https://ift.tt/1aaWXu4 surged over 10 percent to a record high on Friday after reporting blockbuster quarterly results, helping the iPhone maker eclipse Saudi Aramco to become the world's most valuable publicly listed company.
In an unprecedented move for the company, Apple has confirmed it has a new iPhone coming in 2020. It's not all good news though; the company has confirmed it'll be out later in the year than it has previously "launched" its flagship phones.
Apple didn’t specifically call the device the iPhone 12, but this has essentially confirmed the new iPhone range we expected to launch in September will be delayed until at least some point later in 2020.
When will you be able to buy yourself a brand new iPhone? Plus, when will the company be unveiling its new devices? Those are two different things, and below we're going to try and give you the best answers to those questions we have so far.
What’s happened?
During Apple’s Q3 2020 earning call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri specifically referred to a new iPhone and clarified that the company is expecting its launch to be delayed in 2020 when compared to previous years.
Maestri said, “As you know, last year we started selling iPhones in late September. This year, we expect supply to be available a few weeks later.”
This is unheard of as Apple has never previously commented on the existence of a new iPhone, but the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company’s financials – and future financials with an iPhone 12 delay on the horizon – have changed things a little.
Later, Maestri clarified “I said in my remarks that a year ago we launched new iPhone in late September. And I said that this year, the supply of the new product will be a few weeks later than that.”
That may seem simple at first, but Apple’s terminology here has been very specifically chosen and it may not impact the time that you get to see the company unveil the iPhone 12 range announced on stage.
When did we expect the iPhone 12?
The iPhone 11 Pro Max from 2019(Image credit: Future)
September 8 was the best guess for the iPhone 12 announcement. That was leaked by an established tipster called ihacktu, and it matches what we’ve previously seen from the company is other years.
Typically, Apple announces its new iPhone on a Tuesday at the start of September. It's usually the first or second week of the year. It then often puts the device on sale 10 days after that, with pre-orders happening in that period between announcement and on sale.
Maestri’s wording is specifically about the time you can buy the new iPhone.
He referred to “the supply of the new product”, which means this is Apple specifically commenting about the on-sale date of the new iPhone 12. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see the iPhone 12 announced any later in the year.
We’ve seen a similar situation with the iPhone X in 2017. The handset was designed to be a reinvention of Apple’s devices and it launched on September 12 alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but wasn’t on sale until November 3 of the same year.
Apple never publicly commented on why that phone came out later, but it’s thought it was to do with supply chain issues where Apple wasn’t able to get one element of the device for the manufacturing process to take place.
That’s similar to the effect that the iPhone 12 is sure to suffer this year. That's owing to factories and manufacturing plants around the world closing and reopening throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apple may also want to delay the release of the phone to try and coincide with the end of the pandemic. Apple stores across the US are currently shut, and in other countries many are having to limit the amount of customers.
A new iPhone often brings a fervor of excitement in physical stores as well as online sales, so it may be the company wishes to limit that impact by pushing the release date of its phones back a few weeks.
So, what does this actually change?
It may change the date you can buy the new iPhone 12 series, but it's not certain that this means it'll change the time when it’s announced.
If Apple follows a similar schedule to 2017 with the iPhone X, the company may decide to keep an early September event for unveiling its new iPhone. Instead, the delay would impact when you're able to buy the product, not when you find out about it.
It seems the phones will be delayed until October at the earliest. If Tuesday, September 8 for an announcement is correct, then that would mean we would have expected the devices to go on sale on September 18 in a normal iPhone cycle.
Maestri’s terminology of “a few” weeks suggests that is pushed back by at least three weeks. That likely means you won’t be able to buy the phone until October 9, or perhaps even later in the year.
How certain is any of this?
None of this is certain. This is all conjecture that we’re able to suggest based on previous iPhone launches and Apple's specific way of announcing this, but these are strange times with the world trying to cope with Covid-19.
September is still a month away, so things may even change within Apple HQ to see a longer delay. We likely won't know more until we hear directly from Apple on its plans for an event in September, if it's set to happen.
If it does happen, we'll be sure to be one of the first to let you know.
OLOy MD4U322616DJDA 64GB DDR4 RAM -$180.00 at Amazon
(£229.99/roughly AU$250) Sister publication Tom's Hardware has drawn our attention to this seriously cheap 64GB RAM module from a company called OLOy. Upgrading to a dual channel setup is a great way to instantly improve performance, so grab it while you can!View Deal
We've never come across OLOy-branded memory before, but the two-year-old company is said to have consistently delivered some of the cheapest RAM modules on the market.
An investigation carried out by our sister publication Tom's Hardware earlier this year found that the company used industry standard ICs.
