Tech Spite

We’ve officially heard from Google that its upcoming Pixel 4 flagship smartphone will feature Apple-esque face unlocking thanks to a complicated array of sensors and camera systems on the front of the phone, but that might not be the only Google device gaining this biometric security measure. A recent discovery by specialist website Chrome Unboxed has found mention of Face Detection in an update for the Chromium open-source project, which itself is responsible for the ChromeOS software that powers Chromebooks . (Eeesh, that’s a lot of Chrome…) Google Pixel 4 officially revealed to support Apple-esque face unlocking What is a Google Chromebook? While this in itself isn’t solid proof that the feature is definitely happening, when coupled with the aforementioned Pixel 4 announcement, it's a fairly strong hint that Google will start implementing its Face Unlock in future Chromebooks. Chrome Unboxed convincingly makes the case that the source code updates suggest the new fe...

It's been a long time coming, but Netflix has finally dropped the first trailer for Martin Scorsese's biggest crime epic to date, The Irishman, which is said to have cost upwards of $140 million (USD). Based on the book 'I Heard You Paint Houses' by Charles Brandt, the film follows WWII veteran Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a real-life hitman who was allegedly involved in the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), which is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.  The best upcoming TV shows and movies on Netflix Netflix to be more selective with big-budget shows Which Netflix plan is right for you? So why the huge budget? As the story takes place over the course of multiple decades, director Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York) and his team have employed expensive and cutting-edge de-aging technology to make some of its cast appear up to 30 years younger in certain sections of the film. The extensive de-aging work...

Despite the FTC pushing people away from an Equifax cash payout, there's a good chance you'll get all $125. Eventually. from Wired https://ift.tt/2MtMUe9

With the NBN rollout well underway and expected to reach its completion target by 2020, there's a good chance you've already got access to the nation's high-speed network. While different addresses and areas have access to different connection types, one of the toughest choices customers will face is deciding which provider to go with, which speed tier to choose, and how much data they'll need. On this page, we'll break down the best NBN plans currently on offer, whether it be the most affordable offering, the highest speeds and data allowances, or the overall best value. Along with our hand-picked choice offers, this page will feature a live tracker of the best NBN plans as, and when, they're put on offer, so you can be sure to get the best deal available right now! Cheap NBN plans compared: the best internet deals in Australia The fastest NBN plans in Australia Best NBN plans After years of waiting, many Australians are now finding that the NBN has fina...

Commitment-phobes and bargain hunters, boy have we found the SIM only deal for you. Coming from EE - the UK's fastest 4G network - a new range of flexible contracts promising plenty of data and affordable pricing. Competing with the commitment-free SIM providers cropping up across the market, EE is now offering a range of 'Flex Plans'. These EE SIM only deals allow you to sign up and quit whenever you want, meaning your plan can last from one month to as long as you like - forever even! The really tempting feature of these plans is the fact that up until September 30, EE is tripling the data on its two cheapest plans for the first three months. That means 6GB for the price of 2GB or 15GB for the price of 5GB . That combined with features including your unused data rolling over each month, EE boosting your data plan by 500Mb every three months and those impressively fast speeds make these offers really stand out. We've listed the two triple data plans down below s...

The global smartphone market slipped 1.2% year on year in the second quarter to 360m units, mainly due to the declining Chinese market. According to Counterpoint Research, the decline was for the seventh consecutive quarter while China alone accounted for over one-fourth of the global smartphone shipments. Samsung benefited from the US-China trade war with a 7.1% growth to 76.6m and capturing more than one-fifth of the global smartphone market share. Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said that Samsung has completely overhauled its product portfolio this year with its ‘A and M’ series, targeting the sub $300 price segment aggressively. “The flagship ‘S’ series, which Samsung launched three devices instead of the usual two, covering wider price points, also continued to do well. Samsung was also one of the first OEMs to launch a 5G device – S10 5G, which remains popular in the 5G adopting countries,” he said. After Samsung, Huawei, Oppo and ZTE launched its ...

