With the Galaxy Note 20 launch just a week away, all eyes will be on what upgrades Samsung brings to the table. While the chipset might remain unchanged, there might be a silver lining. While Samsung flagship like the Note series and the S series are powered by Snapdragon chipsets in the US and European markets, they come with Exynos chipset in Asian markets such as India. It often tends to lose out on the performance front against Qualcomm Snapdragon counterparts. However, a new leak suggests some good news in this regard. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 release date, price, news and leaks Upcoming smartphones in India: Specs, launch date, price (Image credit: Samsung/WinFuture) According to a tweet by Anthony, a Youtuber, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will continue to be powered by the Exynos 990 chipset, but with major improvements in terms of the performance and efficiency. These optimizations should bring it closer to the Snapdragon 865 series. He even suggested that it is almost li
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The best email provider of 2018
Getting hold of an email account is easy. Sign up with an ISP and you’ve got one account for starters. Creating an account with Google and other big names will get you more. Buy a decent web hosting package and you'll probably get enough email addresses to power a large business, all for no extra charge.
Getting the right email account is more difficult, as there's a lot to consider. What are the spam filters like? How easy is it to keep your inbox organized? Can you access the account from other email clients? And what about using the service with a custom domain and address of your own (yourname@yourdomain.com)?
Keep reading and we'll highlight some of the best email providers around. All have decent free services, perhaps with ads and some limits, but we'll also talk about their business-friendly commercial products which deliver the power, functionality and enterprise-level extras that demanding users need.
The best email services of 2018 are :
First released back in 2004, Google's Gmail has become the market leader in free email services with more than a billion users across the globe.
Gmail's stripped-back web interface is a highlight. Most of the screen is devoted to your inbox, with a minimum of toolbar and other clutter. Messages are neatly organized via conversations for easier viewing, and you can read and reply to emails with ease, even as a first-time user.
There's plenty of power here. Messages can be automatically filtered into tabbed categories like Primary, Social and Promotions, helping you to focus on the content you need. Leading-edge spam blocking keeps your inbox free of junk, you can manage other accounts from the same interface (Outlook, Yahoo, any other IMAP or POP email), and there's 15GB storage for your inbox, Drive and photos.
Other features are more questionable. Instead of organizing messages into folders, for instance – a simple metaphor which just about every user understands – you must filter them using a custom labelling system. This works, and has some advantages, but isn't popular with all users. Still, Gmail is an excellent service overall, and a good first choice for your email provider.
Google makes a paid business-oriented version of Gmail available in the shape of its G Suite product.
This more professional product drops the ads and allows using a custom email address on your domain (yourname@yourcompany.tld). Business-oriented migration tools can import mail from Outlook, Exchange, Lotus and more. Storage space doubles to 30GB on the Basic plan, and you get unlimited group email addresses, 99.9% guaranteed uptime and 24/7 support.
G Suite is Google's answer to Microsoft Office, so of course you also get apps for working with documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Shared calendars keep you better organized, there's video and voice conferencing for online meetings, and again, there’s 24/7 support to keep your system running smoothly.
This more Office-like power makes for a more expensive product than the email-only competition, with prices starting at $5 (£3.60) a user for the simplest plan. You're getting a lot for your money, though, and if you'll use G Suite's features then it could be a smart choice. A 14-day free trial provides an easy way to help you find out.
You can sign up for Gmail here Check out the best web hosting services for 2018
Outlook's web interface follows the same familiar style as its desktop incarnation, and most other email clients: folders and organizational tools on the left, the contents of the current folder in the center, and a simple preview pane on the right (with adverts in the case of the free account).
A toolbar gives you speedy access to common features, and right-clicking folders or messages shows you just about everything else. If you've ever used another email client, you'll figure out the key details in moments.
Despite the apparent simplicity, there's a lot going on under the hood. The service automatically detects important emails and places them in a Focused Inbox, keeping any distractions out of sight. Events including flights and dinner reservations can automatically be added to your calendar. It's easy to share that calendar with other Outlook.com or Office 365 users, or you can save your events to a Family calendar that everyone can access.
Excellent attachment support includes the ability to directly share OneDrive files as copies or links. You can also attach files directly from your Google Drive, Dropbox and Box accounts, and a chunky 15GB mailbox allows storing plenty of files from other people.
This all worked just fine for us, but if you're unhappy with the service defaults, there's a chance they can be tweaked via Outlook.com's Settings dialog. This doesn't have quite as many options as Gmail, but they're well organized and give you plenty of control over layout, attachment rules, message handling and more.
If that’s still not enough, Microsoft offers a bunch of app-based integrations to take the service further. You get built-in Skype support via the beta, and apps give you easier access to Evernote, PayPal, GIPHY, Yelp, Uber and more.
Upgrading to Office 365 gets you an ad-free inbox, 50GB mail storage and a vast 1TB of OneDrive storage. Extras include offline working, professional message formatting tools, phone or chat-based support, file recovery from malicious attacks like ransomware and more. Oh, and the latest versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All this can be yours for the equivalent of $7 (£5) a month on the single user Office 365 Personal plan or you can pay 70$ (£52) for a year.
You can sign up for Outlook here
Yahoo Mail doesn't make the headlines so much, these days, but its latest version is a polished and professional service which stands up well against the top competition.
The well-designed interface resembles Gmail, at least initially, with a large view of your inbox, one-click filters for common messages and content (Photos, Documents, Travel), and easy browsing of all the emails in a conversation. But you can also organize mails into custom folders, and the layout can be tweaked to display a message preview in a couple of clicks.
A powerful underlying engine can integrate with Facebook, supports sending SMS and text messages, is accessible via web, POP and (in some situations) IMAP, and can forward email to another address. Valuable extras include disposable email addresses to protect your privacy, and a mammoth 1TB of mailbox storage means you can keep just about everything you receive, for a very long time.
Demanding users might find issues, over time. Mail organization can't quite match the flexibility of Gmail's labelling scheme, for instance, and there aren't nearly as many low-level tweaks, settings and options as you'll often see elsewhere. But overall, Yahoo Mail is an appealing service which needs to be on your email shortlist.
As with other providers, Yahoo offers a Business Mail plan with more features. The highlight is an option to use the service with a custom domain (yourname@yourdomain.com), although there are other advantages, too. The service can import contacts from Facebook, Gmail, Outlook and more. You can view all your mailboxes on the same screen, and there are all the usual business-friendly productivity tools (multiple calendars, document handling, analytics and more).
Prices start from $3.19 (£2.30) per mailbox per month, billed annually, and they drop as you add mailboxes – $1.59 (£1.15) for 5, $1.19 (£0.85) for 10, and for 20+ you'll need to contact them.
There's even a free domain name included, and not just the initial registration: Yahoo will also renew it for as long as your subscription is active.
You can sign up for Yahoo Mail here
Signing up with an email provider will often involve some privacy compromises. Yahoo Mail asks for your name and mobile number, for instance. Gmail and other services might scan your messages to carry out useful actions (such as adding events to calendars), and just about everyone serves you with ads.
ProtonMail is a Swiss-based email service which focuses on privacy above all else. You can sign up anonymously, there's no logging of IP addresses, and all your emails are end-to-end encrypted, which means there's no way ProtonMail (or anyone else) can read their contents. Also, address verification (which allows you to be sure you are securely communicating with the right person) and full support for PGP email encryption is available.
There are some significant limits. The free product has a tiny 500MB storage space, only supports sending 150 messages a day, and is distinctly short in terms of organizational tools (no folders, labels or smart filters). As the end-to-end encryption is specific to ProtonMail, it also ensures that you can't use the service with other email clients.
Still, it seems a little unfair to complain about a service which is no-strings-attached free, and doesn't even show ads. In reality, ProtonMail is a specialist tool which is intended for use alongside services like Gmail – not to replace them – and overall it performs its core tasks very well.
If you do need more, ProtonMail's $5 (you can choose to pay in USD, Euro and CHF) a month (or 48$ yearly) Plus account gives you 5GB storage, a 1,000 message-per-day allowance, custom domains (you@yourdomain.com) and support for folders, labels and filters.
A further Business plan brings more storage, email addresses and a second custom domain, as well as adding a catch-all email address and multi-user support. It's priced from $8 per month per user (75$ yearly), which is reasonable if you need ProtonMail's security, although it's also notably more expensive than the business accounts of the big-name competition.
