Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor (Switch) Developer: Game Freak Publisher: Nintendo Released: October 22, 2020 MSRP: $29.99 (Season Pass that includes The Isle of Armor) The last time we checked in with Pokemon Sword and Shield, it was hosting its first major DLC: The Isle of Armor. It was small, but it wasn't bad! The new locale was a breath of fresh air, especially given that Game Freak was doubling down on the Wild Area mechanic, allowing the entire DLC to make use of the feature. But given Sword and Shield's latent shortcomings, it wasn't enough for everyone. The Crown Tundra aims to turn that all around as the second half of the season pass. To get to the DLC, you just need to head to Wedgehurst Station and use the Crown Pass to take the midnight train to Georgia the new zone. Hey! I never noticed that giant area down there until I forked over the cash for the pass. While Isle of Armor had a semi-aimless plotline to meander around with most of the time, Crown Tundra is a little more focused. From the moment you meet the adventuring father-daughter team of Peony and Peonia, it takes a more Spelunky-like turn that provides a more immediate payoff (as a note, the first battle had me squaring off against a team of level 70 Pokemon: just in case you're curious where the DLC starts you off, battle-wise). From there, you're free to start roaming around the giant Wild Area that is the new zone, as well as kick off the aforementioned storyline that quickly funnels you into the main side-gimmick of Dynamax Adventures in Max Lairs. The gist is that you'll be diving into caves, taking on various Pokemon until you reach a showdown at the end. Players will take on three sets of giant boss creatures in Max Raid Battles (with three other trainers, as usual) — which could involve boneheaded AI or real-life players that may or may not be able to connect. But here's the big catch: you can't take your own Pokemon along for the ride, as each player sort of "drafts" characters to take on the adventure and "borrows" them mid-run from NPCs. Given that it's the only way to nab most of the legendaries in the expansion, it's going to be contentious, to say the least. While I can see why Game Freak did it (to prevent trivializing the entire thing with pristine level 100 spam), I'm torn on having to use random AI partners most of the time given how shoddy the online component is. None of my efforts to connect online were successful the day of the DLC's release. That said, the tedium is much less of an issue with shields getting cut down, making the Dynamax battles much punchier. It's give and take, and at the end of all my testing, I do enjoy the adventures as a whole and find most of the randomization to be spicy. The upside is that you're constantly fighting interesting Pokemon and capturing them for your collection — an assortment that spans the entire history of the game. I can see it keeping hardcore players busy for weeks. While the winter wonderland theme of Crown Tundra is lovely, there's a little more variance than just snow, with a few (albeit generic) grassland locations and foggy mountain regions. The narrative also feels decidedly like a Pokemon movie, with the main legendary finding a way to telepathically communicate and speak to humans (with additional quests to capture the three legendary titans and the original legendary bird trio). It's more involved than the Isle of Armor plot, that's for sure, even if the Wild Area isn't as sprawling or interesting. Outside of the lairs and the main quest, there's more Pokemon to catch and a giant tournament that reunites players with old friends who may have been long forgotten at this stage in the game. It's a nice way to get some of those strong characters back into the fray and give people something to do in terms of an endgame activity. While the battles themselves aren't that unique with a capable player at the helm, the banter and insights into each trainer are worth the squeeze. Now that the season pass is in the hopper, it's easy to feel like Pokemon Sword and Shield are a transitional generation to something greater. Sure, I liked Sword and Shield for what they were and filled out my Pokedex in a matter of weeks, but there are several half-baked elements that needed more time in the oven to really bring the whole loaf together. For now though, with two DLCs under its belt, that loaf doesn't taste half bad with some butter. Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: 64-bit Windows 10 Processor: Intel Core i7- 3770 @ 3.5 GHz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4 GHz Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970/1060 or ATI Radeon R9 series DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 12 GB available space

Can't find the time to keep up with tech news? Looking for some awesome lockdown listening? We have you covered with the Noise Cancelling podcast, which is brought to you by TechRadar and our sister sites Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide. This week's show is presented by Gareth Beavis, TechRadar's Global Editor-in-Chief, and Sherri L. Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Laptop Mag. This week our guests are Matt Phillips, TechRadar's Video Producer, and Henry T. Casey, Editor at Tom's Guide, who join us (remotely, of course) to talk about the last seven days in tech. As usual, we're talking about a variety of topics from the world of tech. We begin the show with this week's Big Question: How would you bring back HTC phones? Tune in this week to hear our thoughts on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, as well as our review of the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. We also share our hands-on impressions of the Xbox Series X, and Mario Kart Live. We also share our experience with sleep tracking apps, lockdown fitness regimes, and Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure. Meanwhile, this week's Unpo[CENSORED]r Opinion is... sleep tracking is amazing, but the Apple Watch sleep tracking app sucks. You'll have to tune in to find out what we thought. For all this and more, tune into the all-new Noise Cancelling podcast – you can subscribe on Spotify, grab it on Apple podcasts, or find us wherever you get your pods. New episodes land every Friday. You can find every episode of Noise Cancelling here too Can’t in finding the time to stay alongside of tech information? Looking for some superior lockdown listening? We have you ever lined with the Noise Cancelling podcast, which is dropped at you by way of TechRadar and our sister websites Laptop Mag and Tom’s Guide. This week’s display is gifted by way of Gareth Beavis, TechRadar’s Global Editor-in-Chief, and Sherri L. Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Laptop Mag. This week our visitors are Matt Phillips, TechRadar’s Video Producer, and Henry T. Casey, Editor at Tom’s Guide, who sign up for us (remotely, after all) to speak about the remaining seven days in tech. Get the most efficient Xbox Series X offers ahead of any person else! We’ll ship you pre-order main points and the most efficient Xbox Series X offers once they are to be had. Send me information about different related merchandise from Techradar and different Future manufacturers. Send me information about different related merchandise from 3rd events. No junk mail, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we’re going to by no means proportion your main points with out your permission.

