Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Android Auto has a new dark mode, but the smartphone version is being killed off

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The in-car version of Android Auto has a new dark mode and more streamlined interface rolling out now, but Google is planning to kill off the companion smartphone app.

According to Android Police, Android Auto for phones will be replaced by the existing Google Assistant app, which will receive a new interface (called Google Assistant Driving Mode).

You'll be able to launch the new mode by simply telling your phone 'Let's drive' – a command that currently either opens Google Maps or performs a search.

It's not clear exactly when the old app will be deprecated, but California-based Google has said it will happen in the summer, so we're expecting it to happen in the next month or so.

Behind the wheel

Meanwhile, the in-car version of Android Assistant is getting a makeover, with a new dark mode rolling out worldwide. Google teased the slick design back in May, and it's now arriving on dashboards.

The update isn't just a different color-scheme, though. Google has also made several more practical changes, such as updating the navigation bar to reflect what you're currently doing. For example, if you're playing music while navigating, the bar will show your next instruction along with controls for the media player.

There's also a new Auto-launch feature, which launches your preferred navigation app and fires up your music the moment you plug in your phone. It might seem like a small change, but anything that shaves a few moments off the morning commute is always welcome.



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Spend your lunchtime playing Diablo in your web browser

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There goes any chance of you leaving your desk this lunchtime – Blizzard's original Diablo game from 1996 can now be played in a web browser.

Hosted by the Blizzard-loving developers at Rivsoft, visiting https://diablo.rivsoft.net gives you access to the shareware version of the game, "based on source code reconstructed by GalaXyHaXz and devilution team."

That gives you access to the first two areas of the game's giant dungeon, and makes one of Diablo's three character classes available. However, if you own the game from a site like GOG, you can go one better. According to the site, "if you own the original game, you can drop the original DIABDAT.MPQ" file onto the loaded browser page, and access the full game from within your browser.

Hellish beginnings

If you're a latecomer to the franchise, or just can't wait until Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal release, going back to the original game is a fascinating experience.

Lots of what makes the series so addictive remains, from the ghoulish monsters to the isometric viewpoint and moreish loot cycle. It's far simpler than the Diablo series would eventually become (and more than a little buggy), but it's also hugely ahead of its time – you wouldn't have World of Warcraft Classic or even the likes of Borderlands 3 without it.

And, it works surprisingly well as a browser game too. There's no lengthy conversations or start-up cut scenes – just a quick sojourn to the moody town of Tristram and then hours of imp-smashing, skeleton-whacking adventure.

Head here to give it a play. Just make sure your boss or teacher doesn't catch you when you should be working.



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Venture capital firms show keen interest in investing in food-tech space

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As much as 15 years ago – possibly even more – countries, in the Middle East, for example, began buying up farmland to secure food supply. If the same capital had flowed into plant-based foods or clean agriculture, the world would be a very different place than it is today.

In any case, the current skyrocketing interest in the future of food is great for the world in general.

KBW Ventures, one of the first movers in the food-tech space, provided backing to startup Memphis Meats, and joined a whole huge A-list of forward-thinking investors and futurists.

 “When we first went into Memphis Meats, that was a great moment for the future of food; investors lined up and supported a startup that was using technology to provide the world with the future of protein,” Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KBW Ventures,  told TechRadar Middle East.

Tackling food security

Speaking ahead of his participation at Bloomberg Live’s event dedicated to venture capital on August 1, in San Francisco, California, Prince Khaled said that he is endorsing companies like Memphis Meats for the future of humanity in terms of the environment and the obvious cruelty-free aspects.

“It makes me even prouder to see the biggest sceptics want to join the ever-growing number of VCs backing food tech. The future of food is about technology alleviating the harm that conventional methods, like factory farming, have on the environment, but it is also about food security. All of this is within our reach with modern-day research and technology,” Prince Khaled said.

Prince Khaled thinks that bio-science is the most exciting thing to happen in venture capital in a long time, that along with carbon capturing and neuroscience. “Three years ago, if I said the words ‘food tech’, I would have had a blank look as a response. Now, people are waking up to this massive market,” he said.

From a venture capital perspective, he said it was great getting in early obviously, but there are still tons of companies raising and lots of chances to invest. “I encourage everyone to jump in early but be picky with whom you invest your money with; this is the just the beginning,” he said.

Plant-based meat substitutes

A number of challenges were raised when Prince Khaled participated in a discussion around plant-based investing and venture capital in San Francisco recently. “Something else that wasn’t discussed but should have been in the politics around language; there are lobbyists trying to limit the use of the words ‘meat’ and ‘milk’ – mostly because they are intimidated by the market potential of plant-based products,” he said.

Moreover, he said that they [lobbyists] want to prevent people from buying alternative proteins despite the taste and texture is just as good and they’re better for the people. “Many traditional industries in history have fought waves of innovative technologies; it’s an old formula that doesn’t work. They can fight, but the advancements speak for themselves,” he said.

“Tim Hortons, a franchise in Canada, announced that they will be serving the ‘Beyond Burger ‘patties. This follows the announcement that US-based Carl’s Jr. will serve the ‘Beyond Famous Star’ burger in partnership with Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes founded in 2009. Burger King also announced the ‘Impossible Whopper ‘in partnership with Impossible Foods. These are powerhouse partnerships that no one would have believed could happen even two years ago. Beyond’s super successful IPO has catapulted plant-based products into the spotlight, and subsequently into the wheelhouse of investors who were previously were skeptical,” he said.

Folia, a conceptual menu developed by Chef Matthew Kenney and KBW Ventures, was recently  piloted in Beverly Hills at the Four Seasons, and is now made available at all the hotel’s outlets and also in-room dining. Folia then launched in the GCC at the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay in Manama as KBW Ventures’ first Middle East instalment.

“We want to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy a true ‘health food’ section of hotel menus developed by a master chef, presented at a superior venue with great service. We are now cementing our newest two venues in a very important Middle East city and it should happen around mid-August or early September,” Prince Khaled said.

A diverse portfolio

KBW Ventures’ main investment areas are in varying technology segments like innovative logistics, deep tech, bio-sciences and food science. “Some of our investments are business-to-business (B2B), so not consumer-facing but highly original and groundbreaking research and technology. I think one of the biggest missed opportunities by investors in the MENA region is skipping over B2B tech, mostly because it is probably not something they have an interest in understanding - some of these companies have complex products and services, so a lot of research and market knowledge is required before committing to a round,”  he said.

For Prince Khaled, bio-sciences still tops the list in terms of inspiration and the future of food from cellular agriculture to fermentation to plant-based protein. He believes that products like clean meats can be brought to market sooner than most people think.

“I find more naysayers than supporters about this actually, but the technology is advancing quickly. I’m always talking about putting your money behind your beliefs, but in this case, you don’t even need to believe in the sustainability arguments or the ecological benefits,” he said.

The truth is when bio-science companies perfect the clean meat formula, in terms of its cost, he said it will be a market that explodes overnight. “The gross inefficiencies in the traditional meat industry will cause it to implode on its own.  A lot of people love meat and are oblivious to where it comes from or what the process is to get it on his or her plate; clean meat allows them to eat a completely cruelty-free and antibiotic-free, hormone-free steak or chicken or duck without any of the other stuff so pervasive in the conventional meat marketplace,”  he said.

Prince Khaled is betting big on the potential of technology that can find solutions to sustainable development, food security, and the application of that technology to various problems like financial inclusion. “We do like companies that have a social good element as part of the business model, but we’re not married to that idea. It does still have to have the potential to scale and turn a profit; because that is where the future of solving these pressing issues lies.

