Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp sounds smarter and smarter. Today CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on the Q4 2017 earnings call that WhatsApp now has 1.5 billion users and sees 60 billion messages sent per day. That’s compared to 1.3 billion monthly users and 1 billion daily active users in July. The massive growth makes Facebook’s choice to pay over $19 billion… Read More
Facebook is putting its short-term money where it’s mouth is, reducing the presence of viral videos in an effort to boost well-being of users of its site. Today in Facebook’s Q4 2017 earnings report CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that “Already last quarter, we made changes to show fewer viral videos to make sure people’s time is well spent. In total, we made changes… Read More
Twitter has now updated the number of people engaging with Russian trolls during the 2016 presidential campaign to 1.4 million. That’s more than double the initial 677,775 Twitter originally said had seen, followed or retweeted one of these accounts earlier this month. The new number reflects those who may have also replied to or @ mentioned these accounts. “We have expanded the… Read More
Despite worries about Russia and that passive News Feed scrolling hurts us, Facebook beat expectations again in its Q4 2017 earnings report. Facebook now has 1.4 billion daily users, up 2.18% compared to growing 3.8% to 1.37 billion users in Q3. That’s a sizeable slow down, and the lowest quarter-over-quarter percentage daily user growth ever reported by the company. That could be… Read More
The 40-inch TV size is an anomaly for most manufacturers. On one hand, they know it’s a great size for most folk’s homes. On the other, because TVs are becoming exponentially cheaper to produce, it just makes more sense to push people to a larger size.
The push for larger TVs can be frustrating if you’re looking for something smaller than 43-inches. Sure, they exist, but most of the major manufacturers like LG and Sony only offer one - maybe two - models in that range.
The good news for 40-inch fans is that there are still some manufacturers out there who aren’t ready to jump ship on the mid-size screens: Samsung, Vizio, Hisense, TCL and Panasonic are all equipped with at least a few panels that will blow you away at 40-inches.
To help you narrow down your search for a great 40-inch TV, we’ve done all the ground-work to find out everything you need to know about screens and display technology. What you’ll find below should not only help you pick out the 40-inch screen of your dreams, but also educate you on the modern audiovisual landscape. It’s a win-win.
Before we dive into specific TVs, let’s discuss what makes a good 40-inch screen.
If we had to narrow down all the factors, the most important things to look for is a great smart TV operating system that’ll help you stream shows and movies from Amazon, Netflix and YouTube; at least an FHD (Full-HD) panel, if not 4K; and how many inputs a TV has.
That sounds like a lot to take into account, I know, but I promise picking out a screen is as easy as can be. Let’s break it down one attribute at a time.
Ultra HD vs. Full HD: A common misconception in the TV industry is that you can’t see a difference between Full HD and Ultra HD on a screen smaller than 55 inches. Now, I’m not saying those people are flat-out wrong, but I can promise that if you take your time and really look at a picture - especially if that picture is using High Dynamic Range - you’ll see a difference.
To that end, I’d recommend picking out a TV with 4K Ultra-HD and HDR if you can find one. They’re a bit uncommon in this screen size because the cost might outweigh the benefits for someone shopping for an ultra-cheap TV, but if you’re serious about video, 4K is vital.
Operating system: It used to be that many of the TVs in the 40-inch range didn’t come with an operating system. These dumb TVs were incredibly cheap to make, and therefore cheap to buy, too. But there was a problem: As Netflix and YouTube became more and more popular, people wanted to stream those services on their TV without resorting to a streaming video device like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Chromecast.
These days, it’s fairly common to find an operating system on a 40-inch TV. All but the most bare-bones of screens will have them. But what you’re looking for, ideally, is a well-maintained operating system like Roku TV, LG’s webOS or Samsung’s Tizen operating system. If you go with a TV that uses a proprietary operating system (basically an operating system exclusive to that one TV) you might have some serious issues down the road.
Inputs and outputs: I know, I know, this sounds boring. But trust me, this is something most folks don’t think about until they bring the TV home and get it all connected, only to realize their great new TV only has one HDMI port.
Having multiple HDMI ports (along with options for optical audio out and RCA connectors) will really allow you to connect most - if not all - of your devices. This will save you time in the long-run as you won’t have to get up and switch the cables around any time you want to change the input.
Phew! Got all that? Good.
Now that you know what to look for in a TV, here are a few screens that we think might be a good addition to your burgeoning home entertainment center.
Sitting at the top of our list is Samsung’s 40-inch MU7000. In the UK, it goes by the designation UE40MU7000T while in the US, it’s called UN40MU7000. We love this screen for so many reasons, not the least of which are its bright 4K HDR images and low price tag.
It’s not without its flaws, but no other 40-inch TV we’ve tested that sits around this price point is even close to the MU7000 - what it’s able to do with native 4K resolution content or, especially, content shot in HDR, is simply amazing.
If we’re being picky, High contrast scenes can look slightly grey, there aren’t as many color tones as you'd get with a more expensive 10-bit panel, and viewing angles are limited. But these concerns aren’t going to be fixed on a 40-inch screen. For the money, this is the best 40-inch screen money can buy.
Read the full review: Samsung MU7000 Series
This might seem a bit confusing - another Samsung TV that comes right after our top pick - but hang in there with us: The MU6300/MU6400 is part of Samsung’s 6-Series TVs - which, on the good, better, best scale, the MU6300 is good.
The UN40MU6300 (or UE40MU6400 for UK folks) offers good performance and value, but there’s definitely better out there - cough, the MU7000.
Between the two, there’s not a major difference - they both offer 4K HDR, and a smart OS - but the MU7000 has Tizen, Samsung’s licensed, well-upkept OS while the MU6300 has something a little less powerful.
