The Ford Mustang Mach-E is the first fully electric car from the American auto maker, and while it bears the famous stallion brand, it's not exactly what you'd imagine a Mustang to be.

Instead of a two-door muscle car, which Mustangs have bee ever since their introduction in 1964, the Mustang Mach-E is actually a five-door, mid-size SUV ready to take on the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-Tron, Kia e-Niro and upcoming Tesla Model Y.

Add into the mix the fact the iconic V8 power has also been swapped out in favor of greener, silent electricity and you may begin to wonder if Ford has forgotten what the Mustang is all about.

However, you still get the classic Mustang shape – albeit jacked up – and the famous pong is still prancing across the front of the Mach-E. What's more, you can pre-order the Ford Mustang Mach-E now, if it takes your fancy.

If you're still on the fence, here's everything we know about the Mustang Mach-E so far.

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Ford Mustang Mach-E release date and price

The Ford Mustang Mach-E release date is slated for late 2020, so we expect the first electric cars to roll off productions lines sometime between September and December. It's available for pre-order on the Ford website, if you fancy staking a claim early. 

The Ford Mustang Mach-E price starts at $43,895 / £40,350 (around AU$68,000).

In the US there are four base models; Select, Premium (from $50,600), California RT.1 Edition ($52,400) and GT ($60,500), but the Select and Premium configurations have sub-model options too.

The Select Mustang Mach-E is available at the starting price as RWD (rear wheel drive), but you can also get it in AWD (all wheel drive) - which bumps the price to $46,595, improves its 0-62mph time, but decreases the estimated range from 230 to 210 miles.

Meanwhile, the Premium model offers a host of additional features over the Select - including larger wheels, a handsfree tailgate, panoramic glass roof, heated wheel and front seats, and more.

It also arrives in four battery and powertrain options. There the standard range RWD (offering 230 miles) and AWD (210 miles) models, which are joined by a pair of extended range options.

The extended range RWD offers up to 300 miles on a single charge, while you can expect around 270 miles from the AWD powertrain.

In the UK, things are much simpler. There are four models in total – two RWD and two AWD – to choose from. There was a fifth option, but the limited First Edition model has already 'sold out'.

The entry-level £40,350 Mustang Mach-E price gets you the base RWD model which boasts a range of 280 miles. If you opt for the extended range model - which aims to deliver 370 miles on a single charge - the Mustang Mach-E starting price rises to £49,980.

For those looking for enhanced performance, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is also available with an AWD powertrain in the UK.

You will need to pay for the additional drive, but the extra cost also bags you bigger, 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED Mustang signature headlights, red brake calipers and more.

The standard range AWD Ford Mustang Mach-E price starts at £46,650, with the extended range model bumping that up to £57,030. 

Ford will also bring the GT version of the Mustang Mach-E to the UK in 2021, and claims it will have a 0-60mph time of under five seconds – however it's yet to reveal how much it will cost, or any of the other specs.

Ford Mustang Mach-E design

As we've mentioned, the Ford Mustang Mach-E isn't exactly your standard Mustang with the fact that it's a SUV rather than a two-door sports car.

However, Ford has kept a number of styling points from its iconic vehicle and brought them to its first fully electric car including Mustang front and rear light blocks, the bulbous hood, sleek roof profile, wide wheel arches and the pony badge on the front grille.

You'll notice that the Mustang Mach-E doesn't have door handles, helping Ford create that sleek aesthetic. 

So, how do you get in? There are touch-sensitive buttons on the B pillar (the pillar between the front and rear windows) which, when pressed, will pop the doors open for you.

As you approach the car, the buttons illuminate, showing you where to touch, and the Mustang Mach-E will also be able to automatically lock itself when you exit and walk away from the vehicle.

When it comes to storage, the Mustang Mach-E has plenty of space, with a 29cu ft / 402L trunk. Fold the rear seats down and that expands to 59.6cu ft / 1,420L. Plus, as there's no combustion engine in this electric car, you also get a 4.8cu ft / 100L front trunk.

Ford Mustang Mach-E range and charging

As for the Ford Mustang Mach-E range, it really depends on the model you purchase. If you opt for an extended range Mach-E, you could be looking at over 300 miles from a single charge, but even if your budget can't stretch that far, Ford has also built in fast charging.

The extended range Mustang Mach-E electric cars support 150kW DC charging, which can equate to between 47 and 57 miles of range in just 10 minutes - provided you're hooked up to a compatible fast charger.

This would also take you from 10% to 80% in 45 minutes, and just 38 minutes for the smaller battery capacity in the standard range models.

It means a suitable top-up can be achieved at a rest-stop with a compatible fast charger.

Of course, you'll also be able to charge up your Ford Mustang Mach-E at home by plugging it in to a standard wall socket (Ford includes the required charging cable with the car), although top-up times will be much slower - about 8 miles of range per hour.

However, you can get a faster charger or higher voltage socket installed at home, which can improve the recharge time to around 22-32 miles of range per hour.

Ford Mustang Mach-E in-car technology

Inside the Ford Mustang Mach-E you'll find a huge 15.5-inch touch screen between the front two seats, providing infotainment and car controls. 

It has a physical dial built into it towards its base, which allows for easier, tactile control over various settings and reduces the amount of time required staring at the screen rather than the road.

The display runs on a new version of the Ford Sync interface, and also comes with voice control. Ford's also included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Mustang Mach-E, allowing you to mirror you phone's core apps on the car's screen.

That means you'll get access to apps including Apple Maps, Apple Music, Waze, Google Maps, Spotify, Messages, WhatsApp and more.

That's not the only digital display on offer though, as Ford has also squeezed a 10.2-inch display into the cluster behind the steering wheel.

There are USB ports too, ensuring driver and their passengers can plug in and top-up their devices when on the move. Vital when it comes to keeping the kids occupied in the back - because remember, this isn't a traditional Mustang with a couple of seats crammed in the rear as an afterthought, this is a full 5-seater SUV.

Ford Mustang Mach-E smart driving aids

Ford is packing in a range of driving aids which are becoming common place is many new cars these days. It includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go. This will see the Mustang Mach-E accelerate (up to your preset max speed and decelerator with the car in front. It will be able to bring you to a complete stop in traffic, and set off again - all without you having to touch the accelerator pedal.

There are four cameras situated around the Mustang Mach-E which can provide you with a clear view of your whole surroundings - which will likely be especially useful when it comes to maneuvering in tight spaces and parking.

If parking is a problem the Ford Mustang Mach-E also comes with Intelligent Active Park Assist, which can automatically park you in a perpendicular or parallel space.

While the features at launch are certainly welcome, Ford is promising future improvements, updates and new features for the car via wireless, over-the-air updates.

It's already confirmed that it expects to push its first update to the Mach-E within six months of it rolling off the production line, and future updates could include performance improvements, updates to the infotainment system and brand new features not currently available.

What's more, the Mustang Mach-E will be able to update itself while parked outside your house over Wi-Fi or cellular, and some installations may take less than two minutes and won't interrupt your use of car.

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Nvidia has unveiled the third generation of the world's most advanced AI system with the launch of its new Nvidia DGX A100.

The DGX A100 can deliver five petaflops of AI performance as it consolidates the power and capabilities of an entire data center into a single platform for the first time. The system is available now and the first order has already shipped out to the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory which will use its AI and computing power to better understand and fight against Covid-19.

In a press release, founder and CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang explained how the DGX A100 will help advance the development of AI, saying:

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“NVIDIA DGX A100 is the ultimate instrument for advancing AI. NVIDIA DGX is the first AI system built for the end-to-end machine learning workflow — from data analytics to training to inference. And with the giant performance leap of the new DGX, machine learning engineers can stay ahead of the exponentially growing size of AI models and data.”

Nvidia powered by... AMD!

