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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Xbox Two vs PS5: predicting the future
After E3 2018, we know for a fact that Microsoft is working on the Xbox Two – and Sony can’t be that far off with the PS5.
Beyond the fact that the next-generation consoles will exist, however, we don’t really know anything else beyond that. We know of a few games that have been teased for the next generation, sure, but in terms of what these consoles can actually do, it's anyone's guess.
This has led the minds of gamers to wander, imagining what's possible for the next-generation of upcoming consoles. What will they look like? What kind of hardware will they be packing? What kinds of games will be made possible by this hardware? Will Sony or Microsoft have the upper hand?
We don't have the answers outright, but in order to explore these questions, we decided it would be good to step back and ponder the future while looking at what Sony and Microsoft have done in the past. The results of this exercise are pure speculation, of course, but one that we hope will provide some good analysis on what the future holds for the two most dominant console platforms on earth.
So what do we know for a fact?
We know that the Xbox Two is already in the works – as Phil Spencer stated at the Microsoft E3 2018 event. We know that it has the internal codename of Scarlett, even, thanks to a leaked report. We're not sure if it's just a single console or, in fact, a whole family of them, but reports suggest the latter.
As for an exact release date, aside from some speculation that points towards a 2020 or 2021 launch window, we don’t have any concrete information about either the next Xbox or the PS5. That said, we don’t think that Microsoft will be able to put out the next Xbox without a Sony console to give it some competition.
Given where we are right now in the gaming landscape, VR is probably going to be a huge battle ground for the next generation ... even if Microsoft has said that VR and Mixed Reality support wouldn’t be coming to the Xbox One.
While we don't know for a fact that Microsoft will support VR on consoles in the future, it's likely that Xbox Two will be VR-ready. In fact, with the power of the next generation of consoles, VR has to be supported by both console makers.
Beyond VR, we’re expecting native 4K support from both consoles
Beyond VR, we’re expecting native 4K support from both consoles, as that's already a key feature of the Xbox One X. And, if they pack in AMD Navi technology (which we haven’t even seen in the PC space yet) and Ryzen CPU tech on top of that and the PS5 and Xbox Two could be packing some serious heat.
Now, because the PS3 used the Cell processor, it was virtually impossible for the PS4 to embrace backwards compatibility. And, while the Xbox One found a way to implement it through emulation, the PS5 and Xbox One basically have no excuse to not include full backwards compatibility at launch – it would take virtually no effort to implement it.
Possible specs for the Xbox Two and PS5Here's where things get murky. We have an idea of what the two consoles should have under the hood, but not much of an idea what's in the dev kits right now. Tthat being said however, because they got rid of the proprietary hardware that the PS3 and Xbox 360 used and instead opted for what was essentially PC hardware in the PS4 and Xbox One, we don’t see any reason that the PS5 and Xbox Two wouldn’t follow the same approach.
The Xbox One and PS4 both rocked AMD GCN GPUs and Jaguar CPUs, and speculation points to the next generation utilizing AMD tech again. However, the best processors and GPUs have come a long way in the last 5-6 years, so we could be seeing an absolutely massive boost in performance.
Just going off of recent technology, the next generation may be using a low-power Ryzen Chip and the upcoming 7nm Navi chips, which will be designed for the next generation of processors, according to a report from Wccftech. One of the most important things to note about these Navi chips is the fact that they’re being manufactured using a 7nm process, which means both increased power and efficiency over even the Xbox One – hitting 4K native shouldn’t be an issue.
Then there’s the memory. Both the Xbox One and PS4 launched with 8gb of memory. However, the PS4 utilized the higher-bandwidth GDDR5, instead of the DDR3 in the Xbox One. This was one of the main factors in the PS4’s initial superiority over the Xbox One at launch. Eventually the Xbox One X would come out using 12GB of GDDR5 and absolutely destroyed the PS4 Pro in terms of sheer power.
We’ll probably see a 1TB hard drive as the baseline, with maybe a 4-8TB model at the top
The next generation, though, could go one of two ways: We could see the next consoles sticking with 12GB of RAM, opting for the ‘next-generation’ GDDR6 RAM. Or, they could play it safe and use DDR4 and up it to 16GB. We do know that if the PS5 and Xbox One are going to be going for native 4K, so 8GB of RAM simply won’t cut it – 4K textures will eat up a ton of VRAM.
4K games will also require a ton of storage space, so we don’t think we’re going to see SSD storage on the next generation – the prices are still too high to implement 1TB of SSD storage in a console that costs less than $500. Instead, we’ll probably see a 1TB hard drive as the baseline, with maybe a 4-8TB model at the top – we’re already seeing games that take up 100GB of drive space.
We could sit here all day and talk about the tech behind the next generation of consoles, but at the end of the day it’s the games that make or break any console.
This last generation saw an explosion of Open World games and free-to-play (and not so free-to-play) multiplayer experiences fueled by microtransactions and loot boxes, neither of which are likely to fade into non-existence in next-gen systems, especially since the first glance of next generation games has been The Elder Scrolls 6.
If that turns out to be the case, the power of the Ryzen processors, Navi GPUs and increased RAM will allow these open worlds to be absolutely massive in scale while eliminating the need for egregious loading screens. Just think about it – an open world even larger than The Witcher 3 with the visuals of God of War (or even better).
However, the whole ‘games as a service’ model that was so popular this generation likely won’t be going away any time soon either. Even after the massive controversy surrounding Star Wars Battlefront II’s monetization, this approach is still making an absolute ton of money. Activision Blizzard by itself made over $4 billion from microtransactions just last year, according to a report from Gamespot.
We might see mainstream publishers backing away from loot boxes – and we already are – but there will still be a lot of motivation to monetize the pants off of every game. This will be even more true if services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now become a major component of the next generation – and we think they will.
If we had to predict a launch line-up – or, rather, create one of our own – it'd include The Elder Scrolls 6, Beyond Good & Evil 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite on Xbox Two. It'd be nice to see a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel on PS5, but that's pie in the sky.
With every console generation, there’s an inevitable spirit of competition that springs up between Sony and Microsoft - as well as their respective fan bases - and we don’t think the next generation is going to be any different.
The question, then, is who is going to have the upper hand at the genesis of the next generation? Some people may want to point at Sony, because of its unrivaled success with the PS4, but we wouldn’t be too sure.
Just look back at the Playstation 2, it was the most successful console to ever exist – however, in the transition from PS2 to PS3, Sony got cocky and created a space-age console with a specialized processor and a $600 price tag. This move led to the Xbox 360 doing gangbusters during its lifespan.
We don’t necessarily think Sony is going to repeat the same mistakes it made with the PS3, but victory isn’t exactly assured.
As long as Microsoft doesn’t do away with physical media, we could see a much closer console race
Microsoft however, has an interesting starting point. For the last several years Microsoft has been moving away from the exclusive game paradigm, instead releasing its exclusive titles across the Windows 10 ecosystem. If Microsoft doubles down on this approach, and makes it so that the Xbox Two is just a device you can use to play games, rather than a requirement – it could be in an interesting position.
Sony and Microsoft both have subscription-based game services, but right now Microsoft has the upper hand over Sony in this regard. PS Now doesn’t feature new games upon release, while Xbox Game Pass does. And, once the install base is reset with the next generation of consoles, everything will be up in the air – as long as Microsoft doesn’t do away with physical media, we could see a much closer console race.
Even though we have a lot of speculation to draw off of when it comes to specs, games, and everything else, it’s all still up in the air. From here on out you can expect plenty of fake teaser trailers, screen grabs and hardware photo 'leaks', but until Microsoft and Sony come out and announce the next line of gaming consoles, don't put too much stock in anything you see.
Whatever the next consoles look like, gaming as a whole is about to see huge advancements, from visuals, to gameplay and even to how we buy them. A lot of the trends that we saw take off during this generation, and we’re excited to see how they pay off here in a couple years.
Whatever they end up looking like and whenever they come out, we'll be excited to see the next-generation of gaming consoles. Until we get them, though, there's always Red Dead Redemption 2.
PS4 vs Xbox One: which is better?
Best VoIP providers of 2018
Few of us have a traditional (copper wire) phone service today. Leveraging the power of the internet to send data at high speeds, these days, we’re more likely to communicate via Voice over Internet Protocol, better known as VoIP.
Consumers for over a decade have tended to dump landlines in favor of mobile phones en masse. However, some folks continue to have a landline whether for a home business, for better reception and less dropped calls, or a redundant backup so they can make a phone call while their battery hungry smartphone sits in the charger.
There are plenty of options in the VoIP arena, with choices coming down to cost, support for other services such as e911, the required equipment, and your international calling needs. Let’s take a look at some handpicked choices for the best VoIP providers currently out there.
We've also highlighted the best smartphones for business
Vonage Residential
For those who are nervous giving up their copper phone line to head into this newfangled world of internet telephony, Vonage is a great choice, as they are quite well established, and offer a variety of plans to choose from, with plenty of support.
Their lowest tier plan, Vonage US & Canada 400, starts at $12.99 (£10) per month, and offers a modest 400 minutes monthly for calling in the two countries mentioned in the plan’s name, with included free shipping and activation.
The next tier up, Vonage North America includes unlimited calling to the US, Canada and Mexico, with a no-contract price of $24.99 (£19), which makes a good argument for the annual contract that brings it down to $9.99 (£8) per month with a 12 month commitment. The other benefit of the annual contract is that it includes the required hardware, known as a Vonage Box, for no additional charge.
You can sign up for Vonage Residential here
Ooma
Ooma uses its box to provide a VoIP service, and offers an affordable option. They include such useful features as HD Voice for better voice quality, encrypted phone calls, prioritization of voice data on your network, and advanced voice compression to decrease bandwidth usage by 60% compared to other VoIP services.
The basic box is the Ooma Telo, which is $99 (£76) and requires a wired connection. The upgraded box is the Ooma Telo Air, which costs $129 (£99), and allows wireless use.
There are two tiers, Basic which is free except for the required monthly landline taxes, and Premier that costs $119.99 (£92) annually. While they both have unlimited calling, the higher tier includes such nifty features as Amazon Echo connectability, a mobile app for inbound and outbound calling, and call blocking.
You can sign up for Ooma here
1-VoIP
1-VoIP is a value VoIP provider that offers a solid feature set at an affordable price, and the hardware is included. Their US & Canada Unlimited calling plan offers unlimited incoming and outgoing calls throughout North America at an affordable $17.97 (£14) per month, without requiring a monthly subscription, with the hardware included and no commitment.
They also offer a lower budget tier that starts at $8.97 (£7) monthly, which has 500 outgoing minutes, but still offers unlimited incoming minutes, as well as the hardware and the same premium features of the higher tiers.
The firm also provides a compelling premium feature set, that includes sending PDF documents as virtual faxes, voicemails that get forwarded via email as an audio attachment, automatic rejection of anonymous phone calls, and a digital softphone that allows you to use your service from a computer or smartphone via an app. 1-VoIP has also partnered with Normorobo to filter out those truly annoying telemarketers and robocalls.
You can sign up for 1-VoIP here
Lingo
Lingo is solidly average across the board, but for your phone service that may be exactly what you are looking for, as their pricing is middle of the road, and so is the feature set.
The Lingo Essential plan starts at $9.95 (£8) per month without a contract, plus a $1.99 (£2) 911 fee, which includes the adapter (and its shipping) plus 500 minutes for the month. The step up offering is the Lingo Unlimited plan that includes unlimited calling, and costs $19.95 (£15) per month without the contract, and $14.95 (£11) per month with an annual contract for those willing to commit to a year of service.
