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.

• What even is a LiDAR scanner? iPhone 12 Pro's camera upgrade explained

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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.

• We've built a list of the best business laptops on the market
• Check our out list of the best mobile workstations available
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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.

• Here's our list of the best workstations on the market

Bear in mind

• 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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President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he will act as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok from the US, CNBC reported.

The story is updating.

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This week, Twitch streamer Pokimane demonstrated how to expertly handle the internet drama industrial complex.

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Bitcoin payments and IP addresses led investigators to two of the alleged perpetrators in just over two weeks.

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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.

• We've put together a list of the best malware removal software
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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.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software

Via BleepingComputer

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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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• Also check out the best malware removal software

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.

• We've also highlighted the best Android antivirus apps

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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.  

• Read our hands-on Canon EOS R5 review
• Canon EOS R5 vs EOS R6: 10 key differences you need to know
• Canon EOS 1D X Mark III in-depth review

(Image credit: Canon)

Feeling the heat

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.

• These are the best cameras in the world right now

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Even the hard-charging world of early-stage startups has its share of procrastinators, lollygaggers, slow-pokes, wafflers and last-minute decision makers. If that’s your demographic, today is your lucky day.

You now have an extra week (courtesy of Saint Expeditus, the patron saint of procrastinators), to score early-bird savings to Disrupt 2020, which takes place September 14-18. Buy your pass before the new and final deadline — August 7 at 11:59 p.m. (PT) — and save up to $300. Who says prayers (or secular entreaties) go unanswered?

Your pass opens the door to five days of Disrupt — the biggest, longest TechCrunch conference ever. Drawing thousands of attendees and hundreds of innovative early-stage startups from around the world, you won’t find a better time, place or opportunity to accelerate the speed of your business.

Here are four world-class reasons to attend Disrupt 2020.

World-class speakers. Hear and engage with leading voices in tech, business and investment across the Disrupt stages. Folks like Sequoia Capital’s Roelof Botha, Ureeka’s Melissa Bradley and Slack’s Tamar Yehoshua — to name just a few. Here’s what you can see onstage so far.

World-class startups. Explore hundreds of innovative startups exhibiting in Digital Startup Alley — including the TC Top Picks. This elite cadre made it through our stringent screening process to earn the coveted designation, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more varied and interesting set of startups.

World-class networking. CrunchMatch, our AI-powered networking platform, simplifies connecting with founders, potential customers, R&D teams, engineers or investors. Schedule 1:1 video meetings and hold recruitment or extended pitch sessions. CrunchMatch launches weeks before Disrupt to give you more time to scout, vet and schedule.

World-class pitching. Don’t miss Startup Battlefield, the always-epic pitch competition that’s launched more than 900 startups, including big-time names like TripIt, Mint, Dropbox and many others. This year’s crop of startups promises to throw down hard for bragging rights and the $100,000 cash prize.

Need another reason to go? Take a page out of SIMBA Chain founder Joel Neidig’s playbook:

Our primary goal was to make people aware of the SIMBA Chain platform capabilities. Attending Disrupt is great way to get your name out there and build your customer base.

It’s time for all you last-minute lollygaggers to get moving and take advantage of this second, final chance to save up to $300. Buy your pass before August 7 at 11:59 p.m. (PT).

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Disrupt 2020? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

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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.

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How to watch The Umbrella Academy from anywhere

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. 

• Related: all of the best Netflix movies

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The Realme 6i will go on sale for the first time in India today. The device was launched in India last week. The Realme 6i is the third device in the Realme 6 series after the Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro.

Realme 6i will go on sale via Flipkart for the first time at 12 noon. The Realme 6i 4+64GB model is priced at Rs 12,999 and Rs 14,999 for the 6+64GB variant. It is available in Lunar White and Eclipse Black colour options. 

Check out the Realme 6i on Flipkart

Realme 6i specifications

It flaunts a 6.5-inch Full HD+ screen with 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass protection. The screen aspect ratio is 20:9 and screen to body ratio is 90.5%. Under the hood, the device comes with an octa-core 12nm MediaTek G90T chipset clocked at 2.05 GHz and for graphics, you get ARM G76 GPU. 

On to the optics, there is a 48MP quad-camera array with a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP portrait lens, and a 2MP macro lens. You get a 16MP punch-hole selfie camera. There’s support for HDR, nightscape, slow-mo, ultra-wide-angle video, 4K video recording with the rear camera.  You get HDR selfie, slow-mo 120fps, nightscape, slow-mo video with the front camera. 

