You might have noticed a new end-of-year trend on Instagram the past few days. If so, you can thank 2017bestnine.com, a website that lets you automatically collect and collage your most-liked photos of 2017. Best Nine has been around for a while, so many of you may be familiar with the tool already. But for those of you who are new to that Best Nine game, here’s how it works. First of… Read More
Stories about Facebook’s advertising business tend to focus on the big numbers — its billions of users, millions of advertisers or its enormous lead over any competitor that’s not named Google. But Facebook says that one of its success stories in recent years involves a relatively small group of engineers — in fact, originally it was just one engineer, Vastal Mehta,… Read More
OKCupid’s users are angry – very, very angry. Just ahead of the new year, the company made a radical change to its policies, and now requires people to use real names instead of an OKCupid username, as before. The change eliminates one of the biggest differentiators between the dating app and rivals like Tinder and Bumble, which have users log in via Facebook in order to use their… Read More
Pinterest announced today it’s adding former CBS and PepsiCo exec Fred Reynolds to its board of directors. Reynolds’ background includes global financial and strategic planning as well as business analysis, the company notes. He will also serve as Pinterest’s Audit Committee Chair. Prior to joining Pinterest’s board, Reynolds spent 15 years at CBS and… Read More
Kodi, the hugely popular media player, is now available to download for the Xbox One. This is great news for Xbox One users, as the Kodi software is an incredibly flexible and versatile media player, mainly thanks to its large range of third party add-ons that can turn it into a DVR, allow it to stream from various sources and broadcast live TV.
The best part of this news, which was published on the Kodi website, is that Kodi can be easily downloaded onto your Xbox One from the Microsoft Store, making the process as easy as possible.
However, as the Kodi team states on the website, because it is a UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app, which is tightly controlled by Microsoft, it does mean some features are limited, such as network support, while access to the Xbox One's Blu-ray drive is not supported.
The Kodi app for the Xbox One is also still in its early stages, so you may encounter a few rough edges.
Kodi’s arrival on the Xbox One is quite symbolic, as the Kodi project began life as the Xbox Media Player for the original Xbox console (the software was later known as the Xbox Media Center, then XBMC).
XBMC evolved beyond the Xbox and was soon available for Linux, Windows, OSX, Android and many other devices, and in 2014 it was renamed Kodi.
Microsoft’s desire to include UWP apps on the Xbox One, as well as Windows 10 devices, has given the Kodi team the ability to bring its software back to the platform it all started from, and makes the Xbox One an even more powerful media player.
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Were you thinking that the ongoing spat between Google and Amazon had finally simmered down? You'd be wrong.
Google previously said that it wasn't going to remove the YouTube access for the Amazon Fire TV until January 1, but some users are already finding the app disabled when they fire up their devices, reports TechCrunch.
Instead, when they try to open the the Fire TV's YouTube app, users just see a notice informing them that they can watch "YouTube and million of other websites" through an internet browser. You're then given the choice of exploring the wonderful world of the internet through Amazon's Silk browser or Firefox.
So much for the spirit of the holidays.
But look at it this way: at least Fire TV users have the less-than-ideal browser option on their own terms. The current spat began when Google pulled YouTube from the Echo Show, claiming it was offering users a "broken user experience." Later, Amazon replaced the custom interface it had made with a website version of YouTube. It didn't look right on the Echo Show's tiny screen, though, and it was considerably more awkward than the app it replaced.
The problem was that Amazon had made the Echo Show app apparently without consulting Google. The app was great for what it was, but it disabled almost all of YouTube's social features and, more importantly, it disabled ads. That effectively means Echo Show users were getting content from one of Google's most popular services for free.
In fact, the issue is part of a larger struggle based on Amazon's practice of sometimes not selling competing devices for products it makes itself. For a couple of years, Amazon would sell its own Fire TV device but not the Apple TV and Chromecast.
