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The dream of having the ultimate connected home can sometimes turn into a nightmare. A complicated set-up process, iffy apps and a disconnected infrastructure can mean you spending hours just trying to get a light switch connected to your router. As with many tech advancements, the true innovations are often 'one-offs' that can also work as part of a wider setup, and we've selected 10 of the best such devices. These gadgets are powerful, yet generally easy to use and easy to connect to your phone or computer. Lights, appliances, and even plant care are just a tap away… this is the complete list of all the smart gadgets we're loving right now. Around £35.50 / $46 / AU$89.95 When we think of the connected home plants aren't typically the first things that come to mind, but they too can go smart with the help of a monitoring device like the Parrot Flower Power. Stick this in a pot or in the ground next to your plant and it can monitor sunlight, temperature, fertiliser and moisture, and send alerts to an app on your smartphone when one of these things needs attention – for example when the plant needs watering – to ensure you have healthier, happier, and altogether smarter plants. £169 / $199 / AU$299+ Sonos probably needs no introduction, as it's long dominated the world of multi-room music streaming, enabling you to wirelessly control your music with an app and send it to anywhere and everywhere in your house. It's pricey, but as is so often the case you get what you pay for, with easy set-up and a range of high-quality speakers suitable for different-sized rooms. So you can pump out big sounds in the living room with a Sonos Play:5, and background music in the kitchen with a Sonos Play:1. The cost can be mitigated somewhat by building up your system over time, but once you've added one or two smart speakers you might be loath to go back to dumb drivers. £99 / $99 / AU$171.99+ With so many different companies making connected-home devices you can end up using about 16 different apps to control them all – and given that these things are supposed to make your life easier, that's not ideal. Thankfully there are ways to harmonise your system, and Samsung SmartThings is one option. You can link many different smart devices to the SmartThings hub, enabling you to control of all of them via a single hub. While the system works with devices from other manufacturers, Samsung has of course created a range of SmartThings devices too, including sensors. Among other things, these can tell when you've entered or left a room, enabling you to automate lights to turn on and off. £79.99 / $99.95 / AU$149.95 Looking to make your kitchen fit for 2016? You're probably thinking about smart fridges and connected coffee makers, but the Drop Kitchen Scale is just as worthy of your attention. It's much more than just a scale – which is a good thing given the price tag. The Drop Scale also has a beautiful app with a growing recipe book, which connects to the scales and guides you through recipes, even adjusting the ingredient amounts if you find you don't have enough of something. It makes baking far less daunting for newbies, and even if you're an old hand it can save you time and help you get your quantities exactly right. £23.45 / $88.61 / AU$298 We've covered the kitchen, the living room and even the garden. But what about the bathroom? This Bluetooth shower head connects to your smartphone or tablet to stream music. The speaker snaps into the shower head using a magnet, so it's easy to install and remove for charging. You can also remove the speaker to use it in other rooms. £39.95 / $39.99 / AU$89.57+ Smart lights are many people's first foray into the world of the connected home, and while Philips Hue is the biggest name in this space, LIFX is a worthy rival with some advantages. For one thing it doesn't need a bridge, so you can start with just an individual bulb and build the system from there. It can also output brighter light than Hue. With the ability to light a room up in millions of different colours, an ever-improving app, and compatibility with a range of third-party apps and services, including Nest and SmartThings, LIFX is a strong smart lighting option. £281.80 / $289.95 / AU$1,012.99 If it's crucial for your work or travel plans that you have precise weather information for a particular area you're not going to want to rely on a general forecast – and with the Ambient Weather WS-1001-WiFi Observer you don't have to. With the ability to track temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, UV, solar radiation, barometric pressure, dew point and rainfall rate, there's not much the WS-1001 can't tell you. There's a built-in screen, or you can pair it with the Weather Underground app and view all its readings there. Cleverly, it also adds your Ambient Weather Observer's readings to the app's network of weather stations, so others in the area can get accurate localised weather reports. £152.42 / $195.70 / AU$327.49 There's a lot more to home security than alarms and 'Beware of The Dog' signs. You can now get a fairly high-tech setup without spending a great deal, and the Piper Classic Camera is a good start. A 180-degree HD camera gives you access to live video at any time from an app. It can also send you alerts when rooms are entered or doors are opened, offers two-way audio, and can be linked to other home automation products, such as smart lights and alarms. Keep it somewhere visible and it will act as a deterrent to would-be burglars – and if the worst happens and someone does break in to your home, at least you'll have high-quality video of them. £249 / $247.99 / AU$275 Building a smart home can be expensive, but in the long run it can save you money. Take the Nest Learning Thermostat for example. Sure, it's pricey, but it turns the heating down when there's no-one home, and pushes you towards maintaining energy-saving temperatures. It's convenient and it's largely automated, learning what temperatures you like and programming itself, but if you want to take control yourself a simple app gives you all the management tools you need. £30 / $35 / AU$38.30 Sonos has your music needs covered, but for video the incredibly affordable Chromecast is one of the best, and certainly best-value, options. Once it's plugged into your TV you can cast almost anything from your phone or tablet to it in just a couple of taps, turning a dumb screen into a smart one. Even if you already have a smart TV Chromecast is worth considering, given that it works with a huge range of content, enables you to cast your phone screen, and works without a remote. And it's now better than ever – version two of the device recently launched, with faster streaming and a stylish new design. Need more connected home inspiration? We've got you covered.£149.99 / $179.99Powered by Amazon’s assistant, Alexa, Amazon Echo is one of the smartest things you can have in your home right now. Its voice recognition is intuitive, and improves as you use it. You feel like you’re actually talking to Alexa rather than selecting from a list of commands. It’s easy to set up and connect to other smart tech in your home, and the ever-expanding list of possible synergies includes Amazon Music and Fire TV, naturally, but also Nest, Netatmo, Philips Hue, Sonos, and more. And if you’ve got your own speaker set-up, then the Echo Dot offers all the voice functions without the audio. Both are incredible devices. £129 / $109 / AU$169Google’s smart home assistant is rapidly improving, and is a real contender to Alexa’s crown. Provided you use the voice command it can understand it will change the temperature of your thermostat, switch on your lamp connected to a smart plug, or call up a clip from your favourite show on Chromecast. Google Home looks good too, with a customisable colour base, and although its speakers aren’t the best quality they’ll tap into an unparalleled music library. With a growing ecosystem of hardware connections that includes Nest thermostats, Philips Hue lightbulbs and Samsung’s SmartThings platform, it’s a good bet for the centre of your smart home. £89 / $119 / AU$189A smart, sturdy smoke and carbon dioxide alarm that sends alerts directly to your phone. It removes the annoyances of most smoke alarms: it will automatically test its batteries regularly and alert you when they need replacing, and if you accidentally set it off while cooking you can stop an alarm from your phone or a simple wave of the hand (no more cushion wafting). At night it will light up if you walk underneath it on the way to the kitchen, which is handy. It also syncs with Nest Cam to send video of any hazards to your phone and Nest’s thermostat to turn off the heating if Carbon Monoxide is detected. It’s a bit of kit that gives you peace of mind. £199.99 / $129BeOn’s smart bulbs will light up a room well but their standout features focus on keeping your home secure. They’ll learn your normal lighting pattern and play it back when you leave the house to put off would-be burglars. The bulbs switch on when a burglar alarm sounds or the doorbell rings. And, thanks to integrated backup batteries, they’ll stay shining even if the power is cut. You control them through your phone via Bluetooth, and although they currently lack proper integration with other home tech they’re a good bet if you want to keep your home safe. £175.68 / $199.99Smart cameras for inside your home are fine, but what about tech that prevents break-ins? August is the pick of the bunch for smart locks – it’s a study lock that attaches to your existing deadbolt, which means it works in most setups. Plus, it looks good on your front door. Using low-energy Bluetooth it will automatically detect when you’re nearby and open up, and you can set it to let your friends in as well. It pairs with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and Nest, but if you want remote unlocking (for a plumber, for example) you’ll need to buy a separate WiFi hub. £619.97 / $594.99 / AU$1599If you’re looking for a smart vacuum you’ve got good options on the market at the moment, such as Dyson’s 360 Eye or Neato’s Botvac Connected – we prefer the Neato because it’s slightly cheaper and can hook up with Alexa and Google Assistant. It’s Wi-Fi enabled, so you can control it from your phone wherever you are – just tell it when and where to clean and let it suck up the dust. It’ll map out its route for you so you can see exactly where it’s cleaned, and because of its low profile it can reach tight spaces. It’s quite noisy and it’s not the best looking, but if you can look past that then your smart home will get a thorough hands-free spring clean. £144.99 / $199.99 / AU$159Sous vide cooking just got even more fancy. The Anova Prevision cooker will cook meat in a water bath, which means you get a constant, precise temperature and tender meat at the end of it. You control it all through your phone with Anova’s slick app or via your Amazon Echo or Google Home. With the W-iFi version (you can buy a Bluetooth-only version too) you can start cooks from wherever you are, and you’ll be able to check the status of your meat and receive a notification when it’s done so you can run back home for dinner. The only caveat is that you need to vacuum pack the food in a plastic bag first – but that’s easy enough to do. £84.99 / $99.95 / AU$148A great-looking bathroom scale that measures your weight, BMI and body fat percentage and then uploads it all to the cloud via Wi-Fi. In the FitBit app you can track your weight, set goals, and record your diet – especially useful if you’re trying to slim down. It works best for those already plugged into the Fitbit ecosystem (the Charge 2’s step and heart-rate measurements will work nicely alongside it, for example), but even if this is your first Fitbit product you’ll get a lot out of it. It costs a fair amount but it’s worth it if you’re up for using the full range of functions to get fitter. £24.99 / $29.99 / AU$39.99Smart plugs can really bring your home into the future – they mean that you can switch on appliances like lamps, slow cookers, or mains heaters just by talking to Alexa or Google Assistant. TP-Link’s Wi-Fi Smart Plug is about the best you can get. Through its app you can turn the plugs off or on remotely, schedule their cycles or activate “away mode”, which turns things on periodically to make it look like you’re home. If you spend a touch more you can get energy monitoring too, so you’ll know just how much electricity you’re using. £3,499 / $4,599Samsung’s Family Hub has all the bits you’re looking for in a food-storing, cold-making fridge: it’s spacious, stable, and has a small FlexZone compartment that you set at any temperature you want. But it offers a lot more, primarily through its generous 21.5-inch touchscreen display, running Tizen OS. It’s also packed full of useful apps. If you want to mirror your Samsung TV, you can do that, or simply pull up a whiteboard app for doodling. It can also take photos of the inside of your fridge, which you can view on your phone when you’re out shopping. You can’t delete any of its apps that you don’t need, and there’s sadly no SmartThings integration yet. But it’s still one of the most interesting smart fridges around right now. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/kMWU-nnL1lo

