Our child tax credit calculator removes the complications so you can quickly calculate your family's total and how much money to expect this year and the next.
Realme C25 sale will start in India today after the Realme C21 and Realme C20 affordable phones went on sale earlier this week. The Realme C25 is the premium one of the trio in the new C series smartphones that was unveiled in India last week.
The Realme C25 comes with a big battery and also supports fast charging. Other notable features include TÜV Rheinland reliability certification, Realme UI 2.0, and new geometric art design.
The base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at Rs 9,999 and the 4+128GB is priced at Rs 10,999. The phone will be available to purchase via Flipkart and is available in Watery Blue and Watery Grey colourways.
Realme C25 specs
(Image credit: Realme)
The Realme C25 sports a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD screen with an 88.7% screen to body ratio, 20:9 aspect ratio, 480 nits peak brightness, and TÜV Rheinland reliability certification. Under the hood, the Realme C25 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G70 gaming-centric budget chipset.
The device comes in two configurations - the base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and the second variant with 4GB of RAM 128GB of internal storage. The device also comes with a dedicated micro SD card slot for additional storage expansion.
In terms of optics, the Realme C25 sports a 13MP primary camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP black and white lens — both with f/2.4 aperture. Selfies are handled by an 8MP shooter. The Realme C25 draws power from the massive 6,000mAh battery which supports 18W quick charge via Type-C port. In terms of software, the Realme C25 is the only phone in the series to run on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 out of the box.
Other features of the device include a 3.5mm headphone jack, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and super power-saving mode. Lastly, the device measures 9.6mm thick and weighs 209-grams.
PS5 stock is seemingly rarer than the Madagascar pochard these days, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to get your hands on Sony's latest PlayStation console.
In fact, Amazon SG has received a limited amount of PS5 consoles which it will be selling today (Thursday, April 15) from 12.30pm SGT. For your chance to purchase a new PS5, simply head over to this PS5 landing page and keep your non-mouse button fingers crossed tightly.
PlayStation 5 is officially back in stock at Amazon SG (albeit in very limited numbers), which means you have a chance at picking up the console today if you act fast and prepare yourself in advance! So what are you waiting for? Click on the link in this deal and keep refreshing until you see it pop up for sale. We imagine this stock will go fast, so good luck!
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Samsung has launched its new premium line-up of Neo QLED TVs in India. The new range boasts of very narrow bezel. Samsung is offering the new line-up in multiple size options and two resolution options, and will come with the Samsung TV Plus service that was launched in India recently.
Samsung is introducing its new display technology, Neo QLED TV, to its flagship 8K and 4K TV models.
The Neo QLED TV features Quantum Mini LEDs that are precisely controlled by Quantum Matrix Technology and Neo Quantum Processor, a powerful picture processor optimized for Neo QLED TV. These Mini LEDs are 40 times smaller than regular LEDs, which allows the device to display fine light and contrast levels.
The Neo Quantum Processor can optimize picture quality to 4K and 8K picture output regardless of the input quality.
The 2021 Neo QLED TV line-up has been designed with gaming in mind with its Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ feature for an immersive ultra-wide gaming experience. This gives gamers the option to play PC and console games with a Super Ultra-Wide Game View and Game Bar.
Samsung’s new range of Neo QLED 8K TVs will be available in two models – QN800A 75-inch and 65-inch and QN900A 85-inch.
The 2021 Neo QLED 4K TV line-up would also be available in two models – QN85A in 75-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch and QN90A in 85-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch and 50-inch.
Neo QLED TV range will be priced from Rs 99,990 onwards and will be available at all Samsung retail stores, leading consumer electronics stores, and across online platforms, including Samsung’s official online store Samsung Shop.
Those pre-booking select Neo QLED TVs can avail offers such as complimentary Galaxy Tab S7+, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite LTE, cashback of up to Rs 20,000 and EMIs starting at Rs 1,990 from April 15-18, 2021 exclusively on Samsung’s official online store Samsung Shop.
From April 19-30, 2021, the same pre-book offers will also be available on Flipkart, Amazon and at all leading consumer electronics stores.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic put a spanner in the works last year, but Amazon Prime Day 2021 is likely to return at a more usual time this time round. Historically, Prime Day is a July event, but last year it was held in October instead.