The situation seemed to be improving when Amazon confirmed it would start offering the Google Chromecast again, but so far the device hasn't been available for sale. Amazon similarly allowed the Apple TV to appear on the site again, but unlike the Chromecast, it's available to buy.
Google didn't immediately respond when we asked for a statement. Who knows? Maybe they were simply annoyed at discovering that Amazon is apparently tinkering with the idea of starting a new service called "Amazontube."
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Snapchat users who snap and save can take a stroll down memory lane with the app’s new feature, “A Look Back at 2017.” If you’re the type that would rather ruminate than remain committed to Snapchat’s previously purely ephemeral philosophy, you can find your 2017 year in review in the memories tab. The feature is noteworthy mostly for the fact that it rips a… Read More
With distances between relatives becoming further than ever and overhead baggage space a battleground in which there are no winners, it’s no wonder that so many of us turn to gift cards in lieu of large electronics around the holidays.
One or two may not get you that far, but load up on enough of these stocking stuffers and every aisle at your local electronics dealer will turn into a winter wonderland, full of potential presents for you to bring home and place in your burgeoning home entertainment center.
From TVs to soundbars, video game systems to UHD Blu-ray players, with everything on the table what’s one to buy when all the wrapping paper is shorn away? Here are a few ideas we’ve come up with to help you turn that plastic currency into great home cinema tech.
Of course, all this being said, if your budget is a little larger than the miniscule amounts below, don’t miss our guides to the best TV, best soundbar and best game consoles to outfit your home theater with the latest, greatest … and slightly more expensive tech.
One might think that $25/£25 might not be enough to make a dent in your home theater setup - but unless you’re already outfitted with a killer setup replete with floorstanding speakers, a hefty AV receiver and massive flatscreen, this small chunk of change can go further than you think.
Two suggestions that immediately come to mind are the Roku Express and the Logitech Harmony Smart Control Universal Remote.
The Roku Express is perfect for folks who need a video streaming device for a second room in their house and aren’t put off by the fact that the Roku Express only outputs 1080p.
If you already own a higher-powered streaming device - like the new Apple TV 4K, Chromecast Ultra or Amazon Fire TV - then how about a Logitech Harmony Smart Control Universal Remote? Not only does it work with all of the aforementioned streaming devices (minus Chromecast, obviously) but it’s compatible with some 270,000 components - including most cable boxes, TVs and AV receivers. If you’re looking to cut the clutter in the new year, this is an excellent first step.
Speaking of Google streaming devices, if audio is more your scene, check out the Chromecast Audio - a device that turns your fantastic (but disconnected) old speakers into smart speakers.
See, $25 gets you farther than you thought. But let’s say you had double that amount - around $50/£50 - what should you spend your money on now?
For half that much, there are a number of great buys out there, like Google Home Mini, Chromecast, Creative Muvo 2C, Xbox Live Gold or a Spotify subscription, all of which can help take your home theater system to the next level.
The Google Home Mini is the perfect counterpart to the Amazon Echo Dot. Like the Chromecast Audio, the Home Mini turns any speaker into a smart speaker - but it also comes with a decent speaker and a smart assistant built right in.
If you’re a movie lover and you’re tech savvy enough to know how Google Cast works, the Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra (which are usually found for $35/ £30 and $69/£69, respectively) are awesome and cheap streaming devices that bring movies and shows from your phone or tablet to your TV for a pittance.
For the audiophile on the move, the Creative Muvo 2C is a great portable Bluetooth speaker that offers fantastic audio quality in a pint-sized package.
The last two recommendations in this price bracket are subscriptions - either a six-month subscription to Netflix or a six-month subscription to Spotify. Both ideas are similar in the sense that subscriptions snag you some content to watch on your new TVs or listen to on your AV equipment without being subjected to a barrage of advertisements.
Subscription cards and miniature smart speakers are great, but if you want to make substantial changes to your home theater setup - the kind that will radically improve performance for years to come - you’re probably going to need at least $100/£100.
