A new, $11 million hotel will be opening soon in the Wolfchase Galleria area, right off Interstate 40. Home2 Suites by Hilton is set to open in late November at 2809 New Brunswick Rd., according to hotel's general manager, Porceanna Brounson. The hotel's website is accepting reservations for Dec. 13 and after. The 67,000-square-foot hotel consists of 105 rooms and is being developed by franchisee Goodwill Partnership and managed by Southaven-based PGC Management Inc. Brounson said the Home2 Suites…

Karen Carrier, one of Memphis' most prolific restaurateurs, considers Jamaica something of a second home. She said she's been traveling there for about 17 years, and it serves as an inspiration of her latest ventures Back Dō/Mi Yard, which opens this week. The outdoor space is idyllic — lush plants, mismatched patio furniture, a pretty bar, a harlequin-patterned deck built by rock-and-roller Harlan T. Bobo. The restaurant will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays. "When it rains, it will…

AutoZone will lose two members from its board of directors this December. The auto parts giant announced Oct. 16 that W. Andrew McKenna and Luis P. Nieto would not stand for reelection and will retire from the AutoZone board, effective in December. “In his nearly 20 years on the AutoZone Board, Andy has provided insightful guidance, tutelage, and served in leadership roles as both lead director and audit committee chair,” Bill Rhodes, chairman, president, and CEO of AutoZone, said in a…

"We provide stability for our personnel by offering a competitive benefits package that creates a safety net for unexpected events."

Last year, Hunt's added NFL MVP QB — and ketchup superfan — Patrick Mahomes as its brand ambassador. This year, it's added a Memphis-area company to its team, too. Oakland, Tennessee's Ring Container Technologies recently partnered with Conagra Brands Inc. to create a new bottle for Hunt's ketchup, and the packaging is now available on store shelves. "We are honored to work with Conagra on yet another exciting project leveraging our latest innovative technology," said Tim Ferrel, Ring VP…

Rebecca Henry's reasons for opening Cashmere & Roses are more practical than anything else. She ran a children's clothing store for 10 years in Mississippi. And, then her family moved to Germantown. That meant a lot of driving. "It got to be too much," Henry said. "So, I decided that I wanted to open in Germantown and I didn't want to focus solely on children's clothes anymore." She opened Cashmere & Roses, named after two of her five children, in Germantown's Thornwood development last week.…

Proving you don't need to spend big bucks in order to get your hands on premium smartphone features, Oppo's supremely affordable A 2020 series offers massive battery life and quad cameras for less than AU$400.

• Best cheap smartphones in Australia for 2019
• Best mid-range phones in Australia
• Best phones in Australia 2019

Available from October 28 starting at AU$399, the Oppo A9 2020 sports an impressive quad camera setup that includes a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens with 119° viewing angle, along with a 2MP monochrome lens and 2MP portrait lens. 

Meanwhile, Oppo's A5 2020, which will be exclusive to Telstra and starts from AU$299, arrives the next day on October 29 and features a similar quad lens array as the A9, only with a 12MP main camera instead of a 48MP one. 

Both phones will offer Oppo's Ultra Night Mode 2.0, which is said to use multi-frame technology to take multiple images and combine them in order to enhance low-light photography. Each phone also has a 16MP front-facing selfie camera with access to Oppo's famous AI Beauty Mode.

• Budget smartphone maker Realme lands in Australia with four tempting handsets

If battery life is one of your primary concerns when purchasing a new smartphone, you'll be happy to know that both handsets boast massive 5,000mAh batteries, which Oppo says will give you around 19 hours of usage. Reverse charging is also available via cable connection.

Both the A9 and A5 smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, and run on ColorOS 6, which is based on Android 9 Pie. Each phone will be available in 64GB/128GB variants with microSD expansion (up to 256GB). 

Additionally, the inclusion of a three-card tray means you can use dual SIM cards alongside a microSD card without sacrificing anything. 

Available in Marine Green, the Oppo A9 2020 will be sold at Mobile Citi and Bing Lee stores, with online orders available through Kogan and Catch. Meanwhile, the Oppo A5 2020 will be sold in Marine Green and Space Purple colour options from JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Woolworths and Wireless 1.

• Oppo's affordable quad-camera Reno 2 Z is out now in Australia

The Watchmen TV series has finally landed on our screens – the first episode of it, at least. And if you’ve skimmed through our Watchmen beginner’s guide, you’ll have a decent understanding of how the original Watchmen comics have cast a shadow over the action.

But the best TV shows are never easy, and you might be wondering what to make of Watchmen episode one – or if there’s something you missed while texting, blinking, or chatting about the show in your living room.

This page will guide you through the key questions you may have about Watchmen episode one – obviously with some spoilers - or discover how to catch up with our guide on how to watch Watchmen online. 

• Watchmen HBO beginner's guide: what to know before you watch
• Disney Plus release date: when will HBO's competitor launch?
• Game of Thrones: Bloodmoon is coming 2020, but what do we know so far?

1. What's all this about the Seventh Cavalry?

The story kicks off 30 years after the events of the graphic novel, which is taken as canon for the events happening onscreen. In an alternate timeline to our own, masked vigilantes not only exist, but are treated as outlaws. At the same time, state police officers resort to donning masks themselves to protect their own identities in the fight against a band of white supremacists, the Seventh Cavalry – who, much like show creator Damon Lindelof, have riffed on their source material, taking the writings of the deceased character Rorscach as gospel for their racist ideology.

