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• How often should your business update its tech?
• Explained: How to watch the Presidential Debate live stream tonight
• Explained: How to use Maps on Apple Watch
• One man proves anyone can chat with ISS astronauts
• Tesla Model S hack marks third incident in two weeks
• Watching movies on Oculus Rift will soon be less lonely
• Apple Music snags 11 million users in its first month
• Time magazine's latest cover made a meme out of VR
• Updated: Fallout 4 release date, news and trailers
• Fallout 4 will let you level up indefinitely
• NASA's Mars rover simulator beats Goat Simulator any day
• Microsoft revamps awesome apps for Apple Watch and Android Wear
• How to reinstall Linux
• The Windows 10 privacy settings you need to change right now
• Chromecast gets HBO's standalone app for cord-cutters
• How to reinstall Windows
• Review: Updated: Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Here's Blizzard's latest World of Warcraft expansion
• In Depth: Nintendo NX: A closer look at the mystery console
• Updated: Apple Music: release date, price and features

How often should your business update its tech? Posted: 07 Aug 2015 12:55 AM PDT Introduction and telling signs The hardware and software your business depends on needs to be kept bang up-to-date, or does it? The yearly round of software updates and the licencing costs that these bring can be a heavy burden on any company. Add to this the steady stream of new portable devices and perhaps even upgrades to infrastructure such as servers, and it isn't surprising that many small businesses are questioning how often they really need to buy these updates. Of course the recent recession has galvanised the resolve of many small business owners to take more control of their spending especially when it comes to IT. However, according to a recent poll by YouGov, almost a third (32%) thought that spending on IT (such as computers, telecommunications, software etc) would increase in the next 12 months, compared to just 7% who said spending on IT would decrease. However, 59% believed there would be no change. The pressure to update IT hardware of course comes into sharp relief each time a new operating system version is released. According to Spiceworks, 40% of companies plan to begin rolling out Windows 10 within the first year and an additional 33% expect to begin deploying Windows 10 within two years. "Our IT department has been testing preview editions of Windows 10 over the last few months and feel comfortable rolling it out to users soon after launch," said Joe Kinne, IT manager at Prime Electric, an electrical contractor in Bellevue, Washington. "We'll likely start with existing Microsoft Surface tablets we've deployed in the field and then offer it to some of our first-adopter employees across the company. Additionally, all new laptops, desktops, and Surface tablets will come pre-loaded with Windows 10 soon after launch." Telling signs Deciding when your business needs to make an upgrade means looking for the signs that your tech is creaking under the strain. "A major sign is when there is a noticeable disconnect between technology practices at work and in employees' own personal lives," said David Vine, MD of UK SMB at Concur. "IT is ingrained into most employees' everyday routines – and a major portion is based on mobility. It stands to reason that this should be carried over into the workplace, yet all too often this is not the case." Andy Hinxman, Director of Keybridge IT also said: "The biggest warning sign to any SME to upgrade their IT is whether operations are becoming increasingly inefficient, time consuming and costly. Most processes should now be seamless, and when you notice this starting to change that is your biggest indicator to upgrade your IT." He continued: "Ask yourself whether your IT is fit for purpose, and what you want from your IT. Do you need staff to access anywhere? Do you want tight control over what people can access? Do you want your data backed up, and if so, for how long? Once you know what you want speak to a specialist for their recommendations. Our suggestion is to keep up-to-date, which you can accomplish by moving to the cloud." Chris Martin, CTO at conference call service provider Powwownow, also points out: "SME's can be an easy target for upsell, whilst potentially being a hard sell! The limited SME IT budget might mean they invariably have older IT equipment, running older software. However, SMEs wisely use their budgets and will only pay for IT that is really required. "If an improvement in productivity can be shown by an upgrade, the SME is more likely to be interested. If the upgrade will mean someone in the business will spend less time doing mundane tasks and more time on important customer-facing activities, then this would be a good case for the upgrade." Spending and virtualisation Spending wisely The cloud of course has transformed how small businesses in particular now operate. Moving some data storage and key business services to the cloud can be a way for smaller enterprises to remain competitive without the huge cost overhead of upgrading their primary systems. Says Jon Wrennall, CTO in UK and Ireland at Fujitsu: "In terms of the core infrastructure of an SME business, the ever more pervasive and mature offerings provided by cloud service providers – whether as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) – mean SMEs don't need to worry about the hardware and some of the related software. "There are still some good reasons to keep some of this in-house, but businesses need to carefully consider the pros and cons of each option given the nature and context of the business." With software, the shift towards a subscription-based ownership model is highly attractive to small businesses in particular. Not having the cost of purchasing new boxed software is a bonus not to be understated. Business owners should, however, pay close attention to the support they will receive and whether they would need additional upgrades – such as networks or servers – to really gain tangible benefits by moving to this model. "When it comes to Microsoft Office 365 (which we believe is the best choice for most SME businesses who use Microsoft technologies), the SharePoint (file sharing, collaboration and more) aspect of Office 365 is very powerful, but it is not to be seen as a replacement for the traditional SME File Server Shared drive," Andrew Loftus, founder and MD at IT support company Greencorn told TechRadar Pro. He continued: "Microsoft OneDrive for Business is not yet a complete SME cloud file share solution for many companies based on the way they currently work. This whole area of SME file sharing is something that Microsoft is still developing. They are getting there and I have no doubt we will see improvements and clarification in this area in the short to medium term. All SME businesses should have their email in the cloud – simple fact." Virtualisation benefits The use of virtualisation has also been gaining pace across the small business community. To avoid server sprawl, using virtualisation can be a great way to upgrade systems for minimal cost, and also have a future upgrade path. Andrew Loftus further observed: "As a company we will use virtualisation everywhere we can, even if there is no current need, as we never know when things will change. Virtualisation has helped us save clients a significant amount of money, time and disruption. It is one of the best improvements in technology in the past 10 years. "For example, last year we upgraded a client with a single Windows server requirement which we implemented virtually on a single physical even though there was no clear need to do this. Recently their Windows-based VoIP server running on another server stopped working and started smelling like a barbeque (perfect for summer, not for this client). "We were able to move the VoIP server to be virtual on the above mentioned server and had the client's phone system up and running in less than a day, which would have been impossible without virtualisation. The question SMEs should ask themselves is 'why should I not virtualise?' not 'why should I virtualise?'" 10 key questions Decisions, decisions Should you upgrade your business hardware or software? Ask yourself these key questions: 1. Is the hardware across your business fit for purpose? Ask your staff if they feel handicapped by the hardware and software they are using. If they are, it's a false economy not to upgrade. 2. Are competitors and your general industry using any standards? Often hardware and software platforms will become standards onto which new services are built. If your systems aren't compatible, this is a commercial opportunity missed. 3. What systems are the largest players in your sector using? If large businesses are throwing their weight behind a technology, your business may have to upgrade its IT to keep up and remain relevant. 4. What would the overall benefit of an upgrade be to your business? Mobile payments for instance look set to become massively important. Can your business afford not to support these services by upgrading its IT? 5. Can new technology make your business more efficient and competitive? Simply buying the latest computers or mobile devices isn't enough. Think about how these upgrades would directly influence your business' bottom line. 6. Would new hardware or software future-proof your business? Of course tech goes out of date, but can upgrades now ensure your business remains competitive in its marketplace? 7. Could new tech open new business opportunities? Look at the trends within your market sector. Can your existing tech support these? 8. Does your current tech infrastructure offer robust contingency services? Many businesses are now reliant on servers and the precious information they contain. Contingency planning needs solid and reliable IT to ensure your business can recover if the worst happens. 9. Is your business using mobile devices across a wide geographical area? As business is now transacted on the move, the latest tablets and smartphones need to be properly supported. It's useless to your business to try and use the latest Surface tablets with ancient servers and networks. 10. Are your business critical systems still supported? At some point vendors will stop issuing updates to their applications. Windows XP and Windows 2003 no longer have regular security patches issued, for example. In these circumstances delaying your upgrade could place your business and its customer data at risk. Careful planning Fujitsu's Jon Wrennall concluded: "IT is like a car – whichever way you use one (buy it, lease it, company car or use a taxi) it always costs money (in purchase, servicing, fuel, or by the minute/mile). It will never come for free, it needs looking after (by you or someone else). "It will at some point break down or get vandalised (or hacked). The most effective and efficient ownership model for you will depend on what you need it for, the way you use it and want you actually want (with the head and/or the heart)." Upgrading your business hardware and software is often a commercial choice that depends on how your enterprise is currently operating. Maintaining efficiency is important – and upgrading your organisation's tech will ensure you are ready to support the latest trends across your market. Plan carefully and assess your needs. You'll then spend your money in the right places and gain the maximum benefits. 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Explained: How to watch the Presidential Debate live stream tonight Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:16 PM PDT How to watch the Republican Presidential Debates Update: Tonight's Presidential Debate live stream has ended, and Donald Trump sure made headlines by attacking other Republican candidates. Here's how to watch the full video. Brace yourself for 15 consecutive months of presidential debates, which started with tonight's Fox News and Facebook-hosted 2016 Republican Primary Debate. You can still catch the full video of the back-and-forth between Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and eight other top-tier candidates at this evening's Presidential Debate. It originally aired at 9pm ET (6pm PT, 2am BST). This wasn't actually the first presidential debate you could watch online tonight, though. There was also a second-tier debate happening, four hours beforehand, for seven candidates with lower poll numbers. Both debates were live streamed, just in case you can't get to a television set in time for the verbal sparring. However, only the right credentials would let you watch it online in realtime. Here's how you could watch the Fox News GOP debate, for future reference, and see the replay. How to watch the Presidential Debate online Fox News is known as America's conservative cable news channel, but the right wing-leaning network is actually fairly progressive when it comes to online live streaming technology. Eight years ago, Fox News began live streaming extra hours of programming, dubbed Strategy Room, with webcam-like quality and a makeshift table. Discussions were frank and unrushed. It has since morphed into mirroring the cable channel and contrasts with MSNBC and CNN, which are just getting their online programming acts together. MSNBC in particular has a smaller, buggier video player. Of course, now that it's called Fox News Live and is a broadcast-level video service, it requires an authenticated cable subscription username and password. It's not unlike HBO Go. In fact, it uses the same username and password credentials you log in with to watch Game of Thrones. The good news is that it currently supports 279 cable and satellite providers, including Time Warner, Comcast, DirecTV, Charter, Verizon Fios. Even Sony's PlayStation Vue is represented. Fox News has reliable, high-quality video player that live streams everything from the two TV networks, to the website and also an app for iOS and Android. The web browser version even includes an hour-long buffer, so that you can rewind a program, even if you haven't started watching it yet. Here are the best phones in the world right now Update: Fox News Channel is currently running highlights and post-debate commentary. Its website has clips from tonight, and the full debate video is expected to web on the channel's homepage by Friday morning. In the meantime, you can see the Presidential Debate repeat throughout the night by watching it on the channel or the online video player. While Facebook co-hosted this event, it was merely providing analytics, user questions and online reaction, not live streaming the debate through the social network. Sorry, cord cutters. Presidential Debate time and schedule Flipping through all of the cable news channels, it feels as if the Presidential Debate coverage has been going on forever, but the August 6 forum officially start time was 5pm ET (3pm PT, 10pm BST). Everything you need to know about the new iPhone 6S The live stream began with the seven candidates who haven't garnered enough attention in the national polls, but can get some air time and name recognition in front of an audience – albeit a smaller one. This first debate featured former HP executive Carly Fiorina, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, current Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, current South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, former New York Governor George Pataki and former Maryland Governor and late-comer Jim Gilmore. Some have criticized this GOP debate structure because it marginalized key Republican Presidential candidates, like Jindal, a current governor and the first Indian American governor in the US, and Fiorina, the only female candidate running for the GOP nomination. Both are stood out, according to the channel's post-debate analysts. This first debate was short, lasting just one hour, and is Fox News then hosted an online pre-show in between the two debates, which started at 6pm ET (3pm PT, 11 BST). It included highlights and analysis of the first debate, along with expectations of the what the channel is calling its "Primetime Debate." The official "Primetime Debate" started at 9pm ET (6pm PT, 2am BST), and lasted the scheduled two hours, followed by an 11pm ET (8pm PT, 4am BST) online post-debate show to wrap things up. The roster of ten (in order of current poll numbers) consisted of real estate mogul Donald Trump, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, current Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, surgeon Ben Carson, current Texas Senator Ted Cruz, current Florida Senator Marco Rubio, current Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, current New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and current Ohio governor John Kasich. Hillary Clinton was mentioned so much tonight, you'd think she was at the debate. However, her on-stage performance will have to wait, as you'll read in our next section. How to watch the Democratic Presidential Debates What about the Democrats, you ask? They'll have several debates, too, but have only just now announced the Democratic Presidential Debate schedule. Their first debate for the is supposed to happen on October 13 (CNN) in Nevada. By then, Republicans will already have two prime time debates in their binders full of debates. The second Democratic debate is November 14 (CBS) in Des Moines, Iowa, which is first state in the nation to vote in primaries (really, a "caucus"). That schedule from there on out follows the primary roadmap, with future debates happening four more times, in December 19 (ABC) in New Hampshire. January 17 (NBC) in South Carolina, February or March (Univision) in Miami and one last one in March (PBS) in Wisconsin. There are fewer scheduled debates for the Democrats (so far) and there are fewer declared candidates. Former First Lady, New York Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the most name recognition, but there are others. Expect to see on stage former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, current Vermont Senator and declared Independent Bernie Sanders, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and current Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee. Current Vice President Joe Biden is rumored to be running for President. The next Presidential debate and schedule This isn't the last Republican Presidential debate – far from it. There are going to be 12 GOP-sanctioned debates, including tonight's Fox News debate. Most, if not all, debates should be live streamed, unlike previous years. Next up is a CNN-hosted debate at the Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, Calif. on September 16. Business cable networks get into the fray with a smaller CNBC debate in Boulder, Colorado on October 28 and a Fox Business debate in Wisconsin sometime in November. CNN has the final debate of 2015 on December 15 in Nevada, and then it's back to Fox News in Iowa for a January debate. Three Republican debates happen in February in New Hampshire (ABC) and South Carolina (CBS), Houston, Texas (NBC). Fox, CNN and one unscheduled debate round out the GOP commissioned schedule. Tired of debates yet? That's okay. History has shown that the post-convention 2016 Presidential Debates are limited to three. There's also typically one Vice Presidential Debate, too. That's it. It's not like the old days. In 1858, then former Congressman Abraham Lincoln and and Senator Stephen A. Douglas debated seven times in their run for senate, according to the Commission for Presidential Debates. Those debates were decidedly NOT live streamed on the internet. As more debates happen, we'll update this page in real time to let you know when and where you can watch the Presidential Debates online, even if it takes 22 updates, one for every debate scheduled. Our Samsung Galaxy S6 review tells you why this is the best phone