Snapping a screengrab is rarely as simple as just taking a picture of your desktop. There's a reason behind every screenshot – whether it's posterity, demonstration or preservation – which means each particular case needs something special. That's why we've selected our top five tools for doing more with your screenshots, like adding annotations and fancy adornments, using custom hotkeys, or even accurately capturing specific screen regions without the need to resort to additional software to get the job done. The days of hitting [PrtScn] and pasting your shot into Microsoft Paint are over. We've covered Windows apps almost exclusively here, but don't feel left out if you're using a different operating system. On macOS, there's no need for a separate screenshot tool – you can do everything with keyboard shortcuts. [Ctrl]+[shift]+[3] captures the whole screen, [Ctrl]+[shift]+[4] captures a region, and there are many other edge cases described on Apple's support pages. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/67c4c0aa7b645403fedd9ac1d9ed3f71.jpg Screenshot Captor is a real overachiever, with extra webcam and document-scanning tools, plus a host of editing options1. Screenshot CaptorMulti-purpose screen capture software that does much more than the fundamentals with webcam support, annotations and editing Screenshot Captor seems to have ideas a little above its station. Far from just being a screenshot app - and, rest easy, it does do that – it'll grab images from your webcam, and it even includes a full suite of scanning tools to make sure your documents look their best. But those advanced features don't stop there. Ever wanted to capture the contents of a scrolling window? It'll do that automatically, and even trim the margins for you. Need to capture a screen region of a fixed size? Piece of cake. Splicing areas out of screenshots, annotating, interfacing with advanced image editors, blurring areas you don't want seen? It's all here. If there's a downside, Screenshot Captor is a little esoteric in terms of its general interface, but the important bits are all well explained and easy to grasp. It's donationware, so while it's free to use, make sure you chip a little bit into the pot if Screenshot Captor is something you use regularly. Download here: Screenshot Captor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4b1605a12efc736504cdab397eb3e62d.jpg With SnapDraw Free, there's no need for a separate image editor - it can annotate, crop and edit images captured from your screen or webcam in any way you see fit2. SnapDraw FreeA feature packed screen capture tool with great post-processing effects If you're capturing screenshots for something that needs to be well presented - a user manual, perhaps - it pays to put in a little effort. Or at least you would if SnapDraw Free didn't do absolutely everything for you: borders, backgrounds and even awesome-looking fading reflections are all available by simply clicking a check box. What's more, you can dig down when it comes to capturing, taking shots of everything from multiple monitors at once all the way down to a single object within a window. It's not quite a fire-and-forget screenshot tool, but that's not a negative. There are ton of annotation features, you can layer individually captured windows and elements on top of a single screenshot, and there are even 3D transformation tools available to give your shots some action. Oh, and you can even automatically upload your images to an FTP server or email them. That's a lot of features. Download here: Snapdraw Free http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a4b1fc6dae90f217917b77fd6c9b1585.jpg Gadwin PrintScreen is simple to use, and so convenient you'll wonder how you ever managed without it3. Gadwin PrintScreenAn install-and-ignore screenshot tool that's easily extendable Gadwin PrintScreen is the screenshot app we regularly turn to here at TechRadar, and for good reason. It's streamlined and extremely convenient, sitting quietly in the system tray until you need it. When you do, it's either bound to a hotkey of your choice - handy if you need the mouse cursor in shot - or accessible from a handy auto-hiding control panel that disappears when you fire off a screenshot, capture a window, or snip a rectangular area. Annotation and image editing is sadly locked away in its paid-for Professional edition (US$24.95, about £18.94, AU$33.35), but Gadwin Printscreen doesn't leave you entirely stranded; it can automatically add shadows or watermarks to your images, save them in a number of formats, resize them automatically, or run an image editor of your choice immediately after capture. The latter ability means you can effectively extend its abilities - point it at Microsoft Paint for rudimentary sketching and cropping, or a more powerful free image editor if you wish. Download here: Gadwin PrintScreen http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/44e913fafc069f2d9cad33e12bd99a6e.jpg PC gaming platform and marketplace Steam has its own screen capture tool that works with any game you're playing4. SteamCapturing games – any games – made easy and free Don't be too baffled. Yes, Steam is primarily a way of buying and downloading games. But it also applies its own overlay when you're playing games, one which (amongst other things) allows you to take screenshots. If you've ever tried to take game shots using Windows' built-in tools (or even some of the other software we've listed here) you'll know why this is important - the advanced graphics modes that games apply usually leave you with a grey image and the moment completely lost. You're not restricted only to games available through Steam, either - just about everything you own can be added to your Steam library manually, and as long as you launch it through Steam you'll get the benefit of its overlay, which defaults to using [F12] as a screenshot key. Shots are usually saved to an obscure folder which differs for each game, so check up on them through Steam's View > Screenshots menu, then right-click and select 'Show on disk' to find out where they are. Download here: Steam http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/684e36528eca45e1971880b3630342db.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/85365aae422ea21828afd434acc55dec.jpg Windows has its own built-in screen capture tool. It has fewer features than the downloadable alternatives, but might be all you need for simple tasks5. Windows Snipping ToolThe built-in grabber you might not even know about Included with the majority of Windows systems since the XP days, the Snipping Tool is an oft-ignored app tucked away in the deepest recesses of the Start menu. It's simple, but it has the power to take useful screen captures. Not only can you grab fullscreen images, rectangles and the current active window, it's also capable of performing free-form snips: drag your mouse around the area on screen you're interested in highlighting and it'll bring in only those pixels within your sketch. You can scribble on your shots with rudimentary pen and highlighter tools, set a delay on captures if you need to set something specific up, but that's literally it: the Snipping Tool is very, very basic when it comes down to it, and most of the time you'll be better off using Windows' built-in screenshot tools unless you want to capture a very specific region. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/cMUrF-tuVyM

Any Video Converter Free is the easiest way to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and a wealth of other sites. Simply copy the video's URL from your web browser, paste it into the text box provided, choose a format and you're ready to go. You can convert several files in a single batch, and there's an excellent range of file formats to choose from. You can even clip videos to size and apply filters before they're converted. Make sure you have permission from the copyright holder before downloading videos from YouTube or any other hosting site. Download here: Any Video Converter Free Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/o6inuvw1MMQ

If you’re tired of ‘witty’ GIFs slowing down page loading, it might be time to try a new browser. Chrome and Firefox both require additional extensions to prevent GIFs playing automatically, but the latest version of Vivaldi, released today, lets you halt them with just a couple of clicks. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTJLKLHBXBS6D8MGY35YFf.jpg Vivaldi 1.11 lets you choose when animated GIFs are loaded to speed up load timesVivaldi 1.11 also aims to improve accessibility with an improved clutter-free reader mode that makes it easier to choose the font type and height, set the column width and height, and toggle between light and dark backgrounds for easier reading. Vivaldi already let you create your own gesture shortcuts for every task you can think of, but the new release goes a step further, letting you set a minimum stroke length for gestures to register, helping prevent accidental triggers. Review and where to download: Vivaldi Are you getting the best of the web? Check out our web browser rounduphttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/NwNAirMN8x4