Included in both plans are over twenty calling features. These include enhanced 911, anonymous call rejection, three-way calling and directory assistance.
You can sign up for Lingo here
Voipo
Taking the ‘price club’ approach to VoIP calling plans is Voipo. Rather than selling the service month-to-month, they sell it as a two year deal for $149 (£113), which then works out at a dirt cheap $6.21 (£4.70) per month, for an unlimited amount of minutes.
For those that are commitment-phobic in terms of a longer contract, a 30-day money-back guarantee does offer reassurance. Sweetening the deal further are the 40 plus premium features, including online voicemail, telemarketer blocking, softphone access, a free rollover line, and even 60 minutes of included international calling monthly.
You can sign up for Voipo here
Camera gear of the World Cup 2018: what the pros are using in Russia
Watch any match at the World Cup and you’ll see a bank of photographers stretching along the entire length of the pitch, clutching huge white or black lenses as they capture the action unfold in front of them.
But what exactly are the cameras and lenses these agency and press photographers using? Below we take a look at some of the key items of camera kit that’ll be the mainstay of most of theses photographers for the entire length of the World Cup.
(Main image: Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images)
The camera
For jobbing sports photographers, resolution often plays second fiddle to durability and performance, which is why you’ll likely see large a bulky Canon EOS-1D series and Nikon Dx series cameras welded by pros pitch-side at the World Cup.
Heavily weather-sealed and constructed from tough magnesium alloy, cameras like the 20.2MP EOS-1D X Mark II or Nikon’s 20.8MP D5 can have a pretty tough life, getting knocked, drenched and dropped.
While the resolution of their sensors might not even be able to match cameras costing a third of the price, the full-frame sensors in these two flagship cameras are capable of delivering stunning results at high sensitivities that just wouldn’t be possible with most other cameras.
Essential if you’re going to be working in poor light and need to be able to freeze the action, while the highly sophisticated autofocus systems of both cameras means they can be capable of tracking even the most erratically moving footballer round the frame.
While photographers are likely to have a couple of flagship bodies like this slung over their shoulders, they’ll also potentially have a higher resolution DSLR or two at their disposal as well, with cameras like the 30.4MP Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and 45.4MP Nikon D850 ideal for commercial assignments where a higher pixel count is required.
Canon and Nikon don’t have things all to themselves, with the likes of Sony’s brilliant Alpha A9 starting to be used by pros thanks to its blend of fast shooting speeds, rapid AF and silent shutter. At the moment, it’s a little hampered by limited long lenses...
Main lens
The main lens for sports photographers is a 400mm f/2.8. These large pieces of glass allow photographers to fill the frame with their subject, while the large and fast maximum aperture affords them plenty of flexibility.
Not only does it allow them to isolate their subject, but the fast maximum aperture also helps them keep shutter speeds high (when combined with the excellent high ISO performance of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Nikon D5), while it also means photographers can attach 1.4x and 2x teleconverters to them to extend the reach without restricting AF performance.
The latest generations of 400mm telephoto primes are the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM II and Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, while Sony’s also just announced the FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS, its first dedicated telephoto prime lens for its full-frame range of mirrorless cameras.
Supplementary lenses
As well as a 400mm f/2.8, a second camera body is likely to have a 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom on the front. This means that photographers can easily swap to this should the action come in close.
It’s not all about telephoto lenses for shooting football. There’s likely to be a 16-35mm f/2.8 or 14-24mm f/2.8 likely to feature prominently in a sports photographer’s kit bag.
This has a number of uses, from capturing those scene-setting shots of the entire stadium, to the end of the match when photographers will scramble to get the reaction of players. These lenses will also be used when cameras are positioned remotely behind the posts, allowing photographers to capture a goal, even if they’re positioned at the other end of the pitch.
The humble 24-70mm f/2.8 also has its place - it may not be quite as glamorous as some of the other lenses her, but it can get incredibly versatile for a range of shooting conditions, and can be really handy when the action is right in front of the photographer.
Essential accessories
Shooting with a large and heavy lens like a 400mm f/2.8 means that some form of support is essential, and a monopod is perfect for the job.
While a flashgun is impractical for shooting action with a 400mm in a floodlit stadium, a speedlight can be really handy when shooting player reactions at the end of the match, allowing photographers to easily freeze their subject and add a nice bit of illumination.
Another key accessory is some remote triggers like PocketWizard’s Plus IV system. This allows photographers to remotely trigger there cameras that they’ve positioned elsewhere round the pitch. Featuring built-in radio transmitters and receivers, they don’t require direct line-of-sight like infrared triggers do, while they can have an impressive range up to 500m.
Finally, one accessory that a sports photographer at a football match wouldn’t be without is a little fold away camping stall. Nobody wants to kneel for 90 minutes, so these allow photographers to shoot in relative comfort from a nice, low-down shooting position.
Sweden vs England live stream: how to watch today's World Cup quarter-final online
Sweden and England are just one match away from a FIFA World Cup last four place, all that stands in front of them is each other in this huge quarter-final at Russia 2018. Sweden vs England wasn't really in the script at the start of the World Cup, but now it's here and we'll tell you how to watch a free live stream from anywhere in the world.
So will be football coming home, or going to Stockholm? (And yes, we know we already used that joke, but we were really pleased with it!). Although both teams have clearly had a very good World Cup just to get to the quarter-finals, neither have been overwhelmingly impressive. Yes, there was England's 6-1 drubbing of Panama complete with Harry Kane hat-trick. And Sweden had that convincing 3-0 win over much-fancied Mexico in the group stage. But it's anybody's guess as to who will come through this one.
The last time Sweden and England met was memorable for that ridiculous Zlatan Ibrahimović goal in a friendly four years ago. And those with a longer memory will recall a fantastic Euro 2012 group game in which England managed to prevail 3-2. But it's anybody's guess as to who will come through this one and face the winner of the Russia vs Croatia World Cup quarter-final.
Keep reading to discover how to live stream Sweden vs England - and, indeed, every World Cup 2018 match - no matter where in the world you are. Below we’ll tell you exactly how to watch on your TV, mobile device and it doesn't have to cost you a thing.
You don't have to miss a single minute of World Cup soccer - even if the country where you are isn't broadcasting certain games. Because every second of action is being shown somewhere (the UK, for example, is televising every game for free - see below), you can simply use a VPN to login to a region that is broadcasting the game. And it's really easy to do:
The doctor on your wrist: how wearables are revolutionizing healthcare
If it weren’t for her smartwatch, 18-year-old Deanna Recktenwald might not be alive today. Her watch pinged to warn her that her resting heart rate was rocketing, and she immediately went to get checked out; if she hadn’t, she might have died from kidney failure.
Sarah-Jayne McIntosh had a similarly narrow escape. Her Fitbit warned her that her heart rate was three times normal; as she told The Mirror: “The doctors said that if I hadn't phoned for an ambulance when I did, and if I wasn't wearing my Fitbit to track my heart rate, I could have suffered a heart attack/cardiac arrest and could have died.”
Another Fitbit solved a medical mystery: a 42-year-old man was rushed to a New Jersey ER after a seizure, but couldn’t tell staff how long his heart had been racing. The doctors interrogated his Fitbit HR to determine when his heart rate had spiked, information that enabled them to decide whether it was safe to give him appropriate treatment.
William Monzidelis, 32, is certain that his watch saved his life. It urged him to seek immediate medical help; by the time he arrived at hospital 30 minutes later, he’d lost 80% of his blood. He’d suffered an erupted ulcer, and received life-saving surgery just in time.
A doctor on your wristWe’re just scratching the surface of what wearable devices can do. For example, the Apple Watch is enabling large-scale research into heart conditions and can even detect diabetes – but in the longer term the Watch, and devices like it, will be capable of much more. Wearables will help to change the way we live, and the way we die.
One of the biggest causes of premature death is an unhealthy lifestyle – not just obvious things such as smoking or drinking, but poor diet and lack of exercise. Wearable devices can help nudge us towards improving those things, and in some cases there can be a financial reward: some insurers offer discounted premiums to customers who wear wearable devices on the grounds that they’re more likely to take positive steps to improve their health.
The Apple Watch is enabling large-scale research into heart conditions
But wearables can do much more than track your steps or record the calories you’re consuming. Medical-grade health sensors are coming, and they can monitor all kinds of things. For example, Swiss firm Biovotion has a wearable that tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, sleep patterns and so on.
At the University of Waterloo in Canada, researchers are working on diabetes monitors that don’t require the wearer to prick their finger several times a day. The device uses radar and artificial intelligence and is being developed by Google and the German hardware firm Infineon. According to project head, Professor George Shaker, “I’m hoping we’ll see a wearable device on the market within the next five years.”
Even beauty firms are getting in on the wearable act: L’Oreal recently launched a wearable UV sensor to help protect against skin cancer.
L’Oreal’s device shows what future wearables might be like. It doesn’t need a battery, it’s only 9mm long and it fits almost imperceptibly on your thumbnail. It then transmits to your phone via NFC – the same tech used in contactless payment systems – where its companion app analyses the data and tells you if it’s time to get out of the sun.
And such sensors aren’t just useful for sun worshippers. People with Lupus can only be in the sun for so long before their symptoms flare up. Some sensors, such as Shade, are so sensitive that they can even they can even detect the UV rays from light bulbs.
Always onWhat’s really interesting about wearables is that they can deliver continuous tracking. That means we can get a much better picture of our health than we could ever get from a 'body MOT' at the gym or doctor. By tracking multiple bits of data about your body all day every day, you can see the big picture of your health – and your doctor can use that data to spot patterns that might otherwise be missed.
When that data is combined with other people’s, it can save lives.
That’s what Apple’s ResearchKit is all about. It enables researchers to gather massive amounts of data (provided voluntarily) from people’s devices, and to use that data to gain insight into conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, autism, chronic heart conditions, skin cancer and epilepsy. And with that data, developers can create apps with CareKit to help people manage their conditions.
As Apple puts it: “Rather than relying solely on doctor visits, you’ll be able to regularly track your symptoms and medications, and even share the information with your care team for a bigger – and better – picture of your health.”
Lost and foundWearables aren’t just about monitoring your vital signs. They can be of more practical use too. In Ireland, researchers have created a group called Carelink to create wearable technology for patients with dementia – something that affects more than 55,000 people in Ireland alone, with numbers rising every year. Patients with dementia can be prone to wandering, and Carelink is developing low-cost, energy-efficient sensors that connect to the cloud and enable wanderers to be located and helped.
Wearable technology can also be very useful for people with disabilities. The Wavio platform uses real-time sound recognition to create an electronic ear for deaf people, while South Korean startup Dot is developing smartwatches that communicate in braille.
Another big benefit to wearable technology is that it enables healthcare providers to monitor patients without requiring them to visit the doctor or stay in hospital. Miniaturization, and the relentless pace of technological advances, means that hardware you’d previously need to visit a hospital to be treated with can now be worn on your body and its data transmitted via an app. In the US, for example, Vitalconnect brings hospital monitoring of vital signs to a small sensor that transmits whenever it can get a mobile data signal.
It feels very much like we’re reaching a tipping point: ever-smaller, ever-smarter devices are making the previously impossible possible, enabling us to learn more about our bodies and how to look after them. Plenty of technologies promise to change your life, but wearables genuinely will.
TechRadar's Next Up series is brought to you in association with Honor
How Dell Technologies helps McLaren stay one step ahead of the game in the world’s fastest sport
In a sport where championships can be won or lost by fractions of a second, the need for speed outranks everything.
