Daily Tech News and Updates: 2018

Monday 31 December 2018

2018 Honda N-One RS first drive review: Cutie with surprising booty - Roadshow

This adorable city car is fun to drive, affordable and can pack a shocking amount of junk in its trunk.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2AnbIh2

Before the Concorde, there was 'the Concordski' - CNET

The Russian-built Tupolev Tu-144 beat the Concorde into the air by two months. But the supersonic plane would enjoy a far less successful career.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2SuiKHU

Self-driving hotel room comes to you like an Uber video - CNET

This completely autonomous hotel room picks you up and drives you to your faraway destination.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2AqQ8Zb

Cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2019 - Roadshow

The next 12 months has Roadshow editors eager for a pickup truck, a crossover and a lot of sports cars.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2SuiJDQ

Airtel's Wynk Music Launches 'Your Year in Music 2018', Shows What You Most Listened to This Year

Wynk Music on Friday introduced a feature through which users can track their choices of music and artistes they followed in 2018.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2EY3ccp

Samsung Working on Smaller Bixby-Powered Smart Speaker: Report

Samsung is reportedly planning a cheaper version of its Galaxy Home smart speaker powered by its voice assistant Bixby.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2RsmyvW

Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite Leaked in Renders Yet Again

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is seen sporting a bezel-less and notch-less display, instead sporting what Samsung calls the Infinity-O Display.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2GPQwGi

Motorola One Power Gets December Security Patch in India, Call Quality Improvements, Users Report

Motorola One Power started receiving an Android 9.0 Pie update in India last month.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2RoSRMq

This Startup's New Passenger Drone Is 'Like a Flight Simulator That You Can Ride In,' CEO Says

The aircraft can travel just over 100kmph at top speed and includes air-cushioned floats, allowing it to land on water if necessary.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QeRF9J

NASA's New Horizons to Fly Past Ultima Thule Tonight, Here's How to Watch

To ancient explorers, "Ultima Thule" was what lay past the northernmost edges of maps, beyond the borders of the known world.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2VmpsS4

China Restarts Video Game Approvals After Months-Long Freeze, Tencent Missing From List

China on Saturday approved the release of 80 online video games after a freeze on such approvals for most of the year, but the titles did not include games from industry leader Tencent Holdings.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QffDSc

7 New Year's tech resolutions - CNET

Follow these tips to make 2019 safer, easier, cheaper and just plain better.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2EZx4oP

Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi Mix 4 to Sport a Triple Camera Setup and Snapdragon 855: Report

Xiaomi is expected to include a triple-camera setup on the back of its next-generation Mi 9 and Mi Mix 4 smartphones, a research note has claimed.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2BOOIrj

Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi Mix 4 to Sport a Triple Camera Setup and Snapdragon 855: Report

Amazon to Expand Whole Foods Stores: Report

Amazon is planning to expand its Whole Foods Market portfolio by adding more stores to put more customers within its two-hour delivery service range, the Wall Street Journal reported.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2BODyCY

Do your kids need an early night? Netflix has your back this New Year's Eve

Instead of partying until the early hours, many of us will be spending New Year's Eve curled up in front of the TV this year, and this is especially true if you have young children at home.

If you're spending the evening with the kids, you might be worried about letting them stay up until midnight in case they are overtired the next day – or maybe you just want some time to yourself.

Well, thanks to Netflix, you could get them to bed early after all. The streaming giant has released a number of kid-friendly New Year's Eve countdowns, which can be played at any time you want, fooling your children into thinking it's midnight.

Netflix and chill (literally)

With 12 titles to choose from, you should be able to find a countdown that your kids will love this year. These include The Boss Baby: Back in Business, All Hail King Julien, Tales of Arcadia, Spirit Riding Free, Fuller House, Beat Bugs, Pinky Malinky, Super Monsters, Motown Magic, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Larva Island, Skylanders Academy, Prince of Peoria, and Alexa & Katie.

Netflix released its first fake countdown for kids way back in 2014, with Madagascar's King Julien leading the festivities. Since then, they have taken off in popularity, with around five million members tuning in each year, according to the streaming platform.

So, if you're hoping for a tranquil end to the year, Netflix may just be exactly you need to see in the New Year with well-rested kids (and a bit of peace and quiet.)

Check out our roundup of the best free games for kids

Via BGR

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2Roq4rb

Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer Celebrated as 'Mother' of Hubble, Dies at 93

Roman, who was celebrated as a trailblazer for female scientists and a driving force behind advances including the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, died Dec. 25 at a hospital in Germantown, Maryland.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2s1cXhx

BSNL, Vodafone Idea Launch 'No Blackout Days' on December 31 and in 2019 to Counter Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio is offering "no blackout days" to its customers since its launch back in September 2016.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2AngcEy

Google Brings Inbuilt Spam Protection to Messages App

Google has begun rolling out its spam protection feature to its Messages app on Android after almost over six months of developing it.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2GM7fdF

Use tech to achieve your New Year's resolutions video - CNET

Resolutions don't have to be just dreams.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2F0nAtw

Top 5 rejected Top 5s of the year (2018 edition) video - CNET

Not every topic manages to get the full Top 5 treatment. Find out what could come next year and what will never see the light of day.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2EZ7aAQ

13 weird and wonderful niche Linux distros of 2018

Note: Our weird and wonderful niche Linux distros roundup has been fully updated. This feature was first published in December 2011.

Fed up with the bog-standard Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and so on? Looking for a distro that reflects your individuality? In this roundup we've discovered no less than 13 of the quirkiest and most useful distributions that Linux has to offer.

They include one distro which is the official, sanctioned OS of North Korea, no less, and an OS which is so light it will run on a PC from the mid-80s.

Read on to find out more about each of these interesting distros. Before we begin, however, do note that not all of these operating systems are suitable for everyday use without extensive modification – so consider running them from a Live CD/USB or within a virtual machine, rather than installing them on a computer.

