Techno

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Latest Tech News

Settle in for what could be a ferocious catfight, as the worst team of 2019 takes on the worst team of 2020. Will it be Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence that wins the battle of the No. 1 overall picks? Read on as we explain how to get a Jaguars vs Bengals live stream and watch NFL Thursday Night Football online no matter where you are in the world.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Cincinnati Bengals live stream

Date: Thursday, September 30

Time: 8.20pm ET / 5.20pm PT / 1.20am BST / 10.20am AEST

Venue: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV channel and live stream: NFL Network (via Sling TV discount or free fuboTV trial) | Sky Sports (UK)

Free live stream: DAZN FREE trial (CA) | Kayo Sports FREE trial (AU)

Watch anywhere: try the world's no.1 VPN 100% risk-free

In a development that absolutely nobody saw coming, the Bengals sit atop the AFC North after three games, having embarrassed the Steelers and all-but-retired Big Ben at the weekend.

The Cincinnati D took him down four times, and could have a field day against Lawrence, who seems to be struggling to adapt to the NFL. The rookie QB has turned Jacksonville into Sacksonville, getting dragged down five times, and throwing a league-worst seven interceptions, including a pick-six against the Cardinals.

Only three teams have surrendered more points than Jacksonville, though Jamal Agnew gave the fans something well worth cheering about at the weekend, running the length of the field to score an NFL-record tying 109-yard touchdown.

But it could be a Bengals' wide receiver who grabs the spotlight tonight, with the rookie Ja'Marr Chase looking like a very special talent. Follow our guide for how to watch the Jaguars vs Bengals online and get an NFL live stream wherever you are in the world right now.

Stream NFL without cable with Sling TV
Get your first month for only $10 now. With the game being shown on NFL Network tonight, cord cutters can watch with a Sling TV subscription. Sign up to Sling Blue now and shave a mighty $25 off the usual monthly price, while also scoring access to NFL Network, Fox, NBCSN, CNN, and 20+ more channels.

More sports: how to watch a Premier League live stream

How to watch Jaguars vs Bengals from outside your country

If you've mismatched a holiday or you're away on business and you want to watch your country's coverage from abroad, then you'll need to use a VPN. This will help you dial in to a location back in your home country to avoid geo-blocks and regain access to the content and services you already pay for back home.

A VPN is generally perfect for this as it allows you to change your IP address so you appear to be in a completely different location when the big game is on.

Use a VPN to live stream Jaguars vs Bengals from anywhere

ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN
We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and iOS.

Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back without a quibble.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Once you've chosen and installed your VPN of choice, simply open the service's corresponding app, hit 'choose location', select the appropriate country, and you'll be able to watch the broadcast as if you were back at home.

Jaguars vs Bengals live stream: how to watch NFL Thursday Night Football in the US

Thursday Night Football will be carried by Fox, the NFL Network and Amazon Prime this season, but tonight's Jaguars vs Bengals game is being shown on NFL Network only.

Kick-off is scheduled for 8.20pm ET / 5.20pm PT, and if you have it as part of your cable package, you can also live stream the game directly through the NFL Network website.

How to watch Jaguars vs Bengals FREE without cable

If you haven't already got NFL Network as part of your cable package, you'll need an over-the-top streaming service that includes the channel, and great-value Sling TV is the obvious starting point for NFL fans.

Its Blue package offers NFL Network, as well as local NBC/NBCSN and Fox channels in most major markets, thereby covering off a large number of NFL games including both primetime and local broadcasts, for just $35 a month. But right now you can get a whole month of Sling Blue for $10.

An extra $15 a month for the combined Sling Blue + Orange bundle adds access to ESPN 1, 2 and 3 to your NFL viewing arsenal - as well as getting you a handful of other top premium channels like TNT, AMC, TBS, BBC America and more.

The costlier (but even more thorough) alternative is to get a FuboTV plan. Its standard plan costs $64.99 and includes Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and the NFL Network - all the channels you need to tune into every nationally televised NFL game in the 2021/22 regular season.

You also get the benefit of the fact that fuboTV has a FREE trial.

How to watch Jaguars vs Bengals: live stream NFL FREE in Canada

Tonight's Jaguars vs Bengals game kicks off at 8.20pm ET / 5.20pm PT, and it's being televised by TSN and CTV, both of which also offer streaming access either on a standalone basis or at no extra cost for subscribers.

However, Canadian NFL fans are some of the the luckiest in the world, as streaming service DAZN is showing the Jaguars vs Bengals along with every single game of the 2021/22 season, right the way through to the Super Bowl.

And it's an absolute bargain - DAZN costs just CAD$20 a month or $150 a year.

Plus, the FREE 30-day DAZN trial lets you try before you buy - essentially mean you can live stream Jaguars vs Bengals free of charge.

Not only do you get every single NFL game, including NFL Game Pass and RedZone access, but DAZN's also the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Premier League and Champions League soccer!

It also comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices).

Jaguars vs Bengals live stream: how to watch NFL online in the UK

The Jaguars vs Bengals game is being aired in the UK on Sky Sports, with kick-off set for 1.20am BST on Thursday night/Friday morning.

The network shows at least five games a week on its dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel, and offers access to the live RedZone highlights show each Sunday.

If you don't have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, Now TV will let you stream everything it has to offer without locking you into a lengthy contract.

A great option for die-hard fans is the NFL Game Pass, which is showing every game of the season live. A subscription costs £14.99 a week or a much better-value £147.99 for the season, after a 7-day FREE trial.

Not in the UK but still want to catch the action? Use a VPN to live stream NFL as if you were at home. This also lets you get around any blackout restrictions that sometimes apply to games.

How to watch Jaguars vs Bengals FREE: live stream NFL in Australia

The Jaguars vs Bengals game kicks off at 10.20am AEST on Friday morning.

