Latest Tech News

Zoom Video Communications recently experienced an outage as more people are now using the video conferencing service to work from home or for distance learning.

Zoom users on the East Coast of the US and in parts of Europe reported seeing error messages while attempting to log in to the company's web client on Friday morning. The outage also affected parts of California, Florida and the Midwest as well as Malaysia.

At the time of the outage, Zoom's status page said that its web client was “under maintenance”. On its developer forum page though, the company tried to reassure users, saying:

• Video conferencing apps saw record downloads in just one week
• Zoom-related domain names grow significantly as malware threat rises
• SEC steps in to prevent investors from buying the wrong Zoom

"During these tough times, we are seeing a massive increase in demand for our services. To continue serving our incredible services to our customers and developers, we may be making changes rapidly."

When Zoom's web client briefly went down, the company advised users to download and install its desktop application instead until the issues were resolved.

Surge in video conferencing

Since the coronavirus outbreak began, businesses as well as consumers have turned to video conferencing software to work remotely as well as to stay in touch with friends and family. In fact, video conferencing apps saw record downloads on both Apple's App Store and on the Google Play Store in mid-march.

Although there are loads of video conferencing apps and services to choose from, Zoom Video Communications quickly became a favorite during the outbreak due to its ease of use and compatibility across devices and browsers.

However, a number of privacy issues were recently discovered in the company's software including how the service was sending data to Facebook (which was later fixed) and the fact that its video calls don't actually use end-to-end encryption. Zoom's CEO Eric S. Yuan has since apologized for major security vulnerabilities and promised to do better going forward.

As lockdown measures around the world are still in place and employees and students are now working from home, Zoom and other video conferencing services could likely see more outages in the future due to increased demand during this trying time.

• Also check out our complete list of the best video conferencing software

Via CRN

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2x0VonU

Best headphones for working at home in 2020 - CNET

Looking for a great pair of headphones to use while working from home? These are CNET's current top picks.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2X9q54L

Make a face mask or covering at home: How to find cloth materials, patterns, more - CNET

What's the difference between a face mask and a covering? Can you buy premade face masks? How do you donate them? We answer these questions and more.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2R4hoVN

Food to your door: Save $5 on each of your first 5 Postmates orders - CNET

Get restaurant meals delivered, no human contact required.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2Jz91NI

Coronavirus: How to track the spread across the world as cases top 1 million - CNET

An online dashboard shows all confirmed, suspected and recovered coronavirus patients, as well as deaths.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2xFYIVB

Coronavirus updates: Mask recommendation for all US residents, global cases hit 1 million - CNET

Plus: In the US, more than 7,000 people have died. Worldwide, the figure has topped 58,000.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2xI3x0t

Google Doodle offers tips for fighting coronavirus by staying at home - CNET

Doodle shows just some of the ways you can make the most of your time while sheltering in place.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2R7a6k5

Latest Gadgets News

The Moto G8 Power Lite runs on Android Pie and features a 6.5-inch HD+ (729x1600 pixels) IPS LCD display with a waterdrop-style notch

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/39AL57n

Latest Gadgets News

With the arrival of Disney+ Hotstar, every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — save for the ones Disney doesn’t have rights to — is now available on a single platform for the first time in India. That includes all of the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marve...

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2xPy2Bx

Latest Gadgets News

Facebook on Thursday rolled out the desktop version of its Messenger app for Apple's Mac and Microsoft's Windows to make video chats available on computer screens for Facebook users.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2RatM6K

Latest Tech News

Motorola has had a surprise launch of its Moto G8 Power Lite handset that packs a 5,000mAh battery at a bargain price of £149.99 (around $184 / AU$305). 

That means the Moto G8 Power Lite is poised to be an even more affordable version of the Moto G8 Power (known as the Moto G Power in the US) that was revealed earlier this year, keeping its 5,000mAh battery but leaving off some of the more refined features and specs to come in at nearly half the price.

