Wednesday, March 4, 2020

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Should you buy a Redmi K20 Pro in 2020?

The Redmi K20 Pro marked Xiaomi’s return to the flagship space in India. Hitherto, it only plied its trade in the budget segment. Everyone was eager to see how the K20 series would be priced. In true Xiaomi fashion, the Redmi K20 Pro was launched at a starting price of Rs 27,999, which was lower than any flagship at that time. 

We don’t know how we could’ve made the Redmi K20 Pro any better at this price

Manu Kumar Jain, MD, Xiaomi India

However, it’s been almost nine months since its launch, and it now faces more competition in the “affordable flagship” space from new entrants and legacy players alike. At the same time, the Redmi K20 Pro was subject to a few price-cuts, bringing the maxed-out variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage down to Rs 27,999. Does it still hold strong? Let’s evaluate.

Starting with what usually defines a flagship: the processor. At that price, the Redmi K20 Pro is now the most affordable smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 855 in India. While it is a generation old, it is still a very powerful chipset. Considering that the new Snapdragon 865 is seemingly less efficient and not fully optimized, it could be a wise move to stay away from paying extra just for the generational upgrade.

It sports a bezel-less and notch-less Super AMOLED display, an aspect that only significantly more expensive flagships offer. This is achieved by placing the front camera in housing that pops up from the top edge, thus providing an unobstructed view. The only downgrade is that the refresh rate is only 60Hz, whereas the competition offers a 90Hz display at a marginally lower price.

If you are considering this as a compromise, let's note that most popular games like COD Mobile, PUBG Mobile are topped at 60fps. However, there will be a slight difference in navigation, a higher refresh rate will offer smoother scrolls and swipes.

Speaking of cameras, the Redmi K20 Pro has three of them on the back, with a competent 48MP primary shooter, followed by a 13MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8MP 2x telephoto lens, giving you the versatility to shoot at all focal lengths. There are also a bunch of interesting shooting modes such as SkySwap, night mode, video stabilization, 4K 60fps recording, and 960fps slow-motion. 

While those are just the on-paper specs, the camera performance is one of the most substantial areas of the K20 Pro. It does not only offer a range of features, but software updates over the past few months have turned it into a very reliable camera at its price point.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is still around. The battery is rated at 4,000mAh and also supports 27W fast charging. 

Here's what makes it a good deal

Redmi is also offering a couple of deals to make owning the K20 Pro easier. At Mi Homes, the phone can be purchased at Rs 1,667 per month at a no-cost EMI. This offer will also be available at Mi Studios, Mi Stores, preferred partners, and large format stores such as Croma. An additional Rs 1,500 will be offered on the exchange, along with a 5% cashback in your Amazon Pay Wallet. Accidental screen damage protection worth Rs 6,999 will also be bundled. For consumers looking to buy it online, an additional Rs 3,000 will be offered in exchange for your old smartphone, along with a 6-month no-cost EMI.

These deals make the Redmi K20 Pro a very easy phone to recommend to those looking for a flagship without paying too much. If your budget is a little flexible, the Realme X2 Pro is also a great affordable flagship that offers faster charging, a higher refresh rate display, and a slightly better processor. You can't go wrong with either of these.



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Cheap noise-canceling headphone deals: save big on Beats Studio 3

If you're looking for cheap noise-canceling headphones, these Beats Studio 3 deals may end your search. We've spotted some fantastic noise-canceling headphones deals around the web, but this return to a stunning Beats Studio 3 price tag offers some fantastic cans for far less than they're worth right now. The latest entry in the Beats Studio range recently hit $199 / £189, and those prices are sitting firm right now, though we don't know when they will return to their $349 / £299 MSRP points. As it stands, you can save a whopping $150 / £110 on these cheap noise-canceling headphones deals, bringing high quality Beats audio to your ears for a fraction of the cost. 

The Beats Studio 3's represent one of the best sets of headphones in Beats' current range, marking the latest entry into the professionally-geared lineup. With powerful noise cancellation, great sound, and full, easy integration with Apple devices, there's little wonder as to why these are some of the most popular headphones on the market right now. 