Explained: How to use Maps on Apple Watch Posted: 06 Aug 2015 05:46 PM PDT Using Apple Maps on the Apple Watch Apple Maps has long been the unwanted navigation app on our iPhones, and is often quickly shuffled off into a bloatware folder after downloading Google Maps. At least, that's always been the case for me whenever I get a new iPhone. Imagine my disappointment then when I realized using Apple Maps would be the only way to get directions on my wrist. However, after using the much hated Apple Maps with my Apple Watch, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it works...and works well. Granted Siri does a lot of unnecessary, rapid fire talking but on the whole, Apple Maps has successfully given me driving directions every time I've used it. If you feel like using Siri as your Apple Watch Maps guide, here's how to do it. 1. Open Apple Maps (get used to it) Select the Maps app from the watch by pressing the Digital Crown. Once open, you'll see your current location displayed on the screen. Zoom in or out with the Crown, or look at the surrounding area by moving your finger across. You can also pull up Maps from Glances if you have it included as a Glances option. 2. Where are you headed? To begin navigating, Force Touch the Watch display. There are several ways to enter addresses. One is to simply tap on address links found in text messages or emails. Similar to clicking on address links on your phone to access directions, Apple Maps will open up automatically on the Watch. Another is to select someone from the Contacts icon if you're looking for directions to a friend's house. Lastly, you can manually look for addresses by selecting the Search icon. You'll get the option to revisit a history of last searched places or can use voice dictation to find a new location. Choose your desired method then enter the destination - Apple Maps will pull up information like driving and walking times or reviews and phone numbers if relevant. 3. To walk or to drive, that is the question Your Apple Watch will then offer up two options for getting where you want to go: walking or driving. After picking which mode you want, press Start. Siri will begin navigating with turn-by-turn directions while the Watch will provide haptic feedback right before you need to turn. Bonus: Non-voice dictation You can also search for directions on your iPhone before you head off and then use the Watch to navigate afterwards. This may be the option many people choose before driving to their destination. It's safer and easier since the Watch automatically will start the navigation process once it's entered in the phone.

