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If there's one thing you can expect Roku to do at least once every month, it's add new free channels to its already massive lineup of more than 500 free live TV channels on The Roku Channel. In the past few months alone, Roku has added more than 70 new channels, covering everything from popular TV shows and movies to documentaries, sports, and news. But with its latest wave of free channels, Roku has added a channel unlike any it's ever added before, and, to be blunt, it's pretty painful to watch.
Ah, the age-old question at this point. Can you actually do all your schoolwork on an iPad or any other tablet? As a PhD student, I get asked this question at least three times a semester, either by incoming students, students looking to upgrade their tech, or even by parents sending their kids off to college for the first time. But now, it even extends into high schools, with many school systems rapidly adopting hybrid learning technologies and learning management services like Canvas.
Sports have become a major part of the Disney+ streaming scene, and the House of Mouse is preparing to make it even bigger. According to Jacob Feldman of Sportico, the Walt Disney Company announced to shareholders that it will expand its selection of sports content available on streaming.
Following a legal dispute with InterDigital relating to HEVC video encoding patents, which recently led to the removal of Disney+'s 4K UHD resolution and high dynamic range (HDR10) streaming support within certain European markets (via FlatpanelsHD), it looks like the former of the two video features is gearing up for a relaunch.
Believe it or not, I'm still using a first-generation Apple TV 4K, which means it's coming up on a decade old. Although it gets tvOS updates, at least for now, these updates don't bring anything meaningful. I don't have Liquid Glass. I don't have Snoopy backgrounds. Despite that, it hasn't hurt my enjoyment of the device, and there's a reason I keep on using it.
I've spent a lot of time using the Roku Ultra and Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but when it comes to speed, it's hard to beat the Google TV Streamer. Since I picked one up earlier this year, I've been impressed with how capable it is, thanks in large part to its 4GB of RAM, which is double what you'll find in both the 4K Max and Roku Ultra, as well as its upgraded quad-core processor, which is much faster than the chip Google used in the now-retired Chromecast devices that came before it.
Retiring replicants is no walk in the park. Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard learned this over the course of the 1982 film Blade Runner. This sci-fi masterwork by famed director Ridley Scott is considered a classic among fans of the genre. As a movie, Blade Runner helped define the cyberpunk subgenre of 80s sci-fi in cinema alongside other popular films like Terminator, Tron, and Robocop. The film is based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? written by the one individual many fans revere as the father of cyberpunk: Philip K. Dick. Dick's works are often popular for their juxtaposition of key themes, including a dystopian world, an advanced technological landscape, and a philosophical examination of reality.
When it comes to modern audiovisual (AV) technologies, nothing else has quite matched the ubiquity of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port. Across television sets and creator-grade laptops like the MacBook Pro, HDMI is a mainstay for connecting peripherals like Blu-ray players and video game consoles, as well as for conveniently connecting to larger external displays.
As things stand, 4K Blu-ray is currently the best way for you to watch your favorite shows and movies at home. There are many people who believe it's the endgame format, and I'm inclined to agree. I'm not sure how much more performance we can squeeze out of discs before we start to ask ourselves what the point is. There are still people who argue Blu-ray is good enough, but I'd say the implementation of HDR gives 4K the edge there.
As we prepare for the back-to-school season, the question on every student's mind seems to be whether they need a new tablet to handle this year's course load. I'm a college lecturer and PhD student, so I've been in my fair share of modern classrooms, including learning management systems you or your children most likely have to deal with on a daily basis, like Blackboard and Canvas. Additionally, my nephew is also getting to the age where his tablet time has to become something of an in-depth discussion.
We'll all buy a new TV at some point and be faced with the decision of what to do with the old one. You'll need to dispose of it responsibly at an e-waste center if it's broken. If it's still functional, you can try to sell it or repurpose it for other tasks.
I confess -- I normally prefer Apple Maps or Google Maps for roadtrips. The first wins if there's a risk of my getting sleepy or missing a turn, since it triggers vibrating alerts on my Apple Watch. Google often pulls out ahead because of its more comprehensive data, and the ability to scout and bookmark from my Windows laptop.
In the early days of smart TVs, companies regularly took a swing at their own operating systems, simply because there were no off-the-shelf solutions available. Predictably, the results were disastrous, which is how add-ons like Rokus and Chromecasts gained traction. Badly optimized software was made worse by weak processor technology. I was overjoyed when I plugged in my first Chromecast in 2013 -- and that was just as well, since the apps on my 2011 Sharp LCD were abandoned before the decade was out.
If there's one genre of film I'm always trying to get my friends and family to give a chance, it's Westerns. Don't get me wrong, I love a good sci-fi flick or a comedy, but it's hard to beat the grit and high-stakes morality that westerns bring to the table. And there have been a lot of outstanding Westerns released since the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Paying $24.99 for a new release, settling in, and then noticing that your TV hasn't thrown up its Dolby Vision badge may be a small problem, but it's also a very specific feeling of deflation. The product page said Dolby Vision, but the film is playing in HDR10, the soundbar is reporting 5.1 rather than Atmos, and nothing about the transaction you completed ten minutes ago suggested you'd been sold anything less than the best version.
One of the most important considerations when investing in a home entertainment projector is brightness. In order to achieve a clear, vivid image, you'll need to make sure your projector has a quality bulb that provides adequate brightness as well as an environment suited to the projector.
Any time Spotify announces new features or new changes to its app, I perk up a little bit. Most people can see how the streaming giant makes lives easier with audio upgrades -- from podcasts to audiobooks to millions of songs, Spotify has found ways to make streaming music simple and efficient.
Want to get a better viewing experience on your TV? You can try and get a newer TV with upgraded visuals. Ones that offer Dolby Vision and HDR support will give you a better picture to help you enjoy the content more. Looking at TVs with newer technology like an 8K option or a mini LED TV will deliver brighter colors for a richer and fuller experience.
Sony's Inzone headphones are positioned as PC gaming hardware, but they're designed to work across both PC and PS5, which makes them an appealing option if you're looking for something a bit more premium than the company's PlayStation accessories, or spend as much time in front of your TV as you do your monitor. The company launched Inzone in 2022 with a focus on audio, and recently expanded the brand with the help of esports company Fnatic to include more parts of the PC gaming experience to cover everything from in-ear monitors to wireless mice.
When it comes to high-end streaming boxes, you have the Google TV Streamer, the Roku Ultra, and the Apple TV 4K. Of that trio, the Apple TV 4K is my favorite of the bunch, but they all have their pros and cons. I don't own a Google TV Streamer, but I do have a Roku Ultra that I use daily just before going to sleep.
I use an iPhone 16 Pro as my daily driver, so to speak, but I'm not an Apple diehard. I've owned multiple Android phones in the past, and my work machine is a Windows PC. I'm actually a little jealous of Android users occasionally -- the best Android phones tend to have superior camera and charging specs, and Google's Pixel devices are graced with AI features that iPhones are struggling to catch up with. It took until this fall's iOS 26 for Apple to add call screening and hold assist options that have been on Pixel phones for years. If you're in the US, anyway.
Back when iPads still used Lightning ports, there wasn't much point in connecting anything to an iPad that wasn't a charger or a keyboard. There were software gaps, yes, but Lightning alone created a lot of barriers. It couldn't supply much power in the opposite direction, and data speeds were capped at 480Mbps. That might sound fast relative to your internet connection, but it's glacial for flash storage. Consider that if you wanted to copy 64GB of media, it would take almost 18 minutes, never mind the hundreds of gigabytes of files you might have on your hard drive.
The 70mai 4K T800 Dash Cam is a premium in-car solution for 24/7 monitoring of any type of vehicle. It features triple-channel recording thanks to front, rear and interior cameras, all of which capture high-quality footage. The 4K specification is boosted thanks to front and rear Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensors that can capture license plate details and road signs with ease, while also working very effectively in low light or darkness. The 70mai engineers have clearly focused on improving the HDR for all three channels, and there's a special 'Night Owl Vision' feature that really tackles those after-dark tasks.
I've written here before about the many great uses of NotebookLM. I've used it to help me make PowerPoint presentations for work. It has turned into my researching companion for pretty much anything that I do, including planning a trip. And because I don't fully trust everything I hear from a chatbot like ChatGPT, I've used NotebookLM to fact-check what I've been told.
I do most of my emailing from my iPhone using Apple Mail. On my MacBook, I use Apple Mail again, but I've always struggled to find a solid email client for Windows. If you do most of your emailing on Windows, you'll know the struggle of trying to find a good email client.
I'm a big fan of the OnePlus Pad 2 and the latest OnePlus Pad 3. I've had the opportunity to test and use both, and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with each. Both are powerful tablets, with the OnePlus Pad 3 in particular taking everything I loved about the Pad 2 and making it even better. Whether it's battery life, performance, or design, the OnePlus Pad 3 is easily one of the best Android tablets available right now.
In a collaboration with eyeglass maker Oakley, Meta has just announced an all-new series of AI-powered spectacles called the Oakley Meta HSTN. These smart glasses are endowed with Oakley's signature design, while also featuring several tech enhancements over the existing Meta Ray-Ban glasses. The HSTN lineup consists of six models with bespoke frame and color combinations, while a Limited Edition pair with gold accents and 24K PRISM Polar lenses will also be made available at launch.
Between Amazon announcing Prime Day, Meta dropping upcoming Passkeys, and Xbox revealing its latest partnership, there is a lot of tech news to catch up on this week.
The center of any home entertainment system is likely a quality smart TV, one that provides access to all forms of entertainment you consume while hopefully featuring a display and hardware that suits your viewing preferences. With so many companies making smart TVs, and so many pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology, there are no shortage of novel and exciting models available tailored to everything you might want and need.
It's a day a lot of iPad users thought might never come. iPadOS 26, premiering this fall, will finally turn the tablet into something more Mac-like, offering a more flexible window interface and processor-intensive background tasks. Those things shouldn't be a big deal, but Apple executives have always fought to keep the iPad distinct -- after all, if you can get everything you need from a $349 iPad, you might not be inclined to buy a MacBook Air, much less a MacBook Pro or a Mac Studio.
It's no secret that streaming has become the most popular way to watch TV today. With services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ available, there's always something new and interesting to enjoy. However, in terms of total viewership numbers, streaming has never surpassed the combined viewership of traditional TV (cable TV and broadcast TV) -- until now.
There are many different AI tools available, but Google's NotebookLM is easily one of the coolest. If you've never used it before or are unfamiliar with it, it's an AI research assistant that can summarize and make connections between different sources you upload, such as PDFs, websites, and YouTube videos.
One X user by the name of PatRyk has managed to do the seemingly impossible, by successfully loading Apple's iOS operating system onto a first-generation Nintendo Switch. According to the user, the process of grafting the iPhone's OS onto the Switch gaming console took two entire days, and it required the use of the third-party QEMUAppkeSilicon tool from GitHub.
Back in 2012, Microsoft took a gamble that went on to have sweeping consequences for the PC industry. With the dramatic rise of touchscreen-based computing platforms at the time, the tech giant made the decisive move to evolve its flagship desktop operating system for the mobile era. This touch-first approach to computing resulted in the infamous Windows 8. While leaving the traditional desktop user interface largely in tow, Microsoft bolted an all-new UI paradigm onto Windows, which was designed to better conform to a world increasingly dominated by smartphones and tablets.
Samsung recently teased its next-generation foldable phone, promising it would be the "thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet." The foldable phone in question is expected to be the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and now a new leak is shedding light on just how thin it might be.
Lossless audio support on Spotify has always seemed like a distant dream. In 2021, Spotify announced "Spotify Hi-Fi," which was supposed to add lossless audio to the popular music streaming app. Four years later, in 2025, it's nowhere to be seen. However, there are new signs of hope that lossless audio could finally be coming to Spotify sooner rather than later.
To my surprise, PC gaming has actually become more popular than ever in recent years. Handheld PCs like the Steam Deck have probably contributed to that, but the more important factors are likely access to a huge, frequently discounted gaming library, as well as the fact that many of us need a PC one way or another. Spending extra on a gaming laptop doesn't seem as frivolous if the games are cheaper than on a console, and your purchase can replace two or three separate devices.
I'm not going to lie -- I struggle with sleep. I'm busy and stressed, which doesn't lend itself to a healthy bedtime schedule, or often, staying asleep until my alarm goes off. You know it's a strange life when a heavy weightlifting session represents both your downtime and a useful way of knocking yourself out.
Phones these days are meant to be admired. You don't buy a new phone without being amazed by it, in some capacity or another. You wouldn't have purchased it if you weren't. Phones are meant to show off what the future of technology is -- and could be -- like. Most of us don't even let our phones leave our sight nowadays.
Severance is back for its long-awaited second season on Apple TV+. The sci-fi drama by director Ben Stiller has earned a large audience of loyal fans, and heaps of critical praise for its premise about a technology that can surgically split a person's mind in two between work and home life -- and its incredible execution.
Have you ever searched for an email you swore you saved but have no idea when it was sent? You vaguely remember parts of the message or who it was sent to, but no matter how much you dig through your inbox, you just can't seem to find it. Unless you're diligent about your inbox, this probably sounds familiar.
There are a lot of new trends for smart TVs in 2025. Artificial intelligence continues to be integrated into smart TVs in new, exciting, and sometimes concerning ways, while design continues to be emphasized as well, with TVs thinner and more attractive than ever. Image fidelity and quality are also at the forefront, too. The advent of an upgraded HDMI cable sits up there with continued interest in micro-LED screens and 8K resolution, too.
The Amazon Kindle has evolved over several variations over the years. It's known as an e-reader first and foremost, with all generations strictly focused on providing the best reading experience possible on the go. After the first initial Kindle versions, Amazon decided to launch the Kindle Fire, which was a mashup of a tablet and a Kindle. Its intention was to fully plunge Amazon into the tablet age.
I've mentioned it elsewhere, but as a tech journalist, there's an invisible pressure on me to buy the best possible smartphone I can afford. It's not about status so much as credibility -- it's hard to speak with authority if you haven't used the latest tech personally. That's usually meant having to bypass budget phones in favor of high-end models like my iPhone 16 Pro, although for years, that wasn't a hard sell -- no one wants a phone with a noisy camera sensor or lethargic app performance.
In what might be the quirkiest collaboration in recent tech history, Samsung has joined forces with famous shoemaker Crocs to launch an official Galaxy S25 series Crocs Case.
If you've ever wanted to express your dislike for a comment on Instagram, you may soon be able to do just that.
Over the years, Google has released a number of tablet-style devices under its Nexus and Pixel hardware brands. The tech giant is notorious for wavering in its tablet strategy, frequently switching between Android, ChromeOS, miniature screens, and expansive ones when conceiving of and adjusting the course of its product endeavors.
If you're looking for something new to watch for free on Pluto TV this weekend, you're in luck.
The Nintendo Switch continues to amaze us years after its launch - it's a console and a portable all in one, and already has a library that contains some of the very best games ever made.
We love it, basically, and that goes for the excellent Switch Lite and Switch OLED, as well. That said, the speakers one the little consoles are more than a little underwhelming for more dramatic moments in games, so pairing your Switch with a headset is a no-brainer. The voice chat situation is a little complicated with Nintendo, so you'll have to check which games will let you chat, but these options will all sound great.
Thanks to a recent software update, too, you can also pair any Bluetooth headphones to your Switch for audio. For the sake of simplicity, though, we're sticking to dedicated gaming headsets in this guide.
All of the options on this list have been tested extensively, checking not for just pure audio quality but also how well-built they are, what features they offer and how useful they are when you're on the move.
What is the best headset for Nintendo Switch? Currently, our top recommendation is the Steelseries Arctis 1 Wireless. Other great options include the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Max, EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid, Logitech Pro X, Razer Kraken X and the Fnatic React.
Our Top Pick: Nintendo Switch Headsets
Samsung is expected to hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event at some point in the beginning of February, where rumours suggest the Galaxy S23 series will debut.
We've already seen plenty of leaks surrounding the devices, which we have rounded up in our Samsung Galaxy S23 rumour feature, but the latest officially shows off the design and colours expected for the S23+ and S23 Ultra.
We say officially, though Samsung itself hasn't released the images. Instead, 91Mobiles has got its hands on what it claims to be marketing material for the devices. The material is said to have come from "industry source" and it reveals the S23+ and the S23 Ultra, but not the standard S23.
Based on the material, the rumours surrounding the designs of the devices appear to be accurate, with the S23+ and S23 Ultra featuring individual lenses on the rear outside of a camera housing. They also both have a centralised punch hole camera at the top of the display.
Based on the leaked marketing material, as well as previous leaks, the signature colour for the S23 will be pink for 2023, the signature colour for the S23+ will be purple and the signature colour for the S23 Ultra will be green.
For now, nothing is official - not even the date of the next Galaxy Unpacked - but we will update our Galaxy S23 feature as soon as any information appears.
Redfall was announced in June 2021 as part of Xbox and Bethesda's summer showcase, and while we had to wait another year to see some glimpses of gameplay, there's now plenty of information about the game out there.
It's looking like another frenetic bit of fun from the geniuses at Arkane, although this time you'll be able to team up with friends for the first time. Find out all the key details right here.
Redfall release date
When Redfall was first announced it was with the above glitzy CGI trailer, which optimistically ended with a 2022 release window, something that felt like it was potentially unlikely even at the time. That was proven so when the game was delayed by Bethesda in early May 2022 at the same time as it delayed Starfield, too.
An update on Redfall and Starfield. pic.twitter.com/pqDtx26Uu6
— Bethesda (@bethesda) May 12, 2022
The new release window is sometime in the first half of 2023, but we don't have an exact date as of yet, so there's nothing for you to put in your calendar at this point.
Redfall platforms
We know what platforms Redfall will be coming to, and it's another big game that's being dictated by the purchase of Bethesda by Xbox. That agreement means that it won't be coming to PS4 or PS5 when it does release.
However, it's great news for Xbox fans, since that means it's basically a console exclusive for the Xbox Series X and S and, even better, the game will be on Xbox Game Pass from release onward, and will also come to PC.
It won't hit the Switch, though, since that console's less-powerful hardware just wouldn't be able to run it.
Redfall story
Redfall is titled for a fictional town in Massachusetts that's been taken over by a cult of vampire worshippers that has somehow managed to block out the sun to give total dominance to their undead overlords.
You'll explore it as one of a crew of up to four, trying to figure out what's happening and how you can stop it, and it seems like you'll have to come up against plenty of vampires along the way, along with cult members who haven't yet been transformed.
In traditional Arkane style, there should be plenty of free-form style to the action, and we also know the four protagonists thanks to the game's official website:
- Devinder Crousley, a cryptozoologist
- Layla Ellison, an engineer with telekinetic powers
- Remi de la Rosa, who has a robot helper called Bribon
- Jacob Boyer, an ex-sniper with a vampiric eye and a pet raven's ghost
They look and sound like an eclectic bunch, and we're sure they'll be great fun to get to know thanks to Arkane's normally witty writing.
Redfall gameplay
Redfall is set in an open world, the whole confines of the town apparently open to you and your mates as you investigate the grisly experiments that have exploded vampirism into plain sight.
We got our first look at real gameplay in June 2022, in the reveal that you can watch above, and it looks like what we expected - an Arkane game with a heavier emphasis on action than the likes of Dishonored.
We can see each of the characters getting their moment in the spotlight, with powers like a spectral elevator on evidence, and a bunch of different weapons that look punchy and satisfying. We now know that whichever character you choose will be your for the whole game, so there's no swapping between them on the fly.
It's clear that you will be able to use some stealth, at least, with silenced guns and takedowns always an option, and we can see a few different types of enemies that will be standing in your way, too.
Arkane says the same minds behind Prey's Talos-1 and Dishonored's Dunwall are the ones who designed Redfall's huge world, so we're hoping it has the same interconnectedness and intricacy of those beloved settings.
The fact that the whole game is playable in up to four-player co-op is completely new for the studio, and could be a huge step forward, but it's also been clear to reassure players that anyone looking to play it through on their own will still have a classic Arkane experience without missing out on anything.
The host of a co-op session will be the only one making story progress, sensibly - while you'll keep XP and weapons you gain when you drop into a friend's world, the missions you complete will still remain open when you return to your own version of Redfall.
You'll have skills and abilities to upgrade as you progress through the game, and you can also customise your gear as you like, which sounds fun. Weapon traits will put twists on how each works, in a system that sounds a little like that from Deathloop.
There will be a map to clear, in classic open-world style, with neighbourhoods that you can take back from vampire control to help Redfall's citizens reclaim their city.
The OnePlus 11 5G is one of many upcoming phones we're looking forward to seeing in 2023, and it follows on from one of the best value-for-money flagship phones on the market this year: the OnePlus 10 Pro.
We've heard a number of leaks and rumours already about OnePlus' next flagship phone, including that what was assumed to be the OnePlus 11 Pro is actually going to be the OnePlus 11 5G. What's more, OnePlus has already confirmed when the phone will be unveiled.
As more rumours, leaks and information comes to the fore, we'll continue updating this feature with the story of the OnePlus 11 as it unfolds. Want to know about the next flagship OnePlus? This is the place to be.
OnePlus 11 5G launch timeframe
- 7 February launch event
- Around £600-£800/$700-$900?
Early rumours suggested the OnePlus 11 would make its first appearance at some point in the first quarter of 2023, and OnePlus has confirmed this with an announcement in December that it will - indeed - be launched in February.
Unlike the 10 Pro from 2022, the OnePlus 11 is going to launch in India first, with the launch event actually taking place on 7 February in New Delhi.
Nothing has been said about the pricing yet, but it's certainly an intriguing point. If only because its price very much depends on whether it's replacing the OnePlus 10 Pro or the OnePlus 10T, or - even - sitting somewhere between 'regular' and 'Pro'. Its spec sheet very much reads like a top-tier device, but its naming purposefully misses out on the 'Pro' labelling that would usually accompany a company's highest-tier model.
OnePlus 11 design and display
- Huge circular camera housing
- Curved glass front and back
- Alert Slider switch
- 6.7-inch QHD+ display - 120Hz
Detailed renders show that OnePlus is making quite a dramatic change to the rear design of its flagship phone for 2023. Rather than have a rectangular or square camera unit, the back of the phone is dominated by a large circular protrusion. It's not identical but it is similar to what we've seen on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. As much has been made clear in OnePlus' own teaser images and videos.
The rest of the phone's design is very much the same as usual for OnePlus. Leaked renders show curved glass on both the front and the back of the phone, with slim metal edges all around. And - unlike the OnePlus 10T - the Alert Slider switch is here. A leak from December also suggests we're going to see the usual green and black colour combination.
Good morning! pic.twitter.com/TueaVavq1H
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) December 19, 2022
Other details include the power button on the right side, beneath the Alert Slider, with the volume switch on the opposite side of the phone. Other rumours did suggest we might see ceramic backs, but looking at the renders it suggests it's actually just the usual frosted glass finish.
On the front, we're expecting to see a large QuadHD+ resolution AMOLED display with a punch-hole selfie camera in the top left corner. The screen is said to measure 6.7-inches diagonally and offer refresh rates up to 120Hz.
If it's anything like the 10 Pro - and we suspect it will be - the display will offer adaptive refresh rates, allowing the screen to automatically adjust and adapt its refresh rate to match the content, going from as low as 1Hz up to its 120Hz peak. It's also likely to continue Oppo and OnePlus' trend of offering 10-bit, 1-billion colour support.
OnePlus 11 5G hardware specs and performance
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
- 16GB RAM and 256GB storage
- 5000mAh battery with 100W fast charging
OnePlus flagship phones almost always use the latest and greatest mobile chipsets available from Qualcomm. The same is expected of the OnePlus 11 5G. That means it's likely to launch with the recently announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform. Rumours suggest this will power the phone alongside up to 16GB RAM.
It's also claimed that the phone will have up to 256GB of storage. Flagship OnePlus phones haven't offered expandable storage for a long time, so we don't expect any microSD card support for this one.
As for the battery, it's claimed that we'll see a 5000mAh capacity with support for OnePlus/Oppo's 100W SuperVOOC branded charging. In fact, as much has been seemingly confirmed by a Chinese certification listing.
That means you'll be able to completely refill the battery in well under 30 minutes. The interesting thing to note here - perhaps - is that the OnePlus 10T currently offers a faster 150W charging experience, but has a smaller 4800mAh battery capacity.
OnePlus 11 5G cameras
- 50MP primary camera
- 48MP ultrawide
- 32MP telephoto 2x zoom
- 16MP selfie camera
The OnePlus 11 Pro is claimed to feature three cameras on the back, each with a dedicated function. There's the 50-megapixel main camera alongside a 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 2x telephoto zoom camera with a 32-megapixel sensor. The selfie camera on the front is rumoured to feature a 16-megapixel sensor.
If the early renders are accurate, OnePlus will continue its co-branding strategy with Hasselblad. Like Oppo, it has partnered with the camera company to offer a different camera experience with Hasselblad's approach to colour processing.
OnePlus 11 5G: The story so far
19 December 2022: OnePlus launch date confirmed
OnePlus has revealed that it will be launching the OnePlus 11 5G at an event in India on 7 February
19 December 2022: OnePlus 11 renders show off the new design
Right ahead of the official confirmation from OnePlus, a teaser image was leaked revealing the two colour options.
12 December 2022: 100W fast charging confirmed by certification
Rumours of a 100W fast charging capability have seemingly been confirmed by certification listing.
30 November 2022: OnePlus 11 gets certified
A mystery OnePlus phone gets its certification and is claimed to ship in 'Matte Black' and 'Glossy Green'.
18 November 2022: OnePlus 11 could go ceramic
A rumour suggests that the OnePlus 11 could be available with a ceramic rear panel.
17 October 2022: OnePlus 11 Pro is not so 'Pro' after all
According to a frequently reliable Twitter leaker, the OnePlus 11 Pro is ditching the 'Pro' naming scheme.
21 September 2022: OnePlus specifications leaked
According to an exclusive report by 91Mobiles, the OnePlus 11 Pro will have 100W charging, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and a 5000mAh battery.
14 September 2022: OnePlus 11 Pro design has been revealed
The render leaks have started, and this leak shows a huge, round camera protrusion on the back of the OnePlus 11 Pro.
If you have multiple Google Nest smart home speakers then you can use this simple trick to send messages between them. This technique allows you to use Google Nest (previously Google Home) speakers as an intercom system, sending messages throughout your home with ease.
We like to use this for simple things like telling the kids to come downstairs for dinner or letting everyone know it's time to leave the house. The good news is it's really easy to do.
It's basically a Google Assistant upgrade that lets you broadcast your voice to all your Google Nest speakers or Google Assistant-enabled speakers - using either another speaker or your smartphone. Here's everything you need to know about how the feature works.
- Google Home review: Better than Amazon Echo?
- What is Google Home, how does it work, and when can you buy it?
How to broadcast voice messages with Google Nest Speakers
Getting started
Before you can start broadcasting voice messages, you need two or more Google Nest speakers (any combination of Google Nest will do including Nest Audio, Mini, Max or Hub). All these Google speakers have to be on the same Wi-Fi network, and at least one member of your household has to sign into their Goole account on each of the Google Nest speakers. Do Not Disturb must be off, as well.
Broadcast a message
To send a message, simply say "OK Google, broadcast", followed by whatever you want to say.
So, if you need to round up the family or your co-workers in the morning, all you have to do is say “OK Google, broadcast it’s time for school" or "OK Google, broadcast it's time for a meeting".
Your message will then broadcast to all Google Assistant-enabled speakers signed into the same Google account. It'll even ring a dinner bell if you say "OK Google, broadcast it's dinner time."
You don't have to be near a Google Home speaker for this feature to work, either. Just use Google Assistant on your smartphone to send messages to your Google Assistant-enabled speakers. Easy.
Do you have to say 'broadcast'?
No. You can also say "shout", "tell everyone", or "announce".
Want to know more?
See Google's help center for more examples on how to use this feature.
Sometimes a game feels like it came out a heck of a lot more recently than it did, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has to be right up there on that list. Countless re-releases and ports of the game have masked the fact that it's been over a decade since it first came out.
While Skyrim has come to current-gen consoles with visual upgrades, and been translated into a superlative VR experience, there's not much you can do to dim fans' anticipation for the next game in the long-running Elder Scrolls series. Best of all, we know that developer Bethesda is in some form working on it, although its release sounds like it could be a long while off.
We've gathered everything we know about The Elder Scrolls VI right here for your browsing pleasure, regardless.
The Elder Scrolls 6 release date
The trailer we've embedded above is about as official as news has come regarding The Elder Scrolls 6 - it was shown off by Bethesda at E3 back in 2018 to a huge reception. Fans, understandably, got insanely excited about the possibility that they'd be adventuring around a new game world within a couple of years.
Well, time makes fools of us all, and since then there's been nary a peep about the game. Pete Hines is basically the top messaging and marketing bod at Bethesda, and dropped this bombshell when asked by a fan on Twitter for details on the game a long while back in 2020:
It’s after Starfield, which you pretty much know nothing about. So if you’re coming at me for details now and not years from now, I’m failing to properly manage your expectations.
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) May 10, 2020
Well, we now know a lot more about Starfield, including the fact that it comes out in 2023 - but sadly, that means TES 6 is still on the back-burner. Bethesda supremo Todd Howard confirmed in an interview with IGN in June 2022 that the next Elder Scrolls game was still in pre-production.
That means that we're not feeling optimistic at all about when it might actually be pencilled in for release. Realistically, we think late 2025 is the absolute earliest it could possibly be finished for, and we think sometime in 2026 is a smarter bet right now, if not later.
The Elder Scrolls 6 setting and story
Even if it's a while away, though, we can still make some educated guesses about the content of the game, thankfully. For one thing, it's almost guaranteed to be set in Tamriel, the fictional continent that's housed every Elder Scrolls game so far, and which is made up of multiple regions, which have changed over the course of its history.
Many previous The Elder Scrolls games adopt these regions in their very names - Skyrim, Morrowind, and so on - so it's widely assumed that TES6 will follow suit. But what will the name and setting be? There are a number of options - Valenwood, Elsweyr, Akavir, and more - but our prediction is that it will go one of three ways.
The first major option is Black Marsh, the most south-eastern area of Tamriel, which gives the game opportunity to explore a different landscape than the frosted lands of Skyrim. It's home to the Argonian lizard-people, which make up one of Tamriel's races. There's a certain ring to the name, too, which always helps when selling multi-million-dollar gaming franchises.
Another option, though, is informed by the trailer Bethesda released, above. It looks like a pretty arid climate, which could make it the home of the Khajit - feline humanoids that have become fan favourites. That would see the game set in Elsweyr.
Finally, a recent front-runner is a theory that Hammerfell is where we'll end up - fuelled by a fresh and cryptic Tweet from the series' official Twitter handle:
Transcribe the past and map the future.
— The Elder Scrolls (@ElderScrolls) December 31, 2020
Here's to a Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/bL44CzLDIE
Between the oddly-placed candles and the presence of Hammerfell to Skyrim's South, people are getting convinced this hints at the next major game's setting. For now, though, this is all sadly speculation, with no official information likely for some time - all while Elder Scrolls Online continues to explore Tamriel, meaning that teasers could well be for new expansions for the MMO, not a new game.
Of course, outside of its setting, there's still huge variety in what sort of story the game could tell. Will we get another tale of a fallen god seeking rebirth, or a long-rumoured doom returning to peaceful lands? It's hard to tell, at this stage.
The Elder Scrolls 6 platforms?
What we can be much more confident about is what platforms the game is likely to come to - we can now be fairly sure that it's a next-gen only title. While the PS4 and Xbox One could still be getting new games in a couple of years' time, we doubt they'll be able to handle what Bethesda cooks up graphically.
However, the elephant in the room here is that Bethesda is now owned by Microsoft, so TES6 coming to PS5 is no longer on the table. A recent roundtable saw Phil Spencer say that Bethesda games would be exclusive to platforms that can host Game Pass.
That means that right now we can only really see the game arriving on a few platforms: Xbox Series X, Series S and PC. On top of that, the announcement that Bethesda's next game, Starfield, won't come to PlayStation, makes it all but guaranteed that the same is true for The Elder Scrolls.
Although the Nintendo Switch did get the requisite port of Skyrim too, it looks more than a little ropey in places, so we think it's a safe assumption that, barring any big hardware changes from Nintendo, its super little console won't be able to handle the new Elder Scrolls game.
Elder Scrolls 6 gameplay
When it comes to gameplay, there are also some safe assumptions that we can make about what you can expect from TES6, regardless of setting. It'll almost certainly be a traditional role-playing game that lets you choose your adventurer and route through the game world. You'll be able to play in first-person and third-person modes, and could create a spellcaster, warrior, slick-tongued thief or stealthy assassin - or any other combination of traits.
There will be a main quest that concerns itself with seismic, continental events, but also countless smaller, less time-consuming errands and investigations to embark upon, adding up to a game world that has an endless-feeling amount of content for new players to discover. Does that cover everything?
Still, though, there are obviously unknowns about what Bethesda could change about its systems, whether in the form of a more in-depth magic system, stealth that's a bit more involved, or even an overhauled combat system with a bit more responsiveness.
Plus, we heard in late 2020 that Bethesda was overhauling its entire gameplay engine to cater to the game, so we could end up with something far less familiar than you might think.
Given Bethesda's mixed results in the world of online gaming, too, with the Elder Scrolls Online doing well and Fallout 76... less so, there's also a question mark over whether the developer will seek to add in any online elements. We think this is slightly unlikely, at least as far as full-on multiplayer is concerned, given the heritage of the mainline games, but anything is possible at this stage.
Plugging in a proper PlayStation headset for the first time can be a literal game-changer.
Whether you're trying to get as immersed as possible in a narrative adventure, or wanting to boost your comms in multiplayer modes, a good-quality gaming headset can make the experience all the more rewarding.
However, the range of headsets on the market varies in how they connect and are sometimes not compatible across both Sony and Microsoft consoles. Lucky for you, we've been exhaustively testing headsets for both PlayStation consoles in order to work out the very best.
All the headsets we've picked should work on both the PS4 and PS5 (although going for a wired option is the most surefire way to guarantee this), and we've also included some FAQs and advice on pairing a headset to your console to ensure you can get up and running as smoothly as possible.
What are the best headsets for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5?
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
- SteelSeries Arctis 7P+
- HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
- Audeze Penrose
- Logitech Pro X
- Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Max
- EPOS GSP 370
- Corsair HS70 Bluetooth
Our Top Pick: Best PlayStation Headset
The original Mass Effect trilogy is one of the most beloved gaming sagas of all time, a soaring space epic that managed to nail both small character moments and dialogue and the sweeping arc of its galaxy-scale story.
It's so well-liked that the mere announcement of a remaster for the trilogy made big waves, but that pales compared to the hype being generated for the now-confirmed next full entry in the series. For now, we've got no title and few details, but you can find out all the important facts right here.
Next Mass Effect release date
Even getting confirmation that the next Mass Effect game is in active development has taken plenty of time, so the headline news here is that a firm release date is still very much a ways off. However, we've made real progress nonetheless!
It was only in November 2020, on N7 Day, that BioWare made the small announcement that it was working on the next game, along with a single piece of concept art that's above, as the header image for this piece. We thought that was encouraging enough, but then in December 2020 BioWare debuted a teaser trailer at the Game Awards.
It's a brief look, and we'll get into its implications for the new game's story down below, but it conspicuously doesn't end with any sort of indication of a release window, which is hardly a surprise. It's therefore vanishingly unlikely that we'll see the game release this year. In fact, late 2023 would be our starting bet, and we should probably prepare you for the possibility it could take longer.
The team at BioWare recently published a blog post that mentioned that the game is in the prototyping phase, so it's only at an early stage of its production right now - another strong indication that it's still at least a couple of years off.
Next Mass Effect platforms
Those rough conclusions we can draw about the game's release window being far off can lead us to some fairly obvious guesses about platforms, too. By the time it comes out it's most likely this sort of AAA game will be geared squarely and exclusively at the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, taking advantage of next-gen power and speed.
The games have also always historically come out at the same time on PC, too, so we see no reason why that would stop. Nintendo's joyous Switch is a console marvel, but we'd be enormously surprised if it could hold a candle to the sort of power the game will need in a couple of years' time, so without hardware updates, it won't be on Switch, sadly.
Next Mass Effect Story
This is where things get a little more speculative, but also a bunch more interesting - there are so many possibilities for what BioWare could choose to explore with a new Mass Effect, but that teaser trailer gives us a few firm hints about what to expect.
Firstly, it clearly takes place after the conclusion of Mass Effect 3, so this isn't another major time jump for the series. Unlike Andromeda, the middling follow-up we've had so far, it looks like it's also going to commit to making one of the optional endings of Mass Effect 3 the canonical choice. We know this since the trailer clearly features a defunct, floating wreckage that was once a Mass Relay, the fast-travel service around our galaxy.
However, it doesn't look like Andromeda is getting abandoned by any means - in fact, the most likely bet is that the game will follow from Andromeda on a timeline basis, but deal more directly with the events caused by Mass Effect 3's ending.
Fronting the show for now, too, is Liara, the beloved blue-skinned alien from the original games, older and wiser. In the trailer, we see her searching among the wreckage of a defeated Reaper and finding part of the helmet worn by your old player character, Commander Shepard. That's enticing and encouraging news.
The figures in that concept art, meanwhile, have drawn some attention and look an awful lot like the silhouettes of Thane and Mordin from the first trilogy, as well as Jaal from Andromeda - the latter being an alien of a race that was new in Andromeda, further indicating that it's part of the new canon.
In July 2022 we got an interesting bit of news where the game's story in concerned - veteran writer Mary DeMarle is working as a Senior Narrative Director on the project. She was instrumental to the story of the recent Guardians of the Galaxy, and the modern Deus Ex games, which is a good pedigree to bring in.
Oh, hey!
— Michael Gamble (@GambleMike) July 4, 2022
I'm really excited to let you know that Mary DeMarle will be joining the Mass Effect team as Senior Narrative Director. You've seen her work in Guardians of the Galaxy & Deus Ex (to name a few!). She's amazing.
That's less good news for her old home, Eidos Montreal, but suggests that we can expect a well-crafted story from the team working on the next Mass Effect.
N7 Day in early November 2022 brought another bit of concept art for the game, which you can see below - it's a gorgeous piece hinting at some sort of reconstruction in space. We can't confirm that it's an attempt to build a new Mass Effect relay, but the shape of the structure is similar and it's labelled MR7.
A bit of text on the image (which you can see in full on the official blog here) calls it a Vacuum-dock relay, so we'll have to wait to find out what that means in due course.
What exactly the story will look like is still entirely unknown, of course, but the inclusion of returning characters, and the hint that Shepard might not be quite out for the count, will be getting pulses racing.
Next Mass Effect gameplay
Finally, we come to gameplay, and while we can't be sure of much on this front either, there are some fairly sensible guesses to be made. The Mass Effect series has always been a third-person shooter fused with an RPG, but it's fair to say that it's become heavier on the shooting as it's gone along. Or, at least, the shooting got better over time.
We see no reason this should change in the new game and, in fact, one of the areas where Andromeda made some good strides forward was in combat, which was punchy and variable once you started to embrace and experiment with the many powers and options available to you.
You should also expect a chunky story filled with side quests, all offering up choices for how you want to resolve matters, along with a roster of companions to gather and choose between as you set out on missions. Who these will be is anyone's guess at the moment.
Similarly, it's hard to predict how many locations and planets we'll be able to visit, but we're hopeful that BioWare is setting the bar high on all these counts. For now, all we can do is wait to find out.
Whether you own the standard Nintendo Switch model, Switch Lite or Switch OLED, you're going to want to know the best games to own and play.
Luckily, you're in the right place - in this guide, we'll be detailing all the must-own Switch titles to consider adding to your library.
The Pocket-lint team is constantly testing out the latest Switch games for review, and that means we're able to provide a comprehensive shortlist of the very best available right now.
- Top PS4 games: Best PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro games every gamer must own
- Top Xbox One games: Best Xbox One S and X games every gamer must own
However, if you're interested in particular genres, we've also got specific lists for some areas, which you'll find listed below so that you can jump straight to them.
| Our Switch game buyer's guides |
| • Best role-playing games (RPGs) |
| • Best multiplayer games |
| • Best strategy games |
| • Best platforming games |
| • Best shooters |
| • Best horror games |
| • Best indie games |
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What are the best games on Nintendo Switch?
- Super Mario Odyssey
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Hades
- Super Mario Maker 2
- Hollow Knight
- Metroid Dread
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Super Mario Odyssey
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One of the best 3D platformers ever made, Nintendo's big Mario game on the Switch is an absolute masterpiece, with gorgeous levels and a pervasive sense of fun. There are countless moons for you to find, and when you finish the game you'll realise how much more there is to do if you fancy it.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
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An already legendary game, Breath of the Wild showed that Nintendo can do an open world just as well as any other developer on the planet, if not better. With a sandbox version of Hyrule to explore and some amazing tools to use, there are infinite possibilities.
That's paired with a soulful and subtle soundtrack and another lovely melancholy story to make for a package that every Switch owner simply has to try.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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The most iconic racing game out there has become a huge smash hit on the Switch, despite technically being a re-release of the underplayed Wii U version. This kart racer looks brilliant and feels simply fantastic to play, with old-school driving and item chaos.
It's the perfect game for a party, with furious last-second overtakes and unbelievable losses guaranteed.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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A roster of fighters so huge that ultimate really is the only word - Smash Bros has been adding to its lineup for years and only recently called that all to a halt by adding Sora, its last fighter. Still, there's so much fun to be had here, not least in an extensive singleplayer mode.
Play it competitively, even if only against your mates, and you'll really see the power of Smash Bros, though, with mechanics that are easy to learn but have an impressively stratospheric skill ceiling.
Hades
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A stunner of an indie release, Hades is one of the best roguelike games ever released. You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, and have to try over and over again to escape the underworld. As you go you'll get random boosts and attacks so that each run is different from the last.
It's brilliant and addictive stuff, but a wonderfully-told story is what really ties it all together, showing empathy to a huge range of characters that you'll come to know and love over time.
Super Mario Maker 2
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Nintendo fantastically built on its Super Mario Maker concept for the sequel, which is better in almost every way possible. You can basically create Mario 2D platformer levels, share them and play others built by the wider community. A single-player story mode is also great fun, as you tackle more than 100 custom levels.
Hollow Knight
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One of the best Metroidvania games ever made, this hand-drawn sidescroller is simply sumptuous, with a mysterious and melancholy world to explore underground. It's challenging and doesn't hold your hand too much, but one of the most rewarding games we've played in ages.
Metroid Dread
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Metroid itself is getting on fine, though, with the surprise arrival of a new 2D platformer in 2021, in the form of the correctly-titled Metroid Dread. This is a great reinvention of the series' formula and heritage. You'll once again play as Samus Aran, but this time you're less powerful than ever.
With plenty of occasions where all you can do is run, it's a frantic affair, but extremely rewarding the further you get through it.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
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A superb RPG, Three Houses brings Fire Emblem into the current generation of consoles with aplomb. You'll meet a wide array of likeable characters in this battle strategy game, but you won't be able to save them all and hard choices will come at you thick and fast.
Three Houses tells an engaging story and has some really great strategic puzzles for you to try to solve, and it's only playable on the Switch, so we highly recommend giving it a try.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
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There's no denying that everyone loves a Pokémon game. The Switch version - which is available in Pikachu and Eevee flavours (they're two similar games but with slightly different content) - is a lovable role-playing game based on the old GameBoy classic, Pokémon Yellow. However, the graphics have been given a major overhaul and optional motion controls make this an interactive classic.
One of the advantages of having multiple Amazon echos is the ability to use a multi-room set-up and have music playing in multiple rooms at once. However, you might also find you want to create a pair of Echos, and have stereo sound split between the right and left speaker.
The good news is you can do exactly that. Following this tutorial you can have two Echo speakers set up as a stereo pair, playing as one system with the right and left channels divided between the two speakers.
What do you need?
- Two identical compatible Echo speakers
- Amazon Alexa app
First up, you're going to need two compatible Echos of the same model. We used the latest Echo Dot 5th gen models launched in 2022, one with the clock, and one without.
This process works with other models too. This includes the following:
- Echo (2nd, 3rd and 4th gen)
- Echo Dot (3rd and 4th gen)
- Echo Plus (1st and 2nd gen)
- Echo Studio
- Echo Show 5 (1st and 2nd gen).
It's worth noting, you don't necessarily have to use identical speakers, but for the sake of audio balance, it's best to use two of the same kind. So you technically can pair a 5th gen Echo Dot with 4th gen model if you want to.
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We're also going to assume you've set them up with the Alexa app, and that you have the app installed. If not, be sure to set up your Echo speakers following the instructions that came with them, and regardless of whether you have an Android phone or iPhone, make sure you have the Alexa app installed.
One handy tip for this tutorial: remember the speaker names or rename them to something you'll easily remember so that you know which two devices you actually want to pair and don't accidentally pair the wrong ones.
The Process
Once you have what you need and the two speakers are online and set up, open the Alexa app, tap the 'Devices' tab and find one of the speakers you want to create stereo pair with. You'll find them either under the 'Echo' tab, or you'll find them in the room you've grouped them to.
Now tap that Echo speaker and on the next screen, hit the settings cog in the corner of the screen to access the speaker's settings. Now follow the process:
- Find and select 'Stereo Pair/Subwoofer'
- Choose the two speakers you want to pair, tap 'Next'
- Choose which speaker is left, and which is right, tap 'Next'
- Create a name for your pair, hit 'Save'
Another little tip: which is right or left depends on how you're listening to them. If they're under your TV facing you, the right and left should mirror you. If they're to go on either side of your bed, facing the same way as you, they should match your left and right sides.
Once you've set the left and right sides and set a name for the pair, you hit save and that's it. You're ready to use them as a stereo pair.
Now when you ask either of these two speakers to play music, they'll automatically play it as a stereo pair. That means if you use the voice command to get its attention, it'll only alert one of them, and also means if you tap to pause or play, or adjust the volume using the buttons on the top, it'll do so on both, as a pair.
The PlayStation 5 has been out for a good while now, and many users will have expanded their game collections close to the internal hard drive's maximum capacity.
The Sony console's 825GB storage is plenty if you're only downloading a few must-play PS5 games, but, if you're constantly downloading new titles and want to keep your saved progress, you might be struggling.
That's where this guide comes in. Here, we've rounded up the best external PS5 SSDs that we've tested so far.
A post-launch software update now means you can move both PS4 and PS5 games over to external storage, and you're also now able to finally expand the internal storage, too.
While most external drives can't match the speed of the PS5's own drive, meaning you also can't play games from them directly, you'll still get way faster transfer speeds and a smaller device.
The options we've listed below are all compatible with PS4, as well, just in case you're looking to boost storage for Sony's older console.
Best External Drives for PS5
Our Top Pick: PS5 External Hard Drive
The Nintendo Switch might rightly have a reputation for being the best console for family games, but that doesn't mean it doesn't also play host to some excellent shooters.
- Nintendo Switch OLED model review: The Switch to rule them all
- Nintendo Switch Online: How much does it cost and what free games do you get?
From first-person shooters to third-person blasters, there are plenty of games to sink your teeth into on Nintendo's very portable console, and we've gathered some of the very best around right here for you to check out, below.
| Our Switch gaming guides |
| • Best Switch games overall |
| • Best multiplayer games |
| • Best strategy games |
| • Best platforming games |
| • Best horror games |
| • Best RPGs |
| • Best indie games |
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What are the best shooters on Switch?
- Splatoon 3
- Neon White
- Sniper Elite III: Ultimate Edition
- Doom
- Dusk
- Fortnite
Splatoon 3
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Although it's not exactly groundbreaking if you played the last couple of Splatoon games, this third-person, paint-splatting sequel is a fun multiplayer blast.
It looks superb on the Switch - with amazing vibrant colours and fun character designs. The single-player campaign is vastly improved, plus there are new multiplayer modes. Everything seems better tweaked than before, giving the best Splatoon experience yet.
Neon White
It's a little too simple to call this just a shooter - Neon White is unlike anything else, blending shooting with platforming and a puzzle game's tests of mentality to see how quickly you can blitz your way through a whole heap of ingeniously designed levels.
Sniper Elite III: Ultimate Edition
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The Switch release of Sniper Elite III: Ultimate brings one of the best combat games around to a portable platform. It is more cerebral than most shooters and plays partly as a stealth puzzle game. Plus, you can now get Sniper Elite V2 in its remastered form on the Nintendo machine too.
Doom
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Of all the remastered or remade games for Nintendo Switch, Doom is possibly the most impressive. It plays just like the PS4 and Xbox One equivalents.
It's clearly not as sharp - which you notice more when played on a TV in docked mode - but the authentic Doom visuals and action are all there. It's not one for the feint hearted, but older Switch owners will love this hardcore first-person shooter.
Dusk
This brilliant throwback of a shooter will have you reliving the very best feelings from the 90s, with quick-paced action and tight shooting across brilliantly designed levels. It's adrenaline-pumping stuff, and runs flawlessly on the Switch having been celebrated on the PC at release.
Fortnite
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What can be said about the multiplayer shooter that hasn't before? It's not just a game, it's a cultural phenomenon and, as it's free to download and play, you can check it out for yourself without spending a penny on any in-game content.
The Witcher has become a pretty huge universe in gaming, with the massive success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt creating oceans of goodwill and anticipation for more games in the series.
CD Projekt Red announced a while back that it's working on the next big Witcher game, but a more recent bit of news is that it's also overseeing a remake of the original Witcher game. Here are all the details you need to know about The Witcher Remake.
The Witcher Remake announcement
CD Projekt Red announces its project in a variety of ways, from traditional flashy trailers to simple mentions in earnings calls, and it brought The Witcher Remake to light in a pretty lowkey manner.
A simple blog post confirming that the game is being remade was uploaded in late October 2022, which is linked to by the Tweet below.
We're thrilled to reveal that, together with @Fools\_Theory, we're working on remaking The Witcher using Unreal Engine 5 (codename: Canis Majoris)!
— The Witcher (@witchergame) October 26, 2022
We want to do this right, so please be patient — it's gonna be a while until we can share more details.
https://t.co/6VCAokPgXs pic.twitter.com/ERFOXQrUEP
It confirms that the game is being made from the ground up by Polish development studio Fool’s Theory, and not a huge amount more besides that.
The Witcher Remake release date
As you can see in the announcement Tweet, CD Projekt Red is already asking for patience on The Witcher Remake, as it's still only very early in its development process, and will therefore be years away from release.
Given the far-off status of The Witcher 4, patience is something that the series' fans are already used to, so that should come as a given. Still, it would seem likely that we can't really hope to see The Witcher Remake come out any time before 2025 at this stage.
As soon as any concrete information on this front comes to light, we'll update this section to reflect it.
The Witcher Remake platforms
The announcement of The Witcher Remake didn't contain any information about what platforms it's planned for at this stage, but it does confirm that the game is being built on Unreal Engine 5, just like The Witcher 4.
This should make for some hugely impressive graphical features that are only really applicable to current-generation consoles and PCs, so we'd be gob-smacked if it came out on PS4 or Xbox One. By the time it appears, those consoles will be truly geriatric, so we think you can bank on the remake being a new-gen experience.
By that point, Nintendo might have a new console on the market and mid-generation updates might have come out for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, so who really knows what we'll be looking at?
The Witcher Remake story
Given that the game is being totally rebuilt, the scope for its story to change is obviously pretty significant, but we can still make some pretty clear assumptions based on the way things played out in the first Witcher game.
We won't go into too much detail since we know that far fewer people have played it than the mega-hit Witcher 3, though - don't worry!
The Witcher stars gruff-voiced Geralt, set in the period after Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, to give Fool’s Theory, a little narrative freedom.
It tells a slightly simpler story than The Witcher 2 or 3, set in and around the city of Vizima. Geralt is struck down by amnesia, something that Triss Merigold and other allies are trying to help him fix, while a conflict rages between religious fanatics and elven freedom fighters in the area.
Things are predictably gritty and there are plenty of morally murky quests to follow, in a world that's much tighter and smaller than the ones that followed it in terms of scope.
The game leads directly into the events of The Witcher 2, unsurprisingly, which flows into The Witcher 3, so it's a pretty natural fit for those who want to see an earlier slice of Geralt's story.
The Witcher Remake gameplay
The original Witcher game is a pretty clunky affair by comparison to the games that followed it - it controls awkwardly and the production values are wildly lower than its sequels.
That said, there are still some obvious shared elements that make it a diamond in the rough. You still control Geralt as he moves around the world in third-person (an isometric camera mode was available but we'd expect that to be dropped), talking to people and collecting quests and information.
This exploration is interspersed with sword-and-magic combat that sees you sweeping around your enemies dicing them up and using Witcher signs to trap or damage them as you like.
The combat was a weak point in the original but was hugely improved by the time The Witcher 3's major patches were all applied, and we'd imagine things will only be better when the remake is ready.
One question we're interested in is whether it'll have the same gameplay systems as The Witcher 4, which is also in the works, or whether it'll be distinct and its own beast - there are merits in either consistency or diversity on this front, we'd imagine.
There are loads of ways the game could do with being modernised, too, from widening out its world and making things bigger to decreasing the need for load times and barriers. Its hugely outdated approach to romances and women will hopefully get ditched, too.
In late November 2022 CD Projekt confirmed an interesting detail concerning modernisation - the remake will be an open-world game.
The original is more hub-based, like The Witcher 2 after it, so this would be a bit of a switch-up but would make sense given how superbly the open-world Witcher 3 was received.
If you're wondering how Santa will manage to deliver all those presents on Christmas Day then wonder no longer! If you have Sky Q you can track Santa's progress through the different time zones across the globe.
There's of course the Norad Santa tracker and the Google Santa tracker, which you can read about in our separate feature, but here we are looking at how you can track him through your Sky Q box.
How to track Santa using Sky Q
To track Santa through Sky Q, all you need to do is say "Where's Santa?" or "Where's Father Christmas?" into your Sky Q voice remote and the tracker app will launch so you can check out the big man's current route.
The Where's Santa app is also available within the Apps section alongside the likes of Fiit, Spotify, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and recent Apple TV+ addition.
The app also shows you how many presents have been delivered so far, as well as the distance Santa has travelled. You can even see where his next stop is.
As mentioned, you can also check out our Norad Tracks Santa vs Google Santa Tracker feature. Both have been available for a few years now, but Sky's is great if you want to check out progress on your TV instead. And you can even leave it going throughout Christmas Eve to keep a check on progress, of course!
Christmas is almost upon us and that means the big man is out delivering presents. You can keep an eye on him as it does it too.
There are a few really good options for the young and old to keep abreast of the movements of Father Christmas online.
Plane Finder is a relative newcomer to the concept. It has added Santa's sleigh to its usual aeroplane tracking system, both online and in its iOS and Android apps, and it's worth checking out. Also, Sky has its own Santa Tracker on Sky Q in the UK - you can just use your voice to ask "where's Santa?" or "where's Father Christmas?" using the Sky Q remote.
However, both NORAD and Google have been offering similar services for many years now, and they offer much more than just tracking - including games and other great bonuses. But which of them should you bookmark?
We compared the NORAD Tracks Santa and Google Santa Tracker to see what they have to offer and which is best for tracking Santa.
What is NORAD Tracks Santa and what does it feature?
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has been tracking Santa for over 60 years. NORAD has a website that lets you track the big bearded man as he delivers presents around the world. When you go to the website, you can enter Santa's Village to learn about different holiday traditions as well as NORAD and it's ongoing to mission to track Santa.
NORAD's website looks slightly more dated and not as bright and vibrant or modern as Google's. We enjoy that there are cute animations on the homepage, but everything looks a bit cluttered at the same time. The highlight of the site is probably the music player at the bottom. We also like the Let's Go button placed over the Earth at the top, which brings you directly to Santa's Village.
It's worth exploring Santa's Village so visit the different aspects and listen to Christmas songs. However, if you visit the site on Christmas Eve, you'll immediately see a countdown that's superimposed over animated artwork depicting the Earth orbited by satellites. And, of course, mounted at the very top is the North Pole, home of Santa and his little helpers.
NORAD website and app
You can access NORAD through its website and apps for Android and iOS. They're free to use.
How NORAD tracks Santa:
It's important to remember that NORAD and Google usually position Father Christmas at different places, and that's because they use different methods to track Santa. It's also because Santa tends to moves so fast that he's hard to pinpoint! Once you spot him in one location, he jumps to the next in an instant. From the web browser, NORAD automatically takes you to a 3D view of where Santa is flying.
At the bottom of that screen, you'll see an estimate of number of gifts delivered. You can also see where Santa was last seen and where he's heading to next. You can click and drag with your mouse to rotate the view, as well as use keyboard buttons in the top right corner to zoom in and out. Furthermore, you could use 2D/3D button in the top left to get a 2D-view of the world.
Camera icons show places where he has been spotted on NORAD's Santa Cam, and when clicked, you'll see video of Santa flying around different landmarks and major cities of the world. To see all the clips that have been recorded, in the NORAD map, you click an icon on the tracker map to see a playlist. Many of these features are also available through the NORAD mobile apps.
What is the Google Santa Tracker and what does it feature?
Google's been tracking Santa since 2004 and updates its annual Santa Tracker because it wants kids checking back every day in the run up to Christmas. Like NORAD, the refreshed tool doubles as a hub of activities. Google also an area called Santa's Village, too, and from the beginning of December people have been able to visit the village to play games and learn about holiday traditions around the world.
Google has updated its tracker in recent years to make it easier to navigate. Before, it wasn't clear what was new, but now, there's a clear timeline for each day in December, leading you along a path to Christmas Eve. You can also click the menu button in the top left of the page to see what content is new today. Google's content offering is really, very good. The games are fun and the ability to learn code is cool.
You can even watch Santa prepare for take off on Christmas Eve. But we quite like the Santa Selfie activity, which lets you shave Santa's beard and blow dry it. You can even change its colour to yellow or pink or whatever to help Santa get ready for the big night. The Elf Maker is fun too. On Christmas Eve, both the website and app show a countdown.
So, children who are especially anxious for Christmas to get here now will probably prefer Google's offering (ho ho).
Website and app
You can access Google's Santa Tracker through its website, Android app, and extension for Chrome. They're free to use.
How Google tracks Santa:
Similar to NORAD's tracker map, Google's map shows Santa's current location, along with details about his next stop, an estimate of gifts delivered, and his distance from you. Google's map shows places Santa's visits by default, so you can click on that location to learn more about it and see animated videos. You can also see occasional status updates from Santa (sort of like a News Feed).
The app works with Wear OS watches, too, so you could download a Santa Tracker watch face, allowing you to step away from your phone or computer for the night and really enjoy time with family. But, if you don't mind being tethered to a desk, Google also offered a Chrome browser extension. It puts an icon in the top right of your browser to reveal Santa's location at a glance.
The Android app can load Santa's position as well, and it has the ability to Chromecast Santa's location. But the easiest way to find Santa's location is to simply go to Google.com. From there, all you have to do is search for "Santa" to get his current location.
Square Enix blew us away when it released Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020, a gorgeous update to a game that has echoed through gaming history as one of its most revered stories.
It only ever tackled the first few sections of the original, mammoth title, though, so more instalments were always going to come. Now we know that there will be three in total, and the next is on its way - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Find out all the key details, right here.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release date
Square Enix held a 25th anniversary celebration for Final Fantasy VII in mid-June of 2022, and it was during this livestream that it announced Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the next part of its reimagining of the base game.
That was a pleasant enough surprise on its own, but we were particularly pleased to see it accompanied by a release window, rather than just an ominous "coming soon". The game is slated to release in Winter 2023, according to Square Enix.
We'll update this article as soon as that window becomes a more precise release date, of course. As it stands, this means 2023 will be a huge year for fans of the franchise, with Final Fantasy XVI also coming out at some point.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth trailer
The first trailer for the game isn't a hugely long one, and is quite ambiguous, featuring voice over from Aerith discussing whether Cloud and his friends have any ability to change the future. We also hear from Cloud, discussing Sephiroth's nefarious plans.
We don't get to see any action or battle gameplay, although the footage of Cloud and Sephiroth walking through a landscape together does give the impression of being live rather than pre-rendered, suggesting the game will look mighty fine indeed.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth platforms
The first part of Final Fantasy VII's remake trilogy came out on PS4 only before being upgraded and repackaged for the PS5 as the Intergrade edition featuring Yuffie.
Now, Rebirth is slated to come exclusively to Sony's PlayStation 5, confirming it as a fully next-gen title that will be able to make the most of the console's quick SSD and graphical might.
There's no indication that it will come to Xbox at any point, but we'd expect it to reach PC players too, since the first part has now come out on PC.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth story and gameplay
The first part of Square's remake of FFVII ended with an intriguing explosion of multiverse possibilities, and the suggestion that we might not have been playing a straight remake at all, but rather experiencing a different timeline.
This means that certain events that we've been assuming are set in stone (such as the famous fate awaiting Aerith) might not actually be as inevitable as we'd think.
That's a theme that the reveal of Rebirth picks up and runs with, albeit in a very brief trailer. We know that we'll be exploring beyond the bounds of Midgar since we left the megacity at the end of the last part.
It also looks like flashbacks are in store to clarify the relationship between Cloud and each of Zak and Sephiroth himself.
We haven't seen any substantial gameplay clips yet, but it's a safe bet that things won't change too drastically from the first game's systems, which offered up amazing real-time combat that provided a great twist on the turn-based history of the game.
That means you can expect more action-packed combat that lets you swap between characters on the fly or manage their abilities while you stick with Cloud, depending on how you like to play.
A good multiplayer game can help pass the time like nothing else, bringing people together or giving you an online community to sink into, and the Nintendo Switch has plenty of amazing candidates to offer up.
While some of these are online, using Nintendo's slightly odd systems, but many of them are perfect for local multiplayer, offering up split-screen or party options - making for an amazing time, when enjoyed with all your pals.
| Our Switch game buyer's guides |
| • Best Switch games overall |
| • Best role-playing games (RPGs) |
| • Best platforming games |
| • Best horror games |
| • Best shooters |
| • Best indie games |
| • Best strategy games |
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What are the best multiplayer games on Switch?
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Arms
- Mario Strikers: Battle League
- Mario Party Superstars
- Rocket League
- Minecraft
- Switch Sports
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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Previously released for the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 gets a graphical update for the Deluxe version on Switch, which runs at 60 frames per second even when in portable mode.
You also get a few gameplay bonuses, such as an extra weapon slot for pick-ups during races and additional karters. It is easily one of the best Mario Kart games in many years and an essential purchase for any Switch owner.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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Alongside ARMs, this is the best fighting game on the Switch, and possibly the best Smash Bros to boot. Although a rehash of the Wii U version, this truly is the "ultimate" edition. It's not only fast and slick, but has a mighty cast of characters to control. And, it's one of the Switch games that has been embraced fully by the eSports community.
ARMS
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Not everyone's cup of tea, perhaps, but this motion-controlled beat-em-up is great fun if you've got a few friends round and additional Joy-Cons to compete with.
You hold a Joy-Con in each hand and use them to control the arms of your fighter, hence the name. Fighters are bionic, however, and have many properties. The whole thing is very Nintendo-esque; it's harmful fun, even for kids. One word of warning though, it isn't good for the Nintendo Switch Lite, as it's not suitable for handheld play.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
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Mario Strikers returns triumphantly on the Switch with a superb party game that is ideal for those who love the beautiful game but don't want to dabble in EA's tired FIFA re-skins on the platform. You get quickfire football action with nice interchanges and a Mario Kart-style customisation system.
Hopping online offers up a wealth of ways to play, with rewards for doing well over time and a really explosive sense of fun at the core of the game. It's perfect for families, too.
Mario Party Superstars
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Minigames galore in this for-all-the-family slice of fun. It's by far the best Mario Party game yet made, collecting 20 years' worth of Mario Party games and boards, and committed Nintendo fans will find it irresistible. It shows off the Switch's party-gaming credentials with plenty of panache.
Rocket League
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Rocket League has been a huge success story, with kids of all ages getting hooked on its bizarre mix of car racing and football. And the Switch version is a remarkable port that sticks to 60fps throughout, albeit with a slight drop in resolution.
You don't care though, as you can compete from anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. It also links with other versions of the game, so you don't have to just compete against players on their own Switch devices.
Minecraft
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Minecraft on Switch is the exact same version of the game available across multiple platforms and replaced the former "Nintendo Switch Edition". Our only regret is that you can't use the touchscreen to choose items in your inventory, but it's an authentic Minecraft experience in all other regards.
Switch Sports
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Switch Sports is exactly what it looks like - a new version of the sports game that made the Wii such a sensation, with classics like Tennis and Bowling on board for fun casual matches against your friends. It's at its best when you're in the room together, but online modes make it great if you're flying solo, too.
There are new sports to try like Badminton and Chambara, and each is fun not just for beginners but also for returning pros. With cheaper pricing, it's a no-brainer for Switch owners.
Buying a games console can sometimes feel like it means more than it really does - if you'd believe the raging hordes on Twitter and other social media platforms, it's like you're pledging undying fealty to one console above any others.
The reality is very different, of course, and owning more than one console is entirely allowed and encouraged. However, if you're looking to pick up a console and only have room or time to get one, which should you go for? That's a big question, so we've gathered the very best around for you to pick from below. See what you think!
Best Games Consoles in 2022
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
- Nintendo Switch OLED
- Steam Deck
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition
- Nintendo Switch Lite
- Xbox Series S
- PlayStation 4 Pro
- Xbox One X
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid... of an ugly sweater or Christmas jumper.
In fact, it's time to embrace the madness of a garish garment covered in snowflakes, and other, usually, unacceptable patterns - especially if you're a geek, like us.
There are some amazing geek-tastic ugly sweaters and Christmas jumpers out there. Here are our favourites.
The Meta Quest 2 keeps getting better and better it seems.
Meta recently announced that it was allowing developers to take advantage of more GPU performance, pushing the Quest 2's GPU frequency from 490 MHz to 525 Mhz.
This equates to seven per cent more power which in turn leads to a smoother experience and an improved frame rate for the end user.
Today we’re excited to announce that you have more GPU compute power to work with on Meta Quest 2 devices—7% to be exact. All developers can start taking advantage of the new 525 MHz GPU frequency (up from 490 MHz) for better app performance. Learn more ️ https://t.co/0OEwcOLk6N pic.twitter.com/TeeXMw8Leu
— Oculus Developers (@Oculus\_Dev) December 21, 2022
Neel Bedekar, one of the engineers for Meta has taken to Twitter to explain that this will be a feature of V49 of the Meta Quest 2 software. This will require developers to design apps (or update current ones) to take advantage of the extra headroom. The update is intended to help with apps that don't currently run well and need a more stable frame rate.
Those apps that already run well won't need the extra performance power.
Interestingly users themselves can access the extra performance before the next software update by double pressing the power button. Which shows that it will be system-wide and should be a benefit to everyone in the long term.
We adore role-playing games - titles that let us explore not just fresh new worlds but also meet new characters, including the chance to shape our own player character as we experience the story and plot, in their shoes.
The Xbox Series X and Series S, thanks to extensive backward compatibility and a growing native library, offer a huge range of amazing RPGs and we've gathered the very best for you to check out right here.
| Our other Xbox Series X and S game buyer's guides |
| • Best overall games |
| • Best strategy games |
| • Best indie games |
| • Best racing games |
| • Best horror games |
| • Best shooters |
What are the best RPGs on Xbox Series X and S?
- Elden Ring
- Disco Elysium
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Tales of Arise
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Elden Ring
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FromSoftware's latest RPG is a stone-cold masterpiece that absolutely sings on next-gen hardware, with way quicker loading times and smoother frame rates. You'll explore a terrifying, ridiculously detailed and varied map over many hours.
It's tough as nails, and you might find it a little unforgiving at times (okay, all the time), but when you stick with it and make hard-fought progress it offers a level of reward that few games can match. A genuine must-play.