What does that mean? The G8 Power Lite has a MediaTek Helio P35 Quad-Core chipset, a lower-resolution 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) display, and crucially, packs Android 9 out of the box. It’s unclear if or when it will upgrade to the current standard Android 10 (and what comes with the G8 Power).

As for cameras, the G8 Power Lite keeps its sibling’s 16MP f/2.0 main and 2MP macro lenses, but loses the ultra-wide lens in favor of a 2MP depth sensor. It’s unfortunate, and we’re curious to see how useful folks find the remaining macro lens for up-close photography.

• Best cheap phones: where the G8 Power Lite may rank
• Moto G8 Power: check out the differences between the Power and the Power Lite
• Best phones: the top phones

The Covid-19 announcement chill

Phone announcements have been delayed in 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus: many were set to be unveiled at MWC 2020, but when that was canceled out of concern for the outbreak, plenty of phonemakers have slowly begun to launch their handsets anyway – even if revealing them online has been far less flashy than the physical events that companies typically hold.

The G8 Power was one of the first to be shown off this way, so it’s only fitting that its more limited sibling also gets revealed online with little fanfare. Regardless, it’s a symbol that phones in 2020 will continue to come out on an atypical schedule as companies adjust to the new normal.

• Moto G Stylus: the other inexpensive 2020 Moto phone

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/39IB8o9

Latest Tech News

Only a couple of days ago, we reported that the long-rumored iPhone 9 (often referred to by the moniker iPhone SE 2) might finally be unveiled on April 22. Now, 9to5Mac has received new information that seems to back up this claim.

Based on a tip offered by one of the site's trusted readers, 9to5Mac believes that Apple may open orders for its entry-level iPhone as soon as tomorrow.

• These are the best iPhones
• Read our iPhone 11 Pro Max review

The site also says the new handset will simply retain the iPhone SE name, and will be referred to as the 2020 version in an attempt to avoid confusion. 

Along with details discussed above, the leak also states that the new iPhone SE will be made available in White, Black and Product (RED) color variants, with Apple set to offer the handset with either 64GB, 128GB and 256GB of storage.

In terms of specs, previous reports have suggested that the rumored phone will feature the same A13 chipset used by the current iPhone 11, with 3GB of RAM and a 4.7-inch LCD screen. Its design is also expected to look nearly identical to that of the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6.

Of course, all of the information listed above is far from concrete at this stage. For the time being, we'll have to wait for Apple to make the first move.

• iPhone SE 2 could come with a popular feature no other cheap iPhone has

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3dReiOE

Latest Tech News

If you’re looking for a cheap laptop or a mammoth saving on a premium portable computer, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the web for savings and rounded up all the genuine deals in one neat place. You’ll find we’ve covered everything from budget browsing machines to high-performance powerhouses, so you’ll no doubt find something here to match your needs.

Here we’ve highlighted a selection of the latest deals that we’ve sniffed out, and if you scroll further down, we've rounded up some of our favourite laptops in a dedicated buying guide.

If you're from the US or the UK, check out our selections of the top laptop deals in the US or in the UK.

• Keep your devices safe from cyber attacks and save money at the same time with our round-up of the best antivirus deals and discounts in Australia.

Best laptop deals this week

• Find great bargains and compare Australian prices on the latest tech at Getprice.

We'll keep on updating the list of deals as and when we find them. Below, you'll find up to date prices on TechRadar's favourite laptop, so keep an eye out for those savings.

The best deals on our favourite laptops

Over the years we've reviewed plenty of laptops and, as a result, we've seen what to avoid and what to jump on when there's savings to be had. We'll keep track of the prices of some of the best we've seen so that you can snatch up a bargain when they do show up. Check out the prices below and see if anything has dropped enough to tickle your fancy.