We’ve seen at least one police officer killed by the group, and the police force has been granted access to more firepower to meet this threat. 

2. What were the Tulsa race riots?

The historical flashback that the show opened with was the Tulsa race riots of 1921, a real-life event where swarms of white American citizens descended on the population of Tulsa, Oklahoma – trashing businesses and killing hundreds of black residents. It has been called “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.”

A young boy caught up in the violence is shown wandering away from the wreckage of a carriage shot from behind – and seems to be the same person found with the body of police chief Judd Crawford (more on that later).

The brief mention of “Redfordations” in the classroom appears to be a system of reparations granted under Robert Redford’s presidency, allowing descendents of those affected by the riot some kind of financial support – and it’s clearly a sensitive subject within the TV show.

3. What is American Hero Story?

American Hero Story would be a somewhat clumsy name for a TV show, if it wasn’t such a clear play on words around the American Horror Story anthology series. You’ll catch sight of the title on various vehicles – and a blimp – in the first episode, with an audio announcement stating that “tomorrow night, the countdown ends. American Hero Story: The Minutemen.”

It seems that the history of the comics is being adapted for TV in HBO’s TV adaptation too – though how they’re represented, and how it matches up with reality, may well be explored in later episodes.

Regina King as Sister Knight.

4. What was White Night?

The chillingly named White Night sounds like a classic Christmas horror movie, and its use in Watchmen episode one isn’t far off. It marks the Christmas eve when members of the white supremacist group Seventh Cavalry attacked the homes and families of Tulsa’s police force, leaving many dead and others injured – and sparking the use of masks for police offers wishing to keep their identities safe.

5. Where is Nite Owl? Have we seen him yet?

While there’s no explicit mention of Nite Owl, the owl-themed vigilante from the Watchmen comics, there’s plenty to suggest his presence in the story. Regina King’s character is seen holding an owl-shaped mug in the police chief’s office, while Nite Owl’s flying contraption (“Archie”, as its known in the comics) is seen flying, diving, and crashing while under the command of the same police chief.

The Nite Owl persona was passed down to Daniel Dreiberg in the comics (as seen in the 2009 film), so it’s possible we’ll see a brand new character who’s taken on the mantle – or an old character returning to do so.

6. Did squid really rain from the sky?

Yes.

It’s likely a reference to the giant squid that demolished Manhattan in the comics – which was the original endgame threat that brought humanity back from the brink of annihilation, though it’s unclear whether Adrian Veidt’s hoax was ever revealed as such to the American public. And if the original squid was a fake, we’re unsure where these squid rainstorms may have come from.

Literally squid on a windshield.

7. What's in the pod?

Tim Blake Nelson takes on a curious role as the police interrogator, though it’s not the vein you usually see in American crime dramas. Nelson’s character – Looking Glass – wears a reflective mask and asks a suspect leading questions in some kind of interrogation chamber filled with flashing images, seemingly to confuse or disorientate those brought in. While not a mind-reading superpower, it’s a good example of the enhanced, trained abilities of the heroes in Watchmen, as well as harking back to the psychological examinations Rorschach went through in the comics.

8. Who killed Judd Crawford?

Chief Judd Crawford is found hanged at the end of the episode, but the circumstances around it aren’t exactly clear. While the Seventh Cavalry seems the obvious choice, the mysterious wheelchair user seen earlier in the episode is the only one nearby, and seems to be the one who summoned Sister Knight to the spot. His prior lines also asked whether he “he could lift 200 pounds”, which could have been foreshadowing to him lifting the police chief’s body.

The blood-spattered badge has more than a passing resemblance to the smiley pin worn by The Comedian in the comics.

9. What is Jeremy Irons even doing?

Hard to answer this one. The Tony, Emmy, and Oscar-winning actor is clearly up to something as billionaire Adrian Veidt, though how his time spent in the countryside with a number of servants – with terrible table manners, apparently – is yet to be revealed. But the use of a horseshoe for a knife, and seemingly lacking mental faculties of Veidt's butlers, suggests something is amiss – and we wouldn't rule different dimensions out.

Jeremy Irons is chilling in the countryside, apparently.

10. When's the next episode out?

You can look forward to more confusion – maybe with some answers – next week at the same time. Head to our how to watch Watchmen online piece for more details.

• Best TV streaming service: which is the best for you?

With the launch of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, fans were somewhat disappointed to hear they’d lose the long-standing offer of unlimited, free, original quality uploads to Google Photos – an offer that had been present across all three of the previous Pixel phone generations.

To add insult to injury, a Redditor (/u/stephenvsawyer) revealed that iPhone users do currently get unlimited Photos storage, but as Android Police discovered, this is about to change. 

• Google Photos will soon let you shoot pictures and print them the same day
• Google Photos now allows you to search for text in your pics
• iPhone 11 review

Free ride

While it's free for Google Photos users to have as many 'high quality' images as they want, if you don't pay for a premium account, any image stored in 'original quality' counts towards the account's total maximum 15GB storage limit, which also includes other services such as Drive, Docs and more.

Since iOS 11, iPhones have been using the HEIC file format to take photos and store them locally on the device. One of the main benefits of such a format is that it compresses the image more than the JPEG format does and thus takes up less storage space.

