A security researcher has discovered an unsecured database which contains billions of tracking records about users' activity online.
What makes this discovery particularly interesting is the fact that the database belongs to BlueKai which Oracle purchased for around $400m back in 2014.
BlueKai is a startup that uses website cookies and other tracking technology to follow users around the web. Just based on which websites users visit and which emails they open, the company and others like it can infer a great deal of information about them and marketers use this data to deliver targeted ads that are more likely to be clicked on.
Security researcher Anurag Sen discovered the unsecured database and reported his findings to Oracle with the help of Hudson Rock's CEO and former TechCrunch reporter Roi Carthy, who served as an intermediary.
Tracking records
After reviewing the data shared by Sen, TechCrunch found names, home addresses, email addresses and other identifiable data in the database. The data even revealed users' sensitive web browsing activity from purchases they had made to newsletters they unsubscribed from.
To deliver more precise ads, BlueKai uses a never-ending supply of data from a variety of sources. The company even uses covert tactics such as allowing websites to embed invisible pixel-sized images or tracking pixels to collect information about a user's system including the hardware, operating system, browser and type of connection they have when they open a webpage. This data can be used to create a unique fingerprint of a person's device which follows them across the internet regardless of which device they're using.
According to an estimate from the site Whotracks.me, BlueKai tracks just over one percent of all web traffic online. The company tracks web traffic on a number of the most popular sites online including Amazon, ESPN, Forbes, Glassdoor, Rotten Tomatoes and others. The marketing firms that pay for access to BlueKai's data though, never see names, addresses or any other personal data which is why the discovery of its exposed database is so revealing.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Oracle spokesperson Deborah Hellinger explained that two companies had failed to properly configure their services and this led to the database being exposed online, saying:
“Oracle is aware of the report made by Roi Carthy of Hudson Rock related to certain BlueKai records potentially exposed on the Internet. While the initial information provided by the researcher did not contain enough information to identify an affected system, Oracle’s investigation has subsequently determined that two companies did not properly configure their services. Oracle has taken additional measures to avoid a reoccurrence of this issue.”
When you think about the parts of our electronic devices that consume the most power, the screen and processor usually spring to mind. However, data transfer - either within the device or over the waves (i.e. to cloud storage providers) - is consuming more and more power.
Scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have come up with an innovative technique that promises to reduce the amount of energy consumed during memory-intensive processes by up to 80%. In other words, a fivefold improvement in efficiency over current solutions when bits travel on silicon.
They came up with a new type of network-on-chip that decreases quality a little bit, but also reduces power consumption significantly. This is achieved by adjusting the amplitude of the transmitted signal dynamically; using conventional values for mission-critical tasks to ensure maximum accuracy and lower values for greater power reductions.
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Smarter than usual
The example provided by the team was that of imperceptible video quality degradation when full quality is unnecessary, for example when the user looks away from the screen, when ambient light is low or when battery life is short.
Similar scenarios are also applicable to more powerful (and power hungry) platforms such as desktop PCs, NAS boxes, laptops or even servers, but the key opportunity is to enable a full computer vision system - one that can replicate the human vision system while being viable from a power perspective.
The stated goal of the research is to build “a new breed of low-power smart cameras that could operate almost perpetually under the tight power budget extracted from the environment such as via a centimeter-sized solar cell”.
It's unclear when the technology will be rolled out for more practical use cases, but given TSMC - which manufactures chips for AMD, Nvidia and Qualcomm - supports the project for chip fabrication, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was sooner rather than later.
With so many great games still to come for current-generation consoles during the second half of 2020, there exists an awkward limbo where gamers must decide whether to play immediately or hold out for next-gen versions at the end of the year.
Thankfully, publishers and console-makers are trying to make the transition between console generations as smooth as possible.
Microsoft is at the forefront with its Xbox Smart Delivery program, which gives players next-gen versions of selected Xbox One games for free, and now Square Enix has announced that Marvel's Avengers will be available at launch for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as a free upgrade for owners of the current gen version – either digitally or on disc.
"Featuring extremely fast load times, boosted resolution and fidelity, improved texturing and armor destruction, ray tracing, and more – Marvel’s Avengers will look and play great on next-gen systems," reads Square Enix's press release.
Though the free upgrade has been announced for both upcoming consoles, the press release only describes what players can expect for the PS5 version.
"The PlayStation 5 experience will be seamless and dynamic, fully utilizing the ultra-high speed SSD, the PS5 DualSense advanced haptics, and immersive spatial audio. To fully customize their visual experience, PS5 will also provide players with their choice of Enhanced Graphics Mode or High Framerate mode."
More information about the PS5 version of Marvel's Avengers was revealed on the official PlayStation blog, with developer Crystal Dynamics' chief technology officer Gary Snethen offering the inside scoop.
"PS5 greatly lifts the performance and graphics bar for consoles. The new GPU allows us to increase our texture resolution, push a higher level of detail farther from the player, enhance our ambient occlusion, improve our anisotropic filtering and add a variety of new graphics features such as stochastic screen-space reflections with contact-aware sharpening," said Snethen.
Long story short, this is great news for those who want to get a jump on Marvel's Avengers before the new consoles arrive late 2020. For more information on the game itself, Square Enix will be holding a Marvel’s Avengers War Table digital stream on June 24 at 10:00am PDT.
Following the release of Windows 10 2004, users have reported experiencing performance issues and even crashes when Malwarebytes 4.1 is installed on their systems.
The official Malwarebytes support forum has seen numerous users reporting problems with MBAM 4.1 after Microsoft released its latest Windows update back in May.
The issues caused by having the security company's software installed include random freezes, general slowness, video stuttering, blue screen of death (BSOD) crashes and Windows 10 becoming unresponsive.
However, not all users running Windows 10 2004 and Malwarebytes' software seem to be affected but there are enough requests for help on the company's forums to indicate that there is a problem.
Potential fixes
In a post on Malwarebytes forum, one user explained that they were experiencing issues after installing Windows 10 2004. However, they were able to mitigate these issues by disabling the software's ransomware protection feature.
To resolve the issues users are having, Malwarebytes also released a new beta version (4.1.1.71) of its security software at the beginning of June.
If you're a Malwarebytes user that is having similar issues, you can install the new beta version by going into the software's settings and enabling the “beta updates” setting under the General tab. After enabling this setting, you will need to check for new updates to install the beta version and its components package.
However, if you're still experiencing issues after installing the beta, then you should probably head over to the Malwarebytes forum for additional help.
Microsoft dropped a bombshell announcement today in the middle of Apple’s WWDC 2020 event: the company will shut down Mixer in July and redirect all traffic to Facebook Gaming.
In an interview with The Verge, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer says the move is going to help gamers get more of what they want to see in a more seamless way and says that the service was struggling to keep pace with Twitch and YouTube.
“We started pretty far behind, in terms of where Mixer’s monthly active viewers were compared to some of the big players out there,” Spencer said. “I think the Mixer community is really going to benefit from the broad audience that Facebook has through their properties, and the abilities to reach gamers in a very seamless way through the social platform Facebook has.”
The transition will take place on July 22, at which point all Mixer streams will redirect to Facebook Gaming. Microsoft says all its existing streaming partners will be able to move to Facebook Gaming and immediately be granted partner status with Facebook’s Level Up Program.
The trade-off here is that Facebook will begin implementing Microsoft’s xCloud game-streaming service on Facebook Gaming: eventually, the platform will enable PC gamers to jump directly into any game they’re watching on a stream.