A long-running spat between Kaspersky and Microsoft has been resolved, with the latter agreeing to make considerable changes to the way Windows 10 handles third-party antivirus apps in the upcoming Fall Creators Update. Security firm Kaspersky’s complaints began last autumn and culminated in an anti-trust action filed in June, accusing Microsoft of favoring its own antivirus solution in Windows 10 (Windows Defender) while deactivating ‘incompatible’ third-party antivirus apps during OS upgrades. Indeed, Microsoft admitted that it did at times ‘temporarily’ disable third-party antivirus software to avoid potential problems when upgrading Windows 10. Now Microsoft has said it will make changes to the way it works with third-party security firms, and to the way Windows 10 handles these issues in the upcoming Fall Creators Update. As a result, Kaspersky has dropped its anti-trust complaint. In a blog post, Microsoft explained that it was making a renewed commitment to work more closely with antivirus vendors in the run-up to a major Windows update going live, ensuring any potential compatibility issues are resolved before the upgrade is offered to those running the antivirus app. Time to reviewAntivirus firms will also be given more time to review final builds of Windows 10 before upgrades are rolled out, and a lack of time in this respect was also something Kaspersky had complained about. Furthermore, Microsoft is allowing antivirus vendors to employ their own on-screen notifications to prompt users to renew when products are about to expire (or after they’ve expired). And if protection has expired, instead of just providing a ‘toast’ notification (pop-up which could be ignored), Windows 10 will utilize a persistent notification that will remain on the screen until the user renews the expired product, or chooses another solution – to ensure that folks can’t just carry on happily, possibly not realizing they’re unprotected from malware. These are all laudable changes to make it clearer to the user exactly what’s going on with their antivirus solution, and Kaspersky is certainly more than happy with the stance Microsoft has taken here. Via: The Verge We’ve picked out the best antivirus software of 2017Deep disputeSo there you have it – a Windows 10 upgrade can potentially lead to an antivirus being disabled, albeit on a ‘temporary’ basis. Which doesn’t sound unreasonable on the face of it, although Kaspersky’s arguments against Microsoft’s practices run pretty deep. The security firm believes that a central problem is the fact that antivirus vendors aren’t given nearly enough time to ensure compatibility of their software with a fresh upgrade of Windows 10 – and of course those major updates are now coming twice per year. And Kaspersky has further accused Microsoft of various bits of trickery to try to get people to use Windows Defender rather than another security solution, as we discussed last year. It’s a messy issue, for sure, and it’ll be interesting to see Kaspersky’s response to Microsoft’s explanation here. Improve your PC's performance with one of the best graphics cardshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/z0v2b7rqxuI

Anker, an American accessories manufacturer, has been honing its “anything you can do, I can do cheaper” business model for years, but thus far has limited itself to things like Bluetooth speakers, headphones and portable charging packs with the occasional cell phone case thrown in. But its recent product announcement, a smart speaker with Alexa integration that looks (and functions) like an Amazon Echo Dot, might take the copycat cake. Anker’s Amazon-lookalike device is called the Eufy Genie. It’s a small, round device similar to the Amazon Echo Dot that comes with Alexa built-in but sounds better (at least according to Anker) and will cost even less than Amazon’s entry-level smart home device, coming in at just $35 (around £26/AU$45). Like the Echo Dot, the Eufy Genie’s Alexa is always listening, awaiting commands to control the music, check on the status of smart home appliances and ordering products from Amazon. The Genie will be available on Anker's website starting on August 16. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n987sTzNHma5n6XfEdzCDU.jpg It's all in the familyWhat makes the Genie a good deal is the fact that it can connect to any device the Amazon Echo Dot can thanks to its built-in Alexa support. That list includes devices like the Amazon Fire TV, Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat, Samsung SmartThings Hub, Philips Hue Smart Bulbs and dozens more. The Genie has one trick up its sleeve that the standard Echo Dot does not, however, and that’s the ability to connect to other Eufy devices – Anker’s homebrew brand of smart devices. The list of Eufy devices isn’t extraordinarily lengthy, but on it you’ll find products like the Robovac 11 Vacuum Cleaner, BodySense Smart Scale, Humos Air Dehumidifier and, soon, a series of lights and smart outlets. While the Genie has that almost counterfeit “me-too” feeling about it, Anker’s intentions for the product are genuine: “Everyone deserves the chance to live in their very own ‘house of the future’; where through one simple platform, they can order pizza, turn their lights on, and direct their robotic vacuum to clean,” said Anker founder, Steven Yang in a statement to Digital Trends. “What we are trying to do is to turn the smart home concept into something more affordable, accessible and integrated. With less than $600, consumers can experience a Eufy smart home entirely controlled by Genie.” An affordable future? Sign us up. These are the best smart home gadgets for 2017http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/0VeveHmMhcM

It’s hard enough to just find a good local taco joint. But for some, locating a restaurant that can also accommodate for a disability requires a herculean amount of research and planning. Thankfully, the world of technology has a solution. Google Maps has long been putting its users to task by quizzing them about their favorite destinations. From questions ranging from a bar’s drink offering and vibe of the atmosphere to the availability of family bathrooms, answering these questions isn’t just an exercise in testing your memory. It’s the contributors’ chance to fill in the blanks that Google’s high-resolution cameras in space can’t see for itself. And now, you’ll be able to help even more people find the perfect restaurant or any other point of visit to make the trek to. The app now puts accessibility front and center along with the other top-level information you might be curious about knowing, like hours of operation. Navigate to any restaurant on Google Maps and click the two-line description. From there, you’ll be able to see a breakdown of the vendor’s offerings in bullet-point styling. Do they accept reservations, take credit cards, have room for wheelchair seating? It’s all right here, and better yet, it’s open to your feedback if no relevant info has been provided yet. Crowdsourcing for goodCrowdsourcing is a popular go-to method for data retrieval. Why? Because it puts the people in control of setting a process into motion. In the case of Maps, not only would it be illogical for Google to send its employees into every building to make an assessment on what each vendor does and doesn’t offer, it’d be creepy, too. Instead, Google has simply built the tool and its contributors can run with it, filling in the blanks that sometimes even the vendors don’t think to check off. As a frequent contributor, sharing knowledge about the places that I visit is addicting. And now, it’s a fulfilling endeavor, too, since the info can be used to help people with disabilities get a better understanding of their options and decide between them. Start contributingIf you’re signed into Google Maps with your Google account, there’s no doubt that you’ve already been asked to submit feedback for a place that you’ve visited. And with that, you’re a contributor. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6Z4MY5cg2YCTz4WzxNhtdd.jpg It's simple enough to add or subtract features from a destinationWhether you’re suggesting information about the hours of operation or accessibility accommodations, nothing is set in stone on Maps. This is a good thing, as it allows contributors to correct wrong information or to commend a business for making a positive change that hasn’t been noted yet, like adding a wheelchair-friendly ramp. I’m setting a goal for myself to take note of how accessible the businesses that I visit are. That I can make a small, but meaningful difference in someone’s day-to-day with just a few taps is all of the encouragement that I need to participate. Care to join? http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg Enabled is a column that dives into the world of accessibility to reveal how people's needs are (or are not) being met by today's technology and offer an in-depth look at the companies that are working to make tech better for all. Click here to see the growing library of Enabled entries. If you have a story, tip or just want to share something special, reach Cameron via email at cameron.faulkner@futurenet.com or on Twitter @camfaulkner. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Y5bPKeQGMgw

If you want to practice your flying skills before taking your drone out for its maiden flight, or just want to get an idea of what it's like to control one, you need Real Drone Simulator. This awesome sim is currently available to download as a free alpha build (with optional donations top support the project), and features real licensed drone models with realistic flight physics. You can fly your virtual craft with a USB transmitter connected to a real drone controller, a gamepad, or a keyboard and mouse. Download here: Real Drone Simulator Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/rbuJngf8wm4

Air Mail was created in just three days for the annual Ludum Dare game jam. As the only mail carrier in a small rural community of scarf-wearing stick figures, your job is to carry oversized letter between the various residents. The distances are too large for walking, so instead you take to the skies in a rather adorable plane. Unfortuantely, said plane suffers from rather poor fuel economy and you'll have to use gas wisely to avoid running out in the middle of nowhere. You can refill the tank from the various oil drums scattered throughout the landscape, but walking to and fro means sacrificing punctuality, and nobody wants that. The game has no installer - just download the EXE file and run it to play Download her: Air Mail Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/gizn6L-aZwU

Mozilla has just launched Firefox Send – a new service that lets you upload and share big files securely. Upload files up to 1GB in size and Firefox Send will generate a link that expires after 24 hours or one download, whichever comes first. The file is encrypted before being sent to a remote server. Mozilla stores the file’s name and size, but can’t access its content. The only drawback is that the link can't be password-protected, so you need to watch who gets their hands on it. Share and shredFirefox Send is part of the Firefox Test Pilot program, which lets users try experimental features before they’re integrated into the browser. Past experiments have included tab snoozing and a floating media player. Usually these require the Firefox Test Pilot add-on, but Firefox Send works in any web browser. Give it a try. Find out which web browser you should be using with our ultimate guidehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/V4N8txr3EAk

Microsoft has deployed a new preview build of Windows 10 – they’re coming swiftly these days – with support for the eye tracking feature which was announced earlier this week, along with a minor facelift for the Edge browser, and the usual collection of miscellaneous tweaks and tinkering. Yes, Eye Control is now officially live, albeit still in a beta stage, with only one piece of hardware supported right now – Tobii’s Eye Tracker 4C. Support for other Tobii products is in the pipeline, namely the Dynavox PCEye Mini, PCEyePlus, EyeMobile Plus, and I-series. Microsoft is (clearly) just working with Tobii currently, but says that it’s open to partnering with other hardware manufacturers to develop broader support for eye tracking. Eye Control allows you to navigate around the Windows 10 desktop simply by looking to move the cursor, and it’s another major step forward on the accessibility front. Specifically, it gives the user an on-screen mouse, keyboard and text-to-speech functionality. The keyboard also boasts shape-writing, which can facilitate faster typing (allowing you to pause on the first and last characters of the word, but just glance at the letters in between, Swype-style). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6u4C4RdBffCQwYdvFK6KTb.jpg Current known issues for Eye Control include poor performance in bright sunlight. For a full list of bugs and detailed setup instructions, check Microsoft’s blog post. Fluent browsingBuild 16257 of Windows 10 also witnessed some enhancements for the Edge browser, including a new look, adopting elements of the Fluent Design System with the use of the Acrylic effect to give blur/transparency and added depth to the tab bar. Microsoft has also implemented niftier looking button animations, and various bugs with the browser have been fixed, which is always welcome. The Windows Console has been graced with a new default color scheme, following the introduction of support for full 24-bit RGB color in the Creators Update. Microsoft says the change has been made to ensure that darker colors look better on modern monitors, and just to give the console a more contemporary look all-round. There’s also the usual raft of miscellaneous bug fixes as mentioned, and problems with Narrator in the Edge browser, along with issues pertaining to Windows search and VPN apps from the Windows Store crashing have all been addressed. Many of our best laptops of 2017 run Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ZwOavQ-JHkU