Away from the track, all of today’s Formula 1 teams have extensive partnerships with top technology firms as they look to gain the extra advantage that could make the difference between glory and defeat.
TechRadar Pro headed to McLaren’s space-age Surrey headquarters to hear more on how one of the most famous teams in Formula 1 works with Dell Technologies in its push for victory.
How to watch the British Grand Prix live stream from anywhereLocated just outside the sleepy town of Woking, McLaren’s HQ wouldn’t look too out of place in a James Bond movie. The approach curves smoothly around a large lake which houses the water to cool the team’s multi-million pound wind tunnel, giving an all-round view of the streamlined building.
The reception is home to many of the team’s title-winning cars across its 52-year Formula 1 history, with a glittering trophy cabinet filled with reminders of the team’s victories acting as motivation to employees heading to the building’s cavernous cafeteria.
But the facility is also a buzzing hive of industry, home to engineers working 363 days a year in order to keep pace with the continually-evolving and improving sport.
With such a keen pace of innovation then, it’s vital that McLaren has a reliable and stable technology partner to handle the mountains of data it generates from testing on a daily basis.
"We're very fortunate to have a great partnership with Dell,” Karen McElhatton, McLaren Group CIO told TechRadar Pro at a media event ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
“Dell has really helped us transform our business...on the IT side, underpinning all the data, all of the simulations and analytics that fuel our business is the power of Dell.”
With teams limited on the amount of processing power they case use in testing and development, the need for efficient yet powerful hardware is paramount - and the reason McLaren values its partnership with Dell so highly.
"This company is very quick - pace is in its DNA,” McElhatton says, “so from an IT provider in this environment, you need to be faster."
"The faster we can design, the faster we can engineer, the more competitive we hope to be on the track."
"Our racing heritage includes an absolute love for data - data drives everything that we do (and) Dell has been an amazing partner...we've been able to work with Dell to really improve some of the capabilities that we are delivering.”
Although no Dell Technologies staff are present at a racing weekend, the company’s technology is an integral part of every Grand Prix. McElhatton notes that working with Dell has allowed McLaren to bring hyperconverged infrastructure to every race, greatly simplifying the technical setup process when travelling to remote locations all around the world, noting that this means that IT, “doesn’t become a distraction, it becomes an enabler.”
Each car ultimately generates around 1TB of data over the course of a full race weekend, both via the myriad of sensors attached to the vehicle, but and also through HD video of the cars in action during practices sessions. Thanks to Dell’s hardware (including the newly released PowerMax servers) this video can be transmitted quickly back to the engineering teams at McLaren HQ for real-time analysis, allowing for quick decisions that could make all the difference during a race.
McElhatton highlights how important video data has become to Formula 1 teams in recent years, noting "video is growing ridiculously...we're far more visual than we were five or ten years ago."
McLaren’s relationship with Dell stretches across the entire McLaren Group, which alongside Formula 1 activity also includes the company’s road vehicle and Applied Technologies arms.
The latter looks to take learnings from Formula 1 to apply to other real-world situations, spreading the knowledge gained from the sport to slightly more pedestrian areas. McElhatton mentions utilising data to allow aircraft to move more smoothly, optimising logistics transportation and even healthcare recovery as varied examples of where McLaren’s knowledge has moved from the race track to the real world.
There has been much debate recently over whether Formula 1 has become too technical, if the drivers and races have become too robotic, but McElhatton disagrees.
"What Formula 1 wants to do is create an exciting race for the fans,” she says, "one of the best ways to innovate is when you're under constraint...if you look at Formula 1 over the past years, that's what has happened."
Overall, although McLaren’s Formula 1 season may not be resulting in trophies just yet, the company is certainly one of the leading lights when it comes to technical development and innovation.
"Dell's partnership with us is absolutely critical to our business," McElhatton says, "Dell is helping us pick the right things - the smart choices to solve the problems we have."
Microsoft fans are really keen on seeing a Surface Phone device
How eager are you to see a Surface-branded phone make its way to the market? Eager enough to sign a petition? A group of Microsoft fans want to put pressure on the tech giant to bring out a Surface that fits in your pocket, so much so that they've created an online petition to collect names.
With 3,000 signatures and rising at the time of writing, the petition seems to be attracting a fair amount of interest, though whether it's enough to turn heads and change engineering plans at Microsoft remains to be seen. It probably can't hurt.
"I myself wouldn't mind paying between $799-$999 for this phone if it happened and looked like the pictures that we have seen from those leaks," says petition starter Zachary Hinski, saying that "money is power" and Microsoft will be "forced into action" if the petition manages to get gather enough momentum online.
The long history of the Surface PhoneOf course rumors about a Surface Phone have been floating around the tech world for years now, but we still don't know if it's actually a real device. We've seen hints in the code for Windows 10, concept images mocked up on the web, and patents filed by Microsoft pointing to the existence of such a device.
The decline and fall of Windows Phone seemed to have put paid to the chances of getting a Microsoft-made smartphone, but then the company started bringing out a rather nice line of Surface hardware so it seemed like a mobile might be back on the cards.
Most recently, we've heard rumors that Microsoft wants to build something that's half smartphone, half tablet computer, powered by a new operating system in development called Andromeda. It would certainly round out Microsoft's family of Surface devices – but whether or not a petition will sway MIcrosoft one way or another remains to be seen.
New Microsoft Surface Phone evidence brings us closer to a 2-in-1 smartphone realityVia The Next Web
Huawei clearly wants to make 'smartwatches' for your ears work
Little is known so far about the Huawei Watch 3 or what other fitness trackers the company will bring out this year, but in the last seven days we've heard of two separate Huawei rumors that relate to both wristwear and things that plug into your ears.
On Monday this week, we saw a patent that showed how the company is attempting to work out how to include a pair of Bluetooth earbuds within an upcoming Huawei smartwatch.
The patent suggests it would probably involve a little capsule that sits between the strap and the watch body on either side of the device. The earbuds would then slot into this section of the watch.
An alternate design shows the earbuds held in a container on the underside of the watch strap, but whichever design Huawei went with it's clear from the diagrams below that one of the biggest problems the company will face is including them without making the watch unwieldy.
Then later in the week, we saw often-correct Twitter leaker Evan Blass posting an image of the Huawei TalkBand B5, which based on the date on its display may be launching on Monday, 9 July.
We've seen three TalkBand devices from Huawei already - the company seems to have skipped straight to 'B5' as the number four is unlucky in China - and they've been some of the oddest wearables on the market.
It's essentially a fitness tracker that at first looks to have a similar design to other products in the space - it even looks similar to the Huawei Band 2 Pro when on your wrist.
If you push the main body of the tracker, it then pops out of the casing and reveals a Bluetooth headset.
When you've done that, it'll stay connected to your phone through Bluetooth and you can use it to make phone calls without using your hands, like an earpiece from the early noughties.
It looks like the TalkBand B5 will do exactly the same as the last few generations - the first image we've seen of the device at the top of this page shows that it will look very similar to the TalkBand B3.
There are sure to be improvements of some sort, but this is clearly a quirk of Huawei where it thinks the combination of Bluetooth headsets and headphones with wearable devices work well together.
There's nothing else on the market like the TalkBand, but it's clear the company has seen some sort of success with its odd product as it has made four generations of it in as many years.
From wrist to earAs for the Huawei Watch patent with integrated Bluetooth headphones, this may just be an unusual idea that the company had at one stage and will never actually be on sale.
The vast majority of patent applications from large companies never end up being released as products, with the often strange and innovative ideas that come to light through them remaining as just that - ideas.
For example, we've seen one Apple Watch patent that includes a blood pressure monitor within the band. This includes a new strap that inflates on your wrist, much like the blood pressure machine at your local doctors.
This is all within a normal sized Apple Watch band. It's a thought-provoking idea, but it's likely to be an idea that never makes it to market as it is so different to anything else on sale.
It's clear some part of Huawei is interested in combining audio with fitness trackers and smartwatches, but it's an odd space to inhabit when no other large manufacturers seem anywhere near as interested.
Perhaps the closest thing to it is the Sony Xperia Ear Duo hearable, but that's purely headphones and doesn't include any specific fitness features.
Expect to hear more about the Huawei TalkBand B5 in the coming weeks, but we don't think you'll be able to take your headphones out of any smartwatch's strap for quite some time yet.
Everything we know so far about the Huawei Watch 3Main image credit: Evan Blass
How to watch Russia vs Croatia: live stream World Cup quarter-final free from anywhere
We all know that home advantage can provide a boost to a World Cup campaign, but who really saw Russia still being around at the quarter-final stage? Well here they are, with Croatia now seeking to do what Spain couldn't in the last round and knock the hosts off their perch at Russia 2018.
Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was the hero of the hour thanks to two crucial penalty saves in the triumphant shoot-out against Spain, and given Croatia's attacking qualities, Russia will need their stopper to be on top form once again to give them a fighting chance.
Croatia also needed a shoot-out to get past Denmark in the previous round after a performance that failed to hit the heights of their group stage showing. But with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic calling the shots in midfield, the Croats should have the lion's share of possession and the platform to damage Russia.
Can the Russians pull off another shock to play the winner of the Sweden and England quarter-final? Don't miss a second of this tasty quarter-final clash – scroll down to see how you can watch a Russia vs Croatia live stream for free, wherever you are in the world. And don't forget our World Cup watching guide either, providing you with all the key viewing and streaming info for this World Cup.
You don't have to miss a single minute of World Cup soccer - even if the country where you are isn't broadcasting certain games. Because every second of action is being shown somewhere (the UK, for example, is televising every game for free - see below), you can simply use a VPN to login to a region that is broadcasting the game. And it's really easy to do:
How to watch the British Grand Prix online: stream F1 live for free from anywhere
No need to worry now, Lewis. Just when you were feeling like the F1 Drivers' World Championship might be running away from you and Sebastian Vettel was getting on top, along comes the British Grand Prix - one of your favorite races!
Yep, Lewis Hamilton has rather dominated at Silverstone in the last few years, winning the British Grand Prix four times in a row. After a crushingly disappointing Austrian GP last weekend, Hamilton will be desperate to make it five in a row to try to return to the top of the standings in his ding-dong battle with Vettel - and he got the best possible start, with a fantastic couple of Friday practices.
The German driver, on the other hand, will be attempting to record his first Grand Prix victory on British soil (or should that be tarmac?) for almost a decade. His only win at Silverstone came during is breakout season in 2009.
Watching the British Grand Prix from the comfort of your own TV is thankfully really straightforward, and on pretty much any device. And the best thing about it...you can do so absolutely free of charge, regardless of where on earth you are! Read on to find out how to stream F1 live.
Discover how to live stream the FIFA World Cup 2018 for FREE too How to watch the British Grand Prix for free anywhere in the worldIf you don't have easy access to watch the British Grand Prix online in your country, the best way to watch it for free is to download and install a VPN service, which effectively tricks your computer into thinking that it's in another country. It's really easy to do, and works for loads of sporting events where live streams may not be readily available where you are:
Photos courtesy of Formula1.com
Tour de France live stream: how to watch the cycling free online from anywhere
Le Tour est ici! And there aren't many sporting events more evocative and iconic than the Tour De France. Even for non-cycling nuts, Le Tour is one of those transcendent sporting events (a bit like Wimbledon) that captures the hearts of general sports enthusiasts around the world. That's why we're here to tell you how you can watch all of this year's Tour de France via a free live stream.
With exhilarating races that weave through stunning terrain, from the coast to the mountains and beyond, sporting spectacles don't get much better than Le Tour.
