sincity

Toothbrushes, beds, ovens, lightbulbs, toasters – if it exists in your home, a company somewhere will have put a chip in it. The idea of a smart home is very appealing – all your devices connected and controllable via an app – but many of the ‘smart’ devices you can hook up to your home network today are actually pretty dumb. Many have no security features at all – or even any means of updating their firmware. How do you patch a toaster? With that in mind we asked two of the biggest names in home security, Avast and Bitdefender, what the risks are and what you can do to keep yourself safe. “[The] matter of IoT security has become extremely pressing in the past couple of years, as the market has been flooded by a wide range of smart things that have made their way into homes,” Liviu Arsene, global cybersecurity researcher at Bitdefender, told TechRadar. “However, while manufacturers have rushed into pushing smart capabilities into almost all household appliances and devices, security has taken a back seat. In fact, as security researchers have demonstrated on numerous occasions, a large percentage of internet-connected devices ranging from household appliances to implantable medical devices and industrial systems have been found lacking even the most basic security practices.” It’s something we’ve seen ourselves. In 2017, TechRadar attended an event where security experts from Bitdefender demonstrated just how easy it is to take control of an IP camera running insecure firmware. The camera in question – a cheaply purchased one from an unknown manufacturer – was easily accessed remotely using a hard-coded admin password, giving the ‘attacker’ full control. Many devices are shockingly exposed – master accounts often have both the username and password set to ‘admin’, and might be running open source software with known vulnerabilities. Patching is impossible – cheap devices often have no means of installing updates. Why smart home security mattersBut is that always so important? A camera can give criminals an unrestricted view of your home, but surely a connected coffee machine is harmless? “What’s appealing about them is that they have internet connectivity and that they’re usually connected to the same network as other critical devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers,” Arsene said. “This means that vulnerable IoTs that are connected to the internet can turn into gateways that attackers can use to remotely dial into infrastructures and potentially access other devices and information.” Arsene notes that IoTs can also be used as weapons of mass disruption – as in the Mirai incident, where thousands of IP cameras were amassed into a botnet and used to perform a denial of service attack on one of the largest DNS service providers in the US – taking down services belonging to Fortune 500 companies. Even if it doesn’t pose a direct threat to you, an insecure smart home device can be weaponized. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BK8TSLu42x6KXVVPge7r3G.jpg Your home network is only as strong as its weakest link, whatever that happens to be (Image credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock) Security systemsBitdefender’s London event marked the launch of the Bitdefender BOX (now in its second iteration) – an all-in-one router, hardware firewall and network manager that checks all the traffic on your home network and all the devices connected, and warns you at the first sign of suspicious activity. Avast has now launched its own home security system – Avast Omni – a combination of hardware and software that works with your existing router. It's currently only available in the US, but will be rolling out more widely soon. “When we went to design this product we had a set of design goals,” Gagan Singh, senior vice president and general manager of mobile at Avast, told TechRadar. “We wanted to essentially provide you with a single subscription to protect all your IoT devices in your home. “The real meat of the product is really inside the network and inside software. The hardware is just an enabler to look at the traffic patterns and metadata of the traffic and the software analyses that and calls out anomalies in that traffic or devices that may be misbehaving. The hardware is an enabler for the software to make detections.” What you can doHowever, these systems aren’t the only way to protect your smart home, and the experts have some practical advice that you can start using today. [One of] the most important things that people can do – and we often don’t , because the whole IoT [internet of Things] landscape is so nascent – is that you have to go purchase IoT devices from reputable vendors,” said Singh. He gave the example of an experiment where a journalist from Wired bought an unbranded IoT device, connected it to an unsecured network, and found that it took less than a minute to catch malware. Buying from a reputable vendor doesn’t guarantee that your device won’t be compromised, but it does mean it adheres to certain security standards. “Second, make sure that the firmware is updated,” Singh said. “A lot of devices are getting quite intelligent, with auto updates, but as the software gets outdated and more vulnerabilities pile up, it makes that insecure.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CRvuretyUPjDchbmD39u2H.jpg When buying IoT devices like IP cameras, make sure they're from reputable vendors (Image credit: Casezy idea/Shutterstock) “…[H]ome users that already have a smart home or smart devices within their home should consider already setting in place network security appliances that work in tandem with their current router, in order to weed out potential intrusions,” Arsene added. “For example, a dedicated home network security solution has the ability to let users know whenever devices are secured with poor passwords, whether firmware updates are available for IoTs and even the router, whether brute-force attempts or known exploits are performed against devices, and even warn users if sensitive data – such as passwords or credit card details - is being exposed online via unsecured communication channels. “In essence, a dedicated home network security appliance that acts as a gateway for all smart home devices and makes sure that all home network devices are equally secure.” As a wary consumer, it’s best to take as many steps as possible to keep yourself safe, because the industry won’t do it for you. “Those [methods] can help mitigate a big part of the safety risk,” said Singh. “One that cannot be mitigated by the end consumer is that a lot of appliance makers who are now selling Wi-Fi chips don’t have a background in providing IoT security. Toaster makers have been great at making toasters, but when they add Wi-Fi capability they have no sense of the risks that are associated with providing that capability and how would you secure it.” You wouldn’t trust a toothbrush maker to build your router, so why give it unrestricted access to your home network? Check out our guide to the best antivirus softwarehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/eBhDtryehws

ZombieLoad is the latest in a line of high profile security flaws with attention-grabbing names to plague Intel processors, and it seems that many of the chip maker’s friends and allies are running out of patience with the company. As with previous security flaws, like Meltdown and Spectre, the disclosure of ZombieLoad, which potentially allows malicious hackers to steal private browsing history, passwords and other information, has lead to companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google rushing out patches to help mitigate the impact of the errors. Having to work around the clock to fix an issue in another company’s product is never going to go down well. And, while Intel’s biggest partners have mainly kept diplomatically quiet over their frustrations with having to fix yet another security flaw in Intel’s hardware, their engineers must have felt acutely frustrated. Just look at the noise coming from the open source community. Open source developers can talk more freely about their annoyance with Intel and its latest security fail as there are no business relationships that need to be kept sweet, no NDAs to sign or gentlemen’s agreements. The open source community isn’t well known for biting its tongue when something annoys it. Take the release notes for the Linux kernel 5.1.2 by Greg Kroah-Hartman, the stable Linux kernel maintainer, which was released in the aftermath of ZombieLoad. As he notes, “As I said before just over a year ago, Intel once again owes a bunch of people a lot of drinks for fixing their hardware bugs in our software.” There surely are many developers at the bigger tech companies that will be quietly agreeing with him. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uhTK296UgFhFySYv2yEJkV.jpg How long will Intel's partners tolerate having to fix security issues with Intel's hardware? Performance hitsWhile many companies released mitigations against ZombieLoad, the problem doesn’t end there. Most of the fixes involve disabling hyper-threading, a feature that generates virtualized processor cores for improved multitasking performance, and that has lead to some drastic performance impacts after the patches are applied. If your Mac suddenly starts running slow, you’re likely to blame Apple before you blame Intel. For example, Apple revealed that, with the ZombieLoad patch installed, there could be performance drops of up to 40% – which would particularly impact Macs with multi-core processors. That's practically every modern Mac in use today. Meanwhile, the Phoronix website has taken a deep dive into what sort of performance impact ZombieLoad mitigations have on Linux machines – and the results aren’t good. Not only will this annoy customers who are seeing their expensive devices perform worse, but it’s not a good look for the manufacturers, either. If your Mac suddenly starts running slow, you’re likely to blame Apple before you blame Intel. It’s no secret that Apple has been considering parting ways with Intel and building its own processors to power its Mac devices. After insinuating that Intel’s recent processor shortage was responsible for lower Mac sales (and prompted us to half-jokingly suggest that Apple should buy AMD), this new security flaw – and the impact its mitigations have on performance – could further sour Apple and Intel’s relationship. So, Intel is fast losing friends. Is there anything it can do? Well, apart from stop releasing hardware with major security issues in them, that is. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7HLugp27LwfEw9yNKHssU7.jpg Project Athena's collaborative approach could save Intel. Help us Project Athena, you’re our only hopeWith Intel’s partners seemingly frustrated with the hardware maker, it surely must be hoping that its Project Athena initiative pays off. If laptop makers and software developers end up falling out with Intel, then we could see them move to Qualcomm and ARM hardware. Project Athena sees Intel working closely with manufacturers to develop the next generation of laptops. While it won’t answer many of the problems its partners have, by working more closely together, Intel and companies such as Microsoft, Google and Dell can help shape future hardware that’s free from major security exploits. Project Athena should produce laptops that can meet the requirements of modern users: offering always-connected 5G internet, day-long battery life and drastically reduced start-up times. These are all features that Windows on Snapdragon (WOS) devices have. WOS laptops run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon hardware – making them a distinct threat to Intel. If laptop makers and software developers end up falling out with Intel, then we could see them move to Qualcomm and other ARM hardware. That means the success of Project Athena is more important than ever for Intel. If it can manage to produce hardware that’s free from the major security flaws we’ve recently seen, while collaborating with its partners and fighting off competition from Qualcomm and a resurgent AMD, then Project Athena could save Intel. If it can’t, then Team Blue could be in a lot of trouble, and it might find its old friends aren’t going to be so keen to help it out in the future. AMD vs Intel: which chipmaker does processors better?Image credits: Nyoman Arya Suartawan/Shutterstock http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/MOgCyPivw6Q

The hints that Apple is planning to break up iTunes offerings into distinct apps just keep coming. The latest: Apple has added its own hints at what's to come with an update to its Podcasts.Apple.com page, as reported by 9to5Mac. We've previously reported on the iTunes breakup for Mac expected to coincide with the major update known as macOS 10.15. This new hint comes in the form of a changed button within iTunes. Previously, when viewing podcasts on Apple's website, a button offered a jumping off point to listen to the podcast in iTunes. Now, that button has been replaced with a "Listen on Apple Podcasts" button. Though this new button still directs to iTunes, it's highly likely that the button will direct to a standalone Apple Podcasts app when macOS 10.15 launches with said app. See what's coming to iOS 13Here's the latest on macOS 10.15's Music appThese are all the iPhone 11 rumorsMore coming to macOS 10.15The Apple Podcasts app is just one of the components broken off of iTunes that's expect with macOS 10.15. Standalone apps for Apple Music and Apple Books may also come, and they'll likely be developed using Apple's Marzipan technology. This would leave them feeling mostly similar to their iOS versions. Beyond these apps, macOS 10.15 may come with some other cool features. One is the integration of Siri Shortcuts, which allow for voice-triggered, automated tasks. When it comes to productivity, this feature could let Mac users get routine tasks done much quicker. Apple Sidecar is another expected feature. This would enable use of an iPad as a secondary display with a Mac. Not only would the extra screen real estate benefit productivity, but the feature should allow touch and stylus use on the tablet. This would effectively make the tablet double as a convenient pen display backed by the full desktop versions of software like Photoshop. We'll have to wait and see how many of these rumors pan out, but there are strong hints for all the ones mentioned here. Apple will likely debut macOS 10.15 at WWDC 2019 and release it toward September this year. Having any macOS 10.14 Mojave problems? Here's how to fix themhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/xlD0IBsxUhE