Nvidia's DGX A100 systems integrate eight of the company's new A100 Tensor Core GPUs for a total of 320GB of memory that can be used to train even the largest AI datasets. The system also features the latest high-speed Nvidia Mellanox HDR 200Gbps interconnects; the press release however misses an important ingredient from their archrival AMD.

Tucked inside the DGX A100 is two 64-core AMD Epyc processors that, Nvidia says, provides 3.2X more cores. The previous generation used Intel Xeon and the adoption of the Epyc CPU by AMD's fiercest rival is a clear indication of the performance and feature gap between Intel and AMD. 

When working with smaller workloads, the DGX A100 can be partitioned into as many as 56 instances per system by using the A100's multi-instance GPU feature. This enables enterprise to optimize computing power and resources on demand in order to accelerate a variety of diverse workloads, including data analytics, training and inference, all on a single, fully integrated, software defined platform.

The University of Florida even plans to deploy DGX A100 systems to infuse AI across its entire curriculum with the aim of fostering an AI-enabled workforce.

Nvidia's new AI system is available now through its partner network of resellers worldwide starting at $199,000 (£164,412). The company's storage technology providers, including DDN Storage, Dell, IBM, NetApp, Pure Storage and Vast, also plan to integrate the DGX A100 into their offerings.

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Disney Plus is already a home for many a musical, and whether you’re more into the animated sing-a-long films of Hercules and Mulan, or the spin-off High School Musical series, there are plenty of tune-filled shows and films to keep any Disney Plus subscriber occupied.

Things are changing, though, with the arrival of Hamilton, which is confirmed to be landing on the service this July 3 – far ahead of its originally planned theatrical release date in October 2021.

The award-winning musical – penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also took the starring role in its original Broadway production – took audiences and critics by storm with its mash-up hip-hop opera, which explores the politically turbulent life of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers. 

Its arrival on Disney Plus will be welcome to those of us who haven’t managed to see the show in person – a huge number, given the limited number of seats per performance and increasingly high price of tickets. If you don’t live in or near London or New York, too, your only real option is to listen to the soundtrack (which still holds up magnificently by itself).

But Hamilton coming to Disney Plus also opens the door to the many Disney stage musicals showing on Broadway and on London’s West End coming to the TV streaming service. Here’s why.

A whole new world

Disney has been a sizeable force in the world of Broadway and West End musicals for years now, including massive hit shows like The Lion King and Aladdin, to others like Tarzan or the Little Mermaid that have toured numerous countries without necessarily ending up at a massive London or Broadway theater. There’s even a stage musical for Mary Poppins!

2020 is not business as usual, though. With lockdown measures keeping cinemas, theaters, bars, and entertainment venues shut for the foreseeable future, more and more of us are looking to TV streaming services to scratch our content fix. 

Disney Plus didn’t exactly need that driver, with millions of subscribers signing up in its first few days in the US, Canada and Australia, and more coming in the months afterwards as it spread to the UK and rest of Europe. But the fact remains that live performances have been put on pause, and platforms like Disney Plus offer a way to compensate for that.

Disney has also played around with streams for musical performances, including its Disney on Broadway 25th Anniversary concert, which was filmed in late 2019 (remember 2019?) and streamed in April 2020 to raise money for victims of Covid-19.

Of course, many of Disney’s stage musicals have been shut for weeks amid lockdown measures, and so any performances yet to be filmed in full for streaming for Disney Plus are unlikely to have the opportunity in the coming weeks. London’s West End is also due to be shut until June 28, if not later, while Broadway is expected to be closed until at least September (via The New York Times).

On Disney Plus you’ll also find a filmed performance of the Broadway musical Newsies – alongside the 1992 film version starring a rather young Christian Bale.

We’d be surprised, though, if Disney didn’t have some form of video recordings for many of its other musicals – or a plan to get them – especially with its involvement in Hamilton showing an interest in bringing stage musicals to screen.

Theater videographer Bartek Podkowa (Seven Hills Film) told us that Disney would likely go ahead with “Frozen, The Lion King and Aladdin–- assuming they have pre-existing recordings. Filming new shows on the scale they're dealing with would be incredibly difficult in the immediate future, so I would expect them to start with what they already have available.”

“I hope that streamed musicals could reach audiences that might not normally consider giving a staged musical a shot, and convince them to start seeing live shows once theaters reopen,” added Podkowa – while acknowledging that “polished, high-budget” streams from Disney could squeeze out the streaming attempts of smaller theaters and venues during the extended closure.

One jump ahead

A way to binge the biggest Disney musicals in their stage form, and watch them back-to-back with the original animated films that spawned them, would be a massive addition to the Disney Plus catalogue – which, as it stands, still suffers from a lack of variety outside of its tentpole Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Disney channels. Why not a dedicated tab for ‘Disney Plus Live’?

There are also plenty of other stage musicals that attract thousands of paying audience members every month – and if Disney was able to get the streaming rights to a number of them, its streaming service could become a home for stage musicals, current and past, for those unable or see them in person. 

Imagine seeing Matilda, Dear Evan Hansen, and Wicked next to The Last Jedi and Black Panther, or even Book of Mormon (though we don’t expect Disney bringing that to its largely family-friendly service).

We’ve seen similar measures by the UK’s National Theatre, which has expanded its usual NT Live programme into a weekly broadcast of past productions, with a strategy of limited streaming availability as to not end up replacing live performances altogether.

For now, we’ll be satisfied with Hamilton – but if Disney doesn’t have a roadmap for its stage musicals coming to Disney Plus too, it should probably start planning one. 

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Facebook has been busy trying to get a slice of the Zoom video calling pie with the launch of Messenger Rooms, a video conferencing tool with support for up to 50 participants. As promised, links to Rooms are now appearing in WhatsApp.

As spotted by WABetaInfo, the beta versions of WhatsApp for Android and WhatsApp for iOS now feature shortcuts to Messenger Rooms, so users can jump straight from one app to the other.

For now though, the links are only appearing for certain users in certain countries. Even if you switch to the beta version of WhatsApp, you won't necessarily see the newly added Messenger Rooms functionality.

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When Messenger Rooms first appeared, Facebook did say it would be integrated into Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and the Portal video caller, and it seems to be wasting no time as far as WhatsApp is concerned.

One messaging platform to rule them all

A few days ago we saw Messenger Rooms integration arrive for WhatsApp on the web, so the foundations are obviously in place for a full roll out. If early testing goes well, this should be available to all WhatsApp users before too long.

Messenger Rooms does everything you would expect a competent video calling application to do. Participants can join in even without a Facebook account, and there's the all-important support for virtual backgrounds too.

With many of us stuck at home more regularly, WhatsApp itself is getting improved video calling features as well – support for 8-way video chats was just added – while competitors like Google are upgrading their own video tools.

Last year Facebook said that it wanted to unify messaging across all of its apps – Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – though we haven't heard too much about that since. Expect a lot more crossover between these apps in the coming months.

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Via XDA Developers

If you missed out on the excellent Amazon Echo Show deals of last month, you're in luck. We're seeing Amazon Echo sales prices cut across the US and UK this weekend, with many devices returning with the discounts that proved so popular at the end of April. 

That means you can pick up the Amazon Echo Show 5 for just $59.99 in the US or £59.99 in the UK once more, or upgrade to the Echo Show 8 for $89.99 / £79.99 as well. That's an excellent price on Amazon's series of smart displays, offering a gorgeous 8-inch HD display in the case of the latter, and a number of handy interactive features and experiences for controlling your smart home, checking out the latest recipes, or keeping your calendar and headlines close. 

If you're after some Alexa smarts but don't need a screen, US shoppers will also find discounts on the Echo Dot this weekend. Prices have returned to that familiar $39.99 position on the third generation device, with the Echo Dot with Clock now available for just $5 more than the standard device. 