You can sign up for ProtonMail here
Zoho Workplace is a business-oriented email service which throws in an online office suite, document management, and a host of collaboration tools and other extras.
Zoho's free plan supports up to 25 users (there's an extra 25 available if you can refer others to the service. Update: they are currently remodeling the referral program so this isn't available at the moment), each with 5GB of mailbox storage, and can be used with one domain of your own. These are features you'll normally only find in commercial products, and when you factor in the spreadsheet, word processor, presentation and other tools, it looks like a real bargain.
The email service is easy-to-use, and provides a decent set of features to help organize your emails: folders, tags, filters, smart searches, and more.
The free plan is still a little basic. It gives you web access only, for instance, and there's no support for email forwarding.
Fortunately, the Zoho Standard plan fixes that. A mere $2 (£1.45) per user (paid annually) gets you IMAP and POP access, email forwarding, active sync, multiple domain hosting, domain aliases, 30GB storage, a 30MB attachment limit (up from 25MB with the free plan) and some major improvements elsewhere (the ability to send cloud files to non-Zoho users, for instance). You also have Pro and Enterprise plans available, which add more features.
A number of these features are available elsewhere for free, of course, but businesses or anyone who will use the custom domain support or Office tools will find a lot to like here. Well worth a closer look.
You can sign up for Zoho here Also check out our roundup of the best WordPress hosting providers
Another patent shows how Microsoft’s rumored dual-screen device might work
More evidence has come to light that Microsoft is planning some kind of dual-screen device, with another patent relating to such a piece of hardware having been spotted, hot on the heels of yesterday’s ‘video calling on hinged multi-screen device’ patent.
The fresh patent was also discovered by Windows Latest and was published by the Patent and Trademark Office over in the US last week, and it again illustrates a dual-screen folding mobile device, with both displays connected by a hinge.
The patent shows the device’s various modes of usage, including a ‘laptop’ mode whereby one screen becomes a virtual keyboard. If both screens are placed down flat, the interface – i.e. the operating system UI, web browser, or whatever software you happen to be using – will expand to fill both displays, and the resolution can be increased appropriately.
Just like a hybrid notebook, this product would also be deployable in a ‘tent’ mode for watching videos and the like, and the patent actually cites an example whereby the device would display the time and act as an alarm clock (with both screens showing the time, so as to potentially be visible from more points around the room).
And of course the hardware can be folded up (closed) to a very compact size for portability. Obviously the hinge would be designed to be sturdy enough to maintain the position of the device when in laptop or tent mode, so the hardware wouldn’t be prone to toppling over when used in either of those fashions.
Patent not productAs ever, we must bear in mind that patents aren’t necessarily filed with the expectation that such a device will eventually exist – these are often rather speculative things, and projects are often abandoned.
And the latest buzz on the grapevine concerning Microsoft’s rumored dual-screen Andromeda device is that it isn’t in the pipeline for the near future by any means, and there’s still a good deal of work to do on both the hardware and software front.
It seems the company wants to get this piece of hardware right before putting it in front of the public, which is certainly understandable. Microsoft has made many serious mistakes in the mobile phone arena, so it makes sense that the firm would want to get its crack at a supposedly new category of mobile computer (or ‘pocketable’ PC, as has also been previously rumored) spot-on.
We certainly keep hearing plenty about a dual-screen device, and as we mentioned at the outset, we reported yesterday on another patent on such a product designed for video calls and to better facilitate three-way conversations (using the device for two people, having a screen and camera each, with a third person on a remote PC).
Top image credit: US Patent and Trademark Office
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Manchester United vs Real Madrid live stream: how to watch today's match online
The International Champions Cup may only be a trumped up pre-season friendly football tournament. But when two clubs with the history and magnitude of Manchester United and Real Madrid come together on the pitch in any context, it's going to be worth a look. And we'll tell you how to live stream it from absolutely anywhere.
The 2018/2019 season is going to be an interesting year for both of these sides. If Jose Mourinho is to be considered a success at Manchester United, they're going to need to give their cross-town rivals a proper challenge for the Premier League this season, and a Champions League run wouldn't go a miss either. Real Madrid won that tournament (again!) last season, but have the challenge of integrating new manager Julen Lopetegui into the mix, and coping with a new Cristiano Ronaldo-less era.
After squeezing a penalty win against Italian giants AC Milan, Man U got battered in their last game against Liverpool 4-1. Whereas this is Madrid's first game of the tournament.
Without any traditional broadcasters picking up the games, you've come to the right place to find out where to live stream Manchester United vs Real Madrid. Or head here for advice on watching the rest of the International Champions Cup.
It's no big surprise to discover that a lot of countries don't have a broadcaster that's picked up the rights to show the International Champions Cup football. The UK and US are two exceptions (more details on which below), but if you're somewhere that isn't showing it then you can use a VPN to login to a region that is broadcasting the game. And it's really easy to do:
18 teams, two weeks, a league format...you may have guessed that this isn't your regulation kind of football tournament.
Each team plays three matches with 3 points for a win in 90 minutes, 2 points for a win on penalties, 1 point for a loss on penalties and 0 points for a loss. Whoever has the most points when all the matches are completed is the International Champions Cup winner, with head-to-head being the tie breaker if the top teams are level on points.
The HTC U12+ takes terrific selfies with bokeh
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
Worldwide AI investment to top $200bn by 2025
AI is set to become a multi-billion dollar industry over the next decade as it establishes itself as a common sight in businesses across the world.
A new KPMG report estimates that investment in AI, along with machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) technology, is set to reach $232bn by 2025.
This is a significant increase from the $12.4bn spent today as more and more organisations adopt AI in their business.
What is AI? Everything you need to know AI growthThe report was accompanied by a survey that looked to gather expectations among business leaders about the effect AI could have on their business.
KPMG found that 40 per cent of industry leaders said they would be increasing AI investment by 20 per cent or more in the next few years
32 per cent added that they would be upping investment in RPA by 20 per cent or more.
However many businesses revealed they were unsure about the impact of AI and didn't feel prepared for how it would affect employees, with recent press coverage concerning how AI could cost millions of jobs a major influence.
"Many traditional businesses with legacy approaches risk falling behind digital-first companies if they stay with the status quo," said Cliff Justice, KPMG partner, innovation & enterprise solutions.
"It takes a comprehensive transformation of business and operating models to compete in their own market at the level at which a Tesla or Amazon do in theirs."
"A lot of change has to happen that’s really uncomfortable and sometimes political, and most companies are not prepared for that."
The best business laptops 2018: top laptops for work
Steam game is removed after allegations of sneaky cryptocurrency mining
An indie game on Steam was allegedly using the host PC to run a cryptocurrency mining script for the developer’s benefit – not to mention attempting to scam punters with fake items copied from Team Fortress 2 – leading to some controversy concerning Valve’s policing of its online games store.
The game in question is Abstractism, and it was a simple platform-type affair where you guide a black square around a series of sparse looking levels, but it has since been removed from Steam.
That follows the aforementioned accusations of sneaky cryptocurrency mining taking place in the background, after some players noticed spikes in CPU (and GPU) usage on their PC, while some folks’ antivirus software flagged a number of the game’s files as malware.
If you don’t think that’s shady enough, the developer, Okalo Union, told those complaining about the heavy load on their processor that it was likely caused by using ‘high graphics settings’ – which is rather strange as this game’s graphics are simple black and white line drawings which wouldn’t stress a PC from the last century.
In the midst of an exchange of posts with a player, the developer even admitted that “Bitcoin is outdated, we currently use Abstractism to mine only Monero coins”, before going on to claim that the game doesn’t mine any cryptocurrency in the sentence after.
Fortress fakeryAnd as we mentioned at the outset, this developer was also reportedly trying to scam Steam denizens out of money by selling fake items for Team Fortress 2. One poor guy bought what he thought was a TF2 Australium Rocket Launcher, worth about $100 (around £75, AU$135) or so, when in fact it was an item made to look exactly like that weapon, but for the Abstractism game. And obviously in that respect it wasn’t worth anything.
When those investigating this buyer’s story went to the Steam store to try to find the offending fake item, the developer had removed it, so was clearly trying to cover their tracks.
Given the attempt to scam people with items like this, it’s hardly a major leap to believe the allegation that Abstractism was running a rogue crypto mining script.
