Latest Tech News

Microsoft is discounting the ultra-premium Surface Book 3 for the first time – and the offer is available for this weekend only, starting today (July 31) and ending August 3. While the discount across all configurations is only 15%, it’s a decent chunk of change off on a brand-new machine nonetheless.

Straight out of the box, the Surface Book 3 is a beautiful laptop and tablet hybrid. In our review, we found the detachable keyboard to be one of the most comfortable ones we’ve used for quite some time, and the touchscreen display is gorgeous.

The device comes in 13- and 15-inch variants, and we found the screen to be bright and vivid. All told, the Surface Book 3 is a great choice if you want a portable machine to binge watch your favourite TV shows or movies.

That said, if you’re looking for excellent speakers to listen to music on your 2-in-1, you may want to look elsewhere.

• Our review of the Microsoft Surface Earbuds
• The best laptops in Australia, hand-picked
• These are our favourite 2-in-1 machines

When it comes to specs, the Surface Book 3 is available with Intel’s latest 10th-gen processors – either i5 or i7. System memory is available up to 32GB, while solid-state storage goes up to a whopping 1TB.

Some configurations also have the choice of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, which opens this versatile device up to creators looking to do some design work, or some light gaming when the work day is done.

If that sounds like the kind of device you’re after, the Surface Book 3 is now discounted directly from its maker for this weekend only, so don’t delay. The sale will be ending on August 3.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 | from AU$2,251.65 (15% off, save up to AU$713.85)

It's the first time this laptop has been discounted in Australia since it launched in May. So if you want a new device to do some design work at the desk or cosy up with on the couch, this Surface Book 3 is worth checking out. This 2-in-1 has a comfortable detachable keyboard and a touchscreen display so you can get the most out of it no matter where you are. Several configurations are available, and each model is discounted by 15%, with savings of up to AU$713.85 on offer. Available directly from Microsoft until August 3.View Deal

• Want more laptop deals? We’re collecting the best right here

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Beyoncé visual album Black Is King could be the Disney exclusive to rival Hamilton - CNET

Like all of the star's projects, this one, landing July 31, promises to have a major impact and spark discussion far and wide.

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2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid police truck will report for duty - Roadshow

The "Special Service Vehicle" will be a fleet-only option and cost just $50.

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Netflix's answer to X-Men just became really, really good - CNET

Review: The Umbrella Academy hits its stride in its second season, finding the right balance between fun escapism and emotional punch.

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Coronavirus rent relief: What to know about eviction moratoriums and your Aug. 1 due date - CNET

Congress's latest stimulus package doesn't address the US's looming eviction "tsunami." Will protections be extended before it's too late?

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Trump on Twitter suggests delaying November election, despite no power to change it - CNET

Changing the date of the election would require an act of Congress.

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How China used nationalism to hide coronavirus truth - CNET

Thousands of Chinese nationalists sent death threats to an author for writing a diary documenting the world's first coronavirus lockdown. Why?

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Latest Tech News

Google has added a slew of party games like Jeopardy! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for the Nest Hub Max and other smart displays.

The games are part of a new update for Google Assistant rolled out to the public on Thursday and accessible by saying the phrase, “Hey Google, let’s play a game”.

Besides the game show staples, you can find the mobile phone phenomenon Trivia Crack and Escape the Room, alongside Dustin from Stranger Things, a spin-off game from Netflix.

So why is Google releasing games on its Nest Hub Max and other smart displays? They help demonstrate Google Assistant’s new Continuous Match mode that allows you to have an on-going conversation with the assistant – and most have a freemium model that asks you to buy in-game items for a few bucks, so there’s a financial incentive too.

Admittedly, not all the new games are great and can be a bit rough around the edges, but Google says they’re just the first of many more games expected to arrive by the end of the year. 

Now can we get Stadia on our Nest Hub Max?

These mobile games are entertaining for a few minutes at a time, but wouldn't it be nice if Google enabled Stadia streaming on the Nest Hub Max?