ESPN, available through Foxtel, is showing the game, and you can also stream it on your laptop or mobile using the Foxtel Go app.

Streaming service Kayo Sports is showing the Jaguars vs Bengals game too, and is the ideal option for those who don't want the commitment of a lengthy (and pricey) contract.

Kayo lets you stream on two devices with it $25 per month Basic plan, and on three devices with its $35 Premium plan, and both come with a FREE 14-day trial.

It's also worth bearing in mind that 7Mate shows up to three games a week for FREE, but not this particular one.

And if those aren't enough to satisfy your NFL cravings, we highly recommend you sign up for the NFL Game Pass, as it's showing every game of the season live. A subscription costs $28.99 a week or $274.99 for the season, after a 7-day FREE trial.

Not in Australia right now? Use a VPN if you're away from home, in order to tap into your domestic coverage.

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

Latest Tech News

When it eventually comes out, the iPhone SE 3 probably won't be called that, and it'll likely follow the iPhone SE (2020)'s naming convention with the year of release in the title. But right now, we don't even know for sure what year the next affordable iPhone will release.

The iPhone SE (2020) was one of the most exciting iPhones of 2020, providing excellent Apple hardware and software in a compact size and at a relatively low price. So how can Apple top that?

Other phones coming soon

iPhone Flip
iPhone SE Plus
iPhone 13
Samsung Galaxy Note 21
Nokia 10

Easy – add some of the features from the flagships to the next mid-range iPhone SE. The iPhone 13 series launched with a few new features and tech, and while the iPhone SE 3 wasn't announced alongside the next range of flagship iPhones, perhaps the most exciting perks in those devices might trickle down to the mid-range iPhone SE line too.

The iPhone SE 3 is, as the name suggests, the third-gen model in its line, following the aforementioned 2020 device and the original 2016 model. That age gap could suggest we'll be waiting four years until the iPhone SE 3, but the 2020 version was so well received, we don't imagine we'll be waiting that long, and rumors point to a 2022 launch.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next affordable iPhone
When is it out? Unclear but maybe not until 2022
How much will it cost? Likely around $399 / £419 / AU$749

iPhone SE 3 release date and price

We thought the iPhone SE 3 might land at Apple's Spring Loaded event in April - after all, that would be a year after the iPhone SE (2020) launched, but it was no-show.

We're not too surprised though, as we've previously seen a couple of leaks and rumors suggesting that there won’t be an iPhone SE 3 this year, perhaps to give the iPhone 13 mini more time in the spotlight, so we might be waiting a long time for the phone – if we get it at all.

If that's the case though then there may well be one in 2022 at least, because it's also rumored that there won't be an iPhone 14 mini - meaning Apple might rely on the SE line for fans of smaller phones. At this point, several rumors point to a 2022 release, with sources suggesting the phone will land in the first half of the year.

And there’s also the iPhone SE Plus to consider. This was rumored to land sometime after the iPhone SE (2020), and while we haven’t heard much about it lately, Ming-Chi Kuo (an analyst with a good track record when it comes to Apple) claimed back in April 2020 that the iPhone SE Plus might not land until the second half of 2021.

So this might land instead of the iPhone SE 3 – or maybe we’ll get an iPhone SE 3 and an iPhone SE 3 Plus. It's hard to say at this point.

As for the price, there’s no news there, but the iPhone SE (2020) starts at $399 / £419 / AU$749, so the iPhone SE 3 is likely to have a similar price – if not perhaps slightly higher.

The iPhone SE 3 might have a similar price to its predecessor (above) (Image credit: Future)

iPhone SE 3 news, leaks and rumors

The biggest iPhone SE 3 leak so far has revealed a number of the possible specs. Apparently the phone will have an A15 Bionic chipset (the same as we're expecting to see in the iPhone 13 range) and support 5G, but might otherwise be similar to its predecessor, with the same bezel-heavy design and 4.7-inch LCD screen.

We've also previously heard that it might have a 4.7-inch LCD screen and 5G support, so those aspects are looking likely.

An A15 Bionic chipset is also likely, given that the iPhone SE (2020) had the best iPhone chipset available at the time, which in this case probably will be the A15.

Elsewhere we've heard that Apple could bring Face ID to a future iPhone SE model. That would likely mean a substantial change to the design, with no more home button and a notch instead. However, given that the leaks above suggest a similar design for the iPhone SE 3, this change might be further out (if it happens at all).

What we want to see

As good as the iPhone SE (2020) is, there’s always room for improvement, so here’s what we want from the iPhone SE 3.

1. A modern design

The iPhone SE (2020) has a rather old fashioned design, and certainly an older design than the rest of the current iPhone range. So we’d like to see things brought up to date for the iPhone SE 3.

By that we mean get rid of the home button and the big bezels above and below the screen, for a more modern look. Doing this would also allow Apple to increase the screen size without increasing the overall size of the handset - or alternatively keep the screen the same size and shrink the phone even smaller.

2. An OLED screen with a higher resolution

The iPhone SE (2020) has an IPS LCD screen with a 750 x 1334 resolution, neither of which are exactly cutting edge.

Now, there are of course limits to what can be done with a mid-range phone, but when you consider that the similarly priced OnePlus Nord and Google Pixel 4a both manage a higher resolution and OLED technology (which typically delivers better contrast and other improvements versus LCD), it’s hard to see how Apple could justify omitting these things from the next iPhone SE model.

That said, we wouldn’t count on getting either – Apple rarely competes with Android phones on pure specs.

3. Better battery life

The iPhone SE (2020) has a small 1,821mAh, which might seem reasonable given the phone’s compact size, but we found it didn’t go far, lasting around a day.

That’s not terrible, but it’s certainly not impressive, so we’d like much more from the battery in the iPhone SE 3, whether that’s achieved through increasing the size or making things more efficient.