At any rate, Valve has now dealt with the game and removed it from Steam, but this incident does highlight the fact that you have to tread carefully on the store, at least when it comes to less well-known developers.
And Abstractism was hanging around on Steam for some time, given the reports of those who were affected, who made their voices known in a number of negative reviews of the title. So it does throw some question marks over Valve’s policing of its store when it comes to blatantly dodgy games. And from the sound of the evidence presented here, they don’t come any more blatant than this platformer offering from Okalo Union.
These are the best gaming PCs aroundVia Eurogamer
Huawei growth static despite smartphone success
The last 12 months may have seen Huawei cement its position as the world’s third biggest smartphone manufacturer and finally crack the UK market, but it wasn’t enough to give the Chinese firm a significant boost in growth.
For the first half of 2018 revenue rose 15 per cent to 325.7 billion Yuan (£36.3 billion), the same rate at which it grew last year.
However, the company isn’t too disappointed, stating that it expects to finish the year in a “strong financial position.”
Want to find out more about 5G? Check out our dedicated 5G hub! Huawei financesIt hasn’t broken down these figures any further, but it has enjoyed considerable success in the smartphone arena thanks to the critically acclaimed Huawei P20 flagship smartphone. According to Gartner, Huawei shifted 40 million handsets in Q1, giving it a 10.5 per cent share of the global market.
Meanwhile, it is one of the world’s biggest telecommunications network equipment manufacturers and will likely receive a boost from mobile operators rolling out 5G. Earlier this week, rival Nokia and T-Mobile reached a $3.5 billion ‘multi-year’ agreement for 5G equipment, indicative of the sums on offer.
However, it has struggled in some territories, most notably the US, due to perceived national security concerns. Huawei has continually denied such allegations and its products are used by several UK telcos, including BT.
Earlier this month a British government report found it could only offer “limited” assurance that Huawei kit was safe to use because of a lack of progress in resolving previous concerns, such as the safeguarding of its supply chain. Huawei said it is committed to addressing these issues.
Check out the best mobile deals for July 2018
Samsung confirms 'slow sales' for Galaxy S9 and a 'reasonable' price for Note 9
Samsung's Q2 financial results are in, and while money talk isn't always that exciting, there are some flavorsome tidbits in here that hint strongly at what we'll be seeing from the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 9 and foldable Galaxy X.
The big news is that Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus phones haven't sold as well as it expected. This won't be a shock to many, given the handsets haven't garnered stellar reviews and look rather similar to the previous year's models, but it's now been confirmed.
Samsung said the 'slow sales' of these phones was down to not only a tough premium smartphone market, but also intensified competition in this sector.
What's interesting is that other manufacturers have told TechRadar that the premium market is still the key battleground for brands, so it could be that brands like Huawei, Apple, OnePlus and Xiaomi are making phones that have snaffled some of the market share.
Other factors in the lower profits include the phasing out of older lower-end models, which begs the question of whether Samsung has been able to create devices to fill that hole, or whether other brands are also stealing market share at the lower end.
One thing that slow sales does bring is a renewed pressure to make the next smartphone more innovative and exciting, so we could well see a re-tooled Samsung Galaxy S10 early next year... and possibly launching alongside the new Galaxy X (which we'll dig into further below).
A galaxy of questionsThe more interesting parts of the report are related to the future of Samsung's smartphones, which have been heavily hinted at.
The first, and most prominent, is the Galaxy Note 9, which was explicitly mentioned (without the number, admittedly). Samsung confirmed that it would be releasing the handset a little earlier than usual, and that it would offer 'exceptional performance for a reasonable price'.
The notion of what's a 'reasonable price' is to be debated, given we saw mention of it costing around $940, £720, AU$1,270 in an Indonesian advert - that's hardly cheap, but in relation to some of the hyper-expensive handsets out there it might actually be more affordable than people think.
The expected Samsung Galaxy Note 9 color line-up. Credit: Android Headlines
It's a surprise to see the Note 9 coming earlier than usual, after the rushed Note 7 caused the catastrophic battery failures that blighted Samsung, so one would have to assume that Samsung has seen the softer S9 sales coming for a while and moved up the Note 9 timescale many months ago to compensate.
A foldable futureOne of the most exciting developments in smartphones is future form factors - in particular, foldable smartphones.
Samsung's long been rumored to be releasing the Galaxy X, its first foldable smartphone, and according to the financial report it looks pretty close.
In the 'looking to the future' section, the brands says that it's going to be bringing 'cutting-edge technology and new form factors' to its phones, with a foldable phone the leading candidate for a new shape of handset.
This is corroborated when looking at the section dealing with the display division, where flexible OLED is set to drive growth for Samsung.
Flexible OLEDs aren't massively new - they can relate to slightly flexing displays that are used in advertising - but within the report Samsung has confirmed that it will seek 'new growth drivers' in foldable displays.
A very early prototype of Samsung's rollable display
That could mean that we'll see a new Galaxy X launching in the first half of next year, as Samsung needs to bring a refreshed form factor to show it still has leadership in smartphone innovation.
However, the reason such a phone has been on the cards for so long without being released, is the myriad issues that need to be solved with a flexible screen - power, resilience to multiple bends, screen resolution etc, and Samsung needs to make sure these are all bullet-proof before unleashing it on the world.
Has it managed that yet? Recent noises have sounded more positive, with new components being developed, and the fact foldable displays are so widely mentioned in this financial report mean the Galaxy X could be closer than ever before.
The story of the Samsung Galaxy X: attempts to make a foldable smartphone
Google Daydream finally has a Chrome browser for VR
Google’s Daydream VR platform finally has a dedicated Android app for the Google Chrome browser.
The Daydream platform launched back in 2016, and has been the foundation for a host of both mobile-enabled and standalone VR headsets.
Now, anyone using a standalone Daydream headsets, like the Lenovo Mirage Solo will be able to install Chrome from the Play Store app.
Those using a mobile VR product like the Daydream View, however, will need to update their Chrome app on their phone before it appears on the headset for use.
Google Daydream news, features and everything you need to knowThe fully-fledged app includes the ability to save bookmarks, navigate using voice search, and even hide your VR browser history in Incognito mode – if that’s something that’s important to you.
DaydreamingDespite being what some might call the most obvious choice for a VR app on a Google-made headset, it’s taken just over 18 months for Google to bring its browser to the Daydream Play Store.
Current Daydream owners may be aware that they could already access the Chrome browser, but that it required opening Chrome on their smartphone before placing in the headset. The new app should hopefully make browsing the web in VR a slightly more practical experience.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch release date, price, news and leaks
Update: Samsung may have just leaked the Galaxy Watch by accident on its own official website. Plus a new certification for Korea suggests the watch is nearing its launch.
We've been anticipating a device called the Gear S4 for over a year and a half now, but instead Samsung introduced us to the Gear Sport at the tail end of 2017 and it's currently uncertain what the next smartwatch from the company will be called.
Both the Gear S3 and Gear Sport have been impressive Tizen-toting watches but whatever Samsung plans to release next, all we currently know for certain is that we don't know anything concrete.
Some of the rumors suggest Samsung will be focusing on the health, fitness and sleep tracking elements of the watch, plus the company seemingly wants to put a big focus on its internet connectivity too. Then there are several futuristic looking patents point towards features that may be included, but nothing is for certain.
At the moment, most of the recent rumors suggest it'll be called the Samsung Galaxy Watch rather than the Gear S4 or the Gear Sport 2. A big leak from Samsung's website suggests it'll be the Galaxy Watch, but the Gear S4 name is still being toted by some sources.
You’ll find information on all of the patents, rumors, leaks and much more below, along with a list of the things we want to see from the next Samsung watch whatever the company decides to call it.
Cut to the chase What is it? Samsung's upcoming smartwatch, but the name is unclearWhen is it out? Some point this year, maybe in end of August at IFAWhat will it cost? More than most other wearables Samsung Galaxy Watch release date and priceWe don't currently know anything for certain about the release date of the Samsung Gear S4, but leaks heavily suggest it's in development and we'll be seeing it launch before the end of 2018.
The current rumors are split - some claim the watch will come on August 9 alongside the Galaxy Note 9, while others believe the watch will launch at the end of August at IFA 2018 alongside the Galaxy Tab S4.
There's also an event from Samsung on August 1 that may reveal the new watch, or it may be the aforementioned tablet.