Disco Elysium
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If you prefer your RPGs to be heavy on the story side of things, and want a game that really adapts to your approach and lets you do things the way you want to, Disco Elysium is like mana from heaven. It's written to an unbelievably high standard.
Playing a deadbeat, failing police investigator, you've got a crime to solve and not long to do it. The real star, though, is its stunning dialogue, including with your own psyche in-game. This is ideal for anyone looking to be impressed by a game's intellectual scope.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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Possibly the greatest RPG of the last console generation, The Witcher 3 is a sprawling, magical story with almost endless amounts of diverting side content to explore while you make your way through its meaty main quest.
The game looks ravishing despite its age, and will get a next-gen version very soon to make things sparkle at higher resolutions, which means the Series X or S is the perfect place to give it a play-through for the first or umpteenth time.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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One of the greatest stories in gaming history is repackaged and massively upgraded in this collection of all three Mass Effect games with almost all of their DLC and extras, making for a seriously monstrous amount of gaming to get through.
With memorable characters, huge choices and epic moments, though, you'll find it goes by in a blink, and we had an absolute blast reliving some of the most incredible sequences in RPG history.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
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Assassin's Creed didn't start as an RPG but at this point it might just be the biggest one on the market, with Valhalla offering up a huge map and countless activities to explore within it, plus letting you choose your dialogue and whether your Eivor is male or female.
The game looks gorgeous and plays super smoothly, and there are some great DLC packs to check out if you do manage to finish its huge main quest, which will take dozens of hours. This is a great world to sink into for some low-stress gaming.
Tales of Arise
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If you want more of a JRPG, Tales of Arise is one of the first big next-gen arrivals on that front, and it looks brilliant on a new Xbox. The story it tells is one of oppression and revolt, and you'll be right at the heart of it with a cast of loveable characters.
Fighting back will involve plenty of battles, and thankfully Tales of Arise has a superb, rewarding and satisfying combat system that lets you hot-swap between powers and characters on the fly for huge damage and powerful moves.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
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Staying in Japan, this brilliant entry in the long-running Yakuza series is the perfect place to jump in, thankfully. It also marks a massive change for the series, transforming it successfully into a turn-based combat game rather than a brawler.
That makes it more relaxed to play, but doesn't stop it from exploring some truly crazy depths and offering up countless amazing stories and fun side activities to try out and eventually master.
So, you want a new games console but don't want to go next-gen quite yet. Well, there is still plenty of choice away from the allure of the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 - especially if you're willing to go second-hand.
There's the groundbreaking Nintendo Switch (plus the Switch OLED or Switch Lite), which is still readily available, plus the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One S that you can find for a bargain on sites like eBay. For those with a larger budget, there are the 4K upgrades, the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, which have also been discontinued but still available from many resellers.
That's why we're running through the major last-gen games consoles right here, to see which would best suit you.
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Hardware
The Nintendo Switch is markedly different from its rivals in hardware terms. It has a modified Nvidia Tegra X1 platform - that's an ARM-based mobile device processor similar to the chips in high-end phones and tablets - while the PlayStation and Xbox consoles all opt for more conventional computing power.
While the Switch has a 6.2-inch screen, the Switch OLED's is bigger at 7-inches (and uses a higher-quality OLED panel), and the Switch Lite downsizes this to 5.5-inches. The key difference is the Lite doesn't have removable Joy-Con controls, unlike the other two. It's also a permanent handheld - there's no dock to enable you to connect it to a TV as with the other Switches.
On the Switch, games have the potential of running in 1080p 60fps when in docked mode and fed to a TV, 720p 60fps on the integrated screen when on the move. Most Xbox One S and standard PS4 games run at 1080p, with some achieving 60fps.
The PS4 Pro and Xbox One X are capable of stretching that resolution up to 4K at 60fps. All the Xbox and PlayStation consoles are capable of high dynamic range (HDR) graphics too. The Switch can't match this, nor can it really hold a proper candle to the graphical performance these consoles can manage.
Where the bigger Nintendo Switches have a distinct advantage over its direct rivals is in portability. It doubles as both a home console and handheld games machine so is the only one you can take on your travels with you, to play the exact same games on its built-in 6.2-inch screen. And, as we mentioned, the Lite is for handheld use only.
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Disc drives and storage
The Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PS4 Pro and PS4 have physical disc drives, with the Xbox One consoles also able to play 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays. Sony, even as a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, decided against adding a 4K Blu-ray deck to either PS4. They are still able to play conventional 1080p Blu-rays, but not Ultra HD discs.
The Nintendo Switch can do neither. The Japanese firm opted to dispense with discs altogether, with games coming on cartridge instead, much like the 3DS and Nintendo consoles of yore.
Games are also available via download stores, but considering how stingy Nintendo has been with on-board storage, you'll have to invest in a microSD card to store more than a couple at a time.
The Xbox One S was originally available in a 500GB size, although the 1TB version is more standard. The Xbox One X also sports a 1TB drive.
The PS4 was released in 500GB and 1TB sizes, while the PS4 Pro is a 1TB console. All Xbox and PlayStation machines have the ability to increase the storage through third-party hard drives - via external USB 3.0 HDDs. In addition, all PS4 models can be expanded through swapping the internal 3.5-inch internal drives.
The Switch, on the other hand, comes with 32GB of built-in storage. Big-name games, especially those from Nintendo itself, often take up at least half of that.
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Games
When it comes to quantity of games, the Xbox One and PS4 consoles might win for some thanks to being around for many years. The Nintendo Switch is younger by comparison.
- Top Xbox One games: Best Xbox One S and X games every gamer must own
- Top PS4 games: Best PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro games every gamer must own
The Switch's line-up is still very healthy though. That's thanks to great support from developers and publishers.
Quality is more subjective. Nintendo has some bone fide triple-A titles you won't find on any other platform, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Of course, both Xbox and PlayStation have their own exclusives.
The area where Nintendo Switch would hope to improve is in having some of the same big, multi-platform games as the others.
On the other hand, the Switch does trump its rivals in motion gaming. While the other two have largely shunned the format, the Switch embraces its Wii heritage with its clip-on Joy-Con controllers also doubling as motion remotes. This has brought families back to Nintendo in their droves.
Media
All Xbox One and PS4 consoles are great media streamers as well as games machines. They each have Netflix and Amazon Video apps, with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X offering both in 4K HDR - even Dolby Vision on some compatible TVs. The PS4 Pro offers Netflix in 4K HDR too.
BBC iPlayer and other terrestrial TV catch-up services can be found on the consoles too. Apple TV is now available on the Xbox One.
The Nintendo Switch doesn't have any of these services available. It does have a YouTube app, but there's no Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
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Conclusion
It's clear that the Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED and Switch Lite are very different games consoles to the other machines. In many ways, the Switch could be seen as a second, portable, console for hardcore gamers.
The motion gaming could be a big draw for families too. This is an area where Nintendo excelled with the Wii and it therefore offered something different to the Xbox 360 and PS3 of the time. The same is true again.
However, if you're only looking for a home console and willing to make your budget stretch a little, maybe you should consider the Xbox Series S. It can be found at under £200 / $250 these days, so not far off a second-hand Xbox One or PS4, and is compatible with all the latest next-gen games.
After the incredible journey she undertook in Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy is far from done - she'll be back in a major upcoming DLC for the game, Burning Shores.
The wraps are now off this Los Angeles-set expansion, and we've got all the key details for you right here, so read on to find out more.
If you're curious about other upcoming gaming releases, check out our most anticipated titles for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC release date
We got a release date for Burning Shores in December 2022, when Sony and Guerrilla confirmed that it's coming out on 19 April 2023.
The downloadable content was unveiled at The Game Awards, gaming's annual awards and trailers showcase.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC platforms
The single most controversial part of what would normally be a pretty routine announcement is that Burning Shores isn't coming to both of the platforms that hosted Forbidden West.
Guerrilla Games has made what it calls the "difficult decision" to only bring the DLC to PlayStation 5, since it apparently pushes past what the PS4 can manage technically.
That means you'll need to upgrade if you played the base game on PS4, as the DLC will not be coming to your console as it stands.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC trailer
There's only been one trailer for Burning Shores so far, but it's pretty impressive, as you can see below.
It shows off a bunch of locations that Aloy will visit, as well as what looks like a titanic new robot for her to face off against, currently occupying the Hollywood hills.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC story
It looks like the post-apocalypse that has ripped through so much of North America in Aloy's world has treated Los Angeles particularly harshly.
This is where Burning Shores will be set, and it's been confirmed that in terms of the timeline it'll be a coda after the end of Forbidden West's story.
LA has been transformed into a volcanic archepelago, one that will be challenging and dangerous to navigate thanks to lava flows as well as its violent robotic inhabitants.
We know that there will be new characters to meet and stories to uncover, but we'll have to wait until more is unveiled before we can get into any more detail.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC gameplay
We'd assume from what Guerrilla has showed off so far that Burning Shores will basically be more of Forbidden West, albeit in a new area that will presumably be smaller and more concentrated than the game's main map.
LA will be open to exploration through land, water and air on the back on Sunwing, something that's prominent in the screenshots and trailer released so far.
This makes it look like it'll be a pretty dynamic playground. We're hoping to tangle with new enemy types and get our hands on some new weaponry and tools, too, but all this will have to wait for full confirmation before the DLC releases.
If you're looking for an intelligent smart home speaker, then one powered by Google is a great alternative to the Amazon Echo range.
Like the Amazon Echo smart speakers, Google Home devices - most of which are now Nest branded - are available in a range of sizes. They all have Google Assistant built-in, meaning they can carry out the same tasks, but they have very different designs and specifications which will determine where you put them around your home and what you use them for.
Here's everything you need to know about the Google Home and Nest devices to help you work out which is right for you.
Which is the best Google Nest speaker for you?
Nest Mini is small and cheap enough to go into any home. It has the same Google Assistant features as its larger siblings, but in a much more compact size.
Nest Audio is the main speaker in the family, a great performer at a great price and a replacement for the original Google Home.
Google Home is the speaker that started it all, but has now been replaced and bettered by the Nest Audio.
Google Home Max is a powerful speaker, which could make it the only one you need in your home for entertainment.
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) offers a 7-inch display, sleep tracking, all the features of Google Assistant.
Google Nest Hub Max adds a larger 10-inch display and a camera, making it a full Nest device as well as a smart display. It offers a bigger sound than the Nest Hub.
It's been a while - Street Fighter 5 came out all the way back in 2016, for all its re-releases and sustained competitive scene, so the community is unsurprisingly enthused about Street Fighter 6.
The game is still a ways off, releasing on 2 June 2023, but Capcom is playing a canny game in the run-up, with repeated closed betas to get people familiar with the series hands-on. We played in the most recent test, and came away thoroughly impressed.
A new scene
The closed beta we participated in was limited pretty strongly, which is no surprise - it allowed for online arcade matchups with a small selection of fighters, and that's it.
Still, that's the core of the game here, so it's also a perfect approach, and we were able to get time behind the reins of classics like Ryu and Chun-Li as well as slightly newer options including Luke and Jamie.
The main mode in this case is called Battle Hub, and it's a really cool way to lay out matchmaking in a fighting game, replicating some of the buzz of an actual arcade.
You control an avatar that you can heavily (ridiculously) customise to your own desires, running around an arcade full of cosmetic shops centred around an array of game cabinets.
Approach one with an empty seat opposite an opponent to kick off a match, sit at one on your own to invite challengers, or simply spectate an ongoing match by approaching.
It feels great (although menus are there for those who want to cut to the chase), and replicates that social feeling that can sometimes be lost away from LAN tournaments.
Down to brass tacks
Of course, the real meat of the game isn't this neat framing device, it's the fighting, and Street Fighter 6 feels like a careful but clever evolution of what went before it.
If you put hours into Street Fighter 5 it won't feel substantially different on some levels, a feeling that's underlined by the selection of existing characters we had access to.
There are some major changes, though, and the two biggest ones felt great to us. Firstly, the new Drive system - it adds a bar that you can use for power attacks at any time.
The game-changer is that rounds start with this bar full, so you can immediately kick off with high-risk damage options if you so choose. Doing so might well prove a mistake, but it makes for a bunch of tactical variety.
The increased aggression this encourages made for quick rounds in our experience, but that ties into the second innovation - a new control scheme.
Called "Modern" in the settings, it gives you the option of automatically launching special attacks with a single button instead of more complicated button presses.
This is amazing for learners and newcomers, making the most intimidating part of any fighting game way more trivial until you know enough to kick off the training wheels and take more control.
We're frankly rubbish at the genre but were able to have way more fun as a result, albeit with a matchmaking pool that likely skews toward experienced players given the limited nature of the beta.
Of course, for those who don't want it, there are classic control options, and when spectating you can also see a list of live inputs to give you a better sense of what people are actually doing - a visual aide that can be a little overwhelming at first.
It's also worth saying that you'd expect some network instability during a beta, but we found connections to be rock-solid, and the netcode looks like it's in a really impressive place with some six months to go before launch.
Iteration not evolution
The fighting feels as fluid and welcoming as it ever has, then, despite the same complexities and strategic options as ever, but Street Fighter 6 is also a generational leap technically, so how does it look?
Well, playing on PlayStation 5 the answer is: pretty great. The visual presentation here is really crisp and clear, readable even in chaotic situations.
That's key for a fighting game, of course, but it doesn't mean that environments or characters aren't really detailed. The fighters look great and the stages we played on were also vibrant and interesting.
The Battle Hub is a poppy, funky place to chill out, with bright lights and an array of crazy avatars running around you, but it's when the fights kick off that things get really good.
The paint-like effects that punctuate your power moves look excellent and are a clever levelling-up of the swishes that were so iconic back in Street Fighter 4.
We've only been exposed to old characters so can't speak too much to new designs and voice work, but we're feeling really enthused about how Street Fighter looks, both while you're fighting and while you're watching. There's a fun and punky soundtrack, too, from what we've heard.
It's been 36 years since Top Gun debuted in theatres. The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, is now out, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as fighter pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Here is how and where you can stream the summer blockbuster yourself when it becomes available online.
What to know about Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is a long-awaited sequel to 1986's Top Gun. In the original film, we see students at the US Navy's elite fighter weapons school competing to be the best in the class.
One young pilot, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise), learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. Fast forward to the sequel, and after more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Mitchell is still pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and "dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him".
Rating
Top Gun: Maverick is rated PG-13 in the US and UK.
Runtime
Top Gun: Maverick has a total runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes including credits.
Cast and crew
Top Gun: Maverick was written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie. It's directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Here is who is starring in the film:
- Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
- Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw
- Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin
- Jon Hamm as Adm. Beau "Cyclone" Simpson
- Ed Harris as Radm. Chester "Hammer" Cain
- Val Kilmer as Adm. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky
When did Top Gun: Maverick release in cinemas?
Top Gun: Maverick released in theatres in the US and the UK on 27 May 2022 - following an early-access showing three days prior.
When can you stream Top Gun: Maverick?
- Streaming release date: 22 December 2022
Top Gun: Maverick is now available to stream online as part of a membership after it finally hit Paramount+ for subscribers on 22 December 2022.
Paramount has been adding its movies to Paramount+ about 45 days after their theatrical debuts, but the phenomenal success of Maverick probably means that it gave it as much time as possible to reap more paid-for views.
It is also available to buy digitally in the US though through Amazon, and also in the UK.
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How to watch Top Gun: Maverick online
- Where to stream online: Paramount+
If you don't want to watch Top Gun: Maverick at your local cinema, you can buy a digital download from Prime Video, Apple TV and others.
As for streaming, given that Top Gun: Maverick is a Paramount film, it will make its US and UK streaming debut on Paramount+ as opposed to Netflix or HBO Max.
Paramount+ costs $9.99 a month to stream ad-free in the US. Or you could try the essential plan for $4.99 a month. It has ads and removes access to your local live CBS station.
In the UK, Paramount+ costs £6.99 per month or £69.90 (it launched in the country on 22 June 2022). Sky Cinema subscribers get access to the platform for free though.
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Top Gun: Maverick Blu-Ray
If you prefer having physical media to rely on, you can order the Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray releases of Top Gun: Maverick now, too.
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Are there any Top Gun: Maverick trailers?
Yes. The latest trailer is embedded at the top of this guide.
Trailers from a couple of years ago are below. Keep in mind Maverick faced several delays due to the global pandemic.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – New Trailer - Paramount Pictures
Top Gun: Maverick - Official Trailer (2022) - Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures also released the featurette below for Top Gun: Maverick.
Top Gun: Maverick | The Power of the Naval Aircraft Featurette (2022 Movie)
What to watch before Top Gun: Maverick
You really should watch or re-watch the first Top Gun movie before going into the sequel. If you currently have a Netflix or Paramount+ subscription, you can stream Top Gun on those platforms at no additional cost. Or you could also rent or purchase the film on Amazon. See the links below to watch the movie.
Everyone shops on Amazon. But not everyone actually digs around and has a play with all the site's hidden features and tools. From a showroom that lets you virtually mix and match the furniture you want to buy, to digital coupons you can clip, there are loads of secret tips and tricks we've found that could save you money and totally change how you use Amazon.
Best Amazon tips and tricks
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime membership
It feels silly to start off with this, because it's so obvious, but you really should join Amazon Prime if you want to master Amazon. A large chunk of the tips and tricks we suggest below only work if you're a member. It's a paid subscription that, for an annual or monthly fee, gives access to a number of Amazon services and enhancements.
Prime discounts for EBT and Medicaid cardholders
If you want to become an Amazon Prime member and have a valid EBT or Medicaid card in the US, you can join at the discounted price of $6.99 per month, rather than $14.99 a month. If you're eligible, you can join from here.
Prime discounts for students
If you want to become an Amazon Prime member and are enrolled in a college or university, join Prime Student. As a member, you'll get a sixth-month free trial that includes the following perks: Free two-day shipping on eligible purchases, Prime Video, student-only offers and discounts, five months free of LinkedIn Premium, three months free/then $8.99 per year for the Calm app.
Once your trial ends, you can sign up for Amazon Prime at 50 per cent off. This will be valid for four years or until you graduate.
Share your Prime membership
Amazon allows you to add up to four other individuals to your Prime account so they can share your shipping benefits, but they need to be members of your household. To set it up, go to the Amazon Household website and click Add Adult/Teen/Child. You'll need their email address used on their Amazon accounts. The process also requires the adults to share credit or debit card information.
Amazon Teen
Part of Prime Household, Amazon Teen gives kids ages 13 to 17 the freedom to shop, but parents can approve their purchases before it's charged.
Saving money
Amazon Outlet
Want to easily browse the most discounted items on Amazon? Check out Amazon Outlet. It primarily aggregates overstocked and clearance items for sale on Amazon, but across every category you can imagine. These deals can save you up to 80 per cent!
Amazon Warehouse
Amazon Warehouse is similar to Amazon Outlet, but it shows big discounts on open-box and refurbished products - mostly tech and gadgets. Keep in mind these items can be used, opened, or damaged. But all items are listed by quality, including very good, acceptable, and like new.
Amazon Family
Amazon Family is a hub for Prime members. It has deals on household and parenting items. But it also offers age-based product recommendations and regular sales on baby products. You get 20 per cent off diaper subscriptions and 15 per cent off remaining baby registry items.
Find deals on Amazon
Amazon's best deals for new products are found in the "Today's Deals" link on the top of any Amazon page. The section "Gold Box Deals of the Day" has new deals every day, as well as "Lightning Deals", which are limited time and sometimes end in minutes. To stay on top of everything, use Amazon's app, where you can view many deals 24 hours in advance and sign up for alerts.
You can even let the deals come to you via Amazon's daily deals email.
Watch deals on Amazon
When you see deals you like, click Watch this deal to save them. Then, go here to see deals you're watching.
Track and compares prices
- Bookmark this price tracker site. Camelcamelcamel.com monitors nearly every product on Amazon, can show you which are most discounted on any given day, show you the price history for a listing, and alert you when the price drops on items you want.
- Also try the site PriceGrabber or the extension PriceBlink, both of which let you quickly check to see if an item is cheaper elsewhere.
- There's also WikiBuy, a site and an extension. It lets you earn cash back, apply promo codes, and watch for items to go on sale.
- Keepa is a browser extension that works just like Camelcamelcamel, but instead embeds the price history right onto the Amazon listing page. It has a mobile app version too.
Clip coupons
Amazon serves up coupons. There's actually an entire section on Amazon that's dedicated to coupons. You can find coupons for electronics, pet supplies, toys, and other items. No scissors or physical coupons required. To get started with Amazon coupons, go to Amazon.com, then click on the link at the top for "Today's Deals." In the menu of sub items, click on "Coupons."
Find promo codes
We already mentioned Wikibuy as a discount code aggregator extension you should try, but an alternative to that is Honey or Rakuten. They will automatically find coupons for you and apply them at checkout. Just install the extension and it will do everything.
Subscribe and Save
On many household and grocery items, Amazon gives you the option to "subscribe" and offers a discounted price if you do so. This is part of the retailer's Subscribe and Save program, where you receive regular shipments of the item for as much as 15 per cent off the regular price.
Turn loose change into gift cards for free
You can add spare coins in your purse to an Amazon gift card using a Coinstar kiosk. It's absolutely free, waving the 11.9 per cent service charge typically associated with cash exchanges. Choose an Amazon gift card to skip the fee and receive an eGift Card code you can use instantly.
Earn free Amazon Gift Cards
There are many rewards and survey sites that let you do online tasks to earn points redeemable for Amazon gift cards. For instance, there's Swagbucks, which is free to join and lets you complete surveys to earn points. There's also MyPoints and i-Say.
Shopping
Amazon Assistant
Amazon Assistant is an extension for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. It's free and easy to install. With it, you can watch for product comparisons that save time and money, access shortcuts to popular Amazon hubs right in your browser, and get notified when deals that you're watching go live with desktop notifications. It also lets you get information about orders and deliveries.
Monthly payment plans on items
Amazon lets you pay for some items over several months. This offer only applies to products sold and shipped by Amazon.com, such as the Amazon Echo, but also third-party products from other sellers. Just look for the "monthly payments" option on the product detail page.
- Go here to see monthly payment-eligible items.
- Read the fine print on the monthly payment plans here.
Trade in for cash
You can trade in your old devices, including phones, tablets, cameras, and more, as well as video games, old books, and textbooks, in exchange for an Amazon gift card. The items must be in decent condition and the shipping is even included!
Smile for Charity
Want to give a bit to charity while you shop? Then use AmazonSmile. First, bookmark smile.amazon.com, and be sure to always shop from there. On the desktop, you can use the AmazonSmile 1Button for Chrome or Amazon Smile! for Firefox browser extensions to be reminded to use Smile. Then, pick a charity - over a million available - and when you buy eligible products, 0.5 per cent will go to your charity.
Shop with Alexa
Using Amazon Alexa via an Amazon Echo speaker or the main Amazon app, you can order or re-order any items. Just say "Alexa, order [product name]." Be sure to set up a confirmation code in your Alexa app to prevent accidental orders. You can also use Alexa shopping skills to browse deals at other retailers. Also, stay tuned for more Alexa-only deals this holiday season.
Amazon Cash (or Top Up)
Amazon Cash lets you add money to your Amazon account balance. It essentially lets you apply cash toward your Amazon account balance so that you can finally have money to spend on Amazon without a bank card or a gift card hooked. Go here to get started.
Checkout and delivery
Same-day or one-hour deliveries
In over 8,000 cities, Prime members can get same-day delivery on qualifying orders over $35. Order by noon, and your package will be delivered by 9pm (seven days a week). If you order in the evening, you'll get free one-day delivery. Go here to see if you're eligible. There's also Amazon Prime Now, which offers deliveries in one to two hours. Enter your ZIP code to see if this option is available to you.
Late delivery reimbursement
If you buy something that qualifies for free shipping with Prime, but it doesn’t arrive on time, you can get a one-month extension of your membership. If you don’t have Prime, Amazon will refund the shipping costs. To inquire, go to Contact Amazon > select "An Order I Placed" > select your order > select Problem with an order > Shipping or delivery issues > Shipment is late.
Amazon Day
All Prime members should see a new Amazon Day option when they checkout and pick their shipping option. The idea is, they can set any day of the week as their delivery day. So, if you select Friday, all the items you bought during the week will arrive on your designated "Amazon Day", or Friday. That day will be your default unless you change it at checkout. Weekend deliveries are available in some areas.
Amazon Locker
If you got a location near you with one, select Amazon Locker for pickup (or returns) at checkout. These are secure, self-service kiosks. There's more than 2,800 lockers are located across 70+ US cities. You'll find them at places like Whole Foods Markets and convenience stores.
Amazon Key
An alternative to Amazon Locker is Amazon Key, which allows delivery people to enter your car, garage, or home when dropping off packages.
Cards, rewards, and points
Shopping with rewards points
Amazon Credit Builder
Amazon partnered with Synchrony Financial to launch Amazon Credit Builder so that it can lend to US shoppers with either bad credit or no credit history. It includes a card with 5 per cent cash back on purchases. It also offers tips on how to build credit. To start, Synchrony is issuing what are known as “secured” credit cards - where people can deposit $200, for instance, and have a $200 credit limit.
If you don't get approved for a typical Amazon credit card, you'll be prompted to apply. But the new card application is also available next to the other Amazon cards. To apply directly, go to Apply for Amazon Credit Builder > click Apply Now > and follow the on-screen instructions.
No-rush shipping credits
Prime members can get a little extra something if they choose free no-rush shipping at checkout (instead of the two-day option). Your package will usually arrive within five days, and you will get credits applied to your account to use for future purchases.
Miscellaneous tools and features
Amazon Live
Amazon has launched a new section of its site. It appears to be a home shopping channel of sorts, reminiscent of QVC or HSN. From what we can tell, the site is used to promote products on Amazon.com. If you need to learn more about an item, we suggest looking at Amazon Live.
Amazon AR View
Amazon's app offers an AR View feature. It lets you browse through thousands of items listed on Amazon - things like home decor, electronics, office products, toys, and games - and place them in your home or wherever you want to see them. Using the feature, you can overlay, resize, and rotate the item to see how it will look and fit in real life. It's free to use, too.
Amazon Showroom
Showroom is another free AR feature in the Amazon website and app that lets you place furniture items into a virtual room and see how well they fit together. You can adjust the look of the flooring and walls to mirror your own living room and easily change out items. Third-party items include couches, chairs, tables, lamps, rugs, and art. You can also try out Amazon's own Rivet and Stone and Beam brands.
Whole Foods benefits
Whole Foods is now owned by Amazon, and so it's an Amazon Prime perk: You can get 10 per cent off items, plus other weekly discounts and benefits such as two-hour deliveries via Prime Now and 5 per cent back on purchases via the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. Download the Whole Foods Market app to get started saving. Also, try asking Alexa, "What are my Whole Foods deals?"
AmazonFresh
AmazonFresh was the original name for Amazon's grocery delivery and pickup service in select cities. Prime members can get the benefits of AmazonFresh for an additional monthly membership fee of $14.99. Go here to see if delivery or pickup is available in your area.
Amazon Prime Gaming
Previously a part of the Amazon Twitch Prime benefits, Amazon Prime Gaming offers access to free games for download every month as well as exclusive in-game content and loot and no extra cost. In addition, you get a free Twitch channel subscription each month, exclusive emoticons, expanded chat colour options and extended storage of your broadcasts.
Amazon Prime Book Box
Amazon offers Prime Book Box, a monthly children's book subscription service, to Prime members. If you subscribe, you will receive (delivered to your door) a box with four board books or two hardcover picture books or novels. Amazon said you'll save up to 40 per cent off the list price of these books. This service costs $22.99 a month.
Amazon Prime Wardrobe
Amazon Prime Wardrobe lets you try on clothes before you buy." Prime Wardrobe is considered a new Prime benefit, so subscribe to Amazon Prime to take advantage of the service. Once you do, you can order clothes, shoes, and accessories - with no upfront charge - and you get seven days to test them out. You then use the provided label to return them.
Amazon photo printing
Amazon will print your photos for you! Whether you want cards, wall decor, mugs, photo books, calendars, or prints. It's all printed on thick paper, in rich colour, and in the US. Better yet, place your order through Amazon Prime, and you'll get free shipping.
Knives Out, the hit 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson, has a sequel coming out imminently called Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming movie, including when you'll be able to watch it online through Netflix.
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: What you need to know
When the original Knives Out released in cinemas a few months before the pandemic, it received critical acclaim and grossed $311.4 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. Both the 73rd British Academy Film Awards and the 92nd Academy Awards even nominated the moving for Best Original Screenplay. So, it was no surprise to learn that Netflix paid a massive sum last year for the rights to two sequels written and directed by Johnson, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc.
The first sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, is scheduled to be released in late 2022. Filming took place last summer.
We now know a little about the plot of the movie. Netflix’s official description simply says that the film will show Detective Benoit Blanc travelling to Greece to "peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of suspects".
In a recent thread on Twitter, Johnson revealed how he has also been inspired by Agatha Christie while making the sequel:
Something I love about Agatha Christie is how she never tread water creatively. I think there’s a misperception that her books use the same formula over and over, but fans know the opposite is true.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) June 13, 2022
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: Release date
- Knives Out sequel Netflix release date: 23 December 2022
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will release on Netflix on 23 December 2022.
Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson & Dave Bautista star in Rian Johnson's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery—coming to select theaters on a date to be announced and globally on Netflix Dec. 23! pic.twitter.com/H1kh0T6pOL
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) August 22, 2022
Netflix was reportedly considering a new release model for films like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. It might decide to give the film a 45-day window in cinemas before releasing it to stream on Netflix. Competitors such as Disney+ and Paramount Plus currently use this model for major new releases.
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: How to watch online
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will come to Netflix. At an auction, Netflix outbid several studios to buy two Knives Out sequels for $469 million.
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: Cast and crew
Apart from Rian Johnson, several crew members from Knives Out returned to work on Glass Onion, including cinematographer Steve Yedlin, composer Nathan Johnson, and editor Bob Ducsay. The new movie will again star Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. The rest of the cast is rounded out by some big names and recognisable faces, including Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monee, Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, and Leslie Odom Jr, according to the first teaser released by Netflix.
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: Trailers
Netflix has only released a couple of trailers. The first is a more normal preview and is embedded at the top of this guide.
Below, though, you can see a clip from early on in the movie, as a bunch of old connections receive and solve a puzzle box from a friend, earning an invitation to his private island.
It's playful and zippy, and suggests that we're in for a fun time when Glass Onion comes out.
The final full trailer before the film's release is above, and is a lengthier look at the plot that might have some light spoilers for those who are really eagle-eyed, so it could be worth skipping it if you're keen on watching the movie without any expectations.
Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: How to catch up
Before you see Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix, you really should stream 2019's Knives Out first. It might not end up being required viewing, but it'll be fun to watch.
The age of the electric car is on us as more people move to embrace zero emission motoring, and more manufacturers release an increasing number of models to choose from.
While there's still some way to go to establish a nationwide charging network that's going to meet future demand, there's expansion all the time, removing the worry that some might have about charging their car on the move.
These are our favourite electric cars, all fully reviewed by us covering a range of compact, crossovers, SUVs, saloons and sports cars across all price points. These cars are all available to buy now, with many more to come in the future. To help you get to the cars you're interested in, just hit the jump links below to go to the type of car you're interested in.
Note: Prices change regularly and have many variables, so might not be correct as listed.
Small cars | Crossover and family cars | SUV and larger cars | Executive and sports cars
The holiday season is here, and if you're looking for an amazing gift for a friend or loved one, look no further than the Google Pixel 6a.
This is one of the newest phones on the market, boasting innovative features and a sleek design.
Here are six reasons why it makes a perfect Christmas present:
1. Durable design and build
The Google Pixel 6a is designed to last, with an aluminium body that ensures it won't break easily. The front features reinforced glass, while the back is plastic. Put quite simply, the Pixel 6a has what it takes, even for the fashion-savvy phone user seeking something tough enough to withstand everyday use.
Weighing in at just 178 grams (6.28 ounces), this sturdy yet lightweight phone also comes with both nano-SIM and eSIM capabilities to handle all your communication needs. It's also stylish and comes in three colour variations – chalk, sage, and charcoal.
The display on this device is nothing short of stunning. Its large OLED screen measures 6.1 inches and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, making it highly durable against scratches and other forms of damage. The resolution is also top-notch at 1080 x 2400 pixels, giving crystal clear visuals that are perfect for streaming movies or playing games.
2. Connectivity
During the holiday season, spending time with friends and family is great, even if you cannot be in the same physical space. The Google Pixel 6a is ideal for maintaining those important connections. It has various built-in connectivity features designed to promote convenience and efficiency.
For example, dual-band Wi-Fi Direct lets you quickly find and connect to any wireless network. Its Bluetooth 5.2 A2DP LE positioning technology works seamlessly, with a wider range than most devices.
This device can accurately track your location wherever you are because it supports four navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and QZSS).
As a bonus, the 6a also includes near-field communication (NFC) technology to help you easily sync data and make contactless payments.
With all these features, this phone really does put staying connected with loved ones at the top of its priority list.
3. Robust battery life
Nobody likes a dead phone battery, especially when they're away from home or running errands all day. But thanks to 6a's 4410 mAh battery, your loved one won't have to worry about that. A full charge lasts up to 12 hours of continuous video streaming.
The phone charges quickly using USB-C technology.
4. Fast processor
The Google Pixel 6a packs a powerful punch with its Google Tensor 5nm processor. This cutting-edge technology enables you to multitask seamlessly between multiple apps without losing speed or performance.
Additionally, it features an octa-core CPU consisting of two Cortex X1 and Cortex A76 cores for high-performance tasks and four Cortex A55 cores for low-power tasks. This makes the 6a perfect for anyone who needs a device to keep up with their busy lifestyle.
5. Google Assistant
The Google Pixel 6a is an amazing device, offering a range of cutting-edge features designed to make your life that little bit easier. The integration of Google Assistant is one of the biggest selling points, giving you the convenience of access to all sorts of information with just a tap.
Whether you need to stay up to date on world events, find what the weather will be like later in the day, or even read your text messages hands-free, Google Assistant has got you covered.
What's more, if you ever get stuck while trying to use your phone, this helpful assistant will point you in the right direction.
6. Amazing camera quality
The Google Pixel 6a boasts one of the best cameras on the market. With its 12-megapixel dual-pixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, you can easily take stunning photos. Whether you're taking pictures of friends during holiday gatherings or scenery out in nature, the Pixel 6a has you covered.
Another mega deal: Trade in your old phone for a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro
From 1st December 2021 until 15th January 2022, you can trade in your old device and receive up to £450 off the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. It's an amazing opportunity to upgrade your device and save money during the holiday season.
All you have to do is provide your device information online and send it in within 14 days. Once the device arrives at Google, it'll inspect it, verify its condition, and then apply a credit for purchasing a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro.
Grab your chance today!
Get up to £450 off Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro when you trade in your old phone
We may live in the age of media streaming, but there are still plenty of reasons to own a good DVD player.
Many of us have massive collections of TV and movies in the format, and you can never be sure when a movie might disappear from a streaming service, after all.
While many brands offer DVD players, though, some may not hold the same long-lasting quality as others. You'll be hard-pressed to find big differences between the designs of many DVD players, but the internal components often vary greatly and create big differences in performance.
So, whether you need to replace an old workhorse, or you're just starting a new collection - here are some of the best DVD players.
What is the best DVD player? Our top pick is the Sony BDP-S6700. Other DVD players worth considering are the Panasonic DVD-S700EB-K Sony DVPSR210P, LG BP250 DGBRLLK, and the Panasonic DMR-EX97EB-K..
Our Top Pick: DVD Players
Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside the second generation Watch SE in September 2022. The company also announced a rugged model - called Watch Ultra, though this sits in a very different price bracket and field to that model.
We've compared the Watch Series 8 and the Watch Ultra in a separate feature, but here we are focusing on the differences between the new Watch SE and the Watch Series 8.
Which should you buy and how do the two compare? Read on to find out.
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Price
Let's first consider the pricing of these two models to allow you to see how each may fit into your budget.
The Watch SE (2022) model is the new entry-point into the Apple Watch, starting at $249 in the US and £269 in the UK.
The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399 in the US and £419 in UK. These prices are both for the GPS-only model.
Design and display
- Watch Series 8: IPX6, Edge-edge display, Always-On Display, 1000nits
- Watch SE: 50m water resistant, 1000nits
The Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch SE both share a similar design. They both feature a rectangular casing with rounded edges and corners and they both feature a Digital Crown on the right edge, alongside an extra function button below. Neither has the programmable action button you’ll find on the Watch Ultra.
Both are waterproof to 50 metres but only the Watch Series 8 is IPX6 resistant, making it more suitable for harsher conditions like the beach.
The Watch Series 8 also offers a more impressive display that stretches to the edges of the space available. Overall, it's 20 per cent larger than the Watch SE's display. It's also an Always-On Display so when your wrist is down, you can still choose to have some information showing rather than just a black rectangle.
Both the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE have a 1000nits brightness though.
On the whole, the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE look very similar, with the display being the main differentiating factor between the two models on the surface.
Models
- Watch Series 8: Aluminium, stainless steel, Hermes models, 41mm and 45mm
- Watch SE: Aluminium only, 40mm and 44mm
The Apple Watch Series 8 comes in 45mm and 41mm casing options. It is also available in stainless steel and aluminium models, with various colour options in both. There are also special edition Hermès models. The stainless steel models and the Hermès models have sapphire front crystals protecting the glass, while the aluminium models have Ion-X glass fronts.
The Watch SE meanwhile comes in 40mm and 44mm casing options. It is also only available in aluminium, with no stainless steel models. This means it only offers the Ion-X Glass protection too.
Both the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE come in GPS only and GPS & Cellular models however and they are both compatible with the plethora of straps available, as well as all the older straps.
The aluminium colour options include Midnight, Starlight and Silver for both the Watch SE and Watch Series 8. The Watch Series 8 also comes in Product(RED) though and the stainless steel options of Graphite, Silver and Gold.
Hardware and features
- Watch Series 8: S8 chip, up to 18 hours battery, fast charging, ECG, Bloody oxygen, Body temperature sensor
- Watch SE: S8 chip, up to 18 hours battery
The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE both run on the same chip - which is the S8. Along with this, both models offer built-in GPS, a high-g accelerometer that allows for the company's Car Crash detection, Fall Detection, Emergency SOS and International Emergency Calling.
The two devices also offer Compass Backtrack, an always-on altimeter and up to 18 hours battery life. The Watch Series 8 does have a few extra features on top of the Watch SE though, including the ability to take an ECG, measure blood oxygen and it also comes with a body temperature sensor too, allowing for ovulation estimates in women.
The Watch Series 8 also has fast charging on board - claimed to charge around 30 per cent faster than the Watch SE and this is perhaps the biggest difference in use, especially if you want to use your Apple Watch for sleep tracking. The faster it charges, the quicker you can put it back on your wrist so you don’t miss out on any activity points and closing your rings.
Software
- Watch Series 8: watchOS 9
- Watch SE: watchOS 9
Both the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE run on watchOS 9 so there's a very familiar user experience across both models. You can read all about watchOS 9 and what features the software brings to Apple Watch in our separate feature, but it includes things like more advanced sleep tracking.
There are a couple of extra features on the Watch Series 8, like the ability to take an ECG, the body temperature sensor and the blood oxygen sensor, but overall, the general experience between the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE is identical.
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Conclusion
The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE are similar in design, as well as hardware and features, though there are of course some differences between the two models. The main difference - and the most noticeable in terms of use - is the larger edge-to-edge display on the Watch Series 8 and the Always On element of that display.
You also get the faster charging on the Watch Series 8, as well as a few extra features that some might find useful, such as body temperature tracking. There are more premium options available too, but if you're opting for those, budget is less of an issue and therefore the Watch Series 8 makes the most sense.
The Watch SE is an excellent smartwatch and it performs as well as the Watch Series 8, but you miss out on a couple of features. Not all of those features will matter to everyone though so if you can live without the Always-On display, ECG, blood oxygen and body temperature sensor, then it’s a great buy.
Asus is holding two virtual launch events for its new hardware at CES 2023.
There's a gaming-focused ROG event and a separate Asus event for the brand's general-purpose machines.
If you want to be among the first to get a look, here's how to watch both events live:
Asus ROG: For Those Who Dare: Maxed Out
The ROG event is set to take place on Jan 3 2023. If you're interested in seeing what's being revealed then you can catch the event at the following times:
- London - 18:00 GMT
- Paris - 19:00 CET
- Los Angeles - 10:00 PDT
- New York - 13:00 ET
- Taipei - 02:00 CST (Jan 4)
The event will be broadcast on the official site here and promises to showcase the most powerful ROG products yet. Including laptops, displays, routers, peripherals, and much more.
Asus: Seeing an Incredible Future
The Asus event is set to take place on Jan 4 2023. If you're interested in seeing what's being revealed then you can catch the event at the following times:
- London - 18:00 GMT
- Paris - 19:00 CET
- Los Angeles - 10:00 PDT
- New York - 13:00 ET
- Taipei - 02:00 CST (Jan 5)
The event will be broadcast on the official site here and promises to showcase product innovations, introduce sustainability achievements and premiere world firsts. Including, it would seem, something to do with a 3D OLED display.
We were really impressed when we played an hour of High on Life back at Gamescom 2022 in the summer, so it's not a huge surprise that it's dropped on Xbox Game Pass to riotously successful word-of-mouth.
Xbox has just confirmed, in fact, that the game has become Game Pass's biggest launch of any kind in 2022, and the biggest third-party launch ever on the service.
That really puts it in the rarified stratosphere of games like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, so Xbox is doubtless buzzing about the much-needed result for its platform.
High on Life is a far more quirky title than either of those, too, so it's a bit more impressive that it's managed to break out in this manner. It's a shooter where your guns talk to you, in short.
Or, to expand, it's a comedy shooter from the mind of Rick and Morty's creator Justin Roiland, where your guns talk to you with a variety of voices and personalities, all set in a vibrantly weird and mature-rated alien universe.
The tone of the game is great fun, and its simple arcadey shooting keeps things nice and light without drowning you in gameplay systems.
It's exactly the sort of weird title that Game Pass suits so well, and it'll be interesting to see if the service can double down on this instance of success with its 2023 slate.
Apple announced three smartwatches during its September launch in the form of the Apple Watch Ultra, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch Ultra is more rugged and larger than the Series 8, designed for more extreme environments and sports. It is also significantly more expensive though so do you need it, or is the Series 8 enough?
Here is how the Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 compare.
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Watch Ultra vs Series 8 design
- Ultra: 49 x 44 x 14.4mm, 61.3g
- Series 8 (41mm): 41 x 35 x 10.7mm, 32g (aluminium), 42.3g (stainless steel)
- Series 8 (45mm): 45 x 38 x 10.7mm, 38.8g (aluminium), 51.5g (stainless steel)
The Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 share similarities in their design, but the Watch Ultra is larger and chunkier than the Series 8. Made from titanium, it is designed to be able to withstand more extreme environments.
The Digital Crown on the Watch Ultra is more tactile than on the Watch Series 8, allowing it to be used when wearing gloves, and the function button below is more prominent too. There is also an extra programmable Action button on the left side, along with a dual speaker.
The Watch Ultra also has a flat display, designed to protect the screen. It's also only available in a 49mm casing option, so this needs to be considered for those with slightly smaller wrists.
The Series 8 meanwhile, is made from either aluminium or stainless steel, depending on the model and it comes in 41mm and 45mm case options, so quite a bit smaller than the Watch Ultra. It is also more streamlined in its design, with a curved display and a more understated Digital Crown and side button.
The Watch Series 8 is water resistant to 50-metres, while the Watch Ultra is water resistant to 100-metres. Both are IP6X rated, though the Watch Ultra is also MIL-STD-810H tested. There is also a built-in siren on the Watch Ultra, along with International Orange accents, while the Series 8 is more muted in its finish.
Watch Ultra vs Series 8 display
- Ultra: 1164sq mm, 502 x 410 pixel resolution, 49mm casing, 2000nits
- Series 8 (41mm): 904sq mm, 430 x 352 pixel resolution, 41mm casing, 1000nits
- Series 8 (45mm): 1143sq mm, 484 x 396 pixel resolution, 45mm casing, 1000nits
Both the Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 offer an Always-On Retina Display so there is always some information being shown on the screen, even when your wrist is down, rather than just a black rectangle. The Watch Ultra has a larger display than the Series 8, and it is brighter too.
The Watch Series 8 offers up to 1000nits brightness, while the Watch Ultra has up to 2000nits brightness, meaning the Ultra should be better in direct sunlight.
The bezels around the Watch Ultra's display are slightly wider than the Watch Series 8, though both offer a full screen experience. In terms of resolution, the Watch Ultra has a 502 x 410 pixel resolution, while the Watch Series 8 has a 430 x 353 pixel resolution on its 41mm model and 484 x 396 pixel resolution.
Both the Watch Ultra and Series 8 both offer punchy colours and black blacks, though the Watch Ultra has a Night Mode too when on the Wayfinder face, which is accessed by swiping the Digital Crown upwards, switching the face to red.
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Watch Ultra vs Series 8 models
- Ultra: 49mm, Titanium, GPS & Cellular
- Series 8: 41mm, 45mm / Aluminium, Stainless Steel, Nike, Hermes, GPS or GPS & Cellular
The Apple Watch Ultra comes in titanium only, as we briefly mentioned. This is Natural Titanium so there is only one colour option available too, as well as one size option of 49mm. The Watch Ultra also only comes in GPS & Cellular, with no GPS only model.
The Apple Watch Series 8 meanwhile, has a lot more options. Not only does it come in aluminium and stainless steel models, but there are four aluminium colours to choose from and three stainless steel colours.
The Watch Series 8 is also available in GPS only and GPS & Cellular models and there are Nike models and Hermes models too, with the same hardware but different Watch faces and different straps.
Watch Ultra vs Series 8 models hardware
- Ultra: S8, W3 chip, U1 chip, built-in siren, Dual-precision GPS, Depth Gauge, up to 36-hours battery
- Series 8: S8, W3 chip, U1 chip, L1 GPS, up to 18 hours battery
The Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 both run on the S8 processor with 64-bit dual-core processor, the W3 chip and they also both have a U1 chip on board too.
They also both offer many of the same sensors, including a body temperature sensor, a bloody oxygen sensor, optical heart rate sensor and electrical heart rate sensor. The Watch Ultra has a built-in 86dB siren as we mentioned though, and it also has a Depth Gauge, which the Series 8 doesn't offer.
There are also dual speakers on the Watch Ultra, as well as a three-mic array with beamforming, while the Series 8 has a single speaker and microphone. Both have a Compass on board, always-on altimeter, gyroscope and an accelerometer offering up to 256 g-forces.
The Watch Ultra offers precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5), while the Watch Series 8 offers L1 only. The Watch Ultra also has a dive computer in the Oceanic+ app, and EN13319 certification.
In terms of battery, the Watch Ultra has a 36-hour battery life, while the Watch Series 8 has an 18-hour battery life. Both have a low-battery mode, which reduces some features, but the Watch Ultra takes this mode one step further and will offer a 60-hour battery later this year.
Watch Ultra vs Series 8 models software
- Both: watchOS 9
Both the Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 run on watchOS 9, so they offer a similar user experience, along with many of the same features.
Both have an ECG app and a Blood Oxygen app, and they both offer features like Fall Detection, Car Crash detection, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications and cycle tracking with ovulation estimates.
They also both have Compass Backtrack, advanced sleep tracking with sleep stages and access to the Apple Watch app store, among the usual Apple Watch features like smartphone notifications and multiple exercise modes.
The Watch Ultra does have a couple of extra features over the Watch Series 8, like the siren, Night Mode on the Wayfinder face and the programmable Action button, as well as the ability to use it as a dive computer, but on the whole, the features transfer across both devices.
Watch Ultra vs Series 8 models conclusion
The Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Series 8 share many of the same core features, though the Watch Ultra has a few extras, along with a larger and more rugged build.
For those into more extreme sports, or hiking, the Watch Ultra is the model to get out of these two devices. It offers a longer battery life, a design that's fit for purpose and features that will come in handy.
For the everyday user though, the Apple Watch Series 8 will likely be more than sufficient. It is also offered in more options, in terms of materials and colours, and it is cheaper.
Considering the amazing bargains on Amazon Echo devices over the last month or so, you may well have treated yourself or a loved one to an Alexa-enabled device.
Or you might be hoping to find one under the tree on Christmas Day itself. Either way, you'll be keen to try out phrases the voice assistant will understand and respond to.
Amazon itself is helping, with a great list of Christmas commands you can try out. You can even get Alexa to read out an entire Christmas classic novel for free.
Here then are some of the festive fun phrases you can try out with your new (or existing) Alexa-enabled device:
If you're the proud owner of one of Apple's iPhone 13 models, you're probably here to make the wise decision of protecting it with a case.
Thankfully, there's no shortage of companies offering protection for your shiny smartphone. In fact, the sheer quantity of options is mind-boggling, with something available no matter what style, material or price point you favour.
Whether you want a designer brand case, a pick that can survive a snowstorm, a leather option, a completely transparent choice or perhaps even one with a wallet or kickstand, our list of picks covers it. We've tried out more cases than you can shake a stick at, using each for a few days at a time to see how they stand up to sustained use, and checking how well they merit their price tags.
Also, when choosing, note that most of the options we've picked out are available in all sizes of the latest iPhone, whether you're getting the standard 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro or even the 13 Pro Max. Just be sure to pick them up in the right size for your phone.
What are the best iPhone 13 cases? Currently, our top recommendation is the Apple Silicone Case with MagSafe. However, other great options include the Wave case, Mous Limitless 4.0, Cyrill Color Brick case, Atom Studios Split Case and Mujjo Full Leather case.
Our Top Pick: Best iPhone 13 Case
Amazon's Alexa app for Windows enables you to use Alexa completely hands-free - just as you would if you were talking to an Alexa smart speaker.
You can easily use Alexa regardless of whether the app is running in the foreground or background – all you need to do is ask.
The Alexa app is available in the Microsoft Store for any Windows 10 or 11 PC user to download. Here's what you need to know about Alexa on the PC and how it works.
How to get started with Alexa on a PC
First, download the Alexa app from the Microsoft Store. If it came pre-installed on your PC, you have what Microsoft and Amazon are calling an "Alexa built-in PC".
Either way, launch the app, and then sign in to your Amazon account (or create one if you are new). Finally, just tap the Alexa button and ask a question. Try asking, "Alexa, what's the weather like right now?"
Go here for specific install and setup instructions.
Is the Alexa app for PCs always listening?
As we mentioned, you can now speak to Alexa hands-free. You can still press a button within the app to speak to Alexa, or you can invoke the assistant using a keyboard shortcut on your computer.
To see if you can use a wake word:
- Open the Alexa app for PC menu.
- Select Settings.
- See if you can select the Wake Word option.
What can you do with Alexa on a PC?
You can use Alexa to set reminders, timers, and alarms, create shopping and to-do lists, listen to music and audiobooks, check your calendar and appointments, and even control your smart home. Alexa on the PC works almost like Alexa on any other device. The only difference, as far as we can tell, is that Pandora is not currently supported within this Alexa for Windows app.
Things you can try asking Alexa:
- "Alexa, what’s on my calendar today?”
- “Alexa, read me a book.”
- “Alexa, turn on the light.”
- “Alexa, what’s the weather at home?”
Can you control your PC with Alexa?
Alexa on Windows allows you to control a basic set of system functions, including the ability to adjust volume and screen brightness.
Volvo and Bose have partnered for the sound system in the forthcoming Volvo EX90.
The forthcoming fully electric car will feature a 14-speaker Bose audio setup inside the cabin, which is customised with a proprietary tuning system specifically tweaked for that particular vehicle. It also features the audio brand's digital signal processing technology, Centerpoint 360.
This creates a more immersive surround sound experience inside the car itself.
Other technologies to be found in the vehicle include BassSync, for more accurate bass levels, and AudioPilot 3 noise compensation, which adjusts the sound signature depending on the background noise.
The Volvo EX90 will first hit the market in early 2024.
The collaboration will also result in future Volvo EVs being fitted with Bose sound systems.
"Teaming up with Volvo Cars is a major milestone for us," said Bose's head of automotive, Peter Kosak.
"We share many common characteristics - from our long-standing commitment to delivering incredible consumer experiences to our intense focus on getting every detail just right. Bose is incredibly excited to bring our shared passions to the next generation of Volvo customers."
We should find out more about the next-generation Volvo electric car in the coming months, with production due to start next year.
Do you feel like your video content creation needs to be more efficient and streamlined? If so, you need a video editor that is not only easy to use and reliable but is also on-point with the latest video platform trends.
Wondershare Filmora 12 has your back. The latest iteration of Wondershare’s powerful video editing software comes packed with new features to take your editing to the next level. Interested? Here’s the lowdown.
What is Wondershare Filmora 12?
Filmora 12 is the latest edition of the video editing suite developed by Wondershare. It has developed the software to enable content creators - from freelance video editors to TikTok and YouTube influencers - the app packs plenty of features to make your filmography pop.
If you are editing content or creating it from scratch, then you’re looking to create the most engaging, immersive video that you can. Your video editor needs to be powerful or your videos will lack substance. You get a full suite of video editing tools with Filmora 12, and it is accessible across multiple platforms, meaning you can shoot and edit video on the fly, and get it live on your platforms ASAP.
What can you use Filmora 12 for?
You can use it to make incredible video content, that's what! The 12th version of Wondershare’s app introduced oodles of new features to make your video content really bang. Plus, you can create this content anywhere you like, on tons of different devices.
What does Filmora 12 offer that other video editing software doesn’t, though? Well, for a start, there’s no steep learning curve; the intuitive UI means you can control the app easily no matter what device you’re using.
It is also competitively priced. Starting with annual subscriptions at $49.99, Filmora 12 represents excellent value for such a powerful video editing suite. Don’t want to break the bank? Get Filmora 12 and avoid making your wallet burst into tears.
Let’s look at Filmora 12’s new features in a little more detail…
Multi-platform support
You can get Filmora 12 on a wide range of devices, so you can edit your just-captured video footage on the go; no more waiting to get back to the production room. Just start Filmora 12 up on your smartphone, edit it easily, export, and it is ready to go live straight away.
Asset backup and sync
With a Wondershare ID, you can back up all of your important assets, so you never lose any important footage again. Plus, it will sync across all of your devices, making your content available instantly, no matter where you are or what device you use.
Video review and collaboration
Collaborate on the creative process with colleagues and co-creators, by inviting them to leave time-stamped messages on your video timeline. Then, you can discuss the comments using the Filmora Workspace cloud service, and keep those discussions safe, too.
Enhanced Keyframe
Filmora 12 comes with an enhanced keyframe that is now applicable to all parameters. So, it works alongside filters and colour correction, as well as with position, rotation, and scale.
Draw Mask
Filmora 12’s new draw mask feature allows users to create any freeform shape they like with the pen tool. This means you can apply effects and so on within the confines of the draw mask (or outside the confines, depending on your use) for interesting visual styles.
Adjustment Layers
You can now use Filmora 12 to apply adjustment layers. Simply put the layer into position, and the app will apply the adjustment effect across all layers in the stack below.
AI Smart Cutout
The new smart cutout feature uses AI to intelligently remove objects from a frame. So, if you want to get rid of a person, for example, or you want to isolate them and remove the entire background, you can.
AI Audio Stretch
Make clumsy soundtrack audio transitions a thing of the past, by using Filmora 12’s AI Audio Stretch tool to simply make your audio track the same length as your video content. This eliminates the need to loop your track or cut it for manual repositioning.
AI Audio Denoise
Remove the sound of rushing wind or your sharp intakes of breath, with the AI Audio Denoise tool Filmora 12 boasts. No need to manually edit audio for noise, get AI to do the legwork instead.
3D titles
Make your intro more immersive with a 3D title intro. With a range of templates to choose from, you can add a title screen in seconds and really make your video pop for your viewers.
Additional Keyboard Shortcut Presets
If you’re used to other video editing software, you’ll be pleased to know that you can use keyboard shortcut presets like those in other programs, making Filmora 12 instantly more familiar to you, and streamlining your workflow.
Revamped effects library
Wondershare has given the Filmora 12 effects library the superstar treatment, meaning you can find and deploy the effects you want from an easily navigable space, fast.
NVIDIA-friendly
Wondershare Filmora 12 also plays nice with NVIDIA, supporting the recent RTX 40 GPU series’ dual encoders for AV1. This encoding offers around 2x export speeds.
Wondershare Filmora 12: Taking your video edits to new levels
OK, so you know what Wondershare Filmora 12 can do, so all you need to do now is go and subscribe to one of their plans and watch those sweet video views roll in. You can get Filmora 12 starting at $49.99/year for the Annual Plan, $69.99/year for the Cross Platform Plan, and $79.99 (one-off payment) for the Perpetual Plan (supports Filmora 12 updates only).
What are you waiting for? Go and get your edit on!
Sometimes it's a good idea to factory reset your iPhone. Perhaps your phone is acting up and you want to troubleshoot it yourself before making an appointment at the Apple Store. Or maybe you want to wipe or erase all the content off your iPhone before you sell it or give it to someone else. Whatever the reason may be, when you factory reset your iPhone, all the content and all your settings and preferences will be permanently removed from the device. So, it's important to back it up first to make sure you don't lose anything important.
Read: Why now is the best time to trade in your iPhone
How to completely erase your iPhone
There are two ways to erase an iPhone. One way is through the Settings app on your iPhone. But you can also connect your iPhone to a computer with a USB cable and then use iTunes to erase the phone. Pocket-lint has detailed the Settings method below because, honestly, it's the quickest and easiest. It can be done in a few simple taps.
- Turn on your iPhone.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to General.
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- To erase all the data from an iPhone, tap Erase All Content and Settings.
From there, you will be shown a warning screen that says erasing will sign you out of your Apple ID and remove your personal data (including your apps, Apple Wallet information, eSIM, and more). Hit continue and then enter your passcode. At that point, your phone will begin the factory-reset process.
Which iPhone models can you factory reset?
All iPhone models have the capability to be completely erased so that you can sell, trade, or give it away without fear of having your personal data exposed.
What happens when you factory reset?
Your iPhone will be restored as though it is completely new. Your Apple ID and none of your personal information will be on the device or associated with it.
Want to know more?
Before you factory reset an iPhone, be sure to back up your iPhone's data. Apple has a support page that details how, plus it has more information about factory resets on this support page.
Oppo is serious about the foldable phone market, even if it was a little later than the competition to the party. So serious - in fact - that it's finally launching one of its flexible smartphones outside of China.
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is being launched in global markets at some point in early 2023, and it will be competing head-to-head with the popular Galaxy Z Flip 4. So can it steal Samsung's foldable crown, or will it flop?
Design and build
- Find N2 Flip: 166.2 x 75.2 x 7.5mm (open) - 85.5 x 75.2 x 16mm (shut)
- Z Flip 4: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (open) - 84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm (shut)
- Find N2 Flip: 191 grams - Glass and aluminium build
- Z Flip 4: 187 grams - Glass and aluminium build - IPX8 water resistance
What's interesting about the Find N2 Flip is that Oppo has found yet another design for a flexible clamshell phone, delivering a look which is quite different to what other manufacturers have offered. Specifically: the front cover looks very unique.
That is - of course - primarily down to Oppo's decision to go with a vertical rectangle display on the front which takes up nearly all the vertical space. We'll speak more about the actual display in a bit, but it creates a very unique appearance and one you'll not confuse with Samsung's in a hurry.
Samsung's phone has a much smaller display on the front, but otherwise, the two do share similarities.
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The two phones are built with that same basic concept of having an aluminium frame around the outside and a hinge halfway up that allows the phone to fold in half.
Oppo's phone is wider than the Samsung phone and slightly thicker when open, and slightly taller. However, due to the hinge design, the Oppo closes almost completely flush and so doesn't have a gap near the hinge or the tapering thickness when shut. It also doesn't have as clear a crease in the actual main display.
Oppo's slightly larger size does come with benefits, even if the phone is a little less compact than the Z Flip 4: It's got a bigger battery and a better aspect ratio display inside.
Both are very similar weights, however, but Samsung's does have the advantage of being IPX8-rated against water ingress.
Cover/exterior display
- Find N2 Flip: 3.26-inch - 382 x 720 AMOLED
- Z Flip 4: 1.9-inch - 260 x 512 AMOLED
As well as providing a visual distinction on the front of the phone, the Oppo's cover display offers a very different experience to the Samsung's. Where the Z Flip 4's cover display offers small widgets for useful information, the Find N2 Flip is - essentially - a miniaturised vertical smartphone screen.
At 3.26-inches diagonally it's much bigger than the Galaxy's 1.9-inch panel, and this means that when you're taking selfies of filming yourself, you get a virtually crop-free view of yourself and can better frame yourself.
It's also better for viewing your calendar appointments for the day as well as giving you a host of other basic functions that you can perform without opening the phone. Whether that be replying to messages, checking the weather or checking waiting notifications. It simply fits more data on it.
Samsung's display is more for quickly checking the weather, your calendar and seeing if you have notifications, but it's not a great size for actually interacting with; for most tasks, you'll always be better off using the internal screen.
Internal folding display
- Find N2 Flip: 6.8-inch - 1080 x 2520 - 21:9 AMOLED display
- Z Flip 4: 6.7-inch - 1080 x 2640 - 22:9 AMOLED display
- Find N2 Flip: 120Hz - HDR10+ - 1600 nits peak
- Z Flip 4: 120Hz - HDR10+ - 1200 nits peak
Both phones have quite a long narrow display on the inside, but with its 21:9 ratio 6.8-inch screen, Oppo's is larger and features a more conventional aspect ratio. It's still a little narrower than most standard smartphones, but Samsung's is even narrower still at 22:9.
As far as other specs go, they're remarkably similar. Both feature a fullHD+ resolution panel - albeit slightly different due to the aforementioned ratios. They're both flexible AMOLED screens and both can reach up to 120Hz refresh rates when needed.
Oppo's is the brighter of the two with a peak brightness of 1600 nits, although, at 1200 nits peak, the Samsung is still certainly bright enough to be perfectly visible in most conditions. They're both compatible with HDR10+ content too.
As mentioned, the Oppo display folds in a way that makes the crease on the inside a lot less visible, and that could mean a better visual experience overall. However, we'll need to test both side-by-side to say for sure.
Power and battery life
- Find N2 Flip: MediaTek Dimensity 9000+
- Z Flip 4: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Find N2 Flip: 4300mAh battery - 44W SuperVOOC wired charging
- Z Flip 4: 3700mAh battery - 25W wired charging - 15W wireless charging
Internally, both phones are equipped with high-end chipsets, although - unlike the book-style Find N2 - Oppo partnered with MediaTek for the clamshell model. It's got the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor inside, which should provide fast and fluid levels of performance.
Samsung went with the tried and true flagship Snapdragon chipset, specifically, it's powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which delivers top-tier performance without the phone overheating or using too much battery.
As far as batteries go, Oppo has managed something quite impressive here. It's got a 4300mAh battery which is rather large for a phone of this size, it's considerably more than the 3700mAh cell inside the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and almost as much as what Samsung has in its much bigger foldable: the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
What's more, with its 44W SuperVOOC charging, it should refill much quicker than Samsung's 25W charging abilities too. However, Samsung has the option for wireless charging in the Z Flip 4. You don't get that convenience with the Oppo phone.
As far as storage variants go, there are a few for each phone. Which you get will likely depend on the region you buy it in. Oppo's comes in 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB and 16GB/512GB versions in China where it's launched. Samsung's also has 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models, but each comes with the same 8GB RAM.
Cameras
- Find N2 Flip: 50MP f/1.8 primary camera, 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- Z Flip 4: 12MP f/1.8 primary camera, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- Find N2 Flip: 4K/30fps - FHD/60fps
- Z Flip 4: 4K/60fps - FHD/240fps slow-mo
- Find N2 Flip: 32MP selfie camera
- Z Flip 4: 10MP selfie camera
The two devices take a similar approach to cameras. That's to say they both have a primary and ultrawide camera, although the exact makeup of those cameras is different.
Samsung went for a consistent approach and stuck two 12-megapixel sensors in its two main cameras on the front, and offers up to 4K resolution recording at 60 frames per second, or 1080p resolution up to 240 frames per second for super slow-mo recording.
Oppo has a big 50-megapixel sensor from Sony in its primary camera and a lower resolution 8-megapixel sensor in the ultrawide. Oppo has partnered with Hasselblad for its colour processing, and that shows in the camera app too. On the video side, it maxes out at 4K resolution at 30 frames per second and 1080p at 60 frames per second. For those who care about video, then, Samsung will offer a better experience.
As for selfie cameras, Oppo has squeezed a 32-megapixel sensor into its own punch-hole camera, whereas Samsung went with a lower resolution 10-megapixel.
Price
- Find N2 Flip: £750 (equivalent price in China)
- Z Flip 4: £999
We don't know how much the Find N2 Flip will cost when it finally launches in global markets at the beginning of 2023, but its Chinese price of 6399 yuan is around £750. It's not likely to be that low when it lands in the UK or Europe. We'd be surprised if it undercuts the Samsung phone by a huge margin. Oppo flagship phones aren't particularly cheap in western markets.
Samsung's phone has a full original retail price of £999, but can be found cheaper at various retailers now that it's been on the market for a few months.
Conclusion
The biggest draw for the Oppo flip phone - we think - will be its cover display. It's a completely different approach to exterior displays offered by competitors and will allow full-screen selfies and videos vertically. It's also got a much bigger battery than the Samsung and - with Oppo's usual optimisations - that should mean much better battery life. It also charges much faster.
Samsung's does have a lot going for it, especially when it comes to its brand power. It's a much more familiar brand to buyers in Europe and other western markets. Plus, it's a brand that's become synonymous with flexible phones. Add that to the water-resistant design, the appeal of the bespoke colour choices and wireless charging and you have a very attractive device.
Microsoft is considering a cheaper, ad-supported tier for its Xbox Game Pass service... if users want it.
That's according to an "official survey" that was reportedly sent to some Xbox owners, asking whether they would be willing to pay less for a version of Game Pass that strips out some features, and adds commercials when starting a game.
The tier would cost $2.99 a month - considerably less than the $9.99 for standard Game Pass, $14.99 for Game Pass Ultimate.
However, it would only offer a truncated selection of games to download, including first-party titles that have been available for six-months or longer. Regular Game Pass subscribers get to play games on the day of their release, plus 100s of other titles.
It won't include cloud play access neither, so games will only be available on the Xbox console owned.
Microsoft has also recently developed technology that can play adverts during a game, so it's not yet known whether this will factor too.
Of course, the survey may not amount to much anyway. However, with Disney+ and Netflix also adding cheaper, ad-supported tiers in recent times, there is a precedent to offering a viable subscription alternative for those with less cash in their pockets.
We'll bring you more if and when we find out additional details.
OnePlus will officially announce its OnePlus 11 5G smartphone soon - possibly over the next few days.
You won't have to wait until then to find out some details, however. Aside from the numerous leaks we've already born witness to, the brand itself posted a teaser on Weibo over the weekend.
It confirmed the name of the forthcoming flagship (unsurpringly, OnePlus 11), and showed the rumoured circular Hasselblad camera unit on the rear.
In addition, renowned phone journalist Max Jambor posted an official-looking marketing image on his Twitter feed showing the handset alongside the tagline "The Shape of Power".
Good morning! pic.twitter.com/TueaVavq1H
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) December 19, 2022
We've seen the image of the handsets leaked before and they match the device shown in the teaser by OnePlus, so there's no reason not to think this is genuine.
The OnePlus 11 is said to come with 100W fast charging and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor running the show.
OnePlus describes it as a "future performance leader" and that it will challenge "many impossibilities in the industry". We'll be following the launch live here on Pocket-lint to find out what that means and give you all the confirmed details on the handset that is set to be released in China first, then globally after.
We expect that to be early next year. Stay tuned.
Apple is said to be working on "multiple external monitors" for release in 2023, with Apple Silicon hardware inside.