“We liked the OLOy WarHawk memory we tested, because of its great overclocking capability and high speeds. In all of our tests the WarHawk either kept pace with or outright bested competitors such as the Adata Spectrix D80 and Patriot Viper Steel," wrote Thomas Sodestrom.
Amazon is selling a 64GB kit called the OLOy MD4U322616DJDA (two 32GB DDR4 RAM 2666MHz, CL16-18-18-36, 288-pin, PC4 21000) for $180/£229.99/around AU$250 - that’s a 5% discount on the suggested retail price (and 10% less than at Newegg).
It's only available in black and doesn’t have any fancy RGB lights, but the memory chips are covered with nice looking heatsinks and the memory modules come with a lifetime warranty.
Overclocking with these is likely to be hit and miss, but compatibility - both with AMD and Intel platforms - is almost certainly guaranteed.
Adding memory, especially in pairs, means that you can instantaneously improve your system performance, particularly if you are upgrading from less than 16GB capacity on a single memory slot. Moving to what experts call a dual channel setup will improve the total amount of memory bandwidth available to your system and make everything feel much snappier.
If Amazon does not ship this product to your region, you may have to take advantage of a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal.
If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
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The creators of the TrickBot have once again updated their malware with new functionality and now it can target Linux devices through its new DNS command and control tool Anchor_DNS.
While TrickBot originally started out as a banking trojan, the malware has evolved to perform other malicious behaviors including spreading laterally through a network, stealing saved credentials in browsers, stealing cookies, checking a device's screen resolution and now infecting Linux as well as Windows devices.
TrickBot is also malware-as-a-service and cybercriminals rent access to it in order to infiltrate networks and steal valuable data. Once this is done, they then use it to deploy ransomware such as Ryuk and Conti in order to encrypt devices on the network as the final stage of their attack.
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At the end of last year, SentinelOne and NTT reported that a new TrickBot framework called anchor uses DNS to communicate with its C&C servers. Anchor_DNS is used to launch attacks against high-value and high-impact targets that posses valuable financial information. The TrickBot Anchor can also be used as a backdoor in APT-like campaigns which target both point-of-sale and financial systems.
Anchor_DNS
Up until now, Anchor has been a Windows malware but Stage 2 Security researcher Waylon Grange discovered a new sample which shows that Anchor_DNS has been ported to a new Linux backdoor version called 'Anchor_Linux'.
In addition to acting as a backdoor that can be used to drop and run malware on Linux devices, the malware also contains and embedded Windows TrickBot executable that can be used to infect Windows machines on the same network.
Once copied to a Windows device, Anchor_Linux then configures itself as a Windows service. After configuration, the malware is tarted on the Windows host and it connects back to an attacker's C&C server where it receives commands to execute.
The fact that TrickBot has been ported to Linux is especially worrying since many IoT devices including routers, VPN devices and NAS devices run on Linux. Concerned Linux users can find out if they have been infected by looking for a log file at /tmp/anchor.log on their systems. If this file is found, users should perform a complete audit of their systems to search for the Anchor_Linux malware.
As countries around the world started providing Covid-19 contact tracing apps to their citizens, cybercriminals used this to their advantage to distribute Android malware, according to a new report from EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric.
Researchers from both companies as well others identified malicious Android apps that were disguised as the official contact tracing applications for Colombia, India, Singapore and Indonesia. Surprisingly, the sample from India was released just 13 days after the official Indian contact tracing app was made available on the Google Play Store.
After analyzing the samples, EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric found they used the commodity and open source malware SpyMax, SpyNote and Aymth. The attackers also repackaged applications with Metasploit to give them remote access trojan capabilities.
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To distribute their malicious contact tracing apps, the cybercriminals relied on phishing links that were designed to trick users into installing their apps.
Malicious contact tracing apps
Based on the findings of EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric's report, it is almost certain that threat actors will continue to use commodity and open source-based malware disguised as legitimate contact tracing apps for financial gain.
The low barrier to entry provided by these tools combined with the continued rollout of contact tracing apps by countries around the world, presents a continued financial opportunity for cybercriminals into the near future.
Cyber threat intelligence specialist at ElecticIQ's Fusion Center, Peter Ferguson explained in a press release that users should only download Covid-19 contact tracing apps from official app stores, saying:
"Users should never download contact tracing android applications from links sent to them or from third party stores. If they are interested in downloading their nation's contact tracing application, they should use the official site or the Google Play Store."
Throughout the pandemic, cybercriminals have repeatedly tried to capitalize on the disruption it has caused worldwide by using Covid-19 as a lure to trick users into installing malware on their devices. They will likely continue to launch similar campaigns because of how successful they've been so far. This means that businesses and consumers need to remain vigilant when it comes to Covid-19-related threats and scams.