It could also mean that the Xbox Series X will use Facebook Gaming instead of Mixer.
Will the Xbox Series X use Facebook Gaming, YouTube or Twitch?
Before today, it seemed like Mixer on Xbox Series X was a shoo-in. The streaming service has been integrated into the Xbox One for over two years now, and it didn’t sound like that would change with the Xbox Series X.
Now, though, it’s anyone’s guess as to which streaming service Microsoft will include on Xbox Series X.
The partnership with Facebook does hint at a future where we see Facebook Gaming replace Mixer on the next Xbox console – but it could also open the door for Microsoft to partner with YouTube and/or Twitch, too.
The best-case scenario is that Microsoft will continue to support all the game-streaming services and will give you that option every time you hit the new share button on the Xbox Series X.
Whether or not that will be the case, however, we'll just have to wait to find out.
Apple’s midyear WWDC event is largely dedicated to developers, but the opening showcase is all about what’s coming for consumers. And while this year’s WWDC 2020 keynote didn’t reveal any hardware per se, it had plenty of exciting software changes coming to Apple’s lineup of devices.
While no devices were shown off, the event had one giant announcement: going forward, the tech giant will be ditching Intel chipsets in its Mac lineup in favor of one designed by Apple itself. That’s right: just like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch lines all use in-house chipsets, the Mac family will get proprietary silicon.
But there’s still plenty to get excited about with operating system updates. For instance, there are some meaty quality-of-life changes coming to iOS 14 that will auto-organize your app collection, enhance group chats, enhance Maps with greener navigation options, and make it far easier to download relevant apps while you’re out and about. And it’s finally catching up to Android by adding picture-in-picture video viewing.
iPadOS 14 will get some of those iOS perks itself along with more features that take advantage of tablet screens, like ‘sidebars’ filled with useful shortcuts and more robust menu choices. WatchOS 7 finally gets sleep tracking, as well as more workout modes and better customization of watch faces. Heck, it’ll even monitor how long you’re washing your hands.
MacOS 11 Big Sur, as it’s named, gets interface refinements and tweaks to Finder and the Toolbar, as well as a Control Center a la iOS and iPadOS for quick shortcuts to brightness and other features. For Apple TV, tvOS 14 is adding picture-in-picture and support for specialty Xbox controllers like the Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller.
That’s a lot of upgrades, both long-awaited and unanticipated-but-welcome. Here’s a breakdown for every corner of the Apple ecosystem that’s slated to get new tricks.
Mac’s Apple chipset: one for the whole Mac family, eventually
The big announcement of the day was saved for the Mac family, which is officially shifting away from Intel chips to use Apple-designed silicon in future Apple desktop machines. The first Mac to use an Apple chipset will be released before the end of 2020, while the transition for the full device lineup will take two years, Apple CEO Tim Cook said. The company is still pledging to support Intel-powered machines with new software upgrades for years.
Apple didn’t undersell the importance of the moment, and compared this transition to three prior Mac turning points in the device’s history: when it shifted to PowerPC chipsets, then when it introduced MacOS X, and finally when it adopted Intel chipsets.
Why change silicon? Apple credited its own chipsets as crucial to the success of its device line, starting with the A4 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 4 and onward with the Apple Watches and iPads released over the years. The new Mac chipsets will be a family of SoCs for the entire Mac line. Like its other system-on-chips, Apple is focusing on performance and power management with a neural engine for machine learning and scalable architecture.
iOS 14: quality of life, media watching, and getting around
iOS 14 has gotten the lion’s share of improvements at WWDC 2020. Most importantly, Apple has generously noticed how terrible we all are at organizing our pages and pages of apps – now, your final page on the Home Screen will be auto-generated app collections, and if you want, you can hide pages of apps you don’t really use. Yes, it feels a little Android-ish to us, too.
You can also insert mini-apps called Widgets into your Home Screen pages – think of them as the abbreviated apps you’d see on your Apple Watches, which you can customize in the Widget Gallery. iMessages has improved, too, adding some work chat-inspired features like inline replies and pinned conversations.
Siri will no longer take up the full screen, opting instead for a small popup at the bottom of the display, and can now send audio messages. And another inherited-from-Android feature: iOS 14 will get picture-in-picture video viewing. Huzzah.
Maps has been upgraded to offer cycling directions, which will be added to a handful of big cities at first. Cycling will give you ideas of elevation and suggested routes, while a new dedicated EV mode will track routes from EV recharging station to recharging station.
Carplay has some upgrades too, including new backgrounds and, in select vehicles, allowing users to use their phones in place of car key fobs. The first car to take advantage of this will be the newest BMW 5 series: in the presentation, we saw someone unlock their doors via NFC on their iPhone. This goes beyond one linked device: it allows you to share ‘keys’ and vary access with conceivably anyone with an iPhone. This feature will be coming in iOS 14 but will also be made available in July for iOS 13 users.
Finally, iOS 14 will get improvements to the App Store in the form of new App Clips, which are small digital pop-ups prompting users to download the right app for a service. These can be triggered via NFC – like waving your iPhone in front of a smart scooter station – but they can also be prompted by text or QR code. Best of all, you don’t have to necessarily go through the rigmarole of registering with a new service so long as they accept Apple Pay and signing in with Apple.
iPadOS 14: more real estate, some iOS 14 perks
While iPadOS has been out since late 2019, we haven’t seen it shift course much from iOS. iPadOS 14 will bring more features and perks to take advantage of tablet screens.
Some of these had obvious appeal: Apple showcased new sidebars for apps that offer shortcuts and handy perks – think of similar toolboxes and panels in Adobe apps – along with expanded menu dropdowns.
There are less flashy methods to expand the real estate, like adding art and lyrics when listening to music in full-screen mode. Other tweaks are simply functional: instead of taking over the full screen, incoming calls will be reduced to just a notification tab at the top – a change that’s also coming to iPhoneOS 14. That goes both ways: iPad will get those nice widget and app auto-organizing features coming to iPhoneOS 14, but we imagine they’ll have a greater effect on an iPad screen.
There are Apple Pencil upgrades, too. A new feature called Scribble lets you write in text fields (like, say, Safari’s search bar) and your penmanship will automatically be converted to typed text. There’s also assistance for your handwritten notes that ‘fixes’ your drawings into shapes – make a wobbly arrow and iPads will straighten it out for you. There’s also new text recognition features: you can select written words and even copy blocks of them to paste into other apps, where it will be converted to typed text.
AirPods: smarter device switching and surround sound...even in motion
New firmware upgrades will improve automatic switching between your Apple ecosystem devices: if you’re watching media on your iPad and listening through AirPods, but get a call on your iPhone, your AirPods should automatically switch over..
The AirPods Pro also get a ‘big if true’ update that simulates directional surround sound using algorithms, audio filters, and tinkered frequencies. What that means: if you physically move your head, the accelerometer and sensors in the Pro keep the sound oriented around your device, allowing you to tilt your ears around a cohesive soundspace. This will supposedly adjust even if your entire body is shifted – like, say, if you’re riding a bus.
Apple Watch 6: Sleep tracking at last. And hand washing?
WatchOS 7 has refined how developers can craft complications, enabling more combinations and watch faces to help users create their own ideal watch faces. Apple’s also made it easier to share watch faces via a new feature, Face Sharing. When you see a watch face you like, click the button prompt and it will download – as well as prompt you to get any missing complications.
Just like in iOS 14, watchOS 7 includes improvements to Maps that add cycling directions, with elevation changes and navigation prompts that appear as large, easy-to-read complications.