Because the premium subscription for Google Photos measures its ‘original quality’ uploads by its file size, users uploading anything in the HEIC format would technically still fall under the limit (16MB), while also being able to store and retain the photo’s original resolution.

Bug fix?

Android Police reached out to Google about this quirk, and the software giant responded by stating that it was aware of the workaround and would be fixing the ‘bug’.

No details were revealed on how Google intended to ‘fix’ this issue, however. Some such possibilities include lowering the file size threshold for HEIC images to be considered ‘original quality, compressing them into even smaller HEIC files, or forcibly converting them to JPEG images once uploaded.

None of these options are overly ideal for the consumer, but Google will need to do something so as not to disadvantage its own customers while giving users of competing products a free ride. We’ll keep you updated on how Google decides to best resolve this issue.

• How to upload to Google Photos on your phone, tablet or computer

This issue of TechLife is filled to the brim with hot new gadgets - 101 of the best, to be exact! We've got gadgets for the home, the office, for your yard, and for play - and for all kinds of things in between! 

We also review a swathe of new smart watches, and investigate the rise and fall of loot boxes in video games.

• How to find the best bargains on eBay
• Discover the best free PDF editors
• Is the iPhone 11 Pro Max the best iPhone yet? 
• And lots more!

Grab your copy from newsagents, selected supermarkets or digitally via the Google Play Store or Apple Newsstand from Monday, 23rd of September.

Readers can also find our selection of exclusive software downloads here.

Subscribe to the print edition and save!

Subscribe to the print edition of TechLife and you'll enjoy a greatly-reduced cover price plus delivery directly to your door. Visit Techmags for full details:

Get the digital edition for your tablet

Alternatively, to grab a digital edition to read on your iOS or Android device, follow these links to the Apple Newsstand or Google Play Store:

Love TechLife? Sign up for the free TechRadar Australia newsletter!

Brought to you by the same team behind TechLife magazine, the TechRadar Australia newsletter provides twice-weekly digests of the most important tech news, plus exclusives offers and discounts for Aussie readers!

Contact TechLife

Got a question for the APC editorial team? You can get in touch with us by sending an email to techlife@futurenet.com.

With Nikon introducing a brand new APS-C (DX format) Z series camera into the mix, it begs the question: do you need to buy the more expensive full-frame Z6 mirrorless camera?

Both are designed to be great all-rounders, but that extra real estate for the Z6 image sensor sees an asking price of more than double that of the Z50’s. If you’re a travel photographer, there’s also the fact that the Z6 is bigger, heavier and bulkier too. 

In this comparison we’ll discover the key differences between the two cameras to help you decide whether you should splash the cash or save the pennies. 

• Everything you need to know about Nikon's Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras
• Read our Nikon Z50 hands-on review 

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Sensor and resolution 

Of course, the biggest difference between these two cameras is the sensor size. The Z6 totes a 24.5 megapixel full-frame (what Nikon calls FX format), while the Z50 has a smaller APS-C (DX format) 20.9 megapixel sensor. Despite it being the same resolution as the Nikon D500 sensor, Nikon claims the Z50 is not the mirrorless equivalent of the DSLR. 

A full-frame sensor is generally better in low light, while the higher resolution should mean it’s also better suited to capturing fine details as well. Whether you need the larger sensor very much depends on what you like to shoot. If you’re consistently shooting in gloomy conditions, the Z6 will undoubtedly perform better but if, on the whole, you’re shooting in favorable conditions (such as while traveling), then the Z50 should be more than adequate.

The Z50 has a smaller sensor than the Z6

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Lenses

Both the Nikon Z50 and the Z6 use the same Z lens mount. That means that all of the existing Z mount lenses available for the Z6 and the Z7 can be used with the Z50. As the sensor is smaller, you’ll need to take into account the crop factor – so the 35mm f/1.8 S series lens would offer an equivalent focal length of around 52mm. 

Additionally, two new Z mount lenses have been announced for pairing with the Z50, specifically designed for use with the smaller sensor. These are a 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 kit lens, and a 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom. The former is designed to keep the overall system as compact as possible and, again, is great for those looking for a travel-friendly snapper.

Nikon published a lens road map recently which showed that there will be more lenses announced throughout 2020 and 2021 designed for both its mirrorless systems.

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: LCD screen

Here’s a good example of another reasonably big difference between the two models. 

While both have a 3.2-inch LCD screen, the Z6 has a higher, 2100K-dot resolution display as compared to the 1040K-dot resolution on the Z50. Used in isolation you may not realize what you’re missing out on, though. 

The Z50 also has an extra trick up its sleeve – it can tilt to face all the way forwards, which is great for selfies and for recording vlogs to camera. The Z6’s screen can tilt, but only downwards and slightly upwards. 

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: EVF

Both cameras have electronic viewfinders, but the EVF on the Z6 – which is the more expensive of the two shooters – is both higher in resolution and size. 

The Z50’s EVF is a 2360k-dot, 0.39-inch device, compared to the Z6’s 3690k-dot 0.5-inch option. Again, it’s likely that if you only ever use the smaller, lower resolution EVF of the Z50 you won’t know what you’re missing out on. 

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Burst shooting

Here’s another point where the Z6 and Z50 are reasonably similar: the Z6 offers 12fps shooting, while the Z50 sits only slightly behind at 11fps, with both speeds sufficient for shooting sports and action. In fact, you might argue that with the crop sensor, and the longer lens available for it (for now), the Z50 is the best option out of the two. 