Predicting who will triumph over the epic three weeks of racing is never easy, but defending champion Chris Froome could well be the main man to beat now that it looks like he'll definitely be in the staring field. Coming off the back of three straight Tour de France wins and that epic Giro d'Italia finale, he and team Sky will be confident he can make it five wins in the space of six years.
It may not be the longest, but the route for the the 2018 Tour looks to be one of the most testing in years, with tight, cobbled roads and coastal winds set to severely test the riders before they even get to the gruelling stages of the Pyrenees and the Alps.
Don't miss out on the drama of the Tour de France 2018 – scroll down to see where you can find a live stream of the race for free, wherever you are in the world.
Why this year's Tour de France will be the smartest yetIf you don't have easy access to watch the Tour de France in your country but want to catch the coverage, the best way to watch it for free is to download and install a VPN. That way you can log in to a region that is broadcasting the tour. For those seeking English coverage, your best bet is to connect to UK servers and stream ITV4 via the ITV Hub. And it's really easy to do:
And here's how to live stream the FIFA World Cup for free, tooMain image courtesy of letour.fr
Amazon Prime Day 2018 in the US: here's the official date and early deals
It's Saturday and our early Amazon Prime Day deals list in the US has been updated ahead of the July 16 and 17 start date, first confirmed by our exclusive reporting.
You'll see (below) that TCL Roku TVs are now 10% today only (Saturday) and you can also save $100 on the most advanced Amazon Echo speaker, the Echo Show.
Sure, discounts on Amazon.com will peak at noon Pacific on July 16, the official start time of Prime Dat 2018, and run through the end of the 36-hour sales marathon. You can actually find a few deals this weekend.
Early deals: Here's where Amazon Prime has already started in the USIt's going to be the best time to buy Amazon Echo speakers and a brand new 4KTV, as Amazon promises to offer discounts that rival Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's become an increasingly important online shopping day in America.
Now that the 4th of July is over, you may be asking questions: How long will it last? What time does Prime Day start? What items will see deep discounts? What are the best Prime Day deals for 2018? We’ve created an in-depth guide in time for July 16.
Prime Day 2018 is going to add to the net worth of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and to the value of Amazon, Inc. and its third-party marketplace sellers. More importantly, it's a chance for America's No. 1 online retailer to install Echo speakers, Fire tablets, and Fire TVs in your budding smart home, all in an effort to continue having you pay for that ever-important Amazon Prime subscription.
Ready? Here’s how to get the best prices out of your Prime membership this month.
When is Amazon Prime Day? Early Amazon Prime Day dealsAmazon routinely starts Prime Day with early deals leading up to the actual date, and 2018 is no different. We're already seeing savings on its most expensive Echo speakers, with $100 off the original list price.
More early Prime Day deals (they sell out quickly, so we can't list them all) What deals can we expect on Prime Day 2018?
The best Amazon Prime Day always surround its own products, so that means we're in for deals on Amazon Echo speakers. We anticipate all-time low priced for $50 Echo Dot ($25 maybe?) and the Amazon Echo Spot (fingers crossed for $80). The latter will be entering its first-ever Prime Day.
Besides nearly guaranteed Amazon Echo deals, you can anticipate other Amazon gadgets on sale: Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, and Fire Tablets. The unmentioned goal of Prime Day is to sneak as many Amazon products and services into your home as possible.
That said, you may also see Amazon's chief rival, Google, compete with a price match on the Google Home smart speaker, as we predicted: Why Amazon Prime Day will also be the best time to get a Google Home Mini. Google is playing the same game with its Echo-rivaling smart speaker.
And that Amazon Fire TV Cube that was just announced in the US for $119.99 could get a warm reception on Amazon Prime Day, luring new customers into the Amazon Prime family. We predict Amazon may have an epic discount if you buy two of these, as it has done for Echo Show speakers in the past. We've hold off on buying, as we've noted in Why we're waiting until Amazon Prime Day to buy the Fire TV Cube.
Nintendo Switch may be getting its first big discounts for Amazon prime Day even though it was only recently that it was nearly impossible to buy in stores. We're even more certain that PS4 and Xbox One console bundles will see a price drop, or at least come with more value-added games to sweeten existing bundle deals. Microsoft's Xbox One X and Sony's PS4 Pro are competing heavily, which is no doubt good for everyone else on a day like Prime Day 2018. That's why we've also written about waiting for an Xbox One X Prime Day deal.
Philips Hue bulbs are a great way to upgrade your home into a smart home. That can be expensive at full price, so we're waiting until July 16 and 17 to see how many of the multi-colored lighting solutions we can scoop up.
Cheap 4K TVs are a staple of every sales holiday, and Amazon Prime Day is no different here. We're already running a US cheap TV page. Expect even lower prices from manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and TCL, to name a few..
The Echo and Echo Dot were the most-bought items last Prime Day
What is Amazon Prime Day?Amazon Prime Day is the retailer's big members-only summer sale and it's been a massive success in the few short years it's been going. If you want to get involved with the best discounts though, you'll need to be a member of Amazon Prime. With free next-day delivery on thousands of items and the excellent Amazon Instant Video streaming service being just two of the membership's key highlights, millions of you are already signed up.
Brilliantly though, you can always sign up for a free 30-day trial to take advantage of the sale and other membership benefits. And if you don't want to continue the service after Prime Day, just cancel the trial before the 30 days are up. Amazon know too well that many shoppers will find it hard to say goodbye to those super perks though.
More people signed up for Prime on Prime Day last year than on any other day in Amazon’s history. As of April 2018, Amazon confirmed it had passed 100 million subscribers for Amazon Prime, that's up from around 80 million before Prime Day last year and 58 million in 2016. That's some pretty incredible year-on-year growth for the last few years. We wouldn't be surprised to see Amazon Prime's 2018 numbers grow dramatically again by the time Prime Day arrives.
Amazon also reported that sales via the Amazon app more than doubled year-on-year and "tens of millions of people" used the app to buy items last Prime Day.
So is Amazon Prime Day just another Black Friday? Actually, no. As Amazon puts it, Black Friday is largely about gifts for other people (it's ok, we had a laugh at that too) - it takes place just at the start of the Christmas shopping season - but Prime Day is all about treating yourself.
The overwhelming majority of decent deals on Prime Day were on things you might buy for yourself or for your home. As you’ll see from the best sellers there were lots of smart home devices sold to Prime customers as well as quite a lot of kitchen gear. There were good deals on laptops and consoles too of course, but they were alongside deals on hammocks, juicers, robot vacuum cleaners and pressure cookers.
Amazon Prime Day 2018: how long will it last?
We know what you’re thinking: Amazon turned Black Friday into Black Friday Deals Week, so there’s no way it would limit Prime Day to just 24 hours. And you’d be right. Last year's Prime Day was 30 hours long starting at 9pm the night before and lasting until 3am the day after. We wouldn't be surprised to see Prime Day 2018 last even longer. Prime Day 2022 may well start before Prime Day 2021 finishes.
Prime Day: do Amazon's rivals respond?
They did. It was Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven and Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A, which offered free food to anybody in an animal costume. Meanwhile eBay threw some shade, with a front page claiming that “Their Prime Deal Is Our Everyday Deal”.
According to research firm Bazaarvoice, 76% of US Prime Day shoppers visited rival retailers to check whether they were getting the best deals. And as PwC Consumer Markets analyst Steve Barr told CNBC, “We are seeing other big box retailers use Prime Day as an opportunity to capture shoppers' appetite for deals and as way to compete against Amazon for share of wallet and mindset.”
So we won't just be calling out the best Prime Day deals at Amazon, we'll keep an eye on all your favourite retailers to see what bargains they have. At the very least we expect some sneaky price matching from many stores like Walmart, Newegg and Jet in the US.
So are Prime Day deals really real?As with any sale, some products are end of line stock or things that just aren’t selling (like all those shoddy TVs idiots fight over in supermarkets on Black Friday), but many deals are genuine. Let’s take a look at the US bestseller, the Instant Pot DUO80 pressure cooker. On Prime Day it was $90, and if you check its price history on CamelCamelCamel.com you’ll see that it was tracking at $129 for most of 2017. The camel site is pretty reliable and a great way to check how good a deal really is and it works. It'll also show you how likely a price is to come back around again, meaning your spending budget might be better spent on something with a rarer discount on Prime Day itself.
There’s one big blip in the graph, though: on the 2nd of July it went up to $209.10, dropping back to $129 the following day. If you’re comparing the Prime Day price to the 2nd of July price then the saving is clearly illusory - but compare it to the normal selling price and it’s clearly still a good deal.
Checking other devices can be illuminating, though. Amazon’s Echo Dot is usually $49.99, but it dropped to $39.99 last June, May, December and on Black Friday. The Kindle Paperwhite price goes up and down more often than a kangaroo on a bouncy castle, moving from $119.99 to $99.99 every fortnight or so.
The lesson here, other than “don’t buy Amazon devices at full price”, is that you really need to know the value of what you’re looking at. Some deals, such as the pressure cooker, are genuine (and no doubt arranged with the supplier way in advance to trade margin for volume). Others aren’t necessarily deals you need to race to get, because the devices will be discounted again soon. And as with any sale, forget the RRP/MSRP when you’re looking at the sale price - especially on big ticket items such as televisions. The RRP on those only exists to give retailers a laugh.
Were there any Prime Day problems last year?As you’d expect from an event this big, not everything went according to plan on Amazon Prime Day last year. Twitter featured many irate users who found that deals didn’t appear at the specified times, while others suggested that Amazon had a “bot problem” with some deals being oversubscribed instantly. Still, others had problems with the app, where deals weren’t sold out but the App’s Add To Cart button didn’t work. There were concerns over some of the deals too. Some deals were more expensive on Prime Day than they were normally, while other deals simply reproduced deals that had been available the day before. And still others were laughable: would an incredible four cents off the $1,799.99 price of a soundbar tempt you to buy? Problems didn’t end at the ordering stage either. While Amazon boasts about the fastest-ever Prime Day delivery of just 14 minutes between ordering and delivery, many of us saw our next-day or two-day deliveries become even longer.
Pro tip from us here at TechRadar: if any of your Amazon Prime delivery dates are longer than they should be, complain to Amazon and you might get something back. A free month of Prime added to your sub for example.
The Fire TV Stick was down to $34.99
Could Amazon do better?We think so. One of the biggest problem with Prime Day was actually finding the deals, which involved wading through lots of irrelevant products: Amazon ordered its deals by categories, so for example you could choose Computers & Accessories but you couldn’t narrow the selection further to specific kinds of computers or accessories.
Finding interesting deals meant looking past an awful lot of Lightning cables. We're here to make things easier for you though as we'll provide a guide to the very best Amazon Prime Day deals, as it can be a right pain browsing the site if you're not used to navigating it every single day like we are.
We were a bit disappointed to see deals we did want, such as Philips Hue bulbs, limited to single orders per customer. Presumably it’s to stop them ending up on eBay at a higher price, but Hue’s a system for smart homes, not a single smart lampshade.
The biggest problems were with availability and delivery, though. Amazon or its logistics partners appeared to underestimate demand, and while part of us thinks “fair enough”, the whole point of Prime is its fast delivery. And seeing Lightning Deals disappear before you had time to read them was particularly frustrating. Not everybody is accessing Amazon on a super-speedy broadband network, and logging into the mobile app at the right time to see the deal had already sold out was a particular torture for phone users.