Workouts are getting an upgrade, too, adding Dance as a total body workout, which tracks popular (yet broadly-defined) dance styles like Hip Hop and Latin. How? Advanced algorithms detect the difference when wearers use just their arms, just their legs, or combinations of the two. There are more workouts, too, like core training, functional strength training, and even cooldowns for post-workout sessions. The corresponding Activity app in iOS 14 has also been redesigned.
But the big addition is sleep tracking, which uses machine learning to detect patterns and feeds the info into the Health app on the Apple Watch ad linked iPhone. The feature prompts users to establish their own ‘wind down’ routine to end the day. In the morning, wearers can be woken up with either audio tones or haptic vibration for quieter personal alarm. They’re greeted by a wake-up screen with status updates to start your day like temperature, notifications – and crucially, battery life.
Finally, watchOS 7 is getting another health feature of sorts: handwashing detection. Your Apple Watch will harness machine learning and analyze audio to monitor whether you’re washing your hands for the duration of a full 20-second countdown, with fun sounds and a ‘well done’ at the end.
MacOS: Big Sur
The next macOS update is officially named Big Sur, taking its title from yet another classic California locale. But with the new version comes a bunch of changes. Many of these are interface tweaks, aspiring for more clarity. Windows will use depth, shading, and translucency to convey a hierarchy, which will come to both light and dark modes.
Other tweaks are just as svelte: Mac apps are becoming more squared-off (‘squircles,’ if you will), with a new sidebar and toolbar for Finder. But other shifts are bigger, like macOS inheriting the Control Center from iOS, allowing users quick access to brightness and other settings. There’s also a notification center that lists notifications and widgets, too, like the ones headed to iOS 14.
Maps will also get improvements in macOS Big Sur, with indoor maps and Lookaround (Apple’s street view) and other iOS 14 upgrades like cycling and electric vehicle station navigation.
Safari: refinements
Safari is also getting some improvements, with site privacy reports that show what they’re accessing. Safari will monitor your saved passwords and compare them against data breaches, which Google already does with Chrome.
As other browsers get smarter about tab management, Safari is introducing new features: hovering over one, for instance, shows a preview of the page.
tvOS 14: Xbox gaming time
In tvOS 14, gaming will get multi-user support, while support will be added for specialty the Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller. Picture-in-picture is coming to Apple TV, too.
Sophos Labs has discovered a new software installer for macOS that installs multiple unwanted applications or “bundleware” on users' systems under the guide of installing one legitimate application.
The installer, which is primarily targeting macOS Catalina users, includes a total of seven “potentially unwanted applications” (PUAs) including three that target Apple's Safari web browser to inject ads, hijack download links and redirect search queries with the aim of stealing users' clicks to generate income. In at least one case, the injected content was used for malvertising by showing a malicious ad that prompted users to download a fake Adobe Flash update.
Sophos has identified the installer as belonging to the Bundlore family. Bundlore is a common macOS bundleware installer family that accounts for nearly seven percent of all attacks detected by the security company targeting Apple's operating system.
Bundlore is also used to target Windows users through extensions for Google Chrome and some of the code used to target Chrome is shared with the versions of the adware that target macOS.
Bundlelore
The recent macOS samples discovered by Sophos stand out from previous versions of Bundlore due to the fact that they have been updated to keep up with recent changes in macOS and Safari, particularly Apple's changes to the format for Safari browser extensions.
The Bundlore sample analyzed contained multiple Safari extension payloads including two in the new App Extension format. However, these extensions were adware that contained code which injected new advertisements and download links and even redirected search queries from certain search engines. Based on code taken from a remote server that supports two extensions, Sophos discovered dozens of search affiliate names related to the ad injector and search modification payload as well as affiliate codes used to profit from visits to other sites.
PUAs are among the most common security threats to macOS because they can steal personal data and act as a pathway for both malvertising and other malware. Thankfully though, endpoint protection software is able to block PUAs and Apple's XProtect feature in macOS can block known Bundlore payloads.
Sophos' Sean Gallagher and Xinran Wu provided further insight on the security company's findings in a blog post, saying:
“Based on these and other samples we’ve observed, it’s clear that adware developers are clearly embracing the transition to Safari App Extension format and are updating their payload scripts. Browser extensions are increasingly popular as applications move to the cloud, and web browsers become the most heavily-used component of operating systems. So they will correspondingly continue to be a target for scams such as adware.”
Also check out our complete list of the best antivirus software
The 4th of July is just around the corner, which means a long holiday weekend filled with family, friends, and outdoor fun. You can also find fantastic 4th of July sales from your favorite retailers like Home Depot, Best Buy, Amazon, and Lowe's.
The biggest categories discounted during the 4th of July sale event include appliances, grills, furniture, laptops, and TVs. The 4th of July is also a fantastic time to find deals on mattresses with retailers like Dreamcloud offering $300 worth of free accessories, and 20% off sitewide at Bear Mattress.
Home Depot and Lowe's are just a few retailers that will be discounting top-brand appliances, and tech retailers like Dell and Best Buy have fantastic deals on electronics.
See our full list of 4th of July sales below and make sure to bookmark this page as we'll be continuously updating it with the best bargains leading up the holiday event. Plus, with Amazon Prime Day still up in the air, this might be your last chance to score record-low prices on this year's hottest items.
The 4th of July falls on a Saturday this year, so we'll see most sales starting that week on Monday, June 29. All sales will last through the holiday weekend, and most will end on Monday, July 6.
We'll be updating this page daily with all of the current sales, so make sure to check back each day for new discounts and deals.
Who has the best 4th of July sales?
The biggest categories discounted during the 4th of July include furniture, appliances, mattresses, and TVs. Because 4th of July is a summer celebration, you can find discounts on several outdoor items such as grills, patio furniture, lawn mowers, and plants.
The 4th of July is also a fantastic time to find deals on mattresses with retailers like Purple and Temper-Pedic participating in sitewide sales. Home Depot and Best Buy are just a few retailers that will be discounting top-brand appliances all weekend long, and tech retailers like Dell have fantastic deals on laptops.
Realme is all set to add another budget device to its portfolio, with the launch of the Realme C11 in Malaysia. Here’s what we know about it.
The information comes from Lowyat, which states that Realme has started sending out media invites for the launch of the Realme C11 to Malaysian media. Along with a teaser image, a press note was added which confirmed that the phone will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G35. This chipset is yet to be officially announced but is expected to be a powerful mid-ranger, just like others in the Helio G series.
The image interestingly shows the camera module hidden with a gold leaf. We expect this to be a hint towards the new design language that Realme teased for an upcoming smartphone. The key difference will be a new camera layout, which will be a step away from the current vertical camera array that has been in use for quite some time. The back also seems to be textured as per the image, and will sport a vertical stripe across the body for aesthetics.
Some of the other specifications include a big 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W fast charging. We hope to see it finally make the switch to USB Type-C this time.
The last phone under the C series globally was the Realme C3, which could mean that the naming scheme will be refreshed for the C11. Considering that Madhav Sheth did talk about an upcoming phone with a new camera design, we expect the Realme C11 to eventually be available in India too.
In the immediate future, Realme is expected to unveil the flagship Realme X3 series, a new 55-inch smart TV and soundbar, the Buds Q and even a wireless charger in India. Some of these will be announced this week on June 25, while the rest may get a separate event next month.
A new surprise announcement surfaced recently, stating that Micromax will be returning to the Indian smartphone market in the coming months. We finally have some more information on these devices.