There's a ton of excitement and anticipation surrounding AMD's upcoming RX 6000, aka Big Navi. We get it: We really want to see how AMD stacks up to Nvidia's new Ampere GPUs. Could AMD nab the top spot on the best graphics cards and GPU benchmarks? Maybe! But let's douse the flames a bit. Here's why we urge caution and not getting too caught up in all the hype. First and most importantly: Every benchmark 'leak' so far is in question. We don't have confirmation of GPU core counts, clock speeds, or even model names. Perhaps more critically, final drivers are not yet available. We're not saying AMD doesn't have work-in-progress drivers, but if AMD has even half a clue of how to launch a big new GPU without actual verifiable leaks getting out, the AIBs do not have anything close to final RX 6000 drivers. The best information we have right now is that AMD will be hosting its Radeon Gaming event on October 28, which will be the GPU equivalent of AMD's Zen 3 reveal from October 8. AMD also teased RX 6000 performance at that event, showing results from three games: Borderlands 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019), and Gears 5. Based on our own testing, the unnamed RX 6000 GPU came out tied with the RTX 3080 in Borderlands 3 but was 8% behind in Gears 5. As for Call of Duty, there's no built-in benchmark, so we have no way of knowing how AMD tested and thus have no comparison point. The good news is that AMD at least has some RX 6000 graphics card coming that looks like they will be fairly competitive with the RTX 3080. But we have lots of disclaimers: AMD could have cherry-picked the tests to show scenarios where it does relatively better. The test platforms were not the same (i9-9900K vs. Ryzen 9 5900X). Drivers are not yet finalized. And we still don't know which GPU AMD showed. Regarding that last point, one take (my take) is AMD would show its highest-performance option, meaning the RX 6900 XT. Others think AMD is sandbagging and showing off a GPU that's a step down from the rumored RX 6900 XT, i.e. the RX 6800 XT or even RX 6800. The only people who actually know which GPU was used aren't talking (yet). But now we have a veritable flood of performance leaks and benchmark results, none of which can be fully confirmed. The results look good! Except, they look almost too good, considering AMD's own performance tease. Most of these rumors and supposed benchmarks fall into the category of stories amounting to, "My best friend's sister's boyfriend's uncle knows this guy who has an RX 6800 XT, and he says..." Again, what drivers are these cards using? What GPU are they running? Take a few spoonfuls of salt, in other words. AMD's Fiji architecture back in 2015 was going to crush Nvidia. It was the first GPU to use high-bandwidth memory (HBM), packing a whopping 512 GBps of bandwidth and 8.6 TFLOPS of theoretical compute performance. At the time, it was going up against Nvidia's GTX 980, which was only a 5 TFLOPS card with 224 GBps of bandwidth. The rumor mill said AMD was even going to beat Nvidia's then-fastest Titan X! Except, just before the R9 Fury X launched, Nvidia released the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. The Fury X had moments of greatness, but overall didn't quite match Nvidia's similarly-priced card. There were select cases where it could even beat the Titan X, but mostly it was slower than the 980 Ti. Today, five years later and running more recent games, the Fury X is still about 3-5% slower than the 980 Ti while using 30W more power. A similar story unfolded two years later, except it was even worse in many ways. RX Vega 64 was again going to take down Nvidia's top GPU, the GTX 1080 Ti, or so the rumors suggested. 12.7 TFLOPS and 8GB of HBM2 with 484 GBps of bandwidth, versus 11.3 TFLOPS and 11GB of GDDR5 with 484 GBps. That seemed a stretch, but AMD talked up its high-bandwidth cache controller and architectural enhancements, and there was at least some hope. This time, there wasn't even a last-minute update from Nvidia to spoil the launch party … and the competition wasn't even close. Not a single game favored the RX Vega 64, and even the year-old GTX 1080 managed to claim quite a few wins. AMD's best was only able to match Nvidia's second best. Today, RX Vega 64 is about 5% faster than the GTX 1080 FE across our gaming test suite, but it's nowhere near the 1080 Ti. Last year's Navi 10 and RX 5700 XT continued the pattern. One year after Nvidia launched the RTX 2080 and other Turing GPUs, AMD showed up with a new RDNA architecture promising significant performance improvements. It also used TSMC's 7nm (N7) node, over a full step ahead of the 12nm 12FFN Nvidia used for its Turing GPUs. Rumors and leaks suggested "better than RTX 2080" performance, with a significantly smaller chip. Some of those (which in retrospect were obviously 100% fake) claimed AMD's new high-end parts would cost as little as $250. AMD did choose to go after the 'mainstream' market, eventually, with the RX 5600 XT. However, AMD didn't even try to beat the RTX 2080 Ti, and at best comes in just ahead of the RTX 2070. Navi 10's performance was good, but efficiency was only a match for Turing, and it didn't have any ray tracing or deep learning hardware. And of course, Nvidia launched the 2070 Super and 2060 Super to counter Navi 10, with the 2070 Super beating the 5700 XT by about 5-7 percent. That resulted in AMD dropping the launch pricing by $50, and street pricing dipped as low as $330 (but now hovers in the $380 range). I present these past launches not as evidence that AMD will underperform, but as evidence that the rumors that come out are often extremely skewed, often in favor of AMD. Consider the source and the track record of that source. There are prolific Twitter users that seem to be wrong about 90 percent of the time — with the 10 percent coming either via luck or actual leaks right before the official reveal. Again, the best indication of Big Navi's performance is from AMD, and it doesn't tell us much. Next week, we'll find out a lot more, and I for one will be happy to put the rumors to bed. So like we were saying, we've been here before. AMD has new and improved GPUs coming, and the rumor mill is spinning full tilt. We'd love to see AMD stick it to Nvidia for a change. Realistically, even matching Nvidia's RTX 3080 performance for a slightly lower price would be great to see. By the time RX 6000 cards arrive, Nvidia will have launched at least the GeForce RTX 3090, GeForce RTX 3080, and GeForce RTX 3070, so that's AMD's competition. AMD has to beat Turing, because Nvidia's own RTX 3070 is apparently set to match the RTX 2080 Ti with a launch price starting at $500. Actually, what would really be great to see is a supply of AMD cards that's actually able to meet the demand. That's sort of dependent on the performance and price, but right now, it remains extremely difficult to buy an RTX 30-series GPU. Nvidia supposedly delayed the RTX 3070 launch by two weeks to help build up inventory, but we still fully expect the cards to sell out. Nvidia's CEO even says Nvidia expects demand to outpace supply until early 2021. Unfortunately, while AMD has released guidelines to its retail partners on how to avoid scalpers and bots buying up inventory, we also expect AMD's RX 6000 cards to sell out for at least several weeks after launch. That's just the way these things go. We're excited, and so are lots of other gamers. Being cooped up with COVID-19 still running rampant doesn't help, as that means even more people are thinking about PC upgrades. We've seen shortages on CPUs, GPUs, PSUs, webcams, and more over the past six months. A highly anticipated GPU from AMD isn't going to somehow be immune from shortages, no matter what AMD tells it's retail partners. Our advice, then, is to be patient, sit back, and watch things develop. We'll have full benchmarks and a review of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3070 next week, and we'll also get AMD's official RX 6000 announcement at roughly the same time. That will likely include some preliminary AMD performance numbers for RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT (or whatever they end up being called). We'll have our own reviews of AMD's cards, with independent numbers using our standard testbeds, by the time those cards launch as well. Once the dust settles, we'll know how the cards truly perform and how much they cost, with no messy rumors or speculation muddying the waters.

DH1- Good song ❤️

An early arrival to the premium SUV scene has worked out rather well for the car that was latterly redubbed the Mercedes GLE-Class. In its first-generation form, the M-Class – as it was formerly known – was shown to the public as far back as 1996, when the BMW X5 was still only a designer’s sketch and before either the Audi Q7 or Range Rover Sport had even been thought of. Over three and a bit model cycles, and after a mid-life nomenclature change intended to better identify the car as Mercedes’ middle-sized luxury 4x4, the GLE has become one of the brand’s best-selling SUVs, rivalling and even out-selling the smaller and more affordable GLC at times over the past decade. The way the GLE’s design conceals its D-pillar – with a bold diagonal C-pillar and wraparound rear window – is a styling cue that’s been a feature of every GLE and M-Class Merc since the 1996 original. Still stands out. Matt Saunders | Road test editor This week we’re seeking to find out exactly where first-to-the-party status has left this car, which is now on sale in fourth-generation form – and particularly so now Mercedes has added the kind of variety and choice to the GLE’s showroom range that only the marque’s biggest-selling models tend to enjoy. After a motor show debut two years ago, the W167-generation GLE went into production in Alabama at the very end of 2018, but its derivative range has hardly stopped swelling since. Buyers can now choose between traditional SUV and ‘coupé’ bodystyles. There are both petrol-electric and diesel-electric plug-in hybrid powertrains on offer, with availability particular to market territory. And for UK buyers there are three conventional diesel engine options in the car besides, as well as a 48V mild-hybrid petrol model. Technical specs 429bhp at 6100rpm Torque 384lb ft at 1800-5800rpm Driveline layout front-engine, all-wheel drive 0-62mph 5.4sec Top speed 155mph Kerb weight (DIN) 2305kg Fuel economy 25.9mpg CO2 248g/km BIK tax band 37% Rivals Volvo XC90 Land Rover Range Rover Sport BMW X5 And that’s before you’ve even made it far enough down the price list to take in the Affalterbach-tuned AMG performance versions – which brings us to this week’s test subject. The lesser – and cheaper – of two Mercedes-AMG GLE derivatives, the new GLE 53 4Matic+ is a performance SUV in a particularly modern mould. Read on to discover if it has both the makings and the execution to be the high point in a complicated model range. As is the case with practically all of Mercedes’ models, the GLE is available with an exceptionally broad spread of powertrains. In the UK, the four-cylinder diesel 300d represents the entry-level offering, although there are six-cylinder diesels, a diesel plug-in hybrid and a couple of six-cylinder petrols to choose from, too. The outlandish AMG 63 S model crowns the range, of course. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 makes a substantial 603bhp, but you’ll pay an equally substantial price to put one on your driveway. Price £80,485 Power 429bhp Torque 384lb ft 0-60mph 5.4sec 30-70mph in fourth 8.2sec Fuel economy 24.0mpg CO2 emissions 248g/km 70-0mph 46.5m