Linux Format is the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more. Subscribe to the print or digital version of Linux Format here

Image credit: DistroWatch

The ‘hermit kingdom’ that is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is one of the most isolated countries in the world. The internet is strictly censored (indeed, most North Koreans have never even heard of it) and access to computers is patchy.

Unwilling to rely solely on operating systems developed by the imperialist US, supreme leader Kim Jong-Il sanctioned the development of an official OS of North Korea named Red Star, which is based on Linux and uses North Korean terminology and spelling.

Red Star fully lives up to the Orwellian reputation of the DPRK. It is closed source and has a feature which watermarks any media files copied to external drives with the hard drive’s serial number. This is most likely because North Korean dissidents often swap banned films using a 'sneakernet' of USB sticks. Red Star also has a supposed 'virus scanner' which can automatically delete censored files. The root user is disabled by default, meaning you don't have full control over your system.

For this reason, you should only run Red Star inside a virtual machine. See our guide on how to do this here.

Development of Red Star has continued under the auspices of supreme commander Kim Jong Un. Version 3.0 was released back in 2014 and uses the KDE desktop environment, bearing a strong resemblance to macOS. It works quite well but is preconfigured to only use North Korea's intranet by default, so can't access the web at large, except for a few pages on the Mozilla website.

As the OS is based on Linux, skilled users can tinker with the language and DNS settings to use it in English with internet access. There's also a server-only version (4.0) used by the DPRK's official airline Air Koryo which can connect directly to the internet, but it's not available for general download.

The default web browser Naenara (meaning ‘My Country’) is a modified version of Firefox 3.5. We searched for 'democracy' in the default search engine, but nothing came up.

As a final reminder: if you want to give this a whirl, don’t install the OS on actual hardware, but rather inside a virtual machine.

Download Red Star OS here

The classically educated reader might be able to guess that MuLinux is a small distro – the Greek letter 'mu' is the SI designation for one millionth.

Mu was designed to be a minimal distro along the lines of Puppy or Damn Small Linux, but it's considerably more miniscule. The OS was developed to run from floppy disks, so only requires 20MB of hard disk space and 4MB of RAM. It will run on any machine with an Intel 80386 processor or later. This particular processor was released in 1985 so it’s safe to say that MuLinux can breathe life into ancient hardware.

Development of MuLinux was frozen in 2004. As mentioned, it was originally designed in such a way to allow the user to install and run a basic Unix-like shell from a single floppy disk, then install additional packages such as server tools from separate disks.

Download the base floppy disk and packages for MuLinux here

CAINE (which stands for Computer Aided INvestigative Environment) is aimed at users with an interest in crime scene investigation. It's an Italian flavor of Linux designed for forensic analysis and other types of police work.

CAINE includes a variety of CSI tools such as the Autopsy Forensic Browser, stenography tools and The Sleuth Kit. UFO (Ultimate Forensic Outflow) supports full, detailed recovery analysis such as browser history, password recovery, malware, log viewers and network analysis tools.

CAINE Linux is built around four objectives which include an interoperable environment that supports digital investigation, a user-friendly interface, and a semi-automated compilation of the final report. The ISO file weighs in at 3.6GB.

Download CAINE Linux here

This is one that will appeal to the techies out there – the thing that marks GoboLinux out from the rest is its filesystem layout. Most Linux distributions use an archaic non-arrangement wherein an application's files are scattered around your hard drive in several different folders.

GoboLinux adopts a macOS-like approach (which Apple in turn took from RISC OS), and stores all files associated with an application in a single folder in '/Programs'. For instance, if you have a program named 'foo' all files pertaining to it would be stored in '/Programs/foo'. You can still install multiple versions of the same application if you wish, for example, for separate users on the system. This is managed by GoboLinux's file virtualization tool Runner.

The most current version of GoboLinux is 016.01, released in April 2017, but the project's Github page shows Gobo is in active development. The latest version includes a copy of one of the very first web browsers, NCSA Mosaic, for a bit of old-school net surfing. GoboLinux also now includes GoboNet, a lightweight and daemon-free network manager.

Download GoboLinux here

If you like software freedom, you'll love GNewSense. The OS has had all non-free software removed, including binary 'blob' files in the kernel, so-named as they use proprietary code. Unfortunately, many of these blobs are drivers for wireless networking cards, so GNewSense may not work well with laptops.

On the plus side, it has removed or renamed software that doesn't fit the Free Software Foundation's definition of freedom. The OS uses a modified version of Debian's IceWeasel browser, for instance, to avoid using the Firefox trademark. GNewSense doesn’t provide any links to non-free repositories, making it even more free than Debian.

After a three year hiatus, the latest version of GNewSense, codenamed Ucclia, was released in May 2016 and is based on Debian 7. It can be booted as a Live CD to help you check whether it supports your hardware.

Download GNewSense here

Do you love Linux? Do you really love it? Because you're going to need to if you want to follow the Linux from Scratch program. Not (technically) a formal distro, LFS is more a set of tutorials and packages designed to help you set up your own completely bespoke Linux system. From scratch.

That means first creating a temporary system with which to compile the real thing, building your own partitions and file system, and installing every element of a functioning Linux system painstakingly by hand. Oh, and figuring out exactly why it isn't working.

The documentation comes in freely downloadable volumes, charmingly entitled 'Stable' for the latest release and 'Development' if you want to check out the version that creator Gerard Beekmans and his team are working on at this very moment. There's also a systemd version, which uses the latest in system initialisation techniques.

One of the easiest ways to get started is to read the freely downloadable LFS Book, which takes you through all the steps for constructing your own system. As of LFS version 8.0, the book has undergone a major rewrite with hundreds of new packages now available.

Download Linux from Scratch here

NixOS has grown from a simple research project in 2014 to a fully-fledged independent operating system, optimised for cutting-edge system configuration management. It qualifies as weird and wonderful due to the fact that the OS, kernel, and other system files are created using the integrated Nix package manager.

While Linux traditionally lumps packages together in various system folders such as /bin, Nix stores them in a single location (/nix/store).