4. Keep it small and affordable

The iPhone SE (2020) stands out through both its small size and its relatively affordable price, and we want both of those things to remain for the iPhone SE 3.

There aren’t many compact phones anymore – certainly not ones with good specs, and nor are iPhones known for being affordable, so the two things make for a great combination.

5. More cameras

iPhone SE review — The iPhone SE (2020) has just one rear camera, which isn't really enough (Image credit: TechRadar)

The iPhone SE (2020) has just one camera on the back and one on the front, and while they perform reasonably well, they don’t give you the versatility that you can get with more lenses.

Of course, with even the iPhone 11 only having a dual-lens snapper we don’t expect too much more from the iPhone SE 3, but when you consider that rivals like the OnePlus Nord and Moto G 5G Plus have four cameras on the back and two on the front, you’d think an extra lens or two wouldn’t be too much to ask for.

6. 5G

At the time of writing no current iPhone supports 5G. That will likely change with the launch of the iPhone 12, but we really hope Apple lets the tech filter down to the iPhone SE 3, as it’s already available on some of the SE (2020)’s key rivals, notably the aforementioned OnePlus Nord and Moto G 5G Plus, while Google has confirmed that a Pixel 4a 5G is on the way.

7. A higher refresh rate

Another feature offered by a number of rivals now is a high refresh rate. The iPhone SE (2020) has a 60Hz refresh rate, which until relatively recently was what all handsets other than gaming phones offered, but now a number of mainstream models have refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz.

It’s a feature that some of the iPhone 12 range will likely offer, but we’re not optimistic that Apple will bring it to the iPhone SE 3, since no current iPhones offer high refresh rates, so Apple is likely to keep the tech as a premium feature for a while.

But it would be great if the company did start including this as a standard feature – it could still differentiate by giving its flagships a 120Hz (or higher) rate, and the iPhone SE 3 a refresh rate of 90Hz.

Check out all the best iPhones

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

FCC aims to crack down on SIM card swapping scams - CNET

Identity thieves can use your personal info to convince a wireless carrier to transfer your service to a new device. Now, the FCC is taking action.

from CNET https://ift.tt/3kXdvBg

Road-tripping to the Long Beach Grand Prix in a Lexus IS 500 F Sport - Roadshow

I took a scenic route to the races in Lexus' new performance sedan.

from CNET https://ift.tt/3ioi8Tf

Best car battery chargers for 2021 - Roadshow

Car batteries can lose their charge because of weather, age or simply because the lights were left on. These will get your vehicle started and back on the road.

from CNET https://ift.tt/30BuMVW

COVID vaccine mandate: Today's update, who's required to show proof of vaccination - CNET

Federal and local vaccine mandates are in place to help to curb the surge of COVID-19 cases, but they're getting a bit of blowback.

from CNET https://ift.tt/3uu3D5m

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: How to get a free Manaphy at launch - CNET

Buy the upcoming Pokemon remakes before Feb. 21 and you can receive a free Manaphy egg as an early purchase bonus.

from CNET https://ift.tt/3kflZly

Latest Tech News

The best website builder for portfolios will make it easy to publish and manage your photographs and other artwork online.

Best portfolio website builders

Read on for our detailed analysis of each website builder for portfolios

Creating a new website is a lot easier than it used to be – rather than learning HTML and CSS, you can just click and drag with your mouse and have something very professional-looking on the internet in minutes, and portfolio website builders are no different.

The increased use of this software online means you've got a selection of the website builders for portfolios to choose from. However, with so many great selection of tools to choose from, it can be difficult to pick out the best portfolio website builders from a crowd of so many.

To help you narrow down your choice, we've picked five portfolio website builders that offer a good balance of price points and features.

All of these website builders for portfolios offer simple ways of customizing your pages once they're online, so you can regularly change the look of your work, and make sure your talents are always being well promoted on the web.

Here then are what we think are the best portfolio website builders.

Top 3 website builder services

1. Wix - a top-notch website builder that's great value
Wix is top dog when it comes to free website builders, but it also offers some powerful paid plans. These start from as little as $8.50 per month for the Combo plan (over three years) which removes the adverts from your site, as well as giving you 3GB of storage space, a free domain and free SSL certificate.

2. Gator is a great website builder service
Gator Site Builder from Hostgator has a superbly cheap Starter package which comes with free hosting and a domain name included, plus a free SSL certificate. You get constantly available customer support, too, and the benefit of website analytics to boot: all with 50% off meaning you pay just $3.84 per month.

3. Zyro - a serious, high-quality site builder
Hostinger-owned Zyro offers a website builder that is very easy-to-use and ideal for novices, allowing anyone to get their site up swiftly. You’ll pay very little for the privilege too and even the premium "Unleashed" plan costs just $3.90 monthly.

We've also featured the best free website builders and the best website hosting services.

1. Weebly

Created with portfolios in mind

Elegant, user-friendly interface

Advanced site analytics in paid plans

Relatively small choice of themes

Weebly was first set up with the intention of making it easy to set up a portfolio of work online, and those origins stand it in good stead today, even as it has broadened its horizons to become more of a general website builder. If you don't mind a Weebly subdomain, some ads on your site, and a limit of 500MB storage, you can actually use it for free.

While the choice of themes is relatively small, they're all fully customizable, and they all work on any size of screen, automatically reformatting to suit the display dimensions. Weebly has one of the most elegant and user-friendly website editor interfaces we've seen, so you can tweak your portfolio in exactly the way you want.

One of the many areas where Weebly excels is in the way it calmly handles a lot of technical stuff quietly in the background: it gives you enhanced SSL security by default, and (on the paid options) advanced analytics for your website, plus the option to transfer over a domain name.