So you're thinking about PS4 Pro deals or maybe a bundle? Well we can certainly help you out there as we're always checking out the latest sales. Maybe you're upgrading from your older PS4 so you can dive into 4K gaming? Or maybe you've never had a PS4 and are thinking you may as well start with the best. All solid choices, especially if you're already set with a 4K TV, even better if it has HDR too. There are some fantastic-looking games out now to really make a PS4 Pro shine; Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, God of War, and Detroit: Become Human are all serious lookers and jaws are bound to drop further when The Last of Us Part 2 eventually sneaks onto our 4K TVs. You'll find all of the latest and best PS4 Pro prices from the big name stores in our comparison chart below. There's not too much difference in price between retailers at this time of year, but we're constantly on the lookout for the latest deals and bundles. Looking to buy in Australi...

Apex Legends is one of the major drivers of EA’s current success, with the game making a load of money, and up to 10 million people playing the battle royale on a weekly basis. Also, veteran title The Sims 4 is still raking in cash despite being released five years ago. All this was revealed with EA’s latest financial report, which shows the firm is doing well, with revenue hitting $1.21 billion (around £1 billion, AU$1.75 billion) and surpassing expectations. Apex Legends: which is the best character for your playstyle Apex Legends loot map : here's where to find the best gear What will be the next battle royale hit? CFO Blake Jorgensen believes Apex Legends will be a big money-spinner for the next 10 years, no less, and it’s now one of EA’s most reliable cash generators along with FIFA and The Sims. Despite its age, The Sims 4 expansion packs and content downloads were up no less than 55% year-on-year – buoyed by a recent free giveaway (back in May) which led to 7 milli...

The NHS is putting itself at risk of a cyberattack by failing to update its computers from Windows 7 , new research has warned. A government report has found that about three-quarters of NHS computers are still running Windows 7. This is despite Windows 7 having less than half a year left before Microsoft ends officially supporting the outdated OS. These are the best Microsoft Office alternatives NHS ordered to stop using fax machines Windows 7 warns users that the end is nigh 'Deeply concerning' The news was discovered in an official response from the Department of Health and Social Care to Jo Platt MP, a shadow cabinet office minister after she posed an official parliamentary query. "With less than six months before Windows 7 support expires, it is deeply concerning that over a million NHS computers, over three quarters of the total NHS IT estate, are still using this operating system," Platt said. Questions have been raised over the cybersecurity capabil...

Ok, let's do this. E3 2019 has shown us some great upcoming games and you're finally after a cheap PS4 bundle deal. This is a fantastic time to buy in as so many of the best PS4 games are super cheap nowadays. So you've got plenty of great games to enjoy for less once you take advantage of these super low prices. Naturally, lots of the below PS4 bundles come with the hottest new games. And yes, we've tracked down the new Limited Edition Days of Play PS4 for you too.  We're on the hunt for the lowest PS4 prices all year round, so we aren't easily fooled by the fake deals that don't actually save you any money over buying the games individually. We're here to help save you as much money as possible. We also want you to play the games everyone's shouting about which is why we're going the extra mile to track down PS4 and PS4 Pro bundles with the likes of Days Gone, Red Dead Redemption 2, FIFA 19, Spider-Man and more. Sometimes though, you can get...

The in-car version of Android Auto has a new dark mode and more streamlined interface rolling out now, but Google is planning to kill off the companion smartphone app. According to Android Police , Android Auto for phones will be replaced by the existing Google Assistant app, which will receive a new interface (called Google Assistant Driving Mode). The best Android apps in 2019 Android Auto: Google's head unit for cars explained The 10 best Android phones in 2019 You'll be able to launch the new mode by simply telling your phone 'Let's drive' – a command that currently either opens Google Maps or performs a search. It's not clear exactly when the old app will be deprecated, but California-based Google has said it will happen in the summer, so we're expecting it to happen in the next month or so. Behind the wheel Meanwhile, the in-car version of Android Assistant is getting a makeover, with a new dark mode rolling out worldwide. Google teased the s...