While Google has made no announcement as to when we'll start seeing Stadia on more devices in the future, the service did just get a new feature a few days ago in the form of streaming on 4G/5G connections. That was something Google had promised for months, and now it's finally available in beta on most Android phones.

Of course, if you're waiting for new Google devices, we just learned that the Google Pixel 4a could be launching as early as August 3 thanks to an easy-to-crack puzzle.

• Love smart gadgets? Don't miss our guide to the best smart devices

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Latest Tech News

In addition to protecting your privacy and blocking unwanted tracking online, one of the best reasons to use a VPN is to receive discounts you normally wouldn't.

By using a VPN while shopping online, you can save thousands when purchasing airline tickets and other items by changing your IP address to one in a different country. This is because airlines use local pricing, so a ticket in one country may be much cheaper than a ticket for the same flight in a different country. 

However, some users have abused this trick to purchase games from a different country which has led the PC gaming giant Valve to update the account settings in its digital game store Steam. Steam also uses local pricing so buying a new PC game from Costa Rica for instance might cost $40 or $50 while purchasing the same game in the US would cost $60.

• Protect your PC from online threats with the best antivirus software
• We've also put together a list of the best gaming monitors available
• Also check out our roundup of the best PC controllers

In a recent post on Twitter, SteamDB explained how Valve's new changes will prevent users from buying games while connected to a VPN server outside their home country, saying;

“Valve has recently made changing your store country more strict, which requires completing a purchase using a payment method from that country. This should hinder the ability of using VPNs to buy games cheaper.”

Steam VPN crackdown

Going forward, Steam will now monitor which country is specified in a user's account settings and only show prices in that country's currency.

If a user moves to a new country or stays abroad for an extended period of time, they can only change their country setting after completing a purchase using a payment method from their new location. While this will certainly prevent users from pulling one over on Valve, it could potentially make life difficult for expats living abroad as obtaining a local bank account can sometimes be difficult.

In a support document on its website, Valve explains that using a VPN to disguise your location is against its ToS and could lead to restrictions being placed on your Steam account:

“No, using a proxy or VPN to disguise your location is strictly against the Steam Terms of Service and may result in restrictions on your Steam account. If you attempt to redeem a region restricted game and your location is inconsistent with your past Steam activity, a warning will appear.”

While you won't be able to use a VPN while shopping on Steam anymore, PC gamers can still benefit from the added security, ability to bypass geo-restrictions and other benefits that these services provide. If you don't have a VPN yet, we recommend checking out our complete list of the best gaming VPNs to find one that suits your needs.

• We've also highlighted the best VPN services

Via GameIndustry.biz

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Latest Tech News

Security researchers from Claroty have discovered multiple vulnerabilities that could be exploited to allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code while analyzing a number of popular remote access solutions used for Industrial Control Systems (ICS).

The vulnerabilities the researchers found affect VPN implementations that are used to provide remote access to operational technology (OT) networks.

Following Claroty's discovery and reporting of a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-14511, in Moxa's EDR-G902 and EDR-G903 secure routers, the team then discovered that products from Secomea and HMS Networks also had severe flaws that could be exploited to gain full access to an organization's internal network without authentication.

• We've put together a list of the best secure VPN providers
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• Also check out the best VPN routers to secure your entire network

Organizations utilize remote access servers to manage secure connections from outside their local networks. However, if an attacker manages to gain access to them, they can view internal traffic and even reach hosts on the network. In a report on its findings, Claroty provided further insight on why vulnerable remote access servers pose such a severe risk to organizations, saying:

“Vulnerable remote access servers can serve as highly effective attack surfaces for threat actors targeting VPNs. These tools allow clients to connect through an encrypted tunnel to a server. The server then forwards the communication into the internal network. This means the server is a critical asset in the network—as it has one “leg” in the internet, accessible to all, and one ”leg” in the secured, internal network—beyond all perimeter security measures. Thus, gaining access to it allows attackers to not only view internal traffic but also communicate as if they were a legitimate host within the network.”