If you want to get up and running quickly, would like to spend some – but not a lot – of time customizing your site, and need something that's going to be reliable and comprehensive, Weebly fits the bill. The fact that you can get started for free to see if you like it is an added bonus.

Sign up for Weebly for free or from £3.9/$5 a month

2. Cargo

Portfolio building with an edge

Get up and running in minutes

Great choice of image effects and fonts

Will be too unconventional for some

There's a lot that appeals to us about the website builder Cargo: the unconventional and varied choice of templates, the intuitive page tweaking interface you can edit them with, and the way that you can build up an entire site without paying a penny (you won't be charged until the site goes live).

It's certainly got more of an edge than other comparable website builders, which might be good or bad depending on what you're looking for. The templates available are all eye-catching and bold, and will work best for people wanting to stand out from the crowd, whether that's with photography or writing.

Every template is responsive and works on a variety of screens, while Cargo also offers some cool animated image effects you can play around with too. On top of that, the site builder is to be commended for its wide choice of fonts as well, plus, even more fonts are being added from time to time.

Besides all of the features on the surface – including an online template editor that hits a nice balance between simplicity and customization – you get 6GB of image cloud storage, unlimited pages, unlimited bandwidth, the option to transfer over a domain name if you need to, and a ton of help and support (including tutorial videos).

Sign up for Cargo from $8.25 (about £6.25) a month, free trial available

3. IM Creator

All the options you need

Strong selection of templates

Doesn't take long to get started

Will be too advanced for some

Built on the latest HTML5 technology and with useful extras like e-commerce and domain name support included, IM Creator is going to be too advanced and in-depth for some, but will suit other portfolio builders perfectly. That's not to say it's difficult to use – there's just more going on.

You don't need to know a shred of code to get started, there are plenty of different themes and looks to choose from, and we like the way the themes are already pre-populated with content. That means you can just edit the sample material that's already there rather than starting from scratch, which can be more daunting.

If you want to go deeper into your website building and customizations, then IM Creator makes this possible. The site editor includes a variety of gallery and slideshow options, plus image effects to drop over your uploaded pictures, and the option to change everything from the fonts used to the page margins.

We'd recommend IM Creator if you're looking to stand out from the pack – it has a wide choice of templates and some detailed editing options too. On the other hand, it does need a bit more of a time and effort investment than other site builders.

Sign up for IM Creator from $8 (about £6) per month

4. Krop

Premium template options

Find a job at the same time

Useful third-party integrations

Lacks more advanced customizations

Krop is a creative jobs site and a portfolio builder rolled into one, so you know that its services are trusted by people in the same industry as you (or the same industry that you're trying to break into). What's more, its template options are some of the most well-designed that we've seen.

The website builder ticks all of the boxes that you should be looking for. Setting a site up is quick and easy, you can register a custom domain if you want to, and making tweaks to the design and layout of your pages is very straightforward too. On top of that, you get neat extras like Dropbox and Instagram syncing, and Google Analytics integration.

If you do know some CSS, then you can take more control over the way your site is designed. If not, you can just use the simple site editor instead – picking colors and fonts is as easy as clicking on a side panel.

Those of you who are looking to get a gig at the same time as building your website can of course switch straight over to the job section of the Krop site to find work – there are some big-name employers on the portal. You can try out the service with a free 14-day trial.

Sign up for Krop from $8.25 (about £6.25) a month, free trial available

5. Adobe Portfolio

A superb option for CC subscribers

Simple and straightforward setup

Online interface is very polished

Requires a Creative Cloud subscription

Considering Adobe makes some of the best creative software in the business, you would hope it knows what it's doing in terms of displaying portfolios on the web – and we're glad to report that is indeed the case.

This is slightly different to the other services we've mentioned here, because it's a free add-on to the Creative Cloud suite developed by Adobe. If you don't already pay for the programs then Portfolio is unlikely to tempt you to part with your cash, but if you are a CC subscriber, it's worth looking at this before venturing anywhere else. Worth noting that college graduates can get Adobe Portfolio free for 1 year.

While it doesn't offer as many customization and layout options as some of the other site builders we've mentioned here (although, the popular feature request - video backgrounds, has been added), Adobe Portfolio does make the process of getting your work online simple and fun. Of course there's also the tight integration with Adobe's apps, so you can easily share your work straight from Lightroom to the web. You can also purchase and connect a domain if you wish.

Pages are optimized for any device and certain ones can be password-protected if needed, and there's also the option to bring over a domain name you already own. For a simple portfolio maker that plugs right into the apps you already use (assuming that's the case), it's ideal.

Sign up for Portfolio and Adobe CC from £9.98/$9.99 a month

We've featured the best password managers.

We've also featured the best small business website builders.

Find the best website builders for musicians and the best website builders for photographers.

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/34D8dBy

Latest Tech News

Our best Amazon Echo deals roundup is here to sort you out with one of the best voice-controlled smart speakers money can buy. These great little devices have been responsible for bringing smart home functionality into millions of homes, and it's easy to see why they are so popular.

There's an Echo speaker for every occasion now, thanks to Amazon's ever-increasing lineup of releases adding new additions every few years. We're also seeing some great updates to older models, which bring a range of speaker upgrades as well as new software. As always, though, the diminutive Amazon Echo Dot deals start the list at the cheaper end today, offering a great starting point to any smart home. If you're looking for pure Alexa functionality, we've also got the best Echo Flex prices going as well.

We've also got prices for the larger versions too including the Amazon Echo, Echo Studio, and more. If you want a visual element too, then we've got you covered with all three sizes of the Amazon Echo Show or the bedside table-friendly Echo Spot, all of which include a screen.

Although Amazon designed and built these smart devices, they're actually on sale at a large number of stores, which means they're never far away from a discount. We'll also list the standard price of each of these Amazon Alexa-powered speakers so you can get a better idea of how good the latest discounts in the comparison charts are.

