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There has been a lot of hype surrounding secretive augmented reality startup Magic Leap over the last couple of years. The company, which was last valued at $4.5 billion, has raised $1.4 billion in funding on the back of amazing demos and claims about its technology. But it seems the firm may not have been totally honest about certain elements of its AR system. Last year, Magic Leap unveiled the “Just another day in the office” video, which shows the headset wearer playing a game where they fight AR aliens. The top corner of the video displays the logo of visual effects studio Weta Workshop. It was assumed that the company provided the game’s visual assets, but according to The Information, there was no such game - Weta created the entire video. While there’s nothing in the clip that states it was recorded on Magic Leap technology, its YouTube description does suggest this is the case. “This is a game we’re playing around the office right now,” it reads. The video was also used to recruit employees. Another issue relates to Magic Leap’s patented fiber scanning display, which appeared in the company's prototype product – a rectangular, shoulder-width box called “The Beast.” Many investors backed the firm with the expectation that the technology would appear in a smaller, more consumer-friendly product, but the company hasn’t been able to make it work and has shelved the project for now. “You ultimately in engineering have to make tradeoffs,” CEO Rony Abovitz told The Information. Magic Leap is now using a different technology in its AR product, which is described as being a PC-connected headset similar to Microsoft’s HoloLensbut with blurrier and more jittery images. Abovitz did show off a prototype “PEQ” device that was the size of a standard pair of glasses, but declined to demonstrate it to The Information. He said it was only less capable than the tethered prototypes, but didn’t share any technical details.

Hundreds of men and boys appear to have gone missing after crossing from rebel-held areas of Aleppo into government territory, UN officials say. Forces led by Syria's government have seized at least 75% of eastern parts of the city from rebels in recent weeks. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled those districts, with more than 8,000 leaving during a humanitarian pause on Thursday. Rebels were also reportedly stopping people from leaving, the UN said. At a briefing in Geneva, Rupert Colville, the spokesman for the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, said up to 100,000 people were trapped in "ever-shrinking" areas of eastern Aleppo. Reports differ on how many people remain and how many have fled eastern Aleppo, but Mr Colville said the UN had gathered evidence that "hundreds" of men may have disappeared after leaving for government-held areas. "Given the terrible record of arbitrary detention, torture and disappearances, we are of course deeply concerned," he said, referring to the Syrian government. Aleppo doctor's heart-breaking letter What's happening in Aleppo? Russia awards medals to Syria war dead On Thursday, Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said fighting was suspended to allow civilians to leave. By Friday morning, more than 8,000 people - including 3,000 children - had left, Russia's military said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ground forces continued their offensive, and that rocket attacks and air raids were launched overnight. "Helicopters, warplanes and rocket bombardment like every day," one Turkey-based official with the Jabha al-Shamiya rebel group told Reuters. "Nothing has changed." The civilian rescue group known as the White Helmets said 46 civilians were killed and another 230 injured on Thursday in east Aleppo. Three barrel bombs carrying chlorine gas were dropped, it added. The past two days have seen some of the heaviest civilian casualties in the past fortnight in east Aleppo.

Welcome To CSBD ! Enjoy & HF

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Welcome To CSBD ! Enjoy & HF !