Remote code execution

Secomea GateManager is a widely used ICS remote access server that is deployed by organizations around the world. However, Sharon Brizinov and Tal Keren from the Claroty Research Team discovered that it contained multiple security flaws including a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-14500, that affects the GateManager component.

If exploited, this bug could allow an attacker to achieve remote code execution without any authentication and grant them full access to a customer's internal network as well as the ability to decrypt all traffic that passes through the VPN. Thankfully though, Claroty notified Secomea of the issue and the firm issued a patch on July 10 to address the vulnerabilities.

Claroty also discovered a vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution in HMS Networks' eWon VPN. eWon allows remote clients to connect to it using a proprietary VPN client called eCatcher. Brizinov discovered that a vulnerability in eCatcher, tracked as CVE-2020-14498, could allow unauthenticated remote code execution. Just as it did with Secomea, Claroty informed HMS Networks of its discovery and the firm released a patch to address the bug on July 14.

• We've also highlighted the best VPN services

Via BleepingComputer

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Latest Tech News

One of the world's most iconic TV franchises is getting rebooted this year, with Muppets Now available to stream today on Disney Plus. The Muppets date all the way back to the 1950s and everyone's favorite vaudeville cartoon puppets became pop culture icons  in the mid-to-late 70s , when the eponymous Muppet Show became a TV sensation. Will Muppets Now follow suit? Find out by following our guide as we explain how to watch Muppets Now online with Disney Plus.

Muppets Now cheat sheet

Muppets Now is available to watch on Disney Plus from Friday, July 31 and new episodes will be released until the season 1 finale in September. Check out Disney Plus and start streaming today.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo have since been subject to all manner of spin-offs, revivals, and even something called 'diversification initiatives' over the years - an example of which apparently are concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and London's O2 Arena. Still, however ill-treated they've been at times by overzealous marketing reps, there's no denying they're one of TV's all-time greatest creations

The release date for Muppets Now on Disney Plus is Friday, July 31 - the same day you can watch Beyonce's Black is King for the first time - and it will be available everywhere the streaming service. That means the US, UK, most of Europe, Australia, and Canada are all covered, as are many other countries.

Unlike some streaming-only shows that drop all their episodes at once, the new Muppets series will use a traditional weekly release schedule - meaning the season 1 finale is provisionally due to land on Friday, September 4.

Where the Muppet Show spoofed on 70s television mainstays like Ed Sullivan and Sonny & Cher, Muppets Now is expected to take aim at YouTube, reality TV, and other very 2020 institutions. Read on for full details of how to watch Muppets Now and stream the new show online. Spoiler alert: all you need is a great value Disney Plus subscription.

How to watch Rogue Trip online: stream the Bob Woodruff docuseries today on Disney Plus

Get 2-months FREE Disney Plus with this deal
Since its initial November 2019 launch, Disney Plus has been rolled out across great swathes of the world. It’s available in the United States, the UK, much of mainland Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and most recently Japan, with the Nordics and Brazil next for their Disney fix. New customers just need to head to the Disney Plus website to subscribe.

At just $6.99 / £5.99 / €6.99 a month, it’s a fantastically priced service. Not only do you have the entire Disney back catalogue – perfect for young kids and nostalgic adults – but a haul of films from 20th Century Studios, the entire Star Wars saga, Pixar’s animated movies, and all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Disney Plus had broadened its appeal with more adult content, including the smash-hit musical Hamilton and documentaries like Rogue Trip from National Geographic.

You’ll save 15% (that’s two months FREE a year) with an annual subscription. But the TV devouring media-fiends among you might be tempted by the combined ESPN+, Hulu and Disney Plus bundle at the low price of $12.99. That's three streaming services for the price of a Netflix standard plan and a truly great deal. 

• Also on Disney Plus: how to watch Hamilton online

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Watch the best moments from Jeff Bezos' testimony before Congress video - CNET

Amazon's CEO testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee about whether the company is using its monopoly power to stifle competition. Here are the best moments from the hearing.

