Sunday, June 14, 2020

Latest Tech News

Sony’s latest optical data storage archiving solution is finally here and those requiring access to secure, read-only data (e.g. for corporate IT, state and local government, healthcare, education and surveillance use cases) will want to take note.

The Gen3 PetaSite Optical Disc Archive technology offers nearly 3PB of what Sony calls “immutable” optical storage, in an industry standard 42U rack - that’s three million Terabytes in a unit about the size of a two-door wardrobe.

These usually contain a Master Unit (which is the drive itself) and up to 535 5.5TB cartridges.

Each unit is 7U high and includes a 3-slot import/export station to load and unload media automatically. The host interface is an 8Gbps Fibre Channel, while the maintenance interface relies on good old GbE.

One might argue you only need about 190 16TB hard disk drives to surpass the capacity of Sony’s PetaSite solution, but they are likely to have a much lower archival shelf life (Sony’s solution offers up to 100 years). Plus, neither guaranteed WORM nor EMP resistance are an option with hard drives and SSDs.

Sony’s Archival Disc is a hexa-layer, dual-sided media that is derived from the company’s work on Bluray media, and can be read at 3Gbps with an average write rate of 1.5Gbps.

Compared to tape, it provides fast random access to data files, although tape is probably a much cheaper alternative, especially as LTO-9 is now expected to land before 2021.



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Update: The postponed Amazon Prime Day 2020 date in September could be announced this week, as we also expect official confirmation on the 'Amazon Summer Sale' thought to be happening starting next week, June 22. To avoid confusion and questions, Amazon could finally tell us this year's Prime Day will be delayed to September.

The Amazon Prime Day 2020 UK date will be postponed by two months, according to a reliable report that suggest this year's big Amazon deals will launch in September. This is different from next week's 'Amazon Summer Sale', which is thought to be starting on Monday, June 22, as per CNBC.

It makes sense to delay the start of Prime Day deals for several reasons. First and foremost, consumer are facing an economic downtown and won't be in the mood for a lavish buying spree in July (when the usual Amazon Prime Day date happens). 

Yet, if things start to go back to normal, there will be pent up demand to buy again soon after that. Cue: September.

Likewise, many manufacturers in the UK and worldwide might not be ready right now, but they'll soon need something like Prime Day 2020 to start making money again. Many goods are sitting in warehouses while essential goods are prioritized. No one wants to wait until Black Friday 2020 to see in bulk again.

Even if the Amazon Prime Day 2020 date is truly happening in September, we have a lot of questions: on what date or dates will it happen? What Prime Day sales are expected this year? Should you buy on Prime Day or wait until Black Friday?

Let's answer all of those pressing questions while we await for official Amazon Prime Day 2020 details from the company.

The Amazon Prime Day 2020 UK date

The official Amazon Prime Day date is reportedly in September, according to the Wall Street Journal, although no one knows the specific date or, more likely, dates (it's usually two days long). Well, maybe Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos knows.

Last year's Prime Day deals lasted 48 hours, so there were two full days of discounts, and we expect something similar in 2020. Amazon has historically picked a Monday to start the deals and Prime Day usually runs through Tuesday.

If September is indeed the month and it begins on a Monday, that leaves one of four choices for the start of Prime Day 2020: 

  • Monday, September 7, 2020
  • Monday, September 14, 2020
  • Monday, September 21, 2020
  • Monday September 28, 2020

We would have initially thought it would have happened on July 13, or possibly the week before on July 6, so a two-month delay would suggest September 7 or September 14. Amazon may have to work around Apple's iPhone 12 launch date, which is still unknown, but likely to hog the spotlight.

As soon as we catch wind of the Prime Day 2020 date, we'll be sure to update this page so you can prepare your Amazon wish list.

Is Amazon Prime Day postponed this year?

That seems to be the case, although, on the record, Amazon has only stated "Prime Day 2020 has not been announced," according to an Amazon.com retail page. We check this everyday and will update this section when Amazon makes an official statement.