Considering the Samsung Gear S3 was announced in August 2016, and the Samsung Gear S2 was announced in August of the year before that, an August 2017 announcement for the Gear S4 initially seemed likely. That didn't happen though and instead we got the Samsung Gear Sport.
History suggests we'll see the new watch launch at IFA, but it may be the company wants to get the device out as soon as possible so will announce it on August 9 and release it on August 24.
When the next Gear smartwatch launches, it will probably cost a lot. The Samsung Gear S3 started at $349/£349 (around AU$475) and we’ll likely see a similar price for the new model, especially as it will be positioned to compete with the Apple Watch 3 and Apple Watch 4.
That said, a rumored change to the manufacturing process could result in savings, so there's a chance these will be passed on to consumers.
Samsung Gear S4 or Galaxy Watch?
Previously it has been less cleaer if the company would opt for the name Samsung Galaxy Watch, Samsung Gear S4 or - the much less likely - Samsung Gear Sport 2. Now, thanks to a leak directly from Samsung, we're quite certain it'll be called the Samsung Galaxy Watch.
A trademark application in May 2018 suggested Samsung is considering naming a new product the Samsung Galaxy Watch, which may well be this device that we thought was the Gear S4.
We've heard consistent rumors of it being called that, plus we've now seen the company trademark a logo that sports the Samsung Galaxy Watch title. Then in July we've seen the official Samsung online store posting a link that had the name Samsung Galaxy Watch.
If you followed the link, it lead to a dead page. It did still provide a product image, name and description, but there wasn't any clear indication of specs. You can see the image of the watch just down below in the design section.
For the rest of this article we'll refer to the device as the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but you may see the odd mention of the Gear S4 too but we're referring to the same rumored product.
Samsung Galaxy Watch design and displayRumors for the Samsung Galaxy Watch are now piling in. In fact, Samsung's own website has been one of the best sources for details on the upcoming smartwatch, but not intentionally.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch was accidentally listed on the website in a rose hold color. There looks to be two hardware buttons on the right hand side as well as a rotatable bezel, like on previous Samsung watches.
Credit: CNET
We're not sure what material the casing or the strap it made out of, but it looks to be a premium build from this photo.
The sizing in the brackets - that's 42mm - also serves as evidence Samsung will offer its latest watch in two different sizes. We've heard that from a source speaking to SamMobile about the Gear S4, and it's rumored to be available in both 38mm and 42mm sizes.
We expect this is to offer a more appropriate choice for those who have smaller wrists and therefore like smaller watches. You can buy all versions of the Apple Watch in either 38mm or 42mm versions, so it's likely Samsung has seen that success and will want to replicate it in the Gear range.
One report had previously said the Galaxy Watch would come in silver, black or gold, with the latter color being a brand new addition to the range. The leak above suggests we can add rose gold to that list too.
In that report, the gold color is said to only be available on one of two different versions of the watch. When we say two versions though we're not talking about the sizes above, rather there's likely to be a sporty and dressy split, as there was with the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier.
Little else is known for certain about the design, but we can guess there will be a 1.3-inch display as the company has used that on its previous iterations of the Gear smartwatch.
The strap will likely be comfortable for exercise, but there will probably be other options such as leather for more stylish occasions.
We've seen lots of patents for upcoming Gear smartwatches, so some of these features may be included on the new watch if Samsung is feeling bold and confident in its new tech.
One patent, spotted by Patently Mobile, shows a Samsung watch with a display built into the bezel. The Gear S3 already has a large bezel that can be rotated, so adding a display could be the next step, but again, being nothing more than a patent we wouldn’t count on it appearing on the Gear S4.
Credit: Patently Mobile
We've also seen a patent for an upcoming Samsung watch that suggests it may include battery tech within the strap.
The diagram provided shows the company wants to include batteries in both parts of the strap and has been experimenting with including the tech inside different materials such as leather, polymer and rubber.
On the topic of straps, Samsung has been working on flexible and curved screens for a long time so it’s not surprising that it would extend the idea to a watch strap.
We wouldn’t rely on any of these features being included in the Gear S4 though, as patents very often don’t get beyond the idea stage.
Samsung Galaxy Watch features
Samsung's last smartwatch the Gear Sport
We don't currently know anything for certain about the new features the Galaxy Watch will bring, but there are lots of signposts of what we may see.
One big change could be the battery, as the Samsung Gear S4 is rumored to be getting a 470mAh one, up from 380mAh on the Gear S3, which could make this one of the longest-lasting smartwatches around, given that the Gear S3 can already comfortably last 2-3 days.
There's additional evidence for a larger battery in the form of a claim that the Samsung watch will use a Panel Level Packaging (PLP) manufacturing process, which means the chip will take up less space, leaving more for the battery.
Both the battery spec and PLP manufacturing have been reported separately by Twitter leaker Ice Universe, who also shared news that the watch may come with a blood pressure monitor too.
A previously filed patent has already suggested the Gear S4 (or perhaps even a future Samsung watch) will come with a built-in blood pressure monitor, so it may be the company believes it's time to include this tech.
LTE is also set to be a big feature of the watch as we've heard Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all interested in ranging the Galaxy Watch when it has launched. We don't currently know about any networks or carriers for other markets, but if all three of those US providers are interested, it may be Samsung is including a big upgrade in mobile internet tech.
Back in April this year, SamMobile spoke to a source that confirmed S Health would be getting some big upgrades. One of the focuses for Samsung's improvements will be in-depth sleep tracking, but monitoring your health in general will be one of the main reasons to buy this watch.
Exactly what these upgrades will include, we don't know. One patent spotted by Russian site 3Dnews talks about a camera with an optical zoom, that oddly seems to be built into the middle of the watch face.
The patent also highlights a strap with a screen on it, giving you shortcuts to your apps, rather than having to swipe through the tiny display on the watch face to find them.
One thing we think is very likely in the Gear S4 is the presence of Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby, taking the place of S Voice. One report from SamMobile suggests it'll debut on the next smartwatch, but instead of having a dedicated hardware button (like on the Samsung Galaxy phone series) you'll be able to hold down the main button on the watch to boot up the voice assistant.
Expect to be able to talk to your watch for a lot of the features, but whether you want to do that in public is a different question.
We originally expected Samsung to pack Tizen software onto the Gear S4, but considering the rumored name change to Samsung Galaxy Watch it may be the company will decide to embrace Google's Wear OS for the first time.
Samsung's first smartwatch in 2013 toted the name Galaxy Gear as it ran Android Wear software, but the Galaxy moniker was dropped for the second generation in 2014 when the company used Tizen software instead.
If it's called the Samsung Galaxy Watch, that may mean the company is looking to include Google's software inside.
It'd be a big surprise as Samsung has spent the last four or so years building up the functionality of Tizen, but stranger things have happened and we've heard word from a known Samsung leaker called Ice Universe who also has also heard the Galaxy Watch will pack Wear OS smarts.
Further evidence for this OS switch came when Gear watches running Wear OS were spotted on the wrists of Samsung employees, however, it turns out these were one-offs, so we wouldn't count out Tizen for now. Stranger things have happened though, so you may be able to buy a Samsung Wear OS watch later this year.
Other features such as the processor specs are unclear right now, but hopefully we'll hear about that in the coming weeks and months.
Samsung Galaxy Watch: what we want to seeThe next Samsung wa is likely to be one of the most exciting wearables of 2018, especially if it incorporates some of the following changes.
1. Make it more compact
The Samsung Gear S3 is a well-made and generally good-looking device, but it’s also rather big, chunky and heavy.
So we’d like the Samsung Gear S4 to be smaller and slimmer on the wrist, as well as being lighter. Or for it to come in multiple models, where at least one is more compact. Some people like chunky wearables, but by no means everyone, and there’s a distinct shortage of compact ones.
2. More accurate exercise trackingThe Samsung Gear S3 and Gear Sport are packed full of fitness tracking features, including GPS, a heart rate monitor and automatic workout detection.
But while it can tell when you’re working out, it’s hit and miss at accurately tracking the exercises. In our review, we found that squats were accurately counted but that lunges and crunches weren’t for example.
Similarly, when using GPS it’s sometimes almost spot-on, and other times not, making it unreliable, while the heart rate monitor is utterly awful. We want to see improvements to all of these things for the next model.