During current times when there is a lot of debate going on the internet with Boycott Chinese smartphones and products, Micromax is looking to take advantage of the situation and launch three new smartphones in India priced under Rs 10,000.
A report from TheMobileIndian says that the brand is planning to launch its smartphones with MediaTek chipsets. The three budget-friendly handsets are expected to launch sometime in August. The reports say that the information comes from a source close to the development.
The devices will be powered by MediaTek Helio G35 and Helio G25 SoC. These two chipsets are new and unannounced as of now. Since they come in G series, we can expect them to have a decent gaming performance. The same Helio G35 chipset is also said to feature in the upcoming Realme C11 smartphone too.
Furthermore, the report says that the company is in talks with multiple suppliers right now to produce the essential components for the upcoming smartphones. At this moment, it is also unclear how much of the Micromax smartphones will be “Make in India” devices. Historically, Micromax has just sold rebadged Chinese smartphones, so it remains to be seen if things will be any different this time around.
The report also added that all the Micromax smartphones that were in stock are now completely sold out all thanks to the anti-China sentiment.
At the moment, Micromax is looking to capitalize on opportunity in India. Given the current anti-Chinese sentiments, people looking to buy India smartphones, and lack of a local player has given the company a great chance for a company who almost vanished a few months ago.
Just to refresh your memory, Micromax was one of India’s top smartphone makers in the early 2010s with their Canvas series device, and later on, the Yu sub-brand also created a lot of buzz thanks to CyanogenMod. But, it eventually lost its share to the competition.
It will be interesting to see how the company will launch smartphones in India and who their target audience will be.
Update(June 22): OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will go on sale again today.
As reported earlier, Amazon will host a sale of OnePlus 8 series smartphones today at 12 pm. Both OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will be available in today’s sale. While the OnePlus 8 was sold earlier in limited quantity, the flagship device OnePlus 8 Pro will be available for purchase via Amazon and OnePlus website for the first time since its launch in India.
While new OnePlus devices generally sell like hotcakes, however, limited supplies due to production issues at Oppo’s factories in Greater Noida caused an extended delay in availability of these smartphones
The price of OnePlus 8 Pro in India for the base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is set at Rs 54,999 while the top-specced variant with 12GB RAM and 256 GB of storage is slightly costly for obvious reasons and is available at Rs. 59,999. There are three different colour options to choose from - Glacial Green, Onyx Black, and Ultramarine Blue.
The price of OnePlus 8, on the other hand, starts at Rs. 41,999 for the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant, Rs. 44,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant while the top-end variant with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage is priced at Rs. 49,999. It is only available in two colour options - Glacial Green and Onyx Black.
OnePlus 8 Pro launch offers
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a bunch of promotional offers that include an Rs. 3,000 off on SBI credit card, no-cost EMI for up to 12 months with all major credit cards, additional Rs. 1,000 cashback from Amazon only for the customers who had pre-booked the smartphone, free audiobooks from Audible and Jio benefits worth up to Rs. 6,000.
MIUI is probably one of the most used custom Android skins thanks to not only the sheer number of devices Xiaomi sells but also because of the interesting features it comes with. Its latest version MIUI 12 has been in development for some time and has just started making its way to the flagship Xiaomi smartphones, however, the company has temporarily paused the development of this latest firmware.
As per this post on the company's official community forum, the beta development of the firmware has been halted from 26-06-2020 to 02-07-2020 due to the local Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.
The development team is supposed to resume working after over a week’s off from July 3 to ensure the previously announced timelines of MIUI 12 rollout can be met.
To recall, the Android 10 based MIUI 12 was unveiled in April and comes with interesting features like a revamped dark mode, new 3D live wallpapers, updated settings menu with a graphical layout and improved gesture control apart from a whole lot of tweaks.
In the first phase the shiny new ROM is supposed to come to devices like the Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10, Mi 10 Youth Edition, Mi 9 Pro 5G, Mi 9 Transparent Edition, Mi 9, Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition, Redmi K30 Pro, Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K30, Redmi K20 Pro Premium Edition, Redmi K20 Pro, and Redmi K20.
Recently the company announced the beta testing for the Redmi K20 series devices and a few budget Redmi smartphones with Redmi Note 9 series apart from Poco F1 and Poco X2 to follow suit. Since there is no official information if the holidays will derail MIUI12 rollout in India, we can assume that the Indian devices may continue to get the latest firmware as per the plan, so stay tuned.
Gearbest usually offers up some excellent deals, but this one, well, we’re not sure about. It might be a genuine clearance sale or perhaps it's a typo, but we’ll leave our audience to decide for themselves. In the meantime, we’ve reached out to Gearbest for additional details.
Priced at $76.99 (£64.04/AU$121.11) with free shipping worldwide, this unnamed tablet is about the size of Huawei’s MediaPad T5. It has a 10.1-inch display (likely an IPS model), with a rarely-encountered resolution: 1960 x 1080 px.
The rest of the specification is as equally strange as the price point. The tablet is powered by a four-core CPU (the Mediatek MT6582) that was launched nearly eight years ago and comes with a Mali-400MP2 GPU.
Yet, it runs Android 9.0 with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage capacity, and wireless connectivity is provided by Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11n (no AC at this price). It also features two camera sensors, 8-megapixel and 13-megapixel models (likely to be interpolated), with a flash.
Available in pink, black, gold or silver, the tablet has narrow bezels on the sides with thicker ones on the top and bottom.
Other than a 8800mAh battery, a pair of tiny speakers, a microUSB slot, a microSD card slot and a headphone jack, there’s precious little else to report on. Overall, this is a tablet that will be useful for a wide range of scenarios, whether you want to use it as a POS tablet or to entertain your children.
If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US or UK (and potentially more). You may also be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
The end-of-financial-year sale is one of the biggest shopping events in Australia, with a wide range of products steeply discounted, including cars, household appliances and, of course consumer electronics.
While lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted, it’s still a good idea to shop online. After all, you’ll be able to shop from the comfort of your own home, and have more time to trawl through various online storefronts for the best offers. Or, you could let us do the hard work.
TechRadar’s Australian team is on hand to find the best bargains on electronics over the entire month of June, and we’ll list them all right here. There’s a strong possibility that a lot of the EOFY sales will end before June 30, so you’ll need to be quick to snag a great deal.
Retailers offering EOFY deals
HP Australia: Bonus prepaid gift card worth up to AU$200
Amazon Australia: Called the Mid-Year Sale, with plenty of discounted tech
eBay Australia: eBay Plus Month, exclusive discounts for Plus subscribers
EOFY 2020 deals
EOFY 2020 sale: what and when is it?
Unlike the calendar year, Australia’s end of financial year is June 30. That means, from July 1 to the end of October, individuals and businesses will need to file their tax forms with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Prior to that retailers will be racing to shift old stock to make way for fresh ones, and they’ll be slashing prices on plenty of items, many of which will be tax deductible.
Australia’s EOFY sales traditionally begin June 1 and end on June 30, although many retailers tend to jump the gun, offering a few tempting morsels to lure shoppers in. However, the best EOFY offers are during the month of June, although not all retailers have month-long sales. Moreover, the offers also change through the month, so you will need to keep checking back to see if whatever you need is being discounted or not.
Australia's EOFY 2020 sale: what to expect
If you’re looking to save some money on electronics during Australia’s annual EOFY sale, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve had our finger on the pulse of tax-time deals for a few years now and can safely predict what you can get for a cheaper price.