If you have that much plastic currency burning a hole in your pocket, here are four big-ticket purchases you could make that will radically enhance your audiovisual arsenal: the Roku Streaming Stick+, a pair of Edifier R1280T bookshelf speakers, the LG UP875 4K Blu-ray player and, last but not least, the TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi range extender.
Let’s start with the Roku Streaming Stick+, the all-new streaming device that crams 4K HDR-ready hardware into a streaming stick. While last year’s Streaming Stick had all the guts to do decent HD streaming, the Streaming Stick+ ups the resolution as well as the range (up to four times the distance) with the addition of the new external antenna.
While the Roku Streaming Stick+ is sure to take your system’s visual performance to the next level, the Edifier R1280T bookshelf speakers are the upgrade your audio system needs. These fantastic-sounding speakers are perfect for people looking to move away from their TV speakers without going in full-bore on a 5.1 surround system.
If you’re not quite ready to drop physical media once and for all, you should probably upgrade to a 4K Blu-ray player - trust us, your eyes will appreciate it. One of the best budget models on the market is the LG UP875. It offers 3D and 4K playback for just under $100 at Best Buy.
Nothing catching your eye? That's OK, but we’ve saved the best suggestion for last. If poor reception is a plague upon your streaming and gaming experience, you need a Wi-Fi Range Extender. After doing some research on the subject, the best one we found was the TP-Link AC1750. It extends both 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz Wi-Fi channels with more than enough juice to reach the furthest corners of your home. It’s available from most retailers for $89.
Making an audiovisual upgrade this holiday season that you want to share with me? Send me an email: Nick.Pino@Futurenet.com.
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The Switch may be the most pleasant tech surprise of 2017, but although it has many excellent qualities, excessive storage space is not among them. And it looks like that will continue to be a problem if, as the Wall St Journal hears, Nintendo is delaying the production of 64-gigabyte cartridges. Read More
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Instagram’s feed will now show users recommended posts – a change that earlier this month was spotted while in testing, and has since quietly gone live. The feature, described here in the company’s Help documentation, will suggest posts for you based on those that have been liked by other accounts you follow. The new section, “Recommended for You,” is clearly… Read More
Former President Barack Obama sat down with the UK’s Prince Harry for an extended and far-ranging interview with the BBC this week, and their conversation touched on social media, the use thereof, and Obama’s take on what the current state of social media means for human discourse. The full interview covers a lot of ground, but the breakouts regarding social media include an… Read More
App-based trivia sensation HQ Trivia is on its way to Android, as the company previously revealed, but a special group of users can access it right now — Canadians. The app is now live in the Canadian Google Play Store, though it’s an “Unreleased” beta version of the live trivia game (via MobileSyrup). HQ Trivia debuted on iOS earlier this year, featuring a twice… Read More
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I find it truly sad the way Facebook has led us to reduce wishing friends a happy birthday to a meaningless, generic chore. It’s not Facebook’s fault. It gives us an open-ended comment box. But our laziness and sense of social obligation unfurl as a pile of “Happy Birthday!” or even “HBD!” wall posts. I’ve been bashing this emergent behavior since 2011. Read More
Boxing Day is over. You're either back at work, or dreading the thought of having to return. But that doesn't mean you've missed your chance for a bargain - as you've seen on our main Best Boxing Day Deals page we've spent days scouring the retailers for the best deals around.
That page is still chock-full of live deals, but we've decided to help those in a rush. This simple top 12 list is the cream of the crop in our eyes, the deals that we've had to either stop ourselves buying (for fear of having no food in January) or have caved and treated ourselves with.
There are many more deals still to be had out there. Actually most of the ones we found yesterday are still going strong. That's fantastic news if you didn't have time to get online yesterday. So why not take that much deserved rest and take a look at our full roundup all the best Boxing Day sales and deals.