The Canon EOS R5 hasn't exactly had an easy ride since its launch a few weeks ago, with overheating criticism recently followed up by speculation that shipments have been delayed or that it could even be recalled. But Canon has poured cold water on these rumors with some official statements.
We asked Canon Australia and Canon UK for an official response to reports from Canon Rumors and EOSHD that it could delay the second shipment of Canon EOS R5 cameras, or even recall the mirrorless hybrid for a hardware fix, as speculated by Petapixel.
A Canon Australia spokesperson told us that it "can confirm that there have been no delays in local shipment, with the first local pre-order consumers collecting their EOS R5 units from local retailers starting from yesterday".
The spokesperson also went further, stating: "The EOS R5 has already started to ship in some countries – Australia is 100% one of them. Locally, we do have a lot of stock on back-order, however, due to the high number of pre-orders made. Any future timelines on shipping have no connection to speculation of overheating – we are simply working in the parameters of a supply chain affected by the global pandemic.”
While that doesn't specifically quell rumors that the second batch of EOS R5s could be delayed until November, it does suggest that any potential delays would be down to the knock-on effects of the pandemic, rather than any possible recall.
We're still waiting for a response from Canon UK, although a separate statement from Canon USA appears to have been issued to PetaPixel – it says: "Orders of the EOS R5 are scheduled to be delivered as initially stated at launch. The first set of cameras shipped from our warehouses this week. We eagerly await the content that will be produced by talented creatives using this camera to be shared with the world."
Again, this doesn't specifically address rumors, fueled by speculation from EOSHD about German retailers not receiving their EOS R5 allocations, that the camera's second shipment could be delayed. But it does at least suggest that early orders are being fulfilled and that no recall is currently being planned.
So where does this leave the Canon EOS R5? We'll no doubt get further clarification from Canon in the coming days or weeks, but despite the speculation nothing much has changed. The EOS R5 is currently out of stock (or 'backordered') in Canon's US, Australia and UK stores, and there are no dates yet for when the next units will be available.
Any speculation that the full-frame mirrorless flagship could be recalled also remains just that. Canon issued a statement that openly clarified the heat-related limitations of the EOS R5, and its need for 'recovery times' when pushed to its limits.
Such heat-related restrictions are also nothing new for cameras, particularly full-frame models with the EOS R5's video powers, which is why external recorders like the Atomos Ninja have become a common feature of filming setups.
We're in the process of testing the Canon EOS R5, so will be able to give our verdict on its relative strengths for video and stills soon. It also seems likely, as Canon Rumors has suggested, that a firmware update addressing the camera's heat management will be en route too.
Until then, we'll make sure we bring you any more official updates from Canon on when its mirrorless flagship is likely to be shipping again or available to order.
iPhone 7 deals have fallen behind very quickly in Apple's collection of devices. Yes, they aren't as powerful, big or fancy looking as some of the other iPhones but they are definitely one of the cheapest.
The release of Apple's iPhone 11 and its two more powerful models was a big reminder of the costly nature of Apple and just another reason the iPhone 7 could be the ideal phone for you.
Even now that iPhone SE deals are readily available, the iPhone 7 provides low prices you just can't get anywhere else. But of course, that super low price tag does come with a drop in specs.
But despite its age the iPhone 7 still rocks many of the specs we have come to expect from Apple. A mid-size battery, strong processor and the much loved iOS features Apple has made famous.
When it comes to choosing the tariff for you there is still a surprisingly large range of iPhone 7 deals. Big data remains affordable and brilliant cheap contracts under £20 are readily available.
On this page you'll find all of the best iPhone 7 deals you can get right now. Whether you're looking for unlimited data, a free phone or any other type of tariff, you can use our comparison chart below to choose the cheapest option out there. Scroll down to find the best deal for you.
And if you find yourself feeling like something just a little bit more powerful would be the best decision for you, consult our guide to the best mobile phone deals to see what else is out there right now.
iPhone 7 64GB | Three | £9 upfront | 100GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £29pm Here you're getting 100GB of data on the iPhone 7. It isn't by any means an affordable option when it comes to the 7 but it does offer an excellent price for the data allowance. That will get you through a full month's worth of HD streaming, gaming and more. Total cost over 24 months is £705
Trading in your old phone for money off the iPhone 7:
The iPhone 7 might be an extremely cheap iPhone but you can always save more money. one way to do that is by trading in your old phone. There is a plethora of sites that can do this but one of the best ones is Sellmymobile.
It compares different recycling sites, listing their TrustPilot scores, how long it will take for you to get paid, how you send your phone and of course, how much you'll get.
In terms of what you can earn, taking the Samsung Galaxy S8 as an example, you can get up to £126 for a working device or £32 for a completely broken device. Or if you have an iPhone 8, you could earn up to £183.