If streaming isn’t high up on your list of must-have features and you don’t mind a drop in performance, you can save a bit of cash by going with this instead.
UK residents don’t know how good they have it when it comes to mid-size TVs. Not only do you have great Samsung screens, but Panasonic - one of the finest panel makers out there - also makes high caliber 40-inch screens at an affordable price. For example, check out the Panasonic TX-40EX600B.
The screen is new for 2017 and packs both 4K and HDR into its 40-inch panel.
While long time Pana owners might be a bit concerned not to see the trusty Firefox OS at the helm of the screen, don’t worry - My Home Screen 2.0 is almost the same thing, but developed entirely in-house by Panasonic.
Add to that three HDMI ports and you have a pretty fancy screen without a fancy price tag attached to it.
If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, and you live Stateside, VIZIO’s D-Series offers great FHD visuals for next-to-nothing.
This year’s model to beat is the VIZIO D40f-E1 (a catchy name, I know). The TV offers a 120Hz effective refresh rate, full-array backlighting and a 200,000:1 contrast ratio.
If that all sounds like gobbledygook jargon, it’s OK. Basically the TV looks good, has a great contrast ratio and can keep up with the action if you’re watching a game of football on Sunday. It doesn’t look as good as our top picks, the Samsung MU7000 and MU6300, but considering that VIZIO’s screen usually costs less than $300, you get what you pay for.
A follow-up to 2015's excellent 40CX680B, the 40DX600 is Panasonic's best value 4K TV. Four pegs down from Panasonic's flagship DX900 range –five, if you count its OLED – the DX600 series claims a 4K Edge LED-backlit panel with adaptive backlight dimming, 800Hz scanning and Quad Core PRO processor for super-quick smart TV navigation.
It also has both a Firefox OS (now My Home Screen) and a Freeview Play catch-up TV app, as do all Panasonic TVs for 2016, which lend it a smart, usable interface to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-40DX600
Look, we have nothing against Full HD. For some folks, Full HD is fine. They don’t want or need the spectacle of 4K HDR and can live without seeing shows and movies ooze color, flash light and be drenched in shadow.
If you’re not into that stuff, that’s fine.
If you find yourself in the “I don’t need 4K” camp, I’d like to introduce you to the TCL 40S305 - a FHD screen that makes up for its HD resolution with a killer operating system.
The biggest selling point of this screen (besides its crazy low price tag of $269) is its operating system. Far and away, Roku TV is the best smart TV platform we’ve ever used. Samsung and LG might have done an exceptional job improving their UIs over the years, but Roku TV is fast, responsive and packed to the gills with content - over 3,000 channels at last count. Not only does it have a ton of content, but that content is super easy to find thanks to its universal search feature that scans over 200 channels to find films and shows at their lowest possible price. Check and mate, other TV operating systems.
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Finding the best apps on Google's Chromecast can be ... well, less than enjoyable. Despite it being the cheapest way to get your TV connected to the biggest streaming services (and now one of the best-looking since the introduction of the Chromecast Ultra), Google's little streaming dongle isn't known for having the most user-friendly content store.
Once upon a time that was because the tiny streaming puck didn't have a ton of apps that supported it and the ones that did were sort of tucked away inside the App Store. But, thankfully, over time more and more services have added the ability to cast. Too bad more choice makes finding the good apps even harder.
But that's where we come in.
Whether you're looking to stream some great new shows and movies, play a game or two with a friend on the TV or start a house party with some tunes, we've found some of the best apps to do just that.
Watch the video below to learn how to stream to a TV using a Chromecast from an iOS or Android device.
If you want the most essential app for your new Chromecast, you don't have to look far. The Google Home app (formerly known as the Chromecast app) has always been a staple of the platform, but now it's more versatile than ever thanks to built-in universal search, content discovery and app recommendations. The app will also be your primary way to add more than one device if, say, you buy a second Chromecast for the upstairs bedroom.
The app itself is free, which is good because you need it to setup the device.
Netflix is the penultimate Chromecast-enabled app. Tossing a TV show from your phone or mobile device is as simple as hitting the Cast button, and the results are near instantaneous. Offering hundreds of TV shows and movies as well as some of the best original programming this side of a premium cable subscription, Netflix should be your first stop on the road to building your Chromecast app collection.
While the app itself is free on iOS and Android, you'll need to be a Netflix subscriber in order to stream content. Plans start at $8.99/£6.99 a month.
This is a two-fer. Before HBO Now hit the scene, HBO Go was a fantastic way to stream some of your favorite HBO shows to the big screen. There was just one problem with it: HBO Go required a cable subscription.It wasn't until HBO Now was announced that our eyes were opened to the bigger picture.
As a standalone streaming service like Netflix and Hulu, HBO Now unshackled itself premium cable packages, allowing users to watch shows like Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley without buying a whole cable package. After its short, three-month exclusivity contract with Apple came to a close in August 2015, it rocketed to the top as one of the best Chromecast-compatible streaming apps out there. All that said, if you've got a cable subscription with HBO already, HBO Go is still a fantastic functioning Chromecast app, too.
Like Netflix, the HBO Now app is free, but a subscription to the service costs $15/£9.50 a month. (Currently unavailable in Australia.)
Subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video are great in certain scenarios: because they're all you-can-stream, you never need to open up your wallet in between seasons. As a trade-off, however, you don't have the latest shows and movies at your fingertips. For that, we recommend the cross-platform compatible Google Play Movies & TV.
Using your Google account, you can instantly purchase and watch anything on the Play Store (think movies and TV shows from recently released blockbusters to videophile classics) without needing to download the content on your mobile device. Couple that with an easy-to-understand interface and seamless Chromecast compatibility, and the Google Play app quickly becomes the best piecemeal video service on either platform.