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Syrian rebels have called for a five-day truce to allow the evacuation of civilians, after withdrawing from their last strongholds in Aleppo's old city. They said civilians were in great danger and they would support any initiative to ease their suffering. The US and five Western powers also put out a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid into rebel-held areas. The Syrian government has ruled out any further ceasefires. Its ally, Russia, has called all remaining rebels in eastern Aleppo "terrorists". What's happening in Aleppo? Aleppo tweeting girl back online 'We are crying and afraid' In a separate development, Syrian state news agency Sana reported that several Israeli missiles struck the Mazzeh military air base outside the capital Damascus overnight, causing a fire but no casualties. 'A lot of fear' Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in rebel-held districts of Alepp, Syria's second city. Media captionWissam: There is a lot of fear One resident said those districts were now heavily crowded and there were fears that people faced being captured, detained and tortured to death. "I know people who literally did nothing, they just kept doing nothing for four, five years, they just wanted to stay in their homes and now they are being arrested by the regime," Wissam, a teacher and activist said. Food supplies are exhausted and there are no functioning hospitals after months of heavy bombardment. The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Aleppo says officials there are preparing for another exodus, as families try to flee under fire in an extremely dire situation. Image copyrightAFP Image captionA stream of people left Bab al-Hadid, a district of Aleppo that rebels have reportedly lost, on Wednesday Activist monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the pull-back by rebels in Syria's second city came after days of heavy fighting. At least 15 people were killed overnight as heavy artillery fire battered the remaining rebel-held areas. State media confirmed the military had taken over the whole of the old city. Government forces now control about 75% of eastern Aleppo, held by the rebels for the past four years. The rebels, who had been left with just a spit of land north-east of the citadel after recent government advances, abandoned it by Wednesday morning, retreating to territory they still hold further south. Plea for ceasefire "Civilians should be either protected or evacuated to a safe area where they will not be under the mercy of [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad and his henchmen," said a statement by the rebel Aleppo Leadership Council. It proposed: An immediate five-day humanitarian ceasefire Evacuation of about 500 cases requiring emergency treatment under UN supervision Evacuation of civilians to the northern Aleppo countryside Negotiations on the future of the city The US, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Canada jointly called for an immediate ceasefire on Wednesday, "to allow the United Nations to get humanitarian assistance to people in eastern Aleppo". They also condemned the Syrian government and its main backer Russia for "their obstruction of humanitarian aid", accusing them of targeting hospitals and schools "in an attempt to wear people down". Media captionBBC Newsnight meets the journalists risking their lives to film in Aleppo The Syrian government has ruled out any further truces in Aleppo, and Russia and China on Monday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on a week-long ceasefire. French President Francois Hollande responded to the veto by accusing Russia of "systematic obstruction" which "bolsters the regime of Bashar al-Assad in its destructive drive which is harming the defenceless civilian po[CENSORED]tion". In a conference call on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described all the remaining rebels in eastern Aleppo as "terrorists", saying that they had united around the jihadist group formerly known as al-Nusra Front. Why is Russia engaged in Aleppo? Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry reported that a Russian military adviser in Syria had been killed by rebel artillery fire. Col Ruslan Galitsky died of his wounds several days after the attack, on a residential area of government-held western Aleppo, it said.

