US President Donald Trump has agreed to give ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of its popular short-form video sharing app TikTok to Microsoft, revealed sources.
Flipkart has partnered with Citibank and ICICI Bank to offer 10 percent instant discount on purchases during the sale. Phones like the iPhone XR, Oppo Reno 2F, iPhone SE, and Redmi K20 Pro will be available with price discounts and deals.
Netflix now allows Android users to change playback speed, with the option to pick a speed between 0.5x (50 percent slower) and 1.5x (50 percent faster) in increments of 0.25. Netflix will soon begin testing it on iOS and the website.
Realme 5 Pro, Realme 5, Realme 5s, and Realme 5i have got the latest July 2020 update as per the community pages for each phone. The Realme 5 series gets the July 2020 security patch, along with some new features and bug fixes.
In the lead up to Chinese-owned TikTok's imminent ban in the US, Microsoft is pushing ahead with plans to purchase the popular social media platform's operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as reported by Bloomberg.
The Redmond company had reportedly been in talks for a number of weeks with TikTok's China-based developer ByteDance to purchase the operations in the aforementioned territories, but the deal is now being forced to speed up following US president Donald Trump's move to ban the service.
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella spoke with Trump over the weekend regarding the Redmond company's plans, assuring the US President that the purchase would be subject to a number of security and privacy improvements, including a move to store all American user data exclusively in the United States.
"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns,” said the company in its official statement. "It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury."
According to TikTok, American user data is already stored on US-based servers, and while that data is backed up offshore on servers based in Singapore, it is completely safe from the Chinese government.
It's worth noting that Microsoft's statement does not emphatically reveal whether Trump approves of the proposed deal, or if the President will put his plan to ban TikTok on hold.
That said, Microsoft seems pretty confident that the deal will go ahead, stating that talks to purchase the TikTok business in the four markets will happen "in a matter of weeks" with an expected completion date of September 15, 2020.
A Walmart Plus launch date in August seems likely, as America's largest retailer is teasing a 'coming soon' landing page for its new money-saving subscription service.
What is Walmart Plus – which is being stylized as Walmart+ – and how closely will it compare to Amazon Prime? We're here to explain the annual subscription service.
The Walmart Plus price may be a bargain: $98 a year, according to reports, although the same news stories pegged July as the launch month. That... didn't happen.
Whenever it does arrive, Walmart is poised to have the first truly competitive service to Amazon. Here's what we know about Walmart Plus so far.
Walmart Plus launch date
There's good reason to think that the Walmart Plus launch date is in August. The first report about the service came from Recode detailing a July launch window.
It's now August and the Walmart Plus teaser page suggests it's 'coming soon' without any other details. So clearly those early reports of a July date were either wrong, or Walmart decided to delay the launch date. The latter is more likely.
Like we've seen with Amazon Prime Day 2020 shifting in October, it may not be the right time to roll out a glitzy new service while the US deals with Coiv-19 and supply chain for essential goods remains strained and recovering.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Walmart Plus price
The Walmart Plus price is $98 annually, according to Recode. That's less than Prime, which costs $119 annually – savings of $21 every year. Walmart Plus benefits have pros and cons, according to the early details. Let's review them.
Here's what's similar: Walmart Plus is said to include same-day deliveries and access to early product deals. So far, deliveries and online deals may not be very different between the two services.
However, Walmart Plus is expected to have more in-store perks due to owning close to 5,000 stores across the US. This includes discounts on gas and being able to go into a members-only Scan & Go checkout line. It may save you time and money.
If true, the Walmart Plus loyalty program would undercut the 15-year-old Amazon Prime subscription and come with brand new benefits, only forgoing Prime Video, Prime Music and Prime Kindle equivalents, as far as we can tell.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made grocery deliveries from Amazon Prime Fresh and Walmart Groceries invaluable to families across the US, and having same-day delivery attached to Walmart's service may be the biggest perk of Walmart Plus.
(Image credit: Shutterstock.com)
Walmart Plus vs Amazon Prime
The Walmart Plus vs Amazon Prime comparison is 15 years in the making, as we've been waiting to see someone challenge the Jeff Bezos-owned company. Walmart is the only chain big enough to take on Amazon, it seems. Others, including Google have tried and failed over the years.
Amazon Prime launched in 2005 and has grown to 150 million members globally in those 15 years. On the back of that, the online retailer has been able to generate a valuation of $1.5 trillion, according to Recode. Walmart sits at just $337 billion.
Yet Walmart remains the bigger overall revenue driver and largest US employer with an unmatched brick-and-mortar retail operation. Walmart Plus would mark a major shift in its lagging online and delivery strategy.