The company is reportedly working on a new version of the Pro Display XDR, which will replace the model launched in 2019. However, it might not arrive until later in the year and after a new Mac Pro model, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claiming that it is still in development.
"Apple is working on multiple new external monitors," he writes in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. "Including an update to the Pro Display XDR that was launched alongside the Intel Mac Pro in 2019.
"It is possible, however, that the company’s next high-end display will ship after the Mac Pro, as the computer is further along in development than the monitor."
Other Apple Silicon monitors may appear first, therefore.
Gurman also suggests that, by adding its own chipset into the displays, they will be able to perform some functions without draining resources of the Mac or MacBook plugged into them.
Certainly, it seems that Apple would prefer to continue down this route rather than reinstate the 27-inch iMac - the last of which appearing in 2020. There will likely be at least two Mac Mini models released in 2023, he says, which could fill the gap.
Zoom was a roaring success during the pandemic, but it's since proved to be an invaluable tool for daily life, and even more so for business meetings. The problem is that you often need to take notes from meetings - but what if you could live transcribe a Zoom?
Well, the good news is, you can, using the power of artificial intelligence. There are two main ways to do this, firstly, Zoom has a built-in tool for transcribing cloud recordings, so long as you have a Business, Education or Enterprise licence.
Alternatively, you can use a transcription service called Otter.ai. We'll detail both methods below.
How to automatically transcribe a Zoom cloud recording
As we mentioned, you'll need an appropriate paid Zoom subscription to do this, so check that you're on a supported plan before proceeding.
First, you'll need to enable audio transcripts by following the steps below:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal
- Go to Settings
- Navigate to the Recording tab
- Locate the Cloud recording setting and enable it
- Go to the Advanced cloud recording section
- Select the check box next to Create audio transcript to enable it
- Click Save to confirm the change
If you find that any of these options are greyed out, you'll need to contact your account administrator or double-check that you have the right subscription plan.
Now, Zoom will automatically transcribe your saved meetings. These are saved in VTT format, which can be opened in most text editing programs. To find out more about accessing these recordings, check out Zoom's support website.
How to transcribe a Zoom call with Otter.ai
Otter.ai also allows for live transcription, if you have a paid account but you can also transcribe a meeting afterwards using Otter.ai's Zoom Sync feature. You don't need a paid Otter.ai plan for that, you just need to register. You will still need a Zoom Pro or higher account though.
Oh, and you need to set this all up before the meeting.
How to set up Live Video Meeting Notes with Otter AI
Zoom administrator (this is usually you, but probably IT if you have a corporate account)
1. Pre-approve Otter in Zoom Marketplace
2. Enable live streaming in Zoom
Zoom meeting hosts then need to:
1. Enable live streaming in Zoom
2. Connect Otter to Zoom
There are detailed instructions available from Otter.ai
How to transcribe Zoom meetings afterwards
This means your Zoom cloud recordings will be automatically transcribed after a meeting.
You need to do the Zoom administrator steps as described above. And then you need to do the following:
3. Enable downloading of Recording (Personal)
4. Connect Otter to Zoom
Vikings: Valhalla is returning for a second season, which is just as well considering the first ended on somewhat a cliffhanger.
With brothers Harald and Olaf Sigurdsson now on different sides in the battle for the throne, and Leif and Freydis retunited, the action is set to move on apace. It's shaping up for some gripping stuff ahead.
Here's everything we know about the new season so far.
Vikings: Valhalla season 2 release date
Netflix has announced that Vikings: Valhalla will return on 12 January 2023.
Get ready for more adventures with some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived when Vikings: Valhalla returns January 12! pic.twitter.com/yRuZn58pum
— Netflix (@netflix) December 14, 2022
How to watch Vikings: Valhalla season 2
As with the first season, Vikings: Valhalla season 2 will be exclusive to Netflix.
How many episodes will Vikings: Valhalla season 2 have?
Much like Vikings: Valhalla season 1, the second season will consist of eight episodes. We know this because Netflix announced a three-season commission in 2019, with 24-episodes ordered in total.
Vikings: Valhalla season 2 plot and rumours
Netflix released a brief teaser clip of season 2 during its Tudum presentation in September 2022. In it, it shows a reunited Leif, Freydis and Harald running from the army of Olaf (Harald's brother), along with other escapees of the invasion of Kattegat. He orders his men to kill them only for unseen help to come from the sea.
That's about all we know about the plot of season 2 so far, although we can expect further goings-on in England, with Emma having taken the throne and Canute's former Queen, Ælfgifu, seeking revenge.
Vikings: Valhalla season 2 cast and crew
Much of season 1's cast returns (apart from those who perished, naturally).
That will include Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson, Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir, and Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson.
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson reprises his role as Olaf Haraldsson too, of course, considering he's in the teaser clip shared by Netflix.
How to catch up on Vikings
There's actually a lot to catch up on if you are coming to Vikings: Valhalla afresh. Not only is there the entirety of season 1 on Netfix to watch, there are six seasons of its award-winning predecessor, Vikings, available on Hulu in the US, and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
From 2024, it will switch over to Netflix in full, but you'll need to catch up with the show on the aforementioned platforms for now.
The original Vikings is set 100 years prior to the events in Valhalla and tells the story of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, who are occasionally referenced in the sequel shows.
Is there a Vikings: Valhalla season 2 trailer?
Netflix released a one-and-a-half minute clip during its Tudum presentation in September 2022. You can watch it at the top of this page.
Will there be a Vikings: Valhalla season 3?
There will be a Vikings: Valhalla season 3. Netflix announced in March 2022 that it had commissioned two new seasons (2 and 3) of the hit series.
Sound the horns. Vikings: Valhalla is returning for Season 2 & 3. SKOL! pic.twitter.com/y6vmMVJual
— Vikings Valhalla (@NetflixValhalla) March 9, 2022
Are you in the market for a new phone but don't want to spend a fortune? If so, here's a deal you might not want to miss!
Up until 15th January 2023, upgrade to a Pixel 6a and get up to £325 off when you trade in your old phone.
Keep reading to learn more about this incredible offer.
What does the offer include?
This offer includes a trade-in discount of up to £325 off the Pixel 6a when you trade in your old phone. The savings depend on your old phone's model, condition, and age, but the exact amount will be determined when you make your trade-in.
The typical representative amount for this offer is £325 for an iPhone 11. Even better, you can rest assured the Pixel 6a is worth your money, thanks to a list of impressive features.
Why take this deal?
It's easy and convenient
Google's trade-in program is easy and convenient. All you have to do is select the type of device you want to trade in and answer a few questions about its condition. You'll then get an estimate of how much your device is worth. Once you accept the quote, you'll be sent a postage box to mail it safely and securely.
It's super fast
If you're looking for a quick reward, Google's trade-in program is the way to go. After receiving and processing your device, you can expect store credit or cash within 14 days. With most other retailers, you'd have to wait months or potentially years to get your reward.
Environmentally friendly
When you recycle your old phone with Google's trade-in program, your device won't end up in a landfill but will be refurbished or used as spare parts by certified partners. So not only will you get money off your new phone, but you'll also be helping to reduce e-waste.
As a bonus, using the trade-in service ensures that data stored on your old device is wiped clean so that none of your personal information remains accessible once it leaves your hands.
The Pixel 6a is a special device
Here are a few reasons why the Google Pixel 6a could be the perfect device for you:
Design and build quality
The Pixel 6a has a sleek design and build that sets it apart from other devices in its class. It weighs just 178 grams (6.28 ounces), making it lightweight enough for comfortable everyday use.
The front of the device is made of Gorilla Glass 3 for maximum protection, while the back and frame are made of aluminium and plastic, respectively. This combination ensures your phone will remain safe from scratches and falls in even the most clumsy hands.
When considering the price, there's no denying that the design aesthetic of the Google Pixel 6a makes it look much more pricey than it is.
Display
The display on the Pixel 6a is truly something special - it boasts OLED technology with HDR for vivid colours and sharp contrasts. The screen measures 6.1 inches, giving you plenty of room to watch movies or play games without squinting at the screen.
Plus, the always-on display feature gives you quick access to key information without having to unlock your phone each time.
Platform
The Pixel 6a runs on Android 12, which is upgradable to Android 13, so you will always have access to the latest technologies and software updates. In addition, it has Google Tensor 5nm chipsets and an octa-core CPU, making it incredibly fast and efficient.
These features allow you to enjoy its smooth performance while multitasking or playing games.
Camera
With the dual 12.2 MP main camera and single 8 MP selfie camera, the Google Pixel 6a helps you capture stunning photos that will be the envy of all your friends. No matter what the subject – sunsets, food, landscapes – the focus and sharpness from this device ensures that your photo gallery always looks professional-grade.
And with its fast anti-distortion shutter and AI-based imaging technologies, you'll always get photos as vibrant and crisp as if a pro photographer was behind the lens.
Memory
The Pixel 6a offers enough space to store your entire digital life with 128GB of internal storage. And that's not all - UFS 3.1 technology helps boost performance so you can access, save and retrieve files quickly without any lag or stutter.
You'll love the extra muscle from the 6GB of RAM, which will keep things running smoothly. It may not have a card slot, but with that much storage coming right out of the box, you may not even miss it.
Battery
Your phone's battery is critical, and the Pixel 6a offers superior performance in this area. The powerful Li-Po 4410 mAh battery will keep you going all day.
When it's time to refuel, the device's 18W wired charging with PD3.0 support technology ensures that you are quickly back in action.
It's a deal you don't want to mMiss
Upgrading your phone can be expensive, but with this deal, it doesn't have to be. You save money while still getting the latest technology and features. Why not take this great opportunity to get a modern phone without breaking the bank?
Don't wait any longer. Take advantage of this amazing offer before it expires.
T&Cs
- Upon receipt of your traded Device, Google Store reserves the right to inspect it to determine its condition and ascertain its eligibility for trade-in credit; if it does not meet all the requirements, the initial estimate may be revised.
- If your device is determined to be worth less than 75% of the initial trade-in estimate, it will be deemed ineligible for the program and returned to you.
- Once approved, Google Store will refund your payment method on record; if unable to refund directly back onto said payment method, you will receive Google Store credit instead.
- To receive the original trade-in estimate, you must send your old device within 14 days of receiving your new Google Pixel 6a phone. If you fail to do so within this timeframe, the estimated value may be adjusted.
- If your trade-in device is worth more than the cost of your new phone, the difference will be converted into Google Store credit.
- You cannot make a trade-in request for whatever reason after you have returned your new device to Google. If your old phone is processed in these circumstances, you can only receive Google Store credits.
- For customers who finance their purchase with Klarna, refunds for any successful trade-in transactions will also be processed by Klarna in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.
Primephonic is a now-defunct music streaming service that exclusively offered classical music. It was acquired by Apple, and taken offline in the summer of 2021.
A post on the Primephonic website states that "the Primephonic service has been taken offline. We are working on an amazing new classical music experience from Apple for next year."
As of writing, this Apple classical music service has yet to materialise, though there has been evidence that it's in the works.
If you're interested in the services that Primephonic used to offer, you can find those below:
What did Primephonic offer?
Primephonic was a complete classical music streaming app. Primephonic's best feature was its search because it enabled users to search classical music by period, genre, style or personnel, such as who conducted the performance. Essentially, users could sift through vast quantities of classical music by looking at other factors (up to eight variables) rather than just the artist, song, or album search available on other streaming apps.
Founded in 2017, the service boasted over three and a half million tracks from 170,000 artists across 230,000 albums and 2,400 labels. A manual curation team worked to make sure everything was categorised correctly. Primephonic claimed to have the largest classical database in the world, at 230,000 albums.
"Classical music is complicated…it has a lot of data associated with it" says head of curation Guy Jones. A single piece can have hundreds of different recordings and demonstrated this to Pocket-lint by showing a Beethoven piano concerto with 571 different recordings available. The app recommends the pick of the versions - which is curated manually for the top 500 works.
The playlists were also curated with the classical listener in mind - rather than just a bunch of "relaxing classical" tracks that might be found on another platform, Primephonic had more granular beginner playlists like Choral Essentials or Renaissance Essentials to get users started. And, of course, there were numerous new releases.
Jones said that classical music is so diverse "but it's interesting that classical is this thing that people feel they have to understand before they can enjoy it. There’s a long-standing idea that it’s elitist." However, Jones argued that it does not need to be elitist and there are plenty of entry points.
"There's an idea of classical music as being peaceful and relaxing," said Jones. "A lot of it can be thrilling, despairing, hyperactive or anything else."
What subscriptions and apps did it have?
A full subscription cost £9.99 (Premium) or £14.99 (Platinum) a month. There was a 14-day free trial. The difference between the two tiers was essentially the streaming quality - either 320kbps MP3 or 24-bit lossless FLAC. Users could save by paying either £99.99 or £149.99 upfront for a year.
Primephonic CEO Thomas Steffans told us that the split between the two subscriptions was roughly 45/55 with most opting for the higher audio quality.
There were iOS and Android apps, as well as a web-based app on Macs and PCs. Offline listening was supported on the mobile apps as expected. It was also fully integrated with Sonos.
It could not be used with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant devices at the time, but users could naturally connect to those devices and others with Bluetooth, Chromecast, and AirPlay.
Digital booklets
Primephonic had introduced booklets, which were PDFs of CD inlays that users did not get the experience of with streaming. Because of the detailed information they contained, including them added something to the experience.
Primephonic had collaborated with major labels such as Sony, Universal, and Harmonia Mundi, as well as stacks of smaller labels, over the booklets and was providing tens of thousands of them for listeners already. Primephonic said it was planning on bringing them to as many albums as possible.
"CD booklets are very important to classical music enthusiasts," said Steffens. "Our subscribers are passionate about the genre and want to absorb as much information detailing composers, instrumentalists, and conductors, as possible."
The Pluto TV streaming service has been operating for many years now, specifically in the US where it has grown to include more than 200 channels of free live TV and on demand content.
It is perhaps lesser known outside of the States, although it is available in several other major countries, including the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland and Latin America.
So, what is Pluto TV and what does it offer. Here we explain all.
What is Pluto TV?
Pluto TV is a completely free internet television service that offers hundreds of live channels of content gleaned from partners and 'net sources.
In the US, there are well over 200 channels, while other regions have fewer. The UK has around half that, for example.
There are channels across many subjects, such as entertainment, movies, news, and sport. There are also many partner channels, such as My5 in the UK - featuring content from Channel 5.
How to get Pluto TV
Pluto TV is generally available through a smart TV or set-top-box application.
Accessibility is dependent on region, but Pluto TV apps are generally available for the following:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS
- LG smart TVs
- PS4 & PS5
- Roku
- Samsung smart TVs
You do not need to log into the Pluto TV app. Just start it and away you go.
Is there on demand content available on Pluto TV?
As well as multiple live streaming channels which show programming like a traditional terrestrial TV service, there is an extensive library of on demand series and films available to stream.
All of it is free.
What's available on Pluto TV?
There are a ton of conventional style live channels on Pluto TV, including MTV content and Channel 5 stations (in the UK). However, the vast majority of channels are based on the shows themselves, such as a Starsky and Hutch channel, and one for Mad Men.
The extensive quantity of streamable content includes movies and archive TV series. That includes a great selection of classic films you might not find elsewhere.
If you're using an Amazon Echo for the first time you'll be keen to try out phrases the voice assistant will understand and respond to.
Here then are some of the fun phrases you can try out with your new (or existing) Alexa-enabled device:
Regularly-requested Alexa commands
Female solo artist: "Alexa, play songs by Adele."
Food question: "Alexa, how do you boil an egg?"
"Alexa, let's play a game."
"Alexa, play something I haven’t heard in a while."
"Alexa, open 5-Minute Plank Workout."
"Alexa, good morning."
"Alexa, how many litres are in a gallon?"
"Alexa, who is Cristiano Ronaldo?"
"Alexa, open Random Facts."
"Alexa, play Relaxing Acoustic Pop."
"Alexa, what's the hottest place in the world?"
"Alexa, what time does the sun set in London?"
"Alexa, open Question of the Day."
Lots of other great things to ask Alexa
"Alexa, what are my skills?"
"Alexa, play Bird Sounds."
"Alexa, when is the first day of spring?"
"Alexa, how do you make the colour purple?"
"Alexa, what is your favourite band?"
"Alexa, drop in on home."
"Alexa, play music to help me focus."
"Alexa, tell me a superhero joke."
"Alexa, what films has Anthony Hopkins acted in?"
"Alexa, can you speak Pig Latin?"
"Alexa, how many stars are in the galaxy?"
"Alexa, open Would You Rather?"
"Alexa, do not disturb."
"Alexa, turn off 'do not disturb'."
"Alexa, open Daily Affirmation."
"Alexa, which came first: the chicken or the egg?"
"Alexa, when is the women's figure skating?"
"Alexa, what's another word for 'happy'?"
"Alexa, help me relax."
"Alexa, what are your popular skills?"
"Alexa, wake me up in the morning."
"Alexa, give me a recipe for chicken."
"Alexa, it's my birthday."
"Alexa, start Earplay."
"Alexa, I have a cunning plan."
"Alexa, how do I calculate the area of a circle?"
"Alexa, tell me a fun fact about dinosaurs."
"Alexa, call Mum."
"Alexa, how many days until summer?"
"Alexa, who is hosting the BAFTAs?"
"Alexa, play music for reading."
"Alexa, how long is the movie Black Panther?"
"Alexa, open Animal Letters."
"Alexa, what's Manchester United's goal difference?"
"Alexa, flip a coin."
"Alexa, connect to Bluetooth."
"Alexa, tell me a Mother's Day joke."
"Alexa, surely you can't be serious?"
"Alexa, give me a fun fact about space."
"Alexa, what's the population of Antarctica?"
"Alexa, play 'This Is Me' from The Greatest Showman."
"Alexa, what's your favourite flower?"
"Alexa, roll two dice."
"Alexa, let's meditate."
"Alexa, watch Sneaky Pete on Fire TV."
You can now control your Amazon Fire TV with your Echo device. Learn how
"Alexa, how many days until the FIFA World Cup?"
"Alexa, I'm bored."
"Alexa, give me an Oscars quiz."
"Alexa, play the Oscar-Winning Film Scores playlist."
"Alexa, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck?"
"Alexa, set a reminder."
"Alexa, when did the last Taylor Swift album come out?"
"Alexa, watch The Tick on Fire TV."
"Alexa, Red Alert."
"Alexa, what is the word of the day?"
"Alexa, who are your role models?"
"Alexa, add cheese to my shopping list."
"Alexa, what is on TV tonight?"
"Alexa, who is going to win an Oscar?"
"Alexa, when is the next solar eclipse?"
"Alexa, when is Mother's Day?"
"Alexa, tell me a robot joke."
"Alexa, I'm feeling curious" - Alexa will tell you all manner of interesting facts about snakes, computer science, biology and much more
"Alexa, where's my stuff?"
"Alexa, what's your favourite sport?"
"Alexa, what are you reading?"
"Alexa, what are your top skills?"
"Alexa, how long is the River Thames?"
"Alexa, when did The Beatles break up?"
"Alexa, I am your father!"
Ask Alexa these Christmas-related things
"Alexa, can you name Santa's reindeer"
"Alexa, how many calories are in a Christmas pudding?"
"Alexa, what's today's Christmas treat?" - You can get a Christmas surprised each day until Christmas Eve.
"Alexa, tell me a Christmas jumper joke"
"Alexa, play music for a Christmas party"
"Alexa, play family-friendly Christmas music"
"Alexa, play a trivia game"
Google has a clever feature within the Google Phone app: Caller ID announcement. When enabled, the app can announce who's calling when your phone rings.
Here's how to set it up.
How to set up Caller ID announcement
When setting up Caller ID announcement in Google's phone app, you can decide whether you want it to announce who is calling every time the phone rings, only while you're wearing a headset, or never.
To enable the feature, follow these steps:
- Open the latest version of the Google Phone app
- Go to Settings > Caller ID announcement.
- "Announce caller ID” will be disabled by default.
- Select it and choose between:
- Always
- Only when using a headset
- Never
Where is this feature available?
It appears to be available to English-speaking users, including the US and the UK.
Note: If you haven’t updated the Google Phone app, check the Play Store and be sure to do that, or else you might not see the feature available.
Why does Google offer this feature?
Simply put, it's an accessibility feature that can help people with visual disabilities easily determine who is calling them, but it's also really useful when you're wearing a headset.
Jack Ryan has been a hit for Amazon Video. It's based around Tom Clancy's best-known protagonist, Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who finds himself pulled from his desk job and thrust into the action.
A reluctant hero, Jack Ryan often protests that he's an analyst rather than a field agent and that lends Ryan a vulnerable charm and fits the political leaning of Clancy's thrillers; Ryan is smarter than he is strong and that has always made him a popular character.
Season 1 of Jack Ryan aired in 2018 and was a showcase title for Amazon, being one of the first to offer Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision on the platform. Season 2 aired in 2019, so the wait for Season 3 has been long. Thankfully, that wait will soon be over.
Here is everything you need to know about Jack Ryan Season 3, with a few details that are emerging about Season 4.
Jack Ryan Season 3 release date
The release date for Season 3 has been announced. It will premiere on 21 December 2022.
The long-awaited third season of #JackRyan returns on December 21, 2022 to @primevideo. pic.twitter.com/4EsV3N5VB9
— Jack Ryan (@JackRyanPV) September 28, 2022
Jack Ryan is an Amazon exclusive, so it's available to Prime members who can stream it on Prime Video. There's a 30-day trial if you've never used it.
Previous seasons are available to watch on Prime Video too.
Is there a trailer for Season 3?
Yes. A trailer for Jack Ryan season 3 dropped on 27 October 2022. You can watch it below.
Agent Status: Rogue. #JackRyan arrives December 21 on @PrimeVideo. pic.twitter.com/3AxzBxpVxi
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) October 27, 2022
What to expect from Season 3
The previous Seasons of Jack Ryan ran sequentially from one to the next and we know that we'll see the return of John Krasinski as Ryan, Wendell Pierce as James Greer and Abbie Cornish as Cathy Mueller. It's been confirmed that Betty Gabriel will join the cast as Elizabeth Wright, Chief of Station.
Season 3 sees Jack Ryan wrapped into the conspiracy that he's investigating, seeing the lead character on the run from the CIA and those he was investigating. That sees the action play out across Europe - with a number of locations confirmed from social posts during filming. Ryan is again trying to save the world from conflict, but this time he's also in the frame.
Another mission is on the horizon. Where in Europe would you like to see #JackRyan travel to?
— Jack Ryan (@jackryanamazon) June 24, 2021
As with the previous Seasons, there's no connection to the original Tom Clancy books, except for the characters. Currently, there's no link to other movies in the Ryanverse, although it's speculated that a link could be made through a future Rainbow Six movie.
It's expected that Michael Peña will make an appearance at the end of Season 3, as Domingo "Ding" Chavez.
How many episodes will there be in Jack Ryan Season 3?
It's expected that there will be eight episodes. The duration of each episode differs, but they average about 50 minutes each.
It's currently unknown if these will all be released in one go, or if these will release weekly.
Will there be a Jack Ryan Season 4?
Yes, Jack Ryan Season 4 has been officially confirmed - along with one of the new stars for the show Michael Peña. It's expected that Peña will play Ding Chazev, a central character in the Jack Ryan novels. Rumours also suggest that there could be a spin-off series for Peña, while it also provides a logical link into any potential future Rainbow Six movie following on from Without Remorse.
We do know that Ryan, Greer and Mueller will return.
He's stayed busy. #JackRyan will return for Season 4. pic.twitter.com/yUyIX0KenA
— Jack Ryan (@jackryanamazon) October 14, 2021
Casio will kick off the 40th anniversary of G-Shock next year with a range of redesigned classic watches that know how to rock.
The Adventurer's Stone collection certainly has the minerals, as each model sports a design based on the stones used as guideposts by adventurers since the Middle Ages.
As well as the look and pattern on each watch's bezel, processing techniques used in manufacture adds a stoney, rough texture for a more tactile experience.
There are six variants on offer, taken from some of Casio's most-loved G-Shock ranges.
The GM-5640GEM x Sunstone is one of the two digital only watches, with a bright, rainbow-coloured bezel that shines depending on the viewing angle.
It costs £280 and comes with all the standard features of the 5640 line.
The GM-S5640GEM x Calcite model costs £250 and, like the Sunstone version above, has a rainbow effect.
The GM-2140GEM x Cordierite has a blue face and is matched with a mixed-colour moulded resin band. It's an analogue and digital model with a hand-shift feature and world time function.
It's priced at £270, while the GM-S2140GEM x Calcite is a touch cheaper, at £230. It has similar features but a lighter design.
The GM-114GEM x Calcite edition is £290 and is forged and ion plated with a gold and black finish. Another analogue and digital model, it also has ISO 764-compliant magnetic resistance.
And finally, the GM-S114GEM x Calcite will set you back £230. It's signature is a purple and grey finish, with hot stamping giving it an uneven texture.
The entire G-Shock Adventurer's Stone collection will be available in January 2023. US pricing is yet to be revealed.
If you really like planning ahead and executing superb coups de grâce against challenging opponents, then strategy games are a must-try for you.
These titles, whether they're turned-based or real-time, let you pit yourself against the odds with interesting and often unique systems and game designs. The best of them have the ability to suck you in for one more turn endlessly, but many also tell interesting and engaging stories.
While they were historically the preserve of PC players, strategy games are now often brought to consoles with great success, including the PS5 - here are our favourites that you can play right now. For other genres of PS5 greats, check the table below.
| Our other PS5 game buyer's guides |
| • Best games overall |
| • Best role-playing games (RPGs) |
| • Best racing games |
| • Best indie games |
| • Best shooters |
| • Best horror games |
What are the best strategy games for PS5?
- Marvel's Midnight Suns
- Tactics Ogre Reborn
- Inscryption
- Crusader Kings 3
- Slay the Spire
- The DioField Chronicle
Marvel's Midnight Suns
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This superb mash-up of a card game and social superhero simulator sees you take control of Marvel's heroes, some of them more well-known than others. You'll take charge of tactical battles using decks of cards, and get to know your fellow supes between fights.
It's a really well-balanced and satisfying singleplayer battler that has clearly taken notes from Nintendo's storied Fire Emblem series in the way it lets you chill out.
Tactics Ogre Reborn
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This remake brings one of the most beloved and revered strategy games ever into a new generation, with updated graphics and some extremely canny tweaks to make its gameplay more intuitive.
The dark and emotional war story it tells should stay with you for quite a while, and Reborn stands as a really good example of how to do a remaster the right way.
Inscryption
This game is hard to describe and you're better off not knowing too much, but it effectively smashes together a deck-building roguelike game with an escape room horror story.
It's creepy, has a vibe that feels almost entirely unique, and features some extremely memorable twists - we heartily recommend it.
Crusader Kings 3
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If you like your strategy to be a bit more epic in scale, this superb medieval simulator lets you see how you'd fare as the head of a family in warring nations.
Expect betrayal, vendettas, constant vigilance and much more - it's an endlessly inventive and rewarding time-sink once you start to really get into it.
Slay the Spire
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This roguelike game sees you build a deck of cards as you progress through a map of encounters, each time seeing how far you can get and learning more about the systems that you're playing with.
It's got some genius design decisions at its heart and a really fun and unique art style, plus can become utterly addictive once you're in its grasp.
The DioField Chronicle
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Real-time strategy games are a bit rarer on consoles, but The DioField Chronicle shows they can be done really well with a carefully-design control scheme and the option to pause when you need to.
This small-scale battler tells a nice mature story, but it's the quick and tactical fights that are the highlight, letting you take a small unit and overcome impressively arrayed foes.
After what has turned out to be an exciting World Cup in Qatar, the Premier League returns on Boxing Day - 26 December 2022 - and matches then come thick and fast.
As with the last couple of years, Amazon Prime Video has the live UK rights to the Christmas schedule so you'll be able to watch the 10 fixtures streamed on the platform.
Here are the matches that will be available, when the live programming is due to start, and how to watch them.
Monday 26 December 2022
Brentford v Spurs - 12:00 GMT
Everton v Wolves - 14:30 GMT
Leicester v Newcastle - 14:30 GMT
Crystal Palace v Fulham - 14:30 GMT
Southampton v Brighton - 14:30 GMT
Aston Villa v Liverpool - 17:00 GMT
Arsenal v West Ham - 19:00 GMT
Tuesday 27 December 2022
Chelsea v Bournemouth - 17:00 GMT
Man Utd v Nottingham Forest - 19:00 GMT
Wednesday 28 December 2022
Leeds v Man City - 19:00 GMT
How to watch Premier League matches on Amazon Prime
Because the Premier League on Amazon Prime uses the Prime Video app, you can watch on any device that has access to Prime Video, including Fire TV devices, Roku, consoles, smart TVs, Android, iOS and, of course, online.
If you're not already a subscriber, you can get a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime and not have to pay a penny to watch the Christmas fixtures. It's up to you then if you want to continue your subscription.
The biggest tech event in the calendar, CES (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show), rolls around each and every January, bringing heaps of new announcements and product launches.
While the 2021 event was rather different - like many shows and launches since early 2020 - the organiser of the show, the US Consumer Electronics Association (CTA) run a full event in Las Vegas for CES 2022. We're expecting 2023 to be a bumper year, as everyone gets back into the swing of normal life.
We're already seeing lots of announcements about CES 2023 - so here's what to expect and everything you need to know.
When is CES 2023?
CES 2023 will start on Thursday 5 January and run through to Sunday 8 January 2023. Expect most of the announcements to take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 January as those are the press, analyst and media days. However, as we've seen before, some manufacturers will be holding their own events and these will fall outside of the official CES events - and some will just plain old announce their CES plans during late December.
Who attends CES?
CES is an industry event so the public cannot attend. But anyone connected to the consumer electronics industry can apply for a pass. In 2019 over 182,000 people attended, which was the show's then capacity. That included 69,000 exhibitors (across more than 4,000 represented companies) and almost 7,000 members of the media. We'd expect 2023 to be on the same scale.
What to expect from CES 2023
CES is the first opportunity for many companies to show off their products for the coming year - as well as showing off future technologies. While it's dominated by big brands, it's also an opportunity for smaller companies to showcase either great inventions, or products that, quick frankly, will never see the light of day again.
We focus the products that are likely to have an impact on the whole year, the big hitters, the stuff that matters. Here's a rundown on what we're expecting from major brands.
AMD at CES 2023
- 4 Jan, 18:30 PST
AMD's president and CEO Lisa Su will deliver a keynote presentation at CES to outline solutions for gamers, professionals and more.
Asus at CES 2023
Asus normally has a big presence at CES, using it as a launch platform for a whole range of laptops. Expect folding, ultraportable and gaming machines from Asus.
BMW at CES 2023
- 4 Jan, 20:00 PST
BMW has confirmed that it will be hosting a keynote presentation at CES. The company stole the show with its E-Ink covered iX in 2022 and we'd expect more magic from the German automaker in 2023. BMW chairman Oliver Zipse will be outlining BMW's vision of the future.
Garmin at CES 2023
Garmin often has a number of announcements timed with CES - in 2022 that was the Venu 2 Plus. Details are currently underwraps, but we're expecting the company to come forward with a range of announcements.
Intel at CES 2023
Intel's announcements normally go hand-in-hand with a range of announcements from manufacturers - and we wouldn't expect that to be any different in 2023.
Lenovo at CES 2023
As well as smart home devices, Lenovo is expected to refresh its laptops across a range of categories.
LG at CES 2023
- 4 Jan, 08:00 PST
LG uses CES to set the scene for the next year of televisions - especially the OLED family which it is best known for. Expect to hear about the latest genreation of OLED panel and the flagship TVs for the year. There might also be more on LG's ThinQ AI system, connected home and other appliances. LG has already announced that it will be unveiling the InstaView fridge, where you can knock on the door panel to turn it transparent so you can see into the fridge.
Nvidia at CES 2023
- 3 Jan, 08:00 PST
Nvidia is normally one of the early starters at CES, outlining a range of technologies often spanning automotive, GPUs and others.
Panasonic at CES 2023
- 3 Jan, 10:00 PST
Panasonic will likely use its CES press conference to announce its latest flagship television, and associated technologies. There's often talk about eco living and sustainability too.
Qualcomm at CES 2023
Qualcomm has shifted toward automotive at CES, so we'd expect to hear about Snapdragon Digital Chassis and Snapdragon Cockpit solutions.
Samsung at CES 2023
- 4 Jan, 14:00 PST
Samsung likes to go big at CES and we'd expect a full run of announcements. That will likely include something about televisions, but also smart home and connected appliances. Samsung has already come forward and confirmed that it's focus will be sustainability, but also that it will be presenting an expanded SmartThings experience as it looks to enhance the smart home.
Sony at CES 2023
- 4 Jan, 17:00 PST
Sony often has one of the biggest events at CES, often showing off a range of tech outlining its plans for the year - often joined by special guests.
Sony formed PlayStation Productions in 2019 to make movies and TV adaptations of its gaming properties, with the Uncharted film and the forthcoming HBO series The Last of Us being its biggest productions to date.
Now it has been confirmed that another massive PlayStation game IP is to be made into a television show: God of War.
The story of Kratos and his son (as introduced in the 2018 reboot) will be made for Amazon's Prime Video service. Here's everything we know about it so far.
God of War TV series: Confirmation and crew
Sony confirmed during a PlayStation investor briefing in late May 2022 that a God of War TV series has been signed by Amazon's Prime Video streaming service.
That's in addition to an early Deadline report that claimed Amazon was negotiating for a live-action adaptation.
Months later, in December 2022, Deadline had another bombshell report, confirming that the show has had a series order confirmed, so it's definitely coming.
It reports that the show will be written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby with Rafe Judkins (who's worked on The Wheel of Time for Amazon already).
The 2018 game's esteemed director, Cory Barlog, will apparently be an executive producer on the show.
God of War TV series: Release date
With this sort of announcement, any speculation about the show's release date has to focus on possibilities, not likelihoods - it will definitely be years before God of War hits our screens.
The show isn't in production yet by a long shot, with casting and creative direction to take place, but we do know it's on the way. If we were placing bets, we'd say to look at late 2024 as the earliest we might see the show surface.
God of War TV series: How to watch
Although these are still early days in the production schedule, it is clear that the entire TV series will be shown exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK and elsewhere.
Sony has already shown that it's happy to make shows for different platforms, with HBO making The Last of Us, a forthcoming series based on Twisted Metal being developed with Peacock, and Horizon Zero Dawn having been signed by Netflix.
What is the best streaming device for your TV? Our top recommendation is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Also excellent are the Google Chromecast with Google TV, the Roku Express 4K, the Apple TV 4K and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
God of War TV series: Casting rumours
In terms of the production team, Deadline has confirmed that the co-creators of The Expanse, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, are currently attached to the project, as well as The Wheel of Time's showrunner, Rafe Judkins.
However, no other official casting announcements have been made.
God of War fans have been making their own suggestions known though, with plenty tweeting about potential Kratos candidates - such as former WWE wrestlers Triple-H (Paul Levesque) and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson).
Direct just says screen, get ready pic.twitter.com/3MNo5wBprN
— joe bro stormblessed (@JosephBarnhurst) March 7, 2022
He looks already like Kratos the only thing is his acting skills are not so good. pic.twitter.com/5KFYjxWcnl
— Sir Magnus The Tarnished (@MagnusVikingg) March 7, 2022
Given the attachment of game director Cory Barlog to the project, it's also worth pointing out that Kratos' in-game actor Christopher Judge has made it clear he'd be keen to be involved.
Co-sign https://t.co/ehrOzfAVQh
— Christopher Judge (@iamchrisjudge) November 30, 2022
Whether that comes about is anyone's guess, but he's proven that he can own the character inside and out over the course of two games.
God War TV series: Trailers
As alleged production is yet to start, it's far too early for trailers.
OnePlus will soon launch a Marvel Edition version of its 10T smartphone.
Having previously worked with Disney on an Avengers edition of the OnePlus 6, the brand is returning to the superhero theme for a new model.
It is seemingly tied-in with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in cinemas and has been teased by the official OnePlus India Twitter account.
Stay tuned for an exciting offer created for Marvel fans. Head to the Red Cable Club platform to know more. pic.twitter.com/8iubOw2dhb
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus\_IN) December 14, 2022
The phone and included accessories will be launched on the Red Cable Club site - the membership scheme for the OnePlus community - and we're still awaiting official details.
However, images and a price have appeared on Disney's official retail website in India - where the handset is likely to be exclusive.
It shows the box, a OnePlus 10T with a Captain America-style shield on the rear camera unit, a special case designed around Iron Man's armour, a Captain America PopSocket, and a Black Panther phone stand.
Its price is listed as 55,999 rupees - around £580 / $675.
The phone itself has the exact same specifications as the standard OnePlus 10T, as launched in August.
It features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. There's a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor inside, with up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Portkey Games opened its doors for another gameplay showcase around Hogwarts Legacy this week, showing off some interesting new glimpses of the game.
It's a pretty detailed video that runs through world traversal, combat and some other side activities, so it's well worth watching if you're looking forward to the game.
Firstly, you can get a look at broom-flying around the open world, which looks detailed and lush, plus the option of riding a Hippogriff instead, for a more imposing look.
The showcase gives us a quick look at how areas will change between seasons, gaining a blanket of snow in winter for example, before it moves on to combat.
Over five waves we get to see a bunch of spells and items in use during a duelling arena session, including the dealy Avada Kedavra.
The video wraps up after a look at the Room of Requirement, a resource well-known to fans of the franchise that will house some upgrades that we can unlock, including customisable clothes that pack in stat boosts thanks to magical properties.
It's a smart way to tie in upgrades to the game world, to our mind. The final twist in the showcase seems to be our character getting sucked into a book much like Harry and Ginny Weasley did to Tom Riddle's diary in The Chamber of Secrets.
We'd assume this would be someone else's book this time around, but it makes sense that he's not the first wizard to sequester memories in a tome. We'll doubtless have to wait to find out more about this mysterious topic.
Universal Studios Hollywood will open Super Nintendo World in the lower section of the theme park early next year.
Super Nintendo World will open on 17 February 2023 - marking its grand launch in the US after first debuting in Universal Studios Japan two years ago. Guests will enter Super Nintendo World via the Warp Pipe and can expect to experience Peach's Castle as well as a Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride in addition to several interactive activities for the entire family. There will also be themed dining at the Toadstool Cafe, shopping at the 1-UP Factory retail store, and more fun to be had throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.
The Bowser’s Challenge ride in particular promises to:
"Seamlessly fuse cutting-edge augmented reality with projection mapping technology and actual set pieces along a moving ride track. Set against a backdrop of color, sound. and movement, guests will be seated in stadium-style, four-seat vehicles as they navigate familiar courses through the creative use and integration of head-mounted AR goggles, which are touted as 'a key point of differentiation that distinguishes this ride from other theme park attractions'."
Universal Studios said guests will be able to steer through courses underwater and in the clouds to compete for the Golden Cup all while collecting coins to defeat Team Bowser and win.
Check out a promotional video for the new ride below.
And with the purchase of Power-Up Bands, Universal Studios said guests will be able to unlock even more amusements around Super Nintendo World:
"These wearable, state-of-the-art wristbands sync with Universal Studios Hollywood’s free downloadable app to level-up the guest experience and enhance its many interactive elements. These include, but are not limited to, keeping individual and team scores, collecting digital coins, and obtaining keys after winning challenges throughout the land. Power-Up Bands will also invite guests to enjoy extra-special interactions with Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. They will come in six design options with character themes and will be available for purchase both within the land and at retail shops located in the theme park and on CityWalk."
Universal Studios said its Orlando theme park is also due to get a version of Super Nintendo World.
A winter-themed Minecraft world will help kids learn English as part of a collaboration between Microsoft and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
The new world, called Gormi's Winter Wonderland, is designed with Microsoft to help kids aged eight and above to learn the English language while solving puzzles and carrying out in-game tasks. A press release says that those tasks will be based on real-life communication skills and are suitable for beginners at level A1 and above of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).
‘We wanted to create a compelling English language learning experience and Minecraft was the perfect platform, because it’s loved by millions of children all over the world," Alex Martin, Product Manager at Cambridge said via press release. "Gormi’s Winter Wonderland presents in-game challenges that encourage children to improve their English by learning and using relevant language and real-life communication skills".
Martin goes on to say that kids will be encouraged to process the meaning of the words that they come across in the game and then use that knowledge to progress. "It’s a really fun experience that I’m sure will resonate with children and parents all over the world.," he says.
This isn't the first time that the team at Cambridge has worked on something like this. The same team developed some of the world's leading English language learning and assessment products, we're told.
Microsoft has released its own blog post about the game and those interested in learning more can read about Gormi's Winter Wonderland on the Cambridge website too.
Buying a Fiat doesn't necessarily mean setting foot in a traditional car dealership with the company letting you do it in the metaverse instead.
The Fiat Metaverse Store features the brand's latest flagship model, the 500 LaPrima by Bocelli and promises a digital experience in which car buyers can find and then configure their next car without ever leaving their homes.
While that special Fiat 500 is the launch car, Fiat does say that the entire 500 lineup will be offered by year's end with other models coming online in 2023. For now, though, it's all about the little car that could. Those looking for the electric Fiat 500e should be good to go soon enough, too.
While the use of the word "metaverse" might make you think that you need a VR headset to buy your car, that isn't the case at all. The Fiat Metaverse Store was built in collaboration with Touchcast and Microsoft and there's no need for a headset. You'll still be able to your next car in a sweeping 360-degree view, but you'll just do it on a flat screen.
Want to take the car for a test drive? No problem, the 500 La Prima by Bocelli can be driven on La Pista 500, the track on the roof of the Lingotto building in Turin. But if you want to test drive anything else you're going to have to visit an actual dealer.
In the real world.
If you're trying to figure out which are the very best smartphones to buy in 2022, we have the answers.
We've ranked and rated the top performers from our extensive phone reviews in one definitive list. Whether you typically prefer Apple's iPhone, want to check out the latest Samsung flagship or fancy something different from the Android realm, this guide can help you figure out which phone should be at the top of your wishlist.
If you already know which phone operating system you'll be going with, you may find it easier to zoom in on our best Android phone or best iPhone guides. And if the prices of the picks below are a little steep, you may want to consider checking out a mid-range smartphone or entry-level mobile device.
As with every buyer's guide, the picks below are the result of countless hours of testing by the Pocket-lint team. However, a phone's performance isn't the only thing that we consider when putting together these rankings; we place a strong emphasis on the price tag and overall value of a device, too.
Our picks change regularly, given that new phones launch all the time, but below you can find the latest rankings.
Best smartphones in 2022
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Oppo Find X5 Pro
- Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Best smartphone: Our top pick
The Karcher Window Vac might have seemed like an unnecessary accessory for you home, but with temperatures plummeting and energy costs rising, many people are choosing to heat their homes less.
That, coupled with keeping windows and doors firmly shut to reduce heat loss means less ventilation - which is leading to a lot more people experiencing condensation on their windows.
Over time, that condensation can lead to the growth of mould, damage window frames, ledges and paintwork or even the plaster. So dealing with that moisture is important. We know, because it's happening to us.
The first full Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer has been released and it shows that there will be a clutch of Easter eggs to spot in the movie when it arrives next summer.
One of which is Insomniac's version of Spider-Man, created especially for the PlayStation game series. As with his brief appearance in the Spider-Man: No Way Home movie, he can be spotted in the trailer amongst a swathe of Spider-Men from multiple dimensions.
It's not known if this version of Spider-Man, which first appeared in the 2018 PlayStation 4 game and subsequently in the Spider-Man: Miles Morales follow-up and PS5 remaster, will play a bigger part in the new movie. Regardless, it's a nice nod to the separate universe created by the developer for the games.
He'll definitely also appear in Insomniac's sequel, of course. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is also planned for a 2023 release.
Back to the movie and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will hit theatres on 2 June 2023. It's the direct sequel to the amazing animated film, Into the Spider-Verse, starring Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman.
It was hugely successful, including winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar in February 2019.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took the world by storm when it came out in 2018, with a beautiful animation style and a heartfelt story that won crowds and critics over.
It's now getting two sequels, with the first arriving in mid-2023, titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Here are all the key details you need to know, including its release date and all trailers so far released.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse release date
Across the Spider-Verse is scheduled to release in theatres on 2 June 2023, a long time after its initially-planned date in April 2022.
The movie has had an interesting gestation - it was initially announced that it would come out in two parts, one a year after the first, subtitled "Part 1" and "Part 2", but that was subsequently abandoned.
It will still be two films, but the third movie will have its own title - Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (releasing on 29 March 2024).
How to watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Because it's a Sony movie, not something from the likes of Marvel's in-house team or somewhere like Netflix, you won't be able to stream Across the Spider-Verse immediately when it releases in theatres.
Instead, you'll probably have to wait for on-demand purchases and DVD or BluRay releases before you can easily watch it at home.
So, for now, circle that release date in your diary and then keep an eye out for announcements around streaming - we'll be updating this article whenever relevant news arrives, too.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailers
We've had a couple of trailers for Across the Spider-Verse now - first up, we got an extended first look at the movie all the way back in December 2021.
From that point on it was radio silence for just over a year - until we finally got a proper trailer for the movie in December 2022, which you can see below.
Both trailers start off slower before crescendoing into some crazy visuals as we get a proper look at the multiverse of Spider-Men that we're going to be running through with Miles.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cast and crew
There are a fair few returning voices in Across the Spider-Verse, including major cast members from the last movie. You can see a list of principal cast members below.
- Shameik Moore as Miles Morales
- Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy
- Oscar Isaac as Mugel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099)
- Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker
- Issa Rae as Jessica Drew
- Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis
- Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales
- Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk
- Jason Schwartzman as The Spot
- Jorma Taccone as The Vulture
From a production perspective, the movie ie once again being co-written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller along with Dave Callaham, and is being directed by a trio in the form of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse story
We know that the next Spider-Verse movie will be dealing once again with the ramifications of the multiverse for Miles Morales as he tries to still go about a normal life in Brooklyn.
This time around it looks like he's at college, grown up but still a boy at heart, and from the trailers we've seen he'll be called upon by Gwen Stacy from her own dimension.
From there anything could happen, but you can imagine there'll be a threat to overcome in some way.
He's going to rub shoulders with differet Spider-People from different universes, including Oscar Isaac's grizzled Spider-Man 2099 - who could well be an antagonist for him to defeat.
The official blurb from Sony runs as follow:
"Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most."
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We also have these rumour round-ups on upcoming movies:
Sony's not afraid of change when it comes to the controllers it sends out alongside each iteration of its famous PlayStation consoles - from the original DualShock and its three follow-ups all the way through to the amazing new DualSense, the PS5 controller.
Consoles only ever come with one controller, though, outside of a few bundles, so most people will soon find that they need a second pad for coop gaming or playing against their mates on the sofa. That, or you might have worn out your current controller, or you just fancy a few extra benefits like customisation and even extra buttons. If you're hunting for a new pad to go with your PS5 or PS4, we've gathered some of the best available below.
All the models here have been tested thoroughly, to check how they hold up to extended use and to see how impressive their features are compared to both standard first-party pads and the competition.
Do note for now, that very few controllers outside of the DualSense work with PS5 games on the new console at present, with Sony still making it pretty hard to get a third-party pad for the system.
What are the best controllers for PS5 and PS4?
- Sony DualSense
- Scuf Reflex
- AimControllers Custom
- Razer Raiju Ultimate
- Sony DualShock 4
- Nacon Revolution Unlimited Pro
- PowerA Fusion Pro
The best PS4 or PS5 controller
There are several different reasons why you would want to carry out a reverse people search. Looking to reconnect with an old dating partner? Retrace your family tree? Find out if your neighbour has a criminal past? These days, just about anyone can strap on a detective hat and call themselves Sherlock Holmes, as it has never been easier to investigate and locate anyone with just a click of a button.
A basic people search can allow you to locate a long-lost relative or acquaintance, as well as conduct a deep background check on any individual that you may be suspicious of or simply want to know more about. In most cases, you will be supplied with their name, contact information, social accounts, etc.
In this respect, we decided to review one of the top reverse lookup services in the market, Real People Search, which is able to provide extremely in-depth and authoritative reports that even detail important facts like a person’s criminal history, educational background, marriage and divorce records, property asset history, financial history, and more.
Also, despite the fact that the amount of information that is available for public viewing can often prove to be shocking, the benefit of using such a people search service is that the entire process is 100% legal.
What is Real People Search?
Real People Search is a people lookup platform that allows users to conduct instant background checks on any individual by scanning millions of records across multiple online databases in minutes. This means that you can find information on an individual such as their contact information, social media profiles, educational background, property details, arrest records, and more.
And while there are similar services available online such as Intelius and Spokeo, what makes Real People Search so unique is that it offers the same amount of in-depth information without charging its users anything to utilize its platform. This means that you can easily conduct an unlimited number of deep background searches at no cost to you whatsoever.
The service also compiles all the matching results it finds online into comprehensive background reports that can be downloaded and are both extremely accurate and up-to-date. This can be especially useful when searching for yourself, as you can flag any inaccurate details to ensure that they do not affect your online persona.
Aside from that, the online platform also comes with multiple search options, such as phone lookup, address lookup, and email lookup, which can be especially useful when you have a limited amount of information on a target to work with.
Why should I conduct a people search?
1. Track down criminals
Conducting a people search using a service like Real People Search can often prove useful when attempting to track down someone who may be evading the courts or laws. For instance, if you want to serve someone with a court order but they seem to be avoiding you, then carrying out a people search can actually help you track them down, even to their current location.
2. Investigate your neighbours
Protecting your family is extremely important, which is why you must always be prepared to take every precaution necessary to ensure their safety and care. This means making sure that your neighbours do not have a criminal past that could jeopardize their safety, hence the importance of a background search. With a service like Real People Search, it is very easy to get a full background report on them that details their contact information, online accounts, criminal past (if any), etc.
3. Trace someone from your past
One of the most important advantages of using a people search engine is that you can easily locate long-lost relatives or old friends. If you only have their name, email, or address, you can learn more about them. You may retrieve info such as where they reside now and what their phone number and email addresses are. You can receive their contact information and contact them right away if you use such platforms.
4. Verify online dating profiles
If you happen to have connected with someone on an online dating site, then chances are you are making plans to meet them in person. However, the problem with online dating is that you are probably feeling apprehensive about meeting someone who may not be who they say they are.
However, you can conduct a quick people search using the limited amount of information you have from their profile to get a full background report on them, so that you can be sure that you’ll be safe should you meet them in real life.
5. Probe into new contacts
When using a people search engine like Real People Search, you can conduct an in-depth probe into the identity of an unknown person. This makes it easy to tell if they are a fraud or perhaps failing to share accurate information with you, which can often prove to be invaluable, especially if you intend to conduct business with them.
6. Review your digital footprint
Besides investigating other people, one of the advantages of using a people search tool is that you can inspect your own digital footprint to see how you appear to the outside world. In other words, you can conduct a background check on yourself, which can often prove useful to confirm that the information available online is not only accurate but also doesn’t paint a negative picture of you.
This can be especially helpful nowadays since most employers and investors tend to conduct online background checks on people they intend to work with or hire.
How to use Real People Search to find a person?
Conducting a people search via Real People Search is as simple and straightforward as using Google to search for information. It only takes a few steps, and within minutes you will have access to the details on the target that you require.
Step 1: Input the person’s full name
The first step that you need to take is to simply head over to the Real People Search homepage and enter the name of the target in the search bar. Alternatively, if you have an address, email, or phone number, you can input those details in their relevant sections to start the search.
Step 2: Await the search results
Once the search process begins, the platform will scan multiple online databases for a matching entry. This process should not take longer than a few minutes and once complete you will be provided with a comprehensive background report on the target that should detail their contact information, criminal history, employment background, etc.
Step 3: Review the background report
You will be able to analyze the background report for the information you are looking for, and should you want to review the report later, you have the option of downloading it. Also, since the platform is completely free to use, you can conduct as many background searches as you want by simply repeating the process from Step 1.
What information can I find using Real People Search?
Using Real People Search, you will be able to access basic details on the target, such as their full name, age, gender, photos, educational background, employment history, etc. You will also be able to find any social media accounts that are associated with them, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
The reverse lookup service will provide you with access to their contact information, such as their phone numbers, both current and past, as well as any email addresses that are associated with them. Furthermore, you may have access to additional details like their location, which could include past and present residential addresses.
You may even learn more about who their neighbours are, as well as get details about them such as their names and phone numbers. Aside from that, a background report via Real People Search may come with records tied to their criminal history, such as traffic records and arrest records. In some cases, you may even be privy to the person’s financial history, which can include details on any tax liens and debt information.
What services does Real People Search provide?
1. Phone Number Search
You can easily conduct a reverse number search via Real People Search to uncover the identity of an unknown caller and protect yourself from any scammers, pranksters, or fraudsters that may be attempting to get a hold of you. It also makes it easy for you to locate someone that you may have lost contact with in the past, like an old friend or relative.
2. Address Lookup
Real People Search also comes with an address lookup tool that facilitates location searches, which means that you can identify the owner of a property or business within minutes. This can be especially useful when trying to learn more about your neighbours or a business entity, for example.
3. Email Lookup
Whenever you find yourself receiving an email from someone you aren’t familiar with, it can often be difficult to tell if the person behind it is genuine or if it is just another phishing scam. In such situations, conducting an email lookup can often prove invaluable, as you can trace an email back to the sender and determine their true identity as well as other contact information like their phone number, for instance.
4. Background Check
If you are looking to find out more about someone’s past, one of the best ways to go about the process is to conduct a background check on them. And the benefit of using Real People Search is that their search engine is able to access county, state, and federal databases, which enables you to access publicly available details such as employment history, educational background, property records, marital status, criminal records, etc.
5. Public Records
In the past, it used to be quite a tedious process to find public records on an individual or business entity, as you would often be forced to visit government agencies and request access. However, with a reverse lookup tool like Real People Search, the entire process has never been easier, as the platform will scan all public databases for any matching entries with just the click of a button.
6. Who Called Me
There’s nothing more frustrating than having to deal with unknown callers, especially given the fact that there are so many telemarketers out there constantly trying to sell you something. However, with Real People Search, you no longer have to be confused or feel anxious about who calls you, as you only need to input the number and you will have access to all the details related to the registered owner such as their name, email address, location, social profiles, etc.
Is Real People Search a legal service?
Despite the rather awkward nature of conducting a background search on someone, it is completely legal to use Real People Search to find out more about an individual. The main reason for this is that under the Freedom of Information Act, you are entitled to access any information that has been made publicly available.
And considering the fact that the service only retrieves public information from online sources, this means that any information it generates on someone is completely fair game. However, it is important to keep in mind that Real People Search is not officially recognized as a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit and Reporting Act, which means that the information it retrieves cannot be used for employment or commercial purposes.
Real People Search alternatives
1. Google
You can easily conduct a quick people search using a basic search engine like Google, as you only need to input the person’s name, email, address, or phone number and hit search. It will then retrieve all matching results at no cost to you whatsoever.
However, the problem with this method is that it can be extremely limited and time-consuming, compared to using a people search service that will often be linked to partner sites and online databases to provide you with more in-depth information on the target.
2. Social media
Social media is another practical option worth considering, as most online users will utilize their real names, email addresses, and phone numbers to create online accounts on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and even dating profiles. This means that you can find information on someone by looking up their name, number, or address and seeing what pops up on the search bar.
However, similar to Google, the problem with this method is that, compared to a people search service, it doesn’t always produce the results you want, if any.
Oppo's annual Inno Day presentation traditionally throws up some interesting tech concepts and devices it is working on and this year's has proved no different.
The Chinese firm has announced three products, including a follow-up to its AR glasses concept first announced in 2021.
Oppo Air Glass 2 is a pair of actual glasses this time around - rather than just an attachment, a la Air Glass. They weigh just 38g and feature a heads-up display that appears on the brand's proprietary "resin SRG-diffractive waveguide lens".
The glasses will be able to make calls, offer navigation information, and translate languages in real time. They also have the potential to convert speech to text for people with hearing difficulties and support vision correction lenses, so can be worn daily.
There's no pricing nor availability details for Air Glass 2 as yet.
Also announced during the presentation was Oppo's second in-house chipset, MariSilicon Y.
Following on from its previously-unveiled imaging processor, MariSilicon X, this chip is for Bluetooth audio processing. Oppo claims it can transmit up to 24-bit/192kHz lossless audio wirelessly, thanks to supporting increased bandwidth in comparison with other BT chipsets.
And finally, the company announced its OHealth H1 health monitor - an ovoid tracking device that performs many different functions. It has sensors to monitor blood oxygen levels, ECG, heart rate, body temperature, sleep patterns, and even heart and lung auscultation.
It can share data with doctors and is designed for family use.
As always, there is no date set for release of the products announced during Inno Day. We'll keep you informed as and when we find out more.
If it looks like Dead Space and sounds like Dead Space, but isn't called Dead Space, what do you have? The Callisto Protocol, as it turns out, but whether it adds up to the sum of its parts is another question.
Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield is back and he's staying firmly in his lane with another third-person space horror game, but we can't help but feel that The Callisto Protocol could have done with a more forward-looking approach on the gameplay side of things. Here's how we found it.
A grim, dark world
The Callisto Protocol opens up on a somewhat familiar scene - our protagonist Jacob Lee is aboard his shipping vessel, making a run between bioweapon-hit Europa and the prison moon of Callisto.
After a quick walk around his under-lit creepy cargo hold, Jacob's boarded by insurgents and crash-lands on Callisto only to find himself brought in as an inmate instead of a victim.
Things immediately unravel as Callisto is overtaken by a wave of creepy zombies, and Jacob's soon working his way slowly up to safety with the help of a few other inmates.
The story told here isn't revolutionary by any stretch - its twists are far from jaw-dropping and character motivations are pretty much highlighted for you, but it makes up for this with brisk pacing.
It only takes a short while to get going, and things pretty much keep going for the span of its 10-12 hour playtime (admittedly, by the end, you'll be gagging for a plan that doesn't fall through and require you to go fix something before it can work).
Still, there's a feeling of familiarity to it all, and it must be said that the central conceit from Dead Space - that your character is so competent because he's a literal engineer - isn't replicated here and feels absent. Jacob's willingness to stomp on dead zombie bodies within five minutes of coming around in his cell is more than a little puzzling.
There are little logical gaps like that all through The Callisto Protocol, and while it hardly undermines the whole experience, it does speak to its slightly second-rate impact.
Chop it up
The Callisto Protocol's gameplay is actually even more of a direct homage to Dead Space than its story and characters - you're again a slow-moving guy on a creepy space base dismembering weird zombies.
Again, you have a health-bar superimposed in-world onto the back of your dude's head and can aim at specific body parts to slow the aforementioned zombies more effectively. It even lets you stomp on those corpses to inexplicably have them spurt up item drops with no adequate explanation.
This is all well and good, but thankfully things are a little smoother and more modern than Dead Space, including movement that's less tank-like and shooting that feels more controlled.
That said, with weaponry that's more martial and less practical (think more guns, less plasma cutters), another bit of unique world-building lies by the wayside, and The Callisto Protocol's combat is a thoroughly mixed bag.
It has a dodging and blocking system that underlines its focus on melee engagements, and while this can work fairly well in contained encounters where you have time to square off against one enemy, it gets fiddly and frustrating quickly when multiple foes approach.
That's a shame, because the game throws gangs of enemies at you all the time, from a very early stage. This had us wondering whether we were meant to be sprinting past them at one point, but no - it's just an unforgiving combat system that we had to learn properly.
Player onboarding and difficulty curves are hard to finesse, but you know when they're not quite right, and that's the case here. Some combination of tutorialising and early encounter design doesn't come together, making for annoying moments.
The addition of a telekinetic glove after around an hour (called a GRP) makes things miles better, giving you the ability to grab objects and enemies to chuck them around into hazards and each other. It opens up new possibilities and is fun to play with, albeit with a short number of uses.
The bleeding edge
From a story and gameplay perspective, then, The Callisto Protocol feels a little bit like a re-run of Dead Space with some new bells and whistles.
Thankfully, its visual presentation amps things up by a huge margin, with designs and environments that are really quite something to behold.
Playing on PlayStation 5, this is a world of dripping, dank corridors and creepy tight spaces, full of chopped-up corpses and horrific crime scenes.
It's one that might be a little bit non-descript in terms of visual character (beyond simply being grim and industrialist) but, my word, it's realised impressively.
A 30FPS quality mode is rarely worth it in our eyes compared to a 60FPS option but here we chose the former, opting for ray-traced graphical whizzbangs that made scenes simply pop with realism and lighting.
Characters look incredibly real, all the more so when they're having their faces torn open or heads twisted off - because this game features death animations significantly more disgusting than we were ready for, something that may put some gamers off.
The game also sounds great, using next-gen tech to ensure that echoes and clanks are more echo-located than ever, pranging you out as you move around and reminding you that you're basically always very far from safe.
It's just a disappointment that the scares and jumps that these teases culminate in are often pedestrian, with something just a little lacking if you're looking for real terror.
We've been more scared recently playing retro titles like Signalis than we were here, and we'd chalk that up as something to disappoint Striking Distance Studios.
Viewed from another angle, though, this is clearly an accomplished debut from a new studio that has just this single game under its belt - that's swings and roundabouts stuff, though.
Tesla is rolling out a "Holiday Update" that adds a few long-promised features, including the ability to play Steam games in your car and support for Apple Music.
Since at least last February, CEO Elon Musk has said Telsa would offer a Steam integration. Last July, he said the company was making progress. Keep in mind Tesla already offered games for owners. Stardew Valley and Cuphead are a couple. But with Steam, Tesla owners now have access to "thousands" of more games, such as Cyberpunk 2077. Steam will be available on "new" Model S and X vehicles. Tesla wasn't more specific than that, but it looks like "Plaid" versions of those cars with an AMD Ryzen processor and an RDNA 2 GPU are supported.
As for Apple Music, the app is now rolling out to Tesla vehicles as part of the Holiday Update. So if you prefer to listen to tunes via Apple's platform, now you can in your car with a native app.
Steam is here - bringing thousands of games to new Model S and X vehicles pic.twitter.com/PDzjtefv7A
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 13, 2022
The Holiday Update - officially numbered 2022.44.25 - includes other new features like a light show mode that will work across multiple vehicles simultaneously. You can also do Zoom calls using the cabin camera and view the inside of the car from the Tesla app while in Dog Mode or Sentry Mode. Tesla said the Holiday Update began rolling out 13 December 2022.
For more about Tesla, see Pocket-lint's guide: Tesla models compared: Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y.
Every now and then, you may find yourself having to deal with a plethora of unwanted calls from a number that you don’t recognize. And given the fact that there is an overabundance of telemarketers and scammers out there, it has never been more important to know who has access to your contact information.
Aside from that, you may have also come across an unknown number in your partner’s or child’s phone, and you would like to find out the identity of the person they may have been secretly communicating with. Or perhaps you recently discovered an old note somewhere with a phone number written on it, and you would like to know to whom it belongs without necessarily calling the number.
In such situations, a reverse phone lookup service can often prove to be invaluable, but with so many good options to choose from how do you find the best one? Well, we’re going to break down why US Phone Lookup stands at the top as the number one search service that can allow you to easily track down the name and other associated details of any individual within minutes by providing a full background report into whoever is ringing or texting your phone.
And given that all background checks on this platform are sourced from publicly available databases, phone directories, online listings, social media profiles, and even government databases, you can gather useful information on any unknown caller without ever having to pay any fees!
US Phone Lookup free background search - overview
US Phone Lookup is a free online reverse number lookup service with a fast, highly efficient, and easy-to-use search engine that is linked to multiple public databases and online directories. This allows users to quickly and effortlessly generate highly comprehensive and detailed background reports on any unknown caller that include information such as their name, email address, social accounts, employment background, criminal history, and more, in a matter of minutes without any hassle or delay.
The lookup service also comes with a simple user interface that is mobile-optimized, thereby making it easy for newbies to conduct searches on the move, be it using mobile phones or tablets. On top of that, the company values confidentiality, which means that neither its employees nor its system actively keeps track of its users' search histories.
As a result, you can confidently look up any unknown caller without fear of them ever finding out. Plus, they even have a reliable customer service team that is ready and willing to help users with anything they may need when conducting a search. And there are no hidden fees to worry about, either.
How to do a reverse number lookup for free
The biggest benefit of using US Phone Lookup is that conducting a reverse lookup search is completely free. Furthermore, the entire procedure is fairly straightforward and only consists of two steps, but before you get started, it is important to always keep in mind that since the search tool aggregates data from open and public databases, the amount of information you will be able to generate on a private number will often vary depending on the caller’s digital footprint.
In other words, the more of an online presence they have, the more information on them you will be able to get. It is often for this reason that conducting a reverse search on a business number will typically produce more detailed results.
Step 1: Head to USPhoneLookup.com
The first thing you will be greeted with is the site’s number search engine, which will only require you to input the unknown caller’s number and then click "Start Search."
Step 2: Review the search results
US Phone Lookup will instantly execute an instant search across multiple online databases for a matching data entry on the caller’s number. The process will only take a few minutes to complete, as the platform utilizes cutting-edge technology to produce in-depth details on the target such as their name, email address, social media accounts, etc. At this point, you can start to browse through the data to find the information that you need, and in some cases, you may even be able to get details such as their home or business address.
Why should you use US Phone Lookup?
1. Simple user interface
When all you have to work with is a set of numbers, you need a reverse lookup tool that is able to efficiently take that limited data and generate a comprehensive background report within minutes. And one of the biggest benefits of using US Phone Lookup is that the platform is extremely intuitive and as easy to use as conducting a Google Search.
Even newbies are able to quickly navigate their way through the search process without any difficulty.
This can be especially important should you ever find yourself in need of conducting a reverse search at a time when speed is of the essence.
2. Highly-confidential searches
Any reputable reverse lookup service must be able to prioritize consumer privacy, safety, and anonymity for the sake of all its users that are conducting searches. This means that any legitimate search service must not alert an individual that their personal information has been searched for using their service, and luckily, US Phone Lookup utilizes high-end encryption protocols to facilitate confidential and anonymous searches for all its users.
It also guarantees that your search history will never be recorded in their databases either, which means that you can carry out as many reverse lookups as you want.
3. Instant search results
Since US Phone Lookup is linked to hundreds of thousands of online datasets and public databases, such as those of government agencies and online directories, this enables its search engine to instantly and efficiently sift through millions of records to generate details such as the caller’s name, addresses, social media accounts, location history, and even a close acquaintance list.
It also doesn’t matter if the caller happens to be using a landline or mobile phone, as the search tool will retrieve any relevant information that is tied to that number quickly and efficiently.
4. In-depth background reports
US Phone Lookup has a very strong reputation for producing highly comprehensive background reports on all searches, as the platform’s search engine uses a wide variety of algorithms to retrieve any relevant information on the caller’s number before compiling it all into a detailed background report that can be downloaded for later perusal.
For instance, if the target happens to own any publicly registered entities, you may even be able to access information on their business structure. Plus, the search engine does well to refine questions throughout the search process in order to ensure the provided information is highly accurate.
What can you find with US Phone Lookup's free reverse number search?
You can often expect to uncover interesting details on the unknown caller’s identity, such as their full name, age, and gender, which alone can often be a great start in helping you to understand if you already know whoever is attempting to get a hold of you.
You may also access more information that is associated with them, such as their social profiles, dating profiles, close acquaintances, relatives, residential address, business address, and more, all of which will provide you with a clear picture of who that individual is.
And since US Phone Lookup allows you to conduct unlimited searches, this makes it extremely easy to get all the information you need on one site. However, it is important to keep in mind that the information you get from the service can only be utilized for personal reasons.
The reason for this is down to the Fair Credit Reporting Act stipulates that any information generated from a reverse lookup search cannot be used for credit decisions, leasing decisions, employment decisions, etc. And any failure to abide by this federal law can potentially open you up to serious liability issues.