Pumpkin Jack (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One [reviewed]) Developer: Nicolas Meyssonnier Publisher: Headup Released: October 23, 2020 (PC, Switch, Xbox One), TBD (PS4) MSRP: $29.99 Pumpkin Jack immediately passes the sniff test. It's a seasonal mascot platformer, the sort of thing that you look at once and know you want to play. It's dripping with style, each of the six levels uniquely Halloween-themed in its own aesthetical way. Well, except one level isn't really Halloween-themed but that's probably a spoiler, so I digress. Mechanically, Pumpkin Jack feels as though it's evenly split between platforming and action combat. The former is surprisingly fluid as the eponymous Pumpkin Jack has a double jump that lends a lot of air control to maneuvering the protagonist. In a game with a ton of chasms where missed jumps result in instant death, Pumpkin Jack won't leave you feeling like too many failures were cheap and out of your hands. That's about the most you can ask from a 3D platformer. The fighting doesn't get as high of marks. Pumpkin Jack's combat wants to be a combo-based Darksiders-kinda thrill, but it's much shallower than that. Enemies suck up a bunch of damage, but you're capable of withstanding more. A good number of baddies are on-screen at once, but their tendency to crowd together (except for a few range-based types) means that your wide-radius blows take them all out the same. Every new stage comes with a new weapon type, an obvious attempt at livening things up. It doesn't help much. Combat is mostly just an exercise in spamming attack until everything's dead. That's why Pumpkin Jack excels when it wants you to solve puzzles, platform, and explore. There are 21 collectibles in each level and you know I found each and every one. It's a joy combing every inch of this world. However, when those combat sequences pop up, you usually can't wait to get through them. Somehow, that's not all there is to Pumpkin Jack. Every level also features at least one on-rails setpiece, a boss fight, and some sidequest-like diversions. Pumpkin Jack can rip his head off and make it crawl around like a spider. These sections are for mini-games that don't necessarily fit into the context of the larger game. For instance, sometimes the head has to play whack-a-mole to open the path forward. Other times, it has to match up names on gravestones in a Concentration clone. It's all honestly way more than you'd expect. All of this is in service of a narrative that isn't very engaging. Pumpkin Jack is commissioned by the Devil to take out a wizard who's trying to do right by humanity. What follows is a game-long pursuit of that goal. There are a few twists, but this eight-hour game doesn't have a story that really ebbs and flows. It stays pretty static and that makes it largely forgettable -- even in the moment-to-moment of actually playing it. It's to Pumpkin Jack's credit that something kept pulling me along. I didn't care so much that the story felt insubstantial or that the combat was a slog. I was more interested in leaping across this fantastic Halloween world and seeing what secrets it hid. I wanted to find out what weird mini-games were just around the corner. When you go trick-or-treating, you don't come back 100 percent with candy you love. There's some bleh stuff mixed in, stuff that you put up with to get to the candy you can't wait to eat. That's a perfect analog for Pumpkin Jack. You'll push past parts of it because this mascot platformer has some really great qualities. And, when viewed as a whole, a bucket full of candy ain't so bad. OS: Windows 7. Processor: Intel Core i5-3330 3.0 GHz, AMD FX-8300 3.3 GHz. Memory: 4 GB RAM. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760, Radeon R9 270. DirectX: Version 11. Storage: 5 GB available space.

The world has been holding its breath for the rumored Apple AirPods Studio, but it seems smartphone manufacturer Huawei has beaten the tech giant to the punch with its own, similarly-named over-ear headphones. The Huawei FreeBuds Studio were announced alongside the new Mate 40, and come with active noise cancellation, a 20-hour battery life, and a sleek, stylish design. Apple AirPods Studio release date, price, and rumors The best noise-cancelling headphones of 2020 Read our hands-on Huawei Mate 40 Pro review According to Huawei, the new headphones will deliver "great sounding music with rich detail", thanks to an ultra-wide frequency band of 4Hz - 48kHz (for comparison, most headphones have a range of 20Hz - 20kHz, which is about the same as the human hearing range). Inside the headphones are 40mm polymer diaphragms, that allow for "a wider frequency response and higher sensitivity), and they support Huawei's own L2HC wireless audio codec to achieve an audio transmission rate "of up to 960kbps". That should be enough to support your Hi-Res Audio files – though you do need a HUAWEI Mate 40 Series or HUAWEI P40 Series running EMUI 11 or above to use this codec. Adaptive noise cancellation The Huawei Freebuds Studio come with a "double-layer sound insulation structure" and dynamic active noise cancellation to block out environmental sound, with three ANC modes that can adapt to your surroundings. There's also awareness and voice modes, which let you tap into your surroundings or have a quick conversation without removing your headphones. In terms of connectivity, Huawei says that the FreeBuds Studio are "the industry's first dual antenna over-ear wireless headphone that offers 360-degree omnidirectional Bluetooth coverage". Essentially, this means that in high traffic areas with lots of signal interference like airports, the headphones can switch to the antenna with the strongest signal. The headphones are capable of pairing with two devices at once, whether you're using Android, iOS, or Windows-based devices. As we mentioned, battery life comes in at 20 hours with ANC turned on, rising to 24 hours when ANC is switched off – and with a 10-minute quick charge, the HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio can offer five hours of music playback with ANC on, or eight hours if the ANC is turned off. So, how much will that set you back? In the UK, the Huawei FreeBuds Studio will cost £299.99, and will go on sale from November 3 – global availability is still TBC, but that works out at around $390 / AU$550. However, if you pre-order from October 22 to November 22, you can can claim a free Huawei Watch Fit. Should Apple be worried? In a word, no. While the Huawei FreeBuds Studio look very attractive and come with all the specs you'd expect from a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, it's unlikely that they'll be sold in the US, due to ongoing trade restrictions placed on the company. That's a huge market to miss out on – and you can be sure that Apple will dominate in the US. In any case, Apple is a far more well-known company, and the AirPods Studio have been the subject of speculation for years now – people are excited about the first Apple over-ear headphones, and the FreeBuds Studio have never enjoyed that hype. It's no coincidence that Huawei has opted to choose a similar name to the rumored Apple headphones. So, while Huawei's wireless headphones may represent a cheaper alternative to the AirPods Studio (if price leaks are to be believed), they're unlikely to steal any of Apple's thunder when it finally announces its noise-cancelling headphones.