Companies spend a lot of money these days creating killer content for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the various other social media platforms out there. Whatever business you're in, reaching your customers, clients and readers relies a huge amount on the ubiquity of social media sites. But there's no point spending time and resources on fantastic Facebook posts and tremendous tweets if you then don't know how to effectively monitor their impact and influence. Counting how many followers you have only tells part of the story. Getting the most out of your chosen social media platforms is as essential to your business as finding the right CRM system. That's why we've picked out five really useful social media analytics tools that will help you understand which of your posts are working, and which get a thumbs down. 1. Klouthttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LuJcnQxpfohAXKoMwxzm3G.jpg Klout measures your influence and 'social impact rating' across a range of websites based on how many people interact with your posts. It then works out an individual Klout score of between 1 and 100, which will go up and down depending on your activity. Loitering in the low 30s? Then you're not drawing engagement or interactions from the right followers. Graphical displays show you how your score has changed over time and you can use Klout's charts to indicate from which websites your influence derides. Other users can recommend your influence with a +K, which helps boost your ranking. Sign up to Klout for free and get started straight away to find out your score. 2. Sprout Socialhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/140e970ab2a1f7e69a6674b0edb59fbc.jpg Sprout Social is probably first and foremost known as a one-stop shop for managing and scheduling all of your social media accounts through one simple-to-use platform. Very handy indeed for your company's social media administrator when they're trying to juggle Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more at once. But it doubles up as a powerful tool for analysing your data, too. You can sort by various demographic and geographic measures to quantify exactly what content is working for which followers. Sprout can manage multiple accounts and monitor keywords across all social media so that you know when your brand is being discussed. It also helps your company respond to customers by directing messages to the people within the organisation who need to action them. You can try Sprout Social for free with its 30-day trial. If you like it, prices then start from $99 (£75, AUS$124) per user per month. 3. Brandwatchhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/T8goNug2dSNknxDzD2nSTn.jpeg There are quite a few social listening tools that we could have picked out for this list, but we've gone with the internationally-renowned Brandwatch. The Brandwatch Analytics tool puts its ear to the ground to eavesdrop on to the information that could be imperative to your company from Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forums, news and every other corner of the web. Social sentiment analysis shows the tone of the data collected from the profiles you've connected with and it's easy to tap into pertinent trends and themes emerging from the internet that could tip the balance in your company's favour. We particularly like Brandwatch's personal approach from the premium Enterprise plan, where you get a dedicated account manager who will give you bespoke advice. You'll have to contact Brandwatch to get prices for individual plans. 4. Bufferhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/95A5XuLD8qySL5JcSr66oZ.jpg Rather like Sprout Social above, Buffer is another all-rounder that lets you post to your platform and then analyse the results. One of its major plus points is just how simple and straightforward it is to use, while also giving you flexibility. The fact it provides analytics in real-time makes instantly judging the impact of your content a doddle. Use the "Top Post" icon to compare different forms of content to see which works best for each network. While the Buffer app also allows for seamless Google Analytics integration for tracking the success of your marketing campaigns. If you're flying solo, then you can get Buffer absolutely free. While the reasonably priced (but irksomely named) 'Awesome' plan allows 10 users and costs only $10 (£8.50, AUS$12.50) per month. 5. Simply Measuredhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZkWi66kQc6g3tykroFLrtQ.png If you've got a little more leeway in your budget, then Simply Measured is probably the most thorough social media analytic tool we've featured. Although the site offers a selection of free reports on sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+, its range of more sophisticated subscriber reports available to paying users are what really catch the eye. Among its cleverest tricks are date and time engagement analysis, content type analysis to help optimise what types of content work and when and analysis on the community you're trying to reach. It even weaves in other tools such as Klout, providing a complete social media snapshot. Again, you need to speak to Simply Measured to get a quote, with distinct packages aimed at social marketers, content marketers and digital agencies. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/eK4d0OS9SFY

If you're still using Windows Movie Maker you're in for a treat – there's a whole world of amazing free video editors available to download free, and HitFilm Express is one of the best. This professional quality video editor is packed with tools to help you create amazing movies, with filters, compositing, chroma-keying, layers and much more besides. HitFilm Express is available for both Windows and Mac. You'll be asked to share a note on social media before you can access the download link, and you'll need to switch off any ad-blocking software or browser plugins to get started. Download here: HitFilm Express Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/E7kXi6rN7Ik

Many everyday tasks that once required specialist software can now performed using convenient web apps. Text editing is a perfect example. All the processing and cacheing can be done locally on your own device, so you don't have to wait for data to be transferred or put your data in the hands of a third party. Next time you need to write some code or prepare plain text, try one of these free editors instead. They're packed with formatting and collaborative tools that will make your life easier without the need to download additional tools. If you'd rather stick with a desktop program, we've also compiled a guide to the best free text editing software. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jhRBnv3gR28iW9v3Cd8vDe.jpg 1. CollabeditCollaborate on coding in any language, with chat and tracked changes Collabedit is a free online text editor for collaborative coding. It supports a huge number of coding languages including plain text, HTML, JavaScript, VisualBasic, JavaScript and C++. One tool that really sets Collabedit apart from other online text editors is its chat function and tracked changes, which appear in a neat box to the right of the text window. This makes it great for group projects, and for teaching others the fundamentals of coding. The only drawback is that there's no password or encryption for your documents – just a generated URL that you can share via email. If you want to protect your files, check out WriteURL as an alternative. Try it here: Collabedit http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/53Cei7wmCK9dkubHodgaKC.jpg 2. HTML Editor OnlineWrite clean HTML with this feature-packed online text editor As the name suggests, this text editor is designed specifically for writing HTML. HTML Editor Online features interactive source editor, HTML cleaning, Word to HTML conversion, find and replace, a dummy text generator, and table to DIV conversion. There are separate CSS and JavaScript editors, should you need them. The text editor itself sits on the right-hand side, with a live preview on the left. You can edit content on either side, and they WYSIWYG editor will update accordingly. The WYSIWYG editor provides formatting tools, tables, the ability to embed media Unusually, there's no option to save your work – instead you’ll have to copy it to a text document. On the plus side, this means everything happens locally on your own PC. Your work is never cached to a third-party server. There's also a condition that pages created using HTML Editor Online must link to the tool’s own site, or one of its partners. HTML Editor Online comes highly recommended, but we advise trying a few of the other online text editors here too, so you can decide whether that's a fair compromise. Try it here: HTML Editor Online http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e3sEfSXmbvW7hB4BHC7iNS.jpg 3. HTML5-Editor.NETGuaranteed valid HTML5 markup in any browser, on any device Some online text editors are only suitable for Chrome, but HTML5-Editor.NET works in any web browser and scales well for use on mobile devices. HTML5-Editor.NET guarantees to produce valid HTML5 markup based on rich text input. You can also edit the source directly in the panel on the right, then clean up the code with a couple of clicks. The rich text input supports not only images and special characters, but also videos (from an URL or using an embed code) and page anchors – something you won't find in most other tools. HTML5-Editor.NET also includes find and replace tools, and a color picker that generates hex codes. It's an unusual set of options, but one that's been carefully considered and well implemented. Well worth a look. Try it here: HTML5-Editor.NET http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RtYVDSjJTwN5Td6AdVqpk3.jpg 4. Quackit Online HTML EditorAn online text editor designed with absolute beginners in mind Unlike most online text editors, Quackit Online HTML Editor features a button to switch between source and WYSIWYG editor. This gives you more on-screen space to work with, but means you can't see the results of changes as quickly. There’s a great selection of media options, though some of these are now deprecated (RIP Flash). This slightly outdated feel permeates the whole site, which also offers separate text box, table, and marquee generators. There’s no code cleanup option either, which makes sense when you realize that it's mostly designed to help beginners get to grips with the fundamentals of HTML. There's an excellent set of guides to help newcomers get off the ground. The beginner’s guides to website creation are particularly well written. They assume absolutely no prior knowledge and are a much better introduction to web development than a template-based click-and-drag website builder. Try it here: Quackit Online HTML Editor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KfGLwjYqkUWywdS379ezLQ.jpg 5. WriteURLA collaborative tool that uses rich text to generate HTML ready to export Like Collabedit, WriteURL is an online text editor designed for teams, enabling you to collaborate with several other people on a single document. You can start editing a text document online, and it will be cached locally to your device so you can continue working if you lose your connection. WriteURL protects your work with end-to-end encryption, and sharing is a simple email-based process. This is all great news, but there's one major drawback: you can create and manipulate content in the rich text editor, but you can't can’t edit the HTML directly until you've exported it. To make things trickier still, the export option only works in Google Chrome. Try it here: WriteURL http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/aOCoO5rr44k