So, what kind of tech can you find during EOFY sales Down Under? Plenty. From computers to gaming gear, the best flagship smartphones to personal audio. To get an idea of what to expect in 2020, let's take a look at what was on offer last year.
Laptops and PCs: Computing gear has always been some of the most popular items to purchase during EOFY. Manufacturers like Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP will host their own sales on their sites, but you’ll also be able to grab laptops and desktop PCs from major retailers as well, with average discounts of about 15% to 20%. You’ll even be able to snag bargains on accessories as well, with printers, keyboards, SSDs and external hard drives all going on sale during this time.
Gaming
From Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft – there were plenty of deep discounts on gaming gear last year and we’re expecting to see more of the same again in 2020. The best price we saw on the Switch during EOFY 2019 was AU$379, which isn’t quite as low as it’s gone during other big sales like Black Friday, but it’s still a darn good price. There’ll also be some blockbuster gaming titles available for cheap, if you’d like to expand your gaming library, but keep an eye out for console bundles.
Smartphones and tablets
While there’s usually not a lot of variety when it comes to smartphone discounts, there are always some very intriguing offers to consider during EOFY if you’re looking to upgrade your handset. Last year saw some great discounts on Samsung’s flagships, as well as the Google Pixel 3, so if you’re an Android user, you may be able to score a new phone without having to pay full retail price.
It’s also a great time to see if you need a tablet as well, as more often than not they too are tax deductible if you use them for work.
Home entertainment and personal audio
There were plenty of TVs, sound bars and speakers on sale during the last couple of EOFY sales, and we don't expect that trend to change any time soon. And with some excellent 4K UHD smart TVs already seeing price drops outside of big sales, we're looking forward to seeing how much more affordable they'll be during the 2020 tax-time sale.
It's not just home entertainment setups that you'll be able to save on but portable Bluetooth speakers and the best wireless headphones as well. The premium audio products retail for about AU$500 a pop, but there's a good chance you'll see them drop well below the AU$400 mark. While discounted prices may not match Black Friday offers, tax-time deals still see a decent chunk of change saved on premium products.
Cameras
The EOFY sales are also a great time for photographers – beginners, pros or hobbyists – to grab the latest gear. Last year saw plenty of cameras go on sale, particularly from Fujifilm and Nikon. In 2018, we saw action cameras also drop in price, so keep your eyes peeled for some excellent bargains on DSLRs, compacts and more. If you’re happy with the camera body you already own but need some accessories, we’re also expecting lenses, tripods, filters, bags and SD cards to see some decent price drops as well.
Smart home devices
These nifty voice-activated products have been flooding the market – from internet-connected lights to smart security systems, and the speakers and displays to control them all. Amazon discounted its Echo range of smart speakers last year and we're quite sure that will happen again, along with the other smart devices the e-commerce giant stocks, such as Philips Hue smart lights. You'll also find plenty of retailers offering discounts on Google's range of smart speakers as well.
Home appliances
If you’re looking to renovate your home, the EOFY sales will help you save plenty on the new appliances you’ll need. You can expect to see bargains on not just Dyson vacuum cleaners, but also fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and plenty more.
June 22, 2020 at 09:56AM
Sharmishta Sarkar,Jasmine Gearie
While it will come as no surprise to learn that gamers are one of the few demographics that have actually been enjoying lockdown, what may be more surprising is that professional gamers – those that compete in esports tournaments for big prizes across Australia and around the globe – have developed a work ethic and model that can teach all of us a thing or two about working from home.
Professional gamers need to balance their many hours of intense focus in front of a computer screen with healthy schedules that keep them capable of maintaining optimal performance, both physically and mentally, at all times. So, which techniques do they use, and which technology do they recommend?
To find out, we reached out to Legacy Esports – one of the most successful esports organisations in the burgeoning Oceanic Region with teams and streamers currently competing in games including Fortnite, Hearthstone, Starcraft 2 and the hugely popular League of Legends. Its techniques have been proven in the field too: in April, its League of Legends team was crowned Oceanic Pro League (OPL) Champions.
We asked Tim Wendel, Head of Esports for Legacy Esports, what we could learn from their success. After all, as he puts it, “Working from home under quarantine hasn’t really changed much for what we do… we’re very used to operating in this space.”
Communication is key
For Tim Wendell, Head of Esports at Legacy Esports, remotely communicating and coordinating with team members has always been the norm.
Many office workers will have been getting to grips with Zoom for meetings and communication, but pro-gamers are already well versed at coordinating with their co-workers remotely. Winning means sharing information quickly – calling out enemy positions with military-grade efficiency, for example – and operating as though your teammates (who could be many kilometres away) are sitting right next to them.
Legacy Esports uses the gamer-oriented multi-channelled Discord app for voice and text communications, but Tim’s experience with it translates to all web conference-related communication software. His first point is to ensure that everyone has very good microphones for clarity – it’s neither professional nor helpful to others to sound like you’re talking from the bottom of a well. He adds, “For people now working from home, the key is to become familiar with the software that your team or company uses. It’s going to save you a lot of time being able to fix your own problems as opposed to going to IT every time something goes wrong. It could be that your microphone was on local mute as opposed to muted in the software – any number of issues.”
Microphone and speaker problems are certainly regular bugbears for the new world of conference calls: being able to diagnose whether an issue stems from computer settings, headset buttons/dials, another attendee, the local network or third-party cloud service, is important. Meetings can quickly become derailed by key participants not having functional audio or video, and providing remote tech support can be difficult, especially when it comes to explaining how to navigate hidden settings in apps (and operating systems) to those who are not tech-savvy.
The key lesson here is to plan ahead and test your setup prior to any important events. This will give you enough advance time to Google a specific problem, or ask a colleague for help.
Healthy body, healthy mindset
Samsung's curved gaming monitors are kind on the eyes and can easily do double-duty as your primary work display.
“Esports professionals put in some of the longest hours, of any profession, into their craft. Consequently, taking regular breaks is important and so is posture and stretching,” says Tim. Indeed, when training primarily involves sitting in front of a screen, clutching a mouse and keyboard, for many hours, every day, it becomes particularly important to understand and compensate for the negative effect that this has on one’s body. Tim says that getting up at least once an hour and stretching – even if it’s only for five minutes – is very important.
He continues, “There is a gamer stretch routine which focuses on warming-up. It involves pulling your fingers back one way and then back the other way. It’s really about loosening up any tension: your forearms can become very tense when holding a mouse and using a keyboard for prolonged periods.” This will help stave off the primary affliction that blights the world of Esports: RSI.
Beyond that, following a rigid schedule was essential. While training alongside teammates kept pro gamers from missing most sessions, there was still a great deal of solo work required. Having them stick to tight schedules for practice, rest, exercise and performance reviews helps the team and each individual member to structure their days.
He also adds the following advice, “When your routine changes, try to build a schedule that includes alarms or reminders for checking your messages. If you are used to only checking your emails in one big block each day, it might make sense to be a bit more dynamic during this time.” He concludes, “Also, there shouldn’t be any excuse not to stick to a healthy diet. Even maintaining exercise isn’t difficult, as online classes and live sessions with personal trainers are widely available.”
Get the right gear for the job
Samsung's T7 SSDs are an easy way to add robust, super-fast external storage to any PC or Mac.
Every job is simpler when you have the right tools to do it and, just as a blunt knife acts as a frustrating barrier to a chef, having a slow computer or poor-quality peripherals can act as a major barrier to office productivity. To that end, Samsung provides Legacy Esports with a variety of high-quality equipment to help them perform their best, including fast computer memory, SSDs and curved gaming monitors. Tim says, “All players who have received them have enjoyed the benefits. Not having to wait long for your computer to boot, being able to load games quickly and having plenty of room to store games [has proved particularly popular].”