You can save big with these noise-canceling headphones deals, so make sure you grab yours before prices rise again. If you want to take a look at a few more models, be sure to check out the best cheap Beats headphones sales we've found around the web. 

Cheap noise-canceling headphones: Beats Studio 3 deals

  • Shop more noise-canceling headphone deals at Best Buy
  • Shop more noise-canceling headphones deals at Very
  • Shop more noise-canceling headphones deals at Currys

Looking for more? We're keeping track of all the latest cheap Beats headphones prices as well as all the best cheap noise-canceling headphones. If you're after something with the same Apple finesse but a smaller form factor, you might well be after the latest AirPods sales. 



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How to watch The Walking Dead online: live stream season 10 from anywhere

After the immense cliff-hanger that episode nine left us, it's safe to say the second part of season 10 has been much awaited.

Ready to continue watching the apocalypse? Keep reading as we tell you how to watch The Walking Dead online - no matter where on Earth you are.

The first part of the apocalypse has brought fresh new battles and challenges for the remainder of humanity. Whilst the mid-finale brought plenty of suspense and in true Walking Dead fashion, a very intense cliff-hanger, thanks to Alpha's mind games with the Survivors.

We've got too many questions that need answering, so if you're ready for the next part of the massacre keep reading as we tell you how to watch The Walking Dead online and on TV. 

And if you can't get access to the show on a TV in your country, then your best bet could be online using a VPN. Find out more below.

Watch The Walking Dead online from anywhere in the world:

If you're away from home, out of the country, you can still get your undead fix. This is possible using a VPN to get around the usual geo restrictions - so you can live stream The Walking Dead at the exact same time that it broadcasts in the US.

Which VPN is best for you? Our fave is ExpressVPN. And how do you use that to watch The Walking Dead online? Read on to find out all you need to know.

How to watch the The Walking Dead in the US:

To watch the second part of The Walking Dead season 10 in the US you can do it most easily with access to AMC itself which will air the show at 9pm ET/8pm C/6pm PT on Sundays. 

However if you don't have cable, you can access AMC shows with an internet connection and a paid for service like DirectTV Now, Sling TV or PlayStation Vue. You can also watch all The Walking Dead Season 10 on Amazon Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW and VUDU. Which means you can watch it on your laptop, smartphone, smartTV or tablet. 

The great news is that you can get free trials with some of these servers so if you want to try before you buy, that's an option too.

Not in the US this Sunday? Then don't feel like you need to miss out. Head back up to our instructions for how to watch via a VPN above, and then you can watch through your preferred online method above.

How to watch The Walking Dead in the UK:

The second part of The Walking Dead season 10 will premiered on Fox TV on Monday, February 24 at 9pm GMT. Fox TV is a paid for channel that is included on some Sky, Virgin Media, and TalkTalk packages.

Beyond that you can also access the channel using a less commitment based service like Now TV. This lets you pay for a bundle for a period of time so you don't need to commit. For this you can opt for the Entertainment bundle for £8.99 per month which can be cancelled month to month and includes a one week FREE trial.

Not in the UK to watch? It's OK, you don't have to set it to record or rely on catching up - get your zombie fix by downloading a VPN and watching from wherever you are as described above.

Where can I watch old episodes of The Walking Dead?

It's never too late to start watching The Walking Dead with its nine seasons already completed and crammed full of excitement that never gets old. There are lots of ways to catch up:

US: You've got plenty of option so take you're pick! Here's a handy list of some of the most popular ones we've found: Amazon Video, iTunes, Fandango Now and Vue. All of these streaming services have all 10 seasons of The Walking Dead.

UK: Now TV has every single Walking Dead episode ever made on its service, although you'd have to do A LOT of binge watching if you want to fit them all in to a single month's Entertainment Pass. However if you're an Amazon Prime customer you can just go there to catch up on the first 9 seasons.