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The Library of Congress announced today that it will no longer add every public tweet to its archives, an ambitious project it launched seven years ago. It cited the much larger volume of tweets generated now, as well as Twitter’s decision to double the character limit from 140 to 280. Instead, starting on Jan. 1, the Library will be more selective about what tweets to preserve, a… Read More
BT has announced its January Sale internet offers, and they're not far off the kind of bargains we saw over Black Friday. Sign up to BT broadband now and get a hefty Reward Card (worth up to £150!) and free activation. Lovely jubbly!
Our top pick is the super fast BT Infinity 1 fibre broadband deal. It costs £29.99 per month, but you get a whopping £125 pre-paid Mastercard and the only thing you'll pay at the outset is £9.99 to cover the delivery of your new router. You also get free calls to UK landlines at the weekend. And if you're a big sport fan, and extra fifty quid gets you access to BT Sport, too.
If that's still a little pricey for you, or if you're one of the unlucky folk that can't get fibre broadband, then standard 17Mb ADSL costs a mere £23.99. You still get free set-up, but the Reward Card you get is worth £50 instead of £125.
The Reward Card that BT sends out is a pre-paid credit card that you can use anywhere that accepts Mastercard. In short, that's around a million shops, cafes and restaurants around the world, so you shouldn't find it difficult to find places to spend, spend, spend.
It's an old-fashioned chip and pin card, rather than contactless. But do make sure that you claim your Reward Card within three months of installation, otherwise you'll lose out on all that cash.
If you're still um-ing and ah-ing over whether to go for one of these BT broadband offers, or if you want to see what other TV or phone options there are, then check out our BT broadband deals page - our bespoke price comparison table will help you choose, with packages that include unlimited calls and cheap BT Sports subscriptions. And if you want still more internet alternatives, then head on over to our main broadband deals comparison page.
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It’s a Christmas miracle of sorts. Julian Assange’s Twitter account disappeared from the site, returned, and now there’s a bouncing baby Corgi up top. The account appears to have gone offline around 7:00/8:00PM ET on Christmas Eve, a silent night for the Wikileaks founder. Attempts to access the page overnight were met with a “Sorry, that page doesn’t… Read More
The Boxing Day sales have started early and there are already plenty of opportunities to bag a great deal. We've seen retailers putting fresh deals live for the last few days and have continued to highlight the best ones. We'll be updating this page throughout Christmas and Boxing Day to make sure you don't miss out.
This might be for something you've been waiting for a stunning price on for months, or maybe something you'd been keeping your fingers crossed you'd be getting for Christmas.
And hey, just because you didn't find the right price on Black Friday, doesn't mean you won't have better luck this time. As for the 'January sales', we're seeing fewer ace deals in those each year nowadays as retailers focus on November and December for their best deals. So, if you see a bargain that looks right for you, it might be time to treat yourself while you still have a chance.
Not a silly question at all. We actually see loads of retailers push the button (probably with gravy on their fingers) at some point on Christmas Day (update: look like we called that one as the sales are live now!). We'll be watching all of the usual suspects like a hawk throughout the Christmas break and will bring you the deals when they go live, even if they go live sooner than expected.
We're expecting retailers to really get going with the deals by early evening on Christmas Day. So you might want to delay that post-dinner snooze until you've taken a peek. We've rounded up the early bargains below our extensive list of retailers.
If last year was anything to go by, all the big stores will be getting stuck in. With so many keen shoppers going online over the Christmas period in recent years, it's just too good a chance for them to finish 2017 off with some extra money in the bank. Let's take a look at the big hitters below and at what to expect.
