchain - Eddie Hughes MP urges government to appoint Chief Blockchain Officer to gain support... 25/06 - Microsoft is re-launching its blockchain - Teaming up with banking giant EY to make blockchain a force for good... 18/06 - What is Hdac? The World Cup blockchain advert, decoded - We take a closer look at the World Cup’s most technology-friendly advert... 11/06 - UK could be set for first blockchain listing - London Stock Exchange listing could be a UK blockchain first 06/06 - The role of blockchain in GDPR compliance - Can blockchain be the key to helping your business conquer GDPR? 31/05 - GDPR compliance and Blockchain - How are two of the biggest technology issues of today linked? 29/05 - Blockchain could revolutionise retail: Deloitte - Deloitte report claims major changes could be made using blockchain... 23/05 - American Express: Why blockchain could save help save you from fraud - American Express technology head hints at more blockchain to come from the card provider... 16/05 - HTC is making a blockchain smartphone - HTC Exodus will feature beefed-up security protection designed for blockchain transactions... 14/05 - HSBC marks major blockchain landmark - World-first transaction using blockchain marks a crucial step forward... 09/05 - Facebook launches new blockchain team - Blockchain team will be led by former Facebook Messenger head David Marcus... 08/05 - Report urges caution on the benefits of blockchain - Vast majority of companies reportedly still have no strategy when it comes to blockchain... 15/03 - Blockchain can 'speed up' payment settlement between telcos - Colt and PCCW hold trial of Blockchain for wholesale voice call payments... 06/02 - The best Bitcoin exchange of 2018 - It’s all about reputation, currency support and transaction fees... 27/01 - Here are 5 markets that blockchain will transform beyond recognition - From credit cards to loyalty schemes... 18/01 - 7 ways blockchain will change the legal industry forever - From smart contracts to the chain of custody... 17/01 - 6 things that prevent Blockchain from ruling the world - From energy wastage issues to worries about bulkiness... 16/01 - Here are the 10 sectors that blockchain will disrupt forever - From the obvious like banking, to the not-so-obvious… 26/08/2017 - Microsoft is making a blockchain that’s fit for business - Coco Framework aims to remove persistent stumbling blocks... http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nsvXLHiVRRsmD2mqF3oLYo.jpg How does Blockchain work?A blockchain system consists of two types of record, transactions and blocks. Transactions are simply the actions carried out in a particular period, these are stored together in a block. What makes blockchain more unique is that each block contains the cryptographic hash of the previous one, thus forming a chain. What a cryptographic hash does is take the data from the previous block and transform it into a compact string. Since these strings are impossible to predict it means that any tampering with the chain is easily detected. This method means that blocks don’t need to have serial numbers, the hash allows them to be uniquely identified as well as verifying their integrity. Each block confirms the validity of the previous one right back to the so called ‘genesis block’ at the start of the chain. The linking of blocks isn’t the only thing that keeps the chain secure, however. It’s also decentralised, each computer with the software installed has a copy of the blockchain which is constantly updated with new blocks. There is no centralised server holding the transactions and because each new block must meet the requirements of the chain nobody is able to overwrite previous transactions. Other transaction requirements can be added to define what constitutes a valid entry. In Bitcoin for example a valid transaction has to be digitally signed, it has to spend one or more unspent outputs of previous transactions, and the sum of transaction outputs cannot exceed the sum of input. What are some of the biggest blockchain databases?Blockchain has exploded in popularity over the last few years, gaining backers throughout the technology and financial sectors. Away from Bitcoin, which remains the most well-known and arguably most widely-used network, this has led to a number of alternative blockchains coming to the fore in recent times. This includes R3, which is developing blockchain-esque technology that can be used by major banking institutions, and in May 2017 raised $107 million in funding from backers such as Intel, HSBC and Bank of America. Another major player is Hyperledger, an open-source cross-industry collaboration created by the Linux Foundation in order to popularise blockchain-based ledgers, with the first generation of its technology released in July 2017. All the so-called ‘big four’ accounting firms have also said they are testing blockchain technologies, although so far only Ernst and Young have gone public with their technology, making a digital wallet available to all its Swiss employees. IBM announced in March 2017 that it will be building its own ‘blockchain as a service’ offering based on Hyperledger, which will allow customers to build secure blockchain networks. Earlier this year, the London Stock Exchange also revealed it was is set to start using blockchain to improve transparency for shareholding information among unlisted businesses, showing the impact the technology has had. How secure is blockchain?Due to its advanced cryptographic protection systems, in theory, blockchain offers a far more secure experience than traditional banking. The fact that the technology is decentralised, and cannot be retroactively altered or edited makes it ideal for financial transactions and the storing of important information. Blockchain also benefits from being able to preserve the privacy of the user - however this has unfortunately made it increasingly popular as the payment method of choice for cyber criminals, as a Bitcoin network node doesn’t have to reveal the identity of the person making or receiving payments. What is Bitcoin? Everything you need to knowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Fplcok8vG9c

New research from Gemalto has revealed that only around half (48 percent) of businesses can detect if any of their IoT devices have suffered a breach. The company surveyed 950 IT and business decision makers globally to better understand the current state of IoT security. Gemalto found that companies are calling on the government to intervene with 79 percent asking for more robust guidelines on IoT security and 59 per cent seeking clarification on who exactly is responsible for protecting IoT. Although many governments have enacted or announced the introduction of regulations specific to IoT security, most businesses (95 percent) believe there should be uniform regulations in place and consumers agree with 95 percent expecting IoT devices to be governed by security regulations. Blockchain as an IoT security toolGemalto's CTO of Data Protection, Jason Hart offered further insight on the current state of IoT security, saying: “Given the increase in the number of IoT-enabled devices, it’s extremely worrying to see that businesses still can’t detect if they have been breached. With no consistent regulation guiding the industry, it’s no surprise the threats – and, in turn, vulnerability of businesses – are increasing. This will only continue unless governments step in now to help industry avoid losing control.” As the industry awaits further regulation, businesses are seeking ways to address the issue themselves with blockchain emerging as a potential technology. Blockchain adoption has doubled from nine percent to nineteen percent over the last 12 months and a quarter (23 percent) of respondents believe that it would be an ideal solution to use for securing IoT devices. Surprisingly, 91 percent of businesses that do not currently use the technology are likely to consider it in the future. Hart explained that blockchain is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to securing IoT, saying: “Businesses are clearly feeling the pressure of protecting the growing amount of data they collect and store. But while it’s positive they are attempting to address that by investing in more security, such as blockchain, they need direct guidance to ensure they’re not leaving themselves exposed. In order to get this, businesses need to be putting more pressure on the government to act, as it is them that will be hit if they suffer a breach.” Interested in the Internet of Things? This is everything you need to know about the IoThttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/1K_YYp4rRBE