When did Amazon Prime Day get postponed? The shift from July to "at least August" was reported by Reuters on April 3, and then the Wall Street Journal nabbed an exclusive in May that indicated September was the confirmed Prime Day date, with the cause being the coronavirus outbreak. In some parts of the world, Amazon has been limiting the number of items it ships, often prioritizing essential goods.

But, keep in mind, having no Amazon Prime Day date is not out of the ordinary. The company doesn't announce the date until mere weeks ahead of the kick off, when it teases a fraction of its deals list. So, even if it were earlier than September, we still wouldn't know today.

There's also the possibility that Amazon could launch Prime Day is different regions, depending on where they are in the re-opening phase. And then there's speculation that Amazon could scrape Prime Day 2020 entirely.

Buy on Amazon Prime Day? Or wait until Black Friday?

You're going to see a lot of prices are their all-time lowest during Amazon Prime Day, but so will Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020. When you should buy?

The answer is very simple: Amazon Prime Day comes sooner by about three to four months compared to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That's 90 to 120 extra days of enjoying whatever you buy, which is a nice perk. Why wait if you really want it. But if you can hold off, prices on tech tends to drop even more as they age.

What's funny is that because both online shopping events are a such a big win for consumers, Amazon (and to a lesser extend other retail chains) have conditioned us to buy big-ticket items two times a year: Prime Day and Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Prime Day 2020 deals list: what will be on sale?

The Amazon Prime Day deals list, while a mystery until the deals go live, quite often follows the same trends every year, so we can safely assume what to expect.

The best Prime Day 2020 will almost certainly feature deep discounts on Amazon's own tech. We're talking about Kindle deals, Echo price drops, and Fire TV discounts.

We've also seen Prime Day become known for amazing laptop deals, no matter what you're interested in. That includes cheap Chromebooks, Windows laptops and a few Apple MacBooks. Now the latest MacBook Pro is on sale, expect it to go fast.

Then there are the staples of every major online shopping event: 4KTVs, DNA kits, and video doorbells – expect all of those to be reduced in price, too. It doesn't hurt that Amazon owns Ring, a video doorbell line it discounts heavily each year too.

How to shop on Prime Day in 2020

1. Check out our deals predictions and, eventually our Prime Day deals list

There are also too many deals available on Prime Day. It's never a problem finding discounts, it's always an issue of figuring out what deals are worth your money. That's why we always set up a curated list during the 48-hour sales marathon. 

We spent some good time last Black Friday thinking about smart ways to shop on Amazon - they're still some great Prime Day tips and tricks.

2. Amazon Prime Day has historically required being a Prime member, so be sure to have a subscription on Prime Day

Amazon started Prime Day in 2015 as a clever way to drive up its Prime subscription count, and this online shopping marathon – conveniently opposite Black Friday – accomplished just that. 

You'll need to sign up for Prime (you can get a free 30-day trial), which comes with two-day free shipping and Prime Video access, among other smaller perks. In some cities, Amazon has rolled out free one-day and same-day shipping on certain items. 

3. Create a wish list to curate what you want, as there will be loads of deals

You're also going to want to create a wish list ahead of time, which will let you sort out what you want and how much everything costs. This will give you a head start. You'll be able to see which deals dropped in price and which did not. 

4. Snap up the best Prime Day 2020 deals before they're gone

The numbers don't lie. Last year's Amazon Prime Day stats gave us insight into what sold in big quantities nearly 12 months ago. It's shocking, really.

The retailer shipped 100,000 lunchboxes, 100,000 laptops, 200,000 TVs, 300,000 headphones, 350,000 luxury beauty products, 400,000 pet products, 650,000 household cleaning supplies, and more than one million toys.

We often find the best deals to go in a matter of minutes, at which time Amazon rolls out a waitlist for those who were just behind the curve.

How competitive were Prime Day deals at Amazon last year?

A price monitoring company called Minderest (as reported by PR Newswire) compared prices of 566 of the most in-demand products over Prime Day to see how they stacked up against rivals stores listed on Google Shopping. 

58.05% of them were cheapest on Amazon UK, compared to a massive 81.9% in the US where Amazon is annihilating the competition on a regular basis. 