FAQs
1. Is US Phone Lookup legitimate?
US Phone Lookup is a 100% trustworthy and legitimate reverse phone lookup service that effectively utilizes publicly available records to generate in-depth background reports on unknown callers. These records will usually be pulled from a wide variety of sources, such as social media, online directories, websites, etc. As such, all these records tend to be completely accurate. Also, since the search tool is completely free-to-use, you never have to worry about having to pay any hidden fees.
2. How does US Phone Lookup’s reverse phone number lookup work?
US Phone Lookup works by cross-referencing millions of online public records and then pinpointing any overlapping information that is linked to the number you input and searched for. For instance, if the number you input is present on a company’s website, a social media page, or even within an online loan application, the search engine will recognize it as a match and pull the data to form a comprehensive and summarized background report.
Meanwhile, conducting a search for the user is usually as simple as inputting the 10-digit phone number with an area code and waiting for the system to compile all known records that fit your criteria.
3. Does US Phone Lookup keep records of my searches?
No. All phone lookups that are conducted via USPhoneLookup remain secure and anonymous, with any data that is input on the platform usually being communicated securely through various encryption protocols to the servers. This not only means that the database will not store any records of your searches, but even the company’s staff will not be privy to any of your search history, either.
You also don’t have to worry about the target being notified of your search using the platform, as US Phone Lookup maintains complete confidentiality, so you can carry out as many searches on an individual as you need to.
4. Where does US Phone Lookup collect the data?
The background data generated by US Phone Lookup is typically collected from a wide variety of publicly available local state and federal sources, as well as other databases such as social media, public forums, phonebook listings, employment firms, courthouses, arrest records, and more. As such, the search engine is able to provide in-depth information on a target with the results being compiled into detailed reports that often tend to be extremely accurate and reliable.
5. Is it possible to conduct a free reverse phone lookup?
Yes. US Phone Lookup facilitates quick reverse number searches into the backgrounds of unknown callers, potential partners, or questionable telemarketers. The entire process also comes with no hidden fees, which means that, unlike most other reverse lookup platforms, you don’t have to worry about having to pay for tiers of membership to access information on a target.
And the main reason for this is that the platform strictly accesses publicly available records from local, state, and federal databases to compile accurate background reports rather than private agencies or companies that may require a small fee to access their internal databases.
6. Can you look up a phone number on Google?
Yes, it is possible to look up a phone number on Google, but the problem with using such a search engine is that the results will often be very limited, especially if the phone number hasn’t been listed on social media or a company website. However, if you use US Phone Lookup, their search engine is linked to multiple online databases that will allow you to extract in-depth information on a target that may not be outrightly available online.
The Xbox Series X and Series S are now familiar sights, a couple of years on from their launch - Microsoft's two answers to the next-gen question, bringing 4K gaming in the case of the bigger box and lower-res value from the smaller option.
They're both great in their own ways but, of course, a games console isn't anything without games to play on it. We've gathered together the very best titles for the latest Xboxes right here, in a tight and carefully-curated list, of your best options.
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| Our other Xbox Series X and S game buyer's guides |
| • Best shooters |
| • Best role-playing games (RPGs) |
| • Best racing games |
| • Best indie games |
| • Best horror games |
What are the best overall games on Xbox Series X and S?
- Elden Ring
- Halo Infinite
- Disco Elysium
- Resident Evil Village
- Forza Horizon 5
- Marvel's Midnight Suns
- Hitman 3
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition
- The Forgotten City
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Elden Ring
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FromSoftware has managed a heck of a feat in the form of Elden Ring, perfectly blending its more linear design philosophies with the freedom of an open world to create a huge environment that you can explore in the order you prefer.
Wherever you turn, though, you'll encounter amazing enemies to overcome in tense and complex combat, with myriad weapons to try out and combinations to explore. Elden Ring will be a phenomenon for a long time.
Halo: Infinite
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Of course, when you think Xbox you think Halo, and while Infinite took a while to arrive, it's now here in the form of a masterful new campaign and terrific free-to-play multiplayer offering.
This really is Halo back to its best, with a freeform and open-world design that lets you tackle things in your own order and plenty of sandbox fun that rewards you for experimenting with the tools afforded to you.
Disco Elysium
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An RPG so inventive that it has to be played to be believed, Disco Elysium rips up your expectations by letting you truly go off the rails in conversations and in your decisions. You play as a deadbeat cop who's struggling to close a complicated case, and how you approach things is up to you.
It looks great but the writing is the real star here, with great voice acting bringing it to life and a frighteningly believable dystopian world to explore. If every major RPG let you take this much control, the world would be an interesting place indeed.
Resident Evil Village
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The latest game in the Resident Evil series is an unhinged thing of beauty, with a story that's close to the point of being baffling but super-fun gameplay throughout its twists and turns.
Plus, it looks incredible on Microsoft's next-gen boxes, with ray tracing and high frame rates making for a beautiful, smoothg experience that will stay with you for ages.
Forza Horizon 5
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Forza Horizon 5 might not be the bravest of new directions, but this is a franchise that knows what it does well. It's a brilliant open-world racing game that looks simply brilliant on Series X, with gorgeous visuals that beat pretty much every other driving game.
This time the action has moved to Mexico, and that makes for really varied and beautiful environments, with a great soundtrack and absolutely oodles of racing to get through. Best of all, it's on Game Pass.
Marvel's Midnight Suns
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A brilliant strategy game from the minds at Firaxis, you take charge of an expansive group of superheroes, some incredibly famous and others you might know less well.
Battles are strategic card-playing puzzles, while you also get plenty of time to develop friendships and loyalty with your new crew in downtime. It's a really satisfying, inventive time-sink to snuggle up with.
Hitman 3
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The final game in the World of Assassination trilogy, Hitman 3 is a fitting conclusion to a hugely impressive modern update of the Hitman series. Once again you'll play as Agent 47, stalking through intricate and immaculately-designed levels to off your targets one by one.
It's amazing fun, and the perfect way to scratch that itch for some stealth. It looks beautiful on next-gen, as well, making it the perfect pairing with a new Xbox.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
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One of gaming's very best trilogies has got a lick of new paint and is now playable with fewer roadbumps than ever on the latest Xbox hardware. The Mass Effect games are back, and they're looking beautiful in full 4K on the Series X, letting you enjoy a truly epic story across three massive titles. It's a real joy to play these through again, so be sure to check it out.
The Forgotten City
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This inventive mystery game drops you into a Roman compound frozen in time, leaving you to figure out why everyone gets violently turned to gold anytime a sin is committed. It's got some great twists and turns up its sleeve, and the ability to tackle it however you want was something we found really rewarding.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
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Valhalla is finally here - the latest big Assassin's Creed game plays absolutely stunningly on Series X and S, with smooth frame rates and gorgeous visuals. The game's sprawling map is superb fun to explore, while the SSDs in the Series S and X make for much-improved loading times.
You play as the Viking Eivor, coming from Norway to stake a claim to England, and fighting off the perennial threat of evil Templars the whole way, with a great cast of characters to meet while you do so.
The Oppo Find X6 isn't official yet but that hasn't stopped it from leaking with a full press shot of the device's rear available for all to see.
There is still no word on when Oppo will announce the Find X6 - it's full steam ahead on the Find N2 foldable right now - but it definitely looks like it's on the way. Leaker Evan Blass posted an image of the phone to his locked Twitter account but didn't go into too many details about what we can expect.
However, previous rumours claimed that the Oppo Find X6 Pro at least will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, it's thought the base model will get the previous Gen 1 chip, aiding in differentiation and cost-cutting. Other features that will make an appearance are likely to be a 50-megapixel main camera and a 50-megapixel ultrawide, with a 32-megapixel periscope zoom lens rounding out the rear cameras.
As for the image, there's no doubt that the camera bump is a monster as is the Hasselblad branding that sits beneath those cameras. There's no doubting whose input those cameras had, with a faint "co-engineered with" text suggesting that Hasselblad and Oppo have done more than slap a fancy name on there and called it a day.
As for guesswork for when this thing will be announced, an early 2023 window seems most likely. Especially considering it must be soon enough for images like this to begin popping up.
Emily in Paris probably shouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is but the mix of fabulous fashion, great friendships and a complicated love life make for excellent watching.
Season two hit screens in December 2021 and season three is following suit when it comes to timeline. Here is everything we know so far.
When is Emily in Paris season 3 out?
Netflix has confirmed season 3 of Emily in Paris will be released on 21 December 2022, just before Christmas.
Emily in Paris season one first appeared on Netflix at the end of 2020, with season 2 following in December 2021 so it's perhaps unsurprising the third season is also December.
How and where to watch Emily in Paris season 3
When season 3 of Emily in Paris does arrive on 21 December, it will appear on Netflix so you'll need to make sure you have that subscription ready.
Netflix typically drops all episodes in one go - with some exceptions, like Stranger Things and the upcoming season 4 of 'You' - but for now, it looks like you'll be able to binge watch the entire series of Emily in Paris season 3 at once, rather than having to wait for a new episode every week.
What is the best streaming device for your TV? Our top recommendation is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Also excellent are the Google Chromecast with Google TV, the Roku Express 4K, the Apple TV 4K and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
How many episodes are in Emily in Paris season 3
There are 10 episodes in Emily in Paris season 1 and season 2 so it's likely season 3 will also offer at least ten episodes. Nothing is confirmed as yet though.
Emily in Paris season 3 cast and what is expected to happen in season 3
Many of the favourite characters are expected to return for season three, including Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) herself of course. Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), Mindy (Ashley Park), Camille (Camille Razat), Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), Julien (Samuel Arnold) and Luc (Bruno Gouery) are also expected.
It's not yet clear if Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) will stick around as that depends on the relationship between him and Emily going forward, while Emily's Chicago boss Madeline (Kate Walsh) is also unclear for now given she was heavily pregnant at the end of season 2. That said, Kate Walsh did share the Emily in Paris date announcement on her Instagram, suggesting she is involved.
With season 2 ending on a cliff hanger after Emily called Sylvie to tell her whether she is staying in Paris or not, season 3 is of course likely to give us an answer to that.
There's also been rumours of other locations, including Berlin and London so it wouldn't be too surprising to see season 3 continue in Paris but tie in other places too. We fully expect plenty more complications in terms of Emily's love life though.
Is there a trailer of Emily in Paris season 3?
There's is indeed. You can watch the full trailer below. It gives lots of hints at what to expect and thankfully we see both Alfie and Gabriel appear.
There is also date announcement teaser that you can watch below. It doesn't give as much away as the trailer above, though it does show Emily clearly having to make several decisions, as well as a little stressed - cutting a fringe in her hair.
Where to catch up on previous seasons of Emily in Paris
Emily in Paris season 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix. You can watch all 20 episodes as many times as you like in anticipation of the next season.
Will there be a season 4 of Emily in Paris?
Yes! Netflix confirmed Emily in Paris had been renewed for a third and fourth season in January 2022 so there is still plenty more of Emily and her fabulous style and complicated love life to look forward to.
The Witcher 3's next-gen update is just around the corner and the full patch notes confirm that PC gamers are in for a graphical treat.
With The Witcher already promising to add support for ray tracing and 4K textures for the latest game consoles and PCs, the recently released patch notes confirm that people who play on a gaming PC will be able to enjoy a whole new graphical setting.
That graphical setting will be called Ultra+ and "significantly increases the visual fidelity of the game", according to those patch notes. CD Projekt Red goes on to say that the Ultra+ mode will affect a range of things including the number of background characters, shadow and texture quality, and more.
On top of that, another PC-specific improvement relates to the added DLSS 3 support, although only on compatible hardware for obvious reasons.
While that's all good stuff for PC gamers, there are still some improvements that are exclusive to consoles. Those include ray tracing mode, a new performance mode, and support for things like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback specific to the PS5. Speaking of the PS5, the release notes also name-check Activity Cards, too.
The free The Witcher: Wild Hunt next-gen update will be available to download from 14 December so we don't have all that long to wait. The game was already a looker, so we're all looking forward to getting our hands on this to put it through its paces.
Each year, Hasselblad, the world-renowned camera brand celebrates incredible female photographers with Hasselblad Heroines which casts a spotlight on talented creators from around the world.
The company has been doing this for the last few years shining a light on skilled female photographers as they make their mark on the world.
This year is no different. So we're showing off some of our favourites from now and previous entries for your enjoyment. Be sure to check out the official site and the Instagram hashtag to enjoy even more.
ESPN+ is a direct-to-consumer subscription video service for all you MLB and NHL sports fans.
There’s no separate app to install on your device; it's all within the ESPN app that's available. Here's what you need to know about it.
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is ESPN's video streaming service.
Owned by Disney, it's overseen by the company's BAMTech unit, which is behind other popular video apps from the likes of HBO, WWE, and others.
ESPN still makes a lot of money off affiliate fees, despite opening up to streaming a bit more. It charges cable providers, such as Comcast, Charter, Spectrum, Verizon, DirecTV, etc, and it likely does not want to risk cannibalising the main ESPN network for the sake of appeasing cord-cutters.
How much does ESPN+ cost?
ESPN+ costs $9.99 a month ($99.99, if you pay annually).
You can also access it by buying a Disney bundle, which gets you EPSN+, Hulu and Disney+ access in one package, priced at $12.99 monthly, although this will include ads during your content.
Where and how can you watch ESPN+?
The new ESPN+ service is not a standalone app. It lives inside the existing ESPN app, which is available on a range of devices, including smartphones, game consoles, and streaming TV boxes and players. At launch, ESPN+ worked on Android devices, iOS devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and the web. Go to ESPN's FAQ page here to view the full list of currently supported devices.
How does ESPN+ work?
Purchase a ESPN+ subscription
A subscription to ESPN+ is available to buy via the ESPN app and ESPN.com. You can only access ESPN+ content after you have subscribed. Log in using your current ESPN account or create a new account via the ESPN app or from the web (here). You'll be prompted to log in or create a new account when buying a subscription. Note: the ESPN app itself is still free. You still get all the same news, highlights, etc.
Look for Gold icon and Watch tab
The entire ESPN app was redone with a card-based-like UI a few years back, complete with rounded corners and cool transitions and effects. You'll get relevant news, smarter video recommendations, and more. You'll also see ESPN+ highlighted prominently throughout the app.
That's because all ESPN+ content is designated in the refreshed ESPN app with a gold icon, so you can easily see that it’s available with your subscription. ESPN has a revamped Watch tab, too, which has a new black background (whereas all other tabs are light). It's where you'll go to access free highlights, livestreams from ESPN channels (pay TV customers only), and ESPN+ content, which has its own section.
What content does ESPN+ offer?
ESPN+ promises to offer live games, studio series, and original programs.
Live games
ESPN+ streams “thousands” of hours of live games, though mostly for niche stuff. You'll find live soccer, boxing, golf, tennis, rugby, cricket, and several college sports. You can also add on packages like MLB.TV or NHL.TV packages for more money.
Original programming and studio shows
Yes, ESPN+ has live events, like for Major League Soccer, but it also has original programming, exclusive studio shows, and a deep catalogue of content (including titles like E:60 and OJ: Made in America).
Series and films
ESPN+ is also the only place you’ll find the entire archive of the 30 for 30 documentary film series.
When a new 30 for 30 airs on cable, pay TV customers will briefly be able to watch it on demand, but then, it’ll go to ESPN+. Many films will also be exclusive to ESPN+.
What content doesn't ESPN+ offer?
NFL and NBA
Disney's new ESPN+ service is not a replacement for ESPN. It'll complement the cable channel, which is home to SportsCenter and live games from all the major pro leagues. For instance, the new streaming service does not stream live NFL games, live NBA games, and no Sunday Night Baseball. But you do get one free MLB and NHL game every day (when they’re in season, and they're subject to blackout rules).
What quality are ESPN+ streams?
ESPN+ video streams in high definition at 60 frames per second.
Can you have multiple ESPN+ streams?
Five simultaneous streams are allowed per ESPN+ account.
Plus, as a subscriber, you can pause, rewind, or restart anything you’re watching live through ESPN+.
Does ESPN+ have any ads?
You’ll get no display advertisements on ESPN+, and that includes no pre-roll or post-roll adverts. It’s essentially like YouTube Red, but for ESPN, though you will still see commercials when watching live events, of course.
Where is ESPN+ available?
ESPN+ is currently only available in the US.
Want to know more?
Check out the ESPN+ FAQ hub.
At the start of June 2021, during AMD's Computex keynote the company revealed a number of new things including RDNA 2 powered mobile GPUs and FidelityFX Super Resolution.
Since then, AMD has also revealed both FSR 2 and FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.2 updates which have bought improved quality to the system.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is AMD's answer to Nvidia's deep learning super sampling (DLSS).
But what does it do and how does it work?
What is AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution?
In theory, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is a technology that's designed to give gamers the best of both worlds. When activated, you'll no longer need to choose between high frame rates and high-resolution graphics.
FidelityFX Super Resolution (aka FSR) is essentially designed to upscale your graphics while you play. Allowing you to output graphics with a higher frame rate but also at 4K as well. So while the game engine is rendering at 1080p, for example, the final output is 1440p or 4K.
AMD's tech uses an "advanced edge reconstruction algorithm" to upscale each frame that's being sent.
In a similar way to Nvidia's DLSS, AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution has four different modes. Ultra Quality, Quality, Balanced, and Performance.
At one end of the spectrum, you have Ultra Quality which focuses on the best graphics while Performance gives you the highest FPS.
The idea is Ultra Quality mode would give you higher frame rates than you'd get trying to run games natively at a high resolution.
FidelityFX Super Resolution makes two passes to improve the visual quality of the end graphics that you see on your gaming monitor. The first is an edge-reconstruction upscaling algorithm that overhauls the graphics and the second sharpens the final image and adds more clarity.
Interestingly, the initial resolution changes depending on the mode you've selected. As an example, where the final output is 4K, the Ultra Quality mode would initially render at 2954 x 1662 before upscaling. While Quality Mode will use 2560 x 1440 and Balanced Mode will use 2259 x 1270 while Performance Mode uses 1080p.
Which GPUs does FidelityFX Super Resolution work with?
FidelityFX Super Resolution is designed to work with many more graphics cards than Nvidia's DLSS offering. As it stands, FSR is supported by AMD's RX 6000, RX 5000, RX 500 and 400 graphics cards. Interestingly it'll also work on a variety of Nvidia's GPUs too - from 10-series cards onwards.
As it stands FSR is compatible with more than 100 AMD processors with Radeon graphics and Radeon GPUs.
FSR is now generally available to use. If you have the right equipment and a game that supports it, then all you need is the latest AMD Radeon driver to get started.
Because of the open nature of FSR, there's a chance that it will appear on consoles too in future.
Which games support FSR
Like Nvidia's DLSS, FidelityFX Super Resolution relies on game developers to add the option to use it in their games. AMD says there are 80 game developers working on achieving this and there are over 226 games that currently support it now or will do soon. These games include:
- A Chinese Ghost Story
- Anno 1800
- Amid Evil
- Arma Reforger
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Asterigos
- Arcadegeddon
- Assetto Corsa Competizione
- Baldur’s Gate III
- Back 4 Blood
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Black Desert
- Call of Duty Vanguard
- Cal of the Wild: Angler
- Century: Age of Ashes
- CRSED: F.O.A.D.
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Darwinia 10000th Anniversary Edition
- DeathStranding Director's Cut
- Deathloop
- DOTA 2
- Dolmen
- Do Something
- Edge of Eternity
- Elite Dangerous Odyssey
- Enlisted
- Everspace 2
- Evil Genius 2
- F1 2021
- F1 22
- Far Cry 6
- Gamedec
- Ghostrunner
- Godfall
- Grounded
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Hitman 3
- Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Icarus
- iRacing
- Iron Conflict
- JX3
- KEO
- Kingshunt
- FarCry 6
- Farming Simulator 22
- Forspoken
- Ghostrunner
- Kingshunt
- Lego Builder's Journey
- Legendary Tales
- Marvel's Avengers
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galxy
- Myst
- Myths of Empires
- Necromunda: Hired Gun
- NiShuiHan
- No Man's Sky
- Paradise Killer
- Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis
- Project Xandata
- Quake 2 RTX
- Raji: An Ancient Epic Enhanced Edition
- Ready or Not
- Resident Evil: Village
- Resident Evil 2
- Resident Evil 3
- Resident Evil 7
- Second Extinction
- Shadow Warrior 3
- Stanger Paradise of Final Fantasy Origin
- Sniper Elite 5
- Swordsman Remake
- Terminator Resistance
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- The Medium
- The Riftbreaker
- World War Z Aftermath
- Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodhunt
- Undying
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt
- War Mongrels
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- Workshop Simulator
- World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
- World of Warships
- V-Rising
- 22 Racing Series
- X4 Foundations
There will be more games in future and you can see the list now as well as requesting your favourite games get support.
AMD Super Resolution in action
AMD posted a short featurette on YouTube demonstrating the optimisation work it's done for Far Cry 6. In that video, the company showed off examples of its own Ray Tracing capabilities and tweaks to help gamers make the most of the game.
One of those enhancements included FidelityFX Super Resolution support where the game is shown running 90FPS instead of 60FPS on the same graphics settings. While it's not shown what settings were used exactly, nor the hardware the game was running on, it's still quite a performance boost.
What about AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0?
Since it first launched, AMD has been working on improving AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). The company revealed version 2.0. This upgrade uses a temporal upscaling algorithm which takes previous frame data to generate much better upscaling results. It also replaces in-game temporal anti-aliasing (TAA) with optimised, higher-quality anti-aliasing tech.
AMD says that FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 doesn't require machine learning like DLSS or Intel's Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) and so will work with a wider range of graphics cards including non-AMD cards.
FSR 2.0 is said to offer "significantly higher image quality" than the original FSR at all quality pre-sets and resolutions too. And in performance mode, you can get as much as three times as much FPS.
That said, FSR 2.0 requires more powerful hardware for the best results. AMD recommends the RX 5700 XT and RX 6700 XT if you're looking for good visuals in 4K. It's optimised for AMD RDNA2 hardware but should still perform well on other GPUs at lower resolutions too.
FSR 2.0 is also interestingly being included in the Xbox Series X and S development kit so it should be easier for developers to work it into future Xbox games as well.
What games support AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0?
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 requires developers to support it and add the tech to games. It'll take time for games to support it, but some games already do. Deathloop was the first game to support FSR and more will be added in future.
The current games that support AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 and above include:
- Asterigos
- Cepheus Protocol
- Chernobylite
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Death Stranding Director's Cut
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Destroy All Humans 2! Reprobed
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Edge of the Abyss Awaken
- Everspace 2
- Evil Reap
- Farming Simulator 22
- Forza Horizon 5
- Genshin Impact
- Ghostwire: Tokyo
- God of War
- Gotham Knights
- Gungrave G.O.R.E
- Highline Volleyball VR
- Hitman 3
- Hoiwa Hub
- Judgment
- Lost Judgment
- Kingshunt
- Martha Is Dead
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Need for Speed Unbound
- No Man's Sky
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Remnants
- Saints Row
- Scathe
- Scorn
- SCUM
- SCP: Pandemic
- Shibainu - VR Katana Simulator
- Swordsman HD
- The Bridge Curse Road to Salvation
- The Callisto Protocol
- The Chant
- The Eternal Cylinder
- The Riftbreaker
- There Won't be Light
- Thymesia
- Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
- UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection
- VAIL VR
- VALHALL: Harbinger
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
- Will To Live Online
Which other games will have FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0?
There are other games coming with FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 support or being updated to support it. These games currently include:
- Abyss World
- Rescue Party: Live!
- Super People
- Choo-Choo Charles
- Delysium
- Eve Online
- Forspoken
- Grounded
- Lifes of P
- Mirsma Chronicles
- No One Survived
- OverPrime
- Project Haven
- Unknown Awakening
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 as open source
FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 is open source and AMD has now published its source code of it on GitHub. This means it'll be far easier for developers to ensure compatibility with future games.
The code also supports both DirectX 12 and Vulkan as well as potential future support for Unreal Engine 5.
FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.1 and 2.2 updates
On 8 September 2022 AMD announced FSR 2.1. This is an iterative update which improves the algorithm to further enhance the quality and reduce problems with artifacts, ghosting and more.
The improvements to FSR 2.1 include:
- Adding motion vector divergence to diminish locked pixels, which can alleviate ghosting.
- Improved disocclusion logic to improve upscaling quality in some disocclusion cases.
- Improved upscaled output quality with better colour range and temporal stability.
- Reactive Mask updates to alleviate ghosting issues on particles.
- Composition and Transparency Mask updates to alleviate additional ghosting issues.
FSR 2.1 was offered for developers to download for free and was included in updates to games including Farming Simulator 22 and Hitman 3. AMD has also said that the plugin for Unreal Engine 5 has been updated to support FSR 2.1 as well. So we should see more games supporting it in future.
In November 2022 AMD announced FSR 2.2 alongside its Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT GPUs. FSR 2.2 provides even more quality enhancements over the previous generation. It works with Need for Speed Unbound and F1 2022, but also is supported in a future update for 3DMark that includes an FSR Feature Test.
AMD has also shown Forza Horizon 5 running with FSR 2.2 with boosts to performance including over 100 FPS while playing at 4K on extreme settings with extreme ray tracing. Impressive stuff.
Insomniac Games is clearly a safe pair of hands - its work with the Spider-Man franchise on PS4 and PS5 has earned it Marvel's trust, from the looks of things.
After the stellar success of both Marvel's Spider-Man and the expandalone Miles Morales game, there's a full sequel on the way: Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Here are all the key details you need to know.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 trailer and release date
Sony wowed the world when it dropped the above trailer for the next Spider-Man game during its showcase event in September 2021, an announcement that came relatively out of the blue (as much as we were assuming there'd be a sequel eventually.
Unlike some of the other trailers from that event, we actually got a timeline to anticipate, too - it ends with the date 2023. That means we know the game is still a long way off being released, but it also means we don't need to go getting our hopes up about a more expedient date.
The in-game version of Venom's motion capture actor is one Tony Todd, and he appeared to confirm in May 2022 that motion capture on the game was still ongoing, which lines up with the timeline we're expecting.
In December 2022 a writer on the game accidentally updated her personal website to indicate that Spider-Man 2 will come out in "Fall 2023", which gives us a bit more of a precise window, although nothing has been confirmed.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 platforms
While it cropped up during a stream dedicated to the PS5, a few other titles on show were actually destined for the PS4 as well, as cross-gen titles. So far, it would seem that Spider-Man 2 won't be one of those - it's been announced as an exclusive for the next-gen console.
However, given that Miles Morales sounded the same until closer to its release when its PS4 version was confirmed, we wouldn't exactly die of surprise if it turned out that Spider-Man 2 will also make its way in a less graphically-impressive manner to the older hardware.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 story
The teaser trailer above is a fairly short one, but it's enough to get a few key facts about the game's story across. Just as the ending of Miles Morales made clear, there are now two Spider-Men in New York City - with Miles and Peter Parker working together to take down threats.
That's for the best, too, since the trailer also reveals that Venom, one of Spidey's most fearsome adversaries, is joining the party. You would assume that the symbiote is a bad guy to overcome, but we can't really be certain of that.
After all, the trailer's voice-over makes it clear that Venom is trying to beat whoever's speaking, just like Spider-Man might be. So, it's not impossible that a team-up could be on the cards. Venom's arrival was teased in the first Spider-Man game's ending, with the symbiote appearing to target Harry Osborn, which would make it even more likely that it could be a friendlier Venom.
Returning to that voice-over, meanwhile, the most common theory is that it belongs to longtime villain Kraven the Hunter, a founding member of the Sinister Six who longs to make Spider-Man his next big-game trophy. We'll see how he fares once we finally get to play the game.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 gameplay
While the game's first trailer doesn't feature any gameplay, it shows us enough that we can make some assumptions about what we'll be getting up to in Spider-Man 2. Firstly, we hopefully will get the chance to play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
This will mean access to two different sets of moves and powers - Peter using more gadgets, and Miles boasting a wider repertoire of supernatural abilities. It could make for some really free-form gameplay, especially if it offers on-the-fly character switching.
Of course, given the black-backed Spider-Man logo that flashes up near the end of the first trailer, it's also very possible that Insomniac will let us play as a Spider-Man whose suit has been taken over by Venom, like in the third Sam Raimi film and countless comics.
That could be a whale of a time, with a different movement set and combat options to explore, but we can't get too carried away with excitement given that it's far from confirmed at this stage. Only time will tell, ultimately!
As a proud new owner of AirPods or AirPods Pro, you're likely learning all the different tips and tricks out there to get the most out of your Apple earbuds. And after using them all day, you'll probably want to see how much life they have left. Luckily, you can easily check the battery percentage of AirPods with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
How to check your AirPods or AirPods Pro battery life
You have a few different options for checking your AirPods or AirPods Pro battery life. Whichever method you prefer, all are quick and can be done in seconds.
iPhone or iPad
Before you can check your AirPods' battery percentage, make sure they've been paired with your iPhone or iPad before and that Bluetooth is enabled on your phone or tablet. Once that's set, all you have to do is open your AirPods case with your earbuds inside and hold the case near your iPhone or iPad. Then, just wait a few seconds to see the charge status of your AirPods.
- Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone or iPad.
- You can do this via Control Center or the Settings menu.
- With the AirPods inside your case, hold it near the iPhone or iPad and open the case.
- A pop-up should appear on your device showing the battery life of the AirPods and their case.
When the battery for your AirPods is low, you will get a notification on the screen of your iPhone or iPad. You get notifications at 20, 10, and 5 per cent. You can also hear a sound in one or both AirPods when the battery charge is low. It's a tone that'll go off when the battery charge is at 10 percent. It'll go off a second time right before the AirPods turn off.
Want to use the battery widget? If you want to see your AirPods' battery percentage while wearing them, you can also use the Batteries widget. The battery of your iPhone and everything connected to it - including your AirPods - will appear in this widget. To get the widget, swipe to the right on your iPhone or iPad home screen, and then tap Edit at the bottom of the page. From there, tap the + icon at the corner of the screen. Next, go to the widgets list and tap Batteries. You can then choose the size of the widget and place it on your screen.
Mac
You can also check the charge status of your AirPods with a Mac.
- Open the lid of your AirPods case or take your AirPods out of the case.
- Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar of your Mac.
- Hover the pointer over your AirPods in the menu. You will see the battery life displayed.
Does the AirPods case indicate battery life?
Sort of. When the LED light on the front of your AirPods case flashes green, either the case or the AirPods inside are fully charged. If the LED is orange, however, they're not fully charged.
Need more help?
Apple has a support page for checking your AirPods' battery life here. Pocket-lint also has a separate guide with more AirPods tips and tricks here.
Phone maker ZTE has confirmed that it will announce the nubia Z50 lineup on 15 December and one device will have a rather interesting camera.
ZTE confirmed the new upcoming lineup via a Weibo post that also noted that at least one phone will have a new custom camera with a 35mm equivalent focal length. However, while ZTE did make mention of a 1-inch sensor, it sounds like there might have been a little wordplay going on here.
Instead of actually possessing a 1-inch sensor it sounds like the device will have something capable of capturing just as much light as one while also being capable of taking a super-fast shot as well. That's the theory that GSM Arena is putting forward right now and we're inclined to agree.
That's as much as ZTE is saying right now, but there is a hope that the company will tease more information between now and that 15 December unveiling. That means that we might hear something within the next day or so, so fingers crossed.
The ZTE brand has been a bit quiet over the last few years, thanks in part to a whole new management team being put in place following a 2018 billion-dollar-fine over broken trade embargoes.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow messages to disappear as soon as they have been read by their recipient, improving privacy.
The feature, which is currently being tested by WhatsApp and is available in the latest beta version of the app on Android, automatically expires a message as soon as it has been read. The view-one messages can then no longer be seen or retrieved, ensuring that whatever was sent remains private. Such messages can't be forwarded or copied, either.
WhatsApp already offers view-once media including photos and videos, but this is the first time that the feature has been applied to text. And just like media, it's expected that anyone taking a screenshot of the text will see it redacted in some way.
The new feature hasn't been officially announced and there is no way to confirm when it will be released to the public. However, WhatsApp is normally pretty good at progressing features from beta to public release, so we can be fairly sure that we'll see view-once messages sooner or later.
The ability to send a message that will auto-destruct once viewed has obvious uses, and not just in Mission Impossible movies. Sending passwords via WhatsApp isn't something we'd recommend, but it could be done in this manner. Other personal information can also be shared this way, safe in the knowledge that it will be removed once seen.
PS5 game Returnal is coming to the PC, which is obviously good news. But its requirements are bad news if your rig isn't packed to the roof with RAM.
The porting of Returnal to the PC was confirmed during The Game Awards last week but the system requirements for the roguelike have only just popped up on Steam. And while you might not need the world's best graphics card or the very fastest of CPUs to get it running, you're going to want globs of RAM to play it properly.
Starting with the basic requirements, you'll need an Intel Core i5-6400 (4 core 2.7GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (4 core 3.5GHz) and 16GB of RAM paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8 GB). But kicking things up a gear and enjoying the game properly will require a little more beef.
While the Intel i7-8700 (6 core 3.7 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (8 core 3.7 GHz) CPU requirements and Nvidia RTX 2070 Super (8 GB) or AMD RX 6700 XT (12 GB) requirements aren't particularly notable, the amount of RAM requires is. The Steam page listing says that you're going to need 32GB of RAM to meet the game's recommended settings, which is quite a lot.
Could Returnal be the next "can it run Crysis" situation? It could well be, yeah.
Other points of note for those interested in picking up Returnal on PC include the fact that there's no PS5 crossplay, so keep that in mind if you want to enjoy the game with your buds on Sony's machine.
All six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games look set to come to the PS4/5 and Nintendo Switch after receiving ESRB ratings for the first time.
The Square Enix games were already available on the PC via Steam, but there was no sign of any kind of console version - despite everyone assuming that there would be. Now, it looks like things are about to change with deals and leak-spotter @Wario64 spying the new entries in the United States ESRB database. That's the database that every game has to go through in order to get a rating before going on sale.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games are ESRB rated for Switch/PS4 https://t.co/WiMLqZpNlL pic.twitter.com/n5gwfejnvg
— Wario64 (@Wario64) December 12, 2022
The Pixel Remaster titles have proven popular since their release on Steam, but being able to play them on a PC isn't quite the same as kicking back and playing on, say, the Switch. And that's exactly what people will be able to do if this is all going to go the way we hope. Sure, there are iOS and Android versions but that isn't quite the same, is it?
As for when that will happen, that's anyone's guess. The Final Fantasy 35th anniversary event kicks off on 13 December, so there's the possibility that something will be announced then. But there's the possibility that it won't, too.
All we know is that we really hope this isn't a false dawn because being able to play pixel-based Final Fantasy sounds like our kind of Christmas present.
Samsung's next big phone release could be about to offer even smoother 8K video recording with the addition of a 30fps capture mode.
While the existing Samsung Galaxy S22 supports 8K video recording at a very cinematic 24fps, a new report by leaker Ice Universe suggests that next year's flagship will offer even smoother capture. That's because it will offer the same 8K video recording capabilities but with the addition of a 30fps option.
While videophiles enjoy 24fps video recording, there is little arguing that the extra frames make 30fps a smoother experience. It's less like a movie, to be sure, but it's a look that daytime TV shows have been pushing into our eyeballs for years. Now, it sounds like Samsung is about to follow suit.
S22 8K 24fps→S23 8K 30fps
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 9, 2022
That, presumably, means that the already voluminous 8K video files the Galaxy S22 produces will get even bigger thanks to those extra frames. If you're on the fence about which capacity Galaxy S23 to buy, that might well be something that is worth considering.
The Galaxy S23 lineup was already looking interesting before this news, not least because the Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to use a new 200-megapixel camera — a notable improvement over the existing 108-megapixel camera that the Galaxy S22 Ultra has to offer.
As for when all of this will become official, nobody knows. But Samsung is likely to take the wraps off its next flagship phones in or around February 2023 if past years are anything to go by.
The world of 3D printing is well and truly here with printers in homes, online stores and even supermarkets offering 3D printing services. The result is all manner of weird and wonderful 3D printed objects.
In the home people can download or design files and print off objects in plastic. This can be helpful for cheap and easy replacements of parts about the house, quick toys and even furniture.
Then there are metal 3D printers as well as organic models. These are generally used by companies or universities and have created things like guns and even human organs. Food printers are also here making it possible to print sweets as well as proper meals.
3D printing is helping to make products appear on the market faster as cheaper and easier prototyping can be achieved. Cars have been 3D printed as well as basic houses. While they're still in the early stages of development it's possible that the future of large-scale production could be 3D printed.
We've rounded up a broad range of 3D printed products here right now.
One of the biggest selling products during Black Friday was the Xbox Series S, thanks to an amazing deal. But what if you missed out?
Well, Microsoft is spreading some extra holiday season cheer by once again slashing the price of its entry-level next-gen console.
You can now get the Xbox Series S with £50 / $50 knocked off. And, as it's available from numerous retailers, you should be able to get it in time for Christmas Day.
Google Chrome now supports passkeys, removing another barrier to entry and helping the internet move ever closer to a password-free world.
While Google had already added passkey support to Chrome Canary, the feature is now available in Chrome Stable M108, opening the door for more people to take advantage of the new security option.
Passkeys are a safer alternative to passwords that cannot be used, meaning they are less likely to cause a huge security breach whenever a single account is compromised. What's more, server breaches and other leaks can't out your passkey, whereas passwords can and have been compromised in such a way in the past. Each passkey is stored on-device for added safety, too.
Google isn't the first to add support for passkeys and there's a whole standard around them. But by including support within Chrome it instantly opens the door for more users who might otherwise have not learned about passkeys. And once all set up, Chrome users can autofill their passkeys at will as well.
The new passkey support is available on Windows 11, macOS, and Android, Google says.
All of this is of course good news, but it isn't all that's needed for people to make use of passkeys. Web developers still need to add support to their websites and services, something that is beginning to happen more and more.
Huawei has announced the Watch Buds, a smartwatch that also has earbuds built in alongside all the usual features including ECG support and more.
If the idea of a Huawei smartwatch with earbuds included sounds familiar, it should - the same thing leaked not too long ago. But now it's official, and it's called the Huawei Watch Buds.
So what does that mean? In short, there's a new smartwatch on the block. It has many of the features you'd expect including a circular AMOLED display that measures 1.47 inches. That display has a resolution of 466x466, too.
Inside, there's a 410mAh battery that will supposedly last for around three days per charge. There's support for a huge number of workouts modes, more than 80, while sensors include SpO2 and ECG for heartrate monitoring as well. That's all good stuff, but the really thing that stands out here is the pair of earbuds that are hidden inside.
Those earbuds are IP54-rated but you do need to make sure that they're dry before you put them inside the watch to charge. Huawei is calling the compartment the Flip Cover, but it's basically a case of lifting the screen up and slotting the earbuds inside. That's about it, and it's just as strange as it sounds.
Notably, these earbuds do include support for ANC and you can expect around four hours of listening time from a single charge. The watch itself can also be charged wirelessly.
As for pricing, the Huawei Watch Buds will sell for around RMB 2,988, although there's only information on Chinese availability so far.
Xiaomi has confirmed that the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ will get an international unveiling on 5 January 2023 while also pointing out it'll have a huge 200-megapixel camera.
The new phone was teased via the Indian Redmi account on Twitter and is already shaping up to be one of the most interesting to come out of the Xiaomi sub-brand in a while. The mention of a 200-megapixel main camera is enough to get anyone interested, but we'll need to wait for the SuperNote event in a little less than a month to get to know the rest of the details.
Greatest ever resolution on a smartphone camera = #RedmiNote12 Pro+ 5G!
— Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) December 12, 2022
This 200mp camera on the #SuperNote is the only camera you'll ever need.
P.S. Your 12:12 wish is about to come true on 05.01.2023!
Stay tuned: https://t.co/bSN7VljgxA pic.twitter.com/u6wN6jN8M9
However, we already know all about the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ because it is already on sale in China, complete with that insane camera system.
So, what should buyers expect? There's the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That 200-megapixel display will come with an 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro camera alongside it. The Chinese version also includes support for 120W HyperCharge technology, while blue, white, and black colors are available. That might change internationally, though.
Since Yuri Gagarin skimmed the upper atmosphere of Earth in 1961 as part of the first manned flight into space, the world has been obsessed with our near, and far, universe.
The technological advances from one mission helped influence the next, helping us go further and deeper into our solar system and beyond.
From Gagarin’s Vostok 1 craft to the Parker Solar Probe on course to flyby the Sun, we’ve rounded up the best spacecraft ever flown.
CES 2023 is right around the corner, with plenty of interesting news expected to come out of this year's show.
One of the many tech giants in attendance will be Nvidia, and we could learn plenty about what's coming down the pike for the graphical powerhouse.
Find out all the key details you need to know, right here.
When is the Nvidia CES 2023 press conference?
Nvidia's keynote presentation will begin in Vegas from 08:00 PST on Tuesday 3 January 2023. Here are the different local times:
- US West Coast: 08:00 PST
- US East Coast: 11:00 EST
- UK: 16:00 GMT
- Central Europe: 17:00 CET
Can I watch the media event online?
Nvidia has announced the timings of its presentation, this time called a "Special Address", but it hasn't yet shared any details about its livestreaming arrangements.
Join us for our virtual NVIDIA Special Address at #CES2023 on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8 a.m. PT. We'll be sharing the latest innovations made possible by accelerated computing. pic.twitter.com/oVB53Jb05p
— NVIDIA (@nvidia) November 17, 2022
We would very much assume that you will be able to watch, though, whether through a dedicated link or on YouTube, so we'll update this page as soon as anything is confirmed.
What to expect during the Nvidia press conference
Nvidia is known for one thing more than anything else - extraordinarily powerful graphics cards for PC gaming.
With the RTX 40 series now out in the wild, we don't anticipate an immediate reveal of the 50 series or anything, but we could get more information about further version of the cards coming out.
Nvidia also makes chipsets that power a bunch of interesting platforms including the Nintendo Switch so it's always worth paying attention to its announcements in full, as its new ideas could have major impacts on the gaming landscape.
Electric cars are already a mainstay on the roads, with a growing number of all-electric models being available to buy right now. The electric effect is now in full force, with established brands committing to offering a wider range of pure electric cars in the future, while those who depend heavily on diesel are seeing sales falter - with a deadline of 2030 in regions like the UK to halt sales in combustion cars.
Prices are falling, models are diversifying and it's all going hand-in-hand with increased investment and roll-out of charging networks.
But what electric cars are coming? Let's take a closer look at what you can expect to see hitting the roads in the next few years.
Forspoken stands out as an interesting part of Square Enix's lineup of games in the coming year or so, lacking the big brand of Final Fantasy 16 but featuring a large open world that shares some visual cues with that game.
From the sounds of it, it's a bit of an experiment for Luminous Productions under Square Enix, the studio's first standalone title. We got to play around four hours of the game's early chapters recently. Here's how we think it's shaping up.
A new world
Trailers have already made it clear that Forspoken opens with our protagonist Frey being transported mysteriously from New York to the world of Athia through a portal.
We picked the game up just after this transportation, playing Frey's earliest moments in Athia as she discovers that the strange talking wrist cuff she's wearing has given her magic powers.
In our time with the game, these were limited to earth-themed moves but the final product will include firey magic and other elements, too.
The main gameplay loop (after some preamble in the course of discovering her powers) involves Frey running around large overworld areas using parkour abilities, stopping to collect information, completing points of interest and fighting enemies.
Athia has been blighted by something Frey dubs the Break, and its remaining residents are camped out in one central city.
The plot quickly establishes four evil "Tantas" for Frey to go up against, each with their own powers and motives, and we fought through to a climactic battle with one such baddie.
Before that, though, we had to wade through a hefty heaping of honestly tiresome exposition and story material, all of it sadly pretty predictable and standard fare at best.
Frey herself is animatedly performed by Ella Balinska but the script she's been handed is a weird one - largely because she swears every other line in what's presumably an attempt at real-life vernacular. It comes off as a little too much, though.
Athia itself is nothing new, all vaguely medieval "ye olde-isms" and obscure political structures but, in fairness, Forspoken is more about the landscape than it is the politics.
Give them the run-around
The areas you get to run around in Forspoken start off medium-sized but quickly become massive, full of small side activities and optional extras, most of which we didn't have time to explore.
Moving around these areas is pretty fun off the bat with Frey's Flow move letting her sprint at high speed. Honestly, though, the stamina mechanic here proved a drag with little upside, forcing us to occasionally stop when we'd rather not.
You'll also spot glowing blue lights around the map that each award a Mana point to spend on upgrading your spells - think Crackdown's ability orbs and you're in the right ballpark.
This is a fun way to motivate exploration and has nice tangible benefits, so works excellently.
As you move into combat with enemies, things are a bit of a mixed bag. Using Frey's brown earth magic we had access to projectiles that fired more quickly or slowly depending on if we wanted to charge them up, and this made Forspoken almost a highly-mobile third-person shooter.
It didn't excel at this, though, with weird imprecise aiming and spongy movement, and while other magic trees might solve this issue, the early powers are still a little lacklustre.
The game also threw huge numbers of enemies wielding shields at us past a certain point, something that just wasn't very fun to fight against - we found one spell that worked well to counter them and basically just mainlined it for two hours.
The core of Forspoken's combat system could have some great stuff to offer up, but at the moment it feels a little unpolished, although only having one part of its skill tree to explore was an obvious exculpatory factor.
One chapter we played also opened with an extended sequence in the last human city in Athia, and the side quests it offered up were frankly boring - something we quickly escaped to get back into the open world for more fun goings-on.
A visual feast?
Forspoken will launch as a PS5 exclusive, so you'd hope that it can take its place on the forefront of the cutting edge graphically.
From what we played, it certainly has potential - loading times were infrequent and really brief, and the world itself is sprawling and looks great.
That said, it's also a little bit empty - while there are enemies and small bases to clear, detail is lacking as you move overground. Terrain and geometry are complex and impressive, to be clear, but it doesn't feel hugely authored for the most part.
We saw a forested area, a large arid desert pocked with greenery, and finally a deep-red volcanic landscape, although each was marked by otherworldly rock formations tearing them apart.
The variety is ok between zones, but each was very samey while you were in it - this is a hard issue to convey, but it makes us worried about whether Forspoken will have enough invention to keep these areas interesting.
What we can say is unequivocally great is the explosion of effects that accompanies most battles, with particles flying everywhere - we can only assume more powers will mean even more chaos on this front, and it all looks excellent.
Still, Forspoken overall has a bit of a generic look and feel to it, and only a full play-through will confirm whether this is something it'll overcome in its full course.
We also were able to change the game from a 30FPS quality mode into a 60FPS performance option - while we can't comment on resolution targets, this extra smoothness felt essential given the speed of Forspoken's combat, and made a big difference to how it felt to play.
The world of Android smartphones is very different to what's offered by Apple.
While Apple aims to give you a similar experience across its devices, Android embraces variety and offers phones from different manufacturers. The result is plenty of distinct personalities and features to pick between.
That means personal brand preference plays a big part, aside from the core Android experience. Pricing is hugely competitive, too, which presents you with a lot of choices.
We're continuously reviewing all the top options, so here's our rundown of the very best Android phones you can buy - and the reasons why they deserve your attention.
For those who need a bit more advice when narrowing down their choice, also check out the FAQs section below our picks.
Best Android phones in 2022
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Oppo Find X5 Pro
- Google Pixel 6a
- OnePlus 10 Pro
- Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Asus ZenFone 9
Best Android phones: Our top pick
Mankind is always inventing new technologies to make our lives easier, more efficient or more effective. Sometimes though, there appears a rare breed of person who finds new innovative ways to use that gadgetry in a manner that would baffle or astound the average person.
These lazy tech users are the pinnacle of a modern capitalist society and are, quite possibly, borderline genius or maybe just internet legends. Every day, lazy people across the world find new and incredible ways to use technology to enhance their lives. We've hunted down the very best to give you inspiration and the odd chortle.
Every day, lazy people across the world find new and incredible ways to use technology to enhance their lives. We've hunted down the very best to give you inspiration and the odd chortle.
Panasonic is a mainstay of CES and will be presenting at the digital event this year. It will host its CES 2023 press conference on the media day and we're expecting the company to showcase its latest tech.
Here then are the details on how to watch the event live.
When is the Panasonic CES 2023 press conference?
Panasonic's press conference at CES will be held on Wednesday 4 January 2023 from 10:00 PT Las Vegas local time.
Here are the times for a global audience:
- San Francisco - 10:00 PST
- New York - 13:00 EST
- London - 18:00 GMT
- Berlin - 19:00 CET
- Mumbai - 23:30 IST
- Tokyo - 03:00 JST, 5 Jan
- Sydney - 05:00 AEDT, 5 Jan
Can I watch the media event online?
Yes, you will be able to watch the event online on Panasonic's dedicated website, right here.
If a YouTube stream is also set up, we'll embed it on this page so that you can watch it here.
What to expect during the Panasonic press conference
Panasonic remains one of the biggest names in the world of television, so we'll likely learn plenty about its latest and greatest TV tech.
This will probably include new models, although in previous years this news has tended to come out shortly before the show, so it's possible we'll know more about what to expect just before things kick off.
Panasonic says that it will also be focussing on its environmental and recycling initiatives this year, so you can expect to learn more about its sustainability goals.
Samsung's flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra has popped up in a Chinese TENAA regulatory filing, confirming some specs and causing confusion about some others.
Samsung isn't expected to announce its next line of Galaxy S phones for a little while yet, but the company is already going through the motions of getting ready for the big unveiling. That includes putting the phones through various regulatory databases to get all of its launch ducks in a row - and one Chinese regulatory database has outed the Galaxy S23 Ultra early.
The phone has popped up in the TENAA database and carries the model number SM-S9180. There are no images, but there are plenty of specifications to look at. Those specifications include dimensions of 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm as well as a 4,855mAh battery that will likely be marketed as a nice round 5,000mAh. There's also confirmation that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a 6.8-inch display with a 3,088 x 1,440 resolution. Beyond that, we also get to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with upgraded cores that include an octa-core 3.36GHz configuration. That backs up a previous claim that the Galaxy S23 Ultra would get a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 all of its own.
However, the TENAA entry does confuse things slightly when it gets to talk of the Galaxy S23 Ultra's cameras. We'd already been told to expect a 200-megapixel main camera with a pair of 10-megapixel zoom lenses joined by a 12-megapixel ultrawide. However, the TENAA listing shows a 108-megapixel main camera and then two 12-megapixel cameras, and a single 2-megapixel shooter. It's thought that this is just plain wrong, though, and the database does have form for offering incorrect or placeholder data.
With that in mind, we'd suggest that the previous rumours are spot on and that we can still look forward to a photography powerhouse when Samsung finally gets around to announcing this thing in early 2023.
After the great success of the Evercade retro gaming handheld and the two-player Evercade VS home console, the brand is back with an improved device - the Evercade EXP.
Available in time for Christmas, it too can play retro games via the rapidly expanding Evercade cartridge line-up. However, it also comes with a fair few new bells and whistles.
That's why we've put together this guide, comparing the new EXP with the original handheld so you can choose which one would suit you better.
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Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Design
- Evercade: Cartridge slot, HDMI output, 3.5mm audio, MicroUSB
- Evercade EXP: Cartridge slot, HDMI output, 3.5mm audio, USB-C
In terms of design, the new Everycade EXP is more contemporary than the original. That might disappoint some as the first model had its own retro charm, with red piping and a chunkier build.
Both come with a D-Pad and four control buttons on the front, with bumper buttons top-left and right, although the EXP expands that by adding trigger buttons, too. There are menu, select and start buttons on each, but again, the EXP has additional buttons on the face - in the form of extra A and B buttons for games running in vertical mode.
Both devices feature a 3.5mm audio output and HDMI for connection to a TV, but the EXP has a USB-C port for charging, while the original model is MicroUSB.
They each have a cartridge slot on the rear and dual speakers.
Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Display and processor
- Evercade: 4.3-inch (16:9, 4:3), 480 x 272, 1.2GHz CPU
- Evercade EXP: 4.3-inch (16:9, 4:3), 800 x 480, 1.5GHz CPU
Apart from the overall look, the newer model has a greatly improved display.
While the size is identical on both devices - 4.3-inch and 16:9 (generally running games in 4:3) - the resolution on the enhanced handheld is 800 x 480 in comparison with the 480 x 272 original. It is also said to be brighter and viewable from wider angles.
The hardware inside is improved too, with a 1.5GHz processor. The first Evercade is powered by a 1.2GHz processor.
Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Features
- Evercade: Linux-based UI
- Evercade EXP: Linux-based UI, TATE mode, Wi-Fi, 4GB storage
Both consoles run on a custom version of Linux, but the EXP seemingly has a more advanced user interface. It also has 4GB of storage for games that can be played without a cartridge - as evidenced by the inclusion of 18 Capcom titles pre-installed.
Another big, new feature is the ability to run games in TATE mode. This allows users to hold the EXP vertically for some arcade shooters that use that aspect - such as 1943. That's why there are extra A and B buttons underneath the D-pad on the new model. Sadly, the original Evercade cannot play those games in this orientation.
Finally, the EXP adds Wi-Fi connectivity to the mix, for easy firmware updates. The original can only be updated by plugging into a PC or Mac.
Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Battery life
- Evercade: 4 / 5-hours battery
- Evercade EXP: 4 / 5-hours battery
Both Evercade handhelds have a claimed four to five-hour battery life.
Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Games
- Evercade: Cartridge games
- Evercade EXP: Cartridge games, 18 Capcom games pre-installed
The Evercade concept harks back to the glory days of gaming, with titles released on cartridge.
However, this is usually in the form of game collections from different publishers, with multiple games on the one plug-in pack. There are 100s of games now available, with arcade, Atari, Mega Drive, even Commodore 64 titles appearing in compatible form. Collections are regularly released at reasonable prices.
You can get both handhelds with included games - especially the EXP, which comes with a Capcom collection pre-installed, plus an IREM Arcade cartridge.
If you are upgrading from one Evercade to another, all your existing games will still work on the EXP. They also work on the Evercade VS home console.
Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Price
- Evercade: From £59.99, $79.99, €69.99
- Evercade EXP: £129.99, $149.99, €149.99
Perhaps the biggest denominator in your choice between the variants will be price. However, the Evercade EXP is not particularly expensive considering what you get. It's just that, thanks to its release, the previous handheld can be bought for almost half these days (depending on whether you opt to get it with games or not).
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Evercade vs Evercade EXP: Conclusion
There's no doubt that the Evercade EXP is a step-up model. It has Wi-Fi, built-in storage, a cleaner design, TATE mode and, importantly, a better display. However, there is still more than enough retro charm in the original Evercade.
It is also priced pretty low these days, giving you more money in your pocket for the games. Whichever you choose, the concept is great and we're thrilled to see it going from strength to strength.
With CES 2023 returning to Las Vegas in early January 2023, Sony will host its annual press conference during the show.
And, if you can't make it to Vegas you can also watch it unfold live online.
Here's where and how, plus a few things we might expect.
When is the Sony CES 2023 press conference?
Sony's press conference at CES 2023 will be held on Wednesday 4 January at 17:00 PST (local time). Here are the start times for different time zones:
Wednesday 4 January 2023
- US West Coast: 17:00 PST
- US East Coast: 20:00 EST
Thursday 5 January 2023
- UK: 01:00 GMT
- Europe: 02:00 CET
- Japan: 10:00 JST
- Australia (Sydney): 12:00 AEDT
Can I watch the Sony CES 2023 press conference online?
We'll be adding an embedded video for Sony's presentation as soon as a YouTube link goes live, so that you can watch it here on the page.
Sony will be in CES 2023!
— Sony Group - Global (@SonyGroupGlobal) November 29, 2022
Mark your calendar for Sony’s Global Press Conference on January 4th, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. (PST).
Sony Honda Mobility will join us on the stage.
Follow us and stay tuned for more details#FutureSony #SonyCES pic.twitter.com/aZzcbEQv0A
The video will definitely be available to watch on Sony's YouTube page, here, too.
What can you expect?
Although we haven't had any heads up on specific products for its press conference yet, Sony will probably be going into some advancements in the automobile space, given it names Sony Honda Mobility in the announcement Tweet above.
We'd also expect an update on PlayStation VR 2, which is due in the not-too-distant future, as well as some more details about how well the PlayStation 5 has been doing.
On top of that, we'd normally see some TV announcements, with new technologies and upgrades that will trickle through to the market eventually.
Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro, new phones that offer plenty of high-end features including a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
Both of the new Xiaomi phones make use of that brand-new Qualcomm chip which means you won't find either of them wanting for performance. But there are differences between the two handsets that are worth noting.
Starting with the Xiaomi 13, the phone comes with a 6.39-inch FHD+ OLED screen with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. Inside, you'll find a 4,500mAh battery that can be charged at up to 67W using an old-fashioned cable. In terms of cameras, the main shooter is a 50-megapixel affair with HyperOIS. The secondary camera is a 12-megapixel ultrawide while a 10-megapixel camera takes care of telephoto duties.
Xiaomi 13 buyers will pay 3,999 yuan (around £465 or $572) for a model with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, while the 512GB version with 12GB of RAM will set buyers back 4,999 yuan ( around £582 or $716). Colour options include Black, White, and Wilderness Green while a Blue with a faux leather finish will also be offered.
Over in the world of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, things get more interesting. The same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is paired with a 6.73-inch QHD+ curved OLED screen with the same 120Hz refresh rate, but wired charging increases to 120W. Camera-wise, a one-inch IMX989 50-megapixel main camera is joined by another 50-megapixel camera, this time handling ultrawide duties. A third 50-megapixel camera takes care of 3x telephoto needs, too.
Those buying the Xiaomi 13 Pro will have a choice of four different storage options when it goes on sale in China on 14 December. The base model will be the 128GB one with 8GB of Ram that will sell for 4,999 Chinese yuan (around £582 and $716) with the top-end 512GB of storage getting 12GB of RAM for 6,299 yuan (around £734 or $902). Colors include Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, and Wilderness Green.
There's no word on international availability yet, though - you're going to need to wait until next year for that. If you're in China, you can place your order today.
The upcoming OnePlus 11 will have 100W fast charging as confirmed by a Chinese certification website ahead of its official unveiling.
OnePlus is expected to announce its next flagship phone within the next few months and we've already seen a number of leaks surrounding the device. That includes the fact that it will simply be called the OnePlus 11 and that it will have a trio of cameras. Now, we've got the closest thing to official confirmation that it will support 100W fast charging as well.
That comes via the Chinese 3C certification website that lists the OnePlus 11 as offering such speedy fast charging, making it faster to power up than the current OnePlus 10 Pro. However, it still won't be the fastest charging used by OnePlus - that honour goes to the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition and its 150W capabilities.
As for the OnePlus 11, we're already expecting great things thanks to the use of Qualcomm's latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate is already rumoured. Those three cameras are expected to include a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide shooter, and a 32-megapixel telephoto.
Speed shouldn't be a problem either, with that Snapdragon chip set to be paired with up to 16GB of RAM and UFS4.0 storage. The battery is thought to be a 5,000mAh part, too.
There's a hilarious Instagram account known as Unnecessary Inventions that's dedicated to creating weird and wonderful gadgets that no one really needs.
The account is run by Matt Benedetto, an entrepreneur and product designer with a flair for the bonkers. The account is dedicated to "Solving the world’s problems that don’t exist" which is a pretty fair summary of the sort of content you can expect.
We love it though, take a journey with us through some of the best gadgets and gizmos to see if there's anything you'd like to see become a reality.
With CES 2023 about to kick off, LG will host its traditional keynote address at some point during the conference.
You can be fairly confident that we'll see new TV technology debuted, among a range of other announcements.
Here's how to watch it unfold and what you should expect.
When is the LG CES 2023 press conference?
LG's CES 2023 press conference hasn't yet been confirmed from a scheduling point of view - we're in the dark about when it's going to take place.
As soon as that changes, we'll update this page with details of its timing across different time zones.
Where to watch it
When LG creates a link for the keynote we'll embed it at the top of this page so that you can watch it here.
You will also be able to watch it on LG's YouTube channel here.
What can you expect during the LG CES 2023 press conference?
In 2022 LG got into hyping its CES appearance fairly early, releasing trailers and teasers, but we haven't had anything of that sort yet for 2023.
Still, you can bank on a few likely parts of its suite of announcements at CES 2023, including new TVs in its OLED range that will probably be its most advanced yet.
These will most like be titled under the C3, B3, G3 and A3 naming system, given that LG has already moved through C1 and C2.
We'd also imagine there will be some more home tech to go with its various impressive laundry options, alongside other more miscellaneous additions.
We'll wait to find out more about what might be coming down the pike, for now.
CES will be a live event again in January 2023, but many companies will also be streaming their events. That includes Samsung with its CES 2023 keynote.
It kicks off on 4 January, with the vice chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, Jong-Hee Han presenting the company's vision for the coming year and beyond.
Here's how you can watch it live online and what to expect.
When is the Samsung CES 2023 press conference?
Samsung's first in-person CES press conference will take place on 4 January at 2:00pm PST. Here are the international times:
- Las Vegas - 14:00 PST
- New York - 17:00 EST
- London - 22:00 GMT
- Berlin - 23:00 CET
- New Delhi - 03:30 IST, 5 Jan
- Tokyo - 07:00 JST, 5 Jan
- Sydney - 09:00 AEDT, 5 Jan
Can I watch the press event online?
Samsung hasn't yet created a YouTube link for its keynote, but previous years have been streamed on the video site. When this goes live, we'll embed it at the top of this page for your convenience.
It will also be available on the Samsung Newsroom site.
What to expect from Samsung at CES 2023
Its keynote address is titled "Bringing Calm to Our Connected World", which suggests that wellness could well be a factor in the products and initiatives that Samsung will be announcing.
We're not expecting a major new phone launch from Samsung at CES - it'll save that for an Unpacked event in February, but you can be pretty certain that there will be plenty of news about its new TVs.
Some might be forgiven for thinking the FTC's decision against the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard puts a nail in the merger's coffin, but there's a new twist in the ongoing saga. The EU Commission claims its counterpart in the States has made a fundamental error in its summary.
In fact, it goes as far as saying that the US regulator is using an untrue allegation to justify its stance.
As part of the FTC's complaint against the buyout, it stated that "Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals". It pointed to the former acquisition of the parent company of Bethesda, ZeniMax, claiming that Microsoft opted to make Starfield and Redfall Xbox exclusives after assuring "EU antitrust authorities" that it wouldn't. The EU therefore ratified the deal under false promises, it suggests.
This has now been debunked by the EU Commission itself, which has issued a statement claiming the contrary. It counters that it "cleared the Microsoft/ZeniMax transaction unconditionally" and that no such assurances had been given beforehand. In addition, the EU panel believed that "the transaction would not raise competition concerns".
It has basically given Microsoft a boost in its legal argument against the FTC if and when the case is put before the courts.
One thing's for sure - don't expect a resolution anytime soon.
Over the last decade or so, Japanese developer FromSoftware has completely restructured what we expect from combat-focussed RPGs thanks to its Dark Souls games.
Its longer-running series, though, is actually Armored Core, a mech combat game that it's been making for years, albeit with no title appearing since the PS3 and Xbox 360. Now, it's back - find out everything you should know about Armored Core VI, below.
To find out about more upcoming games that we're excited for, check out our lists for PlayStation 5 and for Xbox Series X/S.
Armored Core 6: Trailer
FromSoftware debuted Armored Core 6 at The Game Awards in 2022, with a classy trailer that you can see below.
It's pretty atmospheric and doesn't contain any gameplay, but certainly sets the mood and establishes what the game is about for those who don't know - big robots.
Armored Core 6: Release date
The debut trailer for Fires of Rubicon does end with one tangible bit of information, and it's a really big one - the game will be coming out in 2023.
There's nothing more precise than that to go on, and we would assume that it's aiming at the tail-end of the year, but this is still really encouraging.
Given we're expecting some major Elden Ring DLC to arrive probably in mid-2023, it would make sense to have Armored Core lined up to close out the year for FromSoftware.
Armored Core 6: Platforms
Fires of Rubicon has been in development for a long time, according to industry rumours, and this is actually slightly backed up by its announced platforms.
The game will release not just for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but also on PS4 and Xbox One, like Elden Ring before it. Whether this will make for any compromise in scope is impossible to gauge at this stage.
There will also be a PC release, of course (you can now wishlist it on Steam), but nothing on Switch.
Armored Core 6: Story
Depending on who you talk to, storytelling might not have always been central to the Armored Core series, which has often been fairly perfunctory and mission-based.
That might change with Fires of Rubicon. From the initial press release, we know that the game will centre on the planet Rubicon 3, where a valuable new substance has flared up a proxy war between corporations and harvesters.
We'll apparently infiltrate the planet as a mercenary and find ourselves stuck in the middle of the conflict, trying to make our way.
Whether we'll have control over story outcomes, or if there might be key decisions that we can make, is all up in the air at this stage.
Armored Core 6: Gameplay
Armored Core has been around for so long that its gameplay consequently evolved pretty significantly through console generations and over a dozen games.
This might be called Armored Core 6, but that's a pretty big simplification of the games' release timeline. Still, you can bank on a few things.
This will be a mech combat game in which you get to customise every component of your robot to your exact specifications.
You might want quicker movement speed, so pick a certain type of leg option, but sacrifice how much you can fly and boost as a result.
You could opt for extreme firepower with shoulder cannons, but accept that it'll slow you down - there are loads of these sorts of decisions to be made, a little like customising a weapon in Modern Warfare 2.
Combat can be really fast-paced, which plays into a question over the style of Armored Core 6, and whether it'll bring in some of the Soulslike mechanics that have made FromSoftware a star.
That would probably mean a pretty big evolution in the game's combat, but we'll have to wait for gameplay footage to see how it pans out.
The supreme success of Elden Ring also means we'll be interested to see if the game sticks to a mission structure or whether it'll have an open world to navigate.
So, at this stage there are plenty of question marks about what Fires of Rubicon will be like to play - all we can do is wait for more information!
Apple's iOS 15 brought a whole host of new features to iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch when it launched in September 2021, including something called Focus. That feature was then expanded on in iOS 16 in September 2022.
Here is everything you need to know about Focus, including what it is and how it works.
What is Apple's Focus feature on iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac?
Apple's Focus is a feature designed to help you automatically filter notifications and apps on your Apple devices based on your status, in order to help you "find Focus" - hence the name.
The idea is to reduce distractions and it works across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. You can set your device to a certain Focus, such as Personal, Work, Exercising, Gaming or Sleep, and your device will automatically hide distractions, signal to friends that you are not available and filter notifications.
How does Apple's Focus feature work?
The Apple Focus feature works by using on-device intelligence to suggest a Focus - like Working - based on a user's context, such as working hours for example. The feature then suggests people and apps that are allowed to notify you when a Focus has been set.
You can also create a custom Focus though, and for each Focus, you can create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to the respective Focus you have chosen and only display relevant apps to reduce temptation.
When a Focus is blocking notifications, Messages will display the status to users who contact you, showing that you are unavailable at the moment. Contacts will be able to reply with urgent if they want a message to get through though, similar to how Do Not Disturb when Driving kicks in.
Once a Focus is set on one of your Apple devices, it will be set across all your Apple devices.
How to set up the Apple Focus feature
To set up Focus on your iPhone and iPad, follow the steps below:
- Make sure your device is running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 for all the features
- Launch Control Centre on your device.
- You'll see the Focus tile
- Long press and hold to bring up the Focus menu.
- Tap on a Focus option - Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Personal or Work - to get started. Sleep and Do Not Disturb have settings like scheduling options, while Personal and Work have more customisation.
- You can also tap on 'New Focus' at the bottom to create your own, such as Gaming or Exercise.
- Follow the on screen instructions.
- You can also access the Focus feature through Settings.
The on screen instructions include choosing which contacts you want notifications from when the Focus is turned on, which apps you want notifications from and choosing whether you want time sensitive notifications to come through.