Google Play Movies & TV is free to download on both iOS and Android.
Even the stingiest of streamers can appreciate YouTube's fantastic and free Chromecast-enabled mobile app. It's interface is simplistically designed, just like the Chromecast itself, so it's only a matter of seconds from when you find a funny video until it's broadcast on your big screen.
As much as we love videos of puppies, though, when it's time to get back to watching real TV, we choose YouTube TV - the new live TV streaming service from YouTube. Like Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV allows you to watch cable TV all without a contract or expensive cable equipment. Not only is it a pretty great cable alternative, but it's a darn good Chromecast app, too.
YouTube is free to download on both iOS and Android. YouTube TV costs $35 a month, and is available on PC, iOS and Android.
Once upon a time, we might've recommended that you download Rdio as your go-to Chromecast music streaming app. Unfortunately, however, the music streaming gods saw fit to cast Rdio into the abyss and, for awhile, the world was audio-less. But that was before we discovered Slacker Radio – the hip radio alternative that arguably does a better job finding music that you're going to like while sprinkling in little factoids about the songs and playlists you select. Set your stream to 128Kbps in the settings, sit back, relax and enjoy your new favorite streaming app. Let there be sound.
Slacker Radio is free on iOS and Android, but to hear songs at 320Kbps, you'll need an Slacker Plus subscription which costs around $4 per month.
Google Play Music is the ultimate player for anyone heavily invested in the Mountain View company's audio store. Able to stream tunes from your library as well as from a massive catalog of on-demand music, Google one-ups the competition by adding Chromecast support to its iOS and Android Google Play Music apps.
Google Play Music is free to download on both platforms, but streaming music on demand requires a subscription to Google Play Music All Access, a service that costs $10/£10/AU$12.
PlayStation Vue, the new live TV streaming service that Sony intends to compete with Sling TV and the (assumed) upcoming Apple TV service, is shaping up to be quite the cable killer. When it first launched Sony only sold three types of packages that vary in price and amount of channels, starting at $49 a month and goes up to $69 for the all-inclusive pass and was limited to seven markets. Now the service is available everywhere in the country offering 55+ channels, including live cable TV, movies, and sports channels for $29.99 per month.
The app is free to download, but the service costs a monthly fee.
We've sung Plex's praises before: the media center app takes TV shows and movies stored on your PC and streams them conveniently to your phone. Plex's best trick, however, is that it can send this stream to your Chromecast, effectively giving you a set-top box with access to any movie or TV show you can possibly imagine.
Plex is free on both iOS and Android.
If you live in the UK, one of the best and brightest names in entertainment is the BBC. Perhaps unsurprisingly, being so big and so bright the channel offers a free app that works with Chromecast. On it you'll find new episodes of the Doctor and Looper, as well as need-to-know news stories. Of course if you don't have your handset handy you can always stream from your laptop or tablet to the big screen, too.
BBC iPlayer is free on both iOS and Android.
As well as its own Spotify Connect, the world's biggest streaming service also allows you to use Google's Chromecast to play music either through your stereo or TV.
If you opt for the latter then you'll see your currently playing track displayed on screen, but we imagine most people will opt to play Spotify through a Chromecast Audio to get their stereo streaming-connected.
With an increasing number of streaming speakers on the market now supporting Spotify Connect you might not need to plug in a Chromecast, but this is a great option for anyone looking to upgrade an old stereo.
AllCast is the Swiss Army Knife of Chromecast-enabled apps. AllCast offers an all-in-one way to take movies, music and pictures from your small screen and shoot it to your dongle. The free version slots in a few annoying ads and limits video length to a few minutes, but for frugal streamers it's the easiest, most effective method to taking your content from your mobile device to the big screen.
AllCast is available on iOS and Android. AllCast Premium costs $5/AU$5. Only the free version is available in the UK.
At this point we've covered the best ways to share movies, music, TV shows and photos with Chromecast, but what if you want to show off some good ol' web pages? For that your best bet is Chrome. Like using a web browser on a desktop, the mobile versions of Google Chrome essentially mirror your screen, letting everyone around see what you're seeing on your phone.
Chrome is available for free on both iOS and Android.
With Spotify Connect being included in an increasing amount of speakers, Tidal users were starting to feel slightly left out when it came to getting their music streaming to speakers around the house.
Thankfully a recent update to the service now means that Tidal users can enjoy lossless CD-quality music around the house, which continues to leave Spotify in the dust in terms of pure music quality.
Finding a rock-solid Chromecast game is the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. More entertaining games have made their way onto the system (see: Tricky Titans, Big Web Quiz and Monopoly Dash), but they're few and far between. Tricky Titans takes your standard rock-paper-scissors game and adds in up to four ogres dead-set on destroying each other's town by hurling pieces of your settlement at your opponents. It's silly, hokey and not overly complex, but Tricky Titans is a fun party game that will hold your attention just long enough to have a good time.
Tricky Titans is available for free on both iOS and Android.
Need to entertain your kids on a rainy day? Download Just Dance Now. With dozens of songs to dance along to, Just Dance Now is the perfect port of Ubisoft's long-running rhythm game. The magic of Just Dance Now is that it doesn't require any fancy technology to work - all you need is your smartphone and a Chromecast (or Apple TV, smart TV, etc) to get up and moving. How does it work if the game can't actually see how you're moving? Just Dance Now uses the gyroscopic sensors in your smartphone to get a sense of your movements. In practice it's a bit imprecise, but it's still a fantastic, fun and moderately inexpensive way to keep kids (or kids at heart) entertained.