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When will the IRS send the new stimulus check? The dates your second payment could come - CNET

The Senate's HEALS Act would send a new check of up to $1,200 a person. Here's why you won't receive it right away.

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Latest Tech News

Teclast P20HD Android tablet - $119.99 at Gearbest
(£98.75/AU$177.49)
This Teclast device is the cheapest 4G-enabled Android tablet on the market right now. It's made even cheaper with coupon code GBTECLAST123, which knocks the price down to a mere $119.99. Grab it while you can!View Deal

Teclast has been a regular fixture on TechRadar Pro over the past few years and we've reviewed roughly a dozen of its various products. Now, the company has announced an entry level Android tablet (the P20HD) which, at the time of writing, is the most affordable 4G LTE tablet on the market.

We haven’t yet tested the device, but on paper it looks like a sound investment, with hardly any corners cut by the manufacturer. There’s an octo-core Spreadtrum SC9863A processor with a PowerVR GE8322 GPU, a 10.1-inch IPS full HD display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

Wireless connectivity includes 4G LTE (with the all important B20 band) thanks to a single SIM, 802.11ac, GPS and Bluetooth 5.0. Plus it features a headphone jack, Type-C USB connector, microSD slot and two speakers - a rarity among devices at this price point.

• Check out our list of the best Android VPN out there
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As expected, the two cameras are fairly low resolution (2-megapixel front-facing and and 5-megapixel on the rear) and the 6,000mAh battery won’t perform miracles when it comes to battery life.

At 24 x 15 x 7.9cm and with a weight of only 530g (despite the metal chassis), it's surprisingly portable for a 10.1-inch tablet. Business will also appreciate the fact it runs Android 10 and has the full Google Web Services stack.

• Here's our list of the best rugged tablets on the market

Bear in mind

• If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US or the UK (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
• Have you managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand now? Let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

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Latest Tech News

Google's One subscription service is a bit of an oddball in the Google family of products. Launched in 2018, it was pitched as a premium, consumer-friendly 'upgrade' to the tech giant's paid Google Drive storage plans, giving subscribers more cloud storage (up to a whopping 30TB) along with some useful extras, like exclusive discounts, premium support and multi-user family plans. 

In September 2019, Google added an additional perk to the service, offering automatic phone backup for paying Android users – and today, the company has announced that that feature is being made free of charge, while also being extended to iPhone and iPad owners. 

In a new blog post, the search giant has revealed that it's rolling out a new Google One mobile app that will enable users of both platforms to back up their phones for free, even if they aren't Google One subscribers. All you need to do is download the free app and sign in with a Google account.

Backups will include files, text messages, photos, videos, contacts and email, all of which are visible in one place.

There is one caveat though, with storage on the free tier limited to 15GB – the standard amount of Google Drive storage you get with a free Google account. Users who find they need more than this will have to sign up for a paid plan, which starts at $1.99 / £1.99 / AU$4.39 a month.

Apple also offers built-in backup capabilities for iPhones and iPads via its iCloud storage service, although the latter only includes 5GB of space for free.

• Best cloud storage services
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Storage perks

Along with the new app, Google has added a storage manager feature to the service, which is being rolled out on both the desktop web interface and mobile app.

According to Google, the new feature will help users see how much free storage is available to them and add/remove files without leaving the app. The option to upgrade to a paid plan will also be available on the storage manager.

There are benefits to being a paying One subscriber – a single plan can be shared with up to five other users via family sharing, for example, and opens the doors to premium customer support from the internet company.

In some markets, like in Australia, you'll also get bonus credits that you can redeem on apps on the Play Store, get discounts when shopping on the Google Store online and also enjoy special prices on hotel bookings made via Google Search.

The new Google One app is already available to download from the Play Store, and Google has state that the iOS version is "coming soon".

• Read more: Google Nest Hub becomes first smart display to get Netflix support

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