A summary screen then appears for that particular Focus, where you can further customise things, such as your Home Screen, toggling on or off a dimmed lock screen, toggling on or off sharing your Focus Status, and turning on or off Smart Activation.
To set up Focus on your Mac, follow the steps below:
- Make sure your Mac is running macOS 15 or later.
- Launch the Control Centre (two-bar icon next to the search icon in the top right corner of your display).
- You'll see the Focus tile by default when you upgrade to macOS 15.
- Tap on a Focus option.
- Choose Focus Preferences to allow you to customise your Focus a little.
- Focus Preferences can also be accessed via Notifications in System Preferences, accessed via the Apple menu in the top left.
Want to know more?
You can read our iOS 16 feature, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 features for more about the latest features available on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
We also have a feature on macOS.
Ah Christmas, the time of scrabbling around under a tree to unplug all those lights, getting jabbed in the head by those rogue needles on that Nordmann fir you were coerced into buying.
Well scrabble no more, because for every Christmas tree light, there's a smart home solution waiting to make your life easier. That might be voice controls to turn them on or it might be a schedule to turn them off.
Here's how to make your Christmas lights smart.
Smart Christmas lights essentials
The starting point is a smart plug. It might be fairly dubious for 11 months of the year, but around Christmas, the smart plug is the best thing in your home (aside from pigs in blankets, but they aren't especially smart).
There are lots of plugs on the market, but you'll need one that's compatible with your system of choice. If you've got Hive, it makes sense to look at the Hive Active plug, if you're an Amazon Echo or Google Home user then the TP-Link Tapo plugs work well. For Apple Homekit the Eve Energy is an option.
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After that you'll need something smart to control it. You can use an Android phone with Google Assistant or the Apple iPhone with HomeKit, but using Google Home or Alexa (through the Amazon Echo or other speakers), makes things a lot more fun for the whole family.
The simplest smart Christmas light setup
With so many options, we're going to tackle the most basic of options. Take your smart plug and connect it to an extension lead and plug all your Christmas tree lights or other Christmas lights into that extension lead. (Or you can use a smart powerstrip.)
When your smart plug turns on, all your lights will turn on. Simple.
All smart plugs give you a range of options for control, including smartphone control or scheduled control. Thanks to this smart link, you can schedule your lights to come on at a particular time, go off in the evening or you can turn them on without having to physically go and turn anything on or off.
Just follow the instructions that come with the plug and you'll soon be connected. If nothing else, you'll be able to then turn the lights on and off with your phone.
The thing to consider is the platform you're using: TP-Link or Tapo/Kasa doesn't need a hub, Eve Energy offers more functions with Apple TV.
There are plenty more options, like turning on a set time before sunset, to create actions and reactions once you have a smart plug in place.
Voice controlled Christmas lights
Of course, no one is impressed with a scheduled timer any more: voice control is the new cool and the easiest devices to set this up with are Amazon Echo (or other Echo speakers) or Google Home (via Google Assistant), but iPhone and iPad are pretty simple too.
Voice control your plug on Alexa
Starting with the Echo/Alexa option, this is incredibly simple.
- Tell Alexa to scan for devices. Make sure your plug is turned on and Alexa will find it (you might have to enable a new Skill).
- Open the Alexa app and locate your plug in the Devices section. Change the name to "Christmas lights" and save.
- Say "Alexa turn on the Christmas lights".
- Adopt a smug grin and pour yourself some eggnog.
Some smart plugs might need to enable a skill on Alexa to get them working. If you have an Echo Plus and a Zigbee plug, you should be able to all the setup directly on Alexa, no hubs needed. If you buy the ^Tapo or Kasa plug above you'll need to use the respective app to set it up, but the best rule of thumb is to get the plug working and then add it to Alexa.
Via Alexa you can also group devices, so you could have your Christmas lights turn on with other smart devices in that room.
Voice control your plug on Google Home or Google Assistant
Google Home and Google Assistant on Android devices both offer linked functionality. There's also a Google Assistant app on iPhone that will do the same thing, so there are plenty of options here.
- Open the Home app on your phone.
- Your linked devices will be here, or you can link accounts to get access to those devices.
- Locate your plug, rename it to "Christmas lights" and save.
- Say "Ok Google, turn on my Christmas lights".
- Adopt a smug grin and start munching mince pies.
Google Assistant is smart, because you can also assign that plug to the room it's in. By doing this you can have it turn on or off with the room lights - for example assign it to the living room and when you say "turn off the living room lights" all the lights will turn off, room and festive.
Voice control your plug with Siri
Siri plays nice with HomeKit which plays nice with Apple devices. You'll get control via Siri on Watch, iPhone, iPad or HomePod.
- Open the Home app on your iOS device and tap on the + symbol top right of the screen.
- Tap on the Add accessory button.
- Find the 8 digit HomeKit code either on the side of your device or on a card in the box and scan it with your phone.
- Rename your plug to "Christmas lights" and save.
- Say "Hey Siri, turn on Christmas lights".
- Adopt a smug grin and quaff a glass of sherry.
HomeKit has some other advantages, because it will let you cross-control devices within the HomeKit environment. You can, for example, assign a HomeKit plug to a Hue-enabled light switch, so you could control your Christmas lights from Hue Tap, or add other devices to create a Christmas scene, by dimming others lights, closing your blinds, or even lock/unlock your front door.
Or use Philips Hue
There's a new product from Philips Hue that could also help you out. It's called the Hue Festavia and it basically offers connected Christmas tree lights. These have only just launched so you might not be able to buy them for 2022 - and they're also more expensive than the other options we mentioned above. Consider too, that buying a couple of cheap strings of LED lights and using a smart powerstrip will be much cheaper.
Sonos introduced the Arc soundbar in 2020, replacing the older Playbar from 2013, likely leaving many wondering whether they need to upgrade.
After all, a lot can happen in the world of tech in seven years, and the Sonos Arc introduced some features that just weren't possible or popular back when the Playbar first came about.
With that in mind, we're looking at the differences between the old Playbar and newer Arc in Sonos' soundbar range in order to help you make your mind up on any upgrade decision. You can also read how the Arc compares to the smaller Beam and Ray soundbars in our separate feature.
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Design and connections
- Sonos Arc: 1141.7 x 87 x 115.7mm, 6.25kg, HDMI eARC
- Sonos Playbar: 900 x 85 x 140mm, 5.4kg, optical
- Both require broadband and power supply
The Sonos Arc represents a major design rethink in comparison to the Playbar, but not when you consider the rest of the current Sonos speaker family. It adopts smooth curves and elliptical ends, over the square chunky aesthetic of before.
Both are able to work equally as well when wall-mounted or laid flat on a TV stand, with intelligent sensors determining the position for each bar to adjust its sound signature to suit.
The Arc is a little bigger - longer and with fractionally more height, but has less overall depth. The Playbar's shape means that it offers a very different look when flat than when under a TV, whereas the Arc looks similar in both form factors.
They differ when it comes to the connections on the rear. The Arc has a HDMI port that is HDMI eARC capable. In comparison, the Playbar has a single optical digital audio input (TOSlink). You do get an optical audio adapter in with the Arc, in case that is still your preferred connection (from an older TV, say), but most TVs these days support HDMI ARC or eARC from at least one of their ports.
Both speakers can be connected to your home network (and the internet) via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (802.11b/g 2.4GHz).
The Sonos Arc is available in two colours, however: black and white. The Playbar has only ever been available in black (with metallic trimming).
Sound
- Sonos Arc: 8 woofers, 3 tweeters - with Dolby Atmos
- Sonos Playbar: 6 mid-range woofers, 3 tweeters
- Both have Class-D digital amplifiers to match speaker drivers
There is a marked difference in sound between the two bars, most notably because the Arc was the first Sonos speaker to adopt Dolby Atmos support.
The Playbar remains an excellent sound system, with a speaker array that features six mid-range drivers, three tweeters and nine Class D amplifiers. Two of the drivers are angled at either end to deliver a wider soundstage, especially when combined with the front-facing drivers left and right. The centre channel is served by two woofers and one tweeter for precise, clear vocals.
It is effectively a 3.0 system that can be matched with a couple of separate Sonos One speakers and the company's Sub to make more of a home cinema setup.
The Arc, on the other hand, has been completely reworked and retuned to deliver more of a 5.0.2 experience from the same soundbar. The far left and right drivers are more angled still, to deliver wider side channels, while the front facing drivers work for centre, left and right channels.
There are two extra drivers angled upwards this time, creating the height channels needed for Dolby Atmos. These bounce supported soundtracks off the ceiling to the listening position to provide further immersion in a movie, sporting event or Atmos-mixed music.
There are eight elliptical woofers in total this time, plus three tweeters - each served by one of the 11 Class D amplifiers in total.
Again, you can add extra Sonos One speakers (or older Play:1s) to work as actual (rather than virtual) rear/surround channels and a Sub.
Features
- Sonos Arc: HDMI eARC with HDMI CEC and auto sync, Alexa and Google Assistant on-board
- Sonos Playbar: IR receiver
In many respects, the Sonos Playbar is a fairly dumb system when compared to the Arc. It is a Sonos speaker, of course, so connects to the Sonos controller/app and can play streamed music just like all Sonos devices. However, as it connects to a TV (or AV receiver) via optical it is fed audio and that's all.
With a HDMI connection, the Sonos Arc is much more capable. Especially with HDMI eARC support.
HDMI eARC adds a number of additional benefits. Not only does it support the bandwidth required to deliver a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, it is a two-way connection so the Arc can communicate with the TV too. This allows HDMI CEC to work between devices, meaning you only need the one remote control to use on both. Your TV remote, for example, can control all functionality of the Arc - volume, mute, etc.
The Playbar volume could only be controlled via IR or the Sonos app, while the Arc (also with an IR sensor) provides more options.
Another big feature that comes with the Arc is voice control and assistance.
Like the Sonos One, Move and Roam, the Arc has Alexa and Google Assistant support on board, as well as Sonos Voice Control. That means you can use its four far-field microphone array to issue commands and ask questions of either voice assistant.
Price
There's no doubt that the Sonos Arc comes with many more bells and whistles than its older sibling, but you might be swayed by the price.
The Sonos Arc was considerably more expensive at launch than the Sonos Playbar was. And, considering it has now been replaced, you might be able to get hold of a Playbar at a healthy discount.
The Sonos Arc will set you back £799 ($799), while the Playbar was £699 ($699) at launch.
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Conclusion
To be honest, we often compare new products with the older version they are replacing or have replaced and rarely do we recommend a generational upgrade. However, in the case of the Sonos Arc, there is a much clearer argument.
As the first Sonos product to adopt Dolby Atmos, and to include actual upward firing drivers, the Sonos Arc has a clear advantage over its predecessor. And, that's without even considering HDMI eARC support, Alexa and Google Assistant, plus a, frankly, sexier look.
Yes it will be a pricey upgrade, especially as the Sonos Playbar remains one of the best-sounding out there, but you do get a whole lot more for your money.
You can check out our full review of the Sonos Arc here.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles may take visual performance to the next level, but the internal storage capacity is likely to become a problem for many users over time.
Especially since many of the top Xbox games have very large file sizes, it's time you counteracted this with a top memory solution, such as an external SSD.
After all, despite the Xbox Series X coming with a 1TB SSD, and the Series S a 512GB drive, this actually translates into much less useable storage after each console itself has taken up a portion for its operating system. For the Series X, this means only around 802GB of storage is left to play with while the Series S features just 364GB.
That's why we've gathered together some excellent external SSDs to make sure your game collection doesn't have to get deleted, in a moment of need.
Since expandable storage for both Xbox consoles is an area that's still in its relative infancy, however, with a dearth of official options, we'd also suggest checking out our advice on how to choose the right expandable storage for your exact console.
Bst Xbox Series X / S Storage in 2022
- Seagate 1TB Game Drive
- Samsung T7 Touch
- Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD
- Gtech G-Drive Mobile SSD
- WD\_Black 1 TB P50 NVMe SSD
Our Top Pick:
When does Twitter stop being Twitter?
Elon Musk's wide ranging changes to the social network are seemingly set to continue, with the "Chief Twit" confirming plans to expand the maximum character count of a tweet from 280 characters to 4,000.
Ironically, he did so with a single word - "Yes" - which he tweeted in response to a direct question about the rumoured raise.
There's no mention yet on when this might happen or whether it will be limited to paid members of the returned Twitter Blue service, but it's clearly coming.
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2022
That means your future feeds may soon look very different, as some or all Twitter users can post sprawling diatribes on every element of his, her or their breakfast.
What's more, you may not be able to avoid it. We've noticed a sharp increase in posts from people we don't follow appearing in our timeline of late, along with an extraordinary amount of advertising. It's likely you'll be served longer posts from commentators you may or may not agree with, whether you like it or not.
We can only wonder what else Musk has up its sleeve for the network he bought for $44 billion. Is it even the network he paid so much for anymore?
There are plenty of features within iOS software, from closing down all your Safari tabs at once, to using the Apple logo on the back a shortcut button.
Embedded within the Photos app on iPhone is the ability to hide a photo. There are multiple reasons why you might want to hide a photo from your library - maybe it's a photo of a present you don't want your other half to see by accident, or maybe you have some fitness photos you'd rather were for your eyes only, for example.
We won't ask why you might like to hide a photo from your library, we will just tell you how to do it, and while we are at it, we will tell you how to hide the hidden photos album too.
How to hide a photo from your iPhone photo library
When you hide a photo from your Photo Library on iPhone, it goes into a Hidden Photos album. You won't see it in your main Photo Library again, unless you unhide it.
Follow these steps to hide a photo from your iPhone Photo Library:
- Open the Photos app
- Tap on the photo you want to hide
- Tap on the three dots in the circle in the top right of your screen
- Tap on 'Hide' from the list of options
- Select 'Hide Photo'
How to see hidden photos on iPhone and unhide a photo
To see any photos you have hidden on iPhone, you need to open up your HIdden Photos album. From here, you can click on any photo you have hidden and unhide it. It will then return to your Photos library.
Follow the steps below to see hidden photos on iPhone and unhide a photo:
- Open the Photos app
- Tap on the Albums tab at the bottom
- Scroll down to the bottom where you'll see the Utilities section
- Under this section, you'll see 'Hidden'
- Tap on 'Hidden'
- Tap on the photo you want to unhide, if any
- Tap on the three dots in the circle in the top right corner
- Tap on 'Unhide' from the options
How to hide your Hidden Photos album on iPhone
It is possible to not only hide a photo on iPhone, but also hide the Hidden Photos album from appearing in your albums at all. If you decide to hide the Hidden Photos album, then you'll need to follow the same steps below to unhide it everytime you want to see any hidden photos.
- Open Settings
- Scroll down to Photos
- Tap on Photos
- Toggle off 'Show Hidden Album'
Skullcandy might be more typically associated with teenage kicks and affordable, funky headphones, but it's branched into the world of gaming headsets this year.
We've been using its top-range PLYR headset for a few weeks, and have found it an interesting mixed bag, with one big elephant in the room. Read on to find out our thoughts in full.
Design
- Available in black only
- Adjustable headband
- Detachable mic
Skullcandy has remained pretty restrained when it comes to the looks of the PLYR headset - it's only available in what's officially labelled "Black DigiHype".
The second part of that name is down to the occasional splashes of pixellated colour on the headset, but it's quite well done and results in a design that's spunky but still fairly restrained.
A bit like a Steelseries headset, you get an adjustable elasticated headband that sits inside of a metal brace, taking some of the weight of the PLYR and making for an impressively comfortable fit.
This can be pegged to different lengths for different heads, but we found we could wear it for a good few hours without any discomfort.
The microphone is removable when not in use, although it's a weirdly inflexible bit of construction. Getting it really near your mouth feels basically impossible, which is a bit of a shame for pickup quality.
There are a few buttons and dials on the earcups to let you adjust your volume, as well as a power toggle, all of which work fine.
It's a pretty solid bit of design work, all in all, albeit nothing to set the world alight. The PLYR headset is just inconspicuous enough that we can imagine some people using it outside the house for casual listening without looking too obvious, either.
One note, though, is that the downside to the headset's light weight is that it does feel pretty flimsy and doesn't shout "premium" when you hold it. Fragility is a factor in any purchase, and we're not sure these will last years and years.
Sound performance
- 50mm drivers
- Tunable via app
Slipping the PLYR headset on for some lengthy gaming sessions, we've come away with the impression that it's a dead-solid offering on the sound side of things.
The 50mm drivers have solid balancing out of the box, and the PLYR worked pretty well as a headset in our Warzone 2.0 playtesting, as well as while we played through Pokémon Scarlet on our Switch.
The sound was pretty crisp but had a decent amount of oomph when called for. However, this is leagues below our favourite headsets such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, which elevates every game we play with it.
There's a big price difference in that comparison, but Skullcandy's offering also isn't really up to scratch compared to comparable headsets either, and that's a bit of a disappointment.
Microphone pickup is decent enough, although as mentioned it can be a struggle to adjust the microphone's actual positioning, which doesn't help in getting a clearer readout.
We also tested the PLYR with some light music use, since it's got Bluetooth as its default connection, and found it solid but unremarkable.
In short, if you want a set of headphones to tackle both music and gaming, we're not sure these are the answer.
Features
- 24-hour battery life
- Bluetooth or wired connectivity
- Wireless dongle launches separately in 2023
If the sound quality and design notes we have for Skullcandy are pretty minimal in many ways, it's when we turn to features that things take a bit of a nose-dive.
The elephant in the room here is that for a headset advertised as aimed at gamers with wireless play, the PLYR only actually supports Bluetooth connections out of the box.
This means you'll be playing wired unless you're happy to accept latency that will immediately turn off a lot of gamers.
Worst of all, Skullcandy is marketing a dongle that will allow for low-latency wireless play on PC or PlayStation, but it's not coming out until a vague "Spring 2023" and will cost an extra £25 or $25.
This isn't really good enough - it should be in the box or be a free extra for those who've already bought the headset, in our opinion.
It also hamstrings the PLYR's gaming aspirations and makes it a really odd pick at $125 or £125. Since, in reality, it's going to be a wired headset for most users who need low latency, there are countless alternatives for lower prices that offer better sound, from the likes of Logitech, Astro and SteelSeries.
While you're using Bluetooth you do get an impressive 24 hours of battery life, but unless you're primarily a mobile gamer we're not sure what market this is serving at present.
To be clear - mobile gaming could be the single explanation for what Skullcandy is aiming for here, but its marketing isn't focussed in that direction at all.
Effectively, this missing transmitter turns the PLYR from a middling wireless headset option for those who like its looks, into a baffling wired-Bluetooth hybrid headset masquerading as something more.
Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is officially over, with the release of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Phase Four had nearly as many new releases as the first three phases of the MCU, thanks to the first Disney+ MCU series (such as WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, and Moon Knight) as well as new movies (like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). There were also the recent Disney+ Special Presentations like Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Phase Four ending means we have Phase Five to look forward to, and Marvel already has several shows and feature films slated to premiere over the next couple years - with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania up next in February. If you are wondering how to get caught up for that movie or where the recent She-Hulk Disney+ series fits in, or which films you're supposed to watch before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we've got you covered. Or if you simply want to freshen up your memory now as Marvel expands into the multiverse, here is your go-to watch guide.
We've arranged everything chronologically below, but there are additional viewing orders at the end of this guide for those who want to spice things up. Sorry, Marvel comic book nerds, this guide is just for people who want to watch the Marvel films and TV shows in the correct order.
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| Marvel movies in order: Best viewing orders | |
| Chronological order (spoilers) | Chronological order (spoiler-free) |
| Chronological + Marvel TV shows (spoiler-free) | Theater release date order (spoiler-free) |
Google released a December Pixel Feature Drop software update for the Pixel 7 series that included a feature called Clear Calling. Here's everything you need to know about it, including how to enable it on your Google phone.
What is Clear Calling?
Clear Calling is basically a noise-cancellation feature for phone calls. According to Google, you should turn on Clear Calling when you want to make a caller's voice easier to hear against background sounds. Your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro phone will use AI and machine learning to effectively provide noise cancellation for sounds such as wind, traffic, and people talking. With Clear Calling, all sound data is processed on the phone, but it is internet-dependent, so you need a reliable connection for it to be effective.
How to turn on Clear Calling
First, make sure your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro is up to date with the latest Feature Drop update. (Check out Google's support page here if you need help updating your phone.) Now, follow these steps:
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Sound and vibration > Clear calling.
- Turn Use Clear Calling on.
Which Pixel phones have Clear Calling?
This feature is currently only available to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
Want to know more?
See Pocket-lint's reviews of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro to learn more about Google's latest flagship phones:
Valorant is a 5v5 tactical, character-based shooter that's took the PC gaming arena by storm.
The competitive shooter gained some serious traction thanks to exposure on Twitch in beta form before launch but has since gone on to be one of the most popular shooters around.
It's also an easy game to get into that's not only free-to-play but also heavily optimised to perform well on all manner of PC gaming machines. We managed nearly 200 FPS on a mid-range gaming laptop during some play sessions, which shows how well it works.
But what is Valorant? How do you play? And more importantly, how do you win? Stick with us to find out.
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What is Valorant?
Valorant feels like a cross between CS:Go and Overwatch. A competitive shooter that pitches two small teams against one another.
Your team is either set to attack or defend, with the attackers planting a "spike" (essentially a bomb) that the other team need to then defuse or, preferably, prevent you from planting in the first place.
The attacking team can win by either eliminating the defenders or by planting the spike then protecting it from being defused until the timer runs out. The defenders similarly can win by destroying the attackers before they get a chance to plant their spike or defusing the spike after it has been planted.
Each team of five gets to play as both attackers and defenders during a game. Each match has 25 rounds total, with the first team to win 13 rounds being declared the victor.
Even with this many rounds, games can last for as little as eight minutes. Especially if both teams are aggressive.
It's a fairly simple premise and one that Counter-Strike players will be used to. In fact, anyone that's played CS:Go will notice a lot of similarities between that and this game.
As well as bomb planting and small teams, Valorant also has a similar weapon purchasing system and gun mechanics too. Some guns won't allow you to aim down the sight, which is a familiar feeling. The game also involves a lot of stalking and skulking in corners and choke points.
What sets Valorant apart is the hero classes. Each character has different abilities that let them unleash special moves after a certain time. That includes simple things like the ability to heal or revive fallen teammates or a special that lets one character have a "do over" when they get shot by teleporting them back to a different place in the map.
How to download Valorant
Valorant is free-to-play, so anyone can download it and get gaming. Assuming you have access to a gaming PC.
To get started, head over to the official site and click "Play FREE" you'll then be asked to sign in to your Riot account or create one.
Do that and you can download the launcher and install the game. Don't worry, it's not a massive game so you won't have to wait days like you would for Call of Duty.
What are the minimum specs for Valorant?
Valorant is designed to be as optimised as possible and run on a multitude of machines. The minimum specifications are:
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
- GPU: Intel HD 4000
- RAM: 4GB
- Operating system: Windows 7 or above
To get 144 FPS or higher Riot Games recommends an Intel Core i5-4460 and a GTX 1050 Ti or higher.
As you can see, even with an affordable PC or gaming laptop you can get a great experience from Valorant.
Will Valorant come to console?
When asked this question, Anna Donlon, the Executive Producer of Valorant said "The team looks forward to starting our decades-long commitment to servicing the global Volarant community. This is just the beginning of our journey together."
She also said "While we are exploring other platforms like console and mobile, right now the team is working hard to deliver a top-notch experience on PC."
We'd fully expect to see Riot develop the game for console in the near future, especially with its current popularity.
Is Valorant free-to-play?
Yes. Valorant is free to download and free-to-play as well. Though there is a battlepass system.
How does Valorant's Battlepass work?
Like other Battlepass systems, Valorant's Battlepass essentially rewards players with cosmetic items. It's a premium reward system that you need to pay for in order to access, but it's not intended to be pay-to-win.
Valorant's Battlepass system is broken into acts. Each act lasts two months and so does the Battlepass.
The Battlepass has 50 tiers with both free and Premium paths available. You progress along those paths based on the experience points (XP) you earn from completing missions and playing matches.
The Valorant Battlepass consists of 10 chapters and you can play through it for free, but you won't get the items in the Premium tier by doing so.
The sorts of things you can unlock by playing include weapon skins, player cards, sprays, gun buddies and more. You'll unlock more items by paying for the Premium Battlepass but won't get any extra edge over the enemy.
Find out more about Valorant Battlepass here.
How to play Valorant
We've already discussed the basics of how to play Valorant in terms of eliminating the enemy team and/or planting or defusing the spike, but there's much more to the game than the basic premise.
When a round starts you enter an initial "buy" phase. Where you can purchase weapons to use in that round. The first round of a game invariably starts with everyone using pistols as no one has earnt any cash yet.
Money is earnt by winning and losing, so in the next round you can choose from a wider range of weapons including shotguns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, SMGs and more.
You can also buy armour and boosts for your abilities here. Gunplay is the main crux of the game as you need to shoot the enemy (for the most part) in order to win or avoid being shot yourself. So it's worth practising to see what guns you get on with.
Cash is not carried over to the next game, so be sure to spend what you earn in order to win.
The basics of any tactical FPS game apply here. Aim when you can, fire in bursts and use cover as much as you can.
Then use your agent's ability to gain the upper hand, help your team or prevent the enemy from gaining the advantage.
Valorant's characters
Valorant has a number of heroes to choose from. These are so-called "Agents" with special abilities that make for different playstyles.
Choosing between heroes, meanwhile, is tactical but not as massive as the differences in something like Overwatch.
All of Valorant's agents have the same health and hitboxes, making it all about their abilities. These include powers that can blind opponents, or block out an area with fire for a time, or use radar to see if enemies are nearby.
Each ability is assigned to a different (Q, E, C and X) and require charging. Some you can purchase at the buy stage, others you have to earn enough points to use.
A character's ultimate ability is activated by pressing X by default. This special move is the most effective but also requires kills or orbs (you'll find these around the map) to power up so it takes a while to earn.
Here are some of the Valorant agents you can play with:
Jett
Jett is a duelist. She's more agile than other agents and has an ability that lets her jump great heights fast that others. She can also use this ability to rush towards enemies.
Jett's advantage comes in getting the height advantage on opponents and dealing out damage with her blade storm ultimate ability.
Jett's special abilities are:
- Q - Updraft: Allows Jett to jump high in the air, leaping onto top of boxes and out of danger
- E - Tailwind: Like updraft, only in a specific direction. This allows Jett to dash a short distance in a certain direction quickly.
- C - Cloudburst: Jett throws out a projectile that turns into a spherical cloud that blocks enemy vision temporarily.
- X - Blade storm: Allows Jett to throw a single knife at an enemy that's dangerous and accurate. There's also an alternate fire mode that throws all daggers at once.
Phoenix
Phoenix is another duelist and one that hails from sunny ol' Blighty. Phoenix is all about style and fighting on his own terms.
- Q - Curveball: Phoenix can throw a flare orb that that temporarily blinds nearby players. It can be curved to the left or right with interesting use around corners
- E - Hot hands: This move throws out a fireball that sets fire to the floor. This not only injures enemy players in that area but also stops people walking there for a short period too.
- C - Blaze: Essentially a flaming wall, Blaze creates a dangerous wall of fire that not only blocks enemy vision but also damages opponents too. Note Blaze actually heals Phoenix if he stands on it, so it has multiple uses. Its alternate fire allows you to bend the wall to put a curve on it.
- X - Run it back: One of the most interesting ultimate abilities in the game. This allows Phoenix to place a marker on a certain spot, then move forward into the map. If he gets shot, he'll respawn at that original location like nothing happened. It's time-limited though, so needs to be used wisely.
Viper
Viper is all about the poison. Her abilities are designed to both poison the enemy and block their vision while she gets the upper hand. Viper doesn't take damage from her own poisons either.
Viper's abilities use fuel, so you need to keep an eye on that but can reuse your gas bomb if you're careful.
- Q - Poison cloud: Viper can throw out a device that emits a toxic gas cloud. That device can be picked up and re-used in the same match.
- E - Toxic screen: This is similar to Viper's Blaze ability. Instead of a wall of fire, Viper launches a long line of emitters to send out a dangerous gas wall.
- C - Snake bite: This is a breakable canister projectile that squirts a green acid on the floor. This both damages and slows enemies and can hinder their movement.
- X - Viper's pit: Viper's ultimate ability sprays a large gas cloud that reduces how far the enemy can see and reduces their health too.
Raze
Raze comes from Brazil and comes equipped to blow things up. Blaze can also use her abilities to get to high ground in the same way as Jett.
- Q - Blast pack: This is essentially a grenade that sticks to surfaces and will damage nearby players. It doesn't hurt Raze though and can be cleverly used to boost to high spots.
- E - Paint shells: They might look cute and colourful but the paint shells are actually cluster grenades that can deal out multiple bursts of damage to the enemy team.
- C - Boom bot: The boom bot is a cute looking robot that rolls about the floor bouncing off walls until it locks onto an enemy at which point it'll give chase and explode nearby to deal out damage.
- X - Showstopper: A rocket launcher that does massive damage wherever it hits. KABOOOM!
Breach
Breach is an "initiator" equipped with bionic arms and the ability to dispense dangerous kinetic blasts. His most dangerous abilities can go through walls, but he also stun and blind opponents to help his team out.
- Q - Flash point: This is a blinding charge that can be shot through walls to blind enemies on the other side.
- E - Fault line: A seismic blast that blinds and dazes players in its path. You can press and hold fire to increase how far this ability travels too.
- C - Aftershock: Breach can fire a fusion charge that slowly bursts through walls and damages anyone caught nearby.
- X - Rolling thunder: Breach has a deadly ultimate that sends a wall of wire quaking across the map and is a serious problem for anyone caught in its path.
Omen
Not to be confused with HP's gaming brand, Omen is a "controller" who hunts in the shadows with special abilities that blind enemies, teleport him across the map and more.
Clever Omen players will use his ability to avoid being shot by snipers or to get the upper hand on campers hiding around corners.
- Q - Paranoia: A projectile that temporarily reduces the vision of enemies, making it possible to pass by them unseen.
- E - Dark cover: Omen can throw out an orb of darkness that blows enemy vision in a specific area. Great for blocking corridors. It can also be used at long distance.
- C - Shrouded step: This is a shadow walk ability that lets you teleport to another sport on the map. It can be used to get up high on top of boxes or ledges.
- X - From the shadows: Omen's ultimate allows him to choose a spot from the map to teleport to. Moving across the entire map in a blink can be very useful, but it can also be cancelled by enemy fire while it's happening.
Sage
Sage is one of our favourite characters to use simply because she has the power to heal herself and team members too. It's nice to feel useful.
- Q - Slow orb: A projectile that creates a temporary ice floor that slows enemies as they try to pass through.
- E - Healing orb: This healing orb can be used to give your teammates some health back if they've been injured. It's a useful way to keep your team fighting. Alternatively, you can use it to heal yourself.
- C - Barrier orb: This creates a barrier that needs to be destroyed before enemies can pass through. Clever Sage players can place the wall in a way that gives them a boost to high spots.
- X - Resurrection: Does what you'd expect. If a teammate has died you can bring them back to life. Of course, being an ultimate it takes a while to earn this.
Sova
Sova is an "initiator" in that his abilities allow him to find and track enemies. Often to the benefit of his team.
Good Sova players will use his shock blot ability to bounce arrows off walls to damage enemies hiding around corners.
- Q - Shock bolt: The shock bolt uses Sova's bow and arrow to fire an explosive bolt at enemies.
- E - Recon bolt: This is another bolt that sticks to walls and reveals nearby enemies to everyone on your team. Useful.
- C - Owl drone: A deployable drone which can be used to tag enemies and make them visible through walls. You just need to fly the drone and shoot the enemy. Simple?
- X - Hunter's Fury: This ultimate ability equips Sova's bow with three wall-piercing bolts that give off massive energy blasts and damage enemies caught on the other side. It can be re-used too, if you're quick enough.
Cypher
Cypher is a "sentinel" - another hero who can keep an eye on the enemy and move unseen too. He can slow enemies and lure them into traps too. Pro Cypher players will use his spycam ability to keep an eye on the spike sites and watch out for baddies.
- Q - Cyber cage: This ability creates an area on the map that slows enemy movement and reduces their vision too. Trap them and kill them!
- E - Spycam: The spycam can be placed anywhere on the map and then controlled to keep an enemy and then fire a dart to mark them and reveal them through walls.
- C - Trapwire: Like a tripwire, the trapwire activates when enemies walk through it and tethers them in place, reveals their location and dazes them too. Nasty.
- X - Neural theft: This ultimate can be used on dead enemy players to show the location of their teammates. Find a dead body (or make one by killing an enemy) then throw your ultimate at them to reveal their friends.
Reyna
Reyna is another duelist who's designed for aggressive play. Reyna is another agent who can heal herself but also one that can deal out a lot of damage on the enemy.
- Q - Devour: Opponents Renya kills will drop a soul orb. These can be consumed with this ability to recover lost health.
- E - Dismiss: Another ability that uses the soul orbs enemies kill by Reyna drop. You can use these orbs to become either intangible or invisible for a short duration.
- C - Leer: This power allows you to equip a weird purple eye. You can throw that eye and it will temporarily reduce the vision of enemy players.
- X - Empress: Empress is an interesting and dangerous ultimate that puts Reyna into a killing frenzy. She can then fire weapons more quickly, swap weapons swiftly and reload faster too. It only lasts for a short period but kills make it last longer. You can also use the other abilities while Empress is active.
Brimstone
Brimstone is a "controller" - boots on the ground, dangerous orbital weaponry, Brimstone is very much an American soldier through and through.
- Q - Indendiary: Brimstone has a grenade launcher that fires an incendiary grenade that then sets the floor on fire and denies the area to the enemy.
- E - Sky smoke: From a small tactical map Brimstone can deploy three different smoke spheres that can block enemy view.
- C - Stim beacon: This is a small device that creates a small field on an area around itself that allows players to fire rapidly for a period of time. Create deadly killzones with a dangerous hail of fast-firing comrades.
- X - Ortibal strike - an insanely powerful and thoroughly impressive orbital laser strike that can be deployed from a personal tactical map.
Skye
Skye is an "initiator" and her power heals those around her so she's a really useful team mate.
- Q - Trailblazer: This power allows Skye to send out a Tasmanian tiger that can explode with a concussive blast.
- E - Guiding Light: This is a hawk that can be sent out to scout for enemies. It explodes in a ball of light if one is nearby.
- C - Regrowth: This is a healing ability that heals allies nearby. It can be used until the pool runs out but cannot be used to heal Skye herself.
- X - Seekers: This tracks out the three closest enemies and nearsights them.
These are just a sample of the agents and you can find out more about the rest here.
Can I change agents?
The agent you pick obviously plays a big part in your playstyle. You'll choose the character for each game and once you've selected it, you're stuck with it for the duration of that match and cannot swap.
Will there by new agents?
Riot says its plans for the long term. In fact, on the launch of the game, Anna Donlon, Executive Producer of producer said “The team looks forward to starting our decades-long commitment to servicing the global Valorant community. This is just the beginning of our journey together."
So we'll expect to see a lot of updates to the game in the coming months and years.
Valorant tips and tricks
We've been playing a bit of Valorant to bring you some tips and tricks.
Shooting and scooting
As with CS:Go, most of Valorant's Spike Rush mode involves stalking your enemy. Defenders are often better off finding (or creating) a choke point to pick off the attackers as they move into the map and attempt to plant the spike.
Take time to learn where the sweet spots are and avoid standing in the open as much as possible. We find it's better to fire in bursts, then duck behind cover as much as you can. Use your abilities to dash out of danger, get the height advantage or obscure enemy view so you don't die.
Pay attention to what's going on, both audibly and visually. Other players may be using abilities that will reveal enemy positions and you can use this to your advantage.
You'll also hear enemies if they're approaching. Listen and watch out for teammates dying too. You'll both hear and see that. If you're defending B but suddenly everyone at A is dead that might indicate where the enemy is. You'll also see an indicator on the screen when people are getting shot nearby.
You can also "ping" enemy locations and things of interest. Aim your crosshair in the right direction and press Z. This will alert your team and could save your life.
Holding shift makes you walk quietly. Crouching does the same. Use both to quietly move about, rather than thumping your feet across the map giving yourself away.
Gunplay is punishing. The game might feel slow at first - walking is slow for example, so it can take ages to get across the map - but time-to-kill is short. It takes just three or four bullets to kill an enemy or be killed and recoil is insane. Someone who's camping with a carefully aimed single-shot or semi-auto weapon will have more success that a run-and-gunner. In short, movement ruins accuracy.
This is good knowledge as it means as an attacker you need to be aware that enemies are likely camping around the corner. Use abilities to block their view or reveal them before you take a turn and get unfortunately shot.
Charge your abilities
You'll find orbs scattered around the map. Grab these to get points for your abilities. You can also buy the lesser abilities during the buy phase.
You need to "unlock" your ultimate power by getting kills (or by dying) so it takes time before you can use it.
Make the most of your abilities, not just for yourself but for your team. Highlight enemies, give cover from view, heal when you can. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Take time to learn the map
Certain maps have interesting areas that can be used to your advantage. One of the spike planting points, for example, has a big door that you can close. Do that once the bomb is planted and you've limited the enemy's approach and cut off their route of access, which can really make things interesting.
If you've got a character who has an appropriate ability, you can use it to get up high on ledges or crates to shoot down on unsuspecting enemies, which an be useful too. Learning the map will help you work out the best spots to do this.
Knifey knifey
Like CS:Go, Valorant gives you a small speed boost for having your knife out. Movement in this game is generally slow, but with your knife equipped you can move a tad faster. Some weapons like SMGs and pistols also have the same impact.
Buying weapons
You start each match with very few credits, but winning a match earns 3,000 credits, while losing gets you just under 2,000. If you keep losing, you get extra cash as a consolation prize. Spending it on guns, armour and abilities can help turn the game around if spent wisely.
If you're on the winning team you get to keep the gun from the last round and won't need to spend as much anyway.
You can buy fancy gear, but you can also spend your money to buy guns for others if you have spare money and are feeling generous. Considering arming your team for the win!
In terms of guns, the Phantom or Guardian are recommended beginner guns by most. We like the Guardian a lot as it's basically a semi-auto rifle, which means you need to tap-tap-tap your bullets and can't spray as much. So you're more likely to get kills. And remember, aim for the head.
It's worth noting that you can pick up enemy weapons which can be a good way to get an upgrade without spending money.
Keep an eye on the minimap
The minimap is useful in any shooter. Even more so in Valorant. If you watch you'll see that the minimap not only displays where your team members are, but where they're looking.
Keeping an eye on this will help you work out which points are being attacked and defended or where the threats are coming from. This can be very useful and it's important to keep one eye on it so you can see if/when people start dying.
Good luck out there!
One of the big advancements the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S bring to console gaming is 120fps.
While each is primarily designed for stable 4K 60fps playback (1440p60 in the case of the Series S), they are capable of upping the frame rate further. But, what caveats come with that and what do you even need to play games at their smoothest?
We explain all right here.
What is 120Hz gaming?
Faster frame rates have always been the holy grail for game developers, with certain types of games - shooters, racers, etc - benefitting greatly from the smoothest action possible. More frames per second on screen equates to much smoother presentation and a more responsive gameplay experience.
PC gamers are already au fait with extreme frame rates, with many games having unlocked fps so they can run as well as the hardware allows, but consoles have traditionally attempted to hit 60fps maximum. And, before this generation arrived, most were happy to sit at 30fps. How things have changed.
The latest-gen consoles don't only offer 60fps as standard on most games, they have the extra graphical grunt to go a step further - up to 120fps. This effectively means that, for every frame you see on a standard Xbox One or PS4 game, you will see at least four on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. That results in action, such as a bullet fired from a gun or rival car coming across your bonnet, being shown more accurately and can be reacted to faster.
There are caveats. For starters, even with their graphical prowess, games running at 120fps on next-gen often have to drop resolution (normally to a maximum of 1080p on Xbox Series S, and 1440p on PS5 and Xbox Series X). Alternatively, they adopt dynamic resolutions, with the pixel count rising and sinking depending on the scene.
In addition, you will need a TV or monitor with a refresh rate that matches the frame rate of the game. So you need to look out for a display with a refresh rate of 120Hz or more - so the TV can refresh the screen in sync with every frame.
What TV or monitor do I need for 120Hz gaming?
There are plenty of gaming monitors that sport a 120Hz refresh or more. But TVs have only really started to support high frame rate technology in the last couple of years. And, even then, it tends to be at the higher-end of the scale.
Only the top-of-the-line TVs are generally capable of 120Hz refresh rates at anything above 1080p. You even have to watch out when it comes to 2022 models.
LG has partnered with Xbox and has therefore had 120Hz on its flagship OLED TVs for a while, Samsung offers the same on some of its QLED range-toppers, while Sony has ensured some of its sets are "PlayStation 5" ready, for obvious reasons. We can vouch for Panasonic and Philips too.
To be able to read the signal from either the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, you need at least HDMI 2.0 connectivity (for 1080p at 120fps). Whereas, HDMI 2.1 is mandatory for 4K at 120fps. As we've said above, the consoles won't be pushing 120fps at maximum resolutions that often - not initially anyway.
The best bet is to look at the spec sheet of any TV you are thinking of buying and, while you're at it, check if the set also has support for variable refresh rates and a low latency mode (ALLM) - they'll also be handy for next-gen gaming (on the Xbox consoles, anyway).
How can I check if my TV has 120Hz?
One way to check if your current set has a 120Hz input and screen refresh rate (if it doesn't say in the manual) is to plug a decent PC or laptop into its most advanced HDMI port and either run a game at the highest frame rate possible or head to a refresh rate checking website through a browser, such as testufo.com.
If you already own one of the consoles, you can find out in their respective display settings. The tend to list the different refresh rates and resolutions your TV is compatible with, including 4K at 120Hz and 1080p at 120Hz.
In all honesty, if your TV is more than two years old, it's not that likely anyway.
What else do I need to remember?
You should also ensure that your HDMI cables are high bandwidth enough to carry a 1080p/4K 120Hz signal.
Any cable listed as HDMI 2.1 will be fine. And, of course, the cables that come with your latest-gen console.
And finally, if you do run your source equipment through an AV receiver, that has to be 120Hz-capable too. Denon, Marantz and Yamaha each range AVRs that are 120Hz-enabled.
If you see success in terms of making huge amounts of money, creating a brand that's recognised across the globe, and creating a millions-strong fan base, then few can argue that Apple is indeed successful.
However, with any successful company there are times in its history where failure has been the unwelcome order of the day. So, as it's always nice to celebrate the triumphs, it's also equally important to take look at the failures. Good to know we're not the only ones who make errors.
Tim Cook once said during a talk at Oxford university that he believes the success of Apple is its ability to change and know when the company has got it wrong. After all, every failure teaches us something and without those we might never have had the iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
"You’ve got to be willing to look yourself in the mirror and say I was wrong, it's not right," says Cook, who also suggested Jobs taught him the value of intellectual honesty - that, no matter how much you care about something, you have to be willing to take new data and apply it to the situation. Cook said he actually struggled with Jobs' propensity for changing his tune.
"Steve, of everyone I've known in life, could be the most avid proponent of some position and within minutes or days if new information came up you would think he'd never, ever thought that before [...] He was a pro at this," says Cook. "And at first I thought, oh, he really flip flops! And then all of a sudden I saw the beauty in it. Because he wasn't getting stuck, like so many other people do when they just say I've got to keep going on, my pride, you know. So be intellectually honest - and have the courage to change."
So, in no particular order, here are our favourite Apple gadget flops of all time.
Building your own gaming PC can be a super rewarding experience, not just because of the satisfaction of completing a build and turning it on, but also due to the proud feeling you get every time you game. Playing on a machine you built yourself is something special.
Building your own computer can also be a good way to save money over buying a pre-built system. If you don't have the cash to build an extreme gaming PC, but still want something with punch, then you've come to the right place.
In this guide, we'll be showing you how to build a mid-range gaming PC with the essential parts for a machine that will keep you gaming happily for a few years, without leaving you in a mountain of debt.
We'll be talking you through the steps, the things you’ll need to think about and any other considerations along the way.
Budgeting your gaming PC
Before you can get started, you'll need to consider your budget - this really is a key step! If you want to keep costs down, you'll need to think about the essential parts and the ones that aren't easy to upgrade in future. There's no point in building a good PC now, only to have to abandon it in a year or two because the foundations are massively out of date.
If you're looking to save money, you don't necessarily need the newest and best parts either. Older generations of CPU, motherboard and more might be cheaper but still work well enough to last you for a long time.
It's worth spending extra on the core parts of the machine at the start. You can always add more RAM, a better graphics card or more hard drive storage at a later date if you need to.
What components do you need?
Depending on your budget, you'll need numerous components to craft your new gaming PC. It's really important to do your research first to make sure everything fits and will work together and you don't waste money on things you don't need.
Gaming motherboards
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The motherboard is the foundation of your new gaming PC. It works as the base for all the parts and will help control the system. Each device within the PC connects to it to allow the computer to function.
When choosing a motherboard, it's important not to skimp out. The motherboard is not the easiest thing to upgrade in future, as you'll have to tear down the entire system to do so. So buying a good quality one is important.
That said, a good way to save money is to look for a previous generation motherboard - the one that supports the last generation of CPU, rather than the current one. That'll bring the costs down without negatively impacting performance too much.
It's also very important that you thoroughly examine the specifications of the motherboard before you purchase other parts to ensure they'll not only fit, but also work with your system.
As an example, the motherboard we're using for the build covered later in this article is the NZXT N5 Z690 motherboard. This motherboard supports DDR4 RAM, and is fairly simple to set up, plus has a useful in-built I/O shield. That's three different things to bear in mind just in relation to one component.
Getting back to the RAM, though, this board's dual-channel support simply means two sticks of RAM work in pairs on the motherboard. Other versions of RAM include tri-channel and quad-channel. The latter will work in this motherboard as four sticks of RAM can fit, which is nice for future expansion.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
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The Central Processing Unit (CPU), is the brain that powers your computer. The CPU can be one of the most costly parts of your PC build, and the smallest. You'll need to match the motherboard to the CPU.
There are two main manufacturers of CPUs - AMD and Intel. These manufacturers also make a variety of processors with different chipsets. In order to work out which CPU fits which motherboard you'll need to first pick the manufacturer then work out how much money you have to spend.
If you want to build a cheaper, but still powerful gaming machine, then you can opt for a previous-generation CPU. They'll still be capable but won't necessarily cost the big bucks.
For this build though, we're using an affordable mid-range Intel CPU from the current 13th-generation line-up. This isn't so cheap it'll lack performance but also won't destroy your bank account.
It is always possible to upgrade your CPU in future, but only purchase an upgraded processor that's the same socket as your motherboard or you'll fine it a bit tiresome. We've put together a guide on how to swap out your CPU here.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
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RAM is the memory of your gaming machine. It helps the PC to act quickly and efficiently as you game. The size of RAM is measured in GB. Most modern gaming PCs will run with at least 8GB of RAM as a minimum, but we'd recommend either going for 16GB or 32GB. Plenty for gaming, video editing or just for Chrome to hog.
If you're working on a budget, then there are ways to save money here. For example, it's worth looking at the recommended specifications of games you want to play, and future games being released soon. You can then build your PC to hit those specifications or slightly exceed them.
RAM is one of the easiest things to upgrade in future. All you'll need is enough spare slots on your motherboard and purchase of more RAM that matches in terms of size, frequency and model number. You'll then be able to double your RAM amount in future.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
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The power supply unit provides all the necessary juice your gaming machine needs. Every component needs to be plugged into it in order to run.
Don't risk cheating out on this part as buying a cheap PSU could result in the unfortunate and early demise of your machine. You also need to choose a PSU which has enough power to run your machine and all the parts inside it. PSUs are sold according to wattage, in other words, the amount of power they're capable of putting out.
Buy one that's too powerful and it won't run efficiently. Too weak and it won't give enough power to the parts which could see your machine turning off (or worse) in the middle of a game.
To solve any headaches, you can use this nifty calculator to suss out which one you need based on the components you plan on including in your machine.
Considering your storage options and requirements
There are a number of different options when it comes to storage for your machine. These are drives you'll use to store your games, videos, files and your operating system.
These are slightly different and vary in price as well as speed and storage size. We're going to assume you want something fast and modern but without massive expense. We'd recommend either standard SSDs or NVMe drives.
Solid State Drives (SSDs)
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Solid State Drives have no moving parts and can transfer files quickly, as well as load games swiftly and reduce any issues you might have with lag. These vary in size, the smaller ones are cheaper but are likely to fill up quickly if you have a large library of games. For the build below, though, we'll actually be sticking to M.2 storage.
M.2 NVME Drives
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These are the newest and fastest sort of Solid State Drives. They're also the easiest to install and offer blisteringly fast load speeds that will reduce the time you spend staring at game load screens.
You can get them in various sizes but we'd recommend a minimum of 500GB or you'll soon find it has filled up, especially with modern game sizes.
Graphics cards (GPU)
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The GPU does the majority of the work when it comes to powering your games. New graphics cards are being released all the time and those components will help run the latest games on very high or ultra settings.
These are likely the most expensive single component you can buy though. But you don't necessarily have to have the newest or the best to get good results.
The graphics card is also one of the easiest parts to upgrade in future. If you build your machine well, you can upgrade your GPU every couple of years or so and keep the whole thing running for many happy years to come.
We're using an Intel Arc A770 for this build because it's remarkably affordable and offers great performance for your money.
CPU heatsink/cooling - DeepCool AG400
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CPUs tend to get really hot when you're playing games - or, frankly just in regular use. Keeping them cool is essential to ensure the smooth running of your PC and an enjoyable gaming experience.
For a mid-range CPU in a case with good airflow we'd recommend trying a CPU tower cooler. Like this DeepCool aircooler. It's affordable, but still does a great job of keeping the CPU cool. It's also easy to install.
Computer case
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Gaming PC cases are available in a range of different sizes, shapes, colours and with varying features.
The main difference is size. Cases are available in full-tower, mid-tower, ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITC and more. For your first gaming PC build, we'd suggest using either a full-tower or mid-tower case. These are slightly larger and allow you more space to work, but also better airflow and will accept a wider range of motherboards.
We're using the NZXT H7 case as it's reasonably affordable, spacious and easy to build in.
Case cooling
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As mentioned, many cases, including the NZXT H7, come with case fans already installed that can are plugged directly into the motherboard and powered to keep the case cool. There may also be space for extra fans if you want to add more to keep things really cool. Check the specs of your case, to see what size fans will fit in your case if you want to purchase extras.
This case comes with just two fans, one set up as intake and another as exhaust. You can buy more fans and add them to the front for more intake or go crazy and get extra for the top as well.
Keep your costs down by sticking with standard fans and avoiding RGB ones. This will also help with the installation process as it's much easier. This case can take three fans on the front, three on the top and one at the rear.
Anti-static wrist strap
One of the cheapest parts you'll buy. This is a strap that attaches to your wrist and you will use this while building your gaming PC. Static electricity that builds up in your body can fry electronics in your computer while you're building, so this is a worthwhile precaution.
How to build your gaming PC
Once you have everything you need, the next step is to start building. The first time you do this, it can be quite daunting. But we're here to help things go smoothly.
There are a few essential things to bear in mind that will ensure everything goes well:
- Building your own PC usually ends up with an excess of wires/cables, screws and parts that you don’t need. Don't panic if this happens.
- Complete PC builds may include cables that don't connect to anything and this might not be a problem. Again, don't panic.
- Use an anti-static wrist strap at all times.
- Don't start cable tying until the very end, in case you have something in the wrong place that needs to be moved.
- If the case has protective stickers on it, leave them on until the end to avoid accidental scratching while you're building.
- Keep all instruction manuals handy so you can easily reference them while you work.
- Keep any screws you remove in a logical place so you know where they are when they need to go back in.
To show you how to build your own gaming PC we're going to talk through each step of the build and how to put it together. This will vary slightly depending on the parts you're using, but will mostly require the same steps.
For this build we used the following components:
- Motherboard - NZXT N5 Z690
- CPU - Intel Core i5-13600K
- Case - NZXT N7
- RAM - Kingston Beast Fury RAM 16GB
- GPU - Intel ARC A770
- CPU cooling - DeepCool AG400
- M.2 NVMe drive - Kingston Renegade NVMe
- PSU - NZXT C850 Power Supply
Other things you'll need:
- Time - if this is your first build it can take as much as a day or two to do it correctly and get your PC up and running. Don't rush.
- Screwdrivers - most parts require a Philips head screwdriver to install.
- Anti-static wrist strap
Getting started with your PC build
To start off unbox your case, remove any extra cables and bits that came with it, then set it to one side.
Build in a place where you won't accidentally build up static electricity - so don't do it on a carpet if you can avoid it, for example. Also, be sure you wear the anti-static wrist strap throughout the build process. This clips to a radiator or any piece of metal that's grounded (a non-painted part of your power supply could work nicely) and works to disperse any static electricity build-up in your body to prevent damaging the important components.
Setting up the motherboard
Take your motherboard out of its box and remove it from the anti-static plastic bag it comes in. We find it's a good idea to use this as a mat to lay the motherboard on top on so it doesn't touch or scratch anything underneath while you work.
This next bit can be easy to overlook or ignore - ensure the motherboard manual is easy to access. You might think you're all sorted, but you will need this document. It's very handy to reference, especially when it comes to plugging cables into the right places later on.
Installing the CPU
The CPU might be the smallest thing in this build, but it's also really easy to install as long as you do it with care.
First, move the arm and lift the flap to open it up. Then go about installing the CPU.
Make sure it lines up properly and don't force it. You need to put it so the gold arrow points to the bottom left. You can only put the CPU in one way round, so you shouldn't be forcing it in. In fact, you should feel it just drop into place without any resistance.
With that done put the housing back down and reset the arm. The shield should then pop off as you do it.
Seating the RAM
Now comes one of the next easiest jobs in this build process. Installing the RAM. With a close look, you'll see from markings on the motherboard and instructions in the manual that the RAM needs to be installed in a certain order. For this motherboard, you need to fit the sticks in DIMM slots A2 and B2 first if you only have a pair of RAM sticks. Putting them in A1 and B1 will not work - you can see the different combinations in the motherboard's manual.
Take the RAM out and line it up with the slots. You'll see there are clips at the ends of the slots. Push these back to loosen things up before you put the RAM in. Once you seat the RAM it will make a satisfying click when fully inserted. Just like with the CPU, don't force things.
Installing the M.2 NVMe SSD
M.2 NVMe drives are blissfully easy to install. These storage drives get power straight from the motherboard and transfer data that way too, so there's no need for pesky cables.
Most modern motherboards have two or more slots for these drivers. The motherboard that we're using has four slots. You can find their location in the manual. One is immediately obvious as it sits just below the CPU with its own heatsink, and that's the one we'll be using.
Unscrew the heat shield from the motherboard by removing the two screws.
With the cover off you can install the drive. Simply click the drive in at a roughly 30-degree angle, then replace the heatsink cover with its screw to hold it in place on the other end. Hey presto, you've installed your storage.
Readying the CPU cooler
Another thing to do before installing the motherboard is to set up the CPU cooler. The first step here is to install the backplate. This cooler comes with an Intel backplate with adjustable stand-offs. Put them in the far corners then set it up with the pins through each of the four holes.
Flip the motherboard over and then use the plastic washers with 1700 written on them. Seat those over the stand-offs. Then the bracket needs installing on that.
There are four screws that need screwing into the stand offs. This is how you will attach the cooler. Make sure this is nice and secure before going any further.
Apply thermal paste
This is an essential step before fitting your cooler.
Apply a pea-sized amount of thermal paste to the middle of the CPU. You need to ensure there's enough so when you install the CPU cooler there's an even spread across the entire thing.
Now seat the cooler down on top of the CPU and on the mounting bracket. Make sure the fan is facing towards the front of the case. There are two screws on either side of the cooler that mount to the bracket, so tighten those.
There are two cables on the cooler. On plugs into the CPU fan spot on the motherboard.
The other is an RGB connector which clicks into the 5V RGB header on the motherboard in the bottom left.
Preparing your case
With the motherboard prepared, it's time to fit it in the case. The good news is that this is really easy with the board and case we've selected.
Installing the Power Supply Unit
Installing the power supply will be slightly different from case to case. But in this case, it mounts in the bottom with the fan facing downwards.
We'd recommend installing all the cables you'll be using before hand. This makes life easier as it's fiddly trying to plug cables in after you've installed the PSU in the case.
For this build you'd need:
- The 24-pin motherboard cable
- Two 8-pin CPU power cables
- One 8-pin PCIe cable (split for the GPU)
These are labelled on both the cables and PSU itself. Because the power supply is modular you only need to plug in what you're planning to use.
Push the PSU into the back of the case and hold it there while you screw it in place. You'll find four holes at the rear that you can tighten screws into to hold the PSU tightly in place.
Once that's done you can then run the cables around the case so they fit in the right place.
How to install the motherboard
Installing the motherboard requires you to line it up with both the I/O shield and the stand-off screws. The easiest thing to do is to lower the motherboard into the case at a slight angle with the ports pointed down towards the holes they'll be going into first.
Take care to lower it down gently into the case and over the stand-off screws. If done correctly, you should see the holes of the stand-off screws through the holes on the motherboard.
Use the supplied screws to put the correct amount into the holes and tighten the motherboard securely onto the case without overtightening.
Install the power cables
Once the motherboard is installed you can plug in the power supply cables. The two CPU cables connect to the top left of the motherboard. The 24-pin plugs into the right.
Attach front-panel connectors
Every case has front-panel connectors of one sort or another that need to be connected to the motherboard in order to work. These include things like USB cables, audio cables (3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks), power buttons and more.
In most cases, these are already attached to the front and fed through into the case. In the NZXT H7 you'll find them nicely routed on the back of the case, for you to feed through to the motherboard and connect up.
This can be a bit fiddly, but the motherboard's manual is a lifesaver, and should have a clear map of what needs to go where. Each cable is clearly labelled in the case manual as to what it is and in the motherboard manual as to where it should plugin, while individual plugs also often have labels to clarify which function they control. This makes it a bit like following a Lego manual to work out which plug should end up on which pin.
Installing the graphics card
To install the graphics card you'll need to remove two backplates at the top. It's always best to install the GPU on the top PCIe x16 slot as this ensures the GPU runs at max speed.
Looking at the graphics card, you'll find the connectors that fit into this slot are on one side and require you to install the graphics card with its fans facing down towards the bottom of the case.
Before you slot it in you need to remove two covers from the rear of the case. This is a strip of metal held in place with screws. You'll need to remove two of these in order to fit the connectors through the back of the case so you can plug them into a monitor.
Another important, if tiny note is to make sure you take any protective covers off the GPU's ports before you install it - these will be fiddly to fish out once it's in place!
Now you can put the graphics card into the slot. Line up the connectors with the holes. You'll note there is a small one next to a longer one, so it's impossible to install this component incorrectly, but don't force it.
Once the graphics card is slotted into the motherboard, you can screw the thumbscrews back into the holes - through the metal plating on the back of the graphics card - this will help hold it in place.
Cable tidying
Now your build is nearly finished you can try to tidy up a bit and make sure everything is neat and tidy. This is worth spending time on as neat cables help with airflow in the case and help keep your components cool.
It's worth checking everything is properly plugged in before you get to tidying. Plug your PC into the power and turn it on to make sure it boots up without touching the insides.
Motherboards have lights and sometimes speakers for letting you know that everything is running ok. Check all the fans are spinning as they should be. Especially on the cooler.
If it all works, turn off and unplug the PC again. You'll find cable ties with the PSU. Loop cables together and tighten them up so they're held neatly together, although you don't need to lose sleep if the rear of the case doesn't look insanely clean.
Run the cables through the various channels and use the ties and hooks to neaten everything up.
Starting your machine for the first time
Now your first gaming PC is built. Congratulations! But it's not all over yet. You need to install Windows, some games and other software then get to the actual fun of playing games while bathing in the glory of having hand-built your own machine.
Hopefully, you've already seen our guides on the best gaming mice, headsets and keyboards to buy and you've got yourself equipped with those and a shiny new monitor to plug into your gaming PC.
You're going to need to plug those in to get started with the next bit.
- Best gaming mice: The best wired, wireless and RGB gaming mice to buy today
- Best PC gaming headsets: The best wired, wireless and surround sound headsets around
- Best gaming keyboards: The best quiet, loud, colourful and proud mechanical keyboards around
You'll also need another PC or laptop in order to install Microsoft Windows.
How to install Microsoft Windows
Installing Windows 10 is relatively straightforward. You'll need a few things first though:
- A purchased licence key for Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.
- A USB thumb drive or DVD (note this requires a DVD drive in your build, which we haven’t done) with at least 8GB of free space
- Access to the Windows Installation Media tool
Using the Windows Installation Media tool you can turn your USB stick into a bootable drive - this means you'll be able to run the Windows installation program directly from it.
Run the tool, follow the instructions and install it on your USB stick using another PC. It's worth highlighting that, while it is seemingly possible to make this bootable drive from a Mac, we've tried several times unsuccessfully, while we've never had an issue on a PC. So, if you can, we'd strongly recommend doing this from a PC if at all possible.
Once that's done, plug it into your freshly built PC and turn it on. You'll need to then press DEL as soon as the computer starts up and enter the BIOS. From there, look for the boot menu - this is an order through which the computer tries to load and select the USB drive you've plugged in as the first drive to try. This means when you exit - save the changes and reset - the machine will then load from the USB drive and prompt you to install Windows.
If you don't have access to another PC or laptop then you can buy a physical disc of Windows, but you'll also need to install an optical DVD drive in your PC. Borrowing a friend's computer is an easier option.
Once you've done this the tool will talk you through installing Windows - choose 64-bit and the hard drive you want to install on. Installing on an M.2 drive or SSD will mean Windows loads more quickly every time you turn your PC on.
After a while, you'll be asked to enter the license key and then the install will carry on. Your PC will eventually load Windows and then you'll be away! You'll need to plug in your ethernet cable to connect to your home broadband, then you can start downloading games and setting your PC up the way you want it.
Upgrading your PC in future
As we said earlier, once you've completed a build your PC should serve you well for years to come, but you can also upgrade it by adding various parts. The easiest upgrades are extra RAM and a new GPU. You can also add another hard drive fairly easily if you need more storage. RGB lighting and fan upgrades also make your machine look more snazzy.
There are plenty of incredible games coming to PC this year and beyond. From upcoming triple-A games to highly hyped gems, there's plenty to look forward to, whatever your gaming passion.
Whatever your platform of choice - Steam, Epic, Ubisoft Connect or Origin, there are loads of new PC games to add to your wishlist as well. These new games include bleeding-edge titles with ray tracing capabilities, as well as updates to your favourite RPGs, shooters and co-op masterpieces.
The following is a hand-picked selection of games we've seen and are excited about. We're sure you will be too.
Forspoken
- Release date: 24 January 2023
- Type: RPG
- Publisher: Square Enix
- See it on Steam
Forspoken throws Frey Holland into a magical land full of danger, spell casting and really wild adventures. Forspoken promises an unforgettable journey and a really good-looking one at that.
Dead Space Remake
- Release date: 27 January 2023
- Type: Survival Horror
- Publisher: EA Games
- See official site/See it on Steam
Dead Space is getting a remake from the ground up with EA's Frostbite engine and is set to release in early 2023. The plan is apparently to keep the vision of the original but with expanded audio and more.
Hogwarts Legacy
- Release date: 10 February 2023
- Type: Action RPG
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- See the official site/See it on Steam
Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action role-playing video game. It is set in the late 1800s in and establishes itself in the Wizarding World set by the Harry Potter books. As you'd expect you'll be casting spells, discovering fantastic beasts and generally wizarding about the place.
Atomic Heart
- Release date: 21 February 2023
- Type: FPS action-adventure
- Publisher: Mundfish
- See it on Steam
A quirky, gory and fairly awesome-looking FPS set in an alternative universe in the heart of the Soviet Union. Players will take on the role of a special agent who has been sent a highly secret object and is desperately trying to investigate what's going on. Weird creatures, robots and a multitude of customisable weapons certainly make this one appear intriguing if nothing else.
Company of Heroes 3
- Release date: 23 February 2023
- Type: Turned-based RTS
- Publisher: SEGA
- See it on Steam
Company of Heroes is coming back. This time with a Mediterranean campaign where you'll be commanding ground, air and naval forces too. This new addition to the series promises authentic new gameplay features as well as everything you know and love from Company of Heroes including skirmishes, a campaign and multiplayer. New soldier animations, enhanced AI, realistic squad reactions and a destructible environment should make Company of Heroes 3 a joy for any fan of the series.
A recent cinematic trailer shows the African campaign and there's an in-depth look into gameplay too.
Kerbal Space Program 2
- Release date: 24 February 2023
- Type: Space simulation/sandbox
- Publisher: Private Division
- See the official site/See it on Steam
Kerbal Space Program is back, with a sequel to the highly thought of space-flight simulation game coming some time in 2020. If you enjoyed the sandbox fun of the first game, then you're bound to found the new game a blast. There's the promise of exciting new parts, colony building, interstellar travel and enhanced modding along with breath-taking visuals and a multiplayer system too.
The Day Before
- Release date: 1 March 2023
- Type: Third-person shooter
- Publisher: MYTONA
- See it on Steam
The Day Before is pitched as a third-person, open-world, zombie survival shooter. In a post-pandemic America, where you'll be facing off against both flesh-eating infected and other humans who are desperate to survive. Sound familiar?
Skull & Bones
- Release date: 9 March 2023
- Type: Multiplayer pirate adventure
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- See the official site
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag proved incredibly popular and spiked interest in pirating based-shenanigans on the high seas. Since then, we've seen Sea of Thieves and the hilarity of Blackwake but Ubisoft's Skull & Bones is making waves in the build-up to launch.
The latest trailer shows the customisation options for the ships and all sorts of unbridled chaos too.
Become the pirate captain you've always wanted to be and battle on the high seas on your own or with up to five other players. Grease the gangplank and ready the mainsail, this is surely going to be a glorious grog-swilling romp.
Ubisoft has announced that it's pushing back the release date of Skull and Bones to give it some more polish.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Release date: 17 March 2023
- Type: Sci-fi action adventure
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- See it on Steam
Picking up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, this game continues the story of Cal Kestis in a game that promises galaxy-spanning adventures with all the usual cinematic combat and good times.
Crime Boss: Rockay City
- Release date: 28 March 2023
- Type: Action
- Publisher: 505 Games
- See it on Epic Games
Crime Boss: Rockay City is an organised crime game with an all-star cast that includes Michael Madsen, Michael Rooker, Kim Basinger, Danny Glover, Damion Poitier, Danny Trejo, Chuck Norris and Vanilla Ice. It's a first-person shooter with PVE co-op multiplayer options and an awesome 90s vibe.
System Shock
- Release date: March 2023
- Type: Sci-fi action adventure
- Publisher: Nightdive Studios
- See it on Steam
Nightdive Studios is set to remake and reboot the classic sci-fi adventure System Shock sometime in the near future. The developers are promising a new game that's true to the original while being given a refresh with modern visuals and gameplay.
Fans of the series will be pleased to hear the original voice actor is returning too. The original game released in 1994, so this reboot is a long time coming and should certainly be an interesting one. System Shock 3 is also being developed, so we've got that to look forward to as well.
Dead Island 2
- Release date: 28 April 2023
- Type: Survival horror action RPG
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- See official site
Dead Island 2 is finally coming and it looks like a rip-roaring romp of zombie-slaying chaos. As you can imagine there's going to be all sorts of brutal combat, with exploding zombie faces and gory mess.
Diablo 4
- Release date: 6 June 2023
- Type: Action
- Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
- See official site
Diablo 4 has been in the works for quite some time. Now we're seeing a tease of more to come. Diablo 4 will feature fully customisable characters and classes that include a druid, barbarian, sorceress, rogue and necromancer.