What can we learn about Black Friday and Cyber Monday?The short answer: not much. Prime Day may be a big deal, but it’s still small potatoes compared to the annual holiday extravaganza - and you can be sure that while many people still won’t have heard of Prime Day, they’re very familiar with Black Friday and maybe Cyber Monday too. Amazon isn’t going to let the Black Friday / Cyber Monday opportunity pass it by: Black Friday 2016 was the first billion-dollar shopping day for mobile payments, with a total of $3.34 billion sold in the US alone. Expect Amazon to be just as enthusiastic about Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018 as it was for the last few years. Although truth be told, we reckon the Amazon device deals on Prime Day will be slightly better than Black Friday.
Last year tens of millions of Prime members made a purchase on Prime Day. That was a 50% increase year-on-year
As ever, you can count on us to find the very best Amazon Prime Day deals. Last year's best Prime Day deals included the PS4, high quality headphones and Oral-B toothbrushes. Other top deals included:
Amazon Devices: Echo speakers, Kindles, Fire TV Stick Pressure cooker: the Instant Pot Duo80 cooker was $40 off Philips Hue: smart bulbs were 50% off in USLG OLED TV: $700 savings on 65-inch LG OLED TVs in the USAmazon's warehouse workers had a huge task ahead of them last year with an incredible number of items needing to be shipped for next day delivery via Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime Day sales last year:3.5 million toys50,000 TP-Link smart plugs200,000 dresses300,000 lightbulbs100,000 Amazon Launchpad items45,000 pairs of headphones32,000 electric toothbrushes52,000 kitchen items37,000 power tools
As you can probably imagine, the reaction to Amazon Prime Day on Twitter featured snark and moaning in roughly equal measures. Jeff Grub encouraged everyone to consider the true meaning of Prime Day, Marky Bummers mourned what we’ve lost, and Mila expressed herself through the medium of Muppets. Reverend Scott marvelled at Amazon’s marketing, Christine Hennessey spotted the significance of it all and Jacqueline Herrera stressed the importance of reading the reviews.
Come back to TechRadar on Amazon Prime Day 2018 where we'll once again be listing the best deals so you don't have to suffer the pain of navigating the Amazon website!
How to watch the World Cup finals: live stream every quarter-final from anywhere
The Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup has had pretty much everything, and we're only at the quarter-finals stage! There have been spectacular goals, huge upsets, penalty shoot-outs and the greatest players in the world performing on the biggest footballing stage of them all. Can this World Cup get any better?
Russia 2018 continues to stake its claim as one of the best World Cups in living memory. And you've come to the right place to find out how to live stream every last joyous, heartbreaking minute of the Russia 2018 World Cup absolutely free and regardless of where you live.
France and Belgium have marched on to the semi-finals after dispatching previous winners Uruguay and Brazil respectively. So who will join them from the so-called weaker side of the draw? First up is Sweden vs England, where the well-organised Swedes will try to summon the spirit of USA '94 and vanquish Harry Kane and the young Three Lions. And then it's the hosts chance to see if their incredible campaign can continue against the much-fancied Croats - Russia vs Croatia is the late game at the World Cup.
If you want to know where you'll be able to see the games, we'll tell you exactly where you can watch the FIFA World Cup matches where you live. And if you're looking for a free live stream, we've got that key information for you, too.
See how football and tech combine in TechRadar's guide to the World CupYou don't have to miss a single minute of World Cup soccer - even if the country where you are isn't broadcasting certain games. Because every second of action is being shown somewhere (the UK, for example, is televising every game for free - see below), you can simply use a VPN to login to a region that is broadcasting the game. And it's really easy to do:
The UK's two main free-to-air channels - BBC and ITV - are sharing out the World Cup coverage very fairly indeed, with an equal number of group stage and knockout games and live coverage of the World Cup final on both channels. That obviously means you can make the most of their respective iPlayer and ITV Hub apps if you're looking to watch on your phone or tablet, too.
If you can't be bothered faffing about finding out what matches are on which channel, just head to TVPlayer.com instead (or, you know, cast your eyes right for a moment). That hosts all UK freeview channels, so you can just easily click on whichever one is showing the match.
Abroad for the World Cup but still want the UK coverage, then grab a VPN and follow the instructions above.
Image courtesy of fifa.com
TechRadar's World Cup coverage is brought to you in association with Honor.
iPhone 8, not iPhone X, is beating Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus in total market share
Apple’s iPhone 8 has reclaimed the top of the sales chart, narrowly edging out the newer Galaxy S9 Plus, which fell to No. 2 and hasn’t exactly helped Samsung’s profits.
It also did better than the iPhone X by reaching a 2.4% market share and bouncing back from lower sales back in April, according to a data from Counterpoint Research. This boost in sales is attributed to smart advertising in Europe, namely Apple’s recent “How to shoot on iPhone” ads, which led up to the start of the World Cup last month.
In fact, all three current iPhones are sitting in the top five, according to the numbers from May, the latest sales data available. The iPhone X is in third place, with 2.3% of the market share, and the iPhone 8 Plus is in fifth place at 2.1%.
Reading the numbersThe Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 sales figures have been seen as disappointing, even though both phones are still showing overall strong numbers. The S9 Plus only slipped to second place, essentially tied with the iPhone 8 at a 2.4% market share. The problem is the S9 phones are much newer, so it’s odd that they’re not performing better.
Samsung warned investors about slowing sales of flagship phones in April after its Q1 earnings call, so these results only reflect that truth.
However, we are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 later this year, and that should inject some sales into Samsung’s lineup – but thats when there will be a new line of iPhones on the market.
One of the biggest takeaways from this report might be a bit subtle – Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo are taking more of the market share than ever before, and that’s surely part of the reason behind the Galaxy S9’s slowed sales. The Xiaomi Redmi 5A sat right behind the iPhone X in May, enjoying 2.2% of the market share.
Both the iPhone 8 and the Galaxy S9 are enjoying great sales in the West, but it’s becoming clear that phones from Chinese companies, ones with innovative designs that rival Apple and Samsung in many ways, are making a huge impact worldwide.
Check out the best smartphones in the UK and the best phones US
Best smart plugs and switches: the best plugs and switches for your smart home
The smart home is getting smarter, but two areas that are often overlooked are the humble power outlet and light switch.
There are plenty of energy savings to be had by investing in a smart plug and/or smart switch. By controlling your lights and other appliances with one of these babies, you'll reap the savings of more efficient energy consumption.
But what are the plugs and switches that are worth flipping out over? We've gathered up a guide to show you the light to the best smart plugs and switches on the market.
All of the smart plugs and switches in this list have been tested by TechRadar, so you can rest assured that all have passed muster.
The Belkin WeMo Insight is a neat little device. Well, it's not exactly "little" considering it's bigger than it looks in the pictures, so be prepared for a bulkier plug that covers the top outlet if you place it on the bottom one (the same isn't true if you reverse the order).
That said, we consider the Belkin WeMo Insight Smart Plug to be the best light switch on the market. We like that it gives insights into your energy usage, and it gives you estimates on how much you're spending on energy, too. This is great if you're looking to cut down on your monthly power bill and be a little greener at the same time.
The one big drawback is that you do most of your work with the WeMo Insight in the app, and the app leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, you can turn off and on devices from the app home screen, but once you start going deeper, you run into trouble. It's difficult to remove devices from the app, which is annoying.
One redeeming quality of the app is that you can use it to integrate your plug with other services, such as IFTTT, Alexa, Google Assistant, Works with Nest and (unofficially) Samsung SmartThings.
The only one missing from this smart plug house party is Apple's HomeKit, though you can connect using a HomeKit Bridge, which Belkin sells.
Read our Belkin WeMo Insight Smart Plug review
There's a reason this smart plug leads with an "i"; it's built to work predominately with devices in the Apple ecosystem and with HomeKit. You can still use it with Android via an app, just know that HomeKit is clearly the favorite here.
The iDevices Switch Wi-Fi Smart Plug does converse with Alexa, so your Amazon Echo devices are compatible with this plug, too.
All-in-all, this smart plug is well designed, easy to use (especially within Apple's walls, naturally) and generally works like a charm. It's super easy to set up with your iPhone, and the app is great; you can use it to monitor your energy usage, broken down by day, week, month and year. You'll get an estimate of your energy costs as well.
Oh, and did we mention this plug has as nightlight? The colored strip around the front serves as one, perfect if you don't want to blind yourself when you get up to use the loo in the middle of the night.
Read our iDevices Switch Wi-Fi Smart Plug review
Sure, you've decked out your home in smart led bulbs, like the Philips Hue, but if these aren't connected to a smart switch, you lose connectivity if the lights aren't controlled with a smartphone.
That's where smart switches like the TP-Link HS200 come in. This well-designed switch may be connected, but it also gives a satisfying click, just like old-fashioned models.
But the similarities with old-school switches end there. This switch taps into an app called Kasa, which is equally well-designed. From the app, you can create different scenes that turn on or off certain lights, or set lights to turn on when your home's motions sensors detect movement, for example.
The switch does work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can ask both to flight the TP-Link switches in your home on or off.
It may not be quite as good as the Belkin WeMo Smart Plug, but the TP-Link will make your home a more connected creature, which is great if you're looking to take your home into the 21st century.
Read our TP-Link HS200 Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch review
It's all about ease with the Elagto Eve Energy Smart Switch. Installing and updating the switch is a snap; all you have to do is plug it into an existing outlet, then plug your appliance in.
The switch is compatible with Apple HomeKit, and, uniquely, it connects over Bluetooth, not your home's Wi-Fi. Despite this unconventional (in the smart plug/switch space) connection method, Bluetooth works perfectly well here.
Like most smart plugs and switches, Elgato's design is on the bigger side, though you can still access the top switch if you plug it into the bottom one. The app is easy to use as well and keeps tabs on your energy consumption, plus estimated cost of the energy your appliance is sucking up.
This isn't the most enthralling - or least expensive - smart switch on the market. However, it hits a number of the right boxes, and looks good in the home.
MacBook Pro 2018: what we want to see
Apple has quite a lot of expectations to break through when it reveals the MacBook Pro 2018 – as it has to keep fans happy, as well as surpass the 2017 MacBook Pro.
When you weigh all the rumors and speculation surrounding the cheaper 13-inch Retina MacBook and MacBook Air supposedly coming out this year, a MacBook Pro 2018 can’t be that far off. It’s been more than two years since the MacBook Pro was refreshed with the Touch Bar and Thunderbolt 3, after all – so Apple has had plenty of time to mess around with the hardware. And, now that Apple has come out and admitted that some of its keyboards are faulty, we’d be surprised if it didn’t mention the keyboard when the MacBook Pro 2018 whenever it’s announced.
Right before the WWDC 2018 keynote, we saw some leaked benchmark results for a new 14.3-inch MacBook Pro with a 6-core Intel Coffee Lake CPU. Then, a month later, we saw another leaked benchmark for a 4-core U-series Coffee Lake processor. This falls in line with the latest rumor that we’re getting five MacBooks this year – there’s room for both of these models.
However, we don’t have any other solid information, so make sure you bookmark this page to get all of the latest news and rumors about the MacBook Pro 2018 model as they come in.
Cut to the chase What is it? Apple’s most powerful 2018 laptopWhen is it out? June 2018 at the earliest?What will it cost? Hopefully no more than current models
In spite of all the rumors and leaks we’ve seen, we don’t really know when the MacBook Pro 2018 will actually come out. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate based on previous MacBook Pro releases.
Last year, Apple gave us a surprise release of the MacBook Pro in June, immediately following the WWDC keynote. This was so surprising because of how soon it released following the MacBook Pro 2016.
We wouldn’t expect much about the MacBook Pro price to change year over year.