One man proves anyone can chat with ISS astronauts Posted: 06 Aug 2015 05:19 PM PDT Amateur radio enthusiast Adrian Lane has managed to get in touch with astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) right from his backyard shed. Speaking to the Telegraph, the 52-year-old Lane explained how he plotted the orbital route of the ISS before tuning into the ISS's amateur radio signal and sending out his own unique signal. To his surprise, an American ISS crew member answered back. The two were able to talk for about 50 seconds before they lost contact. Technically, anyone can call up the ISS, as the ISS publishes the frequencies it uses for its amateur radio on its website, and in fact, invites those interested to try and make contact. "Some ISS crew members make random, unscheduled, amateur radio voice contacts with earth-bound radio amateurs, often called 'hams'," the website notes, adding that astronauts have previously "have contacted thousands of hams around the world" during their breaks. So, really, all you need is a 2-meter radio rig and lots of time, and you might just get lucky enough to get through to an ISS crew member. Via Engadget

Tesla Model S hack marks third incident in two weeks Posted: 06 Aug 2015 05:06 PM PDT Talk about a hat trick. Hackers – sorry, security experts – at mobile cybersecurity firm Lookout have successfully compromised a Tesla Model S. This is the third connected car hack in the last two weeks, as of this writing. Researcher Kevin Mahaffey published his findings on the Lookout blog conveniently on opening day of the 23rd annual Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas. While he plans to divulge even more details during a talk at the three-day event, Mahaffey was quick to point out that this hack required "initial physical access to the car." Moreover, being benevolent hackers – or white hats – Mahaffey and partner Marc Rogers of web performance and security firm CloudFlare have already worked with Tesla to issue an over-the-air security update the week of Def Con before publishing their findings. Assuming (nearly) direct control Mahaffey goes into exhaustive detail in his blog entry regarding the specifics of the hack. While the researcher commends Tesla for how well it separated its massive infotainment system from the rest of the car's controls at a top level, all it took for Mahaffey to get in was to compromise one part of the system directly and go from there. After gaining direct control of the entire system through process of elimination, Mahaffey and his partner in crime (for good) were able to perform any action possible from the car's touchscreen or Tesla's accompanying smartphone app. On one occasion, the security guru successfully turned the car off while it was driving. "At low speeds, the car applies the parking brake and it immediately comes to a stop, Mahaffey writes. "At speeds above about 5 miles per hour, the Model S gracefully shuts off its engine—just like shifting a gasoline car into neutral—while still providing the driver full control over steering and brakes so they can safely bring the car to a stop." Every hack helps Good to know! But how do we avoid these sorts of compromises in the future, especially when cars are only to become more connected? For starters, Mahaffey tells auto makers to start putting their cars' critical systems into closed networks that are isolated from the infotainment systems or information clusters. This is the third reported hack on connected cars in the last two weeks alone. First, security experts assumed direct, remote control of a new Jeep Cherokee, causing parent company Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.4 million vehicles. (And it's only worse press for the firm from there.) Short after, another white hat hacker revealed a flaw in OnStar's connected system that left any General Motors car equipped with the service wide open to remote door unlocks and ignition starts. In short, for who knows how long, any OnStar-equipped GM car could be jacked hands free. Of course, this string of scary but ultimately good hackings is no coincidence, with Def Con 2015 well under way as of this writing. But nevertheless, if this past month hasn't opened everyone's eyes to the folly surrounding security in connected cars right now, then nothing will. The Apple Car was almost a BMW

Watching movies on Oculus Rift will soon be less lonely Posted: 06 Aug 2015 04:27 PM PDT The Oculus Cinema app replicates sitting in a private cinema or home theatre, but has so far had the viewer sitting and watching the movie alone. But Oculus wants to get a bit more realistic with what is generally a more social activity - going to the movies with friends or family. Speaking to Road to VR, Oculus creator Palmer Luckey explained that the point of the app isn't to be sitting in a movie theatre alone, instead, "you want to replicate the experience of being in a movie theater or home theater with all of your friends." VR goes social And so, with the release of the consumer Oculus Rift, set for early next year, the Oculus Cinema app will roll out more social, multiplayer-like features. "We already have a lot of internal social functions in Cinema that are going to be rolling out in the next few months," he said. "Things like avatar systems, being able to communicate with people over long distances… rather than just local multiplayer, but having actual long distant multiplayer as well." This basically sounds like the app will let you chat or interact within the 'cinema experience' with other Oculus users. Oculus Cinema is currently available on Gear VR, with the app's new social-friendly features to be rolled out with the release of the Oculus Rift in 2016. Will Hollywood ever embrace VR?

Apple Music snags 11 million users in its first month Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:50 PM PDT Steve Jobs would be proud. One month after its June 30 launch, Apple's new music streaming service Apple Music already has 11 million trial members. The numbers come from USA Today, who snagged an in interview with Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, Eddy Cue. Cue said that Apple Music's cost-effective family sharing plan already has 2 million paying users and says Apple is "thrilled with the numbers so far." To put that number in perspective, Tidal - another recently launched streaming service - only gained about 800,000 subscribers in its first month out of the gate, while longtime veteran Spotify currently hovers around 20 million active subscribers. But major music labels still have their reservations, and with good reason. Because most subscribers are using it pro-bono, Apple has yet to see any major return on its investment, causing some concern that users are flocking for the free trial only to leave when it comes time to pony up the $9.99/£9.99 per month. These concerns, while valid, won't be proven right or wrong until first users end the three-month trial on September 30. Apple can create five new Beats radio stations anytime it wants

Time magazine's latest cover made a meme out of VR Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:45 PM PDT If you've been online today, you have probably seen Time magazine's latest cover featuring Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey. No one is impressed. What's even supposed to be happening in that photo? The cover has managed to spark a massive response to that question with everyone taking to social media with a Photoshopped image, with some even naming the cover to be the reason VR tech will fail. This may be taking it all a little too far, and at least most of us are laughing. The cover has undoubtedly become an instant meme (even Square Enix got in on the fun), though many are still happy to see the magazine covering the Oculus's creator. And along with the rather odd cover, Time has also managed to perpetuate the stereotype of being a "nerd". In opening the story, Time's Joel Stein says that though Palmer is "a nerd alright," he "isn't like other Silicon Valley nerds." While he might just be trying to paint us a picture of who Palmer really is, and in fact the story itself is rather a positive one for VR, this description of Palmer also perpetuates an unrealistic stereotype of the kinds of people one should expect in the tech industry today. "He doesn't look like a guy who played Dungeons & Dragons so much as a character in Dungeons & Dragons," the blurb continues. We're not sure whether we should feel a little insulted on Palmer's behalf, but someone needs to show Time a picture of Vin Diesel, a happy and proud Dungeons & Dragons player. We've contacted Oculus to see what it has to say about the cover, the story, and the internet's reaction. Here's Time magazine's 2015 August cover, in all its glory:

Updated: Fallout 4 release date, news and trailers Posted: 06 Aug 2015 01:30 PM PDT Update: We have some fresh updates about Fallout 4 straight from Gamescom 2015. There are few games more anticipated than Fallout 4 right now, but the good news is that the post-apocalyptic RPG is coming soon. Very soon. We also know quite a lot about the game as Bethesda has divulged plenty of footage and information already. Like its predecessors Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4 will be an open-world exploration game set in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, but with the added power of new-generation consoles. The game will be launching on the PS4, Xbox One and PC, but the Xbox 360 and PS3 won't be getting a slice of the action. So without further ado, here's what we know so far… Fallout 4 release date Fallout 4 will launch on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 10 2015, putting it in a small, exclusive community of games released the same year in which they were announced. The game is available for pre-order now, in both standard and special editions. The special edition of the game comes with a working replica Pip-Boy that you can actually wear on your arm. The Pip-Boy houses a smartphone which displays the information on the screen, giving you that authentic wasteland-wandering feeling. Fallout 4 setting and gameplay As rumours had predicted, Fallout 4 will be primarily set in Boston, Massachusetts, though the player will explore other areas of New England, better known in the series as the Commonwealth. Interestingly, the game will actually start just before the bombs were dropped, letting you experience the events of fatal day on October 23 2077. Your character will leave his or her home to take shelter in Vault 111, where they awake 200 years later to discover they are the sole survivor, and that they haven't aged. Why? Probably cryogenic freezing. 10 most important things from the Fallout 4 trailer Much of the plot of Fallout 4 remains shrouded in mystery but no doubt partly revolves around finding out how and why you survived for 200 years. The debut trailer did reveal that the protagonist will have a speaking role - a first for the series - and that you'll once again have a faithful dog companion. Before you start getting concerned - no, the dog can't die, but it can be used to maul enemies. It's also been revealed that Dogmeat was based on an adorable real life German Shepard named River, who's owner previously worked on several Bethesda games. During QuakeCon, Fallout 4 Game Director Todd Howard also told the audience that there will be a dozen new companions who can join your travels throughout the wasteland. We of course already knew about Dogmeat, but Mr. Handy, Preston Garvey and Piper (a companion you can meet in Diamond City) are also part of the roster. In addition to that, you'll be able to romance (yes, romance) your companion, regardless of gender. How progressive! Specifics haven't been revealed yet but we're sure it will be similar to Skyrim's romancing system. However, if you'd prefer the life of a hermit, Howard noted there will be a perk available for that as well. Mr. Handy will also be able to say your name - that is, whatever ridiculous, offensive, or perhaps even normal name you've chosen for the game. Perhaps the biggest new feature is the one that lets you build your own settlements in the wasteland, which is another first for the franchise. You'll be able to construct buildings on plots of land, and the crafting system looks like it will lend itself to some proper customisation. You can build multiple settlements through the game, with trading caravans that run between them. But be warned: raiders will come and try to ruin your lovely home. Then there's the power armour, which made an appearance in the debut trailer. You'll be able to customise and improve this throughout the game, while the crafting system will let you build a ridiculous number of customised guns for blasting enemy mutants in the face. Many series fans will be glad to hear that the time-stopping VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) system is back, but rather than completely freezing everything in place it will now just slow things. You'll still have extra time to line up that perfect shot, but you might have to think a little faster on your feet this time around. The leveling system also works differently now. Perks are now tied to S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats opposed to levels. There are also new perks for you to choose from, with 70 base perks where each one has multiple ranks. In another Fallout series first, this fourth installment is doing away with maximum level caps. This way players can just keep exploring and powering up indefinitely after they complete the story. There are things we all loved from Fallout 3 that will be back in 4 too. Books and comics will have greater detail plus will allow you to zoom in for a better look. How much detail hasn't been discussed though. You can also look forward to seeing the Super Duper Mart again, bloody mess perk, lock picking, computer hacking, the Fat Man and Behemoth mutants. Finally, we have mods - and this doesn't just apply to the PC players amongst you. At E3 2015, Bethesda announced that PC mods for Fallout 4 will be playable on the Xbox One as well, and possibly the PS4 down the line too (unless Sony turns the idea down, would be odd). Bethesda also confirmed that it's not planning to introduce paid premium mods in the game. Oh, and it also confirmed the game will run at 1080p 30fps on everything. Fallout 4 trailer YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnn2rJpjar4 Additional writing by Lily Prasuethsut