There are many questions that remain: will Walmart Plus be able to serve everyone nationwide? Walmart is notoriously not in New York City, but Amazon-owned Whole Foods is, so we're eager to here about those same-day delivery routes across the US.
Also, Walmart sold off its video streaming service Vudu to Fandango in early 2020, meaning Walmart Plus may launch without going toe-to-toe with Amazon's Prime Video service, which is conveniently rolled into the Prime subscription package. In terms of added perks, both services don't have exactly equal features.
We'll update this page when the Walmart Plus launch date is announced. For now, though, Prime has a 'run of the store', if you will, with its unmatched subscription.
Microsoft confirmed that it is in talks with ByteDance to acquire the US arm of its popular short-form video sharing app TikTok and has discussed with President Donald Trump his concerns about security and censorship surrounding such an acquisition.
"Trying out a new look" reads a tweet from the official @XboxGamePass Twitter account, showing off a profile picture of the Game Pass branding with the word 'Xbox' removed.
This was followed soon after with a reply from the @XboxGamePassPC account reading "Same". It too dropped 'Xbox' from its branding, only with the addition of the words 'for PC' in a box accompanying the words 'Game Pass'.
Although the word Xbox has been removed from each profile picture, both are still joined by the Xbox logo. Curiously, both Twitter accounts still feature the word Xbox in their names.
Could the move be a signal of Microsoft's more open embrace of PC for this upcoming generation? It seems appropriate, given that the inclusion of the word Xbox in Game Pass stopped making sense once the subscription service launched on PC.
There's no indication of when the official rebranding is set to take effect, so for now both services still include the Xbox name.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X -$3,499.99 at Micro Center
(roughly £2,700/AU$4,900)
You can currently get the monstrous 64-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X at a $490 discount, with potential for a further $300 saving if you purchase an eligible motherboard. Grab it while you can!View Deal
AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, the firm’s mighty 64-core (128-thread) processor, has received another enticing price cut. It was slightly cheaper back in May, but we don't expect the price to fall as low any time soon.
Amazon and Micro Center have knocked about $490 off the CPU's original $3,990 price tag, making for a saving of over 10%.
Yes, it’ll still set you back nearly $3,500 (roughly £2,700/AU$4,900), which is obviously far from cheap, but it represents relatively good value for the power you’re getting from this chunk of silicon.
That's assuming, of course, you can make use of the serious multi-core performance on offer with this 64-core beast. The average consumer is unlikely to need this level of firepower, unless they're into content creation, 3D modelling or video editing.
There’s an added bonus with the 3990X deal at Micro Center, too, in that you can make a further $300 saving if you purchase an eligible motherboard with your new CPU.
The 3990X is based on AMD's EPYC 7702P server processor (used in data centers) and supports ECC memory as well as PCIe 4.0. Its onboard cache (256MB) and TDP (280W) means it requires powerful cooling to get its 64 cores humming.
Note, while it can boost to up to 4.3GHz, its base clock speed is only 2.9GHz. It can also support up to four DDR4 channels (compared to eight for the EPYC 7702P).
Google Pixel 4a is poised to launch today as the search giant’s latest affordable smartphone. The phone was also speculated to debut at Google I/O in May — just like how it brought the Pixel 3a series at its last year’s convention during the same month. However, Google cancelled this year’s I/O developer conference due to COVID-19 and thus ...
We research the best Xbox One sales to bring you the best value bundle deals every week. We generally find opting for an Xbox One bundle instead of a console-only deal is a smart way to go as you'll most likely get more for your money, with extra games and accessories thrown in to sweeten the deal.
To make finding the best Xbox One bundle deal less tasking, we've scoured the internet for the lowest prices on bundles and best console deals and rounded them up here in one spot for you.
As we stay indoors to self-isolate due to the threat of Covid-19, what better time to pick up a console and get stuck into some games? Below you will find the lowest prices in Australia for both the Xbox One S, Xbox One X and the newly released Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Admittedly, it's getting tough to find consoles for sale at the moment, let alone great deals. That said, we're committed to bringing you the best Xbox One prices we can find during this difficult time.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Xbox All Access
A fantastic option for those who don't want to buy a new Xbox One console as we approach the upcoming release of the next-generation Xbox Series X, Microsoft's Xbox All Access service offers month-to-month access to an Xbox One console, along with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. This allows users to access the console and over 100 great games for a very reasonable monthly-fee.
Telstra is offering an Xbox One S console with Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass For just AU$22 per month*. That means you can play online with a selection of over 100 games to choose from.
*Min cost AU$528 when you stay connected for 24 months + plan charges. Price after first 24 months: AU$15.95 per month. Early termination charges apply.View Deal
Need a console with a bit more grunt? Telstra is also offering the powerful Xbox One X console with Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass For just AU$34 per month*. You get all the same Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass benefits as the previous deal, along with a download code for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition.