The best Amazon Echo deals

Amazon Echo Dot deals — (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen)

A little bigger than before, but still tiny

Speaker size: 1.6-inch | Dimensions: 100 x 100 x 89 mm | Weight: 341 g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79

New voice recognition for kids

New spherical design

Fairly iterative features

Equally spherical, but much smaller, is the endearingly cute new Echo Dot – the fourth generation in the long line of excellent budget smart speakers from Amazon. Launching at just $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79, it's remaining one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on a voice assistant this year, but almost disappointingly, aside from its new eye-catching spherical design, improvements are mostly iterative.

That said, the new inclusion of Alexa Voice Profiles for Kid is a fantastic little feature if you've got kids in the house. This new child-friendly tech can recognize when a younger person is giving voice commands and tailors it's reception accordingly. So, if the child asks Alexa a question, they'll get an appropriate response, animal sound alarms, and even help with their homework should they need it. Read our Amazon Echo Dot review for more info.

cheap Amazon Echo prices, deals and sales — (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo (4th gen)

Brand new, and rather circular

Speaker size: 3-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters | Dimensions: 144 x 144 x 133 mm | Weight: 970 g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149

New Zigbee + Sidewalk

Upgraded speaker

Same launch price as previous iteration

Still no clock display

The 2020 Amazon Echo is the fourth generation in the long line of excellent smart speakers from the tech giant. No, your eyes don't deceive you, it is indeed much, much more spherical than the 2019 iteration, but luckily all that extra space around the waist has been put to good use with some upgraded internals.

A new speaker array looks to provide an all-around much higher fidelity experience for music lovers, while the inclusion of the new Amazon Sidewalk and Zigbee support should help with smart home device compatibility across the board. You're also getting a new 'AZ1 Neural edge' processor onboard, which Amazon claims helps speed up voice-command recognition by double - not bad considering this latest iteration is retailing for the same price as last year's release.

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)

The most popular smart speaker in the world

Speaker size: 1.6-inch | Dimensions: 4.3 x 9.9 x 9.9cm | Weight: 300g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $49.99/£49.99/AU$79

Low price

Improved audio

Alexa's getting smarter all the time

The older, standard 3rd iteration of the Echo Dot comes in three colors - charcoal, heather grey, and sandstone (that'll be black, grey, or white to the rest of us). The hockey-puck-shaped speaker has a more refined look thanks to the fabric finish - far better than the older all-plastic version. The speaker driver is much larger too, going from 1.1-inches in diameter to 1.6-inches. It's 70% louder than the previous version and keeps the aux 3.5mm connection for a secondary speaker. You can also connect it wirelessly to external speakers via Bluetooth.

Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)

Amazon's latest and most powerful Echo Show

A large 10-inch HD display

360-degree rotating display

Impressive camera

Expensive

The Echo Show 10 was released in February of this year and is Amazon's latest and most powerful smart display with a starting price of $249.99/£239.99. The 3rd generation Echo Show features a 10-inch HD display that automatically turns to face you. The 13MP camera will follow you around, so whether you're making a video call, watching a movie, or following a recipe, the Echo Show 10 is always within your gaze. The smart display also features auto-framing, so you'll stay front and center on video calls, and features a new design with a floating touchscreen above a cylindrical base.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)

Improved video calling at an affordable price

Improved video calls

New home security features

Sustainable build

Same design as 2019 model

The all-new Amazon Echo Show 5 is now available to order with a retail price of $84.99 / £74.99/ AU$119, which is actually cheaper than the starting price of the 2019 model. The 5.5-inch display works with Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice to ask questions, play music and videos, and control other compatible smart home devices.

The 2nd Generation Echo Show has an upgraded HD 2MP camera with twice as many pixels as the previous version. You're also getting new home security features with Alexa Guard, so you can keep an eye on your home from the display and get alerts to your phone when motion or sound is detected. The 2021 Echo Show 5 is now made entirely of post-consumer recycled fabric and comes in charcoal, glacier white, and a new deep sea blue color.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)

The best value Alexa smart display

Updated processor

Improved camera

Impressive sound

The 2021 Echo Show 8 is now available to purchase and will set you back $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199, which is the same starting price as the 2019 version. The all-new Echo Show features an 8-inch HD touchscreen display and works with Amazon Alexa to play movies, stream music, view photos, and control compatible smart home devices completely hands-free.

The new and improved Echo Show 5 comes with an updated 13MP camera that automatically pans, zooms, and frames for improved video calling. The smart display also has a new processor resulting in faster performance and is available in two colors, Charcoal and Glacier White.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2019)

A decent screen size at a sensible price

Better Suited to larger rooms than the Show 5

Way cheaper than the larger model

Louder than the Show 5

Nothing 'new'

Not long after the release of the Show 5, Amazon came along with the Amazon Echo Show 8 and a larger screen. So while you may prefer the smaller Echo Show 5 for a bedside table, the new Show 8 works better in larger spaces.

If you're looking for some hands-free recipe guidance in the form of kitchen video tutorials, then this is ideal. The Echo Show second-generation does offer a larger screen, but that 10-inch display comes at a significant price jump. This 8-inch screen is perfect for larger use than you'd need from a bedside table, without offering a hefty price tag to match.

You're also getting the superior display and audio quality of the Echo Show (2nd Gen) with all the privacy and app benefits that came with the Show 5. It's an amalgamation of the best bits of the last two models that comes out with a price tag sitting closer to the cheaper end than the premium 2nd Generation.

amazon echo show 5 prices deals — (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019)

The cheapest Echo Show display

Way cheaper than the other Echo Shows

Decent alternative to the Google Home hub

Bedside table-friendly...

But a bit small otherwise?