There goes any chance of you leaving your desk this lunchtime – Blizzard's original Diablo game from 1996 can now be played in a web browser. Hosted by the Blizzard-loving developers at Rivsoft, visiting https://diablo.rivsoft.net gives you access to the shareware version of the game, "based on source code reconstructed by GalaXyHaXz and devilution team." That gives you access to the first two areas of the game's giant dungeon, and makes one of Diablo's three character classes available. However, if you own the game from a site like GOG , you can go one better. According to the site, "if you own the original game, you can drop the original DIABDAT.MPQ" file onto the loaded browser page, and access the full game from within your browser. Diablo 3 (Nintendo Switch) review : battling demons, while on the toilet Diablo Immortal : everything there is to know about Blizzard's mobile RPG Diablo 4 : everything this is to know so far Hellish beginnin...

As much as 15 years ago – possibly even more – countries, in the Middle East, for example, began buying up farmland to secure food supply. If the same capital had flowed into plant-based foods or clean agriculture, the world would be a very different place than it is today. In any case, the current skyrocketing interest in the future of food is great for the world in general. KBW Ventures, one of the first movers in the food-tech space, provided backing to startup Memphis Meats, and joined a whole huge A-list of forward-thinking investors and futurists.  “When we first went into Memphis Meats, that was a great moment for the future of food; investors lined up and supported a startup that was using technology to provide the world with the future of protein,” Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KBW Ventures,  told TechRadar Middle East . Tackling food security Speaking ahead of his participation at Bloomberg Live’s event dedi...

It's time to crown the finest performers in the mobile world with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019 , and we need your help to pick the winners from our stellar shortlists. And there are great prizes to be won!* You've already helped our judges narrow down our fantastic longlists to the star-studded shortlists you can see at the bottom of this article, and we're calling on you again to help our judges pick the winners from these exclusive shortlists. The good news is that voting is now open , so please take a moment to have your say on who should claim a coveted award. Voting for the winners of the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019 will close at 5pm BST on August 28 , so make sure you don't miss out. Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our expert judges, we'll announce the winners at the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, on October 10 2019 in London. For more information on the awards please visit the Tech...

Forget World Cups and Twenty20s - winning the Ashes is the biggest feather in a cap for any cricketer from old rivals England and Australia. Thursday sees the start of the latest chapter in the 135-year sporting story and you'll be able to watch all of the action between England vs Australia no matter where you are in the world with our 2019 Ashes live stream guide. It's one of oldest sporting rivalries and the Ashes series still stands as the pinnacle of Test cricket. England will be desperate to win back the Ashes on home soil, having been thrashed 4-0 Down Under 18 months ago. While for the Aussies it's an opportunity to make some positive headlines after their recent ball-tampering scandal and a World Cup campaign that ended at the semi-final stage after promising so much more. The home side appear to have huge strength in depth when it comes to bowling, but big doubts remain over their batting line up going into the series. Jofra Archer's superb showing at the Wo...

We had initially expected Samsung to unveil the new Galaxy Tab S6 tablet and Galaxy Watch Active 2 smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 10 on August 7, but the company will now unveil those former products ahead of its next smartphone. July 31 - that's today - is the official unveiling date for a new tablet from Samsung, according to an official video that teases it alongside the smartwatch. We're expecting to hear all about the tablet at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM BST or midnight ACT on August 1 for those in Australia) but it's currently unclear if the company will be hosting a livestream or if the details will just drop on the company's website. Our guide to the very best Samsung phones Can't wait? Try our best Android tablet guide Our thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e The video doesn't outright confirm it'll be called the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, but the 20 second teaser definitely shows a tablet with a stylus and gives us a quick glimpse at the ...