ID Cooling has introduced its new twin-tower 'mega cooler' for mainstream processors that is rated for a TDP of up to 280 watts. The SE-70 cooling system is designed for upcoming enthusiast-class CPUs from AMD and Intel that need a lot of cooling when overclocked. Only time will tell if it's one of the best CPU coolers. The intensified competition on the market of enthusiast-grade mainstream processors for desktops have led to increase of their TDP in the recent years. Formally, modern processors dissipate from 95 watts to 125 watts and can be cooled down using relatively modest coolers. But if someone wants them to hit their maximum dynamic turbo clocks, they have to use considerably more powerful cooling systems. For many, the obvious choice is a closed-loop liquid cooling system, but others prefer good-old air coolers that are sometimes struggling to keep up with modern performance requirements. The ID Cooling SE-70 is a rather classic mega cooler that features a twin-tower design with dozens of aluminum fins, a copper base, seven 6-mm heat pipes, and two 120 mm fans. The unit weighs rather 1.3 kilograms and measures 122×141×156 mm, too large for a mainstream PC chassis, but not too huge for an enthusiast-grade PC case. Meanwhile, those who plan to use the cooling system will have to ensure that its large dimensions do not block space for memory modules with larger heatsinks. The fans with hydraulic bearing spin at a 700 RPM ~ 1800 RPM speed to produce an up to 76.16 CFM air pressure while generating an up to 35.2 dBA noise level. The SE-70 is designed for AMD's processors in AM4 packaging as well as Intel's CPUs in LGA1200/115x/20xx form-factors. Given design of its base and some other factors, the manufacturer decided not to equip its SE-70 with a mounting mechanism for AMD's sTR4 platform. So far, ID Cooling's SE-70 has been announced only in China and Japan, so it is unclear whether and when it will be available elsewhere. But since demand for high-performance air coolers exists in general, either ID Cooling or its rivals will offer mega coolers rated for 280W or higher in Europe and the U.S. Keeping in mind that AMD has recommended to use 360-mm closed-loops liquid coolers with is Ryzen 5000-series processors and Intel's upcoming Rocket Lake-S CPUs might likely be rather hot too, mainstream platforms for enthusiasts are going to need advanced air coolers like ID Cooling's SE-70 that is rated for up to 280 W.

What is it? This, then, is the £30,000 Ford Focus. No, not the crackling, warm-blooded ST, but the slightly higher-riding Active X car, adorned with ostensibly protective (but more realistically decorative) plastic body cladding, specified in plush Vignale range-topping trim and - in this case - equipped with a new mild-hybrid version of the entry-level 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine, the only petrol option now available. The 48V system is familiar from the Puma crossover and has been introduced to the Focus - at the same time as the Fiesta - as a means of eking out a few more miles between fuel stops and cutting down on emissions. Ford claims an efficiency boost of up to 17% over the outgoing 1.5-litre engine, with MPG up from 48.7 to 51.4. It’s available in both 122bhp and 153bhp forms, the latter of which we’ve tested here. The electrified option arrives as the Focus undergoes a subtle update with the aim of keeping it fresh until a more substantial facelift arrives, most likely towards the back end of next year. There’s a new entry-level Zetec option joining the range for the first time since the fourth-generation car was introduced in 2018, the stop/start function has been recalibrated to cut the engine while coasting in gear, and the analogue rev counter and speedometer have made way for a new 12.3in digital gauge cluster on certain trims (with hybrid-specific displays, in this case). Refreshingly, though, the Focus’s cabin retains a decent balance between physical and touch-based controls, while its Volkswagen Golf and Mazda 3 rivals plump for the more minimalist approach. On lower trims - as is the case with the Puma - this can make for a faintly utilitarian and uninspiring environment, but here in this Vignale car - bedecked throughout with leather-style Sensico upholstery and high-gloss trim inserts - it’s a welcome reminder of the car’s accessible billing. What's it like? With minimal weight penalty through the adoption of that hybrid system, the Focus also maintains its dynamic edge over all comers in its segment, its steering rack quick to react and nicely weighted in the name of engagement. The suspension, too, even with the Active’s 30mm height advantage over the standard car, is agreeably pliant without giving way to excessive amounts of lean or bouncing slowly over ondulations. The broth is nearly spoiled by the Vignale’s 18in alloys, however - we won’t go so far as to call it "crashiness", but primary ride quality takes a knock courtesy of the slimmer rubber, and there’s a pervasive, though not overbearing, rumble at speed. The fizzy little Ecoboost engine has not been dulled by the onset of electrification, either - for better or worse. It’s still eager to respond to even slight throttle inputs, and while not as punchy as the Fiesta ST’s 1.5-litre triple, this 153bhp unit has enough puff to pull the heavier Focus around without too much aggro. The tangible accelerative assistance provided by the electrical system helps in this regard, filling in for the turbo at low revs and going some way to compensating for the smaller engine’s power deficit over the keener 1.5. On the other hand, the ceaseless off-beat thrumming of Ford’s smallest engine can quite quickly grate - especially as it likes to be kept ‘on the boil’ - and the regenerative deceleration is just intrusive enough in stop-start situations to have you reaching for the frustratingly non-existent adjustment switch. Which, on the flip side, is how you know it’s working. Swings and roundabouts. In reality, of course, any economic benefits are best viewed over the course of several thousand miles, being subtle enough to pass you by on an individual journey basis. We saw 48.0mpg over the course of a 150-mile test route, including motorways, back roads and city streets, which isn’t far off the official 51.0mpg average, but not all that different from what the outgoing engine might have achieved in the same circumstances. Talk of saving money, however, seems almost immaterial in light of the decadently equipped Vignale car. It’s no top-of-the-line Cullinan, for sure, but the luxuries that come as part of the package - among them a Bang & Olufsen sound system, flip-out door edge protectors and a load-through ski hatch - will be coveted by some but largely unnecessary to most. Actually, in some cases (take the wheels and obstructive head-up display, for example), they’re actively inhibitive. If you genuinely need to load this much kit onto your car, it might be worth stepping up a segment.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One (PC, PS4 [reviewed on a PS4 Pro], Stadia, Switch, Xbox One) Developer: id Software Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Release: March 20, 2020 / Switch (TBA) MSRP: $19.99 (part of the $29.99 season pass) Taking place right after the havoc of the campaign, you'll don the Doom Guy helmet and your small arsenal once again to take on more demons. Since the marketing around this DLC has been rather confusing at times, here's what you're getting: three new levels that are around an hour and change each the first time through. It's a completely separate campaign that has its own button on the main menu. Now, there is a story, but a lot of it is nonsense (and/or an excuse to get you to kill more demons). Cutscenes are typically 30 seconds in length and table-setting for transitioning to new locations. A lot of the meat of the narrative is backloaded by design, so yep; you're gonna get a big "to be continued" at the end. Where The Ancient Gods - Part One seeks to differentiate itself is the pure havoc it shoves in your face from minute one. Enemies are aggressive as hell here, with higher difficulty settings really testing your skills in a way that most of the base game never did. The trio of boss fights match that intensity in turn; even if the first level's final encounter is mainly just an arena bout. Each locale is also interesting in its own way (an oil rig, a spooky swamp, and a mystical city in the vaguest of terms). The former is especially unique in that it focuses heavily on verticality, winding players around and around into its various labyrinthine pockets. In a way, it's reminiscent of Eternal's predecessor, but with its own flair to boot. As a whole though, all three levels still contain some of the same flaws as Eternal proper, but are often exacerbated by their funnel-like approach. There are still some annoying arenas that frequently gate you from exploring at a speedy pace, forcing you to find that "one last enemy" before you can pass: it can get extremely tiring. I also encountered some small bugs like falling through the floor that required a quick checkpoint reload, which isn't a huge deal, but annoying nonetheless. Ancient Gods, so far, does manage to play to Eternal's strengths in turn. The levels are very linear in the end, but are linear with a purpose. They also have enough spokes on their wheels to allow for secret areas and light spelunking. If you're desperately looking for more Doom Eternal, The Ancient Gods – Part One will give it to you. As always though, I recommend waiting to see how part two turns out before you plop down the cash on the season pass. If you're a Deluxe owner, you already paid for it! Get on it. System Requirements : Memory:8 GB. Graphics Card:AMD Radeon R9 280. CPU:Intel Core i5-661. DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part One File Size:50 GB. OS:64-bit Windows 7 / 64-Bit Windows 10.