Though Facebook's profits mostly come from its software, the social network may extend its arm to a new piece of hardware meant to bring people closer together. To that end, Facebook is reportedly working on a laptop-sized touchscreen device capable of connecting individuals in a room over video chat, sources familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg. Said to already be in the testing phase, Facebook's supposed contraption utilizes a large screen and a smart camera to make distanced users feel like they're in the same room together. Making more than just the Oculus RiftFacebook is also reportedly considering using Android for its video chat device, alongside its own artificial intelligence system to help identify and zoom in on relevant objects mid-chat like faces, pictures or text. This isn't Facebook's only dip into making physical products, as sources also told Bloomberg that the Big Blue F is looking into making its own smart speaker à la Amazon Echo and Google Home, and has even brought along ex-Apple employees to add their expertise to the project. Of course, nothing has yet been confirmed by Mark Zuckerberg & Co., but it's possible we may learn more about Facebook's hardware plans when its next F8 developer's conference kicks off early next year. We have contacted Facebook for comment and will update this story as we learn more. How to master Facebook Livehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/UmYwsA3MNEU

Prime Day is Amazon’s summertime version of Black Friday. It’s when thousands of products are sold at a discount, and in 2017 it was the biggest day in Amazon’s history: busier than Black Friday, busier than Cyber Monday, and busier than Prime Day 2016. It’s no wonder that in July 2017 Amazon Boss Jeff Bezos briefly became the world’s richest man - he’s got all our money. Prime Day this year fell on July 12th and on the day 2.6 million people visited TechRadar as we ran deals pages and buying guides pointing readers to the best deals and the best products! Prime day has always taken place on the second Tuesday in July, so Amazon Prime Day 2018 is likely to land on July 10th next year. Amazon Prime Day 2018 will likely take place on July 10th Amazon Prime Day sales this year:3.5 million toys50,000 TP-Link smart plugs200,000 dresses300,000 lightbulbs100,000 Amazon Launchpad items45,000 pairs of headphones32,000 electric toothbrushes52,000 kitchen items37,000 power toolsThe figures for headphones, toothbrushes, kitchen items and power tools are for Amazon UK alone. It’s safe to say Prime Day 2017 was a success. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vTdpTRLsPmnU7wFzKCudjT.jpg What were the best Prime Day deals this year? As ever, you can count on us to find the very best Amazon Prime Day deals. In 2017 the best Prime Day deals included the PlayStation 4, high quality headphones, Oral-B Bluetooth toothbrushes. Other top deals included: http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NoeWnhAd73kFM6Bc8vbtGJ.jpg Amazon Devices: Echo speakers, Kindles, Fire TV Stick Pressure cooker: the Instant Pot Duo80 cooker was $40 off Philips Hue: smart bulbs were 50% off in US and UK LG OLED TV: $700 savings on 65-inch LG OLED TVs in the US Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Prices down to £479.99 in the UK Philips Fidelio L1: £180 off these headphones PlayStation Plus: 15 months for £29.99 in the UK http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg So are Prime Day deals really real?As with any sale some products are end of line stock or things that just aren’t selling, but many deals are genuine. Let’s take a look at the US bestseller, the Instant Pot DUO80 pressure cooker. On Prime Day it was $90, and if you check its price history on CamelCamelCamel.com you’ll see that it’s been tracking at $129 for most of 2017. There’s one big blip in the graph, though: on the 2nd of July it went up to $209.10, dropping back to $129 the following day. If you’re comparing the Prime Day price to the 2nd of July price then the saving is clearly illusory - but compare it to the normal selling price and it’s clearly still a good deal. Reader, we bought it. Checking other devices can be illuminating, though. Amazon’s Echo Dot is usually $49.99, but it dropped to $39.99 in June, in May, in December and on Black Friday. The Kindle Paperwhite price goes up and down more often than a kangaroo on a bouncy castle, moving from $119.99 to $99.99 every fortnight or so. The lesson here, other than “don’t buy Amazon devices at full price”, is that you really need to know the value of what you’re looking at. Some deals, such as our pressure cooker, are genuine (and no doubt arranged with the supplier way in advance to trade margin for volume). Others aren’t necessarily deals you need to race to get, because the devices will be discounted again soon. And as with any sale, forget the RRP/MSRP when you’re looking at the sale price - especially on big ticket items such as televisions. The RRP on those only exists to give retailers a laugh. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PLFjsYhpm7UbwdE77qZMDe.jpg What were the weirdest deals this year?Where do we start? There was 40% off cream made from sheep placentas, 27% off Yeti Garden Statues, 40% off a Viking-style drinking horn and 20% off a hot dog toaster. We didn’t even know hot dog toasters existed. You could get 14 dollars off a 12-pack of Perky Jerky Turkey, 20% off a Beard Bib and 56% off glasses that apparently make your eyes think you’re on magic mushrooms. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fVxi9mxNBLhrHKcgSPg9JM.jpg Prime Day on Twitter:As you can probably imagine, the reaction to Amazon Prime Day on Twitter featured snark and moaning in roughly equal measures. JeffGrub encouraged everyone to consider the true meaning of Prime Day, Marky Bummers mourned what we’ve lost, and Mila expressed herself through the medium of Muppets. Reverend Scott marvelled at Amazon’s marketing, Christine Hennessey spotted the significance of it all and Jacqueline Herrera stressed the importance of reading the reviews. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aHcKJEQ5BqjNGr6KcJmRQK.jpg The Echo Dot was the most-bought item on Prime Day in the UK this yearSo what is Amazon Prime Day anyway?Like any sale, the main reason for Amazon Prime Day is to get people spending money they wouldn’t otherwise spend. Get them through the virtual doors with great offers and hope they’ll spend cash on other things too. In Amazon’s case there’s also the Prime membership that the day promotes: no Prime, no Prime Day. While Amazon offers a free trial of Prime and some shoppers will cancel the subscription before any payment comes due, many won’t. More people signed up for Prime on Prime Day 2017 than on any other day in Amazon’s history. According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, some 80 million people were already Prime members before Prime Day 2017; in 2016 it was 58 million. Amazon also reports that sales via the Amazon app more than doubled and "tens of millions of people" used the app to buy stuff on Prime Day this year. So is Amazon Prime Day just another Black Friday? Actually, no. As Amazon puts it, Black Friday is largely about gifts for other people - it takes place just at the start of the Christmas shopping season - but Prime Day is all about Amazon. Sorry, you! It's all about you! Ahem. The overwhelming majority of decent deals on Prime Day were on things you might buy for yourself or for your home. As you’ll see from the best sellers there were lots of smart home devices sold to Prime customers as well as quite a lot of kitchen gear. There were good deals on laptops and consoles too, of course, but they were alongside deals on hammocks, juicers, robot vacuum cleaners and pressure cookers. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg Amazon Prime Day 2018: how long will it last?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vTdpTRLsPmnU7wFzKCudjT.jpg We know what you’re thinking: Amazon turned Black Friday into Black Friday Deals Week, so there’s no way it would limit Prime Day to just 24 hours. And you’re right. Prime Day 2017 was 30 hours long. No doubt Prime Day 2018 will be longer still. Prime Day 2022 may well start before Prime Day 2021 finishes. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg Things to watch out for on Prime Day 2018http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u3WK46HAfY5oBBCyWmpgKc.jpg As you’d expect from an event this big, not everything went according to plan on Amazon Prime Day this year. Twitter featured many irate users who found that deals didn’t appear at the specified times, while others suggested that Amazon had a “bot problem” with some deals being oversubscribed instantly. Still others had problems with the app, where deals weren’t sold out but the App’s Add To Cart button didn’t work. There were concerns over some of the deals too. Some deals were more expensive on Prime Day than they were normally, while other deals simply reproduced deals that had been available the day before. And still others were laughable: would an incredible four cents off the $1,799.99 price of a soundbar tempt you to buy? Problems didn’t end at the ordering stage either. While Amazon boasts about the fastest-ever UK Prime Day delivery of just 14 minutes between ordering and delivery, many of us saw our next-day or two-day deliveries become even longer. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg Prime Day: do Amazon's rivals respond?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oHKZKn8JPuFKggQrmfdh85.jpg They did. It was Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven and Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A, which offered free food to anybody in an animal costume. Meanwhile eBay threw some shade, with a front page claiming that “Their Prime Deal Is Our Everyday Deal”. According to research firm Bazaarvoice, 76% of US Prime Day shoppers visited rival retailers to check whether they were getting the best deals. And as PwC Consumer Markets analyst Steve Barr told CNBC, “We are seeing other big box retailers use Prime Day as an opportunity to capture shoppers' appetite for deals and as way to compete against Amazon for share of wallet and mindset.” Bazaarvoice found that Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s proved most popular among Prime Day shoppers in the US, with Target offering a week of bargains to annoy Amazon. Dell ran 'Black Friday In July' on Prime Day this year, Toys R Us offered 20% off everything, Best Buy took $200 off Dysons and $70 off the Apple Watch Series 2 and JC Penney ran its Penney Palooza sale. Wal-Mart decided not to take part in the frenzy, preferring to offer extra discounts on in-store collections instead. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jxCd7FQ5V3aNRKtJ5Sf4yJ.jpg The Fire TV Stick was down to $34.99 / £34.99Could Amazon do better?We think so. One of the biggest problem with Prime Day was actually finding the deals, which involved wading through lots of irrelevant products: Amazon ordered its deals by categories, so for example you could choose Computers & Accessories but you couldn’t narrow the selection further to specific kinds of computers or accessories. Finding interesting deals meant looking at an awful lot of Lightning cables. We did our very best to help by providing a guide to the very best Amazon Prime Day deals, but it was a right pain if you wanted to browse Amazon's own site? And it was disappointing to see deals we did want, such as Philips Hue bulbs, limited to single orders per customer. Presumably it’s to stop them ending up on eBay at a higher price, but Hue’s a system for smart homes, not a single smart lampshade. The biggest problems were with availability and delivery, though. Amazon or its logistics partners appeared to underestimate demand, and while part of us thinks “fair enough” the whole point of Prime is its fast delivery. And seeing Lightning Deals disappear before you had time to read them was particularly frustrating. Not everybody is accessing Amazon on a super-speedy broadband network, and logging into the mobile app at the right time to see the deal had already sold out was a particular torture for phone users. What can we learn about Black Friday and Cyber Monday?The short answer: not much. Prime Day may have been a big deal, but it’s still small potatoes compared to the annual holiday extravaganza - and you can be sure that while many people still won’t have heard of Prime Day, they’re very familiar with Black Friday and maybe Cyber Monday too. Amazon isn’t going to let the Black Friday / Cyber Monday opportunity pass it by: Black Friday 2016 was the first billion-dollar shopping day for mobile payments, with a total of $3.34 billion sold in the US alone. Expect Amazon to be just as enthusiastic about Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017 as it was about Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2016. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WUntno4MyBiYU8c458UPfK.jpg Tens of millions of Prime members made a purchase on Prime Day 2017, more than 50 percent higher than the prior yearPrime Day 2018: any other days we should be paying attention to?Have you heard of Singles’ Day? If you aren’t Chinese, you may not have: Singles’ Day, aka Guanggun Jie and recently rebranded 11/11, is the world’s largest online sale. Singles’ Day 2016, which fell on 11 November, saw sales of $17.8 billion for Tmall, operated by ecommerce giant Alibaba. That’s more than the entire annual ecommerce revenues of Brazil. Not bad for an event that only debuted in 2009. There are lots of interesting things about Singles’ Day, not least the fact that in 2016 some 82.2% of sales were via mobile devices. Even more significantly, 75% of customers were under 35 - and that means we should be looking at how they’re deciding to buy, because it might just be the future of retail. As Deborah Weinswig of Fung Global Retail noted, in the West shopping is a chore. In China it’s a sport. If you thought Amazon made a fuss about Prime Day, Alibaba’s efforts will amaze you. It live-streamed an eight hour fashion show featuring the world’s biggest brands and encouraging viewers to pre-order what they saw on the catwalk; Alibaba executive vice-chairman Joe Tsai says that “live streaming is the biggest internet trend in China today”, and most brands do some form of live streaming involving celebrities or stories. There was an augmented reality game where players could earn prizes and discounts; and most significantly of all, there was a Superbowl-scale countdown featuring Katy Perry, Kobe Bryant and One Republic, live streamed to China as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong, two important new markets. The next step is to take 11/11 truly global. Come back to TechRadar on Amazon Prime Day 2018 where we'll once again be listing the best deals so you don't have to suffer the pain of navigating the Amazon website! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/au9Z2LM75no