Outgoing Italian PM Matteo Renzi has agreed to stay in power until the Senate passes its 2017 budget in the coming days, the president says. Mr Renzi formally resigned after his heavy defeat in a constitutional referendum a day earlier, but the president requested the delay. President Sergio Mattarella will later have to either choose a new prime minister or call early elections. European leaders have been playing down the risks of fallout from the crisis. It comes amid fears of long-term instability for the country's troubled banking sector in the long-term. Shares in Italian banks lost groundfollowing news of Mr Renzi's defeat. Sunday's No vote on constitutional reform was widely seen as a rejection of establishment politics in Italy. Get all the latest updates Italian press on 'po[CENSORED]r revolt' Why Italy's vote matters What happens next? Mr Renzi held a final brief cabinet meeting on Monday evening, before travelling to the presidential palace to submit his formal resignation. President Mattarella then asked him to stay on for the budget bill, which is expected to be passed by the Senate in a matter of days - Friday at the earliest. He wanted to avoid "the risks of a provisional budget", the president said in a statement (in Italian). Anti-establishment opposition parties have been calling for early elections, although it is unclear yet whether this will happen. Instead, the president may appoint a caretaker administration led by Mr Renzi's Democratic Party, which would carry on until an election due in the spring of 2018. Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan is the favourite to succeed Mr Renzi as prime minister. Why did he lose? The No vote won with nearly 60% against 40% for the Yes campaign. With a turnout of nearly 70%, it was a heavier than expected defeat for the government. Mr Renzi staked his political future on his attempt to change Italy's cumbersome political system. He wanted to strengthen central government and weaken the Senate, the upper house of parliament. Image copyrightEPA Image captionFive Star's Beppe Grillo led the No campaign in the referendum His opponents - including some within his own party - had argued that the reforms would give the prime minister too much power. The electorate agreed. More than a resounding victory for the No camp, it was a chance for a medley of populist parties to reject establishment politics. The opposition, headed by the Five Star Movement, capitalised on Mr Renzi's declining po[CENSORED]rity, years of economic stagnation, and the problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Italy from Africa. Watch market reaction Italian banks' shares fall after vote The weakest bank in Europe just got weaker After the vote, Mr Renzi defended his record,saying exports and job numbers were up and unemployment was down to 11.7%. Image copyrightEPA Image captionMatteo Renzi visited the presidential palace on Monday evening Five Star's leader, Beppe Grillo, has called for an election "within a week". President Mattarella, who praised the high voter turnout, called for a political climate with "serenity and mutual respect". There are obligations and deadlines which Italy's institutions will have to honour "guaranteeing a response that meets the problems of the moment," he said. How is Europe reacting? The result is being seen as a blow to the EU, although there is no question of Italy following the UK out of the door. Both Five Star and the Northern League are opposed to the eurozone but not to membership of the EU itself. Image copyrightREUTERS Image captionThe No campaign's victory was bigger than expected Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the group of 19 eurozone countries, denied any impending crisis. "It doesn't really change the situation economically in Italy or in the Italian banks. The problems that we have today are the problems that we had yesterday," he said. Reuters news agency quoted German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble as saying there was no reason for a euro crisis but that Italy urgently needed a functioning government. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said she "took note with regret" of Mr Renzi's resignation but Germany would offer to work closely with the next Italian government. Image copyrightTWITTER But the leader of the far-right Front National in France, Marine Le Pen, tweeted: "The Italians have disavowed the EU and Renzi. We must listen to this thirst for freedom of nations." What will it do to the economy? Markets seemed to have taken Mr Renzi's departure in their stride in the short-term. The euro fell initially to a 20-month low but rebounded again. Shares in Italian banks lost ground on Monday afternoon, following a dip and rebound in the morning. But there are concerns over the long-term financial stability in the eurozone's third largest economy. The economy is 12% smaller than when the financial crisis began in 2008. The banks remain weak and the country's debt-to-GDP ratio, at 133%, (second only to Greece's in the eurozone) means many Italian banks are in need of refinancing. There is a risk that the failure of a major bank - such as the troubled Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena - could set off a wider crisis, but repairing the banks becomes more difficult amid political uncertainty. The head of Germany's Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, said the result was "not the end of the world" but that a slowdown in the pace of economic reforms should be expected.

Pokémon Go showed just how po[CENSORED]r augmented reality can be. The game became a worldwide sensation over the summer, leading to numerous stories about marauding players trampling neighbourhoods. Now, an unlikely entity has joined the AR party: The White House. As its name suggests, the “1600” app lets people use their smartphone or tablet to watch virtual events, such as state arrival ceremonies and the annual Easter Egg Roll, taking place at the tiny, Minecraft-style Presidential address. Like other Augmented Reality applications, you can move your smartphone around the generated object to view it from different angles, all while it appears to remain in the same place. You’ll also need a dollar bill to take a virtual tour of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on your device. “From hosting festivals on the South Lawn to allowing people to explore its rooms via Google Street View, President Obama has used traditional events and new technology to open up the doors of the White House to more Americans than ever before,” writes White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, on the official White House website. The White House Historical Association teamed up with Nexus Studios to create the augmented reality experience, which is primarily aimed at children. The White House adds that it also hopes to educate and inspire Americans “to learn all about what the People’s House stands for.” While it's unlikely to entertain people in the same way as Pokémon Go, the app shows how augmented reality can be used in areas beyond gaming, such as making dry, educational subjects interesting for kids. If you’d like to check it out yourself, the app is available right now for iOS (8.0 and higher) and Android (4.0 and higher).