Star Trek: Resurgence
- Release date: TBC
- Type: Third-person adventure
- Publisher: Epic Games
- See official site/See it on Epic
Former Telltale Games developers are crafting a narrative adventure game in the Star Trek universe. Set in the era of Star Trek: The Next Generation it's bound to appeal to Star Trek fans.
Starfield
- Release date: 2023
- Type: Space-based RPG
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- See the official site/See it on Steam
Starfield was teased by Bethesda in June 2018 as the first new franchise in 25 years. But that's not the exciting part, Starfield is set to be a space-based RPG with plenty of glorious fun in the depths of space. Beyond that, we don't know much other than we're excited. It is now available to wishlist on Steam though. Bethesda has announced it's moving the release to the first half of 2023.
Starfield is set to feature the biggest world Bethesda has created with over 1,000 worlds for gamers to explore. So plenty to do and see. The latest gameplay trailer shows off a lot of what to expect and what to get excited for.
Forza Motorsport
- Release date: 2023
- Type: Racing sim
- Publisher: Turn 10 Studios
- See official site
Five years after the release of Forza Motorsport 7 the next game in the franchise is appearing. This is essentially Forza Motorsport 8 but by another name. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that several tracks are making a comeback including Maple Valley, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca Raceway. The new Motorsport release is also promising dynamic lighting and weather conditions as well, so that should keep things interesting.
Ark 2
- Release date: 2023
- Type: Open world survival
- Publisher: Studio Wildcard
- See it on Steam
ARK 2 is pitched as a "definitive next-gen survival experience". It's a follow-on from Ark: Survival Evolved and stars Vin Diesel fighting for survival in a primal world filled with dinosaurs and danger.
Dark and Darker
- Release date: Q4 2023
- Type: PVP Dungeon Crawler
- Publisher: Ironmace
- See it on Steam
Dark and Darker is pitched as an "unforgiving" hardcore fantasy game which brings the Escape From Tarkov loot logic to the dungeons where you're fighting so survive and to keep your gear too.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl
- Release date: December 2023
- Type: Post-apocalyptic open-world shooter
- Publisher: GSC Game World
- See official site/See it on Steam
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is making a return with a promise of being "one of the biggest seamless open-worlds to date." - a blend of horror, FPS and atmospheric sim, it's also said to have an epic story with multiple endings. Awesome stuff.
The latest gameplay shows a staggeringly beautiful view of a horrific world. You'll have over thirty weapons at your disposal, to deal with all manner of horrifying mutated monsters and there's a multiplayer too.
Blight: Survival
- Release date: "soon"
- Type: Medieval souls-like horror
- Publisher: Haenir Studio
- See it on Steam
"Blight: Survival is a 4-player co-op action-horror roguelite set in the unforgiving no man’s land between two desperate states at a ceaseless war. "
Medieval times were already pretty rough, but what if people in those times also had to deal with zombies? That seems the premise of Blight: Survival and we love it.
State of Decay 3
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Zombie shooter
- Publisher: Xbox Games Studios
- See official site
State of Decay 3 has been revealed, though we're only really seeing a tease of it at the moment. Still we're pleased to see another outing in the series is on the horizon.
The Outlast Trials
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Survival Horror
- Publisher: Red Barrels
- See it on Steam
If you played and enjoyed the horrific thrills of Outlast and Outlast 2, then buckle up for more. The Outlast Trials is a survival horror that you can play alone or with up to four other people. Set during the Cold War in a place of distrust, fear, and violence you're thrust into a world where people are being subjected to brainwashing and mind control. All sorts of terror ensue.
Dead Matter
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Zombie shooter
- Publisher: QI Games
- See it on Steam
Dead Matter is in the very early stages but appears to be an interesting concept that takes the Escape From Tarkov gameplay style and throws it into a zombie-infested world. This should certainly make for some interesting and intense gaming and a fresh twist on the zombie genre.
Warhammer 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
- Release date: 2023
- Type: Third-Person Action
- Publisher: Focus Entertainment
- See the official site/See it on Steam
Another Warhammer game in the pipeline. This time you'll be taking on the role of a Space Marine, holding off the horrors of the galaxy in epic battles. The latest trailer shows off the Defenders of Mankind and loads of combat with skeletons, demons and all manner of other monsters.
Gord
- Release date: Coming soon
- Type: RTS
- Publisher: Team17
- See it on Steam
Gord is a single-player, adventure-strategy game that's inspired by Slavic folklore rich with eerie forbidden lands and mythical creatures. Your mission will be to grow a settlement and keep it safe in this harsh world.
Perfect Dark
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Shooter
- Publisher: The Initiative/Xbox
- See the official site
The original Perfect Dark has a special place in the hearts of gamers who can still remember Goldeneye 007 fondly. It was a great game for that era and we're excited to see it returning.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Adventure game
- Publisher: Telltale games
- See the official site
Telltale Games is working with Deck Nine, creators of Life is Strange: True Colors on a game set in The Expanse universe. Set before the TV series, you'll be playing Camina Drummer (voiced by actress Cara Gee from the show) and dealing with mutiny, treasure hunts and more.
The Outer Worlds 2
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Open world RPG
- Publisher: Private Division
- See official site
The sequel to the superb space-based RPG The Outer Worlds has been teased. We have no details on when it'll be available but we're excited!
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Action-adventure
- Publisher: Ninja Theory
- See the official site
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the follow up to 2017's fantastic Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. A psychological action-adventure with a rich and dark story that was essentially a dive into insanity via Viking Hell. The first game was utterly sublime, so we're expecting more of the same from the sequel. This time it's exclusive for PC and Xbox Series X.
Transformers: Reactivate
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Action-adventure
- Publisher: Splash Damage
- See the official site
Decepticons are threatening to cause harm to Earth and humans have reactivated Autobots to protect them. This is an up to four-player action game by Splash Damage that's going into beta in 2023. Beyond that we know very little.
The Last of Us Part 1
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Action
- Publisher: Sony Entertainment
- See official site
Sony is doing it again. The company has revealed that another of its popular PlayStation games is making its way to PC. The Last Of Us Part 1 is a remake that's coming to PC at some point and will give PC gamers access to another classic.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
- Release date: TBC
- Type: Action RPG
- Publisher: Paradox Interactive
- See it on Steam/Pre-order at Fanatical
The follow-up to 2004's awesome Vampire: The Masquerade - The Bloodlines is coming in 2021. The previous game was an utter RPG masterpiece packed full of vampires, dark alleyways and rich characters. The new game is written by the same creative genius behind that game, so we're expecting more of the same here.
Sadly it's not looking good for this game at the moment after Paradox Interactive pulled Hardsuit Labs from the development and has postponed pre-orders.
End State
- Release date: Coming soon
- Type: Strategy
- Publisher: Iron Sight
- See it on Steam
End State is set a to be an interesting early access game coming later this year. It uses turn-based play allowing you to manage a mercenary company tracking down terrorists.
There's the promise of an open-world experience where you get to pick and choose the missions you play in a world with destructible environments that include bullet penetration and more. An interesting ballistics simulation system and enemy reaction system should make this an interesting game for sure.
Phantom Brigade
- Release date: TBD
- Type: Turn-based tactical RPG
- Publisher: Brace Yourself Games
- See it on Steam
Phantom Brigade is a turn-based tactical RPG, that promises a cinematic spin on the genre. This game will also have a focus on in-depth customisation and player-driven stories. It will be your mission to lead The Brigade through a hard-fought campaign to retake their homeland.
Death Stranding 2
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Action-adventure
- Publisher: 505 Games
Death Stranding 2 is returning. It was shown off at The Game Awards with an appropriately vague trailer which nicely teased the project and confirmed the return of Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges.
Last Man Sitting
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Early access Battle Royale
- Publisher: PixelPizza Games
- See it on Steam
Last Man Sitting is probably the most ridiculous Battle Royale game you're ever likely to see. Smartly dressed sit in green office chairs armed to the teeth. Shotguns, ragdoll psychics and a slippery floor are bound to make for plenty of shenanigans and much hilarity.
The Elder Scrolls VI
- Release date: TBC
- Type: Open world RPG
- Publisher: Bethesda
- See the official site
Elder Scrolls fans have been waiting impatiently for a sequel to Skyrim for what might seem like forever. Now we finally have proof that The Elder Scrolls VI is coming at some point, we just don't know much beyond that. Exciting times lie ahead though.
Smalland
- Release date: Coming soon
- Type: Action-adventure/RPG
- Publisher: Merge Games
- See it on Steam
What would you if you found yourself shrunk down to a minute size where trees were suddenly the size of skyscrapers and even simple blades of grass tower overhead? That's the world of Smalland and wonderful adventures await including running from packs of rats, trying to survive in a strange new world and even riding wasps as mounts.
Smalland promises multiplayer survival like no other, with a wonderful sandbox, hidden quests and NPCs to meet and much more besides. Sounds amazing.
Manor Lord
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Medieval strategy
- Publisher: Slavic Magic
- See it on Steam
Manor Lords is an indie medieval strategy game with "realistic" city building, battles and the promise of a full building freedom which should be thoroughly enjoyable.
Everything is medieval too. Youll need oxen to plough the fields, you'll have to herd sheep and fight battles too. Looks like fun.
Alan Wake 2
- Release date: 2023
- Type: Survival Horror
- Publisher: Epic Games Publishing/Remedy Entertainment
- See it on Epic Games/See it on Steam
Alan Wake 2 is being teased and we're beyond excited. It looks like the new addition to the series lives up to the classic Remedy Entertainment masterpiece with an intense atmospheric experience and a wonderful psychological story too.
Crysis 4
- Release date: TBA
- Type: First Person Shooter
- Publisher: Crytek
- See the official site
Crytek has announced that it's working on Crysis 4. It's in the early stages of development at the moment but is promising to be "a truly next-gen shooter". What that means we'll have to wait and see.
Project 007
- Release date: TBA
- Type: Stealth shooter?
- Publisher: IO Interactive
- See the official site
If you enjoy Bond, then this is bound to thrill. From the creators of the Hitman series is coming a James Bond game which is said to feature not only a "...wholly original Bond story" but an origin one at that. Count us in.
Kingpin: Reloaded
- Release date: TBC
- Type: Action RPG
- Publisher: 3D Realms/Interplay
- See the official site/See it on Steam
If, like us, you're old enough to remember 1999's Kingpin: Life of Crime, then you might be pleased to hear that the controversial game is getting a remaster later this year. This reboot will add 4K and ultrawide support, as well as rebalanced gameplay, yet keeps the same classic aesthetic. We're looking forward to reliving the hazy days.
Splinter Cell Remake
- Release date: TBC
- Type: Action Stealth
- Publisher: Ubisoft
A Splinter Cell Remake is in development. It's early days, but if you've been waiting to jump back into the shoes of Sam Fisher then this is bound to get you excited. We certainly are!
There continues to be discussions about the possibility of a folding Pixel from Google.
With folding phones seen as the next big thing, it's no surprise that brands are interested in where the technology can take us, with a race to crack this rapidly maturing section of the market.
Here's everything you need to know about the folding Pixel.
What will it be called?
While many have been referring to it as the Google Pixel Fold, a report suggested that the device is likely to be called the Pixel Notebook.
We've also seen a number of codenames put forward including Passport, Pipit, Felix and Logbook.
At this stage, these are just rumours and we'll only know for sure once Google decides to announce.
Folding Pixel release date
- Q4 2021 originally suggested
- Could now be Q1 2023, or May 2023
In December 2020, Ross Young of DSCC - who has a pretty good reputation reporting in forthcoming display moves - suggested we'd see something from Google in the second half of 2021. Further back, in August 2020, 9to5Google reported on an internal document leak aligning a device codenamed Passport, which was highlighted as a foldable, with a Q4 2021 launch.
In June 2021, it was then claimed production for the display was due to begin in October and would be supplied fully assembled for Google to launch a phone by the end of the year. Google announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on 19 October but the event didn't include a folding Pixel.
Ross Young then suggested that Google didn't launch the folding device because of market pressures.
Bad news for those waiting for the Google Pixel Fold. We hear they have canceled parts orders and decided not to bring it to market as indicated in the latest DSCC Weekly Review. See blog excerpt at https://t.co/EVmWKcgi2c. @DisplaySupply pic.twitter.com/2P5lFW09Pt
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) November 15, 2021
In February 2022, Young then claimed the foldable Pixel was back on track with display production due to start in Q3 of 2022 for a launch in Q4 of 2022, and more specifically October. This suggests the folding Pixel might launch alongside the Pixel 7, though in May 2022, The Elec claimed the device has been postponed again.
Now, the analyst claims Q1 2023, but others are pointing to May 2023. With other leaks showing Android 13 support, as well as benchmarking scores, an imminent release is looking more likely than ever.
Design
- Possibly 158.7mm x 139.7mm x 5.7mm
- Patent reveals book-like foldable/inward folding screen
- Renders based on leaked photos give us a good idea of the design
There haven't been many firm leaks of the phone's design, but a patent filed in 2021 (and published in 2022) reveals that Google is looking at building an inward folding model like the Galaxy Z Fold series from Samsung.
It seems very likely that - if Google does launch a folding phone - this is the form it takes. Certainly, software changes in Android provide greater support for folding phones and larger displays, so something that folds out to be pretty large would seem logical.
Seasoned leaker Jon Prosser has allegedly seen photos of the unreleased device and had renders made to protect his source. These renders support the Galaxy Fold-style form factor, and show a camera bump not too dissimilar from the Pixel 7 Pro.
OnLeaks is very confident in his own renders, which show an almost identical design to those shared by Jon Prosser.
Morning #FutureSquad! I can finally confirm this actually is the #Google #PixelFold! (360° video + crispy 5K renders)
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) December 8, 2022
In addition, today I exclusively reveal its main and cover display size as well as its overall dimensions.
On behalf of @howtoisolve https://t.co/tJK5f5QkKq pic.twitter.com/uFWCZoTday
Display
- 7.69-inch internal, 5.79-inch cover display
- Samsung Display supplied
- 120Hz, LTPO
For any folding phone, the display is obviously the centrepiece. This is where we have a little more information, with a 7.69-inch size reported for the original Passport device.
It was originally thought that Samsung Display would be supplying this flexible AMOLED panel, and at that size - it's the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 - we think it would be a book style folder, rather than a flip phone. It's believed to be in-folding, i.e., so the folded display is on the inside of the device.
It's also been said that the display will be an LTPO display and it will offer a 120Hz refresh rate, which is what on the successor to the Z Fold 2 in the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
There have been claims that while the main display will be the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Pixel Fold will have a smaller cover display at 5.79 inches, compared to the rumoured 6.19 inches. To corroborate those rumours, a patent filed by Google and published in August 2022 reveals that Google has been planning a Fold-like foldable phone with a camera in the bezel of the main display.
Beyond that, we don't know a lot. There's been no mention of the resolution or anything else - and Google may well have changed direction on this device completely.
Hardware
- Google Tensor chip
- 12GB RAM
With this entire project being a little uncertain at the moment, it's not surprising there's a real lack of information on what hardware this phone might have. However, a claimed Geekbench report for Google Felix - a codename thought to be associated with the folding Pixel - gave a readout suggesting that it's the Google Tensor.
In fact, Android 13 seemingly reveals that the Pixel Fold - again under the name 'Felix' - is powered by the second-generation Tensor chipset. That's Google's in-house hardware found in the Pixel 7 and you can read more about the chip in our explainer feature.
It would make sense for Google to use its own hardware in any device it was building, and the 12GB RAM reported by that Geekbench report is the same as the Pixel 7 Pro. Of course, the entire report could be fake - or it could be an engineering device rather than a consumer product, but it's the best we have to go on for now.
Cameras
- 50MP main camera
- 12MP ultrawide
- 10MP telephoto zoom
- 8MP front?
Say Pixel and people immediately think about the camera. While the Pixel phones have given us excellent cameras, most of the hard work is driven by AI - it's computational photography that comes through, rather than the hardware.
Still, if rumours are anything to go by, the camera system could end up being up there with what you'll find on the Pixel 7 Pro. That means a triple camera system with a primary camera joined by a telephoto zoom and an ultrawide.
One rumour - with information found within Android 13 - reveals that we could see a 50-megapixel IMX787 in the main camera, a 12-megapixel IMX386 in the ultrawide and 10-megapixel Samsung sensor in the zoom lens. This goes against the assumption that we could see a Pixel 5-like system. Instead, it sounds as though Google is going all-in on the camera hardware, which is quite exciting.
Folding Pixel rumours and leaks: What's the story so far?
Here's everything that's happened so far in the story of the future folding Pixel from Google.
8 December 2022: This Google Pixel Fold leak has all the specs and renders you need
Google's expected to launch a foldable phone of its very own next year and a leak has given us a great look at what the Pixel Fold will have to offer.
6 December 2022: Google Pixel Fold allegedly hits GeekBench
While the brand is yet to officially acknowledge the device, it may have already appeared on the popular cross-platform benchmarking database, GeekBench.
14 November 2022: This is Google's Pixel Fold ... probably
Leaker Jon Prosser claims to have seen photos of the device, with renders created to help protect his source.
17 October 2022: Pixel Fold display leak offers more bendy phone info
A new leak might have just given us our clearest information yet as to what the Pixel Fold's displays will offer come an expected Q1 2023 launch.
7 October 2022: Google's foldable Pixel now rumoured for a Q1 2023 release
The rumoured foldable Google Pixel phone could arrive in the first three months of 2023, according to a tweet by analyst Ross Young.
12 September 2022: Pixel foldable phone details found in Android 13
Android 13, which has started its rollout, reveals details of Google's planned folding smartphone
26 August 2022: Patent reveals Galaxy Fold-like design
A patent - first filed in 2021 - reveals how Google was intending to design the hinge and incorporate a selfie camera into the bezel of its folding screen.
26 May 2022: Google folding Pixel delayed, again
The Elec reported that people familiar with the matter have claimed the folding Pixel phone has been postponed again as Google not happy yet.
4 May 2022: Google's foldable phone will have similar internal display size to Z Fold 4
Ross Young claims the folding Pixel will have around the same internal display as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but a smaller cover display.
Z Fold 4 and Google foldable will have similar sized foldable displays, but the Google cover display will be quite a bit smaller at 5.8". This should mean it will have a wider aspect ratio than the Samsung 6.19" Fold 4. Hear more at our conference next week.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 2, 2022
15 February 2022: Is Google's folding Pixel back on track for a 2022 launch?
Ross Young tweeted claiming the folding Pixel display panel was due to go into production in Q3 of 2022 for a launch in Q4 of 2022. He then claimed in the replies to the tweet that it would likely be an October launch and the display will be smaller than that of the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
17 January 2021: Google's upcoming foldable phone is expected to be called the Pixel Notepad
A source told 9to5Google that the upcoming device will be called the Pixel Notepad and that it is expected to cost less than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
7 January 2021: Google's folding Pipit phone reportedly passes through Geekbench, leaving a trail of specs to consider
A phone has passed through Geekbench claiming to be the Pipit, the reported codename for Google's folding phone.
16 November 2021: Is the Google Pixel Fold cancelled?
It's claimed that Google decided not to launch the folding phone because of strong market competition.
5 November 2021: Google's foldable Pixel expected 2022, with Pixel 5 main camera
Google is rumoured to be working on a foldable Pixel smartphone called Pipit and a report from 9to5Google claims it will be arriving in 2022 and feature the Pixel 5's main camera.
5 October 2021: Will this be what the foldable Pixel phone looks like?
Taking Google's Pixel 6 as inspiration, some creative types have envisioned what a folding Pixel might look like.
20 September 2021: Google's folding phone, codename Passport, still on track for 2021 launch
Reliable leaker Evan Blass claimed that a trusted source has confirmed that the Passport - Google's folding Pixel - will launch in 2021.
Heard from someone I trust that the foldable Pixel -- codename: Passport, retail branding: unknown -- will indeed launch before the end of the year. Apparently they've been working on this device for over two years, and if the P6 is any indication, it'll be worth a look.
— E (@evleaks) September 20, 2021
20 September 2021: Potential foldable Pixel codenamed Jumbojack pops up in code
A report from 9to5Google references a device codenamed Jumbojack which appeared in details for future Android versions, suggesting Google could be working on a second foldable device.
19 August 2021: The foldable Pixel is probably going to be delayed after all
A new report indicates that Google will most likely be pushing the release date of its folding Pixel until sometime in 2022.
The leaker does state that this doesn't rule out the possibility of Google at least previewing the phone during the official Pixel 6 series reveal in October, however.
13 August 2021: Google looks to surprise with foldable Pixel phone launching this year
Perhaps the most damning evidence to corroborate the existence of the Pixel Fold comes from directly within Android 12, as references within the code seem to mention a device with a codename dubbed "Passport", something many in the Google community believe to be a moniker for a foldable Pixel.
19 July 2021: Major leak claims Samsung 120Hz LTPO display will drive most 2021 foldable phones
Ross Young, AKA @DSCCRoss, claimed that the foldable from Google would feature a LTPO 120Hz refresh rate display from Samsung Display.
Today's leak - All 2021 foldables using panels from Samsung Display will be 120Hz and LTPO. This of course covers the 6.70" Z Flip 3, 7.55" Z Fold 3 as well as the 7.57" foldable from Google, 7.11" from Oppo, 8.2" from Vivo and 8.1" from Xiaomi.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) July 19, 2021
9 June 2021: Google Pixel foldable to use Samsung display tech and start production in October
Samsung Display is reportedly working with Google to supply its ultra-thin glass (UTG) and flexible OLED panel for a forthcoming foldable Pixel phone.
It is said that the parts will enter production in October 2021, and be supplied to Google fully constructed for a possible phone launch by the end of the year.
25 February 2021: Twitter leaker claims Pixel fold is real
Jon Prosser has added his ¢2, claiming the folding Pixel is real.
the google pixel "fold" is a real thing
— Jon Prosser (@jon\_prosser) February 25, 2021
23 February 2021: Google could launch a folding Pixel in 2021
Sources talking to The Elec in Korea claim that Samsung Display will be supplying Google with a 7.6-inch folding panel for a future product
10 December 2020: Twitter source reveals H2 2021 folding phone from Google
Ross Young from DSCC mentioned a folding phone from Google due in the second half of 2021.
Second half of 2021 is going to be really exciting for foldable smartphones. At least 3 models from Samsung, 4 models from Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi and 1 model from Google...BTW, no Z Fold Lite - Z Flip Lite. Specs for all are in our latest Foldable Report.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 10, 2020
5 August 2020: Leaked Android documents suggest foldable Pixel
Documents unearthed by 9to5Google reveal a device called Passport, said to be a foldable, set to launch in Q4 2021.
7 May 2019: Google is working on a folding Pixel
Mario Queiroz, former VP of product management at Google, commented to CNET that Google was "prototyping the technology" when talking about folding phones.
Diablo 4 is on the way - there's plenty more hacking and slashing to be had, it looks like. The next game in Blizzard's mega-popular franchise was unveiled a good while ago, and its release is drawing ever closer, albeit very, very slowly.
The fourth in the action role-playing series will be darker than the last iteration - a return to the grittier roots of the original Diablo. So, here is everything we know about Diablo 4 so far.
Diablo 4 release date
In terms of release date, Blizzard has spent a few years remaining tight-lipped. Indeed, for a long time the only thing it had said was that it won't be coming anytime soon: "A game of this scope takes time. We’re not coming out soon, not even Blizzard soon." said Barriga (as reported by Forbes). The playable demo at Blizzcon 2019 was apparently just the "first early step in the journey".
At 2022's The Game Awards, a glitzy new trailer announced the game's final release date, though - 6 June 2023.
What's the story behind Diablo 4?
"The first thing you will notice about Diablo 4 is we are going back to the franchise's darker roots," said Blizzard game director, Luis Barriga, during the opening keynote of BlizzCon back in 2019.
When Diablo 4 hits stores, it will have been years and years since Diablo III first came out, although Blizzard has released downloadable content and updates since. Indeed, the last release of the game, Diablo III: Eternal Collection, came out for Nintendo Switch in late 2018.
However, it's about time we got a new one - after all, this will only be the fourth mainline Diablo in 26 years, so it's long overdue.
Diablo 4 gameplay
In terms of the gameplay it will be a similar experience to Diablo III, it seems, with a bevvy of skills to use and plenty of gory, bloody combat. The most up-to-date showcase is from Xbox's presentation in June 2022, which you can see right here:
It contains glimpses of loads of locations and enemies, as well as explanations from its developers not just of how the story is shaping up, but also how the endgame will be kept fresh with challenging content and rich rewards for the most dedicated players.
This includes the welcome confirmation that only cosmetic rewards will be available for purchase in its item shop, ensuring that the best gear is only open to those who've actually earned it in-game.
Looking further back, even in 2019 Blizzard showed a playable demo during Blizzcon so, and you can watch video of a one-hour playthrough that was posted online by Phillip Chu Joy. This is obviously way out of date but gives a good sense of what is being aimed at in Diablo 4.
The demo version highlights three of the final five playable character classes: the barbarian, druid and sorceress, and Blizzard has since also taken the wraps off a fourth and fifth - the rogue and necromancer.
The barbarian is naturally a hardcore fighter, capable of using a greater variety of weapons than other characters. The druid can shapeshift (with both werewolf and bear form factors in the demo). The sorceress has a large amount of magic to play with, while the rogue specialises in ranged fire and subterfuge and the necromancer summons wraiths and zombies to help them fight.
There is a new skill system plus, according to Eurogamer, a talent tree. While the biggest change between Diablo 4 and its predecessors is that the entire game will be set on a persistently online open-world map. You will be able to wander where you like, while other players can pop up in your game from time to time.
There will be shared raids, boss battles and the like, although you can also opt to play the game alone. As before, while it will be a loot-based RPG, there will be a focus on fast-paced action.
Diablo IV Quarterly Update
— Diablo (@Diablo) March 29, 2022
Explore the zones in Diablo IV's open world and discover the many horrors that await you.
https://t.co/hkVlZKWwUZ pic.twitter.com/mR28PhrePJ
At the end of March 2022 Blizzard shared a major update on the game's progress, including a number of snippets of footage of some of the locations that players will be visiting in Diablo 4.
It looks just as moody and downbeat as fans could want, especially in comparison to the controversially-colourful pre-release imagery that preceded Diablo 3.
What formats will Diablo 4 run on?
Diablo 4 has been confirmed as coming for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. There is no word yet on a Nintendo Switch version, which might have something to do with the persistently online game world.
You wouldn't be able to play it offline on your travels, for example - something nigh-on mandatory for successful Switch games.
Diablo 4 pre-order deals
As there is no date for release and unlikely to be for a while, there are no pre-orders open for Diablo IV at present.
We thoroughly recommend you check out the Diablo III: Eternal Collection if you haven't already though. There are a few great deals for that knocking around.
That should keep you going for a while. Until we find out more from Blizzard, at least.
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If you own a Nest video doorbell, did you know you can change its ringtone?
For those with the wired doorbell, this is only possible during certain times of the year when Google releases specific ringtones. For those with the battery doorbell, you can change the ringtone at any point - we have a separate feature for that.
This feature is all about the various holiday ringtones Google offers though, which are available for both the wired and battery doorbells from the company.
The next ringtone available is Christmas, which you've been able to have since 1 December. There will also be a Lunar New Year tone available from 17 January. When set, the ringtones will ring both from the doorbell itself and any Google Nest speakers or smart displays in your home.
Here's how to change your doorbell's ringtone to the winter holiday sounds.
How to change your Google Nest video doorbell ringtone
You can select a new ringtone under settings in the Google Home app for Nest Doorbell (battery) or the Nest app for the Nest Doorbell (wired).
- Open the latest version of the Google Home or Nest app on your mobile device.
- Look for your Nest doorbell in the list
- Tap on your Nest doorbell
- Tap on the Settings cog in the top right of the screen
- Tap Settings.
- Tap on 'Doorbell theme'
- Choose your new Nest doorbell ringtone
- That's it. Your Nest video doorbell will update in a few minutes.
Note: Ringtones are available globally on the battery-powered and wired Google Nest Doorbell. The Google Nest Doorbell (battery) requires the Google Home app and a Google Account. It's not compatible with the Nest app or the home.nest.com site.
When are holiday ringtones available?
The winter ringtones became available in both the Google Home App and Nest App starting 1 December. Your doorbell's ringtone will automatically revert back to a default tone when they stop.
Don't worry though, Google is working on ringtones for Lunar New Year and Diwali, and of course, there will be the halloween ringtones and Christmas ringtones available next year too.
Cleer Audio is known for delivering great quality sound at affordable prices, and we're hoping the same is true of its latest Bluetooth speaker.
The Cleer Scene is a portable speaker with a stylish design, compact form factor and the promise of big sound.
At a price of around £99 / €119, it's up against stiff competition from some of the most popular brands in the space. We set out to see how it compares.
Design and connectivity
- Dimensions: Approx 220 x 74 x 90 mm
- Weight: Approx 742g
- IPX7 water resistance
- Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm audio input, USB-C charging
The Cleer Scene is a great-looking speaker. It's available in two colours, a more subtle grey finish, that we're testing, and a bold all-red version for those looking to make a statement.
The speaker is mostly covered with a mesh fabric, with rubberised buttons on the top and rear, and a metallic-looking strip encircling the radiators and flowing across the front of the device. This strip is actually made from plastic, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it.
There's a central logo at the front, with a diffused LED bar underneath. On the rear, the power button and Bluetooth pairing button illuminate when in use, in green and blue colours respectively.
We're big fans of the aesthetic, it's classy, understated and looks great around the house. Many Bluetooth speakers tend towards a more rugged rubberised look, and maybe that's better for durability, but we think most would agree that this is easier on the eyes.
Speaking of ruggedness, the Scene benefits from IPX7 water resistance and it's shockproof, too. It feels solid in the hand, but we think that dropping it is very likely to ruin its looks, even if it still works afterwards.
Each end features a passive radiator with a metallic cone that bounces along with your music. These are hypnotizing to watch, and look great when they catch the light.
It's a similar size to a lot of other can-shaped Bluetooth speakers, but the angled sides mean that it can only be placed horizontally. It'll still fit nicely into the bottle pocket on a backpack, and maybe even a bottle clip on a bicycle, too.
When it comes to connectivity, you have two options, either wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0 or wired with a 3.5mm audio cable. There's a USB-C port, but it's for charging only, and a cable is supplied in the box, but no wall adapter.
Features and battery life
- Microphone for voice calls
- NFC pairing
- Rechargeable 2600 mAh battery
- Up to 12 Hours of playback per charge
When it comes to features, the Cleer Scene is about as basic as they come. There's no companion app or Wi-Fi connectivity, and no stereo pairing options. You aren't able to adjust the EQ either, so you'd better hope that you like how it sounds out of the box.
What you do get is a noise and echo-cancelling microphone for taking calls and NFC for easy pairing. We're always pleased to see an NFC tag, it's something that's missing from a lot of Bluetooth speakers, and comes in handy for frequent device-switchers like ourselves.
The battery life is quoted at up to 12 hours, but that depends on your listening volume, of course. It's not the most impressive, compared to the competition, but it's more than enough for our needs. With our average use being an hour or two per day, it lasted well over a week with 50% charge still remaining.
There's no fast-charging tech here, but when you're not charging every day, we don't find that to be too off-putting.
Sound quality
- Frequency response: 20Hz - 20KHz
- Dual 48mm neodymium dynamic drivers
- Dual passive radiators
So, with a distinct lack of features, the Cleer Scene is banking heavily on its sound quality. And we're happy to report that it delivers in this department.
Living up to the brand's name, there's loads of clarity, but it's still a pleasantly warm sound overall. It's not a bass cannon like the Huawei Sound Joy, but the bass here is much more precise and refined.
There's plenty of punch where there should be, but it's not exaggerated like it is on the Huawei. The preference is all down to the individual, but the definition offered by the Scene puts it ahead of most similarly-priced competitors if you crave accuracy and detail.
Staging is the area that this speaker lacks the most. It's certainly a room-filling sound, but you won't get much in the way of stereo separation. It's very directional, too, so the speaker sounds best when you're sitting right in front of it, it won't project in all directions like some others.
We listened to a wide variety of genres and were never disappointed by the sound produced. It's equally adept with hip hop, electronic, jazz and rock instrumentation.
It's capable of some serious volume, too. We spent most of our time testing around the 50 per cent mark - increasing to 70 per cent or so verges on uncomfortably loud in a small room. We never noticed any distortion at these high volumes, either, which is pretty impressive.
Sam Porter Bridges is back, baby.
Death Stranding offered up a unique melange of gameplay systems and storytelling, and has attracted a cult following in the years since its release. Now, a sequel is on the way from Kojima Productions.
Here are all the key details, including hints about its story, the trailers so far released, and more.
For other upcoming games, check out our lists of the most anticipated titles coming to PS5 or to Xbox Series X/S.
Death Stranding 2 trailer
Death Stranding 2 was announced at The Game Awards in December 2022 with a glitzy trailer and an appearance from Hideo Kojima himself.
It's a pretty lengthy trailer featuring some returning characters and some classic bizarre Kojima imagery.
Death Stranding 2 release date
The announcement of Death Stranding 2 is major news, but it didn't come with any attached release date.
We don't even have a window, and we would guess that if the game was headed for 2023 this fact would have been confirmed.
We'd therefore feel fairly safe in predicting that we won't be playing Death Stranding 2 until 2024 at the earliest.
Death Stranding 2 platforms
Another big part of Death Stranding 2's announcement is that it's going to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive - at least at launch, anyway.
We'd imagine that it will come to PC more quickly than the long process required for the first Death Stranding, but for now it's only the PlayStation 5 that has been confirmed as a launch platform for the game.
Kojima recently announced that he's working on a game in partnership with Xbox and Microsoft, but we don't know what that is yet.
Death Stranding 2 story
The first Death Stranding had a plot that could be pretty hard to follow and ended with some ambiguities (that's a bit of an understatement, yes).
Stop reading if you're keen to avoid learning about what happened, as we'll have to touch on spoiler territory here!
At the end of the last game, our hero Sam went off-grid to live with his BB, now named Louise, while allies like Die Hardman and Fragile found new purposes.
It looks from the first trailer like he'll be dragged back into the mix again, though, older and more haggard. Fragile is back and seems to be a mother now, while Troy Baker is back as a villainous-looking guy who could be related in some way to Higgs from the last game.
Honestly, at this stage it's hard to guess too much - and Kojima will definitely want it that way on purpose.
Death Stranding 2 gameplay
Death Stranding's gameplay was divisive on release, meditative and careful in the eyes of some, but confusing and a little frustrating for others.
If its sequel follows the same template, we'll again be moving cargo across long distances using a variety of traversal options, from on-foot hiking to vehicles.
Given the theme of the first game was all about making new connections between locations you might think we'll be doing more of the same, but the first trailer for Death Stranding 2 is ominous.
Ending with the question of whether we should have connected at all, we wonder if the next game will feature some sort of departure on this side of things.
We'd still expect that travel will be the main mechanic, though, alongside the interesting combat encounters that cropped up throughout Death Stranding.
The Cyberpunk 2077 story is set to continue with a new expansion announced that includes an unexpected arrival in the form of Idris Elba.
The expansion is called Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and it was announced during The Game Awards alongside other titles including the exciting Death Stranding 2. But while that game has its fair share of new stars, it's probably OK to say that Idris Elba making an appearance in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe is the one that has us most intrigued. There's more good news as well, with CD Projekt Red confirming that Keanu Reeves will return for this expansion as well.
Oh, and there's a trailer.
Following what was a pretty disastrous and bug-filled launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has become something of a favourite for many and this new expansion is sure to get plenty of attention. The trailer definitely piques the interest, so much so that it's almost possible to forget what happened the last time this game had a big glitzy release.
Elba will play a whole new character called Solomon Reed who will be pivotal to the expansion's storyline, so we're told. That's a very good thing indeed, but beyond that, the folks at CD Projekt Red are keeping their cards close to their chest. We know that the expansion will basically be set in Night City's Dogtown and that Reed isn't the only new character making an appearance.
Reed is a "veteran New United States of America agent" and he's going to be pretty important, by all accounts.
We don't know when the new expansion is going to release, but we do know that it'll be next year. So only a full 12 months to choose from, then.
Not-so-hot on the heels of the popular 2019 game Death Stranding, gaming legend Hideo Kojima is working on his next project - Death Stranding 2.
The game's Death Stranding 2 name is apparently only a working title right now, although that's what Kojima Productions is using across all of its promo material so it could well turn out to be the final name after all. And while we don't know a whole lot about the game beyond a stellar trailer, there are some things we do know.
We know, for example, that Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux both return for this second iteration while Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and Troy Baker are all being added to the cast this time out. We also know that the game will come to PlayStation 5 as well, with no confirmation of any other versions being made available - so no word on a PC version just yet. The original game got a PC Game Pass release eventually, so there's precedent there at least.
As for the game itself, you really ought to watch the trailer to get a feel for what's going on. It's suitably cinematic and what we're seeing here does look like the kind of thing we were told to expect from the PlayStation 5's horsepower. Expectations were already high before we knew the game was officially official. Now they're ready to reach fever pitch.
We don't have any timelines for when this thing si going to be ready for us to play, but that'll come soon enough. For now, it's time to watch that trailer on repeat until we do.
Hades was an astonishing achievement - a roguelike game that demonstrated with total mastery how to tell a compelling story despite repeating gameplay patterns.
Its developer Supergiant Games has never revisited a game's world before, but has thankfully bucked this trend by announcing a sequel - Hades II. Here are all the key details you should know.
If you're on the lookout for more upcoming games, check out our lists for PlayStation 5 or for Xbox Series X and S.
Hades II trailer
We had no inkling that a new Hades game was coming - it was kept secret impressively well by its developers. That made it a really pleasant surprise at The Game Awards in December 2022.
It was unveiled with a trailer that you can view below.
It's a gorgeous animated scene that transitions into some early gameplay footage before it wraps up, making it a pleasingly informative bit of viewing.
Hades II release date
For now, we don't have an indication of when Hades II will be coming out, although even "coming out" is a bit of a simplification, as we'll explain below.
In terms of a full release of the game, it sounds like we can't expect it to happen in 2023, with 2024 looking more likely at this stage.
That'll be something that we get more news on during the course of 2023, though, according to Supergiant Games.
Hades II early access
The first Hades was a huge example of how to make an early access game the right way. It was available really early for interested backers, received constant support and updates, and eventually released as a highly-polished 1.0 game.
Supergiant is going to repeat that plan this time, according to a useful FAQ article it's uploaded to its website.
That means that you will be able to play an unfinished (although likely still hugely compelling) version of Hades II from way earlier than the finished version.
We'll apparently get more information about when this early access campaign will go live, but if we were guessing we'd think that late 2023 is the most likely slot given the wording around the game so far.
Hades II platforms
Supergiant is being a little coy about where Hades II will come out, which could be explained in a few ways.
Firstly, it'll certainly come to PC first, as that's the only place early access games really reside.
It will come to "console platforms" too, according to Supergiant, but which ones will be announced later down the line.
This could be because there are exclusivity agreements being discussed with Sony or Microsoft (Game Pass, anyone?) or because Nintendo's hardware might be updated by the time it comes out.
Either way, it means we have to wait before being able to confirm for sure where Hades II will be playable.
Hades II story
Supergiant says that Hades II is a direct sequel to Hades, but one that won't require full knowledge of the first game to enjoy.
This time we'll be playing as Melinoë, one of Zagreus' siblings and the Princess of the Underworld, as she seeks to rescue her imprisoned father Zeus and take down Chronos, the Titan of Time.
We'll doubtless meet another assortment of gods and mythical figures along the way, getting to know them and uncovering their stories as time goes on.
We can't wait to dig into this side of things, given how brilliantly it was all managed in the first Hades.
Hades II gameplay
From the glimpses in the reveal trailer, and based on Supergiant's descriptions, it sounds like Hades II will refine the formula rather than writing a new one entirely.
So, expect a few guarantees - an isometric viewpoint and a roguelike structure, firstly. There'll be a hub area where you can chat to people between runs and purchase upgrades and cosmetics.
Runs will move you through randomised areas and enemies collecting similarly random upgrades to create new builds each time, through a world that Supergiant says will be bigger and deeper than before.
Whether this means more weapons to choose from, a wider range of variables in terms of upgrades and boons, or all of the above, time will tell.
The short clips we've seen suggest that the first game's fluid, responsive and clear combat will be back in force, though, so you can be pretty sure it'll handle very nicely indeed.
Elden Ring has been one of the most successful games of recent years, having been greeted on release with the sort of critical acclaim that most developers only dream of. Millions of players have had the chance to explore its marvellous open world.
Like all of FromSoftware's other modern releases, though, Elden Ring is hard. It's a game that often doesn't tell you things that come to seem entirely integral to the game's mechanics later, and while it holds your hands more than some in the Souls series, you still might need some help. Here, then, are some quick tips to help you get started with the game.
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What Elden Ring class should you play?
The way that levelling up and experience works in Elden Ring means that you can build a character to your own specifications over time, even if you end up realising that your starting choice set you off on the wrong foot.
That's great to know because it means you don't need to spend twenty minutes deliberating over which class to pick when the game starts - choose one that looks fun and see how you do! If you want a melee-focussed build, the armoured classes are good options, while those with high Mind and Faith are ideal for magic casting.
The one thing to avoid if this is your first FromSoftware game, though, is the Wretch; it's intended for players who want to have full control over their stats and make top-tier builds, but if you're new to Souls games it'll make the early stages harder, so won't be for you.
If this is indeed your first crack at a Souls game, we think the Samurai makes a good start since it has solid armour and weaponry, and Confessor is also a nice balanced pick for the early stages.
You can change your appearance later
A big change for Souls games, one that we're thrilled by, is the addition of an easy way to change how your character looks once you enter the game. It will take a few hours to unlock, but once you can access Roundtable Hold it'll be open to you.
Just head into Fia's room and look for a cloudy mirror. Standing in front of it will give you the chance to pop in and change things, and there's no cost or limit on how often you can tweak things.
Late in the game you might get some seemingly-permanent changes to things like your eyes, but even these can be reversed using the mirror.
Don't skip the tutorial by accident
Elden Ring has a hilarious approach to getting you into its world - after a short preamble, you'll wake up in a cave with a ghostly figure sat in a chair. Moving past him, you'll see a doorway that opens into the full world.
Don't rush through it, though! The hole that the seated ghost is next to is the entrance to a tutorial area with combat instructions and some key control scheme pointers. It's a crucial step for those who are new to Souls games, but you can easily blitz past it. Don't be afraid to drop into that hole, basically.
Practice combat on weaker enemies
Elden Ring opens with a few short areas for you to traverse, including the prerequisite boss to instantly kill you. After that point, you'll learn the basics of combat against some weak enemies, and we recommend taking things slowly here.
Rather than sweeping through with clumsy but quick kills, take the time to learn how to block properly and experiment with the timings of those blocks and dodges - you'll thank yourself a short while later, when enemies start to punch way, way harder.
Don't be afraid to run away
Once you hit the overworld of Limgrave at the game's start, you'll start to run into enemies as you move around, and there's one right out of the gate patrolling on a huge horse. He's there almost explicitly to teach you a lesson - namely, you can't take many foes down right now, so try skirting around.
It's a tactic that will remain useful throughout pretty much the whole game, so if you see a huge foe and reckon it's likely to crush you, the game might well reward you for staying out of the fight until you're better equipped to take it on.
Read up on the starting gifts
When you start the game, alongside a class you'll be able to select a one-off Keepsake that you'll start the game with. These are worth searching the web about, because they each bring interesting benefits, but if you're keen to just breeze through our top pick for a beginner would be the Golden Seed.
This will let you add a charge to your healing flask really early on in the game, and while you'll find more down the line having that early safety net is worth its weight in gold, in our opinion.
Pay attention to your surroundings
In the early phases of the game, there are a couple of locations hiding items that are really valuable and useful, but which you can easily breeze past if you're not careful. Here's one - after you get your horse, Torrent, be sure to visit the Church of Elleh site of grace at night; you'll find a new NPC there with a valuable item for you.
For another example, the Gatefront Ruins that you'll run into, patrolled by a bunch of enemies, also has a small basement room to find, down some stairs.
In it, you'll find an item to unlock a mechanic called the Ashes of War, to help you make your weapons take on new attributes. It's something that we missed multiple times as we cleared the ruins, and serves up another valuable lesson - keep your eyes peeled and check every corner!
Buy notes from merchants
Another way to get a bit of information about the Lands Between is to buy notes from merchants you come across in the wilds - some of them in truly unlikely locations. These scraps of information might hold the key to felling frightful enemies, or to finding nearby hidden locations. It's way more rewarding than looking things up on the web.
From the very first merchant you meet, in the Church of Elleh, you can get a note that'll point you toward the Third Church of Marika, for example, a ruined church where you'll find the Flask of Wondrous Physick. This reusable flask is a hugely useful item throughout the entire game, and lets you augment your character nicely, so make sure you don't miss it entirely!
Leave the colosseums until you're finished
Elden Ring got a big update in early December 2022, finally opening the three closed colosseums in the game.
These now play host to PvP matches of various types, which can be really fun and creative.
However, we recommend you leave this until you've run through the game at least once. For now, the players populating the mode are experienced and likely to have great builds.
Once you're fully in a flow state with the game, head to them for some formal battles, though, by all means!
Don't get greedy!
Like the Souls games before it, Elden Ring has you collecting XP from enemies as you vanquish them, but if you die you risk losing it all. Only if you get to the spot where you died in the next life can you reclaim your progress, which doubles as currency as well.
It's a classic risk-reward mechanic, but all we can say is that if you've collected enough Runes to level up a couple of times then you should be wary of pushing into dangerous or unknown fights - fast-travelling to a save point to level up and bank that progress might be the more sensible option.
Rune farming is a way of life
There will come multiple points in Elden Ring where you feel outmatched and just want to gain some levels to get more powerful before a big fight or a new area. Finding an area where you're comfortable in winning your duels and then getting proper rewards is a big part of that grind, and farming runes in this manner is nothing to be ashamed of.
Early on in the game, you'll find that the most reliably big-hitters in terms of rune rewards are the huge lumbering Trolls that roam around parts of Limgrave. In particular, there's a field with a few of them in it in the Stormhill area, in the North of the map. These guys hit really hard when you're at a lower level, but are manageable with some nimble movement on Torrent's back, and each one will net you 1,000 souls. That's a fair whack, so this is a great place to stock up.
Don't forget to summon
Elden Ring offers you two ways to summon help while you're in challenging areas - Spirit Ashes and co-op summons. The first you'll find as you move around the world and beat certain bosses, and bring in spectral helpers to distract enemies from you. They're super useful and a few of the more powerful ones are huge boosts.
Also enormously helpful is the option to bring in players themselves - up to two can be summoned by using an item called a Furlcalling Finger Remedy. You can buy the recipe to craft it from the first merchant you meet in the game, and using it lets you see players' summon signs and call on them. Trust us - if you're stuck on a big boss, use a Remedy outside the entrance and see who you can bring in to help - it's a gamechanger.
By setting the same multiplayer password in our settings, we've also been able to drop into the game with friends stuck in early areas to use our endgame characters to help them steamroll through - if they're in danger of getting burnt out by the difficulty of a certain boss or enemy, this is a great way to ease their progress.
The only risk is that when you have co-op help you can also be invaded by hostile players, so if you want to fight a boss we recommend rushing into the arena once your summons arrive, to reduce the chances of this.
Make the most of your quick items
Equipping items to your quick select menu lets you access them using down on your d-pad, but if you have a lot equipped you'll often find yourself frantically tapping through to get back to your healing potions. This can easily be avoided - holding down the button will skip you straight to whatever is in the first slot, a huge help in frantic fights.
Similarly, don't neglect your pockets, which you access by holding Triangle or Y then tapping on your d-pad - having your horse whistle on one of these is a must, once you get it, and other frequently used items make a case for inclusion as well.
Use your map to the fullest
The first map ever in a Souls game is a real boon in Elden Ring - not just because it makes it easier to navigate the world, but because it's one that you can mark in-game. Firstly, hitting Cross or A on the map will put down a blue beacon that you can see in the world to guide you around, which is great for directions.
Secondly, though, you can hit Square or X to put down a themed green marker on the map, which can be a great way to keep track of things like walking mausoleums you might encounter and want to use later. Thankfully, a post-launch update means the map now lists where NPCs are for you, which makes it much easier to know where to go.
Finally, pay attention to certain designs on the map - they're fairly consistent and can give you clues as to where you might find dungeons. For example, all mines have the same drawing on the map, a little hole in the ground. These can yield super-helpful upgrade materials.
We love Google's Nest products, but no device is perfect. If you've decided to sell yours on, pass it on it to a loved one, or if you're experiencing technical issues, you might want to perform a factory reset.
It's not hard to accomplish, but the method for doing so varies from device to device. It's not something you can do in the Google Home app, either, you'll need to do it using physical button presses.
Here's how it's done on each device:
Google Nest Mini, Home and Home Mini
For the Nest Mini and Home Mini, you'll first need to figure out which one you have, as they look almost identical at a glance.
Flip the device over and look at its base, the Google Home Mini has a physical reset button on the bottom, whereas the Nest Mini does not.
Google Home Mini
If you have the Home Mini, simply push and hold the reset button until you hear a sound that confirms the reset.
Once you hear the sound, you can let go of the button and wait for it to complete. Job done.
Google Nest Mini
If you have the Nest Mini, it's slightly more complicated, but still very easy to reset. Follow the steps outlined below:
- Slide the microphone mute switch to enabled
- Touch and hold the top of the speaker, in the centre of the area with the four LED lights
- Continue holding until you hear a sound confirming the reset
- Let go and wait for the reset to complete
Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max
For the Google Nest Hub, and its larger sibling the Nest Hub Max, the reset procedure is the same. Just follow these steps:
- On the rear of the Nest Hub, hold down both volume buttons at the same time
- Keep holding until the Hub tells you that it's resetting
- Let go and wait for the process to complete
Google Nest Audio
There's another slightly different process for Google's biggest speaker. Here's how that works:
- Slide the microphone mute switch to enabled
- Touch and hold the front of the speaker, in the centre near the top, above the four LEDs
- Keep holding until you hear the reset sound
- Let go and wait for the reset to complete
While everyone else is making foldable phones, it's now thought that Apple is working on a foldable MacBook of some sort instead.
Rumours of Apple making a foldable iPhone haven't been that easy to come across of late, but that might be because it's turned its attention away from making a phone that folds in half to focus on making a foldable laptop instead.
A report by industry watchers at The Elec claims that Apple has "started [a] development project in the early 20-inch range", with 20.25 inches seemingly the number the company has settled on.
If that's accurate, the report believes that the 20 inches is the size of the device when the display is fully unfolded and while that could potentially be a tablet, it's thought that Apple intends to create something that has a display and keyboard layout similar to a laptop computer.
"Given that the screen size is in the early 20 inches when unfolded, it is highly likely that this project product will be in a form close to a MacBook", the report notes. Adding that the device would likely have a screen size of around 15.3 inches when folded. That puts it right around the 16-inch MacBook Pro mark in terms of screen size, and is considerably larger than any iPad made to date.
If Apple is indeed making a foldable laptop we have to assume that it plans for one half of the screen to become a touch-based keyboard, similar to the one that is used on iPhones and iPads. How ergonomic that will be isn't clear, nor are frequent typists likely to enjoy the experience of tapping on glass for any length of time.
None of this is going to happen soon, though. The report says that Apple intends to have a product ready by 2026 or 2027, meaning there is plenty of time for the product to change course between now and launch - and for more leaks to happen, too.
This isn't the first time that a foldable MacBook Pro with a 20-inch screen has been rumoured, of course. Display analyst Ross Young suggested such a thing was in the works earlier this year, too.
Atari is reviving Akka Arrh, a game that was originally released as an arcade cabinet in 1982 and was just as hard to play as it is to pronounce.
The game is a wave shooter of sorts and is the result of a new collaboration between Atari and developer Jeff Minter, the man responsible for Tempest 4000 among other things. Now, the two will work together to bring the Akka Arrh game back to life for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch. Oh, and Atari VCS. It's currently slated for an early 2023 release.
As for what on Earth Akka Arrh is, it's a fun story. The game was originally created in 1982 but was canceled because playtesters said that it was just too hard. Gamers had to deal with waves of enemies and use a trackball to target them. The player actually controlled the Sentinel which had an octagonal field around it and was positioned in the centre of the screen. The idea was that people would destroy enemies and go after them if they found a way into that field.
That all sounds more complicated than it probably was, although maybe not if the playtesters are to be believed. The game was canned, with just three arcade cabinets thought to have been made.
This isn't the first time that Akka Arrh has made an appearance since then, though. After an arcade ROM leaked online back in 2019 Atari released the game as part of the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration collection. But now it's going to be a standalone thing and all freshened up thanks to Minter and his no doubt eye-breaking graphical style.
Chipmaker MediaTek has shared details of the Dimensity 8200, a chip that is all about improving game performance and power efficiency.
The Dimensity 8200 is MediaTek's latest chip and brings plenty of great-sounding specs to the table. That starts with an octa-core CPU configuration with four Arm Cortex-A78 cores running at up to 3.1GHz to try and ensure that performance is up to snuff across all of your apps and games, no matter what. The Mali-G610 graphics engine won't hurt on that front, either.
The focus on gaming continues when you learn about the Vulkan SDK that's built to lend a hand with ray tracing effects, while support for up to a 180Hz refresh rate should keep graphics flying around as smoothly as can be.
The new chip also promises to make full use of MediaTek's HyperEngine 6.0 tech to provide smooth gaming experiences, ensuring players don't have to deal with the usual FPS drops and connectivity issues that can plague some chips.
It isn't all about moving data around as quickly as possible, though. The Dimensity 8200 is built on a 4nm manufacturing process which helps it be as power efficient as possible. That means that battery life should be solid while the days of your phone slowly burning your hand as you play should be a thing of the past. At least, that's the theory.
We'll of course need to see this thing powering real phones before we can make too many judgements. MediaTek says that 5G phones carrying the Dimensity 8200 should start to arrive this month, with Xiaomi already making all the right noises.
Sonos and Ikea have had a productive partnership for a few years now, with several speaker collaborations in that time.
That includes bookshelf speakers and table lamps with audio properties, under the Symfonisk umbrella. Now there's a new device in the line up that can provide a room with light and Sonos-enabled wireless audio - the Ikea Symfonisk floor lamp speaker.
Arriving in January 2023, the lamp looks stylish, yet can double as your home's main music source. Alternatively, it can be used as a rear speaker in a home cinema setup.
"We have learnt a great deal about how people want to furnish with light and sound. We also know that many people want to have several light sources on different levels and parts of the room to create the right mood," said Ikea's range design leader, Stjepan Begic.
"The challenge of not having enough room for a table to put the lamp on led us to create the floor lamp."
From the box, the Symfonisk floor lamp comes with a bamboo shade, but can be customised with other compatible shades from the range. It can also be linked to other Symfonisk and Sonos speakers for multiroom audio and works with both the Sonos and Dirigera Ikea smart home apps.
It will be available across all Ikea territories from next month, with pricing yet to be revealed.
Each year, Oppo hosts a special event where it debuts new technologies that might eventually make it to market.
Called Inno Day, it traditionally showcases a number of innovations, including the likes of super fast wired and wireless charging, new smartwatches, concept phones and AR smart glasses.
Last year, Inno Day brought us the launch of Oppo's first foldable, the impressive Find N, as well as the brand's first self-developed image processor, MariSilicon X.
When does the Oppo Inno Day 2022 live stream start?
The next Oppo Inno Day keynote will take place on Wednesday 14 December 2022. It's being streamed from Shenzen in China and will kick off at 16:00 local time. Last year's event ran for approximately 90 minutes, so we expect the same this time.
To watch in your timezone see the times below:
- London/Cardiff/Edinburgh - 8:00 am GMT
- Paris/Berlin/Barcelona - 9:00 am CET
- New York/Toronto - 03:00 EST
- San Francisco - 00:00 PST
- Sydney - 19:00 AEDT
- Mumbai - 13:30 IST
How can I watch it?
You can join the online event by visiting the OPPO official website at 8:00 GMT / 0:00 PST on December 14th.
Alternatively, you can follow Oppo on Twitter. The company will host announcements on the social media platform.
What to expect?
We know that this year's theme is "empowering a better future" but we're not exactly sure what that entails. Oppo said it will showcase the brand's "commitment to openness and inclusivity as it seeks to create more possibilities through smarter connected experiences."
Rumours are pointing toward Oppo's next-generation foldable phone being unveiled this year, there have also been some leaks surrounding the Find X6 Pro, but it might be too early for that one.
Given the heavy focus on the MariSilicon X NPU last year, we might expect further developments in Oppo's in-house image processing.
In 2020 we saw an interesting sliding concept device, it would be amazing to see that finally coming to market, but we're not holding our breath.
Dyson's experimental headphones and air purifying mask combo will go on sale in China in January 2023, followed by a rollout to the UK, US, Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore from March.
First announced in March this year, the Dyson Zone concept is a unique one - we even got to try out the device ourselves in May. It comprises over-ear, wireless noise cancelling headphones that can be worn like any usual pair, providing 50 hours of battery life and "full-spectrum" audio playback.
However, you can also attach an included air-purifying mask to them, which will block out "99 per cent of article polution" down to 0.1 microns in size. This will also prevent city gases, including NO2 and SO2, thanks to a K-Carbon filter.
The Dyson Zone supports fast charging through USB-C, which ensures they can go from flat to 100 per cent in just three hours.
There are 11 microsofts without the product, with eight of them used for the advanced noise cancelling technology. Its frequency range is 0.08 per cent at 94dB @1kHz.
Dyson will sell the Dyson Zone device on its own website, in Dyson stores and at demo zone in malls. Pricing is yet to be revealed.
You can find out more about it in our round-up feature: What is Dyson Zone and how do the air purifying headphones work?
We've had plenty of weird, wonderful and forward-thinking phone designs over the years. Some even make that slab of glass in your pocket look positively boring.
There are those that were plain old weird, while others were as ugly as the residue from an offal truck. The one thing they had in common though is that, often bizarrely, made it into stores and even people's hands.
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- Nokia through the years: The best and worst phones, in pictures
So join us as we celebrate some of the weirdest, wackiest and, we admit, ugliest phones we've seen over the last couple of decades.
Campfire Audio is an esteemed manufacturer of audiophile-grade IEMs, with some models carrying a price tag north of $3,000.
Now, in an unexpected turn of events, the brand has set its sights on the true-wireless earbud market.
The new buds are called Orbit, and at a $249 / £249 price point, they're still premium, but much more accessible than most of Campfire's Hi-Fi options.
The Orbit earbuds have a unique earthy two-tone colourway on both the buds and the case. The latter of which has a bright green interior.
The earbuds feature stainless steel sound nozzles, which gives them a robust and solid feel.
There's a built-in mic for taking calls and audio is controlled by touch-sensitive zones on each earbud.
The Orbit buds boast custom 10mm full-range dynamic drivers with a liquid crystal polymer diaphragm.
Campfire says this provides "a dynamic listen packed with depth and low-end power."
Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity provides a stable connection with AAC and AptX Adaptive support.
The earbuds give you an impressive 8.5 hours on a charge, and an additional 30 hours using the charging case - which also has Qi charging support.
There's a USB-C charging cable and a variety of silicon and foam ear tips included in the package, along with a signature Campfire Audio pin.
The Campfire Audio Orbit is available from today at Amazon, the Campfire Audio website and selected retailers.
The Assassin's Creed series has been getting bigger and bigger as time winds on, but there are strong rumours that things might be changing with its next iteration, once code-named Rift and now officially titled Mirage.
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We've gathered all the details floating around out there about the next Assassin's Creed game for you, right here, so be sure to check them out below.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Title and release date
Following months of rumours and leaks, on 1 September 2022 Ubisoft confirmed that its next Assassin's Creed game is called Mirage.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is the next Assassin's Creed game.
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) September 1, 2022
We can't wait to tell you more on September 10 at Ubisoft Forward: 9PM CEST | 12PM PT. #AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/92LoEcrrWs
Prior to that, reports claimed that the much-rumoured next Assassin's Creed game was code-named Rift, according to Bloomberg, with later rumours correctly circulating the title Mirage, too.
A person familiar tells me parts of this new Assassin's Creed leak are true (such as the name and the other stuff Bloomberg has already reported: spring 23, Baghdad, back to AC basics) and other parts are not ("multiple cities to explore") https://t.co/qmM6UZtKnG
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) August 30, 2022
We still don't have a clear sense of when Mirage might release, but Bloomberg again reported that it's expected for late 2022 or 2023, to plug a hole in the Assassin's Creed schedule before Ubisoft can release Infinity, which is a more concrete step forward for the franchise.
In December 2022, Insider Gaming claimed its sources are pointing at an August 2023 release date, but there's not a huge amount out there to back this up right now.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Story
The key fact from Bloomberg's report about the game in terms of how its story will unfold is that it's expected to star Basim, who played a major role in the events of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, although it's likely to actually be set during his own time period.
There are also reports that the game will feature a recreation of medieval Baghdad as its chief setting, something that similarly won't be verified until or unless Ubisoft chooses to unveil the game properly.
Schreier reiterated that detail on Reddit in July 2022 when asked whether the game might feature an Aztec setting, a long-term wishlist item for series fans.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Gameplay
The other big bit of information from Bloomberg (which is the one really deep report out there about Mirage at present) indicates that it will be taking a much tighter approach to its gameplay than more recent Assassin's Creed games, which have obviously sprawled to huge sizes with endless amounts to do.
The game will seemingly go back to the series roots a bit more, focussing more tightly on stealth and lethality, in a smaller world. For fans of the series, this could be a breath of fresh air - for all that the likes of Odyssey, Valhalla and Origins gained it new fans, there's nothing wrong with a game that won't take dozens of hours to get close to completing.
This should mean there are fewer RPG elements, and potentially no options for dialogue choices and branching quests, which might sound like a loss but could result in a much tighter experience.
Each year, travel photography blog Capture the Atlas puts together an annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition. This year, the competition has had entries from around the world from the US, Finland, Iceland, Russia, New Zealand, Canada, Norway and more.
25 photographers from 13 different nationalities have submitted phenomenal images to the competition.
With a multitude of images to choose from, selecting the winner is no doubt tough. The Northern Lights aren't easy to photograph either. They're best shot between September and April in the Northern Hemisphere and from March and September in the Southern Hemisphere and you need a dark sky without light pollution too.
We're collecting some of the winners for your enjoyment.
Elden Ring, many people's game of the year, is getting free PVP DLC that will see gamers battle it out in the Colosseum. And it's coming very soon.
How soon? How about a game update on 7 December, which means there are just hours before the DLC will be available for everyone who wants it. FromSoftware says that players will prove their worth in "various duels and battles" both on their own and with others.
Come forth, warriors, and bask in the glory of the Colosseum.
— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) December 6, 2022
Prove your worth in various duels and battles, together or on your own in the free Colosseum Update. Coming December 7.#ELDENRING pic.twitter.com/TAq4c0vaG2
Looks pretty cool, right? This is exactly the kind of DLC that Elden Ring and its players have been crying out for and the fact that FromSoftware has essentially shadow-dropped it just makes it even more amazing.
However, the fact that the game's DLC has been announced ahead of The Game Awards has some wondering whether there is more to come, perhaps as part of a bigger announcement. Only time will tell, but even if that isn't the case it's sure to be a big few days for Elden Ring and its loyal fans now have some DLC to enjoy.
While Elden Ring wasn't named the Pocket-lint game of the year, it did come in a close second to God of War Ragnarök. And that's nothing to be ashamed of!
Apple's rumoured autonomous car isn't going to be quite as capable as we'd been told to expect according to a new report that says it'll be late, too.
Apple has long been rumoured to have designs on launching a self-driving car, possibly as soon as 2025. But a new report by Bloomberg's well-connected Mark Gurman says that the company has had to revise its plans. Now, the car won't be as autonomous as had previously been hoped.
"In a significant shift for the project, the company is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways," Gurman says, citing unnamed sources. The previous plan was for a car that didn't have any of the traditional driver controls and could drive everywhere on its own, but that now seems to have gone out the window.
What's more, that initial 2025 release window also seems to have been given up - Gurman says that project lead Kevin Lynch is now aiming for 2026 instead. Lynch reportedly "has aimed to bring more stability and a focus on practical goals after years of priority changes and even some layoffs." that means that Lynch is now "dialing back expectations" to ensure that the car actually reaches the market.
Gurman also goes on to say that Apple's self-driving technology will feature a powerful machine codenamed Denali, built around as many as four of Apple's fastest Mac processors. That system is said to be ready for mass production but, again, it's thought Apple may choose to scale that back as well.
As for pricing, Gurman says that Apple had originally aimed to sell the car for at least $120,000 but the company is now trying to aim for something around the $100,000 mark - putting it squarely in Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS territory. That won't make it a cheap car by any stretch, but the tech involved could make it worth the price. Assuming that 2026 release window is met, that is.
The Google TV app on Android has a new look, with a Material You refresh rolling out to users of the app on Google's own platform.
The new look means that there are a few changes to the Google TV app including a large search bar that now sits at the top of the screen. That replaces the small search button that could be tapped in the old version of Google TV, with the search bar also housing the casting and account switching buttons, too.
At the bottom of the screen Google has also tweaked the tabs, adding a pill-shaped design to all four when they are selected. The previous design saw the active tab gain a slightly brighter colour, but it's now much easier to see which tab you are in at any given moment.
A more subtle change is a new, lighter colour background that is less black and more like a dark grey, creating a look that has more depth somehow. It's definitely more visually appealing and makes it easier to differentiate items from the background of the app itself.
It doesn't look like everyone has access to the updated app just yet, though. It appears that the change is still rolling out and is server-side rather than app-based, so you might have to just wait a little while for it to hit your devices.
There are various tools now for creating your own images using artificial intelligence. These are powerful tools for generating surprisingly good images with just a few words or requests.
We've seen some excellent images created by Google's Imagen tool and with Dalle-2 as well. Now it's the turn of Stable Diffusion, a powerful tool which is able to craft some fantastic images that could easily have been created by artists.
Twitter CEO and owner Elon Musk has reportedly filled the company's San Francisco office with beds to allow his overworked employees to sleep over.
Musk's ownership of Twitter has been a messy one to date with revelation after revelation popping up almost daily since his $44 billion buyout. The social network lost half of its staff after a firing spree, only for Musk to then have to rehire some and then begin recruiting to replace others. He famously told employees that they would need to work long hours to revamp Twitter in his image, and now he's given them somewhere to sleep when they're done.
A Forbes report says that employees returning to the office after the weekend found rooms full of beds "featuring unmade mattresses, drab curtains, and giant conference-room telepresence monitors." If that sounds grim, it's still better than the sleeping bags some employees were reportedly using after working late.
A source told Forbes that while no official statement had been forthcoming from Twitter, they assumed that the beds were in place for those who choose to stay overnight at the office as part of Musk's new "hardcore" approach to rebuilding the social network.
“People are already putting in late nights, so it makes sense to an extent,” one source reportedly told Forbes. The report says that a photo was provided that showed "bright orange carpeting, a wooden bedside table and what appears to be a queen bed, replete with a table lamp and two office armchairs just begging for convivial workplace collaboration".
Sounds cozy.
Google knows that clicking from search results page to search results page is no fun so it's saving us all a click or three with continuous scrolling.
If you're lucky enough to find the page you want on the first Google search results page then you know it's going to be a good day. For everyone else, clicking through from page to page can be surprisingly infuriating - so Google is doing away with all of that. Anyone searching from here on out will get to enjoy beautiful continuous scrolling instead.
There is, however, a catch or two. The first is that you have to be in the United States to benefit from continuous scrolling, at least for now. The feature is only available for those who people who use the English language as well, which is probably the biggest issue for some. Hopefully both of those things get fixed in short order.