Fallout 4 will let you level up indefinitely Posted: 06 Aug 2015 01:13 PM PDT Fallout 4 is rewriting all sorts of rules for the post-apocalyptic series by introducing a talking protagonist, a customizable settlement, and now getting rid of level caps. According to a Bethesda Game Studios tweet, when players finish Fallout 4 they won't be stuck at level 30, 41, 59 or any other arbitrary number. Instead, gamers can continue keep leveling up and exploring after wrapping up the main campaign. It's a big change for RPGs, which typically come with a set maximum level cap that developers – as of recently – have been increase with new downloadable content. Given these recent statements over Twitter, gamers can also rest easy that Bethesda won't pull another game ending closer like Fallout 3. Big changes Fallout 4's leveling system itself is a bit divergent for the series in general. Instead of tying perks to the character's level, Bethesda has introduced a system that awards S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats for a more personalized character progression. At the same time the fourth installment of the Fallout series introduces new elements including a customizable settlement, personalized power armor and an incredibly expanded crafting system. Fallout 4 will launch for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One on November 10. The best looking 4K games you'll see soon

NASA's Mars rover simulator beats Goat Simulator any day Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:22 PM PDT In celebration of the Curiosity rover's third year on Mars, NASA has launched a 3D simulation of the rover that anyone can access through a web browser. The simulation, which you can find here, uses real mechanics and data collected from Curiosity and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), with NASA saying it will give "users first-hand experience in a day in the life of a Mars rover." "We've done a lot of heavy 3-D processing to make Experience Curiosity work in a browser," said Kevin Hussey, manager of the visualization applications and development group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). "Anybody with access to the web can take a journey to Mars." The browser-based simulation will let you move the rover around Mars, as well as take a panoramic photo or a selfie and drill into the surface of the planet. You can also move Curiosity's different parts, learn about the different areas of the map and view the red planet from its different cameras. "At three years old, Curiosity already has had a rich and fascinating life," said Jim Erickson, the project manager for the mission at JPL. "This new program lets the public experience some of the rover's adventures first-hand." Nasa is reinventing air traffic control for drones

Microsoft revamps awesome apps for Apple Watch and Android Wear Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:17 PM PDT Microsoft is playing nice with its software and has released a slew of updates for Apple Watch and Android Wear devices in addition to launching a newer, fully functional Outlook app for the iOS wearable. Focused Inbox Watch notifications let you read full emails from your Apple Watch and reply with pre-written responses, emojis or voice dictation. You can even archive, delete, flag or schedule emails to appear later. The Glance screen will also let you see unread emails or calendar appointments. It doesn't seem like Android wearables will get the updated Outlook system but it will receive Microsoft Translator. Simply speak into your watch and get instant translations in 50 languages. Translate even faster by pinning your most commonly used translations and settings to the watch screen for easy access, plus browse your history of recently used phrases. If you'd rather translate typed text, the companion apps on both platforms will do just that along with letting you manage settings. Updates galore OneNote and OneDrive have also been improved for Android. There's a new way to dictate notes. By saying "OK Google, take a note," OneNote is activated letting you speak notes to your wearable. Recently viewed notes are also available to view on the watch. OneDrive now has a watch face that lets you see a photo from the last 30 days. Additionally, notifications pop up to show you edits made to shared documents. Wunderlust and Yammer round out the roster of apps Microsoft has updated for the two wearable platforms. Microsoft's wearables page shows its pretty dedicated to bringing its software everywhere. In fact, its improvements to the existing apps are already far better than native productivity apps found on both Apple Watch and Android Wear watches.

How to reinstall Linux Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:34 AM PDT Reinstall Linux The time has come when you need to wipe your machine and reinstall the operating system so that it is like brand new. However, you don't know what to do and you don't know where to turn. TechRadar has you covered ... even those of you who use Linux! Now, if you're my father, you would delete everything and complain about stuff missing later. In order to be smart about this procedure, it is very wise to do a backup of your computer with all of your files. We have reviewed some great backup solutions from the Toshiba 3TB Cavio, the Western Digital DL4100, to the SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive. You will want to back up your files so that this process is easy. Assuming that is all done, I am going to walk you through each step and what you need to prep. Prep work There are a ton of different distributions of Linux you can download; Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, CentOS, Debian, openSUSE, just to name a few. Now, I am going to show you how to install Linux using Ubuntu, but any of these distributions will have not-the-same-but-similar steps of installation. For preparation, I recommend using a USB Flash drive. It's far easier and faster than downloading the image and burning it to a CD/DVD. To make a USB Disk there is an application you will need to download, and you will need to download the .ISO image of the Linux Distro. Again, I'm choosing Ubuntu but you can choose any one. If you are on a Windows computer, you will need to download Pendrivelinux, and if you are on a Mac OS X computer you will need to download UNetbootin. And you can download the Ubuntu ISO here. Download the ISO, use the application, plug in your USB Drive (more than 8GB), format it, and follow the prompt of the application to mount your Linux Distro onto it. Step 1 Plug in USB Drive and boot off of it by pressing (F2). Step 2 Upon booting you will be able to try Ubuntu Linux before Installing. If you would like to play around, try it, but click Install Ubuntu when ready. Step 3 Click on the Install Updates when installing. This is an optional step but I like doing this as the Image (ISO) is usually older than most updates so it keeps your Linux OS up to date. Step 4 Choose Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu. This will delete your hard drive and install Ubuntu on a freshly formatted hard drive. Click Install Now and Continue to confirm. Step 5 Choose your Timezone. I'm in the northeast so I will be using New York as my timezone but type in your City or Country and click Continue when done. Step 6 Next screen will ask you to choose your keyboard layout. You can choose different languages and different variations of languages (English - US versus English - UK). I am sticking with English - US as my keyboard layout but go ahead and choose the one that fits yours best. Click Continue when done. Step 7 Choose your name, Choose your PC name, and input password. Also, I am setting my Ubuntu to log into automatically. Step 8 Installing! After the installation is complete, the installer will ask for you to reboot. That's it.