The urn with the ashes of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has arrived in the city of Santiago, the birthplace of the revolution, where he will be laid to rest. Large crowds shouting 'Long live Fidel!" greeted his funeral cortege. Thousands are expected to pay their final respects shortly at a ceremony in the city's Revolution Square. President Raul Castro will lead the tributes. He took over when his brother's health deteriorated in 2016. Fidel Castro's ashes will be buried on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT The leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia are due to attend, as is the Argentine footballer, Diego Maradona. Former Brazilian Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff have also travelled to Cuba for the ceremony. 'A father to us' People waving flags and pictures of Fidel Castro have turned out to watch the cortege on its four-day journey from the capital Havana. Image copyrightEPA Image captionFidel Castro stepped down in 2006 Image copyrightAP Image caption"I am Fidel," chanted many Cubans as the funeral cortege went through the streets of Santiago "All of us who love Fidel, who is a father to us. He cleared a path for us and the people will follow him," Tania Maria Jimenez told Reuters. She was among thousands of Cubans watching as the urn with Mr Castro's ashes was driven past the historic Moncada barracks in Santiago. A hero and a tyrant What now for US-Cuba relations? Fidel Castro: A life in pictures Fidel Castro was part of the small group of revolutionaries who launched an attack on the barracks on 26 July 1953. The attacked failed, but it was considered the first act of the revolution that would depose the US-backed government of Fulgencio Batista on 1 January 1959. Image copyrightEPA Image captionThe crowd began to gather early to pay their last respects to Fidel Castro in Revolution Square Image copyrightREUTERS Image captionVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (centre) joined Raul Castro for a tribute to Fidel in Havana earlier in the week Opinion on Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century, remains divided. Supporters say he returned Cuba to the people and praise him for some of his social programmes, such as public health and education. But critics call him a dictator, who led a government that did not tolerate opposition and dissent. Fidel Castro died on 25 November aged 90. His ashes will be placed in the Ifigenia Cemetery, where Cuban independence hero Jose Marti is buried.