“We want to see companies that are bold and studied. Big ideas are excellent, but there has to be logic and real-world interest and need for any idea to be considered by KBW Ventures,” he said.

Using drones to save lives

Prince Khaled said that solving the ‘last mile’ for delivery issues in the Middle East has been one of the biggest discussions in tech over the past few years.

“The focus - with startups especially - is primarily B2C though. Businesses recognize the consumer element: ‘How do we get access to the really under-served demographic of potential customers? How can we convert these people into buyers?” he said. 

KBW Ventures recently invested in US-based drone delivery company Zipline, and Prince Khaled said that the company has huge potential to use its drones for important healthcare applications.

“For Zipline, the thinking is that we can help save lives by facilitating access to lifesaving medical supplies – including biomaterial. I do believe there’s potential in MENA for Zipline, especially in North Africa.

“I can confirm that we have initiated early conversations about Zipline’s application. Zipline is an example of tech for good, and we’re proud of their significant progress,” he said.

Treating companies like Zipline as a logistics company, and not just as a medical supply company will lead to even more opportunities, he added.

“As soon as regions like North Africa or the EU open their skies up to drone delivery, Zipline will have hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of hours of flights under their belt with a very successful end result,” Prince Khaled said.



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Vote for the winners of the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019

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It's time to crown the finest performers in the mobile world with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019, and we need your help to pick the winners from our stellar shortlists. And there are great prizes to be won!*

You've already helped our judges narrow down our fantastic longlists to the star-studded shortlists you can see at the bottom of this article, and we're calling on you again to help our judges pick the winners from these exclusive shortlists.

The good news is that voting is now open, so please take a moment to have your say on who should claim a coveted award.

Voting for the winners of the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019 will close at 5pm BST on August 28, so make sure you don't miss out.

Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our expert judges, we'll announce the winners at the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, on October 10 2019 in London.

Vote now in the awards

The 2019 Awards Shortlists

Congratulations to all our shortlisted nominees for the 2019 TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards.

Best Repair Service

  • Apple Care
  • CeX
  • i-Fix
  • iSmash
  • O2 Repair
  • Team KnowHow
  • Timpson

Best Recycling Service

  • CeX
  • Envirofone
  • Mazuma Mobile
  • Music Magpie
  • O2 Recycle
  • Samsung Recycle
  • Vodafone

Best Wearable

  • Apple Watch 4
  • Fitbit Inspire
  • Fitbit Inspire HR
  • Fitbit Versa Lite
  • Garmin Forerunner 945
  • Samsung Galaxy Watch
  • Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

Best Value Phone

  • Honor 10 Lite
  • Huawei P Smart 2019
  • Moto G7 Power
  • Nokia 4.2
  • Samsung Galaxy A20e
  • Sony Xperia L3
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Best Mid-Range Phone

  • Google Pixel 3a XL
  • Huawei P30 Lite
  • OnePlus 7
  • Samsung Galaxy A50
  • Samsung Galaxy A70
  • Sony Xperia 10/10 Plus
  • Xiaomi Mi 9

Best Camera Phone

  • Google Pixel 3/3 XL
  • Huawei Mate 20 Pro
  • Huawei P30 Pro
  • iPhone XS/XS Max
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 9
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
  • Sony Xperia 1

Best Gaming Phone

  • Asus ROG Phone
  • Huawei P30 Pro
  • iPhone XS Max
  • OnePlus 7 Pro
  • Razer Phone 2
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
  • Sony Xperia 1

Phone of the Year

  • Google Pixel 3 XL
  • Huawei Mate 20 Pro
  • Huawei P30 Pro
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone XS/XS Max
  • OnePlus 7 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Best Value Network

  • EE
  • giffgaff
  • O2
  • Sky Mobile
  • Tesco Mobile
  • Three
  • Vodafone

Best Networking for Roaming

  • EE
  • giffgaff
  • O2
  • Sky Mobile
  • Three
  • Virgin Mobile
  • Vodafone

Best Network for Data

  • EE
  • giffgaff
  • O2
  • Sky Mobile
  • Three
  • Virgin Mobile
  • Vodafone

Best Customer Care

  • EE
  • giffgaff
  • O2
  • Sky Mobile
  • Tesco Mobile
  • Three
  • Vodafone

Best Network

  • EE
  • giffgaff
  • O2
  • Sky Mobile
  • Three
  • Virgin Mobile
  • Vodafone

Best Smart Home Device

  • Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)
  • Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
  • Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen)
  • Amazon Echo Show 5
  • Google Home Hub
  • Google Nest Hub Max
  • Ring Stick-Up Cam

Best Online Retailer

  • Amazon
  • Carphone Warehouse
  • ebay.co.uk
  • EE
  • Mobiles.co.uk
  • O2
  • Vodafone

Best High-Street Retailer

  • Argos
  • Carphone Warehouse
  • EE
  • John Lewis
  • O2
  • Three
  • Vodafone

Best In-Store Customer Experience 

  • Argos
  • Carphone Warehouse
  • EE
  • John Lewis
  • O2
  • Three
  • Vodafone

Best Quad-Play Provider

  • BT
  • EE
  • Sky
  • Virgin

*Terms and Conditions: Voting is open to everyone, however to take part in the prize draw you must be a UK resident. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition and be able to demonstrate this to TechRadar's reasonable satisfaction. Nominations must be received by 17:00 (BST) 28/08/2019. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and will be sent the prize free of charge. By taking part in the voting and the competition, you agree to be bound by the full terms and conditions which can be found here http://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/.



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Ashes 2019 live stream: how to watch every England vs Australia cricket Test from anywhere

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Forget World Cups and Twenty20s - winning the Ashes is the biggest feather in a cap for any cricketer from old rivals England and Australia. Thursday sees the start of the latest chapter in the 135-year sporting story and you'll be able to watch all of the action between England vs Australia no matter where you are in the world with our 2019 Ashes live stream guide.

It's one of oldest sporting rivalries and the Ashes series still stands as the pinnacle of Test cricket. England will be desperate to win back the Ashes on home soil, having been thrashed 4-0 Down Under 18 months ago. While for the Aussies it's an opportunity to make some positive headlines after their recent ball-tampering scandal and a World Cup campaign that ended at the semi-final stage after promising so much more.

The home side appear to have huge strength in depth when it comes to bowling, but big doubts remain over their batting line up going into the series. Jofra Archer's superb showing at the World Cup which saw him take 20 wickets during the tournament,ensured his place in the squad for the first Ashes Test. His pace, added to the quality brought by Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes makes England a formidable force with the ball.

However, last week's one-off Test against Ireland at Lords only served to highlight just how unconvincing England's batting order still looks, with it clearly lacking a settled top three order.

Australia go into the series with former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft all reinstalled to the line-up after completing their bans for the infamous sandpaper ball-tampering scandal. Their middle and lower middle-order however, looks decidedly weak and inexperienced on paper.

If Australia are to avenge their recent humbling in the World Cup semi-finals against their arch-rivals and win their first series in England since 2001, then it'll likely be down to fast bowling department, which boast a potent mix of James Pattinson's pace and Pat Cummins' machine-like accuracy.

It's set to be a fascinating series - follow the instructions below to watch all of the action where we'll tell you how to grab an England vs Australia Ashes live stream from pretty much anywhere on Earth. The great news...it's absolutely free in Australia.

Watch an Ashes live stream when away from your country

For cricket fans in the UK, Australia, India or the US and looking to find out how to watch the Ashes, we've got all the details about the broadcasters with the rights to show the England vs Australia Test series in your region below. 