Two-minute review The iPad Air (2020) doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to Apple’s tablet range, but it sees a lot of the features that were previously exclusive to the iPad Pro trickle down to this far more affordable, and therefore more attractive, device, While this is a tablet that’s unlikely to tempt power-hungry users away from the iPad Pro, it brings a lot of what makes that series of tablets great to a cheaper device, albeit one that isn’t as cheap as the standard iPad line. Starting with the obvious negative, Apple has increased the price of the iPad Air over the last generation by $100 / £100 / AU$120 to $599 / £579 / AU$899. But the extra spec you’re getting here, as well as the improved design, make that an understandable move from the company, and it feels justified. Like the iPad Pro range the iPad Air 4 comes with an almost all-screen front, and supports the Apple Pencil (second generation); it also has the same squared-edge design. The iPad Air 4 is powered by Apple’s new top-end A14 chipset, which is also at the heart of the iPhone 12 range. It offers unrivaled power, ensuring that the Air can comfortably perform any task you ask of it, from running demanding apps to streaming high-quality video. The four speakers that offer high-quality audio when you’re watching videos or films, and the rear camera has been upgraded to a 12MP shooter. Everything feels a touch more refined on the iPad Air 4, so much so that it’s now difficult to justify opting for an iPad Pro if you like this design but aren’t desperate for a fast-refreshing 120Hz display. If you need more storage space or a slightly larger screen you’ll probably want to consider the iPad Pro range; but the iPad Air 2020 is improved in almost every conceivable way, making it hard to overlook if you want a top-of-the line iPad without quite spending top dollar. The iPad Air 4 release date is confirmed for October 23. You can pre-order the tablet now at Apple’s website, and we expect to see other retailers offering it soon. The iPad Air 4 price starts at $599 / £579 / AU$899. That's quite a hike over its predecessor, but as we’ve mentioned you’re getting a big specs jump here that arguably justifies the increase. It’s available in a variety of configurations, with either 64GB or 256GB of storage, and with LTE connectivity or just Wi-Fi – see below for a full list of spec and price options. The design of the iPad Air has a lot in common with the iPad Pro range. The home button has been dropped in favor of an all-screen design to make it more in line with Apple’s Pro products. And, indeed, the iPad Air 4 feels a lot more premium than the iPad Air 3. That slate was criticized for its dated-feeling design, and it looks like Apple took notice. We’ve used this tablet alongside the new iPad 2020, which sports the more traditional iPad look, and it’s remarkable how much the Air feels different to that tablet thanks to its straight edges and all-screen front. There are still thick bezels around the outside of the display, as there are on the iPad Pro, but overall it feels like a big step up compared to the design of last year’s Air. The edges are more-squared, with sharper edges than on previous tablets from the company, and if you’re upgrading from an older device that may take some getting used to, as those edges don’t sit as comfortably in your palm. That said, we felt we had better grip thanks to this design, and it gives the tablet as a whole a distinct look and feel that’s more in line with the new iPhone 12 family, and iPad Pro range. There are four speakers, two each on the top and bottom edges, and a lock button at the left of the top edge – this also houses the Touch ID scanner if you want to unlock your slate with your fingerprint. We found this to work well throughout our testing time – our thumb fell naturally on this spot, so little effort was required to reach the button. On the right-hand edge of the tablet are volume up and down buttons, and there’s a magnetic connector below these to which you attach the Apple Pencil stylus for charging. There’s a second Smart Connector on the rear side, and you can use this to connect Apple’s Smart Keyboard, as well as other products, to your slate. The iPad Air 4 features support for new accessories, including the second-gen Apple Pencil, which is another significant upgrade. If you’re looking for a tablet that you can use with a stylus or keyboard in certain scenarios, the iPad Air (2020) has you covered. We found the Smart Keyboard to be great for word processing, while the Apple Pencil is useful if you want to sketch on your tablet, take notes, or just sign documents in your own handwriting. The Wi-Fi-only version of the tablet weighs 458 grams, while the LTE-ready version is slightly heavier at 460 grams. The dimensions of both models are 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm. Perhaps the biggest change for the iPad Air 4 is the introduction of color options. Previously, you’ve only been able to get most iPads in one shade, and you’d have to get a case if you wanted to personalize your device, but for this generation Apple is offering a range of colors. You’ve got the choice of Silver, Space Grey, Rose Gold, Green or Sky Blue – we’re a little miffed that we only got to review the Silver edition of the tablet, as we’re excited to see what the Sky Blue option looks like in real life.

Because Computex didn’t happen this year, we were unable to see what cool hardware many small Taiwanese manufacturers have come up with. But of course, companies that we normally see there can still send their products our way, as darkFlash did with its latest case, the DLX22. At first glance, this chassis looks like a relatively standard ATX unit with a few twists – a side intake, GPU riser, and swiveling doors. These are all great ideas in abstract. But in practice, the case falls short and fails to deliver a good building experience, with issues ranging from bad design to disappointing manufacturing quality. While there’s much more detail to explore (some of which is quite interesting), I can tell you up front that the DarkFlash DLX22 will not be making it onto our best PC cases list. The DLX22 is priced at $130, but currently has a $10 discount on Newegg. At this price point, the chassis is facing a ton of competition – competition that outperforms and outclasses this case by miles. DarkFlash’s DLX22 comes with a very plain exterior design that I quite like. It’s simple, clean, and no particular aspect of it stands out much. The front panel is made from steel and is easy to pull off. The side doors swivel and have a moderate tint to blend together the internal components, and the chassis is held up by plastic feet. The chassis also lacks structural rigidity. When placed on the desk, if I push and tug the top of the case around, there is a concerning amount of flex. This is because all of the corners are fixed together with just one fastener instead of three – so whatever you do – do not build a liquid cooled system in this case with acrylic or PETG hardline tubing. he internal layout of the darkFlash DLX22 is mostly straightforward, with a few exceptions. The case can house up to ATX-size motherboards with ease in the main compartment, along with the longest of graphics cards. Of course, the star of the show in the DLX22 is the GPU anti-sag bracket. This creation is meant to hold up your graphics card to prevent it from sagging and sitting in your chassis unevenly, and take some load off the PCI-Express slot of your motherboard in the process (although, they can generally handle the weight just fine). Given the proliferation of massive cards as Nvidia’s impressive RTX 3090 and 3080 make their way into new builds, it’s a good time for extra GPU support. But this bracket lacks elegance. The abundance of visible thumbscrews doesn’t look good. They lend the bracket a primitive, scaffolding-like feel as a solution for a mostly minor issue. Arguably worse: This bracket also won’t work with very big graphics cards as it can’t move outwards far enough. And if your GPU’s shroud doesn’t sit above the fans, it will make the GPU lean on one of the fans, stopping it from spinning. Cooling For cooling, you can mount up to three 120 mm fans or two 140 mm spinners in both the top and front locations, along with those respective radiator sizes. There is also a side intake that has room for two 120 mm spinners. So if you have an all-in-one liquid cooler, there’s a good chance you’ll want to mount it here, as the front panel intake is limiting. The front has no air filter, and the holes in the mesh of the panel will be difficult to clean out. The side intake does have its own filter, as does the bottom of the chassis, though I have to mention that the filter at the bottom is just a sheet of mesh with no sliding or magnetic system to hold it in place – instead it’s held in just by tabs, making it a serious pain to remove, clean, and replace as you’ll have to flip the chassis to get to it. No fans are included with the case, which is a big thumbs-down at its $130 price point. Below the power supply shroud there is also plenty of room for large power supplies, but only one 3.5-inch HDD tray. Given the amount of space in this case, and the segment it is priced in, I would expect a minimum of two drive bays. The back of the motherboard tray has room for two 2.5-inch drives -- and that’s it. Again, this case is big (and kind of expensive) for a case that’s only designed to house a total of three drives (aside from whatever M.2 options are on your motherboard).