The loot box debate has been a hot topic in games for several years now, with several government bodies opting to classify the in-game feature as gambling and regulating them as such. One of these countries has been Belgium, whose Gaming Commission deemed in 2018 that loot boxes are indeed a form of gambling and threatened legal action against any game companies who implement the features in their games (well, in Belgium). While companies such as Valve and Blizzard opted to remove loot boxes from the offending games, Square Enix chose to remove three of its mobile games altogether rather than comply with regulations - and now it seems Nintendo is following suit. Best phone for gaming 2019: the top 10 mobile game performersBest games 2019: our favorite PC and console games of the yearBest upcoming games 2019: most anticipated titles for consoleNintendo has announced that is will shut down mobile games Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes in Belgium in August (via Eurogamer). Nintendo Belgium announced the decision on Twitter, claiming the games are being shut down due to the "current unclear situation in Belgium regarding certain in-game revenue models". You can check out the tweet below: A longer statement followed on Nintendo Belgium's official website, stating: "Due to the current unclear situation in Belgium regarding certain in-game revenue models, we have decided to end the service for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes in Belgium. It will therefore no longer be possible to play and download the games from Tuesday 27th August 2019. "Players who still have Orbs and / or Leaf Tickets in their account can continue to use them until the service ends. In addition, future Nintendo games with similar earnings models will no longer be released in Belgium. "We would like to thank all players in Belgium for playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes." (Thanks Eurogamer for the translation). Loot boxes: what's the deal?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k4wmeZbMtghiVNR7fhjkc6.jpg Image credit: TechRadar So what is a loot box? A loot box is an in-game feature that sees players spending real-world money to open an item with further randomized items inside. Essentially you spend real world money to open the box (or pay for a key to open it, among other variations) without knowing what its contents are - they could be good or they could be bad. Due to the chance element, and the involvement of real world money, some government bodies have ruled that the feature should be classified as gambling and regulated as such. Not surprisingly, some game companies disagree and aren't happy with the new regulations being brought in. In the case of Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Nintendo hasn't been clear about which elements of these games are conflicting with the Belgian Gaming Commission's regulations. However it's likely that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp's fortune cookies, which you can purchase and eat to gain a randomized reward, and Fire Emblem's Summons, which are used to obtain more heroes. It seems these games will only be pulled from Belgian stores, but it seems game developers are not willing to take loot box regulations lying down... Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch - release date, news and featureshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/rdEJqeev1-c

Fujifilm has already made it known that it's preparing a GFX 100 medium format camera, and that this should arrive in the first half of 2019, but it's stayed fairly tight-lipped on exactly what that camera will offer beyond its core features. Japanese camera-leaking website Nokishita, however, which has accurately revealed the specs of several cameras and lenses prior to their official announcements, claims to have learned several details from "domestic sources". According to the website, the new model will feature a 120MP medium format CMOS sensor, which we already know will be designed with a back-illuminated architecture. The effective pixel count is likely to be consistent with the product's name, at 100MP. Best mirrorless camera 2019: 10 top models to suit every budgetFind out why Fujifilm will 'never' launch a full-frame mirrorless cameraHere are 10 things to look out for on your next mirrorless cameraThe site also claims the sensor will have 3.78 million phase-detect AF pixels incorporated into its design, spread across approximately 100% of the sensor's surface. The accuracy of face and pupil detection AF is also said to be improved over previous models, which would make sense as this has been a focus on recent X-series models. The model looks set to use the X-Processor 4 that has starred inside the recent X-T3 and X-T30 models, which would allow the camera to output 16-bit raw and TIFF files. Other key details include a five-axis in-body image stabilization system that works to the tune of 5.5 stops, as well as an organic EL viewfinder that boasts 5.76 million dots and a high 0.86x magnification. This is a significant step up from the 3.69 million-dot viewfinders inside some of Fujifilm's other current models, and means they may well perform to the same impressive standard as the ones inside the Panasonic S1 and S1R models. Primed for 4K shootingThe GFX 100 also looks set to gain 4K video recording to 30p, with 10-bit 4:2:0 recording to the camera's memory card and 10-bit 4:2:2 output through the HDMI port. It also seems as though it will be graced with the video-centric ETERNA Film Simulation mode for the first time on the GFX model. Below the viewfinder, the model will apparently offer a 3.2-inch display that tilts in three directions, much the same as the one on the Fujifilm GFX 50S. As we've already seen from prototypes, there will also be a small pro-DSLR-style sub-monitor underneath this, together with a 1.8-inch top plate LCD to show shooting settings. Other features include a new Smooth Skin Effect and USB charging option, together with weather resistance through 95 separate seals around the body. The camera is also set to use two NP-T125 batteries, allowing for approximately 800 images to be taken when using the LCD screen. The GFX 100 is set to be the third GFX-series model, following the original GFX 50S and the more compact, but largely similar, GFX 50R that arrived earlier this year. While Fujifilm has only confirmed a few details of the GFX 100, the leaked specs are relatively consistent with what we expect – and it doesn't seem we'll have to wait much longer to find out for sure. Field Test: Fujifilm GFX 50Shttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/C5JhG0dv9FM

The Honor 20 (previously known as the Honor 11) is the next flagship phone with a more mid-range price tag to come out of the Chinese firm and it's about to launch. Honor has announced that the Honor 20 phone series will launch on May 21, which is today, and around half a year after the Honor View 20 launched in December 2018. Update: The Honor 20 range is just hours away from launching and new renders and camera samples have leaked. Not much is known for sure about the Honor 20 so far, but there have been a number of leaks and the company has confirmed that despite the looming threat of it no longer being able to access Google services, the Honor 20 range should still get security updates. You'll find everything else that's confirmed or rumored below, along with a list of the things we most want from the Honor 20, to make it even more impressive than the Honor 10 it's set to replace. Honor 20 live stream: how to watch today's big phone launch liveCut to the chaseWhat is it? The successor to the Honor 10When is it out? May 21 (that's today!)What will it cost? Likely at least £399.99 (around $540, AU$720)Honor 20 release date and priceThe Honor 20 launch date is set for May 21, in other words today, and at the time of writing we're just hours away. We'll be reporting live from the event to bring you everything you need to know about the series of handsets (yes, there will be more than one). It all kicks off at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST or 11PM AEDT, and you can learn how to watch live here. We expect the Honor 20 release date to be close to the announcement, as Honor is generally quick are putting new phones on pre-order at least, if not almost immediately on sale. Though it's very unlikely that you'll be able to buy the phone in the US. As for the Honor 20 price, you’re probably looking at a minimum of £399.99 (about $540, AU$720), as that’s what the Honor 10 launched for. We wouldn’t be surprised if the price goes up though. A leak suggested it will launch in three configurations each with different RAM and storage amounts, and with prices starting at ¥2,999 (roughly $450, £350 or AU$630). A more recent leak meanwhile has said that it will start (with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage) at ¥2,699 (around $390, £305 or AU$565), while the Honor 20 Pro will apparently start (with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage) at ¥3,699 (roughly $535, £420 or AU$775). Since phones often launch at very different prices in China as the rest of the world we don't expect the Honor 20 to launch at exactly that price, but it could be in the ballpark. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8D3EsdSDYxWE2KKMWENuAF.jpg Hopefully the Honor 20/Honor 11 will be just as good value as the Honor 10 (Image Credit: TechRadar) Honor 20 LiteIt's worth noting that May 21's launch doesn't apply to the Honor 20 Lite, which has actually already been announced ahead of the rest of the range. In fact, we've already reviewed it, giving it 3.5 stars and praising its good screen, camera and design, considering the £249.99 (around $335 / AU$480) price. The Honor 20 Lite is available to buy now in the UK. Honor 20 news and rumorsHonor itself has given us a partial look at the Honor 20 Pro, with the teaser image below showing part of the phone on top of a box reading 'Honor 20 Pro', confirming the handset in the process. You can just about make out that there's a punch-hole camera in the top left corner of the screen, but there aren't any other major details on display. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pZViKhxZcm8BMZmnqgKoKN.jpg Image credit: Honor Honor has also given us our first glimpse of the special edition version of the Honor 20. This particular variant has been developed in partnership with fashion brand Moschino and features a special rear design, on-screen theme, case, bag and box. We don't get to see too much of the actual device, but it appears the front will be mostly screen with no obvious chunky bezels in play. This might not be the only special edition though, as images seemingly showing a Mishka NYC model have also leaked. We've also seen leaked images of the Pro model, with renders appearing to show the Honor 20 Pro in both teal and a pink/white gradient shade, while separately it has leaked in black. Our closest look yet at the Honor 20 Pro's possible design though comes from the leaked images below, which show it in purple and green shades from front and back, showing off the all-screen design. Note that you can also see a 48MP f/1.4 camera with optical image stabilization mentioned on the back of the phone. Another extensive leak has also shown of the Honor 20 as well as revealing potential specs. Supposedly the phone has a quad-lens camera, with a 48MP main lens, a 16MP wide-angle one, a 2MP macro one and a 2MP depth sensor. It also apparently has a 32MP punch-hole camera on the front, a 6.26-inch 1080 x 2340 LCD screen (with a 412ppi pixel density), a Kirin 980 chipset, at least 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 3,750mAh battery. According to an earlier leak, the standard Honor 20 may pack a Kirin 980 chipset, as that’s the one used in the recently released View 20, and a 3,650mAh battery - so there's slight disagreement on battery size. The Kirin 980 is looking likely though and it should be powerful, as a benchmark (which lists 6GB of RAM) shows the Honor 20 achieving Huawei P30-rivaling scores. And according to a leak from China, the Honor 20 Pro variant of the phone will come with the top-end chipset as well as either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. You'll also have the choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage. Going back to the earlier Honor 20 leak, it's also been suggested that the device could have a tri-lens rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP/20MP/8MP trio, as well as a 32MP front camera, which would make it quite the photographic powerhouse, although as with all leaks it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt, especially as a more recent leak above points to a quad-lens camera. That same leak out of China suggested the company will be using a IMX600 Sony sensor, which we've previously seen perform well in the Huawei P30 Pro. As for the Honor 20 Pro's camera, that's rumored to be a quad-lens one, with a 48MP f/1.4 main lens with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 16MP f/2.2 super wide-angle lens with a 117-degree field of view, an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. Want an idea of how the camera might perform? Leaked images supposedly taken with it suggest it should be quite capable. It’s also possible – though less likely – that one or more phones in the Honor 20 range will have an in-screen fingerprint scanner, given that the Honor 10 already has an under-glass one and the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS (which is made by the same parent company) has an in-screen scanner. What we want to seeWhile we’re waiting for more Honor 20 rumors and leaks, here’s a list of the seven things we most want from it. 1. Water resistancehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvZceJdx9EYPNg7QLJictE.jpg We'd like to be able to safely use the Honor 20 in the rain The Honor 10 has a lot of high-end features, but one that it lacks is water resistance. Coupled with its largely glass build that makes it feel like a very vulnerable phone, and while we don’t necessarily want to see too many design changes we would like to at least be able to get it wet. So hopefully the Honor 11/Honor 20 will offer some amount of water resistance. We’d like to see at least IP67 certification (which is what the likes of the iPhone X has and means it can be submerged up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes) but the more the better. 2. Better battery lifeThe Honor 10’s battery life is reasonable, but nothing special, lasting around a day but not much more, as seems to be standard with phones. For the Honor 20 we’d like to see that improved. If it could stretch to two days of life that would make all the difference, meaning you’d be fine if you forget to plug it in overnight and even making it more viable to take camping and to other off-grid activities. A Honor 20 leak suggested it'll have a 3,650mAh battery pack, which is above the Honor 10's 3,400mAh but still below the Honor View 20's 4,000mAh. 3. The same stylish back in more colorshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CvyEDa9hWSfJixy8ejptLF.jpg We'd be happy with a similar design for the Honor 20 as long as there are more color options We’re big fans of the Honor 10’s bold, reflective back that in some shades can even morph color, but there aren’t enough shades available, and not all options are available in all regions. Given how eye-catching the look is, we’d like more opportunity to tailor it to our tastes, so for the Honor 20 we want more than just a few color choices. 4. A faster cameraThe Honor 10 has a fairly capable dual-lens camera, but it can take a surprisingly long time to start up. Snapping is speedy enough once it does, but the time taken to actually get into the app can mean missing a fleeting photo opportunity, so we want to see that fixed for the Honor 20. There’s enough power in the Honor 10 that the delay shouldn’t be necessary as it is, so perhaps a software update could fix it on the existing hardware, but either way we’ll be really unimpressed if it manifests itself again on 2019’s phone. 5. Wireless charginghttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jRWQBxATFFSEy6Dk4B6CoE.jpg By 2019 we really shouldn't have to plug our phones in The Honor 10 supports fast charging but one thing it lacks is wireless charging, so we’d like to see that remedied for the Honor 20. Its absence is perhaps a cost-cutting measure, and arguably a worthwhile one since the Honor 10 gives you an awful lot of phone for the money, but hopefully the company can find a way to include wireless charging on the next model without pushing the price up. 6. A microSD card slotThere’s lots of storage in the Honor 10 and that’s a good thing too as there’s no microSD card slot. But while the up to 128GB of storage found in the Honor 10 should be enough for most people it won’t be enough for everyone, so we’d like a microSD card slot coupled with at least that much storage in the Honor 20, to keep everyone happy. 7. Better low light photographyWhile the Honor 10’s camera is fairly good it’s not a match for the snappers on the Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro, especially when it comes to low light shots, so we’d like to see the Honor 20 borrow from them and perform better when the sun starts to set. The OnePlus 7 is another affordable flagship due this yearImage Credit: TechRadar http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/4dWmI8dKW5g