The Apple iPhone 7 might now have fallen behind, becoming one of Apple's older devices and yet, the specs till hold up. The battery might not be market leading but for the price you pay for iPhone 7 deals, the water resistance, impressive camera and strong processor are a perfect combination.
Can iPhone 7 deals keep up with Apple's later releases?
Released way back in 2016, the iPhone 7 has a good few years behind it. With that in mind it is clearly no longer Apple's latest and greatest release. If you want the fancy camera specs, massive batteries, big screens and all that comes with new releases, iPhone 11 deals will be the way to go.
The exact area where the iPhone 7 really shines is as a very cheap iPhone. It offers some decent specs while holding on to the IOS features that many will be here for.
What other cheap iPhones are out there?
While iPhone 7 deals seem to be the most popular choice for people trying to land a cheap iPhone, there are a few other popular iPhones, now at lowered prices:
Despite the handset's age, iPhone 7 deals seem to be holding out well with a lot of retailers continuing to hold stock. While Apple itself no longer sells the iPhone 7, this is no surprise as Apple tends to remove handsets from their website pretty quickly.
The iPhone 7 should hold out for a while before its discontinued.
Is the iPhone 7 still a good phone?
By 2020's standards...not so much. With a range of impressive new smartphones out there, the iPhone 7 has fallen back a few years. However, iPhone 7 deals are all about affordability, considering the extremely low bills available, you are saving money by not getting 2020 specs.
You still get a good camera, decent battery, powerful processor and all of the essential features you would need from a phone.
Is the iPhone SE better than the iPhone 7?
The iPhone SE is probably the best comparison to the iPhone 7, offering a very similar design at a price that isn't all that much higher.
The big difference between the two devices though is that the iPhone SE has some better specs. Most importantly is the iPhone SE's A13 Bionic chip. This is the same as what's available on the iPhone 11.
Then there's 4K video, wireless charging and a number of other improvements. While it is slightly more expensive, it is going to be worth the upgrade for many.
Read more:
Broadband deals: see the top internet plans currently available
UPDATE: Dell’s official eBay store currently has 20% off a range of laptops, 2-in-1s and gaming machines when you enter the codePCLAPL20at checkout. We've highlighted some of our top picks below, or you canshop the entire sale here.
If you’re looking for a cheap laptop or a mammoth saving on a premium portable computer, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the web for savings and rounded up all the genuine deals in one neat place.
You’ll find we’ve covered everything from budget browsing machines to high-performance powerhouses, so you’ll no doubt find something here to match your needs.
We’ve highlighted a selection of the latest deals that we’ve sniffed out, and if you scroll further down, we've rounded up some of our favourite laptops in a dedicated buying guide.
This Inspiron is now well under the AU$1,000 mark, thanks to the 20% discount on Dell’s eBay store. For just AU$748, you’ll be setting yourself up with a laptop powered by a 10th-generation Core i5 chip, plus 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage on the solid-state drive – enough to handle everyday tasks just fine and store plenty of files. Head to Dell’s eBay store and score an extra 20% off this already discounted machine with the code PCLAPL20.View Deal
There’s a massive AU$1,120 saving to be pocketed on this Dell Inspiron 14 7000 laptop – that’s 40% off. It’s an ultra-light laptop thanks to its magnesium alloy build, making it a great choice if you’re looking for a portable machine. Inside is a 10-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of system memory and 512GB of storage.View Deal
This may be from Lenovo’s range of business-focused laptops, but that hasn’t stopped our colleagues over at Laptop Mag from recommending it as the best Lenovo laptop available today. It’s incredibly light, yet manages to be durable as well, and the 1080p display on this model means you’ll get nearly 10 hours of battery life. This 8th iteration of the X1 Carbon now features 10th-gen Intel chips too. Available directly from Lenovo with a 25% discount, saving you AU$774.View Deal
This 15-inch laptop has been designed for work, but there’s a discrete graphics card that will help when it comes time to switch off. While the MX230 isn't a powerful GPU, it will run some basic gaming when you require a little distraction. This laptop was down to AU$1,215 during EOFY, and while it’s marginally more now, the 40% discount sees a cool AU$840 slashed off the RRP.View Deal
Dell Latitude 7400| i7 / 16GB / 512GB SSD | AU$2,150.80 (RRP AU$5,100.80; save AU$2,950)
Time to get down to business? The Dell Latitude 7400 is one impressive machine, and now you can save 57% on this workhorse. To keep your day running smoothly, you’ll have an 8th-generation Core i7 processor on your side, plus 16GB of memory and 512GB of solid-state storage. You’ll comfortably power through the day thanks to a long battery life which Dell promises will last up to 13 hours. Head directly to Dell to make it yours.View Deal
It's the first time this laptop has been discounted in Australia since it launched in May. So if you want a new device to do some design work at the desk or cosy up with on the couch, this Surface Book 3 is worth checking out. This 2-in-1 has a comfortable detachable keyboard and a touchscreen display so you can get the most out of it no matter where you are. Several configurations are available, and each model is discounted by 15%, with savings of up to AU$713.85 on offer. Available directly from Microsoft until August 3.View Deal