Roughly ten years ago, a game was released by the name of Barrow Hill. Much like Nickelback and many other things from ten years ago, I had basically forgotten it existed until a few weeks ago when, seemingly out of nowhere, it was re-released via digital distribution, which is when I learned that the original game had a subtitle (Curse of the Ancient Circle), and more importantly, a sequel was being launched. Barrow Hill: The Dark Path is a bit of a throwback, to the extent that if you told me it had actually been released a year after the original, instead of ten, and I had just somehow missed out on it, I’d be completely prepared to believe that. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I thought the first one was a rather enjoyable slice of spooky point n’ click-ery (albeit undermined by some of its low-budget constraints), so I was rather looking forward to playing the sequel, even if it ended up being more of the same. I don’t recall much about the story in the original game, other than you played a reporter (or something like that) visiting the eponymous location to investigate and ultimately put a stop to a supernatural menace unwittingly unleashed by an archaeological team and reducing the local po[CENSORED]ce to unsightly pools of ichor. (In retrospect, I guess I recall more than I thought I did.) The Dark Path takes place ten years after those events, when you’re once again called back to the scene to put a stop to another supernatural menace unwittingly unleashed, this time by a group of high school kids screwing around with dark magic, as kids are wont to do. The plot is tangentially linked to the first game, but the story is self-contained enough that you don’t need to rush out and play the original first (though don’t let that stop you, by any means). If you did play Barrow Hill, there are plenty of call-backs to the first game, but they’re mostly of the “oh yeah, I kinda remember that bit” variety. While the story itself is fairly shallow, indie developer Matt Clark seems to have an affinity for the quaint little English countryside hellmouth he’s created, even though I’ve always just assumed that the entirety of the English countryside is generally a haunted hellscape. A lot of research and effort obviously went into crafting the setting (which is also documented in the developer’s blog), and much of the backstory and mythology are weaved into the game through ambient details like the radio DJ’s background chatter and the memorial cards left for victims from the previous game. This often isn’t directly relevant or even necessary for finishing the game, but it adds a lot of context, so even if the plot is a little thin, it makes the story feel a lot more substantial than it actually is. Once upon a time, the horror-themed point-and-click adventure game was a rather reliable staple (Scratches, the Dark Fallseries, Darkness Within, etc.), but once Amnesia became a phenomenon, the po[CENSORED]r gameplay mechanic shifted from pointing-and-clicking to skulking-and-hiding and “psychological horror”, which for some reason still largely seems to rely on boogeymen jumping out at you from darkened corners. When I played the original Barrow Hill and its contemporaries, I remember the tension and the distinct feeling of the hairs on the back of my neck rebelling in dreaded anticipation, but since I recently forced myself to finally power through Amnesia and Outlast, I think I’ve been effectively de-sensitized to anything short of a demonic hand reaching out of my screen to throttle me. So, while there are a few moments in The Dark Path that might have set my former self on edge, they didn’t much register with me anymore. But in fairness, with a traditional point-and-click horror game, although they’re not above an occasional cheap jump-scare (Barrow Hill had one that got me fully out of my chair at the time), the horror part was always kept at arm’s length just by the nature of the gameplay, which was focused on puzzles rather than monsters. The “horror” in these sorts of adventures is really about creating a suspenseful atmosphere while you go about your problem-solving rather than a feeling of imminent danger. The first game hit upon the right mix of moody graphic and sound design (along with the requisite spooky story) that created the appropriate air of detached menace, and in that regard The Dark Path succeeds just as well as its predecessor, even if the hairs on the back of my neck were quite relaxed this time around. Refusing to stray from a proven formula, The Dark Path is a very traditional point-and-click adventure game. You’ll spend the bulk of your time clicking on points of interest, picking up inventory items and sorting out what to do with them, or solving an occasional arbitrary logic puzzle in order to perform a mundane task, such as switching on the power. The puzzles are mostly sensible, and they don’t really resort to the trappings of “adventure game logic”, aside from a few instances where the game demands that you find a very specific item to accomplish an objective, when you’ve got about three other things in your inventory what would likely work just as well. There’s also none of the in-game assistance that’s become relatively commonplace these days. No hotspot highlighter, no hints of any sorts. You’re on your own, but to the game’s credit, I rarely found myself frustrated or wandering about not knowing what to do next. In the few instances where I hit a wall, first figuratively and later literally, these were due to idiosyncrasies with the interface and the occasional bug, rather than an intentional design flaw. In theory, the interface is about as simple as it gets. You have the context-sensitive cursor/pointer that changes to indicate you can interact with something, and an inventory panel. The inventory tends to get a bit cluttered towards the end of the game, since items stay there indefinitely even after you’re quite done with them, but the main problem I ran into is that the cursor seemed to be a little inconsistent in at least a few instances. On occasion, it would indicate that I couldn’t interact with something, but if I defiantly clicked on it anyway, I found that, in fact, I could. More annoying, though, was when I was supposed to tear off a section of a document I was examining. Clicking on the document would pick it up and provide a close-up view to interact with. However, in the close-up view, the cursor doesn’t

The Sims 4 is a proper life simulator, allowing you to live out your many dreams and fantasies which just aren’t possible in real life. If you’re looking for a game where you can live an alternative reality, look no further than The Sims 4. You get to create any sim you can imagine, giving them unique appearances, clothing and personalities. Create a family or just yourself, it’s your choice. Then you get to pick the town you would like to move into it and the house you wish to purchase. Or you can build your very own house from scratch! Your sims also have a number of different needs that you need to manage such as the need to eat, shower, socialise, go to toilet, sleep and of course, be entertained. Get a job or create your very own business, be self employed or spend your days slaving away for a corporation. The Sims 4 allows you to do any number of things!