Microsoft has updated its popular Your Phone app for Windows 10, so users can now send MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages using the app on PC. This will allow users to send images, videos and GIFs from the app, and it’s a feature that many people who have been using Your Phone have been waiting for. How to defrag Windows 10Google kills Windows 10 on ChromebooksHere’s how to fix any October 2018 Update problemsYour Phone is a handy app for reading and replying to text messages that arrive on your smartphone from within Windows 10. You can also view and edit recent photos taken on your smartphone directly on your PC, and Microsoft has promised new features to make the app even better. Early accessThe new features are only available to people signed up to the Windows Insider program, which gives access to early versions of Windows 10 and its apps. To get the feature, you’ll need to have Windows 10 Build OS 18362.113 (19H1) or 18885 (20H1) or later installed. However, if you don’t want to sign up for early version of Windows, it looks like the updated Your Phone app could arrive with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, which is due pretty soon. These are the best laptops of 2019Via MSPowerUser http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/zpteMO6pJH0

Just around a week after its announcement the OnePlus 7 Pro is now available to buy in the UK, with prices starting at £649. That will get you the phone in Mirror Gray with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while for £699 you can get it in Mirror Gray or Nebula Blue with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, then at the top end there’s a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in Nebula Blue for £799. There’s also an 8GB model in Almond, but that’s not arriving until June, and nor is the standard OnePlus 7. The Galaxy S10 is a major rivalSee what we thought of the Google Pixel 3aThe Honor 20 is about to landYou can buy the OnePlus 7 Pro directly from OnePlus, or from Amazon, John Lewis or Three, and it could be worth buying, as we gave the phone 4.5 stars in our review, praising its brilliant all-screen display, its pop-up camera, and its fast performance and charging. The OnePlus 7 Pro is expensive by OnePlus standards, but it still undercuts rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and iPhone XS, and unlike previous OnePlus phones there’s very little in the way of compromises to achieve that lower price. The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is landing laterhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/JN2icqITzD8

Windows 10 has a bug with system restore which happens to be a show-stopper that prevents your PC from even booting up, although fortunately there’s action you can take to get around this. That said, we’d obviously recommend avoiding the problem in the first place if at all possible. So what is the issue exactly? As highlighted by Bleeping Computer, it affects Windows 10 computers on which system protection is turned on, and a system restore point has been created, before installing one (or more) Windows 10 updates. How to protect your devices against ZombieLoadEverything you need to know about how to use Windows 10This is what’s coming with the Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateIn this exact scenario, when your PC reboots and has finished installing the updates, if you then subsequently try to restore the system to the recently created point – maybe because you encountered a problem with one of said updates – then you will run into the boot-stopping error. Microsoft explains: “During the system restore process, Windows temporarily stages the restoration of files that are in use. It then saves the information in the registry. When the computer restarts, it completes the staged operation. “In this situation, Windows restores the catalog files and stages the driver .sys files to be restored when the computer restarts. However, when the computer restarts, Windows loads the existing drivers before it restores the later versions of the drivers. Because the driver versions do not match the versions of the restored catalog files, the restart process stops.” What you actually see is a ‘stop error (0xc000021a)’ and the system fails to get back to the desktop. Recovery procedureSo how do you recover from this? After the failure to boot, reboot again, and you should be put into the Windows Recovery Environment (you may have to restart twice in a row, Microsoft notes). Then, when you’re in the Recovery Environment, carry out the following steps: Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > More recovery options > Startup settings, and then select Restart nowIn the list of startup settings, select Disable driver signature enforcement (Note: You may have to use the F7 key to select this setting)Allow the startup process to continue. As Windows restarts, the system restore process should resume and finishAll being well, you should now be out of the woods. Microsoft further advises that you can safely carry out a system restore on an affected PC by implementing the restore from the aforementioned Windows Recovery Environment. In this case, you need to click on the Start button, then go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Look under Advanced options, and click Restart now. This will fire up the Recovery Environment, from where you should select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System restore. Finally, you need to enter the recovery key shown on the screen, and then follow the subsequent instructions in the restore Wizard. We witnessed another Windows 10 glitch very recently, in the form of a cumulative update which caused a good deal of confusion by apparently installing itself twice. Some of the best laptops of 2019 run Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/63mSMspkmtk

It’s official – the GDPR is one year old. In its first 12 months, the European Commission has demonstrated strong yet measured implementation, with fines totalling over €56 million hitting 91 companies, including €50 million against a single organisation. A significant amount, yet a fraction of the full 4% of companies’ total global revenue they could have levied – a difference of billions. As enforcement begins, the commission seems to be leaning towards a constructive approach – with some members stating publicly they do not wish to put companies out of business, or leverage a fine so large a company would be incapable of fixing the problem. The goal seems to be to incentivise companies to fix the problem, while letting them know that if they do not, the fine could get worse. As time goes on, this approach will likely change. The first real test of GDPRWhat's been done for data privacy since GDPR?Majority of companies still aren't GDPR-compliantFirst fine under GDPRToday, the commission seems to be rewarding good behaviour as much as it is punishing bad behaviour. A perfect example of this is the first company to be fined under the GDPR, a German social media platform called Knuddels. On first glance, the offense seems to be a major one, a data breach that compromised the email addresses and passwords of 330,000 users. Yet the fine was relatively small, only €20,000, compared to what Knuddels could have been charged. The commission noted that the company proactively and quickly notified the German data protection authorities and customers. They also worked quickly to implement the security procedures that were recommended to address the breach. In contrast to the commission's response to the Knuddels breach, consider the response to multiple breaches by a Centro Hospitalar Barreiro Montijo, a hospital in Portugal. They were fined €400,000 and didn't even technically have a breach. It was perceived, though, that they ignored one of the core concepts of the GDPR, which is security by design and by default. The hospital allowed indiscriminate access to patient records by an excessive number of users - there were 985 profiles with the access level of a doctor, but there were only 296 doctors in the hospital. To make matters worse, all doctors could see all patient records – even records of other doctors’ patients. It appears the commission felt these and other actions demonstrated the hospital was consciously violating the GDPR, knowing that its acts were prohibited by law. Although the hospital did take steps to correct the issue once identified, it appeared they were essentially ignoring the GDPR until someone came knocking on their door. The result was a €400,000 fine – which was still much smaller than it could have been. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EPGtGxgPMKNiP6gxCmin4c.jpg Image credit: Shutterstock Largest fine under GDPRThe largest GDPR fine to date was against Google because the commission said people were "not sufficiently informed" how Google collected and used their data. The commission indicated that Google did not gain proper consent to collect data and use it. Google's European headquarters are in Ireland, but the French privacy watchdog had no problem levying the €50 million fine on a company from a completely different country. One of the most controversial aspects of the GDPR – at least in the storage industry – is an individual’s right to ask that their personal information be deleted if a company has no valid business reason to keep it. Many companies do not store data in a way that makes it easy to delete – especially when it comes to secondary copies of data like snapshots, backups, and archives. End of the era of leniencyWhile the commission may have begun with a more measured, constructive approach - public comments suggest this is about to change. Fines were low to urge companies towards compliance, and afford additional time to make corrections. That period will may end sooner than many expect. In the coming years, companies must take the core tenants of the GDPR more seriously than ever before, with robust, secure data governance at the foundation of virtually every aspect of business. Data governance in direct compliance with the GDPR is no longer an area where companies can come “close,” or “work towards.” The era of leniency will soon be at an end. W. Curtis Preston, Chief Technologist at Druva This is everything you need to know about GDPRhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/hiDxpmOUK14