This is a business laptop that impresses in almost every way. It’s boasting an incredible 17 hours of battery life, so it’ll comfortably take you through the working day and then some. Inside this sleek and sturdy laptop is a 10th-gen Core i7 CPU, matched with 16GB of RAM to handle heavy workloads. The RRP on this machine is exorbitant, but the price has now been significantly slashed by the manufacturer. Pick it up from Dell for more than half price.View Deal
This is the 2020 update to HP’s flagship 2-in-1, and it’s more feature rich than ever. You’ll find Intel’s latest 10th-generation i7 CPU under the hood and 16GB of RAM to boost its performance. That’s packed into a rather slender chassis, and the design is undeniably beautiful. Built-in security features add to the appeal, with a webcam that shuts down completely whenever you’re not using it. Now available directly from Microsoft’s eBay store with 25% slashed from the RRP.View Deal
You can now score yourself a hefty 40% discount on this 15-inch 2-in-1 from Dell. Inside you’ll find a 10th-generation Core i5 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It’s all encased in a sleek chassis housing adaptive thermals, so it should be comfortable to use whether you’re at the desk or on the couch. It doesn’t come with the Active Pen, so be sure to add it at checkout if you’d like to pick it up as well. Buy directly from Dell and save AU$840.View Deal
The 11-inch C340 brings the features of a Chromebook to a flexible 2-in-1 form factor. It’d be a good choice if you’re looking for a laptop for the kids to do schoolwork, browse the web and indulge in some entertainment. Running on Chrome OS, it could be what you’re looking for if you just need the essentials. Now discounted by just over 30% from Lenovo.View Deal
This is Dell’s premium XPS 13 machine in a versatile chassis. This particular configuration has Intel’s latest 10th-gen Core i7 chip inside, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It’s also got a lovely 13.4-inch Full HD touchscreen display. If you want top-of-the-line specs in a flexible laptop, this one is hard to beat. Best of all, it’s now 25% off from Dell’s online store.View Deal
Dell Latitude 5300| i7 / 8GB / 256GB SSD | AU$2,489 (RRP AU$4,919; save AU$2,430)
It might have an older 8th-gen Core i7 processor under the hood, but don’t underestimate this 13-inch Latitude 2-in-1. With ExpressCharge support that adds 80% battery juice in an hour and Wi-Fi constantly running in the background, it’s designed for the busy professional constantly on the move. And, to make this even better, there’s 49% off the device directly from Dell.View Deal
This budget gaming laptop is sporting some impressive specs, and best of all, it’s now available for a massive 40% off. It has a generous 17-inch display to really show off the combined power of 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU. This model also has Intel’s latest 10th-gen processor under the hood as well. You can score this saving from Dell’s official eBay store, just be sure to enter the code PCLAPL20 to get the full discount.View Deal
The Alienware m15 R2 is a gaming laptop made with portability in mind. But that hasn’t seen a sacrifice in power, and this machine has a lot of it. Under the hood you’ll find a 9th-gen Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU, so it should be able to handle any game you throw at it. While this is only a 15% discount, it’s a decent amount saved on a powerful piece of kit. Available from Dell.View Deal
HP Omen 15| i9 / 32GB / 512GB SSD / RTX 2080 | AU$3,349 (RRP AU$4,499; save AU$1,150)
Gaming laptops don’t come cheap, so if you find one that's discounted, it's definitely worth considering – especially with specs like these. This 15-inch Omen comes packing a 9th-gen Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics to keep you on top of your game. There’s 32GB of system memory which should keep things super speedy too. Head to Microsoft’s official eBay store and save a packet on this beast.View Deal
HP Omen 15| i7 / 16GB / 512GB SSD / RTX 2080 | AU$2,749 (RRP AU$3,799; save AU$1,050)
If you don’t have the need for those heavy-hitting specs, and you’re looking to spend a little less, then consider this configuration of the 15-inch HP Omen. This one has a 9th-generation Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. You’ll still have an Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU to not only play AAA titles, but play them well. Coming well under the AU$3,000 mark makes it much more appealing as well. Available from Microsoft’s official eBay store.View Deal
Our colleagues over at PC Gamer recommend this Razer Blade 15 as the best gaming laptop you can buy today, and you can now save a packet on this dream machine. It’s housing a 9th-gen Core i7 CPU, and an RTX 2070 GPU. Despite that, it’s also one of the longest-lasting premium gaming laptops we’ve got our hands on. It was first discounted during EOFY, but the price has now been slashed even further, with AU$1,200 to be saved from Microsoft’s eBay store.View Deal
Razer Blade Pro 17| i7 / 16GB / 512GB SSD / RTX 2060 | AU$3,199 (RRP AU$4,099; save AU$900)
If you’re a gamer or a creative type craving a little more screen real estate than the Advanced Model above can afford, then the Razer Blade Pro 17 could tick all the right boxes. It’s got a 17-inch panel, and this rather souped-up configuration has a 9th-gen i7 chip and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060. It usually comes with a suitably hefty price tag, but it’s now available from Microsoft’s official eBay store with 21% slashed off the RRP.View Deal
Find great bargains and compare Australian prices on the latest tech atGetprice
We'll keep on updating the list of deals as and when we find them. Below, you'll find up to date prices on TechRadar's favourite laptops, so keep an eye out for those savings.