3. More apps
One of the downsides of Samsung’s decision to use its own Tizen operating system for the Gear range is the lack of available apps.
We doubt the company will switch to Android Wear for the Gear S4, but one way or another the upcoming wearable needs a much, much larger app selection.
Achieving that while sticking with Tizen might require a major investment from Samsung, to make it worthwhile for developers, so it probably won’t happen, but it needs to for the Gear S4 to truly compete with the Apple Watch and Android Wear.
4. Better battery life with Always On DisplayThe Samsung Gear S3's battery life is generally quite strong, but not if you make use of the Always On Display.
That’s a feature which, like on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and other handsets, leaves the screen partially lit up at all times so you can always see the time.
It’s vital if the Gear S4 is going to compete with an actual, normal watch, but it’s heavy on the battery, so we’d like to see further optimization done for the Gear S4 to make it use as little battery as possible.
5. A lower price
Although the Gear S3 has now dropped to a reasonable price (especially after the launch of the Gear Sport), it started out as one of the priciest smart timepieces available, rivaling the Apple Watch 2.
There’s a worry that the Samsung Gear S4 will be similarly expensive, but if Samsung wants it to fly off shelves in serious numbers then a lower price would really help.
6. A real selling pointThe Samsung Gear S3 has a lot of features, but no real standout USP, especially given what it costs. Most of its features can be found elsewhere, and sometimes either at a lower price or done better. And even if they couldn’t be, they don’t feel truly essential. In fact, arguably no smartwatch does as yet.
That’s a tricky problem to solve, but hopefully the Samsung Gear S4 will be up to the challenge and include some features that convince us it really is worth strapping an expensive smartwatch to our wrists. Especially if the company changes the name to the Samsung Galaxy Watch, the firm will need to prove that name change worthy with some new features.
7. A better bezel
The bezel is one of the best things about the Samsung Gear S3, as it works as a rotatable dial that you can use to navigate menus.
However, there’s no hardware confirm button, so you have to tap the screen once you’ve reached the option you want, which isn’t ideal, as switching between the display and buttons for simple interactions isn’t intuitive.
So hopefully the Gear S4 will offer more seamless interactions using the bezel. But we’d also like to see the bezel become a little less stiff, so you can comfortably operate it with a single finger.
Later in the year we may also see the Samsung Gear Fit 3 too
Dixons Carphone breach may have been bigger than originally thought
Dixons Carphone has revealed that millions of its customers could have been affected by a major data breach.
The electronics retailer has said that up to ten million users might have been hit by the attack, revealed last month, with details such as names, addresses and email accounts all revealed.
However the company says that no payment cards or bank account information was leaked, and that so far there is no evidence of its customers being hit by fraud.
"Disappointed"The news comes as Dixons Carphone continues its investigation into a major cyber-attack that hit the business last year, but was not made public until last month.
The attack, which took place back in July 2017, affected data from 5.9 million credit cards following a breach in one of the processing systems used by both Currys PC World and Dixons Travel stores.
Since then, Dixons Carphone has been working with both cybersecurity experts and the National Crime Agency to help safeguard it against further attacks.
"Since our data security review uncovered last year's breach, we've been working around the clock to put it right," Dixons Carphone chief executive Alex Baldock said in a statement.
"That's included closing off the unauthorised access, adding new security measures and launching an immediate investigation, which has allowed us to build a fuller understanding of the incident that we're updating on today."
"Again, we’re disappointed in having fallen short here, and very sorry for any distress we’ve caused our customers. I want to assure them that we remain fully committed to making their personal data safe with us.”
The best antivirus software in July 2018
Lenovo says it'll be the first to launch a 5G smartphone
Lenovo says it will be the first smartphone manufacturer to launch a 5G smartphone, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset.
A VP for the firm, Chang Cheng, took to Chinese social media site Weibo to reveal the plans.
No other detail about the handset was provided and Lenovo will have stiff competition from a number of rivals as they all try and push their 5G devices out towards the end of this year and into 2019.
December at the earliest?The likelihood is though we won't see this device before December. That's because the Snapdragon 855 - that's said to be powering the handset - hasn't been officially launched yet.
Qualcomm is hosting its Snapdragon Summit during the first week of December where we expect the chip to be revealed.
This would be earliest the phone would realistically be announced, and if Lenovo leaves it any later then it would be in danger of missing out on the world first.
While 5G capabilities are likely to be heavily touted in smartphones launched from December onwards, it's unlikely you'll be able to take advantage of the new network generation right away.
It will take carriers and those in charge of the mobile infrastructure a little while to get their services up and running, so initially 5G will be a future-proofing feature rather than something for the here and now.
What is 5G? Everything you need to knowVia PhoneArena & MySmartPrice
There's even more evidence the Samsung Galaxy Watch launch is happening soon
We know Samsung is readying a new smartwatch for release – even the company's own website has let the product slip – but a new certification offers further proof we'll be seeing it soon.
The new Samsung Galaxy Watch has just received its radio certification in Korea - spotted by 91 Mobiles - after previously getting its Federal Communications Commission (FCC) details in the US earlier this month.
This isn't particularly exciting news in terms of new features, design elements or otherwise, but it is further evidence the watch will be ready to launch in the coming weeks or, at most, months.
Piling on the evidenceThere are a variety of events where Samsung may decide to launch the Galaxy Watch. One is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch in New York next week on August 9.
Samsung is also hosting a livestream for a new product on August 1, which may include either the Galaxy Tab S4 or perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Watch – though it may just be a teaser for the Note 9.
On top of that, Samsung will likely also be showing off some new products at IFA 2018 at the end of August, so it may be we hear about the new smartwatch at that event instead.
Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy WatchVia UberGizmo
Time's running out on these superbly cheap Xbox Live Gold deals
There are just two days remaining to take advantage of these super cheap Xbox Live Gold deals. They really are the best prices we've seen so far this year on Xbox Live 12 month membership subscriptions. And it doesn't matter if you've got time left on your current sub as you can stack memberships.
Usually, this is where someone in the US or UK may feel let down as we tell you that only one country is getting a discount. Not today! There are super cheap Xbox Live Gold 12 month subscription price promotions going on at Microsoft in both the US and UK.
Microsoft has cut the prices for 12-month subs for a summer sale. But you'll not want to put it off much longer as the offer expires in eight days time. Take a look at the prices below along with links straight to the deal on Microsoft's site.
Xbox Live Gold (12 months) - $59.99 now $39.99 at MicrosoftXbox Live Gold (12 months) - £39.99 now £26.50 at MicrosoftWe've checked the best Xbox Live Gold membership deals at other stores online and this is easily the best around, especially at this time of year.
Do I need an Xbox Live Gold subscription?As with past consoles in the Xbox lineup, the Xbox One or Xbox One X also require an Xbox Live Gold subscription in order to play games online. You also get a selection of free games as a part of your membership and there are Xbox One Gold member-exclusive discounts in the many sales on the Xbox Live store. All in all, it's well worth having, especially at today's discounted price.
WhatsApp group calls are now live for Android and iOS
Up to four people can now chat at once using WhatsApp for Android and iOS. The new group call feature is rolling out to both platforms at the same time, and lets app users set up multi-way video or voice calls.
To use it, start a call with just one person, then tap the 'Add participants' button in the top-right to invite more friends. The new participant will receive a notification, and can choose whether to accept or decline.
You can only invite one new participant at a time, and you can't invite a fourth caller until the third has joined. Only the host can invite more people to join a call.
Speak easyFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced group calls for WhatsApp and Instagram (both of which are owned by the social media behemoth) at the F8 2018 developer conference in May. Zuckerberg said that people already make two billion minutes of voice and video calls on WhatsApp every day, and this new addition could add to that number.
All WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted, and are engineered to work well even with a poor internet connection, which makes them particularly useful in countries with patchy mobile data coverage – including India, where the feature was trialled before its global launch.
The best Android apps you can download todayVia The Verge
Google mocks Microsoft and Apple in new Chromebook video
It looks like Google is in a fighting mood, as it’s just released a new video that attacks Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s macOS operating systems, while claiming that Chromebooks are the only laptops you can rely on.
The video (which you can watch below) highlights a number of annoyances that people have complained about through the years when using laptops running Microsoft or Apple software.
These include numerous error messages, annoying pop-up windows and even the dreaded Blue Screen of Death.