The affordable end of the performance car market may be dominated by hot hatchbacks, but none comes close to delivering the kind of driver engagement you’ll find behind the wheel of an MX-5. While the hot hatch class continues to grow in size, Mazda’s two-seat sports car retains the compact dimensions of the 1989 original – in fact, it’s slightly shorter – and makes handling purity, rather than outright pace, a priority. So although it lacks the rear seats and luggage capacity that make a hot hatch such a usable everyday proposition, it stays small enough to be enjoyed on even the narrowest of B-roads. Today’s fourth-generation car proves endlessly entertaining without needing enormous amounts of horsepower, rejecting forced induction in favour of a naturally aspirated engine. A recent mechanical upgrade may have raised the more potent 2.0-litre variant’s output slightly, but you’re still able to explore the entirety of its rev range while staying at road-legal speeds. Even the more modest 1.5-litre, with its 128bhp that stays more true to the original MX-5, encourages you towards 7500rpm with every gearchange. Few other modern sports cars can be taken to the redline as and when you choose without worrying about the potential consequences for your driving licence. The driving experience remains an old-school sporting one, with a sweet-slotting manual transmission that sends power exclusively to our preferred set of wheels – but it’s still outstandingly involving and likeable. Its lightness, 50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity let the delightfully responsive chassis come alive through corners in a way that’s unparalleled in its price bracket, while a relative lack of grip ensures you’re able to have fun without pushing the boundaries of what is deemed responsible behaviour. Then, when you aren’t pressing on, it takes mere seconds to throw back the folding roof and enjoy an open-top cruise. The driver-focused cockpit embraces Mazda’s ‘Jinba Ittai’ philosophy, seamlessly blending analogue dials and manual controls with modern luxuries such as smartphone integration and cruise control. That an MX-5 was able to claim victory in last year’s affordable driver’s car shootout, among four-door rivals boasting significantly more performance, serves only to highlight its charm in a way that goes beyond performance figures and practicality considerations. It’s an approach that has stayed largely unchanged since the model’s inception, arguably making it one of the most consistent cars of its kind – and one that has outlasted all its major rivals. You’d have to spend significantly more – and look towards Lotus, Caterham, Porsche or Ariel – to find a sports car that’s as rewarding to drive. Driver involvement is head and shoulders above that of the similarly priced competition, making it an obvious choice for our judges. Judge's view: Steve Cropley The brilliance of this car is that you don’t just compare its strengths with cars in the same bracket: it can and should be assessed as a fun drive even against cars that cost up to five times as much. For those with buying power but a shortage of garaging, the choice goes something like this: “Unfortunately, I can’t buy a Merc SL because that’d mean I’d have to sell my MX-5.” The even greater wonder of this car is that in four iterations, they’ve avoided destroying its purity – a supreme achievement.

G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout (PS4 [reviewed], PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) Developer: Iguanabee, Fair Play Labs Publisher: GameMill Entertainment Released: October 13, 2020 MSRP: $39.99 When "movable fighting man" G.I. Joe first made his way to British shores in the 1960s, he was renamed as the less nation-specific "Action Man." Despite this amusingly bland new moniker, Action Man was still a smash success with British kids, going on to sell thousands of dolls, ("It's an action figure, mum!"), in the ensuing decades. The plastic military man and his kung-fu grip became so huge here in Britain, that when the super-po[CENSORED]r G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series made the leap overseas, it also needed to be renamed, to keep marketing in line with the toy range. So do you know what we got? Action Force. ACTION FORCE. The Brits are nothing if not great at poorly localizing American properties. That and making abysmal political decisions. Nice history lesson, Moyse, but what does this have to do with G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, GameMill Entertainment's new video game adaptation of the aforementioned Saturday morning show? Honestly, not all that much. But what's important is that now you know, and knowing is half the battle. G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout is a joint-production of Chilean developer Iguanabee and Costa Rican studio Fair Play Labs. A third-person action-adventure with hero shooter elements, Operation Blackout is the first licensed G.I. Joe title since 2009 movie tie-in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and chooses to set itself within the universe of the hit 1980s animated series, rather than the recent live-action movies. Operation Blackout consists of two distinct modes: a roughly six-hour story campaign and local co-op/Vs. play. The story campaign puts players in the gung-ho boots of both members of the G.I. Joe squad, as well as their villainous rivals COBRA. (Shout it. Always shout it.). In a storyline surprisingly similar to Marvel's Avengers, a violent attack on the G.I. Joe headquarters results in the scattering and disbanding of the Real American Heroes, which leads to the vile Starscream Cobra Commander becoming President of the United States – I mean, at this point, I'll take it. Scattered across the globe, it is up to the player to reunite the members of G.I. Joe, before launching a series of covert missions to free the United States from COBRA's tyranny. As a plotline, it's straight out of the TV show, delightfully over-the-top and filled with amusing and welcome holes and contrivances. The story is told through some nicely styled comic-book art, which makes up for the static nature of the cinematics. If there's one thing Operation Blackout does very well, it captures the feel, atmosphere, and awesomely Hoo-Rah spirit of the G.I Joe universe. Unfortunately, this heartfelt adherence to the source material doesn't automatically translate to a wildly enjoyable gaming experience. Operation Blackout is a third-person shooter in the most basic of senses. It has a cover-based style and a pace akin to Gears of War, but has neither the technical prowess nor budget to pull off the same gripping, hi-octane gameplay. As such, Operation Blackout feels dated, and mostly consists of fighting off waves of identikit enemies in slews of "Hold this position for two minutes" set-pieces. In its favor, each character has a selection of unique weaponry, as well as a custom special ability, which at least makes the roster feel varied. But on the whole, the gameplay is reminiscent of third-person shooters from the early PS3 era, and isn't particularly thrilling. Not helping matters is a sluggish control system, which on consoles makes the run 'n' gun action a chore. There's a selection of auto-aim and sensitivity options available, but after working with a wide variety of setups, I never found a "sweet spot" that made control feel slick and tight, everything would just go from one extreme to the other. I can imagine that the PC edition will fare much better, as I expect Operation Blackout is far more playable with a mouse and keyboard setup. But wrestling with an unruly crosshair while blasting away at the same army of enemies saps the wholesome fun out of everything. Operation Blackout features some really nice, cartoonish visuals, as well as some impressively done special effects, with the battlefield awash with colorful explosions and projectiles. The game's visual style is lively and warm, with chunky character models that are reminiscent of golden-era action figures. Constant radio chatter between characters also keeps the missions feeling "alive," which is necessary given the generally simplistic objectives. An occasional vehicular section will show up to add some variety to the action, but these mobile moments are half-baked and uninspired. As a nice touch, players can not only unlock multiple skins for each character, referencing iconic moments from the show, but they can also unlock play modifiers, as well as a museum of classic comic art of Cobra Commander, Destro, Duke, Roadblock, The Baroness, and their comrades-in-arms. The multiplayer mode supports four American Heroes, who can choose their favorite characters for skirmish battles in modes such as Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Deathmatch. But unfortunately, Operation Blackout has no online play, and thus supports local co-op/Vs. only. This is fine if you have a group of friends who want to come round and dive into the action with you, but with so many great local multiplayer titles on offer, I'm not sure where Operation Blackout would sit on your party playlist. Still, the co-op option at least provides a bit of shared entertainment for the story campaign. As a reviewer, it's advisable to refrain from writing that any product is "for the fans," as it's a self-explanatory and relatively obvious statement to make. But in the case of G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, I can't think of another title I've played in recent times that would only really appeal to the most die-hard of followers. If you love G.I. Joe, you'll get a kick out of the characters, collectibles, retro visuals, and Saturday morning storyline, but even the most hardened devotee will find it difficult to deny that Operation Blackout has dated gameplay, dull missions, and a slim package, even at its discounted price. Operation Blackout is not a terrible title, it just has very little new or engaging to offer an audience in 2020. If you're still interested in checking it out, then I'd suggest grabbing it down the line, perhaps on the PC, which I'm guessing will offer a tighter and more optimized control scheme. Oh, be sure to bring a buddy along for the ride. There's a nugget of an excellent game located within G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, but this outmoded third-person shooter unfortunately doesn't have the resources, scope, or variety to expand upon its unmistakable potential. With repetitive objectives, frustrating controls, and a lack of online multiplayer, G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout isn't fun enough to stand out in a crowded shooter marketplace, despite the obvious and heartfelt passion on display for the '80s franchise. Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 64-bit Processor: 4-core CPU @ 2.5 GHz Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: nVidia GeForce 780/970/1050 or AMD Radeon 7950/280/470 (3 GB VRAM) DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 40 GB available space Additional Notes: Requirements are based on 720p rendering resolution at 30 FPS