We’re just hours away from the launch of the Honor 20 range but the leaks haven’t stopped coming. In fact, we have two separate leaks today, one showing the possible design of the Honor 20 Pro, and the other showing photos supposedly taken by the phone. Starting with the design, the images below were shared by Roland Quandt (a reputable leaker) and he claims these are the “first actual official pics.” However, they look a lot like the design in leaks that we’ve seen before. They show a phone with a punch-hole camera in the top left corner of an otherwise all-screen front, while the back appears to be glass and houses a quad-lens camera. You can see from the images that the main lens is a 48MP one with optical image stabilization and an f/1.4 aperture. The OnePlus 7 Pro is a recent rivalThe iPhone 11 is landing later this yearRead our full Galaxy S10 reviewIt looks like the Honor 20 Pro will come in interesting colors too, as it’s shown in both a pink or purple shade and a green shade with hints of blue. Quandt also adds that the Honor 20 Pro will apparently have similar specs to the standard Honor 20, but with a bigger battery and likely more memory. Moving on to the camera samples, these were shared by Bang Gogo (a tech micro-blogger) and show a variety of landscape shots, as you can see below. They look promising, but we don’t want to read too much into them since even if they’re the real deal they will have likely been compressed when posting them to Twitter. Still, with the Honor 20 Pro seemingly having a quad-lens camera, with lenses rumored to include the 48MP one mentioned above along with a 16MP f/2.2 wide-angle one, an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto one and a 2MP f/2.4 macro one, we’d expect it to take decent photos. We’ll be reporting live from the Honor 20 announcement event, so we’ll let you know all the official details as soon as we hear them. And it’s worth noting that despite Huawei’s (and therefore Honor’s as it’s a sub-brand of Huawei) future access to Google services looking bleak, the company has confirmed that the Honor 20 range will still get security updates, just like existing Huawei and Honor phones. The Huawei Android ban has been temporarily liftedVia GSMArena http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/HyW93Qxlt3Q

Voigtländer has confirmed a new wide-angle prime lens for Sony E-mount users, the Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical. The lens, which has 13 elements spread across 11 groups, is said to be optimized for the sensors inside Sony's E-mount bodies, and features an imaging circle that satisfies both full-frame and APS-C sensors. That means it will work with the likes of the Sony A6400 and popular Sony A7 III, right up to the sports-focused Sony A9. Best mirrorless camera 2019: 10 top models to suit every budgetThese are the best lenses for Sony mirrorless camerasHere are 10 things to look out for on your next mirrorless cameraThe optic features electronic contacts at its rear that allow it to communicate with the camera body. Not only does this allows for data to be embedded within the Exif data of images, but by communicating distance information it also means that it work with the five-axis sensor-based stabilization system inside the camera, presumably to deliver more effective corrections. The lens is limited to manual focus, although the use of a high-quality grease is said to provide smooth operation and adequate torque of the focusing ring. A floating mechanism has also been employed to keep image quality consistent over a range of focusing distances. Stepless aperture adjustmentVoigtländer has also designed the lens with an impressive 12 blades to form the diaphragm, which should help to deliver nicely rounded bokeh. The aperture itself can also be closed and opened in a stepless manner, which, as Voigtländer points out, means it can be adjusted while shooting videos without the risk of operational sounds being picked up on recordings. Other features include a minimum focusing distance of 25cm, and a 62mm thread on the front of the lens for mounting circular filters. The lens is also set to ship with a petal-shaped lens hood that can be reverse-mounted when not required. Voigtländer is one of a number of third-party manufacturers that caters for users of Sony's Alpha bodies, and the company already offers a number of prime lenses for the system, including the Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical and Macro APO-LANTHAR 110mm f/2.5. The lens is expected to go on sale in June with a price of 165,000 yen before tax. That works out to around $1,500 / £1,200 / AU$2,180 before tax, with pricing for regions outside Japan to be confirmed. Get more from your Sony Alpha camera with our guide to essential settingshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/dvehvhivZfE

When the OnePlus 7 Pro launched it brought with it some novel new features such as a pop-up selfie camera and 90Hz refresh rate, which we haven’t seen in many phones before. It also included some unusual software, most notably screen recording and Zen Mode, and it looks like older OnePlus phones could be seeing these features early. OnePlus had already said it would bring these software features to older OnePlus phones at some point in the future, through updates, but fans have already extracted these features and turned them into APKs, hosted on XDA Developers. This is what we thought of the OnePlus 6TWhat new features will the iPhone 11 bring?The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 isn’t far off nowAn APK is an Android app file you download through the internet, as opposed to the Play Store, and then install onto your phone like any other app. Many apps use this method of installation for various reasons, including the game Fortnite, but you should make sure to check an APK is secure and safe before downloading it. Zen Mode on the OnePlus 7 Pro lets you irrevocably lock your phone for 20 minutes, keeping you away from distractions, while screen recorder lets you record the screen (as the name implies). The OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T will officially receive Zen Mode and screen recording, while the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T will receive just the screen recorder functions, but the update that brings these functions is still a couple of months out. By jumping the gun on the update, fans have shown how keen they are about the new features OnePlus has created, and fan approval is great for any company - but this also means the OnePlus 7 Pro has lost one of its big selling points already. People were queuing around the block for the new OnePlus 7 Prohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/NG7tm0BiR1k

We are delighted to confirm the next ten members of the 2019 Mobile Power 50. Part of the Mobile Industry Awards 2019 powered by TechRadar Pro, the Power 50 highlights the most important and influential figures in the UK mobile industry during the past year. All members of our Power 50 have met our criteria of influencing beyond their existing roles in addition to imbuing their businesses with their values and serving as an inspiration to the rest of the mobile trade. Below is the release of positions 30 - 21 as we continue to count down to our the 2019 Person of the Year award, which will be announced on the 6th June at the Mobile Industry Awards 2019. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg Congratulations to:21. Claire Lorains, CEO, Tesco Mobile 22. Gareth Turpin, Sales Director, O2 23. James Kitto, Sales Director, Samsung UK and Ireland 24. Matt Child, Managing Director, Endpoint Solutions UK & Ireland, Tech Data 25. Paul Bryan, MD Mobile & IT, Exertis 26. William Paterson, UK & Ireland country director, Alcatel 27. Richard Baxendale, Managing Director (Mobile), AO World PLC 28. Pierre Coppin, Head of Marketing, Sky Mobile 29. Simon Woodman, UK Mobile Director, Exertis 30. Amanda Lambert, People and Customer Director, Three UK http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg These ten join those already nominated in the Power 50 2019: 31. Jon Shaw, Head of UK Consumer Sales Operations, Vodafone UK 32. Fergal Donovan, CEO, Data Select Group 33. Anurag Khilnani, Business Development, Europe and Asia, Amazon 34. Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices, Products & Partnerships – Consumer, EE 35. Magnus McDonald, Director of Product & Category Management, O2 36. Andrew Wilson, Mobile Buying Director, Dixons Carphone 37. Sarah Edge, General Manager UK & Ireland, HMD Global 38. Bond Zhang, Country Manager – UK, Honor 39. Kate Beaumont, Director Product, Services & Commercial Strategy, Samsung 40. Jim Michel, Group Managing Director, Redeem UK 41. Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director, Vodafone UK 42. Phil Lander, European B2B Director, Samsung 43. Sunny Metha, Country Head - UK, Ireland & Nordics, Google 44. Nazish Dossa, UK Managing Director, Brightstar 45. Terry O’Brien, Wholesale CEO, Daisy Group 46. Jason Smith, Country Head UK & Ireland, Sony Mobile Communications 47. Christian McBride, Founder, Genuine Solutions Group 48. Ben Dowd, CEO, Onecom 49. Martin Flick, CEO, Olive 50. Paul Sisson, MD, A1 Comms Group To find out more about these high calibre executives, and the rest of the Power 50 list, click here http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg The 2019 Mobile Power 50 is the definitive list of the most influential figures in the UK mobile industry during the past year. The list has been compiled after in-depth interviews with key senior figures across the industry, from operators and retailers, to manufacturers and distributors. Previous winners of the Mobile Power 50 Person of the Year: 2018: Marc Allera, CEO, EE and BT Consumer2017: David Dyson, CEO Three UK2016: Sebastian James, Group CEO, Dixons Carphone2015: Sebastian James, Group CEO, Dixons Carphone2014: Andrew Harrison, CEO, Carphone Warehouse2013: Olaf Swantee, CEO, EE2012: Simon Stanford, VP of UK & Ireland telecommunications and networks division, Samsung UK2011: Guy Laurence, CEO, Vodafone UK2010: Tom Alexander, CEO, Everything Everywhere2009: Andrew Harrison, CEO, Carphone Warehouse2008: Kevin Russell, CEO, Three UKFor more information on the Mobile Power 50, or to get more involved in the Mobile Industry Awards 2019, visit the awards site here. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/jWsw4O646Qs

AMD Navi graphics processors (GPUs) have appeared on leaked benchmarks, though they appear to be engineering samples. Still, this leak could give insight to what we can expect when the GPUs launch later this year. Especially now that Computex 2019, along with the rumored reveal of AMD Navi, is right around the corner, we're starting to see more leaks and rumors about the upcoming GPU platform. Check out the best graphics cards you can buyAMD Navi is going to have to compete with Nvidia TuringWhat about AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation?This time around, these apparent leaked engineering samples have been unearthed by renowned leaker TUM_APISAK. The leaked specs don't paint that clear a picture of the AMD Navi "731F:C1" graphics processor – but it looks like this AMD Navi GPU will feature a 1,000MHz clock speed, 8GB of video memory (VRAM) and a memory bus clock of 1,250MHz. Another supposed AMD Navi GPU, the "7310:00", was spotted in the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark by Wccftech. As far as what this GPU is capable of, it's not looking super promising quite yet. In the GFXbench Manhattan test, the Navi 731F:C1 GPU scored under the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 by more than 10%. However, this could just come down to early and unoptimized pre-release drivers. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GwRErdErC7SFd58k3CagAL.jpg What does it all mean?At this point, we know that AMD Navi is coming in Q3 2019, but we still don't know what it's going to be capable of. Because the GPUs leaked here are likely engineering samples running on pre-release drivers, the fact that it comes close to toppling the RTX 2070 is impressive enough on its own. Keep in mind that the specs listed here are likely not final, and it's entirely possible that clock speeds – both on the core and the VRAM – will see a boost before release. It will be interesting to see AMD Navi pricing, too, as that will paint a clearer picture of where the AMD Navi 731F:C1 and 7310:00 line up in the market. It's entirely possible that these GPUs are aimed at taking the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 on, as we've previously heard that the AMD Navi cards released this year will occupy the mid-range. Either way, Computex 2019 will be here soon enough, so hopefully we'll get a clearer picture of what AMD Navi has to offer at the show. Be sure to check out the best gaming PCsImages credit: TechRadar http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/qStgrv011YU