Fighting wordsAccording to Google, Chromebooks are free from all these issues, with its ChromeOS operating system relatively virus-free. It's also constantly updated, so you’re not bugged about downloading updates when you’re trying to work.
It’s certainly a provocative video, and one that may resonate with anyone who has been frustrated by Windows or macOS, but will it be enough to make people ditch their Windows laptops and MacBooks and switch to Chrome? That may take more work.
If you want to change, check out our list of the best ChromebooksVia Neowin
Top Tech Conferences: The Ultimate B2B tech events and show guide for 2018
For information about adding your event to this list and featured listing opportunities please contact mike.moore@futurenet.com.
Love it or loathe it, events and conferences are often where wheelers and dealers in the world of technology meet to decide on the future of the industry.
Ironically, technology itself has accelerate the demise of some massive tech events (like Comdex) but the result is that the remaining ones are more focused, alive and bustling than ever before.
TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal have joined forces with the tech B2B PR industry to curate a list of national and international technology events, conferences and happenings.
July 26th - 28th, Austin, TX
The Future Leaders Forum, presented by IEEE-USA, is a three-day event for young and mid-career professionals focused on leadership, empowerment and adapting to the changing structure of the modern workplace.
Why attend? Keynotes from Steve Sasson, inventor of the digital camera and Larry Hornbeck, Oscar winner and creator of DLP cinema technology, headline a group of over 30 trendsetting speakers. Learn to navigate and acquire the tools you need to become more agile and thrive in today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.
Promo code EBXTENDED100 will save you $100 off registration.
August 20th-23rd, San Diego
Catalyst Conference is the only multi-role event for technical professionals and is designed to help attendees execute their organisation’s key technology initiatives.
Why attend? Understand the latest technology trends and master the skills that digital business transformation demands.
August 29th-31st, Vancouver
Open Source Summit is the premier open source technical conference in North America, gathering 2,000+ developers, operators and community leadership professionals to collaborate, share information and learn about the latest in open technologies, including Linux, containers, cloud computing and more.
Why attend? Four events in one, Open Source Summit is a technical conference where 2,000+ developers, operators, and community leadership professionals convene to collaborate, share information and learn about the latest in open technologies, including Linux, containers, cloud computing and more.
September 6th-7th, Sydney
Following a sell-out event in 2017, Women in Tech Australia is returning to Sydney with actionable insight and game changing content - speakers include Facebook, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Gumtree and many more.
Why attend? Join 1,000 inspirational leaders and industry experts for two days of empowering keynotes, deep insight into tech trends & business strategies, technical classes and career development workshops - all the content and networking opportunities you need to maximise your career!
September 12th-13th, Basel
Intelligent Health is the world's first large-scale summit dedicated to AI in healthcare, featuring two jam-packed days of health tech goodness, from applied AI case studies, to announcements from the tech giants, to nitty-gritty coding workshops, and of course, passionate debate on ethics and AI4good in health.
Why attend? The event will show presentations from the 100 brightest brains in healthcare and tech and host around 2000+ across the entire AI health ecosystem of pharmaceutical, biotech, medtech, health provision, clinicians, insurance, investment and science.
September 13th, Porto
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Forum is a one-day event where policymakers, researchers, innovators and industry will discuss how we design, build and refine the internet of tomorrow. The event will include specialist talks, open discussions and interactive working groups.
Why attend: Keynotes include internet founder Louis Pouzin, as well as leading experts from a variety of disciplines, including privacy and trust, decentralised data governance, discovery and identification, AI and more. Contribute to the dialogue on creating a human-focused next generation internet (NGI) for all.
September 14th-16th, Dallas
An in-depth look at some of the hottest areas in technology today, including Blockchain & Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security / Hacking, Quantum Computing, 3D Printing, and Virtual / Augmented Reality.
Why attend? Over 5,000 expected attendees, 70 top-notch speakers and 100+ exhibitors discussing the latest trends in the technology industry.
September 17th-18th, Dubai
Following sell-out instalments in Europe, Australia and the USA, the world’s largest Women in Tech Event Series is coming to Dubai! Speakers include Twitter, souq.com, Sky News Arabia, Middle East Internet Group and many more.
Why attend? Join 300+ inspirational leaders and industry experts for two days of empowering keynotes, deep insight into tech trends & business strategies, technical classes and career development workshops - all the content and networking opportunities you need to maximise your career!
September 25th-26th, London Printworks
Connected World unites over 2,500 industry leaders, tech innovators, decision makers and investors. Now in its 4th year, it has grown exponentially in content, technologies and audience size; with our original Connected Home and Cities tracks now complemented with disruptive subjects such as Blockchain, 5G and AI.
Why attend? Hear from over 200 exclusive visionary speakers with implementation case studies and solutions presented exclusively at the show.
September 25-27th, Amsterdam
ONS Europe brings together business and technical leaders across enterprise, cloud and service providers to share learnings, highlight innovation and discuss the future of open networking and orchestration.
Why attend? ONS is the largest and most inclusive Open Networking & Orchestration event in the world, bigger and better than ever before.
September 25th-26th, London
Hotel & Spa Tech Live is the UK’s premier event for the technology, systems, products, and services that are breaking new ground in the hotel and spa sector.
Why attend? As technology becomes more critical to the hospitality industries, Hotel & Spa Tech Live provides you with an unprecedented opportunity to find the very latest cutting-edge supplies designed to create a truly unforgettable experience for your customers, from the innovators behind these industry-transforming solutions.
September 25th-26th, London
Restaurant & Bar Tech Live is Europe's largest exhibition dedicated to the emerging technology and services that are forming the future of restaurants and bars. The show provides a view into the dining of tomorrow and will offer restaurant and bar owners the opportunity to find the latest products, services, systems, and advancements from across the globe.
Why attend? Visitors will be able to see, test, and touch the technology that will transform the way they run their business, attract customers, and set themselves apart from the competition.
October 1st-3rd, Boston
Now in its 12th year, this conference targets independent thinking software people who want to be part of very successful software businesses.
Why attend? The Conference is tightly curated, full of in-depth talks from very smart people - entrepreneurs and experts - and the attendees are some of the smartest people in the industry.
October 3rd-4th, London
Europe’s leading Enterprise IT and Digital Transformation event returns with a star-studded line-up and more networking opportunities than ever before.
Why attend? With six top IT events under one roof, 300+ exhibitors and 300+ free to attend seminar sessions, IP EXPO Europe is the must-attend IT event of the year for CIOs, heads of IT, security specialists, heads of insight and tech experts.
October 10th, Glasgow
Following a sell-out event in 2017, Women in Tech Scotland is returning with actionable insight and game changing content! Speakers include Skyscanner, Sky, Microsoft and many more.
Why attend? Join 400+ inspirational leaders and industry experts for two days of empowering keynotes, deep insight into tech trends & business strategies, technical classes and career development workshops - all the content and networking opportunities you need to maximise your career!
October 10-11th, Amsterdam
World Summit AI will gather the whole ecosystem, Enterprise, Startups, Investors and Deep Tech from every corner of the globe in Amsterdam for 2 days of knowledge-sharing and networking. From applied solutions for corporate and enterprise to the implications of Artificial Intelligence on society, including ethics and AI4good, World Summit AI will tackle head-on the most burning AI issues for 2018 and beyond.
Why attend? In 2017, the summit sold-out and brought together thousands of AI explorers, the most influential people in AI as speakers and all the big tech companies including Google, Facebook, IBM, Amazon, Intel, Uber and Apple. In 2018, we’re expecting over 4,500 attendees and 140 of the brightest brains on stage to tell you everything you need to know about AI.
October 10th-11th, New York
Focusing on the intersection of financial services and open source, Open FinTech Forum will provide CIOs and senior technologists guidance on building internal open source programs as well as an in-depth look at cutting-edge open source technologies, including AI, Blockchain/Distributed Ledger, Kubernetes/Containers, Quantum Computing, that can be leveraged to drive efficiencies and flexibility.
Why attend? Hear the latest news, views and opinions from some of the industry-leading minds.
October 16-18th, San Jose
Arm TechCon is the only comprehensive technology event that showcases the latest advances in Arm’s world-class architecture—from silicon design and software development to platform security and IoT solutions.
Why attend? Join 4,000 like-minded engineers, architects, developers and product designers in an immersive, exciting three-day experience with Arm and its renowned ecosystem of leading companies in the embedded industry.