Just Dance Now is available for free on iOS and Android, although the game does use microtransactions to play multiple songs.
Twitch is a gamer's paradise. With thousands of streams going on around the clock, there's always a new game to watch or streamer to laugh at. Best of all, because Twitch's app is Chromecast-enabled, the party doesn't have to stop on your small screen. Whether you're an eSports fan, a retro enthusiast or just want to watch someone beat Super Mario World in under 27 minutes ... blindfolded, this is the place.
Twitch is available for free on both iOS and Android.
Now TV is Sky Broadcasting's own streaming service, which allows you to get access to Sky's excellent portfolio of shows, movies and sports without paying for a full Sky satellite subscription.
What makes it an excellent Chromecast app, however, is the fact that it can be used to stream the service onto platforms that currently don't have a native Now TV app.
The prime example of this is Android TV, which currently does not have a Now TV app. However, if you have Now TV installed on your phone then you can use this to 'Cast content to your big screen.
It's not the perfect solution, but it does make Now TV one of the prime examples of why Google Cast is such a great technology.
While Dailymotion has long felt like the poor man's YouTube, the video streaming app has found an even footing on Google's small streaming dongle. The app here is just as easy to use as YouTube and, moreover, filled with a lot less advertisements. If you're looking to spend more time watching videos than you do watching advertisements, Dailymotion might be a better option.
Dailymotion is available for free on both iOS and Android.
It was only a matter of time until one of the most popular puzzle games on the planet came to Google's streaming device. Like the original, Angry Birds Friends sees the titular birds destroying structures of varying shapes and sizes but, this time, adds an extra level by introducing competitive play. You'll no longer need to wonder which of your friends have the high score – simply call them into your living room, pull out your mobile devices and settle it once and for all.
Angry Birds Friends is available for free on both iOS and Android.
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Iolo is offering TechRadar readers an exclusive 70% discount off its superb System Mechanic and System Mechanic Pro PC optimization software.
That means you'll pay just US$14.98/£14.98/AU$14.98 for System Mechanic, or US$20.98/£20.98/AU$25.93 for System Mechanic Pro.
To claim your discount, select your product and use the voucher code TECHRADAR at the checkout.
Both programs are packed with tools that will make a real difference to your PC's speed, and are great for beginners and experienced users alike.
If you want to give your PC a quick tune-up, the software's dashboard might be all you need. With one click, System Mechanic and System Mechanic Pro will scan your system for junk files, missing or broken registry entries and unnecessary browser cookies.
Once the scan has finished (which doesn't take long), you can delete everything it's identified with one more click, or drill down through the results to discover exactly what it's found.
Unlike some PC optimization software, Iolo System Mechanic gives you a detailed description of everything it finds and why you should consider deleting it, helping you make an informed decision.
After the initial cleanup, System Mechanic's ActiveCare tool keeps everything running smoothly by carrying out the same cleanup whenever your PC is idle.
System Mechanic and System Mechanic Pro offer a full suite of advanced performance-enhancing tools. Both versions of the software offer a dedicated internet speed booster; a privacy cleaner to erase all traces of your browsing and chat history; and a registry optimization tool that defrags, compresses and backs up your system registry.
You also get LiveBoost, which adjusts dozens of Windows settings automatically for improved speed and performance.
Iolo System Mechanic Pro also includes excellent malware protection with its System Shield threat detection. Unlike some security software, which only blocks malware, System Mechanic Pro also removes existing infections.
System Shield's behavioural analysis detects suspicious behaviour, enabling it to eliminate malicious software, even if it's never been encountered before.
System Mechanic Pro also includes an enhanced Drive Scrubber, which can not only wipe the contents of a storage drive, but also create a bootable USB tool, enabling you to totally erase the contents of your system drive for full security if you're selling or recycling your PC.
Whichever you choose, you'll see a real difference in speed and stability, and benefit from improved security every day.
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Actress Maisie Williams, best known for her role as Arya Stark on Game of Thrones, is the latest celeb to venture into tech entrepreneurship, with the launch of a new company aimed at connecting creatives, called Daisie. Available later this summer as a mobile app, Daisie will offer a platform where creators can network, like, share and collaborate on projects within a social networking… Read More
From a contract-free alternative to Sky television, to well-priced broadband and TV deal provider, and now the evolution in to one of the cheapest internet companies in the UK - it's been quite a five-and-a-half years for NOW TV.
Today sees the launch of its new NOW Broadband brand, dropping the 'TV' from its moniker and signalling that internet deals aren't a mere afterthought or add-on. And the inaugural promotional prices NOW is offering are really worth a second look.
The headliner is the £18 per month standard 17Mb broadband only deal, which matches Sky Broadband Unlimited as the cheapest tariff on the market. Like all of NOW Broadband's 12-month contract rates, there's £24.99 to pay upfront, which includes activation and delivery of the router.
Click here to get NOW's 17Mb Brilliant Broadband deal
If you need something faster, then NOW Broadband's fibre deals are also competitive, with £25pm for 38Mb and £35 for 76Mb (good, but not a patch on Vodafone's £20pm and £24pm respectively). And of course being NOW, there are special rates for broadband and TV package combos as well, with the option to add the NOW TV Entertainment Pass to any plan for an extra £4.99 per month.
NOW broadband is also bringing across its 'no contract' feature, meaning that you can pay an extra £35 upfront to avoid being tied into a 12-month contract. That could come in handy if you know that you're set to move house in the coming months.
NOW Broadband is very cheap, but you don't have to take our word for it - take a scan through our up-to-the-minute comparison chart below (or on our main broadband deals hub). You'll see all of today's internet prices in the UK, whether you want a cheap broadband only deal or an all-singing all-dancing broadband and TV deal.