If you're away from home country and looking to see the action you'll likely to find you won't be able to thanks to geo-blocking. Thankfully there's a way to alleviate that frustration. By using a VPN you'll be able to watch the game without having to resort to watching via an illegal feed from a dodgy website you've discovered on Reddit.

England vs Australia: how to watch the Ashes in the UK

How to live stream the Ashes 2019 in Australia for FREE

How to get an Ashes live stream in New Zealand

How to watch England vs Australia: live stream in India

How to live stream England vs Australia in America

Who has won the Ashes the most?

Australia are currently ahead on 33 Ashes series wins to England’s 32 and five series drawn

Who is favourite to win this year's Ashes?

The hosts England are currently installed as favourites with Betfair.

How to watch the Women's Ashes

We have no idea yet whether it's a precursor for what will come in the men's version, but the Aussies have given England an absolute drubbing in the female series. A whitewash in the ODIs, a trouncing in the Test and business as normal in the T20s. The last match takes place in Bristol at 6.30pm BST / 3.30am AEST on Wednesday, July 31 with Australia looking to complete a perfect tour.

And the viewing options are actually exactly the same for the men's Ashes. So you're looking at Sky Sports Main Event or a Now TV sports pass if you're in the UK and the NIne Network's GEM station and the 9Now app if you're Down Under.



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Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 revealed today, Galaxy Watch Active 2 to follow next week

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We had initially expected Samsung to unveil the new Galaxy Tab S6 tablet and Galaxy Watch Active 2 smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 10 on August 7, but the company will now unveil those former products ahead of its next smartphone.

July 31 - that's today - is the official unveiling date for a new tablet from Samsung, according to an official video that teases it alongside the smartwatch.

We're expecting to hear all about the tablet at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM BST or midnight ACT on August 1 for those in Australia) but it's currently unclear if the company will be hosting a livestream or if the details will just drop on the company's website.

The video doesn't outright confirm it'll be called the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, but the 20 second teaser definitely shows a tablet with a stylus and gives us a quick glimpse at the edges of the device.

While in the video description, Samsung has written: "Take a first look at the new Galaxy Tab, our all-new tablet that inspires creativity and elevates your productivity to another level."

A smartwatch is also pictured in the video, but it's clear we won't be hearing about that until August 5.

We expect this to be the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, and while it's difficult to make out any changes in the video it definitely shows a device without a rotating bezel, which matches with other leaks we've seen.

The video's description reads: "Also, say hello to the new Galaxy Watch, your assistant to keep you fit and on top of your day."

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S6 is expected to come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset inside, which is the first time we've seen Samsung's tablet range embrace the latest power available at the time.

Others specs include a AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a 7,040mAh battery. On the rear is a dual-lens camera that's expected to harness both a 13MP f/2.0 main lens and a 5MP f/2.2 secondary one.

Those waiting for the Note 10 are expected to have to continue waiting until August 7 when the company is hosting an Unpacked event in New York, but this allows the company to focus on its phone on that day while giving us some exciting news in the next week too.



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The best TV shows on Foxtel Now: the top television series to stream right now

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The best TV shows on Foxtel Now: the top television series to stream right now

UPDATE: We've now added HBO's Barry and Chernobyl series to our list of the best TV shows on Foxtel Now – check out the next two slides to find out more about them!

Joining Netflix and Stan in the Australian streaming landscape, Foxtel Now gives Australians the easiest way to access Foxtel to date – especially if you own a Foxtel Box.

Offering an unparalleled selection of TV shows in its library (so long as you've subscribed to the right packages), Foxtel Now is currently providing access to some of the biggest and best shows of any streaming service in Australia. In fact, if you have multiple packs in your subscription, you may find yourself with an overwhelming amount of content.

With that in mind, we've created this TechRadar guide to the best TV shows to stream on Foxtel Now at the moment (in no particular order). We'll keep this best TV show list constantly updated with the latest series that you should be watching and also tell you why.

One of the best new comedies in recent years, Barry follows a hitman (played by Bill Hader) caught in an existential crisis who joins an acting class in order to track his latest target. Of course, Barry soon finds that he has a knack for performing, as it allows him to safely express the darkness within him to a group of people without judgement. These people include classmate Sally (Sarah Goldberg), whom Barry is immediately smitten with, and Gene (Henry Winkler), his eccentric acting teacher. And while things are looking good for Barry, his killer work commitments threaten to derail all of his newfound relationships.

A harrowing recounting of the worst man-made disaster in human history, namely the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986, this HBO miniseries details the arrogance that led to the event and the Soviet cleanup (and cover-up) efforts that came after. While it might take a few moments to get used to Ukrainian and Russian characters speaking with British accents, you quickly get over it because the performances (from actors like Jarred Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson) are so good. Elsewhere, the show oozes authenticity at every turn – from its use of real locations, to its exceptionally accurate retelling of events, Chernobyl is bound to go down as the definitive dramatisation of this horrific event.

Perhaps the biggest show in the world at the moment (especially as its in its final season), Game of Thrones is required viewing for fans of fantasy and prestige television. Based on George RR Martin's best selling series of fantasy novels, the show follows a number of powerful families as they wrestle for control over the fictional realm of Westeros. While they're all doing this, the undead threaten to destroy the entire world. Will they come together to prevent this from happening? It doesn't seem likely... If you haven't gotten around to watching it yet, Foxtel Now has all eight seasons available to stream in an instant. If you hurry, you might be able to catch-up before its highly-anticipated ending is spoiled!

One of the most relevant and gripping television shows of our time, Mr. Robot follows a group of hackers who attempt to take down the world's biggest corporation. We follow Elliot (Rami Malek), hacker-extraordinaire and cybersecurity engineer, as he orchestrates the biggest hack in history, all while battling social anxiety disorder and clinical depression, among other problems. But is he really the one in charge, or other there darker, more sinister forces pulling the strings? A modern masterpiece of television.

Set in the formerly gritty New York City of the 1970s, this new series from David Simon (The Wire, Generation Kill) follows a number of characters operating around Times Square during its sleazy heyday. This includes a pair of twin brothers (James Franco in both roles), a college dropout (Margarita Levieva), several hookers (including Maggie Gyllenhaal) and their pimps (including Gbenga Akinnagbe and Black Thought from The Roots) and a cop who's tired of corruption in the force (Lawrence Gilliard Jr). An eye-opening look at the sexual revolution and the dawn of New York's porn industry, The Deuce is similar in tone and style to Simon's other HBO masterpiece, The Wire.

This Australian drama has picked up a decent local following and has even aired in New Zealand and the UK. Inspired by the Australian 80s soap opera series Prisoner, Wentworth is set in a contemporary re-imagination of the same fictional women's detention centre. Following a mother who has been separated from her daughter after being convicted of the attempted murder of her husband, the series tracks her introduction to life within the Australian correctional system.

Supergirl is one of the best shows in the CW's 'Arrowverse', and regularly features cameos from the likes of The Flash and Arrow. What makes the show great however, is its progressive storytelling, which puts issues like sexism
and racism in the spotlight and deals with them in a way that only Supergirl (perfectly played by Melissa Benoist) can. That it also occasionally brings spectacular heroes like Superman and Martian Manhunter into the mix is just the icing on the cake.

A terrific NZ/Australian drama starring Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men, The Handmaid's Tale), Top of the Lake: China Girl sees Robin Griffin (Moss) investigate the murder of a young girl found on Bondi Beach. Joining her in this season is Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as a Sydney detective who helps Griffin on the case. One of Foxtel's best original shows.