Jaybird’s latest sweat-proof fully wireless earbuds feel almost weightless, and hold an impressive charge. from Wired https://ift.tt/2yrFJuN

UPDATE: We've now added HBO's Barry and Chernobyl series to our list of the best TV shows on Foxtel Now – check out the next two slides to find out more about them! Joining Netflix and Stan in the Australian streaming landscape, Foxtel Now gives Australians the easiest way to access Foxtel to date – especially if you own a Foxtel Box . Offering an unparalleled selection of TV shows in its library (so long as you've subscribed to the right packages), Foxtel Now is currently providing access to some of the biggest and best shows of any streaming service in Australia. In fact, if you have multiple packs in your subscription, you may find yourself with an overwhelming amount of content. You can buy the Foxtel Now Box for $99 from Dick Smith With that in mind, we've created this TechRadar guide to the best TV shows to stream on Foxtel Now at the moment (in no particular order). We'll keep this best TV show list constantly updated with the latest series that you s...

Windows 10 S was first revealed back in May 2017 as a standalone OS, but it faced some controversy at launch. A lot of the criticism stemmed from the fact that it limits users to apps found on the Microsoft Store. Luckily, users can switch out of Windows 10 S Mode for free. Still, the lightweight operating system has proved instrumental in getting Windows 10 the over 825 million installs it has today. Windows 10 in S Mode makes a lot of sense for specific users and devices. The Microsoft Surface Go , for example, a cheap alternative to the Surface Pro, only has a low-power Intel Pentium Gold processor, which means that it’s an ideal candidate for Windows 10 S.  We’ve also seen reports of people getting Windows 10 S running on a Raspberry Pi 3 , which makes a lot of sense for the lightweight OS. Microsoft is also rumored to be working on Windows Lite , which will further the lightweight nature of the OS, to compete with the best Chromebooks . Windows 10 S Mode is also able to t...

Chrome 76 has been released today on all platforms, and it’s brought with it a number of security patches, bug fixes and handy features to help with your browsing. The most notable change for most users will be how Google is choosing to handle any Flash Player content that’s still lingering around the web. While the move to kill off Adobe’s archaic format has been in the works for a few years , Chrome will now officially block Flash by default. Since 1996, Flash content has allowed web users to view and interact with media online, but since the launch of standards such as HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly, it has become redundant and something of a potential security hazard. For now, users can still enable it manually every time they want Flash media to be played but, considering that Adobe will be discontinuing the format entirely next year , this feature will be relatively short-lived. Google Chrome for desktop is finally getting a dark mode Google is cracking down on snooping Chr...

It began with a simple question: “So, what if you could type directly from your brain?”  That was something Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerburg asked on stage during the company’s annual F8 conference back in 2017 . Since then, Facebook has been funding research into a brain-computer interface (BCI) that it could use in augmented reality wearables, like its long-talked about AR glasses . Looks like the mind-reading interface could be one step closer to reality with Facebook releasing the first significant update on the project, with researchers now able to “decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from activity in real time”. This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, came about via an algorithm that was able to read the thoughts of participants suffering from brain injuries. Mind reading When the project was first announced in 2017, the goal was to “decode silent speech”.  In this experiment, scientists at the University of California, ...

If you're in the market for a cheap laptop deal, now's a great time to find a good price, regardless of whether you're shopping for work, school, or home. To make finding the machine that's right for you easier, we’ve collected the cheapest prices and best deals of the week in addition to a selection of some of our perpetual cheap laptop favorites. This week features an assortment of workhorses, versatile machines, and basic configurations perfect for students. We know that shopping for a new laptop can be an often arduous task of comparing storage, memory, processing power and features, but our guide below will help you find the best laptop deals and get the most for your money. From huge names like Dell, Asus and Lenovo to lesser known brands, you’re sure to come away happy with these bargains. If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited checking out our selection of cheap gaming laptop deals , as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mi...