The Windows 10 privacy settings you need to change right now Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:30 AM PDT Privacy settings you need to change Windows 10 is here and by all accounts it's a smashing hit with a great new/retro look, Cortana's helping hand, plus all the performance enhancements of Windows 8.1 without the lingering interface problems. But for all the good Windows 10 brings, Microsoft's latest operating system has to collect a ton of data on its users, and that might not sit well for everyone. Windows 10 can see everything from the websites you visit to where in the world you are to all the online purchases you make, and those are just the bits Cortana collates. By default, the OS is programmed to watch the words you type and listen to your speech so it can personalize the experience for you. These features can be convenient, but also raise privacy concerns. Luckily, there are ways to curtail all of Windows 10's cyber sleuthing built right into the OS' privacy controls. However, cracking down on what Window 10 can see will come at the cost of some functionality and could potentially disable features you want to use (such as Cortana). Smothered at setup Even before you fully install Windows 10 there are a few ways to prevent your new operating system from accessing too much of your data. You should absolutely avoid simply going with the Express Settings in the setup process. Instead of taking the shortcut, pick Custom Settings so you can block access to things like location information, browser data and automatically connecting to suggested hotspots. If you're feeling particularly antsy about sharing personal information, you can also create a local account that keeps more of your data offline than cloud-connected Microsoft account. Do this by electing to create a new account instead of signing in when you're prompted for some Microsoft account credentials. Of course, going without a linked Microsoft account will prevent you from accessing OneDrive and make signing into your Xbox account a bigger hassle. Fixing everything after the fact Now, if you've already installed Windows 10 with express settings, it's not game over. You can easily tweak all the same Privacy Settings in the Control Panel. Starting with the general privacy options, you should immediately switch off your Advertising ID, a feature that apps and websites use to pick out what type of ads you might like based on how you've used your PC. The good news is even if you leave this feature on, the ID number is not associated with your real name, email address or any other personal information. Going down the list, the SmartScreen is an important feature you'll want to keep on because it actually protects you from potentially dangerous websites and installing malicious software. Likewise, the only reason to cut Windows 10 access to your language lists is if you want to start seeing ads in foreign languages. Tracking your typing and writing might sound sketchy, but Microsoft assures Windows 10 monitors this to improve the accuracy of its autocorrect suggestions and handwriting recognition. Unless you're particularly paranoid of a key logger accessing this information, there's no real reason to deactivate it. Location, location, location Where you've been and your location data are some of the most important bits of information you should keep to yourself. As such it's not surprising to see some very granular privacy options in this category. If you so choose, you can completely turn off Windows 10's ability to locate you as well as clear your location history. This route pretty much means you'll have to enter your zip code or address every time you want to check the weather or maps. So with this in mind, it's smarter to just fine tune what apps can see where you are. Camera and microphone Both the camera and microphone privacy settings pretty much follow the same template as location data options. You can either completely disable both inputs or choose which apps can record video and audio. Don't look at my stuff If there's one thing Windows 10 wants to do it's get to know you, and Cortana, the friendly assistant ask while it reminds you of upcoming appointments, among other things, is Windows 10's little helper, too. Thankfully, if this weirds you out, you can absolutely disable these functions in just a few clicks. Head to "Speech, inking & typing" and click through to "Stop getting to know me." This will allow you to turn off Cortana and dictation. If you'd rather keep Cortana around for some quick vocal searches and commands, there are more privacy options to drill down on exactly what the virtual assistant can and can't see. These options include account information such as your name and photo, friends and family in Contacts, Calendar events and Messages. Allowing Cortana to access this information and store it in the cloud makes transitioning between Windows 10 devices a cinch. While that could be a huge plus for those with Microsoft accounts, it's really up to you on whether you're comfortable with Microsoft knowing every detail about your life. To fully clear your history from Cortana and Windows 10, you'll also have to visit your Bing account settings on the web. After logging in, it's a simple matter of wiping your personal info, interests and Cortana information. Blocking connections Aside from keeping a close eye on what information Windows 10 sends back to Microsoft, you should also be aware of what your PC or laptop is sending over the air to mobile devices. By default, "Other Devices" privacy settings let your Windows 10 rig automatically connect and share information with other PCs, tablets and smartphones you own. For those who want to keep easy device pairing, clicking on "Choose apps that can sync over the air" will let you dictate how data is shared between apps and devices. Likewise, app access to USB-connected accessories can also be restricted completely or on a case-by-case basis set forth by the user. Calling Doctor Microsoft Feedback and diagnostic data should more or less be left completely open for maintenance purposes. And really turning off sharing in these fields will just make it that much harder for you to report odd hitches in Windows 10 to Microsoft. Wrangle your background apps Last but not least, limiting the number of apps running in the background using the Background Apps section of the Privacy Options will go a long way to saving processing power as well as preventing any errant data from leaking out. Left unchecked, most applications running in the background will transfer data over the web, check for updates, send notifications, and do more even when you're not actively using the them. Making Wi-Fi Sense One of Windows 10's neatest yet most troubling features is Wi-Fi Sense, which allows you to connect to suggested Wi-Fi hotspots and share a network connection with your contacts. In order to do this, Windows 10 has the ability to automatically join wireless networks and to look at your Outlook, Skype and Facebook friends. On top of the glaring privacy holes, you also can't control which of your contacts can access your network. So that means every person you talked to on Skype or emailed with Outlook can access printers and even other computers on the same network. Thankfully Facebook requires an extra verification step. In case you're having trouble finding the Wi-Fi Sense settings, look for the "Advanced Settings" pane in the general Wi-Fi settings menu. That's all, folks With these tips, you can customize the information accessed by Windows 10, Cortana and Microsoft at large. Be warned that following these steps may result in less functionality and a few more inconveniences. But if privacy is important to you, it's well worth taking a look through your settings and customizing just how much information you're sending back to Microsoft. The best privacy software to keep you safe

Chromecast gets HBO's standalone app for cord-cutters Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:15 AM PDT The app offering on Google Chromecast just got even better. HBO Now is now available, allowing access to HBO's programming for owners of the mighty set-top-box-in-a-stick who don't subscribe to the channel via cable. Chromecast users have been able to enjoy premium programming such as Game of Thrones, Girls and True Detective since 2013 by using HBO Go, but only if they paid for a pricey cable package with HBO included. And since the release of HBO Now, the standalone app has had a limited reach on just a few streaming platforms, like Apple TV and Sling TV. But HBO Now isn't all that's new coming to Chromecast. Food fanatics can enjoy shows like Cutthroat Kitchen and Beat Bobby Flay on the new Watch Food Network app. And for the kid in all of us, Pokemon TV app is also available today. Find out what we thought of Google's Chromecast here

How to reinstall Windows Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:03 AM PDT Reinstall Windows The time has come when you need to wipe your machine and reinstall the operating system so that it is like brand new. However, you don't know what to do and you don't know where to turn. TechRadar has you covered. Although Windows 10 is alive and gaining popularity, most of you are still on Windows 7, so we'll use that as the basis for this tutorial. Now, if you're my father, you would delete everything and complain about stuff missing later. In order to be smart about this procedure, it is very wise to do a backup of your computer with all of your files. We have reviewed some great backup solutions from the Toshiba 3TB Cavio, the Western Digital DL4100, to the SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive. You will want to back up your files so that this process is easy. Assuming that is all done, I am going to walk you through each step and what you need to prep. Prep work and Step 1 If your hard drive is not bad, most companies that make laptops or workstations provide either a CD or a bootable image that is off the hard drive. Assuming your hard drive is not physically damaged or worn down, you should be able to press a key at bootup (usually F2, F9, or F11) but just look up that information on your manufacturer's website. If the aforementioned step to boot is not an option, either obtain a CD from the manufacturer or purchase a Windows Disk from Microsoft Directly. Now, I am going to be reinstalling Windows using a Microsoft Windows 7 Disk that I had purchased a couple of years back. Before we move forward I would like to note that the worst part about this situation is that you will have to install drivers to make sure your hardware is working. What I do is I download the network card and wifi drivers and save them onto a flash drive so when the computer comes up I can manage the install that way. You can also prep all the drivers and save them onto a flash drive. If you want an easier way to restore your Windows machine, maybe taking a computer image for restoration later might be the way to go, read our steps here. If you'd like to proceed with a more thorough install, place your Microsoft Windows Disk into your CD/DVD drive. Reboot the machine and press (usually F2) for boot options. We are going to choose to boot from the CD/DVD drive. Select it with the keyboard arrows and hit enter. Step 2 Upon start, click on the Install button. Step 3 Accept the License Agreement and click Next. Step 4 For a new installation on a hard drive, choose Custom Install and hit Next. Step 5 Select your hard drive. Now, if you have a new hard drive hit New (for new hard disk) and click Apply. Once done, hit Format and Apply. If you are installing on a disk with data on it, I would recommend deleting it (especially since you backed up the data). Why? Well, if you had a virus you would be keeping it on the system and installing Windows on top of it. I would select the disk, delete the partition, hit New to create a new partition, and format. Once done, hit next. Step 6 This isn't really a step as this is when Microsoft is going to install Windows. Not much to do and, depending on the specs of your computer, it might take some time. But, if you were to go make a cup of coffee and a sandwich, I think it should be done by the time you get back. On 4GB of RAM it took my computer about 10 minutes to finish. Step 7 The following steps are for personalization, setting up the user name, password, etc. The first option is to setup the Username. Type whatever you would like your username to be. By Default, Windows will take whatever you input and add '-PC' at the end for the computer name. Step 8 Setup a password and a password hint. I chose something challenging, but something I can remember. The password hint cannot have the password in it - so you cannot set your password to be your dog's name, Nina, and then make the hint Nina. But, your hint could be "What is your dog's name?" Step 9 Automatic Updates. I hate them but I always enable them. I always select Use Recommended Settings. I suggest that you do, as well. Step 10 Choose your Date/Time Zone. Hit the drop down menu and select your timezone. I'm in New York City so the Eastern Time Zone is my choice. Step 11 Select your computer's location. This gives you the choices of "Pubic, Home, and Work." These are merely for firewall and security rules but if this is your home choose Home. Step 12 Now, Windows will boot in and you are good to go. But, we do still have to install our Windows drivers. Insert your Flash Drive and when it opens up select each driver. You will have to install them manually. Most of the time a driver will come with an installer, so clicking the Executable (.exe or .msi) should install the drivers for you.