Saying that we're very happy with Dell's XPS 13 is a huge understatement. The slim profile, revolutionary design and small frame bely its powerful performance and gorgeous 13-inch screen. Typically you'd have to weigh up portability and performance, but the XPS 13 has managed to strike a fine balance between the two. With Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors plus lighting, quick storage and memory, the XPS 13's starting price is certainly an impressive one. We're so chuffed with it that it's still one of our favourite Ultrabook, and has taken the top spot as the best Windows laptop and the best overall laptop.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

Asus has nailed it with the overhauled ZenBook Flip S 2-in-1. Adding top of the line processing power, plenty of memory and a speedy PCle solid state drive available in some of the models, this laptop shows off a beautiful new design to perfection, giving you the ability to use it as a laptop or a tablet. While it costs a pretty penny as compared to some of the competition out there, it would be our top recommendation if money isn't a factor.

Read the full review: Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370

While this may not be a great leap from the previous generation of MacBook Pros with Touch Bar, the 2018 model is definitely the best Apple has produced to date. The Cupertino firm has ramped up performance for the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018, more so than the bigger 15-inch model as well. A thin OLED display at the top end of the keyboard can be customised to for various functions, and also offer Touch ID for secure logins. And although it retains Apple's signature design, it doesn't come cheap, but you can argue with the choice if you're a diehard Apple fan.

Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar 13-inch (2018)

Our earlier choice of gaming laptop, the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 has been knocked off its perch by MSI's GS65 Stealth. With cutting edge components, including an 8th-gen Intel Core i7-8750H processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, it makes the top spot in gaming laptops. It's also cheaper than the ROG Zephyrus GX501. And it doesn't look like a hunky gaming laptop either; with subtle design tweaks, the GS65 Stealth can pass off as a work or study laptop without anyone being none the wiser.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth

Dell's XPS 15 laptops were already some of the best you could buy, but this beautifully redesigned 15-inch 2-in-1 competes with the Dell XPS 13 in every respect, with the convenience of becoming a tablet when needed. It's one of the most aesthetically pleasing devices in its category and also boast plenty of power. Under the hood is a new Intel Kaby Lake G-series processor featuring 'discreet-class' Radeon graphics – meaning with the power comes a bit more noise.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 

If you're after some more further info on the best laptops, check out some of our other dedicated articles:

• The best laptops in Australia
• Best gaming laptops
• The best ultrabooks
• Best business laptops
• Best 2-in-1 laptops

Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop. 

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2i0sa06

Latest Tech News

The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T ranges had some of the best smartphone screens of last year and it looks like the OnePlus 8 series could have them – and every other phone – beat.

That’s based on tests carried out by DisplayMate (a respected display quality website that goes deep into smartphone screen performance). The site has announced that the OnePlus 8 series has achieved an A+ rating (the highest rating possible).

Not only that, it has also set or matched more than ten smartphone display performance records, including color accuracy, image contrast, display brightness, and screen reflection, as well as being rated as ‘visually indistinguishable from perfect’ in four categories.

• These are the best OnePlus phones
• Will the OnePlus 8 make our best phones list?
• We're also expecting the iPhone 9 to launch soon

The best of the best?

So is this the best display on a smartphone? Well, that’s slightly less clear. Aside from this just being one site’s opinion, it’s not clear whether the OnePlus 8 beats the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra – which also achieves an A+ and was rated as ‘visually indistinguishable from perfect’ in five categories.

The wording of DisplayMate’s announcement makes it slightly unclear whether the OnePlus 8 series actually has the best screen, or just one of the best.

But either way, it sounds like it should be seriously impressive – and even the top model in the range will probably cost a fair bit less than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

We already know that the OnePlus 8 series includes an OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate – a refresh rate which matches the Galaxy S20 range and tops the OnePlus 7T Pro, among most other phones, so it was always shaping up to have a good display.

We won’t be able to judge exactly how good until we’ve put one of the phones through a full review, but with the range being fully announced on April 14, you can expect that before too long.

• Later this year there could be a OnePlus Z

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2JxxL96

Coronavirus tips: 12 ways to help stay safe when you leave the house - CNET

Start practicing these practical tips for grocery shopping, opening doors and signing your name when you're out in public.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2JCsxsB