Truly great free PDF editors are hard to come by, but there are some excellent tools around if you know where to look. PDF documents are designed to look and behave exactly the same way on any device. That makes it a brilliant format for sharing, but editing them is another matter. Most office software and photo editors let you export documents in PDF format, but editing requires a dedicated tool. That's because PDF was initially a proprietary format owned by Adobe, and it still owns some of the technologies associated with it. Other companies can license those technologies, but only for a fee that's usually passed on to you – the user. There aren’t many free PDF editors, and even fewer that won’t leave your documents with unsightly watermarks. That's why we've rounded up the very best free PDF editing software that's free to use and won't add any unwanted extras to your work. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8DGeqNtteCpTHLLKpdpga3.png Image credit: Apowersoft There are two options on the ApowerPDF homepage: ‘Launch Online’ and ‘Download Desktop’. Despite appearances, these aren’t the same tools. The desktop software is only a trial of a premium product, and will watermark your edited PDFs. The tool we’re using here is the online editor, which has no such limitations. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bdUsuuYBKWwyVPfQ82BFbP.jpg Click ‘Launch Online’ and you’ll be prompted to download and run a small launcher app, after which the online editor will launch. You can edit text (including formatting), add text and images, encrypt documents with a password, convert your PDF to an image file and add comments. You can even create your own PDFs from scratch – a feature you’ll usually only find in premium PDF editing software. Unlike the desktop application, there’s no tool for removing watermarks from PDFs, but that’s a minor quibble. ApowerPDF is a remarkable PDF editor; just make sure you’re using the online edition. Try ApowerPDF onlinehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pGD7kV6NUXL6pnas3UyTKP.jpg Image credit: Tracker Software If you need to edit the text in a PDF, PDF-XChange Editor is ideal. It lets you retype, delete, and reformat text, and adapts well if the document uses a font that isn’t installed on your PC. You can also attach comments, split PDFs, and extract pages. One of PDF-Xchange Editor’s best features is the ability to use OCR to recognize text in scanned documents – ideal if you only have a printout rather than the original file (a handout from a lecture, for example). Some of the features visible in the menus and toolbars are only available in the premium version of the software, PDF-XChange Editor Plus, but you can easily hover your mouse pointer over an icon to find out if it’s included. If you go ahead and use a premium tool anyway (adding polygonal shapes or new text boxes, for example), your document will be watermarked. Look out for a warning message underneath the main toolbar before saving your work, just in case. PDF-XChanger Editor reviewDownload PDF-XChange Editorhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JK9PyWHvv8W5B5fKkBxAkb.jpg Image credit: Sedja BV Free online PDF editor Sedja offers an excellent range of tools, with just one caveat: if you're still working after three hours and haven't saved your document, it will be deleted automatically. It's quite a generous time limit, but worth bearing in mind if your PDF needs a lot of work. You can add text, images and links, sign documents, add annotations, and insert ellipses and rectangles. There’s also a ‘whiteout’ option, though this simply draws a white rectangle – it doesn’t remove any data. There’s no OCR either, so you won’t be able to edit text in scanned PDFs. When you’ve finished editing, click ‘Apply changes’ and you’ll be able to download the document, send it to Dropbox or Google Drive, delete it, or access a shareable link. The link will expire after seven days. Sedjahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zrdpc3xwHvyYGmKZTBkyVX.jpg Image credit: Red Software There are two versions of PDFescape: a free web app and a premium desktop program. Here we're using the online editor; if you download the desktop software, you'll only receive a trial of the premium edition. PDFescape's online editor lets you create new text boxes on the page, but unfortunately there's no way to edit existing text. You can create simple geometric shapes and– as with Sedja, above – add white rectangles to obscure parts of the document when it's printed. PDFescape lets you select a picture from your PC, then drag a rectangle to insert it. You can insert text fields too, enabling you to create simple forms – a rare and welcome feature for a free PDF editor. PDFescape reviewTry PDFescapehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rHUuQMqQLcyMkQgwC4np7d.jpg Image credit: Sober Lemur The latter half of PDFsam’s name is short for ‘split and merge’, which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the Basic edition. You’ll be offered a free trial of the premium version (including full editing, object insertion, secure signing, and OCR), but once that expires you’ll be left with a simple but well designed tool for chopping large documents into manageable chunks, performing a PDF cut-and-shut, or extracting selected pages. You can also use PDFsam Basic to rotate pages, which is very handy if you’ve accidentally scanned a document upside down. There are no tools for tweaking the actual content of the document, but all of PDFsam Basic’s page-management options are very clearly laid out, and it’s very clear which of the options shown in the main menu are only available in the premium edition. PDFsam Basic reviewDownload PDFsam BasicFind out how to convert PDFs to Word documents the easy wayhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ip1pzRglf9g

With a free online YouTube downloader, you can save videos directly from your web browser, without any additional software. If you download videos regularly then desktop software is the best option, offering better speeds and the ability to save several videos at once, but if you just want to download a single clip then an online YouTube downloader is ideal. In this roundup we've chosen five YouTube downloaders which can be used to save offline copies of content. Some of them give you the option of download videos at various quality settings, they may give you the option of downloading just the audio, and some support other video sites such as Vimeo. What all give tools have in common, though, is that they are all wonderfully simple to use and will quickly furnish you with the videos you desire. You should only download videos when you have the copyright owner's permission to do so. YouTube's terms of service explicitly prohibit unauthorized downloading. If you only want to save the audio from a video, check out our roundup of the best YouTube to MP3 software too. See also: how to unblock YouTube at school or the officehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zSCQBRgYqibP7iNmvGchnf.jpg Image credit: Apowersoft Apowersoft Online Video Downloader is refreshingly uncluttered and easy to use – just paste the video's URL into the box provided, open the Apowersoft Online Launcher and take your pick from the available options. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bdUsuuYBKWwyVPfQ82BFbP.jpg You can download videos in MP4, WEBM or 3GP format, in a choice of resolutions, or save just the audio as a WEBM or M4A file. Helpfully, Apowersoft Online Video Downloader makes all these options available at once, so you can download the video in several formats without having to re-enter its URL. Unlike some online YouTube downloaders, Apowersoft Online Video Downloader lets you download at the highest quality settings, and there are no time restrictions to worry about. When you need to download a video quickly, Apowersoft should be your top choice. Apowersoft Online Video Downloaderhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t7456xfTN8BkvB8kJVimf.jpg Image credit: ClipConverter Despite the name, Clip Converter isn't just a tool for saving videos in different formats. Its main purpose is downloading videos from YouTube – a task it makes incredibly simple. Unlike some browser-based YouTube downloaders, Clip Converter doesn't ask you to hunt around for a specific version of a video's URL. Just copy the main address from your browser's address bar, choose the video quality and file format, or opt to grab just the audio, and hit Start. As an added bonus, there are also plugins available for Chrome, Safari and Firefox so you can easily download YouTube videos without the need to keep visiting the Clip Converter site. One slight downside is that Clip Converter can be picky about downloading videos that contain music – the error message that appears doesn’t say as much, but this will be because of licensing issues. That aside, this is a great online YouTube video downloader. Clip Converterhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bwjQJirhf9XtPXFVLwjsaa.jpg Image credit: AceThinker To make downloading YouTube videos as simple as possible, Video Downloader Online requires you to do nothing more than paste a link and hit 'Download'. Once the video has been identified, all you need to do is click the button next to the version of the file you want to download. Video Downloader Online detects video quality options automatically and lets you choose which you want to save. You can also choose to rip the audio from a video if you prefer – a feature you won't find in all online video downlaoders. Bear in mind that clicking the 'Try pro version' link will download a different program called Video Keeper. This lets you save whole playlists at once, but costs US$29.95 (about £20, AU$40). Video Downloader Onlinehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qvrqCf9tTX6jKuyyA3xNA9.jpg Image credit: OnlineVideoConverter.com Another site that's incredibly easy to use, Online Video Converter can save YouTube videos in no fewer than seven audio and seven video formats. This means that no matter what device you have in mind as a target, and no matter what you intend to use the video for – within reason, of course – the site should have you covered. The number of download formats isn't Online Video Converter's only impressive feature. It can also grab videos from Facebook, Vimeo, Daily Motion and a plethora of other supported sites. This is an online video downloader that gets the job done, and does so quickly. You're offered a download link almost as soon as you've set your download options, and you can't ask for much better than that. It's a largely frill-free affair, but the developer has recently added a QR code that you can scan to download the video to your phone. Very handy. Online Video Converterhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/srebBjArvxoCLa542ZbYBC.jpg Image credit: Convert2mp3.net Another site with a slightly deceptive name, Convert2mp3.net can be used to convert videos from YouTube, Daily Motion and others to a range of formats – not just MP3. There are a few restrictions to bear in mind. Some file formats – such as AVI – have time limits, so if you're looking to download lengthy clips it is possible that you'll have to opt for your second choice of format. Once the file is converted, you can download it to your hard drive or save it to Dropbox if you'd like to keep it online If you don't like skipping between browser tabs and copying links, Convert2mp3.net has a search tool that not only searches YouTube for you, but offers an instant download button to keep things as simple as possible. If the site initially appears in German, click the US flag icon at the top right to switch to English. Convert3mp3.netWant to edit a video? Check out our list of the best video editing softwarehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/gp2sbCowOcI