If you want an idea of what potential discounts might be waiting just around the corner we can always take a look at some of the more popular offers we saw last Boxing Day. So let's hop into the Deals Time Machine and see...
iPhone 7 | Vodafone | 5GB data | Unlimited calls/texts | £34 per month (+half price for 6 months)
This was the strongest iPhone 7 deal out there for Boxing Day last year. The upfront fee was just £65 and it was only £17 per month for the first 6 months, then £34 for the remaining 18. Expect similar prices, if not lower, on the new iPhone 8. The total cost over 24 months was £779 was at Mobiles.co.uk. If you'd like to take a look at the latest prices, and there are some great ones today, we've rounded up the latest iPhone 8 deals and iPhone X deals. You can certainly make an even bigger saving by taking a look at the older iPhone 7 deals too, as the phone is very similar to the iPhone 8 if we're honest.
Samsung Galaxy S7 | Vodafone | 3GB data | Unlimited calls/texts | £28 per month (+half price for 6 months)
The upfront cost was only £15 and then just £14 per month for the first six months of your deal before the price reverted to the usual £28 for the rest of the contract. That was the best Samsung Galaxy S7 deal out there and even matched last year's best Black Friday deal on the phone. This previous deal was only £603 over 24 months at Mobiles.co.uk. This year, we're expecting some super cheap offers on newer models. Actually, prices are pretty good right now. Take a look at our up-to-date guides for the best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals and Note 8 deals.
4K TV: This 43-inch LG 4K TV with 4K and HDR Pro screen was originally £599 and it went down to £399 at Amazon.You could also get the 55-inch version for just £550 too. 4K prices have really come down across the board this year, so you'll be able to go bigger and better for less than this!
Coffee machine: The De'Longhi Dedica coffee machine with 15 bar espresso pump went down from £199 to just £147.99 at Amazon.
Smartwatch: You could get the Huawei W1 stainless steel smartwatch at a discounted £199 at Amazon. If you're itching for an offer today, check out our selection of the best smartwatch deals.
Surface Pro 4: The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet/laptop replacement with the keyboard attachment, 128GB storage and 4GB RAM was down to £699 at Argos. There's a new version out now. Be sure to take a look at the latest Surface Pro deals.
Acer Aspire ES: This 15.6-inch Windows 10 laptop with 1TB HDD and 4GB RAM - was one of Argos' headline deals and it's down to £199.99.
Lenovo Yoga 510: The super versatile Yoga with Core i3 CPU, 128GB SSD, Windows 10 and 4GB RAM was a big hit too for just £349 at Currys.
Sonos: These speakers are one of the fastest-growing brands in home audio and you could save at least £20 on all Sonos gear at Amazon.co.uk.
Mobile phones: Save £10 on the upfront cost of any phone with the voucher code 10OFF at Mobiles.co.uk. Amazingly, this deal is still going and can be used right now on any mobile phone with the one exception of the iPhone X.
Apple iPad: At Currys you could save £20 on the marked price of any iPad when you using the old IPAD20 discount code at the checkout!
GoPro: The GoPro Hero+, which can record 1080p video at up to 60fps and stay waterproof down to 131 feet was going for a mere for £99.97 at Currys. Looking for a discount now though? We've listed all the latest GoPro deals in our guide.
PS4: Game was running a whole range of PS4 bundles starting at £199.99.
Xbox One S: You could Get the new Xbox One S with a copy of Minecraft and a £15 Now TV voucher - all for £219.99 at Game. We'd expect to see similar bundles for arguably under £200 this year.
Samsung tab: The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7-inch Android tablet was only £89 at Currys.
TV and DVD combi: This cheap JVC 32-inch TV with a built-in DVD player for the spare room was a hot deal at just £199.99 at Currys.
Soundbar: TV owners looking for an audio boost saved an extra £20 on this Samsung soundbar with subwoofer for £89 at ao.com.
Washing machine: Currys had the Beko WM74165W washing machine reduced from £299 to just £169.
Chromebook: This 11.6-inch Acer Chromebook laptop which was reduced at Amazon to just £149.99.
Gaming keyboard: Laptops Direct shaved 28% from the cost of Razer's DeathStalker Chroma keyboard, which you could buy for just £64.97.