Everywhere else: If you've hunted high and low and still can't find anywhere showing the old 132 episodes(!) of The Walking Dead, then it might be worth giving a VPN a try to get access. Then you can potentially grab hold of them from a US or UK source.



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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare now has a bloodthirsty Tamagotchi, for some reason

Remember Tamagotchis? The little virtual scamps – essentially digital pets you carried around on a keyring, and would grow as you cared for them – were a big part of many childhoods, even if it often fell to our parents to remember to feed them.

They’re gaining a new life, however, in the most unlikely of places: Call of Duty Modern Warfare’s online multiplayer.

Named the “Tomogunchi” – which humorously reads like a Western mispronunciation of the original gadget – the accessory fits onto your avatar’s wrist in online modes, and is helped to grow and survive by your continued dominance and lengthy kill streaks on the battlefield, as you shoot, explode, and take down other players with the game’s vast assortment of weaponry. 

"Feed it, monitor its moods, and help it evolve," we're told in the promotional video. Even if you’re not literally pouring blood into the digital critter’s mouth, it’s certainly not far off – and feels more like a demonic pact than a mindless accessory. Buy it in the item shop, we guess?

No, look over here!

The latest COD instalment had no shortage of controversy when it launched in late 2019, given some ill-advised revisionism – namely, rewriting a real-life US-led massacre in Iraq as a war crime instigated by the Russian military instead. Yup.

The online mode of Call of Duty should be free of the more problematic moments in the game’s campaign, being much more about point-scoring than a narrative of US military supremacy. 

The Tomogunchi, at least, has the sense to be self-aware about the absurdity of lines of code trying to murder each other on today’s gaming consoles – and little quirks like this are probably only more likely with the expanded potential of the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X.



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OnePlus is giving you a chance to help it achieve the perfect OnePlus TV experience

OnePlus has one of the strongest fanbases in India, which is often involved in the launch of new products. OnePlus is looking to extend this symbiotic relationship for improving its Q1 series of TVs.

OnePlus TV was launched in India six months ago, where it brought a lot of never-before-seen software features and connectivity solutions. After nailing those ambitious ideas, it is now looking to gather in-depth feedback and suggestions from the community to “build a better TV experience.”

Called the OnePlus TV Product Ninja program, individuals will get a chance to work closely with the product team to discuss additional features and solve real problems. Around ten users will be invited to brainstorm with other “Product Ninjas” and familiarize themselves with the entire process of how a product manager works. At the end of the session, some ideas will materialize into actual features on the TV.

The selected participants will be eligible for OnePlus product perks, which could mean that they will get certain products as a gift. Details on this will be shared closer to the start of the program. Moreover, one of the contributors will get a “big” prize.

There are a few requirements to be able to qualify for the program, which can be checked on the OnePlus website. The dates and timings will be decided to take the schedules of the product ninjas. The last date to apply is March 9.



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Why getting security tool sprawl under control is essential

As the need for security controls and the associated rise in cybersecurity spending has risen, we have failed to deliver any real progress as an industry, which is particularly evidenced by the continued exponential growth in cyber risks. 

The typical information security team today struggles with a simple but frustrating and potentially dangerous problem — an overload of security software that require deployment, operation, and maintenance. These tools generate a flood of alerts that often require manual intervention, all of which often get dismissed by an overburdened security team.

To satisfy business needs, reduce cyber risks, and maintain compliance requirements, enterprises are assessing their current security tool portfolios to determine the degree of redundancy or limited capabilities of each tool and alternative approaches. However, to be successful, businesses must first understand what it is they’re looking for.

Types of Security Controls

First and foremost, there are three primary types of security controls that security tools are used to support:

  • Protection occurs when an action or control either prevents weaknesses upfront, whether in the design and development, or stops a malware infection or cyberattack before it impacts users or the environment.
  • Detection means identifying a bad actor (internal or external) in the environment.
  • Response is a reaction to the discovery of an issue that has initiated a malicious action and attempting to contain it before it impacts the user and/or the organization.