If anything, that UK figure is a testament to how competitive the UK market it is and we did notice other stores having big sales of their own around Prime Day and a lot of price matching happening too. 

It's also a solid reminder to double check prices elsewhere on Prime Day (we always do this before highlighting a deal for you) as you might get a better deal from the likes of John Lewis, Currys and Argos.

Amazon devices, as expected, got the best deals with an average 45% reduction on their RRPs compared to 37% in 2018. According to audience research from Numerator, 65.8% of surveyed shoppers said they were extremely or very satisfied with the deals available.

Last year's best Amazon Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day 2020 is undoubtably going to be different than any other as the date shifts to later in the year. But we suspect many of the deals will mirror what we saw last year. 

Last year Prime members were snapping up products throughout the 48-hour event with over 175 million items sold. That's more than Amazon sold on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

That's why we're re-posting some of the top deals from last year's Prime Day event. It happened in mid-July, meaning some products may change (for example, if there's been a sequel launched since), but the low prices should match come Prime Day 2020.

amazon echo deals dot prices sale

What did Amazon's rivals do on Prime Day?

Currys kicked of its 'Black Tag' event before Prime Day and it was still going for a few days afterwards too. Out of all the other stores, we'd probably say Currys gave Amazon the biggest fight for TVs, laptops and gadgets. Currys' wide selection of home white goods beat out Amazon too, although Amazon has never really focused on those as much.

John Lewis deals were very popular for Google Home products (not sold on Amazon) and while it was generally price-matching rivals rather than coming up with its own deals, we were happy to send you its way due to most items coming with a free minimum two-year warranty at no extra cost. 

Having to pay for delivery on items under £50 was a bit off-putting though on cheaper items and shows a key area where John Lewis are lagging behind the times a little on the UK online retailscape.

So much shopping is done on mobile now either via a browser, or by using a retailer's own app. According to AppsFlyer (as reported by PerformanceIn), the top 100 retail apps took a bit of a beating during Prime Day, not only were new installs down, 53% of them had a decrease of in-app purchases. 

And seeing as Amazon's app got through the sale without freezing all the time like it did last year, it's not great news for rival apps.

Overall, more people shopped via mobile at Amazon than ever before on Prime Day. Gone are the days when people tended to browse more on mobile, then fire up the laptop when they got home to actually finish the transaction. And to be fair, on Prime Day, you can't really afford to wait that long due to the risk of deals selling out.



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Latest Gadgets News

OnePlus 8 Pro is set to go on sale in India today. The first OnePlus 8 Pro sale that comes exactly two months after its official launch will take place through Amazon and OnePlus.in.

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Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge from The Simpsons is now a real video game you can play - CNET

"You have selected... power drive."

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Rumors have been circulating that Apple’s next generation of flagship handsets – the iPhone 12 range – will sport flat edges, much like the current lineup of iPad Pro devices, which uses a design similar to earlier iPhone models.

The latest leak that lends weight to this theory comes from user @Jin_Store on Twitter, an “Apple Premium Reseller” according to their bio, and arrives in the shape of a number of photos, detailing molds of the alleged devices as well as CAD drawings. 

It’s worth noting that we haven’t seen any leaks from this user in the past, so it’s possible that these could just be very dedicated fakes. Typically, these types of objects and images are produced by third-party case makers in order to design cases for future phone releases, and are themselves based on leaked dimensions and specs.

If we are to believe the accuracy of these molds and design documents, the new range of iPhones looks set to return to the squared-edge design that we first saw in the iPhone 4 and has reemerged in the new iPad Pro lineup, departing from the rounded edges most recently seen in the iPhone 11.

There are three different sized molds on show in these images, which would support the four models expected in the lineup – the 5.4-inch iPhone 12, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Max, and the top-of-the-line 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The CAD drawings also show off a rear camera array that houses three cameras and a flash, although it isn’t clear which model this is. 