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SoftMaker Office 2018 is coming to Mac, and you can download the public beta free today.
SoftMaker Office is an affordable alternative to Microsoft Office, with no rolling subscription. It's fully compatible with Microsoft's latest document formats, with an interface so similar there's practically no learning curve.
The software has been available for Windows, Linux and Android for some time, but this is the first time it's been available for macOS. Early adopters can take it for a spin free, and give their input before the final release later this year.
“For us, a completely new chapter begins with the Mac version of our Office suite,” said Martin Kotulla, managing director at SoftMaker. “We are confident that we can offer Mac users a great Office alternative and look forward to the testers' feedback.”
The free edition of the suite, SoftMaker FreeOffice, has held a place in our roundup of the best free office software for years, but is only available for Windows, Linux and Android.
SoftMaker Office also includes lots of extras not found in FreeOffice, including spellchecking, an enhanced version of the Thunderbird email client, the ability to save in DOCX, PPTX and XSLX formats, and free technical support.
Download SoftMaker Office for Mac free
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Nintendo’s Switch has only been on sale for 10 months but already it has outsold its predecessor, the Wii U, the flop that heralded Nintendo’s first step into hybrid gaming. The Japanese tech giant shifted a little over 13.5 million Wii U consoles across its entire lifecycle, and today Nintendo revealed that the Switch has reached 14.86 million sales to date. Business was so… Read More
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Netflix may be about to claim another big Hollywood scalp for its stable, with legendary French director Luc Besson said to be preparing to sign a multi-movie deal with the streaming company.
Besson, who directed classics including The Fifth Element and Leon: The Professional, would have a $30 million budget per movie, with the flicks coming under the 'Netflix Originals' banner.
The deal could also expand to include the rights to the film library of EuropaCorp, Besson's production company, and even a stake in the company too. This would potentially give Netflix control of franchises including Taken, Taxi and The Transporter.
There's as much, if not more, to gain by Besson than Netflix from the deal. Last year's sci-fi epic, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, from the director flopped, leaving EuropaCorp $285 million in debt, and reducing its valuation to $73 million, a fall of 60% of the figure before the release of the movie.
But there's a pedigree to Besson that is no doubt attractive to Netflix, despite recent woes. Besson would be following in the footsteps of Mark Millar, the comic book legend responsible for Kingsman and Kick-Ass, whose company Millarworld was recently acquired by Netflix.
We were lucky to have Luc Besson act as TechRadar's guest editor for a day last year. Click here to check out the fantastic sci-fi focussed features and content Besson brought to TechRadar's world.
Via: Variety
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Facebook has banned all adverts for cryptocurrencies, so you won’t see the likes of Bitcoin or any other virtual coinage being plugged across the social network going forward.
Essentially, the move has been made to protect the Facebook user base from scams which are trying to exploit the current popularity of cryptocurrencies, given the recent meteoric rise (and fall) of Bitcoin which has emblazoned it on the mainstream consciousness.
As Recode reports, Facebook has instigated a new blanket ban policy which “prohibits ads that promote financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, such as binary options, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency”.
That means no adverts for existing coins, from major players to more minor fish, and the aforementioned initial coin offerings or ICOs – basically the virtual coinage equivalent of an IPO, which as you can imagine, is an area fraught with potential dangers in terms of scams or hackers.
Facebook notes that this policy is ‘intentionally broad’ to play things safe-rather-than-sorry for the moment, while the site works to refine its detection of such scam adverts. That may change in the future though, as Facebook says: “We will revisit this policy and how we enforce it as our signals improve.”
So this might not be the end of such adverts for good, but it certainly is for the moment.
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A new vertical fund from pan-European VC firm Speedinvest is officially outing today. Dubbed “Speedinvest x” and targeting a final closing of €25 million, of which €20.5 million has already been committed, the micro VC fund will target early-stage marketplace startups exclusively. Read More http://ift.tt/2DZKoIP
In a bid to make Google’s services more relevant and accessible in India, the company has introduced Hindi language support for Google Assistant. Google Assistant in Hindi is not as skilful as the English one, but it is likely to improve in coming months. The search giant has not made an official announcement on the update, but Google’s confirmation on JioPhone and Assistant integration is a hint.
To start using Google Assistant in Hindi, you must have an Android Phone running Android 5.0 or later. The phone language must be set to English (India).
When I first heard about the update, my expectations were totally opposite of what Google Assistant did. Sadly, the Hindi support is more like an irritating gimmick where you’ll end up speaking in English.
For instance, when I ask Assistant ‘Kaise ho’ meaning how are you in Hindi, Google replies with ‘I’m fine’, which is good. Upon asking ‘Mausam kaisa hai’, meaning how’s the weather in Hindi, Google shows the weather. But sadly, during my experience, Assistant replied English every time I asked something. Moreover, it failed to understand my speech 60% of the times and showed random results.
Since Google hasn’t given a word on this update, it is too early to be critical about the feature. Chances are that Hindi support for Assistant is still under testing and the refined version would take some time to arrive.
With an ever-increasing user base of Android devices in tier 3 cities and towns in India, it would be a big step for Google to build its relevance in the country.