Review: Updated: Amazon Fire TV Stick Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:50 AM PDT Amazon Fire TV Stick The set-top box landscape has changed. It used to be a full-size battle royale where three titans – the Roku 3, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV – duked it out for control of your television. Then, in July of last year, Google released Chromecast, a set-top box built into a thumb drive form factor and fits entirely behind a TV. In many ways the Amazon Fire TV Stick, the successor to the full-size Fire TV, looks similar to Google's impulse buy offering from last year. But whatever it may look like, its arrival onto the set-top scene can only mean one thing: The time of the titans is over, and a new age of streaming sticks is here. The Fire TV Stick is petite and powerful, currently available in the US, as well as the UK. It fits flush with most TV's HDMI ports and, unlike its main competitor Chromecast, comes with a fairly decent remote. In terms of content, you'll find just about everything here. Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Showtime Anytime, HBO Go and more have already joined the party, while Amazon's Prime Instant Video basically sits at the head of the proverbial table. Almost everything feels right about the Amazon Fire TV Stick, but most of all is its $40/£35 price tag. It's $10/£5 more than Chromecast, but $10/£10 less than the Roku Streaming Stick; it feels like a supremely good value for what you get in the box. Where Amazon Fire TV Stick stumbles, however, is its deep-rooted attachment to its mother service, Amazon Prime. Without Prime, the set-top stick feels devoid of personality. Yes, you can still get those great aforementioned apps, yes you'll zip around from one section of the interface to the next thanks to its powerful components, and yes you'll even get a 30-day trial for free just for buying the streaming stick – but, after the trial runs out or you choose not to commit to Amazon's service, the whole experience feels sterile without Prime. Design, setup and performance At this point in the game, a streaming stick is nothing new. It's a plastic, thumb drive-sized device that plugs into any HDMI port (not just MHL-equipped ports) and draws power from a USB port on the TV or from a wall outlet via the included converter. The exterior itself isn't all that exciting – it's 3.3 x 1.0 x 0.5 inches (84.9 x 25.0 x 11.5 mm) and has the Amazon logo on one side – but it's the lack of any distinct features that help the Fire TV Stick blend into the back of any TV. It even comes with an HDMI extender cable in case you've got a wall-mounted setup and no additional space to spare in the back. While these extras are something the $30 Chromecast comes standard with, the more expensive, $50 Roku Streaming Stick does not. Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that really count, and Amazon scores major points for putting the consumer first. After you've got the stick firmly seated in an HDMI port you've got to provide a power solution. You'll need to connect the micro-USB powered stick to either a USB port on the TV or, attach the adapter and plug it into the wall. If you choose the former, you'll get a warning when you boot the system up for the first time. It'll tell you that it can't draw enough power from the USB port to provide the ideal experience. The TV I used for testing, a TCL Roku TV (ironic, I know), had more than enough power for the job and never once did the streaming stick fail due to lack of juice. If you're in a similar situation, just ignore the warning and move on.But, besides the one micro-USB port on the exterior, you won't find any other ports on the sides of the Fire TV Jr., which means there's no way to hardwire the device to your router. In practice, this lead to a few hiccups here and there, but because it's equipped with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) and supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks, the Stick can handle some the diciest of connections with ease, though, without a hard-line in this is certainly a YMMV situation. It's impressive that the Amazon Fire TV Stick requires so little energy, especially once you find out what the Fire TV Stick has going on inside the box – namely, a Broadcom dual-core processor, 1GB of memory and 8GB of storage. Comparing that to the Chromecast, which sports a single-core processor, 512MB of memory and 2GB of memory, Amazon's miniature stick comes out the clear winner. Apps and games Where the full-size set-top boxes like the Nexus Player and Apple TV struggle with too little content to choose from on their platforms, Amazon Fire TV has an abundance of apps at your disposal. All of the primary suspects are here and accounted for: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, Showtime, NFL Network, Pandora, Spotify, Crackle, Rdio and more. While the Roku 3 sports over 1,000 channels (read: apps), the Fire TV Stick has a number closer to several hundred with multi-function apps and games mixed in with the entertainment channels. Perusing the store, I discovered some new interesting apps like TripSmart – a travel channel that provides videos on exotic locales – and an old favorite, 2048, optimized for the big screen. Like Roku, there's a lot of shovelware mixed in with the good stuff, which means you'll have to root around the mud to find the two or three real gems in a given list. Games are also present and accounted for on Amazon's smaller system, and for the most part the less-intensive titles play incredibly well. Disappointingly though, you won't find many graphically demanding games here like The Walking Dead Season 1 or 2. Nor are you likely to spot Grand Theft Auto here anytime soon. That doesn't seem to be due to any fault of the hardware – the system boasts the right specs for those higher-end games – the content simply isn't there. The lack of games doesn't necessarily hurt the system, however. If you want to have a streaming system that's jam-packed with gaming goodness, consider the full-size Amazon Fire TV or Nexus Player. Both have a dedicated gamepad sold separately and have a great selection of titles. Speaking of separate controllers, the full-size Amazon Fire controller can also be paired with the Fire TV Stick. But many of the 200-plus games available on the console don't necessarily need – or work better – with a controller instead of the standard remote. Home entertainment enthusiasts, on the other hand, will be glad to see Plex here, as it has been MIA on a few of the other systems I've tested recently. PlayStation TV: I'm looking at you. The launch line-up of apps is as strong as it's going to be outside of a Roku product, and though I wish it were a little more AAA game-oriented and much more platform-agnostic (searches only return Amazon content. Also, a shared Google Play library would more than make up for any shortcomings in selection). That said, this is still a fairly balanced ecosystem. Remote One of the biggest advantages of buying the Amazon Fire TV Stick over the other guys is the remote. It weighs next to nothing and errs on the cheap side, but on it you'll find a few sparse, but powerful, buttons: back, home, menu, rewind, play/pause and fast forward. At the top you'll find a circular directional pad and a central button that does just about everything else. If you're a Fire TV owner you'll notice that this remote doesn't come with the built-in mic and voice-search button. The functionality still exists if you use the accompanying Fire TV app, but it doesn't exist on the pack-in peripheral. If you really need it, though, Amazon sells the full-size remote separately for $40 or allows you to sync your old Fire TV remote to the Stick without much of a problem. The remote also works over Bluetooth, which means it won't need direct line of sight to the Stick itself – a handy feature considering 95% of users will want to keep the Fire TV out of sight behind the television. It may not win the award for "most durable remote," but the remote is exactly like the Stick: simple and efficient. Interface and navigation The interface is a direct replica of the full-size Amazon Fire TV's menu. It's crowded and content-rich, making it a bustling, ever-evolving free-for-all for something to watch. It's may not be as clean-cut or aesthetically pleasing as some of the other menus we've seen on rival boxes, but Amazon chose to leave well enough alone and it's hard to argue against that reasoning. The users who'll see the most benefit here are compulsive Amazon media shoppers. Anytime you buy or rent a show or movie from Amazon, it will populate automatically in the "video library" sub-menu on the home screen. By doing this, Amazon builds a positive reinforcement cycle of buying new content on its storefront then showcasing everything you own in one centralized location. And, thankfully, zipping around from one section of the interface to the next takes no time at all. The hardware delivers responsive results in tenths of a second and, when you finally decide on what to watch, Amazon's predictive technology takes things one step further by pre-loading the first few seconds of the Amazon Instant movies you are most likely to watch. Verdict Chromecast is still the all-around winner when it comes to streaming sticks. It's not as fast as Amazon's Fire TV Stick, nor is it as feature-packed as the Roku Streaming Stick, but it's reliable, plays nicely with Android devices (as does the Fire Stick) and costs less than a night on the town. The Roku Streaming Stick is the agnostic brother to the other two. If you can't decide which e-tailer to give your money to, and would rather give it to the services themselves, this is the streamer for you. It also has the most content than any other platform. However just be prepared to wait a bit longer for it to load, speed really isn't Roku's strong suit. Regarding the contender at hand, the Fire TV Stick is best suited for those people who have really sunk their teeth into the Amazon ecosphere. When you strip everything else away, it feels like a device specifically engineered for Amazon Prime subscribers and generally compulsive Amazon shoppers. If you're using Amazon's Cloud Drive to store photos, you'll be able to display them with two clicks on the remote. And if your watchlists get longer than your shopping list, you'll have a great time going through the store and finally catching that 2006 Martin Scorsese film with Leo Dicaprio. (It's called The Departed and it's fantastic.) We liked The Amazon Fire Stick is dead simple to setup and, once it's going, you'll be impressed with just how much there is to see and do with the system. Menu screens populate in a fraction of a second and some smart on-board technology gets videos started faster than the competition. If you've bought into Amazon's tablet and media ecosystem, you'll almost definitely want the low-cost addition to add to your collection. It'll sync up seamlessly with these devices but, unlike Chromecast, doesn't require them in lieu of a remote. If you haven't already ponied up the $99 a year for Prime you'll find less here than on other systems but, at worst, you'll still have access to services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Showtime Anytime and a few other key players. We disliked You also won't find the same kind of niche content on Amazon's storefront as you would on the Roku 3 or Roku Streaming Stick. There may not be a major clamor for that one Korean channel you've never heard of, but someone, somewhere will be slightly broken-hearted when they can't find it here. Content, as a whole, is also largely dependent on the Amazon Store. It makes sense why search results only display Amazon Video links, but there's nothing worse than paying $3.99 for a movie only to find out it was available on Netflix for free. Lastly, there just isn't a great selection of triple-A games. There's enough casual games for a lifetime, but if you're looking to play the highest-end games that Android has to offer, you'll need to upgrade to a full-size box. Final verdict It's easy to dismiss the Fire TV Stick as a cash-in on the streaming stick fad, but doing so would be a real disservice to the work and innovation Amazon packed into its pint-sized product. It's a step forward for streaming sticks and sets a new standard of what is and is not acceptable from here on out. Namely, it provides a remote, a good interface and 99% of the key services for a very reasonable price tag. The only real faux-pas here is intentional, and that's the stick's almost unreasonable dependence on Amazon Prime to function in full. It's by far the least impartial of the three major streaming sticks – the other two being Chromecast and Roku – and around every corner is trying to sell you on a movie, game or TV show you didn't necessarily know you wanted until right then. It's not the best game console hybrid either. Though that's to be forgiven as its full-size sibling, the Amazon Fire TV and optional accompanying controller, are there to pick up the slack. The Fire TV Stick is a present from the ecommerce giant to media lovers everywhere. While it has its flaws, by and large the final product is one any TV or movie enthusiast will be happy with – as long as they have an Amazon Prime account.