That all means you've got another chance to score a bargain with the return of these excellent Amazon Echo deals. These prices proved popular last time, however, so you don't want to hang around. Not only that, but with Amazon Prime Day looking increasingly uncertain due to the global pandemic, there's no guarantee these devices will see further discounts in the summer. 

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Amazon Echo Show deals in the US

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Amazon Echo Dot deals in the US

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Amazon Echo Show deals in the UK

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Want to do more with you Echo device? The Amazon Music Unlimited price includes a massive library of tunes, or you can check out the latest Audible price and membership costs.

Superb gaming laptop deals have just landed on the official Dell US store page, showcasing some truly speedy operators with savings ranging all the way from $100 to $300.

Our highlight this week is an $180 off gaming laptop deal on a Dell G5 15 for $1,169.99 (was $1,349) - which features a GTX 1660 Ti, Intel Core i7-9750H, 8GB of RAM and a massive 512GB SSD, simply fantastic specs for the money. If that's understandably a little too pricey for your taste, there's also a tidy $100 saving to be had on this budget-minded Dell G5 15 for $849.99 (was $949.99), which features a GTX 1650, Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

Both these gaming laptop deals are great options, namely if you're looking to upgrade in the case of the former, or as a good starting point in the latter. You also have the option to customize your specs before you purchase with the official Dell store, so if you'd like to reinvest that initial $180 saving to get an RTX 2060, or 16GB of RAM, you can easily do so.

If you really want to splash the cash, we've also included this massive $300 saving on an Alienware m15 for $1,599.99 (was $1,899). With an RTX 2060, Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, this one's a real beast, and we'd recommend it to anyone who's really serious about future-proofing their gaming setup for the encroaching new generation of games just around the corner.

Not in the US? Check out the best gaming laptop deals in your region down below.

Gaming laptop deals at Dell this weekend

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If you want to see what else is on offer right now, then head on over to our best gaming laptops deals page, where we've got fantastic laptops ranging from budget to $1000. If you're simply looking for an affordable laptop for browsing and streaming, them our best laptop deals page is the best resource on the web for finding the cheapest laptop prices and sales right now.

Great gaming PC deals are dropping right now over at Dell, including a $100 price cut on this GTX 1660Ti equipped Dell G5 gaming desktop, bringing the price down to just $829.99 (was $929). 

Normally you'd have to settle for a standard GTX 1660 or even a GTX 1650 graphics card at this budget range, so this is a really nice bonus. Aside from the 1660Ti you'll be getting a fairly standard (but decently quick) 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9400, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD, and a spacious 1TB hard drive.

These are some great, solid specs for anyone who's just dipping their toes into the world of enthusiast gaming for the first time and also a good starting point for any upgrades you may want to do in the future.

A really good option here is to take that $100 saving and invest it into an upgraded component, which is possible thanks to Dell's fantastic customize before you buy options. We'd recommend tailoring this to whatever games you're intending to play.

Going to be playing Minecraft with tons of mod packs? That's really CPU heavy so you could opt for an upgrade to an i5 9600K for $100. Playing a graphically intense game or want to future proof your rig for Ray Tracing? You could upgrade to an RTX 2060 for just $120, which will also give a nice FPS boost elsewhere. Upgrading to a 512GB SSD is also possible for just $50, which is an upgrade that's always good to have, no matter what games you're playing.

Not in the US? Check out our best gaming PC deals just down below.

The best gaming PC deal this week

• Check out all the best gaming PC deals over at Dell
• Want the best deals this year? check out Amazon Prime Day 2020

If you need something a little more portable then our best gaming laptop deals page is the place to be. Over there you'll find great prices on a whole range of Acer, Asus, Dell laptops and much more. If you're in the market for some games consoles then our best PS4 deals and best Xbox One prices articles are also a great place to visit if you're looking to save some hard-earned cash on a gaming deal.

Our quest to find the most affordable laptop with 8GB RAM has brought us once again to Chinese retailer Gearbest, which is selling the Lhmzniy KUU Kbook for a mere $189.99 (£163.80/AU$311.99) with coupon code O4A70D05475EB001.

8GB is the magic number because it's the minimum amount of memory Windows 10 will run on comfortably. Remember, 1GB of memory tends to be allocated to graphics, so very often you’re left with significantly less than 80% of available RAM.

Thankfully, this notebook from Lhmzniy hits the all-important threshold. Just note that exact prices will vary region by region, depending on the day’s exchange rate, and international customers may be levied additional charges by customs.

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The notebook's only major weakness is its processor - a relatively slow Intel Celeron N3350, which is about 10% faster than the ubiquitous Intel Atom x5-Z8350 CPU.

The rest of the configuration, though, is more than adequate; beyond 8GB RAM, there’s a 128GB SSD, full HD 14.1-inch display, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Windows 10 Pro.

Design-wise, it looks a lot like the older Apple MacBook Pro laptops, but with a greater number of ports (two USB 3.0, one HDMI, one card slot and one audio connector).

We’re doubtful about claims its battery can last eight hours, but find it plausible the machine can accommodate both a SATA drive and an M2 drive.

If you don’t mind a larger laptop, the Lhmzniy A8 could prove an even better buy (for a 22% premium), with its Celeron J3455 CPU offering twice the performance of the N3350.

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UAE, which dethroned South Korea to take the top spot in the global mobile broadband speed test in March, has fallen to fourth place in April.

According to Ookla’s Global Speed Test stats, South Korea is ranked first, followed by Qatar and China.

In the UAE, the average download speed was 78.56Mbps in April compared to 83.52Mbps in March and 86.35Mbps in February.

The average upload speed in the UAE was 20.39Mbps compared to 21.79Mbps in March and 23.71Mbps in February.

The global speed test compares internet speed data from around the world every month. Data for the index comes from the hundreds of millions of tests taken by real people using speed test every month.

The global average download speed stood at 30.89Mbps in April compared to 30.47Mbps in March while the upload speed stood at 10.50mbps in April compared to 10.73Mbps in March.

In South Korea, the average download speed was 88.01Mbps compared to 81.39Mbps in March while it was 84.81Mbps in Qatar in April compared to 78.38Mbps in March.

When compared to other Gulf Cooperation Countries, Saudi Arabia rose two places to 10th with a download speed of 55.71Mbps compared to 54.13Mbps in March while Kuwait rose eight places with 39.65Mbps compared to 35.34Mbps in March, Bahrain fell two places to rank 41st with 36.71Mbps compared to 36.49Mbps in March, Oman fell seven places to rank 45th with 35.43Mbps compared to 36.51Mpbs in March.

Fixed broadband benefits from Covid-19

In the fixed broadband space, all the countries have increased their speeds to absorb the strain on the fibre optic network due to work-from-home initiatives due to Covid-19 pandemic.

UAE rose two places to 24th with an average download speed of 106Mbps in April compared to 100.95Mbps in March and 95.80Mbps in February while the average upload speed was 57.61Mpbs in April compared to 51.17Mbps in March and 46.66Mbps in February.

The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of the UAE has increased the average fixed broadband speeds to 100Mbps across UAE to ensure a seamless continuation of distance learning and remote working.

According to telecom operator du, its fixed customers are benefitting from an average of 130Mbps – 30% above the average speed in the UAE.

Saleem Al Blooshi, Chief Technology Officer at EITC, the parent company of du, said that du has managed to double the capacity of its fixed network to meet the demand during the Covid-19 period.

An industry expert said that both the telecom operators in the UAE – Etisalat and du – had increased their bandwidth and improved their network to absorb the strain on the fibre optic network due to work-from-home strategy.

The global average download speed slowed stood at 74.74Mbps in April while the upload speed stood at 39.62Mbps.

The top three countries for fixed broadband speed are Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.

In Singapore, the average download speed was 198.46Mbps in April compared to 197.26Mbps in March while in Hong Kong, it was 176.70Mbps in April compared to 168.99Mbps in March.