The advantage of this is that all upgrades are 'atomic'. With traditional Linux distros, upgrading one package can cause others to break if they have shared dependency. Nix's crafty package segregation means that all updates and upgrades can be reversed. This makes for a very stable system.

Download NixOS here

Moebuntu is an upgrade for existing Ubuntu installations designed especially for fans of Manga and Anime, and it shows how the OS can be tweaked or fine-tuned to the extreme. There’s an automated setup tool which will apply the colourful desktop and icon themes – prepare yourself for some alarming hues of pink if you do so. There's also a suitably rosy dash icon as well as an array of wallpapers and Manga-style fonts.

As gaudy as this may appear, the advantage of Moebuntu is that it has kept pace with the times. The latest release supports Ubuntu 17.04 so unlike some of the other distros we've highlighted, you can enjoy a taste of the weird and wonderful while having an up-to-date OS.

You can install the Moebuntu desktop theme, icon packs, wallpaper and Dash icon by following the steps on the Moebuntu website

Having given the devil his due with Ubuntu Satanic Edition earlier in this article, it’s only fair that we let Christians rejoice about the version of Linux crafted just for them.

Ubuntu CE offers a non-denominational version of Linux for Christians, based on the standard Ubuntu builds. The latest version is built on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (long term support).

The stated aim of the project is to try to encourage more people within the Christian community to realise the power of Linux and switch to Ubuntu.

The latest release incorporates Xiphos, a bible study tool, as well as worship presentation software OpenLP and Quelea, which can be used to project bible verses, hymns and so on.

Ubuntu CE also includes the powerful 'Dansguardian' content filter providing advanced parental controls. The wallpaper has been thoughtfully chosen with Biblical quotes.

Download Ubuntu Christian Edition here

There still exists among our Windows-using cousins the risible idea that Linux isn't good enough to take over on the desktop – that the continued dominance of Microsoft on the desktop is inevitable, because Linux is not up to the job technically.

This can easily be refuted. All of the top 500 supercomputers in the world now run Linux. Also, the cleverest people on the planet – scientists searching for clues about the beginning of the universe – also use Scientific Linux at the CERN laboratories.

This distro is a rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and is actively developed by people within CERN, Fermilab and ETHZ. Anyone can download and install it on their machine – you don't even need a PhD in theoretical physics.

Download Scientific Linux here

Parted Magic is a Live distro that comes with all the tools you need to fix broken partitions. If something won't boot, this is what you use to fix it, and that goes for both Linux and Windows machines. It is most often used as a tool, although technically it is a Linux distribution in its own right.

Parted Magic also allows for secure disk erasing (making sure that data is really nuked), benchmarking, and disk cloning among other features. As a troubleshooting aid, it's indispensable, but it will cost you $11 (around £8.70, AU$15.60) to download direct from the author's site. For an additional fee you can order it preinstalled on USB or DVD.

Download Parted Magic here

This distro is drastically out-of-date and about as niche as they come, but HML – or Hannah Montana Linux – is the perfect desktop for fans of Miley Cyrus’ heady Nickelodeon days. Enjoy a pink Hannah Montana-themed KDE desktop, featuring Tux with the double-life teenage singer's logo emblazoned on his belly.

It also includes a custom Hannah Montana boot screen, theme, icon set and wallpapers. The website helpfully adds that it is not vulnerable to Windows viruses.

There's no reason to use HML unless you're a diehard Hannah fan, but since it's based on Kubuntu using KDE 4.2, there are plenty of packages to install. You could even upgrade it to the latest version of Kubuntu by running the command 'sudo apt-get dist-upgrade' from the Linux Terminal. Alternatively, diehard Montana-fans can download the icons and/or theme pack and install it on top of their existing KDE install.

Download HML here

Zeroshell comes from Italy, and it’s a small Linux distro designed to run as a Live CD for servers or embedded devices such as routers. You can even install it onto a Raspberry Pi.

It has no GUI but you can access and configure it from your web browser. Zeroshell is a lot more powerful than the average router's web interface allowing you to perform activities such as assigning IP addresses, DHCP provision and changing DNS settings. It can function as a proxy, VPN access point or a firewall, and can interface with any network appliance.

Zeroshell is in active development: the latest version (3.8.2) was released in December 2017.

Download Zeroshell Linux here

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2lf5XeB

Executive interview: Why Bet365 is going for Golang

from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2s11jDt

Microsoft Surface Go Starts Shipping in India, Starts at Rs. 38,599

Microsoft Surface Go, the Redmond giant's smallest and most affordable Surface device yet, started shipping in India on Monday exclusively through Flipkart.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2CHRgsU

Samsung reportedly working on Galaxy A50 and Galaxy M20 smartphones

Although the Samsung Galaxy A8s has yet to hit Indian markets, we can safely expect it to do so soon, given that the company brings all its offerings to the country, and moreover, its closest competitor, the Honor View20, is set to come to India in a short while. Meanwhile, the South Korean company is busy working on the launch of its upcoming flagship phones, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, which are expected to launch at or around the Mobile World Congress on Feb 25, 2019. And it appears that the company is also working on two other mid-tier phones, the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy A50.

The M20 is expected to launch before the S10, but it seems that the A50 will only go official after the Mobile World Congress 2019. Previous rumours that the A50 would pack a 5000mAh battery have now been denied; it seems it will pack a 4000mAh one instead.

Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy A50 will support more than one rear camera, and the primary one will have a 24MP sensor. The device will be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7 9610 chipset, an octa-core processor with four Cortex-A73 cores and four A53s. There will reportedly be two storage variants of the A50- a 4GB/64GB version, and 4GB/128GB.

The A50 is expected to run Android 9 Pie out of the box, based on its own One UI. Judging by this information, the A50 will probably launch after the Galaxy S10 and S10+, since the yearly flagship phones are usually the first to launch with the latest software, and the Galaxy S10 series is said to run Android 9 Pie out of the box as well.

Further reports place an in-display fingerprint sensor on the A50, but it is said to be an optical sensor rather than the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor expected in the S10.