October 22nd-24th, Edinburgh
Open Source Summit is the premier open source technical conference in Europe, gathering 2,000+ developers, operators and community leadership professionals to collaborate, share information and learn about the latest in open technologies, including Linux, containers, cloud computing and more.
Why attend? Four events in one, Open Source Summit is a technical conference where 2,000+ developers, operators, and community leadership professionals convene to collaborate, share information and learn about the latest in open technologies, including Linux, containers, cloud computing and more.
November 13th-14th, London
Big Data LDN is a free to attend conference and exhibition where delegates discuss the big questions and share ideas with forward-thinking peers and leading members of the Data community.
Why attend? Hear from 100+ expert speakers in 8 technical and business-led conference tracks, including real world use-cases and discuss your business requirements with 80+ leading technology vendors and consultants.
November 14th-15th, New York
The Infosecurity conference comes to North America, featuring multiple theatres and content on the show floor to ensure that education is more readily available to all.
Why attend? Infosecurity North America will provide end-user buyers with a focussed business event environment that facilitates valuable networking, immersive learning and leads the critical debate through cutting edge content.
November 15th, Dublin
Following sell-out instalments in London, San Francisco, Scotland, Sydney and Amsterdam, the world’s largest Women in Tech Event Series is coming to Ireland! Speakers include Hubspot, Facebook, MasterCard, Citi and many more.
Why attend? Join 400+ inspirational leaders and industry experts for two days of empowering keynotes, deep insight into tech trends & business strategies, technical classes and career development workshops - all the content and networking opportunities you need to maximise your career!
November 28th-29th, Amsterdam
Following sell-out events in 2016 and 2017, European Women in Technology is returning to Amsterdam with actionable insight and game changing content! Speakers include Nokia, Pipedrive, Google, ASOS and many more.
Why attend? Join 3,000+ inspirational leaders and industry experts for two days of empowering keynotes, deep insight into tech trends & business strategies, technical classes and career development workshops - all the content and networking opportunities you need to maximise your career!
December 4th-6th, Vienna
One of the biggest ICT conferences in Europe, this research and innovation event will focus on the European Union’s priorities in the digital transformation of society and industry. It is an opportunity for the people involved in this transformation to share their experience and vision of Europe in the digital age.
Why attend: Get the lowdown on the EU’s digital priorities now and moving forward. As well as the chance to meet key players in the EC, you’ll get the opportunity to network with more than 6,000 conference participants from 91 countries worldwide.
December 12th-15th, Basel, Switzerland
Developers, vendors, enterprise end-users, and enthusiasts of business blockchain technologies will converge in Basel, Switzerland December 12–15, 2018 for the inaugural Hyperledger Global Forum.
Why attend? The first two days will feature a forum with keynotes, breakout sessions and a technical showcase. The following two days will feature hands-on tutorials, and workshop events, with the week culminating in a hackathon.
January 8th- 11th 2019, Las Vegas, USA
For 50 years, CES has been the launch pad for new innovation and technology that has changed the world. Held in Las Vegas every year, it is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies and where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.
Why attend? More than 3800 of the biggest tech firms exhibiting.
January 24th-27th, London
Bett is the first industry show of the year in the education technology landscape, bringing together the global education community to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education, as well as the role technology and innovation plays in enabling all educators and learners to thrive.
Why attend? Over 850 leading companies, 103 exciting new edtech start ups and over 34,700 attendees (131 countries represented) will all be present.
February 25th - 28th Barcelona
The world's biggest mobile trade show marks another year in Barcelona with a stellar line-up of speakers and exhibitors.
Why attend? Over 2,300 exhibitors will gather in Barcelona to showcase the newest technologies and most innovative products available. Take your place among the companies that are shaping the connected future.
March 4th-8th, San Francisco
RSA Conference 2019returns to San Francisco - take this opportunity to learn about new approaches to info security, discover the latest technology and interact with top security leaders and pioneers.
Why attend? Hands-on sessions, keynotes and informal gatherings allow you to tap into a smart, forward-thinking global community that will inspire and empower you.
What is blockchain? Everything you need to know
What is blockchain?
Like much of the technology world, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin still rely on some form of database that are able to track large volumes of transactions and keep them secure. The solution used by many of the world’s largest digital currencies is the blockchain.
First implemented in 2009, the technology consists of 'blocks' that hold batches of timestamped transactions, with each block linked to the previous one through cryptography, thus forming a chain.
As the world becomes ever more smarter and inter-connected, cryptocurrencies have become an increasingly attractive proposition for growing markets that may not have traditional banking infrastructure. Several developing third-world nations have implemented blockchain-based national currencies, and the technology is also used by several major charity projects to help those without bank accounts.
However blockchain also offers the possibility of creating a fraud-proof system for transacting exchanges. This therefore gives it huge potential for use outside of the digital currency sphere, helping attract interest not just among traditional financial institutions, but in areas as diverse as manufacturing, food production and many more.
30/07 - IBM bets big on blockchain app store - LedgerConnect system set to push blockchain services further than before...
25/07 - Blockchain company Tron buys BitTorrent - File sharers can rest easy...
24/07 - Google bets on blockchain for cloud - Google Cloud Platform now supports key backbone of blockchain technology...
18/07 - Mastercard targets major blockchain breakthrough - Card provider looks to patent technology aimed at making blockchain payments simpler and faster...
12/07 - Finney is the world's first $1,000 blockchain phone - Blockchain-powered Finney phone revealed by Sirin Labs ahead of launch...
11/07 - HTC Exodus: everything you need to know about the blockchain phone - HTC is launching a blockchain-powered phone, here's all the top facts...
10/07 - HTC reveals more on its blockchain phone - HTC Exodus will get early access later this year...
04/07 - MP calls for UK government to get behind blockchain - Eddie Hughes MP urges government to appoint Chief Blockchain Officer to gain support...
25/06 - Microsoft is re-launching its blockchain - Teaming up with banking giant EY to make blockchain a force for good...
18/06 - What is Hdac? The World Cup blockchain advert, decoded - We take a closer look at the World Cup’s most technology-friendly advert...
11/06 - UK could be set for first blockchain listing - London Stock Exchange listing could be a UK blockchain first
06/06 - The role of blockchain in GDPR compliance - Can blockchain be the key to helping your business conquer GDPR?
31/05 - GDPR compliance and Blockchain - How are two of the biggest technology issues of today linked?
29/05 - Blockchain could revolutionise retail: Deloitte - Deloitte report claims major changes could be made using blockchain...
23/05 - American Express: Why blockchain could save help save you from fraud - American Express technology head hints at more blockchain to come from the card provider...
16/05 - HTC is making a blockchain smartphone - HTC Exodus will feature beefed-up security protection designed for blockchain transactions...
14/05 - HSBC marks major blockchain landmark - World-first transaction using blockchain marks a crucial step forward...
09/05 - Facebook launches new blockchain team - Blockchain team will be led by former Facebook Messenger head David Marcus...
08/05 - Report urges caution on the benefits of blockchain - Vast majority of companies reportedly still have no strategy when it comes to blockchain...
15/03 - Blockchain can 'speed up' payment settlement between telcos - Colt and PCCW hold trial of Blockchain for wholesale voice call payments...
06/02 - The best Bitcoin exchange of 2018 - It’s all about reputation, currency support and transaction fees...
27/01 - Here are 5 markets that blockchain will transform beyond recognition - From credit cards to loyalty schemes...
18/01 - 7 ways blockchain will change the legal industry forever - From smart contracts to the chain of custody...
17/01 - 6 things that prevent Blockchain from ruling the world - From energy wastage issues to worries about bulkiness...
16/01 - Here are the 10 sectors that blockchain will disrupt forever - From the obvious like banking, to the not-so-obvious…
26/08/2017 - Microsoft is making a blockchain that’s fit for business - Coco Framework aims to remove persistent stumbling blocks...
A blockchain system consists of two types of record, transactions and blocks. Transactions are simply the actions carried out in a particular period, these are stored together in a block.
What makes blockchain more unique is that each block contains the cryptographic hash of the previous one, thus forming a chain. What a cryptographic hash does is take the data from the previous block and transform it into a compact string. Since these strings are impossible to predict it means that any tampering with the chain is easily detected.