Have you ever wanted to run your very own bus company? Probably not, but if you have, Bus Simulator 16 is your answer! When it comes to simulation games, most of them tend to be awful and while Bus Simulator 16 is no Euro Truck Simulator 2, it’s a fairly good and detailed simulator nonetheless. Basically, you create your own bus company and must purchase routes for you to drive so that you can pick up passengers and collect revenue, allowing you to buy better buses as well as hire more drivers so you can buy more routes. There’s only so much fun driving a bus can be, but Bus Simulator 16 features bus customization allowing you to add your own personal touch to your buses as well as allowing you to play multiplayer. In multiplayer, you can team up with friends and all chip in running your own bus company. While you can’t be driving in the same world together, you can all be driving your own routes simultaneously. Not only that, but Bus Simulator 16 is easy to learn with the controls being simplified, yet they don’t leave you feeling like the game is a lightweight when it comes to simulation. Definitely one of the better simulator games currently available on the market.

If Civ V was the most streamlined the series had ever been, Civ VI is the most celebratory - a 25th anniversary iteration that sheds the sterility of previous entries in favour of a stirring soundtrack and brave new (cartoonish) look. It finds Firaxis remembering that the power of a 4X game lies as much in its atmosphere as its systems. It’s testament to the attentiveness of Sid Meier and his studio, however, that they haven’t neglected those systems either. Civilization VI has exhumed several of the best additions from its predecessor’s Community Balance Patch, while pushing onwards and upwards with some offbeat new ideas - builders that expire after three turns, for instance, and cities that spread across several tiles. Isn’t that what Civ is all about? Pushing onwards and upwards, reaching for the stars? Firaxis will surely continue to do just that, building on these strong foundations with balance patches and expansions. And players will do the same, conceiving game-changing Civ 6 mods. But even the game that exists now is a classic Civ. It’s not only a wonderfully colourful introductory experience, but also an intriguing twist on some of the series’ most deeply rooted mechanics that’ll keep veterans coming back for one more turn.

MD is set to give a public demonstration of their upcoming Zen CPU on December 13th, when they'll host a live-streamed web event called 'New Horizon' that will show off the processor's gaming capabilities. New Horizon will be hosted by well-known video game presenter Geoff Keighley, and will feature e-sports pro-gamer PPD from Evil Geniuses. AMD also says the event will include special guest appearances and giveaways, so there could be a few extra incentives to tune in from 3pm CST, aside from seeing Zen in action of course. As this event is mostly focused on the general gaming public, it's unlikely that we'll get any detailed specifications or benchmarks of Zen. Those details will become available closer to launch, which AMD says is scheduled for Q1 2017. Leaked benchmarks have revealed promising performance for Zen, which is AMD's first major revamp of their processor line in years. One test showed Zen performing in-line with Intel's 8- and 10-core Xeon processors, while another benchmark indicated performance from an 8-core Zen CPU was roughly in line with Intel's 6-core Skylake processors. If AMD can achieve a decent level of performance from Zen while competing with Intel's prices, we may finally have some competition in the CPU space once more.