Honor View 20 to be sold exclusively on Amazon India

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2EWpLNO

You can play a game from Black Mirror's Bandersnatch episode on your laptop

2019 Aston Martin Vantage review: Beauty is a beast - Roadshow

Aston Martin uses lightweight architecture and Mercedes-AMG power to create its most playful sports coupe yet.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2s3HsDC

Facebook Says Not Moderating Content Based on 'Inaccurate' Information

Facebook said on Saturday said the debate on content moderation should be based on facts not mischaracterisations.

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Can we live without passwords?

from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2AofO8J

Huawei Share in Global Premium Smartphone Market Hits Double Digits for First Time: Counterpoint

Apple led the global premium smartphone segment capturing 47 percent share of the segment, followed by Samsung (22 percent), and Huawei (12 percent).

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2CGRAs1

Hackers use a fake wax hand to fool vein authentication security

Vein authentication, a biometric security method that scans the veins in your hand, has been cracked, reports Motherboard. Using a fake hand made out of wax, Jan Krissler and Julian Albrecht demonstrated how they were able to bypass scanners made by both Hitachi and Fujitsu, which they claim covers around 95 percent of the vein authentication market. The method was demonstrated at Germany’s annual Chaos Communication Congress.

While imprints of fingerprints can often be left behind on surfaces just by touching them, vein patterns cannot, and are considered to be much more secure as a result. However, this wasn’t a problem for the researchers, who were able to copy their target’s vein layout from a photograph taken with an SLR camera...

from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2EZ4K64

Fitbit Charge 3, Charge 3 Special Edition With 7-Day Battery Life to Go on Sale in India on Tuesday

The Fitbit Charge 3 features an elevated, premium swim-proof design with a touchscreen display, over 15 goal-based exercise modes, up to 7 days of battery life,

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2ApgHOk

Poco F1, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Realme C1, Nokia 6.1, Other Phones on Discount During Flipkart Qualcomm Days Sale

Flipkart's 'Qualcomm Days' sale brings offers on popular Snapdragon-powered smartphones on Flipkart.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2R3nY0P

Facebook Privacy Debacle Continues as Popular Android Apps Found Sharing Data Without User Permission

A bunch of popular apps on Android could be putting your privacy at risk, according to a study conducted by Privacy International.

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10 smartphones launches to look out for in 2019

Secure and easy authentication will become a business advantage in 2019

At RSA’s 2004 security conference, Bill Gates predicted, “There is no doubt that over time, people are going to rely less and less on passwords,” adding that passwords “just don’t meet the challenge for anything you really want to secure.”

A pertinent truth that is often forgotten when discussing the importance of authentication is that passwords should have been removed from the equation a long time ago. However, many companies do not see why they should protect their users by moving away from passwords; they do not see customer security as a sales point nor a part of their business practice. Meanwhile, regulators see strong authentication as a business to business practice and not as a ‘must have’ in the consumer market.

As a result of a shift in awareness, regulations, and motivation in 2018 alone, we have more evidence than ever to believe this change will finally be implemented in the coming year, with many companies standing to benefit from its advantages.

Shift in awareness

There was an endless cycle of credential related breaches in 2018, from HSBC to Twitter and most notably Facebook, which resulted in an increase in both business and consumer awareness for weak single factor authentication.

Shift in regulations

With regulatory officials like HIPPA and PCI-DSS supporting multi-factor authentication and its three factor types: something you know, something you have and something you are, this mode of verification is here to stay.

Shift in liability

With the implementation of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) this year, the liability has shifted from the end user to the data handler and data processor, leaving the company legally liable for any breach of customer privacy and information. This change in liability hits organizations where it hurts – profits – giving them an incentive to provide better authentication processes to employees and customers alike.

These shifts have been predicted, however in the last few months we have seen an interesting shift in the least expected place: the US government. Sen. Richard Blumenthal tweeted that “we must set clear customer data protection standards for all companies — whether they’re hotel chains, online retailers, or big tech — and severe penalties for those who fall short.”

The public, regulators, and government are each aware of the dangers of passwords. In 2019 we will start to see companies which already utilize multi-factor authentication, present it as a unique sales value. Companies that don’t already use it will begin to support multi-factor authentication and use their newfound security to attract customers.

User experience and cost are two other components we believe will also soon adapt. An attractive business model is to offer a less expensive option for identity security that is both easier and more secure. According to Gartner’s 2018 Market Guide for User Authentication:

“By 2022, 60% of large and global enterprises, and 90% of midsize enterprises (MSEs), will implement passwordless methods in more than 50% of use cases, which is an increase from fewer than 5% today.”

Passwordless authentication is more secure, requires less maintenance (password resets, employee downtime) and the overall experience is simpler and easier, creating a superior user experience and a higher conversion of sales. Although over a decade too early, Bill Gates got it right in 2004 as we will see the masses move away from passwords in 2019.

Raz Rafaeli, CEO and Co-founder of Secret Double Octopus

We've also highlighted the best free password managers

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2GKx6CE

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Android 9 Pie Update Scheduled for January 15

Samsung has scheduled the Android 9 Pie stable update for the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone in January 2019.

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BSNL Offers Additional Talk Time on Combo STV Recharge Options to Rival Reliance Jio

The new offer is valid on special tariff voucher (STV) options of Rs. 152, Rs. 402, Rs. 175, and Rs. 219.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2GO5NYe

Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) With 4,000mAh Battery, Waterdrop-Shaped Notch Launched: Price, Specifications

The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) smartphone sports a waterdrop-shaped notch, dual rear camera setup, face unlock, and 4,000mAh battery.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2s3OY0Y

The best Netflix series in the UK (December 2018): fantastic Netflix shows

MIT researchers are now 3D printing glass

While the thought of a machine that can squirt out endless ropes of molten glass is a bit frightening, the folks at MIT have just about perfected the process. In a paper published in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, researchers Chikara Inamura, Michael Stern, Daniel Lizardo, Peter Houk, and Neri Oxman describe a system for 3D printing glass that offers far more control over the hot material and the final product.