When a device is permanently listening to everything that’s happening in your home then you better be sure that it’s secure. However, researchers from MWR InfoSecurity have discovered a way to hack into the Amazon Echo, giving them the ability to install software that could allow them to listen to, and record, everything that the Echo hears – even if the speaker's usual trigger word has not been activated. There are a couple of caveats to this hack. First is that it can’t be done remotely. This is a hack that requires direct access to the Amazon Echo speaker, where the potential hacker will need to remove the rubber base of the speaker to reveal its debug pads. The second caveat is that this hack is only possible on 2015 and 2016 versions of the full-size Echo device (the Echo Dot is not affected). The copyright year on the packaging should tell you what year the device was manufactured in. The vulnerability doesn’t exist in the 2017 model of the speaker. However, with an estimated 10 million Alexa-equipped devices sold as of May 2017, that's potentially a lot of vulnerable devices on the market. An invisible hackThere are a number of opportunities a hacker may have to compromise a device. When we spoke to MWR InfoSecurity they suggested that a hacker may intercept the speaker when it’s on its way to a customer, or else buy one, compromise it, and then sell it on as a second hand device to an unsuspecting consumer. Once the compromised device is in your home however there’s very little to let you know that it’s sending your voice data to anyone other than Amazon. It still responds as usual to voice commands, and its blue light gives no indication that it’s recording you at all times. Reassuringly since the device’s mute button is a physical switch, and a representative from MWR InfoSecurity confirmed that using it would prevent a hacker from listening in. Responding to the hack, Amazon commented, "Customer trust is very important to us. To help ensure the latest safeguards are in place, as a general rule, we recommend customers purchase Amazon devices from Amazon or a trusted retailer and that they keep their software up-to-date.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iiS7Usinu4pHoqUn2p2JbV.jpg Pratical safeguardsSince the hack relies upon getting physical access to the device, it shouldn’t be too difficult to minimise your risk of being affected. You can do so by making sure you only buy Amazon Echo devices that are new and directly sold by Amazon, and returning them if the box’s seal is broken. Buying the device second hand raises the risk of someone else having compromised it. It’s not clear whether Amazon’s refurbishing process involves checking the device for malicious software. We have contacted Amazon for clarification and will update this peace when it responds. Detective AlexaThe Amazon Echo has already been the source of some security concerns. Last year it’s recording data was requested by police investigating a murder case. Amazon initially refused, citing customer privacy, but later consented after the defendant in the case consented to the data being used. However, even in this case the speaker would only have been recording after it heard its ‘wake’ word. This more recent hack allows the device to record constantly. The numerous caveats of the hack mean that it’s unlikely to become a widespread issue, but it should come as a potent reminder that if you’re putting a device with a microphone in it in your home that you should be extra careful about its security. If you're not familiar with the smart speaker, our Amazon Echo review will tell you everything you need to know. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/HKs69bIKfVI

The Google Chromecast is not only one of the most useful and innovative gadgets of the last few years, it's also dazzlingly cheap. And if you're looking to pick one up for the cheapest possible price, you've come to the right place! Chromecast is a Wi-Fi HDMI dongle that you plug directly into your TV. From there you can use your smartphone or tablet to 'throw' video at your TV over Wi-Fi – whether it be Netflix movies, live football matches from the major broadcasters or simply just a funny YouTube video. On this page we'll find you the best prices for the Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast 2 (or just Chromecast now) and Chromecast Audio and explain how they differ. What is a good Chromecast deal?This one's easy. The standard price for a Chromecast 2 is about $58. You should never, ever pay more than that because you can always find one for that price. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/19b46e6c533742a2887ffb6d23c9d756.jpg Chromecast 2 dealsThe Chromecast 2, or 'new Chromecast' as it's also known, is very similar to the now almost-extinct 2013 Chromecast. Sure, it looks a little different. And it's got slightly faster network performance and a few other tweaks such as coming with a dangly cable instead of as a rigid stick. But, essentially, it's the same product in a different shape – that's why the prices were basically the same. If you can find one for the same price, get this new one. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b44da6632dac269286ca1758075c7958.jpg Chromecast Audio dealsWhile it doesn't offer true multi-room streaming at the moment (fingers crossed that comes soon), this easy-to-use and affordable device modernises any trusty set of wired speakers you already own with wireless capabilities. In doing so, it also opens them up to features that will grow and get even better over time. Got an old set of speakers or an ancient iPod dock? Turn it into a wireless speaker with Chromecast Audio! http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/763abe0e2105abc4a57ea7b57d6c1771.jpg Chromecast Ultra dealsThe 4K Chromecast Ultra is the newest member of the Chromecast family. If you have a 4K TV or are planning on getting one, it's certainly worth picking one of these up. This micro streamer cheap, effective and makes the jump from 1080p to 4K HDR seamlessly. Chromecast Ultra deals are usually around $95, so anything cheaper is an added bonus. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ha8NladSZGo

The Apple HomePod is coming this December, you might remember, and thanks to some detailed firmware analysis from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, we now know a little bit more about the smart speaker soon to be invading our homes. It looks like the device is running on a pretty full version of iOS - just without the screen, obviously - but for now there's no support for third-party apps on the speaker, according to the digging Troughton-Smith has been doing. That doesn't mean the HomePod will never support third-party apps (remember the first iPhone), and Apple may indeed add the capability between now and December, but as the firmware stands at the moment you won't be installing Spotify or Audible on the HomePod. Enter the matrixOther clues we have from the code suggest the touch surface at the top is an LED matrix capable of displaying shapes and symbols, not just a collection of LED lights. It also seems that Apple's accessibility features, like VoiceOver, are included. The device's on-board controls, meanwhile, are limited to activating Siri, adjusting the volume, and setting alarms on the HomePod, but we pretty much knew that anyway after getting some hands-on time with the speaker in June. Not much to go on but some extra nuggets of information for those of you eagerly awaiting the HomePod's introduction. The device goes on sale in the US, the UK and Australia in December, costing $349 (about £265 or AU$435), with international pricing still to be announced (it's unlikely to be a straight currency conversion). Here's everything we know about the Apple HomePod so farVia Engadget http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/bhRe-rHCW1I