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A California appeals court has sided with Allan Candelore, a man suing Tinder over the pricing for its premium service, Tinder Plus. Specifically, Candelore and his lawyers argued that by charging $9.99 per month if a user is under 30, versus $19.99 per month if you’re 30 or older, Tinder is discriminating based on age, in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Unfair… Read More
What if you could look down and see your actual arms and legs inside VR, or look at other real-world people or objects as if you weren’t wearing a headset? Imverse’s team spent five years building this incredible technology at universities in Switzerland and Spain. “We were working on this before Oculus was even created” says co-founder Javier Bello Ruiz. Now its… Read More
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Is there such a thing as bad publicity? It’s an interesting and contested question. To wit: Self styled ‘digital contraception’ app, Natural Cycles — which relies on a set of proprietary algorithms and women inputting their morning body temperature to predict fertility levels each day — has claimed that negative headlines generated after a clinic reported a number… Read More http://ift.tt/2FwYsa1
Instagram today made a long overdue change to its product that social media managers have wanted for some time – it will allow businesses on Instagram to schedule their posts. Before, there were unofficial means to aid with this – like tools that would send out a push notification to remind you to publish a post at a given time, for example. But no functionality was available in… Read More
Yet another defeat in the courts for the UK government’s use of mass surveillance as an indiscriminate and, as it frequently turns out, unlawful investigatory tool. Read More http://ift.tt/2rNtxnW
Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games I’ve purchased multiple times on multiple platforms, because the original was about as unique and satisfying a video game experience as you can find. But the new PlayStation 4 remake of the Team ICO standout, which recreates the game in stunning 4K HDR, is that rare remake that proves a better and more satisfying experience than the… Read More
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You might soon be able to make video calls to friends via Instagram, putting the photo-sharing network in competition with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
According to information leaked by WABetaInfo, the new feature is currently in development and won't be released for a few months. Once it's rolled out, you'll be able to start a video call with any Instagram user who's accepted an active chat invitation.
The feature is expected to be released for both iOS and Android, though Instagram itself has declined to comment on the rumor.
You can already send short video clips via Instagram direct messaging, and communicate via video in Live Stories. Actual video calls will be a completely new addition, but a logical one.
The addition of video chat also ties in with the newly launched feature that lets followers see when you're online (though only ones you've recently messaged or tagged in a story), enabling you to see who might be ready for a call.
If you'd rather keep your status a secret, there's a simple slider in the app's settings that lets you deactivate your activity status.
Via TechCrunch
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If you're looking for more sources of Dolby Atmos content, then today's your lucky day. One keen eyed viewer has noticed that the newly released Ghost in the Shell on Sky Q on-demand appears to advertise that it is 'Available in Dolby Atmos'.
Dolby Atmos was first announced for Sky Q way back at the beginning of 2017, and finally arrived just before the start of the 2017 Premier League season. Prior to Christmas, the technology also graced the Sky One show Sing Ultimate A Capella.
However, this is the first time the sound tech has been available for on-demand movies through Sky. Streaming service Netflix started offering Atmos support for a small handful of movies last year.
Sky Q's interface doesn't currently show which movies are and are not Atmos-compatible. Ghost in the Shell includes the information in the movie's description, but we'd hope that in future the compatibility would be more clearly highlighted.
In order to actually experience Atmos you'll need compatible speakers. In an ideal world we'd all have speakers mounted in the ceilings of our dedicated home cinema rooms to create the effect of sound coming from above you, but here in the real world most of us will have to make do with upward firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling.
Several soundbars now come packing the tech, so you shouldn't have to dedicate too much of your living room to Atmos if you want to experience it for yourself.
On the software side you'll have to ensure that your Sky Q box is set up to deliver the correct audio signal. Sky's troubleshooting page has information on how exactly to enable this.
However, if you've got the right Sky package and the right hardware, then you should be all set to enjoy the next generation of cinema audio. Unfortunately the recently released Sky Soundbox doesn't support Dolby Atmos though, so you're going to need to upgrade if you want to experience it for yourself.
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Now you can customize your Snapchat Bitmoji avatar with 40 skin tones, 50 hair colors, 50 hair treatment options and more so it looks just like you no matter what you look like. Today Snapchat launches Bitmoji Deluxe, a more configurable version of its cartoony avatars that embraces the growing diversity of its users. The feature offers an easier front-end builder that instantly previews… Read More
The slings and arrows of outrage keep flying at Facebook. Today a coalition of child health advocates has published an open letter addressing CEO Mark Zuckerberg and calling for the company to shutter Messenger Kids: Aka the Snapchat-ish comms app it launched in the US last December — targeted at the under 13s. Read More
Both Google and Facebook are turning to local sources to drown out fake news, and make the stories they're sharing with their readers more useful.
Google has confirmed that it's testing a new app called Bulletin, which lets anyone share public local news stories including text, photos and video. An official Bulletin website discovered last week describes it as "an app for creating hyperlocal stories about your community, for your community, right from your phone."
Google confirmed the new app in an interview with Slate. “People everywhere want to know what is going on in their own backyard at a very local level, ranging from local bookstore readings to high school sporting events to information about local street closures," said spokesperson Maggie Shiels.
Bulletin is currently available as a pilot in Nashville, Tennessee and Oakland, California. Anyone from these cities interested in helping test the app can request early access by creating a profile.
Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the site will be putting more emphasis on local sources when deciding which news stories to show in your feed – so if there's a local election, for example, you'll see the results roll in from local newspapers and sites.
“Starting today, we’re going to show more stories from news sources in your local town or city,” Zuckerberg said in a post on his own Facebook account. “If you follow a local publisher or if someone shares a local story, it may show up higher in [your] news feed.”
The change is now being rolled out to Facebook users in the US, and the company plans to expand it to other countries later this year.
Zuckerberg took the opportunity to reiterate the statement he made in his 2018 new year's resolution, which was to make sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent, and suggested that taking a more localised approach to news might result in better quality news.
"Many people told me they thought that if we could turn down the temperature on the more divisive issues and instead focus on concrete local issues, then we'd all make more progress together," he said.