The best deals on our favourite laptops
Over the years we've reviewed plenty of laptops, and as a result, we've seen what to avoid and what to jump on when there's savings to be had. We'll keep track of the prices of some of the best we've seen so that you can snatch up a bargain when they do show up. Check out the prices below and see if anything has dropped enough to spark your interest.
(Image credit: Future)
Our favourite overall laptop: Dell XPS 13 (2020)
Dell's latest Ultrabook is simply the best laptop in the world
Saying that we’re very happy with Dell’s XPS 13 is a huge understatement. At first glance, its slim profile and small frame don’t give away the powerful performance and gorgeous 13-inch display inside. Typically, you’d have to weigh up portability and performance, but the XPS 13 has managed to strike a fine balance between the two. Sporting Intel’s latest 10th-generation chips, much-improved battery life and barely-there bezels, the starting price of the newest iteration of the XPS 13 is a tempting proposition. We’re so chuffed with it that it’s still our favourite Ultrabook, and has taken the top spot as the best laptop overall.
It’s true, the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at creatives. However, it’s also an attractive option for gamers – with powerful internals, a brilliant display and a sleek chassis – so we think it’s one of the best-value gaming machines Australians can get their hands on. The 2019 model boasts a 15-inch 4K HDR screen, which is ideal whether you’re looking to buy for high-resolution on-the-go gaming or its intended creative use. Under the hood it’s also got the option of the latest Nvidia RTX series GPUs and 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs.
A 2-in-1 laptop experience with little to no compromise
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8550U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 13.9” UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IPS Glossy Multi-touch with Dolby Vision | Storage: 1 TB PCIe SSD | Connectivity: 802.11 AC (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 4.1 | Camera: 720p HD Camera
Strong build quality
Robust feature set
Excellent battery life
Weak graphics performance
This premium portable 2-in-1 has a lot to love: a strong build, excellent battery life and a robust feature set. It has a 360° hinge, so can easily be converted from a conventional clamshell to a handheld tablet. There’s also the addition of Dolby Atmos speakers, cleverly built into the rotating hinge, so you’ll have superb sound whichever way you use it. The screen too is vibrant, though the graphics performance could leave some wanting. Still, with an 8th-generation chip, it’s a solid all-rounder for the 2-in-1 crowd.
If you’re looking for a student laptop, chances are you’re shopping on a budget. If that’s the case, our go-to bang-for-buck pick is the Acer Aspire 3 15-inch laptop. It’s a Chromebook, which means it runs on Google’s Chrome OS and is ideal for those with a reliable internet connection who want a laptop to browse the web and complete coursework online. The battery life isn’t the best, but if you don’t mind keeping your charging cable with you during the day, it certainly offers excellent value for money.
(Image credit: Future)
Our favourite Apple laptop: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
The best MacBook Pro ever
CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M – Radeon Pro 5500M | RAM: 16GB – 64GB | Screen: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 512GB – 8TB SSD
Stunning 16-inch screen
New and improved keyboard
Expensive
Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports
If you’re firmly placed in the Apple ecosystem, or you’re a Windows user thinking about converting, then we think the 2019 version of the MacBook Pro is the best Mac you can buy. It has a generous 16-inch display, and while that may spell a bulky laptop for other brands on the market, Apple remains true to form with this svelte machine. It’s got the latest and greatest components under the hood, rounded out with high-quality speakers and a much better keyboard than older models.
The world is currently experiencing constant change with. The phrase ‘unprecedented times’ has been said so often in the last few months, its already becoming somewhat cliché. Amidst the economic and social uncertainty unleashed by the pandemic and forced changes to personal lives and professional operations, data breaches continue to occur time and time again.