When compared to other Gulf Cooperation Countries, Qatar jumped four places higher to rank 26th with a download speed of 102.69Mbps in April compared to 94.94Mpbs in March, Kuwait jumped eight places to 40th with a download speed of 75.97Mbps compared to 62.51Mbps in March, Saudi Arabia rose one place higher to 48th with a download speed of 62.66Mpbs compared to 61.03Mbps in March, Oman rose five places higher to 84th with a download speed of 31.11Mbps compared to 28.41Mbps in March, Bahrain rose four places higher to 89th with a download speed of 26.95Mbps compared to 27Mbps in March.

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Intel’s Tiger Lake 11th-gen quad-core laptop chip – which could possibly turn out to be the Core i7-1165G7, rumor has it – has been spotted again in an online benchmark, and it’s looking like this CPU could boost performance considerably over Intel’s existing 10th-gen (Ice Lake) mobile chips.

This leak comes courtesy of Rogame, who has spotted the quad-core (8-thread) processor in other benchmarks in the past.

And as before, the purported Core i7-1165G7 – although it could well turn out to be a different model – is listed with a base clock of 2.8GHz. That’s a significant baseline performance increase compared to the fastest existing Ice Lake notebook processor, which has a 2.3GHz base clock (that’s the quad-core Core i7-1068NG7).

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The boost clock is reported as the same as the stock clock speed in this benchmark (and the previous one we’ve seen of this chip, for that matter), which is obviously not correct, and a reflection of this being sample silicon rather than a finished product yet. Which also means that the base clock speed could potentially be slightly higher still when it comes to the finalized CPU…

Further bear in mind that Rogame has leaked a Tiger Lake chip in the past which actually runs up to a base clock of 3GHz (this was spotted back in April via a 3DMark benchmark).

The fact that we are seeing an increasing amount of spillage relating to Tiger Lake-U mobile processors indicates that the launch could be coming rapidly nearer, which marries up with what Intel itself has indicated. The chip giant has previously stated that it expects these CPUs to ship in the middle of the year, so that could mean June.

End of 2020

That said, before you get too excited about the prospect of more powerful laptop chips from Intel arriving soon, remember that the silicon shipping to manufacturers is one thing – and laptops using these 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPUs won’t actually go on sale until the end of the year (or that’s the current plan anyway).

Tiger Lake is built around an entirely new architecture (Willow Cove) and will also be a big boost on the integrated graphics front, with Intel’s Xe graphics coming into play.

These mobile chips are a big deal for Intel, given AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 products have made quite an impression, and they’re shaping up to be a distinct threat in the laptop arena which Intel dominates – and it can’t afford to lose that crown.

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Via Wccftech

With more of us staying indoors for more of the day because of the coronavirus outbreak, some of the biggest platforms in streaming have been cutting down on video quality. Now it seems that normal service is being resumed, at least for Netflix in Europe.

That's according to data collected by FlatPanelsHD: the previous Netflix high of 4K HDR up to 15 Mb/s bitrate is now available again. Users in Denmark, Norway, Germany and other European countries have reported seeing the increases.

However, normal service doesn't appear to have been resumed everywhere just yet – depending on where you are in Europe, you might still find your video quality capped while you're trying to stream movies and shows.

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In a statement to FlatPanelsHD, Netflix said it was working with ISPs to increase capacity on its network. Four times the normal capacity was added in April, according to representatives from the video streaming portal.

Improving conditions

While you might not be able to get as many pixels on screen as quickly as you did before the spread of Covid-19, Netflix says the limitations that it has temporarily put in place will be removed "as conditions improve".

Netflix initially committed to reducing its demands on internet infrastructure for a period of 30 days in Europe – a move that would reduce its data consumption by around a quarter. That 30-day period has now passed.

Due to the smart compression algorithms that Netflix uses, you might not have noticed too much of a difference while you've been sitting at home binge watching. Some of the top-level bitrate settings should now gradually return.

Of course the global pandemic has had all kinds of effects on the tech industry and the gadgets we use every day. The biggest launch events of the year have been canceled or moved online, and the easing of lockdown restrictions across the world could well depend on contact tracing apps.

• The 11 best hidden gems on Netflix: how to get more from your subscription

Via The Verge

Just ahead of the Memorial Day sale event, Best Buy has slashed the price on the best-selling Apple Watch Series 3. You can get the Apple Watch 3 on sale for $199. That's an $80 price and a fantastic price for a feature-rich smartwatch.

The Apple Watch 3 is packed with health and fitness-focused features while also keeping you connected. The smartwatch tracks activity, workouts, and calories burned and offers 24/7 heart rate monitoring. The swim-proof smartwatch will even notify you when an unusually high or low heart rate is detected and features a breathing app to help with everyday stress. The Series 3 watch provides an 18-hour battery life and includes basic smartwatch features such as the ability to make calls, send messages, and receive notifications.

The all-new Apple Watch 5 will set you back $399, which makes the $199 price tag on the Series 3 extremely attractive. We don't know how long Best Buy will have the smartwatch on sale, so you should take advantage of this early Memorial Day deal while you can.

• Shop more smartwatch deals at Best Buy here

Shop more deals with our roundup of the best Memorial Day sales.

Discover more Apple watch sales with the best cheap Apple Watch prices and deals or just out our roundup of refurbished Apple Watch deals.

“Animation is not a genre. Animation is an artform and it can do any genre.” 

As director of The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, Brad Bird should know what he’s talking about – and looking at how the medium’s evolved over the last 30 years, it’s impossible to disagree.

As recently as the early ’90s, cartoons were still widely regarded as something for the kids. Since then, however, The Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park have paved the way for more adult-oriented animation on TV, while the groundbreaking likes of Pixar, DreamWorks and Laika have pushed the boundaries of what animators can achieve on screen.

These days animation is a broad church taking in everything from comedy for pre-schoolers to sophisticated examinations of the human soul. As with its live-action programming, Netflix’s animated content explores a huge range of styles, genres and themes – and a lot of its shows are absolutely essential viewing.

In this list, TechRadar has brought together 15 of the best Netflix Original animated series you can watch right now – whether you’re into gritty sci-fi, family comedy or sword-wielding warrior princesses, there’s something for you here.

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She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

The original She-Ra was a spin-off from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, an ’80s cartoon that was much better at flogging toys than telling stories. Few seriously believed it needed a comeback, until this hit Netflix show proved otherwise. Series creator Noelle Stevenson put the emphasis on reinvention, crafting a fun, intelligent, sophisticated saga that couldn’t be further from the po-faced source material. 

With He-Man nowhere to be seen, twin sister Adora takes centre stage, wielding the magic sword that turns her into She-Ra and displaying refreshingly 21st century attitudes to representation. The kind of Saturday morning cartoon you encourage your kids to watch.

Love, Death + Robots

With the likes of Black Mirror, a rebooted Twilight Zone and Inside No 9, the anthology series has gone through something of a renaissance in recent years. The genius at the heart of Love, Death + Robots, however, is that by telling its one-off tales via the medium of animation, the show has ensured its only limitations are the imaginations of its writers. 

Luckily it has an ingenious plan for navigating that particular obstacle – adapting short stories from some of the finest genre authors on the planet, Peter F Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds and John Scalzi among them. Among the best sci-fi currently on TV.

Disenchantment

After creating The Simpsons, Matt Groening would have been forgiven for throwing away his pencil and stepping away from animation for good. Thank goodness he didn’t, because then we wouldn’t have been treated to the peerless 31st century adventures of Futurama – or Disenchantment, a deliciously twisted take on epic fantasy. 

With plenty of trademark Groening overbites, lots of pop culture references, and some razor-sharp skewering of the modern world, there’s no doubt the new show comes from the same stable as its predecessors. But it’s also home to more grown-up themes, and boasts a more serialized arc plot – perfect for the era of binge TV.