At first glance the iPhone 12 Pro looks like a phone caught between two stools. With the same dimensions and chipset as the iPhone 12, it’s easy to wonder whether the Pro is worth the extra cash – especially when the iPhone 12 Pro Max is incoming, with a better camera sensor and (likely) longer battery life. However, there are some useful upgrades on the 12 Pro – not least that it starts at 128GB of storage, and also comes in more muted, premium-looking colors. It’s the more mature of the first two of the iPhone 12 models to be released, and packs a little more power for those who like to really put their phone to work. As we’ve been focused on our iPhone 12 review, we haven't completed our full suite of battery tests of the iPhone 12 Pro, and as per TechRadar’s reviews guarantee we won't award a score to this handset until we’ve completed this. However, we have used the new iPhone 12 Pro extensively, as you can read below, and we'll update this review with a score imminently, when we’re confident in our findings. If you’re reading this review, you’ll want to know what the iPhone 12 Pro is offering, and where it fits into Apple's latest iPhone lineup. Well, while the design is rather similar to last year (but with new, flat edges rather than the rounded shape of recent years), and it’s now packing faster 5G connectivity and the interesting MagSafe technology that allows for clip-on accessories. The power has been upgraded and the cameras have been improved, and it arrives running iOS 14 – but does it impress sufficiently to make it a compelling upgrade over the similar-looking, and cheaper, iPhone 12? iPhone 12 Pro price and release date The iPhone 12 Pro was announced alongside the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max on October 13, 2020. While we originally expected to see the phones at the September Apple Event, in line with the typical iPhone launch window, the handsets were unveiled a month later, likely owing to the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on manufacturing and supply schedules. The iPhone 12 Pro release date is October 23, and pre-orders are live now. You'll be able to get your hands on this phone before the Pro Max, which isn’t out until November 13. The iPhone 12 Pro price starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the 128GB model – that's an improved minimum storage offering over both the iPhone 11 Pro and the base model of the new iPhone 12 – with the price rising to $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,869 for 256GB, and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,219 for 512GB. That's actually rather key, because otherwise the iPhone 12 Pro looks similar in size to 2019's Pro, and many buyers will want something that screams 'Hey, look at me! New iPhone!', so aping the design of the new iPad Pro range is a smart move. It's also unconfirmed whether the flatter design allows for better 5G signal strength – given that Apple wants the new iPhone range to become synonymous with the new speedy connection standard, it'll have been keen to implement anything that helps in that area. Another new addition is the Ceramic Shield on the front, which replaces the glass from the iPhone 11. Apple has worked with Corning to create a structure that it says isn't actually glass, but rather a 'nano-crystalline' structure that has four times the strength of last year's screen, so it should be harder to break your new iPhone. And while the rear of the iPhone 12 Pro is still the same glass as used in 2019, the new edge design will apparently make it twice as resilient as its predecessor in the event of a drop. It's important to note that Apple isn't calling these iPhones unbreakable – it’s just saying they're more robust. The IP68 rating has been improved to allow you to submerge your iPhone 12 Pro deeper than before, which in reality means it's more water-resistant (not waterproof, of course). If the iPhone 12 Pro lands at the wrong angle after a slip or a drop, it can still break – our first unit suffered a crack across the rear glass after landing flat on concrete following a heart-stopping slip from a table. So if you're thinking that you can do without a case and / or a screen protector, think again – the new iPhone 12 Pro can still be scratched by sharp objects, or broken, even if it has a greater degree of protection (especially on the front screen) than the iPhone 11 range.

The odds of HP being the first name that comes to your mind when you think of memory are pretty slim. Admittedly, computer memory isn't HP's strongest suit, but that hasn't impeded the tech giant from trying to strengthen the company's position in the memory market. However, HP doesn't actually deal directly in the memory business: BIWIN Storage Technology, one of HP's business partners, produces the memory under license from HP. HP's current memory portfolio includes the V2, V6 and V8 lineups. The V8 is the latest addition to the product stack and marks a decisive change in the company's focus. With a revamped look and RGB lighting, the V8 series targets the ever-so-demanding crowd of hardware enthusiasts and gamers. HP V8 DDR4-3600 C18 2x8GB at Amazon for $89.99 The V8 memory modules come with a nice aluminum heat spreader that takes inspiration from a diamond design. The black exterior is a cross between a matte and a brushed finish. One thing to note is that the wing-shaped edge does get in the way when you're trying to release the memory module from the memory slot. You don't have to worry about compatibility with CPU air coolers, though, because the V8 only measures 40mm (1.57 inches) tall. For comparison, the prior V6 comes in at 37mm (1.46 inches), so the V8 is only a tad taller. Following the RGB trend, HP added a customizable RGB LED bar to the V8 for some pizzazz. Proprietary software to control the V8's illumination isn't included, which could either be a blessing or a letdown. Thankfully, the V8 is compatible with Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync, so you can use your motherboard's included software to play with the V8's lighting. HP V8 DDR4-3600 CL18 (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) For the review, Multipointe Channel Solutions (MCS), another one of HP's business partners, sent us two individual sticks of V8 DDR4-3600 CL18 (7EH92AA#ABM) memory. However, it would be best to look for the standard, dual-channel package (8MG07AA#ABC) to avoid mixing and matching memory modules. Regardless of the presentation, the V8 memory modules sport a black eight-layer PCB with a single-rank design. Under the heat spreader, you'll find the V8 with Hynix H5AN8G8NCJR-VKC (C-die) integrated circuits (ICs). At boot, the V8 DDR4-3600 memory runs at a default memory speed of DDR4-2666 with 19-19-19-43 timings. The sole XMP profile on the memory modules activates DDR4-3600 mode at 18-20-20-40 timings with a 1.35V DRAM voltage. For more on timings and frequency considerations, see our PC Memory 101 feature, as well as our How to Shop for RAM feature. Comparison Hardware Our Intel test system consists of an Intel Core i7-10700K and MSI MEG Z490 Ace with the 7C71v11 firmware. Our AMD testbed has an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk that's on the 7C91vA1 firmware. Regardless of the platform, an MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio handles the display duties. The V8 DDR4-3600 C18 came in at the penultimate position on the performance chart, lagging behind Adata's XPG Spectrix D50 DDR4-3600 C18 memory kit. The V8's only forte was the Microsoft Office test, where it outperformed all the remaining memory kits. The memory kit did better in the gaming test as it jumped ahead of the XPG Spectrix D50. The V8 DDR4-3600 C18 performed to the standards that you would expect from a memory kit in this category. There are two principal areas for improvement, though. For starters, the HP V8 DDR4-3600 C18 (8MG07AA#ABC) memory kit presently retails for $89.99. If you look around the market, the V8's pricing is somewhere in the middle range compared to similar kits. A relatively small price reduction would certainly make the V8 look more attractive than the competition – the memory kit already has the rest down. The fact that the V8 only comes with a limited five-year warranty doesn't inspire reliability, considering that the majority of, if not all, memory vendors back their memory kits with a lifetime warranty. Generally, memory doesn't just die out of nowhere, but knowing that your hardware is protected throughout its lifespan provides peace of mind.