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Memory card 

The Z6 uses a single XQD card, while the Z50 has a single SD card slot. Although XQD cards are faster and more robust, they’re also significantly more expensive and less easy to find than SD cards. 

If you’re already shooting with another camera, you might already have an existing supply of SD cards available to shoot with. As the physical size of an SD card is also smaller, it helps to keep the overall size of the Z50 to a minimum. 

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Battery life 

Another specification which helps to save space – the Z50 uses a much smaller battery than the Z6. 

The official CIPA rating for the new EN-EL25 Z50 battery has yet to be announced, but it’s bound to be less than the Z6. That said, with a lower resolution sensor, plus a lower resolution screen and viewfinder, overall power consumption is likely to be lower.

As for the Z6, its EN-EL15b battery life is officially rated at a meager-sounding 310 shots – but in real-world usage you can usually get much more from it, typically lasting at least a whole day for the average user.

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Dimensions and weight

Here’s where the Z50 has a trump card if your ultimate concern is portability. 

Weighing in at just 450g (including battery and memory card), it’s over 200g lighter than the 675g Z6. On top of that, the 24-70mm f/4 lens for the Z6 will add another 500g to your kit bag, while the 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 kit lens for the Z50 is only 135g. 

As for dimensions, the Z50 is essentially a miniaturized Z6. It retains a deep grip and decent handling while only being 126.5 x 93.5 x 60mm, as compared to the Z6’s dimensions of 134 x 100.5 x 67.5mm. 

It could be that you prefer the beefier, bulkier Z6 in terms of handling, but it’s hard to deny the Z50’s appeal as a travel-friendly camera.

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Price

So here’s the big one – price. Both are excellent cameras, but if you’re on a tight budget, the Z50 offers fantastic value for money. 

At the time of writing, it retails for around $856 / £849  body only (you'll only get the kit bundles in Australia), or $996 / £989 / AU$1,799 with the 16-50mm kit lens. You’ll need to double your investment if you’re keen on the Z6, which will set you back around $1,996 / £1,699 / AU$2,999 body only, or $2,596 / £2,249 / AU$3,999 with the 24-70mm f/4 lens.

Nikon Z50 vs Nikon Z6: Conclusion

There’s a lot to like about both the Z6 and the Z50. We’re yet to fully test the Z50, but our initial impressions are very good. By now, the Z6 is more of a known quantity, and we’ve been very pleased with how it performs. 

We’d happily recommend the Z6 as a travel-friendly camera – it is still small when compared to equivalent DSLRs. If you want the best image quality, then it makes more sense to go for the full-frame option and, of course, it’s cheaper than it’s higher resolution Z7 sibling. 

However, if your key desire is to have something small, lightweight and a fantastic all-rounder, the Z50 probably makes more sense, especially if you’ll mainly be shooting in good light.

 

• Best mirrorless cameras 2019: 10 top models to suit every budget

Stills- and video-hosting site Flickr is doing everything it can to make its paying users get their money's worth, with the platform now giving Pro users the option of displaying their images at a maximum resolution of 6K.

If you happen to be a Flickr Pro member uploading high-resolution images to the site, the longer side of your image can now measure 6,144px, as opposed to the older 2K resolution where the longest side measured 2,048px. 

According to the announcement on the Flickr forum, the higher display resolution "should show your photos off in all their pixel perfect glory", particularly on the latest high-resolution monitors that should be able to bring out "every single detail perfectly".

• How to enable dark mode on Instagram
• How to download Instagram videos
• These are the 10 top cameras you can buy right now

The increased display resolution has already been rolled out to all Pro users – there is a dedicated option in the settings page where you can choose the display size for your images.

If you've made your selection, all existing and newly uploaded images with an original size larger than 6K (6,144 x 3,160) will, from now on, automatically be displayed at maximum resolution on the platform.

Smaller-sized images will also be displayed in the largest possible size, depending on the original resolution of the uploaded media.

For Flickr members on the free tier, though, the 6K display option is not available and your images will continue to be visible at a maximum resolution of 2K.

• 10 laws of landscape photography
• 41 tips and tricks to improve your photography skills

The much anticipated original HBO series has finally arrived. Based on the groundbreaking graphic novel Watchmen, Damon Lindelof has remixed the plot with a fresh vision to create the Watchmen series. 

The teaser trailer promises the audience a legendary series jam-packed with action, superheroes, controversy and the return of Dr Manhattan. Don't want to miss what is set to be another incredible HBO show? Keep reading to find out how to watch Watchmen online - no matter where on Earth you are.

Set in an alternative history where crime is prominent and recurring, the police are forced to wear masks to protect their identity from a terrorist organisation - the catch being that the titular vigilantes must also don masks to keep themselves safe.

And how do you tell the difference between a masked cop and a vigilante? Exactly the kind of philosophical question the show will seek to raise, with reflections on misunderstood superheroes and antihero sentiment. This isn't your average comic book blockbuster!

Although Watchmen is set in an alternative history, the series will draw many parallels to the current day and age - it is set to raise and tackle several issues including terrorism and fear of terrorism, racism, police brutality and the rise of the far-right.

With Oscar-winning cast members and the approval of comic artist Dave Gibbons (who helped write the original Watchmen comic) this series is set to be a hit! Can't wait to watch the Watchmen? Keep reading to find out how to watch Watchmen online - no matter where in the world you are.