He also stresses the importance of having an ergonomic chair. “Gaming chairs are hot items in esports, right now, with multiple manufacturers including elements like adjustable armrests and lumbar support. But, as long as you have a good chair that supports good posture; that’s the most important thing.” He adds that while it’s important to ensure that forearms are level with the table, there is no special gaming posture, or way to hold a mouse, that will stop you from getting tired.
Nonetheless, Tim still recommends using a curved monitor (or two) for work purposes: “Having a curved screen means I move my eyes less to reach corner to corner whereas, with a flat monitor the space feels wider. It feels like I’m using my eyes less to see the whole screen. Also, using two monitors makes it easy to multitask by providing multiple sources of information. Working on one monitor, while source information or messages appear on the other, makes things much easier.” He adds that, connecting to ultra widescreen monitors can particularly boost productivity versus being hunched over a laptop screen – and will help encourage better posture, too.
Top tech for WFH
The 970 EVO Plus range of SSDs offer terrific performance and can help reduce both boot up and load times, as well as making your PC more responsive for both work and games.
Samsung CT55 1000R curved monitor: Whether at home or in the office, curved monitors make it easier to tackle demanding tasks, offering a more natural and comfortable viewing experience. The Samsung CT55 features a 1000R curvature that matches the human field of view allowing you to see the whole screen in just one glance, which can help to limit visual fatigue, especially during sustained use scenarios. Another benefit of using a curved monitor is the ability to use it as a second monitor, making it easier to multi-task.
Samsung EVO Plus NVMe SSDs: These solid-state drives are fast and yet small enough to power both laptops and desktops alike. Boot times will plummet, as will the loading times of applications. Despite the diminutive dimensions they still pack in up-to 2TB of storage, so you won’t be running out of space any time soon.
Samsung Portable SSD T7: With increasing file sizes (especially when it comes to multimedia), running out of storage space on your laptop or desktop is a fairly common problem. Samsung’s portable SSDs, such as the T7, offer an easy way to add super-fast external storage, allow you to both save and work from large files on a separate drive – even demanding jobs like video editing can be done directly from a Samsung Portable SSD, so there’s no need to transfer files between the external SSD and your computer’s internal storage.
Samsung 27-inch CRG5 curved monitor: The CRG5 combines a lightning-fast refresh rate through 240Hz RapidCurve™ technology and 1500R curvature, minimising lag time while displaying ultra-smooth scenes for a truly immersive experience. The 240Hz refresh rate allows a swift, effortless response to screen transitions and quickly changing situations, while the 1500R curved screen offers a wide view with just one glance. To eliminate tears, stuttering and any delay in the action, G-sync compatibility from NVIDIA synchronises the graphics processing unit (GPU) and panel, offering players exceptionally dynamic and seamless gameplay during any scene in full HD resolution.
eBay's Plus Month has just over a week to go before it ends, but there's still a bunch of ace daily deals to come before next Tuesday. Today's offering in particular is a ripper, with the online marketplace offering up the Apple Watch 5 for a tiny AU$399, discounting the popular smartwatch by AU$250, or an incredible 38% off!
There's a total of 500 units up for grabs in the Plus-exclusive deal, which unlock in batches of 100 at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.
Whilst Apple’s latest smartwatch isn’t all that different from the previous model in terms of design, its main change is that it comes with an always-on display for the first time. This means you don’t have to stimulate the watch to show your stats as they’re always displayed on a dimly lit screen.
Along with the usual fitness features you would expect from an Apple Watch, the new model boasts some additional top-of-the-range tracking modes, including an ECG monitor, GPS tracking, impressive heart rate monitoring and more. If you're looking for the very best Apple Watch, this is it!
As we mentioned earlier, this bargain price is only available for 500 units in total, which unlock throughout the day, and you need to be an eBay Plus subscriber to access the discount – if you’re not already a member, signing up is easy and includes a 30-day free trial, so can even just use the latter to score this fantastic smartwatch.
If the Watch is sold-out when you visit the store don't fret, as new units will be dropped at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm – make sure to use the code PJT91 at checkout to receive your full discount.
Xbox Series X is the new Xbox that is due for release in late 2020. So far we know when the next-gen Xbox will release, its official name, some of the games we'll be playing, as well as information on backwards compatibility, and how cross-gen game ownership will work under the new Smart Delivery feature.
We also know that it will have a slightly redesigned controller that should be more accessible, and offer 1TB SSD upgrades from Seagate.
From what we've seen so far, it looks like the Xbox Series X will sport a blockier style that's similar to that of a small gaming PC. More importantly, we now know what's inside the console, thanks to Microsoft giving us the Series X's full specs, and we can say for sure that the new Xbox is going to be an absolute powerhouse.
But the Xbox Series X won't be the only next-generation hardware on offer from Microsoft. The company has confirmed that the next-generation family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within that family, which is likely to include a cheaper disc-drive free version as well.
So what exactly has Microsoft got to offer with the new Xbox? And how will it compare to the PS5? Let's break down everything we know about the Xbox Series X.
What is it? Xbox Series X will be the next-gen Xbox console.
Xbox Series X release date: "Holiday 2020" - so between October and December.
What can I play on it?Halo Infinite and Hellblade 2 for starters, while all previous generations of Xbox console games will be covered by backwards compatibility.
What will the Xbox Series X cost? No prices yet, and we're not expecting it to be cheap. But Microsoft has said it won't be making the same pricing mistakes as last generation so perhaps we'll be pleasantly surprised.
Will Xbox Series X have VR? Microsoft has confirmed Xbox Series X won't have VR at launch, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer saying the company is waiting until Xbox VR is a "no-brainer".
Will coronavirus delay the Xbox Series X release? It doesn't look like this will be the case as Microsoft is citing the same release window.
Microsoft has given the release window of "Holiday 2020" - which means we'll likely see the Xbox Series X release worldwide between October and December this year. That's right, the new Xbox will release worldwide in this window, including in Japan where the Xbox brand has previously had poor sales.
We're expecting the Xbox Series X to release sometime in November as, historically, that's when Microsoft has released its consoles.
It's possible that the release date will be November 26, 2020 (AKA Thanksgiving in the US). An image stating the Xbox Series X is "coming Thanksgiving 2020" (shown above) appeared on a number of product pages around the world briefly before being reverted back to to the previously announced Holiday 2020 release window.
A Microsoft spokesperson responded to TechRadar to clarify, saying: "An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020.”
Despite concerns that the Xbox Series X will be delayed due to Covid-19, Microsoft is still citing the same release window and Xbox boss Phil Spencer told IGN: "We have nothing right now that says that we're not going to make the dates that we've been planning."
Microsoft won't be pinned down on an Xbox Series X price point quite yet – unsurprisingly, given what a sore spot the price of the Xbox One was for fans. At launch, the original Xbox One cost a whopping $499 / £429 / AU$599, which was quickly reduced when Microsoft realized people weren't forking out.
Microsoft has at the very least promised that it's learned from this pricing mistake, with Phil Spencer stating that this time "we will not be out of position on power or price.” That doesn't mean that the new Xbox will be cheap, mind you, it just means the price point will be better aligned with the console's power and the price points of the competition.
After all, Jason Ronald, director of the Xbox platform, gave only a vague reassurance when speaking to Windows Central, saying that Microsoft knew "what reasonable price points are for a console and kind of what customers expect about that".