This method means that blocks don’t need to have serial numbers, the hash allows them to be uniquely identified as well as verifying their integrity. Each block confirms the validity of the previous one right back to the so called ‘genesis block’ at the start of the chain.
The linking of blocks isn’t the only thing that keeps the chain secure, however. It’s also decentralised, each computer with the software installed has a copy of the blockchain which is constantly updated with new blocks. There is no centralised server holding the transactions and because each new block must meet the requirements of the chain nobody is able to overwrite previous transactions.
Other transaction requirements can be added to define what constitutes a valid entry. In Bitcoin for example a valid transaction has to be digitally signed, it has to spend one or more unspent outputs of previous transactions, and the sum of transaction outputs cannot exceed the sum of input.
What are some of the biggest blockchain databases?Blockchain has exploded in popularity over the last few years, gaining backers throughout the technology and financial sectors.
Away from Bitcoin, which remains the most well-known and arguably most widely-used network, this has led to a number of alternative blockchains coming to the fore in recent times.
This includes R3, which is developing blockchain-esque technology that can be used by major banking institutions, and in May 2017 raised $107 million in funding from backers such as Intel, HSBC and Bank of America.
Another major player is Hyperledger, an open-source cross-industry collaboration created by the Linux Foundation in order to popularise blockchain-based ledgers, with the first generation of its technology released in July 2017.
All the so-called ‘big four’ accounting firms have also said they are testing blockchain technologies, although so far only Ernst and Young have gone public with their technology, making a digital wallet available to all its Swiss employees.
IBM announced in March 2017 that it will be building its own ‘blockchain as a service’ offering based on Hyperledger, which will allow customers to build secure blockchain networks.
Earlier this year, the London Stock Exchange also revealed it was is set to start using blockchain to improve transparency for shareholding information among unlisted businesses, showing the impact the technology has had.
How secure is blockchain?Due to its advanced cryptographic protection systems, in theory, blockchain offers a far more secure experience than traditional banking.
The fact that the technology is decentralised, and cannot be retroactively altered or edited makes it ideal for financial transactions and the storing of important information.
Blockchain also benefits from being able to preserve the privacy of the user - however this has unfortunately made it increasingly popular as the payment method of choice for cyber criminals, as a Bitcoin network node doesn’t have to reveal the identity of the person making or receiving payments.
What is Bitcoin? Everything you need to know
The best Virgin broadband deals in July 2018
Virgin Media led the way in the introduction of fast fibre broadband to the UK. The likes of BT, Sky and TalkTalk now offer competing services, but Virgin Fibre is still the fastest you can get.
After using TechRadar's postcode tool to see if Virgin is available where you live, you can check our comparison table to discover how much you'll need to pay for Virgin broadband, phone and TV packages. We'll get you the very best broadband deal for your home - you can now get it for less than £30 thanks to Virgin's VIVID 50 plan. But prices have recently gone up, making it more important than ever to use our comparison chart to bag the best price.
Prefer to order by phone? Then call 08000-492-102 and speak to an adviser dedicated to Virgin broadband deals.
See also: Broadband deals | BT broadband deals | Sky broadband deals | Fibre broadband deals
Virgin Fibre's USP is its super fast broadband speeds. Using only cables there's no such thing as cheap Virgin Media broadband, but even its least expensive broadband only plan gives speeds of up 50Mb - that's faster than the entry-level fibre broadband offered by the likes of Sky and Plusnet.
VIVID 50 fibre broadband
Thanks to its dazzling speeds and independent cabling, Virgin Media's broadband has traditionally been more expensive than its competitors. But Virgin's most affordable plan, the VIVID 50 tariff, brings the monthly price down under £30 per month. Considering you'll be getting average speeds of 54Mb speed (equivalent to 6.75MB per second), that's a very nice price.
VIVID 100 fibre broadband
No longer the cheapest Virgin fibre deal on the block, you'll need to pay over £30 to get Virgin's second lowest broadband tariff. But you're unlikely to feel too shortchanged with the connection speeds. The 108Mb average speed translates to 13.5 MB per second - you shouldn't be frustrated with any buffering, even when a few of you are streaming content at the same time.
VIVID 200 fibre broadband
As Virgin proudly points out, VIVID 200 more than doubles the maximum speed supplied by BT Infinity and Sky Fibre's fastest speed. The ultrafast 213Mb speed (on average) is a good fit if you stream 4K films and if there are 10 or so devices connected at once. And like all of Virgin's broadband offerings, it's completely unlimited - you can download and stream as much as you wish.
VIVID 350 fibre broadband
Home broadband speeds in the UK don't come faster than those provided by Virgin's VIVID 350 fibre plan, and no other provider comes anywhere even close. It costs almost £50 a month, but you get average speeds of 45MB per second. To say that's extremely rapid feels like an understatement
Yes indeedy. If you dial 08000-492-102 you'll go through to a call centre manned by advisers who can take you through your Virgin Media purchase over the phone.
To entice you in, Virgin has some broadband and TV bundles with an attractive price tag for the first year:
Player bundle Virgin's basic bundle adds 70+ TV channels, weekend calls, Sky On Demand and a brand new Virgin TV V6 box to your VIVID 50 broadband plan.
Mix bundle The Mix bundle more than doubles the amount of channels you get with the Player bundle, adding the likes of Sky 1, Sky Sports News and Sky Living.
Full House bundle If you're happy to part with more than £50 a month for your broadband and TV, Virgin's Full House bundle combines fibre optic broadband with more than 230 TV channels. There's good news for sports fans - the extra channels include BT Sport 1, 2 and 3. And there are box sets if drama's more your thing.
VIP bundle With the VIP bundle Virgin rolls out the red carpet. As well as premium TV channels such as all the Sky Sports and Sky Cinema offerings, Virgin also throws in a second Virgin TV V6 box. That means you can record up to 12 channels at once with 2TB of storage - enough for around 1,000 hours of TV. Ideal for large families.
You can indeed - and the good news is that you can keep the phone number you previously had with your BT phone line.
The starting cost is roughly the same as a Virgin broadband only plan for the first 12 months, and then goes up after the first year. That includes unlimited weekend calls to landlines and numbers on Virgin Mobile.
After that, you can start adding extra talk time to your plan. A little extra a month gets you Talk More Weekends, which adds all UK mobiles to your allowance. Talk More Evenings and Weekends allows calls to any UK number after 7pm on weekday evenings, while Talk More Anytime gives you as many calls as you like at any time of day.
Got friends or family abroad? A further upgrade allows calls to 30 international locations - including Australia, Canada and the USA - as part of the Talk More International Anytime plan.
Yes, but not a lot. No matter which Virgin Media broadband package you choose, you'll have to pay a one-off £20 activation fee.
The standard Virgin broadband contract is for 12 months, after which your monthly price may be subject to change.
But if you're a commitment-phobe, you can choose to go on a flexible 30 day rolling contract instead. The only downside is that you have to pay £65 upfront for the privilege.
You can call 0345-4545-1111 to speak to one of Virgin's customer advisers, or 150 from a Virgin phone. But that's only between 8am and 10pm - outside of those times you'll have to rely on the company's online support pages.
The Android Go powered Nokia 2.1 releasing soon in the UAE
We knew the new Nokia 2.1 (2018) was coming soon, but now we know exactly when and how much it will cost you - at least in the UAE, where the phone is confirmed to be landing on August 8.
Sold across major retailers in the UAE, the Nokia 2 is powered by Android Oreo Go edition that has optimized for low spec phones with lower prices. The phone will cost you just 389 Dirhams in the UAE
Besides Android Go, the other highlight of the Nokia 2 (2018) is the large battery life. Equipped with a 4,000mAh battery, the new Nokia 2 is expected to last for two full days on a single charge.
Nokia 2 (2018) specsThe Nokia 2.1 is powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor with 1GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 720p screen, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing snapper.
Like other Nokia handsets released in this year, expect premium craftsmanship and design. There’s only 8GB of built in storage but you do have a microSD card for additional space.
You’ll be able to grab the phone in three colors when it arrives August 8- Blue/Copper, Blue/Silver and Grey/Silver.
Not convinced? Then check out the best budget phones in the UAE
I will suggest to visit https://reviewarabia.com/best-mobiles-under-1000-aed/ which has more appropriate models which actually falls in mid range budgeted mobiles. All are under 1000 AED.
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