Doctor Who is a phenomenon. And is it any wonder? Running for nearly 60 years, with 13 different Doctors, and a whiplash-inducing amount of time travel, the show has gathered one heck of a following. Until now, fans have only been able to experience the Doctor Who universe on their screens, in print or through the occasional cosplay, but game developer Maze Theory is looking to change that by giving fans a fully immersive Doctor Who VR experience. We know what you’re thinking. Did a Doctor Who VR game not just come out? Well, yes it did. The BBC just released a free Doctor Who animated VR short – and it was a bit of a flop. But Doctor Who: The Edge of Time promises to be the quintessential virtual reality experience for Whovians and non-fans alike, and we got a first-look at the demo. Through time and spacehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dFM2zfU6bVYZhULgfZj2uC.jpg Exterminate (Image credit: Maze Theory) Doctor Who: The Edge of Time is a three-hour-long, feature length Doctor Who virtual reality game developed by London-based studio Maze Theory. What makes this game stand out from any other wannabes? Two big reasons. For one, current Time Lord Jodi Whittaker lends her voice to the game and secondly it has been created in collaboration with the BBC and Doctor Who showrunners – one of the show’s writers even penned the story for The Edge of Time. It doesn’t get more legit than that. And this authenticity is clear in the short demo we played at Maze Theory’s London headquarters, from the moment we strapped on the VR headset we were immersed in the bizarre world of Daleks and iconic telephone boxes. The story is pretty straightforward. The Doctor (number 13, played by Jodi Whitaker) has been hurled through time to the end of the universe and a virus that threatens to rip apart reality itself has been unleashed. It’s your duty to journey across worlds – past, present and future – to recover a series of powerful time crystals that can repair the whole kerfuffle. The Edge of Time sees you stepping into the shoes of the Doctor’s new, unnamed pal. Armed with the iconic Sonic Screwdriver, we land in a London junkyard during what we can only describe as a cosmic hurricane. The Doctor’s voice blares from a nearby radio, tasking you with collecting items from the junkyard to build a contraption to summon the Tardis. Tardis traininghttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nCedxEHGB8ESUbMx5d9ysC.jpg When you can't solve the puzzles...(Image credit: Maze Theory) Movement is fairly simple, but takes some getting used to. While your directional movement is tank-like, you can easily move forwards and backwards and freely look around you at the unfolding chaos – which includes an incoming UFO hovering overhead. The Edge of Time is not combat-based, instead requiring the player to solve various puzzles - such as finding the junkyard items – in order to progress, almost like a Doctor Who immersive escape room. But Maze Theory is focusing on creating a title that will appeal to the whole family, so don’t expect these puzzles to be so complicated that they hinder your experience – that’s not the intention. Instead, this is a game which intends to bring in veterans and newbies alike. But there is definitely some extra canon content for Whovians, with a host of new creatures and worlds to explore. Being a newbie to the franchise, we were pleasantly surprised by how intrigued we were to see more... Doctor Who: The Edge of Time is due for release in September, 2019 on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and Vive Cosmos. Read more: Best VR games - the top VR games on mobile, consoles and PChttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/OhweVjB1ZRM

Update: It's not strictly a sequel to the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but we've just placed the Galaxy Watch Active in our list below. It's a sportier version of our best smartwatch without the rotatable bezel, plus the price is lower too. A smartwatch is the ultimate phone accessory. It can tell the time, of course, but it can also beam important notifications straight to your wrist, track your fitness stats and pay for your morning coffee. Today's best smartwatch models can perform a ton of tricks, such as enabling you to search the internet with your voice, track your location with GPS or even monitor your heart rate to protect your overall health – with our without pairing to one of the best smartphones on the market. Oh, and some of them look absolutely stunning too. If you're thinking that a smartwatch is a pointlessly geeky accessory... think again. The choices we've ranked below are well-made, powerful and can genuinely make you fitter through some smart nudges. We've tested the vast majority of the top-end wearables you can buy right now from the Apple Watch to Fitbits, Garmin trackers to Tizen-sporting Samsung smartwatches. There's also 1Wear OS (you may have known that in its previous incarnation called Android Wear) which is Google's own wearable operating system in the vein of Apple's watchOS. During our review process, we take into account the design, features, battery life, spec, price and more for each smartwatch, rank it against the competition and enter it into the list you'll find below. Smartwatches come and go from the ranking depending on the rest of the competition at the time, and bear in mind we may see products like the Honor Watch Magic appear in the list after we've tested them properly. It looks like 2019 is set to be a big year in the wearables space too, so expect lots of change in this list if we hear official announcements for products like the Google Pixel Watch and the Apple Watch 5. On a budget? Our guide to the best cheap smartwatch for youLooking for something active? Check out our list of the best fitness trackersJust want an Apple Watch? Try our full best Apple Watch guide Have an iPhone? We have a guide for the best smartwatches for iPhoneThere's also our selection of the best Wear OS watchesWant traditional looks? Our guide on the best hybrid smartwatchOur best smartwatch you can buy right now is from Samsung, and instead of opting for the expected Gear S4 name it's called the Galaxy Watch. Following on from the Gear S3 series and the Gear Sport in 2017, the latest Samsung Watch is much improved. We've tested out the larger 46mm version of the watch and it comes with a phenomenal four day battery life even when you're using it extensively. That's impressive considering a lot of other watches on this list last a day or so from a single charge. The rotating bezel remains a highlight of navigating around the Tizen OS on the watch, and the interface is one of the easiest to pick up that we've seen on a smartwatch. Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung had provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too. Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch review Coming in a close second, the Apple Watch Series 4 is our second favorite smartwatch you can buy right now. This is the first time Apple has updated the design of its smartwatch line, and it looks all the better for it. You get a much bigger screen with the choice of 40mm or 44mm watch sizes, there's a wider display (which is still bright and clear) as well as all the rest of the tech we've come to expect from the Apple Watch. The speaker on this watch is louder than before, the design is still lightweight (yet it feels premium) and you can use all your existing Apple Watch straps with this latest generation too. The most exciting tech is the fact there's an ECG feature within the heart rate tracker. It can test your heart to see if you're at a high risk of atrial fibrillation, which will allow you to seek help earlier if your health is in danger. This tech isn't present at launch, and right now we only know it'll be available in the US. I's not an upgrade relevant to everyone, but for some people this could be some life changing tech. There are still tons of fitness features and the latest watchOS 5 apps onboard so you'll likely love this smartwatch. The Apple Watch 4 is our favorite watch you can use with an iPhone (this won't work with Android devices), but it's just been pipped to the title of best overall smartwatch. Read the full Apple Watch 4 review What's next? The Apple Watch 4 was announced and released in September 2018, and we don't expect to see the Apple Watch 5 until the same month this year. Fossil has developed a lot of expertise in the wearable tech space over the last few years, and this has all culminated in the best smartwatch the company has made so far. The Fossil Sport is a top-end watch with a lower price tag than the two devices above in this list. It features GPS, a lightweight - yet premium - design and at least two days of battery life from a single charge. Fossil has packed a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside, which is the latest update from Qualcomm that offers a smoother experience than you'll get on a lot of older Wear OS watches. It doesn't sport any truly unique features, but the overall package of the Fossil Sport may be the best watch for you. That'll especially be the case if you're looking for a fitness watch that comes with Wear OS software and won't look odd on your wrist when you're going about your day. Read the full Fossil Sport review Fitbit is one of the biggest names in fitness tracking tech, but until late in 2017 the company hadn't gone anywhere near smartwatches. The company has now released two smartwatches, and both feature on this list but first we're starting with our favorite that was announced in March 2018. That favorite from Fitbit is the Versa that is a touch smaller than the other one (that's the Ionic) but it comes with Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, 2.5GB of storage for music and battery life that'll last around three days. It doesn't have GPS for tracking your runs and the design doesn't feel as premium as some of the other watches on this list, but we really like the Fitbit Versa and it's one of the more affordable choices on this list. Read the full Fitbit Versa review What's next? Our Fitbit Versa Lite review is now in, and it may be worth a look if you're looking to buy the Fitbit Versa. It isn't as feature-packed, but it's cheaper than the original Versa. You've already heard all about the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but what if you just don't want a large version of its wearable? Samsung has shrunk down most of the tech available in the Galaxy Watch into this more sport appropriate package that's slimmer, lighter and, arguably, more comfortable. The Galaxy Watch Active features a 1.1-inch 360 x 360 display that while being bright and beautiful allows for a smaller watch to be strapped around your wrist than a lot of the other devices in this list. It still comes sporting all of the top-end fitness features you'd expect from Samsung's Tizen watch range, but it lacks the rotating bezel or an LTE option that you'd get from the top-end product. The best part is how the price has shrunk to match its size. It's certainly not a cheap smartwatch, but when compared to the original RRP of the Galaxy Watch you may prefer to opt for this version that's remarkably similar. Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review One of the cheapest devices on this list, the TicWatch E2 is from a relatively small brand called Mobvoi but it has made a big splash with its latest couple of smartwatches. The E2 is waterproof, comes with great battery life and it's all available for an affordable price. You probably won't fall in love with the design of this watch - it's not particularly premium - but we like the look considering how much it costs. For health, the watch comes with built-in GPS, an accurate heart rate sensor and sleep tracking. All of the fitness features you'd expect are here, but make sure you note that it won't be able to do contactless payments as there's no NFC onboard. Read the full TicWatch E2 review Don't like the design? There's also the TicWatch S2. That's a remarkably similar watch to the TicWatch E2, but it comes with a slightly more rugged look for adventurers who want a watch that can take a beating. Check this out if you're happy to spend a bit extra. The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if you're picky) was the best smartwatch but has recently been bumped off the top spot and down a few places since the launch of the Apple Watch 4. The Apple Watch 3 is essentially just the Apple Watch 2 frame with some new innards... but they make a big difference. Plus the price has recently dropped, making this a much more attractive proposition. The LTE connection is the headline event, although that's not really as useful as some might hope - plus it costs a lot more to use, and drains the battery. What we like is the non-LTE version, which is a lot cheaper, and offers all the smarts of the Watch 2 but with a longer battery life and faster speeds when flicking through apps. It's still water-resistant so you can swim with it and you won't have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog. There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it you can now upgrade to watchOS 5 too. Read the full Apple Watch 3 review One of our favorite Wear OS watches is the TicWatch Pro, which you can use with either an iPhone or with your Android phone. You may not have heard of TicWatch before, but the latest from the company it a top-end watch with a unique dual-screen feature. There are two displays on this watch - one layered on top of the other. On the top is a transparent LCD display that can display the time, your heart rate and more when the battery is low. Below that is a bright and bold full color OLED screen that will give you all of the benefits of Wear OS. That means you can have a normal smartwatch, which we found would last around two days, and then have the time and some other features still available when your battery is running low. Plus the low power mode also lasts for a whole 30 days too. In terms of smartwatch features there's GPS, NFC for Google Pay, Bluetooth for listening to music and the top Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset in here running the watch as well. Then there's the price, which undercuts a lot of the other watches on this list. Read the full TicWatch Pro review The Fitbit Ionic was always going to be a tough move for the brand, trying to enter the world of smartwatches from fitness bands. The effort succeeds in some places: namely fitness, as you might imagine, where you can track all manner of things, from running to weight lifting to swimming. There's also dedicated bodyweight coaching sessions in there, and you can pay for items on the go using Fitbit Pay. When it first launched, the price was super high and it was a bit too expensive to wholeheartedly recommend. The good news is the price seems to have dropped in recent months so you can get it for at least $70/£70 cheaper than the RRP. If you're a Fitbit fan looking to do more than you get on an average band, this is a nice option. Read the full Fitbit Ionic review What's next? Rumors about a new Ionic are few and far between, but we've put together a guide on what we want to be improved if it releases a Fitbit Ionic 2. The second attempt at a smartwatch from Misfit has gone down even better than the first. This watch is designed to sit somewhere in between a premium, fashionable smartwatch and a must-have for fitness lovers. It doesn't do either of those things perfectly, and instead does both quite well. It's a good looking watch that doesn't cost the same amount as some of the more expensive Wear OS watches you can buy. It is sporting the older Snapdragon 2100 chipset, but it features built-in GPS, NFC for Google Pay and a variety of other features that may make you want it. Read the full Misfit Vapor 2 review Looking for a watch to pair with your iPhone? Try our full list of the bestPhoto illustration: TechRadar; Misfit; Mobvoi; Apple; Fitbit; Samsung http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/XmK7d36A8hM