Similarly, all molds have four holes in their front-facing notches, presumably for the selfie camera array, proximity and light sensors, as well as a slot for the speaker. Interestingly, the smallest mold (presume to be the iPhone 12) has an extra, elongated hole above the speaker.

As always, we won’t know for sure what Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup will look like until the official unveiling (likely towards the end of 2020), but as these rumors continue to pile up, it’s looking likely we’ll see another squared-edged iPhone in our near future.



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My favorite Google Home trick and how to do it - CNET

Create custom commands and responses using Google Home Routines.

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The HP Summer Sale is here today - meaning if you've been looking for a cheap laptop deal, a printer, or a slick new desktop, then you're in luck as you can save yourself up to $329 right now.

There's a whole range of discounts on display today in the HP summer sale running all the way through to June 20th, including price cuts on some great cheap laptops for casual use all the way up to specced out workstations. We've included what we think are the best deals just down below, as well as a good selection of desktops and printers.

Highlights include this superb HP 15T laptop for just $559.99 (was $789) - a total saving of $239 on a really superb cheap ultrabook. Inside you're getting an Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB SSD, and a whopping 12GB of RAM - perfect specs for a solid working from home machine.

We also really like this laptop deal on a HP Pavllion 15 for just $799.99. You're getting a huge saving of $329 on an Ultrabook that feature's some absurd specs for the money - a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD no less.

These are fantastic deals but they're not all that's on offer in the HP Summer sale today - simply scroll down to see what we think are the best ones right now.

Summer sale: laptop deals

  • Shop all cheap laptop deals at HP

Summer sale: desktop PC deals

  • Shop all desktop PC deals at HP

Summer sale: printer deals

  • Shop all printer deals at HP

If you'd like to shop around more then we recommend our best laptop deals page. Here you'll find all the top brands including Dell, Acer, Asus to name a few, as well as our well-researched list of the best cheap laptops. If you'd like to consider Apple, then our best MacBook deals page is the perfect resource for getting a cheap price on one of these premium Apple laptops.



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20 iPhone and iPad tips to become a pro: Everything to know about iOS and iPadOS 13.5 - CNET

From trackpad support to a dedicated dark mode, there's a lot to learn about Apple's phone and tablet software.

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On Wednesday 10 June, Britain hit a significant landmark: the UK went for two full months without burning coal to generate power – that's the longest period since the 1880s.

According to the National Grid, Britain has now run its electricity network without burning coal since midnight on the 9 April. This coal-free period has beaten the country’s previous record of 18 days, six hours and 10 minutes, which was set in June 2019.

With such a shift in Britain’s drive for renewables and lower electricity demand following the coronavirus lockdown, now may be the perfect time to do an online energy comparison and switch to a cheaper, greener deal.


The transformation of Britain’s energy consumption

Only a decade ago, around 40 per cent of Britain’s electricity came from coal generation, but since then the country has gradually shifted towards renewable energy. When Britain was forced into lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic, electricity demand dropped sharply, and the National Grid took the four remaining coal-fired plants off the network.

Over the past 10 years, Britain has invested heavily in renewable energy. Back in 2010, only 3 per cent of the country's electricity came from wind and solar, and many people remained sceptical. However, now, the UK has the biggest offshore wind industry in the world. Plus, last year, construction of the world’s single largest wind farm was completed off the coast of Yorkshire.

At the same time, Drax – Britain’s biggest power plant – has started to switch from burning coal to burning compressed wooden pellets instead. By this time next year, the plant hopes to have phased out coal entirely.

So far this year, renewables have generated more power than all fossil fuels put together, the BBC reports. Renewables have been responsible for 37 per cent of electricity supplied to the network, while fossil fuels have accounted for 35 per cent. During the same period, nuclear accounted for 18 per cent and imports made up the remaining 10 per cent.

What does this mean for consumers?

As the country’s electricity supply moves more towards renewables, customers have more choice than ever before. Most of the ‘Big Six’ energy companies now have tariffs that offer 100 per cent green electricity. On top of this, specialist green energy suppliers such as Bulb, Octopus and Green Energy UK make it easier than ever to find a green energy tariff.