iRobot, the maker of Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners, won't sell customer data to other companies, its CEO has said in a statement, clearing up a report from earlier this week that set off consumer privacy alarms. "First things first, iRobot will never sell your data. Our mission is to help you keep a cleaner home and, in time, to help the smart home and the devices in it work better," Colin Angle, iRobot's CEO and founder, told ZDNet on Thursday. This is a sharp change of course from comments Angle made in a Reuters report a few days ago. In that report, Angle seemed to suggest data gathered by Roombas as they maneuver around your home could be sold to the highest bidder in order to improve third-party smart home devices. On follow-up with ZDNet, iRobot said it was misinterpreted that iRobot plans to sell customer data to other companies, specifically Amazon, Apple and Google. "[Angle] never said that iRobot would look to sell customer maps or data to other companies," an iRobot representative said. "iRobot has not had any conversations with other companies about data transactions, and iRobot will not sell customer data." Customer consentThe original report has been updated to note Angle said iRobot could one day strike a deal with these companies that allows iRobot to share maps of homes for free, and only if customers consent to the transfer. Customer permission is key; iRobot won't do any data sharing unless customers say it's OK. "Information that is shared needs to be controlled by the customer and not as a data asset of a corporation to exploit," Angle said in his statement to ZDNet. "That is how data is handled by iRobot today. Customers have control over sharing it. I want to make very clear that this is how data will be handled in the future." As for whether your Roomba is making a map of your home, the short answer is, yes. iRobot's most advanced 900 series, which includes the Roomba 980, use Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping, or SLAM, to gather map and navigation data as the vacuums go about their business. This data stays hosted on the Roomba, iRobot told ZDNet, though it can be shared to the cloud if a customer opts to see a map of their abode on the iRobot HOME mobile app. iRobot may not plan to sell maps of your home to other companies, but there's still the possibility that data could end up in outside hands for free down the line. Any sharing will have to be signed off by customers, though hopefully if and when that time comes, iRobot is crystal clear in its messaging. The best smart home devices for 2017http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/IomRa00kvx0

If you’ve played first-person parkour ‘em up Mirror’s Edge, Generative City Free Run’s stark urban style will look familiar. Your mission is to jog and hop around the monochrome tower blocks, hunting for a mysterious red shape. Picking this up will cause the city’s buildings to change around you, providing a new challenge. Track down the red sigil, rinse and repeat. It’s a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the week, and it’s yours free. To start exploring, download and extract the ZIP archive, then run the file City.exe. Download here: Generative City Free Run Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/C3pPeJQIWqU

Your time is valuable and there are hundreds of tools that claim to help you make the most of it. Some are genuinely useful but others add needless complexity to your day, introducing new systems that force you to change the way you work rather than adapting to suit you. It's hard to know which is which without experimenting with them all, so we've assembled a collection of the programs and web apps that will really help you become more productive. If it feels like there just aren't enough hours in the day, this toolkit will enable you to prioritize jobs and focus all your attention on the tasks that really matter. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2SVqJVH8bso6thaSBw3PfV.jpg 1. FocusWriterGet into the flow and work without distractions If your work involves writing, FocusWriter is the time management app you need in your life. There are lots of distraction-blocking word processors that promise to help manage your writing time, but FocusWriter has a killer feature that greys out everything except the paragraph, sentence or line you’re working on. The default interface is a blank page tinted an eye-friendly beige, but you can customize it to something more inspiring if you prefer. Menus and other options can be brought into view by mousing over the edges of the page, but all temptations are otherwise hidden from view to help you get lost in your work. FocusWriter also lets you set daily goals to help you keep on track with big tasks (though your progress is only visible if you move your mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen). If you’re the type who gets a kick out of in-game achievements, you can build up ‘streaks’ by achieving your goal consistently over a period of several days. If you do get absorbed in your work, you might need the occasional reminder to get up and stretch your legs. FocusWriter's time-managing tools can help there too, with alarms to give you a nudge when it’s time for a comfort break. Download here: FocusWriter http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jTY99fAKX5QiTUWvPb9qba.jpg 2. RescueTimeDiscover where every hour really went Do you ever find yourself wondering where the time went? RescueTime could be the solution to your problems, helping you understand your behaviour and manage distractions. It’s sometimes hard to be honest with ourselves about how much time we’re spending actually working. RescueTime monitors the time you spend in different websites and applications. The free version has everything you need for basic tracking and goal setting, including a weekly email report and access to three months of records. If you want alerts throughout the day and tracking of time away from your desk, a premium subscription starts at US$6.75 per month (about £5, AU$8.50). You can connect to RescueTime via a proxy server for improved security – a feature you won’t find in other similar tools – and everything is easily accessible via a web-based dashboard. Download here: RescueTime http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/auDFQSgNKdevS9FhVuCgba.jpg 3. Focus at WillCustom music and ambient sound to boost concentration Stephen King claims to work best listening to Metallica and his prolific output suggests he’s onto a winner, but if you haven’t figured out your own working soundtrack, Focus at Will is here to help. It’s a music service that delivers a custom playlist specially designed to help improve your concentration, and its creators claim it can make you up to four times more productive by helping you achieve a ‘flow state’. There are over 50 channels, and the tool will suggest which one will best suit your personality based on a quick quiz. Your playlist becomes more personal over time based on the way you use it. It might sound strange, but it’s the work of experienced musicians assisted by a scientific advisory board including neuroscientists and psychiatrists. Focus at Will is neither free nor cheap – subscriptions start at US$9.90 per month – but there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee and you can cancel your subscription any time if you change your mind. Try it here: Focus at Will http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fxq2kq2tZ5dQwLSSwPkv5i.jpg 4. TodoistGet a custom schedule of tasks delivered each morning Ticking off items on a to-do list is hugely satisfying, and is a time-honored way to manage your time and get more done during the day. Todoist is a simple but effective tool for desktop and mobile that lets you set recurring events and essential one-off tasks, and check them off once they're complete. You'll receive a schedule of jobs at the start of each day (unless you choose not to), enabling you to plan your time effectively. Tasks are collected in groups called 'Projects', though these might be more accurately called 'Activities'. The default options include shopping, personal, errands and work, and you can add or edit them to suit you. Some features are exclusive to the premium version, and unfortunately you won’t always know until you try to select one, but the free version has plenty of tools to help you achieve more every day. If you're looking for a more heavy-duty tool for tasks with multiple parts and deadlines, take a look at Trello. It's generally a better tool for business use, whereas Todoist is perfect for your own personal tasks. Try it here: Todoist http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9zMRRZNrouvwv8eTQdvxQX.jpg 5. Simple BlockerA brute force method of avoiding sites that devour your time When you’re working, of course you’re not going to start checking Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or any of those other attention-sapping distractions. Not intentionally, anyway. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to click a link without realising it leads to a tweet, or post on a site you’re trying to avoid. Whether it's a link a colleague has included in an email or a suggestion shared on Slack, an innocuous click can lead you down a rabbit hole of time-wasting. Simple Blocker is a browser extension for Chrome that helps you take back control of your time by halting URLs at the domain level, so there’s no chance of accidentally straying onto a site that’s likely to draw your attention away from the job at hand. Download here: Simple Blocker http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/y6ciLcqnEgc

You won't find better Walmart Cyber Monday deals for 2017 than the ones we'll be posting right here in the lead up to Monday, November 27. Cyber Monday is the last big sale at Walmart right before the Christmas holiday, so if you miss Black Friday deals in the US because of Thanksgiving, you have can have a second helping of discounts after the long weekend. What's significant about Cyber Monday Walmart deals is that the retailers puts pretty much everything on sale with what it calls 'roll back prices.' Basically, everything you want to buy has its price slashed. This includes 4K TV deals, laptops with price drops and video games that fall to as much as half price, including recently launched titles like FIFA 18, Madden 18 and Call of Duty WW2. At least, that's exactly what we're expecting. Will the SNES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch finally be in stock by then? Our Cyber Monday prediction says they'll be available in limited qualities to get people to the Walmart.com website. Very clever. Here's what we expect to see on sale for Walmart Cyber Monday 2017, including some items currently on sale as a good preview of what's to come. Cyber Monday deals quick linkWalmart deals homepageEarly Walmart deals and Cyber Monday ad leaksThe Cyber Monday date is on November 27, which is the last Monday in 2017, and right before that day, we expect to see Walmart Black Friday ads leak. This means we'll see what's going to be on sale ahead of time. Until the Walmart ad leaks, we have a bunch that's what's on sale today (below), will be even cheaper come Black Friday. It's usually how the holiday shopping process works. Google Chromebooks start at $139 Chromebook discounts have grown with the popularity of Google's back-to-basics laptop. It's a real threat to Windows 10 laptops with prices falling anywhere from $139 to $250 on discount. Dell Desktop Computers at $399 give you enough power in a clean all-in-one design that used to cost a fortune. Now it's Under $400 in this Walmart deal that we've been eying. 50-inch Philips HDTV for $378 is a big-screen television that gives you a 1080p resolution without falling for 4KTV prices. Walmart will have those too for Black Friday, but this deal is far more affordable right now. Microsoft Surface Pro 4 starting at $899 is now the last-generation Surface 2-in-1, but has long been one of our favorites – made even more excellent by this deal. Apple Watch 2 Walmart discounts are that rare find among Apple products that let you save a little bit of money on the top smartwatch out there. Expected Walmart Cyber Monday dealsCyber Monday is going to feature the above deals at even more better prices, as well as new deals not yet seen below. At least those are our Cyber Monday Walmart predictions months in advance. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2icGHbT3tBckX3PjqhjkaD.jpg PS4 and Xbox One Cyber Monday deals: Sony and Microsoft wage a consumer-benefiting battle to price drop their respective home consoles during the online shopping period, and we could see another $50 off the systems in addition to multiple free games included. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qR3NBbKFZqFmD2tiP2FKDF.jpg Google Home deals: Walmart sells Google and it made it even cheaper during Cyber Monday last year by reducing the price by $30. The best part is it seems Walmart carries this out of spite for Amazon Echo from its chief rival. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aZN8nKmJx35eDPHGEvaU25.jpg 4KTV deals during Cyber Monday: You can't go wrong with buying a 4KTV on discount, and Walmart is going to be a major retailer that price drops televisions this upcoming holiday. It's going to be a must-have if you're stuck in 1080p. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s4barg6TmKSE96RXuAqZr4.jpg Walmart drones deals for Cyber Monday 2017: Drones with HD camera will be just as popular this holiday season as they were last year, and we hope to see another DJI Phantom that was over $1,000 and went down to $447. More Walmart Cyber Monday deals to comeCyber Monday is the semi-relaxed online shopping day where you don't have to go in to Walmart in order to find the very best deals. That's a relief to everyone who wants to avoid 'The people of Walmart.' These deals listed are just a preview of what's likely to come from the No. 1 retailer in the US. It may be known for its stores, but the website is what's popular come Cyber Monday every year. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/2DrL-i9Y76E