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and that means not only a long holiday weekend but also killer deals from your favorite retailers like Walmart and Amazon. Memorial Day sales include huge discounts on appliances, laptops, mattresses, patio furniture and more. To help guide you through all the promotions and offers, we've put together a list of the best sales that are currently going on. We've also hand-picked the top standout deals from a variety of categories such as appliances, electronics, home items and more. We'll also tell you everything else you need to know about the Memorial Day sales event such as the date, retailers that are participating, and what deals you can expect and from what categories. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z2dwPburyhXCTDoUg6cddZ.jpg When is Memorial Day 2019? Memorial Day is an American federal holiday that always falls on the last Monday in May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This year Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27, with the long holiday weekend kicking off on Friday the 25. When do Memorial Day sales start?Most Memorial Day sales start the week before the actual holiday on Monday the 20, and some retailers don't start their promotions till the weekend before. All sales will last through the holiday weekend, and most will end on Memorial Day. We'll be updating this page daily with all of the current sales so make sure to check back each day for new discounts and deals. What are the best Memorial Day sales? The biggest categories discounted during Memorial Day include appliances, patio, mattresses, and laptops. Because Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, you can find discounts on several outdoor items such as grills, patio furniture, planters, and camping equipment. Retailers like Home Depot and Target are offering up to 40% off patio items. Memorial Day is also a fantastic time to find deals on mattresses with retailers like Casper and Temper-Pedic participating in sitewide sales. Walmart and Best Buy are just a few retailers that will be discounting top-brand appliances all weekend long, and tech retailers like Dell have fantastic deals on laptops. The best Memorial Day sales:Amazon - deals on appliances, tech and home itemsWalmart - up to 40% off Memorial Day savingsNectar - $125 Off + 2 free pillowsOverstock - Memorial Day blowout, up to 70% off + free shippingMattress Firm - save up to $700 on king and queen mattressesWayfair - up to 70% off all things outdoorHome Depot - up to 40% off patio furniture, appliances, grills and moreWorld Market - up to 30% off select outdoorBest Buy - save up to 30% on appliance top applianceTarget - up to 30% off home and patio itemsSerta - save up to $600 on Serta iComfort mattress setsPurple - $100 off mattresses + free sheetsTemper-Pedic - save up to $700 on select mattress sets J Crew - 35% off wear now styles with code HISUMMERLowe's - up to 30% off patio furniture and decorDell - save up to 50% on PCs and electronicsOur best Memorial Day sale picks:Shop more deals and learn about Prime Day with our guide on Amazon Prime Day 2019: everything you need to know for the July deals event. You can also shop more of the best cheap 4K TV deals and sale prices, the best cheap laptop deals, and the best Xbox One prices and PS4 deals. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/XVhzFuE0fPQ

While VPNs may be a relatively new concept in the mainstream, they've been around for years and we've used that time to test a lot of them. From the best of the best, all the way to the downright unusable, we know the ones worth investing in. One that frequently makes that list is CyberGhost. Not only does this service make it into our best VPN top 10, but it also just so happens to be sitting at a 79% reduction right now. That means you only end up paying $99 (£75.60) for three whole years of the service or the equivalent of $2.75 a month. - Go straight to CyberGhost to grab this incredibly cheap VPN deal Not in the US? Don't worry. Although the listed price is in US dollars, this reduced plan is available to purchase wherever you are. So the $2.75 per month works out at around £2.10, €2.45 or AU$3.90. But what does that $2.75 get you each month? Well, on top of the ability to work around restrictions on TV, allowing you to watch Game of Thrones online or watch the NBA Playoffs from anywhere for example, there is the obvious benefit of covering your activity online. A VPN hides your IP and keeps your data and online activity safer. With CyberGhost, you're not only getting the ability to mask your IP address but also incredibly fast speeds, access to over 3,500 servers, simultaneous protection of up to seven devices, and integrated apps for your phone, laptop, TV and more. So if you like the idea of cheap yet extremely effective online protection for the next three years, scroll down to see all of the details of this deal and how to get it. Or if you want to see all your other best-in-class VPN options, check out our best VPN deals guide. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg CyberGhost's three-year VPN deal in full Read our CyberGhost review to see what makes it stand out If you would rather go for another option when it comes to VPNs, now is also a great time to grab what we rank as the the number 1 option. With ExpressVPN not only can you grab a massive 49% discount but you also get you get 3 months free, making it a bargain on the best VPN out there. And if you like the idea of try before you buy, Express offers a 30 day money-back guarantee. What can you do with a VPNThe main reasons to get a VPN can be broken up into two categories: being safe online and circumventing blocks. In terms of cyber safety, a VPN uses encryption technology to hide or change your IP address so you can't be tracked. So using a VPN can make it far harder for your data to be used by somebody else in the future. The second use is a little bit wider in its functionality. VPNs can allow you to work around restrictions online which means watching your favourite channels in other countries, getting cheaper deals on flights and trains and watch any country's Netflix no matter where you are. See also: Our list of the best VPN services2019's best antivirus software packageshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/C6VAYPxj3ZI

Update: While future Huawei smartphone plans are in doubt following the restrictions, Google has promised to continue offering security and app updates through its Play Store for existing handsets. More below: In what will likely be a significant blow to its global smartphone and tablet business, Huawei has today learned that Google is planning to pull the Chinese company’s access to many of its core Android apps and services, including the Google Play Store, Gmail, Search and Chrome. The move will mean that Huawei is limited to using the public version of Android called Android Open Source Project (AOSP), according to sources who spoke to Reuters. The change essentially bans the Chinese phone- and tablet-maker from integrating Google software and core apps into any of its future products. However, Google has taken to Twitter to confirm it will still uphold security updates for those currently in possession of a Huawei phone: As Android is an open-source operating system, Huawei can theoretically use updates to the public release of the OS – which would include the upcoming Android Q – to continue development of its smartphones. However, the loss of the Google Play Store – which for users outside of China is the key source of Android apps – and a lack of Google-made security updates could prove a significant drawback for the prospects of its future phones and tablets. Unfolding the future: Huawei Mate X hands-on reviewHuawei P30 reviewHuawei P30 Pro reviewA fatal blow?The fracture in the relationship of the two tech giants comes after the US government added Huawei to a trade blacklist late last week, which will make it difficult for the company to operate in partnership with many of its American partners and suppliers, potentially jeopardizing Huawei’s global business. The Chinese technology company has also previously been banned from contributing to 5G infrastructure in America, and key US allies including Australia and the UK have followed the move with their own bans. The new blacklisting will stop Huawei from buying key components from US companies such as processors from Qualcomm and Intel, which both saw share-value drops immediately following the announcement from the Trump administration, according to the Financial Times. Huawei has previously stated that it has plans in place to deal with both US trade restrictions and potential problems with using Android on its devices. Back in March, for example, a Huawei executive revealed that the company has built its own PC and mobile operating system as a contingency plan if a situation like this should arise. Google severing ties with Huawei will likely hurt the appeal of the company’s products outside its home territory of China, however, and the long-term effect on the beleaguered Chinese company may be grim. TechRadar reached out to Huawei for comment on this story, but at the time of publishing the company had not released an official statement. We’ll update this article if a response is received. Huawei would sign a no-spy contract with governmentshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/RAnY_Zieos0

When it comes to listening to thumping EDM and hip hop music, Sony's Extra Bass range of headphones certainly deliver the goods on the bass department, even if they are lacking somewhat in other areas when compared to the reigning headphones champ, Sony WH-1000XM3. Now, Sony's looking to bridge the gap between its bass-heavy headphones and the aforementioned award-winning cans, announcing a new addition to its Extra Bass range with the Sony WH-XB900N. The best Sony headphones of 2019Subscription headphones are now a thingThe new headphones bring Sony's celebrated wireless noise cancelling functionality to its Extra Bass range, along with some of the Sony WH-1000XM3's other features, including swipe-based controls and the awesome 'quick attention' feature, which immediately lowers your music's volume and allows outside noise when the right cup is covered by hand. Boasting a 30-hour battery life, the WH-XB900N are also optimised for use with smartphone assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri. Available from August in Australia (UK and US information expected to arrive shortly) in blue and black color options, Sony's WH-XB900N will be priced at AU$399.95 (around $277 / £218). Best noise-cancelling headphones 2019: the top headphones for travel and commutinghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/NLWWl7v1gsA