Based on Michael Crichton's classic science fiction movie of the same name, the HBO version of Westworld expands the mythology of the universe, in which rich people visit a Wild West themed resort filled with incredibly lifelike robot NPCs. The show explores the inner workings of the park, as well as a robot revolution that is on the cusp of taking place. A fantastic series that rivals Game of Thrones in terms of budget and scope, Westworld is highly recommended.

The Sopranos is a highly regarded American-Italian mob show based in New Jersey in the early 2000s. Tapping into the psychologically introspective culture of New York and the classic family/crime dynamic found in many mobster films, The Sopranos explores the difficulties of juggling both a functioning crime syndicate and a nurturing family environment, through the prism of a psychologist's chair.

Featuring the most jaw-dropping houses in the country, Grand Designs Australia follows host Peter Maddison as he showcases a number of people who attempt to construct their dream homes. The kind of show that makes you simultaneously entertained and envious, Grand Designs Australia is a terrific Foxtel Original.

Based on a comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead is an American horror drama set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Former Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes heads up the survival party attempting to find his wife, daughter and shelter from the impending danger of this new world. We hope you enjoy watching your favourite characters ruthlessly killed on a near-weekly basis, because The Walking Dead delights in shocking its fan-base.

If uncomfortable comedy is your bag, you're going to love Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring Seinfeld co-creator Larry David as himself. Imagine Seinfeld, only with a much more insufferable protagonist, sans laugh track and with a tonne of swearing and you get the idea of what this show's about. After a hiatus of several years, the show is back with a brand new 9th season which Foxtel Now fast-tracks as new episodes arrive. If you ask us, that's pretty, pretty, pretty good.

An action-packed series that dials its violence and sex up to ludicrous levels, Banshee sees an ex-con (Antony Starr) released from jail after 10 years only to immediately assume the identity of a dead sheriff in an Amish country town called Banshee. Before long, he's up to his eyeballs in trouble involving a local gangster (Ulrich Thomsen), and an ex-lover (Ivana Miličević) who has put her criminal past behind her, all while trying to keep his real identity under wraps. Trashy and addictive, Banshee is almost too entertaining!

From Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy) comes Silicon Valley, a hilarious show about a young startup called Pied Piper and its various misadventures navigating the tech capital of the world. Whether it's internal struggles or outside pressure from tech giant Hooli (a clear Google stand-in), the team must do everything it can to keep its company afloat in an incredibly competitive landscape. A must-watch for tech enthusiasts.

Regarded by many (this writer included) to be the greatest television series of all time, The Wire paints a portrait of an American city (in this case, Baltimore) the way that no other show has done so before. Framed against the backdrop of America's 'War on Drugs', The Wire shows both sides of the struggle, focusing on the environment that produces street dealers and turns innocent children into hardened killers, while also examining the issue from the police's perspective, showing how bureaucracy prevents it from affecting any real change. Raw and uncompromising, The Wire is unlike any other crime series you've seen.

HBO's western series Deadwood was devastatingly cancelled before its time, but thankfully we can relive the show's harsh and brutal world on Foxtel Now in its entirety. Ex-lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant, clearly loving his status as a cowboy hero) arrives in the lawless frontier town of Deadwood to start a hardware business and provide for his dead brother's family. Before long, the crime and corruption of this town, headed by bar owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), forces Bullock back into the life he tried so desperately to leave behind. A truly magnificent show, Deadwood is binge-worthy bliss. Also, with news that a Deadwood follow-up movie could be in the works, now's a great time to reacquaint yourself with this classic series.



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July 31, 2019 at 12:20PM
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Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features

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Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features

Windows 10 S was first revealed back in May 2017 as a standalone OS, but it faced some controversy at launch. A lot of the criticism stemmed from the fact that it limits users to apps found on the Microsoft Store. Luckily, users can switch out of Windows 10 S Mode for free. Still, the lightweight operating system has proved instrumental in getting Windows 10 the over 825 million installs it has today.

Windows 10 in S Mode makes a lot of sense for specific users and devices. The Microsoft Surface Go, for example, a cheap alternative to the Surface Pro, only has a low-power Intel Pentium Gold processor, which means that it’s an ideal candidate for Windows 10 S. 

We’ve also seen reports of people getting Windows 10 S running on a Raspberry Pi 3, which makes a lot of sense for the lightweight OS. Microsoft is also rumored to be working on Windows Lite, which will further the lightweight nature of the OS, to compete with the best Chromebooks.

Windows 10 S Mode is also able to take advantage of any Windows 10 updates, like the October 2018 Update and the now-available Windows 10 May 2019 Update. What does this mean for Windows 10 S users? Simply that they get nifty features like the May Update’s “Light Mode” and useful storage space tools, as well as the possibility of playing Xbox One games natively.

Even now, a few years after its initial release, Windows 10 S is still a large part of the Windows 10 landscape, so we thought it would be the perfect time to dive in and explore everything this lightweight version of Windows can do.

Make sure you bookmark this page, as we’ll keep it updated with all the latest and greatest Windows 10 S information that appears.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Windows 10 without x86 and x64 apps
  • When is it out? Available now
  • What will it cost? Free to all schools using Windows 10 Pro

windows 10 s mode

Windows 10 S release date

Windows 10 S initially launched on May 2, 2017, with devices using the OS trickling out over the next few months. Fast forward to 2019 and Windows 10 S is bigger than ever, making lower spec Windows 10 devices more versatile now than ever before. 

Eventually, there will be a UI toggle that’ll let Windows 10 users switch in and out of S Mode (this was not available at the original time of this writing). Sadly, switching out of S Mode is a one-way street and permanent. Fortunately, if you need more than what this light OS can offer, you can get out of S Mode easier than you think – simply go to the Windows Store and search for “switch out of S Mode”.

At the moment, to get Windows 10 in S mode, you are required to have the qualifying devices that are already enabled in S mode. You can also ask your computer manufacturer to see if you can get it installed in a new device you are purchasing. Unfortunately, Windows 10 S is not for individual sale, but it is issued to IT administrators in education as well as laptops found in stores and online. It’s no coincidence that Windows 10 S is focused on the education sector, where Google’s Chromebooks are having unparalleled success and popularity.

windows 10 s mode

Windows 10 S price

Windows 10 S is basically free for users. Microsoft subsidizes the cost of the OS to hardware manufacturers, assuming they’re not getting Windows 10 S for free. Essentially, as a user, you don’t really pay for Windows 10 S Mode, instead you’re paying for the hardware running it. 

With the exception of premium devices like the original Surface Laptop, you can find devices running Windows 10 S Mode starting at just $189 (about £146, AU$251) and cap out around $299 (about £239, AU$396). PC makers across the board – including Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo – all have Windows 10 S Mode-powered devices in their stables.

However, now that Windows 10 S Mode is a thing, it’s a toggle that won’t cost you anything extra. Both Windows 10 Home and Pro S Mode users are able to go to the Windows Store and opt out of S Mode. Although, again, the conversion only works one way – out of S Mode. At least, at the moment.

There might be a switch in the settings app of a future build that will let users go back and forth, but so far, opting out of it is permanent.

windows 10 s mode

What is Windows 10 S?

Microsoft designed Windows 10 S to serve as a lightweight yet more secure version of Windows 10 for lower-end devices. By lightweight, that also means that in “S Mode,” Windows 10 will only support apps that are downloaded from the Windows Store.

This talk of a version of Windows that can only download Microsoft-approved apps is familiar, isn’t it? Microsoft believes it has perfected this approach since the turbulent days of Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 with Bing – both of which tried to position Microsoft as the sole provider of apps through curation.