Price will at least in part be determined by the cost of the components going into the console: Xbox Series X is going to be a lot more powerful than either the Xbox One S or Xbox One X, and that will likely mean we're looking at an even higher price tag on any bundles and Xbox Series X pre-orders.
It could be a while before we get confirmation of the Xbox Series X price - possibly months. Historically we've seen both Microsoft and Sony reveal their console pricing around June or July, but this time things are a bit different. The hot topic of pricing has many on the edge of their seats, as we see just how powerful the PS5 and Xbox Series are, and wonder how expensive the technology will be.
However, it does look like the Xbox Series X could be cheaper than the PS5. Sony Interactive Entertainment's president and CEO Jim Ryan has hinted that the PS5 might not have the 'lowest price' in battle against Xbox Series X
In a wide-ranging interview with GamesIndustryBiz, Ryan addressed speculation around the PS5 cost. While not revealing the price, Ryan suggested the PS5 price could be a significant hit on gamers' savings, and certainly not committing to beating the Xbox Series X on price.
Speaking on whether the potential for a Covid-19-related recession will affect sales of the PS5, a high-value gadget, Ryan said:
"I think the best way that we can address this is by providing the best possible value proposition that we can. I don't necessarily mean lowest price. Value is a combination of many things. In our area it means games, it means number of games, depth of games, breadth of games, quality of games, price of games... all of these things and how they avail themselves of the feature set of the platform."
It seems like we're currently in something of a standoff, with both companies waiting to see what the other will price its next-gen hardware at - possibly so they can undercut each other. It looks like Sony and Microsoft will be waiting until the last possible moment to set their pricing, with plenty of time before then to make adjustments. Still, enough time will need to be set aside before the consoles release between October and December for people to get those pre-orders in.
CPU: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) 7nm
GPU: 12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, Custom RDNA 2
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Storage: 1TB custom NVMe SSD
Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray
Ports: HDMI 2.1 output, 3x USB 3.2, networking port, expanded storage slot, power input
120 fps support
Potential 8K resolutions
Ray-tracing technology
Variable Rate Shading for more stable frame rates
Compatible with Xbox One accessories
Smart Delivery
We now know what Xbox Series X looks like and what it's packing under the hood, and it's going to be an absolute beast of a console. The new Xbox's gaming PC design is pretty apt, considering the next-gen console's internal hardware is comparable to one - so make sure you check out our Xbox Series X spec analysis.
The folks over at Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry got a close look at the hardware, and alongside Microsoft have announced the hardware that will be powering the Xbox Series X. According to Digital Foundry, the specs confirm that the Xbox Series X will indeed be twice as powerful as the Xbox Once X… in practise.
Digital Foundry saw an unoptimized version of Gears 5 running on the Xbox Series X running at the equivalent of ‘Ultra’ graphics settings on PC, and it comes with enhanced shadows and ray tracing. Where the cut scenes ran at 30FPS on the Xbox One X, Digital Foundry reported that on the Xbox Series X, it runs at a ‘flawless’ 60FPS. Also, this is an early port – on release we should see even better results.
As expected, the Xbox Series X processor is built into a custom Project Scarlett SoC (System on Chip), which uses an enhanced version of TSMC’s 7nm process. That seven nanometers is important. The smaller the process, the more efficient the chip can be. That means it can provide more performance for less power.
Making sure the chip inside a games console can perform well without using lots of power (and getting hot) is incredibly important. Based on the prototype hardware Digital Foundry seen, the Xbox Series X reportedly ships with a 315W power supply - delivered internally but the console is also equipped with parallel cooling architecture, allowing cool air in and letting that cool air stream through separate areas of the console.
The processor is a customized AMD Zen 2 CPU with eight cores and 16 threads, with a peak speed of 3.8GHz, and a base speed of 3.6GHz.
As Digital Foundry reveals, these frequencies aren’t completely locked, which suggests the Xbox Series X could adjust the power of the CPU based on workload and thermals. So, if you’re playing a game that needs a lot of processing power, the Xbox Series X can give its CPU a boost, and then slow it down when you don’t need it.
Meanwhile, the GPU of the Xbox Series X is revealed as a custom design with 12 teraflops of compute performance, with 3328 shaders allocated to 52 compute units, and runs at a locked 1,825 MHz. Interestingly, there’s no boost clocks for the GPU. It will always run at that speed.
The Xbox Series X also uses AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, and offers ray tracing for photo-realistic lighting. What does this mean in the real world? It seems the Xbox Series X will have the graphical power acquirement to a gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card. So, a very capable device indeed, but maybe not able to compete with the most powerful gaming PCs.
The Xbox Series X also gets 16GB of GDDR6 memory – an upgrade from the Xbox One X’s 12GB GDDR5. That won’t all be used in games, however. Games will get a total of 13.5GB – 10GB of GPU optimal memory and 3.5GB of standard memory, while the remaining 2.5GB is reserved for the operating system.
The faster GDDR6 memory should also offer a big leap in performance. Match that with a super-fast NVMe SSD, and the Xbox Series X should feel very spritely when used.
There’s still a lot of questions over what kind of performance we can expect from the Xbox Series X, but this is by far the best look at the hardware we’ve seen.
But what else do we know about the Xbox Series X's specs? Well, Microsoft is aiming to get Xbox Series X games to run at 60 FPS in 4K, calling the challenge a "design goal". The console will support up to 120 FPS too.
Despite 4K being the aim, Microsoft has said the Xbox Series X has 8K capability. Phil Spencer even changed his Twitter profile photo to (what appeared to be) a picture of the next-gen Xbox Series X's processor. It said 'Project Scarlett' on it, and was marked with '8K' (pictured above), suggesting Microsoft plans on doing more than simply talking the talk when it comes to 8K.
The Xbox Series X will also feature Variable Rate Shading, which prioritizes effects on different in-game characters and objects for a "more stable frame rate and higher resolution", according to Microsoft.
Not only will games look better, they could be bigger. In an interview with PCGamesN, Samsung revealed that it's talking with Microsoft and pushing the gaming behemoth to adopt ultrawide support for the Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Series X will make good use of having an SSD – a 'Quick Resume' feature for the console will let you "almost instantly" continue with multiple games, without the need to sit through load screens.
Microsoft also aims to improve latency through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). According to Microsoft, "ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode". While "VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing". These features aim to minimize lag and make gaming more responsive.
However, don't expect video to do the Xbox Series X's power justice. Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes that it’s been challenging to demonstrate just how much of a leap Xbox Series X will be over Xbox One, as faster and more stable frame rates aren’t something that really comes across in videos.
Speaking to ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-aime on his new podcast (thanks, GameSpot), Spencer lamented the fact that gamers might not appreciate the power of Xbox Series X just yet.
"One of the things I've talked about publicly ... but it's hard to come across, is the way it feels to play games on a box where frame rates are higher, frame rates are more stable," Spencer explained. "The fluidity of it, showing that in video form, is just impossible. How do you show how something feels?"
If you're less bothered about the specs and more concerned about whether you can still play physical games on the next Xbox, then you'll be pleased to know that Xbox Series X has a physical disc drive.
Microsoft has also confirmed that all your current Xbox One accessories will work with Xbox Series X, including existing controllers and headsets. But we'd doubt that also includes the ill-fated Kinect motion tracker.
That means that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will be forward compatible with Series X, but Microsoft is also launching a next-generation wireless controller to accompany the new console.
But don't expect the Xbox Series X to launch with VR support as, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Microsoft is waiting until VR on Xbox becomes a "no brainer". However, right now, the company doesn't see the feature as "so important" on its next-gen hardware.