The Realme 6i comes with a 4,300mAh battery with 30W flash charge via Type-C port. However, this time around Realme will be bundling a 20W charger inbox and the 30W charge can be bought separately from Realme e-store. It runs on Android 10 based on Realme UI out of the box. 

Other key features of the device include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual SIM, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Check out the Realme 6i on Flipkart

• Realme 6i launched in India as the cheapest 90Hz smartphone 
• Best phones under Rs 15,000 in India for 2020

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Cancel all your plans, readers - Bey is back and she's got a new movie that's arguably the biggest release of 2020 so far. Beyonce's Black is King is a visual album that's both a reimagining of 2019's Lion King live-action film and a companion to the studio album that accompanied it - her very own The Gift. Black is King showcases a star truly at the height of her powers, so read on as we explain how to watch Black is King online and stream the latest Disney Plus exclusive today.

Watch Beyonce's Black is King now

Black is King is exclusive to Disney Plus, where it's available globally from Friday, July 31. Stream it today by grabbing a Disney Plus subscription  - it's super cheap, offers loads of great content, and it has a couple of awesome deals currently available. Head on over now or read on to find out more.

Despite Beyonce's global superstar status, not much is known about Black is King beyond a few cast reveals. These are pretty darn exciting, though, as the visual album stars not only the Queen, but also her former Destiny's Child partner-in-crime Kelly Rowland, husband Jay-Z, and frequent collaborator Pharrel Williams. That's in addition to featuring Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong'o, and Tina Knowles Lawson.

So, banging tunes would seem to be a given - but less is known about the film's narrative. However, promotional releases do give us a rough idea of what to expect, telling us that Black is King “reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns” and celebrates "the beauty of tradition and black excellence".

Filming took over a year across multiple locations, including South Africa, west Africa, Belgium, Los Angeles, New York and London, so it certainly sounds like it's going to be quite the spectacle. And as well as being released on July 31 for streaming on Disney Plus, it will also be aired in Africa the following day (Saturday, August 1) on M-Net and Canal+ Afrique. 

Yep, this 100% falls into the 'can't miss' category of what to watch this weekend, so let's get to the nitty-gritty already. Follow our guide below as we explain where to watch Black is King online and stream Beyonce's new movie today. If you're short on time right now, here's a hint: get yourself a Disney Plus subscription and that's really all there is to it.

• Also on Disney Plus: how to watch Hamilton online

How to watch Beyonce's Black is King: stream the new movie on Disney Plus right now

Get 2-months FREE Disney Plus with this deal
Since its initial November 2019 launch, Disney Plus has been rolled out across great swathes of the world. It’s available in the United States, the UK, much of mainland Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and most recently Japan, with the Nordics and Brazil next for their Disney fix. New customers just need to head to the Disney Plus website to subscribe and then you'll be able to watch Beyonce's Black is King as soon as it drops on July 31.

At just $6.99 / £5.99 / €6.99 a month, it’s a fantastically priced service. Not only do you have the entire Disney back catalogue – perfect for young kids and nostalgic adults – but a haul of films from 20th Century Studios, the entire Star Wars saga, Pixar’s animated movies, and all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Disney Plus had broadened its appeal with more adult content, including the smash-hit musical Hamilton and documentaries like Rogue Trip from National Geographic.

You’ll save 15% (that’s two months a year for FREE) if you take out an annual subscription, but the true TV devouring media-fiends among you will be even more tempted by the combined ESPN+, Hulu and Disney Plus bundle at the low price of $12.99 - three streaming services for the price of Netflix’s Standard plan. That’s enough entertainment to keep your entire household happy – live sports, cartoons, TV shows, and a plethora of must-see movies.View Deal

Read more:

• Head to our Disney Plus hub for all the information you need
• The best movies and shows on Disney Plus
• Read our Disney Plus review

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Following on from the success of its Castlevania and The Witcher adaptations, Netflix is dipping its toes in the video game well once again, teaming up with Ubisoft for an anime series based on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, as reported by Variety.

Netflix's Splinter Cell series will be written and executive produced by Derek Kolstad, who is best known for writing all three of the John Wick films. 

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Kolstad has some prior experience adapting video games, having written the screenplay for the announced Just Cause movie. Additionally, Kolstad has also contributed to the upcoming Falcon and Winter Solder series from Disney Plus.

While each party has declined to comment on the deal, Variety's sources have revealed that the series has received a two-season, 16-episode order from Netflix upfront, suggesting the service has an abundance of faith in the project.

In the shadows

The Splinter Cell franchise follows Sam Fisher, an ex-Navy SEAL who undertakes stealth-based missions for the NSA and who is rarely-seen without his night vision goggles.