Starting today, we’re bringing continuous scrolling to desktop in English in the U.S. so you can continue to see more search results easily. When you reach the bottom of a search results page, you'll now be able to see up to six pages of results. pic.twitter.com/xIuVP24FFm
— Google (@Google) December 5, 2022
You can see how it all works in the tweet embedded above, with Google saying that you'll see up to six pages of results without having to click a thing. Scrolling to the bottom of the first page causes the next round of results to appear, just as you'd expect. It's also how things have worked on mobile for a good while, too.
The television category of the EE Pocket-lint Awards sees familiar names battling it out for the top spot, with the big names represented here.
While OLED dominates, that's not the only TV tech represented, as LED systems continue to offer great experiences. But there's more to a TV than just the panel - the smart tech it offers and everything on the software side all lead to making the difference between a great TV and the best TV.
Television of the year: LG OLED evo C2
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LG is no stranger to winning awards for its televisions and with LG Display manufacturing many of the panels that get used in top TVs, it's no surprise that the home team comes out victorious.
The C2 isn't LG's top model - but it represents that inflection point where performance and value meet: it delivers drop-dead gorgeous visuals without making you pay over the odds for design. Importantly, webOS continues to deliver a great experience and the boosted brightness really shines through.
Highly Commended: Sony A95K
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The Sony A95K was snapping at LG's heels this year, and it receives our Highly Commended nod for its first QD-OLED screen - a TV that blends the best of OLED and QLED technologies together.
And while there's no doubt that brighter QD-OLED panel is a resounding success in the A95K, it's actually Sony's processing that plays the main role here. The result is an outstanding picture performance across HDR and SDR sources, with exceptional colour handling and best-in-class motion - not to mention audio capabilities that far surpass what you'd expect from TV sound.
The best of the rest
The TV category is littered with big names. The Samsung QN95B Neo from its QLED range continues to impress with connectivity, colour volume and brightness, but Samsung also got on the shortlist with its first OLED TV, the Samsung S95B. Panasonic is best known for its processing backed by Hollywood, with the Panasonic LZ2000 offering a great performance for movie lovers. The Philips OLED 807 offers not only great picture quality, but immersive Ambilight, which remains a firm favourite with customers.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
The Game Awards is always a great occasion. As well as announce the very best titles of the year, it debuts a host of new, exciting trailers for games coming up over the next few months - years even.
Hosted by Geoff Keighley, it's certainly one to put in your calendar. It is even opening its doors to the public for the first time in three years, so there'll be plenty of whooping and hollering.
Here's when and how to watch it, plus the nominees for the main categories.
When do The Game Awards 2022 start?
The Game Awards 2022 will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday 8 December 2022. It will start at 16:30 PST (19:30 EST) locally, which means it'll begin at 00:30 GMT on 9 December in the UK and these times in other regions:
- US west coast: 16:30 PST
- US east coast: 19:30 EST
- UK: 00:30 GMT (9 December)
- Central Europe: 01:30 CET (9 December)
- India: 06:00 IST (9 December)
- Japan: 09:30 JST (9 December)
- Australia: 11:30 AEDT (9 December
How to watch The Game Awards 2022
The Game Awards 2022 main show will be streamed online in 4K. You can watch it via the video at the top of this page.
It will also be hosted on the Awards' official YouTube and Twitch channels.
What to expect
Hosted annually by Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards always attracts big name stars and highlights games coming up the following year. Daniel Craig is one star tipped to be there.
Electronic Arts has confirmed that the full trailer for its Fallen Order sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, will premiere during the event. We're awaiting news on other big games that will be part of the showcase.
You can also find the Game of the Year nominees below and the rest of the nominations on the official website for The Game Awards.
The Game Awards Game of the Year 2022 nominees
- A Plague Tale: Requiem - Asobo Studio / Focus Entertainment
- Elden Ring - FromSoftware / Bandai Namco
- God of War Ragnarok - Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Horizon Forbidden West - Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Stray - Bluetwelve Studio - Annapurna
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Monolith Soft / Nintendo
Electronic Arts will debut a full trailer of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor during The Game Awards 2022 this Thursday 8 December.
The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was officially announced in May 2022, with a teaser trailer showing the return of hero Cal Kestis and his trusty droid companion BD-1. It also showed what looks to be The Grand Inquisitor as the enemy, although this has since been debunked, with the official Star Wars website revealing that it is, in fact, an Imperial senator of the same Pau’an species.
Hopefully, we'll get to see more of the villain in the reveal trailer and - fingers crossed - some in-game action too.
The Game Awards will be an in-person event for the first time in a long while this year, and will take place in the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will start at 5pm PST (8pm EST) on Thursday although that is, sadly, 1am on Friday morning in the UK (2am in Central Europe). The whole show will be streamed online.
Host Geoff Keighley says it'll be a tighter affair this year, with more quality presentations favoured over quantity.
Former James Bond Daniel Craig is tipped to make an appearance.
Xbox has confirmed that it offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for 10 years amid rumors its Activision Blizzard buyout might actually happen.
The deal for Microsoft to buy the company behind the Call of Duty franchise is one that is still being pondered by numerous bodies around the globe, but Microsoft president Brad Smith has now confirmed rumours of a special 10-year deal offered to PlayStation. Such a deal would ensure that the Call of Duty games cannot become an Xbox exclusive for at least a decade.
Writing in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Smith said that Microsoft has "offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new Call of Duty release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox." He went further to say that the company would be open to providing "the same commitment to other platforms and making it legally enforceable by regulators in the US, UK, and European Union.”
This follows the revelation that the buyout of Activision Blizzard might actually get the go-ahead, despite expectations that the FTC would seek to block it. A new report claims that FTC chair Lina Khan could be faced with a splitting of votes, with half of the four-person panel keen to allow the buyout to complete. Such a vote would be problematic for Khan, with some now suggesting that a more prudent decision would be to allow it to happen while demanding concessions from Microsoft.
A 10-year deal with PlayStation might be seen as one such concession.
It was thought that Khan would seek to block the deal in an attempt to flex the FTC's muscles, but that wouldn't work if the vote was split - hence the need for a new approach. Having Microsoft agree to concessions could be the best of both worlds.
Readly, a digital magazine subscription service, has announced the arrival of more than 80 magazines and comics under a collaboration with Disney.
The new additions mean that Readly subscribers can now take in a tonne of new content from some of Disney's biggest brands and characters including Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Marvel - you just need the Readly app to get started. Other content available includes Frozen and High School Musical, too.
The Disney content is all available via Readly's Children's category and is available to all members of the company's unlimited reading subscription. That subscription £9.99 / €11.99 / $11.99 per month, but there's a free trial also available for people who want to take it for a spin ahead of making a commitment.
As for the rest of the Readly catalogue, there are more than 6,300 magazines and newspapers available to be read across a range of devices including iPhones, iPads, and Android phones.
While reading on a tablet or phone might not be for everyone, there is little arguing against the instant availability of more than 80 pieces of content from Disney, especially if you're already a subscriber or plan on taking advantage of that free trial. With content available across a range of categories, there should be something on Readly for everyone, too.
Fortnite has always been the king of the crossover and now it's at it again with Chapter 4 Season 1 with Geralt and Doom Slayer making an appearance.
The next big thing in Fortnite is now live with Chapter 4 Season 1 getting an all-new map and a whole lot more. One of those things is a new character called Selene, available from the get-go. But things will get interesting for The Witcher fans come mid-season when Epic Games adds Geralt of Rivia as Battle Pass skin.
As always, the Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks and as you progress through you'll unlock items and whatnot. Geralt will be unlocked via that Battle Pass, as will Doom Slayer - of DOOM fame, of course. Other unlockable skins include Massai, Dusty, Nezumi, Helsie, and The Ageless. The Geralt unlock won't be available until later on in the season, Epic says.
The latest season includes plenty of other tweaks and treats and makes use of Unreal Engine 5.1, making this the best-looking version of Fortnite to date on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
All of this will take place on a brand-new island with new points of interest that include The Citadel, Anvil Square, and Brutal Bastion.
The new season of Fortnite is up and running right now and you can get involved yourself. You can play Fortnite on just about anything right now and the download is of course free.
Google has announced that Waze, the popular navigation app for iPhone and Android, is now available in some cars without the need for a phone.
Previously, using Waze would require a phone to be connected via CarPlay or Android Auto, but no more. Google says that some people can no just head into their car's infotainment system and fire things up directly - no more cables or docks needed.
There are, as you've probably already guessed, some catches. The first is that Waze is only available in cars that have Google built-in, which limits things slightly. In fact, Google says that Waze is only available to drivers of the new Renault Austral Hybrid and Renault Megane E-Tech electric vehicles in Europe out the gate. However, more will presumably come online in the next year or so.
“Having Waze’s real-time navigation, routing, and alerts built into the display of Renault’s vehicles, makes for a simplified and seamless driving experience" says Aron Di Castro, Director, Marketing and Partnerships at Waze. "We’re looking forward to bringing this excellent driving experience to more users across the globe in 2023.”
As for getting the Waze experience up and running, Google says that users " can easily download Waze for OpenR link either directly from Google Play in their Renault vehicle or from their My Renault mobile app". Existing Waze users will be able to sign in using their credentials, while those who are starting afresh can also sign up for a new account if needed.
French company Pixii has announced that its latest digital rangefinder camera is the world's first to sport a 64-bit processor.
The new camera, simply designated as the 2023 model and carrying the model number A2572, starts at around $2800 / €2,699.00 and is already sold out until late January 2023. But Pixii says that the new 64-bit processor and other smarts mean that this model is the first to be able to take "true" monochrome DNG images.
The chip involved here is apparently a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 affair with a dual-core GPU. This all means processing power of up to 7GPixels/s thanks to dedicated NPU and VPU cores. Pixii has also paired all of that with the same 26-megapixel APS-C sensor that it has been using for a few years at this point.
Alongside the new processor, Pixii also says that "storage speed gets a huge boost" with photos captured "at the speed of a click". Support for Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) has also been added to this new version.
In the grand scheme of things, this all amounts to a camera that Pixii reckons can process images up to 10 times faster than older models while transfer speeds have also been given a bump - they're now claimed to be up to three times faster than before.
If all that sounds good, it should! But the initial allocation of cameras is long gone, and one that will ship in the middle of January of next year is sold out as well. That means that you can put your money down now if you like, but you won't see anything in return until the end of January 2023, unfortunately.
Soundbars have come on leaps and bounds over the past few years, with many choosing the convenience of a compact audio system over larger separates systems.
It's the ultimate update for your TV, and with the advent of formats like Dolby Atmos now being much more effectively delivered through soundbars, it's a category to be excited about.
The EE Pocket-lint Awards 2022 deliberated six different models, but ultimately, there's one soundbar that's still making an impact.
Soundbar of the year: Sony HT-A7000
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Sometimes a product makes such an impact that you simply can't overlook it - and the Sony HT-A7000 falls into that category. It was our winner in 2021 and its continued success demonstrates how this Atmos soundbar is the bar of choice for many.
The Sony HT-A7000 is one big, bold all-in-one soundbar solution that delivers a wide and tall soundstage that will elevate any TV's audio output to the next level, making it a truly worthy winner of this category for the second year running.
Highly Commended: Samsung HW-Q990B
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The Samsung HW-Q990B may have just missed out on the top spot for best soundbar, but it recieves Highly Commended for being an impressive soundbar system that will delight home cinema fans by offering object-based audio without needing to resort to an AV receiver and speaker package. It also manages to deliver maximum immersion with the minimum amount of inconvenience.
The overall sound quality is excellent, the engineering impressive, and the SpaceFit Sound feature allows you to correct for the more egregious aspects of any room. It's not cheap, and extra HDMI inputs would be nice, but you won't find a more sonically accomplished soundbar.
The best of the rest
Soundbars now offer great diversity and for those who can afford to spend a little more, that really rings true. The Devialet Dione offers a unique rotating central orb that gives it distinction, while offering full-bore sound. The Sonos Ray is a great option for a more compact and connected soundbar, while the Harman Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100 is a good-looking, great-sounding all rounder. Last but by no means least, the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 is a fantastic single-unit solution that won't disappoint - it sounds awesome with TV, movies and music.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Apple makes it easy to repair your iPhone and Mac yourself, with its Self Service Repair program.
It's available in the US, UK and Central Europe.
Here's everything you need to know about it.
What is Apple's Self Service Repair program?
Apple's right-to-repair program, Self Service Repair, allows users to fix their own devices using official Apple tools and parts. It sells them to consumers via a dedicated website, and also offers instructions on how to repair Apple products at home.
That means, if you choose, you can avoid bringing your broken Apple devices to a store or a third-party repair shop to get them fixed. You can literally do it yourself with approved components and step-by-step instructions.
Which Apple devices can you repair?
Apple currently offers the parts and tools to fix iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, plus the iPhone SE (2022). You are able to safely replace the display, battery, camera and other elements of those handsets.
Apple also offers the ability to fix MacBooks with M1 chips - the MacBook Air (2020), MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020), MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) and MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021).
Do at-home repairs void your warranty?
No. Crucially, making a repair yourself won’t void your Apple device’s warranty, but damaging your device in the process still might.
Where is Self Service Repair available?
Apple's Self Service Repair program is available in the US, which launched at the tail end of 2021, plus Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK - all of which were added in December 2022.
Can anyone repair their own devices?
Yes. But Apple still warns that technicians "with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices" should only consider repairing Apple devices. Most customers should seek expert assistance from Apple or a third party before cracking open their Apple devices to see what's wrong with them.
How much are the parts and where can you buy them?
Apple indicates that customers can purchase the required parts outright from the Self Service Repair Store for their return, though there's also a rental option available.
For those who don't want to buy the tools outright, Apple also provides a $49 kit that includes all the tools required. This rental kit will be available for one week before customers will be required to send it back to Apple - free of charge, of course.
Apple also offers a recycling credit when they return used parts after doing a repair, in some cases.
There have been some good advancements in the smart home sector over the last few years, and especially more recently with the launch of Matter, which should hopefully mean that devices - no matter what brand - work better together.
The Smart Home Device category in the EE Pocket-lint Awards 2022 is therefore a tough one. You of course have new devices that have launched and are excellent, but you also have smart home devices that have been around for years and are continually getting better through new software features and compatibility.
You've also got everything from smart bulbs to robot vacuum cleaners so this is a very broad category compared to the others and the nominations in the Smart Home Device category for 2022 were exceptional. There can only be one winner though.
Smart Home Device of the year: Philips Hue
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Philips Hue might not be new as a platform but it is continuously expanding with some fabulous products and when it comes to smart lighting in the home, it is in an entirely different league to its competition. The breadth of choice available, coupled with the plethora of features delivered make Philips Hue a very worthy winner of this category - again. It won last year too.
Philips Hue is by no means the cheapest smart lighting available, but boy is it good. The Philips Hue Bridge is also compatible with Matter, which means all bulbs and accessories are too, futureproofing your home, as well as lighting it up.
Highly Commended: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
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The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) takes home Highly Commended in this year's Pocket-lint Awards. It's a fantastic entry point into the Alexa system, offering all the same capabalities as its bigger, more expensive siblings but with a new and improved speaker that means it sounds better than ever.
It might have been beaten to the top spot by Philips Hue, but the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is a genuinely brilliant smart home device and we'd wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody looking for a small Echo.
The best of the rest
Philips Hue took the winner crown and the Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation) came in as a close second for this category, but let's not forget about the other truly excellent nominees. The Arlo Pro 4 is a solid camera offering great performance and a very flexible approach, while the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight gives you both security and lighting in a lovely looking package compared to traditional offerings.
The iRobot Roomba J7+ is an excellent robot vacuum cleaner. It offers amazing cleaning performance, alongside some great features which results in a robot that just, well, works, while the Ring Video Doorbell 4 is a truly fantastic option for any front door and offers more than enough to justify opting for it over the entry-level model.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Apple has introduced its Self Service Repair program to the UK and Europe at last, enabling users to fix their devices using genuine parts themselves.
Having already launched for iPhone repairs in the US late last year, the service provides the tools and instructions for owners to fix their own Apple devices. That includes Mac notebooks that use Apple silicon.
At present, it is only available for repairs to iPhone SE (3rd gen), iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, plus M1 MacBooks built in 2020 and 2021 (Air and Pro).
You order the parts and tools from the official Apple Self Service Repair Store online, download the instructions and away you go. You can also return the faulty parts for recycling and get credit back from Apple.
There are more than 200 individual parts and tools on offer across the multiple products. Apple also offers tool rentals for a cheaper, one-off price in case you only want to repair a single item and don't want to buy them outright.
"When a repair is needed, we want customers to have many options for safe, reliable, and secure repair," said Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams.
"That's why we’re excited to launch Self Service Repair in Europe, giving our customers direct access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and manuals."
The Google Pixel Fold is rumoured to be launching in the second half of 2023, likely at Google's I/O event.
While the brand is yet to officially acknowledge the device, it may have already appeared on the popular cross-platform benchmarking database, GeekBench.
The listing shows the model as Google Felix, a codename long thought to be associated with the upcoming foldable.
It also tells us some key specifications, the phone is running Android 13 on 12GB of RAM and a Tensor G2 processor, the same one found inside the current Pixel 7 models.
It posts 1047 for the single-core test and 3257 for multi-core. This places it in the ballpark of the average Pixel 7 Pro score.
It's perhaps unsurprising, given that it's the same processor and the same amount of RAM, but we've often seen foldables lagging behind more traditional handsets in performance, so it's promising news.
When it comes to other specifications, the rumours suggest we'll be seeing an 8-inch interior display, with a 6.19-inch screen on the outside.
The selfie camera is expected to be 9.5MP, while the rear is said to feature a similar array to the Pixel 7 Pro.
At this stage, it's impossible to say for sure, but whatever the case may be, we can't wait to see Google's first foldable device.
Microsoft is to raise the price of some of its Xbox Series X/S games next year, with first-party titles, such as Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and Redfall to cost $69.99 at launch.
They will still be available to Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost, but should you want to buy one outright, it'll cost you $10 more than equivalent titles bought in the last few years.
The company hasn't yet announced prices for other countries, including the UK, but we expect the raise to be global.
"This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles," said a Microsoft spokesperson to IGN.
To be fair to Microsoft, other publishers have already hiked the prices of AAA titles in recent times - with the Xbox Series X/S (and PS5) versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and FIFA 23 costing $69.99 already. It has therefore held out longer than most.
And, unlike Sony, it has also managed to stick to launch pricing for its consoles to date. That's something that could change soon though, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer saying earlier this year: "I don't think we'll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we'll have to raise the prices on certain things."
The market for gaming headsets is getting so crowded and competitive that any little marginal gain is being fought over by audio businesses tooth and nail.
This might be the mentality that has led RIG to throw in a charging dock that nicely displays its 800 Pro headset lineup while you're not using it - why not, eh? It's not a brand-new idea, but could it be indicative of a generosity that makes the RIG 800 Pro HS worth picking up?
Design
- Available only in black
- Comes with a charging dock and dongle
- Flip-up microphone
RIG's design language is nice and established at this point - it specialises in headsets that look futuristic and almost alien, with loads of cutouts to reduce their weight burden, and chunky microphone arms that can be flipped out of your way easily.
This is consistent with the 800 Pro HS, which has all of those hallmarks and reaps the benefits. It's light to wear with comfortable, soft ear cushioning that makes it easy to have on for hours at a time.
The microphone arm is impressively long and nicely flexible, making it easy to position it as you like, and while it doesn't disappear when it's out of use, it's far from your peripheral vision so is functionally gone.
The headband system lets you choose a rough amount of tension but then flexes heavily when you actually put it on your head, which also contributes to making the 800 Pro HS nice to wear, so it passes the comfort test with flying colours.
Included in the box is a base station that charges the headset when it's docked using magnetic pins, and can also house the USB dongle that it connects to. Plugging this dock into your console can make it a sort of battle station for the headset.
It's a solid enough bit of kit, and does work exactly as intended, although we're not sure the benefits over a simple charging cable are that huge. It also has a fairly chunky footprint compared to, for example, the wireless unit that comes with SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.
Sound performance
- 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency response
- 40mm drivers
If the RIG 800 Pro HS is nice to wear, then, that's only half the battle - after all, it's all about the sound when you're judging a gaming headset.
The specs that RIG has packed in are fairly solid, but we can only report that the actual performance we've been getting has been distinctly middle of the road - it's by no means poor, but it's hardly going to blow your mind, either.
For the price, that's no scandal, and the 800 Pro HS will still net you a clear upgrade on a headset that's perhaps half its price, with clear audio that has a decent degree of oomph in the low-end.
However, it's not the most detailed headset we've ever used, and at its price you can find alternatives that are more impressive - check out our list of the best PS5 headsets for some inspiration.
This doesn't mean the 800 Pro HS is a failure on the sound front, though. Using it to play some (okay, a lot) of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer, we were still consistently able to hear and react to relatively subtle audio cues, things that cheaper headsets miss out on.
It's also been our companion in the early hours of Sonic Frontiers, where the soundtrack and effects stretch it a little more and it still comes back with rock-solid performance.
The microphone, meanwhile, is again a bit of a middling affair, with enough reach to be comfortable to use, but a tendency to pick up some scruffiness while you talk, and recording quality that is again both unexceptional and inoffensive.
Features and battery life
- 24-hour battery life
- 10-metre range using base station
There isn't actually all that much to cover when it comes to features on the 800 Pro HS, because it keeps things nice and simple.
Battery life stands at a solid 24 hours, which is more than enough to cover any healthy gaming session, and if you're using the base station then you'll always come back to a charged headset each morning.
This is more handy than remembering to plug it into a wire for a recharge, although if you're forgetful you may still find yourself leaving it on the couch instead of its cradle. A duff note on this front, though - the headset charges by microUSB if you do use a cable, which is annoying in this day and age. USB-C is now basically an expectation at this price.
Range is very solid as a result of that base station though, staying pretty consistent even when we were quite a few metres away. However, line of sight is still a big variable, unsurprisingly.
There are some controls on the headset's earcups, including a volume dial, and muting yourself is as simple as flipping the microphone up and away, which has a certain degree of mechanical satisfaction that we appreciate.
If you're new to Amazon or haven't shopped with the online retailer in a while, you might need a quick reminder on how to locate your orders so that you can track your packages and see exactly where they are in their delivery journey. It's really easy to do this from the Amazon website and mobile app. Here's how - step by step - no matter which device you use.
How to track your Amazon order
Wondering where your packages were delivered or if they're still en route? Simply track your order through Amazon itself. You'll need your Amazon account credentials to do this -- because you need to actually log in to the Amazon website or mobile app to see your order history and tracking information. (See Amazon's support page here if you need help resetting your account password.)
Amazon website
- Login to Amazon.com on your desktop or mobile web browser.
- Go to Your Orders page.
- Go to the order you want to track.
- Select Track Package next to your order.
- Select See all updates to view delivery updates.
Amazon mobile app
- Open the latest version of the Amazon app for iOS or Android.
- Sign into your account.
- Tap the Profile button at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap the Your Orders button at the top of your screen.
- Go to the order you want to track.
- Select Track Package next to your order.
- Select See all updates to view delivery updates.
Why are there no delivery updates or tracking details?
Depending on the shipping method you chose, the tracking information might not be visible immediately. Amazon also said some packages, such as standard international deliveries, aren't trackable. If you're looking for other reasons as to why tracking information might not be available, Amazon has a support page for "Missing Tracking Information" that might be able to help.
Is your package late?
If the estimated delivery date for your package come and gone and your tracking info hasn't changed, Amazon said you should still allow an additional day or two for the package to be delivered. It also listed recommended actions on its "Late Deliveries" support page.
Is your package missing?
If your package shows as delivered but you haven't yet received it, go to Amazon's "Find a Missing Package" support page for help.
How to contact the carrier of your packages
If you want to contact the carrier delivering your package, refer to their contact details on Amazon's Carrier Contact Information page.
If you're setting up VoIP or remote control software, you may need to know the public IP address of your router, which is assigned by your ISP. Whatever the reason may be, it's handy to have your IP address. There is a lot of information attached to your public IP address, like your ISP's name and your general location. Wondering how to find your IP address? It's super easy.
How to find your router's public IP address
The quickest, most simple way to find your public IP address is to simply search "What is my IP address?" on Google. But there are plenty of sites out there that will show you the exact same thing, such as WhatIsMyIP.com and IPLocation. By visiting the site, your router made a request and revealed your IP address. Some of these sites also show your ISP name and city and even have maps.
- Go to Google.com
- Search: What is my IP address?
Your public IP address should be the top result.
If your device is connected to the internet, and you can search "What is my IP address?", then you can find your public IP address. We've tried it on Safari on a Mac, Edge on a Windows 11 laptop, Chrome on an iPhone and Android, and so on. It works every time.
Most phones and computers also allow you to see your IP address if you dive into Settings and go to the Wi-Fi menu.
Why do you need to know an IP address?
Knowing your public IP address can help you troubleshoot internet problems. It can help you discover whether you have a problem with a router or if it's a specific device you're trying to use. An IP address also can help you set up new devices and services on your network. If you want someone to administer your network from a remote location, you likely will need the IP address for that, too.
Can you hide your IP address?
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to mask your IP address. I lets you access an intermediary network with a different IP address, essentially hiding your actual IP address. For more information about VPNs, see our separate guide.
OnePlus hasn't confirmed that it has a new flagship phone in the works but the OnePlus 11 is expected soon and now press images have begun to leak.
The latest OnePlus leak comes via the usually accurate @OnLeaks on Twitter, this time in collaboration with GadgetGang. The leak itself shows us the official renders for two colours of OnePlus 11 - Forest Emerald and Volcanic Black. They're both good-looking colours to be sure, although the lack of a lighter, brighter colour might be disappointing to some.
The report says that we shouldn't expect there to be any exclusive colors for this model, but there could still be some colours that are specific to the regions that the device will be sold in - like a Panda White version for the Chinese market, for example.
There are high expectations for the OnePlus 11, not least because the phone is essentially a OnePlus 11 Pro. The company has apparently decided to go forgo the Pro name this time around, although there is always the chance a new higher-end model will arrive in the future.
As for this model, previous rumours have OnePlus shipping this thing with a 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. That'll be paired with up to 16GB of RAM depending on the model chosen, with a 5,000mAh battery and 100W charging included.
In terms of cameras, a 16-megapixel shooter will handle selfies while a 50-megapixel main camera will be joined by a 48-megapixel ultrawide and 32-megapixel telephoto option.
The current expectation is that OnePlus will announce the new phone in the first quarter of 2023, so expect to hear more about this thing in the coming weeks.
Ever since we learned that HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge the question was always "what will it be called?" and we might have our answer.
While still not confirmed by either of the TV streaming outfits, it's been reported that the merged platform could simply be called Max. The name is reportedly now being "vetted by the company's lawyers" which suggests that it's almost a done deal - barring any last-minute hitches.
However, the same report by CNBC notes that "executives haven’t finalized a decision and the name could still be changed" before adding that "Max is the likely choice". CNBC cites unnamed sources who are said to be familiar with the matter.
In terms of the app, it's thought that it will look and work in a similar way to the Disney+ experience, with Warner Bros. Discovery's brands getting individual tiles. That means that HBO, DC Comics, Discovery, and Warner Bros. will all get their own tiles so people can drill down to find the content that they want to watch.
While we might now know what the new combined subscription service will be called, there is still no information on what it will cost. It's thought that pricing of the combined service is still being discussed, and the fact that no price information has leaked suggests that is very much the case and that nothing has been settled on so far. However, HBO Max and Discovery+ cost $14.99 and $6.99 respectively, although ad-supported versions are also available.
What would be a fair price for a combined HBO Max and Discovery+? That probably depends on what you want to watch and whether it boils down to the Game of Thrones series and little else!
The options for tablet and 2-in-1 devices may not be quite as plentiful as flagship smartphones, with less companies offering them on the whole, but that's not to say there aren't some brilliant options out there.
Many people will arguably think of the Apple iPad when they think of a tablet, but Samsung also has some excellent slabs, and when it comes to 2-in-1s, there are some great models that are perfect for working on the go and entertaining.
Here are the tablets and 2-in-1 devices that have impressed us over the last 12 months. There could only be one winner of the EE Pocket-lint Awards 2022, but the shortlist had some fantastic options, all very worthy of their spot.
Tablet / 2-in-1 of the year: Apple iPad Air (2022)
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The Apple iPad Air (2022) took the crown as the tablet of the year for the Pocket-lint Awards 2022, but it had some very tough competition, including from Apple's own portfolio. The iPad Air (2022) and its M1 chip is an exceptional tablet though, delivering the goods where it needs to in terms of design, performance and connectivity.
Not much might have changed in what it looks like compared to the 2020 model, but under its hood, the iPad Air (2022) - and its plethora of accessories - means this year's model will last you considerably longer than your last iPad when it comes to running those ever-increasing power-hungry apps and it looks fabulous while doing it.
Highly Commended: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
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Taking Highly Commended at the 2022 Pocket-lint Awards for best tablet / 2-in-1 device is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, and it's very much deserved. The huge slab moves boldly into unknown territory with its massive screen size and what a glorious screen it is.
Whether or not the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra works for you very much depends on how you envisage yourself using it. If you see yourself using a tablet to create - whether it be digital artwork, video editing or writing - the big screen and optional stylus make the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra a very compelling canvas for those kinds of tasks.
The best of the rest
While Apple might have taken the top spot for its Apple iPad Air, there was another tablet from the company on the very accomplished shortlist and that came in the form of the Apple iPad (10th generation). This model borrows from the iPad Air in terms of design and while it drops the power down, it is a brilliant tablet that delivers great performance.
Elsewhere, the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro is a great - and cheaper - alternative to an iPad Pro 12.9 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+, while like Apple, Amazon also had two brilliant devices on this shortlist. The Amazon Fire 7 (2022) remains one the cheapest tablets on the market, giving access to entertainment like movies, browsing and games for a low cost, while the Amazon Fire HD 8 does the same but in a slightly bigger format.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Google has today rolled out a slew of new features for Pixel phones and the Pixel Watch including free VPN access, sleep tracking, and more and most of them are free.
Google often adds new features to its devices via software updates and this latest round of releases includes improvements across all of Google's latest Pixel devices, including the Pixel Watch.
Starting with the watch, Google has brought Fitbit Sleep Profile to Pixel Watch. The company says that people will be able to learn more about their sleep thanks to the way the Fitbit Premium feature looks at 10 different aspects including duration, disruption, and more. Once the calculations are done your sleep patterns will be depicted as one of six sleep animals. Users need to wear their Pixel Watch at least 14 nights per month to ensure that they get a special report on the first day of each month, too.
Over on the Pixel phones, the recently released Pixel 7 and 7 Pro now include VPN by Google One at no extra cost, which is always good. The VPN can be used to make sure your data stays safe when using public Wi-Fi systems at coffee shops and airports, for example.
Other security improvements include a new, unified Security & Privacy settings section that puts "security and privacy settings, risk levels, and other information all in one place", making it easier to keep everything up to date and ensure your data remains secure.
But wait, there's more. Clear Calling for Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro enhances your caller’s voice and reduces their background noise for those times when hearing what they're saying is more difficult than it should be. The Pixel Recorder app will also now transcribe what's being said and labels each speaker as it goes, too.
Wrapping things up, Google has also added new ways to customise both the Pixel phones and the Pixel Watch including new wallpapers and more.
There's plenty going on with these changes and you can learn more about what Google has shared today in a dedicated blog post, too. There's more to be had if you dig deep enough, including support for digital car keys and improvements to Live Translate.
The car category of the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been exclusively electric for the past couple of years. This emerging category of car has seen more launches than ever before, making this a category that gets more and more difficult.
There's greater diversity in the offering, with more models at more prices, from a wider number of brands.
That made the selection even more challenging in 2022.
Car of the year: Kia EV6
That the Kia EV6 won in 2022 should come as no surprise: this is a car that has won many awards and it's easy to see why.
Kia has offered good value for money for a number of years, but in recent times a refreshed focus on design has lead to some great results.
Sitting on the same platform as the 2021 winner - the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - the Kia EV6 offers great range and performance, especially on the GT model, with comfort, practicality and great spec thrown in.
Highly Commended: Mercedes-Benz EQE
Mercedes has begun its electrification journey with gousto, loading the EQE with enough luxury and refinement to make it stand out. Innovation comes from the Hyperscreen (although it's an additional cost) with a user interface that's sophisticated and easy to use.
But great looks to the outside and great comfort to the inside bring the refinement you expect from Mercedes. It does come at a cost, however.
The best of the rest
While Kia took the top spot with the EV6, there's a sibling car on the list in the form of the Genesis GV60. Sitting on the same platform, it has many of the same benefits, but it is a little more expensive. The Nissan Ariya offers a larger size electric SUV which is very clever and refined, while the BMW iX takes electric SUVs into the future. For those looking for something smaller, the Cupra Born offers more affordability and a compact size, without sacrificing Cupra's sporty heritage.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Each year for the EE Pocket-lint Awards, we assess the categories of the year before and decide if we need to adjust them in order to best represent the market and the devices we have reviewed over the last 12 months. For 2022, there was one change we implented compared to the 2021 Pocket-lint Awards, which was to change the Best Fitness Tracker category to Best Fitness Device.
We did this because fitness trackers aren't the only things that should be commended for helping people to achieve their fitness goals, with machines like Peloton and Hydrow also delivering their weight in gold in this area.
There are some incredible fitness devices out there, all of which help to motivate, encourage and guide you towards your goals, whatever those goals may be. Only one can be crowned winner of the Best Fitness Device category, but all the nominations this year are exceptional.
Fitness device of the year: Garmin Forerunner 955
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The superb Garmin Forerunner 955 ticks almost every box we look for in a premium running watch, which is one of the reasons it was awarded the fitness device of the year by us and our elite team of judges.
Not only does Garmin deliver significant improvements to the design in the Forerunner 955, but it also expertly implements new features like HRV Status and Training Readiness into an already-comprehensive tracking experience. It's a brilliant fitness device and one well worthy of its title.
Highly Commended: Peloton Bike+
The Peloton Bike+ may have been pipped to the top spot by Garmin, but it was a very close call which would take the crown. The Peloton Bike+ gets 2022's Highly Commended Fitness Device, coming in a very close second. There are some things in life that are difficult to understand or appreciate until you've experienced them first hand. Peloton is one such thing.
It's very easy to question why people spend the - let's be real - obscene amount of money the Peloton Bike and Bike+ cost, not just for the spin bikes themselves, but for the monthly membership they then require. However, having experienced the Peloton Bike+ for several months, we completely get it. We unequivocally understand why Peloton has the user base it has and why, despite the Bike+ costing a lot more than many other exercise bikes out there, it delivers above and beyond what many competitors offer, and why it was awarded Highly Commended this year.
The best of the rest
While the Garmin Forerunner 955 may have been crowned the winner and the Peloton Bike+ Highly Commended, the rest of the shortlist was made up of some truly brilliant devices. You often hear the phrase "the Swiss Army knife of X" referring to a product that does lots of things really well - and the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar definitely fits that description. Meanwhile, the Fitbit Sense 2 tracks activity accurately, offers excellent sleep tracking and has a range of health features like superb stress tracking, putting it in a world of its own.
The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is an affordable outdoor smartwatch, that has that all-important rugged build quality of a watch that can withstand some carnage - while also having the software smarts to make it useful on an adventure. Last but by no means least, the Withings ScanWatch Horizon is super-premium to wear, looks as good as anything on the market, and brings superb tracking to the table, making it a great proposition on its own two feet.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
It won't be long before budget-conscious buyers can get their hands on the non-pro version of the Mini 3 drone with some units already on shelves.
The drone has already been teased for a 9 December release but it hasn't been 100 per cent confirmed by DJI so far. Except, some people in the United States have already started to spot the drone in local stores carrying a price of $859.99 for the Fly More combo.
That would definitely suggest that a release is just around the corner and it looks increasingly unlikely there will be any big unveiling. Rather, it now seems likely that DJI will simply drop this thing via press release.
So, it will be 860 dollars for the fly more combo in the US. Release imminent. Maybe not even a release presentation. https://t.co/okOqNeKaQo
— Jasper Ellens - 27 Leaks (@JasperEllens) December 3, 2022
While there's no denying that $860 isn't cheap, it's still a better proposition for many when compared with the $1,098 that drone lovers have to spend to get into the Mini 3 Pro Fly More combo, to be sure.
That Fly More combo means that buyers of the Mini 3 will get three batteries, but there are features missing from the Mini 3 Pro as you'd expect. It appears there are no front-facing obstacle sensors, and the 6.2-mile (10km) range is less impressive than the 7.4 miles (12km) that the big boy Pro can muster.
With DJI expected to announce this thing officially in just a few days, we can expect to learn much more about what it can and can't do soon enough.
Oppo's upcoming Find N2 Flip has leaked in a couple of different ways, giving us a video and render to drool over ahead of a future release.
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is expected to be announced in 2023 but we don't need to wait that long to get a look at it. A leaked video posted to Chinese social network Weibo shows the phone in all its glory, while a second gives us an even better look at the phone's hinge design. Both videos show a stunner of a phone, complete with a large outer screen.
That external display is expected to measure around 3.26 inches, while the internal one will weigh in at around 6.8-inches if the rumours are to be believed.
Oppo Find N2 flip. pic.twitter.com/QgBCHtJ9rY
— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) December 3, 2022
What appears to be a press render has also leaked, showing the Find N2 Flip in a fetching white colour with that huge cover screen front and centre. That screen also has a pair of cameras beside it, suggesting standard and ultrawide capabilities.
As for other specifications, we're told to expect a MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip to be paired with up to 12GB of RAM. Another leak points to Oppo giving the Find N2 Flip a 4,300mAh battery as well as 44W fast charging to help juice it up as quickly as possible.
That's a lot to look forward to, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Here's hoping for more news soon.
Twitter CEO and owner Elon Musk says that Apple has now "fully resumed" its advertising on the social network after a meeting with the company's CEO, Tim Cook.
The meeting between Cook and Musk at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California came after the Twitter CEO accused the iPhone maker of hating "free speech". He also shared the news that Apple had mostly stopped advertising on Twitter amid growing concerns surrounding the types of content appearing on it. Now, it seems things are back on track.
Musk was speaking during a Twitter Spaces conversation in which he also confirmed that Apple was Twitter's largest advertiser. While Musk says that Apple has resumed its Twitter ads, it isn't clear if that is to the same extent as before, however.
Apple isn't the only advertiser to have been spooked by Twitter's new direction, but its position as the company's biggest advertiser made it particularly important. Advertisers have expressed concerns that Musk's reinstatement of previously banned accounts and "free speech" rhetoric could lead to their brands being placed alongside hate speech.
Prior to Musk's meeting with Cook he had also suggested that Apple had threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store. However, it now sounds like that was what Musk called a "misunderstanding" with the removal of Twitter now seemingly unlikely. Google had also reportedly considered Twitter's place on the Google Play Store, but it was Apple that Musk singled out.
In-ear headphones are a category that most people have a stake in. Whether you use them in the gym, for travel, commuting or just prefer them to chunkier over ears for casual listening, they're a small and convenient form factor for getting music into your ears.
They're getting ever smarter too, with noise cancellation, waterproofing and all manner of sensors built in - whether that's to understand your heart rate and step count, or even how they're sitting in your ear canal, so they can adjusting their sound to suit.
Whittling down our shortlist for the EE Pocket-lint Awards was no mean feat, and we were spoilt for choice, with lots of talented buds to choose from. But the winner is...
In-Ear Headphones of the Year: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
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In the Momentum True Wireless 3, Sennheiser provided a masterclass in how to make an already great product even better. But not only do they offer a clear step up from their predecessors, with lots of small improvements to their design, sound and ANC, they're also cheaper now too.
Ultimately, for anyone looking for a pair of reliable in-ears that sound as good as they look, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are the best we've heard this year.
Highly Commended: Apple AirPods Pro 2
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The Apple AirPods Pro 2 were our pick for Highly Commended this year, for everything they deliver for those with an iPhone. While how seamlessly they work with iPhones is always a clear reason to recommend them, their improved noise cancellation, new charging case features and sound quality improvements also make these the best AirPods yet.
The best of the rest
While the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 won the judges votes for the top spot, with a highly commended nod for Apple's AirPods Pro 2, the rest of the shortlist showed just how strong the selection was in 2022.
From the great value Sony Linkbuds S, which offer a lot of what we loved about last year's winners - the Sony WF-1000XM4 - in a more affordable package, to the refinement from the audiophile-pleasing Shure Aonic Free, we really were spoilt for choice.
Elsewhere, Astell & Kern's UW100 might not have active noise cancellation, but their audio performance and passive abilities more than made up for that, while we loved how versatile the Philips Fidelio T1 were with every genre we threw at them. A very talented shortlist indeed.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn't all that old but attention is turning to what will replace it - and we're told the Z Flip 5 could sport big changes.
The Z Flip 5 will, according to a new report, see Samsung add a much larger cover screen than the Galaxy Z Flip 4's existing 1.9-inch affair. In fact, display analyst Ross Young expects the size of the screen to increase pretty dramatically, saying that it could be larger than three inches.
As I told my Super Followers yesterday, there are a couple of important changes coming to the Z Flip 5... pic.twitter.com/rEcD2DvaWw
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 1, 2022
While Young either doesn't know or is unwilling to say exactly how large that screen will be, anything around the three-inch mark will be a notable improvement. The cover screen is what most people use to check the time and notifications, but by making it larger Samsung could open the door to better use cases while providing more space for content.
A larger cover screen isn't the only change that Samsung is set to make, according to Young at least. He also believes that Samsung is set to use "a different hinge design which could reduce the visibility of the seam" which would be a big deal indeed. While foldable phones have done a better job of hiding that seam in recent years, it's still very visible. Samsung's ability to reduce that would be a big improvement if this report comes to fruition.
We're likely to have to wait a good long while before we know whether that's the case or not, however. Samsung is unlikely to announce the Z Flip 5 until around August 2023, meaning there is plenty of time for it to work on whatever it has cooking over there.
If you're looking for a device to stream content on your television then there are a number of different options out there.
We've been testing and reviewing the very best streaming devices over the last 12 months and have whittled down the best we've tried for the EE Pocket-lint Awards.
These are the top entertainment streaming boxes and dongles to access video and audio content through. We put together a list of our favourites and then these were considered by a panel of elite judges to select the winners.
Best streaming device: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
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Amazon's Fire TV line-up has been a great way to stream content for years.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of the latest iterations and is not to be confused with the Fire TV Stick 4K as it's the very best of Amazon's devices.
With specs and features that include Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Atmos support and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities too it's a serious piece of kit for streaming your favourite content.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max was selected as the winner of the best streaming device for this year's awards and it's well worth considering as your next purchase.
Highly Commended: Sky Stream
Sky Stream is a small device that boasts everything that Sky TV has on offer but without all the hassle of the satellite dish. This little box of tricks gives you everything you'd experience from Sky TV but over your internet connection. You need a good broadband connection in order to use it but it's a great alternative to Sky Glass and Sky Q too.
Sky Stream also has a rolling contract option so you don't need to be tied into long contracts. It's also packed full of apps along with access to all manner of Sky and terrestrial television options, so there's no end of content to watch.
For all these reasons and more, Sky Stream was chosen as our Highly Commended option for this year's awards.
The best of the rest
Our favourite devices from the last year have included more than just the winner and highly commended devices. There are a number of other streaming devices that are worth considering.
The Apple TV 4K was one of our choices for the shortlist as it's a great option for anyone already ingrained in the Apple ecosystem. This is not a cheap device, but it does deliver a great user experience and good performance to boot.
Chromecast with Google TV is a great alternative to Amazon's Fire TV Sticks. This Chromecast is a complete offering with all sorts of highlights including 4K HDR support, Google Assistant integration and a user-friendly design too.
On the more affordable end, there's the Roku Express 4K, which has great features at a surprisingly good price. It offers things like AirPlay and Google Cast, plus a broad selection of services and 4K HDR all for less. Another great streaming device and certainly one to consider.
As an alternative, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K offers both 4K and Dolby Vision visuals along with access to all the usual streaming services. It also has both AirPlay and Spotify Connect, so plenty of streaming capabilities.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Apple's iPhone lineup already has some competition from the Nothing Phone (1) but it's aimed at the budget end of the market - that's about to change.
Competing with the budget iPhone SE is one thing, but Nothing's Carl Pei says that the next step is to compete with Apple at the top end of its market. A flagship phone could be on the way and, importantly, Pei says that Nothing is ready to take it to Apple's front doorstep. Nothing is ready to sell a phone in the United States.
"Now we are in discussions with some carriers in the U.S. to potentially launch a future product there", said OnePlus co-founder told CNBC in an interview.
The Nothing Phone (1) isn't available in the United States with Pei pointing to the complications that local carriers add to proceedings. However, he now thinks that OnePlus is ready to dip its toes into that market, and going up against Apple is on the agenda. If it doesn't happen now, Pei thinks it will be increasingly difficult for Nothing and other companies to compete.
“There might be a time where Apple is like 80% of the overall market and that just does not leave enough space for Android-based manufacturers to keep playing,” Pei is reported as saying. Whether Nothing can truly compete with Apple remains to be seen, but more competition is always a good thing for a market that at various times has felt like being sewn up by Apple and Samsung.
Google's Pixel line has become a go-to for many people and the Android maker has finally started to up its game in terms of quality and advertising. But with so many huge Android OEMs fading into obscurity, all eyes will be on Nothing to see if it can avoid doing the same.
Apple is expected to announce its first AR/VR headset in 2023 but the software that will power it has reportedly had a change of name.
The AR/VR headset will be Apple's first entry into the market that is currently dominated by Meta and the Quest 2. Now, Bloomberg's well-connected Mark Gurman reports that the software that will power the headset will no longer be called realityOS as was first thought. According to him, Apple is now calling it xrOS internally, although it isn't clear yet whether that's what the software will be called when marketing the product.
Gurman says that the XR "stands for extended reality, a term that encompasses both augmented and virtual reality", with Apple seemingly keen to make people aware that the headset will handle both. The headset is thought to offer augmented reality capabilities like overlaying information on a user's surroundings alongside traditional virtual reality capabilities - the sort that would be useful for watching content, playing games, and using productivity apps.
The headset itself is expected to be expensive, costing upwards of $2,000. That money will get you a device with more than a dozen cameras for motion tracking as well as Mac-like Apple-designed processing chips. Ultra-high resolution displays will make sure that everything will look great, we're told, while iris recognition capabilities will also mean people can share a single headset and have their settings and apps appear whenever they wear it.
Smartwatches have come on a long way since they first arrived on the scene, with some fabulous options now available that really push these wrist-worn gadgets to their limits.
Apple released three models this year alone, Samsung produced two models and Google finally joined the smartwatch party after years of rumours. It's a category with some serious competition in the EE Pocket-lint Awards, and one that has seriously developed over the years.
We've seen some great features introduced, improvements to battery life, faster charging and fabulous and premium designs.
Smartwatch of the year: Apple Watch Series 8
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The Apple Watch Series 8 is an exceptional smartwatch and 2022's very worthy winner of best smartwatch. The design hasn't changed since the Series 7, but it adds some great new features and capabilities, including a body temperature sensor.
Only iPhone users can take advantage of this device, but it offers a fabulous build quality, a rich and plentiful feature set and it works in perfect harmony with your phone, which is exactly what a smartwatch should do.
Highly Commended: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro might have been beaten to the top spot by Apple for 2022's best smartwatch, but this is still a fantastic option, especially when you consider its sterling battery life.
This time it's only Android users that can take advantage of it, but it delivers an excellent design, it's durable and there's a very strong feature set with some fabulous fitness tracking options.
The best of the rest
While Apple may have taken the top prize with the Series 8, and Samsung may have come a close second with the Watch 5 Pro, let's not forget about the rest of the shortlisted nominees, all of whom were truly excellent this year. The Apple Watch SE (2022) deserves a shout out for offering a great entry point into the Apple Watch, while the Google Pixel Watch is a stellar smartwatch overall with a great offering and software experience. The standard Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 also deserves a mention for its lovely design and battery life, while the Garmin Epix 2 finds the right balance between offering a bright, colourful display and maintaining strong battery life.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
Headphones is a category that is never quiet, and if you're on the look out for a new pair of cans, there is always a variety of brands, styles and prices to choose from. This year was no different, and our shortlist was made up of a who's who of the best audio brands in the world.
From Sennheiser and Sony, B&W to Beyerdynamic - the EE Pocket-lint Awards judges were spoilt with some superb choices to bestow the honour of Headphones of the Year upon, but even so, there was a clear winner all the same.
Headphones of the Year: Sony WH-1000XM5
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This headphones line from Sony must be among the most decorated in headphone history, and the WH-1000XM5 is another stunning example of how to bring comfort, a fresh new design and stellar performance together in one product.
It makes for a great combination. Whether you're a regular traveller and want to cut out all that background noise, or if you just want to lose yourself in your music while walking to work or school, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are a superb sonic companion. A hugely deserving winner of Headphones of the Year 2022.
Highly Commended: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
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While the winner this year was clear, it was also clear as to who was coming in a close second in the judges estimations.
These Px7 S2 don't just improve on their predecessors, they better them in almost every area. Audio performance is authoritative and insightful, noise cancellation is enhanced and the design has been made even more comfortable.
That results in a premium headset that justifies its more premium price tag.
The best of the rest
So, the Sony WH-1000XM5 picks up this year's top gong with B&W Px7 S2 coming in second place, but how did the rest of the shortlist fare? The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless impressed us with their great sound and improved feature list but reduced price, while Master & Dynamic's MW75 grabbed our attention with their bold sound and super-premium design.
The Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X studio cans might not have ANC like the rest of those in the running, but they made the shortlist for their superb sound and comfort alone, while Final UX3000 deliver excellent value from a premium audio brand - a terrific-sounding pair of headphones for the money.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.
The Denon DHT-S517 caught our eye as an affordable soundbar option for those wanting to experience Dolby Atmos at home.
It's a fairly unassuming-looking soundbar with a separate wireless subwoofer, and at its price point, it finds itself in a very crowded corner of the market.
However, few offer Dolby Atmos at this price, and that could mean it's a bit of a winner. We put it to the test to see if that is indeed the case, or if corners were cut elsewhere. Here's what we learned.
Design
- Dimensions: 1050 x 60 x 95 mm
- Wireless subwoofer
- Keyhole wall mounting
At just over a metre in length, this is a fairly sizeable soundbar. However, we tested it with a modest 42-inch TV and didn't find that it looked silly or out of place. It's probably best suited to TVs around 50-inches and above, where the dimensions will be more complimentary.
The 'bar has a dark grey fabric covering on the front, which extends over about half of the top panel. The rest of the shell is made from sturdy-feeling black plastic, and there are cutouts on the top panel to allow the upward-firing Atmos drivers to do their thing.
There's a central control panel on the top with five circular buttons. These allow you to control the power, input, Bluetooth and volume. It's refreshingly simple, which is a theme that extends across most of our experience with this product. There's nothing complicated about the design or functionality of the DHT-S517, it's just built to plug in and sound good.
It's about 6cm tall, so it's unlikely to block the screen or infrared receiver on most stand-mounted TVs. There's no repeater, though, so you might want to measure if you're considering picking one up. If you're wall mounting, there are simple keyhole mounts on the rear that should make installation fairly hassle-free.
The subwoofer has the same fabric-fronted aesthetic, only swapping the plastic housing for MDF. It has four rubberised feet to keep it planted in place and sizable porting on the rear. Since it's wireless, it only needs to be placed near a plug socket, and you can house it wherever you see fit.
When turned on, the soundbar has a series of LEDs on the front panel to indicate which mode it's in, along with displaying volume information. It's better than nothing, but it's not always immediately obvious what the soundbar is trying to tell you.
We realise this is a bit nit-picky, but the LED array is also off-centre, and we think it'd look better in the middle or further to one of the sides. It's likely that the speaker placement prevents this, though, so it's an understandable decision. The option to turn the LEDs off entirely would have been a nice feature to have, too.
Connectivity and features
- HDMI ARC and pass-through
- Optical, 3.5mm mini jack and Bluetooth 5.0
- Infrared remote
The Denon DHT-S517 foregoes any fancy Wi-Fi-enabled features, instead opting for the classic wired connections along with Bluetooth. That said, there are enough options here that you'll be unlikely to struggle with hooking up almost any source you could wish for.
There's an HDMI passthrough, along with HDMI eARC support, which means that the vast majority of TVs are covered. You'll likely want to stick with these connections to get the most from the soundbar.
However, if needed, you can use an optical cable instead - this will still allow Dolby Atmos signals to be decoded, so long as the source is using the more compressed Dolby Digital Plus container. Then, there's also a 3.5mm mini jack, which will allow you to connect to just about anything.
Bluetooth 5.0 makes it very easy to stream music from your smartphone, and we found the connection to be pretty solid. However, throughout most of our testing, we chose to stream music through our Chromecast with Google TV to ensure the best fidelity.
There's a small infrared remote included which covers all of the soundbar's functions. It has a seamless rubberised coating on the top panel, which feels nice, but picks up dust quite quickly - so it can be hard to keep it looking presentable.
The soundbar also supports CEC, so you can control the volume with your TV's remote, this is very convenient and also keeps things simple for the less tech-savvy family members.
Performance
- 2x 0.9in tweeters, 2x 3.4in mid-range drivers, 1x 0.9in full-range driver
- Modes: Music, Movie, Night, Pure, Dialogue Enhancer (3 levels)
- 5.9-inch forward firing sub with ported cabinet
When it comes to TV and movie viewing, we were immediately struck by the vocal clarity offered by the DHT-S517. The dedicated centre channel does a wonderful job of bringing dialogue to the foreground, and this is supported by three levels of dialogue enhancement, should you still struggle to hear what's going on. These modes work quite effectively, but we found that the soundbar did an excellent job without the need for enhancement, so we had it turned off most of the time.
We could have used some more impact from the subwoofer, though. Watching some aerial battles in Guardians of the Galaxy left us craving some more rumble. That's not to say there's no bass, it's still miles better than anything a TV speaker could produce - but those seeking low-end that you can really feel will want to look elsewhere.
The soundbar has excellent staging and produces a wide soundscape that feels as if it should come from something larger. There's no real feeling of surround sound, though, and no option to add rear channels if you wanted to upgrade in the future.
It's a similar story with the Dolby Atmos effect. The upward-firing drivers do make a difference, and sound appears to extend above the TV, but never from above you, as you might hope. It's kind of like Diet Atmos, it's not quite the full-fat experience you might be looking for, but it's still tastier than water.
Musical performance is fairly strong, and again the clarity of the vocals is a highlight. There's some nice stereo imaging, no doubt thanks to the soundbar's physical width, and this makes the music feel immersive and inviting.
Unfortunately, it's again the subwoofer that lets the team down. The low frequencies come across as uncontrolled and lacking liveliness. There's not much that can be done to adjust this, either, the only option is to turn the bass up or down on the remote.
The trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix docuseries is here.
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce content through their production studio Archewell. The agreement included documentaries, movies, scripted shows, children's content - and even a docuseries starring the Sussexes themselves. On 1 December, Netflix finally released a trailer for the upcoming series, simply titled Harry and Meghan.
Harry and Meghan: What to know
Harry and Meghan is an upcoming six-part documentary series about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. According to Page Six, Netflix has been working on the project for some time, filming the couple in their Montecito home and on their September 2021 trip to New York City.
The studio hadn't confirmed it was working on a docuseries until it released a trailer in December 2022. When asked why they made the reality show, Harry says in the trailer: "No one sees what's happening behind closed doors. I had to do everything I could to protect my family." Meghan then adds: "When the stakes are this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us?"
Here is how Netflix described Harry and Meghan in its press statement:
"At its core, their relationship looks like many others: They met, had a whirlwind romance, fell in love, got married, had children, and built a life based on shared values and mutual support of each other’s work and ambitions. But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no ordinary couple. Theirs is one of the most high-profile love stories in history, and even the most plugged-in fans and followers of their story have never heard it told like this before.
Harry and Meghan is an unprecedented six-part documentary series that explores the span of their relationship, from the early days of the couple's courtship to the challenges and controversies that prompted them to step back from the royal family. The series includes interviews with family and friends who’ve never spoken publicly about the couple’s relationship before, as well as historians and journalists who dissect how media influenced Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family and the Commonwealth at large."
Harry and Meghan: Release date
According to People, Harry and Megan will be available to stream sometime in December 2022 - although this hasn't been confirmed by Netflix. Page Six reported the docuseries will release on 8 December, but this date is not official yet.
Harry and Meghan: Where to watch
The new series will stream exclusively on Netflix. It's part of the Sussexes multi-year deal with Netflix in which their production company, Archewell Productions, will produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows, and children's programming.
Harry and Meghan: Cast and crew
Harry and Meghan will heavily showcase Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, naturally. But the series includes commentary from close friends and family members, many of whom have never spoken publicly about what they saw or heard, and from historians on the royal family's relationship with the media. The docuseries is directed by Academy Award–nominated and Emmy-winning director Liz Garbus.
In an interview with Variety, Meghan spoke bout working with Garbus, director of 2012’s Love, Marilyn: "It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story -a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired - even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it," she says. "But that’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens."
Executive producers include Erica Sashin, Mark Monroe, Dan Cogan, Ben Browning, Chanel Pysnik, Jon Bardin, and Mala Chapple.
Harry and Meghan: Trailers
There is only one trailer so far for Harry and Meghan. The one-minute clip features never-before-seen imagery of the ex-royals, including photos from the couple's wedding reception and from Meghan's pregnancies. The trailer also shows Harry and Meghan in confessionals. Over a still of Meghan crying into her hands, we hear Harry say, "No one sees what's happening behind closed doors."
Across six episodes, the series will explore Prince Harry and Meghan's relationship and what led to their exit from the royal family.
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You've probably seen some amusing signs in your time, these ones though are special in all sorts of ways.People have been taking to Reddit, Twitter and
Now that we're coming up to the end of the year, it might be time to start thinking of that new year's resolution for next. And, what better commitment
Do you miss your Palm Pilot or, even worse, are too young to have used one? Panic not, because the Internet Archive just emulated it in your browser.The
Samsung's powerful and intelligent robot vacuum cleaner system is currently discounted for Cyber Monday with $400 knocked off the usual price. The Jet
Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk claims that signups for the social network are at an all-time high despite ongoing concern over its future.Musk's first
Sony's OLED TVs are some of the very best on the market, and Sony has just stumped up a really impressive deal on one for Cyber Monday 2022.It's slashed
The Corsair K65 RGB Mini is an excellent 60% keyboard with glorious RGB lighting and a brilliant design. It's now discounted for Black Friday and Cyber
Good things come to those who wait. We've been scouring for amazing deals on Game of the Year nominee Elden Ring all Black Friday, to no avail. However,
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are a great time to save a bit of money on all sorts of clever gadgets - the Tile trackers included.These tags
SteelSeries Arctis range includes some great headsets for use on PC and consoles. The Arctis 7+ is one such headset and it's now heavily discounted for
To listen to music on any iPhone since the age-old iPhone 7, you either need a pair of Bluetooth headphones, a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter (no longer included
The latest Pokémon generation takes another step forward, but its performance issues are unacceptable and serve to highlight that it's lagging behind
Apple offers several AirPods within its portfolio. The AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) are the most recent, announced in September 2022, and they succeed
Fitbit refreshed its portfolio with the launch of the Inspire 3 fitness tracker, and the Sense 2 and Versa 4 smartwatches. We've got a separate feature
Google announced the Pixel 6a during its I/O developer conference on 11 May, following in the footsteps of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that launched in October
Nintendo released a third member of the Switch console family in late 2021 - the Nintendo Switch (OLED model), with an upgraded display and a new dock.However,
For its summer Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung lifted the lid on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, launching them alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy
We didn't get the normal ebike buzz while riding the Como. With the highest level of assist it does have some zip, but that trades off your battery
Gifts make the holidays special. And what better gift than an appliance that will make the other person’s home and life more efficient and fun? If you’re
Roborock, the leading manufacturer of robotic vacuum cleaners, is offering amazing deals on its products for Cyber Monday. Roborock's products are known
Google offers the Nest Hub Max and second generation Nest Hub, as the two devices within its smart display portfolio. The second generation Nest Hub succeeds
In late 2021, Nintendo added a new Switch model to its lineup - one with a larger display and a few tweaks over its existing console.But what exactly does
Keeping safe and secure online has never been easier thanks to the help of tools like PureVPN. Made to enhance your digital privacy without getting in
With Black Friday right around the corner, companies are competing for customers with incredible deals. Tineco is one of them. This manufacturer of smart
Black Friday brings out the best deals for pretty much all types of products, but we’re particularly excited about the prices we’ve seen for Wondershare’s
It's Black Friday and there are plenty of deals to be had, including some amazing discounts on Philips Hue lighting.Bulbs, spotlights and outdoors lighting
Black Friday is finally here, and it brings with it some of the best shopping deals that we've seen so far. But this one for LG's entry-level OLED really
The EE Pocket-lint Awards 2022 will celebrate 20 categories from best game and best camera, to best flagship phone and best fitness device. Each of the
These Asus ZenBook Duo 14 laptops are great for productivity with two screens and the processing power to get the job done. They're now more affordable
The Asus ZenBook Duo is a wildly unique laptop with a secondary display nestled above its keyboard.The idea is that you get extra screen real-estate for
Woot is offering a massive discount on gaming devices and accessories in its Video Gaming Galore Event. You can get your hands on a Nintendo Switch for
Amazon's awesome-sounding Echo Studio has a price reduction for Black Friday, meaning you can get your hands on Amazon's most capable speaker for a more
Roborock is one of the leading manufacturers of robot vacuums, and its products are highly sought-after for their quality and performance. This Black Friday,
The EE Pocket-lint Awards shortlist has been announced, as the Awards prepare to celebrate products across 20 main categories from smartphones and tablets
Amid rumours that Apple will ditch physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro, a report adds further fuel to the fire thanks to supplier comments.Rumours of
After many, many leaks and teases, Oppo has finally taken the wraps off the entire Reno 9 lineup, with three new phones now officially official.The three
If you've been looking for an excuse to buy a fast refresh rate gaming monitor or an extra 27-inch panel for your gaming space, then look no further than
The Shortlist nominees for the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been announced, celebrating the best devices across a number of categories including smartphones,
Tesla is now allowing everyone in North America to sign up for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta, no matter what their safety score might be.Before today
The Black Friday sales bring with them lots of anticipation - especially in the buoyant smartwatch market, where plenty of people are keen to buy a watch
Valve's reportedly getting ready to move on to a future VR headset with development also underway on improved controllers according to a patent.The patent
We thoroughly approved of NZXT's first entry into the keyboard space and those keyboards are now even better thanks to these Black Friday discounts. The
Gamers picking up Callisto Protocol on 2 December won't have access to all of the game's death animations with paid-for DLC adding new ones later.While
Gotham Knights has only been out for a few weeks, albeit in a release window that has seen some absolutely huge games launch alongside it.However, Warner
It's Black Friday week and that means a whole ton of deals on tech and games. That also includes some products and titles that have only recently released,
Jabra has entered the Black Friday game, settling live a bunch of deals on some of its most popular wireless earbuds - these make for some very desirable
The EE Pocket-lint Awards celebrate 20 categories ranging from best game and best smartwatch, to best camera and best smartphone - and the Shortlist
Google Messages appears to be testing a change that will allow users to react to messages using any emoji they want, rather than just a handful.The Google
In the Nest Wifi Pro system, Google has presented a fuss-free way to upgrade your home network to Wi-Fi 6E and tri-band - one that will boost your
There are many great gaming deals available this Black Friday, but for those who have desperately sought stock of the PlayStation 5 since launch, Walmart
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet haven't been out long but they're smashing records in terms of sales for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.To find out more
If you're planning to hunt down a Fitbit deal for Black Friday, you're in the right place. Whether you're after one of the company's fitness trackers or
Looking for an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to light up your winter? Look no further than Jackery, one of the leading providers of cutting-edge
Netflix has already dipped its toe into the world of gaming on mobile and via its TV app, but it's now ready to progress to a triple-A PC game.The company,
The EE Pocket-lint Awards shortlist has been announced celebrating the best products and devices across 20 categories spanning smartphones and tablets,
If you're looking to take the smartwatch plunge and the Apple Watch is the model you've decided is the best one for you and your iPhone, there's no better
HBO Max subscribers with an Apple TV 4K who have found that they can't actually stream content can look forward to a fix, thankfully.A number of people
Mercedes-Benz is now charging a subscription that unlocks the full power of some EVs, with the EQE and EQS two examples gaining a $1,200 annual fee.The
The current generation of consoles might have elevated gaming to a new level, but thanks to Microsoft's decision to make the Xbox Series X and S part of
Microsoft's attempted buyout of Activision Blizzard is expected to be blocked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to a report.The Xbox owner
Acer's Predator Helios 300 is a punchy gaming laptop with serious specs and now it's available with cash off for Black Friday.Usually, this sort of gaming
The EE Pocket-lint Awards are almost upon us, where we celebrate the best devices, services and products from the last 12 months. There are 20 main categories
As part of its Black Friday sales, Amazon UK is offering amazing savings on the 512GB, 1TB and 2TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S.The
If you believe that bigger is better, then you're bound to like the look of this LG UltraGear gaming monitor.It's a real whopper, but it's usually fairly
The OnePlus Buds Pro are a seriously good set of TWS earbuds, especially if you own a OnePlus phone.The problem is that at their launch price of $150,
Despite having only been on the market for a couple of months, the latest Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have been discounted just in time for Black Friday.
If nothing else, Microsoft's prospective acquisition of Activision is persistently unveiling interesting nuggets of information. The latest is that the
Apple's AirPods are excellent wireless headphones, offering some great convenience features for iOS users, like auto switching between devices, one-tap
The Shortlist for the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been announced, celebrating the best devices, services and products across 20 main categories, with each
November is here, so Aqara’s Black Friday deals are almost upon us! This year, the company offers some of the best discounts on its wide range of smart
The EarFun Uboom L impressed us earlier this year by offering a sound that's essentially unmatched in its price range.The biggest draw for this product
Over a year after it first went on sale, the PS5 got a feature that was revealed before it came out - the ability to take on an additional internal M.2
Black Friday may be just around the corner, but we’re here with an impressive Thanksgiving offer. Before the madness of Black Friday begins, Yeedi is
Activision has updated its Warzone 2 game with one of the strangest moves you're likely to see, nerfing armour piercing ammo so that it doesn't.Yes, you
CD Projekt Red, the company behind the popular The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has detailed the improvements coming to the next-gen update for the game.The update
Whenever you travel with your laptop, you end up sorely missing your home or office multi-screen setup. Thankfully, getting a portable monitor can solve
Google says that it has fixed a problem that saw some Nest Wifi Pro users complain of terrible download speeds and confirmed another speed test bug.The
There are several deals available for FIFA 23 this Black Friday, including discounts on the game itself and bundles with controllers, but if you already
Motorola has been noticeably improving the hardware on its Razr flip phone over the last few years, with each new version taking pretty major strides forward.The
The Black Friday sales are here, but your appetite for spending might be curtailed by the increasing cost of living. But there's a Black Friday deal that
SteelSeries produce some seriously awesome gaming peripherals and they're well worth every penny. Now they're even more appealing with Black Friday discounts.