From a cyber-risk perspective, prevention focuses on minimizing vulnerabilities and the potential for harm, while detection and response center on minimizing the impact. Additionally, there are three primary approaches to implementing a control:

  • Automated control occurs entirely through machines
  • Semi-automated control involves some level of human intervention
  • Manual control is managed entirely by a human

As organizations mature their capabilities, many will transition from manual controls to semi-automated and automated controls, when appropriate.

“Tool Sprawl” - Creating a False Sense of Security and Frustration

Given consistent and mounting news of data breaches, what companies tend to do is deploy an increased number of tools to prevent and detect cyberattacks in an effort to fortify their security capabilities. Cybersecurity tool sprawl comes from the aftermath of repeated attempts to close evolving security gaps, which results in using too many one-off specialized solutions. However, deploying more security tools isn't the best way to stop breaches — in fact, it can have the opposite effect.

Organizations on average run 25 to 49 security tools from up to 10 different vendors, according to the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), and 40 percent of organizations are so taxed that they cannot act upon at least a quarter of their security alerts, according to 451 Research. Unsurprisingly, “tool sprawl” is particularly prevalent at larger companies, especially those who have undergone mergers or acquisitions. It’s reported that these firms have approximately 30 percent more tools than their smaller counterparts.

Organizations that fail to keep cybersecurity tool sprawl under control inevitably end up creating chaos and inefficiencies. A tool smorgasbord leaves enterprises to cobble together a piecemeal security strategy in order to support their distributed environment and business needs, resulting in decreased productivity, inefficient workflows, and higher overall costs. There is also the potential that vulnerabilities could also increase through mismanagement, as resources supporting the tools are overwhelmed and are unable to keep up with upgrades or patch management.

How can we regain control of our security controls?

There are simple measures that can be put in place to curb security tool sprawl, gain operational and cost efficiencies, and to obtain value and expected ROI of tool inventory. Here are several best practices businesses can use:

1. Understand the value of what the business already has: First, businesses need to ensure all its tools are doing what they’re supposed to by ensuring they are deployed and properly configured and upgraded as necessary. Then assess whether the tools are delivering the ROI expected.

2. Leverage existing tools to the fullest extent possible: Assess the capabilities and scope of coverage for the security tools the business already owns and identify opportunities to expand use cases. (Why buy something new if an existing tool can provide the same function?) Typically, a tool is deployed for a set of use cases and never taken beyond that scope. It’s important to review the full feature set and the vendor’s product roadmap to understand what’s coming so that the business can incorporate upcoming capabilities into its program plans.

3. Integrate and consolidate: The days of a single vendor offering a proprietary stack are gone. In this heterogeneous tool environment, integration and consolidation helps maximize the value of the tools used to support programs. While a tool may be best-in-class, if it can’t integrate with other tools the business has deployed, it will result in operational hardship for the team. With the resource challenge most cybersecurity programs face, reducing manual processes is essential. The easier it is for tools to share data and information, the easier it will be to create automated or semi-automated workflows. Tools that can work together will leave fewer gaps, making them better able to protect, detect, and respond to cybersecurity threats.

4. Use a platform approach: Organizations should consider taking a platform-approach or shared service model that offers security services. This approach can offer improved efficiencies, lower costs, and result in greater overall effectiveness. It also enables businesses to have a layer of abstraction that make changes to the technology supporting the services easier.

Yet, organizations still struggle to find the right balance of security tools to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats. As the trend to adopt security tools delivered via cloud services and SaaS-based procurement models accelerates, it will become even more important to rationalize security tool inventories to root out the inefficiencies. By regularly evaluating and taking stock of the resources and tools already available to a business, security teams can better meet security needs – both now and in the future – without compromising efficiency and cost.



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How to watch Star Trek: Picard online - stream the new show from anywhere

Trekkies rejoice! Patrick Stewart is beaming to our screens once again as Jean-Luc Picard, former Captain of the USS-Enterprise. Filled with mystery, action and thrills it's safe to say that Star Trek: Picard has so far been incredible watch.