Looking into getting a new television? We don’t blame you: every year a new round of TVs get released to market, with bigger panels, better visuals, and overhauled processors just demanding a place in your home. But when it comes to LG vs Samsung TVs, which one should you choose? Let’s face it, most televisions look largely the same at first glance. Sure, some will be larger or thinner than others, and both LG and Samsung have experimented with new form factors for their high-end sets – have you seen LG’s rollable OLED yet? But at the end of the day, you’re buying a rectangle, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out what really makes one different from the other. That’s why we’ve put together this guide for comparing Samsung vs LG TVs, so you can know confidently which brand is making the right TV for you. Best Samsung TV: your guide to buying Samsung in 2019Samsung vs LG TV: overviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GMQiRyUEHJPVh7fPxYXzwm.jpg Image Credit: Samsung Samsung and LG are two large-scale manufacturers that sell TVs for both high and low price points, though with somewhat different panel technologies for their high-end sets. Both are South Korean manufacturers that sell televisions globally, with large presences in both the UK and US – unlike Panasonic or Philips, who don’t have licenses in North America – with a large install base and broad range of televisions launched each year. It’s hard to compare pricing, given how many sets Samsung and LG both launch each year, running from 32-inch LEDs and budget 4K TVs to super-sized 8K sets that run you thousands of dollars / pounds. Whatever size, shape, resolution or budget you’re looking for, either will have you covered. Samsung and LG are also fighting over territory in the highly competitive smartphone market: both manufacture Android phones, though we won’t be comparing their handsets in this particular guide. Smart TV: Tizen vs webOShttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yzBumBM6XGkPVrz24Rjmkh.jpg WebOS Smart TV platform (Image Credit: LG) Both Samsung and LG use their own proprietary smart TV platform, and each has their own personal flavor. LG has been leading with webOS – a minimal, stripped back smart TV interface – since 2014. It uses a horizontal menu bar for commonly used apps, streaming services, and inputs, with customizable placement so you can pick and choose where your favorite apps sit on the dashboard. The latest webOS 4.5 software also brings in secondary menus that appear when hovering over an app icon. Samsung’s Tizen platform doesn’t differ hugely in its layout (you could say it was influenced by the former), though doesn’t have as impressive a search algorithm as LG’s ThinQ AI software. But what of voice assistants? LG’s OLED and Super UHD sets come with Google Assistant built in, and some limited compatibility with Alexa-controlled devices. Samsung uses its own (somewhat worse) first-party Bixby assistant, though again only for mid-range or premium sets – and with the option to use Google Assistant or Alexa through third-party devices. Dolby Vision vs HDR 10+http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xYNpjBkxqWJs3eJWqc4DxT.jpg Image Credit: Dolby Both back a slightly different format for high dynamic range (HDR), with LG packing Dolby Vision into its premium range of OLEDs and Super UHDs, while Samsung favors HDR10+ for its premium TVs. Both formats use what’s called dynamic metadata to tailor the output of the television to the content being displayed, so scenes of dark underground caverns or well-lit drawing rooms vary the levels of brightness, contrast, and picture processing accordingly. Dolby Vision is really the more advanced format, with 12-bit color gamut instead of the 10-bit HDR10+, and is also more commonly found. (While there are a number of HDR10+ shows on Amazon Prime, you won’t find it on Netflix, Chromecast Ultra, or Apple TV 4K.) Admittedly, preferred HDR format is only really a concern at the higher end of the price range, but those spending big should think carefully about which services they’re likely to want HDR content on. QLED or OLED?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UwqgyFikDohNhgiD2nNGEk.jpg Samsung Q6FN QLED TV (Image Credit: Samsung) Today’s premium television market is divided into two panel technologies: OLED and QLED (basically an LED-LCD screen with quantum dots). OLED, which stands for ‘organic light emitting diode’, is a kind of TV panel that can emit its own light, instead of having light shone through it. This enabled brilliantly thin TV displays, and the ability to individually control the brightness of individual pixels. OLEDs are known for their vibrant colors, deep black levels, and overall low brightness. There’s often talk of ‘burn in’ images on OLED screens, but much of this is anecdotal and you’d probably need to be working the set very hard for this to become a problem. All OLED panels are manufactured by LG Display, so even if you’ve got a Sony OLED in your home, you have LG to thank. QLED, on the other hand, is a proprietary technology developed by Samsung. QLED uses a filter of quantum dots to enhance color and contrast, and make do with dimming zones rather than individual pixel control. QLED TVs are a lot brighter than OLEDs (thousands of nits versus hundreds) though can struggle to show both light and dark images at the same time as a result. There are OLED die-hards who hate the washed-out colors of overly bright TVs, while many with Samsung sets would find the far dimmer OLED displays far less impactful. We’ve gone into this debate in more detail in our QLED vs OLED guide, though for now it’ll be enough to say that OLED is generally suited to high-quality video formats in dark viewing environments, while Samsung’s sets are less faithful to color but make up for it with a clear and bright display. Samsung vs LG TV: which should you choose?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TxNXxCmHSFZ9yhrzVqiHT6.jpg Image Credit: LG It’s been a rocky period for both LG and Samsung. LG Display has had to spend a lot on research and development for its OLED panels, and reported a first-quarter operating loss this year (via Reuters) – though with the bet that growth in OLED will end up balancing this. Samsung meanwhile is expecting a large drop in profits in 2019 after lower-than-expected smartphone sales and TV demand. Samsung has plans to compete with LG’s OLED tech, with its own QD-OLED (quantum dot-OLED) hybrid, but unstable finances have seen those plans get pushed a few years back. The takeaway here is that, regardless of either company’s financial health, both are focusing on their current display technologies, and aren’t going to suddenly stop supporting any of the new TVs they’re currently bringing to market. So which set you pick should really just be down to what you want in your living room. If you want a bright, dazzling QLED screen to light up your home – or a solid budget option like the NU7100 – Samsung is your best bet. If you really want the most impressive picture quality out there, regardless of price, nothing currently beats LG's OLED panels for color and contrast (see: LG's C9 OLED). If you’re happy with your current television, but will want to upgrade in another few years – well, it could be a whole different story. Check out the full range of Samsung 2019 TVs and LG 2019 TVshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/N6rQOuP3fn0

The end-of-financial-year sales in Australia are just around the corner and, as always, there'll be a massive list of bargains to look forward to, and plenty of tech that sells for cheap. During this time, retailers are often trying to get rid of aging stock they’ve accumulated over the year, or trying to reach sales targets. This is good news for the consumer, with substantial discounts available on a range of products – from cars to home appliances and pretty much everything else in between. It’s also the best time to get your own finances in order. At this time of year, you’ll find plenty of discounted products that are also tax deductible. So not only will you be able to snag a great bargain during Australia’s annual EOFY sales, but also get back in the form of tax returns. Planning on shopping on Amazon Australia during EOFY? Then save on shipping by signing up for a Prime membership.While it might be fun to visit brick-and-mortar stores to browse everything on sale, shopping online is more efficient – it can take the weight off your feet, literally, and give you more time and energy to trawl through the numerous storefronts to find the best bargains. Alternatively, you can let us do the hard work by just keeping this page bookmarked and checking back periodically in the lead up to June 30. The Australian TechRadar team will be constantly updating this page with all the best tax-time deals. If the previous year is anything to go by, some of the offers we share here will actually end before June 30, so check in frequently if you want to score the best EOFY bargains – and try not to leave it until the last minute! Last year, our sister site Getprice also listed a plethora of EOFY deals in a variety of categories, not just tech. It will happen again in 2019, and we'll let you know where to find them.EOFY sale: What to expect in 2019The end-of-financial-year sales are one of Australia's most popular big sales. While the discounts may not be comparable to Black Friday bargains, there's always plenty of savings to be had, especially if you ensure you the items you pick up are tax deductible. So, what kind of tech can you find during EOFY sales Down Under? Plenty. From computers to gaming gear, the best flagship smartphones to personal audio. To get an idea of what to expect in 2019, let's take a look at what was on offer last year. Gaming: Last year saw some great discounts on console bundles. With some blockbuster games just waiting to be played, you can expect to see them bundled along with either the PlayStation consoles or the Xbox One. If, however, you're more interested in the Nintendo Switch, you won't be disappointed. Last year, the Switch dropped down to $378 during the EOFY sale – that's not quite the cheapest price we've seen, but with rumours of a new Switch being announced soon, we're anticipating the current model will be substantially discounted again this year. But stay sharp, as this popular console gets gobbled up real quick. Laptops and PCs: There will be plenty of computing gear on sale during the EOFY sales. Manufacturers like Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP will host their own sales on their sites, but you’ll also be able to grab laptops and desktop PCs from major retailers as well. You can expect to see average discounts of about 15% to 20%. You’ll even be able to snag bargains on accessories as well, with printers, keyboards, SSDs and external hard drives all going on sale during this time. Keep your devices safe from cyber attacks and save money at the same time with our round-up of the best antivirus deals and discounts in Australia.Smartphones and tablets: The latest flagship handsets from the major phone makers all generally carry a hefty price tag. So if you’ve held off on buying a new phone, the EOFY sales might be a great time to score an upgrade without having to pay full retail price. Samsung's latest Galaxy handsets and Apple’s iPhone XS and XR flagships could well be available for less, as could older models. Great budget handsets will likely get a trim to their prices as well. It will also be a great time to save on tablets, especially the premium Samsung models of you prefer Android devices. And while Apple hasn't previously offered any direct EOFY discounts, third-party stockists will potentially offer 10% off on select iPad models. Home entertainment and personal audio: There were plenty of TVs, soundbars and speakers on sale during the last couple of EOFY sales, and we don't expect that trend to change any time soon. And with some excellent 4K UHD smart TVs already seeing price drops outside of big sales, we're looking forward to seeing how much more affordable they'll be during the 2019 tax-time sale. It's not just home entertainment setups that you'll be able to save on but portable Bluetooth speakers and the best wireless headphones as well. The premium audio products retail for about $500 a pop, but there's a good chance you'll see them drop well below the $400 mark. Whether the prices will match the 2018 Black Friday offers (where Sony and Bose noise cancelling headphones dropped to about $320) remains to be seen. Cameras: The EOFY sales are also a great time for photographers – beginners, pros or hobbyists – to grab the latest gear. Last year saw plenty of cameras go on sale: from compacts to DSLRs and action cams, and this year will be no different. There are now plenty of full-frame mirrorless cameras that are trying to outdo each other in terms of features and performance, so don't be surprised if you see the Canon EOS R snappers or Nikon's Z series cameras drop in price. Keep an eye out of lens kits as well, as you'll be able to save a tad more. While the tech itself will be discounted, you'll also find SD cards, camera bags, tripods and other accessories going for less. Smart home devices: These nifty voice-activated products have been flooding the market – from internet-connected lights to smart security systems, and the speakers to control them all. Amazon discounted its Echo range of smart speakers last year and we're quite sure that will happen again, along with the other smart devices the e-commerce giant stocks, like Philips Hue smart lights. You'll also find plenty of retailers offering discounts on Google's range of smart speakers as well. Home appliances: If you’re looking to renovate your home, the EOFY sales will help you save plenty on the new appliances you’ll need. You can expect to see bargains on not just Dyson vacuum cleaners, but also fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and plenty more. Early EOFY 2019 deals and bargainsIt's early days yet but you can always snag a decent bargain early in case you can't wait. While most retailers are still holding back, Dell and Lenovo have jumped the gun with some excellent laptop deals already live on their respective sites. If Dell is your preferred laptop brand, you can score a whopping 45% off on selected models and configurations until May 23. Not to be left behind, Lenovo's EOFY sale of up to 45% off on selected laptops and 2-in-1s also ends May 23. To make it easy for you, we've picked a few of the laptop deals from both manufacturers and listed them on our dedicated EOFY laptop deals page. And, to keep your new machine safe from cyber crimes, we can help you save a bundle on great antivirus deals. For everything else, a few bargains are beginning to trickling in, although the selection is very limited at present. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/RVjYqhA-GB8