• In need of more drama? Why not watch Peaky Blinders online

Watch Watchmen online from outside your country:

If you're away on vacation or just temporarily overseas when the show premieres, do not panic!  You can still watch Watchmen online as it happens (or on catch up). Using a little handy trick, you can get around geo-restrictions and digital borders that would usually get in the way by using a VPN.

This will allow you to gain access to all the dramatic Watchmen episodes as they happen without even having to be in one of the countries its airing in by changing your IP. That way you can watch the show while abroad.

Which VPN is best for you? Our personal favourite is ExpressVPN. And how do you use that to watch Watchmen online? Read on to find out all you need to know.

How to watch Watchmen online in the US:

• Binge on the best TV with our guide to TV streaming services for cord cutters

How to watch Watchmen online in the UK (and for FREE): 

  How to watch Watchmen online in Canada:  

  How to watch Watchmen online in Australia:  

• Watchmen beginner's guide: what to know before you watch

Watch the Watchmen trailer:

Disney Plus, the long-awaited online streaming service from Disney, is launching on November 12, 2019, in the US and Canada, with a follow-up launch in New Zealand and Australia on November 19 – and a Disney Plus UK launch date hopefully not far behind. This means there isn’t long to go before you need to decide whether you should ditch your other online streaming subscriptions or add another to your monthly outgoings. 

We’ve already put Netflix head-to-head with the new streaming platform in our Disney Plus vs Netflix guide. But where does Amazon stand in the best online streaming services rankings when the question is Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime Video?

We’ve collected together everything you need to know about Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video, to help you decide which one is right for you – considering what each service offers, how they work and, most importantly, the content they have to offer.

Before you decide, remember that finding the right streaming service for you will be personal, and depend on which TV shows you can’t live without, your budget and whether you can afford to add another subscription alongside your current streaming plans.

• Disney Plus review: all our thoughts so far

Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime: basic overview

The Disney Plus holding screen shows off the different properties that’ll be available with a subscription.

Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video are both online streaming services that offer a wide range of TV shows, movies, cartoons and documentaries. You can stream content, as well as watch it later on a mobile device with offline viewing, which is handy if you’re travelling without an internet connection.

Disney Plus is yet to launch and when it does it’ll have a number of big-name properties under its belt, including Star Wars TV shows, Marvel flicks and every Disney movie you loved as a kid available to stream.

On the other hand, Amazon’s TV streaming service has been around for over a decade and is already one of the top streaming platforms globally – even if it’s lagging behind Netflix. It offers a huge library of content, both new and old, as well as its own original TV series. What’s more, Amazon Video also allows you to pay to rent or buy movies and TV shows that aren’t part of the streaming subscription. 

It’s worth mentioning that there are also a few other players in the online streaming rankings these days, including Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Go.

Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime: price and availability

Disney Plus launches on November 12, 2019 in the US. No official details have been revealed about wider launch dates, but we can expect global rollout soon – probably in the new year now. 

When it launches, Disney Plus will offer subscriptions for $6.99 (around £5.50) a month or $69.99 (around £55.50) a year. That subscription allows you to stream content to four devices at the same time, with a total of 10 mobile or tablet devices for a single account – and no constraints on how much you stream.

Unlike Netflix, there are no tiered pricing plans with Disney Plus. US viewers, however, can buy a bundle package that includes ESPN+ and Hulu – all for $12.99 a month.

An single Amazon Prime membership seems much more expensive at $12.99 per month or $119 per year if you choose to pay annually. With this, you’re able to stream content to two devices at once with different formats (like HD) available. 

But when it comes to Amazon Prime Video, remember that you’ll also have an Amazon Prime membership. This will give you access to all things Prime Video and the Amazon Music streaming service – as well as same-day or one-day shipping, photo storage, access to exclusive deals and more. 

• What do you get with Amazon Prime? Check out our review

Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime: features and interface

Here’s one of the early released screenshots of the Disney Plus homepage.

Because Disney Plus hasn’t launched yet, we haven’t had a chance to play with the user interface or features. However, thanks to some initial screenshots of the Disney Plus dashboard, we can see that it’ll look similar to the layout of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. 

There’s a ‘Recommended For You’ stream and another called ‘Continue Watching’, as well as five buttons across the top of the screen for the different channels on offer on Disney Plus, including Star Wars, National Geographic and Marvel. 

Amazon Prime Video has much the same format, recommending content based on your viewing habits and collecting titles together in different genres. Sometimes it’s not as easy as it should be to find recently-released content, but everything about Amazon Prime Video is intuitive enough.

Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime: content

There’ll be a lot of content available on Disney Plus at launch, but will it be able to compete with the sheer amount of what’s on Amazon Prime Video? 

On Disney Plus we can expect many movies, cartoons and TV shows you already know and love. This is going to include all your favorite Disney movies, both old and new, every episode of The Simpsons and every Pixar movie. As well as a big bank of older content, there’s also going to be a large choice of upcoming TV shows and movies courtesy of Disney’s big-budget properties, including Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar.

One of the most highly-anticipated new TV shows is The Mandalorian, the first live-action TV show set in the Star Wars universe. There are also lots of new Marvel live-action TV shows in development, including WandaVision (about the Scarlet Witch and Vision), Hawkeye, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

A still from upcoming Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian.