Their system, called G3DP2, “is a new AM platform for molten glass that combines digitally integrated three-zone thermal control system with four-axis motion control system, introducing industrial-scale production capabilities with enhanced production rate and reliability while ensuring product accuracy and repeatability, all previously unattainable for glass.”

The system uses a closed, heated box that holds the melted glass and another thermally controlled box where it prints the object. A moveable plate drops the object lower and lower as it is being printed and the print head moves above it. The system is interesting because it actually produces clear glass structures that can be used for decoration or building. The researchers take special care to control the glass extrusion system to ensure that it cools down and crystallizes without injecting impurities or structural problems.

“In the future, combining the advantages of this AM technology with the multitude of unique material properties of glass such as transparency, strength, and chemical stability, we may start to see new archetypes of multifunctional building blocks,” wrote the creators.

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2StjgG9

Realme Says It Will Expand Offline Sales to 150 Indian Cities in 2019

Realme on Monday said it would partner with 20,000 retail outlets in India to expand its offline sales to 150 cities in 2019.

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Games of the year 2018: TechRadar’s favorite Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC titles

It’s been a heck of a year for videogames. We’ve navigated the ruins of Greece, trekked through ancient Midgard, ran down trains in the wild west and even raced through the cobbled streets of Britain. But which games have really stood out to us this year?

It’s been a hard task, but the TechRadar team has put their heads together and thrashed out which games we believe were the best this year. At times it got vicious and downright dirty, but we did it for you. So without further ado, here are TechRadar’s games of the year.

Best Virtual Reality Game

Tetris Effect

Think you know Tetris? Think again. It’s been re-invented many times over the years, but by bringing the game into the realm of virtual reality, Tetris Effect is revelatory.

Taking its cues from the VR port of Rez, Tetris Effect magically pulls together astonishing visual effects and an incredible soundtrack to make Tetris a multi-sensory experience more closely akin to a rhythm action game. It’s a joyous addition to the PSVR’s growing library.

Honorable mention: Astro Bot: Rescue Mission.

Best Mobile Game

Pokémon Go

We know Pokémon Go didn’t release this year, but the mobile game showed no sign of slowing down in 2018 - if anything it’s getting even bigger.

With the release of Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu, players now have even more versatile ways to play Go. Not to mention the continually popular community events, the release of the Trainer Battles feature and the unveiling of the mysterious Meltan. We will be trying to catch them all for a while yet it seems.

Honorable mentions: New Star Soccer Manager and Florence.

Best Action Game

Hitman 2

There wasn’t a huge amount of hype about Hitman 2 before its release but, much like Agent 47 himself, the game sneaked up on us.

Although Hitman 2 doesn’t do much to drastically change the series’ formula (except for the introduction of multiplayer Ghost mode), we found that that’s precisely what we love about it - plus, assassinating drug lords in Colombia with poison is always a recipe for a good time.

Honorable mention: Far Cry 5.

Best Action/Adventure Game

Marvel’s Spider-Man

If Batman Arkham Asylum proved that superhero games could not only be good, but be great, Marvel’s Spider-Man showed that they could rival the big-screen adaptations of our comic book heroes too.

Dazzlingly pretty, wonderfully fun and full to the brim with jaw-dropping moments that would make the late Stan Lee proud, ol’ webhead had a truly great adventure this year.

Honorable mention: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Best RPG Game

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

We’ve come to expect a certain calibre of game when it comes to the Assassin’s Creed series: history, assassinations and a stunning open-world to explore. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey does not disappoint on any of these fronts, providing a vast environment and tantalizing story that truly captures the essence of Ancient Greece.

Also, you can finally play as a female lead character in a game that will keep you busy for at least 100 hours. Talk about value for money.

Honorable mention: Octopath Traveler.

Best Online Multiplayer Game

Fortnite

So, here’s the thing – Fortnite actually released back in 2017, and got off to a shaky start as it focused on its base-building, AI-wave battling campaign mode. No-one really cared all that much, but developer soon started turning its attention to the free Battle Royale mode of the game it was offering all players. And, over the course of 2018, it became a phenomenon.

It’s improved dramatically over the past year, and has grown to become one of the most popular games, well, ever. Find us a kid that isn’t playing Fortnite, and we’ll show you a kid that doesn’t like playing online games with their pals. And so, it would be impossible to crown any other title king of the online multiplayer hill this year.

Honorable mention: Sea of Thieves.

Best Sport/Racing Game

Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 is undeniably stunning, letting you race through the winding countryside and cobbled cities of Great Britain. However it’s not just the graphics that made Forza Horizon 4 our favourite sports game of the year.

Playground Games’ series continues to push the limits of the racing genre - creating an open-world racing title like no other.

Honorable mentions: Madden NFL 19 and FIFA 19.

Best Fighting Game

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

It’s been quite a year for fighting games but there’s only one that we felt deserved the title of the best: Super Smash Bros Ultimate. We’ve been waiting for Ultimate since Nintendo announced it at E3 2018 and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The Ultimate roster includes more characters, stages and modes than ever before, and finally introduces an online competitive mode. Nintendo have even promised more characters are on the way. It’s not hard to see why Super Smash bros Ultimate is our King of the Ring.

Honorable mentions: Dragon Ball Fighter Z and Soulcalibur VI.

Best Narrative Game

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 was arguably the biggest, and most eagerly anticipated, game of 2018. Sometimes boarding the hype train means that you’re greatly disappointed when the title releases and you need to disembark, but luckily this wasn’t the case with Red Dead Redemption 2.

Not only did Red Dead 2 look spectacular but its intertwining emotional storylines (and side quests) had us deeply invested in Arthur Morgan, the Van Der Linde gang and the changing west. We don’t want to spoil anything, but have some ice cream ready to fill the void Red Dead will leave when you finish.

Honorable mention: God of War.