Here's Blizzard's latest World of Warcraft expansion Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:44 AM PDT Blizzard took to the stage at Gamescon 2015 in Cologne, Germany, to announce the 6th expansion, Legion, for its long-running massively-multiplayer online game (MMO) World of Warcraft. The game-maker introduced Legion with a cinematic trailer (which you can find here) that bridges the gap between its last expansion, Warlords of Draenor, before going into the details of what you can expect from the new expansion. Legion will be lore-heavy, and will be bringing back the Burning Legion, as well as introducing the new continent the Broken Isles, which is where most of the action will occur. With the beta set to be launched later this year, the new expansion will also be adding 36 new artifact weapons, a level-100 character boost, class order halls and a whole new hero class, Demon Hunter. You can check out the trailer below for more details on the new features: YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6CWue7voA0 Here's what to expect from Gamescon 2015

In Depth: Nintendo NX: A closer look at the mystery console Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:15 AM PDT The path to the NeXt Nintendo system Update: Check out the "What we know so far" section below for all the latest news on the Nintendo NX. Update #2: Japanese video game publisher Square Enix announced today that two entries in its seminal Dragon Quest series could be headed to the Nintendo NX in 2016. Original article below... Well, that didn't take long. Less than two-and-a-half years after Nintendo launched the Wii U, the console stalwart has revealed plans for a new console, codenamed Nintendo NX. There's good reason for the expediency: while Sony (and to a lesser extent, Microsoft) can potentially match their earlier successes with their latest batch of consoles, the Wii U will almost definitely go down in history as Nintendo's worst-selling console. Just how dire is Nintendo's need to jump ship on the Wii U? It's currently sitting at around 10 million units sold, and even a new Legend of Zelda game won't likely double system sales to the point where it can match the GameCube's near 22-million sales mark. While the big N has been tight-lipped about what the NX will bring to the market, even going so far as to say more won't be revealed until next year, examining the successes and failures of the Wii U and exploring Nintendo's 30 years of console-publishing history can shed light on what we're to expect from the NX. What we know so far: The Nintendo NX won't run Android It exists, but Iwata said it won't be ready in 2015 Dragon Quest XI could be the NX's first game It's available for pre-order at select retailers Nintendo will still support the Wii U and 3DS after the NX launches Here's what Super Mario looks like on Unreal Engine 4 Zelda on Wii U missed E3 2015 - could skip Wii U entirely The path to the NeXt Nintendo system Nintendo's greatest successes were due to the company taking its biggest risks. Its top-selling portable was the Nintendo DS, a portable console with a second, touch-enabled screen that many scoffed at before it revolutionized handheld gaming. Likewise, the original Wii far outpaced every previous TV-tethered system, and it did so by treading its own path, eschewing the standard controls with a revolutionary motion-controlled setup that some competitors are still attempting to mimic. If Nintendo wants to see the NX succeed it'll need to etch these lessons into memory. Should it follow in the footsteps of the 3DS or Wii U, however, all hope may be lost. The Nintendo 3DS originally stumbled, and Wii U has outright failed is truly differentiating themselves from their direct predecessors. Both assumed that the previous generation's record-breaking install base wanted more of the same, so they both came with extensive backwards compatibility and names that recalled the previous generation. The 3DS only broke out of its funk after drastically dropping its price while also debuting a new Zelda and 3D Mario game. The same might be in-store for the Wii U, though the reveal of the NX means its clock is ticking. How will the NX be different? For the NX, a new control method is in the works after the Wii U's controller/touch-screen hybrid failed to inspire widespread developer support. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata even said as much when first announcing the console, saying it will incorporate a "brand-new concept." When you take into account the other major change Nintendo revealed during that same event (a commitment to develop smartphone games), Nintendo's 25-year-old dual-pronged strategy of leaning on both a portable and home console could come to a close this decade. Even though the 3DS is currently Nintendo's saving grace, developing a games-only portable device is becoming more and more of a risk in this day and age. Ever since the release of the GameCube Nintendo has consistently had the least-powerful system on the market. Given how much stock Sony and Microsoft put into creating cutting-edge tech, that's not likely to change. They've done touchscreens, they've done motion-controls ... heck, Nintendo was doing VR two decades ago, so what's the next possible realm to tackle? With the NX, it's possible Nintendo could create a console-portable hybrid. The Wii U dipped its toe in letting users take their games on the go by letting them play on a Gamepad as long as they were in proximity to a Wii U console. But if Nintendo creates an Xbox One/PS4-level system that you can take on the go, then you're playing with power. What does the NX need to succeed? If I had to pick one thing? Better launch games. The Nintendo DS was the rare exception to the rule that successful Nintendo consoles debut with an all-new Mario or Zelda game (remakes and 2D Mario retreads don't count). Nintendo was smart to hedge its bets and shift development of Twilight Princess to both its old and new hardware, and it could do the same with the NX to maximize exposure of the next Zelda game. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy were amongst the highest-profile releases for their respective Nintendo consoles, and there's no surer bet to launch a Nintendo console alongside than an all-new Mario game. If a game with a name "Super Mario Universe" debuted the same day as a new Nintendo console, the hordes of lapsed Nintendo fans could likely return to the fold. However, Wii Sports and Wii Fit proved that Nintendo doesn't need to (and perhaps shouldn't) lean on a new IP to become a smash hit if new tech is impressive enough. If Nintendo creates a console-portable hybrid and can come up with a simple concept that encourages players to both take the tech on the go and tether it to a TV, a good pack-in game can offer proof to the casual crowd, while the launch day Mario or Zelda game will capture the hardcore. Nintendo NX price will be a major factor In addition to their unclear identities and unexciting launch slates, high initial price tags were the biggest roadblock for Nintendo's most recent portable and home consoles. For the NX to succeed at launch, it needs to be the cheapest video game hardware on the market, and by a large margin. Whether it's due to creating the next control innovation or breaking tradition by selling hardware at a loss, you can rest assured Nintendo won't bungle launch pricing for a third consecutive console. Nintendo's previous generation of consoles, the DS and Wii, gained traction by launching at $150 and $250 (£99.99 and £179.99) respectively, so whether it's focused on dominating your living room or your public transportation commute, Nintendo knows where the sweet spot lays for pricing its consoles. When will we see it? Given Nintendo's history of teasing, revealing and releasing consoles, a holiday 2016 release for the Nintendo NX is likely. Just look at Nintendo's track record. The Wii U was first teased ahead of E3 2011 and debuted in 2012. The 3DS was first announced in early 2010, a year before it came out. The DS was teased in 2003 and revealed in 2004. The Wii is the rare exception because it was teased at E3 2004, shown for the first time a year later, and released over a year after that. With Nintendo saying they won't speak any further on the NX this year (though that could just be a red herring for a major E3 2015 reveal), one might think this could be another console that takes its time to come to market. But desperate times call for desperate measures. The continually-shrinking portable landscape has led to Nintendo's first major third-party game development, and the Wii U's poor sales performance has likely sped up the NX's timeline. The Wii U's lifespan can't extend another two years with the severe lack of third-party support, so it's not unreasonable to expect this system's lifespan to be cut off at four years. If anything, a 2016 release may finally move Nintendo out of the way of the PlayStation 5 and Next Xbox releases, truly differentiating Nintendo from the masses. And if we've learned anything, Nintendo does best when it separates from the pack.