Via the Guardian
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When you reach BlaBlaCar’s scale, you need to find customers who are hard to reach — literally. The French company announced an effort to optimize its ride-sharing for long-distance rides for people who don’t live in major hubs. BlaBlaCar now has 60 million users. When you list a ride on BlaBlaCar, you tell the service where you’re coming from and where you’re going. Read More http://ift.tt/2GufdDP
Mahjoubi joined Emmanuel Macron’s team as the person in charge of all things digital while Macron was campaigning to become France’s President. He joined the French government immediately after the 2017 election and has been in charge of Digital Affairs. In addition to being the go-to policymaker for the tech industry in general, he’s also working on digital initiatives… Read More http://ift.tt/2rRrtew
French startup Spendesk just raised $9.9 million (€8 million) from Index Ventures with Michael Benabou, Laurent Asscher and Showpad cofounders Louis Jonckheere and Pieterjan Bouten also participating. Spendesk is a service that combines prepaid cards with an expense report solution. After signing up, each employee receives a personal card. Companies can top up their global Spendesk account… Read More http://ift.tt/2Eo9yhY
Instagram copied the ‘Snap’ and now it might be going after the ‘chat’. A video calling feature was spotted in an non-public version of Instagram by WhatsApp industry blog WABetaInfo. It would let users who’ve begun an Instagram Direct message thread to video chat with each other. That could let users spend even more time in the app, but by actively… Read More
If you're looking to protect your company PCs from malware then you could just equip each one with your preferred free antivirus package. You'll get a reasonable level of protection, and it might well seem like you're keeping costs to a minimum.
Of course you'll have to manually install each copy. And train every user in its operation. And rely on them to let you know if there are any problems. And hope they won't turn off particular functions – or remove the whole package if they think it's getting in their way. The software may be free, but it could still have some major costs attached.
If you have plenty of systems to protect – 10 or more, let's say – it could make more sense to choose a business security solution. These can often be remotely installed over the network, and offer a central management console to monitor devices, and create fine-tuned security policies to enforce your preferred settings.
Best of all, the price per installation can sometimes be cheaper than even our recommended best home antivirus packages. So, what's on offer? We've checked out eight of the best business antivirus tools around in order to find out.
Most offer discounts if you buy a two or three-year package, so where possible we ordered them by their 10 PC, two-year package prices to maximise your savings. You can, of course, choose whichever package suits your needs best when buying.
All prices below are for one-year and five end points. You can of course customise these on the vendor's website.
Avast Business Antivirus Pro is an excellent business antivirus suite, giving you various tools such as antivirus, Firewall, email protection, anti-spam and the ability to sandbox applications for complete security. Avast Business Antivirus Pro (as opposed to the standard Avast Business Antivirus) also includes Sharepoint and Exchange protection, as well as a number of tools for your servers.
The antivirus protection you get is generally rated as good by independent testing, with Avast's engine blocking 99.7% of threats in AV-Comparative's Real-World Protection report. If value for money and simplicity are key factors, Avast Business Antivirus Pro could be a sensible choice.
Symantec Endpoint Protection's first benefit is the company's Insight file reputation technology, an effective way to detect and block even the very latest undiscovered threats.
Other layers of protection include antivirus, behaviour monitoring, intrusion protection, a firewall, and the 'Power Eraser' to remove stubborn threats and repair your system.
Symantec's security policy options are a real highlight. You can set application blacklists or whitelists, control file and Registry access, restrict and control access to external media, and more, then monitor systems and enforce policies from a central console.
While there's no bundled protection for mobile devices, the package runs just about everywhere else: PCs, Macs, and a host of virtual environments and Linux distros.
Symantec Endpoint Protection isn't cheap, but if you need its high-end features and policy control options then it still looks like a good deal to us.
If reliable protection is a top priority, Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security needs to be on your shortlist. Bitdefender products are loved by the independent testing labs, highly rated for malware detection, removal, performance and usability.
Most of the features work automatically – antimalware, firewall, web advisor, URL filtering – but you can also customise the product to control user actions. You're able to restrict access to certain websites and applications, block the transmission of sensitive information, remotely deploy the product to unprotected systems, and allow or deny users the ability to modify their security settings.
All this is managed from a central console where you can control and monitor remote users, create and apply custom security policies by user, location (the product adapts when users are outside the company), and more.
Avira Antivirus for Endpoint is the company's main small business product. It takes all the core features you'd expect – antivirus, baseline network protection, web filtering – and extends them with file server protection and optimisation, along with application whitelisting and blacklisting.
Avira's Online Essentials web console lets you manage your devices. This is simpler than some of the high-end competition, but that's not necessarily a disadvantage, and there's some useful functionality here: drive partition reports, licence management, remote deployment, and assorted mobile phone tools (antitheft, phone finder, and more).
Avira Antivirus for Endpoint doesn't have the longest of feature lists, but it's easy to use, and offers excellent protection, regularly matching competitors like Bitdefender and Kaspersky in AV-Comparative's Real World tests.
Endpoint Security Cloud is a small business product, which comes ready to protect Windows PCs, file servers, Android and iOS devices.
The desktop side of the package has all the usual quality Kaspersky modules – antivirus, antispam, a firewall, more – but the mobile security technologies are even more impressive. There are tools to detect insecure devices, control password rules, manage camera use, filter unwanted calls and texts, and remotely lock or wipe data from lost devices.
That’s topped off with an easy-to-use web console managing network and Bluetooth configuration, internet access policies, device settings and more.
There's impressive levels of protection, too. Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud came first out of four contenders in AV-Comparatives' October 2016 Business Security Test, detecting and blocking 100% of known malware and exploits. The package also produced an above-average five false positives, so overall, it put in some impressive results.