Best Party Game

Overcooked cemented its place as a much-have party game when it released in 2016, so it’s no surprise Overcooked 2 followed suit. Introducing more characters, more madcap levels and new recipes, Overcooked 2 has built on what the chaotic game so much fun - absolute anarchy.

Overcooked 2 may have destroyed office friendships but we feel that it’s completely worth it.

Honorable mention: Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Best Indie Game

Two-Point Hospital

A spiritual successor to Theme Hospital, Two-Point Hospital injected us with nostalgia and dosed us up with tongue-in-cheek humor. The hospital sim proved a hit among newbies and old hands, with its chaotic characters and illnesses such as Bloaty Head, Mock Star, and Jest Infection. It’s a modern twist on a classic and we can’t get enough.

Honorable mentions: Celeste and Into the Breach.

Game of the Year

God of War

It was a hard one to pin down, and Red Dead Redemption 2 almost had it, but we decided that God of War was our deserving winner of Game of the Year. Between the emotionally captivating relationship between Atreus and Kratos, powerful visuals, intriguing mythological world and action-packed combat; it’s hard to pin down what it is we value most about God of War.

Although God of War’s gameplay strays from its predecessors, we felt that the heart of the series’ newest addition made it truly spectacular.

Honorable mention: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Most Excited About

Cyberpunk 2077

We’ve been spoiled by ProjektRed’s Witcher RPGs over the past decade, but with Geralt’s story coming to an end, it’s time for something new. Cyberpunk 2077 looks set to take the free-roaming, narrative-heavy direction of the Witcher series, but thrust it into an all-new first person futuristic world.

Imagine a BladeRunner film that you can play, and you’re pretty much there. We’re incredibly excited about Cyberpunk 2077… but will we really see it in 2019? It seems so ambitious, we’re starting to think this one may be destined for the Xbox Two and PS5 of the future.

Honorable mentions: The Elder Scrolls 6 and Ghost of Tsushima.

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2EZxP07

How to save on used tech to help you avoid the New Year sales

China Probe Readies to Land on Dark Side of the Moon

A Chinese space probe is moving into position to land on the dark side of the moon for the first time, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday,

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2SyC4Ec

Sony CP-ADRM2 Power Adapter With Quick Charge 4, 4+ Support Unveiled

Sony's USB Type-C port and USB Type-A port give a total power output of 46.5W

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2GNWQOA

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Facing Battery Drain Issue After Android Pie Update, Some Users Report

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ owners are reportedly facing battery drain issues after the recently released Android Pie update.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2SvrT3c

iPhone Battery Replacement Programme Ends Today, Last Chance to Get Your Out-of-Warranty iPhone Battery Replaced

Apple kicked off the battery replacement programme for out-of-warranty iPhone batteries in December last year.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2LIWLKE

Sunday 30 December 2018

Cyber-Attack Hits US Newspaper Distribution

The attack led to distribution delays in the Saturday edition of The Times, Tribune, Sun and other newspapers that share a production platform in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QZ5UVj

Google Facial Recognition Lawsuit Dismissed by US Judge

US District Judge Edmond Chang in Chicago granted a Google motion for summary judgment, saying the court lacked "subject matter jurisdiction because plaintiffs have not suffered concrete injuries."

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2EZr6TV

Zuckerberg Sees 'Progress' for Facebook After Tumultuous Year

Capping a tumultuous year marked by data protection scandals and government probes, Zuckerberg said he was "proud of the progress we've made" in addressing Facebook's problems.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2F1uFdg

Cyber-attack disrupts distribution of multiple US newspapers

The malware, which affected papers owned by Tribune Publishing, is believed to be from outside the US.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Q8aWd2

Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition With Up to 10GB RAM Launched: Price, Specifications

Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition price in China starts at CNY 3,299 (roughly Rs. 33,500) for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage configuration.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QcZNHJ

WhatsApp Will Stop Working on Nokia S40 Phones Today

WhatsApp says that devices that run on Nokia S40 won't be able to use WhatsApp after December 31 i.e. today.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2ViN5ei

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Game ‘Nohzdyve’ Is Available for Everyone to Play, but There’s a Catch

If you haven’t gotten enough of the new Black Mirror: Bandersnatch interactive film on Netflix, you can now also play one of the games that’s spoken about in the episode, Nohzdyve.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QcrBfF

iPhone XS Max Catches Fire in US Man's Pocket: Report

An iPhone XS Max smartphone reportedly caught fire in the pocket of man from Ohio, United States earlier this month.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QdqmMW

iPhone XS Max Catches Fire in US Man's Pocket: Report

An iPhone XS Max smartphone reportedly caught fire in the pocket of man from Ohio, United States earlier this month.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2QdqmMW

Huawei P Smart (2019) With Dual Rear Cameras, Dewdrop Display Launched: Price, Specifications

Huawei P Smart (2019) is seen sporting a waterdrop-shaped notch, a dual camera setup aligned vertically, a rear fingerprint scanner, and a 3,400mAh battery.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2GPpdff

Aquaman Crosses Suicide Squad as It Nears $750 Million at Global Box Office

Aquaman had a terrific final weekend of 2018 as it hit a worldwide total of $748.8 million, which took it past Justice League, Man of Steel, and Suicide Squad.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2EVgqa1

Tesla Names Close Musk Friend Larry Ellison to Board

Tesla named Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison to its board to provide the independent oversight demanded by US regulators after Musk tweeted about taking the electric carmaker private.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2AmQxf2

Nokia 9 PureView Press Render Leaked, Shows Penta-Lens Camera and In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

Nokia 9 PureView is speculated to launch sometime in the last week of January 2019.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2LEzBp1

OneWeb Satellite Internet Service Says Has Not Offered Stake to Russia

OneWeb, which plans to create a worldwide Internet network using satellites, said on Friday that it had not offered the Russian government a stake in the project.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2Q9eVWR

Essential Phone Discontinued, Company Working on 'Next Mobile Product'

Essential Phone has gone out of stock and the company has said it won't replenish the stocks, thus, effectively discontinuing the phone.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2TdYz10

Dell Returns to Market With NYSE Listing, 6 Years After It Went Private

The computer maker is trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DELL', after it bought back shares that tracked the financial performance of software maker VMware.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2TjCQoe

Netflix Stops Offering iTunes Billing for New or Rejoining Subscribers

Netflix has stopped offering the iTunes billing as a payment method to its new or returning subscribers on iOS globally.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2F0wF4R

iPhone XS Max Production Estimates Halved by Citi Amid Reports of Weak Demand

Citi said it expects the company to make 45 million iPhones for the quarter, down from 50 million it forecast earlier.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2StL654

A look inside the Taipei 101 New Year’s Eve fireworks show as it goes green

One of the tallest buildings in the world, Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks have become an iconic celebration since the first show at the end of 2004. But despite being a major tourism draw, the fireworks haven’t been immune from criticism.