Prior to that, the MacBook Pro was receiving piecemeal updates since the last major revision of 2012, also released just after Apple’s June WWDC of that year.
However, it looks like Apple is going to break away from tradition this year, as WWDC 2018 came and went without a mention of any hardware.
Right now, we’re going with the likely release window of Holiday 2018, just in time for that Black Friday rush. So, we’re kind of kicking around the idea of Apple hosting a full hardware event in September, instead of just an iPhone event.
However, it is possible that the MacBook Pro 2018 will come out before that, there is a rumor floating around that we’re going to be getting five MacBooks this year, all supposedly running macOS 10.13 – we might get them sooner than we thought.
Either way, we’ll keep this page updated with any MacBook Pro 2018 information that comes our way.
Again, none of the rumors or leaks regarding a MacBook Pro so far have made any mention of the possible pricing, but this isn’t terribly surprising. Those bits of information don’t tend to drop until we get closer to an expected release date.
That said, we wouldn’t expect much about the MacBook Pro price to change year over year. Apple has already hit a sweet spot of prices for its various MacBook Pro models, starting at $1,299, £1,249 or AU$1,899, for one without the Touch Bar.
You can probably bet on Apple doubling down on its co-processor strategy this year.
From there, to purchase a Touch Bar model will increase the price to $1,799, £1,749 or AU$2,699. Of course, the 15-inch models (all with Touch Bar) pump up the price even further.
If pricing were to change this year, we’d wager that Apple would simply make room for that rumored 13-inch, entry-level MacBook by upping the hardware inside the low-end MacBook Pro and hiking up the price. Otherwise, Apple could simply wipe out the Touch Bar-free model and reserve the ‘Pro’ moniker for laptops with the Touch Bar.
We’ll look out for new rumors and update this article as soon as the MacBook Pro 2018 price begins to grow clearer.
Of course, this lack of any truly substantial information about the forthcoming 2018 MacBook Pro gives us plenty of room to draft up a wishlist.
So, here’s what we want to see from a MacBook Pro for 2018.
Longer battery lifeApple’s laptops have always been notable for their lasting power, but the MacBook Pro has struggled to uphold that standard in recent years. For instance, the most recent MacBook Pro model lasted just 6 hours and 37 minutes. That’s a far cry from models of years previous and short of Apple’s own claim of 10 hours.
So, we’d like to see the rumored performance enhancements of the next macOS coupled with Apple’s rumored, self-made processor designs inside the next MacBook Pro to give its battery life the boost it desperately needs. Either way, we just hope the next MacBook Pro doesn’t issues with a swelling battery.
More power across all modelsWith the onset of Intel processors with AMD graphics onboard, we think this is the perfect opportunity for the smaller MacBook Pro models to get a power boost. For too long have 13-inch MacBook Pro models been relegated to Intel’s integrated graphics, which doesn’t do much to back up that ‘Pro’ moniker.
In working with both AMD and Intel, it’s easy to theorize that the next MacBook Pro would be able to better render video and photo work more readily with AMD Vega graphics on board. Better yet, such a processor might be able to better handle sharper screen resolutions with less of a battery draw.
As we mentioned above, there are rumors that the new MacBook Pro will come with a six-core Intel Core i7-8750H processor and up to 32GB of RAM. If those rumors are true, then our wish for a more powerful MacBook Pro 2018 will have been answered.
More ports, and a new MagSafe chargerThese are admittedly ‘pie in the sky’ requests, but Apple’s MagSafe power adaptor was beloved for a reason, and charging via USB-C is a poor replacement for it. It’s hard to believe that there isn’t room for such a dedicated port, and it truly can be a laptop (and person!) life saver.
Plus, the move to solely Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports has left people still using SD cards in a lurch. The next MacBook Pro would do well to avoid trying to push the industry too far, too fast – especially when such rapid change may not be necessary.
If Apple were to make just these two wishes true, the MacBook Pro would be in a fantastic position.
A better keyboardUnexpectedly, when the MacBook Pro was refreshed in 2016, we didn’t hate its implementation of Apple’s butterfly mechanized key switches. The keyboard was a massive step up from that of what was then the 12-inch MacBook, which would feature more tactile inputs despite having the same amount of travel.
This was a design decision that went on to inspire the 2017 MacBook Pro. It’s not clear how its keyboard could be improved, but Apple has come out and said that some MacBook Pro keyboards are faulty – likely a response to the class action lawsuit Apple faced over its keyboards.
However, there’s a rumor that the Cupertino-based tech behemoth is considering implementing a virtual touch-screen keyboard with haptic feedback. Who knows if this would make it into the MacBook Pro 2018, but it would solve some of the sticky key issues.
Apple has also addressed some of the controversy surrounding its butterfly switches with a recently filed patent that describes a kind of ‘guard structure’ to prevent spills and crumbs from sneaking under the keys. If it’s actually real, we would appreciate not having to worry about pressing the spacebar and nothing happening.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this report
The best 2-in-1 laptop 2018: find the best convertible laptop for your needs
Once you’ve experienced the best 2-in-1 laptops for yourself, you’ll never go back. It would even be difficult to go back to a normal, old non-convertible laptop. And, judging by a recent patent filed by Microsoft, smartphones may be following in the footsteps of these versatile machines with their flexible hinges.
The best 2-in-1 laptops will come in every shape and size – even offering premium performance. Rocking 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors, the best 2-in-1 laptops, like the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1, are among the best Windows 10 laptops you can buy today. We can’t wait to see what future 2-in-1 laptops will look like.
Most of the best 2-in-1 laptops you’ll find today are convertible – the keyboard swiveling around the back, so you can use it as a tablet. There are a few, though, that are detachable, liek the sublime Surface Book 2, whose high-resolution PixelSense display is held up by pure magnetic force. No matter how the tablet mode works, the best 2-in-1 laptops will work with a stylus – though they’re seldomly included. Don’t worry, however, we made sure to point out the pros and cons of each device listed here.
The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro can go head-to-head with the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and for a substantially lower cost. Though it’s limited to only one configuration, albeit across two different sizes, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is as powerful as it is pragmatic. Defined in part by its inclusion of the S-Pen, this heavy-hitting hybrid is every bit as capable as Microsoft’s Surface Book and without the need to recharge its stylus.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
This product is only available in the US as of this writing. Australian and UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch).
We never thought we’d be recommending a Chromebook as one of the best 2-in-1 laptops, but the Pixelbook is special. This fantastic device takes its platform and elevates it to levels we never predicted. Thanks to its beefy internals, and including full Android app integration, the Google Pixelbook tears down the barriers that stopped Windows and Mac users from trying Chrome OS. And, now that the Pixelbook may start supporting Windows 10, those barriers continue to get smaller.
Read the full review: Google Pixelbook
This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Lenovo Yoga 920
We get it, the Pixelbook is enticing, but it’s also out of your price range. In that case, the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is a choice alternative. Having introduced a touchscreen and convertible design to Google’s cloud-based Chrome OS, the Asus Chromebook Flip is made better by its compatibility with Android apps. That’s right, just like the Pixelbook, you can use the Asus Chromebook Flip for Google Play apps, albeit after installing an out-of-the-box update.
Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
If you’ve been in the market for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops, but you also kind of wanted to get one of the best gaming laptops instead, you’re in luck. The Dell XPS 15, already a fantastic laptop, has been transformed into a 2-in-1 – and was given discrete-class Radeon RX Vega graphics in the process. What this means is that you can get a beautiful convertible laptop, but you don’t have to give up any power. And, while that means that it’s a little expensive and the fans get a bit loud – it’s worth it in our book.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1
We already loved the 13-inch Surface Book, so when we first heard that a 15-inch Surface Book 2 was on the way, our expectations shot into the sky. Microsoft’s second 2-in-1 laptop isn’t perfect, but it’s an impressive device held back by a handful of concessions. First, the Surface Book 2 features a cutting-edge 8th-generation Intel processor and Nvidia 10-series graphics for gamers and creative types alike. When you take that power and pair it with its nifty convertibility – it’s easy to see why it’s a winner.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13-inch)
While it doesn’t offer the same level of graphics performance, the Lenovo Yoga 920 is a much more affordable alternative to the Surface Book 2. For anyone who’s looking for value, rather than a detachable screen, the Lenovo Yoga 920 has a lot to offer. The design, for example, is less pronounced and has the subtlety of a more traditional Ultrabook. Meanwhile it’s thin and powerful at the same time.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 920
To be fair, we loved the 13-inch Surface Book already, so when we first caught word that a 15-inch Surface Book 2 was in the works, our expectations were amplified. In the end, Microsoft’s second 2-in-1 laptop isn’t perfect, but it is an impressive feat held back by a handful of (frankly necessary) concessions. For starters, this machine features cutting-edge 8th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia 10-series graphics for gamers and creative types alike. Pair that with its nifty convertibility, and we have ourselves a winner.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
A beautiful 2-in-1 with a strikingly thin frame, the HP Spectre x360 now brandishes the sheer power that Intel’s 8th-generation Kaby Lake R processors allow. So, despite its slim chassis and weighing only 2.78 pounds (1.26kg), this version of the Hewlett-Packard flagship is ready not just to stream 4K video, but to run your favorite games at 720p using integrated graphics tech. And, if you’re a creative, it comes with the HP Pen, unlike some stylus-less hybrids.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
Heavily inspired by the seminal Apple MacBook, the Asus Zenbook Flip S brings an attention to detail that’s often lost with Windows laptops. Thinner and lighter than most of the best 2-in-1 laptops, this gorgeous device brings the power of an Intel Core i7 CPU in a package you won’t be afraid to bring out in public. And, because it’s rocking a 1080p display with a powerful processor, you don’t have to worry about running out of juice – it’ll last through all but the longest plane rides.
Read the full review: Asus ZenBook Flip S
While other laptop makers are adding discrete graphics and increasing their screen sizes, Samsung has decided it’s best to lay low with the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin this year. It works, but seemingly unintentionally so. Because it scraps the Nvidia chip, the 13-inch Samsung Notebook 7 Spin can be used for up to 7 hours at a time without charge. It also has a better keyboard than you would expect, although we are disappointed in the lack of a bundled stylus.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin
This product is only available in the US and UK as of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360.Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas have also contributed to this article
Can't decide what type of laptop to get? Watch our buying guide below!
macOS 10.13 High Sierra release date, news and features
You might be itching to get your hands on macOS Mojave, announced at WWDC 2018, but it won’t be making its way to the public until later this year. Until then, however, we can dive into all the things macOS High Sierra has to offer.
macOS High Sierra has seen its own fair share of issues, like password vulnerabilities and other security issues – one of the most recent being a Quick Look exploit, but most major issues have been patched by apple and our time with macOS High Sierra has been largely positive. Not to mention that new file system and built-in photo editing tools – Apple has more than made up for any macOS High Sierra issues.
Unfortunately, the major problem that macOS High Sierra has is similar to what faced OS X Mountain Lion after it followed Lion – it introduces a number of new features, but none that really innovate in a tangible way. However, macOS Mojave looks like it’s going to be one of the biggest macOS releases we’ve seen in years, and will see several key iOS apps like News and Stocks making their way over to macOS after all – we guess Apple fans did want them.
In the meantime, here is everything you need to know about today’s macOS High Sierra.
Cut to the chase What is it? The 2017 edition of Apple’s Mac operating system, macOSWhen is it out? Available to install nowWhat will it cost? macOS High Sierra is free to download
Apple revealed macOS 10.13 High Sierra at the WWDC 2017 keynote, which is no surprise, given Apple’s tradition of announcing the latest version of its Mac software at its annual developer event.