How to shop during Prime Day 2021
The only way to maximise your savings during the Prime Day sale is to become a Prime member. Click on the link below to sign up in the lead up to Prime Day 2021 and you'll get a 30-day free trial, plus access to a lot of other Amazon services, including Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Gaming (previously called Twitch) Sign up for Amazon Prime now
A recent report even suggests it could be held in June this year. While that's still not quite the usual schedule, it does indicate things are slowly returning to a pre-Covid normal and Amazon Prime Day could return to its winter timetable.
According to the report, Amazon has asked its sellers (at least in the US) to submit product and discount information that they'd like to feature on the online marketplace, with a deadline of April/May 2021. That's a clear indication that the e-commerce giant is gearing up for its next big sale.
Prime Day sales are the perfect opportunity to save a packet on a whole variety of goodies – from clothing and footwear, to pantry essentials and tech. It's a great source for picking up laptops, cameras, smart home devices and so much more on the cheap. However, to shop during Prime Day, you'll need to be a Prime member.
The 2020 Prime Day sale was Amazon's third shopping event in Australia, having only arrived Down Under in 2018, three years after the sale kicked off in the US. In that short time, the retail giant has garnered a huge Prime following locally, and its Prime Day sale only keeps getting bigger.
Amazon Prime Day began in the US in 2015 as a celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary, with more deals on offer than Black Friday back then. Prime Day then quickly transformed into Amazon’s mid-year sales event where members of Amazon Prime get exclusive discounts on a wide range of items.
While it began as a one-day sale, by 2018 it has expanded to two days, and that meant that in Australia we could shop for 36 hours – i.e. until the sale ended in the US. In 2019, however, it got even bigger and Aussie shoppers were treated to a whopping 65 hours of discounts. 2020 brought 66 hours of shopping spree only because of daylight savings in October.
Why does Amazon have Prime Day? It's presented as a neat ‘thank you’ to its paying members, but one that involves giving Amazon more money and shifting a lot of stock at the same time.
Prime Day isn’t just about selling Amazon-branded products – many other brands and third-party sellers also save their best deals for Prime Day, completely aware that thousands of extra shoppers will be hitting the online store.
To make the most of Prime Day you’ll need to get yourself an Amazon Prime membership which, in Australia, will set you back just AU$6.99 a month or AU$59 a year – half the cost of the US subscription.
While you’re paying for the privilege of free, swift delivery, signing up for Prime means you’ll also have free access to Amazon’s streaming services, including Prime Video, Prime Music and Twitch. Members also get free access to Prime Reading and Prime Photos for all their ebook and storage needs.
If you'd like to know more about how a Prime membership can benefit you, head to our dedicated page on Amazon Prime in Australia where we explain it all.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2021?
There's no official word on when Prime Day 2021 will take place in Australia – Amazon has always been quite tight-lipped about it, giving us a few weeks' notice to prepare.
As mentioned earlier, it's usually held mid-July and kicks off on a Monday. Last year, though, the global pandemic caused some serious issues with stock and delivery, and Amazon moved the sale to October 13, which was a Tuesday.
If that recent report is to be believed, Prime Day 2021 could be back more or less on schedule, with either a June or a July date, and we're expecting another whopper 65-hour sale.
(Image credit: Amazon)
What happened during Prime Day last year?
Despite last year's Amazon Prime Day deals event being pushed back to mid-October and concerns over stock and shipping during the pandemic – particularly international shipping from the US and UK – Amazon says it surpassed the previous year, selling an extra AU$3.2bn-worth of goods.
About US$10.4 billion-worth of products were sold globally, but what exactly did shoppers buy? According to Amazon – and our own data confirms that – the top selling items were Amazon's own devices: the Echo smart speakers and Kindle ereaders.
Other best-selling products included robot vacuum cleaners, noise-cancelling headphones from Bose, and Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers.
What to know more? Here are a few of the best tech offers we saw during the most recent Prime Day deals event.
Amazon Echo Show 8 |AU$229AU$159 on Amazon
As the middle child of the Amazon's smart displays, the Echo Show 8 proved to be a hot seller last year, thanks to a really good saving of AU$70. That made it a pretty affordable smart device that would fit into any home. Its retail price has now dropped on Amazon to AU$179, so expect it to be cheaper still this Prime Day.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 |AU$599AU$399 on Amazon
While its lowest price ever was in December 2020 at AU$359 a set, the AU$399 discount during Prime Day last year was the best we'd seen until then. So here's hoping we see an even bigger discount this time round.
Nintendo Switch + Minecraft |AU$509AU$409 on Amazon
This was a pretty good offer during Prime Day 2020, which saw you save AU$100 when you added Minecraft and the Switch console to your shopping cart. Considering the Switch usually retails for AU$447 (but can be had for AU$399), and Minecraft normally going for AU$40, this wasn't a bad buy.