Disney also owns National Geographic, which means it’ll be a great place to visit for new documentaries about the natural world, providing a big mix of content whatever mood you’re in.

Even if Netflix tends to dominate discussions of the best and biggest TV streaming services, Amazon Prime Video has long had an advantage in the sheer number of titles available – at last count having four times as many movies as Netflix. Of course, that doesn’t mean all of it is worth watching – there are lots of mediocre choices to weed through (which is why we’ve put together lists of the best Amazon Prime movies and best Amazon TV series too). But if you’re after quantity above all else, Amazon Prime Video wins over the rest and has some of the best legacy content ever made, including Lost, Parks and Recreation and The X-Files.

Just because there’s a lot of content available doesn’t mean Amazon isn’t great at investing in new content too. It’s created some fantastic TV shows over the years, including Transparent, The Tick, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, and Carnival Row, and it’ll also be producing the next season of hit science-fiction show The Expanse – and procured the rights to create a massive TV adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

It’s also home to a lot of shows it didn’t create but has exclusive licenses to stream in many regions, including Mr Robot and the upcoming Star Trek: Picard series.

A still from the new Picard series that’ll be streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

What’s interesting content-wise is that Disney has joined forces with Amazon, which will be streaming some Disney Plus content in regions where it hasn’t launched yet. According to reports, this deal is only in place in Latin America, but it could roll out to other countries soon.

That means that if you’re not in the US, an Amazon Prime subscription could bring you all the benefits of Amazon as well as some of the top new shows from Disney Plus.

• Lord of the Rings TV show: when is it coming to Amazon Prime?

Takeaway

It’s difficult to weigh up the pros and cons of Disney Plus in advance of its official launch but it certainly seems like a contender and might be worth switching your Amazon Prime and Netflix subscription for.

However, finding the right streaming service for you all depends on what content you like to watch. So, when it comes to Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime, you’ll have to ask yourself whether there’s any content on Disney Plus that you can’t live without – e.g. Star Wars or Marvel movies. Or, whether there’s Amazon Prime content that’ll keep you coming back again and again, like Mr Robot and The Expanse.

There’s no doubt about it: Disney Plus is going to have a lot of fantastic new content and old favorite legacy content that’ll be hard to beat. However, Amazon has an extensive back catalogue of movies and TV shows too, as well as a solid track record of award-winning originals. Amazon Prime is also a no-brainer if you enjoy any of the other Prime member benefits on Amazon, like super-fast deliveries on products. 

So there is no winner in the Disney Plus vs Amazon Prime head-to-head – just two great streaming services with different types of content on offer. 

• Disney Plus vs Netflix: who will win

When you find a great Black Friday deal, you can often be so caught in the adrenaline of it, that you forget all the extra costs that your purchase will entail

The main one, that often costs a lot more than you'd think, is a guarantee. Thankfully, there's a retailer that has its own guarantee – John Lewis.

John Lewis offers a range of guarantees for purchases you make, whether it's in store or online, which range from two years to 15 years depending on what you buy. These will let you do your John Lewis Black Friday shopping in peace, knowing a major expense and worry is covered.

• Make sure you're ready for Black Friday
• The John Lewis Black Friday deals will be starting soon
• These are the best mobile phones you can buy from John Lewis

So what are these guarantees, and which products are protected for how long? We'll run you through the different guarantees John Lewis offers on its products, to help you understand what you could be getting come Black Friday.

John Lewis guarantees explained 

The best John Lewis guarantee on tech purchases you'll be able to find is on a new TV, as they’ll be protected for five long years (and maybe we'll have all our Netflix zapped into our brain at that point anyway). 

This means you can make the most of the Black Friday TV deals, happy in the knowledge that your TV is future-proof against any failures.

If you’re going for the best Black Friday laptop deals, you're going to be able to enjoy two years of John Lewis guarantee on any computer you pick up from John Lewis. If you go to a physical John Lewis store this is also applicable, and it may be worth testing out the computer before you buy, since it's a big investment.

Will the new iPhone 11 see a John Lewis Black Friday discount?

Many people will be hunting for Black Friday phones deals, and if that's you, it may be worth checking out other retailers too, as John Lewis doesn't offer its automatic guarantee on small electricals like smartphones or tablets. 

Instead, you can purchase Added Care damage insurance, but it'll cost you a little bit extra.

There are also various guarantees on other John Lewis purchases you might make over Black Friday. There's two years on large electricals like home appliances, and an extra year on top of that if it's a John Lewis own brand device. Similarly there's a two-year guarantee on lighting deals, which stretches to a whole five years for John Lewis products.

Furniture like sofas, armchairs and divans gets you a fantastic fifteen year guarantee, by which time you’ll probably have lost the whole cost of the item down the cracks in the cushions, John Lewis brand mattresses are guaranteed for seven years, bedding is covered for two to five years depending on the material, and curtains and blinds are protected for three years.

So whatever you’re looking for over the Black Friday deals period, you’ll be able to keep your purchase covered for even longer thanks to the John Lewis guarantee (unless you’re shopping for small electricals).

What's covered by the John Lewis guarantee?

The John Lewis guarantee won't cover every breakage, so it's worth knowing what you're protected for. It's slightly different for each product, so check the John Lewis guarantee page for specifics, but there are some general rules that apply for all.