Canon Powershot G5X: You could have saved £100 on the Canon Powershot G5X Premium Compact Camera at Argos, where it was down from £599.99 to £499.99.
Canon Powershot G9X: Also at Argos, a saving of £50 on the retro-styled Canon Powershot G9X Premium Compact Camera in Silver – it was reduced from £399.99 to £349.99.
Sony Cybershot W830: Lots of people bought the compact Sony Cybershot W830 20MP 8x Zoom digital camera in silver, pink, purple or black for just £69.99 at Argos, down from £89.99.
Nikon D3400 DSLR camera: There was a saving of £100 on the Nikon D3400 with 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens at Currys, where it was just £369.
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After Christmas sales for 2017 mean that the gift-giving (and importantly, gift-getting) doesn't have to stop thanks to today's deals.
Discounts from Amazon, Walmart and other US retailers is allowing us to list all of the deals that we see beyond Christmas and into 2018. That's good news if you didn't get what you wanted from Santa, or have a gift card to spend.
The post-holiday season prices can sometimes be better than Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with retailers looking to attract buyers making returns. And now is the best time to save – it's certainly not February, when prices go up.
Here are the best after Christmas sales and deals we were able to dig up in the US, whether you're looking to shop at Best Buy or going to Target. There's a way to save no matter which retailer store you're at today.
We've got a few highlights on specific items further down the page. But if you'd like to head on over to your favorite store to check out the deals for yourself, here's a list of who's having a decent After Christmas sales event.
There are more After Christmas sales coming through, now that Christmas Day is today. We'll keep this page updated with more deals and our list fresh every chance we get.
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If you're spending your Christmas Eve impatiently waiting for Santa to deliver presents to loved ones (but, really, to you) then at least you can now see where he is in the world thanks to the Google Santa tracker.
For 13 years now, Google's Santa Tracker - using data from NORAD, a US / Candadian aerospace warning and control system - has been a great way to check up on Saint Nick and learn a few things in the process.
The tracker has been live since December 1st with a countdown- that countdown has now ended, which means Santa's journey has begun.
Alongside checking up on Father Christmas, the site has a ton of interesting stuff - including areas to practice basic coding skills, create original artwork, swot up on some geography knowledge and learn about artificial intelligence or machine learning.
There's even a place for teachers to download lesson plans and video guides so students can learn about coding.
Unsurprisingly, Google has created a huge number of ways to track the big, jolly red man this year, with an option on the desktop and mobile web, an Android app, an Android TV app and you can even view things through a Chromecast.
Santa if you are reading this, then this is what the TechRadar team would like for Christmas.
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This fall saw ever-rising estimates of the number of people reached by Russian-backed troll accounts — just shy of 150 million at last count . Now the social network has at last released the tool it promised last month allowing users to see if they liked or followed one of the many pages or pieces of content put online during the sketchy attempt at mass manipulation. Read More
For years we’ve been raging at cheating AI players, bemoaning their bad pathfinding, and laughing at their buggy antics. But AI can be and is being applied creatively, and those creative applications can lead to genuine scientific advances. Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest game publishers, aims to promote these mutually reinforcing goals with a new internal AI research unit it… Read More
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Has your kid bugged you to let them download Sandbox Coloring? You’re probably not alone. The latest trend blowing up on the App Store is a new twist on the coloring book apps that have been popular for a couple of years. Now, instead of having users pick and choose their colors as before, this new group of coloring book apps – four of which recently snagged spots in the App… Read More
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As a special offer for the holiday season, WonderShare is giving TechRadar readers an exclusive 50% discount on PDFelement 6 – a full PDF editing suite that makes working with PDFs as easy as text documents.
Many PDF editors are costly and complicated, but not PDFelement. It's designed much like a word processor, so you can dive straight in and begin editing documents without having to spend time mastering a new interface.
There's support for commenting, revisions, password protection, Bates numbering and much more, but it's all made so simple and accessible, you'll have no problems using the software to its full potential.