The annual EE Pocket-lint Awards will celebrate 19 main categories from Best Flagship Phone and Best Game to Best Laptop and Best Speaker.To be nominated
The EE Pocket-lint Awards is fast approaching, and the shortlist for the 20 main categories - spanning smartwatches and cars to games and TVs - has now
The EE Pocket-lint Awards is in its 19th year, celebrating the nominations across 20 categories from the best flagship phone to the best speaker.All of
The EE Pocket-lint Awards Shortlist has been revealed, celebrating the nominations across 20 categories from smartphones and tablets to games and fitness
We all know reading is important, but even if you can't or don't fancy curling up with a good book, you can still get through your reading list with the
Smart home company Netatmo has various products available through Black Friday deals and we've detailed them for you below.These are products we've tried,
Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service currently has a brilliant offer that gives 3 months free - saving you £23.97 - but you have to be fast, as it only lasts
Putting together a holiday shopping list saves time and money. You can find great deals and discounts on some amazing products. A cordless vacuum cleaner
Amazon is offering 3 months of free Amazon Music Unlimited streaming in both the US, UK and Germany.After the 3 months expire you'll be switched onto a
If you're looking for a great deal on a new smartphone, you'll want to check out the Google Pixel 6a. For a limited time, you can save £100 on the purchase
There's no denying that the Samsung Odyssey Ark is something special. An absolutely massive monitor that is full of intrigue and features that include
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 first hit the shelves less than a month ago, but it's already discounted in the early Black Friday sales.Somehow, Best Buy
We're big fans of Samsung's Odyssey line-up of gaming monitors and the G5 is one monitor that's well worth your hard-earned cash.There are both 27-inch
Sennheiser's latest flagship wireless earbuds, the Momentum True Wireless 3, have been hit with a welcome price cut for Black Friday in the US and UK.You
If you are a serious gamer and want to add a significant amount of extra storage to your PC or console, Amazon and WD have a great selection of offers
The iPad Air is a superb tablet, and no mistake - it's got Apple's latest iPad design, making it all-screen, and power to spare.It's also picked up a welcome
Although iPhones are advanced devices, they’re sometimes plagued by low battery life. When your smartphone is about to die, you don’t necessarily have
Everyone enjoys a bit of nostalgia and if you often reminisce about the Xbox 360 you're going to love this 2005-inspired Xbox Series X/S controller.Accessory
HyperX is on to something here - finally, a set of earbuds that works with consoles and PCs as well as your phone, with sound quality that's genuinely
The Black Friday deals are coming thick and fast, with some great bargains already available. That includes discounts for Xbox Series X/S - on accessories,
The EE Pocket-lint Awards shortlist has been announced celebrating the best products and devices across 20 categories spanning smartphones and tablets,
If you enjoy a spot of virtual reality and are on the lookout for a great VR headset, then we've got a deal that shouldn't be missed! The HP Reverb G2
The Steam sales are a great way to blow your hard-earned cash on awesome games you've been mulling over purchasing for a while but have been putting off. The
Honor has officially unveiled its latest foldable phone, the Honor Magic Vs.It was announced during an event in China that also saw the launch of the Honor
The Shortlist for the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been announced, celebrating the nominations across 20 categories from smartphones and laptops to games
The rumoured Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 FE is set to pack a "great pen experience" according to one leaker, with the tablet making use of a Wacom digitiser.The
Fans of Motorola might have themselves a new phone to watch out for in 2023, codenamed Penang5G - and we've leaked renders to look at, too.The unannounced
Yubo is a live social discovery platform that lets you meet people by communicating with them in real time through live streams. While the platform has
The EE Pocket-lint Awards celebrates the best devices over the last 12 months across 20 categories, spanning games and laptops to cameras and speakers.The
Apple and Google are both being investigated by the UK over whether they wield too much control over apps and mobile web browsing.Apple in particular has
Apple's MacBook Air needs no introduction, it's been a longstanding go-to choice for anyone seeking power and portability.When Apple introduced the M1
The hotly anticipated hot-hatch Abarth 500e is here, and it promises to put plenty of smiles on the faces of those who get to drive it.The Abarth 500e
If you're after a compact gaming keyboard which is comfortable to type on, looks the part and offers hours and hours of battery life then look no further
Microsoft has told Sony that it can have a guarantee that the Call of Duty franchise will remain on the PlayStation platform for the next ten years.Whether
In an ideal world, there would be no need for battery packs. Yet, the reality is that battery life is still a pain point for many users, even those with
The TC Helicon GoXLR Mini is a superb device for streamers and content creators. It's an excellent audio interface and preamp for XLR mics, but also a
The Black Friday sales have started and there are plenty of mobile phone deals to go around - including on the Sony Xperia 5 IV.This compact flagship phone
The Shortlist for the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been announced, with nominees across 20 main categories, from phones and cameras to cars and games.The
The Black Friday sales are in full swing and there are some great discounts on Sonos speakers, including the excellent Sonos Roam.Though it is not currently
Apple Music is sadly lacking from the list of music streaming options afforded Tesla drivers, but that might be about to change as soon as next month.The
What's better than a robot vacuum cleaner than empties itself? A robot vacuum that empties itself and also has a massive discount. That's exactly the
Spotify has announced that more than 300,000 audiobooks are now available for Spotify users in the United Kingdom for the first time.The feature, which
The Shortlist for the EE Pocket-lint Awards has been announced, celebrating 20 main categories ranging from best smartphone to best smart home device.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a fantastic compact gaming laptop which has a surprising amount of power for its small frame.We thoroughly enjoyed this laptop
Which is the Sonos speaker for you? There are a few great entry-level Sonos options in the form of the excellent Sonos One, Sonos One SL and the now
Graphics cards have been notoriously expensive over the last few years, but they don't have to be.If you're shopping to build a budget gaming PC or to
One of our favourite ebike brands, Cowboy, has just set live an absolute stunner of a Black Friday deal, saving you £900 on one of its slick bikes.This
Black Adam is a DC Comics feature film adaptation starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the titular villain/antihero. Here is everything you need to know
Honda and Sony announced a joint venture in March with the aim to build future electric vehicles together. Now it seems their endeavours could include
The 19th annual EE Pocket-lint Awards, celebrates the best devices and products across 20 categories from smartphones to cameras.Each of the categories
The Nintendo Switch has its own, paid subscription service which is required for online play.However, not only does Nintendo Switch Online enable Switch
Nintendo will release the third wave of extra courses for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch on 7 December 2022.The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster
The EE Pocket-lint Awards shortlist has been announced celebrating the best products and devices across 20 categories spanning smartphones and tablets,
If you've recently gotten married or changed your name, then you have to go through the hassle of updating all your life documents and even socials. To
If your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro is completely frozen and you don't know what to do next, perhaps consider force-restarting your Apple laptop.
It's hard to digest the sheer amount of Black Friday deals going live, but here is one that you really should consider because it's a steal. Smart plugs
The Black Friday discounts have landed and the deals include many of Amazon's devices, including Ring.This discount on the Ring Video Doorbell will get
As part of the mega Black Friday savings on Amazon this week you can get a great discount on the standard or 'Core' Xbox Wireless Controller. Amazon has
The Corsair HS80 RGB wireless is one of our favourite gaming headsets and it's now a complete bargain for Black Friday. The Corsair premium gaming headset
Sony console fans rejoice, even though it's not quite Black Friday yet, there are already plenty of amazing savings on PlayStation accessories and games.There
The white model of the tiny but awesome Corsair K70 Pro Mini wireless is now available for its lowest price yet with 33% off the usual price tag.This is
The Black Friday deals are coming in thick and fast in the run up to the big day itself, and Samsung's incredible S95B is available at an incredible discount
The Razer Blade Pro 17 is a serious piece of kit. It has plenty of horsepower for the latest games along with top-notch build quality and design.It has
Roku is one of the most popular streaming platforms, offering a range of devices at a range of prices, while also keeping it simple and offering a user
The Black Friday sales have landed and we're starting to see some great offers coming through on phones - including some pretty massive deals on the Galaxy
Sony's Inzone gaming headset range only launched recently but there's already a deal to be had as part of the Black Friday sales.The wired Sony Izone H3
There are a number of discounts already popping up on Razer products. So if you're a gamer or are shopping for a gift for a gamer this Black Friday then
Apple's latest AirPods Pro haven't been on store shelves long, but we've already spotted a tasty discount on the newest members of Apple's earphone family. The
Gaming laptops are usually ridiculously expensive, packing in all sorts of tech to give you great graphics and high FPS, but costing the earth to do so.This
Sonic Frontiers has only been out for a couple of weeks, but Sega has already slapped a huge discount on its latest flagship game.The title is 50% off
It's only been out for a couple of months, but the Google Pixel Watch is already seeing its first discounts as part of Black Friday week in the US and
Ever since PlayStation unlocked the ability to upgrade a PS5's internal storage, we've been scouring the 'net for great deals on compatible SSD cards.
The Black Friday sales have started and there are wide discounts on Garmin devices, including the Forerunner 245.This is a great watch for runners and
There are a number of FIFA 23 deals around for Black Friday, including great bargains on the game itself.Few are quite as impressive as this one though
The Elgato Stream Deck is an awesome bit of kit for controlling your stream, your smart home devices, creating various actions you can carry out on the
Xiaomi had already said that it would be building a phone around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and now we think we know which phone that will be.With
Sky's Now streaming service is offering great deals on memberships for Black Friday. You can get 2 for 1 offers on Entertainment and Cinema, or Sky Sports
Like so many other Amazon products, Amazon's latest 10-inch Echo Show has been discounted for Black Friday. In fact, it's returned to its lowest price
Twitter's trajectory since Elon Musk completed his controversial takeover has many users concerned for a variety of reasons about the lifespan of the social
The World Cup 2022 has officially kicked off with hosts Qatar being tonked by Ecuador - the first time a host nation has lost the opening match. However,
DNA-testing kits like 23andMe and AncestryDNA are hugely popular, and for a limited time, you can see what all the fuss is about for half the price!23andMe
Amazon UK has slashed £60 off the price of the Xbox Series S, Microsoft's bargain console, taking it down to just £189.99, an astonishing price relative
If you're a Google Pixel user, few pairs of earphones give you the seamless feel of belonging with the phone like the latest Pixel Buds Pro, and they're
Call of Duty Warzone felt like a game-changer when it came out in early 2020, bringing free-to-play COD shooting to the masses for the first time on console
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile has been in the works for a long time, even if it was only formally announced in September 2022, but we now know much more
At long last, the phenomenon that is Call of Duty: Warzone is on its way to mobile platforms.Activision has officially announced COD: Warzone Mobile and
Sonic Frontiers is a bizarre melange that comes together in moments but falls apart in others. For series fans, it's worth checking out, but we don't
The Black Friday sales have started and Google has been quick to discount across a full range of products. One of the deals that caught our eye was for
Amazon's Fire tablets continue to offer a popular alternative to the iPad, and with the choices of Android tablets reducing over the past few years, the
Amazon has a blistering array of Echo speakers, suiting a full range of prices and uses. From the compact models up to larger speakers for a fuller music
There's nothing like heading off on a holiday without having to weigh your luggage down with piles of books. Now, though, there's also a lot to be said
The Echo Dot is one of Amazon's most popular devices and it's easy to see why. The cute little speaker gives you all the skills of Alexa, while being compact
The Black Friday sales are now underway and one of the devices making its debut to the discounts is the Echo Dot 5-gen. This device from Amazon only launched
The Kindle remains a popular choice for reading books, and as is the case with other Amazon devices, Kindle models have received discounts in the Black
The ZV-1F is that is a camera built for aspiring content creators. Whether you have your eye on TikTok or Youtube, or you want to try your hand at
Black Friday is almost here but there are already a number of deals around, including money off the latest model of the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Series
Samsung might be getting a special version of Qualcomm's recently announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and it might mean no more Exynos for Europeans.We'd
Asus teamed up with Blizzard Entertainment to launch a special edition of the ROG Phone 6, and this one's themed with Diablo Immortal goodies. So if you're
Air Fryers are hot trend at the moment - not just because they are a great way to cook your food, but because of the energy-saving potential they offer.With
If you’re a big fan of Lego or sci-fi classics, we can bet you've got a collection of memorabilia going to honour them. However, if you ever get tired
One of the best USB microphones we've used currently has a decent discount during the Black Friday sales. The HyperX QuadCast S is a fantastic-looking
The Black Friday sales are now underway and there's one interesting device that's got itself a discount - the Nothing phone (1). One of the more unique
It might feel more and more like the television industry wants you to buy a bigger set every time you upgrade until your world is dominated by 55-inch
While the latest iterations of Samsung smartphones seem far more technologically advanced and durable, that’s not to say users still can’t encounter
If you are a PC gamer, prepare to drool.Over the last few years, Samsung has made a number of QLED super-ultrawide monitors with 49-inch screens and a
There are a select few gaming headsets that we've been using for years and never tire of, and the Logitech G Pro X falls into that category. It's a wired
The Logitech StreamCam is easily one of our favourite webcams from the last few years.It's capable, well-built and good looking too. This is a high-quality
Battlefield 2042 had a ropey launch but the months since then have brought a lot of fixes and improved polish, as well as (at long last) some new content
The first OnePlus Buds Pro 2 renders show a design that looks very similar to Apple's popular AirPods Pro in a rather fetching green colour.The next earbuds
Most sports fans will agree that nothing beats a big screen when it comes to watching a game. Thanks to a projector that can create a large image, it’s
After what felt like a lifetime of rumours and false starts, EA finally confirmed that they are working on a brand new Skate title at the EA Play event
Google Maps has gained a number of new features including Live View in select countries and improved real-time EV charger information.The updated Google
WhatsApp messages can be really valuable when you want to hold onto important information or relive precious memories like photos and videos. Backing up
With the World Cup on the way, lots of people are in the market for a new TV, and now is a great time to shop.With the Black Friday sales starting early,
YouTube Music has begun rolling out a refreshed user interface that moves some buttons around, including hiding the dislike button in a menu.The move,
For Black Friday there are some nice discounts on Logitech peripherals to help get your game on. These are deals worth eyeing, no matter your favourite
Soon after Amazon brought IMDb TV to the UK, having already established it in the US, it relaunched the service and rebranded it Freevee.That was to highlight
Adding extra storage to your PC is a great way to get a bit more space, and this doesn't necessarily require a big financial outlay.Some of the simplest
The Black Friday sales are now underway, including discounts on a range of devices from Google. That includes the 2021 flagship phone, the Pixel 6 Pro. This
The Black Friday sales are nearly here - falling on 25 November in 2022, followed by Cyber Monday on 28 November - but early deals have already started.There
Australian soap Neighbours has been saved after Amazon's free streaming service Freevee announced that it's picked up the show ahead of a 2023 return.Neighbours,
More Vivo X90 specifications have leaked ahead of an expected imminent announcement with display, storage, and more all shared by a known leaker.Information
If you want to get a copy of your Twitter data, in the form of all your Tweets, so that you can save some precious memories or just know you've got them
The next flagship phone to come out of OnePlus might get a new ceramic construction and have 16GB of RAM inside it based on information from a leaker.Weibo
Black Friday represents a fantastic time to pick up a Dyson product. Whether you're after a new cordless vacuum, fan, purifier, heater or something from
The Astro A50 wireless is one of our favourite gaming headsets thanks to a great mix of good sound, comfort and convenience.It's a premium headset with
Twitter CEO Elon Musk gave employees an ultimatum - get hardcore, or leave. Turns out hundreds took the latter option with Twitter outages predicted.The
All the big-name retailers are expected to have plenty of savings on laptops, Chromebooks and ultraportables for Black Friday, making it a great time to
Over the past few years we've seen a number of premium audio companies catering more towards the rapidly expanding gaming market, and that includes Bang
One of the top things that people look for on Black Friday is Lego. Over the past few years we've seen a huge diversification in sets that Lego offers,
Karcher pressure washers are great for many uses, whether washing your car or keeping your driveway clear. These powerful pressure washers quickly blast
If you're a VR fan or want to break into virtual reality gaming, then you might have been waiting for a deal on the Meta Quest 2. The Black Friday deals
The big shopping event of 2022 is here, and for this Black Friday period there are some great deals to be had. With this being the first Black Friday since
If you're looking to get yourself a new Nintendo Switch OLED, standard Switch or dinky Nintendo Switch Lite, there's no better time to buy than Black Friday,
The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is one of our favourite lightweight gaming mice and it's now available for its lowest price ever. This is one of the first
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale period is very much on the horizon, and for those looking to get themselves a new tablet, whether it's for work
So, you've finally become sick of seeing that old high school friend you haven't seen in 15 years share his radical political thoughts on Facebook. Been
Sometimes you need to rename your AirPods. Maybe you want to be able to tell one pair from another pair you own, or you recently acquired a used pair and
Pressure cookers are a huge hit every holiday season - specifically, Instant Pot pressure cookers. So, of course, retailers are marking them down for Black
The second-generation Fire TV Cube is available at a good early Black Friday 2022 discount, and is ideal for all your streaming and Alexa needs.This is
If you've been after an Echo Dot, then there's no better time to get one than today - the third-gen version of the smart speaker is available at a large
Sonos has a great range of speakers within its portfolio, all of which sound amazing. But they aren't cheap, so if you're looking to start a Sonos system
The Black Friday sales have started, including a full range of discounts on Amazon devices - including the Echo Auto.The Echo Auto will add Alexa skills
Sonos is known for its excellent multiroom speakers but it's been rumoured for some time now that the company will expand into other areas of audio, with
Qualcomm might be best known for its mobile platforms that you'll find under the hoods of multiple smartphones, from Samsung and OnePlus to Oppo and Motorola,
Google finally burst onto the smartwatch scene when it released the Pixel Watch, making the most of its Fitbit purchase into the bargain.If you're a new
Arlo is a popular choice for the Black Friday sales, because the cameras are desirable and usually pretty expensive. While there's a range of discounts
The Arlo Pro 3 has received a mouthwatering discount for Black Friday in the UK.Arlo sits at the top of the pile when it comes to smart security cameras,
HBO Max has a massively impressive roster of award-winning shows on offer for you to catch up on, from historic greats like The Sopranos to more recent
An unannounced Lenovo tablet has appeared on the Google Play Console with what looks to be a big screen and slim bezels.Spotted carrying the name Lenovo
Samsung has announced that it is bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, and other cloud gaming services to its 2021 TVs starting next week.Samsung confirmed
Asus has teamed up with Blizzard Entertainment to launch a special Diablo Immortal edition version of its popular gaming phone, the ROG Phone 6.It's safe
The Amazon Fire TV Stick range enables you to access and stream a variety of content, including Amazon's own, but also through apps such as Netflix, Apple
Apple has issued a software update that fixes a bug that caused half of the 128GB Apple TV 4K's storage to become unavailable without first following a
Numskull Designs first introduced its Quarter Arcades mini-coin-up machines four years ago, with the launch of Pac-Man, but its next two units could very
Vivo is set to announce the X90 series of devices on 22 November and the display and charging specs are already public ahead of time.We're expecting Vivo
Twitter CEO and owner Elon Musk says that he is working on a way to make it easier to write and read long-form content on the social network.The move would
The GoPro Hero 11 Black is still fresh on the scene, and it's one of our favourite action cameras ever.Despite being newly released, GoPro has still managed
Every year Black Friday presents an opportunity to snag something amazing at a discount price. This year, why not choose a Puppyoo cordless vacuum cleaner?Going
Sony's latest flagship active noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM5, have been slapped with a great early Black Friday deal in the UK and US.You
Amazon's updated Echo Buds now they have a huge discount, in an early Black Friday deal.True wireless earbuds have become hugely popular in recent years,
Robot vacuums are great, aren't they? Automatically cleaning your home for you, taking some of the legwork out of the household chores.There are extra
Although Lucasfilm and its founder George Lucas are most synonymous with Star Wars, it wasn't the only major movie project they produced in the 80s. As
People waiting to get their hands on the Call of Duty Warzone Mobile game are set for a long wait, the title's App Store pre-order page confirms.While
The Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD is a great option to upgrade your PlayStation 5 (or gaming PC) and it's now available for less with this Black Friday deal. The
Hogwarts Legacy is a forthcoming role-playing game set in the world of Harry Potter that will be released in early 2023 for console and PC.Here's everything
Microsoft's November Xbox software update brings with it a ton of new features including Discord voice chat support, live streaming support, and more.The
Sky has released an update for its Sky Glass TV and newly launched Sky Stream puck, adding several new features.And there are more to come before the end
Twitter is reportedly working on bringing end-to-end encryption to the social network's direct messages, with CEO Elon Musk appearing to confirm it.Twitter
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is out in the wild at last. After a couple of years of enjoying the first version of Warzone, from Verdansk into Caldera, the
The Black Friday deals are already coming in thick and fast and one of them includes a 34-inch ultrawide monitor with $100 off its usual asking price. The
When Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 is finally here after a long wait, but it hasn't just brought with it a new battle royale map and experience - there's also
Black Friday is usually a fantastic time to buy a new wireless speaker for your home, with deals to be had across a number of retailers and brands.For
EA Sports has pushed its latest title update for FIFA 23 and, in doing so, has "nerfed" one of the game's most welcomed features.Lengthy players, such
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is finally upon us, a long-awaited follow-up to the first Warzone, which saw more than 100 million players around the world having
Black Friday is in full swing, with plenty of deals appearing - including fantastic discounts on Nanoleaf. Its LED panels are a great way to add some futuristic
Seasoned smartphone industry analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, claims that Apple will complete its switch to USB-C from Lightning for all devices as soon as next
There are plenty of media streamers around but few offer as extensive a range of apps and channels as Roku. The company has been manufacturing online streaming
The Xiaomi Book S is a robust and attractive Surface rival, with an excellent display. It's well priced, but unfortunately, the sluggish performance
So, you've let your Gmail inbox get a little cluttered. If you're sick of looking at 14,160 unread emails, just delete them. The quickest way is by accessing
Disney+ is Disney's answer to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but with a difference: it's the exclusive home to shows and movies from the studio, including
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform during its Snapdragon Summit, but that wasn't the only new chipset that was revealed. The company
The Razer Edge 5G has been custom-built to be the "ultimate Android gaming handheld" and it's the first device to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen
The hugely popular card battle game for Android and iOS, WWE Supercard, gets its new season today, with three new tiers and a stack of new features.The
Nvidia's 40-series of graphics cards have launched and now the RTX 4080 is available to buy but you might be wondering where you can get your hands on
If you're looking to pick up one of Samsung's excellent S22 series phones, there are some great deals on Amazon US ahead of Black Friday.The discounts
Tapo, the smart home security brand operated by TP-Link, has introduced a new security camera that offers advanced features for an affordable price.The
The Fire Emblem series has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with its Switch debut Three Houses proving hugely popular.The mixture of an
Sharing your Netflix account around has been a pretty common thing over the last half-decade, with many people logging into a host of devices to leave
The Backbone One is a really impressive little controller grip, and over the last year it's been a firm favourite for gaming on iPhone - but only on iPhone.Now,
Samsung's Galaxy smartphones are extremely powerful and impressive devices, but for a long time they've missed one hidden feature that people have been
A leading brand of mobile accessories and the global tech company that introduced the world's first magnetic wireless car charger has just launched new
Qualcomm presents its latest and greatest technology at Snapdragon Tech Summit each year and 2022 is no different.Held in Hawaii, the event has already
This year has been packed with some fantastic horror films, but one of the most successful is Smile. The creepy psychological horror has captured the
Sony has opened up pre-orders for its PlayStation VR2 in a handful of countries, but actually getting your hands on one is a complicated process.Gamers
Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will relaunch its failed Twitter Blue subscription service on 29 November with a new naming rule.Musk says that Twitter
Garmin has announced an upgraded version of its most complete indoor bike trainer - the Tacx Neo Bike Plus, which will take its place right at the top
For many gamers, the dream is to be able to make a living from your passion. Streaming is one way to do it, but in a world where everyone is already streaming,
Two of our favourite Shure microphones are already discounted before the Black Friday sales begin in earnest.You usually need to pay a premium for Shure
Yellowstone, the ranch drama starring Kevin Costner, is in the middle of its fifth season for ViacomCBS-Paramount Network.The last season got record-breaking
Sony will reportedly slash the prices of its PlayStation Plus subscription tiers by 25 per cent for Black Friday.Leaker billbil-kun, who regularly, accurately
If you're after a bargain on a gaming laptop, then this hefty discount on the Gigabyte AORUS 15P might be worth a look.The Gigabyte AORUS 15P launched
Headphone deals are always really competitive, and that's good for you because most popular brands get great discounts for Black Friday and the following
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has opened up more on the heavily-rumoured Xbox Game Pass streaming device, codenamed "Keystone".Although there were plans to have
Taylor Sheridan is following up his first Yellowstone prequel series with a second one called 1923. The show is due out later this year on Paramount+.
The Xbox Wireless Controller may have been tweaked for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but the design has largely remained the same over the last
Instagram has a feature called Recently Deleted that allows you to recover recently deleted posts, including photos, videos, reels, and stories.Since last
Instagram offers a number of similarities to other social media and chat platforms, including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.Features are constantly
Meta-owned Instagram recently introduced a new way to interact with Instagram Stories: You can now send a "like" response. Previously, you could only respond
Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service allows subscribers to download and read an unlimited quantity of ebooks and audiobooks for a set monthly fee - not
There are a handful of content-sharing platforms that allow creators to earn money online. Patreon and OnlyFans are popular options, but OnlyFans is by
YouTubers, TikTokkers, podcasters, verified Twitter users, Twitch streamers, and other content creators have one thing in common: Many of them use Patreon
Last year, Google updated its Chrome browser on iOS devices with a neat feature: The ability to lock incognito tabs with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.
Last year, Snapchat updated user profiles to include 3D Bitmoji avatars. Previously, Bitmoji profile avatars were only available in 2D.The new 3D Bitmoji
Qualcomm simplified the naming structure for its flagship Snapdragon mobile platform in 2022, moving from the incremental numbering system to Snapdragon
Qualcomm has announced its next generation mobile platform in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and hot on the heels, Oppo has confirmed its next Find X flagship
Qualcomm has announced its next generation mobile platform - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - during its Snapdragon Summit.The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 succeeds
Rode has revealed that it's updating its legendary NT-USB with new features that include not only a studio-grade condenser capsule but also an internal
Amazon's streaming service Amazon Video is the main global rival to Netflix, and like its peer it offers TV shows and movies to watch instantly on an internet-connected
Philips Hue is the go-to service for smart lighting. It offers a greater variety of products than other services, allowing a lot more flexibility in
Whether you're just getting a bit caught up in the emotion of online spats, you want to detox your life from digital influences, or you just don't like
Netflix has launched its cheaper plan with ads in the US, UK, and several other major countries.Called "Basic with adverts", the ad-supported subscription
The 2022 autumn internationals, or Autumn Nations Series, is now underway.The competition sees Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland,
If you've ever wondered why some smart home devices work with one another but not all, you'll want to know about Matter - the latest wireless interoperability
Nothing, the company founded by former OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei, has launched its second pair of true wireless earphones. And this pair is a little
Our every day experience of the Eero 6 Pro was one of convenience and reliability. Our smart home products worked better than they had with either the
Black Friday 2022 isn't even here yet, and Amazon has already some cracking deals on Echo devices at bargain prices that are too good to miss out on.
Amazon's early Black Friday 2022 sales have seen big discounts on many of it's devices including its Amazon Echo, 4th-gen model, shaped like a ball.The
"I can be your Eero, baby". Sorry, we couldn't resist. Amazon's mesh Wi-Fi system, which is called Eero, has a good chunk slashed from its asking price
Vandalism is a crime and one we don't endorse, but sometimes it can be amusing, witty or just downright daft. Even the most prudish of people can enjoy
There are a whole load of true wireless earbuds out there for you to choose between, but Samsung's made more than one really impressive pair in the last
The next major software update to Google's Android mobile operating system is officially rolling out. It began with Google's own Pixel phones in August.
Amazon's Blink Mini is a super compact indoor security camera with day and night modes, has motion detection plus two-way audio. And Amazon is carrying
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ups the ante when it comes to gun customisation with more attachments than ever and a wealth of weaponry to try out.Call
This is a fun little speaker that shows Polaroid is committed to its music pivot, and its commitment to music discovery is really nice. If you're
Amazon regularly reduces the prices of its Echo Show models in the early Black Friday sales, and that's true of the Echo Show 5. This is the second-gen
The Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales are the biggest shopping event of the year - not only is it holiday season, but there are also serious discounts
Samsung launches a few smartphones each year, from the Galaxy S range at the beginning of the year, to the Galaxy Z ranges towards the later half of the
Last year Ring debuted a mega cheap way to get one of its doorbells by launching an entry-level wired version called Ring Video Doorbell Wired, and it's
Sony's best noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM4, is available at a cheaper price in the 2022 early Black Friday sales.Despite being the latest
There are now some really good savings to be found across Amazon's own devices from Echo smart speakers to Fire Sticks, and also their Fire tablets as
Amazon is one of the top destinations for Black Friday shopping in the UK, covering all manner of discounts and offers when the shopping event hits. We're
There's never been a better time to go out and buy a Fire TV Stick to add streaming services and apps to your TV.That's because there are some big discounts
Batman's iconic, of that there's no doubt at all. One of the most memorable and resonant characters from any medium in the last century or so, let alone
AMD has shown off what it's calling the industry’s most advanced gaming graphics cards. These new GPUs promise exceptional performance and energy efficiency
The Sandman will return to our screens. After a hugely successful first season on Netflix, the comic book adaptation will continue, with executive producer
Strategy games, when they're done right, can offer up a sense of control and mastery that few other genres can match, as you direct your troops or characters
The Samsung Galaxy S23 family of devices might be lining up to launch a little earlier than expected, with Galaxy Unpacked potentially happening in the
After initially saying that HBO Max and Discovery+ would merge in the summer of 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery now says it'll happen in spring instead.The
Netflix's discounted and ad-supported tier is now live in a bunch of countries, but subscribers are finding that it won't work on their Apple TV.The new
During AMD's recent event to reveal its Radeon RX 7900 GPUs, there was a tease of an upcoming Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor with an updated 8K
The Philips Hue lighting system will soon be compatible with Matter, thanks to support added to the Hue Bridge through a software update coming early next
When the PlayStation 5 was first unveiled in mid-2020, we got a glimpse of multiple big games coming down the pike for the new console, and one of the
Volvo is preparing to pull the covers from what it's calling its safest vehicle ever. The anticipation for the Volvo EX90 is huge, considering how well
It's safe to say that - on the whole - the updated MateBook X Pro is a refinement of the original 2022 design. But arguably it is the laptop that the
Though it's attractive to imagine that the devices in your smart home system are all joined together through whimsy and wonder, it's actually rigorous
Autocorrect on the iPhone is cool sometimes. Other times, it can be a total pain in the... well, let's just say you might want to turn it off. When that
So, you've finally had enough of TikTok.Did you spend too many late nights endlessly scrolling through dumb videos? Whatever the reason may be, it's actually
The Black Friday sales are usually a good time to buy a new phone, with discounts across many of the devices launched in the previous year. We're now
The Black Friday sales represent the ideal time to splash out on an Arlo device for your smart home. Whether you're in the market for a smart camera package,
Garmin sports and fitness devices are popular purchases for Black Friday. There are always discounts on various devices from the Garmin range, meaning
Concept cars are nothing new, for decades car manufacturers have been pushing the boundaries of design and creating incredible cars way beyond their time.
God of War Ragnarök is arguably the best game of this console generation so far. It builds on its 2018 predecessor in almost every way, while also
Amazon has announced that it will be embracing smart home connectivity standard Matter for its Echo and Eero devices. It will be adding the platform to
A TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's excellent Vertigo (DC) comic book series, The Sandman, is available to watch on Netflix.It tells the tale of Dream (the
The UK TV schedule for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been announced and you will be able to watch all of the matches for free.It will also be available
Anyone hoping for plenty of new camera upgrades from the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra might be out of luck, but there's at least one silver lining.We're expecting
Samsung's Galaxy S23+ isn't expected to be announced for a few months yet, but it's already broken cover in super-early Geekbench scores.We're expecting
Nanoleaf has a number of lighting solutions for your home and gaming area. Now the company is expanding its range to include Matter-compatible lights too. The
Samsung has reportedly told its suppliers that it wants to be able to up its foldable game with some oft-requested improvements including S Pen slots.With
Google has announced that its smart speakers and displays are getting parental controls for Google Assistant and they're rolling out within weeks.Google
Over the years, tech start-ups and giants have come and gone. In the ever-changing world of technology, a company needs to do more than just keep up with
The Harman Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100 might have a long-winded name, but everything about its looks and performance is crisp, sharp and to the
Ragnarök is coming! The next God of War is on its way imminently, and promises to build on the superb 2018 reboot.Best upcoming PS5 games: PlayStation
We love horror games at Pocket-lint - there's nothing quite like the fear that a truly terrifying game can inspire, making your palms sweaty and your heart
If you've been looking at the latest and greatest Nvidia RTX graphics cards, then you might have heard mention of DLSS. If you're not quite sure what it
Arlo has announced its latest security camera, dubbed the Pro 5S 2K. It'll cost $249.99 and links into the existing Arlo Home Security System.The new camera
After expecting Apple to use its own 5G modem starting with iPhone 15, Qualcomm now says that it will provide the "vast majority" of them instead.Apple
People love watching sports. The sounds, the smells, and the energy in the air are all a part of the fun. But what if there was a way to bring that experience
WhatsApp announced a new feature called Communities earlier in 2022, and it's now confirmed that it's rolling the system out for all users.The feature
We might be biased, but for our money there's nothing scarier than a truly terrifying game - it trumps books and movies because of how immersive and self-driven
Hydrow's latest connected rowing machine, the Wave, is now available in a range of different colours to better suit your home.As well as the standard black
Elgato has announced what it says is the world's first to support 4K resolution at 60 frames per second priced at a hefty $399.99.It isn't just that price
LG has announced a 32-inch Smart Monitor product that can download apps, stream games, and more and even has an ergonomic mounting stand built in.Carrying
The art of the selfie has become as common as any traditional photo, but it's still not a true art form. At least it wasn't until one clever person decided
A good horror game is like nothing else - the immersion that games offer up is at its most intense when you're being frightened out of your mind, in our
One of the greatest games of all time, The Last of Us, has been adapted for the small screen.Having finished shooting in mid-2022, the TV adventures of
Fujifilm has unveiled its latest addition to the X-series camera range, and this one adds some serious photography and video capabilities to its usual
A new version of Sony's PSVR virtual reality headset is on its way, and this time it's for the PS5.The Playstation VR2 was first made official in early
It's been thirteen years since the first Avatar movie premiered, and now, Disney has not only announced what the sequel will be called, but we're just
DJI has unveiled a new version of its popular high-end consumer Mavic drone. It's called the Mavic 3 Classic and brings a lot of the important features
Sony has confirmed that its PlayStation VR 2 will go on sale in a host of countries on 22 February, 2023. But it'll cost more than a PS5 to get one.The
Huawei has teased what appears to be satellite communication capabilities for the Mate Xs 2, with an official announcement coming this week.The teaser
Is the Apple TV 4K (2022) the set-top box you should buy above all others? If you are an Apple user and Apple service subscriber then absolutely, it
If you've been using a PC for a while then you might find that it's slowing down and not running like it used to. Over time your computer may get clogged
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is finally here - the whole game is now available to play after a staggered release that let the campaign out early.If you're
Audio-Techinca has reissued its iconic portable record player from the 1980s, the Sound Burger.Also known as the Audio-Technica AT-SB2022, the new model
Fortnite's all-conquering march into media domination shows no signs of slowing down - at the same time as it's announced Skywalker Week in-game, with
PDF editors are handy tools. If you were to Google “PDF editors online,” you’ll easily find dozens of software that claim to edit your PDFs. However,
Xiaomi's 12S Ultra has been used to create a new concept phone, one that can take a full-size Leica lens and mate it with that 1-inch camera sensor.The
QR Codes are small square black and white matrix barcodes that contain certain information, such as a website address, app, password or images. When scanned
The Ring car alarm that was announced two years ago could be getting ready for release, although the company isn't confirming any dates just yet.When Amazon
Amazon has unlocked its entire Amazon Music library for Prime members to listen to without ads and at no additional cost. However, there's a caveat - you
When Nvidia released its RTX 30-series graphics cards the company made a big push for 4K gaming. Now it seems that the 40-series is even more capable.When
Tesla will finally begin mass production of its fabled Cybertruck in late 2023, according to a new report. That's two years later than first claimed.Tesla
Canon has unveiled what it claims to be its "fastest advanced full-frame mirrorless camera", the EOS R6 Mark II.Boasting a newly-formed 24.2-megapixel
Apple has made its best tablet even better with the 2022 model and while you pay a very high price for it, it's an exceptional device that is not only
Hi-fi brand Bluesound has launched its new Pulse M speaker, and it looks to have the Sonos One - or perhaps even the Amazon Echo Studio - in its sights.The
We love the feeling of starting a new role-playing game (RPG), discovering what sort of world we're going to be moving around in, figuring out who our
You probably already knew that your Pixel phone can be used as a wireless charger, but did you know that it turns it on every time you plug your phone
Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that Twitter Blue is changing - it's getting more expensive, but it's getting some proper features, too.In
We love shooter games. While it might sometimes make us feel a little guilty, there's nothing quite like unloading a magazine to wash away the stress of
As anyone with a smartphone knows, devices are constantly evolving, with new features and capabilities constantly added. So when a new generation of smartphones
Vivo is expected to announce the X90 lineup before the year ends and a new report claims to have outed at least some camera specifications.If the rumours
The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro is another interesting effort from Razer that follows on from the logic of the Razer Viper V2 Pro by shedding weight but
As 2022 draws to a close, attention is already turning to the flagship 2023 phone announcements with the Xiaomi 13 Pro the latest to leak.The latest Xiaomi
The first Alan Wake game was a bit of a cult hit - it didn't necessarily shift seismic numbers of copies, but its spooky story about a horror writer haunted
Whether a game is good or not is often down to personal opinion, but we've crafted this list of fantastic PC games we've enjoyed that you might too.We've
The UK’s leading technology distributor, Exertis, recently invited 24 world-leading brands to its annual technology showcase. During the event, companies
If you imagined what a Hummer e-bike might be, you'd come up with the Hummer EV all-wheel drive e-bike - and now you can buy one.GMC is still in the midst
Valve has revealed that Steam's desktop client now supports the Steam Deck user interface. So it's possible to have that clean UI on your PC with just
There are a number of clever features built into Apple's iOS software - some of which you will find in our iPhone tips and tricks - but a feature called
Apple hasn't put a backlit logo on its MacBooks since 2015, but that could all change based on a new patent the company has filed.The famous Apple logo
There's no better time to buy a new Ring smart doorbell than in the Black Friday sales - which falls on 25 November in 2022, followed by Cyber Monday on
Modern Warfare 2 delivers a well-paced, varied campaign that feels like playing a great action movie. The multiplayer side of things has a solid core
There's no better time to buy a new TV than in the Black Friday sales, which falls on 25 November in 2022, followed by Cyber Monday on 28 November.There's
Did you know you can hide apps on your iPhone so they won't appear on your home screen? You can even hide them from search results on your iPhone - all
Audible is fun - until you find yourself with no time to listen to audiobooks and suddenly realise you should probably just cancel your subscription to
Sometimes you need to turn off your iPad. Maybe it's been a while or it's simply acting slow or it has frozen completely. Either way, try restarting it.
Despite ongoing concerns over Microsoft's pending buyout of Activision Blizzard, Xbox chief Phil Spencer says Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation.While
Elon Musk continues his shake-up at Twitter, this time instructing engineers to look into bringing Vine back from the dead before the end of the year.Vine
EA and Marvel have signed a deal that will see three new games developed, all based on comic book heroes.The deal will kick off with a Marvel staple —
Chipmaker Qualcomm has announced that its Snapdragon Automotive Platforms will power the Volvo EX90, the Swedish company's largest EV to date.The announcement
The Black Friday sales throw up plenty of deals and while we see a lot of discounts on Alexa devices, there are sweeping price cuts on Alexa's rival, the
No games console is complete with a great racing game - they so often push the boundaries of what gaming hardware can produce visually, and give a great
The PlayStation 5 has had a couple of years to settle in, and now has quite a roster of superb games for you to explore, although it's still bafflingly
Aside from the usual VR games, one great reason to own a Meta Quest 2 is the virtual reality exercise potential. There are a number of great games and
Black Friday is coming and that means it's time to prepare yourself for the biggest sales that the internet has to offer. Unlike a few years ago when you'd
The Nintendo Switch proved itself as a very capable competitor to the PS4 and Xbox One while offering something else besides - portability. It's still
Recent rumours have suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra, as it may be called) will come with an improved "8P" rear camera. However,
Owners of Peloton fitness gear now have a new Wear OS watch app they can use, but that isn't anywhere near as impressive as it might sound.First, the good
The Black Friday sales often bring some great deals for popular Chromebooks. These laptops are normally more affordable than Windows or Apple models, great
MediaTek's Dimensity 9200 chip has been rumoured for a while and a new leak appears to show that it'll be official on 8 November, 2022.The latest announcement
Google has shared details on how it came to the 24-hour battery rating it gave the Pixel Watch, but there's one specific bit that might surprise you.That
With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, that
If you've been eyeing up the Philips Hue lighting ecosystem for a while, but have been put off by the price then now might be the right time of year to
As gamers, we're always after an excuse to grab a good gaming bargain. Each year around the Black Friday period there are all sorts of fantastic discounts
Pimax is holding an event to show off its Pimax Crystal headset and make it available to a wider audience.The Pimax Crystal was originally revealed back
The next generation of Call of Duty: Warzone is on the way, taking in huge upgrades over the current version and wiping the slate clean on progression
God of War Ragnarök will be released for PlayStation 5 and PS4 on 9 November 2022 and you'll be able to read our in-depth review the day before, when
While we're still waiting for season three to land on Netflix, the company has already announced that the show has been renewed for another season. That's
Each month, Xbox gamers can download and play a couple of free games as part of an Xbox Live Gold subscription.Xbox Live Gold is more than just free games
We will be getting new Apple Macs early next year, according to renowned Bloomberg journalist and Apple commentator, Mark Gurman.The company was originally
The Lenovo Tab P12 Pro still makes a lot of sense if you’re here for digital artwork, though, and the bundled full-size Lenovo stylus feels great.
Motorola chose not to refresh its foldable Razr phone in 2021, instead, waiting until 2022 to bring us a drastic update. This means it's been a long while
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and now Twitter, has told Twitter employees that they must lock verified badges behind a paywall
Not to be outdone by Google's new Halloween ringtones for Nest doorbells, Amazon is rolling out its own bit of spooky fun for its Ring doorbells, including
Apple released a round of software updates that included a price hike for Apple Music and Apple TV+ (and subsequently, Apple One).As first spotted by 9to5Mac,
The next major Marvel movie, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, has received its first trailer. You can watch it above.In addition to Paul Rudd as the
The European Union (EU) has today given its final approval to a mandate for a range of electronic devices to use a common charger from 2024.The writing
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy A54 could benefit from a slightly larger battery than the one bestowed upon its predecessor, we're told.According to a new
Apple previewed its latest software for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the beginning of June. Plenty
Apple announced Fitness+ back in 2020, but when it first arrived you needed an Apple Watch to be able to use it. That's not the case anymore though, with
With the rise of image stabilisation in smartphones, the importance of the action camera market has reduced somewhat in recent years. After all, your phone
Huawei has confirmed that a new version of its Huawei P50 Pocket is coming to China, and it's going to be announced very soon indeed.The follow-up to the
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards celebrates the very best in amusing photos of wild animals. This year's competition already has some real corkers
The new Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are two of the most anticipated smartphones of the year. If you're one of the many people looking to upgrade to
Apple's first new Mac Pro since the transition to its own silicon could feature 48 CPU cores, 152 GPU cores, and 256GB of RAM according to a report.While
And so it begins!HBO's Game of Thrones spin-off series, House of the Dragon, has now finished its run - the first season is now out in the wild in its
WhatsApp is now testing the ability to add a poll to a chat that includes just two people, making it somewhat pointless.The news comes months after WhatsApp
The Huawei Watch Fit 2 feels like a bit of a surprise package in the Huawei wearable family. It's built hugely on the original in terms of the levels
If you're after an everyday tablet to watch movies on, clear some emails, make some video calls and surf the web, the iPad (10th generation) is a
With more people working remotely than ever before, it's important to be aware of the potential cybersecurity threats out there. October is Cybersecurity
Fans of smaller phones might have a new contender on the way, with a new leak claiming to out the specs for the unannounced Sony Xperia Ace IV.Expected
The Redmi Note 12 series of phones will be announced on October 27, with a new image suggesting at least one will have a curved screen.Starting with that
Not for the first time, we're going back to Resident Evil 4 - Capcom confirmed during June 2022's State of Play presentation that one of its most successful
Smart home enthusiasts who live in the Apple HomeKit ecosystem have a new smart lock to choose from - and the Level Lock+ packs Home Key support.The new
Amazon might have leaked the existence of the Google Pixel 7a over the weekend, though it might have gone a step further by leaking a whole family.We'd
Apple has long had a curious blind spot when it comes to a certain widely-used type of app for its hugely popular range of iPad tablets.There's no official
Today's drones are extremely capable fliers with more impressive cameras than ever before, so, it's an excellent time to consider one.Whether you're a
The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is an affordable outdoor smartwatch, which offers well-executed features like breadcrumb navigation and route uploading all
The Crown is an excellent Netflix Original show, loosely based on the real-world events following the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth
There was a time when all your contacts were stored on the good old fashioned SIM card so duplicate contacts wasn't really a thing - or at least not as
When the Google Pixel 6a first came out, we were keen to see just how different it was from the more expensive, but older, Pixel 6. We discovered there
Sky now offers its standalone Sky Stream service, a way of getting the full Sky TV experience without needing a satellite dish or going whole hog on the
Apple revealed the 10th generation of the entry-level iPad in October, offering a redesign, chip upgrade and a colour refresh over its predecessor.The
The Amazon Fire 7 remains one of the most affordable tablets you can buy, giving easy access to the latest entertainment services. It's housed in a
Halloween is the perfect time to watch one of the scariest guys to ever wear a jumpsuit: Michael Myers. His reign of terror started decades ago and now
The Surface Studio 2, despite its impressive design, is really starting to show its age. At its core, it's powered by a processor that launched over five
At its product launch event in Autumn 2022, Amazon unveiled a new kind of Kindle. It's called the Kindle Scribe and - as the name suggests - you can write
There are a number of tips and tricks hidden within the iOS software, from taking a full webpage screenshot to using the back of your iPhone as a secret
With its much sharper display and USB-C charging port, the entry-level Kindle is better than ever and is the Kindle we'd recommend for most people. It
Elon Musk reportedly plans to fire 75 per cent of Twitter's 7,500 employees if his proposed $44 billion takeover is completed - and some may go even if
The Osom Saga, the phone being developed by the people who left Essential following the company's demise, now has official specs to call its own.But first,
If you're fighting to make your AirPods Pro 2 work properly with your Pixel phone, you aren't alone. And while there's a workaround, it isn't great.The
For many people, phones have become the primary device for content consumption. However, some content deserves to be watched on a bigger screen, and maybe
Gamers who played Elder Scrolls Online via Google Stadia can now play the game on PC/Mac for free and take their saves with them to boot.Gamers have been
From its glamorous metallic form and trim sculpting through to its surprisingly potent sound and eye-catchingly detailed, bright and colourful
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on PS5 and Xbox Series X will run at up to 120Hz but is technically able to run at a higher frame rate than that. It just
Meta Pay, formerly known as Facebook Pay, is a handy way to send money to friends, buy goods on Marketplace and more.What is Facebook Pay, where is it
AMD has announced that it's hosting a livestream event called "together we advance_gaming" to reveal its next-gen AMD Radeon graphics hardware. The company
Motorola hasn't yet managed to release its Razr refresh for 2022 outside of China, but one leaker says two more will arrive next year.The Motorola Razr
Cleaning is something we all have to do - or, at least, we're hoping that's the case. The more you do, too, the more you'll realize that a simple vacuum
YouTube Premium family plan subscribers should check their email. Google is telling users that the monthly cost of the service will go up $5 per month
Google's Pixel Watch is finally here, but iFixit's teardown suggests you'll want to handle it with kid gloves rather than risk breaking it.It's true that
We're waiting on Oppo announcing the new Find N2 foldable and now we might have a clearer look at what specs we should expect when it does.The follow-up
If you're building your own gaming PC then you might have wondered what sort of power supply unit (PSU) you need.Depending on the system you're building
Google has today shared 10 reasons why it thinks people should love using the Messages app on their Android devices, including a dig at Apple.The latest
USB-C, or USB Type-C, to give it its proper title, is a common connector standard that's been appearing on electronic devices over the past few years.
There are few series in gaming as famous or as long-running as Final Fantasy - the towering RPG games are utterly beloved all around the world, and the
A new report has the upcoming Vivo X90 Pro+ being the first phone to make use of the equally-new MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip.The new report is based on
Fujifilm impressed us earlier this year with the X-H2S, its most powerful hybrid mirrorless camera to date. We were expecting an X-H2 to arrive at some
Silent Hill is finally having a moment - after years of being effectively an ignored franchise, Konami has revived it with not just a single new outing
Amazon is to launch its own insurance store soon, which will offer UK customers the ability to purchase home insurance directly through its retail site
Nvidia has expanded the list of titles available on its cloud gaming platform that work with touch controls.GeForce Now has offered some on-screen controls
Not content with announcing the Silent Hill 2 remake we've all been waiting for, Konami has now also announced a new title in Silent Hill Townfall.While
The Surface Laptop 5 doesn't really move things along a great deal, with only a couple to tweaks to support the new hardware. That's a shame, because
There are a few elements of Gotham Knights that could be better, and it does occasionally fall foul of the less welcome open-world action adventure
Street Fighter 6 is on the way - we've waited a long time for news about what's next for one of the most famous franchises in gaming, and now we know that
A Plague Tale: Innocence was a bolt from the blue a few years ago, from small developer Asobo Studio. It was a stealth action game that told the story
Casio has announced two special Flare Red G-SHOCK watches as it celebrates 40 years of its hugely popular rugged lineup.The new and snappily-named MTG-B3000FR
If you’ve never used a headset for your Xbox gaming, you're in for a treat. Once you step into the world of high-quality game audio it can be hard to
A new software update for your Xbox means that it can now be used to control the volume of your TV for the first time. No more diving for the remote!The
If you're looking for the most professional sound capture for your streaming, recording, voice-over or content-creator efforts, then an XLR microphone
Sony's PlayStation 5 has now been out for a good long while. Although there were some superb games to enjoy at launch already, there are even more coming
Bodies Bodies Bodies is one of the standout horror movies of 2022, and now that spooky season is upon us, it could be the perfect flick for a Halloween
Silent Hill is back in a big way - after years of silence on its cultish horror series, Konami made a wave of announcements regarding new projects in the
Meta has warned users that they "may have logged into Facebook from a malicious app", potentially giving them access to passwords in the process.The warning,
The rumoured foldable Google Pixel phone could arrive in the first three months of 2023, according to a tweet by analyst Ross Young.Young was tweeting
Fitbit has been around for years, sitting at the top of its activity tracking class, smugly watching as its competitors hope to raise the same sort of
Amazon Prime is a paid membership that, for an annual or monthly fee, gives access to a number of Amazon services and benefits. It's now used by millions
The Pocket-lint Podcast episode 171 is now available to stream and download.This week, editor Chris Hall joins host Rik to chat about the Pixel 7, Pixel
The Apple Watch Series 8 is available alongside the Apple Watch Ultra and second generation Apple Watch SE. All other Apple Watch models have all been
With a return to its original form factor and appealing pricing, the Osmo Action 3 is a serious challenger to GoPro's market dominance. It's easy to
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the first Semi electric trucks will be delivered to Pepsi starting 1 December 2022.The Tesla Semi truck was first
You’ll need to pay an additional £3,000 to get the car you see before you, which adds in all the benefits of the AMG Line Premium trim package,
Hulu has rebooted one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time, and it's time for another experience beyond limits.The new movie is based on Clive
The Google Pixel Watch will detect when you take a tumble and alert emergency services, but the company has confirmed that it won't start doing so until
If you've been skiing before, you probably know something about how bafflingly therapeutic it can be - whether you're bombing down slopes or taking your
Apple's rumored 27-inch Mini LED display will arrive in the first quarter of 2023, if a report by respected analyst Ross Young turns out to be on the money.Writing
Acer has announced what it claims to be the "world's lightest" 16-inch OLED laptop.The Acer Swift Edge weighs just 1.17kg thanks to the 4K OLED display
Instagram, YouTube and pretty much every other social media platform have been copying TikTok for a while, trying to capture some of the magic that makes
Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature a new system on a chip (SoC) inside, designed in-house. It's the second generation Tensor SoC - called Tensor
There's a Mario movie coming down the pike and it's looking rather good.A teaser trailer has been released that shows Jack Black's Bowser and that all
Medical drama Grey's Anatomy has kept going, long after some of the best characters left. A lot has happened since the days of McDreamy and McSteamy, and
Google's Made by Google event is now done and dusted.The thing that's different about this event is that Google teased many of the products earlier in
You may have heard that the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will get VPN by Google One and may be wondering what that's all about. Previously exclusive to
Last year, Valve unveiled Steam Deck, a handheld PC for gaming designed to shake up the portable market in a big way. Valve initially made the device available
Google has officially announced the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, its two new flagship devices for 2022, with the Pixel 7 Pro leading the charge.There's
Google has always had fun with its phone colours and names, but the launch of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is perhaps a little more muted than in previous
We're slowly learning more about the upcoming Pixel Tablet, it was first teased at its annual developer conference, I/O 2022, then expanded on at the Made
Mankind has been crafting all sorts of weird and wonderful inventions since time began. Some of them appeared way before their time and were underappreciated. Others
The time is nearly upon us - the next Call of Duty game is arriving in a matter of weeks, a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare.We've gathered all of the key
Google has just announced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro and it is offering some pretty sweet pre-order offers for those in the UK. The two new flagship phones
Qualcomm could be getting ready to announce an updated version of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 smartphone chip, if reports are accurate.The chip, based on previous
Electronic Arts has officially announced the next game in the Need for Speed series, confirming that it will be available for current-gen consoles and
Considering how well Google Pixel smartphones have performed so far, it's no wonder that users are eagerly anticipating the new 7 and 7 Pro models. And,
Google has used its Made by Google event to share some more details about the forthcoming Pixel Tablet. The tablet is not due to launch until 2023, but
If you're looking for a new laptop, you've come to the right place.Whether you're searching for a portable device that you can take between home and the
Google revealed the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro during an event on 6 October, succeeding the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that were announced on 19 October 2021. The
Google has officially announced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, having previously teased the devices at Google I/O in May 2022.The new devices slide in to
A Google-branded smartwatch had been rumoured for many years, but now Google has formally announced the Pixel Watch, its first hardware device.After years
The Google Pixel Watch is now official, with Google unveiling the device at its Made by Google event. The launch was preceded by a tease at Google I/O
With the Pixel Watch, Google has finally built and released its own homemade smartwatch. But with Samsung having been in the market for years, and having
Google announced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro alongside the Pixel Watch during an event on 6 October, following a brief tease of the devices during Google
Google fully revealed the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 during an event on 6 October following several months of teasers.The two devices succeed the excellent
Google made the unusual move of giving us a fairly extensive tease of the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at Google I/O in early 2022, before officially announcing
A new leak of alleged Samsung Galaxy S23 cases could mean a tweak of its camera bump - or more accurately, the lack of it.A previous leak suggested that
Lego has announced a table football set that uses minifigures as the players and is fully playable.The set is ideally timed, considering a World Cup is
It's been a busy time for HTC Vive. It doesn't feel like long since the company released the tethered PCVR HTC Vive Pro 2, the business focussed Vive Focus
Call of Duty Mobile Season 9 will be called Zombies are Back and brings with it new weapons, maps and themes. It lands around Halloween, so is suitably
Fans of RGB rejoice! Corsair and Nanoleaf have announced a partnership which means you'll now be able to sync your Nanoleaf Smarter Decor products (including
There is a part of human disposition whereby we see shapes or familiar patterns in otherwise obscure or everyday objects. As a child, you probably saw
Tech is a bit of a hard thing to contain, nowadays. Where the 20th Century might have let you get away with the idea that technology meant microchips and
Yubo has been making waves in the social platform market ever since the app started attracting numerous Gen-Z users.While ensuring that young users can
Everyone knows that Amazon Prime Day offer a superb opportunity for those looking to kit out their home with Arlo products. And now with the Prime Early
The Play Store listing for Fitbit's Android app has been updated, and - as well as showing a redesign of the phone app - shows what the Fitbit app for
The James Webb Space Telescope may well be mankind's greatest feat (so far). This is a magnificent space telescope that was originally initially designed
The best webcams allow you to look your sharpest, whether you're dealing with work video calls or getting into streaming.Since the webcams that come built
It's been a busy week at Twitter, we've seen the platform begin trialling the edit button, and it would appear that Elon Musk is proceeding with his buyout,
Sometimes we make purchasing decisions that we regret. It's OK. This is a judgment-free zone. Or perhaps maybe you bought something on Amazon but then
Do you want to make your Chromebook run like it's new again? There is an easy way to do that - by doing a factory reset. Or perhaps you want to give
Amazon has once again made all 25 official James Bond movies available on Prime Video.After putting them on the streaming service for a limited period
PlayStation has launched a new loyalty programme - PlayStation Stars.It's a multi-tiered scheme that is designed to make PlayStation console and service
Like Prime Day, the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale presents us with a stack of deals on Amazon's own products, including its Ring smart security range.And,
The Lightning port is no more - the European Parliament has passed legislation that requires all phone manufacturers to adopt USB-C for charging. That
The Amazon Prime Early Access Sales are almost here and one of the early discounts falls on the eero mesh system.The Amazon eero replaces your router,
Nvidia has its own cloud gaming service in the form of GeForce Now, but it is different to most others.For starters, there is a free-to-play plan and it
Amazon's blink cameras offer a bunch of different sizes and formats to let you easily set up cameras around your home, whether to keep and eye on indoor
The Prime Day sales have been and gone, but there's another round of sales coming - the Prime Early Access Sale - which some are calling Prime Day 2, which
The Amazon-owned Ring has some great offers the Prime Early Access Sale, especially on its Video Doorbell and Video Doorbell Wired.Not only do you get
Amazon discounted many of its own devices in the Prime Day sales - and we're expecting more in the Prime Early Access Sale - but before we get there, we
This is our new daily driver for gaming - it's simply the best-sounding headset we've used in ages, and is endlessly comfortable as well. With battery
There's a new Prime Early Access Sale incoming and Amazon has started reducing prices across some of its devices in early sales. Those sales include the
The Amazon Fire 7 has got itself a discount as we run towards the Prime Early Access Sale. The new sale event - being dubbed Prime Day 2 - will officially
HyperX's microphone line-up is already pretty popular with content creators and streamers. Especially the RGB-tastic HyperX Quadcast S. Now the company
First unveiled in 2018, Amazon's Fire TV Cube is a hybrid device, combining the TV streaming capabilities of a Fire TV Stick with an Echo speaker - you
Instagram has been trialling a lot of changes recently and to say that they've been less than popular is putting it mildly.While the platform walked back
Amazon's Fire TV Sticks are a popular choice for those wanting to add the latest streaming services to their TV. Whether you've got a TV in the bedroom
Amazon is ramping up the deals as we head towards the Prime Early Access Sale, with more discounts across many of Amazon's own devices - including the
Hydrow has introduced its lighter, more affordable connected rowing machine to the UK.Launched in the US in the summer, the Hydrow Wave is as smart as
Apple previewed the next iPhone software - iOS 16 - during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. The software releases this September, bringing
Apple previewed watchOS 9 - the next major software update for its Apple Watch - during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). The software releases
While at its September event, where Apple announced the latest iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 ranges, the company unveiled a new feature: Crash Detection.
The Apple Watch Ultra is the Apple Watch Series 8 on steroids, plus so much more. It's bulked up to offer a more rough and ready device with not only
While at its September event, where Apple announced the latest iPhone 14 range, the company debuted a new video feature called Action mode. When selected,
While at its September event, where it announced the latest iPhone 14 lineup, Apple unveiled something called Photonic Engine. It's a new iPhone camera
Big doesn't always mean better but if you want a larger display, larger form factor and larger battery, but you aren't too fussed about the extra
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro is without a doubt the most exciting of the four new iPhone 14 models. It's got a fresh design, camera upgrades, processor
The annual refresh of the iPhone is one of the biggest events in tech: it's the phone that many aspire to own, one that sets trends and the phone that
Apple has finally announced its Watch Series 8 and it's joined by a second-generation of the Apple Watch SE along with the all-new Apple Watch Ultra,
Apple doubled-down on the Apple Watch at its 2022 Far Out September event, announcing an updated Apple Watch Series 8, a new Watch SE, and the watch that
Apple has announced a trio of new Watch models, including a refreshed Watch SE, Watch Series 8, and an all-new Apple Watch Ultra. It will also soon release
Apple has announced the iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which will each come with the latest iOS pre-installed. iOS 16 will also be available
Apple has, at last, announced its iPhone 14 series at a typically highly-produced event in Cupertino, meaning we can finally sink our teeth into the different
Apple held its annual summer launch event at Apple Park on 7 September, during which - as well as its next iPhone series - it launched a bunch of other
Put simply, eSIM, or embedded SIM card, replaces the need for a physical SIM card - and therefore, a SIM card slot - on your device. While the number of
Apple will soon make its Fitness+ service available to all owners of an iPhone, regardless of whether or not they also use an Apple Watch.Currently, it
Apple has finally ditched the notch for its new Pro iPhones.The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have a pill-shaped TrueDepth camera instead. What's more, Apple
Apple launched the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus - its updated smartphones for 2022 - at an event on 7 September 2022.There are four iPhone models joining
Apple has announced its annual iPhone refresh and has gone big this time around.As well as the iPhone 14, there's an iPhone 14 Plus with a 6.7-inch screen.
Apple has introduced a new pair of AirPods Pro. The new version features an upgraded built-in processor, and custom drivers as well as new Spatial Audio. At
Apple has announced three smartwatches at its September event, in the form of the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra. The three
As part of its September launch event, Apple has unveiled a new more budget-friendly version of its Apple Watch. The latest Apple Watch SE takes inspiration
Apple has announced its most advanced Apple Watch model yet, the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple said that it had been working on this watch for a couple of years
Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 8, which adds a few new features but is largely the same as Series 7 in design and tech. The large, always-on
Xbox has announced a new pro controller that's a little more affordable than the currently available Elite Series 2.An Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series
Online exercise platform Zwift has launched its own turbo trainer, simply called Zwift Hub.The platform is best known as a destination of choice for cyclists
Samsung’s range of foldable smartphones has proven popular among consumers. Not only do they offer top-end specs, but they are also incredibly compact,
Ring is expanding support for video end-to-end encryption to its battery-powered devices.It first launched end-to-end encryption for recorded videos last
More Splatoon is a very good thing, and we've really enjoyed our time with the third game - and our glimpses of online play have been really
Sony has confirmed that it will be hosting an event on 12 September. The content of the event is unknown, but it's being held in Japan and happening under
The next mainline Pokémon games are on the way - The Pokémon Company used 2022's Pokémon Day celebrations as the perfect time to announce Scarlet and
SteelSeries has been busy improving its keyboard line-up. The latest of the company's efforts include two Apex 9 keyboards. The SteelSeries Apex 9 TKL
Nintendo has annouced a new limited edition model of the Switch OLED that it's going to release to celebrate Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.Pokémon Scarlet
Images are an important means of communication and information sharing in today's times. Using images is a way better tool for connecting to an audience
Disney+ Day promises to be a good one, with both Thor: Love and Thunder and the live-action remake of Pinocchio debuting on the streaming service from
There are amazing games coming out for Xbox One in the coming months. Whether you own an Xbox One S, 4K-ready Xbox One X or one of the next-gen consoles,
Bullet Train is an action-packed romp that takes place on a train filled with deadly assassins. It's got an all-star cast, with Brad Pitt as the frontman,
Just recently Valve essentially confirmed there would be more Steam Decks in future when it published an official document while readying for the launch
Sony frequently pushes out software updates for the PlayStation 5, with some making major changes to the console's user experience or features, and others
We've already seen some pretty interesting uses of AI image tools. Now OpenAI's tech is being used to show more outside the frame of classic paintings. This
Solar charging has been advertised as the technology of the future. And indeed, it’s currently one of the cleanest ways to get the power you need. But
Bullitt might not be a brand you're familiar with, but the British company has long been making tough phones, most commonly under the CAT brand.While its
If you’re a phone geek who keeps changing phones from time to time, especially from Android to iPhone, you likely regularly have issues with WhatsApp
Sony is rolling out new system software to PlayStation 5 users globally today.Best PS5 games: Amazing PlayStation 5 titles to pick upThis means that a
The launch of the Huawei Mate 50 might not register for your typical smartphone customer outside China. Since the company fell foul of US sanctions and
Peloton has given us the first peek at its forthcoming rowing machine.Called Peloton Row, it has been teased on a sign-up page on the US Peloton website.
While all eyes will be trained on Google's flagship phone series at the Pixel 7 launch event in October, Google has said that the phones will not be the
Finding a great office chair has always been important, but the increased popularity of working from home has made it a decision that an increasing amount
It was no surprise to see rumours of GoPro's upcoming Hero 11 Black camera, since the brand tends to launch a product around the same time each year.But
Netflix could launch its much-discussed ad-supported plan on 1 November, with "industry sources" claiming it is accelerating the launch to beat Disney+
Ubisoft might have bigger plans than was first assumed when it announced its latest Ubisoft Forward streaming event for 10 September, according to new
If you're in the market for a luxury smartwatch that does all the basic things right, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 certainly is that. It's very
Meta has announced it will hold Meta Connect 2022 in October. If you add up recent leaks and quotes from CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself, it's safe to assume
The next major operating system update for the iPhone, iOS 16, will introduce several upgrades to Apple's Messages app, such as the ability to edit iMessages
When you set up or join a family group on your Apple device, a Shared Family Album is created automatically in the Photos app on all family members’
While at WWDC in June 2022 Apple unveiled a new feature in iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura. Called Stage Manager, it brings the iPad even closer to working
While discussing Safari browser updates at WWDC in June 2022, Apple announced a new security feature - or credential - it's been working on called Passkeys
While at WWDC in June 2022, Apple announced a new privacy feature, called Safety Check, which is intended to help you quickly turn off others' access to
Apple has entered the "buy now, pay later" market with Apple Pay Later, putting it at odds with existing competition such as Affirm and Klarna.With Apple
Apple is introducing a new security setting called Lockdown Mode. It'll be a free feature that strengthens your iPhone, iPad, and Mac's defenses, making
PDF files are commonly used in today’s digital times, as they contain all sorts of required components such as simple text or infographics content; they’ve
Microsoft has a couple of subscription services for owners of the Xbox One, Xbox Series X or Series S.Xbox Live Gold is a monthly membership plan that
Google has confirmed that the next Made by Google event will take place on 6 October, with the action kicking off at 10am ET.The anticipated event will
Qualcomm, one of the leading smartphone chip manufacturers, has announced its latest processors for mid-range and entry-level devices.Just like the flagship
CD Projekt Red has announced that a major expansion will be released for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2023.Phantom Liberty was revealed during a special edition of
Sony has announced a trio of PlayStation 5 accessories in a gray camouflage theme, including side plates for the console itself.The collection also includes
HP's ongoing Labor Day sale has been a real highlight of the last week or so, offering up some seriously excellent deals to brighten up the change of seasons,
Disney+ and Netflix will duke it out soon on what is set to be one of the most fierce battlegrounds yet. Yep, they will soon be embroiled in what is being
Sonic's next big adventure is on the way, with a fully 3D title announced in the form of Sonic Frontiers, promising an expansive and beautiful open world
Time doesn't ever stop flying by, but that also means that there are plenty of new games being announced all the time. Even if the PlayStation 5 is out,
Normal people and tech don't mix. As is proven by this collection of images from tech-savvy people showing various gadget related misadventures. These
PlayStation Plus is Sony's monthly subscription service that is required for online play on PlayStation 4 and PS5 consoles.It is split into three tiers,
In the smartphone market it's rare to find a top-of-the-line phone that doesn't have some kind of water and dust resistance. While it used to be a rarity,