Google over the past year or so has been slowly pushing Flash out the back door in favor of HTML5, a far superior technology that improves security, reduces power consumption and leads to faster load times. With Chrome 55 having just advanced to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux, the transition is nearly complete. Chrome 55, as explained by Google’s Anthony LaForge earlier this year, will default to a site’s HTML5 experience in most every instance when it has a choice. If a site only uses Flash, you’ll be prompted to allow it the first time you visit. An exception to this rule only applies to the top 10 websites that use Flash (and only for a year). Those sites are: YouTube.com, Facebook.com, Yahoo.com, VK.com, Live.com, Yandex.ru, OK.ru, Twitch.tv, Amazon.com and Mail.ru. Elsewhere, Chrome 55 is also said to drastically reduce RAM usage by as much as 50 percent thanks to an updated JavaScript V8 engine that reduces the memory zone and heap size. Google’s web browser is notoriously bad for its handling of memory so it’s great that they’re finally addressing the issue. While on the subject, I’d also recommend checking out our recent Chrome optimization guide if you haven’t already done so. By grabbing Chrome 55 and tweaking a handful of settings, you’ll likely notice a substantial performance improvement. In the event you’ve disabled automatic updates or aren’t currently using Chrome, you can grab version 55 for a variety of platforms right here. If you're looking for the change log, that's available on the Chrome release blog.

our mobile computing experience is largely dictated by the sheer power of the hardware inside your smartphone. For those that have adopted the mobile-first lifestyle, having an up-to-date device is imperative seeing as you can’t simply swap out the CPU or add more RAM like you can with a PC. With this week’s open forum, we ask the question: how often do you replace your smartphone? Are you the type that resides on the cutting edge of mobile technology or are you content to use a phone for at least a few years before upgrading? Perhaps you’re accident-prone and find yourself buying a new smartphone more often than you’d like? Whatever the case, feel free to share your preference in the comments section below!

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken directly with the president of Taiwan - breaking with US policy set in 1979 when formal relations were cut. Mr Trump's transition team said he and Tsai Ing-wen noted "close economic, political, and security ties" between the US and Taiwan in a phone call. The move risks angering China, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province. But Mr Trump tweeted that Ms Tsai had called him, to congratulate him on winning the US election. Meanwhile his team said that the US president-elect had congratulated also Ms Tsai on becoming the president of Taiwan in January's elections. ADVERTISEMENT It is highly unusual for a US president or president-elect to speak to a Taiwanese leader directly. Image copyrightTWITTER Following media reports pointing out the risks of angering China, Mr Trump tweeted: "Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call." The White House has said Mr Trump's conversation did not signal any change in US policy. Mr Trump's spokeswoman said Mr Trump was "well aware" of what US policy has been on Taiwan. China has hundreds of missiles pointing towards Taiwan, and has threatened to use force if it seeks independence. Beijing has so far made no public comment on the latest development. From concern to alarm and anger - Carrie Gracie, BBC China editor, Beijing The president elect's decision to turn his back on four decades of US protocol on Taiwan and speak directly to a president of Taiwan will stun policymakers in Beijing. Since his election last month, they have struggled to understand who is advising Donald Trump on Asia and what his China policy will look like. This move will turn concern into alarm and anger. Beijing sees Taiwan as a province and denying it any of the trappings of an independent state is one of the key priorities of Chinese foreign policy. Read more from Carrie:The Trump phone call that will stun Beijing President Tsai, Taiwan's first female leader, led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a landslide victory in the poll. The DPP has traditionally leaned towards independence from China. Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's shy but steely leader Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, expressing its support for Beijing's "One China" policy. President Tsai's administration does not accept the policy, which states that the Taiwan is part of China. Image copyrightEPA Image captionMs Tsai's presidency is expected to see a change in the relationship between Taipei and Beijing The US still maintains friendly non-official relations with Taiwan. Following Mr Trump's telephone conversation, the White House said the US remained firmly committed to its "One China" policy. "Our fundamental interest is in peaceful and stable cross-strait relations," said Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. Meanwhile, Mr Trump is also reported to have invited President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines to the White House next year during a "very engaging, animated" phone conversation, according to one of Mr Duterte's aides. But a statement issued by Trump's transition team made no mention of an invitation. The Philippines leader has had disagreements with President Barack Obama and has in the past insulted him. Mr Obama cancelled a planned meeting with him in September.