The great thing about this, though, is that it allows for a startup time of under 5 seconds, instead of Windows 10 Pro’s startup time of 30 - 40 second. Additionally, configuration settings (such as Wi-Fi, webcam, etc.) across an entire classroom of students is as easy as inserting a USB stick in each of their laptops.

Being in competition with Google’s Chrome OS, Microsoft has, of course, also positioned Windows 10 S to be a more secure PC operating system. However, its resilience to viruses is mostly a side-effect of the inability to install apps not approved by Microsoft, since historically, Windows viruses have tended to come from untrustworthy internet downloads.

Should you find a must-have app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 S, you can switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Home or Pro simply by going to the Windows Store and searching for “switch out of S Mode”. Microsoft used to charge a fee for this service, but now it’s free for everyone.

Microsoft will also allow users that upgrade to Windows 10 Pro to move back down to Windows 10 S. And now, Microsoft is rumored to be working on a Windows 10 Lean Mode, which will be even more lightweight and locked down. 

Oddly enough, the shiny new Surface Laptop 2 now ships with Windows 10 Home, not in S Mode like the previous.

That said, what exactly can you expect to see included in devices running Windows 10 S? Well, the Edge browser, OneNote and Windows Ink are all givens. The standard Movies and Groove Music apps, not to mention Maps, Mail and Calendar, are obvious picks as well. 

Of course, we won’t see x86/x64 program support on a Windows 10 cloud operating system until sometime in 2019 when the previously mentioned Polaris is expected to come out and implement a ‘virtualization container’ for each of your favorite legacy applications. This means that, yes, should everything work according to plan, there will be a Windows 10 cloud OS that can emulate the .exe’s of the past.

In spite of its limitations, Windows 10 S still features File Explorer. And, while many of the laptops that come with the lightweight OS pre-installed may ship with smaller capacity SSDs, Microsoft’s upcoming introduction of OneDrive Files On-Demand will allow users to access files stored in the cloud and view them the same way as locally stored content.

All things considered, there are still questions looming regarding the viability of Windows 10 S. Fortunately, as new developments emerge to address those criticisms, you can count on us to cover them right here in this article.

Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Images Credit: Microsoft



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July 31, 2019 at 11:20AM
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Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode

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Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode
Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode

Chrome 76 has been released today on all platforms, and it’s brought with it a number of security patches, bug fixes and handy features to help with your browsing.

The most notable change for most users will be how Google is choosing to handle any Flash Player content that’s still lingering around the web. While the move to kill off Adobe’s archaic format has been in the works for a few years, Chrome will now officially block Flash by default.

Since 1996, Flash content has allowed web users to view and interact with media online, but since the launch of standards such as HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly, it has become redundant and something of a potential security hazard.

For now, users can still enable it manually every time they want Flash media to be played but, considering that Adobe will be discontinuing the format entirely next year, this feature will be relatively short-lived.

As we reported earlier in July, Google is also plugging a loophole that allowed websites to easily detect when a user is browsing in Chrome’s Incognito Mode, something that was particularly problematic for people in political or social situations that warranted them to conceal their web activity.

Previously, websites that employed a metered paywall (one that offered a limited amount of free articles) would use this method of detection to stop those browsing the web from avoiding detection and exceeding the metered limit.

A side effect of this loophole being plugged is that, these websites will no longer be able to tell when you’re browsing Incognito, and users will now be able to reliably bypass these paywalls.

Outside of these two major improvements, Chrome 76 implements a total of 43 security fixes, offers a variety of minor tweaks, and a host of developer-facing improvements – the full rundown of which can be found here.

Chrome 76 is currently rolling out for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.



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एथलीट ने अपमान को जिद में बदला, 42 की उम्र में खेल में वापसी कर 16 गोल्ड जीते

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एथलीट ने अपमान को जिद में बदला, 42 की उम्र में खेल में वापसी कर 16 गोल्ड जीते
एथलीट ने अपमान को जिद में बदला, 42 की उम्र में खेल में वापसी कर 16 गोल्ड जीते

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Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality

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Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality
Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality

It began with a simple question: “So, what if you could type directly from your brain?” 

That was something Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerburg asked on stage during the company’s annual F8 conference back in 2017. Since then, Facebook has been funding research into a brain-computer interface (BCI) that it could use in augmented reality wearables, like its long-talked about AR glasses.

Looks like the mind-reading interface could be one step closer to reality with Facebook releasing the first significant update on the project, with researchers now able to “decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from activity in real time”.

This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, came about via an algorithm that was able to read the thoughts of participants suffering from brain injuries.

Mind reading

When the project was first announced in 2017, the goal was to “decode silent speech”. 

In this experiment, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco – backed by Facebook Reality Labs – were allowed to implant electrodes into the brains of three epilepsy patients.

The participants were asked questions which they needed to answer aloud. This helped them identify activity and patterns in parts of the brain associated with understanding and producing speech in real time.

The readings from the electrodes, according to the researchers, were accurate 61% of the time, demonstrating it is possible to decode speech “in an interactive, conversational setting” to help people suffering from brain trauma to communicate.

Back at Menlo Park

Facebook, however, is willing to be patient as the research progresses to where “real-time decoding speed of 100 words per minute with a 1,000-word vocabulary and word error rate of less than 17 percent” becomes possible… even if it takes a decade.

In the meantime, the company is working on a “portable, wearable device made from consumer-grade parts” that monitors oxygen levels in the brain. This, the social media giant claims, could be a way for a BCI device to read people’s minds without the need for invasive surgery.

The device is “currently bulky, slow and reliable” but, if or when perfected, could be used as a basis of Facebook’s AR glasses, allowing us – at some point in the future – to communicate without the need for smartphones.



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The best TV shows on Foxtel Now: the top television series to stream right now

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UPDATE: We've now added HBO's Barry and Chernobyl series to our list of the best TV shows on Foxtel Now – check out the next two slides to find out more about them!

Joining Netflix and Stan in the Australian streaming landscape, Foxtel Now gives Australians the easiest way to access Foxtel to date – especially if you own a Foxtel Box.

Offering an unparalleled selection of TV shows in its library (so long as you've subscribed to the right packages), Foxtel Now is currently providing access to some of the biggest and best shows of any streaming service in Australia. In fact, if you have multiple packs in your subscription, you may find yourself with an overwhelming amount of content.

With that in mind, we've created this TechRadar guide to the best TV shows to stream on Foxtel Now at the moment (in no particular order). We'll keep this best TV show list constantly updated with the latest series that you should be watching and also tell you why.

One of the best new comedies in recent years, Barry follows a hitman (played by Bill Hader) caught in an existential crisis who joins an acting class in order to track his latest target. Of course, Barry soon finds that he has a knack for performing, as it allows him to safely express the darkness within him to a group of people without judgement. These people include classmate Sally (Sarah Goldberg), whom Barry is immediately smitten with, and Gene (Henry Winkler), his eccentric acting teacher. And while things are looking good for Barry, his killer work commitments threaten to derail all of his newfound relationships.

A harrowing recounting of the worst man-made disaster in human history, namely the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986, this HBO miniseries details the arrogance that led to the event and the Soviet cleanup (and cover-up) efforts that came after. While it might take a few moments to get used to Ukrainian and Russian characters speaking with British accents, you quickly get over it because the performances (from actors like Jarred Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson) are so good. Elsewhere, the show oozes authenticity at every turn – from its use of real locations, to its exceptionally accurate retelling of events, Chernobyl is bound to go down as the definitive dramatisation of this horrific event.