The good news is that our energy comparison research suggests that green energy doesn’t have to cost you more than a traditional fixed-price energy contract would. In fact, some of the cheapest energy suppliers are actually green companies.

At present, energy bills are at three-year lows, which means that now is the perfect time to switch supplier. As prices remain low and renewables begin to dominate the marketplace, more switchers will be drawn to green energy deals than ever before.

However, if you’re interested in choosing a green energy supplier, make sure that you look at the company's fuel mix. This way, you’ll be able to see whether they are guaranteeing the usage of green energy, or whether they’re just offsetting your usage. All suppliers must report how their energy is generated to Ofgem, so you’ll easily be able to compare providers.

You may find that you pay more for a supplier that generates its own energy from renewables, or pay less if the supplier simply matches your usage by buying green energy. You can decide which option is right for you after comparing the prices.



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A 21:9 aspect ratio is something we’ve seen on a variety of smartphones over the past two years. It makes your phone longer (and therefore more difficult to use day-to-day) but allows you to have a wider display for when you're settling down to watch a widescreen video or play a game.

Time and time again I’ve heard from manufacturers that a widescreen display makes for a far better experience. I agree that it does when you're specifically watching video or a myriad of other activities in landscape, but the switch to 21:9 makes it a more difficult phone to use when messaging and whatnot.

And to be honest, that's mostly when I'm using my phone. So that's a difficult trade to make, especially when the amount of 21:9 smartphone content out there is still sparse. But then in walks Call of Duty: Mobile... and I'm reconsidering all of that.

The game has hammered home to me why people would want a wider display like this, and while it didn't give me an entire epiphany it did further prove to me that this is a good choice for some.

The Xperia 1 II's big screen

Sony’s Xperia 1 and Xperia 1 II both feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display, and we’ve seen a variety of other manufacturers follow suit and include a similar (if not always exactly 21:9) widescreen display on other devices.

The first widescreen phone didn't come from Sony, though. In fact, it was the LG Chocolate BL40 back in 2009. That phone featured a 4-inch 345 x 800 display - a modest size for the inaugural phone screen with this elongated aspect ratio.

And that's the problem here - a 4-inch display is easy to use even if it's in a 21:9 aspect ratio. The human hand is able to reach everything it needs to. Both Sony's phones are 6.5-inches, and I can confirm a lot of people struggle to use these phones one-handed.

A size of 6.5-inches matches a variety of top-end phones right now, I hear you cry. Yes, it does - but those aren’t 21:9. It’s impossible for me to use this phone properly one-handed and still be confident that I’m not going to drop it. That's a similar situation for a lot of others that I've handed the phone to.

Then in walks CoD

But Call of Duty: Mobile, and a couple of hours of my spare time through the pandemic, has made me realize why that doesn’t entirely matter.

Booting up the game for the first time on the Xperia 1 II didn’t show any clear differences, and then eventually I started to recognize that the game was filling a lot more of the display. Then the game started properly (after all those tutorials) and, it looked great. More importantly, it felt great.

The on-screen controls were far easier to use because of the extra space afforded to the game with the 21:9 aspect ratio. Plus, I had a wider field of view, that I genuinely felt gave me an advantage over the competition who were likely using other Android devices.

But the highlight is the fact my fingers weren't always over the top of the gameplay. Having a 21:9 aspect ratio does work for some people - but it's a decision you have to make knowing that you may struggle to use the phone one-handed.

If you're fine with that, then you'll love the extra benefits it gives you. If you're especially obsessed with Call of Duty: Mobile (which I might soon be as well) then you will want to consider the Xperia 1 II for your next phone.



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Google said Sunday it would explore why the picture of Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill disappeared from a top search results list of former UK prime ministers, during controversy over his record on racism.

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Latest Gadgets News

Reliance Industries raised a total of Rs. 6,441.3 crores ($847 million) from the sale of two stakes in its digital unit Jio Platforms, the group said on Saturday.

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Latest Tech News

The Garmin Fenix 7 probably won’t land before around August 2020, so unsurprisingly we haven’t heard much about it yet, but it’s almost certainly coming and we certainly have ideas of what we want from it.