Over the past couple of years, as poor air quality becomes an increasingly serious issue throughout the country, the show has been targeted by Taiwanese environmental groups. The major of Taipei City, Ko Wen-je, said at the beginning of this year that the fireworks show should continue and other, more permanent measures against air pollution should be taken. “There are 365 days in a year,” he told reporters. “But the firework display was only 300 seconds, so we need a long-term plan to solve this problem.”

As one of the tallest LEED-certified buildings, however, Taipei 101 often serves as a case study for how landmark skyscrapers can reduce their carbon footprint, and it has been taking steps to reduce pollution from the show while keeping it a spectacle. A couple weeks ago, a group of bloggers and reporters was invited to take a look at this year’s preparations. (All photos in this story, with the exception of the one at the bottom featuring last year’s show, are by Garret Clarke.)

A technician with some of the fireworks that will be part of Taipei 101’s show.

16,000 fireworks will be used in this year’s show and preparations are usually finished by Dec. 28.

Over the past couple of years, the organizers of Taipei 101’s fireworks show have taken several measures to reduce pollution. Starting with last year’s show, the number of fireworks was reduced from 30,000 to 16,000. To add oomph to the reduced pyrotechnics, a 55-story-tall mesh screen made up of 140,000 LEDs, called a T-Pad, was installed by Taipei 101 fireworks contractor Giant Show on the north side of the skyscraper. The LED screen overlooks the plaza outside of Taipei City Hall where a New Year’s Eve concert is held every year and showcases animations that coordinate with the music and fireworks.

The LED screen is used during the rest of the year for promotions, advertisements and holiday messages

Andy Yang, head of corporate branding and communications for the Taipei Financial Center Corp., Taipei 101’s owner, told TechCrunch that this year’s show cost a total of about NTD $60 million (about USD $1.96 million). It will also include 16,000 fireworks, installed from the 34th to 91st floors of Taipei 101, and animations on the T-Pad. The team that plans the show includes 10 to 15 designers and about 50 pyrotechnicians who install the fireworks on the exterior of the building. Preparations are typically completed by Dec. 28.

Andy Yang stands in front of the scaffolding that leads up to Taipei 101’s 55-story-tall LED mesh screen

Yang says Taipei 101 has been decreasing the number of fireworks used year by year. The LED screen is currently only on one side of Taipei 101, but Taipei 101’s management is exploring the possibility of extending it to other sides of the building.

Taipei 101’s fireworks show at the end of 2017, with the LED screen in view. (kecl/Getty Images)

Taipei 101 also instates an “all lights off” policy, turning off all exterior lights before and after the show in order to reduce carbon emissions. The LED screen not only enables Taipei 101 to reduce the number of fireworks used, but also enables the integration of pyrotechnics, animations, music, and lights into one show, “which brings more design and content opportunities and possibilities for Taipei 101 and Taiwan,” he says.

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2Al42Ms

Best iPhone XR cases - CNET

Need some protection for your new iPhone XR? Here's a bunch of top cases to check out, all of them compatible with wireless charging.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2EIbwgh

Best iPhone XS and XS Max cases - CNET

Need some protection for your new XS or XS Max? Here are bunch of top cases to check out, all of them compatible with wireless charging.

from CNET https://cnet.co/2EBgEC7

Here’s how to play a game from Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch episode

If you’ve gone down the rabbit hole with Netflix’s latest Black Mirror release, there’s (at least) one more easter egg out there. As some intrepid Reddit users discovered, you can actually visit two different versions of fictional software company Tuckersoft’s website and… spoilers ahead.

On the regular Tuckersoft site, discovered through a QR code embedded in the show itself, Tuckersoft advertises its game lineup including Bandersnatch, a “revolutionary game from Stefan Butler.” In this timeline, Tuckersoft released both Nohzdyve and Bandersnatch and Stefan eventually eclipsed his gaming idol Colin’s own fame, driving the company forward. As the site notes:

“While Colin Ritman was Tuckersoft’s leading man, it was Stefan Butler’s 1984 release, Bandersnatch, that catapulted the company to new heights. The innovative narrative and gameplay transformed interactive entertainment forever.”

If you visit the Tuckersoft site but strip out the www., the company never released Colin’s game due to a tragic incident. If you’ve seen the episode, you can probably guess what that was. This version of the site includes the following text:

“A bleak turn of events would lead to the abrupt cancellation of Colin Ritman’s highly-anticipated game, Nohzdyve, and the end of Stefan Butler’s promising career.

“Metl Hedd remains a classic, but the world will have to wonder what Nohzdyve was like. Rumour has it, an early version of the game is somewhere out there, waiting to be played for the first time.”

Black Mirror fans will note that the fictionalized site for Colin’s other major title, Metl Hedd, depicts the BigDog-like robots that terrorized humans in season four’s particularly harrowing episode “Metalhead.” Tuckersoft’s other games contain plenty of references to Black Mirror episodes too.

In the timeline in which Colin was able to finish Nohzdyve, the game’s sub-page has a download link for a file called nohzdyve.tap and the instructions to “Play Nohzdyve on your ZX Spectrum emulator.” Apparently, the file works and if you run Windows and you’re willing to install an emulator (like Speccy) for the obscure British 8-bit console, you can actually play Colin’s rather prescient release. We’re told it might work on a Commodore 64 emulator too, but haven’t tested that out (yet).