Perhaps the biggest show in the world at the moment (especially as its in its final season), Game of Thrones is required viewing for fans of fantasy and prestige television. Based on George RR Martin's best selling series of fantasy novels, the show follows a number of powerful families as they wrestle for control over the fictional realm of Westeros. While they're all doing this, the undead threaten to destroy the entire world. Will they come together to prevent this from happening? It doesn't seem likely... If you haven't gotten around to watching it yet, Foxtel Now has all eight seasons available to stream in an instant. If you hurry, you might be able to catch-up before its highly-anticipated ending is spoiled!

One of the most relevant and gripping television shows of our time, Mr. Robot follows a group of hackers who attempt to take down the world's biggest corporation. We follow Elliot (Rami Malek), hacker-extraordinaire and cybersecurity engineer, as he orchestrates the biggest hack in history, all while battling social anxiety disorder and clinical depression, among other problems. But is he really the one in charge, or other there darker, more sinister forces pulling the strings? A modern masterpiece of television.

Set in the formerly gritty New York City of the 1970s, this new series from David Simon (The Wire, Generation Kill) follows a number of characters operating around Times Square during its sleazy heyday. This includes a pair of twin brothers (James Franco in both roles), a college dropout (Margarita Levieva), several hookers (including Maggie Gyllenhaal) and their pimps (including Gbenga Akinnagbe and Black Thought from The Roots) and a cop who's tired of corruption in the force (Lawrence Gilliard Jr). An eye-opening look at the sexual revolution and the dawn of New York's porn industry, The Deuce is similar in tone and style to Simon's other HBO masterpiece, The Wire.

This Australian drama has picked up a decent local following and has even aired in New Zealand and the UK. Inspired by the Australian 80s soap opera series Prisoner, Wentworth is set in a contemporary re-imagination of the same fictional women's detention centre. Following a mother who has been separated from her daughter after being convicted of the attempted murder of her husband, the series tracks her introduction to life within the Australian correctional system.

Supergirl is one of the best shows in the CW's 'Arrowverse', and regularly features cameos from the likes of The Flash and Arrow. What makes the show great however, is its progressive storytelling, which puts issues like sexism
and racism in the spotlight and deals with them in a way that only Supergirl (perfectly played by Melissa Benoist) can. That it also occasionally brings spectacular heroes like Superman and Martian Manhunter into the mix is just the icing on the cake.

A terrific NZ/Australian drama starring Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men, The Handmaid's Tale), Top of the Lake: China Girl sees Robin Griffin (Moss) investigate the murder of a young girl found on Bondi Beach. Joining her in this season is Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as a Sydney detective who helps Griffin on the case. One of Foxtel's best original shows.

Based on Michael Crichton's classic science fiction movie of the same name, the HBO version of Westworld expands the mythology of the universe, in which rich people visit a Wild West themed resort filled with incredibly lifelike robot NPCs. The show explores the inner workings of the park, as well as a robot revolution that is on the cusp of taking place. A fantastic series that rivals Game of Thrones in terms of budget and scope, Westworld is highly recommended.

The Sopranos is a highly regarded American-Italian mob show based in New Jersey in the early 2000s. Tapping into the psychologically introspective culture of New York and the classic family/crime dynamic found in many mobster films, The Sopranos explores the difficulties of juggling both a functioning crime syndicate and a nurturing family environment, through the prism of a psychologist's chair.

Featuring the most jaw-dropping houses in the country, Grand Designs Australia follows host Peter Maddison as he showcases a number of people who attempt to construct their dream homes. The kind of show that makes you simultaneously entertained and envious, Grand Designs Australia is a terrific Foxtel Original.

Based on a comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead is an American horror drama set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Former Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes heads up the survival party attempting to find his wife, daughter and shelter from the impending danger of this new world. We hope you enjoy watching your favourite characters ruthlessly killed on a near-weekly basis, because The Walking Dead delights in shocking its fan-base.

If uncomfortable comedy is your bag, you're going to love Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring Seinfeld co-creator Larry David as himself. Imagine Seinfeld, only with a much more insufferable protagonist, sans laugh track and with a tonne of swearing and you get the idea of what this show's about. After a hiatus of several years, the show is back with a brand new 9th season which Foxtel Now fast-tracks as new episodes arrive. If you ask us, that's pretty, pretty, pretty good.

An action-packed series that dials its violence and sex up to ludicrous levels, Banshee sees an ex-con (Antony Starr) released from jail after 10 years only to immediately assume the identity of a dead sheriff in an Amish country town called Banshee. Before long, he's up to his eyeballs in trouble involving a local gangster (Ulrich Thomsen), and an ex-lover (Ivana Miličević) who has put her criminal past behind her, all while trying to keep his real identity under wraps. Trashy and addictive, Banshee is almost too entertaining!

From Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy) comes Silicon Valley, a hilarious show about a young startup called Pied Piper and its various misadventures navigating the tech capital of the world. Whether it's internal struggles or outside pressure from tech giant Hooli (a clear Google stand-in), the team must do everything it can to keep its company afloat in an incredibly competitive landscape. A must-watch for tech enthusiasts.

Regarded by many (this writer included) to be the greatest television series of all time, The Wire paints a portrait of an American city (in this case, Baltimore) the way that no other show has done so before. Framed against the backdrop of America's 'War on Drugs', The Wire shows both sides of the struggle, focusing on the environment that produces street dealers and turns innocent children into hardened killers, while also examining the issue from the police's perspective, showing how bureaucracy prevents it from affecting any real change. Raw and uncompromising, The Wire is unlike any other crime series you've seen.

HBO's western series Deadwood was devastatingly cancelled before its time, but thankfully we can relive the show's harsh and brutal world on Foxtel Now in its entirety. Ex-lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant, clearly loving his status as a cowboy hero) arrives in the lawless frontier town of Deadwood to start a hardware business and provide for his dead brother's family. Before long, the crime and corruption of this town, headed by bar owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), forces Bullock back into the life he tried so desperately to leave behind. A truly magnificent show, Deadwood is binge-worthy bliss. Also, with news that a Deadwood follow-up movie could be in the works, now's a great time to reacquaint yourself with this classic series.



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Windows 10 S Mode release date, news and features

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Windows 10 S was first revealed back in May 2017 as a standalone OS, but it faced some controversy at launch. A lot of the criticism stemmed from the fact that it limits users to apps found on the Microsoft Store. Luckily, users can switch out of Windows 10 S Mode for free. Still, the lightweight operating system has proved instrumental in getting Windows 10 the over 825 million installs it has today.

Windows 10 in S Mode makes a lot of sense for specific users and devices. The Microsoft Surface Go, for example, a cheap alternative to the Surface Pro, only has a low-power Intel Pentium Gold processor, which means that it’s an ideal candidate for Windows 10 S. 

We’ve also seen reports of people getting Windows 10 S running on a Raspberry Pi 3, which makes a lot of sense for the lightweight OS. Microsoft is also rumored to be working on Windows Lite, which will further the lightweight nature of the OS, to compete with the best Chromebooks.

Windows 10 S Mode is also able to take advantage of any Windows 10 updates, like the October 2018 Update and the now-available Windows 10 May 2019 Update. What does this mean for Windows 10 S users? Simply that they get nifty features like the May Update’s “Light Mode” and useful storage space tools, as well as the possibility of playing Xbox One games natively.

Even now, a few years after its initial release, Windows 10 S is still a large part of the Windows 10 landscape, so we thought it would be the perfect time to dive in and explore everything this lightweight version of Windows can do.