*Min cost $816 when you stay connected for 24 months + plan charges. Price after first 24 months: $15.95 per month. Early termination charges apply.View Deal
Xbox One S deals
With the unveiling of the Xbox One X, the Xbox One S has seen some impressive price drops and bundle deals with Microsoft going all out to pump up the pressure on its rivals. It was already often the cheapest console of the current generation, but with some of these savings on bundles and even Xbox One controllers, the price seems right.
At this point it's probably wiser to buy a bundle and score some wicked Xbox One games along with the unit, as some of them can come in cheaper than the standalone consoles themselves.
It might be getting on in years, but the Xbox One S is still a great console for new gamers. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of deals around for consoles at the moment, with many retailers across Australia totally out of stock. That said, Microsoft is offering the all-digital version of Xbox One S for only AU$349 – that's with codes to download Sea of Thieves, Fortnite and Minecraft included, which is better than nothing.View Deal
At once more elegant and more powerful, the slimmed-down design of the Xbox One S ditches the external power brick and chunky looks of the original Xbox One. More importantly, it comes kitted out with 4K visual support meaning you'll be able to watch specialised Blu-Ray and Netflix content in 4K.
Xbox One X prices are constantly changing from store to store, making it hard to keep up at times. To take the pain out of scoping out the best Xbox One X prices this Black Friday 2019, you should be able to find the best real-time deals listed below, updated live, along with some hand-picked options.
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many Xbox One X deals available at the moment – even Microsoft's online store seems to be out of stock. That said, we expect more units to become available soon enough. In the meantime, keep an eye on this page for more One X stock as it becomes replenished.
Games and peripherals deals
Resident Evil 3 (Xbox One) | now AU$69
Following on from 2018's stellar Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom has given a fresh coat of paint to the next title in the classic horror series with a remake of Resident Evil 3. While we've heard the game is shorter than its predecessor, this AU$30 discount on the full RRP should make up for that. Buy the Xbox One version for only AU$69 from Amazon Australia.View Deal
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One) | now AU$47.60
If you need a truly fantastic game to keep you occupied for a lengthy period of time, look no further than Rockstar's latest masterpiece, Red Dead Redemption 2. Right now, you can pick up a copy of the award-winning western title for Xbox One for only AU$47.60 from Amazon Australia.View Deal
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2CY2bf7
If you’re looking for the best simulation games available right now then you’re in the right place. After all, who hasn’t wanted to experience the feeling of driving a train, flying an aircraft or even fixing a car, all from the comfort of your armchair? Fortunately for you, the selection of simulator titles on the market right now has never been greater.
In a world of high-octane shooters, battle royales and fantasy RPGs, simulation games remain universally beloved. They can offer a level of detail and immersion that can't be matched, and there's nothing more soothing for the soul than popping a podcast on and setting off on an epic road trip across Europe.
And the best part? What was once a very PC-centric genre is now truly open to all. So whether you play on PC, PS4 or Xbox One, there’s a simulation game out there for you.
Ready to immerse yourself? Let's dive into our list of the best simulation games available right now.
Best FPS games: the most essential first-person shooters
Train Sim World is perfect for those looking for a relaxing and engaging simulation experience - as well as full-on train nerds.
Released in 2018 by Dovetail Games, the makers of the long-running Train Simulator series on PC, Train Sim World is a train-driving sim which is very accommodating for beginners, yet can be made more challenging for veteran players.
Couple that with additional content being added over time, as well as a free-roaming mode where you can explore the routes on foot and ride AI-controlled trains as a passenger, and Train Sim World quickly becomes a charming and evocative experience that you can easily sink hours of playing time into.
Oh, and look out for the sequel that's set to drop in August, featuring the Bakerloo Line in London. All the fun of the Tube with none of the overcrowding? Sign us up.
X-Plane 11
(Image credit: Laminar Research)
Driving trains is one thing, but how about flying planes? Step right this way and get ready for takeoff.
The original X-Plane released back in 1995 and was a highly advanced tool to help train pilots before they took to the skies for real. That's the level of realism we're dealing with in X-Plane 11, released in 2017 on PC. Using an aerodynamic model based on blade element theory, this game features some of the most realistic flight physics and aerodynamics ever seen in games.
With huge swathes of the world modelled in game, as well as a huge roster of aircraft to take the controls of, X-Plane 11 is the perfect reason to dust off your joystick and have a lot of fun.
Farming Simulator 19
(Image credit: Google)
Yes, really. A game revolving around harvesting crops and managing your farm is one of the most popular simulator titles on the market - and rightfully so.