Don't want to miss a second? Keep reading to find out how to watch Star Trek: Picard online from anywhere.

Executive producer Alex Kurtzman has promised that the new series will be more of a “contemplative show” with a “real-world” look, and the final Star Trek: Picard trailer certainly establishes a wistful mood in addition to impressive visual spectacle. 

And so far, he has delivered upon his promise - episode five left us on a cliff-hanger but it was episode six that has been deemed the best so far of this season. We saw Picard revisiting his assimilation by the Borg and reuniting with Hugh!

And now with episode seven coming, we're ready to 'make it so'. Keep reading to find out how to watch Star Trek: Picard online wherever you are.

Watch Star Trek: Picard online from outside your country:

If you find yourself far from home when the latest episode drops – abroad on business or taking an extended vacation – don’t let geo-blocks ruin your fun. “There’s a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle” Captain Picard once said, and rightly so.

Say you’re in a country where this content isn’t available. Utilizing a VPN will allow you to watch Star Trek: Picard online no matter where you’re situated. This simple piece of software changes your IP address, so you can access each episode live or catch-up with the series, just as if you were at home.

How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in the US

How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in the UK (and for FREE)

  How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in Canada

  How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in Australia



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New Black Shark 3 Pro is a phone that dwarfs even the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Black Shark - a gaming-phone-focused subsidiary of Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi - has just unveiled a new series of handsets, and one of them is a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra competitor.

There are two new phones called the Black Shark 3 and Black Shark 3 Pro. They've so far only been announced in China, although we'd expect a global launch for both devices soon.

The phones are alike in a lot of ways, but the Pro model has a few features which seemingly make it a top-end gaming phone, and a competitor to the aforementioned Samsung phone in a few ways.

Both phones have 64MP main cameras, joined by 13MP ultra-wide and 5MP depth sensing snappers as well as 20MP front-facing cameras. The Black Shark 2 took some pretty decent pictures, and we might see the same again here.

The phones both have the Snapdragon 865 chipset, the most cutting-edge Qualcomm processor at the time of launch, which should allow for fast processing speeds. They both have 8GB or 12GB RAM depending on which variant you opt for. 

Both the Black Shark 3 and Pro are 5G phones too, as is the case with most Snapdragon 865 toting handsets.

If you're a fan of 3.5mm audio jacks for listening to music (or plugging in microphones), the phones have one, unlike the Black Shark 2 devices, which may make the new devices great for competitive gamers who want surround-sound audio from an external device (or want to plug a wired mic in).

The phones also support super-snappy 65W fast charging, which should power up the batteries in no time.  Xiaomi has shown off this charging tech before, and Black Shark says it can power up the Pro device in 38 minutes (therefore presumably it can charge up the Black Shark 3 even quicker, as that has a smaller power pack).

The phones also have magnetic power packs which you can plug to the back of the phone when you're gaming, to charge the phone without wires sticking out the side. We're not totally sure how this works, but we will investigate when we test out the phone in the flesh.

Pressy buttons

One final intriguing feature of both phones is that they have physical buttons on the side of the phone (the top of the device when you're holding it horizontally to game) which work like triggers on a console controller, so presumably you'll be able to map them to different functions.

This could change the way you game, as a common issue with mobile games is getting your hands in the way of the screen when you want to touch the on-screen buttons. Keeping your digits hovering above the screen, on the physical buttons, could remove this issue.

Super-size me

Now for the differences. While the Black Shark 3 has a large 6.67-inch display, the Pro model turns that up even further with an enormous 7.1-inch screen. That's even bigger than the 6.9-inch Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

We have seen phones with screens that big in the past, such as the Huawei Mate 20 X from 2018 with its 7.2-inch screen, but it's a real rarity.

Therefore if you were looking at buying the Samsung device as a great gaming phone with lots of screen to see the titles you're playing, you might want to wait forthe Black Shark 3 Pro instead.