Make sure you bookmark this page, as we’ll keep it updated with all the latest and greatest Windows 10 S information that appears.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Windows 10 without x86 and x64 apps
  • When is it out? Available now
  • What will it cost? Free to all schools using Windows 10 Pro

windows 10 s mode

Windows 10 S release date

Windows 10 S initially launched on May 2, 2017, with devices using the OS trickling out over the next few months. Fast forward to 2019 and Windows 10 S is bigger than ever, making lower spec Windows 10 devices more versatile now than ever before. 

Eventually, there will be a UI toggle that’ll let Windows 10 users switch in and out of S Mode (this was not available at the original time of this writing). Sadly, switching out of S Mode is a one-way street and permanent. Fortunately, if you need more than what this light OS can offer, you can get out of S Mode easier than you think – simply go to the Windows Store and search for “switch out of S Mode”.

At the moment, to get Windows 10 in S mode, you are required to have the qualifying devices that are already enabled in S mode. You can also ask your computer manufacturer to see if you can get it installed in a new device you are purchasing. Unfortunately, Windows 10 S is not for individual sale, but it is issued to IT administrators in education as well as laptops found in stores and online. It’s no coincidence that Windows 10 S is focused on the education sector, where Google’s Chromebooks are having unparalleled success and popularity.

windows 10 s mode

Windows 10 S price

Windows 10 S is basically free for users. Microsoft subsidizes the cost of the OS to hardware manufacturers, assuming they’re not getting Windows 10 S for free. Essentially, as a user, you don’t really pay for Windows 10 S Mode, instead you’re paying for the hardware running it. 

With the exception of premium devices like the original Surface Laptop, you can find devices running Windows 10 S Mode starting at just $189 (about £146, AU$251) and cap out around $299 (about £239, AU$396). PC makers across the board – including Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo – all have Windows 10 S Mode-powered devices in their stables.

However, now that Windows 10 S Mode is a thing, it’s a toggle that won’t cost you anything extra. Both Windows 10 Home and Pro S Mode users are able to go to the Windows Store and opt out of S Mode. Although, again, the conversion only works one way – out of S Mode. At least, at the moment.

There might be a switch in the settings app of a future build that will let users go back and forth, but so far, opting out of it is permanent.

windows 10 s mode

What is Windows 10 S?

Microsoft designed Windows 10 S to serve as a lightweight yet more secure version of Windows 10 for lower-end devices. By lightweight, that also means that in “S Mode,” Windows 10 will only support apps that are downloaded from the Windows Store.

This talk of a version of Windows that can only download Microsoft-approved apps is familiar, isn’t it? Microsoft believes it has perfected this approach since the turbulent days of Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 with Bing – both of which tried to position Microsoft as the sole provider of apps through curation.

The great thing about this, though, is that it allows for a startup time of under 5 seconds, instead of Windows 10 Pro’s startup time of 30 - 40 second. Additionally, configuration settings (such as Wi-Fi, webcam, etc.) across an entire classroom of students is as easy as inserting a USB stick in each of their laptops.

Being in competition with Google’s Chrome OS, Microsoft has, of course, also positioned Windows 10 S to be a more secure PC operating system. However, its resilience to viruses is mostly a side-effect of the inability to install apps not approved by Microsoft, since historically, Windows viruses have tended to come from untrustworthy internet downloads.

Should you find a must-have app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 S, you can switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Home or Pro simply by going to the Windows Store and searching for “switch out of S Mode”. Microsoft used to charge a fee for this service, but now it’s free for everyone.

Microsoft will also allow users that upgrade to Windows 10 Pro to move back down to Windows 10 S. And now, Microsoft is rumored to be working on a Windows 10 Lean Mode, which will be even more lightweight and locked down. 

Oddly enough, the shiny new Surface Laptop 2 now ships with Windows 10 Home, not in S Mode like the previous.

That said, what exactly can you expect to see included in devices running Windows 10 S? Well, the Edge browser, OneNote and Windows Ink are all givens. The standard Movies and Groove Music apps, not to mention Maps, Mail and Calendar, are obvious picks as well. 

Of course, we won’t see x86/x64 program support on a Windows 10 cloud operating system until sometime in 2019 when the previously mentioned Polaris is expected to come out and implement a ‘virtualization container’ for each of your favorite legacy applications. This means that, yes, should everything work according to plan, there will be a Windows 10 cloud OS that can emulate the .exe’s of the past.

In spite of its limitations, Windows 10 S still features File Explorer. And, while many of the laptops that come with the lightweight OS pre-installed may ship with smaller capacity SSDs, Microsoft’s upcoming introduction of OneDrive Files On-Demand will allow users to access files stored in the cloud and view them the same way as locally stored content.

All things considered, there are still questions looming regarding the viability of Windows 10 S. Fortunately, as new developments emerge to address those criticisms, you can count on us to cover them right here in this article.

Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Images Credit: Microsoft



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Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode

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Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode

Chrome 76 has been released today on all platforms, and it’s brought with it a number of security patches, bug fixes and handy features to help with your browsing.

The most notable change for most users will be how Google is choosing to handle any Flash Player content that’s still lingering around the web. While the move to kill off Adobe’s archaic format has been in the works for a few years, Chrome will now officially block Flash by default.

Since 1996, Flash content has allowed web users to view and interact with media online, but since the launch of standards such as HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly, it has become redundant and something of a potential security hazard.

For now, users can still enable it manually every time they want Flash media to be played but, considering that Adobe will be discontinuing the format entirely next year, this feature will be relatively short-lived.

As we reported earlier in July, Google is also plugging a loophole that allowed websites to easily detect when a user is browsing in Chrome’s Incognito Mode, something that was particularly problematic for people in political or social situations that warranted them to conceal their web activity.

Previously, websites that employed a metered paywall (one that offered a limited amount of free articles) would use this method of detection to stop those browsing the web from avoiding detection and exceeding the metered limit.

A side effect of this loophole being plugged is that, these websites will no longer be able to tell when you’re browsing Incognito, and users will now be able to reliably bypass these paywalls.

Outside of these two major improvements, Chrome 76 implements a total of 43 security fixes, offers a variety of minor tweaks, and a host of developer-facing improvements – the full rundown of which can be found here.

Chrome 76 is currently rolling out for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.



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July 31, 2019 at 09:20AM
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एथलीट ने अपमान को जिद में बदला, 42 की उम्र में खेल में वापसी कर 16 गोल्ड जीते

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एथलीट ने अपमान को जिद में बदला, 42 की उम्र में खेल में वापसी कर 16 गोल्ड जीते

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Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality

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Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality

It began with a simple question: “So, what if you could type directly from your brain?” 

That was something Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerburg asked on stage during the company’s annual F8 conference back in 2017. Since then, Facebook has been funding research into a brain-computer interface (BCI) that it could use in augmented reality wearables, like its long-talked about AR glasses.

Looks like the mind-reading interface could be one step closer to reality with Facebook releasing the first significant update on the project, with researchers now able to “decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from activity in real time”.

This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, came about via an algorithm that was able to read the thoughts of participants suffering from brain injuries.

Mind reading

When the project was first announced in 2017, the goal was to “decode silent speech”. 

In this experiment, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco – backed by Facebook Reality Labs – were allowed to implant electrodes into the brains of three epilepsy patients.

The participants were asked questions which they needed to answer aloud. This helped them identify activity and patterns in parts of the brain associated with understanding and producing speech in real time.

The readings from the electrodes, according to the researchers, were accurate 61% of the time, demonstrating it is possible to decode speech “in an interactive, conversational setting” to help people suffering from brain trauma to communicate.