BoJack Horseman

A cartoon about a talking horse who was once the star of his own hit sitcom? BoJack Horseman looked – on paper, at least – like it was going to be the height of silliness when it cantered onto Netflix back in 2014. Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s undefinable show has been defying expectations ever since, evolving from a hilariously acerbic satire on Hollywood – albeit one where animals and humans live alongside one another – into something much more ambitious. 

By turns funny, bleak and toe-curlingly awkward (and sometimes even heartwarming), few TV shows have ever delved further into the human (and equine) condition. One of the jewels in Netflix’s impressive crown.

Castlevania

The long-running, vampire-infested console actioner that’s been scaring players since the ’80s gets reinvented as a TV series – and puts most other videogame adaptations to shame. The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage voices monster-hunting hero Trevor Belmont, teaming up with Dracula’s half-human son Alucard (Battlestar Galactica’s James Callis) against the infamous Count. 

With plenty of gore, every episode written by comics legend Warren Ellis, and anime-inspired visuals, it’s clearly aimed at old-school fans of the franchise – indeed, chances are you wouldn’t want your kids tuning in.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

A re-dubbed, re-edited reinvention of Japanese anime show Beast King GoLion, Voltron has retained plenty of cult appeal since it debuted in the ’80s. This latest incarnation picks up the story of five teen pilots whose robot lions come together to form a giant mecha fighting machine called Voltron – Earth’s last defence against the evil Galra Empire. 

Luckily, showrunners and Avatar: The Last Airbender veterans Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim dos Santos realize cool iconography isn’t enough to carry the show, and load the series with epic outer space action and fun character beats – along with surprisingly dark themes about PTSD and bereavement.

Dragons: Race to the Edge

TV spin-offs from movies don’t have to be cheap cash-ins. Just as the Star Wars universe was undeniably enhanced by the existence of The Clone Wars and Rebels, this long-running series is a vital addition to the soaring Viking adventures of How to Train Your Dragon. 

Okay, Cressida Cowell’s stories don’t have quite as much dramatic scope as George Lucas’s saga, but nevertheless, Hiccup and Toothless’s adventures between the first two movies are suitably epic. The CG animation is much better than you’d usually expect on TV, and – with many of the movie cast reprising their roles – Dragons feels like a blockbuster sequel in episodic form.

Trollhunters

From Hellboy to Pan’s Labyrinth, to The Devil’s Backbone to The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro has a long history of infusing tales of the supernatural with memorable characters and plenty of heart. It’s no surprise, then, that the animated series he created should follow a similar blueprint. 

There’s a definite Buffy vibe to the show, as ordinary kid Jim discovers he’s the chosen one destined to protect his town from subterranean beasts, taking on the mantle of the first ever human Trollhunter. It’s part of a wider universe, too: the second series in del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia trilogy, the sci-fi-tinged 3Below, debuted in 2018, while final instalment Wizards is due in August 2020.

The Midnight Gospel

Pendleton Ward, creator of hit animation series Adventure Time, teams up with comedian Duncan Trussell to create another slice of trippy surreality. Where Adventure Time focused on the fantasy world of Ooo, The Midnight Gospel sets its coordinates for outer space, namely a weird dimension known as the Chromatic Ribbon. 

From here a spacecaster called Clancy (effectively a podcaster with interstellar reach) uses his illegal multiverse simulator to interview beings from other planets. Despite only eight episodes being available so far, The Midnight Gospel has already proved itself infinitely inventive, visually stylish and emotionally powerful – and totally unlike anything else on TV. Cross your fingers it gets a greenlight for season two.

Tuca & Bertie

With a pair of anthropomorphized birds as its lead characters, Tuca & Bertie looks a lot like a BoJack Horseman spin-off. Despite the fact it was created by BoJack production designer Lisa Hanawalt, however, this one-season wonder is very much its own beast. At its heart are two avian best friends, loud-mouthed toucan Tuca, and her song thrush roomie Bertie. 

Packed with clever puns and visual gags (anyone fancy posting to Facebeak?), the show delivers a unique perspective on life and love in the 21st century. Yet its trump card is the casting of top comedians Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong in the lead roles – this is one double act we’d love to have seen more of.

Big Mouth

Don’t be put off by the unsophisticated animation style. Like Netflix stablemate Sex Education, Big Mouth is impressively candid when it comes to bodily functions and other issues associated with growing up – despite the fact its characters are regularly visited by surreal products of their imaginations such as a Shame Wizard and a Hormone Monster called Maurice. 

Co-creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg drew on their own teenage experiences to tell the story of best friends Andrew and Nick, but it’s hard to believe their real lives were quite this funny – as with The Inbetweeners, Big Mouth shows that teens can get away with the kind of crude gags nobody else can.

F is for Family

If you thought that The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy were all the animated, suburban family comedies you’d ever need, think again because F is for Family is a worthy addition to the sub-genre. In fact, co-creator/star Bill Burr’s show instantly distances itself from those other shows with its 1970s setting, an era that puts a very different perspective on the world. 

Family patriarch Frank Murphy is an angry guy, increasingly disillusioned with his lot in life and struggling to deal with society evolving faster than he’d like. With plenty of pathos to go with the humour, it’s impressively three-dimensional stuff.

Carmen Sandiego

If there are prizes given out for the most stylish animated series on Netflix, the elegant production design of Carmen Sandiego has to make it a contender. Based on a 1980s videogame (which also spawned two game shows and a cartoon series in the ’90s), this Netflix incarnation tells the story of the eponymous super-thief, voiced by Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez. 

Of course, this being a kids’ show, Carmen isn’t really a criminal – despite what the authorities claim. Instead she uses her heisting skills to steal back what’s been taken by the despicable operatives of V.I.L.E – aka the Villains International League of Evil – in a series packed with fun adventures and plenty of backstory. Stranger Things and IT’s Finn Wolfhard co-stars as sidekick Player.

Hilda

This cartoon series may look like something from the 1980s, but it actually debuted in 2018. Based on an award-winning series of independent graphic novels by British creator Luke Pearson, the show mixes a Scandinavian setting that evokes the Moomins with a visual style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. 

It follows the exploits of titular blue-haired pre-teen Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey, the heroic Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones) when she moves from her magical village to the big city – and discovers there’s just as much supernatural stuff going on behind the scenes... The series clearly has younger audiences in its sights, but there’s also a surprising amount of emotional depth lurking beneath the surface.

The Hollow

A trio of teenage strangers wake up to find themselves in an underground bunker. With their memories erased, they have to come together to survive the bizarre, dangerous, puzzle-filled world they find themselves in – all while working out why the hell they were brought together in the first place. 

If the ingenious Maze Runner-like premise of The Hollow isn’t enough to draw you in, rest assured that there’s plenty more to like in this super-smart kids’ show. It’s fast-paced, the core characters are memorable, and there’s plenty of genre-hopping in a gripping serialized story arc.

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In seemingly unstoppable, title-winning form before the Bundesliga was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Bayern Munich will be hoping to maintain their momentum in their first game back after lockdown - read on to find out how to watch a Union Berlin vs Bayern Munch live stream online from anywhere in the world.

Hosts Union Berlin had been enjoying a cracking debut season in the Bundesliga up until the league's suspension, with Urs Fischer's side muscling their way into contention for European qualification.

The tight makeup of this year's league means that while Union are seven points away from a Europa League spot, they're also just eight away from a relegation play-off position.

Bayern Munich have a four-point advantage at the top of the table, wining 10 of their last 11 games before lockdown, but there's plenty of games left for their title run to potentially go astray and rivals Borussia Dortmund are hot on their heels.

The enforced break has allowed Bayern to get star striker and current Bundesliga top-scorer Robert Lewandowski fit again, but an ankle injury looks set to keep on-loan Philippe Coutinho sidelined.