At present, it's unknown whether Netflix's Splinter Cell series will feature hand-drawn animation (like the aforementioned Castlevania) or computer generated animation (such as Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045).

In the meantime, let us quietly hope that actor Michael Ironside (Total Recall, Starship Troopers) returns to lend his gravelly voice to Splinter Cell's lead character once again. 

• The Last of Us HBO show on the way from Chernobyl creator and game's director

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Click Frenzy’s Julove sales may be over but Amazon is keeping the sales period alive by slashing the price of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II to just AU$349. 

The QuietComfort 35 II is among the best noise-canceling headphones you can find. This stylish and comfortable set of headphones also incorporates Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, allowing you to hear your messages without having to dig through your pocket or bag.

Battery life is amazing, too, with an impressive 20 hours of playback with noise cancellation turned on and listening set to medium sound level. 

Currently discounted by AU$150.95, you can grab a pair of these headphones in White, Black or Rose Gold through Bose's official Amazon store.

Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II | AU$349 (RRP AU$499.95; save AU$150.95)

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II is one of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market and is currently on sale for a staggering 30% off. These headphones are incredibly comfortable and give you a sense of serenity by blocking out the outside hustle and bustle as you listen to your favourite tunes – they also have Google Assistance and Amazon Alexa support built-in for extra functionality. Grab yours today through Amazon in White, Black or Rose Gold and save AU$150.95. View Deal

• The best wireless headphones 2020: our pick of the best ways to cut the cord
• Australia's best cheap headphones, discounts and deals in July 2020
• The best cheap Bose headphone sales and prices for July 2020

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98-inch Xiaomi Redmi Smart TV MAX - 19,999 Yuan from Mi
(roughly $2,800/£2,200/AU$4,000)
This absurdly large display from Xiaomi is actually rather affordable, given its size. The screen is about as large as a double bed, with viewable dimensions of 2190 x 1255mm. It's only available in China for now, but watch this space.View Deal

Meet the Redmi Smart TV MAX, a 98-inch TV that comes with its own white glove VIP installation service. Available at 19,999 Yuan (that’s about US$2,800, £2,200, AU$4,000), this absurdly massive display is actually not all that expensive.

The next cheapest 98-inch display on the market is the ViewSonic IFP9850, a touchscreen monitor that costs about three times more.

The bad news is that you currently can’t buy the Redmi Smart TV MAX unless you live in China. However, given the exceptional popularity of this 98-inch set, we wouldn’t be surprised if Xiaomi began selling it in other countries too.

• We've built a list of the best business monitors on the market
• Check out our list of the best portable monitors out there
• Here's our list of the best interactive kiosk providers around

The TV is roughly equivalent in size to four 50-inch displays placed side by side - about the same proportions as a double bed. The viewable dimensions of the screen are a whopping 2190 x 1255mm and the set probably weighs more than 100kg, which makes it problematic to install.

Picture-wise, it's a 4K display with (unsurprisingly) the worst pixel density on the market (45ppi). It covers 85% of the NTSC colour space, backed by 192 local dimming zones with direct LED backlighting, 60Hz Motion Estimation and Compensation and other quality tweaking technologies.

It features four speakers in total (plus Dolby and DTS decoding), only three HDMI ports, an SPDIF output and a built-in Android box that runs on an 8-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

• Here's our list of the best large format displays out there

Bear in mind

• If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US or the UK (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
• If Mi does not ship to your region, you may need to use 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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Microsoft is discounting the ultra-premium Surface Book 3 for the first time – and the offer is available for this weekend only, starting today (July 31) and ending August 3. While the discount across all configurations is only 15%, it’s a decent chunk of change off on a brand-new machine nonetheless.

Straight out of the box, the Surface Book 3 is a beautiful laptop and tablet hybrid. In our review, we found the detachable keyboard to be one of the most comfortable ones we’ve used for quite some time, and the touchscreen display is gorgeous.

The device comes in 13- and 15-inch variants, and we found the screen to be bright and vivid. All told, the Surface Book 3 is a great choice if you want a portable machine to binge watch your favourite TV shows or movies.

That said, if you’re looking for excellent speakers to listen to music on your 2-in-1, you may want to look elsewhere.

• Our review of the Microsoft Surface Earbuds
• The best laptops in Australia, hand-picked
• These are our favourite 2-in-1 machines

When it comes to specs, the Surface Book 3 is available with Intel’s latest 10th-gen processors – either i5 or i7. System memory is available up to 32GB, while solid-state storage goes up to a whopping 1TB.

Some configurations also have the choice of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, which opens this versatile device up to creators looking to do some design work, or some light gaming when the work day is done.