Accidental damage is generally not covered, so you can't spill a glass of wine on your new laptop, throw a ball through your sparkling TV, or set fire to your plump sofa, and expect to get it replaced.

Genuine product errors are covered, so if a bug brings your computer to its knees, it's not your fault... unless it is. Problems brought about from human error, like computer viruses, screen burn (where the same image is displayed for too long for one continuous period) or battery mismanagement, won't be covered.

Theft isn't covered either, so make sure to find a great Black Friday deal on a lock, security camera, or other protection products if you're worried about your new gadget or purchase getting stolen.

It looks like Huawei has another tablet in the works, if a newly leaked image is to be believed, and it's bringing something a little out of the ordinary to the market – a punch-hole notch for a selfie camera.

Images procured by 91mobiles show what we think is the Huawei MediaPad M7, codenamed Marx inside Huawei, and set to be available in blue or silver.

Besides that punch-hole notch in the corner of the display, the tablet also appears to have a dual-lens camera around the back, and is going to come with support for Huawei's very own M-Pen stylus.

• More on the 16-inch MacBook Pro
• Tablet demand could be dropping
• All you need to know about Disney Plus

In terms of upgrades over the MediaPad M6, it looks like the bezels have been made thinner, and the fingerprint sensor has been moved under the display. It's not immediately clear if the 3.5mm audio jack has been kept.

What we don't have yet is much in the way of specifics on the specs, but it's very likely that the tablet will show up with the latest Kirin 990 processor on board. As for a launch date, MWC 2020 is a good bet, at the end of February.

Of course big question marks remain over the sort of software that the MediaPad M7 might come with, considering the ongoing friction between the US and China (and Huawei). It may carry a Google-free variation on Android, like the Huawei Mate 30.

A lot can change between now and February though, so if the US does decide to ease some of the restrictions it's placed on business between US companies and Huawei, then the full and regular version of Android could be back on the table.

We could certainly use some more top-tier Android tablets to take on the might of the iPad – besides the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, there's not much to pick from.

• Hands-on with the latest Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)

Via PocketNow

That campaigns are now being fought largely online campaign is hardly a revelation, yet only one political party seems to have gotten the message.

With Man United's form in free fall, the international break has given Man United's beleaguered boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer some much needed respite and space to reassess.

Sadly for Solskjaer, the fixture computer hasn't been kind on their return to Premier League action, throwing up a visit from their fierce rivals Liverpool who just happen to be in seemingly unstoppable form.

Will Liverpool continue their relentless run or will United raise their game against Jurgen Klopp's men? You can watch all the action as it happens, no matter where you are in the world, by following our Man Utd vs Liverpool live stream guide below.

As if they didn't have enough incentive to win against their old rivals, Liverpool will be able to match Man City's record of 18 wins in a row if they notch up another victory today. Klopp has done little in the way of squad rotation this season, and it seems unlikely that will be the case today. The one significant change could be between the sticks, with Adrian set to step aside for the now fit again Alisson.

Solskjaer's efforts to steer Man United away from crisis club status isn't being helped by a mounting injury list, with Paul Pogba and David De Gea both picking up knocks during international duty which will rule them both out of today's game. Goals are hard to come by for United's forward line right now, and its a mark of how expectation and ambition has fallen at Old Trafford when most United fans would likely be satisfied if their side just kept things tight at the back against their great rivals today and rest their hopes of scoring from set plays.

It's shaping up to be a fascinating encounter - check out our guide below on how to obtain a Man Utd vs Liverpool live stream, regardless of where you are in the world.

To find out how to watch the rest of the weekend's games and beyond, check out our guide on how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season. 

Use a VPN to watch Premier League football from outside your country

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

How to stream Man Utd vs Liverpool live in the UK 

How to watch Man United vs Liverpool: US live stream 

How to watch a Premier League live stream in Canada

How to live stream Man Utd vs Liverpool in Australia

How to watch Manchester United vs Liverpool: New Zealand live stream 

How to live stream Manchester United vs Liverpool in India

If you are looking for a new laptop, chances are that you want one that ticks all the boxes- design, performance, features and a battery that keeps it going. You are most likely going to use the laptop for work as well as entertainment and no other laptop comes close to the HP Spectre x360 13- especially when you want to do it all in style.

This gorgeous gem-cut 13-inch will draw admiring looks at whatever coffee shop you work in, while the powerful hardware will handle anything you throw at it. Adding to the experience is the HP Active Pen that’ll encourage budding creators to widen their horizon. Last and certainly not the least is the incredible battery life.  

Though there’s tons to love about this laptop. we’ve rounded up the five best reasons why the HP Spectre x360 should be your next laptop.

1. Borderless immersive viewing experience

The new Spectre x360 range of laptops are fitted with a 13.3-inch IPS micro-edge display which results in thin [SR(1] side bezel. The screen has a 4K display and has support for pen and touch input. Coupled with the HP Audio Boost technology powered by Bang & Olufsen, the Spectre x360 13 is a fantastic laptop to watch videos and movies on.

2. Thin and light

HP Spectre x360 has been designed keeping in mind the people who work on-the-go. With portability, the laptop has a modern hourglass design which lets a user hold the lids firmly. This allows easier switching between laptop and tablet modes which comes in handy if you’re a designer who needs to draw on the screen.

3. Creatively artful

If you’re a designer and looking for an affordable laptop which has the ability to let you create artworks, the Spectre x360 is just what you are looking for. The laptop supports simultaneous pen and touch inputs, so one can easily sketch with the bundled HP Active Pen and control the remaining tools with the other hand.