Union have lost just two of their last eight league matches on home soil but their visitors on Sunday afternoon couldn't be any tougher. Check out our guide below and see how easy it is to get a reliable Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich live stream, regardless of where you are in the world.

• Don't miss a goal: get a Bundesliga live stream for every match

How to watch Bundesliga football from outside your country

If you're abroad this weekend but still want to watch coverage of the match from your home broadcaster, you'll need a VPN to do so. That's because your normal coverage will be geo-blocked. It's really easy to do and stops you having to tune in to some dodgy stream you've heard about on Reddit.

How to stream Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich live in the UK 

How to watch Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich: US live stream 

• Here are all of the best US VPNs

How to watch a Bundesliga live stream in Canada

How to live stream Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich in Australia

How to watch Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich: New Zealand live stream 

When it comes to gadget rumors, not all of the stars align all of the time: for example, we've just heard that the long-awaited Apple augmented reality glasses could be launching in 2021, right after another prediction put the year of release as 2022.

So which is it? Pushing the 2021 launch schedule is noted Apple tipster Jon Prosser, who has a track record as good as anyone when it comes to staring into the Apple crystal ball. His sources are usually some of the best in the business.

In the 2022 camp is analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, another very well-respected figure in Apple and tech circles. That prediction is based on supply chain leaks, and we've got no reason to doubt the accuracy of the information.

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Whichever year these AR specs do arrive, Prosser has added another couple of tidbits of information: the device is apparently "sleek as hell" and runs a dashboard user interface with the name (or codename) Starboard.

We've now heard so many rumors about Apple's AR glasses that it would be a surprise if development wasn't already well advanced. We know that the tech giant is keen on augmented reality, as demonstrated by the AR features in its iPads and iPhones.

Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources had previously specified the launch window for the AR wearable at sometime this year, 2020, though that now seems unlikely to happen (especially with a global pandemic happening as well).

Other media reports have previously hinted that 2023 will be the year of the Apple AR specs, with a bulkier AR headset coming in 2022. It may be that the date keeps changing as Apple makes new breakthroughs and hits new challenges with the technology.

Apple being Apple, it won't want to launch the device until everything is just right. Remember that Google Glass launched all the way back in 2013, though the specs never achieved the sort of mainstream adoption that Google was presumably hoping for.

• Apple AirTags: news, rumors, and what we'd like to see

E3 2020 is not happening, as the gaming expo has been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. There was talk of the show's organizer, the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), hosting an online equivalent, but that idea has been scrapped too. So where will we see the biggest gaming announcements of the year now?

Well, for starters, The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley has created an event to gather the industry called Summer Game Fest, which aims to bring together 16 of the industry’s largest publishers from Microsoft and Sony to Activision, Valve, Bethesda and Blizzard in a four-month cavalcade of news, trailers and game demos. Summer Game Fest will partner with these publishers to release updates on current game projects and announce new titles across social media platforms. 

But, in addition to Summer Games Fest, publishers and developers have chosen to hold their own digital announcement streams in lieu of E3 2020. So, without one event to keep an eye on, we've rounded up all the biggest gaming showcases coming in the next few months along with their dates and times, what we expect to see at them, and how you can watch. 

Expect this list to grow with time, as Sony makes its own plans around the PS5's reveal public, and other publishers confirm their own plans to reveal PS5 and Xbox Series X games.

• Xbox Series X: release date, design, specs and launch titles
• PlayStation 5: release date, specs, news and rumors
• Xbox Series X vs PS5: what we know so far

Xbox 20/20 - every month until the end of 2020

Yep, Xbox is really going to stretch out its reveal of the upcoming Xbox Series X, with the company announcing 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.

Xbox 20/20 kicked off on May 7 with the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal, which focused on third-party Xbox Series X games, but we're expecting to learn more about the new Xbox with each stream - with first-party games to be revealed in July.

"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."

We'll update you when we know the date and time of June's Xbox 20/20.

Summer Games Fest - May to August

The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley has created an event called Summer Game Fest. This online season of events will bring together 16 of the industry’s largest publishers, including Microsoft, Sony, Activision, Valve, Bethesda and Blizzard in a four-month cavalcade of news, trailers and game demos.

From May until August, the Summer Game Fest will partner with these publishers to release updates on current game projects and announce new titles across social media platforms. 

According to the organizers, programming that is a part of Summer Game Fest will be distributed across all major streaming platforms, including Facebook, Mixer, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and more. Corresponding game demos (some in alpha or beta stages of development) will be made available on major game distribution services like Steam, the PlayStation Store and Xbox Marketplace.

We haven't got official dates for when Summer Games Fest events will be taking place, but we'll update you as soon as we have solid dates and times.

PC Gaming Show - June 6

Our friends over at PC Gamer will be hosting its annual PC Gaming Show on June 6 this year, but times haven't been confirmed yet.

The PC Gaming Show is ordinarily E3's only PC-focused show, and promises plenty of announcements, world premieres, interviews and first-looks at fantastic upcoming PC games. Last year, we got a first look at Evil Genius 2, our first gameplay trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and much more.

Expect a similar showing this year, although the show will take place digitally instead of inside a theater this June. Naturally, you're far less likely to see PS5 and Xbox Series X games in action, but multi-format games have frequently been featured over the past few years. 

Guerrilla Collective - June 6 to June 8

Like indie games? Then you won't want to miss the Guerrilla Collective. This digital games festival will be hosted by Greg Miller of Kind Funny Games and promises to "reveal fresh announcements, trailers and reveals from some of the hottest publishers and developers around the world" including the likes of Rebellion, Coffee Stain, Humble Bundle and Larian Studios. 

Guerrilla Collective will take place from June 6 to June 8 on Twitch, with the event kicking off at 10am PT / 6pm BST / 1pm ET (or 3am AEST the following day).

EA Play Live - June 11

EA has announced it will digitally host its annual EA Play event will take place at 4pm PT / 7pm ET on June 11 (or 12am BST / 9am AEST on June 12), with the studio promising the reveal of "world premieres, news and more".

EA Play 2020 will be held on what was supposed to be the final day of E3 2020, before the conference cancelled. While EA hasn't attended E3 for years, the publisher typically holds its independent EA Play stream in the run up to the annual gaming conference in lieu of its previous traditional conference.

EA Play typically is quite community-focused with the publisher taking over the Hollywood Palladium to allow gamers to try out some of its biggest upcoming games. However, this year the stream will be digital only - so expect a lineup of announcement trailers and first-looks.

At EA Play 2020, we're expecting to see EA's lineup of next-gen games. So far the publisher has confirmed it's working on Battlefield 6, which will come to PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021, and we can expect to see annual releases like FIFA 21 hit the next-gen consoles too. So we're hoping we'll get a glimpse of them at this event. 

But what about the games that are less certain? Well, considering the EA Star Wars Twitter account tweeted out the announcement, we're hoping the publisher has a new Star Wars game in the works. We would also love to see next-gen Sims, instead of a mountain of expansion packs. Respawn has also hinted at next-gen Apex Legends via job listings, so maybe we'll hear more about that.

Cyberpunk 2077: Night City Wire - June 11

CD Projekt Red has announced that there will be a special Cyberpunk 2077 announcement stream taking place on June 11, called Night City Wire. We currently don't know any details about the stream, or what time it will take place, but we're expecting to see more gameplay footage from the upcoming dystopian RPG. 

Future Games Show - June 

For the first time ever, our friends over at GamesRadar will host the Future Games Show in June, with the exact date to be confirmed. 

This hour-long digital stream promises to "showcase of the most exciting games of 2020", and will contain exclusive trailers, announcements, and deep dives on existing AAA and indie games, focusing on current (and next-gen) consoles, mobile and streaming platforms.

More details are to come.

Ubisoft Forward - July 12

Ubisoft is hosting its own digital conference on July 12 at 12pm PDT / 3pm EDT / 8pm BST (or July 13 at 5am AEST). 