Turns out there are few things better for relieving stress – and giving you immense levels of satisfaction – than trundling around the fields of your farm in your combine harvester, quite literally reaping what you sow. This game is also equal parts management as well as simulation – your farm has to turn a profit, after all! - and there's a huge selection of tractors, vehicles and equipment to acquire as your farming empire expands. And of course, there's livestock to look after, including cows, sheep and even horses.
And you don't even need to get your fingers dirty in the process. The dream!
Assetto Corsa
(Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni)
Since its release in 2014, Assetto Corsa has combined a great core game engine, ultra-realistic driving physics, a great variety of content and a modding community capable of adding everything from lawnmower racing to free-roaming maps of the Tokyo expressway into the game.
The best way to view Assetto Corsa is as a blank canvas with limitless potential. Want a super-immersive racing experience? AC has that. Highway cruising? Mods can provide that with ease. Thanks to a strong community, AC is probably the most realistic and in-depth drifting sim on the market right now.
For the hardcore sim drivers, AC continues to be the benchmark.
Gran Turismo Sport
(Image credit: Polyphony Digital)
For those wanting a fun and realistic driving experience that's accessible for all skill levels, look no further than Gran Turismo Sport.
Polyphony Digital's legendary franchise took a very different direction with GT Sport when it first released in 2017, looking to combine the online matchmaking and realistic driving physics of more hardcore sims with an accessible platform for all skill levels. The game is super fun to play on a controller as well as a wheel, and constant support and free content updates has kept the game consistently fresh.
No other sim racing title has the 'pick-up-and-play' factor of GT Sport; unlike a title like AC, you don't need a fancy sim racing rig to have fun. Just grab a controller, and dive straight into a race against either human or AI opponents in a matter of minutes.
And typically for a Gran Turismo game, it looks utterly gorgeous. What more could you want?
BeamNG.Drive
(Image credit: BeamNG)
What if you just want to drive vehicles, rather than race them? Well dear reader, here's your answer: BeamNG.Drive.
First released in 2015, BeamNG.Drive features a revolutionary soft-body physics engine, enabling hyper-realistic levels of handling and damage. In fact, so realistic are these physics, that BeamNG.Drive has reportedly been used in the film industry to test out action sequences and stunts before doing them for real on set. Now that is a serious endorsement.
Additionally, a recent tie-up with Automation enables players to design and build their own cars in Automation, then export them over to BeamNG.Drive to drive them for real in that game – how cool is that?
For the ultra-realistic driving sim you never knew you needed, BeamNG.Drive is the one.
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
(Image credit: PlayWay S.A.)
Then again, what if you didn't actually want to drive a car, but rather get under the hood and tinker with it? That's where Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 comes in.
Red Dot Games' spanner-them-up first released in 2017, and revolves around running your own auto repair shop. Starting from humble beginnings and evolving your workshop into an automotive maintenance behemoth, the main appeal of Car Mechanic Simulator is its incredible levels of detail for the inner workings of a car. Strip down and rebuild engines, swap wheels, change brakes and transmissions, repair rusty bodywork, you name it, this game has it.
The player can also acquire project cars from the Barn Find and Junkyard modules, for those true Gas Monkey Garage vibes. The satisfaction of transforming that rust-bucket you found in a shed into a mean machine is absolutely unmatched.
And the best part? 100% less grease and manual labour than doing it for real. Win-win.
Kerbal Space Program
(Image credit: Private Division)
For when the world is not enough, there's Kerbal Space Program.
First launching into orbit in 2015, Kerbal Space Program is a space flight simulator like no other. Don't be fooled by the adorable Kerbals you control; the spacecraft you construct and operate are all as ultra-realistic as possible, and operate in an orbital physics engine that simulates interplanetary travel to head-crushing levels of depth. This is one game where you can genuinely say that yes, it actually is rocket science.
And don't just take our word for it; the game has received attention and praise from some of the world's leading scientists and space exploration bodies, including NASA, the European Space Agency, and SpaceX.
Be warned, the learning curve is almost as steep as the trajectory of your rocket as it launches into space. But that just makes every success, from making it into orbit to actually landing on another planet, that much more rewarding.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
(Image credit: SCS Software)
Driving around Europe in a lorry for hours at a time delivering assorted cargo? Where's the fun in that? Prepared to be surprised.
We all love an epic roadtrip, right? Stick the radio on and let the hours tick by as you cruise the open roads and journey to new locations. Euro Truck Simulator 2 provides all of that, while also adding the tension of delivering your goods on time and in one piece, and managing your haulage firm and delivery contracts back at HQ. There's just enough to keep you focused on the road ahead, while also allowing you to relax and catch up on those podcasts you've been meaning to listen to. And with a map spanning huge parts of Europe, there's gonna be some pretty long journeys ahead.
And did we mention there's also an American Truck Simulator? Yeah, it's about time you got in your hauler and hit the open road.