The best Walmart Black Friday 2017 begins on Friday, November 24, but we all know the No. 1 US retailer won't wait until after Thanksgiving to roll back prices. It's making an entire week of wallet-worthy discounts. You can expect to see a bunch of 4K TV discounts, cheap laptops and SNES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch in stock – finally. Whether or not these new Nintendo consoles are any cheaper at Walmart on Black Friday remains to be seen. Just having them in stock (maybe bundled with a game) is a big plus. The great thing about Walmart Black Friday deals is that it's not limited to just one product category. Walmart sells everything you've heard of – and perhaps even more... things you never knew existed. Are you ready for Walmart's leaked Black Friday ads? Do you have your finger on the early deals that get snatched in under 10 minutes? Here's how to best prepare for the invented shopping holiday online. Black Friday deals quick linkWalmart deals homepageEarly Walmart deals and Black Friday ad leaksWalmart is already teeming with deals before Black Friday deals before the ads leak and well before November 24, the actual date. Its excuse? Walmart has great deals everyday, hence why it didn't even have an Amazon Prime Day. We'll update this page as soon as we see Walmart Black Friday ad leaks, but for now, this is what's on sale through the official website. 50-inch Sceptre Full HD TV costs $269 (was $499) at Walmart and gives you a big-screen television with a 1080p resolution and three HDMI inputs for a rock-bottom price. Flying quad-copter drone with HD camera is $38 (list price: $120) includes 4GB memory card to record your arial footage. At this price, you can buy three, crash two into each other and still have a drone left over. HP 15-ay039wm Intel Core i3 laptop is $339 ($40 off) and offers a 15.6-inch screen, 8GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive while running Windows 10. 55-inch TCL Roku 4KTV is $319 (was $449) for a limited time. It's one of our favorite smart televisions thanks to the Roku set-top box interface built in. Expected Walmart Black Friday dealsMonths ahead of time, we can already predict the most popular Walmart's Black Friday 2017 deals mainly because it puts even the top products on sale. While the rollback prices are always unknown until those ads leak days or sometimes even in weeks in advance, you can save anywhere from $50 on new gaming console bundles, to hundreds of dollars on 4KTV deals. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uuabkBsKengE4vn9UGfi5d.jpg Gaming Black Friday deals: This surprise no one. We expect the PS4 and Xbox One to be on sale, with deals for the PS4 Slim and the Xbox One S being deeply discounted. The PS4 Pro and Xbox One X to free-game bundles in limited stock on Black Friday. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a6dabbddae5abd552ce1ab2de80058f9.jpg 4KTV Black Friday deals: Walmart is home to the big-ticket item discounts, and that usually means people fighting over insanely reduced price televisions in stores. Online shopping is much safer, and you can still walk away with a brand new TV while paying as little as half the original price. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RJDMtcmw9WRfS6W3Wwqup.jpg Walmart Black Friday laptop deals: You won't find Apple MacBook deals at Walmart, but every Windows 10 brand will have some sort of sale for Black Friday 2017. HP, Dell and Lenovo will show up. Samsung, Acer and ASUS have Google Chromebooks that are even cheaper to buy. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oMRmvbpdRXSv3j29QrKgzE.jpg Walmart drones deals for Black Friday 2017: Drones with HD camera will be just as popular this holiday season as they were last year, and we hope to see another DJI Phantom that was over $1,000 and went down to $447. More Walmart Black Friday deals to comeThis isn't the end or even the beginning of Walmart sales in advance of Black Friday. We'll continue to update this page as we spot new deals in the lead up to the big day. Today's deals are just a good indication of what will be on sale on November 24. Usually they're the same products, just at even deeper discounts, which we're all in favor of seeing. And if you don't get them in time, you'll have to wait for Cyber Monday. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/DT5O0z7p1hs

Toys R Us Cyber Monday deals will offer some of the best ways for shoppers to get low prices on everything the store carries, from simple simple dolls to complex, modular Nerf blasters. And let’s not forget movies and video games. Shoppers looking for games, toys and products that are just fun will want to keep an eye on Toys R Us for Cyber Monday 2017. Cyber Monday is an easy way to unwind and keep shopping from the comfort of your own home after some of the hectic experiences Black Friday has to offer. While Black Friday does include a lot of online deals, some will only take place in stores. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, is all about scoring great deals online. The Toys R Us Cyber Monday deals for 2017 will make it easy to get great deals on what the store has to offer online. There won’t crying toddlers because a 30-year-old man snagged the last Nintendo Switch, nor any teens fighting over fidget spinners. All the competition for deals will be online, as shoppers hurry to get what they’re looking for before the inventory counter ticks down to zero. Toys R Us ads to leak ahead of timeThere are no leaked ads detailing the Cyber Monday deals Toys R Us will have for 2017 right now, but they should come in late November. Since Cyber Monday comes after Black Friday, Cyber Monday ads may not be officially released until after Black Friday. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ybkgA6tFfzZ84VCjAfaBK8.jpg Once the ads arrive, they offer a chance to figure out what deals are worth going after. There’s no such thing as unlimited stock though, and being able to quickly hop on the internet and press the buy button is the surest way to get the deal you’re looking for before it vanishes. If ads are available early from multiple retailers, there’s a good opportunity to compare deals and make sure you’re buying products from the store offering the lowest price. Toys R Us will likely have a lot of good deals, but they may not be the very best ones. Sometimes advertisements detailing the deals coming on Cyber Monday leak early, so keep checking here, as we’ll post these leaked adds when they become available so you can plan your shopping and find the best Cyber Monday deals. Pre-Cyber Monday Toys R Us dealsA number of children’s tablets are on sale with heavy discounts. The LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum is $40 for $59. The Barbie 7-inch Kids Tablet is $37 off for $42. And the Kurio Xtreme 2 Special Edition is $20 off for $59 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fjMg7eTU27pBKY5utQFBC7.jpg The Lego Batman Movie Blu-ray is more than half off in a combo pack. For $14, the bundle includes Blu-Ray, Digital HD, DVD and a mini Lego batmobile. Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Packs are upto $51 off, with the Xbox One version selling for $13, the Wii U version for $14 and the PS4 version for $19. NBA 2K17 for Xbox One is $20 off for a total of $39 Expected Toys R Us dealsCyber Monday might be about online shopping, but for Toys R Us, there will likely be a lot of overlap with the deals from Black Friday. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/34ciQDoxfXhWPJDGJGAZfM.jpg Video games and gaming consoles are often on sale for Cyber Monday, so expect Toys R Us to have some deals in this category. The new Xbox One X is coming out in early November, and this fall is going to be full of new video game release, like Star Wars Battlefront 2. New games and consoles aren’t cheap, so any Cyber Monday deal on these items is worth looking at. Lots of deals also include bundles of consoles and games together, so be on the lookout for those if you want the best prices on multiple products at the same time. With a new Star Wars moving coming out later this year and Rogue One inventory getting old, expect some deals there. Lego has had The Lego Batman Movie and will have The Lego Ninjago Movie this year, so related products may be popular and discounted. Disney and Barbie are also popular brands for deals, and should continue to be this year. Cyber Monday may also be a good time to look out for big and expensive items you wouldn’t want to schlep out of the store yourself. If you’re looking for trampolines and Power Wheels, Cyber Monday will be a good time to do it. Toys R Us Cyber Monday adviceThere’s no pushing or shoving in online shopping, but there’s still serious competition among shoppers. Look for deals early and often if you know what you want to buy. Doing so will not only help you spot the best Toys R Us Cyber Monday deals as soon as possible, but it will also help you known when the listed deal price is actually a change from the regular price. If you just want to see the best deals and decide whether they’re to your liking, just reload this webpage regularly to see any updates http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jV92fj2vp5YThssZqqecFW.jpg TechRadar offers the Pricehawk Chrome extension so you can see if any retailer has a better deal than the ones you find on the Toys R Us website. If you want to be sure you’re really getting the best deal possible, use this extension before pressing the buy button. Since Cyber Monday will have a lot of people visiting the same retailer sites at the same time, you might want to use a VPN to avoid internet congestion. If the local servers for Toys R Us are too busy during Cyber Monday, you might not be able to access the site, but a VPN can help you route your internet traffic to another region where it’s not so busy, so you can get to the deals before it’s too late. One last thing you won’t want to do is wait around when you see a deal on a product that you know you want. If a product is popular and has a really great deal on it, chances are that it will sell out quickly. You don’t want to stare at that product all day only to click the purchase button and have the webpage tell you that it’s no longer in stock. If you know what you want from Toys R Us during Cyber Monday 2017, don’t wait until the following Tuesday to get it. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/4DgWyk53Zpo