According to Ubi, Ubisoft Forward will be "an E3-style showcase with plenty of exclusive game news, exciting reveals, and much more". Expect to hear more about the five AAA games due for release in the next year, including Gods and Monsters, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Rainbow Six Quarantine and Watch Dogs: Legion. We still haven't had confirmation on the fifth game Ubisoft is working on, but there have been rumors that this could be a new Far Cry.

We'll find out more on July 12.

What is E3 and why was it cancelled?

The E3 name stands for ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’, and it’s been running in some form since 1995. Hosted by the Entertainment Software Association, E3 is a three-day convention to celebrate and showcase all things gaming, usually to publicize upcoming games and consoles – with a smattering of panel discussions and keynotes alongside the excitement of the show floor. E3 2020 was due to be 26th time the event has happened and it was supposed to take place from June 9  to June 11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (E3’s home since 2009). 

While traditionally only an industry-only event, the ESA has been more willing to allow members of the public into the event, and is increasing the number of available of public tickets from 15,000 (in 2019) to 25,000. There’s also been chatter about an extra day exclusive to industry members, to minimise disruption and queuing times, but unfortunately that won't happen this year.

After plenty of speculation and rumors, the show's organizer - the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) - officially pulled the plug on E3 2020 on March 11, 2020, three months ahead of the scheduled event.

In a statement, the ESA said "After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020.

"Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today."

The chatter around the year's biggest gaming show was already in full swing when the cancellation notice came through, even though Sony had already ducked out for the second year running (unrelated to coronavirus).

Since then, the ESA confirmed in a statement to PC Gamer that it won't be running a virtual event in its stead as some had predicted, and will instead "will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements," an ESA representative said.

With two next-gen consoles in the form of the PS5 and Xbox Series X set to launch not long after, there’s plenty of change afoot in the gaming world – and E3 2020 was set to be at the heart of it.

Why is E3 so important? As a place where the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo – both of whom were set to attend this year – tend to announce new hardware and titles, alongside countless third-party publishers showing off their wares to fans, players, and media, E3 tends to hold some massive announcements that shape the conversation around the year’s games for many months after.

What's the problem with E3 2020?

That said, even before its cancellation, E3 2020 was set to be the most controversial convention yet - with a number of big-name developers, publishers and personalities deciding not to attend this year's event. Sony was the first to say it wouldn't attend back in February, and around the same time big industry names like Geoff Keighley – who hosted the E3 Coliseum showcase for the previous few years – said he too would step away from the event.

That's not to mention the dropout of iam8bit, a creative merchandising company that had apparently been acting as a creative director for this year's show – though the ESA confirmed that "Endeavor’s creative agency 160over90, event innovators Mat+Lo and longtime E3 partners, GES, Dolaher Events and Double Forte" were all still involved in the direction and creation of the show (via GameSpot).

The argument the show's critics made is that, in the age of streaming, these types of opulent showings weren't really necessary - they don't reach as big of an audience as, say, a direct-to-consumer video, and are much more expensive to put on.

There has also been concern over security as the ESA leaked the private information of over 2,000 journalists who attended E3 2019.

That said, having a single week that was agreed upon by the entire industry to show new games made it a showcase event, one that was covered around the world by both industry publications and international mainstream media. It's pros and cons will be debated long after the news of its cancellation has faded, but now at least you have some context for both sides of the argument. 

E3 2019: what went down last year?

Even without Sony on show, there was still plenty to make 2019 a great year for E3. We had that wonderful Keanu Reeves appearance, and the news he was appearing in Cyberpunk 2077 (as seen above), new specs for the Xbox Series X, and that brilliant BOTW 2 teaser. We also got a full unveiling of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and updates on Apex Legends Season 2 from EA, and the announcement that Dark Souls dev From Software and Game of Throne's George R R Martin were collaborating on the upcoming game Elden Ring.

Square Enix had one of the better press events we've yet to see at E3 2019, packing in tons of new information on Marvel's Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake and the remastered version of Final Fantasy 8.

it wasn't all good news, though, with Animal Crossing: Horizons getting delayed, and the long-awaited Dragon Age 4 not getting so much as a mention. Ubisoft also didn't show off a new Splinter Cell game (cowards!) or its much-delayed Beyond Good and Evil 2 – though it did find time for Just Dance 2020, and the announcement trailer for Gods and Monsters.

Here's a full list of everything that was announced at E3 2019:

Nintendo

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (new game and trailer)
• Luigi’s Mansion 3 (new trailer and release window)
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (new trailer, but delayed)
• Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield (new release date)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (new release date)
• Super Mario Maker 2 (new trailer)
• Astral Chain (new trailer)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (new trailer)
• Cadence of Hyrule ~ Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
• Dragon Quest Builders 2 (coming to North America via Nintendo)
• No More Heroes 3 (announced for a 2020 release date window)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
• Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6

Microsoft

• Halo Infinite (release window, coming to Xbox Project Scarlett)
• Gears 5
• Blair Witch
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Xbox One and PC)
• Bleeding Edge
• Battletoads
• Age of Empire II: Definitive Edition (PC)
• Wasteland 3
• Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC first, Xbox One later)
• Minecraft Dungeons
• Spiritfarer (coming to Xbox Game Pass)
• 12 Minutes (Xbox One and PC)
• Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions Expansion
• Crossfire X
• Gears Pop!

Take-Two Interactive/2K Games

• Borderlands 3
• The Outer Worlds

Electronic Arts and EA Sports

• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
• Apex Legends Season 2 (PC)
• Battlefield 5: Chapter 4 (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
• The Sims 4 Island Living (PC)
• FIFA 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC) 
• FIFA 20 Legacy Edition (Nintendo Switch)
• Madden 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC)

CD Projekt Red

• Cyberpunk 2077
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

Konami

• Contra Rogue Corps (Xbox One PS4, PC and Switch)
• Contra Anniversary Collection

Bethesda

• Deathloop (Platforms unknown) (Trailer)
• Doom Eternal (Xbox One PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch)
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades (debuting on Nintendo Switch; iOS, Android updates)
• Fallout 76: Nuclear Winter (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC sneak peek)
• Ghostwire: Tokyo (Platforms unknown)
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood (PS4, Xbox One and PC)
• Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (VR)
• Commander Keen (iOS and Android)

Square Enix

• Final Fantasy 7 Remake (PS4)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (PS4, Nintendo Switch and mobile)
• Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
• Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers (PC)
• Circuit Superstars (Square Enix Collective, developer Original Fire)
• War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
• Romancing Saga 3
• Scarlett Grace
• Dragon Quest Builders 2
• The Last Remnant Remastered (coming to Nintendo Switch)
• Trials of Mana: Collection of Mana (coming to Switch)

Ubisoft

• Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• The Division 2 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• For Honor (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• Watch Dogs Legion (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia) (game play available)
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (game update)
• Roller Champions (PC download available now, other platforms unknown)
• Gods & Monsters (Xbox One,PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia and Switch)

Sega

• Panzer Dragoon: Remake (Nintendo Switch)
• Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One)
• SEGA Genesis mini console coming September 2019 with mini games like Mega Man:The Wily Wars, Earthworm Jim, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Ecco the Dolphin and 35 more classic games.

Bandai Namco

• Tales of Arise
• Dragonball Z: Kakarot
• Code Vein
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
• RAD

Various

• Elden Ring (via FromSoftware)
• Dying Light 2 (from Techland)
• Way to the Woods (Team 17)
• Dauntless (coming to Nintendo Switch via Phoenix Labs)
• The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics (En Masse Entertainment)
• Dead by Daylight (coming to Nintendo Switch via Koch Media)
• New Super Lucky’s Tale (coming to Nintendo Switch via Playful Corp.)
• Empire of Sin (John Romero multi-console game)
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Playtonic)
• Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (via Edelweiss and XSEED Games)

• New games 2020: the biggest games coming to PC and console

There was a lot of scepticism surrounding the Redmi 10X when news about this oddly-named device broke about a couple of weeks back. However, Redmi China has just officially confirmed not only the moniker but also some more interesting stuff regarding the surprise handset.