This is the cheapest Amazon Echo Show you'll find out in the wild right now. It comes with a smaller five-inch screen than the other Echo Show deals in this list, but if you're after something for a bedside table display, or you simply don't need another intrusive screen in your living room, the Echo Show 5 sit perfectly.

Compared to its bigger siblings, or Google's rival offerings, you might find the screen a little small depending on where you're going to be seeing it from after requesting something via the Alexa voice commands. Plus, you'll be missing out on the improved display and audio quality of the more recent Show 8 as well. The huge selection of how-to videos are super handy though if you can plug it in close by, especially in the kitchen. Check out our full Amazon Echo Show 5 review if you want to learn more about this budget-friendly smart speaker display.

cheap Amazon Echo deals sales price — (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Studio

2019's latest Echo means business

Speaker size: Three 2-inch midrange speakers, 1-inch tweeter, 5.25-inch woofer | Dimensions: 20.6cm x 17.5cm | Weight: 3,500g | Line in: 3.5mm or optical line in | Launch price: $199/£189/AU$329

Excellent audio quality

Easy home cinema set up

Great price

3D audio hit and miss

If you've been watching the Echo Sub for a while wishing you could just add the smart speaker into the fantastic sound for a complete package, you'll want to check out 2019's Echo Studio. The massive Echo smart speaker works as a complete high quality audio solution that not only offers impressive sound quality for its price tag but can also easily create a home cinema with a Fire stick.

Amazon have pitched their Echo Studio as low as possible in price - excellent times for all the bargain hunters out there. Don't be fooled by that relatively low price either, this is a powerful speaker. While the 3D audio can be hit and miss, we found that the Echo Studio offered fantastic value for money with powerful sound and a wealth of features.

See more bargains with our roundup of the best Amazon deals that are happening right now.

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

Latest Tech News

The best website builder for musicians will make it easy to not just showcase your band but especially present your music and track listings.

Best musicians' website builders

Read on for our detailed analysis of each service

A host of different services will now let you put a website online, quickly and easily, no coding skills required – but if you're looking for something to show off your talents as a musician then you need a more specific set of features.

Primarily, a way of uploading and sharing your tunes in a simple and secure way, even if it's just snippets of songs rather than whole tracks or indeed albums.

If you're a musician for hire then it can be useful to have some kind of booking system in place as well, or at least a contact form. On top of that, there are all the extras you might be interested in, like support for your own domain name or gallery pages to show just how many people came to your last gig.

Here are our picks for the best website builder for musicians to create a presence online.

Top 3 website builder services

We’ve also picked out the best website builder for photographers

1. Bandzoogle

Website builder designed specifically for musicians

Sell music, tickets and merch

Plug in all your social accounts

Not the most flexible theme editor

You won't find too many website builder services aimed specifically at musicians, but Bandzoogle gleefully jumps in to provide a bespoke service specifically for bands and artists. While it lacks some of the polish of the big names, because it focuses on the musician niche in particular, it has everything you should need.

That includes, of course, the ability to upload your own tracks and let visitors stream them from your website. You can get tracks organized into entire albums if you really want to go to town, or just share (or even sell) single tracks. And then, as well as that, you've got simple ways to post gig dates, blog updates, and so on.

Whether you need to build a contact form or a video diary, Bandzoogle makes it easy, no coding required – you can really make a site that's as simple or as complex as you like, and the end result is something that looks like you hired a specialist.

You've got over 100 themes to choose from (there is even one for crowdfunding), they're all straightforward to edit and tweak, and connecting up social accounts (including the likes of SoundCloud and Bandcamp) only takes a few clicks as well. As an added bonus, you can sell fan subscription, merchandise and tickets right through Bandzoogle as well.

This all makes, in our opinion, Bandzoogle the best overall website builder for musicians.

Read our Bandzoogle review here.

You can sign up for Bandzoogle here

2. Wix

A great choice whatever the site

Upload your own music and videos

Supports plenty of music plug-ins

Can get pricey on higher tiers

Check out any list of website builders for any purpose and Wix is likely to feature on it, but not only does this service earn that high reputation, it also has some useful tools for musicians – not least the ability to upload your own tracks so visitors to your website can listen to them without any extra software or browser extensions.

Platforms that you're probably already using, like Bandsintown and Songkick, can plug directly into your Wix site: you can set up integrations like these in just a few clicks. What's more, you can add on an e-commerce portal to your site, for the purposes of shifting albums, T-shirts, or whatever else you need to sell.

Wix has a very solid selection of templates, with more than 500 to choose from, and if you delve into the music section you'll see there are options for solo artists, bands, DJs, producers, or anyone else connected to the industry. Have a click around these templates to see the kind of sites it's possible to create.

After that you've got all the features Wix has become known for: a site editor that's a breeze to use whether or not you know what CSS stands for, custom domain name support, easy blogging and simple social media support, and a free tier that lets you work out whether Wix is for you before you part with any cash.

Overall, Wix offers a great website builder, and especially a website builder for musicians.

Read our Wix review here.

You can sign up for Wix here

3. Music Glue

Merchandise, tickets and much more

Professional, effortless e-commerce

Used by some of big names

Not so strong on site building

Music Glue is a little different to the other website builder services we've featured here: it focuses first and foremost on the merchandise and ticketing aspects of the music business, and indeed powers the online stores for some of the biggest names in the industry. Its pricing system is unusual too, taking a 10% cut of whatever you sell rather than a flat fee.

That does at least mean you won't be out of pocket if your online marketplace doesn't attract much attention to begin with. There are no additional fees for payment processing, and customers can rock up with debit or credit cards, or PayPal.

Music Glue is less impressive on the website building side, although you do get the basics – a choice of themes for the site attached to your online shop, the option to bring over your own custom domain name, tools for tweaking the code and layout of your site, and so on. It's possible to plug in social media accounts and even set up a mailing list.