If that sounds like the kind of device you’re after, the Surface Book 3 is now discounted directly from its maker for this weekend only, so don’t delay. The sale will be ending on August 3.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 | from AU$2,251.65 (15% off, save up to AU$713.85)

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

• Want more laptop deals? We’re collecting the best right here

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The reception to Bronco 2021 — Ford’s flagship series of 4×4 vehicles that were revealed earlier this month — surpassed expectations of the company’s most optimistic initial projections, CEO Jim Hackett said in an earnings call Thursday. 

More than 150,000 customers have plunked down $100 to reserve a spot to order one of the vehicles, according to Ford. 

“We think this family of vehicles has big upside potential in the growing off-road category and this is a category with a leading OEM has not been seriously challenged until now,” Hackett said.

These are, of course, mere reservations, not actual orders. The deposits are refundable. Now, Ford is focused on the due diligence required to determine how many of these reservations will be converted to orders as it lay outs its manufacturing strategy for the brand.

The Ford Bronco 2 and Bronco 4 will be built at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The Bronco Sport will be assembled at plant in Mexico. The company is now determining how many shifts to staff at each factory in order to match actual orders.

“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Ford COO Jim Farley said in a call with analysts Thursday. “But the mix is great.”

The Bronco is a brand that leans heavily on nostalgia, customization, functional design and technology, such as the automaker’s next-generation infotainment system and a digital trail mapping feature that lets owners plan, record and share their experiences via an app.

While the response to the Bronco has been palatable, there are a number of competitors also aiming to win over customers. GM released a video this week teasing its all-electric GMC Hummer. While the video was a promotional mashup of buzzwords, it also showed that GM had clearly identified Ford Bronco and Tesla Cybertruck as its main competitors. Then there’s electric upstart Rivian, which plans to start production of its EV pickup and SUV in 2021.

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Autonomous vehicle technology startup Argo AI is valued at $7.5 billion, just a little more than three years after the company burst on the scene with a $1 billion investment from Ford.

The official valuation was confirmed Thursday nearly two months after VW Group finalized its $2.6 billion investment in Argo AI. Under that deal, Ford and VW have equal ownership stakes, which will be roughly 40% each over time. The remaining equity sits with Argo’s co-founders as well as employees. Argo’s board is comprised of two VW seats, two Ford seats and three Argo seats.

Ford’s announcement in February 2017 that it was investing in Argo AI surprised many. The startup was barely six months old when it was thrust into the spotlight. Its founders, Bryan Salesky and Peter Rander, were known in the tight knit and often overlapping autonomous vehicle industry; prior to forming Argo, Salesky was director of hardware development at the Google self-driving project (now Waymo) and Rander was the engineering lead at Uber Advanced Technologies Group. But even those insiders who knew Salesky and Rander wondered what to make of the deal.

Since then, Argo has focused on developing the virtual driver system — all of the sensors,  software and compute platform — as well as high-definition maps designed for Ford’s self-driving vehicles.

That mission now extends to VW Group as well. Ford and VW will share the cost of developing Argo AI’s self-driving vehicle technology under the terms of the deal. The Pittsburgh-based company also has offices in Detroit, Palo Alto and Cranbury, N.J. It has fleets of autonomous vehicles mapping and testing on public roads in Austin, Miami, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

The investment by VW expands its workforce and operations to Europe. Autonomous Intelligent Driving (AID), the self-driving subsidiary that was launched in 2017 to develop autonomous vehicle technology for the VW Group, is being absorbed into Argo AI. AID’s Munich offices will become Argo’s European headquarters. In all, Argo now employs more than 1,000 people.

While the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles will be a long journey — a remark shared Thursday by Ford CEO Jim Hackett — the Argo investment has already provided the automaker with a short-term and timely gain.

The automaker said Thursday it netted $3.5 billion in the second quarter from selling some of its Argo equity to Volkswagen. That gain gave the automaker a one-time boost in its second-quarter earnings.

Ford posted a $1.1 billion profit in the second quarter, if the Argo transaction is counted. Ford lost $1.9 billion in the quarter before interest and taxes and one-time items. Ford reported a revenue of $19.4 billion, a 50% decrease from the same period in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the company to idle its factories for weeks.

Still, the result could have been far worse. Ford had previously warned that it could post as much as a $5 billion net loss in the second quarter.

Despite these COVID-19 headwinds, Hackett said Ford is still committed to the long-term pursuit of AVs, a point reiterated by CFO Tim Stone, who said the automaker continues to make investments to commercialize its autonomous vehicle business, including product development, engineering and testing.

“The AV journey will be a long one, but Ford is now well positioned to run this race and compete like few others can,” Hackett added.

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