 The HP Active Pen can help users design, illustrate and sketch from the comfort of a single screen. It also supports Windows Inking feature which provides an Ink Workspace on the Spectre x360 to users for them to play around with the digital pen.

4. Fast and secure

HP Spectre x360 14 offers the perfect balance between work and play as it can be configured with up to[SR(2] 8th generation quad core Intel Core i7 processors with 8GB RAM and 512GB M.2 SSD storage. HP’s Command Center allows you the flexibility to customize performance, fan speed and noise to work exactly how you want it to.

There’s an IR camera and a fingerprint reader which let users quickly sign into the laptop. The privacy camera kill switch makes sure confidential moments are exactly that while the HP Sure View privacy screen stops others from snooping at your work.

5. A battery that doesn’t quit

The HP Spectre x360 comes equipped with a battery that lasts all day- thanks to the highly efficient Intel Core i7 processor. Besides lasting long, the HP Spectre x360 also charges up quickly going from 0 to 50% charge in approximately 30 minutes. This almost guarantees you won’t have any downtime.

Powered by Intel® Core™ i7 processor, the new HP’s Spectre x360 looks modern, feels premium in the hand and is powerful enough to back you up in your daily tasks. It is currently available from amazon.ae

Quantum computing can break the tough combination of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) together but it has challenges, an industry expert said.

Quantum computers, which have an immense computing power to encrypt and decrypt data, can crack even the most elaborate forms of encryption in use today and they can perform complex calculations at 100m times the speed of current computers.

What is quantum computing?

Data can be processed in an exclusive binary state at any point of time, that is, either 0 (off) or 1 (on) but in quantum computing, it can work in a two-way mode which means that it can change 0 into a superposition of 0 and 1.

 “For any technology, there is a way to break and quantum computing may make it easier for people to break the existing encryption technology." Dr. Anand Rao, global AI lead at research and consulting firm PwC, told TechRadar Middle East.

If quantum computing becomes widely accessible, he said that everyone will be forced to upgrade from the current encryption to quantum encryption to stay one step ahead of professional hackers.

But will everyone adopt quantum computing, he said: “no”.

• AI is emerging as “hottest” area in public policy in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
• Top five trends that will shape the technology sector in UAE in 2020
• People trust robots and turn to them for advice more than their managers
• Abu Dhabi establishes world’s first graduate-level and research-based AI university

What is quantum encryption?

Quantum encryption, also known as quantum cryptography, uses a series of photons to transmit data from one location to another over a fibre optic cable. If the photon is read or copied in any way by a middle man, the state of the photon will change. The change will be detected by the endpoints and the transaction will not be complete.

The security community will need to adopt a new set of algorithms, especially what is called “asymmetric crypto”, as old ones will be useless.

Asymmetric crypto uses public and private keys to encrypt and decrypt data. The standardisation process is underway with NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] and within a few years, it should have a new set of crypto algorithms.

Answers get unstable as qubits increase

“Some are making quantum computing available in the cloud. The gains may not be there for all types of computation. There are specific types of algorithms such as portfolio optimisation and drug discovery that can be better done on a quantum computer than on the traditional GPU machines, but it will be pricey as it needs more power and cooling,” he said.

“If you have a certain decision tree, then it is better off using a traditional computer. With quantum computing coming in, it does not validate AI or blockchain. Even if quantum computing comes in, GPUs will still be needed to process a certain type of problems,” he said.

However, he said that the challenge for quantum computers is more of an engineering challenge and not a conceptual challenge.

“To get the stability, they need to do a lot of cooling and so on. You can get stability with a smaller number of qubits [quantum bits] as you increase the qubits, the answers get unstable,” he said.

Rao said that quantum computing will take a couple of years to advance and until then, blockchain and AI can be combined to protect information and that may be a technology path to some risks.

“Adding blockchain to an AI technology will make it more difficult to hack. It is the endpoint of the blockchain that is being cracked but not the blockchain itself. There are ways the research community is working on it,” he said.

However, he said that the problem with blockchain is to bring multiple parties together and agree on something.

“Getting to agree on one thing by a single party is difficult and if you want multiple parties to come together, each party has something to lose and something to gain. If they look at something to lose, they will never come to an agreement and that is why blockchain is taking a back seat for the past year and a half,” he said.

AI will become more like internet

Blockchain as a technology is still very good, Rao said but some people say that it does do a lot of computation which means that it is consuming a lot of computing power.

When asked whether AI is fact or fiction, he said that there is still a lot of hype around AI since 1985.

There are some things; he added that is game-changing in terms of how the algorithms have become much better in recognising voice and accent than humans, recognising images (facial recognition) and text.

“There are significant advancements but sometimes the vendors are overpromising, feeding into the hype. That is why AI has suffered in the past – over-promised and under-delivered – and it has happened several times in the past, since 1956,” he said.

However, this time, he said that there is hype but there is truth in it as well.

“AI is helping in various and specific situations. All the general-purpose AI, taking over humanity, is oversold and there is no technology to take us there, it is blown up to scare people. I don’t think it is going to happen,” he said.

However, he said that AI will become more like the internet and people cannot get away from it.

“It will become a part of other channels for various functions. Machines are going to help us to make better decisions in the future,” he said.