Below you’ll find information on the likely release date and price, plus speculation on the features and improvements that will be offered, and below that a list of the things we really want to see from it.

And make sure to check back regularly, as we’ll be updating this article with all the news, leaks and rumors until the Garmin Fenix 7 range is released.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The successor to the Garmin Fenix 6
  • When is it out? Possibly around August
  • What will it cost? It's sure to have a top-end price

Garmin Fenix 7 release date and price

The first thing to note is that the Garmin Fenix 7 might not actually be the next model in the range to launch, as it’s possible that we’ll get a Garmin Fenix 6 Plus first.

One or other of these will probably launch in late 2020 though, likely around August, since the Garmin Fenix 6 launched in August 2019.

If it’s the Fenix 6 Plus that launches this year then we might not see the Fenix 7 until late 2021, but really this article is focused on whichever model comes next, we’ll just be referring to it as the Garmin Fenix 7 to keep things simple.

The Garmin Fenix 6 launched in August 2019

As for what the watch will cost, at launch the Garmin Fenix 6 started at £529.99 / $599.99 / AU$949. That’s for the standard Fenix 6, but there are a number of other models in the range, such as the Fenix 6S, Fenix 6X Pro, and Fenix 6X Pro Solar, topping out at £999 / $1,149.99 / AU$1,549.

While there aren’t any pricing rumors for the Garmin Fenix 7 range yet, it’s likely to cost a similar amount.

That said, Garmin does tweak the prices for new models and it has been known to go up as well as down, so the Fenix 7 might be a little more or a little less. However, as we're expecting this to be a 'stable' launch, we'd expect parity - the older models tend to be the cheaper options for those that don't want the newest models.

Garmin Fenix 7 leaks and news

There aren’t really any Garmin Fenix 7 rumors yet, but we can guess at some possible features and changes.

For example, it’s possible that the solar charging tech used on top-end models of the Garmin Fenix 6 will be made available across the range.

It’s also likely that Garmin will do what it can to reduce the size and weight of the watch, without compromising its outdoor credentials.

General improvements to the specs and screen are likely too, and we’ll probably see some new features. Exactly what isn’t clear yet, but we’ve listed some ideas of what we’d like to see below.

What we want to see in the Garmin Fenix 7

As great as the Garmin Fenix 6 is there’s certainly room for improvement, so here’s what we want from the Garmin Fenix 7.

1. A new look

The Fenix 6 is a bulky device

No one would accuse the Garmin Fenix 6 of being stylish. That’s mostly okay, after all, it’s an outdoor watch and is appropriately rugged, but it’s also expensive, and having an expensive watch that isn’t smart or sleek enough for all situations isn’t ideal.

Plus, that bulky build also impacts its fitness credentials, as in our review we found it was too chunky to comfortably wear for yoga, for instance.

As such we’d like to see the Fenix 7 slimmed down, and ideally given a stylish makeover too. How viable that would be we’re not sure, given that we don’t want it to compromise on its core features and durability, but we’d like Garmin to try.

2. Make it more affordable

There’s no escaping that the Garmin Fenix 6 range is very expensive, even costing more than the Apple Watch 5. Now, this is a top-end range so it’s always going to be expensive, but if Garmin could shave a little off the price it should make the Fenix 7 a lot more appealing to a wider range of people.

3. Add a touchscreen

The Fenix 6 has handy buttons but no touchscreen

For a high-end wearable the Garmin Fenix 6 is distinctly lacking some smart features, perhaps most notably a touchscreen.

Now, there’s a good reason for having buttons – whether you’re jogging or swimming a screen isn’t always the ideal method of interaction, particularly on a sports-focused wearable, and accidentally cancelling activity tracking mid-run with an errant brush of your hand would be a disaster.

So we don’t want the buttons to go anywhere (even though that probably would help with slimming the watch down) but we would like a touchscreen added as an option for when you're using it as a regular smartwatch. Just as long as we can lock it when we want to.