Yet, it wasn’t until September 12 that Apple revealed that the full release of High Sierra would launch little more than a week later, on September 25. There was a developer version of the operating system you could enroll in leading to the final release, but luckily that’s no longer required to take advantage of the latest features found in macOS 10.13.
MacOS 10.13.5 has been released, reintroducing iMessage, and you can update using the Mac App Store now. However, if you’re interested in testing out new features and updates before everyone else, Apple is still supporting its beta program, which is still on the fifth version of 10.13.6. This update seems to be centered around bug fixes and performance updates.
At the same time, it now uploads all Messages to the cloud and replaces iBooks with the newly rebranded ‘Books’ app. There’s also been a sweet smoke cloud wallpaper added across all systems that was formerly available only on the iMac Pro.
For everyone else, the newest rendition of macOS as a whole is still 10.13.5 High Sierra, as we await the much-anticipated macOS 10.14.
Beyond the Hackintosh users being reasonably worried about the newly enforced security checks on EFI firmware automatically implemented each week, Apple has revealed a number of awesome new features with macOS 10.13 High Sierra.
These include improvements to Safari – which will now stop ad-tracking and auto-playing videos in their tracks – and a more expansive Spotlight Search in the Mail App. Additionally, when you’re composing emails, the app now allows split view for the compose window – and, to make matters better, it uses up to 35% less disk space.
The Photos app has been updated in macOS 10.13 High Sierra as well, with a better sorting tool to boot. All of this is accompanied by a new layout, better facial recognition thanks to neural networks, and improved syncing across all Apple devices.
Editing tools, too, have seen improvements, in turn making it easier than ever to enhance the quality of your photos without learning the ins and outs of Photoshop or Camera RAW. And of course, you can count on Instagram-like filters being a part of this.
One of the biggest changes that comes with macOS High Sierra is with the file system. It’s ditching the HFS – which Apple has used for around 30 years, and is now using the Apple File System (APFS) instead.
Every Mac that has been upgraded to macOS High Sierra will receive these file system updates automatically with the exception of those sporting Fusion Drives and older HDDs. Similarly, all new Macs will ship pre-formatted for APFS.
To be exact, APFS is a 64-bit file system that supports native encryption and faster metadata operation. This may all sound a bit techy, but the bottom line is that this will make your Mac feel a lot faster, while also being more secure and more transparent about the nature of your files and folder contents. Unfortunately, this comes with the caveat of Apple’s confirmation that 32-bit apps will be discontinued in later versions of macOS High Sierra.
The update also brings HEVC, or H.265, video compression to the Mac. Apple claims that this new standard can compress video files 40% more than the previous-generation H.264 standard. The end result will be faster video streams at higher resolutions – ahem, 4K – and smaller video files sizes when stored locally.
One of the biggest bits of news surrounding macOS High Sierra is that it will finally bring support for virtual reality headsets officially. Namely, the HTC Vive and Steam VR will work with Macs running the new OS this autumn.
However, to use such a device, you'll need at least a 5K iMac or MacBook Pro – or, any Mac that can run the new OS with an external graphics card box attached via Thunderbolt 3. Support for such devices comes part and parcel with macOS High Sierra, but won't be an active function until spring 2018.
The good news is that macOS High Sierra comes with a helping of refinements to its graphics API that make up for the scarce GPU support. Metal was a step forward for hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, but with Metal 2, Apple promises less strain on the CPU as well as proper machine learning and better Xcode profiling/debugging in macOS High Sierra.
Perhaps more important, though, is the fact that MoltenVK was recently brought to Mac by Khronos Group. An implementation of the open-source Vulkan API, it’s said to bring frame rate gains of up to 50% in Dota 2. As it’s cross-platform, too – being supported by Windows and Linux as well as Apple’s devices – MoltenVK is likely to be more widely adopted by creators.
Fortunately, in the act of creating a macOS iteration that only moderately shakes things up, the barrier to entry didn’t change at all. As long as you’re rocking one of the following Mac models, you’ll be good to go with macOS High Sierra on day one:
Late 2009 iMac or newer Late 2009 MacBook/MacBook (Retina) or newerMid-2010 MacBook Pro or newerLate 2010 MacBook Air or newerMid-2010 Mac Mini or newerMid-2010 Mac Pro or newer2017 iMac ProBear in mind that if you want to take advantage of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) benefits posed by macOS High Sierra, you’ll need a Mac donning – at the very least – an Intel sixth-generation Skylake processor. Unfortunately, that discounts everything released prior to 2015, but on the bright side, everything else macOS High Sierra brings to the table is fair game.
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this report
Best Mac apps: the best macOS apps for your Apple computer
Even though we’re about to get some core iOS apps on the Mac with macOS Mojave later this year, you should still pay attention to the best Mac apps that you can download today in macOS High Sierra. Because, at the end of the day, people keep coming back to the expertly designed Apple hardware year after year for the software, more than anything else.
The best Mac apps come in every shape and size, so some of them might not be for you, especially compared to something like Evernote, which is the best note-taking app you can download today – no contest.
You won’t find all the best Mac apps on the Mac App Store, but they’re all still worth a look. So, without further delay, keep reading to find the best Mac apps you can download today. From free apps and utilities to more professional applications, these are the apps that will breath all new life into the best Macs this year.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article
Get it from: App StorePrice: FreeNo brand of computer is without its annoyances. For so long now, it’s been impossible to use our MacBooks – unbound by the chains of a power adapter – while video outputs to an external monitor. As we all know here at TechRadar, Apple’s laptops automatically enter sleep mode whenever the lid is closed. For the lot of us, this can be a huge inconvenience should you prefer the sheer magnitude of a monitor as opposed to a 12- or 13- or 15-inch laptop screen.
Fortunately, Amphetamine allows you to continue using your MacBook while closed. Before, you could do this by using a similar app called Caffeine, but we prefer the UI features you get with this freebie. Not only does it fit in naturally with the rest of your Menu Bar items, but Amphetamine also supports hotkey commands as well as deactivation reminders – not to mention there are no annoying ads in sight.
Get it from: App StorePrice: $9.99 (£7.99 or around AUS$14)While you’ve been able to snap programs to the edge of the screen in Windows since Windows 7, Apple didn’t have a solution until OS X El Capitan. What’s more, even then it lacked some of the comprehensiveness of Microsoft’s alternative. Luckily, HyperDock gives us that full-fledged functionality we so desperately crave, allowing anyone with a Mac to apply it to both the app Dock and windows.
In Windows, you can drag an app to the left or right edges of the screen (or the corners) and it’ll automatically fill that space. This makes it much easier to be productive on the desktop without wasting time dragging windows from the corners. For the Dock, hovering over apps activates something close to Windows 7’s thumbnail previews, giving an overview of the window that can be accessed by a click or closed directly from the preview. Useful.
Get it from: ParallelsPrice: $79.99/year (Home & Student) Around £60 or AUS$100)If you've bought a Mac and miss some of your old Windows programs, don't worry - Parallels Desktop 13 can bring them back. Instead of having to dual-boot your Mac into a Windows partition, Parallels Desktop 13 allows Windows and macOS Sierra to co-exist side-by-side, and you can even run Microsoft-only programs such as Visual Studio 2015, or the Windows versions of the company's Office 365 apps, alongside your native macOS ones.
All you need is a Windows 10 license – so prepare to buy one if you haven't already. Or, alternatively, you can use Parallels to try a handful of free operating systems including Chromium (a free distribution of Chrome OS) or Linux Debian. The latest version of Parallels in particular has seen improvements such as Touch Bar support, better resolution scaling for Retina displays and picture-in-picture for using other operating systems in conjunction with macOS.
Get it from: App StorePrice: £14.99 (around $20 or AUS$25)If you're anything like us, you'll hate working with one monitor or screen. Portable monitors are still fairly expensive (and not to mention bulky), and luckily you can use an iPad instead using a nifty app called Duet. Developed by ex-Apple engineers, it works by tethering your iPad to your Mac using one of Apple's Lightning cables and firing up the app on both devices.
You can then drag apps and windows onto your iPad’s screen just like you would with a second monitor, and if you have a more recent iPad with a Retina display, you’ll get the full benefit of all those beautiful pixels. Just realize that the bandwidth isn’t quite what you would get with one of the best monitors, so it can be a bit laggy when you bump the quality up. But it’s still better for watching videos, reading websites and typing up documents.
Get it from: AtomPrice: FreeAtom is a text editor that's primarily designed for coders, but its flexibility and customization options make it a viable option for many different types of users. That's because of two reasons: first, you can download a number of different Packages - effectively plug-ins - to make it bend to your will. It can be transformed into a Markdown editor for writing blog posts, for example, or you can hook it up to Evernote for storing notes in the cloud.
There's at least 10 different word counters out there, and you can even add typewriter sound effects as you hammer out your delicious prose. Atom is also infinitely customizable on the visual side thanks to an editable back-end, allowing you to do anything from changing the font size, line height and colors to giving the caret Word 2016-like elasticity.
Get it from: App StorePrice: £149.99 (around $195 or AUS$255)Whether you’re a superstar DJ or you’re locking yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers, Logic Pro X is one of the best music creation apps on the Mac. Developed by Apple itself its accessible interface hides a ton of advanced functionality. The latest version also comes with a slick new design, 64-bit architecture and new session drummer that will save you from having to drop more cash on a drum machine.
It also works in natural harmony with iPads, providing a touch-based alternative method of creating song structures to dragging and dropping blocks in the main visual editor. Whether you're a seasoned producer already (Sia used the app to record her hit song 'Chandelier') or are looking to upgrade from Garageband, Logic Pro X likely has what you need.
Get it from: App StorePrice: FreeA simple app but an important one, to-do app Wunderlist's strength lies in its cross-device functionality. It's available on Mac, PC and Android and iOS, allowing you to pick up where you left off wherever you are using macOS's Handoff feature.
Once you've created a list you can schedule reminders, add notes and embed it into the macOS Notification Centre using a widget. Team-based features are unlocked by signing up to Wunderlist's Pro option for a yearly fee, and you can add files of any size without running into limits.
Get it from: App StorePrice: FreeEvernote has morphed into a mighty note-taking app over the years. While some people will say that it's too bloated, the sheer number of things that you can do with it still makes it best-in-class. You can type up notes, obviously, organizing them using a combination of folders and tags. You can even embed Google Drive documents, which are accessible in a click.
There's also the ability to set reminders, share notes with friends, find information related to notes using Evernote's 'Context' feature, create lists, and favorite notes that you frequently return to. Better yet, all of your notes are synchronized using the company's servers, making them accessible on nearly any PC (through a browser or the native Evernote app) or mobile device in the world. The paid version lets you use Evernote with more than two devices while upping the amount of data you can sync each month.
Get it from: WebsitePrice: FreeGIMP (standing for GNU Image Manipulation) is one of the best free image editing apps out there. It's a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop and comes with a massive array of professional-quality functions that let you tweak existing images saved in a range of formats or create fresh ones from scratch. Features include layers, highly customizable brushes, automatic image-enhancing tools and filters. You can do even more with it using plug-ins, which are available to download from the GIMP Plugin Registry.
Get it from: App StorePrice: £34.99 (around $45/AUS$60)These days, balancing features with simplicity and beauty in the best Mac apps is incredibly important. However, unlike Word 2016, or even Apple’s own Pages, Ulysses almost doesn’t have an interface. This allows you to get on with writing without being distracted by so many buttons and menus. The app uses its own version of Markdown – a type of text formatting engine – that allows users to highlight their writing in a way that makes organization easier, and a large number of export styles formats it in an attractive way once you’re done writing.