You can also convert PDFs into other formats, including Word and ebook documents, and vice versa.
It's all wonderfully easy to use, and is yours half price in this special deal.
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It’s the one time of year when you’ve actually got enough downtime to sit and watch some TV, but Christmas also sees you suddenly spoilt for choice.
The terrestrial TV channels seem to save all their budget up for bagging the silver screen hits over the festive season, Sky throws out its biggest premieres over Christmas, and there’s a good chance that you’ve had a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription stuffed into your stocking, too.
But fear not, intrepid square-eyed mince pie eater! We’ve scoured the airwaves and the streaming libraries for the best movies (and the odd show) to watch over the Christmas period. Put that TV guide down, grab the remote and strap in for a festive binge session.
We’re off to a slip-sliding start on the 23rd, with the BBC putting the not-quite-Christmas, but-definitely-snowy Cool Runnings at the top of their festive coverage, showing the true story of the Jamaica’s first winter Olympics bobsled team. If you’re after something more traditionally Christmassy, head over to Netflix for Richard Attenborough as the big man himself, Santa, in Miracle on 34th Street, while Sky has the most-underrated (and surprisingly festive) superhero film of all time, Batman Returns, swooping onto screens. And what’s more magical than Harry Potter? Nothing. None more magical. The boy wizard’s silver screen debut is on ITV on the 23rd.
BBC 1 - 1.15pm - Cool Runnings
ITV - 1.35pm - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Netflix - Miracle on 34th Street
Sky - Batman Returns
Ah, now things start heating up in the classic Christmas movie stakes! First up, The Muppet Christmas Carol is an annual must-watch. Michael Caine is a superb Scrooge, letting the magic of the Muppets shine through as he plays the role sternly straight, making the gags land all the harder. Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby graces BBC 2, and is a lavish retelling of the classic novel (even if not Luhrmann's finest work), while Sky’s Disney channel has Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs up for download over the entire festive period. And it’s not Christmas without It’s a Wonderful Life getting a screening – stream it from Amazon Prime or download through Sky. Just make sure you’ve got a box of tissues ready first.
Channel 4 - 6.30pm - The Muppet Christmas Carol
BBC2 - 9.30pm - The Great Gatsby
Amazon Prime - It’s a Wonderful Life (also on Sky)
Sky - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
CHRISTMAS DAY! YAY! If you can pull yourself away from your presents there are some gems to watch on the 25th. Chief among them is the Doctor Who Christmas Special, in which Peter Capaldi’s Doctor will take his final bow, to be replaced by the first ever female in the role, Jodie Whittaker. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’s live action remake premiere is on Sky (though purists may want to dig out the superior original animated version) while BBC iPlayer plays host to the original three Indiana Jones movies – a treat whatever time of year it is.
Channel 5 - 1.05pm - Singin’ in the Rain
BBC1 - 3.10pm - Cinderella
BBC 1 - 5.30pm - Doctor Who Christmas special
Netflix - Jingle All The Way
Sky - Beauty and the Beast
BBC iPlayer - Indiana Jones Trilogy
Boxing Day? More like ‘put-every-great-movie-on-on-one-day Day’. Whatever channel or subscription service you’re tuning in to, you’re spoilt for choice today, with the network premiere of dinosaur rampage Jurassic Park, to the rarely-aired Disney take on The Little Mermaid. However, for a modern Christmas classic, you've got to turn your attention to Will Ferrell in Elf. An elf-raised human heading to New York City for the first time, it's a fish-out-of-water comedy SQUARED, and is just about the funniest Christmas film you can watch with your kids this winter break.