Webroot SecureAnywhere products stand out immediately for being incredibly lightweight: they're tiny (2MB disk space), install so quickly you'll barely notice (from 5 seconds), and consume the absolute minimum of system resources.
Scans are fast, too, and because just about everything is done in the cloud, there are no bulky updates or definitions to download – you're always up-to-date.
Other features include behaviour monitoring, an outbound firewall, along with identity and privacy protection. These don't always have the power and options of other tools, but they're implemented with real intelligence, and generally cope well with day-to-day tasks.
A cloud-based console enables tracking all your installations, and the package runs on just about any Windows or macOS system.
Factor in the price and Webroot looks very appealing to us, but it really is a product you need to try for yourself to understand the benefits. If you're interested, grab a copy of the trial and see what it can do for you.
F-Secure Client Security Standard is a popular endpoint protection tool, highly rated by the independent testing labs.
Antivirus is just the start. There's also a firewall, intrusion detection, web filtering, online banking protection and device control.
If you need more, the Premium edition adds a software updater to scan for missing patches, and an option to restrict a user's web access by category. Whatever version you buy may be deployed and managed from a central console.
There are some issues here, in particular the fact that F-Secure's engine is more likely than most to flag legitimate software as malicious. But overall F-Secure Client Security Standard offers good protection for a reasonable price, and it's certainly a product worth thinking about.
Only available through value added resellers and specialist online retailers
Sophos Endpoint Protection Advanced is a powerful tool which uses many technologies to keep you safe. It blocks dangerous URLs, and is capable of detecting and removing exploit code, analysing behaviour to uncover even the very newest threats, and identifying endpoint connections with malicious servers to find compromised systems.
The results can be impressive, with the core engine doing an above-average job of blocking zero day threats, yet raising almost no false alerts at all.
There's a price to pay for this kind of safety, though: Sophos Endpoint Protection's background activities can noticeably impact your PC's performance.
There are some business-friendly features to compensate, including DLP along with device and application control, although other packages give you more at a much lower cost.
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Facebook’s latest step in its on-going effort to fix its embattled news delivery offering involves prioritizing local sources. The social media giant announced today in a blog post that, along with efforts to elevate content from friends and outlets designated as “high quality,” the site will be working to push local news offerings to the top of users’ feeds. The… Read More
Finding the best encryption software for your needs, whether you're a business or home user, is essential, as hackers are becoming ever more adept at stealing your private information.
Encryption tools encode data so that it can only be unlocked with a certain key, making it harder for third-parties to gain access. This means that only people who have access to that key can also access the data, making encryption software an essential tool for keeping data safe.
These encryption tools can be used to protect data such as email addresses, customer transactions and passwords, and other crucial information which you really can’t afford to potentially expose. Many companies are also using encryption software to ensure internal online conversations and emails are kept private.
So which are the best encryption tools? Read on for our pick of the very best tools for keeping your data safe.
VeraCrypt is one of the most popular security tools, providing you with enterprise-grade encryption for important data.
The system is quite easy to use, and all it really does is add encrypted passwords to your data and partitions. All you have to do is give the tool a few details about your data, such as volume size, location and specified hashing algorithms – and then the program does its thing.
What’s also nifty about VeraCrypt is that it’s immune to brute-force attacks, so you never have to worry about hackers decrypting your passwords and other sensitive data. The basic version of the software is completely free, as well.
While free software can be convenient for some, it’s not always as powerful as premium offerings, and AxCrypt is a good bet if you want something reliable. The software has been designed specifically for individuals and small teams within businesses.
It provides strong security, with files protected by either 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption, which should thwart any intruders. There are also cloud storage capabilities thrown into the mix – the software will automatically protect files saved on services such as Google Drive and Dropbox.
AxCrypt is fully multilingual, and it can work with languages such as Dutch, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Russian and Portuguese – with more support planned for the future. As well as this, there’s passport management, and you can access your encrypted files through a smartphone app.
The Premium package is $27 per year (roughly £20, AU$34), while there is a free version which has much fewer options.
Although it’s important to protect assets on company computers, it’s also crucial to add protection to any device that stores critical data. For instance, most employees have access to their company emails and other accounts on their smartphones, and they need to be protected.
Folder Lock is a good option when it comes to adding encryption to your mobile devices. The app can protect your personal files, photos, videos, contacts, wallet cards, notes and audio recordings stored in your handset.
There are some other hidden security features, too. Not only is there encryption, but you can also set a decoy password, hacker deterrents, log unauthorised login attempts, back up all your passwords and get notified on potential brute-force attacks. The basic app is free to download, with a pro version available if you want more.
CryptoExpert is Windows desktop software which offers secure data vaults for all your data, ensuring it’s always protected from potential breaches.
It provides more powerful encryption than some of the other tools and apps listed in this article, boasting fast on-the-fly operation. The system can back up a range of different files, including certificates, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, multimedia files and email databases.
The best thing about CryptoExpert 8 is that it can secure vaults of unlimited size, and it uses Blowfish, Cast, 3DES and AES-256 encryption algorithms. The latter are highly effective and industry-acclaimed. It’ll work with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, 8 and 10.
CertainSafe is highly effective cloud-based encryption software which attempts to mitigate all aspects of risk and is compliant with industry regulations.
With the platform, you can store and share documents, private messages, photos, videos and other files without exposing them to third-party sources. You can even collaborate and communicate with colleagues through the system, with all correspondence encrypted.
CertainSafe also adds automated security for business databases and applications, meaning you don’t always have to do things manually. You can subscribe for a monthly plan, but before making any decisions, there’s the option to get a free trial and try things out that way.
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