Back at Menlo Park

Facebook, however, is willing to be patient as the research progresses to where “real-time decoding speed of 100 words per minute with a 1,000-word vocabulary and word error rate of less than 17 percent” becomes possible… even if it takes a decade.

In the meantime, the company is working on a “portable, wearable device made from consumer-grade parts” that monitors oxygen levels in the brain. This, the social media giant claims, could be a way for a BCI device to read people’s minds without the need for invasive surgery.

The device is “currently bulky, slow and reliable” but, if or when perfected, could be used as a basis of Facebook’s AR glasses, allowing us – at some point in the future – to communicate without the need for smartphones.



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July 31, 2019 at 07:04AM
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Chrome 76 blocks Flash by default and stops websites detecting Incognito Mode

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Chrome 76 has been released today on all platforms, and it’s brought with it a number of security patches, bug fixes and handy features to help with your browsing.

The most notable change for most users will be how Google is choosing to handle any Flash Player content that’s still lingering around the web. While the move to kill off Adobe’s archaic format has been in the works for a few years, Chrome will now officially block Flash by default.

Since 1996, Flash content has allowed web users to view and interact with media online, but since the launch of standards such as HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly, it has become redundant and something of a potential security hazard.

For now, users can still enable it manually every time they want Flash media to be played but, considering that Adobe will be discontinuing the format entirely next year, this feature will be relatively short-lived.

As we reported earlier in July, Google is also plugging a loophole that allowed websites to easily detect when a user is browsing in Chrome’s Incognito Mode, something that was particularly problematic for people in political or social situations that warranted them to conceal their web activity.

Previously, websites that employed a metered paywall (one that offered a limited amount of free articles) would use this method of detection to stop those browsing the web from avoiding detection and exceeding the metered limit.

A side effect of this loophole being plugged is that, these websites will no longer be able to tell when you’re browsing Incognito, and users will now be able to reliably bypass these paywalls.

Outside of these two major improvements, Chrome 76 implements a total of 43 security fixes, offers a variety of minor tweaks, and a host of developer-facing improvements – the full rundown of which can be found here.

Chrome 76 is currently rolling out for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.



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Facebook's futuristic mind-reading wearable is one step closer to reality

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It began with a simple question: “So, what if you could type directly from your brain?” 

That was something Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerburg asked on stage during the company’s annual F8 conference back in 2017. Since then, Facebook has been funding research into a brain-computer interface (BCI) that it could use in augmented reality wearables, like its long-talked about AR glasses.

Looks like the mind-reading interface could be one step closer to reality with Facebook releasing the first significant update on the project, with researchers now able to “decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from activity in real time”.

This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, came about via an algorithm that was able to read the thoughts of participants suffering from brain injuries.

Mind reading

When the project was first announced in 2017, the goal was to “decode silent speech”. 

In this experiment, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco – backed by Facebook Reality Labs – were allowed to implant electrodes into the brains of three epilepsy patients.

The participants were asked questions which they needed to answer aloud. This helped them identify activity and patterns in parts of the brain associated with understanding and producing speech in real time.

The readings from the electrodes, according to the researchers, were accurate 61% of the time, demonstrating it is possible to decode speech “in an interactive, conversational setting” to help people suffering from brain trauma to communicate.

Back at Menlo Park

Facebook, however, is willing to be patient as the research progresses to where “real-time decoding speed of 100 words per minute with a 1,000-word vocabulary and word error rate of less than 17 percent” becomes possible… even if it takes a decade.

In the meantime, the company is working on a “portable, wearable device made from consumer-grade parts” that monitors oxygen levels in the brain. This, the social media giant claims, could be a way for a BCI device to read people’s minds without the need for invasive surgery.

The device is “currently bulky, slow and reliable” but, if or when perfected, could be used as a basis of Facebook’s AR glasses, allowing us – at some point in the future – to communicate without the need for smartphones.



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Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Ofcom fines Giffgaff £1.4m for overcharging customers

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Ofcom fines Giffgaff £1.4m for overcharging customers

Giffgaff has been fined £1.4 million by Ofcom for overcharging customers to the tune of almost £2.9 million due to an issue with its billing system.

The Telefonica-owned Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) uses O2’s network to deliver services to users and bills itself as a ‘no-frills’ option with a community-based approach to customer services.

Customers have the option of purchasing bundles of minutes, texts and data called ‘goody bags’ either by paying up front or adding them later using pay-as-you-go credit.

Giffgaff fine 

However, an Ofcom investigation found that customers who paid for goody bags using credit did not have the bundles applied to their account immediately. In some cases, the bundle was only activated once a call was finished or when a device was switched on or off.

This mean that voice calls were paid for using credit rather than the inclusive minutes that comprise a bundle.

Ofcom said that the bundles should have applied immediately from the moment of purchase and customers were effectively being charged twice for the same call. As many as 2.6 million customers were affected by the issue.

“Getting bills right is a basic duty for every phone company. But Giffgaff made unacceptable mistakes, leaving millions of customers out of pocket,” said Gaucho Rasmussen, Ofcom's Director of Investigations and Enforcement.

“This fine should serve as a warning to all communications providers: if they get bills wrong, we’ll step in to protect customers.”

The penalty includes a 30 per cent discount on account of the fact that Giffgaff proactively reported the issue to Ofcom and has worked to return £2.1 million to customers. The remaining sum has been donated to charity, however anyone who believes they have been affected can still contact the company for a refund.

“Giffgaff deserves credit for reporting the mistake to industry watchdog Ofcom and acting quickly to refund 2.1 million customers,” said Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at uSwitch. “But the fact that almost half a million consumers are still out of pocket is disappointing.

“The size of Giffgaff’s fine represents how seriously the watchdog takes this error. And providers be warned: mobile phone users will be quick to vote with their feet if they believe they are being treated unfairly.”



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July 30, 2019 at 03:02PM
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US ban crushes Huawei's Google Assistant smart speaker dreams

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US ban crushes Huawei's Google Assistant smart speaker dreams

Huawei and Google were reportedly just months away from releasing a Google Assistant smart speaker before the the US ban thwarted the two companies' plans. 

According to a report by The Information, Huawei and Google planned to launch the new smart speaker at IFA 2019 in Berlin this September. However, US government sanctions, which restricted Huawei's access to US tech suppliers ensured that the project was killed in May this year. 

An anonymous Huawei employee told The Information that they had "worked on this project with Google for a year and made a lot of progress", and that "everything suddenly stopped".

While the sources cited in the report didn't offer any details about the smart speaker itself, it's possible that it would have been similar to the Huawei AI Cube, the company's 4G router-come-smart-speaker.  

Global fallout

The fact that Huawei was working on a smart speaker with Google isn't exactly unexpected; Huawei and Honor phones run the Google-developed Android OS, after all, and the two companies have worked together for a number of years.

However, the US Huawei ban has had far-reaching consequences, which means Google and Huawei's relationship is incredibly uncertain.

When the Trump administration placed the Chinese brand on the 'entity list' earlier this year, it limited the business US companies could do with it – including Google.

In response, Google suspended Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, leading to questions about the viability of future Huawei and Honor phones.

Both Google and Huawei have promised that they will support phones that are currently on the market, but we don't know how long these models will receive Android updates or have access to the Google Play Store.

Recently there has been a slight reprieve for the company, with President Trump suggesting the Huawei ban could soon be over at the G20 summit in Japan – and by mid-July, some US companies were permitted to trade with Huawei. 

For now, Google is still working with Huawei on a temporary basis – but with so much uncertainty, we may never see that fabled Huawei/Google smart speaker.



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July 30, 2019 at 02:40PM
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