ITV - 3.30pm - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
BBC 1 - 3.45pm - Mary Poppins
Channel 4 - 4.20pm - The Little Mermaid
Channel 4 - 6pm - Back to the Future
ITV - 6.40pm - Jurassic World
5Star - 9pm - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Amazon Prime - Elf
Sky - The Jungle Book
Do you like movies with numbers in their titles? Then boy, do we have a lineup for you on the 27th! First up, Disney’s Big Hero 6 – a genuinely hilarious CGI kids flick about a tech-loving boy taking on the world with his crime-fighting robot. Then follow that up with Film 4’s showing of Super 8, the perfect cross-section between E.T. and The Goonies, from J. J. Abrams. Then it’s all over to Sky, and back to the world of witchcraft and wizardry for Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
BBC 1 - 4.10pm - Big Hero 6
Film 4 - 6.45pm - Super 8
Netflix - Arthur Christmas
Sky - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
We’d normally be all over the Star Wars option in this listing, but can we point your attention to Channel 5’s classic adventure triple bill instead? And in particular, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and Jason and the Argonauts? These two films see stop motion maestro Ray Harryhausen at the height of his powers, bringing life to models of skeleton warriors and the towering cyclops. It’s the golden age of stop motion, and some of the most visually captivating action ever seen in cinemas.
BBC 1 - 9am - The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
Channel 5 - 10.25am - The 7th Voyage of Sinbad / The Vikings / Jason and the Argonauts
Amazon Prime - The Wizard of Oz
Sky - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
“You remind me of the babe. What babe? Babe with the power.” If you got that reference, 10 points to you! If not; codpieces at the ready, you’re about to enter the Labyrinth, with a hip-thrusting, bleach-blonde David Bowie. The Jim Henson puppet team at its finest, this a fantastically dark fairy tale, with the rock-and-roll chameleon on villainously scene-stealing form. RIP, Starman, RIP.
BBC 1 - 2.25pm - Up
Channel 5 - 1.20pm - Labyrinth
Netflix - Scrooged
Sky - Kubo and the Two Strings
Ah, the year nears its end and the movie drought begins to kick in. It’s slim pickings on terrestrial TV today, with only Avengers: Age of Ultron (making its network debut) a standout highlight. Definitely time to head to the streaming platforms, where Bing Crosby keeps the festive cheer alive with White Christmas on Amazon Prime, while the inexplicably popular Frozen urges you to ‘let it go’ over on Sky.
BBC 1 - 8pm - Avengers: Age of Ultron
Amazon Prime - White Christmas
Sky - Frozen
A comedy triple-bill today – but there’s only really one that’s kid friendly, and that’s the Lego Movie. Thankfully, it’s adults-friendly too with Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt and Will Arnett lovingly bringing the world’s most popular toys to life in a story that champions creativity, friendship and big belly laughs. Once the kids are in bed, after hours programming kicks off, with Eddie Murphy classic Trading Places available through Sky (showing the pitfalls of putting too much faith in a big bank balance), while Netflix has the Alan Partridge Christmas special, Knowing Me, Knowing Yule, for some toe-curling faux-chatshow chuckles.
Channel 5 - 5pm - The Lego Movie
Netflix - Knowing Me, Knowing Yule
Sky - Trading Places
For many, this will be the last day of Christmas holidays before trudging back to work. So why not get up early (sorry New Years’ party animals) and treat yourself to the best thing director Tim Burton has made in years, Frankenweenie? A stop-motion homage to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (swapping out the famous monster for a lovable - recently deceased - dog), it’s a heartwarming tale with some top-notch animation and a truly crazy finale. A great way to see-in the new year.
BBC 2 - 6.55am - Frankenweenie
Channel 4 - 1.10pm - Hugo
Amazon Prime - A Christmas Story
Sky - Inside Out
http://ift.tt/2C0s2q0
CNN is giving up on its Snapchat news show, which launch only four months ago. “The Update,” as the program was called, had been designed for Snapchat’s vertical video format, but didn’t feature video produced only for Snapchat, nor did it have dedicated anchors. Instead, the news featured on “The Update” was a curated selection of CNN’s reporting from… Read More