Updated: Apple Music: release date, price and features Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:00 AM PDT Apple music streaming service Update: According to USA Today, in its first month Apple managed to coax 11 million subscribers to sign up for its free three-month trial. Update #2: Apple Music has arrived! Check out our first impressions in our hands-on review of Apple Music, the the new streaming kid on the block. Once you've checked that out you can bag yourself a free three month trial of the service, but you'll need to download iOS 8.4 on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to access it, or update iTunes. If you're unsure how to get Apple Music on your devices, read our handy how-to guide! Original article follows... Apple Music, the name of Apple's long-awaited replacement for Beats Audio and iTunes Radio, is official. And while it may sound like a copycat, Apple's controversial approach will sing a different tune from Spotify and other music streaming services. Announced at WWDC 2015, the service looks to integrate on-demand music streaming, a 24/7 radio station called Beats1 and a social network that will help fans connect with artists "on the deepest level, building relationships that last a lifetime." Some of these features will be free. Some of them won't. A lot of it will look like Spotify and Rdio, but Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve to separate itself from the pack. For one thing, the Cupertino company's bold new venture into streaming isn't all about songs – it's about community and uniting music fans the world over. Services like Beats1 will have a revolving set of DJs based in London, Los Angeles and New York that keep new music, interviews and news running around the clock. Meanwhile, a new integrated social network called Connect will try to erase our memories of Apple's misguided Ping service. Cut to the chase What is it? A new streaming music service from Apple When is it out? June 30 on iOS 8.4, OSX and Windows, with Android support coming in the fall How much does it cost? $9.99/£9.99 (about AU$13) per month or $14.99/£14.99 (about AU$20) for families of up to six individuals But for every move Apple's made to shake, shake, shake up the industry, it's been met with consternation and apprehension, most notably from megastar Taylor Swift. But before we go too far down the MP4 rabbit hole, let's talk about how big of a hole Apple Music will leave in your wallet every month. Pricing and release date There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that Apple doesn't believe in giving away a free meal. Apple's service has a price tag: $9.99/£9.99 (about AU$13) per month or $14.99/£14.99 (around AU$20) for families of up to six individuals. The good news is exactly what you'll get for that asking price. By subscribing to the service, you'll be able to play and locally save any number of tunes from iTunes's 25-million song catalog without any stipulations. That's 5 million more songs than Spotify has which, for fans of the indie genre, makes all the difference in the world. Plus, for fans of Tidal, you'll also be able to access "high-quality curated playlists" and get "expert music recommendations," if that's more your speed. Apple will offer a free version of the service, too, to everyone with an Apple ID, but all it includes are the ability to listen to the new global radio station and use Apple's social media service. Comparatively, Spotify and Rdio offer unlimited streaming with ads to its members without a monthly fee, though many similar features, like saving local music, are set behind a paywall. Apple Music's free version is intentionally limited, clearly, to see users jump into Apple's paid ecosystem. The silver lining is that the monthly service is lessened by a three-month free trial offer that Apple is extending to new users. Apple Music will be released on June 30 alongside Apple iOS 8.4, with PC and Macs to receive a new version of iTunes around the same time, and an Android version will be made available in the fall. Music curation When Apple started hiring ex-music journalists shortly after the purchase of Beats, we knew something was up. What they were doing, apparently, was putting together a comprehensive way to sort and recommend music, using not only the algorithms from the now-defunct Beats service but human curation to present "great music people want to hear." In theory, this will look a lot like Tidal's curated playlists, jam-packed full of information on artists, studios and producers, combined with Pandora's ability to match you with the most popular songs in your preferred genre. Realistically, Apple Music has the advantage here by having your entire iTunes library at its fingertips that it can use as a reference point for the bands and artists you listen to the most. Beats 1 global radio When Apple said it was going to revolutionize the way we listened to music with a new radio station, it was hard not to laugh. Beats1 will be a 24/7 music station, like SiriusXM here in the US, and hosted by renowned DJs like Zane Lowe, Blame Ebro and Julie Adenuga from Los Angeles, New York and London. It will be the first in its class that will offer news, interviews and new music from artists around the clock. A recent report from The New York Times says that we can expect Elton John, Drake and Pharrell to host their own shows, with Pharrell calling "dibs" on the first Apple Music debut of an upcoming song. The report also revealed that the first guest on Zane Lowe's show will be renowned rapper Eminem. Apple Connect social network Ping, Apple's first attempt at connecting fans with artists via Facebook-like social media, was a complete failure. It launched in 2010 and was shuttered by the end of 2012 after limited engagement, and what seemed like artist apathy. Apple Connect, we hope, will be different. Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue took the audience through a live demo of the service that promises to integrate the on-demand streaming from services like Rdio and Spotify with social media services like the revamped Myspace. In Cue's demo, he showed a behind-the-scenes video of Bastille composing music for their new album, as well as Alabama Shakes's lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard in the recording studio. It's content that will drive Connect. Without it, Apple should consider pulling the curtain early and saving the world a small headache down the road. Controversy about paying artists Apple Music's three-month free trial was its ace-up-its-sleeve. To promise every iTunes account holder three months of unlimited streaming sounded too good to be true. It turns out it was. Just not for the content creators. After its WWDC 2015 unveiling, Apple announced that it wouldn't pay artists a cent for music streamed during a user's three-month trial, and then it would switch to a 70/30 payment system then-after. As you can well imagine, this didn't sit well with artists - particularly, Taylor Swift. "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation," Swift wrote on her Tumblr blog. Talk about "bad blood." Indie artists and megastars alike asked Apple to pay up or ship out, and Apple being Apple, decided to do the latter. Apple refused to negotiate with indie artists, giving them an ultimatum to either stream their catalog for free for the first three months or remove their music from the storefront. It took a threat from Taylor to withhold her latest album "1989" before Apple caved in to demands. Apple has since back-pedaled on its original stance and will now pay out artists during users' free trials, and in return have the exclusive streaming rights to Swift's set of tracks. You'll need the best headphones around to get the most out of your music streaming service Page 2 - Leading up to WWDC 2015 What follows is our take of the service before Apple's World Wide Developer Conference... Following months of reports, Apple is expected to unveil its own on-demand music streaming service at its annual developer conference. While the tech giant has yet to detail its intentions in full, sources paint a fairly clear picture of a paid subscription model in the vein of Spotify and the fresh-faced Tidal. There are also talks of Apple overclocking its current iTunes Radio platform with technology from its acquisition of Beats Electronics. Has Apple finally lined up its successor to iTunes, or will this be too little, too late? It's too soon to make the call, but we've managed to collect as much information as possible in the days leading up to Apple's big developer conference. What is Apple's new music service? Apple's new service will allow users to stream unlimited music for a monthly fee, according to a recent report by The New York Times. This service may well be a revamped version of iTunes Radio, its current horse in the race against online radio services such as Pandora. The streaming service is projected to borrow heavily from Beats Music, following the acquisition of the Beats Electronics brand by Apple last year for a cool $3 billion (about £1.9 billion/AU$3.9 billion). This would likely result in an emphasis on expert-crafted playlists, and using both music downloaded by the user as well as music curation algorithms to create custom, personalized soundtracks. Integrations with social networks such as Facebook or Twitter could also be expected. There have also been talks of upgrading the iTunes Radio to feature virtual DJs to create a living radio atmosphere and prepare specialized music rotations, with artists such as Pharrell and Drake rumored to take part in the lineup. How will I get it, and how much will I have to pay? The app's launch is expected to play out as an update to iTunes and the iOS Music app featured on iPhones, iPads, and iPods, so says USA Today. This method ensures all up-to-date iOS and iTunes users have access to Apple's new music service, which could turn out to be a huge boon for the company as they play catchup to the long-established Spotify. Considering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus alone managed to sell over 10 million units the weekend they were released, shattering pre-order records for the company, smartphone users on iOS could become a massive install base once the revamped music service reaches their device. Payment and account information would most likely be tied to a user's Apple Pay and Apple ID information, as well as be part of the Music app currently pre-installed on all iOS products. This means Apple could get first dibs on a ton a potential customers new to streaming, as well as simplify the onboarding and payment process for established fans of on-demand music. The most recent report, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, has an Apple musc subscription costing $10 per month, a rate similar to the rest of the competition, excluding Tidal's HiFi offering for $20/£20 a month. There will also likely be free trials available, but curiously enough Apple hasn't offered a "free" tier similar in other online services, suggesting that the new Apple Music will only be available to paying customers. Given the streaming side of the service might be premium-only, it is likely that any advertising content will be reserved for its internet radio service, where the DJ-run channels may still be available to listen to for free. Why now? Apple is no stranger to spotting trends. Remember, iTunes revolutionized purchasing and playing music in the digital space over a decade ago. Music streaming has rapidly become more popular over the traditional model, with music download sales dropping 8% in 2014 while subscription sales climbed nearly 40%, according to market research by the IFPI music market research firm. This isn't Apple's first foray in online music listening, either. iTunes Radio made its debut in 2013 as a response to Pandora and other online music services. As more on-demand services gain traction, offering instant access to millions of songs, it would make sense for Apple to make its next step, especially given that the extensive iTunes library already grants it a head-start in music selection. When is Apple's new service coming out? Apple's upcoming WWDC 2015 conference begins June 8 and runs through June 12, and it's here Apple is expected to make an official announcement. While the service could very well be set to launch as early as that week, there have been reports of license negotiations with major record labels going at a sluggish clip. We'll just have to see if Apple can get its music service off the ground for a June release. Until then, there's still many questions left unanswered. How will prior iTunes purchases factor in? What regions will it be available in? Will there be an offline mode? With luck, these questions and more will be resolved as we provide updated coverage in the coming week. Music isn't the only streaming service in the works from Apple. Check out the Apple TV 2!

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