Samsung T5 2TB portable SSD |AU$615AU$363.66 on Amazon
Storage solutions don't get better than this portable SSD. And while the T7 could be this year's hot buy, a 2TB storage flavour of the T5 has always been an expensive proposition... until Prime Day 2020, when the price dropped by some AU$250.
Acer Swift 3 14-inch ultrabook |AU$1,100AU$899 on Amazon
We've been big fans of the Acer Swift 3 for a couple of years and it's usually quite affordable, making it the ideal "ultrabook for the masses". With a 25% discount on Amazon during the last Prime Day, it became even more affordable.
Are Prime Day deals competitive?
Amazon has a plethora of offers on its site each day and those are usually some of the best prices you can find on consumer tech. Whether you’re after a Samsung Galaxy S21 or a Philips Hue smart lighting system, chances are you’ll get them cheaper on Amazon than any other Aussie retailer. It’s even more the case with Prime Day deals.
Leading the raft of deals during Prime Day 2021 will be Amazon’s own products, including all the Echo and Kindle products, not to mention Ring security devices. Amazon is also one of the most convenient places to score a discount on the Oculus VR headsets and, now, lay your hands on official stock of Samsung devices, Xiaomi phones, Instant Pots and Nikon photography gear.
You can easily score about 35% off on Amazon’s own devices during Prime Day which, for the rest of the year probably don’t drop more than 28% or thereabouts. If you’ve managed to score a AU$500 discount on Samsung or Huawei devices during one of Amazon’s regular deals, then it’s highly likely that the discount will be much deeper come Prime Day. It’s the perfect time to snag a Nintendo Switch or find the lowest prices on the best premium headphones – cheaper than any other retailer who will likely be scrambling to price-match.
What to expect from Prime Day 2021
We’re not expecting shopping trends during Amazon Prime Day 2021 to change very much. The Nintendo Switch is still going to disappear within minutes of being discounted, and this could happen to the Switch Lite too if you aren’t quick enough. And given the stock issues plaguing the next-gen game consoles from Sony and Microsoft, we're not sure you'll be able to score a PS5 or an Xbox Series X – although we can hope.
Of course, Amazon’s Echo devices will likely be flying off the shelves like before, and we’ll still see the Paperwhite beating out the other Kindle ereaders in terms of sales. You can even expect to pocket some decent savings on Ring’s range of security devices, including the Doorbells and the cameras.
Premium headphones have been very popular on Amazon over the last couple of years and 2021 will likely see that continue, particularly for Sony and Bose headphones. With the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 one of the more expensive ANC cans on the market, Prime Day will be a great time to get a set for less, especially if Amazon offers a bigger discount than last year's AU$200 off.
With more TVs available on Amazon Australia now, we think Prime Day 2021 would be an ideal time to upgrade your home entertainment system, especially if you’re in the market for a good 4K smart telly – we've already seen Sony's TVs discounted on the site on a regular basis.
It will also be a good time to get yourself a new fitness wearable, be it from Garmin’s very premium GPS sports watch range or more affordable options from Fitbit. Likewise, cameras and drones will see a price drop, too, so keep that credit card handy.
How to shop on Prime Day in 2021
1. Check out our deals predictions and, eventually our Prime Day deals list
There are 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 sales marathon.
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 as a clever way to drive up its Prime subscription count, and this online shopping marathon – conveniently opposite Black Friday – accomplished just that.
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 2021 deals before they're gone
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.
Mortal Kombat, the highly anticipated video game adaptation from director Simon McQuoid and producer James Wan, is finally set to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max next week, but that doesn't mean the hype train is ready to stop.
Warner Bros. has released a new featurette dedicated to spotlighting the film's fight choreography, along with some of the cast's action movie and martial arts backgrounds.
According to McQuoid, the film's producers set out to hire people who could really sell the brutality of Mortal Kombat's fight scenes. "The fatalities are sickeningly violent, but we all knew we needed to cast some really amazing talented people to make it feel real."
Based on the video below, we can already tell that this adaptation of Mortal Kombat will be a far more accurate representation of the games than the previous films from the '90s – not just due to the promised violence, but because it seems to really lean into the fantasy aspects of the series.
First reviews are in – is it a flawless victory?
The first Mortal Kombat reviews from international critics, as rounded up by ScreenCrush, have started rolling in, and so far they seem to echo the sentiment above.