If your priority is the mechanics of selling music and tickets to your audience, then Music Glue is a good bet, and has some very famous clients on its books, as we mentioned. If you don't really have anything to sell right now and want to spend more time fiddling with a site design and layout, then maybe look elsewhere.

You can sign up for Music Glue here

4. Difyd2c

Focus on the music

One of the best for simple setup

Add social channels in a few clicks

Basic set of themes and editing options

French website Difyd2c isn't the most well-known website builder for musicians out there, and it doesn't have the same breadth of tools and features as some of the big names – but where it really comes into its own is in getting your music online quickly and easily.

If you'd rather just get your stuff up quickly with a few pictures and links, rather than spend ages choosing a theme and editing HTML, Difymusic could be for you. It relies on plug-ins – like Spotify or SoundCloud for getting your music up, for example – but it supports an awful lot of them, so you're bound to find something that works.

If you want to sell merch and tickets, then you can pay to add that on your main site, with a one-time €9.99 setup fee (about £9 or $12) and then 5% commission based on sales, but the basics are free. Connect up your Facebook page and your YouTube channel and you're good to go in just a few minutes.

Admittedly the choice of templates and editing options aren't very strong, but the designs you can play around with are decent enough, and certainly won't put anyone off your music. Difyd2c lets you get started quickly, and scale up as required.

You can sign up for Difymusic here

5. Tumblr

Blogging with extras

Very simple and intuitive

Free to use (some paid extras)

No fully featured site editor

Tumblr isn't a website builder in the conventional sense – it's more of a half blogging, half social media platform – but if you take a longer look at what Tumblr has to offer, it's actual very appealing for musicians. For one thing, it's completely free to use, plus it already attracts a busy community of creatives.

You can post up to one 10MB MP3 file every day, as well as links, text posts, videos, photos and more. Those MP3s appear as streamable files for visitors to your site – they can listen to the tunes in their browser, no plug-ins or extra software required, so it's a great way of showcasing your talents without paying anything.

If Tumblr was simply a blogging platform and that was it, we probably wouldn't recommend the service, but it also supports pages alongside your blog (for a gallery or a contact form), custom domain names (so you can pay extra for whatever URL name you like), and posting from mobile apps too.

On top of all that there are a host of themes to choose from, some of which cost money, but many are free, and a lot of them would suit a musician's portfolio. If the theme isn't exactly to your liking, you can tweak it with the integrated options or your own CSS, and switching between themes whenever you like is simple, too.

You can join Tumblr here

We've featured the best free website builders and the best portfolio website builders.

Check out the best web hosting services.

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/33wE7jY

Latest Tech News

Best premium WordPress themes

1. Avada

2. BeTheme

3. Kallyas

4. Monstroid2

5. Oshine

Read on for our detailed analysis of each theme

The website builder and web hosting solution that is WordPress is renowned for its customisability and versatility. You can design your site using free themes, but if you want the best, most up to date and intricate site, you need to venture into the Premium aisle. To help speed up your selection process, we’ve gathered five very interesting themes for you to check out.

We've also highlighted the best ecommerce WordPress themes

1. Avada

An excellent and extremely popular theme,with a vast number of templates and huge customisability

Versatile

Easy to use

Affordable

Avada is the number one bestselling WordPress theme on ThemeForest, with over 732,000 sales and an almost 5-star rating based on more than 24,000 reviews, as of this writing. And the reason for that is simple: it’s quite simply one of the best premium themes out there. Thanks to the bundled Avada Builder plugin, it allows you to build a layout fast, with impressive customisability. As you’d expect, not only is it responsive, adapting itself to the screen its viewed on, but it’s also Translation ready, with support for RTL (Right to Left).

Avada comes with 80 website templates, enabling you to have a site designed and uploaded in next to no time. It also has numerous pre-built layouts, all of which can be altered to suit your needs if you’re not happy with the standard configuration, or if you just want your site to look more unique. You can for instance, completely alter the pages’ header and footer to match your requirements, all with drag and drop ease. It’s also fully compatible with WooCommerce, should you wish to set up an online store.

The price of admission is only $60, which includes updates for life, and six months of tech support. There’s an option to extend that support by an additional six months for $18.

You can sign up for Avada here

2. BeTheme

A fantastic and highly versatile theme with loads of features and vast customization

Very flexible

Huge customization

Drag and drop ease

BeTheme is another popular premium WordPress theme. It comes with over 600 pre-built websites to help you hit the ground running, as you can draw inspiration from work that’s already been done, customising it with ease, to give it that unique look and feel that will draw your visitors and customers in. Those templates are subdivided into various categories, making it easy for you to find just the style that’s right for you. The theme is also flexible enough to be used for any type of site you’d care to create.

BeTheme comes with Muffin Builder, which lets you build and customise your site and pages using containers. You can also set the changes globally, which is an immense time saver, and of course, just like all advanced themes, you don’t need to know coding in order to transform the templates. This theme has many of the modern features you’ve come to expect, such as being responsive and compatible with retina displays, translation and RTL ready, and allows you to include parallax effects and video backgrounds, to name but three.

Like Avada, you can purchase BeTheme through ThemeForest for $59, which includes all future updates and six months of support (and a further six months of support can be got for $17.63).

You can sign up for BeTheme here

3. Kallyas

A good theme with many options and a great drag and drop interface

Great drag and drop features

Lots of flexibility

Good number of templates

Yet another drag and drop theme is Kallyas. It doesn’t have as many templates as BeTheme - only around 70 compared to more than 600 - but frankly, how many do you really need, as long as you find the one that appeals to you? It’s worth mentioning that, as with the others, the theme is fully responsive and retina-ready, and it supports all the latest features including being translation-ready, and includes support for RTL. Kallyas comes with a live page builder which allows you to build you site and its pages with drag and drop simplicity, and can be integrated with WooCommerce so you can design your own online store with ease. Integration with MailChimp is also standard.