The Xiaomi sub-brand just issued a teaser for the launch of the phone in China on May 26. The teaser only says that the Redmi 10X will be a 5G phone and it also reveals the partial design of the handset. Furthermore, Redmi China’s General Manager, Lu Weibing, clearly confirmed the handset to be sporting MediaTek’s fresh Dimensity 820 SoC also posting its high 4,10,000 AnTuTu score. It is very much possible that the Redmi 10X is the very first of a new X series of phones going forward. 

First Dimensity series phone from Redmi

MediaTek also revealed the Dimensity 820 SoC today. And this is an improved version of the Dimensity 800 with faster (overclocked) CPU and GPU performance, support for 120Hz panels, and an improved ISP. 

In terms of 5G connectivity, it’s the same as other processors in the series, which means there’s support for both Standalone (SA) and Non-standalone (NSA) Sub-6GHz networks. In terms of positioning, this is a pretty powerful CPU that sits between the flagship Dimensity 1000 series and the gaming-focused Helio G90 series.

Leaked Design

The design of the Redmi 10X is strikingly similar to the Redmi Note 9 that launched a while ago in Europe. The device rendered shows a Red power button and volume buttons on the right side and a SIM card tray to the left. The top has a small hole which looks like an IR Blaster. 

On the back, it has a square-shaped cut-out for the cameras. The official renders have a 48MP logo on it making us believe that its primary Sensor will be 48MP. Additionally, it is rumoured to have an 8MP ultra-wide and two 2MP sensors. 

Leaked Specifications

A while back, a new Redmi smartphone with model number M2004J7AC got certified on TENAA which revealed some of its key specifications. This handset is largely believed to be the Redmi 10X owing to the similarity in design. However, nothing is confirmed yet. Speculation suggests the phone could come with a 6.57-inch FHD+ OLED display with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels and has a single punch-hole on the screen.

Moreover, the database render has a camera housing that is different from the 10X official renders. This could mean a separate variant of the 10X as it is rumoured to come in 4G and 5G variants by tipster, Ishan Agarwal.

As for the memory, it is expected to come launch 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM variants. It is also rumoured to be powered by a 4,400mAh battery. The colourways shown in the renders confirm a Gold, Blue, Silver, and Purple colour variants. Other specifications are not known at this moment and with the launch date closing in, we can expect more teasers from the company.

• MediaTek Dimensity 800 will bring 5G to the mid-range
• Upcoming budget Redmi smartphone gets spotted on TENAA
• Another budget Redmi phone gets spotted in China, apparently called the 10X

It's little surprise that VPN sales have been through the roof over the last few months. With so many of us stuck at home working (and trying to stay entertained), it's as important as ever to stay secure online.

Thankfully, there are no shortage of fabulous VPN deals around to help make online security as painless as possible on your bank balance. One of our very favorite services - IPVanish - has just unleashed a doozy of a discount.

Sign up to IPVanish now, and you'll get two years of its outstanding VPN protection and 250GB of secure cloud storage for the equivalent of only $3.70 per month.

When it comes to VPN goodness, we rank IPVanish extremely highly - the provider (deep breath...) has 24/7 customer support, unblocks Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, keeps no traffic logs, allows unlimited bandwidth, features an excellent Windows kill switch, and lets you connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. It really is one of the very best around.

Meanwhile, the free SugarSync cloud storage add-on gets you a full 250GB of secure data storage. This means that all your photos, videos and personal documents (whatever you choose to store) will remain safeguarded from outsiders. So for the next 24 months your VPN and storage needs are completely covered - but only as long as you sign up before the offer expires on May 26.

Still unsure if this is the deal for you? Scroll down to see this offer in full, or why not also check out our best VPN deals guide for all of the very best offers on cyber privacy.

IPVanish's limited time VPN deal in full:

How good is IPVanish?

As well as unblocking Netflix (hello streaming!) and being one of the best value for money VPNs, it also has a 30-day money-back guarantee and servers in over 75 countries. 

Plus, it boasts incredible download speeds so you don't need to worry about the VPN slowing down your device, and it's got plenty of powerful, configurable apps. So whether privacy, streaming or cost is your reason for getting a VPN, IPVanish ticks all the boxes. 

Still undecided? Check out our IPVanish review.

• Not sure this provider is the one for you? Check out our best VPN guide
• Want to try before you buy? See your choice of VPNs with free trials
• Or pay nothing at all! These are the best free VPNs

Third-party email app Edison Mail has been forced to roll back a software update on its iOS platform after discovering some users had been able to view messages from the accounts of total strangers. 

Several users contacted media outlets across the United States to report the glitch after updating to the latest version of the app on their iPhones or iPads. The app, which allows users to sync data across their devices, reportedly redirected personal mails to total strangers. 

Edison Mail said it quickly took down the update and reported that it was a bug and not a security breach. It added that it would identify the issue and provide a fresh update.

• Outlook will soon be able to write your emails for you
• Phishing emails impersonate the White House
• Your email provider might be selling your personal data

Edison Mail update

Edison Mail had recently released an update that introduced the feature allowing cross-device data sync. However, soon after the rollout, users started reporting such instances of seeing mails of strangers on their app even when they had not entered their mail ID or password. 

A report published by The Verge said a user apparently received 100 unread messages from the UK-based email account of a stranger even without entering his credentials. Some others also reported the issue on social media platforms. 

"Ten hours ago, a software update was rolled out to a small percentage of our user base. Some of these users who received the update are experiencing a flaw in the app impacting email accounts that was brought to our attention this morning,” the company told The Verge in an email. 

“We have quickly rolled back the update. We are contacting the impacted Edison Mail users (limited to a subset of those users who have updated and opened the app in the last 10 hours) to notify them," the email said. 

Users would be well advised to change their passwords at this instance just so that they don't find emails meant for them reaching some other inbox. 

• Here's a list of the best email providers

Via: The Verge

Vivo’s flagship X series has always focussed on cameras. With the upcoming Vivo X50, it is looking to bring unprecedented hardware image stabilisation.

The Vivo X50 series will be launched early next month as the successor to the Vivo X30 series. The event is scheduled for June 1, where the X50 and X50 Pro are expected to go official. 

The company has posted an interesting video teaser on Weibo. The teaser shows off quad-camera module which is held by an animated robot which moves around frantically but the camera stays in place. It was soon followed by another teaser by YouTuber MrWhosetheboss, also talking about the camera’s stabilisation.  

Gimble-Like Image stabilization 

The video confirms that the Vivo X50 will sport a quad-camera setup, with some of the specs mentioned alongside. On the top is a very large image sensor, suggesting the implementation of the latest sensor by Samsung or Sony. Below it are two other cameras, presumably for ultra-wide and depth sensing, followed by a fourth periscopic telephoto lens with folded optics. The primary camera will have a wide aperture of f/1.6, while the telephoto lens is f/3.4. The cameras will cover the focal length range of 16mm to 135mm.

Furthermore, Weibo’s popular tipster, Digital Chat Station, also revealed some key camera features. The Vivo X50 series is said to come with 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom. The teaser image completely highlights the camera features on the upcoming device and also shows off the stability on the cameras. This could be the commercial form of the micro-gimbal structure that we saw on the Vivo Apex 2020.

The Vivo X30 was powered by the Exynos 980 chipset. It remains to be seen if its next flagship will run off the Exynos 990 or the Snapdragon 865. Other specifications are expected to be revealed in the days building up to the launch.

• Vivo V20 to launch in India later this year
• Vivo V19 with Snapdragon 712 launched in India
• Vivo V17 review