James Marsh of the South China Morning Post calls the film a "gleefully violent video game adaptation" that features "boxers with ninja blood and green berets with robot arms pummeling invisible lizards and bat-winged demon babes to a bloody pulp."
A'bidah Zaid of Geek Culture says "The visuals, sound effects, gore and action are exactly what fans have been looking for since the original 1995 film and more."
"The fatalities are just as gruesome as you’d expect... but it’s the hand-to-hand combat that stands head and shoulders above everything else here," says Sergio Pereira of Fortress of Solitude.
That said, most of the critics agree that while the film delivers on action and violence, it's decidedly lacking when it comes to character development. Mufaddal Fakhruddin, IGN Middle East says "for the average viewer, there will be little reason to care for the stakes here."
In one of the film's more negative reviews, Casey Chong of Casey's Movie Mania hopes "that whoever ends up in charge of the sequel would improve significantly upon the largely dour reboot."
So, mostly positive reactions for the film so far, with a few areas which could be considered cause for concern. Luckily, we won't have to wait long to see it for ourselves – Mortal Kombat releases on HBO Max and in theaters on April 23 in the US. It also arrives in the UK cinemas on the same day, and slightly earlier in Australia on April 21.
After hiding 'like' counts back in 2019, Instagram is now putting the choice back in the hands of users. In its latest global test, Instagram will give a small amount of users the choice of whether or not they want to see like counts on other people’s posts.
The test will also allow participating users the choice of turning off like counts on their own posts. Similar to what’s already available for comments, the trial will let accounts turn off likes entirely, or control it on a post-by-post basis.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, will also start similar testing soon.
The trial seems to be a middle-of-the-road solution to one of Instagram’s challenges. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said when the tech giant first tested hiding like counts, it hoped to lessen the social pressure of having a well-liked photo.
After receiving feedback, it seems not everyone agreed. “Some found this helpful and some still wanted to see like counts,” Mosseri wrote on Twitter, “in particular to track what’s popular.”
When like counts were first hidden, there was also fear among influencers on Instagram who worried the lack of the metric data ‘like’ would affect their ability to show their value to brands and make money on the platform.
Users were still able to privately view and share their likes, and it’s unclear whether hiding likes affected user engagement.
Rather than removing likes entirely or keeping Instagram how it is, Mosseri now says “we’re testing a new option that lets you decide the experience that’s best for you.”
With tools to combat cyberbullying already available on Instagram, putting control back in the hands of users feels like the most logical solution.
Good news for Aussies and Kiwis looking for another way to download and listen to their favourite music in high definition, as the French hi-res streaming service Qobuz has now officially launched in Australia and New Zealand.
The service was founded in 2007 and has slowly spread its global reach, with a total of 18 countries now having access to the platform. It boasts 70 million tracks and a collection of over half a million album reviews, artist bios and other pieces of specialist editorial content.
As part of its Australia and New Zealand launch, the Qobuz team has curated a variety of playlists featuring local artists.
As is the case with most streaming services, Qobuz is available in a variety of different tiered subscriptions and family plans, with discounts if you pay annually rather than monthly.
The Studio Premier tier provides "studio quality streaming (FLAC 24-Bit up to 192 kHz)" and "original editorial content", while the Studio Sublime tier also adds exclusive discounts of up to 60% when purchasing Hi-Res music to download – a worthwhile investment if you plan to do so frequently.
All plans are available in individual or family arrangements, with the latter allowing for people living in the same home to share up to six accounts in the one subscription.
Tidal review: exceptional sound quality for audiophiles
Qobuz Studio Premier
Individual Monthly – AU$24.99 / NZ$29.99
Individual Annually – AU$229.99 / NZ$279.99
Family Monthly – AU$44.99 / NZ$49.99
Family Annually – AU$429.99 / NZ$529.99
Qobuz Studio Sublime
Individual Annually – AU$299.99 / NZ$349.99
Family Annually – AU$599.99 / NZ$749.99
The Qobuz app is available on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android devices and is compatible with a wide range of dedicated hi-fi streaming equipment (visit the Qobuz site for a full list of participating partners).
If you want to try the service out before paying, Qobuz offers a free 1-month trial of its Studio Premier tier, as well as a free download of one album.
Millions more stimulus checks are going out this week -- is yours part of it? Even if you already got your money, plus-up payments are coming, maybe to you. This is what to know about the IRS payment schedules and delays.
Six women under age 50 developed rare blood clots within two weeks of vaccination, adverse effects that "appear to be extremely rare," the officials say.