It comes with multiple layouts for blogs and portfolios, includes a wide variety of sliders, and offers a lifetime of free updates such as all future page designs and features as they get released. All of this can be yours for $69.

You can sign up for Kallyas here

4. Monstroid2

An extensively customisable layout with a wide (and growing) number of website templates

Great customization tools

WooCommerce Integration

Included Jet plugins

Monstroid2 comes with over 50 pre-built websites, and claims to release a new one every week, so that collection will continue to grow. It comes with a good selection of animation effects, to keep your page feeling more visually interesting than just static text, images and buttons. The customisation features are pretty extensive, and you can apply different layouts to different parts of your website, making for interesting creations. The theme comes with WooCommerce integration, and includes a series of Jet plugins as well, making the price more acceptable.

Monstroid2 will set you back $95, and the price tag also includes a lifetime of updates and support.

You can sign up for Monstroid2 here

5. Oshine

A great versatile theme with a particular focus on photography

Great for image-heavy sites

Good layouts and customization

Oshine is a WordPress theme that’s great for photographers, with a focus on creating striking portfolios. But obviously that isn’t all this theme has on offer. It’s able to be integrated with the popular WooCommerce plugin to help you set up your own online business, has six different blog styles, and has support for parallax, and video backgrounds. It comes with numerous header and menu styles, including making them transparent and/or sticky, among other options. There are galleries dedicated to showcasing your Instagram and Flickr collections, and we quite liked the simple but effective black and white hover effect.

You can own Oshine for $59, and like the other themes being sold through ThemeForest, this includes a lifetime of updates and six months of support, with a further six months for an additional $17.63.

You can sign up for Oshine here

We've also highlighted the best web hosting

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/327J3dK

Latest Tech News

COVID-19 didn’t change the workplace as much as you might think.

The transition to distributed work was inevitable, and businesses were looking at making the shift long before the pandemic. The virus only moved up the timeline.

The reality is that even then, we were living in a connected world. The quality of a business’s network was foundational to its success. And the Internet of Things was gradually reshaping both the role of technology in the workplace and our relationship to it.

Businesses of all sizes use sensor technology to collect valuable data from customers and staff alike, analyzing that data for potential opportunities and improvements through cloud software. Organizations support greater collaboration and productivity through digital tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. And leadership has long considered how remote staff could securely access the systems and resources necessary to work from anywhere.

Woman on video call in office — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Most companies were, in other words, already digitizing the workplace, perhaps without even realizing what that meant.

And in doing so, many made an exciting discovery. Modern technology has leveled the playing field - the gulf between major corporations and smaller organizations has never been smaller, and in many cases, the fact that a start-up can adapt more effectively to market trends actually gives it a considerable edge over its larger competitors.

Of course, all this is often dependent on the strength and reliability of a business’s network. Connectivity, after all, is the lifeblood of a modern business regardless of size, and in the absence of connectivity, the business simply cannot grow.

And therein lies the problem. Small businesses (SMBs) in particular often face a long list of challenges from a network management perspective, including:

Talent shortages. It’s no secret that the technology sector is in the throes of an ongoing skills shortage. Experienced network administrators are, like other IT professionals, in short supply and high demand.
Network scale. Many small businesses do not initially build networks with scalability in mind. As a business's size, endpoints and resource demands grow, infrastructure often struggles to keep up. Performance suffers, and everything becomes increasingly complex, cumbersome, and unreliable.
Management and configuration. Modern computing demands are often simply too intensive for manual management, especially with a smaller IT team. Your personnel may find themselves forced to choose between troubleshooting and security, risk management and lifecycle management.
Security. Today’s IT personnel cannot simply focus on what’s within their organization. They must be capable of securing data wherever it resides, whether on a corporate server or an employee’s home PC.
Bandwidth. The proliferation of connected devices, cloud software, and smartphones have created an exponential surge in demand for network resources, and your network must be capable of scaling to meet this demand.
Vendor lock-in. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of less-than-reputable vendors that would like nothing more than to lock a business into a restrictive contract. And that, in turn, can limit the devices, software, or systems that business can use, restricting growth in the process.
Cost. An SMB's IT budget is often comparatively limited, and network management is frequently an unexpected cost associated with digital technology. Some businesses may find themselves unable to keep pace.t

It is apparent why the type of networking tools found within your SMB can be among the most significant barriers to its growth. It’s a seemingly impossible scenario. On the one hand, you need your network to be capable of scaling, both with surges in demand and overall growth.

Overworked tech professional sitting in front of multiple monitors — (Image credit: Getty Images)

On the other, your IT department is simply underequipped — and likely too understaffed — to make this happen.

The good news is that you don’t need to deal with any of this on your own. Aruba is here to help you take your business to the big leagues, without breaking your budget, meaning you can ensure your infrastructure works for you, rather than against you.

Aruba’s smart, scalable, intuitive networking hardware will keep your business in the fast lane, supporting all your digital, cloud, and IoT needs. With full support for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, Aruba Wi-Fi and multi-gigabit switching empowers you and your employees to effortlessly deploy, scale, and manage your network through a single pane of glass. More importantly, it does so while protecting your people and assets with enterprise-grade security.

Man standing in front of manufacturing machinery with laptop — (Image credit: Getty Images)

In short, with Aruba, you’ll enjoy enhanced performance, better security, and simpler network management. You’ll free up your IT department to focus on matters beyond troubleshooting. And that, in turn, will allow you to support new, more varied business initiatives and ultimately set your business up for growth and success.

Networking technology shouldn’t be complicated - it should enable business growth rather than restrict it, and entrepreneurs should be able to focus on driving their passion rather than struggling with their network. Find out more here.

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