If anything, the current pandemic has exposed existing vulnerabilities in systems and created new cybersecurity dangers as work forces connect to corporate networks remotely, share data and access applications in the cloud. However, to think of data breaches as one breach is the same as another, would be naïve. Every data breach is unique. Notably, in their size.
The year of micro-breaches
Many observers who follow conversations on data and information security see 2020 as the year of the micro-breach and talk of it as a new, fresh threat for businesses to be aware of. Yet micro-breaches are hardly new. As far back as 2010, cybersecurity leaders have spoken about the prevalence of micro-breaches.
And, in my view, almost all data breaches start as micro-breaches – a smaller breach that compounds in its impact given the increasing complexity of our IT infrastructures. Malicious actors don't typically penetrate terabytes of information all at once. Attackers are looking for a credential source – a single user’s authentication information such as a password.
A single stolen credential enables a hacker to gain access and use unpatched vulnerabilities of poor security configurations to escalate privileges within a system and therefore infiltrate more servers and gain access to a hierarchy of data. If that purloined credential opens enough doors, the micro-breach, i.e. the stealing of a credential, becomes a macro breach that makes headlines around the globe.
If micro-breaches are on the rise, that’s only because of an increase in the “attack surface”—the number of devices or access points that grant permissions to the network and without proper physical security, may inadvertently, through a small breach, give access to an organisation’s core IT systems.
These kind of trend stories serve as a reminder that good security hygiene is about staying focused on the things that really matter. A sensible approach to cybersecurity boils down to the same three key elements – all the time:
building and maintaining the enterprise’s digital defenses by planning and budgeting a company’s resources and investments;
adequate testing and planning;
maintaining a current, vetted “trust” relationship used to authenticate users and devices and only then granting the minimal required access to your business network.
If there’s a “trend” story, it’s that my second and third points, especially, need to keep up with today’s increasingly malicious digital world.
Funding cybersecurity
But first, there’s the funding point. How much is enough to avoid being the subject of the latest headline? While there’s no hard and fast rule governing security funding, not investing a sizable proportion of budget, say 8 to 10 percent of the overall IT budget, can really negatively affect an organisation’s ability to counteract malicious, would-be fraudsters.
Testing and planning – the second pillar of good security hygiene – is happening inside most enterprises these days. That’s the good news. Businesses, however, need to take the next step. The way the typical company gauges risk is an audit. Depending on how diligent that company may be, it may sample a few assets and processes on a quarterly, six month or maybe an annual cycle. The risk posture arrived at by such audit processes are point in time and only based on small samples.
Companies need to have a more real-time picture of their risk. That involves adding instrumentation to a business’s controls so that a much wider percentage of its systems and processes are involved in network monitoring in real time. This is a shift from a point in time compliance assessment philosophy to a continuous compliance regime.
Employee awareness
Companies also need to do more to shore up the threats from their own employees. Basic computer cybersecurity training should be compulsory. Even the simple act of holding a door to secure premises open for someone walking behind you can mitigate and destroy the very best security procedures. Everyone from the CEO to the interns need to have a basic understanding of security.
Planning is similarly a mixed bag. Companies generally have protocols in place for documenting and reacting to anomalies when they occur. Regulators and accreditors require businesses to have these security plans in place. The best among us, though, go the extra mile with war game-like exercises or sponsored hackathons to test their defenses.
Few companies, however, have a plan in place to recover from a breach. Understandably, companies are focused on technologies that protect their data. But organisations need to know that it is just a matter of time before they’re attacked, and they will be attacked. They must therefore assume some of those attacks will succeed. If they understand this, then organisations will start investing in the necessary disaster recovery side as well. Just a reboot of a system and no other security changes will leave that business susceptible to copy-cat cyber-attacks in the future.
Managing trust
It is important to have a more rigorous approach for managing trust relationships – the third pillar of adequate cybersecurity preparations. The trust relationship is how any organisation grants access to its network and determines what is in-bounds and what is out-of-bounds. The best strategy to prevent micro-breaches is the same as that for stopping macro-breaches — look very closely at your trust relationships and restructure them for today’s world.
At the very least, a company needs to have a way for segmenting its ecosystem – “micro-segmenting,” one might call it. Privileged access management systems should be used to limit people’s access only to what they need and to oversee what they are actually doing with those privileges. An organisation must exert rigorous management over all of its privileged accounts, especially the so called “service accounts” that software processes and agents use to access data.
Other techniques companies should consider to better control that trust relationship include:
Better device authentication methods,
A policy to reject any request that violates policies, even if they come from a trusted channel,
Multi-factor authentication.