Xbox Series X has a completely different design to its predecessors. For a start, the next-gen console has an upright tower design - similar to that of a gaming PC. However, Microsoft has confirmed Series X can sit horizontally or vertically.
From what we've seen in the Series X reveal trailer, the console is black with slightly indented cooling vents on the top (with what seems to be a green light inside). The Xbox logo sits small on the top left hand corner of the console and there's still a disc drive - which is placed vertically on the left hand side also.
The Xbox Series X has the following ports: HDMI 2.1 output port, three USB 3.2 ports, one networking port, an expanded storage slot and a power input port.
The console reportedly measures 15.1cm x 15.1cm x 30.1cm and weighs 4.45kg/9.8lbs.
While these images have been circling for a while now, we still weren't entirely sure what that mystery port was - until now. Thurrott claims that sources "familiar with the company's plans" have identified the port as being for storage expansion.
Microsoft hasn't confirmed it this is the case, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was seeing as external storage was supported with the Xbox One - but whether we see it included in the final Series X product is still uncertain.
In addition to the console design, we also know what the new Xbox logo will look like.
Spotted on Reddit by Windows Central, an official trademark listing for the Xbox Series X logo was filed on April 16, 2020, showing a very different look to what we've seen for Microsoft's consoles to date.
The logo shows the word 'Series' in a vertical formation, next to a stylized 'X'. It's a more mature and minimalist design for Xbox, but it's somewhat simplistic and – in our opinion – looks more suited to a sports brand.
According to the patent, this is the Xbox Series X logo we'll see on everything from the console itself to clothing, keychains, toys and even kitchen utensils. Although, we think Microsoft is just trying to cover all bases and it's unlikely we'll see an Xbox Series X spatula anytime soon.
Microsoft is releasing an Xbox Series X controller to accompany its next generation console. The new Xbox Wireless Controller will apparently be more accessible to everyone, as Microsoft has made an effort to refine the size and shape.
This shouldn't be too surprising to anyone that's been following the tech giant, as it's been making waves for accessibility in gaming for a while now with products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Along with enhanced accessibility, we'll also be getting a dedicated share button (finally) that will let you share screenshots and videos with your friends.
Microsoft has also revealed that it is optimizing latency in the "player-to-console pipeline" starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, through a new feature called Dynamic Latency input. According to the company, this feature "synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed", making controls "more precise and responsive".
We got our best look yet at the upcoming Xbox Series X games lineup during the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, with Microsoft revealing a roster of third-party games coming to the new Xbox including Dirt 5, Scorn Madden 21 and more. We also got to see gameplay for Assassin's Creed Valhalla for the first time. All of the games shown are optimized for the Xbox Series X (and will therefore make the most of its powerful specs).
For a full look at the dozens of Xbox Series X games that have been confirmed so far, check out our full Xbox Series X games round-up.
But what else do we know about Xbox Series X games so far? During the Xbox Series X's official reveal, Phil Spencer said Series X games will be "more lifelike, immersive and surprising" and that the Xbox Series X will "lead us into the future of gaming". He also stated that 15 Xbox Game Studios are building a huge next-generation library that includes Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga and Halo Infinite.
Not a Halo fan? Don't worry, Xbox Series X will be capable of four generations of backwards compatibility - with the feature available from launch. That means the Series X will be able to play existing Xbox One games like Destiny 2 as well as backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. Not only that, but these games will "play better than ever before" thanks to Microsoft's new HDR reconstruction technique and the Xbox Series X's Quick Resume feature - without requiring additional work from developers.
In addition, the Xbox Series X's powerful specs will enable select backwards-compatible titles to run at higher resolutions or double the frame rate.
Not only is Microsoft doubling down on backwards compatibility, but the company is also introducing a new system called Smart Delivery to the Series X that, in some respects, could be seen as forwards compatibility.
With the Xbox Series X, Smart Delivery will seemingly ensure that you have the right version of a game, no matter which Xbox console you’ve bought it on, allowing users to upgrade compatible games to next-gen versions for free through the program. Not only that but save data will be able to be carried backwards and forwards between the Xbox Series X and Xbox One, allowing players to pick up and play on both current-gen and next-gen consoles. We already know some of the games which will utilize this feature, including Cyberpunk 2077.
In addition, Microsoft will avoid siloing by taking a cross-generation approach to its first-party games. Talking to Stevivor, Phil Spencer said Microsoft wants to create a console that utilizes Xbox Play Anywhere so you can move seamlessly between devices: "Our goal for our first-party games is that your entitlements will be cross-generation and your Achievements will move effectively with your save game because that’s where they stand.”
We're also expecting Microsoft's game-streaming service Project xCloud to be out of public testing by the time Xbox Series X releases (with a launch date slated for this year) so we should hopefully be able to enjoy Series X games on-the-go.
For those who aren't quite sold on upgrading to Series X quite yet, but still want to check out the best upcoming games, Microsoft has stated that there won't be Xbox Series X exclusive games for at least a year and, for the foreseeable future, new games are planned to work across the Xbox family of devices. That means you'll still be able to play them on Xbox One.
We knew what the Xbox Series X will look like, a few of the features on offer, and a good deal about specs the next Xbox is boasting. But May 7 was when we first saw Xbox Series X gameplay revealed.
According to Microsoft, this event would see us fans getting a first look at next-gen gameplay, trailers and sneak peeks from Xbox's third-party partners, an update on how devs are utilizing the Xbox Series X and, finally, confirmation of the Xbox Series X games that will use Smart Delivery.
With no look at the console itself, or its interface features, this was all about third-party titles – and ultimately we felt it was a little underwhelming, with no standout titles to shout about.
However, this May 7 event is only the start of Microsoft's next-gen reveal plans. According to the company, this event will kick off Xbox 20/20, a stream which will take place each month throughout the rest of the year in the lead-up to the launch of the next-gen console.
"Starting with the May 7 episode of Inside Xbox, we will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it 'Xbox 20/20'," Jerret West, CVP of gaming marketing at Xbox wrote on Xbox Wire.
"These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for us to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month will bring something different."
Microsoft has already confirmed we'll be seeing more of Xbox Series X first-party games at Xbox 20/20 in July, including Halo Infinite.
We expect that these streams will entirely replace the Xbox's presence at E3 2020, which Microsoft was confirmed to be attending until it was cancelled – given the circumstances right now, a remote event makes a lot of sense.
The Xbox Series X will not be the only new Xbox in Microsoft's next-generation lineup. While we were all pretty excited when Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox at the Game Awards 2019, it appears that the upcoming console's name isn't quite what we thought - and it will belong to a family.
While we assumed that the new Xbox is called 'Xbox Series X', Microsoft has clarified that, in fact, the family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within the family.
This clarification from Microsoft serves to further fuel rumors that another new Xbox console is on the way. Rumors have circulated for some time about a lower-cost next-gen Xbox console that would sit just below the high-end Xbox Series X - codenamed 'Project Lockhart'.
Project Lockhart will allegedly be disc-less console - a trait that it will carry forward from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - but Kotaku's sources believe it will be substantially more powerful than Microsoft’s current disc-less box, and will come with both a solid-state hard drive and a faster CPU than any current game console.
The report goes on to say that Microsoft told developers to shoot for a 1440p resolution and 60 frames-per-second frame rate with Project Lockhart and 4K/60 with Xbox Series X, and those same developers have likened the performance of the lower-end console to the PS4 Pro.