There's a handy attachments bar on the right-hand side that features an attractive word counter and lets you write notes to assist you in your writing. Notes can be accessed anywhere thanks to iCloud support, so you can pick up your iPad and carry on where you left off using macOS's Handoff feature.
Get it from: WebsitePrice: $20Sometimes you want to play your Xbox One, but you can’t because your roommate has decided to use the living room TV for watching the whole run of Ugly Delicious in one sitting. Now, you could technically stream Halo 5 or Sea of Thieves if you had a Windows PC. However, you just have a Mac.
That’s where OneCast comes in, a third-party work of reverse engineering performed by an independent developer to bring Xbox One game streaming to macOS. It works as easily as connecting both your Mac and Xbox One to the same network and subsequently logging in to Xbox Live. It works pretty well in our experience, though you should have both systems connected to your modem via ethernet if possible.
Get it from: WebsitePrice: FreeIf you’re a gamer who loves using your Mac, whether it’s for work, school or leisure, Nvidia GeForce Now will silence all the haters. Seemingly since the dawn of time, it seems like PC gamers have shut down the prospect of using a Mac to play triple-A video games. The graphics weren’t there, neither was the library.
Nowadays, we live in the era of streaming. You don’t have to download your TVs and movies – you can stream them on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Why should games be any different? Well, now that the GeForce Now beta is live, they’re not. You can stream PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Overwatch and more at the highest settings from the comfort of your MacBook or Mac computer.
Get it from: App StorePrice: FreeIt’s simple and not at all essential in the grand scheme of things, but DeskCover is a free and easy way to stay focused when you need to.
For anyone working on larger monitors, full screen apps can strain your peripheral vision, and so you’ll have no other choice but to resort to smaller windows. Of course, this can lead to you getting distracted by your desktop background – this is where DeskCover comes in handy. Allowing you to easily blur your desktop and lower the opacity, DeskCover puts the task at hand front and center so that nothing else can get in the way of getting your work done.
In other words, DeskCover is basically a free version of Hazeover, which we’re not complaining about. What’s more, your options aren’t limited to manipulation of your existing wallpaper alone. You can also temporarily replace your background with something a little more plain, blocking it out with a solid color of your choosing. Best of all, DeskCover is compatible with hotkeys, thereby minimizing the distraction possibilities of the app itself.
Get it from: App StorePrice: FreeThe market for disk optimization apps is neither desolate nor particularly exciting, especially on the best Macs, where Apple does a pretty good job of cleaning up its drives on its own. However, for a program that’s far more intuitive and user friendly than, say, the built-in Macintosh HD storage management software, your best bet is to turn your attention to Dr. Cleaner. This app splits all of your data into easily digestible bit that would otherwise be quite obtuse.
Dr. Cleaner will group all the junk on your Mac with labels like ‘Junk Files’ and ‘Big Files’ – rather than listing off 30GB of documents and 10GB of iOS files you don’t understand. Then, you can look at the file names themselves and decide whether or not you want to keep them on your computer. You can also use Dr. Cleaner to monitor CPU, network and RAM usage as well, for the sake of putting some pep in your aging Mac’s step.
Get it from: WebsitePrice: FreeWhile it’s more like three apps than just one, SoftMaker Office 2018 takes all the key features of Microsoft Office and puts them into an interface that tailors to your needs. It comes with a group of programs called TextMaker, PlanMaker and Presentations 2018 that are similar enough to Office 365 without the rolling subscription.
Whether you’re looking for a word processor that’s easy to use or a spreadsheet or slideshow creator of equal accessibility, SoftMaker Office has what you’re looking for. And, because it’s still in beta, you can get a complimentary, albeit temporary, license over email if you want to give it a spin. Otherwise, there is a permanent version of the software called SoftMaker FreeOffice that’s only available on Windows, Android and Linux.
Get it from: App StorePrice: $9.99 (about £7.19, AU$12.82)Since you’re obviously going to install all of the other apps we’ve mentioned, you’re going to need at least a utility that, well, declutters your desktop. Unclutter is the solution you’re looking for whether you’re a frivolous notetaker or a temporary file hoarder like we are. It’s designed to keep your memos, documents and pasteboard clips in one place rather than scattered across several folders.
It’s a brilliant idea made even better by the fact that it can be configured for use with gesture controls. At any given point, you can swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers on the trackpad (or one on the mouse) to reveal a trio of windows that can be concealed and re-summoned whenever you please.
Get it from: WebsitePrice: FreeWhen you’re out there hustling every day, it’s easy to lose track of messages. With so many social media companies, SMS platforms and instant messaging services to choose from, most of us also have a number of different accounts used to administer to all of those messages. But what if you only had to log into one?
That’s the central idea in Franz, a messaging app that allows you to view and send messages in WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, HipChat and more. It lets you seamlessly switch between any of these apps as easily as you can toggle between Slack workspaces. Best of all, there’s no limit to the amount of services you can use at once. That way, even if you have 10 Facebook accounts for whatever reason, all of your messages will be visible in the same place.
The best 13-inch laptop 2018: the top 13-inch laptops we've reviewed
In 2018, the best laptops are frankly necessary for daily life, but there’s only one reason to go with one of the best 13-inch laptops: 15-inch laptops are just too big, while 12 inches or less will leave you squinting. The best 13-inch laptops, then, exist in a sweet spot for notebook displays – and not without reason. It’s perfect for work, streaming media and everything in between. And, because it’s the most popular display size for laptops – the best 13-inch laptops will be packed with all the latest technology.
The Dell XPS 13 is still one of the best laptops we’ve ever laid our fingers on, winning TechRadar’s Best in Class award three years in a row. Still, we can also understand why someone would prefer the HP Spectre x360 or even the MacBook Air. Because, while the XPS 13 may be gorgeous and thin without losing performance, these other laptops aren’t hindered by baffling webcam placements. Plus, they all do different things.
Keep in mind though, that we’ve seen some awesome 13-inch laptops at Computex 2018 that will be compelling upgrades over the next year. Asus in particular has some noteworthy devices, like a laptop with a touchscreen built into its trackpad. So, make sure you bookmark this guide, as we’ll keep it updated with the best 13-inch laptops as they come out.
When all’s said and done, the best 13-inch laptop is going to depend on your own taste. Do you need a more traditional laptop that does its job well, or one of the best 2-in-1 laptops that’ll give you tablet mode? What about a machine that runs macOS High Sierra instead of Windows 10? There are so many choices on the market, and with this list we tried to cover as many as possible.
Its changes are subtle, and yet the Dell XPS 13 is still the best 13-inch laptop you can buy. On the high end, it now offers a 4K display, for a sharper picture across the board. But even if you can’t afford higher tier configurations, the beautiful design, lengthy battery life and even the SD card slot are still there – plus you’ve got a quad-core processor no matter what poison you pick. Better yet, the 13.3-inch display of the XPS 13 has been squeezed into a smaller frame, which explains Dell’s marketing line: ‘the world’s smallest 13-inch laptop.’ Now stew on that, as you admire the Dell XPS 13’s gorgeous, albeit more expensive, Alpine White finish.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
While it may not be as powerful as its behemoth of a 15-inch counterpart, everything else about the 13.5-inch version of the Surface Book 2 is perfect for the mobile workhorse user environment. Whether you’re a creative or a professional, the Microsoft Surface Book 2, with its more compact form-factor rocks a style that’s just as beautiful as its predecessor. What’s more, the dynamic fulcrum hinge is stronger than you remember, which only complements its robust, quad-core CPU.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2
We didn’t expect a laptop made by Razer to be thinner and lighter than a MacBook Pro – not to mention prettier, but here we are. The Razer Blade stealth – in its all-new gunmetal finish – rocks not only a beautiful and practical aesthetic with its 400-nit display brightness and full-size USB 3.0 ports, but it also has a few tricks up its sleeve to make it a performance beast. The 8th-generation Kaby Lake R U-series processor make the Razer Blade Stealth a force to be reckoned with. It might not have the best battery life, but an Ultrabook this fast is worth the 16 minutes of battery life you give up.
Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth
For those who prefer premium build quality over sheer affordability, the HP Spectre x360 contains everything you could ever ask for in a 2-in-1 without compromise. Weighing only 2.78 pounds (1.26kg) and measuring just over half an inch thick, it’s as thin as it is light. Plus, with up to a 4K screen and 8th-generation INtel processors paired with integrated UHD graphics, it’s one of the best ways to experience high-quality video streaming as well as 720p gaming on a hybrid. We didn’t even mention the plentitude of ports. You’ll get two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 connections on top of a USB 3.1 Type-A, a welcome variety to say the least.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
While Samsung may not be well known for its laptops – beyond its Tab Pro S convertible, at least – Samsung’s follow-up to the 2012 Series 9 Notebook has impressive performance at a competitive price. Marketed as an Ultrabook, it’s certainly disheartening to know it can only last 5 hours in between charges, but given its beautiful design, it almost doesn’t matter. As a bonus, with the Samsung Notebook 9, you won’t have to deal with the bloatware that makes many other Windows laptop the target of derision on tech forums.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9
This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Dell XPS 13Everyone hates change. However, while the 15.6-inch frame of the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin we once knew will soon be erased from our memories forever, the new 13.3-inch model doesn’t seem like a terrible upgrade. It’s bounced two generations into the future in terms of processing power, and although there are no discrete graphics present, we’re glad to see a keyboard that can compete with some of the heavier hitters. It’s nothing revolutionary, yet as far as hybrid notebooks go, this one ain’t too shabby (plus it’s cheaper than a weaker MacBook Pro).
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin
This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Surface Laptop
The Surface Laptop is Microsoft’s first effort at a ‘traditional’ laptop – even if it does come with a PixelSense touchscreen and Alcantara keyboard. It also features specs that’ll make the 12-inch MacBook Blush, like a U-series 7th generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor – making Apple’s thin and light look obsolete by comparison. It might have limited ports and has S Mode by default, but it’s appealing for its design, beautiful screen, and beefy performance.
Read the full review: Surface Laptop
As 2-in-1 laptops have become more prevalent in recent years, their manufacturers have been improving them at a nigh-equal pace. This rings true for few laptop makers more than it does for Lenovo, however, who has taken the liberty of crafting drop-dead gorgeous convertibles with standout watch band-like hinges, much like that of the Yoga 920. This rendition of Lenovo’s increasingly popular brand of hybrids sees the integration of USB-C ports, a centered webcam and, perhaps more interestingly, an 8th-generation Intel quad-core processor regardless of which configuration you opt for. It does purr more loudly than expected, and tablet mode could use some work, but the Lenovo Yoga 920 is ultimately worth its price of admission.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 920
Apple’s MacBook Air still puts on a decent fight, even though it’s starting to show its age. While it still rocks an Intel fifth-generation Core processor, rather than the newest Coffee Lake silicon, it’s still a capable machine – even more so now that 8GB of RAM is the standard. If you’re looking for the best 13-inch laptop for casually browsing the web, checking email and word processing, you can’t go wrong with the MacBook Air – not to mention that it’s still the cheapest laptop that runs macOS.
Read the full review: 13-inch MacBook Air
The latest iteration of Apple’s seminal MacBook Pro series is here, and as you would expect it makes a number of notable improvements over last year’s offering. While it might not exactly feature the strongest battery life in the game (scoring under an hour less than last year’s offering), it does offer increased performance by way of a new CPU and faster RAM. Add that to Apple’s continued dedication to simplicity and beautiful design and you have a laptop that is sleek, portable and reliable.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017)
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article
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