So far it doesn’t look like Bandersnatch is playable anywhere, but given that the episode itself is a game and the game itself results in certain horror, that’s probably for the best.

Netflix releases a trailer for ‘Bandersnatch,’ the mysterious new episode of ‘Black Mirror’

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2AmLV8S

Best gaming chair 2019: the best PC gaming chairs

When you’re trying to build one of the best gaming PCs, to take advantage of the best PC games, you shouldn’t forget about the best PC gaming chairs. You don’t want to walk away from your gaming session crouching over like Igor from Young Frankenstein. With the best PC gaming chairs, you can bring your gaming and sitting experience to a new level. Because, at the end of the day, if you’re immersed in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, saving the world from some cult, you should be comfortable while you do it.

That’s why, now that the year is coming to a close, we decided to make a list of the best gaming chairs of 2019. Some might end up looking like your dad’s office chair, with all-black ‘real leather’ designs – others fully embrace the gamer aesthetic with RGB lighting and loud, clashing colors, making you look like futuristic race car driver.

We will help you find the best PC gaming chairs on the market, so you can spend more time sitting down and less time shopping around. Because – let’s be honest – we do our own fair share of sitting, and we’re very familiar with the best PC gaming chairs.

It’s no exaggeration to call the Noblechairs Epic Real Leather the best gaming chair. From the cross-thatched embroidery to the real leather of its namesake, if you’re looking for a no-compromises gaming throne, this is it. Plus, it’s surprisingly quick and easy to set up. And, once the set-up is complete, the Epic Real Leather is a dream to sit on – and you can customize your position however you want. Just do us a favor, and read the instructions while you’re setting it up.

If you want to play games all day in comfort, but you don’t want a chair that looks like you’re playing games all day, the Autonomous ErgoChair 2 is for you. Marketed as an office chair, the ErgoChair 2 has a very modern and stylish aesthetic to it that will appeal to anyone that doesn’t use RGB as a personality trait. It’s not all style either, as the ErgoChair lets you adjust basically every part of the chair, so that no matter how your body is built, you’re guaranteed to be comfortable while gaming.

This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Respawn 115

Leather and fabric have their advantages, namely to comfort and texture, but sometimes a mesh office chair is best – especially if you live in a warmer climate, where breathability is of utmost importance. The Respawn-300 combines the racing-seat design and lumbar support and mesh material from some high-end office chairs. It really does take comfort to another level and is one of the best PC gaming chairs you can buy today.

This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Noblechairs Epic Real Leather.

Corsair is known for making popular and high-end PC components and gaming peripherals. It’s only fitting, then, that they dip their toes into the gaming chair game – and they may have made one of the best gaming chairs yet. Covered top to bottom in breathable PU leather with neck and lumbar pillows wrapped in microfiber, you’ll be able to game both in comfort and style. And with its rollerblade-style wheels, you’ll be able to move it around on any surface without having to worry about scratching up your floor.

Noblechairs is well known for crafting some of the best gaming chairs out there – and the Noblechairs Icon makes it clear why. While it’s more affordable than the flagship Epic Real Leather, it’s still extremely comfortable and one of the best PC gaming chairs out there. This is thanks to its nice lumbar pillow, which you can easily remove if you don’t like it.

The Edge GX1 is a gaming chair that actively avoids the popular racing style that is increasingly popular with modern gaming chairs. The company behind the Edge GX1 goes as far as to say that racing-style bucket chairs actually negatively affect gamer’s performance, with their designs limiting movement and comfort. It sort of makes sense, as those styles of chairs are based off designs for racing cars, where limiting movement for the driver is a priority. Instead, the Edge GX1 aims to give an ergonomic experience where comfort is key, while also offering a premium gaming chair. And when we say premium, we mean it, with the Edge GX1 costing £800, a huge amount for a gaming chair. It’s hand-crafted in the UK, and there’s some great touches, such as inflatable lumbar support. It’s a huge asking price, but we’ve been using it for a while now, and it is very comfortable. You need to adjust it a bit to suit your needs, but once you have it set up just how you like it, the ergonomic benefits of the chair really help justify the price. This ships worldwide from the UK, but be warned that shipping costs will add to the price if you’re in the US or Australia.

You can only buy this chair direct from Edge

There’s a certain subset of the PC gaming community that needs to have the absolute best of everything, at whatever the cost. These people are going to be absolutely enamored with the Vertagear Triigger 350 SE. It features over 350 individual components with a mix metal, mesh, leather and high-end plastics to create the ultimate PC gaming chair. If you have the money to spare, and you can’t stand to have anything less than the best, you might want to give this chair a look.

Another day, another Noblechairs gaming seat – and the Noblechairs Epic is the best gaming chair for the classier gamer. It features a faux-leather covering inspired by car seats, combining both comfort and a high-end design to make it one of the best gaming chairs you can buy today. And, if you’re the type that shies away from the ‘gamer aesthetic,’ the Epic’s subtle black design is far more elegant than some of the more brightly-colored seats on this list.

For the gamer looking for some extra room in their seat, the Vertagear Racing Series PL6000 is a must-have. Specially designed to provide both added width and height, this is the best gaming chair for anyone with a larger frame – no matter how tall you are, the adjustable headrest means you’ll never experience discomfort. However, this is a complicated chair to assemble, so use the buddy system to build this masterpiece.

The Nitro Concepts C80 is a gorgeous, comfortable gaming chair that could easily blend in in an office environment – it looks more expensive than it is. Nitro Concepts made one of the best gaming chairs by keeping the price down, while keeping compromises to a minimum – like using polyurethane instead of leather. And, no compromises were made in the build quality, either – this is an impressively sturdy gaming chair. Just make sure you get a friend to help you put it together – constructing this thing had us tearing our hair out.

This product is only available in the UK at the time of this writing. US and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Noblechairs Icon

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2fRoFov