Zero trust models
Some organisations are even moving to a zero-trust model – a model that no longer assumes actors or systems operating from within a trusted ecosystem are automatically trusted. Rather, the model relies on verifications from even the trusted actors to be granted access. I don’t know if we’ll ever get to zero-trust, but businesses need to trust a lot less than we have been doing so far.
At the same time, as enterprises move to cloud services, share data, and take advantage of all that the internet of things offers, it is up to the people inside every enterprise to have the hard conversations to determine what level of trust is most appropriate for their organisation.
Businesses by now recognize the cost of inadequate security. The answer is to take these pillars seriously and apply the rigor required to ensure the next micro-breach doesn’t end up a major one. And, above all, create a culture where security is paramount and front of mind at all times.
https://ift.tt/1aaWXu4 delivered blowout quarterly results, reporting revenue gains across every category and in every geography. Apple CFO Luca Maestri confirmed a delay in this year’s iPhone launch. However, executives predicted continued strong performance from the company's products.
The end of the world is nigh - and once again, it's up to the Hargreaves gang to halt the apocalypse. The meddling kids land in 1960s Texas for season 2 of the hit show, where they face a brand new doomsday threat and have just 10 days to save humanity. Read on as we show you how to watch the Umbrella Academy online and stream every episode of the Netflix hit today.
Watch The Umbrella Academy anywhere
The Umbrella Academy season 2 is available to watch internationally on Netflix today. If the new season isn't available in your region, you can always use a VPN to get around geo-blocking. ExpressVPN is the best of the bunch - and you can even get 3-months FREE with this deal.
Spoiler alert:if you haven't watched season 1 of The Umbrella Academy in full, you may find some unwanted surprises below. If that's the case, just scroll down for our spoiler-free guide to watching the show.
That's right, The Umbrella Academy is back for a second run this summer, having debuted on Netflix back in February 2019. It's based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name, with the TV adaptation being a collaborative effort from Gabriel Bá, Gerard Way and Steve Blackman.
Season 2 picks up where we left off, with Team Hargreaves travelling back in time to Dallas and reverting to their teenage selves. The entire crew is back, with Ellen Page reprising her role as apparently meek violinist Vanya; Tom Hopper returning as Luther, the group's nominal leader; Misfits actor Robert Sheehan treating us to another turn as flamboyant drug addict Klaus; and Mary J Blige back as Commission assassin and proud sociopath Cha-Cha.
There's also some fresh faces joining the fray this year, with at least three new characters confirmed for The Umbrella Academy season 2: unpredictable Lila (Ritu Arya); devoted husband Raymond (Yusuf Gatewood); and Texas mom Sissy (Marin Ireland).
Not much is known about the trio so far, or how they're connected to the crazy, time-warping Umbrella Academy world. But whatever happens, you can watch The Umbrella Academy season 2 online right now, as its release date on Netflix was Friday, July 31 - just follow our guide below.
If you find yourself in a country that doesn't let you watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, you can still stream season 2 as if you were at home - and it's easier than you might think.
Using a VPN masks your location from the websites you visit, which not only protects your anonymity and data online, but also allows you to use servers based all over the world.
When you do so, websites like Netflix will show you region-specific content - so if you're routing your IP address through a country where The Umbrella Academy is available to watch on Netlfix, you'll be able to watch it wherever you are, too.
But which one should you use to give you these new digital superpowers? After extensive testing, we think one option stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Whenever it comes to VPNs, ExpressVPN always comes out on top based on our experience. A handy Chrome extension means it's quick to connect to - and if you don't want to watch on your laptop, it's also compatible with a range of streaming devices such as Smart TVs, iOS, Android, PlayStation and Xbox.
Plus, you're covered even if you just want to watch The Umbrella Academy for a few days, and don't feel the need to keep the service after that. Express offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all its monthly subscriptions - though if you do want to sign up for an annual plan you'll get a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE.
Once you've activated your ExpressVPN account and downloaded the app, you just select a new country from the list provided. Simply click connect and, like magic, you'll be browsing the web securely and using the IP address that location.View Deal
How to watch The Umbrella Academy season 2 on Netflix
The Umbrella Academy is only available on Netflix, so if you're not already a subscriber, you'll want to grab a subscription to catch season 2. Monthly access costs just $8.99 / £8.99 a month, making it a super affordable service compared to some of the more premium TV packages out there these days.
However, if you find yourself in a location not yet served by Netflix, there's still hope. You can watch The Umbrella Academy online by investing in a good VPN and combining this piece of software with a Netflix subscription from the country you want to stream from.
VPNs offer more than just flexible access to streaming services, however - the other major benefit that they up your security game when you're browsing online, masking your personal data from the websites you visit and thereby helping protect you from unwanted advertising and also cyber crime.