4. Solar charging across the range

Garmin added solar charging to its range with the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar, but the bulk of the Fenix 6 models don’t include it, so we’d like to see this become a standard feature for the Fenix 7 range.

That said, if it does we’d also like to see it improved, as in our review we didn’t find that it did much to improve the battery life. With its recently launched Quatix 6X Solar, Garmin proved solar can make a real difference, enabling the watch to last up to 24 days between charges, so we're cautiously optimistic.

5. Add an ECG…

The Apple Watch 5 has an ECG, so why not the Fenix 7?

While the Garmin Fenix range is more focused on fitness than general health, there’s no reason it can’t do both, and the addition of an ECG (electrocardiogram) would help with that.

We’ve already seen these on the Apple Watch, and it’s a potentially life-saving feature that can detect irregular heart activity.

6. …and a noise monitor

Another feature already found on the Apple Watch is a noise-level monitor, which will notify you when the decibel level around you reaches a level that could damage your hearing.

It’s a small feature but a potentially helpful one that would be a nice addition to the Fenix range. However, this is far from a dealbreaker; we understand that the Fenix line are primarily multi-sports watches designed with athletes in mind, so we don't anticipate them matching an all-purpose smartwatch's features like-for-like.

7. Make the screen sharper

The Garmin Fenix 6 has a 260 x 260 display, which isn’t terrible but pales in comparison to some smartwatches, so we’d like to see a crisper display on the Garmin Fenix 7.

That said, upping the pixels could also mean a hit on the battery life, so what would be even better is the option to choose what resolution to output the display at, much like some of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones can do.

8. Add fuelling guidance

The recently launched Polar Grit X is designed for serious endurance athletes, and one of its standout features is something we'd love to see in the next Garmin Fenix 7: fuelling advice. This helps ensure you stay hydrated and avoid hitting the wall by prompting you to take water and carbs on board at regular intervals, based on your physiology and planned activity. You often don't realise you're getting dehydrated or running low oh glycogen until it's too late, so it could save you a lot of pain on long runs and rides.



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We were originally expecting to see the Google Pixel 4a appear in May, as part of the Google IO 2020 event. Since that event got moved online and then canceled, the launch date for Google's mid-ranger has been a bit of a mystery – and now we're hearing that it might not show up until October.

News of the latest delay comes from serial tipster John Prosser, who has been a reliable source of inside information in the past. He says an announcement about the phone will be made on July 13, but that it won't go on sale until October.

That will put the phone firmly into Pixel 5 territory in terms of timing, which has some commentators wondering whether the Pixel 4a might indeed get renamed as the Pixel 5a – though we're unlikely to know any of this for sure until the handsets appear.

Prosser actually goes on to say that the Pixel 5 launch might get pushed back too, although he admits himself that this is all subject to change. Finally, he suggests that the blue version of the Pixel 4a has been canned altogether, so the phone will only show up in a standard black color.

The new predictions aren't too different to the most recent rumors we'd been hearing from Prosser on Twitter: he'd already claimed that after a July 13 announcement, new Pixel 4a phones wouldn't go on sale until August and October.

We can only speculate as to what is prompting Google to keep pushing these dates further and further back, but presumably it makes bad business sense to launch a handset in the middle of a global pandemic.

Not only are consumers less likely to have money to spend on a new phone at the moment, tech supply lines have been thrown into disarray as well. While software developers can work from home without too much disruption, it's a different story when it comes to physical hardware.

We're hoping that the Google Pixel 4a does eventually see the light of day, as we'd been hearing positive noises about it – and the Pixel 3a was an excellent, affordable handset. As soon as we hear anything more, we'll let you know.

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The Last of Us Part 2 is a brilliant work of art video - CNET

The Last of Us Part 2 is a once-in-a-console-generation game. It delivers an incredibly powerful story, heart-stopping gameplay and jaw-dropping visuals. Jeff Bakalar has played through the entire game and offers his spoiler-free review.

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Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for June 30, #280

Here are hints -- and the answers -- for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for June 30, No. 280. from CNET https://ift.tt/Z3Fzntu...