The screens on both Black Shark devices are AMOLED panels with 90Hz refresh rate and 270Hz touch input rates, but the Black Shark 3 Pro has slightly better resolution. It's 1440 x 3120 compared to 1080 x 2400 on the standard Black Shark 3, so even though it's slightly bigger its pixel density is a lot higher than the non-Pro model.

Other differences include battery size as the Black Shark 3 Pro has a 5,000mAh power pack (the same as the aforementioned Samsung phone) which is a touch bigger than the 4,720mAh of the basic Black Shark 3.

Finally, while the Black Shark 3 has 128GB and 256GB storage versions to choose from, the Black Shark 3 Pro has larger 256GB and 512GB options for if you want plenty of games on your phone at the same time.

In China, the Black Shark 3 costs CNY3,499 (roughly $500, £400, AU$765) for the most affordable model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Black Shark 3 Pro (again for the cheapest option with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage) goes for CNY4,699 (about $680, £530, AU$1,030). 

We wouldn't expect those conversions to be totally accurate for the release price elsewhere though, so that's a rough ball-park to go on.

We don't know when the Black Shark 3 phones will be shown off globally, or available to buy, but TechRadar will make sure to get hands-on with them when they do to see if they're the best gaming phones for you.

Via GSMArena



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New WD My Passport compact HDD with up to 5TB storage launched in India

Western Digital has announced its latest line of My Passport HDD in India. The new My Passport drive is 30% smaller than the previous generation and feels very compact in hand. 

My Passport for Windows comes in three colors- Black, Blue, and Red, while the My Passport for Mac comes in a single Midnight Blue shade.

The My Passport HDD drives are priced starting at Rs 4,499 for 1TB storage option and go up to Rs 10,999 for the maxed-out 5TB storage variant.

WD My Passport drives are available with major retailers and e-commerce platforms.

Western Digital My Passport features

Western Digital's My Passport features a new design and is very compact in hand. The 1TB-2TB drives weigh around 120 grams and are roughly 11mm thick.

As for the 4TB and 5TB HDDs, these weigh around 210 grams with a maximum thickness of 19.15mm.

WD's My Passport for Mac has a USB-C connector, unlike the Windows variants, which features a USB 3.0 connector.

The My Passport drives come pre-loaded with WD backup and a new WD Discovery security solution.

WD drives with backup allow users to either back up their pictures, videos and documents automatically or can be scheduled at an appropriate time.

The new WD Discovery utility works in tandem with the built-in 256-bit AES encryption to secure your My Passport drive. This tool also lets you connect to social media apps like Facebook or storage services like Dropbox.



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Google Pixel 4a leaked hands-on images show off the phone for the first time

The Google Pixel 4a is heavily rumored to be debuting in the coming months, and the latest leak seems to show off core design elements of the upcoming handset.

Images provided to SlashLeaks seem to show off the device from the front and back, thanks to someone managing to get their hands on the device early.

The biggest surprise here may be the punch-hole design that allows for a selfie camera to sit in the top left corner of the device. That's a first for any Google Pixel phone, if these images are accurate, as previous devices house cameras in a large bezel or notch.

That means there isn't a thick bezel along the top of the display on the Pixel 4a, but there still seems to be a visible chin along the bottom of the screen.

On the rear, you'll find a fingerprint sensor in the center of the design. There also seems to be a single camera with a flash in the top left hand corner.

The hands on images suggest that'll be housed in a black block at that top corner rather than sitting separately as a round element like it did on the Pixel 3a series.

We don't know what material the phone is made of, but it seems to have a brushed metal effect which is something we haven't seen on other Google Pixel phones in the past.

We can't gurantee the authenticity of these leaked images, but they seem to match previous unofficial renders of the device that leaked from another source.

Those renders weren't leaked specifically, but they seemed to be made using information from a source that knew the design of the handset.

We originally expected the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL to debut at Google IO 2020, but that event has been cancelled due to concerns over spread of the coronavirus. The event may live on as an online event, and if that's the case we can still expect it to be around May 12-14 so it may not be long until we see this phone properly debut.

Via PocketNow



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