V1 - More creative with the GIF

The Jackbox Party Pack 7 (Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, iPad, Apple TV) Developer: Jackbox Games Inc. Publisher: Jackbox Games Inc. Released: October 15, 2020 MSRP: $29.99 Quiplash is a tried-and-true Jackbox title, where players make up a response to a prompt and the audience votes on which response is funniest. It has always been, at least in my friends circle, the “cool down” game when people are still sobering up and don’t have the energy to do much else but rattle off a few funny words. Not much has really changed about this title, except a new final round where you name three things instead of one thing to laugh about. Although Quiplash is not always my most favorite Jackbox game, I really enjoyed the jazzed up claymation backgrounds and 2020-relevant prompts which gave it a bit more personality this time around. The Devils and the Details This was probably one of the more unique titles in the pack. The Devils and the Details has players assume various roles in a demonic family trying to assimilate into normal human culture. This is done through various human tasks which involve taking mini quizzes, random phone tapping games, and co-op missions like one player giving directions while another “drives” the car. Despite the catchy theme-song, this was a quirky property that could use some fine-tuning. The premise is not always clear in terms of what tasks need to be done, who is doing what, and who needs help -- all the while, your fellow family members can be off doing something selfish that hurts the team as a whole. Some of my friends found this one to be the most stressful as there are a million things going on, but for those who delight in multitasking and calling out others, it can be pretty fun. Champ’d Up The drawing games return with Champ’d Up, where players draw a champion based on a title they are given, and the champions go head-to-head with the audience participating and voting for who better matches the title. Unfortunately, Champ’d Up was the only game I was not able to play, due to some server issues over launch weekend. I went a-Twitchin’ to watch a stream, but unfortunately even the host’s game ended up freezing in the middle of the game. It looked like an interesting concept and I’m glad that one of the Jackbox 7 games highlights drawing as the main element, but I hope they are able to fix the issues on this one. Talking Points Talking Points is an improvisation game where each player chooses a subject from a list, and then has to deliver a live PowerPoint-style presentation on that prompt. The twist is that another player (the “Assistant”) is feeding the main player random slides, so making things up on the fly is not only hilarious, but necessary. This one felt like they took what was wrong with a previous Jackbox improvisation game, Patently Stupid, and made it more accessible for those who struggle to make things up from scratch. I found Talking Points to be delightful in a group of friends who really love to improvise, however for those who are more shy or who have a harder time doing things in-the-moment, it could be a little tougher. Blather 'Round Blather 'Round is a guessing game where the main player is given the name of a story, person, or thing and gives pre-set clues to other players for them to guess. The main player can pull from the other player’s guesses to give hints, but only in a certain, unorthodox fashion. For example, the word that I was trying to get others to guess was “Smokey Bear,” however I could only choose from a very strange list of words to send to the other players. I chose “Massive Creature” and eventually, “It prevents the situation” from a list of other similar words that other players had input and ones that were also fed from the game. I found that Blather Round was probably my favorite of the bunch, as it was very accessible and took almost no time for us to start having fun. It was also challenging, compared to most guessing games, given the unique structure around how clues are given. Final thoughts Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid Jackbox pack, if not one of my favorites. There were some issues with the Switch edition that I hope will be cleared up soon -- not just with Champ’d Up, but it also took quite a while for some of the other games to connect. Otherwise this was a really solid mix of games, with much more thought put into the “personality” of each game (always love a good theme song). Ah, here we are with another installment of The Jackbox Party Pack, the insanely po[CENSORED]r virtual party game enterprise that takes every nerd’s house by storm each year - although perhaps it’s now more mainstream, as my parents are starting to take part and there are now explicitly family-friendly settings and options! So, without further ado, I present this year’s games. OS Xbox One Mouse Integrated Mouse Memory 4 GB Processor 2.66 Ghz Core 2 Duo or Greater Graphics

A few days ago we didn’t know much about the Samsung Galaxy S21 range, but now a flurry of rumors and leaks have rolled in, the most recent of which being a look at the possible design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Leaked renders shared by @OnLeaks (a leaker with a good track record) on Voice show a phone with a screen of apparently roughly between 6.7 and 6.9 inches, one which has a punch-hole camera in the top center and virtually no bezel around the display. The screen is curved, in contrast to the display in recently leaked images of the standard Samsung Galaxy S21, which came from the same source. Check out the best Samsung phones Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a major rival The Galaxy S21 Ultra otherwise looks similar to its sibling from the front based on these images, but the back contains a much larger camera block in the top left corner. Indeed, the source claims that the block is almost twice as big as the one on the standard Samsung Galaxy S21. The source expects this to house up to four lenses (compared to three on the standard model), and if this leak is right it also houses the flash, which leaks suggest sits outside the camera block on the basic Galaxy S21. Unfortunately the source doesn’t know the purpose of the lenses, but a previous leak pointed to a 108MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide one, and two zoom lenses. Other details in this latest leak include dimensions of apparently around 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm (or 10.8mm including the camera bump). For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm, so that would make the upcoming model marginally smaller but a tiny bit thicker. The source also notes that there’s apparently no slot for an S Pen, despite some rumors that Samsung might add support for its stylus to the Galaxy S21 range. They add however that this doesn’t necessarily mean the S Pen won’t be supported – just that there won’t be a convenient place to store it. And while the phone is referred to as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra throughout this leak, the source also says they’re not certain whether it will launch as that or the Samsung Galaxy S30 Ultra. We might know quite soon, as the latest leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S21 (or S30) range will land in early January, and with few significant phones expected between now and then, it’s likely that most leakers will turn their attention to these upcoming handsets, so expect plenty more leaks in the coming weeks and months.

After previously sharing benchmark results for the Ryzen 9 5950X, @Tum_Apisak has done it again. This time around, the chip detective uncovered submissions for the Ryzen 5 5600X, which will likely battle it out with Intel's Core i5-10600K. Here's literally everything we know about the Ryzen 5000 series, both official and unofficial, but for a bit of a quick introduction, the Ryzen 5 5600X comes wielding six Zen 3 cores with 12 threads, 32MB of L3 cache, and base and boost clock speeds of 3.7 GHz and 4.6 GHz, respectively. The Core i5-10600K, which also has a six-core, 12-thread design, has 12MB of L3 cache and features a 4.1 GHz base clock and 4.8 GHz boost clock. The Core i5-10600K clearly boasts higher boost clocks and a more generous thermal limit. Intel's contender conforms to a 125W TDP (thermal design power) rating, while the Ryzen 5 5600X is rated for 65W. Theoretically, the Core i5-10600K should be faster since it has more breathing room to execute. However, the Ryzen 5 5600X leverages AMD's groundbreaking Zen 3 microarchitecture, so don't count the Ryzen 5 5600X out just yet. You can't judge a processor's overall performance based on a couple of benchmarks, though. Furthermore, preliminary benchmarks should be taken with a bucket of salt. However, from what we're seeing so far, the Ryzen 5 5600X is poised to be a tough rival. The SiSoftware Sandra submissions show the Ryzen 5 5600X hauling in Processor Arithmetic and Processor Multi-Media scores of 255.22 GOPS and 904.38 Mpix/s, respectively. The average scores for the Core i5-10600K are 224.07 GOPS and 662.33 Mpix/s. That means the Ryzen 5 5600X outperformed the Core i5-10600K by 13.9% and 36.5%, respectively. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 3600X has average Processor Arithmetic and Processor Multi-Media scores of 214.89 GOPS and 625.51 Mpix/s, respectively. Therefore, the Ryzen 5 5600X was up to 18.8% and 44.6% faster than its previous-gen counterpart. The performance improvements fall more or less in line with the gains for the Ryzen 9 5950X over the Ryzen 9 3950X. SiSoftware Sandra's just one piece of the puzzle. AMD's Ryzen 5000 processors go up for purchase on November 5. It's easy to imagine that we'll have complete reviews of the new Zen 3 chips for your viewing pleasure with that timeframe.

V1 - resize, text and pattern !

Your works are not that great, Even your activity is not that great 😕 I think you still cant be a part of our team. Contra

Deffenitely V1 - more clearly and the watermark effects !